Vehicle control device, control method, and program

Abstract

To effectively inform other surrounding vehicles of stop of an LCA of one's own vehicle.SOLUTION: In a vehicular control apparatus 10 for executing an LCA for automatically changing a lane of an own vehicle VH from a traveling lane L1 to an adjacent target lane L2, when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied during execution of the LCA, the LCA under execution is stopped, and stop notification for notifying other vehicles around that the LCA is stopped is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There are known vehicle control devices that perform Lane Change Assist (LCA), which automatically changes the vehicle from the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling to an adjacent target lane. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that, when a predetermined cancellation condition is met during the execution of LCA, varies the time (standby time) until the cancellation of LCA is confirmed depending on whether the lane change destination is notified to the outside of the vehicle by flashing a turn signal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-060819 Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, if the LCA cancellation condition is met while the turn signal is flashing, the LCA is put into standby mode while the turn signal continues to flash until a predetermined time has passed since the cancellation condition was met. If the cancellation condition is still met after the predetermined time has passed, the turn signal is turned off and the standby LCA is terminated without being restarted, i.e., the cancellation of the LCA is confirmed.

[0005] For this reason, for example, when there is a vehicle behind traveling in the target lane, the driver of the vehicle behind may see the host vehicle attempting to cut into the target lane with its turn signal flashing, but then abandon the lane change midway and return to the original lane. In such a case, the driver of the vehicle behind may not be able to understand the intention of the host vehicle's behavior. As a result, even if the host vehicle has already confirmed that it has discontinued LCA, the driver of the vehicle behind may be wary of the host vehicle's unpredictable behavior and may unnecessarily decelerate, thereby hindering the vehicle behind. In other words, when the host vehicle discontinues LCA, it is desirable to effectively notify surrounding vehicles of the discontinuation of the host vehicle's LCA.

[0006] The technology of the present disclosure aims to effectively notify other vehicles in the vicinity that LCA of the vehicle has been stopped.

[0007] The device of the present disclosure comprises: A vehicle control device that performs lane change assist control to automatically change a lane from a lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling to a target lane adjacent to the lane, When a predetermined cancellation condition is met during execution of the lane change assist control, the lane change assist control being executed is cancelled, and a cancellation notice is issued to notify other vehicles in the vicinity that the lane change assist control has been cancelled. It is characterized by: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of a control device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a target trajectory of an LCA. [Figure 3] 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment in which a stop notification process is performed, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example in which a stop notification process is not performed. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a routine of an LCA process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5]10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing routine of an LCA according to the first modification. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a routine of an LCA process according to Modification 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device, a control method, and a program according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Hardware configuration] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle VH to which a control device according to this embodiment is applied. Hereinafter, the vehicle VH may also be referred to as the host vehicle when it is necessary to distinguish it from other vehicles.

[0011] The vehicle VH has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The ECU 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and an interface device 14. The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory that stores data and the like required for the CPU 11 to execute the various programs. The RAM 13 is a volatile memory that provides a working area into which the various programs are expanded when the CPU 11 executes them. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with external devices.

[0012] The ECU 10 is a central device that performs driving assistance control such as LCA, adaptive cruise control (hereinafter referred to as ACC), and lane trace assist (hereinafter referred to as LTA). Driving assistance control is a concept that includes autonomous driving control. The ECU 10 is communicatively connected to a drive unit 20, a steering unit 21, a braking unit 22, an internal sensor unit 30, an external sensor unit 40, an ACC operation unit 50, an LTA activation switch 55, a turn signal switch 61, turn signals 68L and 68R, a communication unit 70, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 80, and the like.

[0013] The drive device 20 generates a drive force to be transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle VH. Examples of the drive device 20 include an electric motor and an engine. In this embodiment, the vehicle VH may be a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), an electric vehicle (BEV), or an engine vehicle. The steering device 21 applies a steering force to the wheels of the vehicle VH. The braking device 22 applies a braking force to the wheels of the vehicle VH.

[0014] The internal sensor device 30 is a group of sensors that detect the state of the vehicle VH. Specifically, the internal sensor device 30 includes a vehicle speed sensor 31, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 33, a steering angle sensor 34, a steering torque sensor 35, a yaw rate sensor 36, and the like.

[0015] The vehicle speed sensor 31 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle VH (hereinafter referred to as vehicle speed v). The accelerator sensor 32 detects the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver. The brake sensor 33 detects the amount of operation of a brake pedal (not shown) by the driver. The steering angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of a steering wheel or steering shaft (not shown) of the vehicle VH, i.e., the steering angle. The steering torque sensor 35 detects the rotation torque of the steering wheel or steering shaft, i.e., the steering torque. The yaw rate sensor 36 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle VH. The internal sensor device 30 transmits the state of the vehicle VH detected by each of the sensors 31 to 36 to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval.

[0016] The external sensor device 40 is a type of sensor that recognizes target information related to targets around the vehicle VH. Specifically, the external sensor device 40 includes a radar sensor 41, a camera sensor 42, etc. Examples of target information include nearby vehicles, pedestrians, traffic lights, white lines on the road, signs, fallen objects, etc.

[0017] The radar sensor 41 detects targets present around the vehicle VH. The radar sensor 41 includes a millimeter-wave radar and / or a lidar. The millimeter-wave radar emits millimeter-wave radio waves (millimeter waves) and receives millimeter waves (reflected waves) reflected by targets present within the emission range. The millimeter-wave radar acquires the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle VH and the target based on the phase difference between the transmitted millimeter waves and the received reflected waves, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and the time from transmitting the millimeter waves to receiving the reflected waves. The lidar sequentially scans a pulsed laser beam with a wavelength shorter than that of millimeter waves in multiple directions and receives the reflected light reflected by the target to acquire the shape of the target detected ahead of the vehicle VH, the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle VH and the target, etc.

[0018] The camera sensor 42 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle VH and processes the captured image data to acquire target information about the surroundings of the vehicle VH. The camera sensor 42 may be, for example, a digital camera having an imaging element such as a CMOS or CCD. The target information represents the type of target detected around the vehicle VH, the relative distance between the vehicle VH and the target, the relative speed between the vehicle VH and the target, etc. The type of target may be recognized, for example, by machine learning such as pattern matching.

[0019] The external sensor device 40 repeatedly transmits the acquired target information to the ECU 10 every time a predetermined time period has elapsed. The ECU 10 determines the relative relationship between the vehicle VH and the target by combining the relative relationship between the vehicle VH and the target obtained by the radar sensor 41 and the relative relationship between the vehicle VH and the target obtained by the camera sensor 42. Note that the external sensor device 40 does not necessarily have to include both the radar sensor 41 and the camera sensor 42, and may include, for example, only the radar sensor 41 or only the camera sensor 42.

[0020] The ACC operation unit 50 includes, for example, a start switch that allows the driver to select whether to start or end the ACC, a setting switch that sets the target vehicle speed and target inter-vehicle distance for the ACC, a cancel switch that temporarily cancels the ACC, a resume switch that restarts the ACC, etc. The LTA start switch 55 is an ON / OFF switch that allows the driver to select whether to start or end the LTA.

[0021] The turn signal lever 60 is an operating device that allows the driver to flash the left and right turn signal indicators 68L, 68R. The turn signal indicator switch 61 detects the direction in which the driver operates the turn signal indicator lever 60. When the driver operates the turn signal indicator lever 60 a predetermined amount (for example, deeply), the turn signal indicator switch 61 transmits a flashing instruction signal to the ECU 10 according to the operating direction. Upon receiving the flashing instruction signal, the ECU 10 causes the turn signal indicators 68L, 68R to flash according to the operating direction of the turn signal indicator lever 60.

[0022] The turn signal lever 60 also serves as an operating device for the driver to request a lane change by LCA. Specifically, when the driver operates and holds the turn signal lever 60 a predetermined amount (for example, lightly), the turn signal switch 61 transmits to the ECU 10 an LCA request signal indicating that the driver is requesting a lane change to an adjacent lane (target lane) in the direction of operation of the turn signal lever 60, together with a flashing instruction signal according to the operation direction.

[0023] The communication device 70 is, for example, a communication device that performs V2V communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) between the host vehicle VH and another vehicle. The communication device 70 can provide information about the host vehicle VH to the other vehicle through the vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In this embodiment, the information about the host vehicle VH includes, for example, a notification of LCA suspension, which will be described later.

[0024] The HMI 80 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the ECU 10 and the driver, and includes an input device and an output device. Examples of the input device include a touch panel, a switch, and a voice pickup microphone. Examples of the output device include a display device 81 and a speaker 82. The display device 81 is, for example, a center display, a multi-information display, a head-up display, a display of a navigation system, or the like, installed on an instrument panel. The speaker 82 is, for example, a speaker of an audio system or a navigation system.

[0025] [Software configuration] 2A is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the ECU 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, the ECU 10 includes, as functional elements, an ACC control unit 100, an LTA control unit 110, an LCA control unit 120, and the like. These functional elements 100 to 120 are realized by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading out a program stored in a ROM 12 into a RAM 13 and executing the program. Note that all or part of the functional elements 100 to 120 may be provided in another ECU separate from the ECU 10, or in an information processing device in a facility (such as a management center) that can communicate with the vehicle VH.

[0026] The ACC control unit 100 executes ACC based on a target vehicle speed or a target inter-vehicle distance. ACC itself is well known, so it will be briefly explained below. ACC includes two types of control: constant speed cruise control and follow-up cruise control. Constant speed cruise control is control that causes the vehicle VH to cruise at a constant speed according to a target vehicle speed without the driver needing to operate the accelerator or brake. Follow-up cruise control is control that causes the host vehicle VH to follow the preceding vehicle so that the actual inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle VH becomes the target inter-vehicle distance without the driver needing to operate the accelerator or brake. The preceding vehicle is a vehicle that is located immediately in front of the host vehicle VH and in the area ahead of the host vehicle VH.

[0027] When the activation switch of the ACC operation unit 50 is turned ON, the ACC control unit 100 detects a preceding vehicle to be followed based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. If there is no preceding vehicle, the ACC control unit 100 executes constant speed cruise control. In this case, the ACC control unit 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 20 and the brake unit 22 based on a target acceleration calculated from the deviation between the vehicle speed v and the target vehicle speed. The vehicle speed v may be obtained based on the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor 31. On the other hand, if there is a preceding vehicle, the ACC control unit 100 executes follow-up cruise control. In this case, the ACC control unit 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 20 and the brake unit 22 based on a target acceleration calculated from the deviation between the actual inter-vehicle distance and the target inter-vehicle distance. The actual inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle VH and the preceding vehicle may be obtained based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40.

[0028] The LTA control unit 110 executes LTA, which automatically changes the steering angle (the steering angle of the steered wheels) so that the lateral position of the host vehicle VH is maintained near a target driving line within the driving lane. Here, the lateral position of the host vehicle VH refers to the position of the host vehicle VH in the lane width direction relative to the road (e.g., the position of the center of gravity). Since LTA itself is well known, it will be briefly explained below. When the LTA activation switch 55 is turned on while ACC is being performed by the ACC control unit 100, the LTA control unit 110 sets a target driving line for the host vehicle VH based on either or both of a white line or the like recognized by the external sensor device 40 and the driving trajectory of a vehicle to be followed by ACC (i.e., a preceding vehicle) (hereinafter referred to as a preceding vehicle trajectory). The preceding vehicle trajectory may be acquired based on target object information transmitted from the external sensor device 40. The LTA control unit 110 changes the steering angle of the host vehicle VH by controlling the operation of the steering device 21 so that the lateral position of the host vehicle VH is maintained near the target driving line within the driving lane.

[0029] The LCA control unit 120 controls the operation of the drive unit 20, the steering unit 21, and the braking unit 22 so that the host vehicle VH moves from the lane in which it is currently traveling (hereinafter referred to as the original lane) to a lane adjacent to the original lane (hereinafter referred to as the target lane), thereby executing LCA to assist the driver's steering operation. Since LCA itself is well known, it will be briefly explained below. Like LTA, LCA controls the lateral position of the host vehicle VH relative to the lane, and is executed in place of LTA when an assistance request is received from the driver while LTA and ACC are being executed. The LCA control unit 120 executes LCA, for example, when the following execution permission conditions are met. (1) An LCA request signal is received from the turn signal switch 61. (2) The ACC start switch and LTA start switch 55 are turned ON. (3) The white line that marks the boundary between the original lane and the target lane is broken. (4) The external sensor device 40 does not detect any obstacles, such as other vehicles, in the target lane that may hinder lane changing. (5) The vehicle speed v of the host vehicle VH is within a predetermined permitted speed range. The execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are merely examples, and some of the conditions may not be included, or other conditions (for example, the type of road, such as a highway for exclusive use by motor vehicles) may be included.

[0030] When at least the execution permission condition (1) is satisfied, the LCA control unit 120 starts flashing the direction indicators 68L, 68R on the target lane side. Furthermore, when the state in which all of the execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are satisfied continues for a predetermined threshold time Tv, the LCA control unit 120 determines that the start condition for lane change (lateral movement) is satisfied. When the start condition is satisfied, the LCA control unit 120 transmits an LCA start guidance display command to the display device 81. As a result, the LCA start guidance is displayed on the display device 81.

[0031] The LCA control unit 120 calculates a target trajectory function that determines a target trajectory of the host vehicle VH. The target trajectory Tt has a shape, for example, as shown in FIG. 2B, and is a trajectory that moves the host vehicle VH from the original lane L1 to the widthwise center position CL2 of the target lane L2 (hereinafter referred to as the final target lateral position) over the target lane change time TL. Note that times t1 to t2 in FIG. 2B indicate a period during which all of the execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are satisfied. The target trajectory function is a function that calculates the target lateral position y, target lateral velocity vy, and target lateral acceleration ay of the host vehicle VH corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of the lane change (i.e., time t2, when the start condition is satisfied) using the lane center line CL1 of the original lane L1 as a reference. The target lane change time LT is set based on the target lateral distance required to move the host vehicle VH laterally from the start position of the lane change to the final target lateral position CL2.

[0032] When the threshold time Tv elapses and the lane change start condition is met at time t2, the LCA control unit 120 calculates the current target lateral position y, target lateral velocity vy, and target lateral acceleration ay based on the target trajectory function and the elapsed time. The LCA control unit 120 also calculates the current target yaw angle θy, target yaw rate γ, and target curvature Cu based on the current vehicle speed v, target lateral velocity vy, and target lateral acceleration ay, and calculates the target steering angle θ based on the target lateral position y, target yaw angle θy, target yaw rate γ, and target curvature Cu. The LCA control unit 120 then controls the operation of the drive unit 20, steering unit 21, and braking unit 22 based on the target lateral velocity vy, target lateral acceleration ay, and target steering angle θ, thereby moving the host vehicle VH laterally toward the final target lateral position CL2. 2B, when the host vehicle VH reaches the final target lateral position CL2 of the target lane L2, the LCA control unit 120 terminates the LCA and transmits an LCA termination guidance display command to the display device 81. As a result, the LCA termination guidance is displayed on the display device 81.

[0033] The LCA control unit 120 stops the LCA being executed when the following stop conditions (1) to (5) are met during the execution of the LCA. (1) A steering torque input greater than a predetermined value due to driver operation is detected. (2) The driver's braking operation was detected. (3) When the driver turns off the LCA by operating the turn signal lever 60. (4) The white line that separates the original lane from the target lane is no longer a broken line. (5) Another vehicle traveling in the target lane approaches the vehicle VS, making it impossible to maintain a safe distance between the vehicles. The LCA control unit 120 stops the running LCA when at least one of the stop conditions (1) to (5) is met. When the LCA stop condition is met, the LCA control unit 120 transmits an LCA stop notification display command to the display device 81. As a result, the LCA stop notification is displayed on the display device 81. Note that the stop conditions (1) to (5) are merely examples, and some of the conditions may not be included, or other conditions may be included.

[0034] 3B, consider a situation in which another vehicle VO traveling in the target lane L2 approaches the host vehicle VH from behind, and the host vehicle VH suspends LCA due to the establishment of suspension condition (5), for example. Hereinafter, the other vehicle VO approaching the host vehicle VH from behind in the target lane L2 will be referred to as the "rear vehicle."

[0035] As shown at time t1 in FIG. 3B , when the execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are satisfied and the LCA control unit 120 starts the LCA, it flashes the turn indicator (the left turn indicator in the illustrated example) on the target lane L2, which is the lane change destination. However, if the cancellation condition (5) is satisfied, for example, at time t2 after the start of the LCA, the LCA control unit 120 stops the ongoing LCA and turns off the flashing turn indicator. Therefore, from the driver of the following vehicle VO, the host vehicle VH, which was attempting to cut into the target lane L2 while flashing its turn indicator between times t1 and t2, appears to have given up on the lane change and returned to the original lane L1. In such a case, even though the host vehicle VH has already stopped the LCA, the driver of the following vehicle VO is unable to understand the intention behind the behavior of the host vehicle VH and may unnecessarily decelerate due to caution against the unpredictable behavior of the host vehicle VH. That is, there is a risk that the suspension of the LCA of the host vehicle VH will hinder the travel of the following vehicle VO.

[0036] Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the LCA control unit 120 detects deceleration of the rear vehicle VO when the LCA is stopped due to the establishment of the stop condition (5) in a situation where the rear vehicle VO traveling in the target lane L2 approaches the host vehicle VH during the execution of the LCA, the LCA control unit 120 performs a stop notification process to notify the driver of the rear vehicle VO that the LCA of the host vehicle VH has been stopped.

[0037] Specifically, as shown at time t1 in FIG. 3A, when the LCA control unit 120 starts the LCA due to the satisfaction of the execution permission conditions (1) to (5), it flashes the turn indicator (the left turn indicator in the illustrated example) on the target lane L2 side, which is the lane change destination. When the stop condition (5) is satisfied at time t2, the LCA control unit 120 stops the LCA being performed. At this time, if the LCA control unit 120 detects deceleration of the following vehicle VO, it executes a stop notification process for a predetermined time Td from time t2 to time t3. The deceleration of the following vehicle VO may be detected based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. The predetermined time Td may be a constant time (a fixed value) or may be a variable value according to the vehicle speed v of the host vehicle VH or the relative speed between the host vehicle VH and the following vehicle VO.

[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the LCA control unit 120 executes the stop notification process by flashing the hazard lights of the left and right turn signals 68L, 68R simultaneously. The method of the stop notification process is not particularly limited as long as it can notify the driver of the following vehicle VO that the LCA of the following vehicle VH has been stopped. For example, if the following vehicle VH has a display on the exterior of the vehicle body or on the rear window, a message indicating the stop of the LCA may be displayed on the display. Furthermore, if electronic paper whose body color can be changed is attached to the exterior of the following vehicle VH, a message indicating the stop of the LCA may be displayed on the electronic paper. Furthermore, if the following vehicle VH has an external speaker, the LCA stop notification may be made by audio from the external speaker. Furthermore, if the following vehicle VO has a communication device for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the LCA stop notification may be made via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In addition, if the turn indicators 68L, 68R of the vehicle VH are of a sequential type that can cause multiple light-emitting elements to light up in a chain reaction, the turn indicators 68L, 68R may be caused to light up in a chain reaction in the direction opposite to the lane change direction to notify the driver that LCA has been stopped.

[0039] Next, a routine for processing the LCA by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This routine is started, for example, when the ACC and LTA are activated.

[0040] In step S100, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the LCA execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are met. If the LCA execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are met (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S110. On the other hand, if the LCA execution permission conditions (1) to (5) are not met (No), the ECU 10 returns from this routine.

[0041] In step S110, the ECU 10 starts the LCA. At this time, the ECU 10 also starts flashing the direction indicators 68L, 68R on the target lane L2 side. Next, in step S120, the ECU 10 determines whether or not at least one of the LCA cancellation conditions (1) to (5) is met. If at least one of the cancellation conditions (1) to (5) is met (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S150. On the other hand, if none of the cancellation conditions (1) to (5) is met (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S130.

[0042] In step S130, the ECU 10 determines whether the host vehicle VH has reached the final target lateral position CL2. If the host vehicle VH has not reached the final target lateral position CL2 (No), the ECU 10 returns to the process of step S120 and continues the LCA. On the other hand, if the host vehicle VH has reached the final target lateral position CL2 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S140, terminates the LCA, and returns from this routine. At this time, the ECU 10 transmits an LCA termination guidance display command to the display device 81. The timing to turn off the direction indicators 68L, 68R may be the timing to terminate the LCA in step S140, or may be the timing when the entire host vehicle VH enters the target lane L2.

[0043] If the determination in step S120 is affirmative (Yes), i.e., if at least one of the cancellation conditions (1) to (5) is satisfied, the ECU 10 proceeds to processing in step S150, where it determines whether the reason for the LCA cancellation is due to the satisfaction of the cancellation condition (5), i.e., whether it is due to the approach of a rear vehicle VO. If the reason for the LCA cancellation is not due to the approach of a rear vehicle VO (No), i.e., if the reason for the LCA cancellation is due to the satisfaction of at least one of the cancellation conditions (1) to (4), the ECU 10 proceeds to processing in step S180, where it cancels the currently executing LCA, and returns from this routine. At this time, the ECU 10 turns off the blinking turn indicator and transmits an LCA cancellation guidance display command to the display device 81. On the other hand, if the reason for the LCA cancellation is due to the approach of a rear vehicle VO (Yes), i.e., if the reason for the LCA cancellation is due to the satisfaction of the cancellation condition (5), the ECU 10 proceeds to processing in step S160.

[0044] In step S160, the ECU 10 determines whether the following vehicle VO has decelerated based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. If the following vehicle VO has not decelerated (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S180 and stops the LCA. On the other hand, if the following vehicle VO has decelerated (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S170.

[0045] In step S170, the ECU 10 executes a stop notification process to notify the following vehicle VO that the host vehicle VH has stopped ACC, and also stops LCA. At this time, the ECU 10 transmits an LCA stop notification display command to the display device 81. The ECU 10 may display a message on the display device 81 together with the stop notification, indicating that the stop notification is being sent to other surrounding vehicles.

[0046] Next, in step S174, the ECU 10 determines whether or not a predetermined time Td has elapsed. If the predetermined time Td has not elapsed (No), the ECU 10 returns to the process of step S170. That is, the ECU 10 continues the stop notification process. On the other hand, if the predetermined time Td has elapsed (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S178, ends the stop notification process, and returns from this routine.

[0047] According to the present embodiment described above in detail, when canceling the ongoing LCA, if a following vehicle VO is present, the ECU 10 executes a cancel notification process to notify the driver of the following vehicle VO that the LCA of the host vehicle VH has been canceled. That is, the driver of the following vehicle VO can appropriately recognize that the LCA of the host vehicle VH has been canceled. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the cancellation of the LCA of the host vehicle VH from affecting the driving of the following vehicle VO. Furthermore, by executing the cancel notification process only when a following vehicle VO that should be notified of the cancellation of the LCA is present, it is also possible to effectively prevent unnecessary cancellation notifications from being issued.

[0048] The above describes the vehicle control device, control method, and program according to this embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not deviate from the purpose of the present disclosure.

[0049] [Variation 1] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing routine of the LCA of the first modified example. In the first modified example, the processing of step S160 shown in FIG. 4 is omitted from the above embodiment. That is, in the first modified example shown in FIG. 5, when the LCA is stopped because the stop condition (5) is satisfied, the stop notification processing is executed regardless of whether the following vehicle VO has decelerated. In this case, too, the driver of the following vehicle VO can be effectively notified that the LCA of the host vehicle VH has been stopped, and the same operational effects as those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0050] [Variation 2] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the LCA processing routine of Modification 2. Modification 2 omits the processing of steps S150 and S160 shown in FIG. 4 from the above embodiment. That is, in Modification 2 shown in FIG. 6, when LCA is stopped because at least one of the stop conditions (1) to (5) is satisfied, a stop notification process is executed regardless of whether a following vehicle VO is present. In this case, the stop of LCA of the host vehicle VH can be effectively notified not only to the driver of the following vehicle VO but also to the driver of a following vehicle traveling immediately behind the host vehicle VH. As a result, for example, when a following vehicle attempts to overtake the host vehicle VH, the driver of the following vehicle can quickly recognize that LCA of the host vehicle VH has been stopped, and the following vehicle can smoothly overtake the host vehicle VH.

[0051] [others] The technology of the present disclosure can also be applied to autonomous vehicles in which some or all of the driving operations are performed automatically.

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle control device that performs lane change assist control to automatically change a lane from a lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling to a target lane adjacent to the lane, When a predetermined cancellation condition is met during execution of the lane change assist control, the lane change assist control being executed is cancelled, and a cancellation notice is issued to notify other vehicles in the vicinity that the lane change assist control has been cancelled. the cancellation condition includes a specific cancellation condition that is established when a rear vehicle traveling in the target lane behind the host vehicle approaches the host vehicle, When the specific cancellation condition is met, the cancellation notice is made; When the specific stop condition is met and deceleration of the rear vehicle is detected, the stop notification is made. Vehicle control device.

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