Vehicle control system

The vehicle control device ensures lane change support control is executed only when permitted and non-execution notices are issued only when operators mistakenly believe lane changes are allowed, addressing annoyance and improving user experience.

JP7878143B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-23TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
Filing Date
2023-04-21
Publication Date
2026-06-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing vehicle control systems issue unnecessary non-execution notifications for lane change support control, causing annoyance to operators when they mistakenly believe lane changes are permitted, despite actual restrictions.

Method used

The vehicle control device implements lane change support control only when permission conditions are met and issues non-execution notices only when operators mistakenly believe lane changes are allowed, based on road type, installed equipment, speed, or other vehicles' perceptions.

Benefits of technology

Prevents unnecessary annoyance by ensuring lane change support control is executed only when permitted and non-execution notices are issued appropriately, reducing operator frustration.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device that executes a lane change supporting control and is capable of suppressing an annoyance felt by an operator of a self vehicle due to non-execution notification.SOLUTION: When a request operation is performed to request an initiation of a lane change supporting control, a vehicle control device 10 does not execute the lane change supporting control if a permission condition that a self vehicle traveling road is a road on which a lane change using the lane change supporting control is permitted is not met. When a request operation is performed even though the permission condition is not satisfied, and a misunderstanding condition is satisfied that an operator of a self vehicle 100 mistakenly believes that the self vehicle traveling road is a road on which the lane change using the lane change supporting control is permitted, the vehicle control device performs a non-execution notification to inform the operator of a fact that the lane change supporting control will not be executed; and the vehicle control device will not execute the non-execution notification unless the misunderstanding condition is met.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a vehicle control device that executes lane change support control for assisting the lane change of the host vehicle. Also, when the execution of lane change support control is not permitted when an operation (request operation) for requesting the execution of lane change support control is performed by the operator of the host vehicle, the vehicle control device is configured to notify the operator of the host vehicle of information regarding not executing the lane change support control without executing the lane change support control (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Even when the above request operation is performed, there are situations where the operator of the host vehicle does not expect the execution of lane change support control. For example, such a situation may occur when the operation performed by the operator of the host vehicle when the operator of the host vehicle performs a lane change of the host vehicle by himself / herself is the same as the above request operation because the operator of the host vehicle recognizes that the execution of lane change support control is not permitted. And in such a situation, if a notification (non-execution notification) for notifying the operator of the host vehicle of information regarding not executing the lane change support control is performed, it will cause annoyance to the operator of the host vehicle.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that executes lane change support control, and can suppress the annoyance felt by the operator of the host vehicle due to the non-execution notification being performed in a situation where the non-execution notification is unnecessary.

[0006] The vehicle control device according to the present invention performs lane change support control to assist the vehicle in changing lanes. The vehicle control device according to the present invention is configured to perform the lane change support control when a request operation to start the lane change support control is made by the operator of the vehicle, and the permission condition that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road in which lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted is met. If the permission condition is not met when the request operation is made by the operator, the vehicle control device is configured not to perform the lane change support control.

[0007] Furthermore, the vehicle control device according to the present invention is configured such that, when the requested operation is performed by the operator despite the permission conditions not being met, and the misconception condition is met, where the operator mistakenly believes that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road where lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, the device will issue a non-execution notice to inform the operator that the lane change support control will not be executed. However, when the requested operation is performed by the operator despite the permission conditions not being met, and the misconception condition is not met, the device will not issue the non-execution notice. Furthermore, the vehicle control device according to the present invention is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met when the vehicle is traveling on a main road.

[0008] According to the present invention, a non-execution notice is not issued when the vehicle operator does not mistakenly believe that they can change lanes using lane change assistance control, and a non-execution notice is issued only when the vehicle operator mistakenly believes that they can change lanes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the inconvenience caused to the operator by issuing a non-execution notice in situations where it is unnecessary.

[0010] also,When a vehicle is traveling on a main road, the driver of the vehicle may mistakenly believe that they can change lanes using lane change assistance control. According to the present invention, in such situations, if it is determined that the conditions for misunderstanding are met, and the driver of the vehicle requests the start of lane change assistance control, a non-execution notice is issued. Therefore, a non-execution notice can be issued when it is appropriate to do so.

[0011] Or, Vehicle control device according to the present invention teeth, The system is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met if equipment of the same type as equipment installed on a road where the aforementioned permit conditions are met but which does not satisfy the aforementioned permit conditions is installed on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. It is.

[0012] If equipment of the same type as that installed on a road where the permit conditions are met is installed on the road the vehicle is traveling on, the vehicle operator may mistakenly believe that they can change lanes using lane change assistance control, even if that equipment does not fulfill the permit conditions. According to the present invention, in such a situation, it is determined that the misconception condition is met, and if the vehicle operator makes a request operation to start lane change assistance control, a non-execution notice is issued. Therefore, a non-execution notice can be issued in situations where it is appropriate to issue one.

[0013] Or, The vehicle control device according to the present invention is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met when the vehicle is traveling on a road that the operator of another vehicle, other than the vehicle itself, mistakenly believes to be a road where lane changes by that other vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted. It is.

[0014] If your vehicle is traveling on a road that another vehicle's operator mistakenly believes to be a road where lane changes using lane change assist control are permitted, there is a high probability that your vehicle's operator will also mistakenly believe that the road they are traveling on is a road where lane changes using lane change assist control are permitted. According to the present invention, in such a situation, it is determined that the misidentification condition is met, and if the operator of their vehicle makes a request operation to initiate lane change assist control, a non-execution notice is issued. Therefore, a non-execution notice can be issued in situations where it is appropriate to issue one.

[0015] Or, The vehicle control device according to the present invention is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met when the driving speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed threshold. It is.

[0016] When a vehicle is traveling at high speed, the operator of the vehicle may mistakenly believe that they can change lanes using lane change assist control. According to the present invention, in such situations, if it is determined that the conditions for misidentification have been met, and the operator of the vehicle makes a request operation to initiate lane change assist control, a non-execution notice will be issued. Therefore, a non-execution notice can be issued in situations where it is appropriate to issue one.

[0017] The components of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described below with reference to the drawings. Other objects, features, and incidental advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the description of the embodiments.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to vehicles that can be driven by manual driving operation and automatic driving control, vehicles that are driven only by manual driving operation, and vehicles that are driven only by automatic driving control. Manual driving operation is the driving operation performed by the operator themselves to drive the vehicle. Automatic driving control is a control system in which a control device such as an ECU automatically drives the vehicle without the operator performing the driving operation themselves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a scene in which a lane change of the host vehicle is being performed by the vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by the vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a vehicle control device 10 is shown. The vehicle control device 10 is mounted on the host vehicle 100. Hereinafter, the case where the operator of the host vehicle 100 is a person who rides on the host vehicle 100 and drives the host vehicle 100 (that is, the driver of the host vehicle 100) will be taken as an example to describe the vehicle control device 10.

[0021] However, the operator of the host vehicle 100 may be a person who remotely drives the host vehicle 100 without riding on the host vehicle 100 (that is, the remote operator of the host vehicle 100). When the operator of the host vehicle 100 is a remote operator, the vehicle control device 10 is mounted on each of the host vehicle 100 and remote operation equipment installed outside the host vehicle 100 for remotely driving the host vehicle 100, and the functions of the vehicle control device 10 described below are shared and performed by the vehicle control device 10 mounted on the host vehicle 100 and the vehicle control device 10 mounted on the remote operation equipment, respectively.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 10 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 90 as a control device. The ECU 90 mainly consists of a microcomputer. The microcomputer includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory and other storage media, as well as interfaces. The CPU realizes various functions by executing instructions, programs, or routines stored in the storage media. In particular, in this example, the vehicle control device 10 stores programs that realize the various controls that the vehicle control device 10 performs in the storage media.

[0023] In this example, the vehicle control device 10 is equipped with only one ECU 90, but it may also be equipped with multiple ECUs, and each ECU may be responsible for performing the functions of the vehicle control device 10 described below.

[0024] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 10 may be configured to update the program stored in the storage medium via wireless communication with an external device (for example, via the Internet).

[0025] The vehicle 100 is equipped with a steering system 20, turn signals 30, notification device 40, steering wheel 51, steering angle sensor 52, turn signal lever 53, vehicle speed detection device 54, surrounding information detection device 60, and road information acquisition device 70.

[0026] The steering device 20 is a power steering device or the like that provides steering force to the vehicle 100 to steer the vehicle 100. The steering device 20 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 can steer the vehicle 100 by providing steering force to the vehicle 100 by controlling the operation of the steering device 20.

[0027] The turn signal 30 is a device such as a turn signal that flashes to inform people outside the vehicle 100 of the direction the vehicle 100 is turning. The turn signal 30 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 can control the operation of the turn signal 30.

[0028] The notification device 40 is a device that provides notifications to the driver of the vehicle 100 to provide various information. In this example, the notification device 40 includes a display 41 as a display device, a speaker 42 as an audio device, and a vibrator 43 as a vibration device. The display 41, speaker 42, and vibrator 43 are electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 can display various images on the display 41, output various sounds from the speaker 42, and vibrate the vibrator 43. The display 41 is mounted on the vehicle 100 so that the driver can see the images displayed on the display 41. The speaker 42 is mounted on the vehicle 100 so that the driver can hear the sounds output from the speaker 42. The vibrator 43 is mounted on the steering wheel 51.

[0029] The steering wheel 51 is a device operated by the driver and is connected to the steering wheels of the vehicle 100 via a steering shaft. The steering angle sensor 52 is a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the steering shaft (i.e., the rotation angle of the steering wheel 51). The rotation angle of the steering shaft is the rotation angle of the steering shaft from the neutral position of the steering shaft, and therefore the rotation angle of the steering wheel 51 is the rotation angle of the steering wheel 51 from the neutral position of the steering wheel 51. The steering angle sensor 52 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 acquires the rotation angle of the steering shaft as the steering angle θ using the steering angle sensor 52. When the steering wheel 51 is operated by the driver, the vehicle control device 10 controls the operation of the steering device 20 so that a steering force corresponding to the acquired steering angle θ is applied to the vehicle 100. Furthermore, when the lane change support control described later is executed, the vehicle control device 10 autonomously controls the operation of the steering device 20 to apply steering force to the vehicle 100.

[0030] The turn signal lever 53 is a device operated by the driver. The turn signal lever 53 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. When the turn signal lever 53 is operated by the driver, the vehicle control device 10 controls the operation of the turn signal 30 in accordance with that operation.

[0031] The vehicle speed detection device 54 is a device that detects the driving speed of the vehicle 100. The vehicle speed detection device 54 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 acquires the driving speed of the vehicle 100 as the vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed detection device 54.

[0032] The surrounding information detection device 60 is a device that acquires information about the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 100. In this example, the surrounding information detection device 60 is equipped with an image sensor 61 and an electromagnetic wave sensor 62.

[0033] The image sensor 61 is a sensor that captures images of the area around the vehicle 100. The image sensor 61 is, for example, a camera sensor. The image sensor 61 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 acquires image data of the area around the vehicle 100 as surrounding detection information IS using the image sensor 61.

[0034] The electromagnetic wave sensor 62 is a sensor that emits electromagnetic waves around the vehicle 100 and receives electromagnetic waves reflected by objects around the vehicle 100. The electromagnetic wave sensor 62 is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The electromagnetic wave sensor 62 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 acquires data (target data) about objects around the vehicle 100 as surrounding detection information IS using the electromagnetic wave sensor 62.

[0035] The road information acquisition device 70 is a device that acquires information about the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling (vehicle travel road RDego). In this example, the road information acquisition device 70 includes a GPS device 71, a map database 72, and a communication device 73.

[0036] The GPS device 71 is a device that receives so-called GPS signals. The GPS device 71 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 obtains the current position of its own vehicle 100 based on the GPS signals obtained via the GPS device 71.

[0037] The map database 72 is a device that stores map information. The map database 72 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 acquires information about the road RDego that the vehicle is traveling on from the map database 72 as road information IR based on the current position of the vehicle 100 acquired as described above. Alternatively, the vehicle control device 10 may be configured to acquire map data from the cloud as road information IR instead of the map database 72.

[0038] The communication device 73 is a device that receives radio signals arriving at the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. In this example, the radio signals include at least a signal representing information about the road RDego on which the vehicle is traveling. The communication device 73 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The vehicle control device 10 acquires radio signals from outside the vehicle 100 via the communication device 73 and acquires information about the road RDego on which the vehicle is traveling as road information IR based on the acquired radio signals.

[0039] <Operation of vehicle control device> Next, the operation of the vehicle control device 10 will be described. The vehicle control device 10 is configured to perform lane change support control as one of the automatic driving controls to assist the vehicle 100 in changing lanes. In this example, as shown in Figure 2, the lane change support control is a control in which the vehicle control device 10 autonomously steers the vehicle 100 and moves the vehicle 100 to an adjacent lane without requiring any driving operation by the driver of the vehicle 100. However, the lane change support control may also be a control that assists the driving operation performed by the driver of the vehicle 100 in moving the vehicle 100 to an adjacent lane.

[0040] The vehicle control device 10 executes the routine shown in Figure 3 at a predetermined calculation cycle, and when a predetermined condition is met, it performs lane change support control.

[0041] Therefore, when a predetermined timing occurs, the vehicle control device 10 starts processing from step S300 of the routine shown in Figure 3, proceeds to step S305, and determines whether or not the requested operation has been performed.

[0042] The requested operation is an operation to request the start of lane change support control. In this example, the requested operation is the operation of the turn signal lever 53 when the support precondition is met, but it may also be the operation of other switches or buttons when the support precondition is met. Also, in this example, the support precondition is the condition that lane keeping control is being performed, but there is no support precondition. Lane keeping control is a control that autonomously controls the steering force applied to the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 travels in the center of the lane.

[0043] If the vehicle control device 10 determines "Yes" in step S305, it proceeds to step S310 to determine whether the permission conditions are met.

[0044] The permit condition is that the road RDego is a road where lane changes by vehicle 100 using lane change assist control are permitted. In this example, the permit condition includes the first to third permit conditions, and the permit is granted only when all of these first to third permit conditions are met.

[0045] The first permit condition is that the road RDego on which the vehicle is traveling is a road where pedestrians are prohibited. The second permit condition is that the road RDego on which the vehicle is traveling has multiple lanes with the same direction of travel. The third permit condition is that the road RDego on which the vehicle is traveling has a median strip RDspt (see Figure 2). The vehicle control device 10 determines whether the first to third permit conditions are met based on the road information IR and / or surrounding detection information IS.

[0046] If the vehicle control device 10 determines "Yes" in step S310, it proceeds to step S315 and executes lane change support control. After that, the vehicle control device 10 proceeds to step S395 and terminates the processing of this routine.

[0047] On the other hand, if the vehicle control device 10 determines "No" in step S310, it proceeds to step S320 to determine whether or not the misidentification condition has been met.

[0048] The misidentification condition is that the driver of vehicle 100 mistakenly believes that the road RDego is a road where lane changes using lane change assist control are permitted. In other words, the misidentification condition is that, among the features related to a road that satisfies the permission condition, there exists a feature other than the feature that satisfies the permission condition that is easily recognized by the driver, in relation to the road RDego. In this example, the misidentification condition includes the first to fifth misidentification conditions, and is met if at least one of these first to fifth misidentification conditions is met.

[0049] The first misidentification condition is that the vehicle 100 is traveling on a national or local road, and is a major or arterial road. The vehicle control device 10 determines whether the first misidentification condition is met based on the road information IR and / or surrounding detection information IS.

[0050] The second misidentification condition is that there are features on the road RDego that are likely to cause the driver to mistakenly believe that the permit conditions are met. In other words, the second misidentification condition is that the same type of equipment that is installed on a road where the permit conditions are met, but which does not meet the permit conditions, is installed on the road RDego. In this example, features in the second misidentification condition include, for example, the presence of a highway entrance toll booth, the presence of a passing place, the presence of a median strip, the presence of multiple lanes with the same direction of travel, and the presence of a sign or marker indicating that pedestrian traffic is prohibited. The vehicle control device 10 determines whether the second misidentification condition is met based on the road information IR and / or surrounding detection information IS.

[0051] The third misidentification condition is that there is a characteristic in the driving state of the vehicle 100 that is likely to cause the driver to mistakenly believe that the permit conditions have been met. In this example, the characteristic in the third misidentification condition is, for example, that the distance traveled by the vehicle 100 without passing through a traffic light or intersection is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance threshold. The vehicle control device 10 determines whether the third misidentification condition has been met based on road information IR and / or surrounding detection information IS, etc.

[0052] The fourth misidentification condition is that vehicle 100 is traveling on a road that is mistakenly identified as a permitted road. A road that is mistakenly identified as a permitted road is a road that does not meet the permit conditions, but is mistakenly identified as a permitted road by the driver of another vehicle other than vehicle 100. In other words, a road that is mistakenly identified as a road that satisfies the permit conditions by the driver of another vehicle other than vehicle 100.

[0053] Whether or not the fourth misidentification condition is met is determined, for example, using so-called big data acquired as road information IR. In this case, the vehicle control device 10 determines, based on the big data, that a road is a road with a misidentified permit if the driver of a vehicle other than its own vehicle 100 operated the turn signal lever and then did not change lanes by operating the steering wheel for a predetermined amount of time or longer. Alternatively, the vehicle control device 10 determines, based on the big data, that a road is a road with a misidentified permit if the driver of a vehicle other than its own vehicle 100 operated the turn signal lever and then did not change lanes by operating the steering wheel for a predetermined amount of time or longer, a predetermined number of times or more. Furthermore, when the vehicle control device 10 determines a road with a misidentified permit based on big data, it may be configured to use AI technology such as so-called machine learning or deep learning to determine the road with a misidentified permit. In addition, the vehicle control device 10 may be configured to receive information regarding roads with misidentified permits via the communication device 73 and determine, based on that information, whether or not the vehicle's driving road RDego is a road with a misidentified permit.

[0054] The fifth misidentification condition is that the vehicle's speed V is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed threshold Vth.

[0055] If the vehicle control device 10 determines "Yes" in step S320, it proceeds to step S325 and executes the non-execution notification process. After that, the vehicle control device 10 proceeds to step S395 and terminates the processing of this routine.

[0056] The non-execution notification process is a process that notifies the driver of the vehicle 100 that the lane change assist control will not be performed. In this example, the non-execution notification process is at least one of the following: displaying an image on the display 41 indicating that the lane change assist control will not be performed; outputting an audio message from the speaker 42 indicating that the lane change assist control will not be performed; or vibrating the vibrator 43. In this example, the non-execution notification process may also involve turning on a lamp or the like instead of displaying an image on the display 41 indicating that the lane change assist control will not be performed.

[0057] Therefore, if the requested operation is performed by the driver of vehicle 100 even though the permission conditions are not met, and the misidentification conditions are met, the lane change support control will not be executed, and a non-execution notification will be issued.

[0058] On the other hand, if the vehicle control device 10 determines "No" in step S320, it proceeds directly to step S395 and terminates the processing of this routine.

[0059] Therefore, if the requested operation is performed by the driver of vehicle 100 despite the permission conditions not being met, and the misidentification conditions are not met, the lane change support control will not be executed, and no non-execution notification will be issued.

[0060] Furthermore, if the vehicle control device 10 determines "No" in step S305, it proceeds directly to step S395 and terminates the processing of this routine.

[0061] According to the vehicle control device 10, a non-execution notice is not issued when the driver of the vehicle 100 does not mistakenly believe that the vehicle 100 can change lanes using lane change support control. A non-execution notice is issued only when the driver of the vehicle 100 mistakenly believes that the vehicle 100 can change lanes. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the driver of the vehicle 100 from feeling annoyed by a non-execution notice being issued in situations where it is unnecessary.

[0062] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10...Vehicle control system, 20...Steering system, 40...Notification system, 41...Display, 42...Speaker, 43...Vibrator, 53...Turn signal lever, 90...ECU, 100...Own vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that performs lane change support control to assist the vehicle in changing lanes, When the operator of the vehicle makes a request operation to initiate the lane change support control, and the permission condition is met that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road where lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, the lane change support control is executed. If the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator and the permission conditions are not met, the lane change assistance control will not be executed. In a vehicle control device configured as follows, If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the requested operation is performed by the operator, and the misconception condition is met in which the operator mistakenly believes that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road on which lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, then a non-execution notice will be issued to inform the operator that the lane change support control will not be executed. If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator, and the aforementioned misidentification conditions are not met, the aforementioned non-execution notice will not be issued. It is configured in such a way, The system is configured to determine that the aforementioned misidentification condition is met when the vehicle is traveling on a main road. Vehicle control device.

2. A vehicle control device that performs lane change support control to assist the vehicle in changing lanes, When the operator of the vehicle makes a request operation to initiate the lane change support control, and the permission condition is met that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road where lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, the lane change support control is executed. If the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator and the permission conditions are not met, the lane change assistance control will not be executed. In a vehicle control device configured as follows, If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the requested operation is performed by the operator, and the misconception condition is met in which the operator mistakenly believes that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road on which lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, then a non-execution notice will be issued to inform the operator that the lane change support control will not be executed. If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator, and the aforementioned misidentification conditions are not met, the aforementioned non-execution notice will not be issued. It is configured in such a way, The system is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met if equipment of the same type as equipment installed on a road where the aforementioned permit conditions are met but which does not satisfy the aforementioned permit conditions is installed on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Vehicle control device.

3. A vehicle control device that performs lane change support control to assist the vehicle in changing lanes, When the operator of the vehicle makes a request operation to initiate the lane change support control, and the permission condition is met that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road where lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, the lane change support control is executed. If the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator and the permission conditions are not met, the lane change assistance control will not be executed. In a vehicle control device configured as follows, If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the requested operation is performed by the operator, and the misconception condition is met in which the operator mistakenly believes that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road on which lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, then a non-execution notice will be issued to inform the operator that the lane change support control will not be executed. If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator, and the aforementioned misidentification conditions are not met, the aforementioned non-execution notice will not be issued. It is configured in such a way, The system is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met if the operator of another vehicle, separate from the aforementioned vehicle, mistakenly believes that the lane change of that other vehicle using the lane change assistance control is permitted on that road while the aforementioned vehicle is traveling on that road. Vehicle control device.

4. A vehicle control device that performs lane change support control to assist the vehicle in changing lanes, When the operator of the vehicle makes a request operation to initiate the lane change support control, and the permission condition is met that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road where lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, the lane change support control is executed. If the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator and the permission conditions are not met, the lane change assistance control will not be executed. In a vehicle control device configured as follows, If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the requested operation is performed by the operator, and the misconception condition is met in which the operator mistakenly believes that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road on which lane changes by the vehicle using the lane change support control are permitted, then a non-execution notice will be issued to inform the operator that the lane change support control will not be executed. If the aforementioned permission conditions are not met, but the aforementioned request operation is performed by the operator, and the aforementioned misidentification conditions are not met, the aforementioned non-execution notice will not be issued. It is configured in such a way, The system is configured to determine that the misidentification condition is met if the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined speed threshold. Vehicle control device.