Vehicle Driving Support Method and Driving Support Device

Abstract

The present invention provides a travel assistance method and a travel assistance device for a vehicle that involve determining whether a route-following lane change that is a lane change for travel along a set travel route can be assisted by autonomous lane change control and, when it has been determined that the route-following lane change cannot be assisted by the autonomous lane change control, notifying a driver that lane changes cannot be made by the autonomous lane change control and prohibiting the autonomous lane change control from assisting lane changes in the direction and the direction opposite the direction in which a vehicle would move to make the route-following lane change.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support method and a driving support device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a device for assisting lane change that determines a travel route using road network information corresponding to road map data, stores a restriction level for restricting lane change in association with a position on the lane for each lane of the road, acquires the travel position of the vehicle, refers to the restriction level in the travel route based on the acquired travel position of the vehicle, and presents lane change information for traveling along the travel route (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, when the vehicle reaches a position where lane change is recommended, a lane change is instructed by voice. However, with only the voice instruction for lane change, the driver cannot accurately grasp what controls can be executed on the vehicle. Therefore, in the above prior art, there is a problem that the executable controls grasped by the driver from the voice do not match the controls actually executable by the driving support device.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a driving support method and a driving support device for a vehicle that can match the executable controls recognized by the driver with the actually executable controls.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention determines whether route-following lane changes, which are lane changes for traveling along a set travel route, can be assisted by autonomous lane change control. When it is determined that route-following lane changes cannot be assisted by autonomous lane change control, the driver is notified that lane changes cannot be made by autonomous lane change control, and lane changes in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves during route-following lane changes are prohibited from being assisted by autonomous lane change control even when the execution conditions for lane changes by autonomous lane change control are satisfied, thereby solving the above problems.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to match the controllability recognized by the driver with the actually executable controllability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is based on the premise that vehicles travel on the left side in countries with left-hand traffic regulations. In countries with right-hand traffic regulations, since vehicles travel on the right side, the right and left in the following description should be read symmetrically.

[0010] [Configuration of Driving Support System] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving support system 1 according to the present invention. The driving support system 1 of the present embodiment is an in-vehicle system, and can be used not only for private passenger vehicles that travel by autonomous driving control to a destination set by the occupants of the own vehicle (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "vehicle"), but also for vehicles dispatched in, for example, a car-sharing service. The car-sharing service refers to assigning a vehicle that transports a user from a boarding location to a disembarking location to the user, and examples include the dispatch of manned and unmanned taxis, the dispatch of vehicles used for pick-up and drop-off services at airports, stations, hotels, etc., and the dispatch of vehicles used for rental car and ride-sharing services. The users of the car-sharing service are not particularly limited as long as they can appropriately pay the price for the service.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support system 1 includes an imaging device 11, a distance measuring device 12, map information 13, a host vehicle position detection device 14, a navigation device 15, a vehicle control device 16, an input device 17, an output device 18, and a driving support device 19. The devices included in the driving support system 1 are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can exchange information with each other.

[0012] The imaging device 11 is a device that recognizes objects around the host vehicle by means of images, and is, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD, a camera such as an ultrasonic camera or an infrared camera. A plurality of imaging devices 11 can be provided on one vehicle, and can be arranged, for example, in the front grille portion of the vehicle, the lower part of the left and right door mirrors, and the vicinity of the rear bumper. Thereby, the dead angle when recognizing objects around the vehicle can be reduced. Further, the imaging device 11 includes a driver monitor that images the driver.

[0013] The distance measuring device 12 is a device for calculating the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and the object, and is, for example, a radar device such as a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar (such as an LRF), a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, an ultrasonic radar, or a sonar. A plurality of distance measuring devices 12 can be provided on one vehicle, and can be arranged, for example, in the front, right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. Thereby, the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and the objects around the vehicle can be accurately calculated.

[0014] The objects detected by the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 are lane boundary lines of the road, center lines, road markings, median strips, guardrails, curbstones, side walls of highways, road signs, traffic signals, crosswalks, construction sites, accident sites, traffic restrictions, etc. Further, the objects include obstacles that may affect the running of the host vehicle, such as automobiles (other vehicles) other than the host vehicle, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 are acquired by the driving support device 19 at predetermined time intervals.

[0015] In addition, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measurement device 12 can be integrated or synthesized by the driving support device 19, thereby complementing the insufficient information of the detected object. For example, the driving support device 19 can calculate the position information of the object based on the self-position information, which is the position where the host vehicle travels and is obtained by the host vehicle position detection device 14 described later, and the relative position (distance and direction) between the host vehicle and the object. The calculated position information of the object is integrated by the driving support device 19 with the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measurement device 12, as well as a plurality of information such as the map information 13, to become the environmental information around the host vehicle. Further, it is also possible to recognize the objects around the host vehicle using the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measurement device 12 and the map information 13, and predict their movements.

[0016] The map information 13 is information used for generating a driving route and / or driving control, and includes road information, facility information, and their attribute information. The road information and the attribute information of the road include information such as the width of the road, the curvature and radius of curvature of the road, the structure of the road shoulder, road traffic regulations (speed limit, possibility of lane change), the merging and branching points of the road, and the positions where the number of lanes increases or decreases. The map information 13 of the present embodiment is high-precision map information that can grasp the movement trajectory for each lane, and includes two-dimensional position information and / or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, the boundary information of the road and lane at each map coordinate, road attribute information, the up / down information of the lane, lane identification information, connection destination lane information, and the like. Note that the high-precision map is also referred to as an HD (High-Definition) map.

[0017] The road and lane boundary information of the high-precision map information is information indicating the boundary between the road on which the host vehicle travels and the rest. The road on which the host vehicle travels is a road for the host vehicle to travel, and the form of the road is not particularly limited. The boundaries exist on the left and right sides respectively with respect to the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and the form is not particularly limited. The boundaries include road surface markings, road structures, etc. Road surface markings include lane boundary lines, center lines, etc., and road structures include median strips, guardrails, curbstones, tunnels, side walls of expressways, etc. respectively. Note that at locations where the road boundary cannot be clearly identified, such as within an intersection, a boundary for the road is set in advance. This boundary is virtual and is not an actual road surface marking or road structure.

[0018] The map information 13 is stored in a record medium of an in-vehicle device including the driving support device 19 or a server on a network in a readable state. The driving support device 19 acquires the map information 13 as necessary.

[0019] The host vehicle position detection device 14 is a positioning system for detecting the current position of the host vehicle, and is not particularly limited, and a known one can be used. The host vehicle position detection device 14 calculates the current position of the host vehicle from, for example, radio waves received from satellites for GPS (Global Positioning System). Further, the host vehicle position detection device 14 may estimate the current position of the host vehicle from the vehicle speed information acquired from a vehicle speed sensor and the acceleration information acquired from an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, and calculate the current position of the host vehicle by collating the estimated current position with the map information 13.

[0020] The navigation device 15 is a device that calculates a driving route from the current position of the host vehicle detected by the host vehicle position detection device 14 to the destination set by the driver with reference to the map information 13. The navigation device 15 searches for a driving route for the host vehicle to reach from the current position to the destination, for example, using the road information and facility information in the map information 13. The driving route includes at least information on the road on which the host vehicle travels, the driving lane, and the driving direction of the host vehicle, and is displayed linearly, for example. Depending on the search conditions, there may be multiple driving routes. The driving route calculated by the navigation device 15 is output to the driving support device 19.

[0021] The vehicle control device 16 is an in-vehicle computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit), and electronically controls in-vehicle devices that regulate the driving of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 16 includes a vehicle speed control device 161 that controls the driving speed of the host vehicle and a steering control device 162 that controls the steering operation of the host vehicle. The vehicle speed control device 161 and the steering control device 162 autonomously control the operations of these drive devices and steering devices according to the control signals input from the driving support device 19. Thereby, the host vehicle can autonomously drive according to the set driving route.

[0022] The drive devices controlled by the vehicle speed control device 161 include an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine that are driving power sources, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmit the output from these driving power sources to the drive wheels, and a drive device that controls the power transmission device. Further, the braking device controlled by the vehicle speed control device 161 is, for example, a braking device that brakes the wheels. A control signal corresponding to the set driving speed is input to the vehicle speed control device 161 from the driving support device 19. The vehicle speed control device 161 generates a signal for controlling these drive devices based on the control signal input from the driving support device 19, and transmits the signal to the drive devices, thereby autonomously controlling the driving speed of the vehicle.

[0023] On one hand, the steering device controlled by the steering control device 162 includes a steering device that controls the total steering wheel according to the steering angle of the steering wheel (so-called steering wheel), for example, a steering actuator such as a motor attached to the column shaft of the steering. The steering control device 162 uses at least one of the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the map information 13, and the information of the current position acquired by the own vehicle position detection device 14 based on the control signal input from the driving support device 19, and autonomously controls the operation of the steering device so that the own vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined lateral position (position in the left - right direction of the vehicle) with respect to the set travel route.

[0024] Information necessary for autonomous control in the vehicle speed control device 161 and the steering control device 162, such as the travel speed, acceleration, steering angle, and attitude of the own vehicle, is detected using the in - vehicle sensor 163 provided in the vehicle control device 16. The in - vehicle sensor 163 is a sensor for detecting the travel state of the vehicle, and examples include a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a steering angle sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Further, the in - vehicle sensor 163 includes a touch sensor (capacitance sensor) for detecting the driver's holding of the steering wheel. The vehicle control device 16 outputs the detection results of the in - vehicle sensor 163 to the driving support device 19 at a predetermined time interval.

[0025] The input device 17 is a device for the vehicle occupant to input instructions to the driving support device 19, and examples include a touch panel input by the user's finger touch or a stylus pen, a microphone for acquiring the user's voice instructions, and a switch attached to the steering wheel of the vehicle.

[0026] As an example of the input device 17, a switch attached to the steering wheel of a vehicle is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the input device 17, and shows a button switch group arranged on the spokes of the steering wheel. The input device 17 shown in FIG. 2 is a button switch used when setting ON / OFF etc. of the autonomous driving control functions (autonomous speed control function and autonomous steering control function) provided in the driving support device 19. The input device 17 includes a main switch 171, a resume / accelerate switch 172, a set / course switch 173, a cancel switch 174, a vehicle-to-vehicle distance adjustment switch 175, and a lane change support switch 176.

[0027] The main switch 171 is a switch for turning ON / OFF the power supply of the system that realizes the autonomous speed control function and the autonomous steering control function of the driving support device 19. The resume / accelerate switch 172 is a switch for resuming autonomous speed control at the set speed before OFF after stopping (turning OFF) the autonomous speed control, increasing the set speed, or restarting after stopping following the preceding vehicle and then being restarted by the driving support device 19. The set / course switch 173 is a switch for starting autonomous speed control at the speed during driving or decreasing the set speed. The cancel switch 174 is a switch for turning OFF the autonomous speed control. The vehicle-to-vehicle distance adjustment switch 175 is a switch for setting the vehicle-to-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle, and is a switch for selecting one from a plurality of stages of settings such as short distance, medium distance, and long distance. The lane change support switch 176 is a switch for instructing (approving) the start of a lane change when the driving support device 19 confirms the start of a lane change with the driver. Note that after approving the start of a lane change, by operating the lane change support switch 176 for a time longer than a predetermined time, the approval of the proposal for lane change by the driving support device 19 can be canceled.

[0028] In addition to the button switch shown in FIG. 2, the direction indicator lever of the direction indicator and the switches of other in-vehicle devices can be used as the input device 17. For example, when the driver is proposed whether to automatically change lanes from the driving support device 19, if the driver operates the direction indicator lever, the vehicle changes lanes not in the proposed lane change direction but in the direction in which the direction indicator lever is operated. The input device 17 outputs the input setting information to the driving support device 19. Details of the autonomous driving control, autonomous speed control, and autonomous steering control will be described later.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 1, the output device 18 is a device for providing necessary information to the vehicle occupants. For example, it is a projector such as a head-up display (HUD), a liquid crystal display provided on the instrument panel, and a display incorporated in the rearview mirror. In addition to the device that visually provides information, the output device 18 also includes a device that provides information by voice, such as a speaker of an audio device, and a device that provides information by vibration, such as a seat sheet in which a vibrator is embedded.

[0030] The driving support device 19 is a device that controls the devices included in the driving support system 1 to cooperate with each other to control the driving of the host vehicle and drive the host vehicle to a destination set by the vehicle occupants or users of the dispatch service. The driving support device 19 is, for example, a computer and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 191 that is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 192 in which a program is stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 193 that functions as an accessible storage device. The CPU 191 is an operation circuit for functioning as the driving support device 19 by executing the program stored in the ROM 192.

[0031] [Functions of the control unit] The program stored in ROM 192 includes a control unit 2, which is a functional block for realizing the control of the running of the host vehicle by the driving support device 19. The control unit 2 has a function of running the host vehicle by autonomous driving control. Autonomous driving control means autonomously controlling the driving operation of the host vehicle using the driving support device 19, and the driving operation includes all driving operations such as acceleration, deceleration, starting, stopping, steering to the right or left, lane change, and centering. Also, autonomously controlling the driving operation means that the driving support device 19 controls the driving operation using the devices of the host vehicle. That is, the control unit 2 intervenes in and controls these driving operations within a predetermined range. For driving operations that are not intervened, manual operations by the driver are performed.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 2 includes an acquisition unit 3, a support unit 4, a determination unit 5, and a notification unit 6. The support unit 4 includes a speed control unit 41 and a steering control unit 42, and the steering control unit 42 includes a lane keep unit 421, a lane change unit 422, an overtaking unit 423, and a route driving unit 424. In FIG. 1, each unit is shown by being extracted for convenience. Hereinafter, the functions performed by each functional block of the control unit 2 will be described.

[0033] The acquisition unit 3 has a function of acquiring information on the running state of the host vehicle (hereinafter, also referred to as "running information"). Hereinafter, the function of acquiring running information is also referred to as the "running information acquisition function". For example, the driving support device 19 acquires, as running information, images of the outside of the vehicle captured by the front camera, rear camera, and side cameras, which are imaging devices 11, by the running information acquisition function of the acquisition unit 3. Also, the driving support device 19 acquires, as running information, the detection results of the front radar, rear radar, and side radars, which are distance measurement devices 12, by the running information acquisition function of the acquisition unit 3. Instead of or in addition to this, the driving support device 19 also acquires, as running information, the running speed of the host vehicle detected by a vehicle speed sensor, which is an in-vehicle sensor 163, and the image information of the driver's face captured by an in-vehicle camera.

[0034] The travel support device 19 acquires the current position information of the vehicle from the own-vehicle position detection device 14 as travel information by the travel information acquisition function of the acquisition unit 3. Further, the travel support device 19 acquires the set destination and the travel route to the destination from the navigation device 15 as travel information by the travel information acquisition function of the acquisition unit 3. Instead of or in addition to this, the travel support device 19 acquires position information such as a curved road and the size of the curve (for example, curvature or radius of curvature), a merging point, a branching point, a toll gate, and a position where the number of lanes decreases from the map information 13 as travel information. Instead of or in addition to this, the travel support device 19 acquires the information of the operation input by the driver from the input device 17 as travel information.

[0035] The support unit 4 has a function of autonomously controlling the travel of the own vehicle without depending on the driver's operation. The support unit 4 includes a speed control unit 41 having a function of autonomously controlling the travel speed of the own vehicle and a steering control unit 42 having a function of autonomously controlling the steering of the own vehicle. Here, autonomously controlling the travel of the own vehicle without depending on the driver's operation is also referred to as "autonomous driving control". Further, autonomously controlling the travel speed of the own vehicle is also referred to as "autonomous speed control", and autonomously controlling the steering of the own vehicle is also referred to as "autonomous steering control".

[0036] When the travel support device 19 detects a preceding vehicle, while performing inter-vehicle control to maintain an inter-vehicle distance corresponding to the vehicle speed with the upper limit being the vehicle speed set by the driver by the autonomous speed control of the speed control unit 41, the own vehicle is made to follow the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, when no preceding vehicle is detected, constant-speed travel is performed at the vehicle speed set by the driver. The former is referred to as inter-vehicle control, and the latter is also referred to as constant-speed control. Note that the speed control unit 41 may have a function of detecting the speed limit of the road during travel from road signs using the imaging device 11 or acquiring the speed limit from the map information 13 and automatically setting the speed limit as the set vehicle speed.

[0037] To activate the autonomous speed control by the speed control unit 41, first the driver operates the resume / accelerate switch 172 or the set coast switch 173 of the input device 17 shown in Fig. 2 to input the desired traveling speed. For example, when the set coast switch 173 is pressed while the host vehicle is traveling at 70 km / h, the current traveling speed is set as it is. If the speed desired by the driver is 80 km / h, the resume / accelerate switch 172 can be pressed multiple times to increase the set speed. Conversely, if the speed desired by the driver is 60 km / h, the set coast switch 173 can be pressed multiple times to decrease the set speed. Also, for the desired inter-vehicle distance, the driver can operate the inter-vehicle distance adjustment switch 175 of the input device 17 shown in Fig. 2 and select one from multiple levels of settings such as short distance, medium distance, and long distance.

[0038] The constant speed control is executed when it is detected by the front radar of the distance measuring device 12 or the like that there is no preceding vehicle ahead in the host vehicle lane. In the constant speed control, while feeding back the vehicle speed data of the vehicle speed sensor, which is the in-vehicle sensor 163, the operation of drive mechanisms such as the engine and the brake is controlled by the vehicle speed control device 161 so as to maintain the set traveling speed.

[0039] The inter-vehicle control is executed when it is detected by the front radar of the distance measuring device 12 or the like that there is a preceding vehicle ahead in the host vehicle lane. In the inter-vehicle control, while feeding back the inter-vehicle distance data detected by the front radar, the operation of drive mechanisms such as the engine and the brake is controlled by the vehicle speed control device 161 so as to maintain the set inter-vehicle distance with the set traveling speed as the upper limit. Note that when the preceding vehicle stops during the inter-vehicle control, the host vehicle also stops following the preceding vehicle. Also, after the host vehicle has stopped, if the preceding vehicle starts within, for example, 30 seconds, the host vehicle also starts and resumes the following running by the inter-vehicle control. If the host vehicle has stopped for more than 30 seconds, it does not start automatically even if the preceding vehicle starts. After the preceding vehicle has started, pressing the resume / accelerate switch 172 or stepping on the accelerator pedal will resume the following running by the inter-vehicle control.

[0040] When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the autonomous speed control described above, the autonomous steering control by the steering control unit 42 controls the operation of the steering actuator by the steering control device 162 to execute the steering control of the host vehicle. The steering control unit 42 includes, for example, a lane keeping unit 421, a lane change unit 422, an overtaking unit 423, and a route traveling unit 424.

[0041] The lane keeping unit 421 has a function of assisting the driver's steering operation by controlling the steering actuator with the steering control device 162 so that the host vehicle travels near the center of the lane. The function of the lane keeping unit 421 is also referred to as the "lane keeping function" or the "lane width direction maintaining function". The control by the lane keeping unit is also referred to as "lane keeping control".

[0042] The lane change unit 422 has a function of performing a lane change by autonomous driving control. Hereinafter, in the autonomous driving by autonomous driving control, the control of changing the lane from the own lane in which the host vehicle travels to an adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane is also referred to as "autonomous lane change control". As shown in FIG. 3, when the driver operates the direction indicator lever, the driving support device 19 lights the direction indicator by the autonomous lane change control of the lane change unit 422, and when the preset lane change start condition is satisfied, starts a lane change operation (hereinafter referred to as LCP), which is a series of processes of lane change by autonomous driving control. Also, when a button operation is performed to approve the start of the autonomous lane change control, such as when the lane change support switch 176 of the input device 17 is operated, the direction indicator may be lit and the LCP may be started. The driving support device 19 determines whether or not the lane change start condition is satisfied based on various driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition function of the acquisition unit 3 by the autonomous lane change control. The lane change start condition is not particularly limited, but for example, all of the following conditions may be satisfied. · It is in the lane keeping mode of the hands-on mode. · Hands-on determination is in progress. · Traveling at a speed of 60 km / h or more. · There is a lane in the lane change direction. · There is a space where lane change is possible in the lane to which the lane change is to be made. · The type of lane marker allows for lane change. · The radius of curvature of the road is 250 m or more. · It is within 1 second after the driver operates the direction indicator lever.

[0043] Note that the hands-on mode lane keep mode, which will be described in detail later, refers to a state in which the autonomous speed control by the speed control unit 41 and the lane keep control by the lane keep unit 421 are being executed, and the holding of the steering wheel by the driver is detected. Also, during the hands-on determination, it refers to a state in which the holding of the steering wheel by the driver continues.

[0044] When the lane change start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 starts the LCP by the autonomous lane change control of the lane change unit 422. This LCP includes the lateral movement of the host vehicle to the adjacent lane and the lane change maneuver (hereinafter, LCM) to actually move to the adjacent lane. The driving support device 19 outputs information indicating that the lane change is being automatically performed to the driver by the output device 18 during the execution of the LCP, to prompt attention to the surroundings. When the LCM by the autonomous lane change control is completed, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and starts the control by the lane keep unit 421 in the adjacent lane.

[0045] The overtaking section 423 has a function of overtaking the preceding vehicle under autonomous driving control. Hereinafter, the control for overtaking the preceding vehicle in autonomous driving under autonomous driving control is also referred to as "overtaking assistance control". The overtaking assistance control is a type of autonomous lane change control and is the autonomous lane change control in the driving scene of overtaking the preceding vehicle. As shown in FIG. 4, when there is a preceding vehicle slower than the host vehicle in front of the host lane and a preset predetermined overtaking proposal condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 presents overtaking information to the driver by the output device 18 by the function of the overtaking section 423. Here, the overtaking information is information for proposing to the driver to overtake the preceding vehicle. Further, when the driver operates the lane change support switch 176 of the input device 17 to approve (corresponding to approval input) in response to the presentation of the overtaking information and a preset overtaking start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 starts the above-described LCP. The approval input includes the driver operating the direction indicator lever to the right or left. The driving support device 19 determines whether or not the overtaking proposal condition and the overtaking start condition are satisfied based on various driving information acquired by the acquisition unit 3. Note that the overtaking assistance control may include a function of starting the LCP for overtaking the preceding vehicle when the driver operates the direction indicator lever even when the overtaking information is not presented.

[0046] The overtaking proposal conditions are not particularly limited, and for example, all of the following conditions may be satisfied. · It is in the lane keep mode of the hands-off mode. · Driving at a speed of 60 km / h or more. · There is a lane in the lane change direction. · There is a space where lane change is possible 5 seconds later in the lane to which the lane change is to be made. · The type of lane marker allows lane change. · The radius of curvature of the road is 250 m or more. · The speed of the host vehicle is 5 km / h or more slower than the set speed. · The speed of the preceding vehicle is 10 km / h or more slower than the set speed. ·The inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is less than a preset threshold value based on the speed difference between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle. ·The speed of the preceding vehicle existing in the lane to which lane change is to be made satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0047] Note that the hands-off mode lane keep mode, which will be described in detail later, refers to a mode in which the autonomous speed control of the speed control unit 41 and the lane keep control of the lane keep unit 421 are being executed, and it is not necessary for the driver to hold the steering wheel. Further, for the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle existing in the lane to which lane change is to be made satisfies a predetermined condition, different conditions are applied depending on the type of the lane to which lane change is to be made. For example, when changing lanes from the left lane to the right lane on a multi-lane road with left-hand traffic, the condition is that the speed of the host vehicle existing in the left lane is about 5 km / h or more faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle in the right lane. Conversely, when changing lanes from the right lane to the left lane on a multi-lane road with left-hand traffic, the condition is that the speed difference between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the left lane is within about 5 km / h. Note that the condition regarding the relative speed difference between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is reversed on a road with right-hand traffic.

[0048] When the driver approves the presentation of overtaking information and the host vehicle satisfies a preset predetermined overtaking start condition, the traveling support device 19 turns on the direction indicator by the overtaking support control of the overtaking unit 423 and starts the LCP. The overtaking start condition is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include all of the following conditions being satisfied. ·It is the lane keep mode in the hands-on mode. ·Hands-on determination is in progress. ·The vehicle is traveling at a speed of 60 km / h or more. ·There is a lane in the lane change direction. ·There is a space in the lane to which lane change is to be made where lane change is possible. ·The type of lane marker allows lane change. ·The radius of curvature of the road is 250 m or more. ·The speed of the host vehicle is 5 km / h or more slower than the set speed (when changing lanes from the left lane to the right lane on a road with left-hand traffic). ·The speed of the preceding vehicle is 10 km / h or more slower than the set speed (when changing lanes to the right lane on the left side of the road). ·The speed of the preceding vehicle in the lane to be changed to satisfies a predetermined condition. ·It is within 10 seconds from the operation of the lane change assist switch 176.

[0049] Note that the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle is 10 km / h or more slower than the set speed can be changed according to the driver's setting, and the changed set speed becomes the overtaking start condition. As the speed that can be changed, for example, in addition to 10 km / h, 15 km / h and 20 km / h can be selected. Also, the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle in the lane to be changed to satisfies a predetermined condition is the same as the overtaking proposal condition described above.

[0050] When the driving support device 19 satisfies the overtaking start condition, it starts the LCP by overtaking support control and executes lateral movement to the adjacent lane and the LCM. When executing the LCP by overtaking support control, the driving support device 19 presents information indicating that it is automatically changing lanes to the driver by the output device 18 to prompt attention to the surroundings. When the LCM is completed, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and starts the lane keeping control of the lane keeping unit 421 in the adjacent lane. In addition, the overtaking unit 423 has a function of proposing to the driver by the output device 18 to return to the original lane when the overtaking proposal condition is satisfied again after overtaking the preceding vehicle. When the driver operates the lane change assist switch 176 of the input device 17 to approve this proposal and the overtaking start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 starts the LCP to return the own vehicle to the original lane by overtaking support control as shown in FIG. 5.

[0051] The route traveling unit 424 has a function of causing the host vehicle to travel along a set travel route. The route traveling unit 424 causes the host vehicle to travel along the set travel route by route travel support control. That is, the route travel support control is a type of autonomous lane change control, and is the autonomous lane change control in a travel scene where the host vehicle travels along the set travel route. When there are travel direction change points such as branch points, merging points, exits, and toll booths on the set travel route, the distance to the travel direction change point is within a predetermined distance, and a predetermined route travel proposal condition is satisfied, the travel support device 19 uses the function of the route traveling unit 424 to present route travel information by the output device 18 and proposes a lane change to the travel direction change point. Further, when the proposal of the lane change is approved by the operation of the lane change support switch 176 and a predetermined route travel start condition is satisfied, the LCP is started. Here, the operation of the lane change support switch 176 may be an operation of the direction indicator lever by the driver. The travel support device 19 determines whether or not the route travel proposal condition and the route travel start condition are satisfied based on various travel information acquired by the travel information acquisition function of the acquisition unit 3.

[0052] Note that when the travel route set by the navigation device 15 is set, but the route travel support control of the route traveling unit 424 is not executed or is set to be invalid, normal navigation for guiding the travel route by the navigation device 15 is executed. Further, the route travel support control may include a function of starting the LCP for traveling along the travel route when the driver operates the direction indicator lever even when no lane change is proposed by the route travel information.

[0053] The example shown in FIG. 6 is an example where the host vehicle is traveling in the right lane on a three-lane road with left-side traffic and sequentially makes two lane changes toward a branch point existing in the left lane, and moves to a branch road (also referred to as a branch line; the same applies hereinafter) extending to the left of the left lane from the branch point. When the driving support device 19 is within a first predetermined distance (for example, about 2.5 km to 1.0 km before the branch point) from the branch point and satisfies the route driving proposal conditions, the route driving support control of the route driving unit 424 proposes a lane change from the right lane to the center lane based on the route driving information. The first predetermined distance (also referred to as the lane change proposal section) is preset according to the number of lane changes required to move to the lane where the driving direction change point exists. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when two lane changes are required from the right lane to the left lane via the center lane, the section from about 2.5 km to 1.0 km before the branch point is the first predetermined distance (lane change proposal section) as exemplified.

[0054] Note that the route driving proposal conditions are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include all of the following conditions being satisfied. · The destination is set in the navigation device 15. · It is in the lane keep mode of the hands-off mode. · Traveling at a speed of 60 km / h or more. · There is a lane in the lane change direction. · The type of lane marker allows lane change. · The radius of curvature of the road is 250 m or more. Note that even when there is no space where lane change is possible in the lane change destination in the route driving proposal conditions, the route driving information is presented to notify the driver that a lane change along the driving route is necessary.

[0055] When the driver approves the lane change for approaching the branch point and satisfies the route driving start conditions, the driving support device 19 turns on the direction indicator and starts the LCP by the route driving support control of the route driving unit 424. The route driving start conditions are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include all of the following conditions being satisfied. · It is the lane keeping mode in the hands-on mode. · Hands-on is being determined. · Driving at a speed of 60 km / h or more. · There is a lane in the lane change direction. · There is a space where lane change is possible in the lane of the lane change destination. · The type of lane marker allows lane change. · Driving in the lane change proposal section. · The radius of curvature of the road is 250 m or more.

[0056] When the driving support device 19 satisfies the route driving start condition, it starts the LCP by the route driving support control of the route driving unit 424, and executes the lateral movement to the center lane and the LCM. When the LCM is completed, the driving support device 19 turns off the turn signal and starts the lane keeping control of the lane keeping unit 421 in the center lane. The driving support device 19 outputs, by the output device 18, information indicating that it is automatically changing lanes during the execution of the LCP by the route driving support control, and prompts the driver to pay attention to the surroundings.

[0057] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, during the execution of the lane keeping control in the center lane, when it is within the second predetermined distance from the branch point (for example, about 2.3 km to 700 m before the branch point) and the route driving start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 turns on the turn signal by the route driving support control and starts the second LCP, and changes the lane from the center lane to the left lane. When the second LCM is completed, the driving support device 19 turns off the turn signal and starts the lane keeping control of the lane keeping unit 421 in the left lane.

[0058] Furthermore, while the lane keep control in the left lane is being executed, when the vehicle is within a third predetermined distance (for example, about 800 m to 150 m before the branch point) from the branch point and the route travel start condition is satisfied, the traveling support device 19 turns on the direction indicator by route travel support control. The traveling support device 19 starts the steering control from a point beyond the branch point to the branch road by the route travel support control of the route travel unit 424, and changes the lane from the left lane to the branch road by autonomous driving control. The above-described autonomous steering control is used for the steering control. When the lane change to the branch road is completed, the traveling support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and starts the lane keep control of the lane keep unit 421 on the branch road.

[0059] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the state transition of each function established in the traveling support device 19. The system shown in FIG. 7 means an autonomous driving control system realized by the traveling support device 19. When the main switch 171 in FIG. 2 is turned on from the system OFF state shown in FIG. 7, the system enters the standby state. From this standby state, by turning on the set course switch 173 or the resume accelerate switch 172 in FIG. 2, the autonomous speed control by the autonomous speed control function starts. As a result, the above-described constant speed control or inter-vehicle distance control starts, and the driver can drive the host vehicle only by operating the steering wheel without stepping on the accelerator or the brake.

[0060] When condition (1) in FIG. 7 is satisfied during the execution of the autonomous speed control, the system transitions to the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control / hands-on mode. Although condition (1) is not particularly limited, examples include all of the following conditions being satisfied. · The lane markers on both sides of the host vehicle are detected. · The driver is holding the steering wheel. · The vehicle is traveling near the center of the lane. · The direction indicator is not operating. · The wiper is not operating at high speed (HI). · When there is a high-precision map, there are no toll gates, exits, merging points, intersections, or lane reduction points within about 200 m ahead.

[0061] Note that the hands-on mode refers to a mode in which the autonomous steering control by the autonomous steering control function does not operate unless the driver holds the steering wheel, and the hands-off mode refers to a mode in which the autonomous steering control by the autonomous steering control function operates even if the driver releases the hands from the steering wheel. Note that the holding of the steering wheel by the driver is detected by the touch sensor of the in-vehicle sensor 163.

[0062] When condition (2) in FIG. 7 is satisfied during the execution of the lane keep mode in the autonomous steering control hands-on mode, the vehicle transitions to the lane keep mode in the autonomous steering control hands-off mode. Examples of this condition (2) include all of the following conditions being satisfied. · The host vehicle is traveling on an exclusive road for automobiles. · The vehicle is traveling on a road that is structurally separated from the oncoming lane. · The vehicle is traveling on a road with a high-precision map. · The vehicle is traveling at a vehicle speed below the speed limit. · The GPS signal is valid. · The driver is holding the steering wheel. · The driver is facing forward. · There are no toll gates, exits, merges, intersections, or points where the number of lanes decreases within approximately 800 m ahead. · There are no sharp curves of 100R or less within approximately 500 m ahead. · The vehicle is not traveling in a tunnel more than 500 m from the tunnel entrance. · The accelerator pedal is not depressed. Note that whether the driver is facing forward or not is determined based on, for example, the captured image of the driver monitor camera of the imaging device 11.

[0063] Conversely, when condition (3) in FIG. 7 is satisfied during the execution of the lane keep mode in the autonomous steering control hands-off mode, the vehicle transitions to the lane keep mode in the autonomous steering control hands-on mode. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (3) include any of the following conditions being satisfied. · The host vehicle is traveling on a road other than an exclusive motor vehicle lane. · The host vehicle is traveling in an oncoming traffic section. · The host vehicle is traveling on a road without a high-precision map. · The host vehicle is traveling at a vehicle speed exceeding the speed limit. · The GPS signal cannot be received. · After the forward-looking warning is activated, the driver does not face forward within 5 seconds. · The driver cannot be detected by the driver monitoring camera. · There is any one of a toll gate, an exit, a merge, or a decrease in the number of lanes about 800 m ahead. · When the vehicle speed is less than about 40 km / h, there is a sharp curve of 100R or less within about 200 m ahead. · When the vehicle speed is 40 km / h or more, there is a sharp curve of 170R or less within about 200 m ahead. · The host vehicle is traveling in a tunnel more than 500 m from the tunnel entrance. · The driver is holding the steering wheel and stepping on the accelerator pedal. · The approach warning is activated.

[0064] During the execution of the lane keep mode in the hands-off mode of the autonomous steering control, when the condition (4) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the autonomous steering control is terminated and the autonomous speed control is shifted to. As this condition (4), although not particularly limited, for example, any of the following conditions may be satisfied. · The lane markers on both sides of the host vehicle cannot be detected for a certain period of time. · The driver is operating the steering wheel. · The wiper is operating at high speed (HI). Note that the steering wheel operation by the driver is determined by detecting the torque applied to the steering wheel with the in-vehicle sensor 163.

[0065] Also, during the execution of the lane-keeping mode in the autonomous steering control / hands-off mode, if the condition (5) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the autonomous steering control and the autonomous speed control are terminated and the vehicle transitions to the standby state. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (5) include the satisfaction of any of the following conditions. · The driver operated the brake. · The driver operated the cancel switch 174 in FIG. 2. · The door of the host vehicle opened. · The seat belt of the driver's seat was released. · The seating sensor detected that the driver was no longer in the driver's seat. · The select lever was set to a position other than "D" or "M". · The parking brake was actuated. · The vehicle's skid prevention device was turned off. · The skid prevention device was actuated. · The snow mode was turned on. · The emergency brake was actuated. · After the vehicle stopped due to vehicle speed control, the stopped state continued for about 3 minutes. · The front camera detected a poor visibility situation where it could not correctly recognize an object due to dirt, backlight, rain, fog, etc. · The front radar detected shielding or radio wave interference. · The front radar detected misalignment. · The side radar detected shielding or radio wave interference. · The side radar detected misalignment.

[0066] During the execution of the autonomous steering control / hands-on mode, if the condition (6) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the autonomous steering control is terminated and the vehicle transitions to the autonomous speed control. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (6) include the satisfaction of any of the following conditions. · The lane markers on both sides of the host vehicle could no longer be detected. · The driver operated the steering wheel. · The driver operated the direction indicator lever. · The wiper was actuated at high speed (HI). · When there is a high-precision map, it becomes a tollgate section. · The front camera detected a poor visibility where it could not correctly recognize objects due to dirt, backlight, rain, fog, etc.

[0067] Also, during the execution of the autonomous steering control and hands-on mode, when the condition (7) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the autonomous steering control and the autonomous speed control are stopped and the vehicle transitions to the standby state. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (7) include the satisfaction of any of the following conditions. · The driver operated the brake. · The driver operated the cancel switch 174 in FIG. 2. · The door of the host vehicle opened. · The seat belt in the driver's seat was released. · The seating sensor detected that the driver was no longer in the driver's seat. · The select lever was set to a position other than "D" or "M". · The parking brake was actuated. · The vehicle's anti-skid device was turned off. · The anti-skid device was actuated. · The snow mode was turned on. · The emergency brake was actuated. · After the vehicle stopped due to vehicle speed control, the stopped state continued for about 3 minutes. · The front radar detected shielding or radio wave interference. · The front radar detected misalignment.

[0068] During the execution of the autonomous speed control, when the condition (8) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the vehicle transitions to the standby state. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (8) include the satisfaction of any of the following conditions. · The driver operated the brake. · The driver operated the cancel switch 174 in FIG. 2. · The door of the host vehicle opened. · The seat belt in the driver's seat was released. ·The seating sensor detected that the driver had left the driver's seat. ·The select lever was set to a position other than "D" or "M". ·The parking brake was activated. ·The vehicle's skid prevention device was turned off. ·The skid prevention device was activated. ·The snow mode was turned on. ·The emergency brake was activated. ·After the vehicle stopped due to vehicle speed control, the stopped state continued for about 3 minutes. ·The front radar detected shielding or radio wave interference. ·The front radar detected misalignment.

[0069] During the execution of the lane keeping mode in the hands-off mode of the autonomous steering control, when the condition (9) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the system transitions to the lane change mode in the hands-on mode of the autonomous steering control. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (9) include the satisfaction of any of the following conditions. ·The system proposed a lane change based on the overtaking support control of the overtaking section 423 or the route driving support control of the route driving section 424, and the driver operated the lane change support switch 176. ·The driver operated the direction indicator lever to execute the autonomous lane change control.

[0070] During the execution of the lane change mode in the hands-on mode of the autonomous steering control, when the condition (10) in FIG. 7 is satisfied, the system transitions to the lane keeping mode in the hands-on mode of the autonomous steering control. Although not particularly limited, examples of this condition (10) include the satisfaction of any of the following conditions. ·Before the start of the LCP, the speed limit was exceeded. ·Before the start of the LCP, the driver held the steering wheel and depressed the accelerator pedal. ·When a slow vehicle was in front and the lane change support switch 176 was pressed during the lane change proposal, and the LCP could not be started within 10 seconds. · After pressing the lane change assistance switch 176 during a proposed lane change to drive along the driving route, the LCP could not be started and the vehicle approached the branch point too closely. · After the LCP was activated, the LCM could not be started within 5 seconds. · The LCP was started and the vehicle speed dropped below approximately 50 km / h before starting the LCM. · After the LCP was activated, there was no space in the adjacent lane required for the lane change before starting the LCM. · The driver performed a cancellation operation before starting the LCM. · The lane marker became undetected before starting the LCM. · Before starting the LCM, it was determined that there was no adjacent lane in the direction of the lane change, or that the adjacent lane would disappear within a certain distance ahead. · Before starting the LCM, it was determined that there was a curve with a radius of curvature of 250 m or more within a certain distance ahead. · Before starting the LCM, it was determined that there was a section within a certain distance ahead where the type of the dividing line prohibited lane changes to the adjacent lane. · Before starting the LCM, the side radar detected shielding or radio wave interference. · Before starting the LCM, the side radar detected an axial misalignment. · The hands-on warning was activated. · The driver stopped the direction indicator. · The LCP was completed.

[0071] Note that the hands-on warning is activated when any of the following conditions are met. · After the LCP was activated, the driver did not hold the steering wheel within approximately 2 seconds. · After pressing the lane change assistance switch 176 during a proposed lane change when there was a slow vehicle ahead, the driver did not hold the steering wheel within approximately 2 seconds. · After pressing the lane change assistance switch 176 during a proposed lane change to drive along the driving route, the driver did not hold the steering wheel within approximately 2 seconds.

[0072] When the main switch 171 is turned off in any of the following states: autonomous steering control - hands - off mode, autonomous steering control - hands - on mode, autonomous speed control, or standby state, the system turns off.

[0073] Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the driving control process according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart showing the driving control process according to this embodiment. The driving support device 19 executes the driving control process described below at predetermined time intervals. In the following description, it is assumed that the driving support device 19 executes autonomous speed control by the function of the speed control unit 41 and executes autonomous steering control by the function of the steering control unit 42. Also, the driving support device 19 executes lane - change support control by the function of the lane - change unit 422, executes overtaking support control by the function of the overtaking unit 423, and executes route - driving support control by the function of the route - driving unit 424.

[0074] First, at step S1 in FIG. 8, it is determined whether the main switch 171 of the driving support device 19 is ON. If the main switch 171 is OFF, step S1 is repeated until it is turned ON. If the main switch 171 is ON, the process proceeds to step S2, and it is determined whether the driving speed has been set by the driver. If the driving speed has not been set, the process returns to step S1, and steps S1 and S2 are repeated until the driving speed is set. The setting of the driving speed by the driver is performed by the driver operating the resume / accelerate switch 172 or the set - course switch 173 of the input device 17 shown in FIG. 2 to input a desired driving speed.

[0075] When the traveling speed is set, start the autonomous speed control. In step S3, using the front radar which is the distance measuring device 12, it is detected whether there is a preceding vehicle in front of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. If a preceding vehicle exists, proceed to step S4 to execute the inter-vehicle control. If no preceding vehicle exists, proceed to step S5 to execute the constant speed control. As a result, the driver can drive the host vehicle at a desired speed by only operating the steering wheel without stepping on the accelerator or the brake.

[0076] While executing the inter-vehicle control in step S4 or the constant speed control in step S5, in step S6, it is determined whether the condition (1) for transitioning to the lane keep mode of the above-described autonomous steering control - hands-on mode is satisfied. If the condition (1) is satisfied, proceed to step S7, and if the condition (1) is not satisfied, return to step S3.

[0077] In step S7, using the front radar (distance measuring device 12) that detects obstacles in front of the host vehicle, it is detected whether there is a preceding vehicle in front of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. If a preceding vehicle exists, proceed to step S8 to execute the inter-vehicle control - lane keep mode. If no preceding vehicle exists, proceed to step S9 to execute the constant speed control - lane keep mode.

[0078] While executing the inter-vehicle control - lane keep mode in step S8 or the constant speed control - lane keep mode in step S9, in the subsequent step S10, it is determined whether the condition (2) for transitioning to the hands-off mode of the above-described autonomous steering control is satisfied. If the condition (2) is satisfied, proceed to step S11, and if the condition (2) is not satisfied, return to step S3. In step S11 where the condition (2) for transitioning to the hands-off mode of the autonomous steering control is satisfied, using the front radar (distance measuring device 12) that detects obstacles in front of the host vehicle, it is detected whether there is a preceding vehicle in front of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. If a preceding vehicle exists, proceed to step S12 to execute the inter-vehicle control - lane keep mode - hands-off. If no preceding vehicle exists, proceed to step S13 to execute the constant speed control - lane keep mode - hands-off.

[0079] In step S14, it is determined whether the direction indicator lever has been operated by the driver. If the direction indicator lever has been operated, the condition (9) for transitioning to the lane change mode in the autonomous steering control / hands-on mode is satisfied, and the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, lane change assist control is executed. When the lane change assist control in step S15 is completed, the process returns to step S3. If the driver does not operate the direction indicator lever in step S14, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0080] In step S16, it is determined whether there is a preceding vehicle traveling slower than the set speed. If there is a preceding vehicle traveling slower than the set speed, it is determined whether the condition (9) is satisfied. If the condition (9) is satisfied, the process transitions to the lane change mode in the autonomous steering control / hands-on mode and proceeds to step S17. In step S17, overtaking assist control is executed. When the overtaking assist control in step S17 is completed, the process returns to step S3. If there is no preceding vehicle traveling slower than the set speed in step S16, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0081] In step S18, it is determined whether a driving route to the destination is set in the navigation device 15. If no driving route is set, the process returns to step S1. If a driving route to the destination is set in the navigation device 15 in step S18, the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, it is determined whether a predetermined distance has been reached to a driving direction change point such as a branch point existing on the driving route. If the predetermined distance to the driving direction change point has been reached in step S19, it is determined whether the condition (9) is satisfied. If the condition (9) is satisfied, the process transitions to the lane change mode in the autonomous steering control / hands-on mode and proceeds to step S20. In step S20, route driving assist control is executed. When the route driving assist control in step S20 is completed, the process returns to step S3. If the predetermined distance to the driving direction change point has not been reached in step S19, the process returns to step S1.

[0082] In the flowchart of FIG. 8, the necessity of lane change assistance control, overtaking assistance control, and route driving assistance control is determined in order. However, in reality, the necessity of each control is determined in parallel. When the execution of another assistance control becomes necessary during the execution of any one of the assistance controls, the necessity of execution is mediated between the assistance controls, and the assistance control to be preferentially executed is determined.

[0083] [Route Driving Assistance Control] The route driving assistance control of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which autonomous driving control is performed using the driving support system 1. The driving direction of the vehicle on the road shown in FIG. 9 is the direction from the lower side to the upper side of the drawing, indicated by the arrow A at the lower right of FIG. 9. The road shown in FIG. 9 has a lane L1 on the right side in the driving direction and a lane L2 on the left side in the driving direction. The lane L2 branches at the branch position B into the main lane L2 and the branch lane L3.

[0084] In the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the host vehicle V is traveling at the position P1 on the lane L2. Also, it is assumed that the destination Px set by the driver exists ahead in the driving direction on the lane L3, and a driving route toward the destination Px is set by the navigation device 15. In this case, in order to travel along the driving route, the host vehicle V needs to change lanes from the lane L2 to the lane L3 and enter the branch lane L3. The driving support device 19 causes the host vehicle V to enter the lane L3. For example, the host vehicle V is caused to travel from the position P1 to the position P2 along the locus T1, the first LCP is started at the position P2 on the lane L2, the host vehicle V is caused to travel along the locus T2, and the LCP is completed at the position P3 on the lane L3.

[0085] In the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, since the angle α formed by the main line L2 and the branch line L3 is relatively large, in order for the host vehicle V to enter the branch line L3, it is necessary to significantly decelerate and turn left at a large steering angle. Thus, in a driving scene where the behavior of the host vehicle V changes significantly, lane change using autonomous lane change control (hereinafter also simply referred to as "autonomous lane change") cannot be executed. Therefore, the driving support device 19 notifies the driver in advance that autonomous lane change cannot be executed. For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, when the host vehicle V reaches the notification position X, the driver is notified that autonomous lane change cannot be executed. The output device 18 is used for the said notification. The driver notified that autonomous lane change cannot be executed understands that all autonomous lane changes cannot be executed and attempts to change lanes from the main line L2 to the branch line L3 by manual operation.

[0086] Thus, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, the driving support device 19 notifies the driver that autonomous lane change cannot be executed. However, the autonomous lane change that cannot be executed in this driving scene is only the autonomous lane change from the main line L2 to the branch line L3 by the route driving support control of the route driving unit 424. That is, even after passing the notification position X, autonomous lane change by the autonomous lane change control of the lane change unit 422 and autonomous lane change by the overtaking support control of the overtaking unit 423 can be executed. Therefore, when the driver inputs the direction indicator lever to the right after passing the notification position X, an autonomous lane change from lane L2 to lane L1 is executed by the function of the lane change unit 422. That is, although the driver understands that all autonomous lane changes cannot be executed between the notification position X and the branch position B, actually, an autonomous lane change from lane L2 to lane L1 can be executed. Therefore, a discrepancy occurs between the control that the driver recognizes as executable and the control that can actually be executed.

[0087] Therefore, in the route driving support control of the present embodiment, in addition to the functions of the acquisition unit 3 and the support unit 4, by using the functions of the determination unit 5 and the notification unit 6, after notifying the driver that the autonomous lane change cannot be executed, the executable control recognized by the driver is made to match the actually executable control, and the discomfort of the driver caused by the discrepancy between the two is suppressed. Hereinafter, the functions of the determination unit 5 and the notification unit 6 will be described.

[0088] The determination unit 5 has a function of determining whether or not it is necessary to perform a route following lane change. The route following lane change refers to a lane change necessary for traveling along the set driving route. Whether or not it is necessary to perform a lane change to follow the driving route is determined using the road information of the map information 13, the information on the current position of the host vehicle V acquired from the host vehicle position detection device 14, and the information on the driving route acquired from the navigation device 15.

[0089] Specifically, first, based on the road information of the map information 13 and the information on the current position of the host vehicle V, it is determined whether or not the number of lanes of the road increases in the forward driving direction of the road on which the host vehicle V travels. For example, when the road on which the host vehicle V travels branches into a main line and a branch line in front of the current position of the host vehicle V, it is determined that the number of lanes of the road increases. As another example, when another lane merges into the main line on which the host vehicle V travels in front of the current position of the host vehicle V, it is determined that the number of lanes of the road increases. As still another example, when an intersection exists in front of the host vehicle V, and the lane on which the host vehicle V travels is divided into a straight-ahead only lane and a right-turn only lane in front of the intersection, it is determined that the number of lanes of the road increases. On the other hand, when a bridge exists in front of the host vehicle V, and the lane on which the host vehicle V travels merges into an adjacent lane in front of the bridge as the width decreases, it is determined that the number of lanes of the road decreases. Note that when neither a branch position nor a lane merge position exists in front of the current position of the host vehicle V, it is determined that the number of lanes of the road does not change.

[0090] Next, the driving support device 19 determines whether the host vehicle V needs to enter the increased lane in order to head towards the set destination based on the information on the current position of the host vehicle V acquired from the host vehicle position detection device 14 and the driving route acquired from the navigation device 15. For example, when the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling branches into a main line and a branch line ahead of the current position of the host vehicle V, and a driving route along the main line is set, the host vehicle V determines that there is no need to enter the increased lane. That is, it is determined that lane change for route following is unnecessary. On the other hand, when the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling branches into a main line and a branch line ahead of the current position of the host vehicle V, and a driving route to enter the branch line is set, the host vehicle V determines that it is necessary to enter the branch line which is the increased lane. That is, it is determined that lane change for route following is necessary.

[0091] Alternatively or in addition to this, the lanes of the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling may be specified from the road information and the current position of the host vehicle V, and the specified lanes may be compared with the lanes to be traveled when traveling along the driving route. When the lane in which the host vehicle V is traveling is the same as the lane to be traveled when traveling along the driving route, or when it is determined that the host vehicle V can follow the driving route even if it continues to travel in the currently traveled lane, it is determined that lane change for route following is unnecessary. On the other hand, when it is determined that the host vehicle V cannot follow the driving route if it continues to travel in the currently traveled lane, it is determined that lane change for route following is necessary. Also, when a position where a lane change is necessary is preset in the driving route generated by the navigation device 15, when the host vehicle V approaches the preset lane change position, it is determined that lane change for route following is necessary.

[0092] In the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, since the host vehicle V is traveling at the position P1 on the lane L2, the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling branches into the main line L2 and the branch line L3 at the branch position B in front of the position P1, which is the current position of the host vehicle V. Therefore, the number of lanes on the road increases. Also, the driving route toward the destination Px is set to enter the branch line L3. Accordingly, the driving support device 19 determines that the host vehicle V needs to change lanes from the lane L2 to the lane L3 (that is, determines that a route following lane change is necessary). On the other hand, for example, when the destination Px is set in front of the lane L1, a driving route that travels on the main line lane L1 or the lane L2 is set. Therefore, since the host vehicle V can follow the driving route even if it continues to travel on the lane L2, it is determined that a route following lane change is unnecessary.

[0093] The determination of whether a route following lane change is necessary or not (for example, the determination of an increase in the number of lanes) described above is performed within a range of a predetermined distance from the current position of the host vehicle V. The predetermined distance can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which the driver is not confused as to whether the guidance of the driving support device 19 is appropriate. The predetermined distance is, for example, 500 to 1500 m. If the predetermined distance is set longer than this, the driving distance until reaching the lane change position becomes longer, and the driver becomes confused as to whether the guidance of the driving support device 19 is appropriate and feels a sense of discomfort.

[0094] When the determination unit 5 determines that a route following lane change is not necessary, it instructs the support unit 4 to execute or continue the lane keep control of the lane keep unit 421. On the other hand, when the determination unit 5 determines that a route following lane change is necessary, it determines whether the route following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control. Specifically, the driving support device 19 determines whether or not the execution conditions for executing the autonomous lane change are satisfied by the function of the determination unit 5.

[0095] The execution conditions under which autonomous lane change can be performed are conditions for changing lanes without giving discomfort or uneasiness to passengers including the driver, and are conditions for not significantly changing the behavior of the host vehicle V in the longitudinal and lateral directions during the execution of autonomous lane change. The execution conditions are, for example, the conditions (1) for transitioning to the autonomous steering control / hands-on mode shown in FIG. 7, and the conditions (9) for transitioning to the lane change mode.

[0096] The execution conditions include, for example, detecting the lane markers on both sides of the host vehicle V, the driver holding the steering wheel, the host vehicle V traveling near the center of the lane, the direction indicator not operating, the wiper not operating at high speed (HI) (i.e., no heavy rain or snow is observed around the host vehicle V), traveling on a road where a high-precision map is available (in particular, for the road on which the host vehicle V is travels, high-precision map information is available), when a high-precision map is available, there are no toll gates, exits, merging points, intersections, or lane reduction points within approximately 200 m ahead, from the start to the completion of the autonomous lane change, the host vehicle V is the road on which it travels is not registered in the high-precision map information as a road where autonomous lane change cannot be performed, traveling at a traveling speed within a predetermined range (for example, a traveling speed of 1 to 30 km / h or more and 40 to 70 km / h or less), the GPS signal being valid, from the start to the completion of the autonomous lane change, the host vehicle V is the radius of curvature of the road on which it travels is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, 200 to 1000 m), there are no sharp curves of 100R or less within approximately 500 m ahead, not traveling in a tunnel more than 500 m from the tunnel entrance, the route travel support control of the route travel unit 424 proposes a lane change, the driver operates the lane change support switch 176, the driver operates the direction indicator lever to execute the autonomous lane change control, there is space for the host vehicle V to enter the adjacent lane in the adjacent lane, and the like.

[0097] In addition, the execution conditions include that the behavior of the host vehicle V is within the range that can be controlled by the autonomous lane change control during the execution of the autonomous lane change. The range that can be controlled by the autonomous lane change control is set by at least one of the acceleration, deceleration, and lateral acceleration of the host vehicle V of and for each of the acceleration, deceleration, and lateral acceleration, an appropriate value can be set within a range that does not give a sense of discomfort to the occupants including the driver. Note that the reason why the behavior of the host vehicle V is out of the range that can be controlled by the autonomous lane change control is due to the shape of the road on which the host vehicle V travels. Therefore, a road where the behavior of the host vehicle V changes greatly may be registered in the high-precision map information in advance as a road where autonomous lane change is not possible.

[0098] Furthermore, the execution conditions include that the distance from the current position of the host vehicle V to the position where lane change becomes impossible is longer than the travel distance required to execute the LCP or LCM (for example, 700 to 1500 m). For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, the position Y is the position where the main line L2 and the branch line L3 diverge, and the distance from the current position of the host vehicle V to the position where lane change becomes impossible is the distance D along the driving direction (direction of arrow A) of the road on which the host vehicle V travels as shown in FIG. 9. When passing through the position Y, the lane change from the main line L2 to the branch line L3 becomes impossible. Therefore, the host vehicle V needs to perform a lane change before reaching the position Y.

[0099] Note that performing a lane change before reaching the position Y means that when the host vehicle V is viewed in a plan view, the entire body of the host vehicle V is included in the branch line L3 before the rear end of the body of the host vehicle V reaches the position Y. That is, it is sufficient that the LCM is completed before the rear end of the body of the host vehicle V reaches the position Y, and it is not necessarily required that the LCP is completed.

[0100] In addition, the execution conditions may include that when the road on which the host vehicle V travels after completion of the route following lane change merges into a different road ahead in the traveling direction of the host vehicle V, the distance from the completion position of the route following lane change to the merge position of the roads is equal to or less than a predetermined distance (for example, 50 to 500 m), and the speed limit of the road into which the host vehicle V enters is set lower than the speed limit of the road on which the host vehicle V was traveling at the start of the route following lane change. For example, when the main line L2 shown in FIG. 9 is an expressway and the branch line L3 merges into an ordinary road approximately 200 m ahead of the position P3, the execution conditions are not satisfied. Usually, the speed limit of an ordinary road is set lower than the speed limit of the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V was traveling at the start of the lane change, and the host vehicle V needs to significantly decelerate 200 m before entering the ordinary road.

[0101] Furthermore, the execution conditions may include that when there is an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the host vehicle V on the road on which the host vehicle V travels after completion of the route following lane change, the distance from the completion position of the route following lane change to the intersection is equal to or less than a predetermined distance (for example, 50 to 500 m). For example, when the main line L2 shown in FIG. 9 is an expressway and there is an intersection approximately 300 m ahead of the position P3 of the branch line L3, the execution conditions are not satisfied. In order to enter the intersection, it is necessary to reduce the traveling speed to a creeping speed (for example, 5 to 20 km / h), and thus the host vehicle V needs to significantly decelerate 300 m before the intersection.

[0102] When the support unit 4 determines that the execution conditions for the autonomous lane change described above are met, it determines that the route following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control. Then, by the route following support control of the route travel unit 424, the autonomous lane change is executed as a route following lane change. On the other hand, when it is determined that the execution conditions for the autonomous lane change are not met, it is determined that the route following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control. In this case, the route following lane change is performed by the driver's manual operation. At this time, in order to prompt the driver to change lanes manually, the function of the support unit 4 notifies the driver that the autonomous lane change cannot be performed. For this notification, an output device 18 such as a display in the instrument panel or a speaker is used. Note that this notification may be performed by the function of the notification unit 6.

[0103] In addition, the support unit 4 notifies the driver that the lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed, and prohibits supporting a lane change in the direction opposite to the direction in which the host vehicle V moves in the route following lane change by the autonomous lane change control. The direction in which the host vehicle V moves in the route following lane change is the steering direction of the host vehicle V, which is the direction in which the steering wheel is rotated when changing lanes. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 9, in order to change lanes from the main line L2 to the branch line L3, the direction in which the host vehicle V moves in the route following lane change is to the left. Therefore, after the host vehicle V passes the notification position X and until the host vehicle V passes the branch position B, the support unit 4 does not support a lane change to the right direction with respect to the driving direction by the autonomous lane change control. The prohibition of the autonomous lane change to the right direction may be until the LCM or LCP of the host vehicle V is completed, or may be until the host vehicle V reaches the position Y where the main line L2 and the branch line L3 diverge.

[0104] Further, in order to prohibit assistance by autonomous lane change control, the support unit 4 may disable the functions of the lane change unit 422, the overtaking unit 423, and the route driving unit 424. In this case, autonomous lane changes caused by driver operations such as operating the lane change support switch 176 and operating the direction indicator lever are not executed. Also, a lane change is not proposed to the driver by any of the functions of the lane change unit 422, the overtaking unit 423, and the route driving unit 424. That is, regardless of the driving scene, all autonomous lane changes cannot be executed. At this time, the functions of the speed control unit 41 and the lane keep unit 421 may remain enabled or may be disabled.

[0105] Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the processing in the route driving support control will be described. FIG. 10 is a subroutine of step S20 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. The subroutine shown in FIG. 10 is merely an example and is not limited thereto. Note that the processing described below is executed by the CPU (processor) 191 of the driving support device 19 at a predetermined time interval.

[0106] First, in step S31, the function of the acquisition unit 3 is used to acquire the driving route generated by the navigation device 15 and set it in the driving route. In the subsequent step S32, the function of the route driving unit 424 is used to drive the host vehicle V along the driving route using the vehicle control device 16. In the subsequent step S33, the function of the route driving unit 424 is used to determine whether the number of lanes of the road increases in the forward driving direction of the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling, using the map information 13 and the host vehicle position detection device 14. If it is determined that the number of lanes of the road increases in the forward driving direction of the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling, the process proceeds to step S34. On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of lanes of the road does not change or decreases in the forward driving direction of the road on which the host vehicle V is traveling, the process returns to step S3.

[0107] In step S34, based on the information of the current position of the host vehicle V and the driving route, it is determined whether the host vehicle V needs to enter the increased lane in order to head towards the set destination. If it is determined that the host vehicle V needs to enter the increased lane, the process proceeds to step S35. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V does not need to enter the increased lane, the process returns to step S3.

[0108] In step S35, it is determined whether lane change can be assisted by autonomous lane change control by the function of the support unit 4 (particularly the route driving unit 424). The map information 13 and the detection result of the in-vehicle sensor 163 are used for this determination. If it is determined that lane change can be assisted by autonomous lane change control, the process proceeds to step S36, and autonomous lane change is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that lane change cannot be assisted by autonomous lane change control, the process proceeds to step S37.

[0109] In step S37, the driver is notified that lane change cannot be performed by autonomous lane change control by the function of the support unit 4 or the notification unit 6. In the subsequent step S38, the function of the support unit 4 prohibits assisting lane change in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves by route following lane change by autonomous lane change control. In this case, the route following lane change is performed by the driver's manual operation. Then, when the processes of step S36 and step S38 are completed, the process returns to step S3.

[0110] [Embodiment of the Present Invention] As described above, according to the present embodiment, in a vehicle driving support method using a processor that executes autonomous lane change control, when the processor performs a route following lane change, which is a lane change for driving along a set driving route, the processor determines whether the route following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control. When it is determined that the route following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control, the driver is notified that a lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed, and a lane change in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves in the route following lane change is prohibited from being supported by the autonomous lane change control. Thus, a vehicle driving support method is provided that can match the controllability recognized by the driver with the controllability that can actually be executed. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation that gives the driver a sense of discomfort due to a discrepancy between the controllability recognized by the driver and the controllability that can actually be executed.

[0111] Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, when the processor determines whether the route following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control, the processor determines whether the execution conditions for a lane change by the autonomous lane change control are satisfied. When it is determined that the execution conditions are satisfied, it is determined that the route following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control. When it is determined that the execution conditions are not satisfied, it is determined that the route following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control. Thus, it is possible to more accurately determine whether an autonomous lane change can be executed.

[0112] Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, the execution conditions include that high-precision map information is available for the road on which the vehicle travels from the start to the completion of a lane change by the autonomous lane change control. Thus, it is possible to more accurately determine whether an autonomous lane change can be executed.

[0113] Also, according to the driving support method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, the execution conditions include at least one of the following: the radius of curvature of the road on which the vehicle travels from the start to the completion of the lane change by the autonomous lane change control is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; the road is not registered in the high-precision map information as a road where lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed; the driving speed of the vehicle is within a predetermined range; and the behavior of the vehicle is within the range controllable by the autonomous lane change control during the execution of the lane change by the autonomous lane change control. Thereby, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not to execute the autonomous lane change.

[0114] Also, according to the driving support method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, the range is set by at least one of the acceleration, deceleration, and lateral acceleration of the vehicle. Thereby, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not to execute the autonomous lane change.

[0115] Also, according to the driving support method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, the execution conditions include at least one of the following: when the road on which the vehicle travels after the completion of the route following lane change merges with a different road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the distance from the completion position of the route following lane change to the merging position of the road is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, and the speed limit of the road into which the vehicle enters is set lower than the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle was traveling at the start of the route following lane change; and when there is an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle on the road on which the vehicle travels after the completion of the route following lane change, the distance from the completion position of the route following lane change to the intersection is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. Thereby, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not to execute the autonomous lane change.

[0116] Also, according to the present embodiment, when performing a route-following lane change, which is a lane change for traveling along a set travel route, a determination unit that determines whether the route-following lane change can be assisted by autonomous lane change control, and when the determination unit determines that the route-following lane change cannot be assisted by the autonomous lane change control, notifies the driver that a lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed, and prohibits assisting a lane change in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves during the route-following lane change by the autonomous lane change control. A vehicle driving support device is provided. Thereby, it is possible to match the executable control recognized by the driver with the actually executable control. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation that gives the driver a sense of discomfort due to a discrepancy between the executable control recognized by the driver and the actually executable control.

Explanation of Signs

[0117] 1…Driving support system 11…Imaging device 12…Distance measuring device 13…Map information 14…Own vehicle position detection device 15…Navigation device 16…Vehicle control device 161…Vehicle speed control device 162…Steering control device 163…In-vehicle sensor 17…Input device 171…Main switch 172…Resume / Accelerate switch 173…Set / Course switch 174…Cancel switch 175…Inter-vehicle distance adjustment switch 176…Lane change support switch 18…Output device 19…Driving support device 191…CPU (Processor) 192…ROM 193…RAM 2…Control unit 3…Acquisition unit 4…Support unit 41…Speed control unit 42…Steering control unit 421…Lane keeping unit 422…Lane change unit 423…Overtaking unit 424…Route driving unit 5…Judgment unit 6…Notification unit A…Arrow (driving direction) B…Branch position D…Distance L1, L2…Lanes (main line) L3…Lane (branch line) P1, P2, P3…Positions Px…Destination T1, T2…Trajectories X…Notification position V…Own vehicle

Claims

1. In a driving support method for a vehicle using a processor that executes autonomous lane change control, the processor: When performing a path-following lane change, which is a lane change for traveling along a set driving route, determines whether the path-following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control; When it is determined that the path-following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control, notifies the driver that a lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed, and prohibits supporting, even when the execution conditions for a lane change by the autonomous lane change control are satisfied, a lane change in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves in the path-following lane change, a driving support method for a vehicle.

2. The processor: When determining whether the path-following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control, determines whether the execution conditions are satisfied; When it is determined that the execution conditions are satisfied, determines that the path-following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control; When it is determined that the execution conditions are not satisfied, determines that the path-following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control, the driving support method for a vehicle according to Claim 1.

3. The execution conditions include that high-precision map information is available for the road on which the vehicle travels from the start to the completion of a lane change by the autonomous lane change control, the driving support method for a vehicle according to Claim 2.

4. The execution conditions are: That the radius of curvature of the road on which the vehicle travels from the start to the completion of a lane change by the autonomous lane change control is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; That the road is not registered in the high-precision map information as a road on which a lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed; That the driving speed of the vehicle is within a predetermined range; and That at least one of the vehicle behaviors is within the range that can be controlled by the autonomous lane change control during the execution of a lane change by the autonomous lane change control, the driving support method for a vehicle according to Claim 2 or 3.

5. The range is set by at least one of the acceleration, deceleration, and lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the driving support method for a vehicle according to Claim 4.

6. The execution conditions are: When the road on which the vehicle travels after completion of the route following lane change merges into a different road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the distance from the completion position of the route following lane change to the merge position of the roads is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, and the speed limit of the road into which the vehicle enters is set lower than the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle was traveling at the start of the route following lane change, and In the case where there is an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle on the road on which the vehicle travels after completion of the route following lane change, at least one of the distance from the completion position of the route following lane change to the intersection being equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the method for supporting the traveling of a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. When performing a route following lane change, which is a lane change for traveling along a set travel route, a determination unit that determines whether the route following lane change can be supported by autonomous lane change control; When the determination unit determines that the route following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control, notifies the driver that a lane change by the autonomous lane change control cannot be performed, and even when a lane change in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves in the route following lane change satisfies the execution conditions for which a lane change by the autonomous lane change control can be executed, a support unit that prohibits support by the autonomous lane change control, a vehicle traveling support device.

8. When the processor determines that the route following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control, even when conditions for starting overtaking support control for overtaking a preceding vehicle by autonomous driving by autonomous driving control are satisfied, the overtaking support control is not executed, the method for supporting the traveling of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. When the processor determines that the route following lane change cannot be supported by the autonomous lane change control, a lane change by the autonomous lane change control caused by an operation of the driver is not executed, the method for supporting the traveling of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8.

10. The processor, When performing the route following lane change, determines whether the route following lane change can be supported by the autonomous lane change control from the shape of the road pre-registered in the map information, When it is determined from the shape of the road that the lane change for route following cannot be assisted by the autonomous lane change control, the vehicle does not perform a lane change by the autonomous lane change control from the current position of the vehicle until the position where the lane change for route following becomes impossible to execute. The method for assisting the running of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, 8, and 9.

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