Display system

Abstract

To inform in an appropriate mode a driver of whether to perform autonomous lane change or not.SOLUTION: An autonomous driving system 1 includes: a vehicle speed detection device 8 that detects a speed of a vehicle 20; a display device 9 that can display a traveling lane and an adjacent lane of the vehicle; a display control unit 15 that controls a display content of the display device; and a vehicle control unit 16 that performs an autonomous lane change of the vehicle. The vehicle control unit inhibits the autonomous lane change of the vehicle when the speed of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined value. When the autonomous lane change is inhibited, the display control unit hides the adjacent lane. However, when the vehicle is scheduled to accelerate from a speed lower than the predetermined value to a speed equal to or higher than the predetermined value for the autonomous lane change, the display control unit starts displaying the adjacent lane before the speed of the vehicle reaches the predetermined value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , , , ,

[0006]

[0001] The present invention display relates to a system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to provide a driver of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving with information about the surroundings, it has been known to display other vehicles and the like detected by a vehicle detection device mounted on the vehicle on a display device inside the vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in vehicles capable of autonomous driving that have been developed in recent years, autonomous lane changes are often permitted only under certain conditions. For example, when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, an autonomous lane change is permitted, and when the speed of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined value, an autonomous lane change is prohibited.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable that the driver can visually recognize whether or not an autonomous lane change can be performed while the vehicle is running. For example, when an autonomous lane change is permitted, the adjacent lane may be displayed on the display device, and when an autonomous lane change is prohibited, the adjacent lane may be made non-displayed on the display device.

[0006] However, if adjacent lanes are always hidden when autonomous lane changes are prohibited, the adjacent lanes will remain hidden until the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed, even if the vehicle is scheduled to accelerate and perform a lane change. As a result, there is a risk that the timing of the system's recognition of the target lane and its transmission to the driver may be delayed.

[0007] In view of the above issues, the object of the present invention is to inform the driver in an appropriate manner whether or not autonomous lane changes can be performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gist of this disclosure is as follows:

[0009] (1) An automated driving system comprising: a vehicle speed detection device for detecting the speed of a vehicle; a display device capable of displaying the vehicle's driving lane and adjacent lanes; a display control unit for controlling the display content of the display device; and a vehicle control unit for performing autonomous lane changes by the vehicle, wherein the vehicle control unit prohibits autonomous lane changes by the vehicle when the vehicle's speed is below a predetermined value, and the display control unit hides the adjacent lanes when autonomous lane changes are prohibited, but if the vehicle is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value in order to perform autonomous lane changes, the display of the adjacent lanes is started before the vehicle's speed reaches the predetermined value.

[0010] (2) The automatic driving system according to (1) above, wherein the display control unit, when it is planned that the vehicle will accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value for the purpose of autonomous lane change, starts displaying the lane to be changed from among the adjacent lanes before the vehicle's speed reaches the predetermined value.

[0011] (3) The automatic driving system according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the display control unit displays only the driving lane and the lane after the lane change when the autonomous lane change is performed when adjacent lanes are present on both sides of the driving lane.

[0012] (4) An automatic driving system according to any one of (1) to (3) above, further comprising a vehicle detection device for detecting other vehicles present around the vehicle, and a target vehicle setting unit for setting a vehicle to be decelerated from among the other vehicles detected by the vehicle detection device, wherein the vehicle control unit controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle so as not to approach the vehicle to be decelerated, and the display control unit displays the vehicle to be decelerated when another vehicle in an adjacent lane that is not displayed on the display device is set as the vehicle to be decelerated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to inform the driver in an appropriate manner whether or not autonomous lane changes can be performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an automated driving system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the ECU in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of an image displayed on the display device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of an image displayed on a display device when a vehicle is prohibited from changing lanes. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of an image where the display of the lane to change to begins when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined value. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the control routine for lane display processing in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a functional block diagram of the ECU in the second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display device when another vehicle on an adjacent lane that is not being displayed is set as the deceleration target vehicle. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a control routine for lane display processing in the second embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to similar components.

[0016] <First Embodiment> First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0017] <Configuration of the Automatic Driving System> FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The automatic driving system 1 is mounted on a vehicle and performs autonomous driving of the vehicle. In the autonomous driving of the vehicle, part or all of the acceleration, steering, and braking of the vehicle are automatically executed. That is, the vehicle on which the automatic driving system 1 is mounted is a vehicle having a driving support function or an autonomous driving vehicle that can automatically execute all of the acceleration, steering, and braking of the vehicle.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic driving system 1 includes a vehicle detection device 2, an in-vehicle camera 3, a GNSS receiver 4, a map database 5, a navigation device 6, an actuator 7, a vehicle speed detection device 8, a display device 9, and an electronic control unit ((Electronic Control Unit (ECU)) 10. The vehicle detection device 2, the in-vehicle camera 3, the GNSS receiver 4, the map database 5, the navigation device 6, the actuator 7, the vehicle speed detection device 8, and the display device 9 are provided on the vehicle and are communicably connected to the ECU 10 via an in-vehicle network conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0019] The vehicle detection device 2 detects other vehicles present around the vehicle (the vehicle itself). Specifically, the vehicle detection device 2 detects the presence or absence of other vehicles around the vehicle, the distance from the vehicle to the other vehicle, and the relative speed between the vehicle and the other vehicle. The output of the vehicle detection device 2 is transmitted to the ECU 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle detection device 2 consists of an external camera, a LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging), a millimeter-wave radar or ultrasonic sensor (sonar), or any combination thereof.

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the configuration of a vehicle 20 equipped with an autonomous driving system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle 20 is equipped with an external camera 21, a lidar 22, a millimeter-wave radar 23, and an ultrasonic sensor (sonar) 24.

[0021] The external camera 21 captures images of the area around the vehicle 20 and generates an image of the area around the vehicle 20. In this embodiment, the external camera 21 is positioned in front of the vehicle 20 (for example, behind the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, on the front bumper, etc.) to capture images of the area in front of the vehicle 20. The external camera 21 may also be a stereo camera capable of measuring distance.

[0022] The lidar 22 irradiates laser light around the vehicle 20 and receives the reflected laser light. This allows the lidar 22 to detect the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle 20, the distance from the vehicle 20 to the objects, and the relative velocity between the vehicle 20 and the objects. In this embodiment, the lidar 22 is mounted on the upper part of the vehicle 20, specifically on the roof of the vehicle 20.

[0023] The millimeter-wave radar 23 emits millimeter waves around the vehicle 20 and receives reflected millimeter waves. In this way, the millimeter-wave radar 23 can detect the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle 20, the distance from the vehicle 20 to the object, and the relative speed between the vehicle 20 and the object. In this embodiment, the millimeter-wave radar 23 is installed at the front and rear of the vehicle 20 (for example, the front bumper and rear bumper of the vehicle 20).

[0024] The ultrasonic sensor 24 emits ultrasonic waves around the vehicle 20 and receives the reflected ultrasonic waves. In this way, the ultrasonic sensor 24 can detect the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle 20, the distance from the vehicle 20 to the objects, and the relative speed between the vehicle 20 and the objects. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 24 is installed on both sides of the vehicle 20 (for example, on the left and right front fenders of the vehicle 20).

[0025] The positions and number of the external camera 21, lidar 22, millimeter-wave radar 23, and ultrasonic sensor 24 are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, some of these may be omitted.

[0026] The in-vehicle camera 3 has a camera and a floodlight, and captures the face of the driver of the vehicle 20 to generate a driver face image. The camera consists of a lens and an image sensor, and is, for example, a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera or a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera. The floodlight is an LED (light-emitting diode), for example, two near-infrared LEDs arranged on either side of the camera. The in-vehicle camera 3 is also called a driver monitor camera. The output of the in-vehicle camera 3 is transmitted to the ECU 10.

[0027] The GNSS receiver 4 acquires multiple positioning satellites and receives radio waves transmitted from them. Based on the difference between the transmission time and reception time of the radio waves, the GNSS receiver 4 calculates the distance to the positioning satellites and detects the current position of the vehicle 20 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 20) based on the distance to the positioning satellites and the position (orbital information) of the positioning satellites. The output of the GNSS receiver 4 is transmitted to the ECU 10. Note that GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a general term for satellite positioning systems such as the US GPS, Russia's GLONASS, Europe's Galileo, Japan's QZSS, China's BeiDou, and India's IRNSS. Therefore, the GNSS receiver 4 includes a GPS receiver.

[0028] Map database 5 stores map information. The map information stored in map database 5 is updated using communication with the outside of the vehicle 20, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology, etc. ECU 10 retrieves map information from map database 5.

[0029] The navigation device 6 sets the driving route for the vehicle 20 to its destination based on the vehicle's current position detected by the GNSS receiver 4, map information from the map database 5, driver input, etc. The driving route set by the navigation device 6 is transmitted to the ECU 10. The GNSS receiver 4 and the map database 5 may be integrated into the navigation device 6.

[0030] The actuator 7 operates the vehicle 20. For example, the actuator 7 includes a drive unit (at least one of an engine and a motor) for accelerating the vehicle 20, a brake actuator for braking the vehicle 20, a steering motor for steering the vehicle 20, and so on. The ECU 10 controls the actuator 7 for autonomous driving of the vehicle 20.

[0031] The vehicle speed detection device 8 detects the vehicle's speed. The vehicle speed detection device 8 detects the vehicle's speed, for example, by detecting the rotation speed of the vehicle's wheels. The output of the vehicle speed detection device 8 is transmitted to the ECU 10.

[0032] The display device 9 has a display that shows digital information such as characters and images, and presents various information to the driver of the vehicle 20. The display device 9 is installed inside the vehicle 20 so that it can be seen by the driver of the vehicle 20. The display device 9 is a Human Machine Interface (HMI) composed of at least one of the following: a touchscreen, a head-up display, a digital meter panel, etc. The display device 9 may also include a speaker that generates sound such as voice, operation buttons for the driver to perform input operations, a microphone that receives voice information from the driver, etc.

[0033] The ECU 10 performs various vehicle controls. As shown in Figure 1, the ECU 10 includes a communication interface 11, a memory 12, and a processor 13. The communication interface 11 and the memory 12 are connected to the processor 13 via signal lines. In this embodiment, one ECU 10 is provided, but multiple ECUs may be provided for each function.

[0034] The communication interface 11 has an interface circuit for connecting the ECU 10 to the in-vehicle network. The ECU 10 is connected to the vehicle detection device 2, in-vehicle camera 3, GNSS receiver 4, map database 5, navigation device 6, actuator 7, vehicle speed detection device 8, and display device 9 via the communication interface 11.

[0035] Memory 12 includes, for example, volatile semiconductor memory and non-volatile semiconductor memory. Memory 12 stores programs, data, etc., used when various processes are executed by the processor 13.

[0036] The processor 13 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 13 may also have additional arithmetic circuits such as a logic unit or a numerical unit.

[0037] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the ECU 10 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the ECU 10 has a display control unit 15 and a vehicle control unit 16. The display control unit 15 and the vehicle control unit 16 are functional modules that are realized by the execution of a program stored in the memory 12 of the ECU 10 by the processor 13 of the ECU 10.

[0038] The display control unit 15 controls the display content of the display device 9. In this embodiment, the display device 9 displays the vehicle 20 and other vehicles around the vehicle 20, as well as the vehicle 20's lane and adjacent lanes. Other vehicles around the vehicle 20 are detected by the vehicle detection device 2. The shape of the vehicle 20's lane and the shape and number of adjacent lanes are determined from map information stored in the map database 5. That is, the display control unit 15 obtains map information corresponding to the current position of the vehicle 20, which has been determined based on the output of the GNSS receiver 4, etc., from the map database 5. The vehicle 20's lane and adjacent lanes may also be detected by the vehicle detection device 2.

[0039] Figure 4 shows an example of an image displayed on the display device 9. As shown in Figure 4, the display device 9 displays vehicle 20 (own vehicle) and other vehicles 30 as vehicle icons. In this embodiment, the size and shape of the vehicle icons are predetermined.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the display device 9 displays an image of the rear of the vehicle 20 as seen from a position higher than the vehicle 20. By viewing this display, the driver of the vehicle 20 can understand the detection status of other vehicles 30 around the vehicle 20.

[0041] The vehicle control unit 16 controls the vehicle 20 to enable autonomous driving. For example, the vehicle control unit 16 uses the actuator 7 to control the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 20, thereby enabling the vehicle 20 to autonomously change lanes. At this time, the vehicle control unit 16 enables the vehicle 20 to change lanes in a manner that avoids collisions with other vehicles detected by the vehicle detection device 2.

[0042] However, when vehicle 20 is moving at a low speed, the relative speed of other vehicles to vehicle 20 is higher compared to when vehicle 20 is moving at a high speed. As a result, other vehicles further behind may approach vehicle 20 when changing lanes. In other words, when vehicle 20 is moving at a low speed, the area behind vehicle 20 that needs to be monitored for lane changes is wider compared to when vehicle 20 is moving at a high speed.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 16 permits autonomous lane changes by the vehicle 20 when the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined value, and prohibits autonomous lane changes by the vehicle 20 when the vehicle's speed is below a predetermined value. This reduces the burden of monitoring adjacent lanes.

[0044] When autonomous lane changes by vehicle 20 are permitted, if the driver instructs a lane change via the operation of the turn signal lever or the like, the autonomous lane change will be performed, triggered, for example, by the detection of visual confirmation by the driver based on the output of the in-vehicle camera 3. On the other hand, when autonomous lane changes by vehicle 20 are prohibited, the autonomous lane change will not be performed even if the driver instructs a lane change.

[0045] Therefore, it is desirable that the driver can visually confirm whether autonomous lane changes are permitted while the vehicle 20 is in motion. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the display control unit 15 displays the adjacent lane of the vehicle 20 when autonomous lane changes are permitted, and hides the adjacent lane of the vehicle 20 when autonomous lane changes are prohibited. In this way, the driver can intuitively recognize whether autonomous lane changes are permitted through the display of the display device 9.

[0046] Figure 5 shows an example of an image displayed on the display device 9 when vehicle 20 is prohibited from changing lanes. Unlike the image in Figure 4, which shows the actual detection situation, the adjacent lane and other vehicles on the adjacent lane are hidden in the image in Figure 5.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the vehicle 20 autonomously changes lanes while adjacent lanes exist on both sides of the vehicle 20, the display control unit 15 displays only the lane the vehicle 20 is currently traveling in and the lane it is changing to. For example, when the vehicle 20 moves to the adjacent lane on the right by changing lanes, only the vehicle 20's current lane and the adjacent lane on the right are displayed, and the adjacent lane on the left is hidden. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize the direction of the lane change. In addition, when the vehicle 20 autonomously changes lanes, an arrow or the like indicating the direction of the lane change may be displayed on the display device 9.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 15 keeps the adjacent lane displayed regardless of the vehicle 20's speed while the vehicle 20 is performing an autonomous lane change. In other words, even if the vehicle 20's speed drops below a predetermined value after the vehicle 20 has started its autonomous lane change, the display control unit 15 keeps the adjacent lane displayed until the lane change is completed or canceled. This helps to suppress driver anxiety about controlling the lane change and prevents unnecessary manual operation during the lane change.

[0049] As mentioned above, when the speed of vehicle 20 is below a predetermined value, autonomous lane changes by vehicle 20 are prohibited. Therefore, if adjacent lanes are always hidden when autonomous lane changes by vehicle 20 are prohibited, adjacent lanes will remain hidden until the speed of vehicle 20 reaches the predetermined value, even if it is planned that vehicle 20 will accelerate and perform a lane change. As a result, there is a risk that the timing of the system's recognition of the lane to be changed to being communicated to the driver may be delayed.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, the display control unit 15 hides the adjacent lane when autonomous lane changes are prohibited. However, if the vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value in order to make an autonomous lane change, the display of the adjacent lane is started before the vehicle 20 reaches the predetermined value. This allows the system to communicate the result of recognizing the lane to be changed to to the driver in advance. Thus, according to this embodiment, the driver can be informed in an appropriate manner whether or not an autonomous lane change can be performed.

[0051] In particular, in this embodiment, if the vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value for autonomous lane change, the display control unit 15 starts displaying the destination lane among the adjacent lanes before the vehicle 20 reaches the predetermined value. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize the direction of the lane change, even when there are multiple adjacent lanes.

[0052] Figure 6 shows an example of an image where the display of the lane to which the vehicle 20 will change lanes begins when the vehicle's speed is below a predetermined value. In the example in Figure 6, the vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate in the acceleration lane 70 on an expressway and change lanes to the main lane 80 (a so-called merge), and the main lane 80 ahead is displayed before the vehicle 20 reaches the predetermined speed.

[0053] <Lane marking processing> The control described above will be explained in detail below using the flowchart in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a flowchart of the control routine for lane display processing in the first embodiment. This control routine is repeatedly executed by the ECU 10 at predetermined execution intervals. The predetermined execution interval is, for example, the interval at which the detection result of other vehicles by the vehicle detection device 2 is updated.

[0054] First, in step S101, the display control unit 15 determines whether autonomous lane changes by the vehicle 20 are prohibited. If autonomous lane changes by the vehicle 20 are prohibited, that is, if the speed of the vehicle 20 detected by the vehicle speed detection device 8 is less than a predetermined value, the control routine proceeds to step S102.

[0055] Next, in step S102, the display control unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value in order to autonomously change lanes. The predetermined value is set in advance, for example, to 40 km / h to 70 km / h, preferably 50 km / h.

[0056] For example, when vehicle 20 is in an acceleration lane for merging into the main lane on an expressway, it is determined that vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value for autonomous lane changes. Furthermore, it may be determined that vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value for autonomous lane changes when the distance to the end of the acceleration lane falls below a predetermined distance or when the estimated time required to reach the end of the acceleration lane falls below a predetermined time. Additionally, when overtaking a preceding vehicle by changing lanes is added to the driving plan, it may be determined that vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value for autonomous lane changes.

[0057] If it is determined in step S102 that the vehicle 20 is not scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value for autonomous lane change, the control routine proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the display control unit 15 hides the adjacent lanes on the display device 9. If there are multiple adjacent lanes, all adjacent lanes are hidden, and only the lane in which the vehicle 20 is driving is displayed. If other vehicles are detected in the adjacent lanes, not only the adjacent lanes but also the other vehicles on the adjacent lanes are hidden. After step S103, the control routine terminates.

[0058] On the other hand, if autonomous lane changes by the vehicle 20 are permitted in step S101, or if it is determined in step S102 that the vehicle 20 is scheduled to accelerate from a speed below a predetermined value to a speed above a predetermined value in order to make an autonomous lane change, the control routine proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the display control unit 15 displays the adjacent lane on the display device 9. If other vehicles are detected in the adjacent lane, not only the adjacent lane but also the other vehicles in the adjacent lane are displayed. After step S104, the control routine terminates.

[0059] <Second Embodiment> The automated driving system according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the automated driving system according to the first embodiment in terms of configuration and control, except for the points described below. For this reason, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below focusing on the parts that differ from the first embodiment.

[0060] Figure 8 is a functional block diagram of the ECU 10 in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the ECU 10 has a target vehicle setting unit 17 in addition to the display control unit 15 and the vehicle control unit 16. The display control unit 15, the vehicle control unit 16, and the target vehicle setting unit 17 are functional modules that are realized by the execution of a program stored in the memory 12 of the ECU 10 by the processor 13 of the ECU 10.

[0061] The target vehicle setting unit 17 sets the vehicle to be decelerated from among the other vehicles detected by the vehicle detection device 2. In this specification, the vehicle to be decelerated refers to another vehicle whose behavior limits the speed of vehicle 20 (the vehicle itself).

[0062] First, the target vehicle setting unit 17 sets the preceding vehicle in the driving lane of vehicle 20 and other vehicles in the adjacent lane that appear likely to enter the driving lane ahead of vehicle 20 as candidates for deceleration. At this time, the determination of whether or not the other vehicle in the adjacent lane is likely to enter the driving lane ahead of vehicle 20 is made, for example, based on the lateral speed of the other vehicle. In this case, for example, if the lateral speed of the other vehicle approaching the driving lane of vehicle 20 is above a predetermined value, it is determined that the other vehicle in the adjacent lane is likely to enter the driving lane ahead of vehicle 20. Also, if an obstacle (fallen object, broken-down vehicle, construction site, etc.) is detected in front of the other vehicle in the adjacent lane based on the output of the vehicle detection device 2, it is determined that the other vehicle in the adjacent lane is likely to enter the driving lane ahead of vehicle 20. Furthermore, if the adjacent lane disappears due to a reduction in the number of lanes and the driving lane of vehicle 20 becomes the lane being merged into, it is determined that the other vehicle in the adjacent lane is likely to enter the driving lane ahead of vehicle 20.

[0063] Next, the target vehicle setting unit 17 sets a vehicle to be decelerated from among the candidates for deceleration based on predetermined conditions. For example, the target vehicle setting unit 17 uses a map or the like to determine whether a candidate for deceleration meets the requirements for a vehicle to be decelerated, based on the distance between vehicle 20 and the candidate for deceleration and the relative speed between vehicle 20 and the candidate for deceleration. Furthermore, if the lane in which vehicle 20 is traveling becomes a lane to be merged, the target vehicle setting unit 17 uses a requirement that the distance between vehicle 20 and the candidate for deceleration on the adjacent lane at a predetermined point before merging is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance to determine whether the candidate for deceleration on the adjacent lane meets the requirements for a vehicle to be decelerated. If multiple candidates for deceleration meet the requirements for a vehicle to be decelerated, the candidate for deceleration that has the greatest speed limit on vehicle 20 (e.g., the deceleration rate of vehicle 20) is set as the vehicle to be decelerated. Furthermore, if there are no other vehicles that meet the requirements for a vehicle to be decelerated, no vehicle to be decelerated is set.

[0064] When the vehicle to be decelerated is set by the target vehicle setting unit 17, the vehicle control unit 16 controls the acceleration and deceleration of vehicle 20 so that vehicle 20 does not approach the vehicle to be decelerated. Specifically, the vehicle control unit 16 decelerates vehicle 20 or suppresses the acceleration of vehicle 20 to the target vehicle speed so that vehicle 20 does not approach the vehicle to be decelerated.

[0065] As described above, the display control unit 15 hides adjacent lanes and other vehicles in adjacent lanes when autonomous lane changes by the vehicle 20 are prohibited. However, it is desirable to notify the driver of the presence of vehicles in adjacent lanes when they are set as vehicles to be slowed down.

[0066] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the display control unit 15 displays the vehicle to be decelerated when another vehicle in an adjacent lane that is not displayed on the display device 9 is set as the vehicle to be decelerated. This allows the driver to understand the reason for deceleration when the vehicle 20 decelerates, while also suggesting to the driver whether or not autonomous lane changes are possible.

[0067] Figure 9 shows an example of an image displayed on the display device 9 when another vehicle in an adjacent lane that is not displayed is set as a vehicle to be slowed down. In the image of Figure 9, the adjacent lane next to the lane in which vehicle 20 is traveling is hidden, and only the vehicle 40 that is to be slowed down in the adjacent lane is displayed.

[0068] <Lane marking processing> Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the control routine for lane display processing in the second embodiment. This control routine is repeatedly executed by the ECU 10 at predetermined execution intervals. The predetermined execution interval is, for example, the interval at which the detection results of other vehicles by the vehicle detection device 2 are updated.

[0069] Steps S201 to S204 are the same as steps S101 to S104 in Figure 7, so their explanation is omitted. After the adjacent lane is hidden in step S203, this control routine proceeds to step S205.

[0070] In step S205, the display control unit 15 determines whether or not another vehicle has been detected in the adjacent lane by the vehicle detection device 2. If it is determined that no other vehicle has been detected in the adjacent lane, this control routine terminates. On the other hand, if it is determined that another vehicle has been detected in the adjacent lane, this control routine proceeds to step S206.

[0071] In step S206, the display control unit 15 determines whether or not another vehicle in the adjacent lane is set as a vehicle to be decelerated. If it is determined that another vehicle in the adjacent lane is set as a vehicle to be decelerated, the control routine proceeds to step S207.

[0072] In step S207, the display control unit 15 displays other vehicles in the adjacent lane that are set as the vehicle to be decelerated. After step S207, this control routine ends.

[0073] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S206 that no other vehicles in the adjacent lane are set as vehicles to be decelerated, the control routine proceeds to step S208. In step S208, the display control unit 15 hides the other vehicles in the adjacent lane. After step S208, the control routine terminates.

[0074] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0075] For example, the display device 9 of the autonomous driving system 1 may be located on a server outside the vehicle 20, either in addition to or instead of the vehicle 20, so that an operator (remote driver) can remotely control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20. In this case, the outputs of the vehicle detection device 2 and the vehicle speed detection device 8 are transmitted from the vehicle 20 to the server, and the server's processor may function as a display control unit.

[0076] Furthermore, multiple types of vehicle icons may be used to indicate other vehicles. For example, if the other vehicle detected by the vehicle detection device 2 is identified as a passenger car or a truck, then both a passenger car icon and a truck icon may be used to indicate the other vehicle. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1. Autonomous driving system 8. Vehicle speed detection device 9 Display device 10. Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 15 Display Control Unit 16. Vehicle Control Unit 20 vehicles

Claims

1. A display device capable of showing the vehicle's lane and adjacent lanes, A display control unit that controls the display device and Equipped with, The display control unit is a display system that, when autonomous lane change assistance is performed when adjacent lanes exist on both sides of the driving lane, displays the driving lane and the adjacent lane to which the lane change is intended, and restricts the display of adjacent lanes that are not the destination of the lane change.

2. The display system according to claim 1, wherein when the driver of the vehicle instructs a lane change, the autonomous lane change assistance is performed.

3. The display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the autonomous lane change assistance is performed in response to the operation of the turn signal lever of the vehicle.

4. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous lane change assistance is performed when the vehicle is scheduled to accelerate in an acceleration lane and change lanes to a main lane on an expressway.

5. The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the autonomous lane change assistance is performed so as to avoid a collision between the vehicle and another vehicle.

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