Follow-the-lead driving control device, follow-the-lead driving control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a following travel control device, a following travel control method, and a program that can appropriately continue the following travel to the preceding vehicle by the own vehicle even when a circumstance in which the owner vehicle cannot follow the preceding vehicle occurs.SOLUTION: A following travel control device 16 comprises: a recognition unit 3B that recognizes a preceding vehicle; a following travel control unit 3C that performs following travel control in which an own vehicle 1 follows the preceding vehicle; a target travel trajectory generation unit 3D that generates a target travel trajectory of the own vehicle 1 which draws a travel track different from a travel track of the preceding vehicle; and a non-following travel control unit 3E that makes the own vehicle 1 automatically travel along the target travel trajectory generated by the target travel trajectory generation unit 3D. When circumstances in which the following travel control unit 3C cannot continue the following travel control occur while performing the following travel control, the following travel control unit 3C interrupts the following travel control, the recognition unit 3B continues to recognize the preceding vehicle, and the target travel trajectory generation unit 3D generates the target travel trajectory which allows the following travel control to be restarted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a following driving control device, a following driving control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique described in Patent Document 1, cases where the host vehicle cannot follow the preceding vehicle (for example, when there is a vehicle (e.g., an intervening vehicle), a person (e.g., a pedestrian crossing the road, a pedestrian jumping out onto the road), a traffic signal, a stop sign, a railroad crossing, etc. between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle) are not considered. If the host vehicle continues to follow the preceding vehicle in such a case, there is a risk of contact between the vehicle, person, etc. existing between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle and the host vehicle, or a risk of not being able to stop at a place where stopping is required, which is inappropriate. On the other hand, even when a situation occurs where the host vehicle cannot follow the preceding vehicle, the driver of the host vehicle may desire that the host vehicle continue to follow the preceding vehicle by the host vehicle's (automatic driving system).

[0005] In view of the above points, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a following driving control device, a following driving control method, and a program that can appropriately continue the following driving of the host vehicle to the preceding vehicle even when a situation occurs where the host vehicle cannot follow the preceding vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] It should be noted that there seems to be an error in the original text where the tag is not translated and left as is. If this is not an intended error, please correct the original text for a more accurate translation.(1) One aspect of the present disclosure is a follow-driving control device comprising: a recognition unit for recognizing a preceding vehicle; a follow-driving control unit for executing follow-driving control in which the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle; a target driving trajectory generation unit for generating a target driving trajectory for the vehicle that draws a driving trajectory different from the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle; and a non-follow-driving control unit for automatically driving the vehicle along the target driving trajectory generated by the target driving trajectory generation unit, wherein if circumstances arise during the execution of the follow-driving control that prevent the follow-driving control unit from continuing the follow-driving control, the follow-driving control unit interrupts the follow-driving control, the recognition unit continues to recognize the preceding vehicle, and the target driving trajectory generation unit generates a target driving trajectory that allows the follow-driving control to resume.

[0007] (2) The follow-up driving control device of (1) includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the recognition unit can easily recognize the preceding vehicle, and if the determination unit determines that the recognition unit can easily recognize the preceding vehicle, the follow-up driving control device may increase the distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle to the extent that it is greater than when the determination unit determines that the recognition unit cannot easily recognize the preceding vehicle, and then perform the follow-up driving control.

[0008] (3) In the follow-up driving control device of (1), the target driving trajectory generated by the target driving trajectory generation unit is the driving trajectory of the self-vehicle to overtake another vehicle that has cut in between the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle, and the device includes an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the status of the self-vehicle, and the target driving trajectory generation unit may determine whether or not it is possible for the self-vehicle to overtake the other vehicle based on the information indicating the status of the self-vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0009] (4) One aspect of the present disclosure is a follow-driving control method comprising: a recognition step in which a follow-driving control device recognizes a preceding vehicle; a follow-driving control step in which the follow-driving control device executes follow-driving control in which the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle; a target driving trajectory generation step in which the follow-driving control device generates a target driving trajectory for the vehicle that draws a driving trajectory different from the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle; and a non-follow-driving control step in which the follow-driving control device automatically drives the vehicle along the target driving trajectory generated in the target driving trajectory generation step, wherein if circumstances arise during the execution of the follow-driving control in which the follow-driving control device cannot continue the follow-driving control, the follow-driving control device generates a target driving trajectory in which it can interrupt the follow-driving control, continue to recognize the preceding vehicle, and resume the follow-driving control.

[0010] (5) One aspect of the present disclosure is a program that causes a processor to execute a recognition step of recognizing a preceding vehicle, a follow-driving control step of executing follow-driving control in which the own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, a target driving trajectory generation step of generating a target driving trajectory for the own vehicle that draws a driving trajectory different from the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle, and a non-follow-driving control step of automatically driving the own vehicle along the target driving trajectory generated in the target driving trajectory generation step, wherein if circumstances arise during the execution of the follow-driving control that make it impossible to continue the follow-driving control, the follow-driving control is interrupted, the recognition of the preceding vehicle is continued, and a target driving trajectory is generated that allows the follow-driving control to be resumed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, even if circumstances arise that prevent the vehicle from following the preceding vehicle, it is possible to appropriately continue following the preceding vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a vehicle 1 to which the follow-me driving control device 16 of the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2]This diagram illustrates an example of follow-me driving, where vehicle 1 follows vehicle PV. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the processor 163 of the follow-me driving control device 16 of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a vehicle 1 to which the follow-me driving control device 16 of the second embodiment is applied. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the follow-me driving control device, follow-me driving control method, and program of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle 1 to which the follow-me driving control device 16 of the first embodiment is applied. In the example shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a vehicle state sensor 11, a surrounding situation sensor 12, a position information acquisition device 13, a map information acquisition device 14, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 15, a follow-me driving control device 16, a steering actuator 16A, a braking actuator 16B, and a drive actuator 16C. The vehicle state sensor 11 detects the state of the vehicle 1. The vehicle state sensor 11 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, a yaw rate sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. The vehicle state sensor 11 transmits the detection result of the state of the vehicle 1 to the follow-me driving control device 16. The surrounding situation sensor 12 detects surrounding vehicles (for example, a preceding vehicle PV (see Figure 2), another vehicle OV (see Figure 2), etc.), people (for example, people crossing the road, pedestrians jumping into the road, etc.), traffic lights, road signs, railroad crossings, obstacles, etc. that are present around the vehicle 1. The surrounding environment sensor 12 includes, for example, a camera, LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), radar, sonar, etc. The surrounding environment sensor 12 transmits the detection results of surrounding vehicles, etc., present around the vehicle 1 to the follow-me driving control device 16. The position information acquisition device 13 acquires information indicating the position and direction of the vehicle 1. The position information acquisition device 13 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device that measures the position and direction of the vehicle 1. The position information acquisition device 13 may perform a well-known self-position estimation process (localization) to improve the accuracy of the information indicating the position and direction of the vehicle 1. The position information acquisition device 13 transmits the information indicating the position and direction of the vehicle 1 to the follow-me driving control device 16.

[0015] The map information acquisition device 14 acquires map information, such as lane layout and road shape, from a map database. The map database may be stored in a storage device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1, or it may be stored on an external management server. In the example where the map database is stored on an external management server, the map information acquisition device 14 acquires map information from the map database via communication between the vehicle 1 and the management server. The map information acquisition device 14 transmits the map information, such as lane layout and road shape, to the follow-me driving control device 16.

[0016] In the example shown in Figure 1, the HMI 15 has the function of receiving various operations from the driver of the vehicle 1 and transmits signals indicating the driver's operations to the follow-me driving control device 16. The HMI 15 has the function of receiving operations from the driver of the vehicle 1 to turn on driver assistance functions such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). The HMI 15 also has the function of receiving an operation to start automatic driving, which allows the vehicle 1 to move without the need for steering, braking, or acceleration operations by the driver of the vehicle 1. Automatic driving includes follow-me driving, in which the vehicle 1 follows the preceding vehicle PV without the need for steering, braking, or acceleration operations by the driver of the vehicle 1. In other words, the HMI 15 has the function of receiving an operation to start follow-me driving. More specifically, before receiving an operation to start follow-me driving, the HMI 15 has the function of notifying the driver of the vehicle 1 that follow-me driving can be started (i.e., proposing the start of follow-me driving to the driver of the vehicle 1). Furthermore, autonomous driving includes non-follow driving, in which vehicle 1 automatically travels along a target driving trajectory described later, without the need for steering, braking, or acceleration operations by the driver of vehicle 1. The HMI15 also includes a steering wheel (and steering angle sensor), brake pedal (and sensor to detect the amount of operation), accelerator pedal (and sensor to detect the amount of operation), etc., which accept input from the driver of vehicle 1.

[0017] The follow-me driving control device 16 is configured, for example, by an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (i.e., by a single ECU). In other examples, the follow-me driving control device 16 may be configured by multiple ECUs.

[0018] In the example shown in Figure 1, the follow-me driving control device 16 controls the steering actuator 16A, braking actuator 16B, and drive actuator 16C based on the detection results of the vehicle state sensor 11 and the surrounding condition sensor 12, information acquired by the position information acquisition device 13 and the map information acquisition device 14, and signals indicating the driver's operation of the vehicle 1 received by the HMI 15. The follow-me driving control device 16 is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a communication interface (I / F) 161, memory 162, and processor 163. The communication interface 161 has an interface circuit for connecting the follow-me driving control device 16 to the vehicle state sensor 11, surrounding condition sensor 12, position information acquisition device 13, map information acquisition device 14, HMI 15, steering actuator 16A, braking actuator 16B, drive actuator 16C, etc. The memory 162 stores programs and various data used in processing executed by the processor 163. The processor 163 has the functions of an acquisition unit 3A, a recognition unit 3B, a follow-me driving control unit 3C, a target driving trajectory generation unit 3D, a non-follow-me driving control unit 3E, and a determination unit 3F. The acquisition unit 3A acquires detection results from the vehicle condition sensor 11 and the surrounding condition sensor 12, information acquired by the location information acquisition device 13 and the map information acquisition device 14, signals indicating the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 received by the HMI 15, etc. Specifically, the acquisition unit 3A acquires information indicating the status of the vehicle 1 (for example, weather information, information on the number of surrounding vehicles, information on the narrowness of the road the vehicle 1 is driving on, information indicating whether the driver of the vehicle 1 is in a hurry, etc.). The acquisition unit 3A may acquire the operating status of the vehicle 1's wipers and estimate weather information based on that, or acquire weather information from a website etc. via the network and communication device 17 (see Figure 4). Alternatively, the acquisition unit 3A may directly acquire weather information from the surrounding condition sensor 12, which is capable of performing weather observations. The acquisition unit 3A may also estimate whether the driver of the vehicle 1 is in a hurry based on the detection results of the vehicle condition sensor 11 (vehicle speed, acceleration, etc. of the vehicle 1), or estimate whether the driver of the vehicle 1 is in a hurry based on signals indicating the driver's actions of the vehicle 1 received by the HMI 15.The recognition unit 3B recognizes the preceding vehicle PV (see FIG. 2) based on the detection results of the surrounding situation sensor 12 acquired by the acquisition unit 3A and the like. In an example where a camera is used as the surrounding situation sensor 12, the recognition unit 3B distinguishes and recognizes the preceding vehicle PV from other vehicles based on the features of the preceding vehicle PV (e.g., color, shape, number, feature amount in machine learning) included in the camera image. In an example where LiDAR is used as the surrounding situation sensor 12, the recognition unit 3B distinguishes and recognizes the preceding vehicle PV from other vehicles based on the shape features of the preceding vehicle PV indicated by the detection results of LiDAR. In an example where a radar is used as the surrounding situation sensor 12, the recognition unit 3B distinguishes and recognizes the preceding vehicle PV from other vehicles based on the features of the reflected wave from the preceding vehicle PV indicated by the detection results of the radar.

[0019] The follow - up driving control unit 3C executes follow - up driving control for the host vehicle 1 to follow the preceding vehicle PV without the need for steering operation, braking operation, and accelerator operation by the driver of the host vehicle 1. The follow - up driving control unit 3C controls the steering actuator 16A, the braking actuator 16B, and the driving actuator 16C so that the host vehicle 1 travels along the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle PV. Even when the preceding vehicle PV changes lanes, turns right, turns left, etc., the follow - up driving control unit 3C executes follow - up driving control so that the host vehicle 1 changes lanes, turns right, turns left, etc. along the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle PV (specifically, turns on the hazard warning lights as necessary). When the preceding vehicle PV travels while avoiding obstacles in a road construction section, the follow - up driving control unit 3C executes follow - up driving control so that the host vehicle 1 also travels while avoiding obstacles in the road construction section along the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle PV. When the host vehicle 1 to which the follow - up driving control device 16 of the first embodiment is applied is used for driving (traveling), delivery work in the delivery industry, etc., the fatigue of the driver of the host vehicle 1 can be significantly reduced.

[0020] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of follow-me driving, in which the vehicle 1 follows the preceding vehicle PV. Specifically, Figure 2(A) shows the state in which the vehicle 1 is following the preceding vehicle PV, Figure 2(B) shows the state in which another vehicle OV has cut in between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, Figure 2(C) shows the state in which the vehicle 1 has overtaken the other vehicle OV that cut in between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, and Figure 2(D) shows the state in which the vehicle 1 has resumed follow-me driving with the preceding vehicle PV. As shown in Figure 2(A), if there are no circumstances that prevent the vehicle 1 from following the preceding vehicle PV, the follow-me driving control unit 3C executes follow-me driving control in which the vehicle 1 follows the preceding vehicle PV. As shown in Figure 2(B), if another vehicle OV intervenes between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1, if the follow-up driving control unit 3C continues to perform follow-up driving control, there is a risk that the own vehicle 1 may come into contact with the other vehicle OV or be blocked by the other vehicle OV, causing the recognition unit 3B to be unable to recognize the preceding vehicle PV (in other words, circumstances arise that prevent the own vehicle 1 from following the preceding vehicle PV).

[0021] Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 1, the target trajectory generation unit 3D generates a target trajectory for the vehicle 1 that traces a different trajectory from the trajectory of the preceding vehicle PV. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 2, the target trajectory generation unit 3D generates a trajectory for the vehicle 1 to overtake another vehicle OV that has cut in between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2(C). In detail, before generating the trajectory for the vehicle 1 to overtake the other vehicle OV, the target trajectory generation unit 3D determines whether it is possible for the vehicle 1 to overtake the other vehicle OV based on information indicating the status of the vehicle 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 3A (for example, weather information, information on the number of surrounding vehicles, information on the narrowness of the road the vehicle 1 is traveling on, information indicating whether the driver of the vehicle 1 is in a hurry, etc.). If the target trajectory generation unit 3D determines that it is impossible for the vehicle 1 to overtake the other vehicle OV, it does not generate a trajectory for the vehicle 1 to overtake the other vehicle OV.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the non-following driving control unit 3E automatically drives the host vehicle 1 along the target driving trajectory generated by the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D (that is, without the need for the driver of the host vehicle 1 to perform steering, braking, and accelerator operations). Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIGS. 2(C) and 2(D), the non-following driving control unit 3E drives the host vehicle 1 along the target driving trajectory indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2(C), and the host vehicle 1 overtakes the other vehicle OV. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the target driving trajectory generated by the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D is a target driving trajectory along which following driving control can be resumed, and the non-following driving control unit 3E automatically drives the host vehicle 1 along that target driving trajectory. When the host vehicle 1 reaches a position where following driving control can be resumed as shown in FIG. 2(D), the following driving control unit 3C resumes following driving control. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 2, when the following driving control unit 3C is executing following driving control as shown in FIG. 2(A), and a situation (interruption by the other vehicle OV) occurs where the following driving control unit 3C cannot continue following driving control as shown in FIG. 2(B), the following driving control unit 3C interrupts following driving control, the recognition unit 3B continues to recognize the preceding vehicle PV, and the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D generates a target driving trajectory along which following driving control can be resumed as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2(C). Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 2, even when a situation occurs where the host vehicle 1 cannot follow the preceding vehicle PV, the host vehicle 1 can appropriately continue following the preceding vehicle PV.

[0023] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the determination unit 3F executes determination as to whether it is easy to recognize the preceding vehicle PV by the recognition unit 3B. For example, when the road on which the preceding vehicle PV and the host vehicle 1 are traveling extends in a substantially straight line without branching, the determination unit 3F determines that it is easy to recognize the preceding vehicle PV by the recognition unit 3B. When the determination unit 3F determines that it is easy to recognize the preceding vehicle PV by the recognition unit 3B, the following driving control unit 3C executes following driving control with an increased inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the host vehicle 1 compared to when the determination unit 3F determines that it is not easy to recognize the preceding vehicle PV by the recognition unit 3B. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the driver of the preceding vehicle PV is misunderstood as if the host vehicle 1 is performing a harassing drive against the preceding vehicle PV.

[0024] In the example shown in Figure 1, the following process can also be performed to reduce the risk that the driver of the preceding vehicle PV may mistakenly believe that vehicle 1 is tailgating vehicle PV. Specifically, if the execution time of the follow-up driving control by the follow-up driving control unit 3C continues for a threshold period or longer, there is a risk that the driver of the preceding vehicle PV may mistakenly believe that vehicle 1 is tailgating vehicle PV. Therefore, the follow-up driving control unit 3C increases the distance between vehicle 1 and vehicle PV compared to when the execution time of the follow-up driving control by the follow-up driving control unit 3C does not continue for a threshold period or longer, and then performs the follow-up driving control. When the follow-driving control unit 3C is performing follow-driving control by increasing the distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1, as shown in Figure 2(B), if another vehicle OV cuts in between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1 (more specifically, for example, if a predetermined time has elapsed after the other vehicle OV cuts in between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1, or if the own vehicle 1 has traveled a predetermined distance after the other vehicle OV cuts in between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1), the follow-driving control unit 3C interrupts the follow-driving control, the recognition unit 3B continues to recognize the preceding vehicle PV, the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D generates a target driving trajectory that allows the follow-driving control to be resumed, and the non-follow-driving control unit 3E drives the own vehicle 1 along the target driving trajectory to a position where the follow-driving control can be resumed. In another example, if it is predicted, for example based on map information, that vehicle 1 will pass through an intersection or the like where it will be difficult for vehicle 1 to overtake other vehicle OV, the non-follow driving control unit 3E may start non-follow driving control (vehicle 1 overtaking other vehicle OV) before the predetermined time described above has elapsed.

[0025] In yet another example, the recognition unit 3B recognizes the preceding vehicle PV based on the forward camera image of the camera that takes pictures of the area in front of the vehicle 1, which is the detection result of the surrounding situation sensor 12 (i.e., it performs image recognition). The target driving trajectory generation unit 3D determines, for example, that the degree to which the recognition unit 3B recognizes the preceding vehicle PV has decreased after the other vehicle OV has intercepted the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, based on the proportion of the preceding vehicle PV included in the forward camera image before the other vehicle OV intercepts the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, and the proportion of the preceding vehicle PV included in the forward camera image after the other vehicle OV intercepts the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1. If the recognition unit 3D determines that the degree to which the recognition unit 3B recognizes the preceding vehicle PV has decreased after the other vehicle OV intercepts the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, it generates a target driving trajectory for the vehicle 1 that moves the vehicle 1 in a direction that increases the degree to which the recognition unit 3B recognizes the preceding vehicle PV (for example, to the right or to the left in the width direction of the vehicle 1).

[0026] In another example, if the recognition unit 3B is unable to recognize the preceding vehicle PV based on the detection results of the surrounding situation sensor 12, the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D estimates the position of the preceding vehicle PV based on information indicating the shape of the vehicle's road obtained from map information acquired by the map information acquisition device 14 and the detection results of the surrounding situation sensor 12. The non-follow driving control unit 3E also increases the speed of the vehicle 1 to the level before the recognition unit 3B was unable to recognize the preceding vehicle PV. Furthermore, the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D generates a target driving trajectory for the vehicle 1 that overtakes the other vehicle OV that cut in between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, which was the cause of the recognition unit 3B being unable to recognize the preceding vehicle PV. This allows the vehicle 1 to resume following the preceding vehicle PV.

[0027] In other examples, for instance, if the preceding vehicle PV does not stop at a traffic light but the vehicle 1 stops at that traffic light, or if the road on which the preceding vehicle PV is traveling and the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling diverge, the distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1 when the non-following driving control unit 3E is automatically driving the vehicle 1 along the target driving trajectory becomes greater than the distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1 when follow-driving control is in effect. In such cases, the non-following driving control unit 3E increases the speed of the vehicle 1 compared to when follow-driving control is in effect. This allows the vehicle 1 to resume following the preceding vehicle PV.

[0028] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the processor 163 of the follow-me driving control device 16 of the first embodiment (more specifically, processing performed during the execution of follow-me driving control). In the example shown in Figure 3, in step S10, for example, the follow-me driving control unit 3C determines whether circumstances have arisen that prevent the continuation of follow-me driving control. If YES, the process proceeds to step S11; if NO, the process shown in Figure 3 is terminated. In step S11, the follow-me driving control unit 3C interrupts follow-me driving control. In step S12, the recognition unit 3B continues to recognize the preceding vehicle PV. In step S13, for example, the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D determines whether it is possible to generate a target driving trajectory that allows the restart of follow-me driving control. If YES, the process proceeds to step S14; if NO, the process proceeds to step S17. For example, if the recognition unit 3B loses sight of the preceding vehicle PV at a junction, intersection, etc., and is unable to recognize the preceding vehicle PV, the result in step S13 is NO. In step S14, the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D generates a target driving trajectory for the vehicle 1. In step S15, the non-follow driving control unit 3E executes non-follow driving control (that is, it automatically drives the vehicle 1 along the target driving trajectory generated by the target driving trajectory generation unit 3D). When the vehicle 1 reaches a position where follow driving control can be resumed, in step S16, the follow driving control unit 3C resumes follow driving control. In step S17, the follow driving control unit 3C terminates the follow driving control without resuming it.

[0029] Even if the HMI15 receives an operation from the driver of vehicle 1 to turn off follow-up driving, the follow-up driving control unit 3C will discontinue follow-up driving control in a step not shown. Similarly, if the HMI15 receives steering, braking, or other operations from the driver of vehicle 1, it will transition from automatic driving to manual driving, and the follow-up driving control unit 3C will discontinue follow-up driving control in a step not shown. If dangerous driving by the preceding vehicle PV, such as running a red light, is detected by the surrounding conditions sensor 12, or if the preceding vehicle PV exhibits behavior that rejects the following of the preceding vehicle PV by the vehicle 1 (for example, the preceding vehicle PV yielding the right of way to the vehicle 1 by moving to the shoulder, the preceding vehicle PV accelerating rapidly, the preceding vehicle PV frequently (unnecessarily) repeating lane changes, right turns, left turns, etc.), or if a person (for example, a road crosser, pedestrian, etc.) cuts in between the preceding vehicle PV and the vehicle 1, the following driving control unit 3C will discontinue the following driving control in a step not shown, because the vehicle 1 cannot safely continue following the preceding vehicle PV.

[0030] <Second Embodiment> The vehicle 1 to which the follow-me driving control device 16 of the second embodiment is applied is configured in the same way as the vehicle 1 to which the follow-me driving control device 16 of the first embodiment is applied, except for the points described later.

[0031] Figure 4 shows an example of a vehicle 1 to which the follow-me driving control device 16 of the second embodiment is applied. In the example shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 does not have a communication device 17 (see Figure 4), but in the example shown in Figure 4, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a communication device 17. The communication device 17 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles, such as a preceding vehicle PV.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 4, the acquisition unit 3A acquires information about the preceding vehicle PV (for example, information that the preceding vehicle PV is an autonomous vehicle, information that the preceding vehicle PV is a friend's car, etc.) via the communication device 17. The determination unit 3F determines whether it is possible to perform follow-up driving control without increasing the distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1, based on the information about the preceding vehicle PV acquired by the acquisition unit 3A. If the determination unit 3F determines that follow-up driving control is possible, the follow-up driving control unit 3C performs follow-up driving control without increasing the distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the own vehicle 1. Therefore, the risk of the driver of the preceding vehicle PV mistakenly believing that the own vehicle 1 is engaging in aggressive driving towards the preceding vehicle PV can be suppressed. In another example, the driver of the own vehicle 1 may input information about the preceding vehicle PV (for example, information that the preceding vehicle PV is an autonomous vehicle, information that the preceding vehicle PV is a friend's car, etc.) via the HMI 15, and the acquisition unit 3A may acquire that information. In another example, to prevent a situation where the vehicle 1 is unable to follow the preceding vehicle PV, the following driving control unit 3C may, for example, send a request to the preceding vehicle PV via the communication device 17 to decelerate, to stop on the shoulder of the road, or not to enter the intersection on a yellow light.

[0033] In yet another example, while the follow-driving control unit 3C is performing follow-driving control, the power consumption of the surrounding situation sensors 12 used for the recognition of the preceding vehicle PV by the recognition unit 3B may be reduced to at least less than when the non-follow-driving control unit 3E is automatically driving the vehicle 1 along the target driving trajectory (for example, by reducing the number of sensors used, or by reducing the sampling rate of the sensors). In yet another example, the follow-driving control unit 3C may estimate the destination of the preceding vehicle PV based on the detection results of the surrounding situation sensors 12 used for the recognition of the preceding vehicle PV by the recognition unit 3B (for example, the place name on the license plate of the preceding vehicle PV, or the destination display of the bus if the preceding vehicle PV is a bus), and set the preceding vehicle PV as the target vehicle for follow-driving in the follow-driving control based on the comparison result between the destination of the vehicle 1 and the destination of the preceding vehicle PV (specifically, when the destination of the vehicle 1 and the destination of the preceding vehicle PV are close). In another example, the acquisition unit 3A may acquire timetable information for a bus acting as a preceding vehicle PV (for example, from the bus company's website via the communication device 17), and the follow-driving control unit 3C may select a bus that its own vehicle 1 should follow during the execution of follow-driving control based on the timetable information acquired by the acquisition unit 3A.

[0034] If the preceding vehicle PV is, for example, a motorcycle and has a narrow width, simply following the preceding vehicle PV may not allow the vehicle 1 to avoid obstacles in the road construction section. In another example, the follow-up driving control unit 3C may, based on the detection result of free space by the surrounding situation sensor 12, correct the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle PV that the vehicle 1 should follow so that the vehicle 1 can avoid obstacles in the road construction section. In yet another example, the follow-up driving control unit 3C may determine whether the width of the preceding vehicle PV and the width of the vehicle 1 are the same based on the detection result of the preceding vehicle PV by the surrounding situation sensor 12, and if the width of the preceding vehicle PV and the width of the vehicle 1 are the same, the vehicle 1 may execute follow-up driving control in which the vehicle 1 follows the preceding vehicle PV. In yet another example, the follow-up driving control unit 3C may activate the brake actuator 16B of its own vehicle 1 based on the detection result of the surrounding condition sensor 12 detecting that the brake lamp of the preceding vehicle PV is lit, while the follow-up driving control is being performed.

[0035] In further examples, the follow-up driving control unit 3C may estimate the presence of the end of a traffic jam or the possibility of the preceding vehicle PV changing lanes, turning right, or turning left based on the detection results of the surrounding situation sensor 12 of the preceding vehicle PV, such as sudden deceleration, activation of turn signals, or activation of hazard lights. Based on the detection result of the surrounding situation sensor 12 of the preceding vehicle PV activating its right turn signal, the follow-up driving control unit 3C may move its own vehicle 1 to the far right lane before the preceding vehicle PV turns right, or adjust the vehicle speed so that its own vehicle 1 can change lanes to the right lane and ensure that there are no vehicles driving alongside its own vehicle 1 on its right side. The driver of its own vehicle 1 can make a request to the follow-up driving control device 16 (autonomous driving ECU) similar to the request to a taxi driver for the preceding vehicle PV to follow.

[0036] As described above, embodiments of the follow-me driving control device, follow-me driving control method, and program of this disclosure have been explained with reference to the drawings. However, the follow-me driving control device, follow-me driving control method, and program of this disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The configurations of each example of the embodiments described above may be combined as appropriate. In each example of the embodiments described above, the processing performed by the follow-me driving control device 16 was described as software processing performed by executing a program, but the processing performed by the follow-me driving control device 16 may also be hardware processing. Alternatively, the processing performed by the follow-me driving control device 16 may be a combination of both software and hardware processing. Furthermore, the program stored in the memory 162 of the follow-me driving control device 16 (the program that realizes the functions of the processor 163 of the follow-me driving control device 16) may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, magnetic recording medium, or optical recording medium and provided and distributed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1...Own vehicle, 11...Vehicle status sensor, 12...Surrounding conditions sensor, 13...Location information acquisition device, 14...Map information acquisition device, 15...HMI, 16...Follow-up driving control device, 161...Communication interface, 162...Memory, 163...Processor, 3A...Acquisition unit, 3B...Recognition unit, 3C...Follow-up driving control unit, 3D...Target driving trajectory generation unit, 3E...Non-follow-up driving control unit, 3F...Determination unit, 16A...Steering actuator, 16B...Brake actuator, 16C...Drive actuator, 17...Communication device, PV...Preceding vehicle, OV...Other vehicles,

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes the vehicle ahead, A follow-driving control unit that performs follow-driving control in which the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, A target trajectory generation unit generates a target trajectory for the vehicle itself that draws a trajectory different from the trajectory of the preceding vehicle, A non-following driving control unit that automatically drives the vehicle along the target driving trajectory generated by the target driving trajectory generation unit, The system includes a determination unit that determines whether the recognition unit can easily recognize the preceding vehicle, If circumstances arise during the execution of the follow-up driving control that prevent the follow-up driving control from continuing the follow-up driving control, the follow-up driving control interrupts the follow-up driving control, the recognition unit continues to recognize the preceding vehicle, and the target driving trajectory generation unit generates a target driving trajectory that allows the follow-up driving control to resume. A follow-up driving control device that, when the road on which the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle are traveling extends in a generally straight line without branching, and the determination unit determines that the recognition unit can easily recognize the preceding vehicle, the follow-up driving control unit increases the distance between the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle to the extent that it is not easy for the recognition unit to recognize the preceding vehicle, and performs the follow-up driving control.

2. The target trajectory generated by the target trajectory generation unit is the trajectory of the vehicle to overtake another vehicle that has cut in between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle itself, The vehicle includes an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the status of the vehicle, The follow-me driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the target driving trajectory generation unit determines whether or not it is possible for the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle based on information indicating the status of the vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit.

3. A recognition step in which the follow-me driving control device recognizes the preceding vehicle, A follow-driving control step in which the follow-driving control device performs follow-driving control in which the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, The aforementioned follow-up driving control device includes a target driving trajectory generation step that generates a target driving trajectory for the vehicle itself that draws a driving trajectory different from the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle, The following driving control device includes a non-following driving control step which causes the vehicle to automatically drive along the target driving trajectory generated in the target driving trajectory generation step, The following driving control device includes a determination step of determining whether or not the recognition of the preceding vehicle in the recognition step is easy, If circumstances arise during the execution of the follow-up driving control that prevent the follow-up driving control from continuing the follow-up driving control, the follow-up driving control generates a target driving trajectory that allows the follow-up driving control to interrupt the follow-up driving control, continue to recognize the preceding vehicle, and resume the follow-up driving control. A follow-up driving control method in which, when the road on which the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle are traveling extends in a generally straight line without branching, and the determination step determines that the recognition of the preceding vehicle is easy in the recognition step, the follow-up driving control device increases the distance between the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle to perform the follow-up driving control compared to when the determination step determines that the recognition of the preceding vehicle is not easy in the recognition step.

4. The processor includes: A recognition step to recognize the vehicle ahead, A follow-driving control step in which the vehicle performs follow-driving control in which the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, A target trajectory generation step that generates a target trajectory for the vehicle itself that draws a trajectory different from the trajectory of the preceding vehicle, A non-following driving control step which causes the vehicle to automatically drive along the target driving trajectory generated in the target driving trajectory generation step, A program for performing the recognition step and a determination step for determining whether the recognition of the preceding vehicle is easy or not, If circumstances arise during the execution of the aforementioned follow-up driving control that prevent the continuation of the follow-up driving control, the follow-up driving control is interrupted, the recognition of the preceding vehicle is continued, and a target driving trajectory is generated that allows the follow-up driving control to be resumed. A program that, when the road on which the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle are traveling extends in a generally straight line without branching, and when it is determined in the determination step that the recognition of the preceding vehicle is easy, the program executes the follow-up driving control by increasing the distance between the preceding vehicle and the self-vehicle compared to when it is determined in the determination step that the recognition of the preceding vehicle is not easy.

Images