Vehicle control device, vehicle control program, and vehicle control method

Abstract

An automated driving ECU (50b) as a vehicle control device autonomously controls driving of a host vehicle (Am). The automated driving ECU (50b) comprises an environment recognition unit (62) that recognizes environmental information at an intersection (IS). The automated driving ECU (50b) further comprises a vehicle attitude setting unit (76) that sets the angle (β) of a steering wheel (SW) in the host vehicle (Am) for when the host vehicle (Am) temporarily stops for a right or left turn at the intersection using the environmental information.

Description

Vehicle control device, vehicle control program, and vehicle control method CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2023-22998 filed in Japan on February 17, 2023, and the contents of the original application are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The disclosure of this specification relates to technology for autonomously controlling the operation of a vehicle.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a technology for autonomously controlling vehicle driving recognizes environmental information around an intersection. When a vehicle attempts to turn right or left at an intersection, if traction control is activated and the vehicle waits to turn, the system determines that the vehicle is in a safe position and waits in the safe waiting area.

[0004] Patent No. 6820734

[0005] The technology in Patent Document 1 sets the stop position for turning right or left based on environmental information of the intersection. However, since it does not take into consideration smooth starting of the vehicle after stopping temporarily, there is room for improvement in convenience.

[0006] One of the purposes of the disclosure of this specification is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control program, and a vehicle control method that improve convenience in driving.

[0007] One aspect disclosed herein is a vehicle control device that autonomously controls the driving of a vehicle, and includes an environmental recognition unit that recognizes environmental information at an intersection, and a setting unit that uses the environmental information to set the angle of the steering wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle stops temporarily to turn right or left at the intersection.

[0008] Another aspect disclosed herein is a vehicle control program that autonomously controls the driving of a vehicle, and is configured to cause at least one processing unit to recognize environmental information at an intersection, and use the environmental information to set the angle of the steering wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle stops temporarily in conjunction with turning right or left at the intersection.

[0009] Another aspect disclosed herein is a vehicle control method executed by at least one processing unit to autonomously control the driving of a vehicle, the method including: recognizing environmental information at an intersection; and using the environmental information to set the angle of the steering wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle stops temporarily to turn right or left at the intersection.

[0010] According to this aspect, when the vehicle stops temporarily to turn right or left at an intersection, the steering angle can be optimized in accordance with the environment of the intersection, taking into account the start of the vehicle after the stop. Therefore, the turn can be completed smoothly after the vehicle starts again. Therefore, convenience in driving can be improved.

[0011] Note that the symbols in parentheses included in the claims etc. are intended to exemplify the correspondence with the parts of the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the technical scope.

[0012] 1 is a block diagram showing an overall view of a vehicle system. A block diagram showing details of an automatic driving ECU. A diagram explaining angles α and β. A diagram explaining angle γ. A diagram explaining attitude PA. A diagram explaining attitude PB. A diagram explaining attitude PC. A diagram explaining attitude PD. A diagram explaining attitude PE. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram explaining a crosswalk and a continuous intersection. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram showing an example of multiple lanes for right and left turns. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram showing an example where an oncoming vehicle is present. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram showing an example where trajectories interfere. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram showing an example where angle α is large. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram explaining a roundabout. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram explaining a situation inside a roundabout. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A diagram showing an example in which an oncoming vehicle is present. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU. A configuration diagram showing details of the automatic driving ECU. A flowchart showing a processing method by an automatic driving ECU.

[0013] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that corresponding components in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another embodiment described previously can be applied to the remaining portion of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of several embodiments can also be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0014] (First embodiment) A vehicle system 1 is capable of performing autonomous control of driving (hereinafter referred to as autonomous driving control), and can be used in vehicles with automation levels 2 to 5, for example. The vehicle system 1 is installed in a host vehicle Am. The automation level is an index indicating the stage of autonomous driving of an autonomous vehicle, and there can be multiple levels, as defined by the SAE, for example. The automation level is divided into levels 0 to 5, for example, as follows:

[0015] Level 0 is a level at which the driver performs all driving tasks without system intervention. The driving task may be another term for dynamic driving task. Examples of driving tasks include steering, acceleration / deceleration, and periphery monitoring. Level 0 corresponds to so-called fully manual driving. Level 1 is a level at which the system assists with either steering or acceleration / deceleration. Level 1 corresponds to so-called driving assistance. Level 2 is a level at which the system assists with both steering and acceleration / deceleration. Level 2 corresponds to partial driving automation. For example, at levels 1 and 2, the driver has the responsibility to monitor safe driving (hereinafter referred to as the monitoring responsibility). In other words, levels 1 and 2 may be classified as manual driving in a broad sense. The monitoring responsibility includes visual monitoring of the surroundings.

[0016] Level 3 is a level at which the system can perform all driving tasks under certain conditions, and the driver takes over driving operations in an emergency. Level 3 autonomous driving requires the driver to be able to respond quickly when the system requests a handover of driving. This handover of driving can also be described as the transfer of the responsibility of monitoring the surroundings from the vehicle's system to the driver. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional automated driving. Level 3 includes area-limited level 3, which is limited to a specific area. The specific area here may be a highway. The specific area may be, for example, a specific lane. Level 3 also includes congestion-limited level 3, which is limited to traffic jams. Congestion-limited level 3 autonomous driving corresponds to congestion-limited autonomous driving. Congestion-limited level 3 may be configured to be limited to traffic jams on highways, for example. Expressways may include expressways.

[0017] Level 4 is a level at which the system can perform all driving tasks except in specific situations such as incompatible roads and extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to what is known as highly automated driving. Level 5 automated driving is a level at which the system can perform all driving tasks in any environment. Level 5 corresponds to what is known as fully automated driving. Levels 4 and 5 automated driving may be performed, for example, on driving sections where high-precision map data has been developed. High-precision map data will be described later.

[0018] For example, levels 4 to 5 may be classified as autonomous driving. Autonomous driving at levels 3 to 5 can be said to be autonomous driving where the driver does not have a supervisory obligation. During autonomous driving at levels 3 to 5, a second task may be permitted. A second task is an action other than driving that is permitted to the driver and is a specific action that is specified in advance. A second task can also be referred to as work other than the driving task. A second task can also be referred to as a secondary activity or other activity. A second task must not prevent the driver from responding to a request from the system to take over driving operations (hereinafter referred to as a driving change request). As examples, activities such as watching content such as videos, operating a smartphone, reading, and eating are considered as second tasks.

[0019] Of the levels 3 to 5 of autonomous driving, levels 4 and above correspond to autonomous driving in which the driver is permitted to sleep. In other words, they correspond to sleep-permitting autonomous driving. Levels 4 and above can also be described as autonomous driving in which the driver does not need to take over driving even in an emergency. Of the levels 3 to 5 of autonomous driving, level 3 corresponds to autonomous driving in which the driver is not permitted to sleep (hereinafter referred to as sleep-non-permitting autonomous driving). The autonomous vehicle of this embodiment is assumed to be capable of switching the automation level. The automation level may be configured to be switchable only between some of levels 0 to 5. The autonomous vehicle of this embodiment is capable of switching at least between autonomous driving without supervision and manual driving.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle system 1 includes a perimeter monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a navigation ECU 38, an on-board communication device 39, a cruise control ECU 40, a body ECU 43, a driving assistance ECU 50a, an autonomous driving ECU 50b, and an HCU 100. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30, the locator 35, the navigation ECU 38, the on-board communication device 39, the cruise control ECU 40, the body ECU 43, the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the HCU 100 are communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an on-board network mounted in the host vehicle Am. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Specific nodes among these devices and ECUs may be directly electrically connected to each other by wire harnesses or the like and be able to communicate without using the communication bus 99.

[0021] The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment surrounding the host vehicle Am. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, one or more of a camera unit 31, a millimeter-wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and a sonar 34. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 is capable of detecting moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. The vehicle system 1 of this embodiment is equipped with multiple perimeter monitoring sensors 30 so that objects can be detected farther away and with higher accuracy than those in front, to the sides, and behind the host vehicle Am.

[0022] The locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. The locator 35 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of the host vehicle Am by combining positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results from the inertial sensor, and vehicle speed information output to the communication bus 99. The locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of the host vehicle Am based on the positioning results to the communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0023] The navigation ECU 38 acquires information about a destination specified by occupants, including the driver, based on operation information acquired from the HCU 100. The navigation ECU 38 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 35, and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, etc. The navigation ECU 38 works in conjunction with the HMI system 10 to provide route guidance to the destination by combining screen displays and voice messages, etc., and notifying the driver of the traveling direction TD1 of the vehicle Am at intersections IS, branch points, etc.

[0024] Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network or the HCU 100. Such a user terminal may provide the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. with vehicle position information, direction information, map data, etc. instead of the locator 35. Furthermore, the user terminal may provide the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, etc. with route information to the destination instead of the navigation ECU 38.

[0025] The in-vehicle communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the host vehicle Am and functions as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 39 transmits and receives information via wireless communication with roadside devices installed on the side of the road. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives congestion information, road construction information, and the like around the current location of the host vehicle Am and in the traveling direction TD1 from the roadside devices. The congestion information and road construction information are VICS (registered trademark) information, and the like. The in-vehicle communication device 39 provides the received congestion information and road construction information to the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like.

[0026] The cruise control ECU 40 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The cruise control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The cruise control ECU 40 operates the driving actuator 41 based on one of an operation command based on the driver's driving operation, a control command from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and a control command from the autonomous driving ECU 50b. As shown in FIG. 2 , the driving actuator 41 includes a brake actuator 41a for controlling the braking force of each wheel, a powertrain 41b for controlling the acceleration of the vehicle, and a steering actuator 41c for controlling steering.

[0027] The steering actuator 41c is configured to be able to change the angle β of the steering wheels SW of the host vehicle Am. For example, in this embodiment, the traveling directions TD0 and TD1 of the host vehicle Am can be controlled by controlling the angles of the two front wheels, which are the steering wheels SW, among the four wheels of the host vehicle Am. The angle β in this embodiment may refer to the direction of the steering wheels SW relative to a reference angle, where the reference angle is a state in which the steering wheels SW are aligned with the front of the vehicle body CB (straight ahead direction), as shown in FIG. 3, for example.

[0028] The annular steering operation unit that can be operated by the driver of the host vehicle Am is configured to rotate in coordination with the steering actuator 41c operating the steering wheel SW. The ratio between the amount of rotation of the steering operation unit and the amount of change in angle of the steering wheel SW is set to be substantially the same as the ratio when the driver manually operates the steering operation unit. With this configuration, even during autonomous driving control, the occupant can visually understand how the host vehicle Am is being steered.

[0029] The body ECU 43 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The body ECU 43 has functions such as controlling the operation of lighting devices mounted on the host vehicle Am. The lighting devices include, for example, turn signals 44 and hazard lights. Based on detection of a user operation input to a turn signal switch (winker lever) provided on the steering column or the like, the body ECU 43 starts flashing either the left or right turn signal 44 corresponding to the direction of operation. Furthermore, during autonomous driving control, the body ECU 43 can flash the turn signal 44 in conjunction with turning right or left at an intersection IS based on a control command from the automatic driving ECU 50b.

[0030] 1, the HCU 100 is electrically connected to notification devices such as a display device 21 and a speaker 22, and an operation device 26. The HCU 100, the display device 21, the speaker 22, and the operation device 26 constitute the HMI system 10 of the host vehicle Am. Note that a plurality of the display devices 21, the speakers 22, and the operation devices 26 may be provided.

[0031] The display device 21 notifies the driver or other passengers of information visually by displaying an image or the like. The display device 21 may include a meter display, a center information display (hereinafter referred to as CID), a head-up display (hereinafter referred to as HUD), etc. The CID has a touch panel function and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver or other passengers. In other words, the CID also corresponds to the operation device 26. The HUD can display a virtual image floating outside the vehicle. The speaker 22 is installed in the vehicle cabin and reproduces notification sounds, voice messages, etc. within the vehicle cabin.

[0032] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by the driver or other passengers. For example, user operations related to activating and deactivating the autonomous driving function, and user operations related to setting a destination for route guidance are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes the above-mentioned turn signal switch, hazard lamp switch, and CID. The operation device 26 also includes a steer switch provided on the spoke of the steering operation unit, a voice input device that recognizes the content of speech by the driver or other passengers, and the like.

[0033] The HCU 100 is an information presentation device that comprehensively controls notifications using multiple display devices 21 and speakers 22. The HCU 100 controls the notification of information related to autonomous driving in cooperation with the autonomous driving system 50. The HCU 100 is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and buses connecting these. The processing unit 11 accesses the RAM 12 to execute various processes for notification control processing. The RAM 12 may be configured to include a video RAM for generating video data. The storage unit 13 stores various programs executed by the processing unit 11.

[0034] The processing unit 11 may include at least one processor. The processor may include at least one type of core selected from the group consisting of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU. The storage unit 13 may include at least one type of non-transient tangible storage medium selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium, which non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by the processor.

[0035] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b constitute the autonomous driving system 50 of the host vehicle Am. The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations in the autonomous driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables driving assistance of about level 2 or partial autonomous driving.

[0036] The autonomous driving ECU 50b can take over driving operations from the driver and can implement autonomous driving at level 3 or higher, where the system is the main controller. The autonomous driving implemented by the autonomous driving ECU 50b does not require monitoring of the surroundings of the vehicle, i.e., it is eyes-off autonomous driving where the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings.

[0037] In the above-described autonomous driving system 50, the driving control state of the autonomous driving function is switched among a plurality of states, including at least driving assistance control by the driving assistance ECU 50a, which requires monitoring of the surrounding area, and autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b, which does not require monitoring of the surrounding area.

[0038] The driving assistance ECU 50a is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with a processing unit, a random access memory (RAM), a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes driving assistance functions such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane trace control (LTC), and lane change assist (LCA) by executing programs in the processing unit. ACC, LTC, and LCA are called driving assistance applications. The driving assistance ECU 50a provides control status information indicating the state of driving assistance control to the autonomous driving ECU 50b.

[0039] The processing unit may include at least one processor. The processor may include at least one type of core selected from the group consisting of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU. The storage unit may include at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium, which non-temporarily stores programs and data readable by the processor.

[0040] The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing capability than the driving assistance ECU 50a and can perform at least driving control equivalent to ACC and LTC. In situations where the control by the driving assistance ECU 50a is temporarily interrupted, the autonomous driving ECU 50b may be able to perform driving assistance control that requires the driver to monitor the surroundings in place of the driving assistance ECU 50a.

[0041] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 51, RAM 52, storage unit 53, input / output interface 54, and a control circuit that includes a bus connecting these units. The processing unit 51 accesses the RAM 52 to execute various processes for implementing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure. The storage unit 53 stores various programs that are executed by the processing unit 51. The programs include a vehicle control program for autonomously controlling the driving of the vehicle.

[0042] The processing unit 51 may include at least one processor. The processor may include at least one type of core selected from the group consisting of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU. The storage unit 53 may include at least one type of non-transient tangible storage medium selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium, which non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by the processor.

[0043] By executing the program by the processing unit 51, the autonomous driving ECU 50b is configured with multiple functional units for realizing the autonomous driving function, such as an information linkage unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action judgment unit 63, and a control execution unit 64 (see Figure 2).

[0044] The information linking unit 61 provides information to the HCU 100 and acquires information from the HCU 100. Through this linking, the autonomous driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 share the information they have acquired. The information linking unit 61 generates control status information that indicates the operating status of the autonomous driving function, and provides the generated control status information to the HCU 100.

[0045] The information linking unit 61 enables the HCU 100 to issue a notification synchronized with the operating state of the autonomous driving function by outputting control status information to the information linking unit 82. In addition, the information linking unit 61 acquires operation information of the driver or other occupants from the information linking unit 82 and grasps the content of user operations input to the HMI system 10, etc.

[0046] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes environmental information about the surroundings of the host vehicle Am. The environmental information may be acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 39, the locator 35, the surroundings monitoring sensor 30, etc. The environmental information may be recognized by fusing information acquired by the in-vehicle communication device 39, the locator 35, the surroundings monitoring sensor 30, etc.

[0047] The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle recognition unit 72 and a road information recognition unit 73 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment. The other vehicle recognition unit 72 recognizes the relative positions and relative speeds of dynamic targets around the host vehicle, such as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. The other vehicle recognition unit 72 recognizes at least the vehicles ahead and behind traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle Am (hereinafter referred to as the host lane), and vehicles on the side traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the host lane. When the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road with three or more lanes, the other vehicle recognition unit 72 recognizes vehicles on the side traveling in an adjacent lane located on the opposite side of the host lane across the adjacent lane.

[0048] The other vehicle recognition unit 72 also recognizes other vehicles that are present within the intersection IS that the host vehicle Am is about to enter or has entered, and other vehicles that are present outside the intersection IS but in the vicinity of the intersection IS. Information about these other vehicles is included in the environmental information about the intersection IS.

[0049] The road information grasping unit 73 grasps information related to the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. When the road information grasping unit 73 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38, the road information grasping unit 73 extracts specific points on the road on which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to travel, specifically, intersections IS, branch points (junctions, etc.) on expressways, merge points, exit points, etc. Furthermore, the road information grasping unit 73 grasps, for the road on which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to travel, congested sections where congestion is occurring, restricted sections where restrictions are in place due to road construction, etc.

[0050] The road information grasping unit 73 grasps at least a part of the environmental information of the intersection IS as more detailed road information. The environmental information of the intersection IS includes at least one of information on the shape of the intersection IS, information on roads connecting to the intersection IS, information on the traffic lights CTS at the intersection IS, information on road markings at the intersection IS, etc.

[0051] The information regarding the shape of the intersection IS may include at least one of the size of the intersection IS, the number of roads connecting to the intersection IS, the direction of the roads connecting to the intersection IS, and the like.

[0052] The information about the roads connecting to the intersection IS may include at least one of the number of lanes on the connecting road, the role of each lane on the connecting road (left-turn only lane, right-turn only lane, etc.), and the like.

[0053] The information regarding the traffic light CTS at the intersection IS may include at least one of the following: whether or not there is a traffic light CTS, the position and display direction of the traffic light CTS, whether or not there is an arrow signal ATS at the traffic light CTS, control information for the traffic light CTS, etc.

[0054] Information regarding road markings at an intersection IS may include at least one of the following: the presence and location of a crosswalk, the presence and location of a stop line SL, the presence and location of a guidance strip, the presence and location of a safety zone, the presence and location of a regulatory arrow, etc.

[0055] The behavior determination unit 63 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a and the HCU 100 to control the autonomous driving system 50 and the switching of driving between drivers. When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has control of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving trajectory for the host vehicle Am based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62, and outputs the generated driving trajectory to the control execution unit 64. The behavior determination unit 63 has a control switching unit 75 and a vehicle attitude setting unit 76 as sub-function units for controlling the operating state of the autonomous driving function.

[0056] The control switching unit 75 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to switch between level 2 driving control, in which the driver is required to monitor the surroundings, and driving control, in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. In addition, the control switching unit 75 switches between level 3 autonomous driving and level 4 autonomous driving. Furthermore, the control switching unit 75 switches the control state of level 3 autonomous driving among multiple control states, including area-limited control (hereinafter, area level 3) that is implemented only when driving within a specific area, and congestion-limited control (hereinafter, congestion level 3) that is implemented only when driving in congestion. Autonomous driving at level 3 or higher corresponds to autonomous driving control in this embodiment.

[0057] The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the host vehicle Am temporarily stops during autonomous driving control. The vehicle attitude includes the orientation of the vehicle body CB and the angle β of the steering wheel SW. The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may directly set numerical values ​​representing the orientation of the vehicle body CB and the angle β of the steering wheel SW. Alternatively, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the vehicle attitude by selecting an attitude to be adopted from a plurality of predefined vehicle attitudes.

[0058] Here, assuming that driving is on the left side of the road under Japan's Road Traffic Act, consider a scenario in which the host vehicle Am makes a right or left turn at an intersection IS. Here, "right or left turn" refers to a concept that includes both right and left turns. In reality, a right turn and a left turn cannot be simultaneously performed, so "right or left turn" refers to either a right turn or a left turn. In the following, the host vehicle Am is assumed to make a right turn at the intersection IS. As shown in FIG. 4 , the right or left turn angle γ (here, the angle at which the host vehicle Am turns when turning right) is based on the direction of the road connecting to the intersection IS. The right or left turn angle γ can be said to be the angle between the traveling direction TD0 in the host lane EL0 before the right turn (in other words, before entering the intersection IS) and the traveling direction TD1 in the host lane EL1 in which the host vehicle Am will travel after the right turn.

[0059] For example, when the traffic light CTS is displaying a stop signal (e.g., a red light) or when priority is given to other vehicles, such as oncoming vehicles traveling straight ahead, or to pedestrians, the host vehicle Am needs to make a temporary stop before turning right. This temporary stop may be within an intersection IS, or may be before entering the intersection IS. Here, the following five types of vehicle attitudes are assumed when making a temporary stop within the intersection IS: PA, PB, PC, PD, and PE.

[0060] The attitude PA is shown in FIG. 5. In the attitude PA, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is inclined relative to the current lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS so as to face the direction of travel after the right turn. Here, the inclination angle α (see FIG. 3) of the vehicle body CB relative to the current lane EL0 is set smaller than the angle γ for a right or left turn. The steering wheel SW is also inclined relative to the vehicle body CB so as to face the direction of travel TD0 after the right turn. Here, the sum of the inclination angle α and the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set smaller than the angle γ for a right or left turn. The attitude PA is suitable for a relatively large intersection IS, for example, when a stop line SL as a road marking within the intersection IS is set at an incline relative to the current lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS.

[0061] The attitude PB is shown in Figure 6. In the attitude PB, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is inclined relative to the current lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS so as to face the direction of travel after the right turn. Here, the inclination angle α of the vehicle body CB relative to the current lane EL is set smaller than the angle γ for a right or left turn. The steering wheel SW is then substantially in the same direction as the vehicle body CB. In other words, the angle β is substantially 0 degrees. The attitude PB is suitable for a relatively large intersection IS, for example, when the stop line SL serving as a road marking within the intersection IS is set at an angle relative to the current lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS.

[0062] The position PC is shown in Figure 7. In the position PC, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is along the own lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS. The steering wheel SW is tilted relative to the vehicle body CB so as to face the traveling direction TD1 after turning right. Here, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set smaller than the angle γ for turning right or left. The position PC is suitable for a relatively small intersection IS, for example, when there is no stop line SL as a road marking within the intersection IS.

[0063] The position PD is shown in Figure 8. In the position PD, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is along the own lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS. The steering wheel SW is substantially in the same orientation as the vehicle body CB. In other words, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is substantially 0 degrees. The position PC is suitable for a relatively small intersection IS, for example, when there is no stop line SL as a road marking within the intersection IS.

[0064] The position PE is shown in Figure 9. In the position PE, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is tilted so as to face the opposite direction of travel after the right turn with respect to the own lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS. The steering wheel SW is oriented substantially in the same direction as the vehicle body CB. In other words, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is substantially 0 degrees.

[0065] The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 of this embodiment determines the vehicle attitude when making a temporary stop based on the size of the intersection IS. Specifically, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 selects the most appropriate vehicle attitude from the above-mentioned attitudes PA, PB, and PD.

[0066] Here, in the position PA, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that it is tilted so that it points more in the direction of travel after a right turn than the vehicle body CB, while in the positions PB and PD, the steering wheel SW faces substantially the same direction as the vehicle body CB. The position PA is selected when the intersection IS is larger than a preset threshold. In other words, when the size of the intersection IS is larger than a predetermined threshold, the angle β is set so that it points more in the direction of travel after a right turn than the vehicle body CB. Conversely, at a small intersection IS, if the angle β is set, the overhang of the steering wheel SW may become an obstacle and disrupt traffic flow, so the angle β is set to 0.

[0067] The size of the intersection IS here may be simply defined by the area of ​​the entire intersection IS, or may be defined by the distance between the edge of the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left (in other words, the connecting portion with the intersection IS) and the edge of the road on the opposite side of the road.

[0068] When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has control of the driving operation, the control execution unit 64 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, etc. of the host vehicle Am in accordance with the driving trajectory generated by the action determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands for each driving actuator based on the planned driving trajectory and outputs the generated control commands to the cruise control ECU 40 one after another.

[0069] When the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude for the temporary stop, the control execution unit 64 generates a control command such that the operation from the traveling state to the temporary stop is completed in that attitude. That is, among the vehicle attitudes, the angle β of the steering wheel SW can be changed during the temporary stop. However, changing the angle β during the temporary stop causes the steering wheel SW to rub against the road surface, resulting in wear on the steering wheel SW and the road surface. Furthermore, if a situation arises in which the host vehicle Am needs to restart during the angle change operation, there is a possibility that the host vehicle Am will not be able to restart smoothly.

[0070] From this, the control execution unit 64 calculates the output to each driving actuator 41 so that the angle β of the steering wheel SW gradually approaches the set attitude from the time of traveling until the time of making a temporary stop, and the angle β becomes the set angle when the operation up to the temporary stop is completed. Each driving actuator 41 operates according to a control command based on such calculation, thereby smoothing the series of driving operations before and after making a temporary stop at the intersection IS.

[0071] Next, an example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b will be described using the flowchart in Figure 10. The series of processes shown in steps S111 to S118 are performed based on a predetermined trigger by at least one processor of the autonomous driving ECU 50b executing a program. This series of processes is performed when the driving of the host vehicle Am is autonomously controlled and a plan to make a right or left turn at an intersection IS arises.

[0072] In S111, the environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the environment information of the intersection IS. After the process of S111, the process proceeds to S112.

[0073] In S112, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the size of the intersection IS is equal to or larger than a preset threshold value Ts1. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S114. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S113.

[0074] In S113, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the size of the intersection IS is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value Ts2. Here, the threshold value Ts2 is assumed to be smaller than Ts1. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to S115. If the answer is No, the process proceeds to S116.

[0075] In S114, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PA (see FIG. 5). That is, the steering angle β of the steering wheel SW is set relative to the vehicle body CB. After the processing of S114, the process proceeds to S117.

[0076] In S115, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle stops at the intersection IS to the attitude PB (see FIG. 6). That is, the setting is made without the angle β. After the processing of S115, the process proceeds to S118.

[0077] In S116, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle stops at the intersection IS to the attitude PD (see FIG. 8). That is, the setting is made without the angle β. After the processing of S115, the process proceeds to S118.

[0078] In S117 when the angle β is set, the control execution unit 64 calculates the value of the output to the driving actuator 41 so that the set angle β is obtained when the temporary stop operation is completed. After processing S117, the process proceeds to S119.

[0079] In S118 when the angle β is not set, the control execution unit 64 calculates the value of the output to the driving actuator 41 in the same way as during a normal temporary stop. That is, it calculates the value of the output to the driving actuator 41 so that the angle β becomes substantially 0 when the temporary stop operation is completed. After processing S118, the process proceeds to S119.

[0080] In S119, the control execution unit 64 executes control by outputting a control command based on the calculations in S117 and S118 to the cruise control ECU 40. After S119, the series of processes ends.

[0081] The size of the intersection IS may be the area of ​​the intersection IS, and the thresholds Ts1 and Ts2 may be values ​​corresponding to the area. The size of the intersection IS may be expressed as data classified into "large," "medium," and "small" in the map DB 36 or the like. In this case, in S112, a determination condition equivalent to the determination using the threshold Ts1 may be set so that "large" is determined as Yes and "medium" and "small" are determined as No. In S113, a determination condition equivalent to the determination using the threshold Ts2 may be set so that "medium" is determined as Yes and "small" is determined as No.

[0082] According to the first embodiment described above, when the host vehicle Am temporarily stops to turn right or left at an intersection IS, the angle β of the steering wheel SW can be optimized in accordance with the environment of the intersection IS, taking into account the start of the vehicle after the temporary stop. Therefore, the vehicle can smoothly complete the right or left turn after restarting. Therefore, convenience in driving can be improved.

[0083] Furthermore, the host vehicle Am is controlled from traveling to stopping temporarily so that the temporary stop operation is completed at the set steering wheel SW angle β. This makes it possible to improve the smoothness of restarting while avoiding the steering wheel SW from rubbing against the road surface during the temporary stop.

[0084] Furthermore, when the size of the intersection IS is equal to or larger than a preset threshold, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left relative to the direction of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. The angle β is set when it is determined that setting the angle β will not impede traffic flow, thereby promoting smooth traffic flow at the intersection IS.

[0085] Furthermore, when the size of the intersection IS is smaller than a preset threshold, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the direction of the steering wheel SW is aligned with the direction of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. When setting the angle β is deemed to impede traffic flow, setting the angle β is avoided, thereby promoting smooth traffic flow at the intersection IS.

[0086] In addition to the angle β of the steering wheel SW, the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the vehicle Am with respect to the lane EL0 in which the vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left is also set. By comprehensively setting the vehicle attitude, it is possible to improve smoothness when restarting.

[0087] The autonomous driving ECU 40b in the first embodiment corresponds to the "vehicle control device." The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 corresponds to the "setting unit."

[0088] 11 and 12, the second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0089] In the second embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop in accordance with information indicating the presence or absence of a crosswalk PCW at the intersection IS and intersection continuity information, which are environmental information about the intersection IS (see FIG. 11 ). The crosswalk PCW here refers to a crosswalk located in the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left, with the center of the intersection IS as the reference point.

[0090] The consecutive intersection information is information that indicates that the next intersection NIS is located consecutively in the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left from the intersection IS where the vehicle Am is planning to turn. The term "consecutive" here may mean that multiple intersections IS are located within a distance that allows the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 of the vehicle Am to detect an object ahead.

[0091] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the second embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 12. The series of processes shown in steps S211 to S217 are performed based on a predetermined trigger by at least one processor of the autonomous driving ECU 50b executing a program. This series of processes is performed when the driving of the host vehicle Am is autonomously controlled and a plan to make a right or left turn at an intersection IS arises.

[0092] In S211, the environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the environment information of the intersection IS. That is, S211 is the same as S111 in the first embodiment. After the processing of S211, the process proceeds to S212.

[0093] In S212, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not a pedestrian crossing PCW exists at the intersection IS or whether or not intersection continuity information exists. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S213. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S214.

[0094] In S213, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the angle γ of the right or left turn is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value Ta. For example, the threshold value Ta may be set to a value greater than 90°. Specifically, the threshold value Ta may be set to 100°, 110°, 120°, or the like. In other words, if the amount of rotation of the host vehicle Am when turning right or left is large, the steering wheel SW angle β at the temporary stop is set so that the host vehicle Am can turn right or left with as small a turning radius as possible after restarting. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S215. If the answer is No, proceed to S216.

[0095] In S214, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PD (see FIG. 8). That is, the setting is made without the angle β. After the processing of S214, the process proceeds to S217.

[0096] In S215, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PA (see FIG. 5). That is, the angle β is set. After the process of S215, the process proceeds to S217.

[0097] In S216, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PB (see FIG. 6). That is, the setting is made without the angle β. After the processing of S216, the process proceeds to S217.

[0098] S217 is the same as S117 to S119 in the first embodiment. The series of processes ends with S217.

[0099] According to the second embodiment described above, when a crosswalk PCW is present, the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am at a temporary stop is set so that the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am faces the direction of travel after turning right or left with respect to the lane EL0 in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left. This orientation of the vehicle body CB makes it easier for the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 to detect pedestrians and the like on the crosswalk PCW, thereby improving convenience for driving.

[0100] Furthermore, when a crosswalk PCW is present, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces further toward the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB. This allows the host vehicle Am to turn immediately after restarting, making it easier for the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 to detect pedestrians and the like on the crosswalk PCW from an early stage after restarting.

[0101] Furthermore, when there is consecutive intersection information, the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the vehicle Am at the temporary stop is set so that the vehicle body CB of the vehicle Am faces the direction of travel TD1 after turning right or left relative to the lane EL0 in which the vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left. This orientation of the vehicle body CB makes it easier for the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 to detect the situation at the next intersection NIS, thereby improving convenience for driving.

[0102] Furthermore, when there is intersection succession information, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces further toward the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB. In this way, the host vehicle Am can turn immediately after restarting, making it easier for the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 to detect the situation at the next intersection NIS from an early stage after restarting.

[0103] Third Embodiment As shown in Fig. 13, the third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The third embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0104] In the third embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop in accordance with the number of lanes of the road on which the host vehicle Am will travel after turning right or left, which is environmental information of the intersection IS. The number of lanes here may be the number of lanes in the traveling direction TD1 of the host vehicle Am, i.e., the number of lanes on one side, if the road has a lane EL1 in the traveling direction TD1 of the host vehicle Am and a lane in the opposite direction.

[0105] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the third embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 13. S311 is the same as S111. After the processing of S311, the process proceeds to S312.

[0106] In S312, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the number of lanes on the road after the right or left turn is equal to or greater than a preset threshold Tn1. For example, Tn1 may be 3. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S314. If the answer is No, proceed to S313.

[0107] In S313, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the number of lanes on the road after the right or left turn is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value Tn2. Here, the threshold value Tn2 is assumed to be a value smaller than Tn1. For example, Tn2 may be 2. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S315. If the answer is No, proceed to S316.

[0108] Steps S314 to S316 are the same as steps S114 to S116. After each step S314 to S316 is completed, the process proceeds to step S317. Step S317 is the same as step S217. The process ends at step S317.

[0109] According to the third embodiment described above, when the number of lanes after the host vehicle Am turns right or left is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces the traveling direction TD1 after the turn relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. At a large intersection IS connected to roads with multiple lanes, setting the angle β is highly likely not to disrupt traffic flow. Therefore, by setting the angle β to smoothly turn right or left, it is possible to promote smooth traffic flow at the intersection IS.

[0110] 14 and 15, the fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The fourth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0111] In the fourth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the host vehicle Am stops temporarily at an intersection IS that has multiple lanes along which the host vehicle Am can proceed in the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left, as shown in Fig. 14. The multiple lanes referred to here may be two right-turn-only lanes EL0a and EL0b as shown in Fig. 13. One of the multiple lanes may be a right-turn-only lane, and the other may be a lane that can be used for both going straight and turning right.

[0112] In multiple lanes, there are an inner lane EL0a that is the inside of a turn when turning right or left, and an outer lane EL0b that is the outside of the turn. In such a situation, for example, a situation in which a vehicle using the inner lane EL0a and a vehicle using the outer lane EL0b come into contact when turning right or left at the same time should be avoided. For this reason, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets a vehicle attitude that allows the host vehicle Am to make a tighter turning radius in the inner lane EL0a. The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets a vehicle attitude that allows the host vehicle Am to make a wider turning radius in the outer lane EL0b. In other words, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 increases the angle β of the steering wheel SW the closer to the inner lane used by the host vehicle Am.

[0113] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the fourth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 15. Here, it is assumed that there are two lanes, an inner lane EL0a and an outer lane EL0b, as shown in Figure 13. S411 is the same as S111. After processing S411, the process proceeds to S412.

[0114] In S412, the behavior determination unit 63 selects alternative lanes to be used for turning right or left when generating a planned travel trajectory for the host vehicle Am. After the processing of S412, the process proceeds to S413.

[0115] In S413, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the lane used for turning right or left is the inside lane EL0a. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S414. If the answer is No, proceed to S415.

[0116] S414 is the same as S114. After processing S414, the process proceeds to S416. S415 is the same as S115. After processing S415, the process proceeds to S416. S416 is the same as S217. After S416, the series of processes ends.

[0117] According to the fourth embodiment described above, at an intersection IS having multiple lanes EL0a, EL0b along which the host vehicle Am can travel in the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set differently depending on which of the multiple lanes EL0a, EL0b is to be used. By using a setting optimized for each of the lanes EL0a, EL0b, the possibility of contact with other vehicles at the intersection IS can be reduced.

[0118] 16 and 17, the fifth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The fifth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0119] In the fifth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop depending on the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle Bm as another vehicle, which is environmental information at the intersection IS. The oncoming vehicle Bm here refers to an oncoming vehicle that is about to turn right or left at the intersection IS, as shown in Fig. 16. When the host vehicle Am is about to turn right, for example, the oncoming vehicle Bm is a vehicle that is entering the intersection IS from the opposite side of the host vehicle Am and about to turn right.

[0120] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the fifth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 17. S511 is the same as S111. After the processing of S511, the process proceeds to S512.

[0121] In S512, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not the oncoming vehicle Bm is present. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S513. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S514.

[0122] S513 is the same as S114. After the processing of S513, the process proceeds to S515. S514 is the same as S115. After the processing of S514, the process proceeds to S515. S515 is the same as S217. After S515, the series of processes ends.

[0123] According to the fifth embodiment described above, when an oncoming vehicle Bm is present, the steering wheel SW angle β is set so that the steering wheel SW faces the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. By setting the angle β, the host vehicle Am can turn immediately after restarting, and can adopt a trajectory that allows for tighter turning. Therefore, the possibility of contact with the oncoming vehicle Bm can be reduced.

[0124] 18 and 19, the sixth embodiment is a modification of the fifth embodiment. The sixth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the fifth embodiment.

[0125] In the sixth embodiment, the behavior determination unit 63 assumes an oncoming vehicle Bm that is about to turn right or left at the intersection IS, and further assumes a predicted traveling trajectory TBm of the oncoming vehicle Bm (see FIG. 18 ). This prediction may be performed only when an oncoming vehicle Bm actually exists. This prediction may also be performed based on the assumption that an oncoming vehicle Bm will appear, even when an oncoming vehicle Bm does not actually exist.

[0126] The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the planned travel path TAm of the host vehicle Am will interfere with the predicted travel path TBm of the oncoming vehicle Bm, and then sets the vehicle attitude at the temporary stop based on this determination.

[0127] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the sixth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 19. S611 is the same as S111. After the processing of S611, the process proceeds to S612.

[0128] In S612, the behavior determination unit 63 predicts the traveling trajectory TBm of the oncoming vehicle Bm. After the processing of S612, the process proceeds to S613.

[0129] In S613, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the travel path TAm planned for the host vehicle Am will interfere with the travel path TBm. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S614. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S615.

[0130] S614 is the same as S114. After the processing of S614, the process proceeds to S616. S615 is the same as S115. After the processing of S614, the process proceeds to S616. S616 is the same as S217. After S616, the series of processes ends.

[0131] In S614, the orientation PC (see FIG. 7) may be set instead of the orientation PA. In S615, the orientation PD may be set instead of the orientation PB.

[0132] According to the sixth embodiment described above, when there is a possibility that the travel path TAm will interfere with the travel path TBm, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. By setting the angle β, the host vehicle Am can turn immediately after restarting and can correct the trajectory to one that allows for tighter turning. Therefore, the possibility of contact with other vehicles at the intersection IS can be reduced.

[0133] Seventh Embodiment As shown in Fig. 20, the seventh embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The seventh embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0134] In the seventh embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop based on information about the traffic lights at the intersection IS. In particular, information about whether the traffic lights CTS at the intersection IS include an arrow signal ATS related to turning right or left by the host vehicle Am is used.

[0135] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the seventh embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 20. S711 is the same as S111. After the processing of S711, the process proceeds to S712.

[0136] In S712, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the traffic light CTS includes an arrow signal ATS related to turning right or left of the host vehicle Am. If the result is Yes, the process proceeds to S713. If the result is No, the process proceeds to S714.

[0137] In S713, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PD (see FIG. 8). That is, the direction of the vehicle body CB is set to be aligned with the lane EL0 in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left. After processing S713, the process proceeds to S715.

[0138] In S714, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PA (see FIG. 5). That is, the vehicle body CB is set to be tilted toward the traveling direction TD1 after the turn with respect to the lane EL0 in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before the turn. After processing S714, the process proceeds to S715.

[0139] S715 is the same as S217. After S715, the series of processes ends.

[0140] In S713, the orientation PC may be set instead of the orientation PD, and in S615, the orientation PB may be set instead of the orientation PA.

[0141] According to the seventh embodiment described above, when the traffic light CTS includes an arrow signal ATS related to the right or left turn of the host vehicle Am, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is set so as to follow the lane EL0 in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left. When turning right or left according to the arrow signal ATS, there is little need to turn right or left in a hurry due to the timing of the signal change, so the vehicle can turn right or left with ample time even in such an orientation.

[0142] Eighth Embodiment As shown in Fig. 21, the eighth embodiment is a modification of the seventh embodiment. The eighth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the seventh embodiment.

[0143] In the eighth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether to make a temporary stop at the intersection IS depending on whether the traffic light CTS at the intersection IS includes an arrow signal ATS related to the right or left turn of the vehicle Am.

[0144] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the eighth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 21. S811 to S812 are the same as S711 to S712. If the answer is Yes in S712, proceed to S813. If the answer is No, proceed to S814.

[0145] In S813, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines not to make a temporary stop at the intersection IS. In other words, since there is no need to set the vehicle attitude itself, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 omits the process of setting the vehicle attitude. After the process of S813, the process proceeds to S815.

[0146] In S814, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines to make a temporary stop at the intersection IS and sets the vehicle attitude at the temporary stop. The vehicle attitude here may be set to one of the attitudes PA to PE. This vehicle attitude setting may be performed based on environmental information, etc. In other words, the processing of other embodiments such as the first to sixth embodiments may be used. After processing S814, the process proceeds to S815.

[0147] S815 is the same as S217. After S815, the series of processes ends.

[0148] According to the eighth embodiment described above, when the traffic light CTS includes an arrow signal ATS related to the right or left turn of the host vehicle Am, the vehicle does not have to stop temporarily at the intersection IS when turning right or left. By omitting the stop sign, the time the host vehicle Am spends at the intersection IS can be shortened, thereby reducing the possibility of contact with other vehicles at the intersection IS.

[0149] 22 and 23, the ninth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The ninth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0150] In the ninth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop in accordance with the shape of the intersection IS, which is environmental information about the intersection IS. Specifically, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 calculates the angle at which the host vehicle Am will turn when turning right or left, i.e., the right or left turn angle γ, based on the direction of the roads connecting to the intersection IS. The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop in accordance with the angle γ. For example, at a five-way intersection such as that shown in FIG. 22 , when the angle γ exceeds 90°, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the angle β of the steering wheel SW so that it faces more toward the traveling direction TD1 after the right turn than the vehicle body CB.

[0151] Furthermore, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 adjusts the angle β to an angle such that the amount of rotation of the steering operation unit of the host vehicle Am is less than one rotation after the host vehicle Am restarts from a temporary stop until the host vehicle Am completes a right or left turn. The angle β is set to gradually increase as the right or left turn angle γ increases.

[0152] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the ninth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 23. S911 is the same as S111. After the processing of S911, the process proceeds to S912.

[0153] In S912, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 calculates the right / left turn angle γ. After the processing of S912, the process proceeds to S913.

[0154] In S913, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the angle γ is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value Ta1. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S915. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S914.

[0155] In S914, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the angle γ is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Ta2 and whether the size of the intersection IS is smaller than a predetermined threshold value Ts. Here, the threshold value Ta2 is assumed to be smaller than the threshold value Ta1. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S916. If the answer is No, proceed to S917.

[0156] In S915, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PA (see FIG. 5). After the process of S915, the process proceeds to S918.

[0157] In S916, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at the time of the temporary stop at the intersection IS to the attitude PC (see FIG. 7). After the processing of S916, the process proceeds to S918.

[0158] In S917, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at the time of the temporary stop at the intersection IS to the attitude PD (see FIG. 8). After the processing of S917, the process proceeds to S919.

[0159] In S918, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 adjusts the angle β of the steering wheel SW within the range of the vehicle attitude set in S915 or S916. Specifically, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 adjusts the angle β so that the amount of rotation of the steering operation unit is less than one rotation after the host vehicle Am restarts from a temporary stop until the right or left turn is completed. Here, when the attitude PA is set, the inclination angle α of the vehicle body CB may be adjusted together with the angle β. After processing S918, the process proceeds to S919.

[0160] S919 is the same as S217. After S919, the series of processes ends.

[0161] According to the ninth embodiment described above, when the right / left turn angle γ is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces the traveling direction TD1 after the right / left turn relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. Setting the angle β enables the host vehicle Am to turn immediately after restarting, so that right / left turns involving a large angle γ can be performed smoothly. Furthermore, the angle β is set so that the amount of rotation of the steering operation unit of the host vehicle Am is less than one rotation after the host vehicle Am restarts from a temporary stop until the right / left turn is completed. Since the rotation of the steering operation unit can be suppressed, the driver's anxiety when turning right / left can be reduced.

[0162] 24, the tenth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The tenth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0163] In the tenth embodiment, the host vehicle Am is a large vehicle. Here, large vehicles include, for example, buses, trucks, trailers, etc. Buses, trucks, and trailers correspond to vehicle types. Furthermore, vehicle types may include compact passenger cars, regular passenger cars, etc. Based on such types, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 can select the attitude PE (see FIG. 9 ) as the vehicle attitude.

[0164] In the case of large vehicles, the difference in the turning radius between the inside and outside wheels becomes large when turning right or left. Therefore, when a large vehicle attempts to make a tight turn, there is a possibility that it may hit an object, such as another vehicle or a structure, that is on the inside of the turn. In such a case, the host vehicle Am can avoid hitting an object by first steering in the opposite direction from the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left, and then steering in the traveling direction to make a wide turn. The attitude PE is suitable when the host vehicle Am makes a wide turn.

[0165] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the tenth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 24. S1011 is the same as S111. After the processing of S1011, the process proceeds to S1012.

[0166] In S1012, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether a wide turn is required when turning right or left. This determination may be made based on, for example, the size of the intersection IS. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to S1013. If the answer is No, the process proceeds to S1014.

[0167] In S1013, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at the temporary stop at the intersection IS to the attitude PE. That is, the orientation of the vehicle body CB is set so that the vehicle body CB faces the opposite side of the traveling direction TD1 after the turn with respect to the lane EL0 in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before the turn. After processing S1013, the process proceeds to S1015.

[0168] In S1014, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at the time of the temporary stop at the intersection IS to the attitude PD. That is, the orientation of the vehicle body CB is set so as to follow the lane EL0 in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left. After processing S1014, the process proceeds to S1015.

[0169] S1015 is the same as S217. After S1015, the series of processes ends.

[0170] According to the tenth embodiment described above, the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the vehicle Am at the temporary stop is set based on the type of the vehicle Am so that the vehicle body CB of the vehicle Am faces the opposite side of the traveling direction TD1 after turning right or left with respect to the lane EL0 in which the vehicle Am is traveling before turning right or left. As a result, even if the vehicle Am is a large vehicle, the occurrence of a collision with another vehicle can be reduced by making the vehicle Am turn in a wide direction.

[0171] 25, the eleventh embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The eleventh embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0172] In the tenth embodiment, the control switching unit 75 switches the driving mode in addition to switching the automation level, etc. For example, the driving modes include an eco mode and a comfort mode. The driving mode can be switched at the driver's discretion by the driver operating the operation device 26. On the other hand, the automated driving system 50 can also switch the driving mode in accordance with predetermined conditions.

[0173] The comfort mode is a mode that realizes comfortable driving and allows the vehicle to start smoothly when restarting from a temporary stop. For example, in the comfort mode, constraints on driving performance such as engine speed and acceleration are removed. In addition, the electric power steering function (power assist function for steering) may be activated. Therefore, even under autonomous driving control, the vehicle Am can be driven while maximizing its performance.

[0174] The eco mode is a mode that prioritizes energy costs such as fuel economy and electricity consumption. Restrictions are set on engine speed, acceleration, etc. The upper limit of engine speed is restricted to 1000 rpm, for example. In addition, the electric power steering function may be inactive.

[0175] When the host vehicle Am temporarily stops at an intersection IS under autonomous driving control, the control switching unit 75 checks the current driving mode, and if the driving mode is eco mode, switches to comfort mode before restarting. This allows the host vehicle Am to smoothly restart at the intersection IS. Even if a sudden handover of driving from the system to the driver occurs during a temporary stop, the driver can quickly restart and make right or left turns.

[0176] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the eleventh embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 25. S1111 is the same as S111. After processing S1111, the process proceeds to S1112. In S1112, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude using environmental information. S1112 corresponds to the processing of S112 to S116 in the first embodiment. After processing S1112, the process proceeds to S1113. S1113 is the same as S217. After processing S1113, the process proceeds to S1114.

[0177] In S1114, the control switching unit 75 determines whether the driving mode is the comfort mode. If the determination is Yes, the process ends, and the host vehicle Am is restarted when it becomes possible to restart. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1115.

[0178] In S1115, the control switching unit 75 switches the driving mode to the comfort mode. The series of processes ends at S1115, and the host vehicle Am restarts when it becomes possible to restart.

[0179] According to the eleventh embodiment described above, when the vehicle is stopped temporarily, the driving mode of the vehicle is switched to a mode that allows for a smooth start. This shortens the time that the vehicle Am is in the intersection IS, thereby reducing the possibility of contact with other vehicles at the intersection IS.

[0180] 26 to 28, the twelfth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The twelfth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0181] In the twelfth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the intersection IS is a roundabout ISR based on the environmental information, and sets the attitude of the host vehicle Am appropriate for the roundabout ISR. For example, as shown in Figure 26, a situation may be considered in which the route is set so that the host vehicle Am passes through a roundabout ISR and then passes through a normal intersection (hereinafter referred to as the next intersection) ISN, which is a grade crossing at one point.

[0182] A roundabout ISR has a shape in which a plurality of other linear roads are connected radially to a circular road. A roundabout ISR may have one lane or multiple lanes on the circular road. When multiple lanes are provided as in FIG. 23 , the roundabout ISR has an outer lane OSL and an inner lane ISL that are parallel to each other. The outer lane OSL is a circular lane that connects to other roads via an entrance ENT and an exit PEX, OEX. The inner lane ISL is a circular lane that is located radially inward of the outer lane OSL. Normally, the outer lane OSL and the inner lane ISL are mutually interchangeable around the entire circumference.

[0183] The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the angle β of the steering wheel SW when the host vehicle Am temporarily stops upon entering the roundabout ISR, depending on the size of the roundabout ISR. For example, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the angle β so that the steering wheel SW faces the direction of travel after turning right or left relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am as the size of the roundabout ISR becomes smaller. The size of the roundabout ISR may be expressed, for example, by a numerical value indicating the radius of the outermost periphery of the roundabout ISR. In this case, the angle β may be calculated by a function of continuous numerical values ​​indicating the size. The angle β may have a negative correlation with the numerical value indicating the radius, for example, and may be inversely proportional to it. On the other hand, the size of the roundabout ISR may be expressed by the number of lanes in the roundabout. In this case, the angle β is calculated from a discrete numerical value indicating the size.

[0184] The size of the roundabout ISR may be classified into a large-scale roundabout and a small-scale roundabout based on a combination of conditions such as the radius and the number of lanes. In this case, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may be configured to switch the attitudes PC and PD according to the size of the roundabout ISR, thereby substantially changing the angle β. The attitudes PA and PB may be switched instead of the attitudes PC and PD. Here, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the orientation of the vehicle body CB so that it is substantially perpendicular to the stop line SL that exists when entering the roundabout ISR.

[0185] Alternatively, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the orientation of the steering wheel SW, i.e., the angle β, so that the steering wheel SW is substantially perpendicular to the stop line SL that exists when entering the roundabout ISR, regardless of the size of the roundabout as described above.

[0186] It is also possible that the road connecting the roundabout ISR and the next intersection ISN has multiple lanes in one direction. For example, as shown in Figure 26, there is a case where there are two lanes L1 and L2 leading from the roundabout ISR to the next intersection ISN.

[0187] If the planned traveling direction at the next intersection ISN has been decided, it is preferable to enter one of the lanes L1, L2 that is dedicated to that traveling direction when exiting the roundabout ISR. Therefore, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the angle β when exiting the roundabout ISR to an angle that is just right for entering the dedicated lane from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling (e.g., the outer lane OSL).

[0188] An example of the processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the twelfth embodiment will now be described using the flowcharts in Figures 27 and 28. The processing in Figure 27 is executed before the host vehicle Am enters the intersection IS. S1211 is the same as S111. After processing S1211, the process proceeds to S1212.

[0189] In S1212, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the intersection IS is a roundabout ISR. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to S1213. If the answer is No, the process proceeds to S1216.

[0190] In S1213, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the scale of the roundabout ISR is large. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S1214. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1215.

[0191] In S1214 in the case of a large-scale roundabout, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the attitude of the vehicle when it makes a temporary stop upon entering the roundabout ISR to the attitude PD. That is, the steering wheel SW is set to be aligned with the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am, and the angle β is substantially 0. After processing S1214, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0192] In S1215 in the case of a small-scale roundabout, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the attitude of the vehicle when it makes a temporary stop upon entering the roundabout ISR as the attitude PC. That is, the attitude is set so that the steering wheel SW is oriented more in the direction of travel with respect to the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. After processing S1215, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0193] In S1216, if the intersection IS is not a roundabout, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the attitude of a normal intersection. For example, the processes of S112 to S116 may be executed. After the process of S1216, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0194] S1217 is the same as S217. After S1217, the series of processes ends, and the host vehicle Am actually moves on to enter the intersection IS.

[0195] The processing in Figure 27 is executed before the host vehicle Am exits the roundabout ISR. It may also be executed in advance before the host vehicle Am enters the roundabout ISR. In S1231, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether intersection succession information is present. That is, it determines whether or not the next intersection ISN exists after exiting the roundabout ISR. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S1232. If the answer is No, proceed to S1235.

[0196] In S1232, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not multiple lanes L1, L2 exist in the traveling direction of the host vehicle Am on the road connecting the roundabout ISR and the next intersection ISN. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S1233. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1235.

[0197] In S1233, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the lane through which the host vehicle Am will pass has been determined from the lanes L1 and L2. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S1234. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1235.

[0198] In S1234, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the attitude when exiting the roundabout ISR in accordance with the determined lane position and extension direction. This attitude also includes the steering wheel SW angle β. The series of processes ends with S1234.

[0199] On the other hand, in S1235, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets an appropriate attitude depending on the situation. After S1235, the series of processes ends.

[0200] According to the twelfth embodiment described above, when the intersection IS is a roundabout ISR, the angle β of the steering wheel SW when the host vehicle Am makes a temporary stop upon entering the roundabout ISR is set according to the size of the roundabout ISR. This allows the host vehicle Am to perform an appropriate approach operation according to the size of the roundabout ISR, thereby promoting smooth traffic flow at the roundabout ISR.

[0201] According to the twelfth embodiment, the smaller the scale of the roundabout ISR, the more the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the steering wheel SW faces the direction of travel after turning right or left relative to the orientation of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am. As a result, merging into lanes within a roundabout ISR that is small in scale and has a small curvature is made smoother.

[0202] Furthermore, according to the twelfth embodiment, consider a case where the intersection IS is a roundabout ISR, and a road connecting the roundabout ISR and the next intersection ISN has multiple lanes L1, L2. In this case, the angle β of the steering wheel SW when exiting the roundabout ISR is set in accordance with the lane among the multiple lanes L1, L2 that corresponds to the planned direction of travel at the next intersection ISN. This allows the host vehicle Am to travel appropriately from the roundabout ISR to the next intersection ISN, thereby promoting smooth traffic flow.

[0203] 29 and 30, the thirteenth embodiment is a modification of the twelfth embodiment. The thirteenth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the twelfth embodiment.

[0204] In the thirteenth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude of the host vehicle Am within the roundabout ISR in addition to the processing in the twelfth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 29 , the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 can set the vehicle attitude depending on the presence of a moving object traveling within the same roundabout ISR.

[0205] For example, consider a case where the roundabout ISR has multiple lanes OSL, ISL, the host vehicle Am is traveling in one of these lanes, and a parallel vehicle Cm is present in a lane adjacent to the lane the host vehicle Am is traveling in. In this case, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 adjusts the angle β of the steering wheel SW so as to separate the host vehicle Am from the parallel vehicle Cm.

[0206] 29 , if the parallel running vehicle Cm is traveling in a lane radially outward of the host vehicle Am, the steering wheel SW is angled so that the front portion of the steering wheel SW faces more radially inward than when the parallel running vehicle Cm turns along the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling. Conversely, if the parallel running vehicle Cm is traveling in a lane radially inward of the host vehicle Am, the steering wheel SW is angled so that the front portion of the steering wheel SW faces more radially outward than when the parallel running vehicle Cm turns along the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling. This angle setting should be set within a range in which the host vehicle Am does not deviate from the lane in which the host vehicle Am is currently traveling.

[0207] The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may also change the angle β of the steering wheels SW for separating from the parallel running vehicle Cm depending on the size of the vehicle Cm. For example, the angle may be set so that the larger the size of the parallel running vehicle Cm, the easier it is to immediately separate from the parallel running vehicle Cm. That is, for a large parallel running vehicle Cm in the situation shown in Figure 29, the angle is set so that the front portion faces more radially outward than when turning along the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling, and the angle difference from when turning along the curvature is larger than when turning along the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling.

[0208] Furthermore, when a motorcycle MS is present near the host vehicle Am, the control execution unit 64 may search for a space within the roundabout ISR where the host vehicle Am can safely stop and execute control to stop the host vehicle Am in that space. Through this control, until the host vehicle Am is stopped, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the angle β of the steering wheel SW in preparation for the motorcycle MS cutting in on the host vehicle Am. Here, the case where a motorcycle MS is present near the host vehicle Am may mean a case where the motorcycle MS is traveling behind the host vehicle Am and following it. In this case, the motorcycle MS may be traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle Am or in an adjacent lane.

[0209] That is, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 estimates and compares the probability that the motorcycle MS will cut in radially inside the host vehicle Am and the probability that it will cut in radially outside the host vehicle Am based on the environmental information. If the probability of cutting in radially inside is greater than the probability of cutting in radially outside, the steering wheel SW is angled so that the front portion faces more radially outward than when turning along the curvature of the host vehicle Am's lane. This makes it possible to reduce in advance the possibility of contact between the host vehicle Am and the motorcycle MS.

[0210] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the thirteenth embodiment will now be described using the flowchart in Fig. 30. The processing in Fig. 30 is executed while the host vehicle Am is traveling within the roundabout ISR. In S1311, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the roundabout ISR has multiple lanes. If the answer is Yes, proceed to S1312. If the answer is No, proceed to S1314.

[0211] In S1312, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not there is a parallel running vehicle Cm running parallel to the host vehicle Am. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to S1313. If the answer is No, the process proceeds to S1314. In S1313, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets an attitude such that the host vehicle Am is separated from the parallel running vehicle Cm. After processing S1313, the process proceeds to S1318.

[0212] In S1314, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether or not a motorcycle MS is present near the host vehicle Am. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S1315. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1317.

[0213] In S1315, the control execution unit 64 starts searching for a space within the roundabout ISR where the host vehicle Am can stop safely. In S1316 after processing of S1316, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the attitude of the motorcycle MS in preparation for cutting in until the host vehicle Am stops in the searched space. After processing of S1315, the process proceeds to S1318.

[0214] In S1317, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the attitude of the host vehicle Am as the normal attitude for turning along the curvature of the lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling. After processing S1317, the process proceeds to S1318. S1318 is the same as S1236. The series of processes ends with S1318.

[0215] According to the thirteenth embodiment described above, when the intersection IS is a roundabout ISR having a plurality of lanes OSL, ISL, the host vehicle Am is traveling in one of the lanes, and a parallel vehicle Cm is present in a lane adjacent to the lane, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is adjusted to separate the host vehicle Am from the parallel vehicle Cm, thereby reducing the possibility of contact with the parallel vehicle Cm.

[0216] Furthermore, according to the thirteenth embodiment, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the larger the size of the parallel running vehicle Cm, the easier it is to immediately separate from the parallel running vehicle Cm, thereby reducing the possibility of contact with the large parallel running vehicle Cm.

[0217] Furthermore, according to the thirteenth embodiment, when the intersection IS is a roundabout ISR, the host vehicle Am is traveling in a lane within the roundabout ISR, and a motorcycle MS is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle Am, the host vehicle Am is stopped in a space where the host vehicle Am can stop. This makes it easier to avoid the occurrence of collisions with other vehicles within the roundabout ISR.

[0218] Furthermore, according to the thirteenth embodiment, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set in preparation for the motorcycle MS cutting in on the host vehicle Am until the host vehicle Am is stopped in the above-described control. Therefore, even if the motorcycle MS cuts in on the host vehicle Am, the possibility of contact can be reduced.

[0219] 31 and 32, the fourteenth embodiment is a modification of the fifth embodiment. The fourteenth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the fifth embodiment.

[0220] The fifteenth embodiment is particularly effective when the direction of travel TD0X in the own lane EL0A in which the host vehicle Am is traveling before turning right and the direction of travel TD0Y in the oncoming lane EL0B in which the oncoming vehicle Bm is traveling before turning right are approximately opposite directions (approximately 180 degrees apart), and the right / left turn angles γ of the host vehicle Am and the oncoming vehicle Bm at the intersection IS are approximately equal.

[0221] In the fifth embodiment, the angle of the steering wheel was changed depending on whether or not an oncoming vehicle Bm was present, but in the fourteenth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 acquires information indicating the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm as environmental information. The other vehicle grasping unit 72 recognizes the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm using the periphery monitoring sensor 30 and generates information indicating the attitude to provide to the vehicle attitude setting unit 76.

[0222] The information indicating the posture includes the orientation of the vehicle body CB and the steering wheel angle β when the oncoming vehicle Bm stops temporarily at the intersection IS. The orientation of the vehicle body CB may be represented by an angle α with respect to the direction TD0Y, and the steering wheel angle β may be represented by an angle based on the orientation of the vehicle body CB.

[0223] The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 adjusts the attitude of the host vehicle Am to match the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm. That is, by imitating the recognized attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm, the attitude of the host vehicle Am becomes similar to the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm. More specifically, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 changes the reference for representing the orientation of the vehicle body CB and the steering wheel angle β of the oncoming vehicle Bm from the direction TD0Y to the direction TD0X, and then applies the orientation of the vehicle body CB and the steering wheel angle β of the oncoming vehicle Bm to the attitude of the host vehicle Am. At this time, if the error range of the orientation of the vehicle body CB and the steering wheel angle β of the oncoming vehicle Bm is plus or minus 10 degrees, it can be said that the attitude of the host vehicle Am is adjusted to match the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm.

[0224] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the fourteenth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 32. S1411 and S1412 are similar to S511 and S512. If Yes in S1412, proceed to S1413. If No, proceed to S1415.

[0225] In S1413, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm based on the environmental information. In S1414 after the processing of S1413, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 adjusts the attitude of the host vehicle Am to the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm. After the processing of S1414, the process proceeds to S1416.

[0226] S1415 is the same as S514. After the processing of S1415, the process proceeds to S1416. S1416 is the same as S515. After S1416, the series of processes ends.

[0227] According to the fourteenth embodiment described above, the environmental information includes information indicating the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle Bm attempting to turn right or left at the intersection IS, as well as its attitude. If an oncoming vehicle Bm is present, the attitude of the host vehicle Am is set according to the attitude of the oncoming vehicle Bm. This method allows the host vehicle Am to set an appropriate attitude once the oncoming vehicle Bm is recognized, and therefore can also be used when road recognition is poor.

[0228] 33, the fifteenth embodiment is a modified example of the fifth embodiment. The following describes the fifteenth embodiment, focusing on the differences from the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the angle of the steering wheel was varied depending on whether or not an oncoming vehicle Bm was present. However, in the fifteenth embodiment, the orientation of the vehicle body CB is varied to reduce the possibility of contact with the oncoming vehicle Bm.

[0229] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the fifth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 33. S1511 and S1512 are similar to S511 and S512. If Yes in S1512, proceed to S1513. If No, proceed to S1514.

[0230] In S1513, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at the temporary stop at the intersection IS to the attitude PB (see FIG. 6). That is, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is set to an orientation inclined relative to the own lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS so as to face the traveling direction after the right turn. After processing S1513, proceed to S1515.

[0231] In S1514, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude at the temporary stop at the intersection IS to the attitude PC (see FIG. 7). That is, the orientation of the vehicle body CB at the temporary stop is set to the orientation along the current lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS. After processing S1514, the process proceeds to S1515. S1515 is the same as S515. The series of processes ends at S1515.

[0232] According to the fifteenth embodiment described above, the environmental information includes information indicating whether or not an oncoming vehicle Bm is about to turn right or left at the intersection IS. When an oncoming vehicle Bm is present, the angle of the vehicle body CB of the host vehicle Am relative to the host vehicle lane EL0 before entering the intersection IS is set so that the vehicle body CB is tilted more toward the traveling direction after turning right or left than when an oncoming vehicle Bm is not present. This makes it easier to turn right or left at the intersection IS without colliding with the oncoming vehicle Bm.

[0233] 34, the sixteenth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The sixteenth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0234] In the sixteenth embodiment, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 acquires information about the driver of the host vehicle Am. The driver information may be registered in the HCU 100, for example, and acquired through the information linkage unit 61. For example, when the power switch of the host vehicle Am is turned on, personal authentication is performed through the HCU 100, thereby making it possible to identify the current driver.

[0235] The driver information may include the driver's age, gender, and attributes. The driver's attributes may include manual driving experience, driving score, etc., and may also include personality, etc. The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 then sets the angle β of the steering wheel SW when the vehicle stops temporarily at the intersection IS according to the driver information.

[0236] For example, if a driver is determined to have a low driving level in accelerator operation based on the above-mentioned attributes, the angle β of the steering wheel SW when the vehicle Am is temporarily stopped at an intersection IS is set to an angle that is aligned with the direction of the vehicle body. In other words, if an emergency driver change occurs while the vehicle is temporarily stopped at an intersection IS, if the steering wheel SW is turned, a driver with a low driving level in accelerator operation is likely to make driving errors when restarting, so an angle is set to prevent this. The driving level may be a driving score, or a parameter calculated based on age, driving score, and experience. Note that instead of a driver with a low driving level in accelerator operation, a driver who is inexperienced in driving may be extracted.

[0237] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the sixteenth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 34. In S1611, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 acquires driver information. After processing S1611, the process proceeds to S1612.

[0238] In S1612, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the driver of the host vehicle Am is an inexperienced driver. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S1613. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1614.

[0239] In S1613, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle stops temporarily at the intersection IS to the attitude PB or the attitude PD (see FIGS. 6 and 8). That is, the setting is made without the angle β. After processing S1613, the process proceeds to S1615.

[0240] In S1614, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle attitude when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the intersection IS to the attitude PA or the attitude PC (see FIGS. 5 and 7). That is, the angle β is set. After processing S1614, the process proceeds to S1615. The process of S1615 is the same as S217. The series of processes ends with S1615.

[0241] According to the sixteenth embodiment described above, the host vehicle Am is configured to be able to take over driving with the driver of the host vehicle Am when autonomous control of driving becomes impossible to continue. Then, the angle β of the steering wheel SW when temporarily stopping at the intersection IS is set according to the acquired driver information. Therefore, it is possible to set the driver in an appropriate posture in preparation for a driver handover in an emergency, etc.

[0242] According to the sixteenth embodiment, when the driver is inexperienced in driving, the angle β of the steering wheel SW when the vehicle stops at the intersection IS is set to an angle that is aligned with the direction of the vehicle body CB of the vehicle Am. This reduces the possibility that an inexperienced driver will make an error in driving operations immediately after taking over driving at the intersection IS.

[0243] 35 and 36, the 17th embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The 17th embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0244] In the seventeenth embodiment, the vehicle system 1 further includes a braking force measuring device 3M that measures the braking force of the host vehicle Am, as shown in FIG. 35 . The braking force measuring device 3M monitors the operating state of the brake actuator 41a and the actual braking distance of the host vehicle Am corresponding to this operating state. The braking force measuring device 3M then measures the braking effectiveness of the host vehicle Am based on the relationship between this operating state and the braking distance. The braking force measuring device 3M sequentially provides the measurement results to the behavior determination unit 63 of the autonomous driving ECU 50b. This allows the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 to grasp the normal braking effectiveness of the host vehicle Am.

[0245] The road information grasping unit 73 also grasps the condition and inclination of the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. The vehicle attitude setting unit 76 then sets the angle β of the steering wheel SW when the host vehicle Am makes a temporary stop at the intersection IS in accordance with at least one of the road condition and inclination.

[0246] Specifically, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the road is prone to slippage, and if so, sets the angle β of the steering wheel SW so that the steering wheel SW faces the incline in a direction that makes it less likely to slip. Examples of situations in which slippage is likely include snow on the road surface and frozen road surfaces. For example, when the vehicle is stopped, the lateral grip of the steering wheel SW tends to be large (making skidding less likely). Therefore, the steering wheel SW angle should be set so that the steering wheel SW faces a different direction, preferably a direction that is substantially perpendicular, to the direction of the greatest gradient of the road. Of course, any direction that makes it less likely to slip relative to the incline may be selected within a range that allows smooth right and left turns.

[0247] Furthermore, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may determine a direction in which slippage is unlikely to occur by using information about the grip force of the steering wheel SW, such as the measurement results from the braking force measuring device 3M. This may be performed regardless of whether or not the situation is such that slippage is likely to occur.

[0248] For example, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 estimates the possibility of slippage by calculating the possibility of slippage occurring for each angle of the steering wheel SW based on information related to road conditions and grip force. The angle interval for this calculation may be, for example, 10 degrees or 15 degrees. Furthermore, inclination information may also be used in this calculation. Then, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the final steering wheel SW angle β to the angle at which the possibility of slippage occurring is lowest (for example, the lowest) from the calculation results for each angle.

[0249] An example of a processing method by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in the seventeenth embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 36. S1711 is the same as S111. After processing S1711, the process proceeds to S1712.

[0250] In S1712, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 determines whether the road surface is snow-covered or icy based on the environmental information. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S1713. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to S1717.

[0251] In S1713, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 acquires road inclination information. In S1714 after the processing of S1713, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 acquires information on the grip force of the host vehicle Am. After the processing of S1714, the process proceeds to S1715.

[0252] In S1715, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 calculates the possibility of slippage for each angle. In S1716 after processing S1715, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set in a direction in which slippage is unlikely to occur based on the calculation result. After processing S1716, the process proceeds to S1718.

[0253] On the other hand, if the road conditions are good, in S1717, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 sets the vehicle to the standard attitude PA (see FIG. 5). After processing S1717, the process proceeds to S1718. S1718 is the same as S217. The series of processes ends with S1718.

[0254] According to the seventeenth embodiment described above, the environmental information includes information about road conditions. The steering angle β of the steering wheel SW when the vehicle stops temporarily at an intersection IS is set according to the road conditions. This makes it possible to prevent problems caused by road conditions.

[0255] According to the seventeenth embodiment, the environmental information further includes information relating to the inclination of the road. When road conditions make it easy for the vehicle to slip, the angle β of the steering wheel SW is set so that the angle of the steering wheel SW is in a direction that makes it difficult for the vehicle to slip relative to the inclination. By adjusting the angle of the steering wheel SW to match the inclination, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of slippage.

[0256] Furthermore, according to the seventeenth embodiment, the possibility of slippage occurring at the provisional angle setting of the steering wheel SW is estimated based on information relating to road conditions and the grip force of the steering wheel SW, and the final angle of the steering wheel SW is set based on this possibility, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of slippage.

[0257] (Other Embodiments) Although multiple embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0258] In other embodiments, various conditions can be used as the determination conditions for setting the vehicle attitude. For example, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the vehicle attitude based on a determination condition that combines the shape of the intersection IS, the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle Bm, information about the traffic light CTS, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the vehicle attitude based on a determination using a trained model configured using a neural network or the like.

[0259] In other embodiments, vehicle control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b can be optimized as appropriate in accordance with the road traffic laws, customs, etc. of each country or region. For example, in the first to eleventh embodiments, the vehicle is assumed to drive on the left side of the road in accordance with the Road Traffic Law of Japan, but vehicle control can be optimized on the assumption that the vehicle drives on the right side of the road.

[0260] In another embodiment, the setting of the vehicle attitude when making a temporary stop at an intersection IS may be applied by an application used for driving assistance at automation level 2. For example, in an application that assists in steering to turn right or left at an intersection IS on the premise that the driver will perform acceleration and deceleration, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the vehicle attitude in response to the driver performing a temporary stop operation.

[0261] In another embodiment, the intersection IS for which the vehicle attitude is to be set may be various intersections. For example, the vehicle attitude setting unit 76 may set the vehicle attitude at a temporary stop at a complex intersection including an overpass, a roundabout, or the like.

[0262] In another embodiment, the vehicle equipped with the above-described vehicle system 1 is not limited to a general private passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, etc. Furthermore, the steering wheel SW in the vehicle may be the rear wheels or all four wheels.

[0263] The controller and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by special-purpose hardware logic circuitry. Alternatively, the apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers comprising a processor executing a computer program in combination with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0264] (Disclosure of Technical Ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple clauses. Some clauses may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent clause alternatively cites the preceding clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0265] <Technical Idea 1> A vehicle control device that autonomously controls the driving of a host vehicle (Am), comprising: an environment recognition unit (62) that recognizes environmental information at an intersection (IS); and a setting unit (76) that uses the environmental information to set an angle (β) of a steering wheel (SW) of the host vehicle when the host vehicle makes a temporary stop in conjunction with turning right or left at the intersection.

[0266] <Technical Idea 2> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1, further comprising a control execution unit (64) that executes control of the host vehicle from traveling to the temporary stop so that the temporary stop operation is completed at the steering wheel angle set by the setting unit.

[0267] <Technical Idea 3> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the environmental information includes a size of the intersection, and the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces the traveling direction (TD1) after the right or left turn relative to the orientation of the vehicle body (CB) of the host vehicle when the size of the intersection is equal to or larger than a preset threshold.

[0268] <Technical Idea 4> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 3, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the direction of the steering wheel is aligned with the direction of the vehicle body when the size of the intersection is smaller than a preset threshold value.

[0269] <Technical Idea 5> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 4, wherein the environmental information includes information indicating whether or not there is a pedestrian crossing (PCW) at the intersection, and the setting unit sets the orientation of the vehicle body at the temporary stop when the pedestrian crossing is present so that the body of the host vehicle faces a lane (EL0) in which the host vehicle is traveling before turning right or left, in a direction of travel after the turn.

[0270] <Technical Idea 6> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 5, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces further toward the traveling direction after the right or left turn relative to the orientation of the vehicle body when the crosswalk is present.

[0271] <Technical Idea 7> The vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, wherein the environmental information includes intersection continuity information indicating that the intersection and a next intersection (NIS) are consecutive in the traveling direction after the right or left turn, and when the intersection continuity information is present, the setting unit sets the orientation of the vehicle body at the temporary stop so that the body of the host vehicle faces the traveling direction after the right or left turn with respect to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before the right or left turn.

[0272] <Technical Idea 8> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 7, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel points further toward the direction of travel after the right or left turn relative to the orientation of the vehicle body when the intersection continuity information is present.

[0273] <Technical Idea 9> A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, wherein the environmental information includes the number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle will travel after making the right or left turn, and the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces the direction of travel after making the right or left turn relative to the orientation of the body of the vehicle when the number of lanes is equal to or greater than a preset threshold.

[0274] <Technical Idea 10> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, wherein the setting unit is configured to change the setting of the angle of the steering wheel depending on which of a plurality of lanes (EL0a, EL0b) the host vehicle will use at the intersection where there are multiple lanes for the host vehicle to move in the traveling direction after the right or left turn.

[0275] <Technical Idea 11> A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 10, wherein the environmental information includes information indicating whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle (Bm) about to turn right or left at the intersection, and the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that, when there is an oncoming vehicle, the steering wheel faces the direction of travel after the turn right or left relative to the orientation of the body of the vehicle when the oncoming vehicle is present.

[0276] <Technical Idea 12> A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, wherein, when there is a possibility that a planned driving trajectory (TAm) of the vehicle will interfere with a predicted driving trajectory (TBm) of an oncoming vehicle attempting to turn right or left at the intersection, the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces the direction of travel after the turn right or left relative to the orientation of the body of the vehicle.

[0277] <Technical Idea 13> A vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 12, wherein the environmental information includes information related to a traffic light (CTS) at the intersection, and the setting unit sets the orientation of the body of the vehicle at the temporary stop so that the body orientation is aligned with a lane in which the vehicle is traveling before making the right or left turn, if the traffic light includes an arrow signal (ATS) related to the right or left turn of the vehicle.

[0278] <Technical Idea 14> The vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 12, wherein the environmental information includes information regarding a traffic light at the intersection, and the setting unit determines to omit the temporary stop within the intersection associated with the right or left turn if the traffic light includes an arrow signal related to the right or left turn of the vehicle.

[0279] <Technical Idea 15> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 14, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces the direction of travel after the turn to the right or left relative to the orientation of the body of the vehicle when the turn angle (γ) of the vehicle at which the vehicle turns to the right or left is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0280] <Technical Idea 16> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 15, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the amount of rotation of a steering operation unit of the host vehicle is less than one rotation after the host vehicle starts moving again from the temporary stop until the right or left turn is completed.

[0281] <Technical Idea 17> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the environmental information includes a size of the intersection, and the setting unit, when the size of the intersection is smaller than a preset threshold and the angle at which the vehicle turns when turning right or left is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, sets the orientation of the body of the vehicle at the temporary stop so that the body is aligned with the lane in which the vehicle is traveling before turning right or left, and sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces in the direction of travel after the turn, relative to the orientation of the body.

[0282] <Technical Idea 18> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the setting unit sets the orientation of the vehicle body at the temporary stop based on the type of the vehicle so that the vehicle body faces the opposite side of the traveling direction after the turn to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling before the turn to the right or left.

[0283] <Technical Concept 19> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 18, further comprising a control switching unit (75) that switches the vehicle's driving mode to a mode that allows smooth start during the temporary stop.

[0284] <Technical Idea 20> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 19, wherein the setting unit sets an orientation of a body of the host vehicle with respect to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before turning right or left, together with the angle of the steering wheel.

[0285] <Technical Idea 21> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1, wherein, when the intersection is a roundabout (ISR), the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels when the host vehicle makes a temporary stop upon entering the roundabout, in accordance with a size of the roundabout.

[0286] <Technical Idea 22> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 21, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces the traveling direction after the right or left turn relative to the orientation of the body of the host vehicle, the smaller the scale of the roundabout.

[0287] <Technical Idea 23> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 21 or 22, wherein, when a road connecting the roundabout and a next intersection (ISN) has a plurality of lanes (L1, L2), the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels when exiting the roundabout in accordance with a lane among the plurality of lanes that corresponds to a planned direction of travel at the next intersection.

[0288] <Technical Idea 24> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 and 21 to 23, wherein when the intersection is a roundabout (ISR) having a plurality of lanes (OSL, ISL), the setting unit adjusts an angle of the steering wheel so as to move away from a parallel vehicle (Cm) when the host vehicle is traveling in one of the plurality of lanes and a parallel vehicle (Cm) is present in a lane adjacent to the lane.

[0289] <Technical Idea 25> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 24, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels such that the larger the size of the parallel traveling vehicle, the easier it is to immediately separate from the parallel traveling vehicle.

[0290] <Technical Idea 26> The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 and 21 to 25, further including a control execution unit (64) that stops the host vehicle in a space where the host vehicle can stop, when the intersection is a roundabout (ISR), the host vehicle is traveling in a lane in the roundabout, and a motorcycle is present near the host vehicle.

[0291] <Technical Idea 27> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 26, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels in preparation for the motorcycle cutting in on the host vehicle until the host vehicle is stopped.

[0292] <Technical Idea 28> The vehicle control device described in Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the environmental information includes information indicating the presence or absence and attitude of an oncoming vehicle (Bm) attempting to turn right or left at the intersection, and the setting unit sets the attitude of the host vehicle in accordance with the attitude of the oncoming vehicle when the oncoming vehicle is present.

[0293] <Technical Idea 29> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the environmental information includes information indicating whether or not an oncoming vehicle (Bm) is about to turn right or left at the intersection, and the setting unit sets, when the oncoming vehicle is present, an angle (α) of the orientation of the vehicle body with respect to the vehicle's own lane (EL0A) before entering the intersection such that the vehicle body is tilted more toward the traveling direction after turning right or left than when the oncoming vehicle is not present.

[0294] <Technical Idea 30> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is configured to be able to take over driving with the driver of the vehicle when autonomous control of driving becomes impossible to continue, and the setting unit acquires information about the driver and sets the angle of the steering wheels when temporarily stopping at the intersection according to the information about the driver.

[0295] <Technical Idea 31> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 30, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel at the temporary stop at the intersection to an angle that is in line with the orientation of the body of the vehicle when the driver has a low driving level of accelerator operation.

[0296] <Technical Idea 32> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the environmental information includes information related to road conditions, and the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel when the vehicle stops temporarily at the intersection in accordance with the conditions.

[0297] <Technical Idea 33> The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 32, wherein the environmental information further includes information regarding an inclination of a road, and when the conditions indicate a situation in which slippage is likely to occur on the road, the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the angle is in a direction relative to the inclination that makes slippage less likely to occur.

[0298] <Technical Idea 34> A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 32 or 33, wherein the setting unit acquires information relating to the grip force of the steered wheels, estimates the possibility of slippage occurring for a provisional angle setting of the steered wheels based on the condition and the information relating to the grip force, and sets a final angle of the steered wheels based on the possibility.

[0299] <Technical Idea 35> A vehicle control method executed by at least one processor for autonomously controlling the driving of a host vehicle (Am), the vehicle control method including: recognizing environmental information at an intersection (IS); and using the environmental information, setting an angle (β) of a steering wheel (SW) of the host vehicle when the host vehicle makes a temporary stop in conjunction with turning right or left at the intersection.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that autonomously controls the driving of a host vehicle (Am), an environment recognition unit (62) that recognizes environmental information at an intersection (IS); a setting unit (76) that uses the environmental information to set an angle (β) of a steering wheel (SW) of the vehicle when the vehicle makes a temporary stop in conjunction with turning right or left at the intersection; the environmental information includes a size of the intersection; the setting unit sets an angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces a traveling direction (TD1) after the right or left turn relative to a direction of a vehicle body (CB) of the host vehicle when the size of the intersection is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value; The setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the direction of the steering wheel is aligned with the direction of the vehicle body when the size of the intersection is smaller than a preset threshold.

2. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising a control execution unit (64) that executes control of the host vehicle from traveling to the temporary stop so that the temporary stop operation is completed at the steering wheel angle set by the setting unit.

3. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the orientation of the vehicle body at the temporary stop based on the type of the vehicle so that the vehicle body faces in a direction opposite to the direction of travel after the turn, relative to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling before the turn.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control switching unit (75) that switches the driving mode of the vehicle to a mode that allows a smooth start when the vehicle is temporarily stopped.

5. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the intersection is an IS roundabout (ISR), the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels when the vehicle makes a temporary stop upon entering the roundabout, depending on the size of the roundabout.

6. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel so that the steering wheel faces the traveling direction after the right or left turn relative to the orientation of the body of the host vehicle as the scale of the roundabout becomes smaller.

7. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein, when a road connecting the roundabout and a next intersection (ISN) has a plurality of lanes (L1, L2), the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels when exiting the roundabout in accordance with a lane among the plurality of lanes that corresponds to a planned direction of travel at the next intersection.

8. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein when the intersection is a roundabout (ISR) having a plurality of lanes (OSL, ISL), the setting unit adjusts the angle of the steering wheels so as to separate from a parallel vehicle (Cm) when the vehicle is traveling in one of the lanes and a parallel vehicle (Cm) is present in a lane adjacent to the lane.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8 , wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels such that the larger the size of the parallel running vehicle, the easier it becomes to immediately separate from the parallel running vehicle.

10. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising a control execution unit (64) that, when the intersection is an ISSR (Intersection Roundabout), the host vehicle is traveling in a lane within the roundabout, and a motorcycle is present near the host vehicle, stops the host vehicle in a space where the host vehicle can stop.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 10, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheels in preparation for the motorcycle cutting in on the host vehicle until the host vehicle is stopped.

12. the environmental information includes information indicating the presence or absence and posture of an oncoming vehicle (Bm) attempting to turn right or left at the intersection; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting unit sets the attitude of the host vehicle in accordance with the attitude of the oncoming vehicle when the oncoming vehicle is present.

13. the environmental information includes information indicating whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle (Bm) about to turn right or left at the intersection, 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets an angle (α) of the orientation of the vehicle's body relative to the vehicle's own lane (EL0A) before entering the intersection when the oncoming vehicle is present such that the vehicle body is tilted toward the direction of travel after turning right or left more than when the oncoming vehicle is not present.

14. The vehicle is configured to be able to take over driving with a driver of the vehicle when autonomous control of driving becomes impossible to continue, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting unit acquires information about the driver and sets the angle of the steering wheel when the vehicle is to make a temporary stop at the intersection in accordance with the information about the driver.

15. 15. The vehicle control device according to claim 14, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel at the temporary stop at the intersection to an angle that is in line with the orientation of the body of the vehicle when the driver has a low driving level of accelerator operation.

16. The environmental information includes information about road conditions, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steering wheel when the vehicle is to make a temporary stop at the intersection in accordance with the condition.

17. The environmental information further includes information about a slope of a road; 17. The vehicle control device according to claim 16, wherein the setting unit sets the angle of the steered wheels so that the angle is in a direction that makes it difficult for slippage to occur relative to the inclination when the condition indicates a situation in which slippage is likely to occur on the road.

18. 17. The vehicle control device according to claim 16, wherein the setting unit acquires information relating to the grip force of the steered wheels, estimates the possibility of slippage occurring for a provisional angle setting of the steered wheels based on the information relating to the condition and the grip force, and sets a final angle of the steered wheels based on the possibility.

19. A vehicle control program for autonomously controlling the driving of a vehicle (Am), At least one processing section (51) Recognizing environmental information at an intersection (IS); using the environmental information, to set an angle (β) of a steering wheel (SW) of the host vehicle when the host vehicle makes a temporary stop in conjunction with turning right or left at the intersection; the environmental information includes a size of the intersection; In the setting, when the size of the intersection is equal to or larger than a preset threshold value, the angle of the steering wheel is set so that the steering wheel faces a traveling direction (TD1) after the right or left turn relative to a direction of a body (CB) of the vehicle; A vehicle control program configured to set the angle of the steering wheel so that the direction of the steering wheel is aligned with the direction of the vehicle body when the size of the intersection is smaller than a preset threshold value.

20. A vehicle control method for autonomously controlling driving of a host vehicle (Am), which is executed by at least one processing unit (51), Recognizing environmental information at an intersection (IS); and setting an angle (β) of a steering wheel (SW) of the host vehicle when the host vehicle makes a temporary stop in conjunction with turning right or left at the intersection, using the environmental information; the environmental information includes a size of the intersection; In the setting, when the size of the intersection is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the angle of the steering wheel is set so that the steering wheel faces a traveling direction (TD1) after the right or left turn relative to a direction of a vehicle body (CB) of the host vehicle; A vehicle control method in which, in the setting, when the size of the intersection is smaller than a preset threshold, the angle of the steering wheel is set so that the direction of the steering wheel is in line with the direction of the vehicle body.