Vehicle control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of making a vehicle appropriately travel in an intersection with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: The control device 30 includes the recognition unit 31 that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1, the trajectory generation unit 32 that generates the travel trajectory from the entry position to the exit position of the vehicle 1 at the intersection, and the travel control unit 33 that causes the vehicle 1 to travel based on the travel trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit 32. When the intersection is an intersection to which five or more roads are connected, and an intersection angle at the intersection between a first road including the entry location and a second road including the exit location is within a predetermined first angle range including 180 degrees, the route generation section 32 identifies a first reference point that is an end point on one side in a width direction of the first road at a boundary between the first road and the intersection, and a second reference point that is an end point on one side in a width direction of the second road at a boundary between the second road and the intersection; The travel trajectory is generated based on a first reference line that is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a control method, and a control program for controlling a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account vulnerable road users. As part of this effort, research and development have been conducted on driving support technologies and autonomous driving technologies in vehicles such as automobiles to further improve traffic safety and convenience.

[0003] As an example of a driving support technology, Patent Document 1 below discloses acquiring intersection information, which is information about an intersection that the host vehicle is about to enter, acquiring data indicating the position and direction of each of a plurality of arrow markings in front of the intersection based on the intersection information, calculating the distance in the lane width direction from the travel trajectory of the vehicle traveling through the intersection to each of the plurality of road surface arrow markings, determining the destination of the travel trajectory of the host vehicle based on the direction of a reference road surface arrow marking, which is a road surface arrow marking having a distance less than a first threshold value, and generating data indicating a replicated travel trajectory obtained by parallel-moving and replicating the travel trajectory to a position of a road surface arrow marking different from the reference road surface arrow marking and indicating the same direction as the destination of the travel trajectory, and estimating the shape of the roadway within the intersection based on the data indicating the replicated travel trajectory.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the conventional technology described above, it is necessary to prepare information about the intersection in advance, making it difficult to properly drive a vehicle within an intersection with a simple configuration that does not require such information.

[0006] This invention provides a vehicle control device, control method, and control program that enable vehicles to be driven appropriately within intersections with a simple configuration. Ultimately, this contributes to improving traffic safety and the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is, A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, When the recognition unit recognizes an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle, the trajectory generation unit generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from the entry position to the exit position at the intersection, A driving control unit that drives the vehicle based on the driving track generated by the aforementioned track generation unit, Equipped with, The orbital generation unit is The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the intersection of the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position 0 degrees to 180 degrees The intersection angle is The lower limit was set to a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees, and the upper limit was set to 180 degrees. First angular range range inside the law of nature, A vehicle traveling in one lane in the width direction of the first road travels from the first road, including the entry position, to the second road, including the exit position. In that case, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived. Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated. It is a vehicle control device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is, The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the intersection of the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position 0 degrees to 180 degrees The intersection angle is The lower limit was set to a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees, and the upper limit was set to 180 degrees. First angular range range inside the law of nature, A vehicle traveling in one lane in the width direction of the first road travels from the first road, including the entry position, to the second road, including the exit position. In that case, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, A second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified based on the results of the recognition of the surrounding conditions. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived. Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated. This is a control method.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is, The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Cause the process to be executed, In the process of generating the driving trajectory, When the intersection is a multi-junction where five or more roads are connected, and at the intersection of the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position, 0 degrees to 180 degrees The intersection angle is The lower limit was set to a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees, and the upper limit was set to 180 degrees. Within the first angle range range is, the law of nature, A vehicle traveling in one lane in the width direction of the first road travels from the first road, including the entry position, to the second road, including the exit position. then, A first reference point, which is one end point on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, and A second reference point, which is one end point on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, are specified based on the recognition result of the surrounding situation, Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived, Based on the first reference line, the driving trajectory is generated. This is a control program.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device, a control method, and a control program that enable a vehicle to appropriately travel within an intersection with a simple configuration.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, comprising A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, When an intersection existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle is recognized by the recognition unit, a trajectory generation unit that generates a traveling trajectory from the entry position to the exit position of the vehicle at the intersection, A traveling control unit that causes the vehicle to travel based on the traveling trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit, and The trajectory generation unit The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle enters the intersection from the first road including the entry position to the second road including the exit position. Driving In that case, An entrance direction line is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, an exit direction line, which is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned exit position and extends along the second road, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. It is a vehicle control device.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is, The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle enters the intersection from the first road including the entry position to the second road including the exit position. Driving In that case, An entrance direction line is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition results of the surrounding conditions, an exit direction line, which is a line segment passing through the aforementioned exit position and extending along the second road, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. This is a control method.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is, The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle enters the intersection from the first road including the entry position to the second road including the exit position. Driving In that case, An entrance direction line is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition results of the surrounding conditions, an exit direction line, which is a line segment passing through the aforementioned exit position and extending along the second road, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. This is a control program. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30, which is one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a situation assumed in this embodiment. [Figure 3]Figure 3 shows an example of a travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd3 at intersection CP. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd2 at intersection CP. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd4 at intersection CP. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd5 at intersection CP. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart (part 1) to (part 3) (part 1) showing an example of the processing procedure by the control device 30. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows flowcharts (part 1) to (part 3) (part 2) illustrating an example of the processing procedure by the control device 30. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart (part 1) to (part 3) showing an example of the processing procedure by the control device 30. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a modified example (part 1) of the travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a modified example (part 2) of the travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows a modified example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 makes a right turn at intersection CP. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows a modified example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 turns left at intersection CP. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows another variation of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing procedure for the straight-line processing in step Sp3 by the control device 30. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the vehicle control device, control method, and control program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference numerals. Note that the following embodiment is not limiting to the present invention, and not all of the elements described in the following embodiment are essential to the present invention. Furthermore, two or more elements described in the following embodiment may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Hereafter, the same or similar elements will be denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to simplify and clarify the explanations in this specification, the front and rear (including front and back), left and right, and up and down directions will be described according to the direction as seen from the perspective of the driver, who is an occupant of the vehicle (Vehicle 1, described later). In the drawings, the front of the vehicle will be indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, and the right as R.

[0017] Furthermore, the following embodiments describe examples assuming left-hand traffic regions such as Japan, but are not limited to this. For example, when applying the present invention to right-hand traffic regions such as the United States or the People's Republic of China, Figures 2 to 6 and 10 to 13 may be viewed with their left and right reversed, and "right turn" in the following description may be read as "left turn" and "left turn" as "right turn".

[0018] [1. Vehicles] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30, which is one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention. The vehicle 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 is an automobile equipped with a drive source (not shown) and wheels (not shown) including drive wheels and steerable wheels that are driven by the power of the drive source. As an example, the vehicle 1 can be a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and a pair of rear wheels.

[0019] The power source for vehicle 1 may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the power source for vehicle 1 may drive a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels, or all four wheels (a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels). Either one of the front or rear wheels of vehicle 1 may be a steerable wheel, or both may be steerable wheels.

[0020] Vehicle 1 is comprised of a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30 which is an example of a vehicle control device of the present invention, an electric power steering (EPS) system 40, a drive force control system 50, a braking force control system 60, a communication unit 70, an operation input unit 80, and a warning device 90.

[0021] The sensor group 10 consists of an external sensor 11 that acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "surrounding information") and a vehicle sensor 12 that acquires information about the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle information"). The information acquired by each sensor included in the sensor group 10 (in other words, detected values) is output to the control device 30 and used for the control of the vehicle 1 by the control device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle control").

[0022] The external sensor 11 is composed of, for example, a camera 111, a sonar 112, and a radar 113. The camera 111 is an imaging device that captures images of the area around the vehicle 1, including the area in front of the vehicle 1, and outputs the image data of the obtained surrounding images to the control device 30. As the camera 111, for example, a digital camera using an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used.

[0023] The sonar 112 emits sound waves around the vehicle 1 (for example, in front of, behind, and to the sides of the vehicle 1) and detects the distance and direction to objects by receiving reflected sound from objects present around the vehicle 1. The radar 113 emits radio waves around the vehicle 1, including in front of the vehicle 1, and detects the distance and direction to objects by receiving reflected waves from objects present around the vehicle 1. For example, a millimeter-wave radar can be used as the radar 113.

[0024] Furthermore, the external sensor 11 may include LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) in place of or in addition to sonar 112 and radar 113. In this case, the LiDAR emits laser light around the vehicle 1, including the area in front of the vehicle 1, and detects the distance and direction to objects present around the vehicle 1 by receiving reflected light from those objects.

[0025] The vehicle sensor 12 includes, for example, a wheel sensor 121, a vehicle speed sensor 122, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 123, an occupant camera 124, an operation detection unit 125, and a steering touch sensor 126.

[0026] The wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of one or more of the wheels of the vehicle 1. For example, the wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angles of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel. The wheel sensor 121 can be, for example, an angle sensor or a displacement sensor.

[0027] The vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed VP, which is the travel speed of the vehicle 1 (in other words, the speed at which the vehicle body moves). For example, the vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed VP based on the rotational speed of a countershaft (not shown) provided by the vehicle 1.

[0028] The inertial measurement device 123 detects the angular velocities in the pitch, roll, and yaw directions of the vehicle 1, as well as the accelerations in the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions of the vehicle 1. The vehicle sensor 12 may also include, instead of the inertial measurement device 123, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1, or a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1.

[0029] The occupant camera 124 is a digital camera that captures images of the interior of vehicle 1 and outputs the image data of the interior images obtained to the control device 30. For example, the occupant camera 124 can be a so-called "driver monitor camera" that is positioned to capture images of the head of an occupant (hereinafter also referred to as "driver") seated in the driver's seat of vehicle 1 from the front (in other words, to capture images of the face). Similar to camera 111, the occupant camera 124 can be a digital camera that uses an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS.

[0030] The operation detection unit 125 detects operations performed using the operation input unit 80, which is provided to be operable by the driver. In this embodiment, the operation input unit 80 may include, for example, an operation button that accepts an operation to switch a predetermined driving assistance control, such as steering control by the driving control unit 33 (described later), on (in other words, activated) and off (in other words, deactivated). In this case, the operation detection unit 125 can detect an operation to turn a predetermined driving assistance control on or off.

[0031] The steering touch sensor 126 detects whether the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1 is being properly gripped. For example, the steering touch sensor 126 can be implemented using a capacitive sensor. In this case, the capacitive sensor is installed in the part that the driver touches when the steering wheel 46 is being properly gripped.

[0032] The navigation device 20 is comprised of, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 21, a touch panel 22, and a speaker 23. The navigation device 20 also has a storage unit (not shown) made of flash memory or the like. The storage unit of the navigation device 20 stores a map information database (DB) 24 as an example of map information.

[0033] The map information database 24 is composed of road network information. Road network information is information that represents each road by a combination of nodes and links (also called "paths") that connect the nodes. Each node in the road network information represents a characteristic point on the road, such as an intersection, a bend, or a dead end. In the road network information, each node is set with information such as the location corresponding to that node (for example, coordinates that can identify a specific point on the map, such as latitude and longitude). In addition, in the road network information, each link is set with information such as the nodes at both ends of the link, the road corresponding to the link, the link length, the number of lanes, the direction of travel, and the road type.

[0034] The GNSS receiver 21 determines the current position of the vehicle 1 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the location where the vehicle 1 is located) based on signals received from GNSS satellites. Alternatively, the navigation device 20 may acquire detection results from vehicle sensors 12 (for example, wheel sensors 121 or vehicle speed sensors 122) via the control device 30, and determine or supplement the current position of the vehicle 1 using an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the detection values ​​of the vehicle sensors 12.

[0035] The touch panel 22 is configured by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) with a pointing device (such as a touchpad). The speaker 23 is configured to output sound to the occupants of the vehicle 1 (such as the driver).

[0036] For example, the navigation device 20 searches for a route from the current location of vehicle 1 to a destination set by the driver using the touch panel 22, by referring to the map information database 24. Then, based on the searched route, the navigation device 20 provides route guidance using the touch panel 22 and speaker 23. The navigation device 20 may also display predetermined information on the touch panel 22 according to instructions from the control device 30. Furthermore, the navigation device 20 may output to the control device 30 information such as the current location of the identified vehicle 1 and predetermined information (for example, information indicating the operation received via the touch panel 22).

[0037] In this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to access the map information database 24 (i.e., map information) of the navigation device 20. However, it is not limited to this configuration, and map information including road network information similar to that in the map information database 24 may be stored separately in the control device 30 or the like, and the control device 30 may be configured to access this map information.

[0038] The control device 30 is a computer that comprehensively controls the entire vehicle 1, and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transient storage medium (e.g., flash memory) for storing various information, and an input / output unit that controls the input and output of data between the inside and outside of the control device 30 (none of which are shown). For example, the control device 30 can be realized by one ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or by multiple ECUs working together. A specific example of control by the control device 30 will be described later, so it will not be explained here.

[0039] The EPS system 40 is comprised of, for example, a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPS ECU 45.

[0040] The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of the steering 46 and outputs information indicating the detected steering angle θst to the EPS ECU 45. The torque sensor 42 detects the steering torque TQ, which is the torque applied to the steering 46 of the vehicle 1, and outputs information indicating the detected steering torque TQ to the EPS ECU 45.

[0041] The EPS motor 43 assists the driver's operation of the steering wheel 46 by applying a driving force or reaction force to the steering column 47, which is connected to the steering wheel 46, according to instructions from the EPS ECU 45. The resolver 44 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43 and outputs information indicating the detected rotation angle θm to the EPS ECU 45.

[0042] The EPS ECU 45 is a computer that controls the EPS system 40 (e.g., EPS motor 43), and is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, it includes a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transient storage medium for storing various information, and an input / output unit that controls the input and output of data between the inside and outside of the EPS ECU 45 (none of which are shown in the figure). For example, the EPS ECU 45 controls the EPS system 40 (e.g., EPS motor 43) based on the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, and the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44. The EPS ECU 45 can also control the EPS system 40 according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0043] Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (e.g., EPS ECU 45) may output to the control device 30 information indicating the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, and the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44. In addition, the EPS system 40 (e.g., EPS ECU 45) may output to the control device 30 information indicating the steering speed ω of the steering 46. In this case, the steering speed ω can be obtained, for example, by differentiating the steering angle θst with respect to time.

[0044] The drive force control system 50 includes a drive ECU 51 and is configured to control the drive force of the vehicle 1. The drive ECU 51 is a computer that controls the drive force control system 50 and is implemented by one or more ECUs, and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transient storage medium for storing various information, and an input / output unit that controls the input and output of data between the inside and outside of the drive ECU 51 (none of which are shown). For example, the drive ECU 51 controls the power output from the drive source of the vehicle 1 based on the operation of the accelerator pedal 52 provided on the vehicle 1. The drive ECU 51 can also control the drive force control system 50 (for example, the drive source) according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0045] The braking force control system 60 includes a braking ECU 61 and is configured to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 61 is a computer that controls the braking force control system 60 and is implemented by one or more ECUs, and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transient storage medium for storing various information, and an input / output unit that controls the input and output of data between the inside and outside of the braking ECU 61 (none of which are shown). For example, the braking ECU 61 controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling the brake device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1 based on the operation of a brake pedal 62 provided in the vehicle 1. Here, the brake device includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The braking ECU 61 controls the electric motor of the brake device so that a braking force is generated in accordance with the operation of the brake pedal 62. The braking ECU 61 can also control the braking force control system 60 (e.g., the brake device) according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0046] The communication unit 70 is a communication interface that communicates with the external device 2 according to the control of the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 70. Examples of the external device 2 include the driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) and a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. For communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2, for example, a mobile communication network such as a cellular line, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0047] The alarm device 90 is a device that provides an alarm to the driver in accordance with the control of the control device 30. The alarm device 90 is composed of, for example, a MID (Multi-Information Display) 91 and a buzzer 92.

[0048] The MID91 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED, and is installed in a position visible to the driver (for example, within the instrument panel of vehicle 1). For example, the MID91 displays a predetermined warning image according to instructions from the control device 30. The MID91 may be shared with the aforementioned touch panel 22. That is, "MID91" in the following description may be read as "touch panel 22".

[0049] The buzzer 92 is configured to output a predetermined alarm sound. For example, the buzzer 92 outputs a predetermined alarm sound according to instructions from the control device 30. The buzzer 92 may be shared with the speaker 23 mentioned above. That is, "buzzer 92" in the following description may be read as "speaker 23".

[0050] [2. Control device] Next, the control device 30 will be explained in more detail. First, in order to make the following explanation simple and clear, the terms that may be used in the following explanation will be explained.

[0051] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation assumed in this embodiment. In this embodiment, for example, we assume a situation in which vehicle 1 is traveling through an intersection CP of a five-way intersection (i.e., a multi-way intersection) where roads Rd1, Rd2, Rd3, Rd4, and Rd5 intersect, as shown in Figure 2.

[0052] (Intersection CP) In Figure 2, intersection CP is a five-way intersection where roads Rd1, Rd2, Rd3, Rd4, and Rd5 are connected. Such intersections CP may have a right / left turn indication road marking Rm at their actual center. Here, the right / left turn indication road marking Rm is a road marking that designates the part that a vehicle traveling through intersection CP, such as vehicle 1, should pass through when turning right or left at intersection CP.

[0053] (Road Rd1) Road Rd1 is the road on which vehicle 1 is currently traveling, and is a two-lane road having lane Ln11 and lane Ln12. The road boundary Ln11b is the road boundary between lane Ln11 and lane Ln12, and is, for example, the center line of road Rd1.

[0054] Lane Ln11 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is from bottom to top, and can also be called the "own lane" in which vehicle 1 is currently traveling. The road boundary Ln11a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln11 from the outside of road Rd1, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln11 and the outside on the left side of road Rd1.

[0055] Lane Ln12 is a lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is from top to bottom, and can be described as an "opposing lane" with a direction of travel opposite to that of the own lane. The road boundary Ln12a is a road boundary that separates lane Ln12 from the outside of road Rd1, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln12 and the outside to the right of road Rd1.

[0056] Boundary Rd1a is the boundary between road Rd1 and intersection CP. Contact point P1 is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of road Rd1a at boundary Rd1a, and more specifically, the endpoint on the lane Ln11 side of road Rd1a at boundary Rd1a. Contact point P1 can also be said to be the contact point between road Rd1 and road Rd5 at intersection CP, and more specifically, the contact point between road boundary Ln11a and road boundary Ln51a, which will be described later.

[0057] Contact point P2 is the other end point in the width direction of road Rd1 on boundary Rd1a, and more specifically, it is the end point of road Rd1 on lane Ln12 side of boundary Rd1a. Contact point P2 can also be described as the point of contact between road Rd1 and road Rd2 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be described as the point of contact between road boundary Ln12a and road boundary Ln22a, which will be described later.

[0058] (Road Rd2) Road Rd2 is a road located to the right of vehicle 1 (i.e., the other side in the vehicle width direction), and is a two-lane road with lane Ln21 and lane Ln22. The road boundary Ln21b is the road boundary between lane Ln21 and lane Ln22, and is, for example, the center line of road Rd2.

[0059] Lane Ln21 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is towards the lower right from intersection CP. The road boundary Ln21a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln21 from the outside of road Rd2, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln21 and the outside of road Rd2 on the far side.

[0060] Lane Ln22 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is from the lower right towards intersection CP. The road boundary Ln22a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln22 from the outside of road Rd2, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln22 and the outside of road Rd2 on the near side.

[0061] Boundary Rd2a is the boundary between road Rd2 and intersection CP. The aforementioned junction P2 is also the endpoint on one side in the width direction of road Rd2 at boundary Rd2a, and more specifically, it is the endpoint on the lane Ln22 side of road Rd2 at boundary Rd2a. Furthermore, junction P2 can also be said to be the junction between road Rd2 and road Rd1 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be said to be the junction between road boundary Ln22a and road boundary Ln12a.

[0062] Contact point P3 is the other end point in the width direction of road Rd2 on boundary Rd2a, and more specifically, it is the end point of road Rd2 on lane Ln21 side of boundary Rd2a. Contact point P3 can also be described as the point of contact between road Rd2 and road Rd3 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be described as the point of contact between road boundary Ln21a and road boundary Ln32a, which will be described later.

[0063] (Road Rd3) Road Rd3 is a two-lane road with lanes Ln31 and Ln32. The road boundary Ln31b is the road boundary between lanes Ln31 and Ln32, and is, for example, the center line of road Rd3.

[0064] Lane Ln31 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is towards the upper right from intersection CP. The road boundary Ln31a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln31 from the outside of road Rd3, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln31 and the outside on the far left side of road Rd3.

[0065] Lane Ln32 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is from the upper right towards intersection CP. The road boundary Ln32a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln32 from the outside of road Rd3, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln32 and the outside of road Rd3 on the right front side.

[0066] Boundary Rd3a is the boundary between road Rd3 and intersection CP. The aforementioned junction P3 is also the endpoint on one side in the width direction of road Rd3 at boundary Rd3a, and more specifically, it is the endpoint on the lane Ln32 side of road Rd3 at boundary Rd3a. Furthermore, junction P3 can also be said to be the junction between road Rd3 and road Rd2 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be said to be the junction between road boundary Ln32a and road boundary Ln21a.

[0067] Contact point P4 is the other end point in the width direction of road Rd3 on boundary Rd3a, and more specifically, it is the end point of road Rd3 on lane Ln31 side of boundary Rd3a. Contact point P4 can also be described as the point of contact between road Rd3 and road Rd4 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be described as the point of contact between road boundary Ln31a and road boundary Ln42a, which will be described later.

[0068] (Road Rd4) Road Rd4 is a two-lane road with lanes Ln41 and Ln42. The road boundary Ln41b is the road boundary between lanes Ln41 and Ln42, and is, for example, the center line of road Rd4.

[0069] Lane Ln41 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is towards the upper left from intersection CP. The road boundary Ln41a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln41 from the outside of road Rd4, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln41 and the outside of road Rd4 on the left front side.

[0070] Lane Ln42 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is from the upper left towards intersection CP. The road boundary Ln42a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln42 from the outside of road Rd4, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln42 and the outside on the far right side of road Rd4.

[0071] Boundary Rd4a is the boundary between road Rd4 and intersection CP. The aforementioned junction P4 is also the endpoint on one side in the width direction of road Rd4 at boundary Rd4a, and more specifically, it is the endpoint on the lane Ln42 side of road Rd4 at boundary Rd4a. Furthermore, junction P4 can also be said to be the junction between road Rd4 and road Rd3 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be said to be the junction between road boundary Ln42a and road boundary Ln31a.

[0072] Contact point P5 is the other end point in the width direction of road Rd4 on boundary Rd4a, and more specifically, it is the end point of road Rd4 on lane Ln41 side of boundary Rd4a. Contact point P5 can also be described as the point of contact between road Rd4 and road Rd5 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be described as the point of contact between road boundary Ln41a and road boundary Ln52a, which will be described later.

[0073] (Road Rd5) Road Rd5 is a two-lane road with lanes Ln51 and Ln52. The road boundary Ln51b is the road boundary between lanes Ln51 and Ln52, and is, for example, the center line of road Rd5.

[0074] Lane Ln51 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is to the left and up and down from intersection CP. The road boundary Ln51a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln51 from the outside of road Rd5, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln51 and the outside of road Rd5 on the near side.

[0075] Lane Ln52 is the lane in Figure 2 where the direction of travel is from the lower left towards intersection CP. The road boundary Ln52a is the road boundary that separates lane Ln52 from the outside of road Rd5, and is, for example, a lane marking or curb provided between lane Ln52 and the outside of road Rd5 on the far side.

[0076] Boundary Rd5a is the boundary between road Rd5 and intersection CP. The aforementioned junction P5 is also the endpoint on one side in the width direction of road Rd5 at boundary Rd5a, and more specifically, it is the endpoint on the lane Ln52 side of road Rd5 at boundary Rd5a. Furthermore, junction P5 can also be said to be the junction between road Rd5 and road Rd4 at intersection CP, and more specifically, it can be said to be the junction between road boundary Ln52a and road boundary Ln41a.

[0077] The aforementioned contact point P1 is also the other end point in the width direction of road Rd5 on boundary Rd5a, and more specifically, it is the end point on lane Ln51 side of road Rd5 on boundary Rd5a.

[0078] (An example of processing implemented by the functional unit of the control device) The control device 30 includes, for example, a recognition unit 31, a trajectory generation unit 32, and a driving control unit 33, which are functional units realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory unit of the control device 30.

[0079] The recognition unit 31 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1. For example, the recognition unit 31 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the cameras 111, sonar 112, and radar 113 included in the external sensor 11, and recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 based on the processing results.

[0080] The recognition unit 31 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, including the position, type, speed, and acceleration of objects present around the vehicle 1. At this time, the recognition unit 31 recognizes the position of an object as a position on an absolute coordinate system with the origin being, for example, a representative point of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the center of gravity or the center of the drive axis). This allows the recognition of the relative position between the vehicle 1 and the objects present around it. Furthermore, on the above absolute coordinate system, the position of an object may be represented using a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or it may be represented as a region.

[0081] Objects that can be recognized by the recognition unit 31 include, for example, traffic participants such as other vehicles and pedestrians, road boundaries such as lane markings, curbs and median strips, road structures such as guardrails and shoulders, road markings (e.g., right / left turn direction markings Rm) and road signs. The recognition unit 31 can also recognize other road phenomena such as traffic lights, stop lines, pedestrian crossings, junctions, merges, interchanges and toll booths on toll roads.

[0082] With such a recognition unit 31, for example, it can recognize the road boundaries of roads Rd1 to Rd5 shown in Figure 2, as well as road markings such as right / left turn direction markings Rm. Based on the road boundary recognition results, the recognition unit 31 can recognize the shape of the vehicle's own lane, which is the lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, and intersections CP located in the direction of the vehicle 1's travel. In addition, the recognition unit 31 may recognize intersections CP located in the direction of the vehicle 1's travel based on the current position of the vehicle 1 identified by the navigation device 20 (e.g., GNSS receiver 21) and map information such as a map information database 24.

[0083] When the recognition unit 31 recognizes an intersection CP located in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1, the track generation unit 32 generates a travel track from the vehicle 1's entry position PA at the intersection CP to its exit position PE at the intersection CP. Here, the travel track is the path that the vehicle 1 should follow when passing through the intersection CP, and can also be called the target travel line.

[0084] In the following description, when vehicle 1 passes through intersection CP, the road including the entry point PA to intersection CP is also referred to as "entry road RdA," and the road including the exit point PE from intersection CP is also referred to as "exit road RdE." Note that entry road RdA is an example of a first road in this invention, and exit road RdE is an example of a second road in this invention.

[0085] When generating a driving trajectory, the trajectory generation unit 32 first identifies the intersection angle θx (hereinafter, 0 degrees ≤ intersection angle θx ≤ 180 degrees) at the intersection CP between the entry road RdA and the exit road RdE. As an example, the trajectory generation unit 32 identifies the intersection angle θx based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. In this case, the trajectory generation unit 32 can, for example, geometrically determine the angle between a virtual line extending the center line (or road boundary) of the entry road RdA toward the intersection CP and a virtual line extending the center line (or road boundary) of the exit road RdE toward the intersection CP, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31 regarding the entry road RdA and the exit road RdE, and identify the angle between these two lines as the intersection angle θx. In this way, it is possible to identify the intersection angle θx based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31 without having to prepare information about the intersection CP in advance.

[0086] As another example, the track generation unit 32 may determine the intersection angle θx based on map information such as the map information database 24. In this case, the track generation unit 32 can, for example, refer to map information such as the map information database 24 to geometrically determine the angle between the link of the approach road RdA and the link of the exit road RdE connected to the node of the intersection CP, and determine the angle between these as the intersection angle θx. In this way, it becomes possible to determine the intersection angle θx based on map information that has general road network information.

[0087] The trajectory generation unit 32 then generates a travel trajectory corresponding to the intersection angle θx. For example, suppose the intersection angle θx is within a predetermined first angular range. Here, the first angular range is an angular range that includes 180 degrees, and can be an angular range with a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees (for example, 91 degrees) as the lower limit and 180 degrees as the upper limit. As an example, in this embodiment, the first angular range is defined as the angular range from 121 degrees to 180 degrees.

[0088] If the intersection angle θx is within this first angular range, the track generation unit 32 first identifies a first reference point Rp1, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the entry road RdA at the boundary between the entry road RdA and the intersection CP, and a second reference point Rp2, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the exit road RdE at the boundary between the exit road RdE and the intersection CP, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. At this time, the track generation unit 32 identifies, for example, the endpoint closer to the entry position PA (in other words, the side of the current lane) among the two endpoints in the width direction of the entry road RdA at the boundary between the entry road RdA and the intersection CP as the first reference point Rp1, and identifies the endpoint closer to the exit position PE (in other words, the side of the lane ahead) among the two endpoints in the width direction of the exit road RdE at the boundary between the exit road RdE and the intersection CP as the second reference point Rp2.

[0089] Next, the orbit generation unit 32 derives a first reference line RL1, which is a virtual line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 and the second reference point Rp2, based on the identified first reference point Rp1 and second reference point Rp2. The first reference line RL1 can be determined geometrically, for example, from the position (in other words, coordinates) of the first reference point Rp1 and the position of the second reference point Rp2.

[0090] The track generation unit 32 then generates a travel track based on the derived first reference line RL1. At this time, the track generation unit 32 generates a travel track that passes between the first reference line RL1 and a predetermined straight-ahead reference point Px at the intersection CP.

[0091] The straight-ahead reference point Px can be, for example, a point indicated by a node corresponding to an intersection CP in map information such as the map information database 24. This allows the track generation unit 32 to set an appropriate straight-ahead reference point Px based on map information that has general road network information, such as the map information database 24.

[0092] Furthermore, the trajectory generation unit 32 may set a straight-line reference point Px based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. In this case, the trajectory generation unit 32 first identifies, for example, a third reference point Rp3, which is the other end point in the width direction of the approach road RdA at the boundary between the approach road RdA and the intersection CP, and a fourth reference point Rp4, which is the other end point in the width direction of the exit road RdE at the boundary between the exit road RdE and the intersection CP, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. At this time, the track generation unit 32 identifies, for example, the endpoint of the approach road RdA at the boundary between the approach road RdA and the intersection CP that is not the first reference point Rp1 (for example, the endpoint furthest from the approach position PA) as the third reference point Rp3, and identifies the endpoint of the exit road RdE at the boundary between the exit road RdE and the intersection CP that is not the second reference point Rp2 (for example, the endpoint furthest from the exit position PE) as the fourth reference point Rp4.

[0093] Then, the trajectory generation unit 32 derives a second reference line RL2, which is a virtual line segment passing through the second reference point Rp2 and the third reference point Rp3, based on the aforementioned second reference point Rp2 and third reference point Rp3, and derives a third reference line RL3, which is a virtual line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 and the fourth reference point Rp4, based on the aforementioned first reference point Rp1 and fourth reference point Rp4, and sets the intersection of the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3 as the straight-line reference point Px. In this way, the trajectory generation unit 32 can set an appropriate straight-line reference point Px based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31.

[0094] As another example, the trajectory generation unit 32 may identify a point where a right / left turn road marking Rm, recognized by the recognition unit 31, is provided, and set that point as the straight-ahead reference point Px. In this way, it becomes possible to set an appropriate straight-ahead reference point Px that takes into account the point where the right / left turn road marking Rm is provided.

[0095] Specific examples of the travel trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit 32 when the intersection angle θx is within the first angular range will be described later using Figures 3 and 5, etc.

[0096] On the other hand, suppose the intersection angle falls within a second angular range that is smaller than the first angular range. Here, the second angular range is an angular range in which its lower limit (in other words, minimum value) is greater than 0 degrees and its upper limit (in other words, maximum value) is smaller than the lower limit of the first angular range, for example, an angular range that includes 90 degrees. As an example, in this embodiment, the angular range from 30 degrees to 120 degrees is defined as the second angular range.

[0097] If the intersection angle θx is within this second angular range, the trajectory generation unit 32 first identifies the first reference point Rp1 and the second reference point Rp2 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31, similar to the case where the intersection angle θx is within the first angular range, and derives the first reference line RL1 based on the first reference point Rp1 and the second reference point Rp2. In this case, the trajectory generation unit 32 generates a travel trajectory that turns along the derived first reference line RL1.

[0098] Furthermore, if the intersection angle θx is within the second angular range, the track generation unit 32 may differentiate the method of generating the travel track depending on whether the vehicle 1 turns right or left at the intersection CP. More specifically, for example, if the intersection angle θx is within the second angular range and the vehicle 1 turns right at the intersection CP, the track generation unit 32 may generate a travel track that turns along the first reference line RL1. On the other hand, if the intersection angle θx is within the second angular range and the vehicle 1 turns left at the intersection CP, the track generation unit 32 may generate a travel track that goes from the entry position PA to the exit position PE along the road boundary of the entry road RdA or the exit road RdE.

[0099] Specific examples of the travel trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit 32 when the intersection angle θx is within the second angular range will be described later using Figures 4 and 6, etc.

[0100] The driving control unit 33 drives the vehicle 1 based on the driving track generated by the track generation unit 32. For example, the driving control unit 33 can control the steering of the vehicle 1 via the EPS system 40 so that the vehicle 1 travels while tracing the driving track (in other words, the target driving line) generated by the track generation unit 32. At this time, the driving control unit 33 may also control the driving force of the vehicle 1 via the driving force control system 50, or control the braking force of the vehicle 1 via the braking force control system 60.

[0101] Furthermore, the control device 30 (for example, the trajectory generation unit 32) can determine (in other words, decide) which road (i.e., which direction) vehicle 1 is heading towards at intersection CP, based, for example, on route guidance provided by the navigation device 20 or on the illumination status of the vehicle's turn signals (not shown). In addition, if vehicle 1 is an autonomously driving vehicle, the control device 30 may determine which road vehicle 1 is heading towards at intersection CP based on a driving plan generated based on the route to the destination.

[0102] [3. Specific examples of travel trajectories generated by the control device] Next, specific examples of the travel track generated by the control device 30 using the function of the track generation unit 32 will be explained using Figures 3 to 6. In each of Figures 3 to 6, vehicle 1 is traveling on road Rd1 toward intersection CP, similar to the example shown in Figure 2, and intersection CP is located in the direction of travel of vehicle 1 (i.e., ahead).

[0103] (An example of a trajectory generated when a vehicle proceeds almost straight through an intersection) Figure 3 shows an example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd3 at intersection CP. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 3, the entry road RdA is road Rd1, and the exit road RdE is road Rd3. Also, in this example, the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between road Rd1 (entry road RdA) and road Rd3 (exit road RdE) is approximately 150 degrees (i.e., within the first angle range), and vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed to road Rd3 by moving straight ahead slightly to the right at intersection CP.

[0104] In this example, the entry position PA is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd1a (see Figure 2) of road Rd1 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln11, which is the vehicle's own lane. The exit position PE is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd3a (see Figure 2) of road Rd3 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln31, which is the vehicle's destination lane.

[0105] As shown in Figure 3, in this example, the trajectory generation unit 32 identifies contact point P1 as the first reference point Rp1, contact point P4 as the second reference point Rp2, contact point P2 as the third reference point Rp3, and contact point P3 as the fourth reference point Rp4.

[0106] The trajectory generation unit 32 then derives the first reference line RL1 as the line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 (in this case, tangency P1) and the second reference point Rp2 (in this case, tangency P4), the second reference line RL2 as the line segment passing through the second reference point Rp2 and the third reference point Rp3 (in this case, tangency P2), and the third reference line RL3 as the line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 and the fourth reference point Rp4 (in this case, tangency P3). The trajectory generation unit 32 also sets, for example, the intersection point of the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3 as the straight reference point Px.

[0107] In this example, since the intersection angle θx is within the first angle range, as shown in Figure 3, the trajectory generation unit 32 generates a travel trajectory Ob1 that passes between the first reference line RL1 and the straight-ahead reference point Px, moving from the entry position PA to the exit position PE. This makes it possible to generate an appropriate travel trajectory Ob1 that takes into account other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane) without having to prepare information about the intersection CP in advance.

[0108] (An example of a vehicle trajectory generated when turning right at an intersection) Figure 4 shows an example of a travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd2 at intersection CP. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 4, the entry road RdA becomes road Rd1, and the exit road RdE becomes road Rd2. In this example, the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between road Rd1 (entry road RdA) and road Rd2 (exit road RdE) is approximately 60 degrees (i.e., within the second angle range), and vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed to road Rd2 by turning right at intersection CP.

[0109] In this example, the entry position PA is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd1a (see Figure 2) of road Rd1 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln11, which is the vehicle's own lane. The exit position PE is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd2a (see Figure 2) of road Rd2 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln21, which is the vehicle's destination lane.

[0110] As shown in Figure 4, in this example, the trajectory generation unit 32 identifies contact point P1 as the first reference point Rp1, contact point P3 as the second reference point Rp2, and contact point P2 as the third reference point Rp3 and the fourth reference point Rp4, respectively.

[0111] The trajectory generation unit 32 then derives the first reference line RL1 as the line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 (in this case, tangency P1) and the second reference point Rp2 (in this case, tangency P3), the second reference line RL2 as the line segment passing through the second reference point Rp2 and the third reference point Rp3 (in this case, tangency P2), and the third reference line RL3 as the line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 and the fourth reference point Rp4 (in this case, tangency P2). The trajectory generation unit 32 also sets, for example, the intersection point of the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3 (in this case, tangency P2) as the straight reference point Px.

[0112] In this example, since the intersection angle θx is within the second angle range, as shown in Figure 4, the track generation unit 32 generates a travel track Ob2 that turns along the first reference line RL1 and proceeds from the entry position PA to the exit position PE. At this time, the track generation unit 32 may generate a travel track Ob2 having a first track that goes straight from the entry position PA to a predetermined distance before the first reference line RL1, and a second track that curves along the first reference line RL1 from the end of the first track. In other words, the travel track Ob2 may be generated such that the vehicle 1 goes straight from the entry position PA to a predetermined distance before the first reference line RL1, and then turns along the first reference line RL1 towards the exit position PE. Here, the predetermined distance is preferably as small as possible within the range in which the vehicle 1 can turn right, from the viewpoint of preventing the vehicle 1 from making too tight a turn. Furthermore, in order to minimize the predetermined distance, it is preferable to make the curvature (i.e., degree of curvature) of the second track as large as possible, taking into account the intersection angle θx and the minimum turning radius of vehicle 1.

[0113] Thus, when the intersection angle θx is within the second angle range, the trajectory generation unit 32 generates a travel trajectory Ob2 that turns along the first reference line RL1. This makes it possible to generate a travel trajectory Ob2 that allows the vehicle 1 to make an appropriate right turn at intersection CP without making an excessively tight or wide turn, even without having to prepare information about intersection CP in advance.

[0114] Furthermore, when vehicle 1 turns right at intersection CP in this manner, the track generation unit 32 does not need to specify the third reference point Rp3 and the fourth reference point Rp4, nor does it need to derive the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3. This is because, when vehicle 1 turns right at intersection CP, the driving track Ob2 can be generated even without the second reference line RL2 or the third reference line RL3, as long as the first reference line RL1 is available.

[0115] (Another example of a trajectory generated when a vehicle is traveling almost straight through an intersection) Figure 5 shows an example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd4 at intersection CP. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 5, the entry road RdA is road Rd1, and the exit road RdE is road Rd4. In this example, the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between road Rd1 (entry road RdA) and road Rd4 (exit road RdE) is approximately 170 degrees (i.e., within the first angle range), and vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed to road Rd4 by moving straight ahead slightly to the left at intersection CP.

[0116] In this example, the entry position PA is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd1a (see Figure 2) of road Rd1 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln11, which is the vehicle's own lane. The exit position PE is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd4a (see Figure 2) of road Rd4 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln41, which is the vehicle's destination lane.

[0117] As shown in Figure 5, in this example, the trajectory generation unit 32 identifies contact point P1 as the first reference point Rp1, contact point P5 as the second reference point Rp2, contact point P2 as the third reference point Rp3, and contact point P4 as the fourth reference point Rp4.

[0118] The trajectory generation unit 32 then derives the first reference line RL1 as the line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 (in this case, tangency P1) and the second reference point Rp2 (in this case, tangency P5), the second reference line RL2 as the line segment passing through the second reference point Rp2 and the third reference point Rp3 (in this case, tangency P2), and the third reference line RL3 as the line segment passing through the first reference point Rp1 and the fourth reference point Rp4 (in this case, tangency P4). The trajectory generation unit 32 also sets, for example, the intersection point of the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3 as the straight reference point Px.

[0119] In this example, since the intersection angle θx is within the first angle range, as shown in Figure 5, the trajectory generation unit 32 generates a travel trajectory Ob3 that passes between the first reference line RL1 and the straight-ahead reference point Px, moving from the entry position PA to the exit position PE. This makes it possible to generate an appropriate travel trajectory Ob3 that takes into account other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane) without having to prepare information about the intersection CP in advance.

[0120] (An example of a vehicle trajectory generated when turning left at an intersection) Figure 6 shows an example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds from road Rd1 to road Rd5 at intersection CP. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 6, the entry road RdA is road Rd1, and the exit road RdE is road Rd5. Also, in this example, the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between road Rd1 (entry road RdA) and road Rd5 (exit road RdE) is approximately 80 degrees (i.e., within the second angle range), and vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed to road Rd5 by turning left at intersection CP.

[0121] In this example, the entry position PA is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd1a (see Figure 2) of road Rd1 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln11, which is the vehicle's own lane. The exit position PE is, for example, on or near the boundary Rd5a (see Figure 2) of road Rd5 with intersection CP, and is located approximately in the center of the width direction of lane Ln51, which is the vehicle's destination lane.

[0122] As shown in Figure 6, in this example, the trajectory generation unit 32 generates a driving trajectory Ob4 from the entry position PA to the exit position PE along the road boundary Ln11a on the left side of the lane Ln11 (i.e., the road Rd5 side, which is the exit road RdE), which is the vehicle's own lane, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. This makes it possible to generate a driving trajectory Ob4 that allows the vehicle 1 to make an appropriate left turn at intersection CP without making an excessively tight or wide turn, even without having to prepare information about intersection CP in advance.

[0123] Furthermore, if vehicle 1 turns left at intersection CP and vehicle 1 has already entered intersection CP, the track generation unit 32 may generate a travel track Ob4 from the current position of vehicle 1 to the exit position PE. In addition, when vehicle 1 turns left at intersection CP in this manner, the track generation unit 32 may identify the first reference point Rp1 to the fourth reference point Rp4 and derive the first reference line RL1 to the third reference line RL3, or it may choose not to identify or derive these.

[0124] [4. An example of a processing procedure by the control device] Next, an example of a processing procedure by the control device 30 will be described. Figures 7 to 9 are flowcharts (part 1) to (part 3) showing an example of a processing procedure by the control device 30. For example, when the ignition power of vehicle 1 is turned on, the control device 30 executes the series of processes shown in Figures 7 to 9 at a predetermined cycle.

[0125] As shown in Figure 7, the control device 30 recognizes, for example, the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 (step Sp0). Then, based on the recognition result of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, the control device 30 determines whether or not there is an intersection CP within a predetermined distance (for example, 30 [m]) in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 (step Sp1).

[0126] If the control device 30 determines that there is a corresponding intersection CP (Step Sp1: YES), it identifies the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between the entry road RdA and the exit road RdE, and determines whether the intersection angle θx is within a first angle range (Step Sp2). If it determines that the intersection angle θx is within a first angle range (Step Sp2: YES), the control device 30 executes the straight-ahead process described later (Step Sp3), and then terminates the series of processes shown in Figures 7 to 9.

[0127] On the other hand, if it is determined that the intersection angle θx is not within the first angular range (Step Sp2: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the intersection angle θx is within the second angular range (Step Sp4). If it is determined that the intersection angle θx is within the second angular range (Step Sp4: YES), the control device 30 performs the right / left turn process described later (Step Sp5) and terminates the series of processes shown in Figures 7 to 9.

[0128] Furthermore, if the control device 30 determines that the intersection angle θx is not within the second angle range (step Sp4: NO), it terminates the series of processes shown in Figures 7 to 9 without executing the right / left turn process in step Sp5. This prevents unintended malfunctions from occurring when the right / left turn process in step Sp5 is executed, even if the intersection angle θx is too small to fall within the second angle range, for example, when vehicle 1 makes a so-called "U-turn" at intersection CP. Note that if the intersection angle θx is too small to fall within the second angle range, the control device 30 may instead execute a predetermined process to generate a driving trajectory for a U-turn.

[0129] (Straight-line processing) As shown in Figure 8, in the straight-ahead process of step Sp3, the control device 30 first determines whether vehicle 1 has entered the intersection CP (step Sp30). If it is determined that vehicle 1 has entered the intersection CP (step Sp30: YES), the control device 30 identifies the first reference point Rp1, the second reference point Rp2, the third reference point Rp3, and the fourth reference point Rp4, respectively (step Sp31).

[0130] Next, the control device 30 derives the first reference line RL1 based on the first reference point Rp1 and the second reference point Rp2 (step Sp32).

[0131] Next, the control device 30 determines whether or not it was able to recognize the right / left turn road marking Rm (step Sp33). If it determines that it was able to recognize the right / left turn road marking Rm (step Sp33: YES), the control device 30 identifies the point where the right / left turn road marking Rm is located, sets that point as the straight-ahead reference point Px (step Sp34), and proceeds to step Sp38.

[0132] On the other hand, if it is determined that the right / left turn method road marking Rm could not be recognized (step Sp33: NO), the control device 30 derives the second reference line RL2 based on the second reference point Rp2 and the third reference point Rp3 (step Sp35).

[0133] Next, the control device 30 derives the third reference line RL3 based on the first reference point Rp1 and the fourth reference point Rp4 (step Sp36).

[0134] Next, the control device 30 derives the intersection point of the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3 as the straight-line reference point Px based on the second reference line RL2 and the third reference line RL3 (step Sp37), and proceeds to the process in step Sp38.

[0135] In step Sp38, the control device 30 generates a travel trajectory that passes between the first reference line RL1 and the straight reference point Px (for example, the travel trajectory Ob1 shown in Figure 3 or the travel trajectory Ob3 shown in Figure 5) (step Sp38).

[0136] Then, the control device 30 controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on the trajectory generated by the processing in step Sp38 (step Sp39), and ends the straight-line driving process.

[0137] In addition, during the straight-ahead driving process in step Sp3, the control device 30 may set the point indicated by the node corresponding to the intersection CP in the map information database 24 or other map information as the straight-ahead reference point Px. If this is done, the processing in steps Sp34 to Sp37 described above is unnecessary.

[0138] (Turning left or right) As shown in Figure 9, in the right / left turn process of step Sp5, the control device 30 first determines whether or not vehicle 1 has entered the intersection CP (step Sp51). If it is determined that vehicle 1 has entered the intersection CP (step Sp51: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not vehicle 1 will turn right at the intersection CP (step Sp52).

[0139] If the control device 30 determines that vehicle 1 is turning right (step Sp52: YES), it identifies the first reference point Rp1, the second reference point Rp2, the third reference point Rp3, and the fourth reference point Rp4, respectively (step Sp53).

[0140] Next, the control device 30 derives the first reference line RL1 based on the first reference point Rp1 and the second reference point Rp2 (step Sp54).

[0141] Next, the control device 30 generates a travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line RL1 (for example, the travel trajectory Ob2 shown in Figure 4) (step Sp55). Then, the control device 30 controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on the travel trajectory generated by the process in step Sp55 (step Sp57), and ends the right / left turn process.

[0142] On the other hand, if, in step Sp52, it is determined that vehicle 1 will not turn right at intersection CP (i.e., will turn left) (step Sp52: NO), the control device 30 generates a driving trajectory (for example, the driving trajectory Ob4 shown in Figure 6) that follows the left-hand road boundary of the entry road RdA (more specifically, the vehicle's own lane) (step Sp56). Then, based on the driving trajectory generated in step Sp56, the control device 30 controls the steering of vehicle 1 (step Sp57) and terminates the current right / left turn process.

[0143] As described above, according to the control device 30, when the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between the entry road RdA and the exit road RdE is within the first angle range, and the vehicle 1 is going straight through the intersection CP, the control device 30 generates a travel trajectory that passes between the first reference line RL1 derived based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31 and a predetermined straight-ahead reference point Px, and controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on that travel trajectory. As a result, even without preparing information about the intersection CP in advance, the vehicle 1 that is going straight through an intersection CP of a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected can be driven based on an appropriate travel trajectory that takes into account other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane).

[0144] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, if the intersection angle θx is within the second angle range and the vehicle 1 is turning right at the intersection CP, it generates a driving trajectory that follows the first reference line RL1 derived based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31, and controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on that driving trajectory. As a result, even without preparing information about the intersection CP in advance, the vehicle 1 attempting to turn right at an intersection CP of a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected can be driven based on an appropriate driving trajectory that is neither too tight nor too wide.

[0145] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, if the intersection angle θx is within the second angle range and the vehicle 1 is turning left at the intersection CP, the control device 30 generates a travel trajectory that follows the road boundary on the left side of the entry road RdA (i.e., the side of the exit road RdE) recognized by the recognition unit 31 toward the exit position PE, and controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on that travel trajectory. As a result, even without preparing information about the intersection CP in advance, the vehicle 1 attempting to turn left at an intersection CP of a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected can be driven based on an appropriate travel trajectory that is neither too tight nor too wide.

[0146] [5. Examples of vehicle control using control devices] Next, a modified example of vehicle control by the control device 30 will be described. In the following, the explanation will focus on the parts that differ from the example described above, and the explanation of parts that are the same as the example described above will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0147] (A variation of the trajectory generated when a vehicle goes straight through an intersection) Figure 10 shows a modified example (part 1) of the travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP. In the example shown in Figure 10, vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed to road Rd3 by proceeding almost straight through intersection CP from road Rd1. That is, in this example, the entry road RdA is road Rd1, and the exit road RdE is road Rd3. Also, the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between road Rd1 (entry road RdA) and road Rd3 (exit road RdE) is within the first angle range. Furthermore, in this example, the exit position PE is offset to the left (i.e., one side in the vehicle width direction) relative to the entry position PA. Note that roads Rd4 and Rd5 are not shown in Figure 10.

[0148] Thus, when the intersection angle θx is within the first angular range (i.e., vehicle 1 is traveling almost straight through intersection CP), and the exit position PE is offset to the left with respect to the entry position PA, the track generation unit 32 may generate a track like the track Ob5 shown in Figure 10 as a track that passes between the first reference line RL1 and the straight-ahead reference point Px.

[0149] Here, the track Ob5 is a track that passes through a first point P11 located a predetermined distance d11 from the first reference point Rp1 (in this case, the junction P1) on the third reference line RL3, and where the first point P11 is an inflection point, and has, for example, a point symmetrical portion Sm1 with respect to the first point P11. Here, the predetermined distance d11 is smaller than the distance d12 from the first reference point Rp1 to the straight reference point Px.

[0150] Thus, in cases where vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP and the exit position PE is offset to the left relative to the entry position PA, a travel trajectory Ob5 is generated that passes through a first point P11 located a predetermined distance d11 from the first reference point Rp1 on the third reference line RL3, and where the first point P11 is an inflection point. This allows for the generation of a travel trajectory Ob5 that smoothly turns within the intersection CP, moving from the entry position PA to the exit position PE, while also considering other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP.

[0151] Figure 11 shows a modified example (part 2) of the travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP. Here, the explanation will focus on the differences from the example shown in Figure 10, and the explanation of the same parts as in Figure 10 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Also, in Figure 11, the illustration of roads Rd4 and Rd5 has been omitted.

[0152] In the example shown in Figure 11, vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed from road Rd1 to road Rd3 by proceeding almost straight through intersection CP. In this example, the exit position PE is offset to the right of the entry position PA (i.e., to the other side in the vehicle width direction of vehicle 1).

[0153] Thus, when the intersection angle θx is within the first angular range (i.e., vehicle 1 is traveling almost straight through intersection CP), and the exit position PE is offset to the right with respect to the entry position PA, the track generation unit 32 may generate a track like the track Ob6 shown in Figure 11 as a track that passes between the first reference line RL1 and the straight reference point Px.

[0154] Here, the track Ob6 is a track that passes through a second point P21 located a predetermined distance d21 from the third reference point Rp3 (in this case, the point of contact P2) on the second reference line RL2, and where the second point P21 is an inflection point, and has, for example, a point symmetrical portion Sm2 with respect to the second point P21. Here, the predetermined distance d21 is greater than the distance d22 from the third reference point Rp3 to the straight reference point Px.

[0155] Thus, in cases where vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP and the exit position PE is offset to the right relative to the entry position PA, a travel trajectory Ob6 is generated that passes through a second point P21 located a predetermined distance d21 from the third reference point Rp3 on the second reference line RL2, and where the second point P21 is an inflection point. This allows for the generation of a travel trajectory Ob6 that smoothly turns within the intersection CP, moving from the entry position PA to the exit position PE, while also considering other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP.

[0156] (A variation of the trajectory generated when a vehicle turns right at an intersection) Figure 12 shows a modified example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 turns right at intersection CP. In the example shown in Figure 12, vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed to road Rd2 by making a U-turn-like right turn at intersection CP from road Rd1. That is, in this example, the entry road RdA is road Rd1, and the exit road RdE is road Rd2. Also, the intersection angle θx (here referred to as intersection angle θ1) at the intersection CP between road Rd1, which is the entry road RdA, and road Rd2, which is the exit road RdE, is within the second angle range.

[0157] For example, as shown in Figure 12, if the distance d31 between the first reference line RL1 and the third reference point Rp3 (contact point P2 in this case) is smaller than the width dimension of vehicle 1, then following a track along the first reference line RL1 may result in at least a part of vehicle 1 going off the road, which is undesirable from the standpoint of ensuring that vehicle 1 runs properly.

[0158] Therefore, the track generation unit 32 may generate a track that curves along the first reference line RL1 (for example, the track Ob2 shown in Figure 4) as described above if the distance d31 between the first reference line RL1 and the third reference point Rp3 is greater than or equal to a threshold, while if the distance d31 is less than a threshold, it may derive a new first reference line RL1' passing through the first reference point Rp1 and the fifth reference point Rp5 based on a predetermined fifth reference point Rp5 and the first reference point Rp1, and generate a track that curves along the first reference line RL1'. Here, the threshold is set in advance by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1, for example, taking into account the width dimensions of the vehicle 1.

[0159] Here, the fifth reference point Rp5 is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the third road at the boundary between the third road, which is different from the approach road RdA and the exit road RdE, and the intersection CP. Furthermore, the third road is the road that, at the intersection CP, is located on one side of the road where the exit road RdE exists, with respect to the approach road RdA, and is the road whose intersection angle with the approach road RdA at the intersection CP is the second smallest after the exit road RdE.

[0160] In the example shown in Figure 12, since the exit road RdE is road Rd2, the third road is road Rd3, which is located to the right of the entrance road RdA, similar to road Rd2, and whose intersection angle θ2 with the entrance road RdA is the second smallest after the intersection angle θ1.

[0161] Therefore, in this case, if the distance d31 is less than the threshold, the trajectory generation unit 32 identifies the contact point P4 as the fifth reference point Rp5, derives a virtual line segment passing through this fifth reference point Rp5 (i.e., contact point P4) and the first reference point Rp1 (i.e., contact point P1) as a new first reference line RL1', and generates a travel trajectory Ob6 that turns along this first reference line RL1'. As a result, if it is considered difficult to properly drive the vehicle 1 on a travel trajectory along the first reference line RL1 based on the first reference point Rp1 and the second reference point Rp2, it becomes possible to drive the vehicle 1 on a travel trajectory along a new first reference line RL1' based on the first reference point Rp1 and the fifth reference point Rp5. Therefore, it becomes possible to drive the vehicle 1 on an appropriate travel trajectory that takes into account the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP of the entry road RdA and the exit road RdE.

[0162] (A variation of the trajectory generated when a vehicle turns left at an intersection) Figure 13 shows a modified example of the trajectory generated when vehicle 1 turns left at intersection CP. In the example shown in Figure 13, vehicle 1 is attempting to turn left at intersection CP from road Rd1 and proceed to road Rd2. That is, in this example, the entry road RdA is road Rd1, and the exit road RdE is road Rd4. Also, the intersection angle θx at the intersection CP between road Rd1 (entry road RdA) and road Rd4 (exit road RdE) is within the second angle range. Note that roads Rd2 and Rd3 are not shown in Figure 13.

[0163] As shown in Figure 13, if there is another road (road Rd5 in the example shown in Figure 13) that allows a left turn and is closer to the entry position PA than the exit road RdE, the track generation unit 32 may generate a travel track Ob7 that proceeds along the road boundary Ln11a on the left side of the lane Ln11 (i.e., on the side of road Rd2, which is the exit road RdE), and then along the first reference line RL1, so as to proceed from the entry position PA to the exit position PE. In this way, even if there is another road that allows a left turn before the exit road RdE, it is possible to generate a travel track Ob7 that allows the vehicle 1 to turn left appropriately and proceed to the exit road RdE.

[0164] (Other variations of the trajectory generated when a vehicle goes straight through an intersection) Next, other variations of the travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP will be described. When vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP (more specifically, for example, when the intersection angle θx is within a first angular range), the control device 30 may generate a travel trajectory for vehicle 1 as described below.

[0165] Figure 14 shows another variation of the travel trajectory generated when vehicle 1 proceeds straight through intersection CP. In the example shown in Figure 14, vehicle 1 is attempting to proceed from road Rd1 to road Rd3 by proceeding almost straight through intersection CP. That is, in this example, the entry road RdA is road Rd1 and the exit road RdE is road Rd3.

[0166] As shown in Figure 14, in this example, the track generation unit 32 (i.e., the control device 30) derives an entrance direction line RL10, which is a line segment that passes through the entrance position PA (for example, the center coordinates of the entrance position PA) and extends along the entrance road RdA (here, road Rd1) that includes the entrance position PA, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. As an example, the track generation unit 32 derives the entrance direction line RL10 as a line segment that is parallel to the road boundary (here, road boundaries Ln11a, Ln11b) of the entrance road RdA (here, road Rd1) and extends towards the intersection CP side, passing through the entrance position PA. As another example, the track generation unit 32 may derive the entrance direction line RL10 using information such as links on the entrance road RdA connected to the nodes of the intersection CP, instead of the road boundary of the entrance road RdA.

[0167] In this example, the track generation unit 32 derives an exit direction line RL11, which is a line segment that passes through the exit position PE (for example, the center coordinates of the exit position PE) and extends along the exit road RdE (here, road Rd3) that includes the exit position PE, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. As an example, the track generation unit 32 derives the exit direction line RL11 as a line segment that is parallel to the track boundary (here, track boundaries Ln31a, Ln31b) of the exit road RdE (here, road Rd3) and extends towards the intersection CP side, passing through the exit position PE. As another example, the track generation unit 32 may derive the exit direction line RL11 using information such as links of the exit road RdE connected to the nodes of the intersection CP, instead of the track boundary of the exit road RdE.

[0168] In this example, the trajectory generation unit 32 derives a reference circle RC based on the entry position PA, exit position PE, entry direction line RL10, and exit direction line RL11, with the entry direction line RL10 and exit direction line RL11 being tangent lines, and the entry position PA (for example, the center coordinates of the entry position PA) and exit position PE (for example, the center coordinates of the exit position PE) being points of tangency. The trajectory generation unit 32 can geometrically determine the reference circle RC from the entry position PA, exit position PE, entry direction line RL10, and exit direction line RL11.

[0169] In this example, the trajectory generation unit 32 generates the arc RCa between the entry position PA and the exit position PE in the derived reference circle RC as the travel trajectory Ob8 when the vehicle 1 travels straight through the intersection CP. As a result, as shown in Figure 14, the control device 30 can generate an appropriate travel trajectory Ob8 that takes into account other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane) without having to prepare information about the intersection CP in advance.

[0170] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing procedure for the straight-ahead driving process in step Sp3 by the control device 30. As shown in Figure 15, in the straight-ahead driving process in step Sp3, the control device 30 in this example first determines whether or not vehicle 1 has entered the intersection CP (step Sp300).

[0171] If it is determined that vehicle 1 has entered the intersection CP (step Sp300: YES), the control device 30 derives the entrance direction line RL10 (step Sp310) and the exit direction line RL11 (step Sp320) based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31.

[0172] Next, the control device 30 derives a reference circle RC based on the entry position PA, exit position PE, entrance direction line RL10, and exit direction line RL11 (step Sp330). Then, the control device 30 generates the arc RCa between the entry position PA and the exit position PE in the derived reference circle RC as the travel trajectory of the vehicle 1 (for example, the travel trajectory Ob8 shown in Figure 14) (step Sp340).

[0173] Next, the control device 30 controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on the trajectory generated by the process in step Sp340 (step Sp350), and then terminates the straight-line driving process.

[0174] As explained above, when the intersection CP in the direction of travel of vehicle 1 is a five-way intersection and vehicle 1 is traveling straight through the intersection CP, the control device 30 (for example, the track generation unit 32) derives the entrance direction line RL10 and the exit direction line RL11 based on the recognition results of the recognition unit 31. The control device 30 then derives a reference circle RC based on the entry position PA, exit position PE, entrance direction line RL10, and exit direction line RL11, and generates the arc RCa between the entry position PA and exit position PE in the reference circle RC as the travel trajectory for vehicle 1. As a result, the control device 30 can generate an appropriate travel trajectory that takes into account other vehicles traveling through the intersection CP (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane) as the travel trajectory when vehicle 1 is traveling straight through the intersection CP, even without having to prepare information about the intersection CP in advance.Therefore, it is possible to drive vehicle 1 appropriately within the intersection CP with a simple configuration.In addition, it is possible to improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0175] As described above, the control device 30 of this embodiment enables the vehicle 1 to be driven appropriately within an intersection with a simple configuration. This, in turn, can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0176] The control method described in this embodiment can be implemented by executing a pre-prepared program (control program) on a computer. This control program is, for example, stored on a computer-readable storage medium and executed when read from the storage medium. This control program may also be provided in the form of a non-volatile (non-transient) storage medium such as flash memory, or it may be provided via a network such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the computer that executes this control program is the control device 30 (for example, the processor of the control device 30), but it is not limited to this. For example, the computer that executes this control program may be included in the vehicle 1, or it may be included in an external device 2 that can communicate with the vehicle 1.

[0177] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0178] For example, in the embodiment described above, an example was given where the intersection CP located in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 is a five-way intersection. However, the intersection CP is not limited to a five-way intersection, and may be a multi-way intersection with six or more intersections.

[0179] This specification and other documents contain at least the following information. Note that the components and other elements in parentheses are those corresponding to those in the embodiments described above, but are not limited thereto.

[0180] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 30) that controls a vehicle (vehicle 1), The recognition unit (recognition unit 31) recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, When the recognition unit recognizes an intersection (intersection CP) located in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a track generation unit (track generation unit 32) generates a travel track (travel track Ob1 to Ob6) from the vehicle's entry position (entry position PA) to its exit position (exit position PE) at the intersection, A running control unit (running control unit 33) that drives the vehicle based on the running track generated by the aforementioned track generation unit, Equipped with, The orbital generation unit is If the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the intersection angle (angle θx) at the intersection between the first road (entrance road RdA) including the entry position and the second road (exit road RdE) including the exit position is within a first angular range including 180 degrees, A first reference point (first reference point Rp1) is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, a second reference point (second reference point Rp2), which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line (first reference line RL1), which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived. Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated. Vehicle control system.

[0181] According to (1), even without prior preparation of information regarding the intersection, a vehicle attempting to proceed straight through a multi-way intersection with five or more connected roads can be guided along an appropriate trajectory. This provides a vehicle control device that enables vehicles to move appropriately within an intersection with a simple configuration. In turn, this can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0182] (2) The vehicle control device described in (1), The trajectory generation unit generates the travel trajectory that passes between the first reference line and a predetermined straight-ahead reference point (straight-ahead reference point Px) at the intersection. Vehicle control system.

[0183] (2) According to this, a vehicle attempting to proceed straight through a multi-way intersection can be driven on an appropriate trajectory that takes into consideration other vehicles traveling through that intersection.

[0184] (3) The vehicle control device described in (2), The orbital generation unit is A third reference point (third reference point Rp3) is the other end point in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the fourth reference point (fourth reference point Rp4), which is the other end point in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified. Based on the second reference point and the third reference point, a second reference line (second reference line RL2), which is a line segment passing through the second reference point and the third reference point, is derived, and based on the first reference point and the fourth reference point, a third reference line (third reference line RL3), which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the fourth reference point, The intersection of the second reference line and the third reference line is defined as the straight-line reference point. Vehicle control system.

[0185] According to (3), it becomes possible to set an appropriate straight-line reference point based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.

[0186] (4) The vehicle control device described in (3), The orbital generation unit is If the exit position is offset to one side in the vehicle width direction relative to the entry position, the following is generated: the travel trajectory passes through a first point (first point P11) located a predetermined distance (predetermined distance d11) from the first reference point on the third reference line, and the first point is an inflection point. Vehicle control system.

[0187] According to (4), it is possible to generate a driving trajectory that allows the vehicle to smoothly turn within the intersection and head towards the exit position, while also taking into consideration other vehicles traveling through the intersection.

[0188] (5) The vehicle control device described in (4), The trajectory at which the first point is an inflection point has a portion (part Sm1) that is point-symmetric with respect to the first point. Vehicle control system.

[0189] According to (5), it is possible to generate a driving trajectory that allows the vehicle to smoothly turn within the intersection and head towards the exit position, while also being mindful of other vehicles traveling through the intersection.

[0190] (6) The vehicle control device described in (2), The aforementioned vehicle control device is The system is configured to allow access to map information (map information database 24) that contains road network information representing each road, through a combination of nodes and links connecting those nodes. The trajectory generation unit uses the point indicated by the node corresponding to the intersection in the map information as the straight-ahead reference point. Vehicle control system.

[0191] According to (6), it becomes possible to set appropriate straight-ahead reference points based on map information that has general road network information.

[0192] (7) The vehicle control device described in (2), The orbital generation unit is When a road marking (right / left turn road marking Rm) designating the section to be traveled when turning right or left at the aforementioned intersection is recognized by the recognition unit, the point where the road marking is provided is set as the straight-ahead reference point. Vehicle control system.

[0193] According to (7), it becomes possible to set appropriate straight-ahead reference points that take into account the locations where road markings are provided that specify the part of the road to be traveled when turning right or left at an intersection.

[0194] (8) The vehicle control device described in (2), The orbital generation unit is If the intersection is a multi-way intersection and the intersection angle is within a second angle range smaller than the first angle range, The first reference point and the second reference point are identified based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, the first reference line is derived. Based on the first reference line, the system generates the travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line. Vehicle control system.

[0195] According to (8), even without prior preparation of information regarding the intersection, vehicles attempting to turn right or left at a multi-way intersection with five or more connected roads can be guided along an appropriate trajectory.

[0196] (9) The vehicle control device described in (8), The orbital generation unit is If the intersection is a multi-way intersection and the intersection angle is within the second angle range, If the distance (distance d31) between the third reference point, which is the other end point in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, and the first reference line based on the first reference point and the second reference point, is greater than or equal to a threshold, then the travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line is generated. If the distance is less than the threshold, a new first reference line (first reference line RL1') passing through the first reference line and the fifth reference line is derived based on the first reference line and the fifth reference line, with the fifth reference point (fifth reference point Rp5), which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the third road at the boundary between the third road, which is different from the first road and the second road, and the intersection, Based on the aforementioned new first reference line, the travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line is generated. The second road is a road located on one side of the intersection, relative to the first road. The third road is a road located on one of the left or right sides of the intersection with respect to the first road, and is the road whose intersection angle with the first road at the intersection is the second smallest after that of the second road. Vehicle control system.

[0197] According to (9), if it is considered difficult to properly operate a vehicle on a track along the first reference line based on the first and second reference points, the vehicle may be operated on a track along a new first reference line based on the first and fifth reference points. This makes it possible to operate a vehicle on an appropriate track that takes into account the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road.

[0198] (10) The vehicle control device described in (8), The orbital generation unit is If the intersection angle is smaller than the lower limit of the second angle range, the travel trajectory based on the first reference line is not generated. Vehicle control system.

[0199] According to (10), if the intersection angle is smaller than the lower limit of the second angle range (for example, when a vehicle makes a U-turn at an intersection), the vehicle does not generate a driving trajectory based on the first reference line, thereby preventing unintended malfunctions that may occur when a vehicle is driven based on that driving trajectory.

[0200] (11) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (10), The trajectory generation unit determines the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. Vehicle control system.

[0201] According to (11), even without having to prepare information about the intersection in advance, the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road can be determined based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.

[0202] (12) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (10), The aforementioned vehicle control device is The system is configured to allow access to map information containing road network information representing each road, through a combination of nodes and links connecting those nodes. The track generation unit determines the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road based on the map information. Vehicle control system.

[0203] According to (12), the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road can be determined based on map information that has general road network information.

[0204] (13) The computer (control device 30) that controls the vehicle (vehicle 1) The surrounding conditions of the vehicle are recognized (Step Sp0), When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the vehicle's trajectory from the entry position to the exit position at the intersection is generated (steps Sp3, Sp5). The vehicle is driven based on the generated trajectory (steps Sp39, Sp57). Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, If the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the intersection angle at the intersection between the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position is within a first angular range including 180 degrees, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, A second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified based on the recognition result of the surrounding conditions (step Sp31), Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived (step Sp32). Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated (step Sp38). Control method.

[0205] According to (13), even without prior preparation of information regarding the intersection, vehicles attempting to proceed straight through a multi-way intersection with five or more connected roads can be guided along an appropriate trajectory. This makes it possible to guide vehicles appropriately within an intersection with a simple configuration. In turn, this can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system.

[0206] (14) The computer (control device 30) that controls the vehicle (vehicle 1) The surrounding conditions of the vehicle are recognized (Step Sp0), When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the vehicle's trajectory from the entry position to the exit position at the intersection is generated (steps Sp3, Sp5). The vehicle is driven based on the generated trajectory (steps Sp39, Sp57). Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, If the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the intersection angle at the intersection between the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position is within a first angular range including 180 degrees, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, A second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified based on the recognition result of the surrounding conditions (step Sp31), Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived (step Sp32). Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated (step Sp38). Control program.

[0207] According to (14), even without prior preparation of information regarding the intersection, vehicles attempting to proceed straight through a multi-way intersection with five or more connected roads can be guided along an appropriate trajectory. This makes it possible to guide vehicles appropriately within an intersection with a simple configuration. In turn, this can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system.

[0208] (15) A vehicle control device (control device 30) that controls a vehicle (vehicle 1), The recognition unit (recognition unit 31) recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, When the recognition unit recognizes an intersection (intersection CP) located in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a track generation unit (track generation unit 32) generates a travel track (travel track Ob8) from the vehicle's entry position (entry position PA) to its exit position (exit position PE) at the intersection, A running control unit (running control unit 33) that drives the vehicle based on the running track generated by the aforementioned track generation unit, Equipped with, The orbital generation unit is If the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle proceeds straight through the intersection from the first road (entrance road RdA) including the entry point to the second road (exit road RdE) including the exit point, An entrance direction line (entrance direction line RL10) is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, an exit direction line (exit direction line RL11), which is a line segment that passes through the exit position and extends along the second road, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle (reference circle RC) is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc (arc RCa) between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. Vehicle control system.

[0209] According to (15), even without prior preparation of information regarding the intersection, an appropriate driving trajectory can be generated for a vehicle traveling straight through an intersection, taking into account other vehicles traveling through that intersection (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane). This makes it possible to provide a vehicle control device that enables vehicles to travel appropriately within an intersection with a simple configuration. In turn, this can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0210] (16) The computer (control device 30) that controls the vehicle (vehicle 1) The surrounding conditions of the vehicle are recognized (Step Sp0), When an intersection (intersection CP) located in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, a travel trajectory (travel trajectory Ob8) is generated from the vehicle's entry position (entry position PA) to its exit position (exit position PE) at the intersection (step Sp340). The vehicle is driven based on the generated trajectory (step Sp350). Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, If the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle proceeds straight through the intersection from the first road (entrance road RdA) including the entry point to the second road (exit road RdE) including the exit point, An entrance direction line (entrance direction line RL10), which is a line segment passing through the entry position and extending along the first road, and an exit direction line (exit direction line RL11), which is a line segment passing through the exit position and extending along the second road, are derived based on the recognition result of the surrounding situation (step Sp310, step Sp320). Based on the entry position, the exit position, the entrance direction line, and the exit direction line, a reference circle (reference circle RC) is derived with the entrance direction line and the exit direction line as tangent lines and the entry position and the exit position as tangent points (step Sp330). An arc (arc RCa) between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the driving trajectory (step Sp340). Control method.

[0211] According to (16), even if information about the intersection is not prepared in advance, as a driving trajectory when the vehicle goes straight through the intersection, an appropriate driving trajectory considering other vehicles (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane) traveling through the intersection can be generated. Thereby, with a simple configuration, it is possible to appropriately drive the vehicle within the intersection. And, by extension, it is possible to improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0212] (17) A computer (control device 30) that controls a vehicle (vehicle 1), recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle (step Sp0), when recognizing an intersection (intersection CP) existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, generates a driving trajectory (driving trajectory Ob8) from the entry position (entry position PA) to the exit position (exit position PE) of the vehicle at the intersection (step Sp340), drives the vehicle based on the generated driving trajectory (step Sp350), causes the process to be executed, In the process of generating the driving trajectory, The intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected. When the vehicle goes straight through the intersection from the first road (entry road RdA) including the entry position to the second road (exit road RdE) including the exit position, an entry direction line (entry direction line RL10), which is a line segment passing through the entry position and extending along the first road, and an exit direction line (exit direction line RL11), which is a line segment passing through the exit position and extending along the second road, are derived based on the recognition result of the surrounding situation (step Sp310, step Sp320). Based on the entry position, the exit position, the entry direction line, and the exit direction line, a reference circle (reference circle RC) is derived with the entry direction line and the exit direction line as tangent lines and the entry position and the exit position as tangent points (step Sp330). An arc (arc RCa) between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. Control program.

[0213] According to (17), even if information about the intersection is not prepared in advance, an appropriate travel trajectory considering other vehicles (for example, other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane) traveling through the intersection can be generated as the travel trajectory when the vehicle goes straight through the intersection. Thereby, with a simple configuration, it is possible to appropriately run the vehicle within the intersection. And, by extension, it is possible to improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Explanation of Signs

[0214] 1 Vehicle 30 Control device (vehicle control device) 31 Recognition unit 32 Trajectory generation unit 33 Travel control unit CP Intersection Ob1 Travel trajectory Ob2 Travel trajectory Ob3 Travel trajectory Ob4 Travel trajectory Ob5 Travel trajectory Travel path of Ob6 Travel path of Ob7 P11 First location PA Entry position PE Exit position RdA Entry road (First road) RdE Exit road (Second road) Px Straight - ahead reference point RL1 First reference line RL1´ New first reference line RL2 Second reference line RL3 Third reference line Rm Right - left turn method road surface marking (road surface marking) Rp1 First reference point Rp2 Second reference point Rp3 Third reference point Rp4 Fourth reference point Rp5 Fifth reference point Sm1 Portion θx Crossing angle

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, When the recognition unit recognizes an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle, the trajectory generation unit generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from the entry position to the exit position at the intersection, A driving control unit that drives the vehicle based on the driving track generated by the aforementioned track generation unit, Equipped with, The orbital generation unit is The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the intersection angle of the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position, between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, is within a first angle range with a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees as the lower limit and 180 degrees as the upper limit. When a vehicle traveling in one lane on the width side of the first road travels from the first road, including the entry position, to the second road, including the exit position, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived. Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated. Vehicle control system.

2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The trajectory generation unit generates the travel trajectory that passes between the first reference line and a predetermined straight-ahead reference point at the intersection. Vehicle control system.

3. A vehicle control device according to claim 2, The orbital generation unit is A third reference point is the other end of the first road in the width direction at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the fourth reference point, which is the other end point in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified. Based on the second reference point and the third reference point, a second reference line is derived, which is a line segment passing through the second reference point and the third reference point. Based on the first reference point and the fourth reference point, a third reference line is derived, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the fourth reference point. The intersection of the second reference line and the third reference line is defined as the straight-line reference point. Vehicle control system.

4. A vehicle control device according to claim 3, The orbital generation unit is If the exit position is offset to one side in the vehicle width direction relative to the entry position, the following is generated: the travel trajectory passes through a first point located a predetermined distance from the first reference point on the third reference line, and the first point is an inflection point. Vehicle control system.

5. A vehicle control device according to claim 4, The trajectory at which the first point is an inflection point has a portion that is point-symmetric with respect to the first point. Vehicle control system.

6. A vehicle control device according to claim 2, The aforementioned vehicle control device is The system is configured to allow access to map information containing road network information representing each road, through a combination of nodes and links connecting those nodes. The trajectory generation unit uses the point indicated by the node corresponding to the intersection in the map information as the straight-ahead reference point. Vehicle control system.

7. A vehicle control device according to claim 2, The orbital generation unit is If the intersection is a multi-way intersection and the intersection angle is within a second angle range smaller than the first angle range, The first reference point and the second reference point are identified based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, the first reference line is derived. Based on the first reference line, the system generates the travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line. Vehicle control system.

8. A vehicle control device according to claim 7, The orbital generation unit is If the intersection is a multi-way intersection and the intersection angle is within the second angle range, If the distance between the third reference point, which is the other end point in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, and the first reference line based on the first reference point and the second reference point is greater than or equal to a threshold, then the travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line is generated. If the distance is less than the threshold, a new first reference line passing through the first reference point and the fifth reference point is derived based on the first reference point and the fifth reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the third road at the boundary between the third road, which is different from the first road and the second road, and the intersection. Based on the new first reference line, the travel trajectory that turns along the first reference line is generated. The second road is a road located on one side of the intersection, relative to the first road. The third road is a road located on one of the left or right sides of the intersection with respect to the first road, and is the road whose intersection angle with the first road at the intersection is the second smallest after that of the second road. Vehicle control system.

9. A vehicle control device according to claim 7, The orbital generation unit is If the intersection angle is smaller than the lower limit of the second angle range, the driving trajectory based on the first reference line is not generated, and a predetermined process is performed to generate a driving trajectory for a U-turn. Vehicle control system.

10. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The trajectory generation unit determines the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. Vehicle control system.

11. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The aforementioned vehicle control device is The system is configured to allow access to map information containing road network information representing each road, through a combination of nodes and links connecting those nodes. The track generation unit determines the intersection angle at the intersection of the first road and the second road based on the map information. Vehicle control system.

12. The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the intersection angle of the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position, between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, is within a first angle range with a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees as the lower limit and 180 degrees as the upper limit. When a vehicle traveling in one lane on the width side of the first road travels from the first road, including the entry position, to the second road, including the exit position, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, A second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified based on the recognition result of the surrounding conditions. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived. Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated. Control method.

13. The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, The aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection in which five or more roads are connected, and the intersection angle of the first road including the entry position and the second road including the exit position, between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, is within a first angle range with a predetermined angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees as the lower limit and 180 degrees as the upper limit. When a vehicle traveling in one lane on the width side of the first road travels from the first road, including the entry position, to the second road, including the exit position, A first reference point is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the first road at the boundary between the first road and the intersection, A second reference point, which is the endpoint on one side in the width direction of the second road at the boundary between the second road and the intersection, is identified based on the recognition result of the surrounding conditions. Based on the first reference point and the second reference point, a first reference line, which is a line segment passing through the first reference point and the second reference point, is derived. Based on the first reference line, the travel trajectory is generated. Control program.

14. A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, When the recognition unit recognizes an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle, the trajectory generation unit generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from the entry position to the exit position at the intersection, A driving control unit that drives the vehicle based on the driving track generated by the aforementioned track generation unit, Equipped with, The orbital generation unit is When the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle travels through the intersection from the first road including the entry point to the second road including the exit point, An entrance direction line is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, an exit direction line, which is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned exit position and extends along the second road, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. Vehicle control system.

15. The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, When the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle travels through the intersection from the first road including the entry point to the second road including the exit point, An entrance direction line is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition results of the surrounding conditions, an exit direction line, which is a line segment extending along the second road and passing through the aforementioned exit position, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. Control method.

16. The computer that controls the vehicle, Recognizing the surrounding conditions of the aforementioned vehicle, When an intersection in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized, the system generates a travel trajectory of the vehicle from its entry position to its exit position at the intersection. Based on the generated trajectory, the vehicle is driven. Execute the process, In the process of generating the aforementioned track, When the aforementioned intersection is a multi-way intersection where five or more roads are connected, and the vehicle travels through the intersection from the first road including the entry point to the second road including the exit point, An entrance direction line is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned entry position and extends along the first road, Based on the recognition results of the surrounding conditions, an exit direction line, which is a line segment that passes through the aforementioned exit position and extends along the second road, is derived. Based on the entry position, exit position, entrance direction line, and exit direction line, a reference circle is derived that is tangent to the entrance direction line and the exit direction line, and whose points of tangency are the entry position and the exit position. The arc between the entry position and the exit position in the reference circle is generated as the travel trajectory. Control program.

Images