Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

A vehicle control ECU detects, on the basis of an image from a rear camera, that the following vehicle is attempting to change lanes and the movement direction thereof. In a scene where the host vehicle is attempting to change lanes, the vehicle control ECU warns the driver if it has been detected that the following vehicle is also attempting to change lanes in the same direction. In a configuration in which the vehicle control ECU can automatically change lanes, the vehicle control ECU delays or suspends the lane change of the host vehicle if the timings of the lane changes of the host vehicle and the following vehicle overlap.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2022-023247 filed in Japan on February 17, 2022, and the contents of the original application are incorporated by reference in their entirety. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a technology for assisting a driver in changing lanes or for automatically executing lane changes. [Background technology]

[0003] There is a technology that uses the operation of the direction indicator (so-called blinker) of the vehicle as a trigger to detect a vehicle approaching from the rear side of the vehicle and alerts the driver according to the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle and the relative speed. Patent Document 1 also describes a configuration that predicts the possibility that the vehicle will change lanes based on the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle or the approaching speed, and notifies the driver of the presence of a vehicle approaching from the rear side based on the prediction result. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3900814 Summary of the Invention

[0005] When the vehicle is about to change lanes, the vehicle following the vehicle may also start to change lanes. In other words, the vehicle and another vehicle may start to change lanes at approximately the same timing. For example, there may be an obstacle such as a parked vehicle visible ahead, and the vehicle must move to an adjacent lane to avoid a collision. However, a driver who is about to change lanes pays attention to the traffic conditions in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle is moving, but is unlikely to pay attention to the vehicle following directly behind the vehicle, and is unlikely to notice that the vehicle following the vehicle is about to change lanes.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made based on the above considerations or points of view, and one of its objectives is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that enable lane changes to be performed more safely.

[0007] The first vehicle control device disclosed herein includes a following vehicle behavior determination unit (F2) that determines whether a following vehicle, which is another vehicle behind the host vehicle and traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle, is about to change lanes based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about an object present behind the host vehicle, a vehicle control unit (F4) that performs a following vehicle warning process, which is a process of notifying the driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination by the following vehicle behavior determination unit that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, and a host vehicle behavior determination unit (F3) that determines whether the host vehicle is about to change lanes based on a signal from an on-board sensor. An information acquisition unit (F1) that acquires a traveling speed of the vehicle based on a signal from an on-board sensor; The vehicle control unit changes the manner of the following vehicle warning process depending on whether the host vehicle is about to change lanes. and when the vehicle is about to change lanes and the vehicle's traveling speed is equal to or greater than a threshold, the following vehicle warning process is a process of notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting a notification sound, displaying a notification video, and applying a vibration; when the vehicle is about to change lanes and the vehicle's traveling speed is less than the threshold, the following vehicle warning process is a process of notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting a notification sound and displaying a notification video without applying a vibration; when the vehicle is not about to change lanes and the vehicle's traveling speed is equal to or greater than the threshold, the following vehicle warning process is a process of notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by applying a vibration and displaying a notification video without outputting a notification sound; and when the vehicle is not about to change lanes and the vehicle's traveling speed is less than the threshold, the following vehicle warning process is a process of displaying an icon image indicating the behavior of the following vehicle at a predetermined position on the display. . In addition, a second vehicle control device included in the present disclosure includes a following vehicle behavior determination unit (F2) that determines whether a following vehicle, which is another vehicle behind the vehicle and traveling in the same lane as the vehicle, is about to change lanes based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about objects present behind the vehicle, a vehicle control unit (F4) that performs following vehicle warning processing, which is processing to notify the driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination by the following vehicle behavior determination unit that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, and an information acquisition unit (F1) that acquires the traveling speed of the vehicle based on a signal from an on-board sensor, and the vehicle control unit is configured to change the manner of the following vehicle warning processing depending on the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the driver can easily recognize that the following vehicle is changing lanes. Therefore, the risk of the driver's vehicle changing lanes at approximately the same time as the following vehicle can be reduced, and the driver can change lanes more safely.

[0011] A first vehicle control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on and used in a vehicle, and includes the steps of: determining whether a following vehicle, which is another vehicle behind the host vehicle and traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle, is attempting to change lanes based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about an object present behind the host vehicle; determining whether the host vehicle is attempting to change lanes based on a signal from the on-board sensor; and implementing a following vehicle warning process, which is a process for notifying the driver that the following vehicle is attempting to change lanes, based on the determination that the following vehicle is attempting to change lanes; acquiring a vehicle's traveling speed based on a signal from an on-board sensor; when the vehicle is attempting to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a threshold, notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting a notification sound, displaying a notification video, and applying a vibration as a following vehicle warning process; when the vehicle is attempting to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is less than the threshold, notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting a notification sound and displaying a notification video without applying a vibration as a following vehicle warning process; when the vehicle is not attempting to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the threshold, notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by applying a vibration and displaying a notification video without outputting a notification sound as a following vehicle warning process; and when the vehicle is not attempting to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is less than the threshold, displaying an icon image indicating the behavior of the following vehicle at a predetermined position on the display as a following vehicle warning process. Includes. A second vehicle control method included in the present disclosure is a vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on and used in a vehicle, and includes: determining whether a following vehicle, which is another vehicle behind the vehicle and traveling in the same lane as the vehicle, is about to change lanes based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about objects present behind the vehicle; acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle based on the signal from the on-board sensor; performing a following vehicle warning process, which is a process for notifying the driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination that the following vehicle is about to change lanes; and changing the manner of the following vehicle warning process depending on the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0012] The above method is The A method for a vehicle control device, comprising: car The two control devices have the same function and can provide the same effects.

[0013] In addition, the symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle system. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a perimeter monitoring sensor. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle control ECU. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for determining whether a following vehicle is about to change lanes; FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart corresponding to a process of determining that a following vehicle is about to change lanes and the direction of movement of the following vehicle based on a lateral position change amount. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining another example of a method for determining whether a following vehicle is about to change lanes. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining another example of a method for determining whether a following vehicle is about to change lanes. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a vehicle control ECU. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the vehicle control ECU. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a following vehicle warning process according to the state of the host vehicle. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the vehicle control ECU. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a distant parallel running vehicle. [Figure 13] 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the vehicle control ECU taking into consideration the behavior of a distant parallel running vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle system Sys according to this embodiment. The present disclosure can be modified as appropriate to comply with the laws, regulations and customs of the region in which the in-vehicle system Sys is used.

[0016] <Introduction> The present disclosure is not limited to passenger cars, but is applicable to various vehicles that can travel on roads, such as tank trucks and trucks. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the on-board system Sys will also be referred to as the host vehicle. The host vehicle may be an electric vehicle. Of course, the host vehicle may be an engine vehicle. The concept of an electric vehicle may include not only electric vehicles, but also plug-in hybrid vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. In the present disclosure, a driver refers to a person sitting in the driver's seat, that is, a driver's seat occupant. If the host vehicle is remotely operated, the person remotely operating the host vehicle (so-called operator) also corresponds to the driver.

[0017] <In-vehicle system configuration> 1, the in-vehicle system Sys includes a vehicle state sensor 11, a surroundings monitoring sensor 12, a driver monitor 13, a wireless communication device 14, a display 21, a speaker 22, a vibrator 23, an input device 24, and a vehicle control ECU 30. The "ECU" in the member names is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit, and means an electronic control device.

[0018] The vehicle state sensor 11 is a sensor that detects information related to the state of the vehicle. A vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a steering sensor, etc. correspond to the vehicle state sensor 11. The vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle. The steering angle sensor detects the steering angle. The steering sensor is a sensor that detects the torque applied by the driver to the steering wheel (so-called steering torque). The steering sensor may be a sensor that detects the steering angle, which is the rotation angle of the steering wheel.

[0019] The vehicle condition sensor 11 outputs a signal indicating the current value / condition of the item to be detected to the vehicle control ECU 30. The type of sensor to be provided in the in-vehicle system Sys as the vehicle condition sensor 11 may be appropriately designed. The in-vehicle system Sys does not need to include all of the above-mentioned sensors. In addition, the in-vehicle system Sys may include a sensor other than the above-mentioned sensors as the vehicle condition sensor 11.

[0020] The operating state of the turn indicator and the state of the power source for running also correspond to information on the state of the vehicle. The power source for running is a power source for running the vehicle, and refers to the ignition power source when the vehicle is an engine vehicle. When the vehicle is an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, the power source for running refers to the system main relay. Signals indicating the operating state of the turn indicator and the state of the power source for running may also be input to the vehicle control ECU 30. A vehicle speed sensor, a turn indicator switch, and the like correspond to on-board sensors that detect the state of the host vehicle.

[0021] The perimeter monitoring sensor 12 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment surrounding the vehicle. A camera that captures images of the outside of the vehicle, a millimeter wave radar, a LiDAR, a sonar, etc., correspond to the perimeter monitoring sensor 12. The perimeter monitoring sensor 12 detects predetermined moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the vehicle, and also detects their positions, moving speeds, etc.

[0022] LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging. A millimeter wave radar is a device that transmits exploration waves such as millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves, and detects the relative position and relative speed of an object with respect to the vehicle by analyzing the received data of the reflected waves that are returned after the transmitted waves are reflected by the object. LiDAR is a device that detects objects that exist within a specified detection area based on the reception results of laser light of a specified wavelength, such as infrared light or near-infrared light.

[0023] The vehicle-mounted system Sys of this embodiment includes, as the periphery monitoring sensor 12, a front sensor 12A that forms a detection area in front of the vehicle and a rear sensor 12B that forms a detection area behind the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2. The front includes not only directly in front but also diagonally forward. The rear includes not only directly behind but also diagonally rear.

[0024] The vehicle-mounted system Sys includes a front camera 121 and a front radar 122 as the front system sensors 12A. The vehicle-mounted system Sys also includes a rear camera 123 and a rear radar 124 as the rear system sensors 12B. The detection results of the periphery monitoring sensors 12 are input to the vehicle control ECU 30. The rear system sensor 12B corresponds to the rear monitoring sensor.

[0025] The front camera 121 is an optical / infrared camera arranged to capture an image of the area in front of the vehicle at a predetermined angle of view. The front camera 121 is arranged on the upper end of the windshield on the interior side of the vehicle, the front grill, the roof top, etc. The front camera 121 detects moving objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles by performing recognition processing on the image frame. The front camera 121 also detects the lighting state of the lighting device provided on the rear part of the preceding vehicle by analyzing the image. The front camera 121 also detects road markings, road edges, road signs, etc. Road markings are paints painted on the road surface for regulating or instructing traffic on the road. In one aspect, road markings can be called road paint. Road markings include lane dividing lines, stop lines, and regulatory arrows that indicate the boundaries of lanes. Lane boundary lines include white or yellow continuous lines (solid lines) or broken lines painted, as well as those realized by road studs such as chatter bars and Bott's dots.

[0026] The forward radar 122 is a millimeter wave radar installed on the front part of the vehicle, such as the front grille or the front bumper. The forward radar 122 detects the distance, relative speed, and relative position of an object on the vehicle's lane, such as a preceding vehicle. In this disclosure, the preceding vehicle refers to a vehicle that is in front of the vehicle, traveling in the same lane as the vehicle, and is the closest vehicle to the vehicle. In this disclosure, the following vehicle refers to a vehicle that is in the same lane as the vehicle, and is the closest vehicle to the vehicle, among the vehicles behind the vehicle. In this disclosure, the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is referred to as the vehicle's lane, among the lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The vehicle's lane may also be called an ego lane.

[0027] The rear camera 123 is an optical / infrared camera arranged to capture an image of the rear of the vehicle at a predetermined angle of view. The rear camera 123 is arranged at an arbitrary position on the rear of the vehicle, such as near the upper end of the rear window. The rear camera 123 detects moving objects, road markings, road edges, etc. by performing recognition processing on the image frame. The moving objects to be detected may include a following vehicle. The rear camera 123 also detects the operating state of the turn signal of the following vehicle by analyzing the image. The rear radar 124 is a millimeter wave radar installed on the rear bumper. The rear radar 124 detects the relative positions and relative speeds of other vehicles present behind the vehicle, following vehicles, etc.

[0028] The above-mentioned periphery monitoring sensor 12 is an example, and the in-vehicle system Sys does not need to include all of the above-mentioned periphery monitoring sensors 12. The in-vehicle system Sys may also include side cameras that capture images of the sides of the vehicle. The side cameras are provided on the left and right side mirrors, etc. The side cameras also generate signals that indicate the behavior of other vehicles present to the sides by analyzing the images. The traffic conditions behind the vehicle may be acquired by analyzing the images captured by the side cameras.

[0029] The function of detecting the behavior of other vehicles by analyzing the camera image may be provided by an external device of the camera, the vehicle control ECU 30. In this case, each camera serving as a periphery monitoring sensor outputs a video signal to the vehicle control ECU 30. The video signal itself of the camera capturing an image of the outside of the vehicle may also correspond to a signal indicating the behavior of other vehicles.

[0030] The driver monitor 13 is a sensor that includes a camera arranged to capture an image of the driver and detects the state of the driver by analyzing the image of the camera. The driver monitor 13 is arranged on the upper surface of the steering column cover, the upper surface of the instrument panel, the upper end of the windshield, etc., with the optical axis facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The camera included in the driver monitor 13 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera.

[0031] The driver monitor 13 sequentially detects the state of the driver based on the facial image of the driver included in the captured video. The driver monitor 13 sequentially detects the driver's facial direction, line of sight, and degree of eyelid opening (so-called eye opening degree) as the state of the driver. The driver monitor 13 sequentially outputs information indicating the state of the driver identified from the captured image to the vehicle control ECU 30 as driver state data. Note that the vehicle control ECU 30 may have a function of detecting the state of the driver, etc. by analyzing the video signal of the camera. The driver monitor 13 also corresponds to an in-vehicle sensor that detects the behavior of the driver.

[0032] The wireless communication device 14 is a device for the vehicle to perform wireless communication with other devices. The wireless communication device 14 is configured to be capable of performing cellular communication. Cellular communication is wireless communication that complies with standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, and 5G. The wireless communication device 14 may be configured to perform cellular V2X (PC5 / Uu).

[0033] Further, the wireless communication device 14 is configured to be capable of performing short-range communication. In the present disclosure, short-range communication refers to wireless communication in which the communication distance is limited to within several hundred meters. As a standard for short-range communication, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) corresponding to the IEEE802.11p standard, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or the like can be adopted. The short-range communication may be the above-mentioned cellular V2X. Note that short-range communication with other vehicles is also referred to as inter-vehicle communication. The wireless communication device 14 may be configured to be capable of performing only one of cellular communication and short-range communication.

[0034] The wireless communication device 14 can obtain dynamic map data according to the current location from an external device such as a map distribution server or a roadside device. The dynamic map data is map data that indicates the positions of obstacles on the road. Parked vehicles, construction sections, lane restriction sections, fallen objects, etc. correspond to obstacles. The wireless communication device 14 can receive vehicle information from a preceding vehicle and a following vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The vehicle information can include the lighting status of hazard lights, vehicle speed, the operating status of turn signals, steering angle, etc. The data received by the wireless communication device 14 is transmitted to the vehicle control ECU 30.

[0035] The display 21 is a device that displays an image. The in-vehicle system Sys includes one or more of a head-up display (HUD), a meter display, and a center display as the display 21. The HUD is a device that projects image light onto a predetermined area of ​​the windshield to display an image at a position that overlaps with the forward view. The meter display is a display arranged in an area of ​​the instrument panel located in front of the driver's seat. The center display is a display provided in the center of the instrument panel. The meter display and the center display can be realized using a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Based on a control signal and a video signal input from the vehicle control ECU 30, the display 21 displays an image according to the input signal.

[0036] The speaker 22 is a device that outputs a sound corresponding to a signal input from the vehicle control ECU 30. The expression "sound" includes notification sounds, voices, music, and the like. The vibrator 23 is a device for applying a vibration stimulus to the driver, and is provided on the steering wheel or the backrest of the driver's seat. The vibrator 23 may be provided in a plurality of locations. The vibrator 23 may be a device that applies a vibration stimulus to the driver by vibrating the seat belt itself.

[0037] The in-vehicle system Sys may also include an ambient light as an alerting device. The ambient light is a lighting device that is realized by a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) and is capable of adjusting the light emission color and light emission intensity, and is provided on the instrument panel, steering wheel, etc. In addition, the vehicle control ECU 30 may be configured to be capable of performing control to tighten the seat belt of the driver's seat by a predetermined amount. Tightening the seat belt can also be used as a stimulus to alert the driver.

[0038] The input device 24 is a device for receiving an instruction operation from the driver to the in-vehicle system Sys. As the input device 24, a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, a touch panel laminated on the center display, or the like can be adopted. The in-vehicle system Sys may be equipped with a plurality of types of devices as the input device 24. An operating member for operating a turn signal, so-called a turn signal lever / switch, can also be included in the input device 24. In addition, a device related to voice input such as a microphone can also be included in the input device 24.

[0039] The input device 24 outputs an electric signal corresponding to the driver's operation as an operation signal to the vehicle control ECU 30. The display 21, the speaker 22, the vibrator 23, and the input device 24 constitute an in-vehicle HMI (Human Machine Interface). An HCU (HMI Control Unit) may be interposed between the various devices constituting the in-vehicle HMI and the vehicle control ECU 30. The HCU is a device that comprehensively controls the notification of information to the driver.

[0040] The vehicle control ECU 30 is an ECU that controls the presentation of information to the driver regarding lane changes, etc. The vehicle control ECU 30 may be configured to be able to perform vehicle control such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). ACC refers to a control function that makes the vehicle travel at a constant speed at a predetermined target speed when there is no preceding vehicle within a predetermined distance, and makes the vehicle travel following the preceding vehicle while maintaining a distance from the preceding vehicle when there is a preceding vehicle within the predetermined distance. ACC is started based on an instruction from a passenger. The target speed of ACC may be input by the driver, or a speed limit determined by map data or recognition of road signs may be applied.

[0041] The vehicle control ECU 30 is mainly composed of a computer including a processor 31, a storage 32, a memory 33, a communication interface 34, and a bus connecting these. The processor 31 is an arithmetic core such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 31 executes various processes by accessing the memory 33. The storage 32 is a rewritable non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The storage 32 stores a vehicle control program that is a program for making a normal computer function as the vehicle control ECU 30. The vehicle control program includes a notification control program for controlling the presentation of information to the occupant. The processor 31 executing the vehicle control program corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method. The memory 33 is a rewritable volatile storage medium, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The vehicle control ECU 30 corresponds to a vehicle control device.

[0042] <Vehicle control ECU functions> As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle control ECU 30 includes an information acquisition unit F1, an other vehicle LC determination unit F2, a host vehicle LC determination unit F3, and a vehicle control unit F4 as functional units. These functional units are realized by the processor 31 executing a vehicle control program. Note that the term "LC" in this disclosure means lane change. The term "LC determination unit" can be read as a lane change determination unit.

[0043] The information acquisition unit F1 acquires various information from the vehicle state sensor 11 and the like, and temporarily stores the information in the memory 33. The information acquisition unit F1 acquires the vehicle's traveling speed, acceleration, steering state, turn signal operation state, and the like from the vehicle state sensor 11. The information acquisition unit F1 also acquires detection results from the periphery monitoring sensor 12. The information acquisition unit F1 acquires the relative speeds and relative positions of the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle, the turn signal operation state, the brake lamp / hazard lamp illumination state, and the like. The information acquisition unit F1 also acquires the positions of lane section lines on the left and right of the vehicle, the positions of the road edges, and the like. Position information of other vehicles, lane section lines, and the like may be expressed in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional relative coordinate system based on the vehicle itself.

[0044] The information acquisition unit F1 can acquire the position, speed, acceleration, and turn signal operation state of the following vehicle based on an image from the rear camera 123 or a signal received through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit F1 acquires position information of an obstacle present in the vehicle lane based on the detection result of the front system sensor 12A and obstacle information distributed from an external device.

[0045] The information acquisition unit F1 identifies the lateral position of the vehicle relative to the vehicle lane based on signals from the front camera 121 and the rear camera 123. The lateral position is the relative position to the lane markings, in other words, the offset amount relative to the lane center. The lateral position indicates whether the vehicle is driving in the center of the lane, driving to one side, straddling the lane markings, etc. The lateral position can be expressed by at least one of three parameters: a right margin, a left margin, and a center offset amount. The right margin indicates the distance from the right lane marking, which is the right lane marking of the two lane marks that define the vehicle lane, to the right end of the vehicle. The left margin indicates the distance from the left lane marking, which is the left lane marking of the two lane marks that define the vehicle lane, to the left end of the vehicle. The center offset amount indicates the position of the center of the vehicle relative to the lane center line that is located midway between the right lane marking and the left lane marking. The center offset amount is equivalent to half the difference between the right margin and the left margin. The lateral position may be determined using distance information from the edge of the road or from a traffic control arrow.

[0046] The information acquisition unit F1 acquires the lateral position of the following vehicle by combining the lane markings and the position information of the following vehicle. In this disclosure, "acquire" also includes generating / detecting by internal calculation based on data input from other devices / sensors. The lateral position of the following vehicle, i.e., the relative position with respect to the lane markings, may be identified by analyzing the image of the rear camera 123. The time series data of the lateral position of the following vehicle functions as information for determining whether the following vehicle is swaying or whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes. Note that time series data refers to data in which observation values ​​at multiple points in time are arranged in order of observation time.

[0047] Additionally, the information acquisition unit F1 acquires information indicating the state / behavior of the driver from the driver monitor 13. Information indicating the state of the occupant includes the direction of the face, the direction of the line of sight, the posture, the degree of opening of the eyes, etc. The direction of the line of sight indicates whether the face is facing the side mirror, the rearview mirror, or to the side / diagonally backward, etc.

[0048] Various pieces of information sequentially acquired by the information acquisition unit F1 are stored in a temporary storage medium such as a memory 33, and are used by the other vehicle LC determination unit F2, the host vehicle LC determination unit F3, the vehicle control unit F4, etc. The various pieces of information may be classified by type and stored in the memory. The various pieces of information may also be sorted and stored so that the most recent data is at the top. Data that has been acquired for a certain amount of time may be discarded.

[0049] The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 determines whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on various information acquired by the information acquisition unit F1. In other words, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 detects a sign of a lane change in the following vehicle. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 corresponds to a following vehicle behavior determination unit. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 can also be called an other vehicle behavior determination unit.

[0050] The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 determines that the following vehicle is about to change lanes if the right or left turn signal of the following vehicle is operating (flashing). The fact that the turn signal of the following vehicle is operating may be detected by analyzing the image from the rear camera 123, or may be identified based on a signal received from the following vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0051] Furthermore, when the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 determines that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, it acquires the LC direction, which is the direction in which the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on which of the left and right lamps is on. The LC direction can also be identified by analyzing the image of the rear camera 123. Furthermore, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may identify the LC direction based on a signal received by vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0052] As another aspect, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may detect that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the time-series data of the lateral position of the following vehicle. As shown in FIG. 4, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may detect that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the lateral position variation amount (ΔX) indicating the change amount of the lateral position of the following vehicle at present and a predetermined time ago. The lateral position variation amount may be a value obtained by subtracting the right margin (RM2) of the following vehicle at a time point (t = T2) a certain time ago from the right margin (RM1) of the following vehicle at the current time (t = T1). Note that FIG. 4 shows a scene where the following vehicle is about to move into the right lane. Fv in the figure indicates the following vehicle.

[0053] The past lateral position information of the following vehicle used for calculating the lateral position variation amount can be the observed values at 1 second ago, 2 seconds ago, or 3 seconds ago. That is, ΔT in FIG. 4 is set to a value of about several seconds. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 determines that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the fact that the absolute value of the lateral position variation amount, ΔX (= RM1 - RM2), is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The LC direction can be determined based on the sign of the lateral position variation amount. If ΔX = RM1 - RM2 is adopted as the calculation formula for the lateral position variation amount, a negative lateral position variation amount indicates that the LC direction is to the right, and a positive lateral position variation amount indicates that the LC direction is to the left.

[0054] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the other vehicle LC determination unit F2. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 can be executed at a predetermined cycle when the following vehicle is detected. Step S101 in FIG. 5 is a step of acquiring the right margin of the following vehicle and calculating the lateral position variation amount of the following vehicle. When the lateral position variation amount is less than the right LC determination value (YES in step S102), the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 determines that the following vehicle is about to move into the right lane (step S103). ThR in FIG. 5 indicates the right LC determination value and is set to a value corresponding to, for example, -0.5 m or -0.75 m. Step S102 corresponds to a step of determining whether ΔX < ThR is satisfied.

[0055] Also, if the observed lateral position variation is greater than the left LC judgment value (step S104: YES), it is judged that the following vehicle is about to move to the left lane (step S105). ThL in the figure indicates the left LC judgment value, and is set to a value corresponding to, for example, +0.5 m or +0.75 m. Step S104 corresponds to a step of judging whether ΔX>ThL is satisfied.

[0056] Then, if the lateral position variation amount is equal to or greater than the right LC judgment value and equal to or less than the left LC judgment value (NO in S104), the other vehicle LC judgment unit F2 judges that the following vehicle has no plans to change lanes / the possibility of a lane change being performed is low, and ends this flow (step S106).

[0057] Although the above describes the manner in which the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 calculates the lateral position variation amount using the right margin, the lateral position variation amount may be calculated using the left margin or the center offset amount. The signs and magnitudes of the right LC determination value and the left LC determination value can be changed depending on the parameters used to calculate the lateral position variation amount, the settings of the coordinate system, and the configuration of the subtraction formula. The above configuration corresponds to a configuration in which whether or not the following vehicle is about to change lanes is determined based on a change over time in the relative position of the following vehicle with respect to the lane markings.

[0058] As another embodiment, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on a change over time in the relative position of the following vehicle with respect to the vehicle itself. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the lateral distance (Dx1) at time T1 and the lateral distance (Dx2) at time T2 as shown in FIG. 6. Specifically, the following vehicle may determine that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on Dx2-Dx1=ΔDx being equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In addition, when overtaking, the following vehicle moves to an adjacent lane while accelerating. Therefore, when the following vehicle is about to overtake the vehicle itself, the distance in the front-rear direction (so-called inter-vehicle distance) may also become smaller. Therefore, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on not only that ΔDx is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, but also that Dy2-Dy1=ΔDy is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, +2 m). The ΔDy determined by the above formula indicates the distance that the following vehicle has approached the vehicle. Hv in the figure indicates the vehicle.

[0059] Alternatively, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on detection that the following vehicle is swaying. The swaying of the following vehicle corresponds to the lateral position of the following vehicle repeatedly increasing and decreasing. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 can determine that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the fact that the time series data of the lateral position of the following vehicle corresponds to a predetermined pattern registered as a sign of a lane change. The pattern indicating a sign of a lane change is a pattern in which the value indicating the lateral position increases / decreases at a predetermined speed, a pattern in which the value increases / decreases repeatedly with an amplitude equal to or greater than a predetermined value, etc.

[0060] Also, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the fact that the following vehicle has straddled a lane as shown in FIG. 7. The fact that the following vehicle is straddling a lane dividing line can be specified by analyzing the image of the rear camera 123. The state of straddling a lane dividing line means a state in which a part of the vehicle body (for example, tires) is on the lane dividing line. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the fact that the following vehicle is approaching the own vehicle at a relative speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is less than a predetermined value. The camera used by the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 to detect the behavior of the following vehicle may be a side camera. Furthermore, even if the front camera 121 detects an obstacle existing on the own vehicle lane, it may be determined that the following vehicle is about to change lanes. This is because, in the scene, the own vehicle naturally changes lanes, but the following vehicle also has to change lanes. The other vehicle LC determination unit F2 may determine whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes by combining the various determination factors described above.

[0061] The host vehicle LC determination unit F3 is configured to determine whether the host vehicle is about to change lanes. The state in which the host vehicle is about to change lanes includes not only a state in which the driver is about to change lanes, but also a state in which the system is about to change lanes automatically. The host vehicle LC determination unit F3 corresponds to the host vehicle behavior determination unit.

[0062] The vehicle LC determination unit F3 may determine that the vehicle is about to change lanes when the direction indicator of the vehicle is activated. The vehicle LC determination unit F3 may also determine whether the scene requires a lane change based on the planned driving route of the vehicle, surrounding map information, and the current vehicle lane number. Determining that the scene requires a lane change corresponds to determining that the vehicle is about to change lanes.

[0063] Whether or not a lane change is necessary can be determined based on the relationship between the travel direction assigned to the vehicle lane and the planned driving route. A lane change is necessary when the vehicle plans to go straight through an intersection and the current vehicle lane is a lane for left / right turns only. Conversely, a lane change is also necessary when the vehicle plans to turn right / left through an intersection and the current vehicle lane is a lane for straight driving only. A lane change is also necessary when the vehicle merges from an acceleration lane to a highway main line or when the vehicle moves from a highway main line to a branch road. The planned driving route and surrounding map information can be obtained from various devices such as a navigation device, a locator, and an automatic driving device mounted on the vehicle.

[0064] In addition, the presence of an obstacle within a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle lane also corresponds to a scene where a lane change is necessary. In other words, when the presence of an obstacle on the vehicle lane is detected, it may be determined that the vehicle is about to change lanes. The presence or absence of an obstacle may be detected by the forward sensor 12A, or may be received from a roadside device or an external server. It may be determined that the vehicle is also about to change lanes based on the fact that the preceding vehicle has changed lanes.

[0065] Furthermore, the host vehicle LC determination unit F3 may determine that the host vehicle is about to change lanes when it detects that the driver has performed an action to check the rear side. The action to check the rear side refers to an action of directing the line of sight to the side mirror / room mirror or an action of turning the face to the rear side. These actions can be detected based on a signal from the driver monitor 13. The in-vehicle system Sys may be configured to display an image from the rear camera 123 or the side camera on the display 21, which is configured to be able to display the image, based on the driver's operation on the input device 24. In such a configuration, the host vehicle may be determined to be about to change lanes based on the input of an operation signal from the input device 24 to display an image from the rear camera 123 or the side camera on the display 21 when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

[0066] The host vehicle LC determination unit F3 may determine that the host vehicle is about to change lanes when the host vehicle is approaching the preceding vehicle at a relative speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is less than a predetermined value. Alternatively, the host vehicle may determine that the host vehicle is about to change lanes when the speed of the preceding vehicle is slower than the target speed of the ACC set for the host vehicle.

[0067] When determining whether the vehicle or the following vehicle is about to change lanes, the traffic conditions of the target lane, which is the adjacent lane to which the vehicle is to move, may be taken into consideration. If no vacant space of a predetermined size or more is detected on the target lane, the processor 31 may determine that the vehicle is not about to change lanes. In other words, the other vehicle LC determination unit F2 and the vehicle LC determination unit F3 may determine that the following vehicle or the vehicle is about to change lanes, provided that there is a vacant space on the target lane.

[0068] The vehicle control unit F4 performs a following vehicle warning process based on the result of the judgment by the other vehicle LC judgment unit F2. The following vehicle warning process is a process for notifying the driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes. When the other vehicle LC judgment unit F2 judges that the following vehicle is also about to change lanes in a situation where the own vehicle LC judgment unit F3 judges that the own vehicle is about to change lanes, the vehicle control unit F4 performs the following vehicle warning process.

[0069] As the following vehicle warning process, the vehicle control unit F4 displays an icon indicating that the following vehicle is about to change lanes at a predetermined position on the display 21. The icon may include an arrow indicating the LC direction of the following vehicle. The image displayed as the following vehicle warning process may be changed according to the LC direction of the following vehicle. The following vehicle warning process may be a process of turning on a predetermined indicator. The following vehicle warning process may be a process of displaying an icon image on a side mirror or turning on an indicator.

[0070] The vehicle control unit F4 may display, as the following vehicle warning process, a notification image, which is a computer graphics image (CG: Computer Graphics) showing that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, on the display 21. CG is also called CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). The notification image displayed by the vehicle control unit F4 as the following vehicle warning process may be a 2D / 3D animation image of the following vehicle turning on its blinker. The image of the following vehicle included in the notification image is a predetermined 3D model and is not based on an actual camera image. However, the image of the following vehicle included in the notification image may be a 3D model imitating an actual following vehicle. In order to improve the driver's recognition, the color and shape (model) of the following vehicle in the notification image may be dynamically set to a color and shape that are highly similar to the actual following vehicle captured by the rear camera 123. The notification image may be an overhead image looking down on the vehicle and the following vehicle from a virtual viewpoint placed in the air in front of the vehicle. Of course, the notification image may be an image of the following vehicle operating its turn signal as seen through the rear window. The notification image may be an animation image of a following vehicle attempting to overtake the vehicle. The viewpoint and the method of expression of the notification image may be changed as appropriate.

[0071] The vehicle control unit F4 may output a notification sound (warning sound) of a predetermined pattern or a voice message from the speaker 22 as the following vehicle warning process. The vehicle control unit F4 may also vibrate a vibrator 23 provided on the steering wheel, the seat belt, the backrest of the driver's seat, etc. in a predetermined pattern as the following vehicle warning process. A configuration in which the backrest of the driver's seat is vibrated makes it easier for the driver to intuitively recognize that he or she should be careful of the area behind the vehicle. The vehicle control unit F4 may execute control to wind up (tighten) the seat belt by a predetermined amount as the following vehicle warning process. The vehicle control unit F4 may execute an appropriate combination of actions with different types of stimuli, such as image display, sound output, and vibration generation, as the following vehicle warning process.

[0072] The vehicle control unit F4 is not limited to the following vehicle warning process, but may also perform control processes such as ACC. It may also provide information related to ACC to the driver as appropriate. However, the ACC-related functions are optional elements. The vehicle control ECU 30 itself may not have a function such as ACC.

[0073] <About the operation of the vehicle control ECU> Here, the operation of the vehicle control ECU 30 will be described using the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is executed periodically at a predetermined cycle, such as every 200 milliseconds, 500 milliseconds, or 1 second, while the power source for driving the vehicle is on or while the shift position is set to a position that allows forward movement (e.g., D / S). The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 includes steps S201 to S204 as an example. Each step is executed in order according to the arrows shown in Fig. 8. The description of the processor 31 as the entity that performs the steps can be appropriately replaced with any of a plurality of functional units provided in the vehicle control ECU 30, such as the information acquisition unit F1 to the vehicle control unit F4.

[0074] Step S201 is a step for acquiring various information to be used in the subsequent processing by the processor 31. The information acquisition unit F1 can acquire the vehicle speed and turn signal operation state of the vehicle, the traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle, the driver's line of sight, the behavior of the following vehicle, and the like.

[0075] Step S102 is a step in which the processor 31 determines whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes. As described above, whether the following vehicle is about to change lanes can be determined by various methods. If it is determined that the following vehicle is about to change lanes (YES in step S202), the processor 31 executes step S203. On the other hand, if no behavior suggesting a lane change is observed in the following vehicle (NO in step S202), this flow ends.

[0076] Step S203 is a step in which the processor 31 determines whether the host vehicle is about to change lanes. As described above, various conditions can be adopted as the conditions for determining that the host vehicle is about to change lanes. If the host vehicle is about to change lanes (YES in step S203), the processor 31 executes step S204. On the other hand, if the conditions for determining that the host vehicle is about to change lanes are not satisfied (NO in step S203), this flow ends.

[0077] In step S204, the processor 31 performs a following vehicle warning process in cooperation with a notification device such as the display 21. The processor 31 may display a notification image on the display 21 and sequentially output a signal for vibrating the vibrator 23 provided on the steering wheel.

[0078] <Issues and Effects> In an actual traffic scene, a following vehicle may attempt to change lanes in the same direction at the same time or slightly earlier than the vehicle's lane change to the overtaking lane, resulting in excessive closeness between the following vehicle and the vehicle itself. This is because the following vehicle also tends to pay more attention to the target lane than to the front. In a configuration that issues an alarm based on the positional relationship between the vehicle itself and other vehicles traveling in the target lane in such an event, the alarm may be delayed or not issued when the vehicle itself and the following vehicle attempt to change lanes at approximately the same time as described above.

[0079] In response to such a problem, the configuration of the present disclosure notifies the driver of the fact that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the detection. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize that the following vehicle is about to change lanes. As a result, a response that enhances safety, such as canceling / postponing the lane change of the vehicle, can be expected. Note that postponing the lane change corresponds to putting it on hold temporarily.

[0080] In addition, when the vehicle is not considering a lane change, whether the following vehicle will change lanes is not important information. Therefore, if the vehicle is notified of the lane change of the following vehicle in a situation where the vehicle is not planning to change lanes, the driver may feel annoyed. To address such a problem, the vehicle control ECU 30 of the above embodiment notifies the following vehicle of the lane change on the condition that the vehicle is about to change lanes. In other words, when it is determined that the vehicle is not about to change lanes, the notification regarding the lane change of the following vehicle is not performed. Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the possibility of causing annoyance to the occupants can be reduced. The state in which the vehicle is about to change lanes corresponds to an example of a specific state.

[0081] In addition, the above configuration has the advantage that the driver can easily recognize the presence of a following vehicle approaching the vehicle at an approaching speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the vehicle's lane is an overtaking lane such as the second lane, the driver can easily take measures such as moving to the first lane (driving lane) in response to the following vehicle warning process.

[0082] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modified examples described below are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in addition to the following, various modifications can be implemented within the scope of the gist. The following various supplements and modified examples can be implemented in appropriate combinations within the scope of no technical contradiction. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components having the same functions as the components described above, and their description may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is mentioned, the above description can be applied to the other parts.

[0083] <Variation (1)> The scene in which the following vehicle warning process is performed is not limited to the case where the vehicle is about to change lanes. The vehicle LC determination unit F3 is an optional element and may be omitted. As shown in FIG. 9, the processor 31 may perform the following vehicle warning process on the condition that the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined notification threshold (step S203a), regardless of whether the vehicle is planning to perform LC. A state in which the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the notification threshold corresponds to an example of a specific state. The notification threshold may be set to a value indicating that traffic is flowing, such as 50km / h or 60km / h, or a value indicating that the vehicle is traveling on a motorway. Of course, the notification threshold may be 30km / h, 0km / h, or the like.

[0084] According to the above configuration, it is possible to simplify the processing of the vehicle control ECU 30 and reduce the processing load of the processor 31. Moreover, according to this modified example, compared to the configuration disclosed as the embodiment, the conditions for implementing the following vehicle warning processing are relaxed, so that the driver can easily recognize the movement of the following vehicle.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, there is a non-zero possibility that the following vehicle warning process will not be performed as a result of an erroneous determination that the host vehicle is not about to change lanes, even though the host vehicle is actually about to change lanes. According to this modified example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the following vehicle warning process will not be performed in a scene in which the behavior of the following vehicle should be notified based on an erroneous determination of the host vehicle's movement regarding lane change.

[0086] Setting the notification threshold to 0 km / h corresponds to removing the speed condition for executing the following vehicle warning process. With such a setting, it is possible to notify the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle even when the vehicle and the following vehicle try to move into the adjacent lane at the same time in a situation where only the vehicle's lane is congested and the adjacent lane is clear.

[0087] <Variation (2)> The processor 31 may change the presence or absence of notification and the notification mode depending on the state of the host vehicle when it is detected that the following vehicle is about to change lanes. In other words, the processor 31 may classify the state of the host vehicle when it is detected that the following vehicle is about to change lanes into a plurality of state patterns and change the mode of the following vehicle warning process for each state pattern.

[0088] Fig. 10 shows an example of the control. That is, when it is determined that the vehicle is about to change lanes and the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the notification threshold, the driver is notified of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting a notification sound, displaying a notification image, and applying vibration. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is about to change lanes and the vehicle speed is lower than the notification threshold, the driver is alerted to the behavior of the following vehicle by using a notification sound and a notification image. This configuration corresponds to a mode in which the strength of the warning is weakened based on the vehicle speed being equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

[0089] 10, if the processor 31 has not determined that the vehicle is about to change lanes and the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the notification threshold, the processor 31 notifies the vehicle of the behavior of the following vehicle by only using a notification image and vibration. Furthermore, if the processor 31 has not determined that the vehicle is about to change lanes and the vehicle speed is less than the notification threshold, the processor 31 only displays an icon image indicating the behavior of the following vehicle at a predetermined position on the display 21.

[0090] According to the above control mode, the behavior of the following vehicle is notified with a strength according to the certainty that the vehicle is about to change lanes, so that the possibility of making the driver feel uncomfortable can be further reduced. Note that Vh in Fig. 10 indicates the traveling speed of the vehicle, and ThV indicates the notification threshold.

[0091] <Variation (3)> The vehicle control ECU 30 may be a device that automatically changes lanes according to traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle or according to a preset driving plan. The vehicle control ECU 30 creates a control plan for lane changes in order to overtake a slow preceding vehicle or to realize a preset driving route, and may automatically change lanes with the driver's approval. Note that when the driver's approval is obtained, this also includes a case where the vehicle operation setting is registered to permit automatic lane changes based on system judgment.

[0092] The vehicle control ECU 30 having the function of automatically changing lanes can be regarded as an automatic driving device or an advanced driving support device. The automatic lane change can be performed after confirming that there is a predetermined amount of free space in the target lane, which is the adjacent lane to which the vehicle is to move, based on the detection result of the periphery monitoring sensor 12.

[0093] In a configuration in which the vehicle control ECU 30 can automatically perform lane change, the processor 31 may respond to cancel / postpone the lane change of the host vehicle based on the fact that the following vehicle is about to change lanes. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the processor 31. This processing flow can be performed in parallel with, in combination with, or in place of the various processes described above. The flow diagram shown in FIG. 11 is performed at a predetermined cycle, such as 200 milliseconds, while the power source for running the host vehicle is on or while the shift position is set to a position that allows forward movement. Step S301 shown in FIG. 11 is the same as step S201 described above. Step S302 is a step for determining whether the host vehicle is about to change lanes, similar to step S203.

[0094] Step S303 is a step for judging whether or not the following vehicle is about to change lanes, similar to step S202. When the processor 31 of this modification detects that the following vehicle is also about to change lanes in a situation where the host vehicle is about to change lanes (step S303 YES), the processor 31 postpones the host vehicle's lane change (step S304). If the host vehicle is about to change lanes, the processor 31 determines to start the lane change again after a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds / 10 seconds). If the turn signal is operating, the processor 31 stops the turn signal once. Also, when the host vehicle is about to change lanes and the following vehicle is not about to change lanes (step S303 YES), the processor 31 starts control for the lane change (step S305).

[0095] According to the above configuration, the possibility that the vehicle changes lanes at approximately the same time as the following vehicle can be reduced. Specifically, the possibility that the vehicle changes lanes in a scene where the following vehicle is about to change lanes can be reduced. When it is decided to postpone the automatic lane change, the processor 31 may inquire of the driver whether or not to execute the lane change. After notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by an image or the like, if the driver wishes to start the lane change, the processor 31 may request the driver to input an instruction to that effect. The instruction to start the lane change can be received by pressing the steering switch or operating the turn signal lever.

[0096] <Variation (4)> Even if it is determined that the host vehicle and the following vehicle are about to change lanes at approximately the same time, the processor 31 may not execute the following vehicle warning process if the LC direction of the host vehicle and the LC direction of the following vehicle are different. The following vehicle warning process may be configured to be executed on the condition that the LC direction of the host vehicle and the LC direction of the following vehicle are the same. This configuration can reduce the possibility of causing annoyance to the driver. Similarly, the processor 31 may start an automatic lane change if the LC direction of the host vehicle and the LC direction of the following vehicle are different.

[0097] <Variation (5)> As shown in FIG. 12, the vehicle control ECU 30 may determine whether a distant parallel running vehicle, which is another vehicle running beside the host vehicle in the lane two lanes away from the host vehicle lane, is about to change lanes to an intermediate lane between the host vehicle and the host vehicle. In FIG. 12, Pv indicates the distant parallel running vehicle, and Ln2 indicates the lane two lanes away from the host vehicle lane. Le indicates the host vehicle lane, and Ln indicates the intermediate lane. The intermediate lane is an adjacent lane for the host vehicle. The distant parallel running vehicle is not limited to another vehicle running directly beside the host vehicle, and may be shifted about 10 m in the front-rear direction. The distant parallel running vehicle is not limited to a vehicle running directly beside the host vehicle. The distant parallel running vehicle also includes another vehicle running diagonally ahead and behind the host vehicle in the lane two lanes away.

[0098] Whether or not the distant parallel running vehicle is about to change lanes to the middle lane may be determined by analyzing the image of the side camera, or based on a signal transmitted from the distant parallel running vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The processor 31 may determine that the distant parallel running vehicle is about to move to the middle lane based on the fact that the turn signal on the middle lane side (the vehicle's side) of the distant parallel running vehicle is on. Furthermore, the processor 31 may determine that the distant parallel running vehicle is about to move to the middle lane when it detects that the distant parallel running vehicle is approaching the middle lane based on time-series data of the running position of the distant parallel running vehicle relative to the lane markings.

[0099] When the vehicle control unit F4 detects that a distant parallel vehicle is also about to move to the middle lane in a situation where the vehicle is about to move to the middle lane, the vehicle control unit F4 may execute a simultaneous LC warning process. The simultaneous LC warning process is a process for warning that another vehicle is also about to change lanes toward the same lane at the same timing as the vehicle. The following vehicle warning process described above is also an example of the simultaneous LC warning process. The simultaneous LC warning process is also executed using one or more of the following: displaying an icon / image on the display 21, outputting a warning sound / message from the speaker 22, and vibrating the vibrator 23.

[0100] In a configuration in which the vehicle control ECU 30 can automatically perform lane changes, the processor 31 may cancel / postpone the lane change of the vehicle based on the fact that a distant parallel vehicle is attempting to change lanes to the same lane at the same time as the vehicle.

[0101] Fig. 13 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the processor 31 in this modified example. The process flow diagram shown in Fig. 13 can be carried out in parallel with, in combination with, or in place of the various processes described above. The process diagram shown in Fig. 13 may be carried out at a predetermined cycle, such as 200 milliseconds, while the vehicle's running power source is on and the shift position is set to a position allowing forward movement. Step S401 shown in Fig. 13 is the same as step S201 described above.

[0102] Step S402 is a step for judging whether or not the distant parallel running vehicle is about to change lanes to the middle lane. The judgment in step S402 is made based on the operating state of the turn signal and the amount of change over time in the relative position to the lane section line, which are determined by analyzing the image of the side camera. Of course, the processor 31 may judge whether or not the distant parallel running vehicle is about to change lanes to the middle lane based on the contents of the signal received from the distant parallel running vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication and the change over time in the relative position of the distant parallel running vehicle with respect to the own vehicle. If the processor 31 judges that the distant parallel running vehicle is about to change lanes to the middle lane, it executes step S403. On the other hand, if it is not judged that the distant parallel running vehicle is about to change lanes to the middle lane, this flow is terminated.

[0103] Step S403 is a step for determining whether the host vehicle is about to change lanes, similar to step S203. If the host vehicle is about to change lanes (step S403 YES), the processor 31 performs a simultaneous LC warning process or postpones the host vehicle from changing lanes.

[0104] As described above, depending on the traffic conditions, it may happen that two vehicles, the own vehicle and another vehicle, start to change lanes toward the same lane at approximately the same time. Here, the other vehicle mainly refers to a following vehicle or a vehicle running parallel at a distance. When two vehicles start to move toward the same lane at the same time, the relative positions between the vehicles change suddenly, so that the vehicles may come into an unexpected close-up state. In such a situation, the configuration of the present disclosure can reduce the risk that the own vehicle and another vehicle will change lanes toward the same lane at the same time.

[0105] <Additional remarks (1)> Detecting a lane change of a following vehicle is an optional element, and the vehicle control device may be configured as follows. The present disclosure also includes the following configuration.

[0106] [Configuration (1)] Detecting that a distant vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is about to change lanes toward the vehicle based on an image captured by a side camera that captures the side of the vehicle; The vehicle control device notifies the driver of the presence of a distant parallel vehicle when it detects that the distant parallel vehicle is also about to change lanes into the lane to which the vehicle is to move, in a situation in which the vehicle is about to change lanes.

[0107] [Configuration (2)] an other vehicle behavior acquisition unit that detects other vehicles that are about to change lanes based on signals from a surrounding monitoring sensor that detects other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle; a vehicle behavior acquisition unit that determines whether the vehicle is about to change lanes; The vehicle control device includes a vehicle control unit that postpones the lane change of the vehicle when another vehicle attempting to change lanes is detected in the lane in which the vehicle is moving in a situation in which the vehicle is attempting to change lanes.

[0108] <Additional remarks (2)> The various flowcharts shown in the present disclosure are all examples, and the number of steps constituting the flowcharts and the order of execution of the processes can be changed as appropriate. The device, system, and method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer constituting a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The device and method described in the present disclosure may be realized using a dedicated hardware logic circuit. The device and method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by combining a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. As the processor (computation core), a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DFP (Data Flow Processor), or the like can be adopted. Some or all of the functions provided by the vehicle control ECU 30 may be realized using any of a system-on-chip (SoC), an IC, and an FPGA. The concept of an IC also includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0109] The computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitive tangible storage medium as instructions executed by the computer. A hard-disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like may be used as the program storage medium. The scope of the present disclosure also includes a program for causing a computer to function as the vehicle control ECU 30, and a non-transitive tangible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory on which the program is stored.

Claims

1. a following vehicle behavior determination unit (F2) that determines whether a following vehicle, which is another vehicle behind the host vehicle and traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle, is about to change lanes based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about an object present behind the host vehicle; a vehicle control unit (F4) that performs a following vehicle warning process, which is a process of notifying a driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination by the following vehicle behavior determination unit that the following vehicle is about to change lanes; a vehicle behavior determination unit (F3) that determines whether the vehicle is about to change lanes based on a signal from an on-board sensor; An information acquisition unit (F1) that acquires a traveling speed of the vehicle based on a signal from an on-board sensor; The vehicle control unit includes: The mode of the following vehicle warning process is changed depending on whether the vehicle is about to change lanes, When the vehicle is about to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a threshold, the following vehicle warning process includes outputting a notification sound, displaying a notification image, and applying vibration to notify the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle; When the vehicle is about to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is less than the threshold value, the following vehicle warning process is performed by notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting the notification sound and displaying the notification video without applying the vibration. When the vehicle is not changing lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the threshold, the following vehicle warning process is performed by notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by applying the vibration and displaying the notification image without outputting the notification sound. A vehicle control device configured to execute a process of displaying an icon image indicating the behavior of the following vehicle at a predetermined position on the display as the following vehicle warning process when the vehicle is not attempting to change lanes and the vehicle's traveling speed is less than the threshold value.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle control device sets the manner of the following vehicle warning processing to a manner in which the intensity of the warning is weaker when the vehicle is not attempting to change lanes than when the vehicle is attempting to change lanes.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle control unit includes: When the vehicle is about to change lanes, a process of outputting a predetermined warning sound and displaying a predetermined notification image is executed as the following vehicle warning process. The vehicle control device is configured to display the notification image but not output the warning sound as the following vehicle warning process when the vehicle itself is not about to change lanes.

4. a following vehicle behavior determination unit (F2) that determines whether a following vehicle, which is another vehicle behind the host vehicle and traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle, is about to change lanes based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about an object present behind the host vehicle; a vehicle control unit (F4) that performs a following vehicle warning process, which is a process of notifying a driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination by the following vehicle behavior determination unit that the following vehicle is about to change lanes; An information acquisition unit (F1) that acquires a traveling speed of the vehicle based on a signal from an on-board sensor; The vehicle control device is configured to change a manner of the following vehicle warning process in accordance with the traveling speed of the host vehicle.

5. The vehicle control unit includes: When the traveling speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a process of notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by displaying a predetermined notification image and applying vibration is executed as the following vehicle warning process; 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, configured to execute a process of notifying the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by displaying the notification image without applying vibration when the traveling speed is less than a predetermined value.

6. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The following vehicle behavior determination unit identifies a direction in which the following vehicle is moving based on a signal from the rear monitoring sensor, The vehicle control unit determines whether the vehicle is about to change lanes based on a signal from an on-board sensor that detects the state of the vehicle or the behavior of the driver, and if the vehicle is about to change lanes, identifies the direction of movement of the vehicle; The vehicle control device is configured to execute the following vehicle warning process on the condition that both the vehicle itself and the following vehicle are attempting to change lanes and are moving in the same direction.

7. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The vehicle control unit is configured to be able to execute control for automatically changing lanes of the host vehicle in accordance with traffic conditions or a driving plan set in advance, The vehicle control device is configured to cancel or postpone the lane change of the host vehicle when the following vehicle behavior determination unit determines that the following vehicle is attempting to change lanes in a situation where the host vehicle is attempting to change lanes.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, The vehicle control device is configured so that, when the following vehicle behavior determination unit determines that the following vehicle is attempting to change lanes in a situation where the vehicle control unit is attempting to change lanes, the vehicle control unit temporarily suspends the automatic lane change of the vehicle and requests the driver to input an instruction as to whether or not to execute the lane change.

9. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The rear monitoring sensor is a camera that captures an image of the rear of the vehicle, The following vehicle behavior determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines that the following vehicle is attempting to change lanes when it detects that the turn signal of the following vehicle is activated by analyzing the image from the camera.

10. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The rear monitoring sensor is a camera that captures an image of the rear of the vehicle, The following vehicle behavior determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on the amount of change over time in the relative position between the lane markings and the following vehicle shown in the camera image.

11. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The rear monitoring sensor detects the position of the vehicle or the following vehicle relative to a lane marking; The following vehicle behavior determination unit determines that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on whether time-series data of position information of the following vehicle corresponds to a predetermined pattern.

12. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The rear monitoring sensor detects a relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the vehicle itself, The following vehicle behavior determination unit determines that the following vehicle is about to change lanes based on detection that the following vehicle is approaching the host vehicle at a relative speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

13. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The vehicle control unit includes: Detecting, based on an image captured by a camera photographing the side of the vehicle, that a distant parallel vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is about to change lanes toward the vehicle; determining whether or not the vehicle is about to change lanes into an adjacent lane on the side where the distant parallel running vehicle exists, based on a signal from an on-board sensor that detects the state of the vehicle or the behavior of the driver; A vehicle control device configured to execute a process to notify a driver of the presence of the distant parallel vehicle when it detects that the distant parallel vehicle is also attempting to change lanes into the adjacent lane in a situation in which the vehicle itself is attempting to change lanes into the adjacent lane.

14. A vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, Based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about an object present behind the vehicle, a determination is made as to whether or not a following vehicle, which is another vehicle traveling behind the vehicle and in the same lane as the vehicle, is about to change lanes; Determining whether the vehicle is about to change lanes based on a signal from an on-board sensor; Executing a following vehicle warning process, which is a process for notifying a driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination that the following vehicle is about to change lanes; Acquiring a traveling speed of the vehicle based on a signal from an on-board sensor; When the vehicle is about to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a threshold, the following vehicle warning process notifies the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting a notification sound, displaying a notification image, and applying vibrations. When the vehicle is about to change lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is less than the threshold value, the following vehicle warning process notifies the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by outputting the notification sound and displaying the notification video without applying the vibration. When the vehicle is not changing lanes and the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the threshold, the following vehicle warning process notifies the driver of the behavior of the following vehicle by applying the vibration and displaying the notification video without outputting the notification sound. When the vehicle is not attempting to change lanes and the vehicle's traveling speed is less than the threshold, the following vehicle warning processing includes displaying an icon image indicating the behavior of the following vehicle at a predetermined position on the display.

15. A vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, Based on a signal from a rear monitoring sensor that outputs information about an object present behind the vehicle, a determination is made as to whether or not a following vehicle, which is another vehicle traveling behind the vehicle and in the same lane as the vehicle, is about to change lanes; Acquiring a traveling speed of the vehicle based on a signal from an on-board sensor; Executing a following vehicle warning process, which is a process for notifying a driver that the following vehicle is about to change lanes, based on the determination that the following vehicle is about to change lanes; and changing a manner of the following vehicle warning processing in accordance with the traveling speed of the host vehicle.

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