Vehicle Control Systems

Abstract

To provide a technique for enabling a vehicle to enter a third lane without fail by smoothly performing a series of automatic lane changes in a case where there is a traveling plan in which a lane in which the vehicle travels changes to the third lane from a first lane via a second lane.SOLUTION: If automatic operation control includes first and second lane change controls, two types of determination are made before a zone in which the first lane change control is to be started is reached. In the first determination, it is determined whether or not a congestion has been arising in at least one of second and third lanes ahead of the zone in which the second lane change control is to be started. If it is determined that the congestion has been arising, a second determination is made. In the second determination, it is determined whether or not there is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle and behind the end vehicle of the traffic congestion line. When it is determined that the preceding vehicle exists, the position of the zone in which the first lane change control is to be started is changed to a position that is further backward than the current set position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2020-035267 A discloses a system for performing an automobile lane change that changes the lane in which the vehicle is traveling from a first lane to a second lane based on road traffic information. The first lane is the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling. The second lane is a lane adjacent to the first lane. The road traffic information is provided by a central management device. The road traffic information includes information on travel restriction sections set on the road and information on traffic congestion occurring on the road.

[0003] In the conventional system, an automated lane change is performed when a driving restriction section is set on a first lane and congestion occurs in a section of a second lane adjacent to the driving restriction section. In the automated lane change, a first distance is compared with a second distance. The first distance is the distance from the vehicle position to the driving restriction section. The second distance is the distance from the vehicle position to just before the end of the congestion. If the first distance is longer than the second distance, the second distance is compared with a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is the distance that the vehicle is predicted to travel from the start of the automated lane change until the lane change is completed just before the end of the congestion. The automated lane change is started when the second distance becomes equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-035267 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conventional system, even if the second distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, when a parallel vehicle is recognized on the second lane, the start of the automatic lane change is postponed. Therefore, if the host vehicle and the parallel vehicle continue to run side by side, the automatic lane change is not started at all. In this regard, if the host vehicle is decelerated before starting the automatic lane change, the parallel running state may be resolved. However, a traffic jam occurs on the second lane. Therefore, the parallel running vehicle may behave in the same manner as the host vehicle decelerates. In this case, the parallel running state may not be resolved, and the host vehicle may get stuck in front of the driving restriction section.

[0006] Incidentally, a lane change from the first lane to the second lane is performed even when no driving restriction section is set on the first lane. For example, there may be a driving plan to enter the third lane from the first lane via the second lane. The third lane is a lane adjacent to the second lane. In this case, a lane change from the first lane to the second lane (first lane change) and a lane change from the second lane to the third lane (second lane change) are performed consecutively.

[0007] Here, consider a case where a traffic jam occurs on the second lane when the first automatic lane change is started. As described above, in the conventional system, an automatic lane change is not started when a vehicle traveling parallel to the second lane is recognized. Therefore, if the method of the conventional system is applied to the first automatic lane change, there is a possibility that the parallel vehicle state will not be resolved. In that case, the vehicle will continue to travel on the first lane and will not be able to reach the third lane.

[0008] One object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a vehicle to reliably enter the third lane by smoothly performing a series of lane changes when there is a driving plan for the vehicle to move from a first lane via a second lane to a third lane. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention is a vehicle control system for controlling a vehicle, and has the following features. The vehicle control system includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores driving plan data for the vehicle and driving environment data indicating data related to a driving environment of the vehicle. The processor performs automatic driving control of the vehicle based on the driving plan data and the driving environment data. The driving plan data includes a driving plan for entering a third lane from a first lane via a second lane. The driving environment data includes position data of the vehicle, external condition data indicating an external condition of the vehicle, map data, and road traffic data. The autonomous driving control includes a first lane change control for changing the lane in which the vehicle is traveling from the first lane to the second lane, and a second lane change control that is performed after the first lane change control is executed and for changing the lane in which the vehicle is traveling from the second lane to the third lane. The processor further sets, based on the driving plan data, the position data, and the map data, a first scheduled zone indicating a zone on the first lane where the first lane change control is scheduled to be initiated, and a second scheduled zone indicating a zone on the second lane where the second lane change control is scheduled to be initiated. The processor, in the first lane change control, Before the vehicle reaches the first scheduled zone, it is determined whether or not congestion occurs on at least one of the second lane ahead of the second scheduled zone and the third lane ahead of the second scheduled zone based on the position data, the map data, and the road traffic data; When it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred, it is determined based on the external condition data whether or not a preceding vehicle is present in front of the vehicle and on the second lane behind a tail vehicle of the traffic jam; When it is determined that the preceding vehicle is present, the position of the first scheduled zone is changed to a position behind the currently set position. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, in the first lane change control, it is determined whether or not a traffic jam occurs on at least one of the second lane ahead of the second scheduled zone and the third lane ahead of the second scheduled zone. If it is determined that a traffic jam occurs, it is determined whether or not a preceding vehicle exists on the second lane ahead of the vehicle and behind the tail vehicle of the traffic jam. Then, if it is determined that a preceding vehicle exists, the position of the first scheduled zone is changed to a position behind the currently set position.

[0011] When a preceding vehicle exists in the second lane in front of the vehicle and behind the last vehicle in the traffic jam, the preceding vehicle is predicted to recognize the occurrence of the traffic jam and start to decelerate. Therefore, if the first lane change control is executed when the vehicle reaches the current first scheduled zone, the preceding vehicle that has started to decelerate may make it difficult to execute the first lane change control.

[0012] In this regard, according to the present invention, when a preceding vehicle exists, the current position of the first scheduled zone is changed to a position behind the current set position. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute the first lane change control. If the first lane control is executed smoothly, it is expected that the second lane change control will also be executed smoothly. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute a series of lane change controls and reliably allow the vehicle to enter the third lane. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a driving plan for entering a third lane from a first lane via a second lane, and an overview of automatic driving control of a vehicle that is executed based on this driving plan. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating problems that arise when two-stage lane change control is executed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating features of the automatic driving control according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 5] 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing a process flow when the control device shown in FIG. 4 executes two-stage lane change control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0015] 1. Overview of the embodiment 1-1. Driving plan and automatic driving control A vehicle control system according to an embodiment creates a travel plan from a starting point to a destination, and controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels according to the travel plan. In the embodiment, a travel plan is considered in which the vehicle travels from the first lane through the second lane to the third lane. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining such a travel plan and an overview of the automatic driving control of the vehicle that is executed based on the travel plan.

[0016] In FIG. 1, a vehicle M is traveling on a first lane L1. The first lane L1 is, for example, an overtaking lane. The second lane L2 is a lane adjacent to the first lane L1. The second lane L2 is, for example, a driving lane. The third lane L3 is a lane adjacent to the second lane L2. The third lane L3 is, for example, a branch lane. The destination of the vehicle M is located beyond the third lane L3.

[0017] A vehicle control system 100 according to the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle M. The vehicle control system 100 performs automatic driving control of the vehicle M according to a driving plan for entering a third lane L3 from a first lane L1 via a second lane L2. The automatic driving control includes lane keeping control LKC1 for driving the vehicle M along the first lane L1, lane keeping control LKC2 for driving the vehicle M along the second lane L2, and lane keeping control LKC3 for driving the vehicle M along the third lane L3.

[0018] The autonomous driving control also includes a lane change control LCC1 that changes the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling from the first lane L1 to the second lane L2, and a lane change control LCC2 that changes the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling from the second lane L2 to the third lane L3. The lane change control LCC1 is started in the first scheduled zone ZS1. The execution of the lane change control LCC2 is started in the second scheduled zone ZS2. Hereinafter, the lane change controls LCC1 and LCC2 are collectively referred to as "lane change controls LCC" unless a particular distinction is made between the two.

[0019] The first scheduled zone ZS1 and the second scheduled zone ZS2 are zones in which lane change controls LCC1 and LCC2 are scheduled to be started, respectively, and have a predetermined length in the direction in which the lanes are laid. These scheduled zones are set, for example, based on driving plan data and map data. When the position of the vehicle M is in the first scheduled zone ZS1, the lane change control LCC1 is started. When the position of the vehicle M is in the second scheduled zone ZS2, the lane change control LCC2 is started.

[0020] When the lane change control LCC1 is executed, a travel trajectory is generated that connects an arbitrary position in the first scheduled zone ZS1 and an arbitrary position in the second lane L2. When the lane change control LCC2 is executed, a travel trajectory is generated that connects an arbitrary position in the second scheduled zone ZS2 and an arbitrary position in the third lane L3. In the lane change control LCC, the travel devices (drive device, steering device, and braking device) of the vehicle M are controlled so that the vehicle M follows the generated travel trajectory.

[0021] 1-2.Problems with LCC lane change control When performing automatic driving control according to the driving plan described in FIG. 1, the lane change control LCC is performed in two stages. Therefore, in order to perform the lane change control LCC2 in the latter stage smoothly, it is important that the lane change control LCC1 in the former stage is completed smoothly. Here, the preceding vehicle V2 on the second lane L2 may hinder the smooth completion of the lane change control LCC1. The preceding vehicle V2 is a vehicle that is in front of the vehicle M and on the second lane L2.

[0022] In particular, at the timing when the lane change control LCC1 is to be started, the preceding vehicle V2 traveling near the first scheduled zone ZS1 is likely to prevent the start of the lane change control LCC1. In this regard, if the vehicle M is decelerated before the lane change control LCC1 is started, the distance between the preceding vehicle V2 and the vehicle M will increase. Therefore, there is a possibility that the lane change control LCC1 can be started from any position within the first scheduled zone ZS1 as originally planned. However, if a traffic jam occurs on the second lane L2, there is a possibility that the lane change control LCC1 cannot be started.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating this problem. In FIG. 2, V21-V24 are depicted as leading vehicles V2 on the second lane L2. Leading vehicles V21-V23 are leading vehicles V2 that make up the congestion queue on the second lane L2. Leading vehicle V24 is not part of the congestion queue, but it is traveling in front of the second scheduled zone ZS2 and behind the last vehicle (i.e., leading vehicle V23) in the congestion queue on the second lane L2. Therefore, when vehicle M reaches the first scheduled zone ZS1, leading vehicle V24 is expected to be traveling near the first scheduled zone ZS1.

[0024] The preceding vehicle V24 is also expected to start decelerating when it recognizes the congestion queue on the second lane L2. Therefore, even if the vehicle M decelerates before and after entering the first scheduled zone ZS1, the distance between the preceding vehicle V2 and the vehicle M may not increase significantly, and as a result, the lane change control LCC1 may not be able to be started.

[0025] In FIG. 2, in addition to the preceding vehicle V2, preceding vehicles V31 and V32 are depicted. The preceding vehicles V31 and V32 are preceding vehicles that are in front of the second scheduled zone ZS2 and on the third lane L3. The preceding vehicles V31 and V32 form a congestion queue on the third lane L3. When a congestion queue exists on the third lane L3, it is expected that the preceding vehicle V24, recognizing this, will start to decelerate. This is because the preceding vehicle V24 may be planning to change lanes from the second lane L2 to the third lane L3.

[0026] 1-3.Improvements to LCC lane change control Therefore, in the embodiment, when the scheduled automatic driving control includes a two-stage lane change control LCC, two types of judgments are made before the vehicle reaches the first scheduled zone ZS1. In the first judgment, it is determined whether or not congestion occurs in at least one of the second lane L2 and the third lane L3 ahead of the second scheduled zone ZS2. This congestion judgment is made based on road traffic data acquired from, for example, a VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System) center.

[0027] If it is determined in the first determination that a traffic jam has occurred, a second determination is made. In the second determination, it is determined whether or not there is a preceding vehicle V2 (i.e., a preceding vehicle V24) traveling in front of the vehicle M and behind the last vehicle in the traffic jam queue. This presence determination is made based on external situation information acquired from an external sensor of the vehicle M. Then, if it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle V2, the position of the first scheduled zone ZS1 is changed to a position behind the currently set position.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the features of the automatic driving control according to the embodiment. The premise for performing the automatic driving control shown in Fig. 3 is the same as the premise explained in Fig. 2. That is, in the example shown in Fig. 3, preceding vehicles V21-V24 exist on the second lane L2, and preceding vehicles V31 and V32 exist on the third lane L3. Therefore, the results of both of the above-mentioned two types of determinations are positive.

[0029] The first scheduled zone ZS1* shown in FIG. 3 is changed to a position closer to the vehicle M than the first scheduled zone ZS1 described in FIG. 1. Therefore, even if the preceding vehicle V24 starts to decelerate, the possibility of avoiding a situation in which the preceding vehicle V24 is an obstacle to the start of the lane change control LCC1 is increased. Therefore, it is possible to start the lane change control LCC1 from an arbitrary position in the first scheduled zone ZS1* and end it smoothly. If the lane change control LCC1 can be smoothly ended, it is also possible to start the lane change control LCC2 from an arbitrary position in the second scheduled zone ZS2 and end it smoothly. Therefore, it is possible to perform a series of lane change controls smoothly and reliably allow the vehicle M to enter the third lane L3.

[0030] An example configuration of a vehicle control system 100 for executing such automatic driving control will be described below.

[0031] 2.Vehicle Control System 2-1. Configuration example Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle control system 100. As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle control system 100 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device 10, an internal sensor 20, an external sensor 30, a communication device 40, a map database (map DB) 50, a traveling device 60, and a control device 70. The elements such as the GNSS device 10 and the control device 70 are connected to each other, for example, via an in-vehicle network (for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network)).

[0032] The GNSS device 10 is a device that receives signals from three or more artificial satellites. The GNSS device 10 acquires vehicle position data (latitude and longitude data) POS. The GNSS device 10 calculates the position and attitude (direction) of the vehicle M based on the acquired position data POS. The GNSS device 10 transmits the position data POS of the vehicle M and the attitude data of the vehicle M to the control device 70.

[0033] The internal sensor 20 acquires data related to the internal situation (driving situation) of the vehicle M. Examples of the internal sensor 20 include a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and a steering angle sensor. The wheel speed sensor detects the rotational speed per unit time of each wheel of the vehicle M. The acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of the vehicle M. The yaw rate sensor detects the yaw rate around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle M. The steering angle sensor detects the steering angle of the steering wheel. The internal sensor 20 transmits these pieces of data collectively referred to as "internal situation data INT" to the control device 70.

[0034] The external sensor 30 acquires data regarding the external conditions of the vehicle M. Examples of the external sensor 30 include a camera, a millimeter wave radar, and a LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The camera captures images of the external conditions of the vehicle M. The millimeter wave radar uses millimeter waves to detect targets around the vehicle M. The LIDAR uses light to detect targets around the vehicle M. The external sensor 30 transmits these pieces of data collectively referred to as "external condition data EXT" to the control device 70.

[0035] The communication device 40 communicates with the outside of the vehicle M1 via a communication network and acquires communication data. The communication device 40 performs V2I communication (road-to-vehicle communication) with infrastructure around the vehicle M. The communication device 40 may perform V2V communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) with surrounding vehicles of the vehicle M. The communication data includes road traffic data RTI. Examples of the road traffic data RTI include location data of construction sections, traffic regulations, accidents that are occurring, and traffic jams that are occurring. The communication device 40 transmits the road traffic data RTI to the control device 70.

[0036] Map data MAP is stored in the map database 50. Examples of the map data MAP include road position data (latitude and longitude data), road shape data (e.g., types of curves and straight lines), and intersection and structure position data. The map database 50 is formed in an on-board storage device (e.g., a hard disk, a flash memory). The map database 50 may be formed in a computer (e.g., an external server) capable of communicating with the vehicle M.

[0037] The traveling device 60 is of an electronically controlled type, and includes a traveling drive force output device, a steering device, and a brake device. The traveling drive force output device is a power source (e.g., an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, etc.) that generates a traveling drive force. The steering device steers the wheels of the vehicle M. The brake device applies a braking force to the vehicle M.

[0038] The control device 70 is, for example, a microcomputer including at least one processor 71 and at least one memory 72. The processor 71 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 72 is a volatile memory such as a DDR memory, and expands programs used by the processor 71 and temporarily stores various data. The various data include position data POS, internal situation data INT, external situation data EXT, and road traffic data RTI. These data are included in "driving environment data" that indicates data related to the driving environment of the vehicle M.

[0039] 2-2. Example of control device 70 function configuration Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control device 70 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 70 includes a driving plan generating unit 73, a driving trajectory generating unit 74, and a driving control unit 75. These functional blocks are realized by the processor 71 executing a program stored in the memory 72.

[0040] The driving plan generating unit 73 sets the departure point and destination of the vehicle 2. The departure point may be the current location of the vehicle 2, or may be the entrance to a section (e.g., a section of a highway) where execution of automatic driving control is set in advance. The driving plan generating unit 73 generates a driving plan for a predetermined route from the departure point to the destination. The driving plan is made up of a number of events that are executed in sequence. The events include, for example, an acceleration event, a deceleration event, a lane keeping event, a lane change event, and the like.

[0041] An acceleration event is an event that accelerates vehicle M. A deceleration event is an event that decelerates vehicle M. A lane keeping event is an event that drives vehicle M without departing from the lane in which vehicle M is currently driving (hereinafter also referred to as the "current driving lane"). A lane change event is an event that changes the lane in which vehicle M is driving. Lane change events include branching events and merging events. A branching event is an event that changes the lane in which vehicle M is driving from the main lane to a branching lane near a branch point. A merging event is an event that changes the lane in which vehicle M is driving from a merging lane to the main lane near a merging point.

[0042] The driving plan generating unit 73 generates a driving plan so that events appropriate for each scene are executed along the above-mentioned predetermined route. Data of the generated driving plan is stored in the memory 72 as driving plan data PLN. The driving plan generating unit 73 changes (updates) the generated driving plan based on the external condition data EXT. In general, while the vehicle M is traveling, the conditions around the vehicle M are constantly changing. For example, if a preceding vehicle in the current traveling lane suddenly decelerates, it becomes necessary to change the speed, etc., of the vehicle M accordingly. In such a case, the driving plan generating unit 73 appropriately changes the driving plan based on the external condition data EXT. Data of the changed driving plan is stored in the memory 72 as new driving plan data PLN.

[0043] The travel trajectory generating unit 74 generates a travel trajectory based on the travel plan generated by the travel plan generating unit 73. The travel trajectory is a collection of target positions to which the reference position of the vehicle M (for example, the center of gravity or the center of the rear wheel axle of the vehicle M) should reach. The target positions are set every time a predetermined time elapses based on the current time.

[0044] A driving trajectory for a lane keeping event is generated, for example, as follows. First, a driving mode is determined. The driving mode includes, for example, constant speed driving, following driving, curve driving, and the like. Constant speed driving is a driving mode that is determined when there is no preceding vehicle on the current driving lane. Following driving is a driving mode that is determined when there is a preceding vehicle on the current driving lane. Curve driving is a driving mode that is determined when the vehicle M approaches a curve. Next, a target speed (or target acceleration) of the vehicle M is calculated based on the determined driving mode. Next, a driving trajectory is generated based on the calculated target speed.

[0045] A travel trajectory for lane change is generated, for example, as follows. First, it is confirmed that there are no vehicles (hereinafter also referred to as "interfering vehicles") around vehicle M that will interfere with the lane change event. An interfering vehicle is a vehicle that is around vehicle M and travels in the same direction as vehicle M. The absence of an interfering vehicle means that there is no interfering vehicle within a predetermined distance ahead of vehicle M in the current travel lane, and there is no interfering vehicle within a predetermined distance ahead and behind vehicle M in the post-change lane. After this absence is confirmed, a start position for the lane change event is set. Next, a target speed and a target yaw rate of vehicle M at this start position are calculated. Next, a travel trajectory is generated based on the calculated target speed and target yaw rate.

[0046] When an interfering vehicle is present, the displacement of the future position of the interfering vehicle is predicted by a predetermined speed model. The predetermined speed models include a constant speed model in which the interfering vehicle is assumed to run at the current speed, a constant acceleration model in which the interfering vehicle is assumed to run at the current acceleration, and a constant jerk model in which the interfering vehicle is assumed to run at the current jerk. Then, based on the future position of the interfering vehicle and the current speed of vehicle M, a start position at which vehicle M can change lanes without interfering with the interfering vehicle is set.

[0047] When the first scheduled zone ZS1, the second scheduled zone ZS2, and the first scheduled zone ZS1* described in Figure 1 etc. are set, the generation of a driving trajectory for lane changes and the determination of interfering vehicles are performed while driving in each scheduled zone.

[0048] The traveling control unit 75 determines control information to be output to the traveling device 60 based on the traveling trajectory generated by the traveling trajectory generating unit 74. For example, the traveling control unit 75 determines a control amount of the traveling device 60 so that the vehicle M follows the generated traveling trajectory. The traveling control unit 75 appropriately adjusts the control amount determined based on the external condition data EXT.

[0049] 2-3. Example of processing by the control device 6 is a flowchart showing a process flow when the control device 70 (processor 71) according to the embodiment executes the two-stage lane change control LCC. The routine shown in FIG. 6 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined control period.

[0050] 6, first, it is determined whether or not the distance DZS1 is less than the threshold value TH1 (step S11). The distance DZS1 is the distance from the current position of the vehicle M to the first scheduled zone ZS1. The distance DZS1 is calculated, for example, based on the position data POS, the map data MAP, and the position data of the first scheduled zone ZS1. The threshold value TH1 is set variably according to the speed of the vehicle M. If the determination result of step S11 is negative, the current processing ends.

[0051] If the determination result of step S11 is positive, it is determined whether or not congestion has occurred in at least one of the second lane L2 and the third lane L3 ahead of the second scheduled zone ZS2 (step S12). Whether or not congestion has occurred is determined based on, for example, the position data POS, the map data MAP, and the traffic information data TRI. If the determination result of step S12 is negative, the process of step S15 is performed.

[0052] If the determination result in step S12 is positive, it is determined whether or not there is a preceding vehicle on the second lane L2 between vehicle M and the tail vehicle (step S13). The tail vehicle is identified, for example, based on information about the traffic jam queue included in the traffic information data TRI. The preceding vehicle is identified based on the external condition data EXT. The tail vehicle may also be identified based on the external condition data EXT. If the determination result in step S13 is negative, the process of step S15 is performed.

[0053] If the determination result of step S13 is positive, it is determined that there is a possibility that the lane change control LCC1 cannot be started. Therefore, in this case, the first scheduled zone ZS1 is changed to the first scheduled zone ZS1* (step S14). The position of the first scheduled zone ZS1* is set to a position in front of the vehicle M and behind the front end of the first scheduled zone ZS1.

[0054] In step S15, it is determined whether the vehicle M1 has reached the first scheduled zone ZS1 or the first scheduled zone ZS1*. The process of step S15 is calculated, for example, based on the position data POS, the map data MAP, and the position data of the first scheduled zone ZS1 (if the first scheduled zone ZS1* is set, the position data of the first scheduled zone ZS1*). The process of step S15 is repeated until a positive determination result is obtained.

[0055] Here, when the first scheduled zone ZS1* is set, the first scheduled zone ZS1* is located behind the first scheduled zone ZS1. Therefore, when the first scheduled zone ZS1* is set, the timing when the determination result of step S15 becomes positive is earlier than when it is not set.

[0056] If the result of the determination in step S15 is positive, the lane change control LCC1 is executed (step S16). When the lane change control LCC1 is executed, a travel trajectory for lane change and an interfering vehicle are determined while the vehicle is traveling in the first scheduled zone ZS1 or the first scheduled zone ZS1*.

[0057] Following the process of step S16, it is determined whether the vehicle M1 has reached the second scheduled zone ZS2 (step S17). The process of step S17 is calculated, for example, based on the position data POS, the map data MAP, and the position data of the second scheduled zone ZS2. The process of step S17 is repeated until a positive determination result is obtained.

[0058] If the determination result of step S17 is positive, the lane change control LCC2 is executed (step S18). When the lane change control LCC2 is executed, a travel trajectory for lane change and an interfering vehicle are determined while the vehicle is traveling in the second scheduled zone ZS2.

[0059] 3. Effects of vehicle control system As described above, according to the vehicle control system of the embodiment, when the automatic driving control according to the driving plan includes two-stage lane change control LCC, it is possible to smoothly end the lane change control LCC1 of the first stage. Therefore, it is also possible to smoothly end the lane change control LCC2 of the second stage. Therefore, it is possible to perform a series of lane change controls smoothly and reliably allow the vehicle M to enter the third lane L3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 70 Control device 71 Processor 72 Memory 100 Vehicle Control System M Vehicle L1 First lane L2 Second lane L3 Third lane ZS1 First Planned Zone ZS2 Second Planned Zone EXT External situation data INT Internal status data PLN Travel Plan Data POS location data RTI Road Traffic Data

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle control system for controlling a vehicle, A memory in which driving plan data for the vehicle and driving environment data indicating data related to the driving environment of the vehicle are stored; A processor that performs automatic driving control of the vehicle based on the driving plan data and the driving environment data; Equipped with The driving plan data includes a driving plan for entering a third lane from a first lane via a second lane, The driving environment data includes position data of the vehicle, external situation data indicating an external situation of the vehicle, map data, and road traffic data; The autonomous driving control includes a first lane change control for changing a lane in which the vehicle is traveling from the first lane to the second lane, and a second lane change control that is performed after the first lane change control is executed and for changing a lane in which the vehicle is traveling from the second lane to the third lane, The processor further sets a first scheduled zone indicating a zone on the first lane where the first lane change control is scheduled to be started and a second scheduled zone indicating a zone on the second lane where the second lane change control is scheduled to be started based on the driving plan data, the position data, and the map data, The processor, in the first lane change control, Before the vehicle reaches the first scheduled zone, it is determined whether or not congestion occurs on the second lane and the third lane ahead of the second scheduled zone based on the position data, the map data, and the road traffic data; when it is determined that congestion has occurred on the second lane and the third lane ahead of the second scheduled zone, determining, based on the external condition data, whether or not a preceding vehicle traveling on the second lane is present ahead of the vehicle and behind a tail vehicle of the congestion on the second lane; When it is determined that the preceding vehicle exists, the position of the first scheduled zone is changed to a position behind the currently set position. A vehicle control system comprising:

Images