Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a technique which prevents the anxiety from being given to a driver in the time of lane change in a technique that controls the lane change of a vehicle by automatic driving.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 20 includes: a peripheral information detection unit 32 which detects information about other vehicles located in the vicinity of a vehicle; a lane change detection unit 34 which detects the start of lane change control of the own vehicle during automatic driving control; a notification control unit 42 which notifies a driver of the own vehicle of a hands-on request to a steering wheel when it is specified that the own vehicle and other vehicles execute the lane change to the same lane on the basis of the detection results of the peripheral information detection unit 32 and the lane change detection unit 34; and a hands-on detection unit 36 which detects hands-on of the driver. The automatic driving control unit 40 stops lane change control when hands-on of the driver to the hands-on request in the notification unit cannot be detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for controlling lane changes of a vehicle in an automated driving mode. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a lane change assistance device that acquires the direction indication state of the turn signal of the vehicle itself and the direction indication states of the turn signal of other vehicles around the vehicle, and issues a warning if it determines that changing lanes in the direction indicated by the direction indication state of the vehicle itself is unsafe by comparing it with the direction indication states of the other vehicles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-168827 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an autonomous vehicle changes lanes during autonomous driving, even if the lane it is about to change into is clear, the driver may feel uneasy depending on the lane-changing conditions of other vehicles.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology for controlling lane changes of a vehicle through automatic driving, which reduces anxiety felt by the driver when changing lanes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device capable of automatically executing lane changes of a host vehicle, comprising: an automatic driving control unit that executes automatic driving control of the host vehicle; a surrounding information detection unit that detects information about other vehicles located around the vehicle; a lane change detection unit that detects the start of lane change control of the host vehicle during automatic driving control; a notification control unit that notifies the driver of the host vehicle of a hands-on steering request when it is determined that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will execute a lane change into the same lane based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit and the lane change detection unit; and a hands-on detection unit that detects the driver's hands-on. The automatic driving control unit stops lane change control when it cannot detect the driver's hands-on in response to the hands-on request by the notification control unit.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle control device capable of automatically executing a lane change of a host vehicle, the method including the steps of: detecting information about another vehicle located around the vehicle; detecting the start of lane change control of the host vehicle during automatic driving control; notifying a driver of the host vehicle of a hands-on steering wheel request when it is determined that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will execute a lane change into the same lane based on the information about the other vehicle and the result of detecting the start of lane change control; detecting whether the driver has his / her hands on the steering wheel; and stopping the lane change control when the driver's hands are not detected in response to the hands-on request in the notifying step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, in a technology for controlling lane changes of a vehicle through automatic driving, it is possible to provide a technology for reducing anxiety felt by a driver when changing lanes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a vehicle that executes lane change control during autonomous driving. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the vehicle control system. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of lane change control under automatic driving control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a host vehicle 10 that executes lane change control in an autonomous driving mode. In Fig. 1, the host vehicle 10 and another vehicle 12 are traveling in a first lane 14. The host vehicle 10 is capable of traveling under autonomous driving control in response to instructions from the driver, and in Fig. 1, the host vehicle 10 is traveling under autonomous driving control.

[0011] The host vehicle 10 has its right turn signal 10a on, the other vehicle 12 also has its right turn signal 12a on, and the host vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 12 are planning to change lanes into the second lane 16.

[0012] The host vehicle 10 is under automatic driving control, and the driver of the host vehicle 10 has his hands off the steering wheel. At this time, if the host vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 12 simultaneously move from the first lane 14 to the second lane 16, the driver of the host vehicle 10 may feel uneasy about the host vehicle 10 changing lanes depending on the positional relationship with the other vehicle 12, even if the vehicle control device of the host vehicle 10 determines that the lane change is possible.

[0013] Therefore, the vehicle control system of the host vehicle 10 requests the driver to put their hands on the road, for example by outputting a voice message saying, "Please put your hands on the road." If the driver does not put their hands on the road in response to this request, the vehicle control system of the host vehicle 10 temporarily stops the lane change and prevents the host vehicle 10 from changing lanes at the same time as the other vehicle 12. If the driver puts their hands on the road in response to this request, the vehicle control system of the host vehicle 10 automatically executes the lane change. This ensures that the driver's attention is alerted when the host vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 12 change lanes into the same lane at the same time, and that the driver can immediately steer the vehicle.

[0014] 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle control system 1. In terms of hardware, each function of the vehicle control system 1 can be configured using circuit blocks, memory, and other LSIs, and in terms of software, it is realized by system software, application programs, etc. loaded into memory. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each function of the vehicle control system 1 can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof, and is not limited to any one of them.

[0015] The vehicle control system 1 includes a vehicle control device 20, an on-board sensor 22, a navigation device 24, a driving device 26, and a notification device 28. The vehicle control device 20 acquires information from the on-board sensor 22 and the navigation device 24, and controls the operation of the driving device 26 and the notification device 28 based on the acquired information. The vehicle control device 20 can automatically change lanes of the vehicle.

[0016] The on-board sensors 22 include a vehicle speed sensor, an exterior camera, an interior camera, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a direction indication detection sensor, a wheel touch sensor, a steering angle detection sensor, etc. The on-board sensors 22 periodically transmit their detection results to the vehicle control device 20. The detection results of the on-board sensors 22 are time-stamped, and each piece of information is associated based on the time-stamp.

[0017] The vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle, and may detect the wheel speed, for example. The exterior camera captures images of the area around the vehicle to generate an exterior image. The millimeter-wave radar and ultrasonic sensor detect the position and direction of objects (including other vehicles) located around the vehicle. The vehicle control device 20 can identify information about other vehicles located around the vehicle based on the detection results of the exterior camera, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic sensor.

[0018] The in-vehicle camera generates an in-vehicle image of the driver. The in-vehicle image is analyzed to detect the driver's line of sight. The in-vehicle image may also be used to detect whether the driver has their hands on the wheel. The turn indication detection sensor detects whether the turn indicator 10a is on or off. The wheel touch sensor detects that the driver has touched the steering wheel, i.e., that the driver has their hands on the wheel. The steering angle detection sensor detects the steering angle input to the steering wheel.

[0019] The navigation device 24 transmits vehicle position information, map information, and a target driving route to the destination to the vehicle control device 20. The vehicle position information is acquired using a global positioning satellite system and is time-stamped.

[0020] The traveling device 26 includes a drive device, a brake device, and a steering device, and drives the vehicle. The drive device is an engine and / or a motor that rotates the wheels. The brake device applies braking force to the wheels. The steering device steers the wheels.

[0021] The notification device 28 may be a speaker, a buzzer, a display, a warning light, or a combination of these. In other words, the notification device 28 is used as a human interface. The notification device 28 notifies the driver of a hands-on request by voice, a warning sound, a display, or the like.

[0022] The vehicle control device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, a surrounding information detection unit 32, a lane change detection unit 34, a hands-on detection unit 36, a determination unit 38, an autonomous driving control unit 40, and a notification control unit 42.

[0023] The acquisition unit 30 acquires information such as vehicle speed, vehicle exterior captured images, vehicle interior captured images, object position information, direction indication information, whether hands-on driving is performed, steering angle, etc. from the in-vehicle sensor 22. The acquisition unit 30 also acquires vehicle position information, a target driving route, and map information from the navigation device 24.

[0024] The surrounding information detection unit 32 detects information about objects around the vehicle, particularly information about other vehicles, based on the detection results of the external camera, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensor, etc., as well as the vehicle's speed and position information. Objects include other vehicles, traffic markers such as lane lines, and obstacles. Information about objects includes the position and direction of the objects relative to the vehicle, the relative speed between the vehicle and the objects, and the direction indicator information of the other vehicles. The surrounding information detection unit 32 tracks other vehicles included in the captured images and calculates the positional relationship between the vehicle and the other vehicles over time to calculate information about the other vehicles. The direction indicator information of the other vehicles is obtained by determining whether the turn signals of the other vehicles are on or off from the captured images containing the other vehicles. The detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32 are used by the lane change detection unit 34 and the autonomous driving control unit 40.

[0025] The automatic driving control unit 40 executes automatic driving control of the host vehicle, causing the host vehicle to travel along a target driving route acquired from the navigation device 24. The automatic driving control executes, for example, cruise control, lane keeping control, and the driver's obligation to monitor the road ahead. During automatic driving control, the driver can take their hands off the steering wheel, i.e., can perform hands-off driving. Furthermore, during automatic driving control, the driver can input small steering angles, but cannot steer the host vehicle in a large direction.

[0026] The automatic driving control unit 40 executes lane change control when the vehicle needs to enter the right lane or the left lane in order to travel along the target travel route. When the automatic driving control unit 40 starts lane change control, it turns on the lane change flag and turns on the turn signal. The lane change flag is turned off when the lane change is completed.

[0027] The autonomous driving control unit 40 does not start lane change control if it determines, based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32, that another vehicle traveling in the destination lane is located within a predetermined distance behind the host vehicle. The autonomous driving control unit 40 starts lane change control if it determines that another vehicle traveling in the destination lane is not located within a predetermined distance behind the front of the host vehicle. In other words, the condition for starting a lane change is that another vehicle traveling in the destination lane is not located within a predetermined distance behind the host vehicle.

[0028] The lane change detection unit 34 detects whether the host vehicle has changed lanes and whether other vehicles have changed lanes based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32 and the direction indication sensor. The lane change detection unit 34 sends information regarding lane changes of the host vehicle and other vehicles to the determination unit 38. The lane change detection unit 34 detects when the direction indicator of the host vehicle has started to light up, and therefore detects the start of lane change control. The lane change detection unit 34 may receive information indicating the start of lane change control from the autonomous driving control unit 40, and detect a lane change of the host vehicle.

[0029] The hands-on detection unit 36 ​​detects whether the driver has his / her hands on the steering wheel, i.e., whether the driver has his / her hands on the steering wheel, based on the detection result of the wheel touch sensor. The hands-on detection unit 36 ​​may detect whether the driver has his / her hands on the steering wheel based on an image captured inside the vehicle.

[0030] The determination unit 38 determines whether the host vehicle and another vehicle will change lanes into the same lane based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32 and the lane change detection unit 34. Based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32 and the lane change detection unit 34, the determination unit 38 calculates information about the lane change, including the lane the vehicle is traveling in, the direction of the lane change, and the detection time.

[0031] The driving lane of the host vehicle is calculated by image analysis of an externally captured image by the surrounding information detection unit 32, and the lane change direction of the host vehicle is based on the detection result of the lane change detection unit 34. The driving lane and lane change direction of the other vehicle are calculated based on information about the other vehicle detected by the surrounding information detection unit 32. In other words, the determination unit 38 determines whether the host vehicle and the other vehicle are driving in the same lane and whether the turn signal on the same side is on. In this way, the determination unit 38 determines that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will change lanes into the same lane based on the driving lanes and lane change directions of the host vehicle and the other vehicle and the detection times, and sends the determination result to the notification control unit 42.

[0032] The determination unit 38 may determine that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will change lanes into the same lane only if the distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be set according to the speed of the host vehicle. The predetermined distance may be set longer on an expressway than on an ordinary road.

[0033] When it is determined based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32 and the lane change detection unit 34 that the host vehicle and another vehicle are about to change lanes into the same lane, the notification control unit 42 executes control to notify the driver of the host vehicle 10 of a request to put their hands on the steering wheel. The notification device 28 operates in accordance with the control of the notification control unit 42, and outputs a notification to the driver requesting them to put their hands on the steering wheel under the control of the notification control unit 42. Note that if the driver's hands cannot be detected after the request notification, the notification control unit 42 may output the notification requesting them to put their hands on again.

[0034] The determination unit 38 determines whether to permit lane change control based on the detection result of the hands-on detection unit 36. When the determination unit 38 detects that the driver has put his hands on the road in response to a hands-on notification request from the notification control unit 42, it determines whether to permit lane change control and automatically complete the lane change control, or to permit lane change by steering by the driver ... I can'tIn this case, the determination unit 38 determines not to permit lane change control and to stop automatic lane change control. The determination unit 38 sends the determination result, i.e., whether or not lane change control is permitted, to the automatic driving control unit 40.

[0035] If the notification control unit 42 detects that the driver has their hands on in response to a hands-on request, the automatic driving control unit 40 continues to perform lane change control until it is complete, regardless of whether other vehicles are changing lanes. If the notification control unit 42 does not detect that the driver has their hands on in response to a hands-on request, the automatic driving control unit 40 stops lane change control. This reduces the driver's anxiety even if the vehicle automatically changes lanes to the same lane as other vehicles at the same time, because the driver has their hands on the steering wheel.

[0036] If the notification control unit 42 does not detect that the driver has their hands on the vehicle in response to a hands-on request, the automatic driving control unit 40 stops lane change control, turns off the turn indicators, and then resumes lane change control and turns the turn indicators back on when a predetermined resumption condition is met. The predetermined resumption condition may be met when the other vehicle completes a lane change, or when a predetermined time has passed since the lane change control was stopped. The predetermined resumption condition may be met when the surrounding information detection unit 32 monitors other vehicles around the vehicle and the determination unit 38 determines that the lane to which the vehicle is to be changed is clear. By turning off the turn indicators that were on, the driver of the other vehicle can change lanes with peace of mind. By resuming lane change control, the host vehicle may be able to automatically change lanes without the driver having their hands on the road.

[0037] The notification condition for issuing a hands-on request when changing lanes under autonomous driving control may include not only that the host vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 12 are changing lanes in the same direction, but also other notification conditions. For example, the notification control unit 42 may issue a hands-on request when the driver is required to monitor the road ahead during autonomous driving control and it is determined that the host vehicle and the other vehicle are changing lanes in the same direction. When the driver is required to monitor the road ahead, i.e., keep their eyes on, during autonomous driving control, the driver is more likely to feel uneasy about the autonomous driving control. Therefore, when the host vehicle and the other vehicle are changing lanes into the same lane, the driver's anxiety can be reduced by changing lanes with their hands on.

[0038] When it is determined that the vehicle and another vehicle are changing lanes into the same lane while the direction indicator of the vehicle is on, the notification control unit 42 notifies the driver of the vehicle of a request to put their hands on the steering wheel. This allows the lane change to be carried out smoothly by requesting the driver to put their hands on the steering wheel during lane change control while the direction indicator of the vehicle is on.

[0039] 3 is a flowchart of lane change control under automatic driving control. The automatic driving control unit 40 starts automatic driving control in response to an instruction from the driver (S10). This automatic driving control executes, for example, cruise control, lane keeping control, and the driver's obligation to monitor the road ahead.

[0040] The surrounding information detection unit 32 detects information about other vehicles located around the subject vehicle based on the detection results of the on-board sensor 22 (S12). The information about the other vehicles includes the positional relationship between the subject vehicle and the other vehicles, and whether or not the direction indicators of the other vehicles are on.

[0041] The autonomous driving control unit 40 determines to execute lane change control according to the target driving route, turns on the lane change flag (S14), and starts lane change control. The autonomous driving control unit 40 turns on the turn signal, and the lane change detection unit 34 detects that lane change control of the host vehicle has started (S16).

[0042] The determination unit 38 determines whether the host vehicle and the other vehicle will change lanes into the same lane based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit 32 and the lane change detection unit 34 (S18). If it is determined that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will not change lanes into the same lane (N in S18), the autonomous driving control unit 40 continues lane change control and controls the driving device 26 to cause the host vehicle to change lanes (S28). When the host vehicle has completed the lane change, the autonomous driving control unit 40 turns off the lane change flag (S30).

[0043] If it is determined that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will change lanes into the same lane (Y in S18), the notification control unit 42 notifies the driver of the host vehicle of a hands-on steering wheel request (S20). The hands-on detection unit 36 ​​detects whether the driver has their hands on the steering wheel based on the detection results of the on-board sensor 22, and the determination unit 38 determines whether the driver's hands on the steering wheel have been detected (S22). The hands-on detection unit 36 ​​detects whether the driver has their hands on the steering wheel within a predetermined time after the notification control unit 42 notifies the driver of the hands-on request, and determines that the driver's hands are not on the steering wheel if the predetermined time has passed.

[0044] If it is determined that the driver's hands are not on the vehicle (N in S22), the automatic driving control unit 40 stops the lane change control and maintains driving in the current lane (S24). When a predetermined resumption condition is met, the automatic driving control unit 40 resumes the lane change control and turns on the turn signal (S26), and returns to the processing of S16.

[0045] If it is determined that the driver's hands are on the vehicle (Y in S22), the automatic driving control unit 40 continues the lane change control and controls the driving device 26 to change lanes of the vehicle (S28). When the lane change of the vehicle is completed, the automatic driving control unit 40 turns off the lane change flag (S30). In this way, lane change control during automatic driving is executed.

[0046] The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. The present disclosure is not limited to the above examples, and various modifications such as design changes may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0047] For example, in the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the host vehicle 10 is the leading vehicle and the other vehicle 12 is the following vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the host vehicle 10 may be the following vehicle and the other vehicle 12 may be the leading vehicle. Also, Fig. 1 shows a state in which the host vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 12 are traveling in the same first lane 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the road may have three lanes, and the host vehicle 10 may be attempting to change lanes from the left lane to the center lane, and the other vehicle 12 may be attempting to change lanes from the right lane to the center lane. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Vehicle control system, 10 Host vehicle, 10a Turn indicator, 12 Other vehicle, 12a Turn indicator, 14 First lane, 16 Second lane, 20 Vehicle control device, 22 On-board sensor, 24 Navigation device, 26 Driving device, 28 Notification device, 30 Acquisition unit, 32 Surrounding information detection unit, 34 Lane change detection unit, 36 Hands-on detection unit, 38 Determination unit, 40 Autonomous driving control unit, 42 Notification control unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device capable of automatically changing lanes of a vehicle, an automatic driving control unit that executes automatic driving control of the host vehicle; a surrounding information detection unit that detects information about other vehicles located around the vehicle; a lane change detection unit that detects the start of lane change control of the host vehicle during automatic driving control; a notification control unit that notifies a driver of the host vehicle of a hands-on steering wheel request when it is determined that the host vehicle and another vehicle will change lanes into the same lane based on the detection results of the surrounding information detection unit and the lane change detection unit; a hands-on detection unit that detects whether the driver has their hands on the vehicle; the automatic driving control unit stops lane change control when it cannot detect that the driver is hands-on in response to a hands-on request from the notification control unit; A vehicle control device characterized in that, when the automatic driving control unit detects that the driver is hands-on in response to a hands-on request from the notification control unit, it completes movement to the destination lane and completes lane change control, or allows the driver to change lanes by steering.

2. The vehicle control device described in claim 1, characterized in that the notification control unit notifies the driver of the vehicle of a hands-on steering wheel request when the driver is requested to monitor the road ahead during automatic driving control and it is determined that the vehicle and another vehicle will change lanes into the same lane.

3. the notification control unit notifies the driver of the host vehicle of a hands-on steering wheel request when it is determined that the host vehicle and another vehicle will change lanes into the same lane while a turn indicator of the host vehicle is on, The vehicle control device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the automatic driving control unit cannot detect the driver's hands on in response to a hands-on request from the notification control unit, it stops lane change control, turns off the turn indicator, and then resumes lane change control.

4. A method for controlling a vehicle control device capable of automatically executing lane changes of a vehicle, comprising: detecting information about other vehicles located around the vehicle; detecting the start of lane change control of the host vehicle during automatic driving control; When it is determined that the host vehicle and the other vehicle will change lanes into the same lane based on the information about the other vehicle and the result of detecting the start of lane change control, notifying the driver of the host vehicle of a hands-on steering wheel request; detecting a driver's hands-on state; and a step of stopping lane change control when the driver's hands are not detected in response to the hands-on request in the notifying step, A vehicle control method characterized in that, when the driver's hands are detected in response to a hands-on request in the notification step, the method completes movement to the destination lane and completes lane change control, or allows the driver to change lanes by steering.

Images