Automatic driving control device, automatic driving control program, and automatic driving control method

Abstract

An automatic driving ECU according to the present invention is an automatic driving control device that enables the travelling of a host vehicle (Am) according to an automatic driving function. In a scenario in which the host vehicle (Am) passes through an intersection (IS), the automatic driving ECU determines whether there is space for the host vehicle (Am) in the host vehicle lane (Lns) beyond the intersection (IS). If there is no space in the host vehicle lane (Lns), the automatic driving ECU decides to execute, at a section that includes the intersection (IS), a lane change in a direction leaving the host vehicle lane (Lns).

Description

Automatic driving control device, automatic driving control program, and automatic driving control method CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2023-023002 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 an automatic driving control technology that enables a vehicle to travel using an automatic driving function.

[0003] The automated driving device disclosed in Patent Document 1 calculates a low manual driving switch threshold when the vehicle is traveling through an intersection, when an obstacle is recognized around the vehicle, etc. The automated driving device switches from the currently running automated driving to manual driving when the driver's operation amount is equal to or greater than the manual driving switch threshold.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-175613

[0005] For example, if there is a traffic jam around the vehicle, there may be a case where there is no space for the vehicle in the vehicle's lane beyond the intersection. Patent Document 1 does not describe any driving control that takes such a case into account. Therefore, there is a risk that the vehicle that entered the intersection under the control of the automated driving device will be stuck in the intersection, which could impair the convenience of automated driving.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an automatic driving control device, an automatic driving control program, and an automatic driving control method that can ensure the convenience of automatic driving.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one disclosed aspect is an automatic driving control device that enables the vehicle to travel using an automatic driving function, and is equipped with a situation grasping unit that, in a scene where the vehicle is scheduled to pass through an intersection, grasps whether there is space for the vehicle in the vehicle's lane beyond the intersection, and a driving control unit that decides to implement a lane change in a direction that will move the vehicle away from the vehicle's lane in a section that includes the intersection if there is no space in the vehicle's lane.

[0008] Another disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control program that enables the vehicle to travel using an autonomous driving function, and that causes at least one processing unit to execute processing including, in a scene where the vehicle passes through an intersection, determining whether there is space for the vehicle in the vehicle's lane beyond the intersection, and if there is no space in the vehicle's lane, deciding to change lanes in a direction that will move the vehicle away from the vehicle's lane in a section that includes the intersection.

[0009] Another disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control method that enables the vehicle to travel using an autonomous driving function, and includes, in processing performed by at least one processing unit, a step of determining whether there is space for the vehicle in the vehicle's lane beyond the intersection when the vehicle passes through an intersection, and if there is no space in the vehicle's lane, deciding to change lanes in a direction that will move the vehicle away from the vehicle's lane in a section that includes the intersection.

[0010] In these aspects, even if there is no space for the vehicle in its lane beyond the intersection, the vehicle can leave the intersection by changing lanes in the section that includes the intersection. This makes it less likely that the vehicle will be stranded in the intersection. As a result, the convenience of automated driving can be ensured.

[0011] It should be noted that the reference numbers in parentheses in the claims merely indicate an example of the correspondence with the specific configurations in the embodiments described below, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. Furthermore, claims not explicitly stated in the claims may be combined together if no particular problems arise in the combination.

[0012] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an autonomous driving ECU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating details of the autonomous driving ECU; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a scene 1 in which an autonomous lane change is performed in a section including an intersection; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a scene 5 in which an autonomous lane change is performed to avoid an emergency vehicle; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a scene 6 in which an autonomous lane change is canceled in a section including an intersection; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a scene 7 in which an autonomous lane change is put on hold in a section including an intersection; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a scene 8 in which autonomous lane changes are performed continuously inside and outside an intersection; FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating details of an implementation determination process; FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating details of a lane change control process; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a scene 11 in which an autonomous lane change is performed to avoid an emergency vehicle in a section including an intersection according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; 1 is a diagram illustrating a scene 12 in which an automated lane change is performed in a section including an intersection; and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a scene 13 in which an automated lane change is canceled in a section including an intersection.

[0013] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that corresponding components in each embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a portion of a configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another previously described embodiment may be applied to the remaining portions of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that there is no particular problem with the combination. Furthermore, combinations of configurations described in multiple embodiments and modified examples that are not explicitly stated are also considered to be disclosed by the following description.

[0014] (First embodiment) The functions of an automatic driving control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure are realized by an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The automatic driving ECU 50 is mounted on a vehicle (hereinafter, host vehicle Am). By mounting the automatic driving ECU 50, the host vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle or an autonomously traveling vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, and is able to travel using the automatic driving function.

[0015] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function that can take over driving operations from the driver. The autonomous driving ECU 50 can perform advanced driving assistance or partial autonomous driving at around level 2, and autonomous driving at level 3 or higher where the system is the main control element. The autonomous driving levels in this disclosure are based on standards defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0016] Level 2 autonomous driving is an autonomous driving with a perimeter monitoring obligation (eyes-on autonomous driving), which requires the driver to visually monitor the area around the vehicle. Level 2 autonomous driving includes both hands-on autonomous driving, which requires the driver to hold the steering wheel, and hands-off autonomous driving, which does not require the driver to hold the steering wheel.

[0017] Level 3 autonomous driving is eyes-off autonomous driving, which means that there is no need to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle and no obligation to monitor the surroundings. The autonomous driving ECU 50 may be capable of Level 4 fully autonomous driving, in which the system performs all driving tasks under certain conditions, and Level 5 fully autonomous driving, in which the system performs all driving tasks under all conditions. Level 4 autonomous driving is brain-off autonomous driving, in which there is essentially no request for the driver to take over driving. Level 5 autonomous driving is driverless autonomous driving, which does not require a driver on board.

[0018] The autonomous driving ECU 50 switches the control state of the autonomous driving function among a plurality of control states including at least autonomous driving control with a periphery monitoring obligation of Level 2 or lower, and autonomous driving control without a periphery monitoring obligation of Level 3 or higher. In the following description, autonomous driving control with Level 2 or lower will be referred to as "driving assistance control," and autonomous driving control with Level 3 or higher will be referred to as "autonomous driving control."

[0019] During the autonomous driving period in which the host vehicle Am is driven by autonomous driving control, the driver may be permitted to perform a specific action other than driving that has been specified in advance (hereinafter referred to as a second task). The driver is legally permitted to perform the second task until a request for a driver handover is made in cooperation between the HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100 and the autonomous driving ECU 50, which will be described later. For example, actions such as watching entertainment content such as video content, operating a device such as a smartphone, and eating are considered as second tasks.

[0020] [Configuration of In-Vehicle System] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network 1 mounted on the host vehicle Am. The communication bus 99 is connected to a driver monitor 29, a periphery monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a navigation ECU 38, an in-vehicle communication device 39, a driving control ECU 40, a body ECU 43, an HCU 100, and the like. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Certain nodes among these ECUs, etc. may be electrically connected directly to each other and be able to communicate without going through the communication bus 99.

[0021] The driver monitor 29 includes a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The driver monitor 29 is installed, for example, on the top surface of the steering column or the top surface of the instrument panel, with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The driver monitor 29 uses the near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver's head illuminated with near-infrared light from the near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by the control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the driver's eye point position and line of sight from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the eye point position information, line of sight direction information, etc. extracted by the control unit to the HCU 100, the autonomous driving ECU 50, etc. as driver status information.

[0022] 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 autonomous driving ECU 50, etc.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The locator 35 further includes a map database (hereinafter referred to as map DB) 36 that stores map data. The map DB 36 is primarily configured as a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map and includes road information necessary for autonomous driving. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional shape information of roads and detailed information about each lane. The locator 35 can update the three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data to the latest information through external communication via the on-board communication device 39. The locator 35 reads map data for the area around the current location from the map DB 36 and provides it to the autonomous driving ECU 50, HCU 100, etc., along with locator information.

[0025] The navigation ECU 38 acquires information about a destination specified by a driver or other occupant 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 autonomous driving ECU 50, 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 direction of travel of the vehicle Am at intersections, branching points, etc.

[0026] Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network 1 or the HCU 100. Such a user terminal may provide the autonomous driving ECU 50 with information such as vehicle position information, direction information, and map data, instead of the locator 35. Furthermore, the user terminal may provide the autonomous driving ECU 50 and the HCU 100 with information such as route information to a destination, instead of the navigation ECU 38.

[0027] 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 between roadside devices installed on the side of the road and other vehicles around the host vehicle. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives congestion information and traffic regulation information around the current location of the host vehicle Am and in the direction of travel from the roadside devices. The congestion information and traffic regulation information are, for example, VICS (registered trademark) information.

[0028] The on-board communication device 39 may be capable of receiving, from roadside devices and other vehicles, signal information indicating the lighting patterns of traffic signals installed at the intersection ahead, and detection information of objects around the intersection ahead, such as stopped vehicles, parked vehicles, pedestrians Pd (see FIG. 6 ), cyclists, etc. The on-board communication device 39 provides the received congestion information, traffic regulation information, signal information, detection information, etc. to the autonomous driving ECU 50, the HCU 100, etc.

[0029] The cruise control ECU 40 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The cruise control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information indicating the current traveling speed of the host vehicle Am based on detection signals from wheel speed sensors provided at the hub portions of each wheel, and sequentially outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99. 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 continuously controls the braking force of each wheel, the output of the on-board power source, and the steering angle based on operation commands based on the driver's driving operation or control commands from the automatic driving ECU 50.

[0030] The body ECU 43 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The body ECU 43 has at least the function of controlling the operation of lighting devices (e.g., turn signals 44, etc.) mounted on the host vehicle Am. Based on detection of a user operation input to a turn signal switch provided on the steering column or the like, the body ECU 43 starts flashing either the left or right turn signal 44 (winker) corresponding to the operation direction. In addition, based on a control command received from the automatic driving ECU 50, the body ECU 43 starts flashing either the left or right turn signal 44 corresponding to the direction of movement of the host vehicle Am when changing lanes under driving assistance control or autonomous driving control.

[0031] The HCU 100, together with a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an ambient light 25, and an operation device 26, constitutes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10. The HMI system 10 has an input interface function that accepts operations by an occupant such as a driver of the host vehicle Am, and an output interface function that presents information to the driver.

[0032] The display devices present information to the driver's vision by displaying images, etc. The display devices include a meter display 21, a center information display (hereinafter referred to as CID) 22, and a head-up display (hereinafter referred to as HUD) 23. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver, etc.

[0033] The audio system 24 has multiple speakers installed in the vehicle cabin surrounding the driver's seat, and reproduces alarm sounds, voice messages, etc. through the speakers. The ambient lights 25 are provided on the instrument panel, steering wheel, etc. The ambient lights 25 present information using the driver's peripheral vision by changing the color of the emitted light.

[0034] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by the driver, etc. User operations related to activation and deactivation of the autonomous driving function, user operations related to setting a destination for route guidance, etc. are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes what the driver is saying.

[0035] The HCU 100 is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a control circuit that includes a bus connecting these components. The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device and comprehensively controls the presentation of information using multiple display devices, an audio device 24, and an ambient light 25.

[0036] The HCU 100 presents information related to autonomous driving in cooperation with the autonomous driving ECU 50. The HCU 100 acquires control status information indicating the operating status of the autonomous driving function and a request to present information related to the autonomous driving function from the autonomous driving ECU 50. The HCU 100 provides content and presents information tailored to the operating status of the autonomous driving based on the control status information and the implementation request. For example, when the autonomous driving ECU 50 plans to end autonomous driving control, the HCU 100 issues a notification requesting the implementation of a driving operation, in other words, a notification requesting a driver change.

[0037] The HCU 100 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. The HCU 100 provides operation information of a user operation related to the autonomous driving function to the autonomous driving ECU 50. The HCU 100 provides operation information of a user operation for setting a destination of the host vehicle Am to the navigation ECU 38.

[0038] [Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a control circuit that includes a bus connecting these components. The processing unit 51 accesses the RAM 52 to execute various processes (instructions) for implementing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure. The storage unit 53 stores various programs (autonomous driving control programs, etc.) that are executed by the processing unit 51. By executing the programs by the processing unit 51, the autonomous driving ECU 50 is configured with multiple functional units for implementing the autonomous driving function, such as an information linkage unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action determination unit 63, a control execution unit 64, and an equipment control unit 65 (see FIG. 2 ).

[0039] The information linking unit 61 provides information to the HCU 100 and acquires information from the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29. The information linking unit 61 acquires control state information indicating the operating state of the autonomous driving function from the action determination unit 63, and provides the acquired control state information to the HCU 100. The control state information includes information indicating the autonomous driving level of the autonomous driving function that is in an operating state. The information linking unit 61 has an HMI information acquisition unit 71 and a notification request unit 72 as sub-functional units for information linking with the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29.

[0040] The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the content of user operations input by the driver or the like to the CID 22 and the operation device 26, etc., based on operation information acquired from the HCU 100. The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps, for example, a level 2 transition operation that instructs a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control, and a level 3 transition operation that instructs a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control, etc. Furthermore, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the driver's behavior based on driver status information acquired from the driver monitor 29. During a driving period under driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 continuously grasps the driver's driving posture, line of sight direction, whether or not surrounding monitoring is being performed, whether or not a second task is being performed, and level of alertness, etc.

[0041] The notification request unit 72 outputs a notification implementation request to the HCU 100, thereby enabling the HCU 100 to issue a notification synchronized with the operating state of the autonomous driving function. For example, when the end of autonomous driving control is scheduled, the notification request unit 72 outputs a notification implementation request to the HCU 100, requesting a driver change. The notification request unit 72 outputs a notification implementation request (see status display SD in FIG. 10 ) related to an automobile lane change due to driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, to the HCU 100. Based on the notification request acquired from the notification request unit 72, the HCU 100 implements a notification that appropriately combines a virtual image display or screen display by the display device, a notification sound or message playback by the audio device 24, an ambient display by the ambient light 25, and the like.

[0042] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the driving environment of the host vehicle Am by combining the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 with the detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 30. The environment recognition unit 62 can use the detection information received by the in-vehicle communication device 39 to recognize the driving environment. The environment recognition unit 62 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38 and provides the acquired route information to the action determination unit 63. The environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed from the communication bus 99 as information indicating the state of the host vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle recognition unit 73 and a road recognition unit 74 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment.

[0043] The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the relative positions, relative speeds, etc. of dynamic targets around the host vehicle Am, such as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. In a scene where an automated lane change (described later) is performed, the other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the presence or absence, as well as the relative positions, relative speeds, etc., of a vehicle ahead of the host vehicle Am (see entering vehicle Ac in FIG. 3 ), a vehicle to the side, and a vehicle behind the host vehicle Ab (see FIG. 3 ). The other vehicle grasping unit 73 determines whether or not there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd (see FIG. 3 ) in which the host vehicle Am can move.

[0044] The road recognition unit 74 acquires information related to the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling or is scheduled to travel. Specifically, when the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road including multiple lanes, the road recognition unit 74 identifies the position of the host vehicle lane Lns (see FIG. 3 ) on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. In addition, the road recognition unit 74 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38 and identifies which of the multiple lanes the host vehicle Am should travel in.

[0045] The road identification unit 74 identifies whether the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling or is scheduled to travel is within a predetermined permission area. In a permission area, autonomous driving control of level 3 or higher is permitted. The conditions for determining whether a road is within a permission area correspond to the road conditions in the operational design domain. The operational design domain is a specific condition related to the designed driving environment that is the premise for the autonomous driving ECU 50 to operate normally, and is set according to the capabilities of the autonomous driving ECU 50. Information indicating whether a road is within a permission area may be recorded in the map data stored in the map DB 36, or may be included in the received information received by the on-board communication device 39. For example, expressways, motorways, and specific public roads that have been developed to enable autonomous driving are considered permission areas.

[0046] When the autonomous driving ECU 50 has control of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle Am to travel on, based on the results of recognition of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62 and the route information generated by the navigation ECU 38. The behavior determination unit 63 outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64. The behavior determination unit 63 has a control switching unit 75 as a sub-function unit for controlling the operating state of the autonomous driving function.

[0047] The control switching unit 75 cooperates with the HCU 100 to control the switching of driving between the autonomous driving ECU 50 and the driver. The control switching unit 75 switches between level 2 driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, and level 3 or higher autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. The control switching unit 75 permits level 3 or higher autonomous driving on roads within a permitted area, and permits only level 2 autonomous driving on roads outside the permitted area. Furthermore, the control switching unit 75 switches between level 3 autonomous driving and level 4 or level 5 autonomous driving, among the autonomous driving controls in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. The control switching unit 75 generates control status information indicating the current operating status of the autonomous driving function, and provides the generated control status information to the information linkage unit 61, etc.

[0048] When the autonomous driving ECU 50 has control of driving operations, the control execution unit 64 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the host vehicle Am in accordance with the planned driving line generated by the action determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the planned driving line and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the cruise control ECU 40.

[0049] The device control unit 65 controls the start and end of the blinking of the turn signal 44 by outputting a control command to the body ECU 43. In conjunction with the implementation of a lane change under driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, the device control unit 65 cooperates with the body ECU 43 to cause the blinking of the turn signal 44 on the adjacent lane Lnd (see FIG. 3 ).

[0050] [Automatic Lane Change Within an Intersection] In the autonomous driving ECU 50 described above, a driving control unit 76 is provided as a sub-functional unit in the behavior determination unit 63. When the driving control unit 76 determines that there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd where the host vehicle Am can move, the driving control unit 76 executes an automated lane change from the host vehicle lane Lns to the adjacent lane Lnd. The driving control unit 76 executes an automated lane change, for example, when overtaking a slower vehicle ahead, or when moving to a specific lane to head toward a destination. The driving control unit 76 can execute an automated lane change not only on straight sections of expressways and general roads, but also on sections of general roads that include an intersection IS (see FIG. 3 ).

[0051] More specifically, at some intersections IS, lane changes are legally permitted within the intersection IS. For example, if the dividing line (lane boundary line) on the road surface just before the intersection IS is orange, lane changes are prohibited in the section that includes the intersection IS. On the other hand, if the dividing line on the road surface just before the intersection IS is white, lane changes are permitted in the section that includes the intersection IS.

[0052] Below, we will explain in detail several scenes in which a vehicle makes a lane change in a direction away from its own lane Lns at an intersection IS where lane changes are not legally prohibited, based on Figures 3 to 10 and with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0053] [Scene 1: Left Lane Change Scene to Avoid a Vehicle Turning Right] As shown in Fig. 3 , in a scene where the host vehicle Am is entering an intersection IS, the environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the presence of other vehicles located around the host vehicle Am, specifically, a rear vehicle Ab and an entering vehicle Ac. The rear vehicle Ab is a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns and the adjacent lane Lnd behind the host vehicle Am. The entering vehicle Ac is a vehicle entering the host vehicle lane Lns or the adjacent lane Lnd from the left or right crossing road CR, and is a cutting-in vehicle entering the intersection IS in a direction intersecting with the host vehicle Am (see also Fig. 4 ).

[0054] The environment recognition unit 62 grasps the relative positions, movement direction, movement speed, etc. of the rear vehicle Ab and the entering vehicle Ac based on the detection information. In addition, the environment recognition unit 62 grasps the operation status of the turn signal lights of the entering vehicle Ac and the rear vehicle Ab located around the host vehicle Am. The operation status of the turn signal lights serves as behavior prediction information for predicting the future behavior of the entering vehicle Ac and the rear vehicle Ab in the left and right directions. Based on the behavior prediction information, the environment recognition unit 62 predicts in advance the entry of the entering vehicle Ac from the left crossing road CR into the adjacent lane Lnd, the lane change of the rear vehicle Ab from the host vehicle lane Lns to the adjacent lane Lnd, etc.

[0055] In a scene where the host vehicle Am is scheduled to pass through an intersection IS, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS. Specifically, the environment recognition unit 62 defines the area between a pair of stop lines provided before and after the intersection IS as an intersection area IA (see the area indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 3 ). If the host vehicle Am cannot leave the intersection area IA, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns.

[0056] In scene 1 shown in Figure 3, of the two lanes on the main road MR, the right lane is the host vehicle lane Lns. In scene 1, the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection area IA is congested (traffic jammed), and an incoming vehicle Ac is turning right into the host vehicle lane Lns from a cross road CR on the right side of the intersection IS. Therefore, after the host vehicle Am crosses the stop line on the near side and enters the intersection IS (intersection area IA), the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS. On the other hand, if the lane is the adjacent lane Lnd, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am beyond the intersection IS.

[0057] If there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns but there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd, the driving control unit 76 determines whether there is sufficient space in the adjacent lane Lnd for the host vehicle Am to move away from the host vehicle's lane Lns in the section including the intersection IS (to the left in FIG. 3 ). In this case, the driving control unit 76 uses information about the entering vehicle Ac and the following vehicle Ab recognized by the environment recognition unit 62 to determine whether there is sufficient space in the adjacent lane Lnd for the host vehicle Am to move. The driving control unit 76 initiates a lane change if there is no entering vehicle Ac in the adjacent lane Lnd and the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle Ab traveling in the adjacent lane Lnd and the host vehicle Am exceeds the minimum inter-vehicle distance. The device control unit 65 initiates a lane change in the section including the intersection IS (hereinafter referred to as an "intersection automatic lane change"), as well as a lane change in the section not including the intersection IS (hereinafter referred to as an "out-of-intersection automatic lane change").

[0058] The driving control unit 76 sets the minimum inter-vehicle distance for permitting the execution of in-intersection automatic LC to be shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance for permitting the execution of out-intersection automatic LC. In addition, the driving control unit 76 sets the lower limit speed for permitting the execution of in-intersection automatic LC to be lower than the lower limit speed for permitting the execution of out-intersection automatic LC. As an example, the driving control unit 76 sets the lower limit speed to 0 km / h, allowing automatic lane changes to be performed even from a stopped state. As a result, the driving control unit 76 performs in-intersection automatic LC at a speed slower than that for out-intersection automatic LC.

[0059] The driving control unit 76 sets the completion point EP of the in-intersection automatic lane change (LC) beyond the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 makes the lateral (left-right) vector generated in the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic lane change smaller than the lateral vector during the out-intersection automatic lane change (LC). The vector indicates the direction and magnitude of the acceleration acting on the host vehicle Am due to the automatic lane change. When the host vehicle Am is traveling at the same speed, the lateral acceleration generated during the in-intersection automatic lane change (LC) is suppressed more than the lateral acceleration generated during the out-intersection automatic lane change (LC). As a result, during the in-intersection automatic lane change (LC), the entry angle of the host vehicle Am when entering the adjacent lane Lnd is gentler (smaller) than during the out-intersection automatic lane change (LC). In this way, during the in-intersection automatic lane change (LC), exiting the intersection area IA is prioritized, so forward movement is prioritized over lateral / rearward movement.

[0060] 4 , the left lane of the two lanes of the main road MR is the host vehicle's lane Lns. In scene 2, the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection area IA is congested (traffic jammed), and an entering vehicle Ac is turning left and entering the host vehicle's lane Lns from a cross road CR on the left side of the intersection IS. The environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS due to the entry of the entering vehicle Ac, but determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd beyond the intersection IS.

[0061] If there is no space in the current vehicle lane Lns and there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd, the driving control unit 76 determines to execute an automated lane change in a direction away from the current vehicle lane Lns (to the right in FIG. 4 ) in the section including the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 starts the automated lane change when it confirms that there is no incoming vehicle Ac entering the adjacent lane Lnd from the cross road CR on the right and that there is no rear vehicle Ab in the adjacent lane Lnd. Even in the case of an in-intersection automated lane change to the right, the driving control unit 76 sets the completion point EP beyond the intersection IS.

[0062] The driving control unit 76 changes the driving speed of the host vehicle Am depending on the direction of movement (left or right) during the in-intersection automatic LC. With other conditions remaining the same, the driving control unit 76 sets the driving speed for the in-intersection automatic LC to the right higher (larger) than for the in-intersection automatic LC to the left (see FIG. 3). As an example, the driving control unit 76 slightly accelerates the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic LC to the right. On the other hand, the driving control unit 76 maintains the driving speed of the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic LC to the left.

[0063] [Scene 3: Automobile Lane Change Scene at Intersection with Traffic Lights] In Scene 3 shown in Fig. 5 , a traffic light TL is installed at an intersection IS. The environment recognition unit 62 at least recognizes the current lighting pattern (lighting state) of the traffic light TL located directly in front of the host vehicle Am among the multiple traffic lights TL installed at the intersection IS. If the traffic light TL directly in front of the host vehicle Am is displaying a lighting pattern (red light) indicating a stop, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am before the stop line.

[0064] The environment recognition unit 62 further determines whether the host vehicle Am has entered an intersection area IA at an intersection IS where a traffic signal TL is installed. If the driving control unit 76 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS after the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection area IA, it decides to perform an in-intersection automatic LC (see FIG. 3 ).

[0065] On the other hand, if it is determined before the host vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 suspends the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC. In this case, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am short of the stop line (intersection area IA) even if the traffic light TL is in a lighting pattern that allows proceeding (green light).

[0066] Furthermore, if the environment recognition unit 62 determines early on that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 determines whether the out-of-intersection automatic LC can be completed on the near side of the intersection area IA. If it is determined that the out-of-intersection automatic LC can be completed on the near side of the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 performs the out-of-intersection automatic LC and moves the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane Lnd before entering the intersection area IA. Even at an intersection IS without a traffic signal TL, if the driving control unit 76 determines early on that there is no space for the host vehicle Am beyond the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 performs the out-of-intersection automatic LC to move the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane Lnd before entering the intersection area IA.

[0067] Here, the driving control unit 76 makes it easier to decide to implement intra-intersection automatic LC at intersections IS without traffic signals TL (see FIG. 3 ) than at intersections IS with traffic signals TL. That is, intra-intersection automatic LC is implemented preferentially at intersections IS without traffic signals TL than at intersections IS with traffic signals TL. As an example, at an intersection IS without traffic signals TL, even if it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns immediately before entering the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 decides to implement intra-intersection automatic LC without stopping the host vehicle Am at the stop line.

[0068] 6, a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS. A pedestrian Pd is present in a waiting area WA facing the intersection IS, and the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS and whether the pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA.

[0069] When a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 reduces the driving speed of the host vehicle Am in the in-intersection automatic lane change and performs lateral movement at a slower speed than when the pedestrian Pd is not present in the waiting area WA. The driving control unit 76 makes the lateral vector generated by the host vehicle Am when changing lanes toward the pedestrian Pd (to the left in FIG. 6 ) smaller than the lateral vector when changing lanes away from the pedestrian Pd (to the right in FIG. 6 ).

[0070] If a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 completes the in-intersection automatic LC within the intersection area IA. In addition, if a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 sets the completion point EP of the in-intersection automatic LC to be on the near side of the crosswalk PC. This prevents the driving control unit 76 from performing the in-intersection automatic LC across lanes on the crosswalk PC.

[0071] When a pedestrian Pd is planning to cross the crosswalk PC, the driving control unit 76 completes the in-intersection automatic LC on the near side of the crosswalk PC and then makes the host vehicle Am wait (temporarily stop) at this near side position. When the environment recognition unit 62 detects that the pedestrian Pd crossing the crosswalk PC has passed in front of the host vehicle Am, the driving control unit 76 starts the host vehicle Am.

[0072] [Scene 5: Emergency Vehicle Avoidance Scene] In Scene 5 shown in FIG. 7 , an emergency vehicle EmV is approaching the host vehicle Am from behind. The emergency vehicle EmV may be a police vehicle such as a patrol car, a fire engine, or an ambulance. The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the emergency vehicle EmV approaching the host vehicle Am from behind based on the detection information. When the environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the emergency vehicle EmV, it further determines whether the host vehicle Am is located on the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV, in other words, whether the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in the host vehicle lane Lns. The host vehicle Am may further be provided with an acoustic sensor (e.g., a microphone) as the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 for detecting the siren of the emergency vehicle EmV.

[0073] In a scene in which the host vehicle Am is planning to pass through an intersection IS, if an emergency vehicle EmV is approaching from behind and the host vehicle Am is traveling on the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV, the driving control unit 76 determines to perform in-intersection automatic LC. The driving control unit 76 uses the in-intersection automatic LC to move the host vehicle Am in a direction away from the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV (leftward in FIG. 7 ). If there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd beyond the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am by pulling over to the shoulder of the road within the intersection area IA. In this way, a driving space for the emergency vehicle EmV is secured.

[0074] [Scene 6: Waiting Scene for Automobile Lane Change Within Intersection] In Scene 6 shown in Figure 8, the presence of an approaching vehicle Ac and a rear vehicle Ab places the in-intersection automatic LC in a standby state. Even when the in-intersection automatic LC is in a standby state, the device control unit 65 continues to flash the turn signal 44 on the moving side (the left side in Figure 8). After deciding to perform the in-intersection automatic LC, if the duration of the standby state exceeds the upper standby time limit, the driving control unit 76 times out the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0075] If the in-intersection automatic LC times out within the intersection area IA, the control switching unit 75 switches driving from the automated driving system to the driver. If the in-intersection automatic LC times out within the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 may cause the host vehicle Am to leave the intersection IS by turning right or left in a direction that deviates from the planned driving route set in the navigation ECU 38. In this case, an emergency turn is made right or left in a direction different from the traveling direction of the occupants of the host vehicle Am.

[0076] When the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the environment recognition unit 62 estimates whether congestion will continue in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 changes the waiting posture of the host vehicle Am within the intersection area IA according to the estimation result of whether congestion will continue beyond the intersection area IA.

[0077] Specifically, when the intra-intersection automatic lane change (LC) is in a standby state within the intersection area IA and congestion in the host vehicle's lane Lns is estimated to continue, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in an inclined posture toward the moving side of the intra-intersection automatic lane change (left side in FIG. 7 ). In this case, the host vehicle Am waits with the turn signal 44 activated in a posture that prioritizes the execution of an automatic lane change.

[0078] On the other hand, when the intra-intersection automatic LC enters a standby state within the intersection area IA and the environment recognition unit 62 estimates that the congestion will not continue, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in a straight-ahead position along the host vehicle lane Lns. After transitioning to the standby state, when a space appears in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the equipment control unit 65 stops the blinking of the turn signal 44. Then, the driving control unit 76 causes the host vehicle Am to travel straight toward the space ahead.

[0079] The driving control unit 76 changes the upper limit waiting time for an automated lane change to time out between the in-intersection automatic LC and the out-intersection automatic LC. The driving control unit 76 sets the upper limit waiting time for the in-intersection automatic LC to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time for the out-intersection automatic LC. The driving control unit 76 also changes the upper limit waiting time for the in-intersection automatic LC depending on whether the location where the waiting state occurred is within the intersection area IA. The driving control unit 76 sets the upper limit waiting time after entering the intersection IS to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time before entering the intersection IS.

[0080] Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 changes the upper limit waiting time for the in-intersection automatic LC depending on whether or not a traffic signal TL (see FIG. 5) is installed at the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 sets a longer upper limit waiting time for the in-intersection automatic LC at an intersection IS without a traffic signal TL than at an intersection IS with a traffic signal TL. At an intersection IS without a traffic signal TL, it is not necessary to set an upper limit waiting time.

[0081] [Scene 7: Scene in which an Automobile Lane Change is Restricted] In Scene 7 shown in Figure 9, entering vehicles Ac are entering the main road MR from both left and right crossing roads CR. More specifically, from the crossing road CR on the left side of the intersection IS, entering vehicles Ac are turning left into the adjacent lane Lnd. Furthermore, from the crossing road CR on the right side of the intersection IS, entering vehicles Ac are turning right into the host vehicle's lane Lns. The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes these entering vehicles Ac entering the intersection IS ahead of the host vehicle Am.

[0082] The driving control unit 76 restricts the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC when there are entering vehicles Ac on both the left and right sides of the intersection IS. In this case, the driving control unit 76 prevents the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC. The driving control unit 76 causes the host vehicle Am to travel straight ahead so as to follow the entering vehicle Ac entering the host vehicle's lane Lns.

[0083] Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 restricts the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC depending on the driving environment around the vehicle. Details of each scene in which the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC is restricted will be described below.

[0084] The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the weather around the host vehicle Am is bad based on the detection information from the camera unit 31 and the received information from the in-vehicle communication device 39. As an example, if there is a high possibility that the road surface at the intersection IS has become icy due to snowfall or snow accumulation, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the weather around the host vehicle Am is bad. In this case, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC, specifically, prevents the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC.

[0085] The environment recognition unit 62 grasps the size of the intersection IS through which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to pass. The environment recognition unit 62 determines the size of the intersection IS based on the area of ​​the intersection area IA. The environment recognition unit 62 determines that the size of the nearest intersection IS is large if the number of lanes of the main road MR and the cross road CR that intersect at the intersection IS is greater than a predetermined number. In addition, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the size of the nearest intersection IS is large if the intersection IS is a multi-junction (five or more intersections). The driving control unit 76 changes the criteria for determining whether to permit in-intersection automatic LC depending on the size of the intersection IS. Specifically, the driving control unit 76 sets stricter criteria for the larger the intersection IS determined to be by the environment recognition unit 62, and does not perform in-intersection automatic LC.

[0086] When the environment recognition unit 62 recognizes an incoming vehicle Ac entering the host vehicle lane Lns, it determines whether the priority of the intersecting road CR is higher than the priority of the host road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. The environment recognition unit 62 may determine the priority relationship between the intersecting road CR and the host road by referring to map data, or may determine the priority relationship based on information such as road width obtained by the camera unit 31. The driving control unit 76 permits the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC if the priority of the host road (main road MR) is higher than the priority of the intersecting road CR. On the other hand, if the priority of the intersecting road CR is higher than the priority of the host road, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC, specifically, prevents the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC.

[0087] The environment recognition unit 62 determines the planned driving route of the host vehicle Am set in the autonomous driving function based on route information acquired from the navigation ECU 38. The driving control unit 76 restricts the host vehicle Am from performing automatic in-intersection LC in a direction that would deviate from the planned driving route, even if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS. As an example, if the host vehicle Am needs to enter a right-turn lane at the next intersection IS after passing the nearest intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 prevents the host vehicle Am from performing automatic in-intersection LC to the left at the nearest intersection IS. As another example, if the host vehicle needs to avoid a right-turn-only lane at the next intersection IS after passing the nearest intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 prevents the host vehicle Am from performing automatic in-intersection LC to the right at the nearest intersection IS.

[0088] 10 , an automatic LC outside the intersection (first lane change LC1) and an automatic LC inside the intersection (second lane change LC2) are performed consecutively. When the driving control unit 76 performs the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2 consecutively, the device control unit 65 causes the turn signal 44 of the host vehicle Am to continue flashing. The flashing of the turn signal 44 continues from before the first lane change LC1 begins until after the second lane change LC2 ends.

[0089] When the driving control unit 76 successively executes a first lane change LC1 and a second lane change LC2, the notification request unit 72 cooperates with the HMI system 10 to notify the driver that the vehicle has transitioned from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2. The transition from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2 is notified by a status display SD displayed on, for example, the meter display 21 or the CID 22. The status display SD includes a host vehicle icon IcS, a vehicle icon IcB, lane icon images LpS and LpD, and an LC icon IPP. The status display SD notifies the driver of the transition from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2 by changing the display color of the LC icon IPP between the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2. The status display SD may also notify the driver of the transition from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2 by temporarily hiding and then redisplaying the LC icon IPP.

[0090] [Details of the implementation determination process and lane change control process] Next, details of the implementation determination process and lane change control process performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50 to realize the automatic LC within the intersection described above will be described below based on Figures 11 and 12 and with reference to Figures 1 to 10.

[0091] 11 is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50 on the condition that the host vehicle Am has approached the intersection area IA within a predetermined distance (for example, about 1 km). The execution determination process is continuously performed until the host vehicle Am has passed the intersection area IA, and is terminated after the host vehicle Am has passed the intersection area IA.

[0092] In S11 of the implementation determination process, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS. If there is space in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS (S11: YES), the implementation determination process is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS (S11: NO), the environment recognition unit 62 determines in S12 whether a traffic signal TL is installed at the intersection IS. If a traffic signal TL is installed at the intersection IS (S12: YES), the environment recognition unit 62 determines in S13 whether the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection area IA.

[0093] If it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns before the host vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA (S13: NO), the driving control unit 76 suspends the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC and stops the host vehicle Am before the intersection area IA (stop line) in S14. Note that the driving control unit 76 may also attempt the in-intersection automatic LC by slowly moving the host vehicle Am straight ahead without stopping the host vehicle Am at the stop line in S14.

[0094] If a traffic signal TL is not installed at the intersection IS (S12: NO), or if it is determined that there is no space ahead after the host vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA (S13: YES), the environment recognition unit 62 grasps the situation of the adjacent lane Lnd in S15. In S15, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd beyond the intersection IS. If there is no space in the adjacent lane Lnd (S15: NO), the implementation determination process is temporarily terminated.

[0095] If there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd (S15: YES), the driving control unit 76 determines in S16 whether the current driving speed of the host vehicle Am is equal to or greater than the minimum speed limit that permits the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC. If the driving speed of the host vehicle Am is less than the minimum speed limit (S16: NO), the implementation determination process is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if the driving speed of the host vehicle Am is equal to or greater than the minimum speed limit (S16: YES), the driving control unit 76 determines in S17 whether the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC is restricted for the nearest intersection IS.

[0096] If the dividing lines before and after the intersection IS are orange, the driving control unit 76 determines that intra-intersection automatic LC is not permitted by law and decides not to perform intra-intersection automatic LC. In addition, the driving control unit 76 decides not to perform intra-intersection automatic LC if the environment recognition unit 62 detects entering vehicles Ac on both the left and right sides, if bad weather is detected around the vehicle, or if the nearest intersection IS is determined to be a large intersection IS. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 decides not to perform intra-intersection automatic LC if the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the priority of the vehicle's road is lower than the priority of the crossing road CR, or if it determines that performing intra-intersection automatic LC would result in deviation from the planned driving route.

[0097] If the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC is restricted at the nearest intersection IS (S17: YES), the execution determination process is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC is not restricted at the nearest intersection IS (S17: NO), the driving control unit 76 determines in S18 to execute an automatic lane change in a direction away from the host vehicle's lane Lns in the section including the intersection IS.

[0098] 12 is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50 based on the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC determined by the execution determination process. In S31 of the lane change control process, the environment recognition unit 62 acquires information on the rear vehicle Ab and the approaching vehicle Ac located around the host vehicle Am. In S31, the operation information of the turn signal lights of these other vehicles is grasped as behavior prediction information.

[0099] In S32, the driving control unit 76 determines whether or not in-intersection automatic LC can be initiated. If there is no rear vehicle Ab in the adjacent lane Lnd, or if the minimum inter-vehicle distance from the rear vehicle Ab is secured, the driving control unit 76 determines that in-intersection automatic LC can be initiated, provided that there is no entering vehicle Ac entering the adjacent lane Lnd. If it is determined that in-intersection automatic LC can be initiated (S32: YES), the driving control unit 76 sets the control content of in-intersection automatic LC in S37. Then, in S38, the equipment control unit 65 starts flashing the turn signal 44, and then the driving control unit 76 starts in-intersection automatic LC.

[0100] In S37, the traveling speed of the host vehicle Am is changed depending on the direction of movement (left or right) in the in-intersection automatic LC. Also, in S37, the traveling speed of the host vehicle Am is changed depending on whether a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA and whether the host vehicle Am is moving in a direction approaching the pedestrian Pd in ​​the in-intersection automatic LC. Furthermore, in S37, the completion point EP of the in-intersection automatic LC is changed depending on the presence or absence of a crosswalk PC and a pedestrian Pd.

[0101] On the other hand, if it is determined that the intra-intersection automatic LC cannot be started (S32: NO), the driving control unit 76 puts the intra-intersection automatic LC into a standby state in S33. In S33, an upper standby time limit is set for determining whether the intra-intersection automatic LC has timed out. In S34, the driving control unit 76 determines whether the intra-intersection automatic LC has timed out based on whether the duration of the standby state has exceeded the upper standby time limit. If the intra-intersection automatic LC has timed out (S34: YES), the driving control unit 76 determines in S36 to cancel the intra-intersection automatic LC. In this case, the driving control unit 76 may take over driving to a driver, switch to straight driving, or switch to a right or left turn in a direction different from the planned driving route.

[0102] Furthermore, if the in-intersection automatic LC has not timed out (S34: NO), the driving control unit 76 determines in S35 whether it is possible to continue straight ahead. If space appears in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 determines that it is possible to continue straight ahead (S35: YES). In this case, the driving control unit 76 determines in S36 to stop the in-intersection automatic LC and causes the host vehicle Am to continue straight ahead toward the space that has appeared in the host vehicle's lane Lns. On the other hand, if there is still no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS (S35: NO), the driving control unit 76 continues the standby state of the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0103] (Summary of First Embodiment) In the first embodiment described so far, even if there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the host vehicle Am can be caused to leave the intersection IS by changing the driving lane through an automated lane change in the section including the intersection IS. Therefore, it is less likely that the host vehicle Am will be stranded in the intersection IS. As a result, the convenience of automated driving can be ensured.

[0104] Additionally, in the first embodiment, whether the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection IS is determined based on the positional relationship between the host vehicle Am and the intersection area IA. Then, if the driving control unit 76 determines that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns after the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection IS, it decides to perform the in-intersection automatic LC. This allows the driving control unit 76 to perform the in-intersection automatic LC in a situation where the host vehicle Am is likely to become stranded in the intersection IS, thereby preventing the occurrence of stranding. Furthermore, if it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns before the host vehicle Am enters the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 suspends the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC. This prevents the host vehicle Am from entering the intersection area IA, thereby preventing stranding in the intersection IS.

[0105] In the first embodiment, the traveling speed of the host vehicle Am is changed depending on the direction of movement of the host vehicle Am in the intersection LC. Therefore, the traveling control unit 76 can smoothly move the host vehicle Am into the adjacent lane Lnd even in the intersection LC.

[0106] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA facing the intersection IS. If a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 reduces the driving speed of the host vehicle Am in the in-intersection automatic driving LC more than if a pedestrian Pd is not present in the waiting area WA. By adjusting the driving speed in this manner, the pedestrian Pd is less likely to feel uneasy about the host vehicle Am changing lanes in the intersection area IA.

[0107] Additionally, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not the weather around the host vehicle Am is bad. Then, if the weather around the host vehicle Am is bad, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC. In bad weather, the road surface conditions within the intersection area IA are likely to be worse than the road surface conditions outside the intersection area IA. Therefore, by restricting the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC in bad weather, it is possible to allow the host vehicle Am to travel smoothly.

[0108] In the first embodiment, the size of the intersection IS through which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to pass is determined. The driving control unit 76 then changes the criteria for determining whether to permit intra-intersection automatic LC depending on the size of the intersection IS. Specifically, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of intra-intersection automatic LC at large intersections IS. The larger the intersection IS, the more likely the driving environment is to become complex, and the more difficult it is to change lanes automatically. Therefore, the larger the intersection IS, the more desirable it is to restrict the implementation of intra-intersection automatic LC.

[0109] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, an emergency vehicle EmV approaching the host vehicle Am from behind is recognized. When the emergency vehicle EmV is recognized, the driving control unit 76 permits the emergency vehicle EmV to change lanes in a direction that will deviate from the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV in the section including the intersection IS. As a result, it is possible to smoothly yield to the emergency vehicle EmV by utilizing the intersection area IA, where space is likely to be secured near the shoulder of the road.

[0110] Additionally, in the first embodiment, whether or not a traffic signal TL is installed at an intersection IS is determined. The driving control unit 76 then more easily decides to implement an in-intersection automatic LC at an intersection IS without a traffic signal TL than at an intersection IS with a traffic signal TL. At an intersection IS without a traffic signal TL, even if the in-intersection automatic LC is put into a standby state within the intersection area IA, this is less likely to cause a problem. Therefore, proactive implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC at intersections IS without a traffic signal TL ensures the convenience of automated driving.

[0111] In the first embodiment, the minimum speed limit for permitting the in-intersection automatic LC is set lower than the minimum speed limit for permitting the out-intersection automatic LC. Therefore, even if the traveling speed of the host vehicle Am decreases as the host vehicle approaches the intersection IS, the traveling control unit 76 can determine to perform the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0112] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, behavior prediction information is obtained to predict the future behavior of the following vehicle Ab and the approaching vehicle Ac located around the host vehicle Am in the lateral direction. The driving control unit 76 then uses the behavior prediction information to determine whether to initiate in-intersection automatic LC. As a result, the driving control unit 76 can smoothly initiate lane changes even in a complex driving environment such as the intersection area IA.

[0113] In addition, in the first embodiment, the minimum inter-vehicle distance that allows the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC is set shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance that allows the implementation of the out-intersection automatic LC. As a result, the in-intersection automatic LC is more likely to be initiated, and therefore, the situation of being stuck at the intersection IS can be more reliably avoided.

[0114] In the first embodiment, the lateral vector generated in the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic LC is set smaller than the lateral vector during the out-intersection automatic LC. As described above, during the in-intersection automatic LC, forward movement is prioritized over lateral movement. As a result, the cruise control unit 76 can cause the host vehicle Am to quickly leave the intersection area IA while performing the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0115] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the lateral vector generated by the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic LC toward the pedestrian Pd in ​​the waiting area WA is set smaller than the lateral vector generated by the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic LC toward the pedestrian Pd in ​​the waiting area WA. This adjustment of the lateral vector also makes it less likely that the pedestrian Pd will feel uneasy about the host vehicle Am changing lanes within the intersection area IA.

[0116] Additionally, in the first embodiment, if a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 completes the in-intersection automatic LC within the intersection area IA. By adjusting the completion point EP of the automated lane change, the pedestrian Pd is less likely to feel uneasy about the host vehicle Am changing lanes within the intersection area IA.

[0117] In the first embodiment, whether or not a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS is determined. If a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 completes the in-intersection automatic LC just before the crosswalk PC. This prevents lateral movement across lanes on the crosswalk PC.

[0118] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not a pedestrian Pd is planning to cross the crosswalk PC. If a pedestrian Pd is present, the driving control unit 76 completes the in-intersection automatic LC on the short side of the crosswalk PC and then causes the host vehicle Am to wait on the short side. This makes it possible to smoothly give priority to the pedestrian Pd waiting to cross.

[0119] Additionally, in the first embodiment, the completion point EP of the in-intersection automatic LC is set beyond the intersection IS. As described above, in the in-intersection automatic LC, forward movement is prioritized over lateral movement. As a result, the cruise control unit 76 can quickly move the host vehicle Am out of the intersection area IA while performing the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0120] In the first embodiment, the planned driving route of the host vehicle Am set in the automatic driving function is grasped. Then, the driving control unit 76 restricts the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC in a direction that would cause the host vehicle Am to deviate from the planned driving route, even if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the host vehicle Am makes a sudden movement to return to the planned driving route after passing through the intersection IS due to the execution of the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0121] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if the duration of the standby state of the intra-intersection automatic LC after the decision to perform the intra-intersection automatic LC exceeds the upper standby time limit, the standby state times out. The upper standby time limit for the intra-intersection automatic LC is set shorter than the upper standby time limit for the out-intersection automatic LC. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the host vehicle Am is stuck in the intersection area IA due to a continued standby state.

[0122] Additionally, in the first embodiment, the upper limit waiting time is set longer at intersections IS where no traffic signals TL are installed than at intersections IS where traffic signals TL are installed. In this way, even if the host vehicle Am is stuck at an intersection IS where no traffic signals TL are installed, the host vehicle Am is unlikely to obstruct the traffic of other vehicles. Therefore, there are few disadvantages to setting a long upper limit waiting time. Furthermore, at intersections IS where no traffic signals TL are installed, it is easier to implement in-intersection automatic LC. As a result, the convenience of automated driving can be ensured.

[0123] In the first embodiment, the upper limit waiting time after entering the intersection IS is set to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time before entering the intersection IS. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the host vehicle Am continues to wait after entering the intersection IS and becomes stuck in the intersection area IA.

[0124] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if the duration of the waiting state after entering the intersection IS exceeds the upper waiting time limit, the control switching unit 75 performs a driving handover to the driver of the host vehicle Am. By performing such a driving handover, the host vehicle Am can quickly leave the intersection area IA even in a driving environment that the autonomous driving ECU 50 cannot handle.

[0125] Additionally, in the first embodiment, if the duration of the waiting state after entering the intersection IS exceeds the upper waiting time limit, the driving control unit 76 causes the host vehicle Am to leave the intersection IS by turning right or left in a direction that deviates from the planned driving route. As described above, even by turning right or left in a direction that deviates from the planned driving route, it is possible to prevent the host vehicle Am from remaining in the intersection area IA.

[0126] In the first embodiment, after the in-intersection automatic LC enters a standby state within the intersection area IA, if a space appears beyond the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 causes the host vehicle Am to proceed straight toward the space ahead. In this way, by canceling the in-intersection automatic LC depending on the situation beyond the intersection IS, the host vehicle Am can more smoothly leave the intersection area IA.

[0127] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, it further estimates whether the congestion occurring beyond the intersection IS will continue. Then, when the intra-intersection automatic LC enters a standby state within the intersection area IA and it is estimated that the congestion will continue, the cruise control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in a tilted posture toward the moving side of the intra-intersection automatic LC. Furthermore, when the intra-intersection automatic LC enters a standby state within the intersection area IA and it is estimated that the congestion will not continue, the cruise control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in a straight-ahead posture along the host vehicle's lane Lns. By adjusting the stopping posture in this way, the host vehicle Am can quickly start traveling in response to changes in the surrounding conditions and leave the intersection area IA.

[0128] Additionally, in the first embodiment, an incoming vehicle Ac entering the intersection IS in a direction intersecting with the host vehicle Am is detected. Then, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC when there are incoming vehicles Ac on both the left and right sides of the intersection IS. As described above, in a scene where it is difficult to recognize the situation beyond the intersection IS due to multiple incoming vehicles Ac, the driving control unit 76 can appropriately refrain from implementing the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0129] In the first embodiment, when an approaching vehicle Ac is detected as approaching an intersection IS in a direction intersecting with the host vehicle Am, the system determines whether the priority of the crossing road CR on which the approaching vehicle Ac is traveling is higher than the priority of the host road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. If the priority of the crossing road CR is higher than the priority of the host road, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of in-intersection automatic LC. As a result, when the priority of the host vehicle Am is not high, the driving control unit 76 can appropriately refrain from forcibly implementing in-intersection automatic LC.

[0130] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a first lane change LC1, which is an out-of-intersection automatic LC, and a second lane change LC2, which is an in-intersection automatic LC, are performed consecutively. At this time, the notification request unit 72 notifies the driver of the host vehicle Am that the first lane change LC1 has been transitioned to the second lane change LC2. As a result, the driver of the host vehicle Am can grasp the current control state in a scene where the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2 are being performed. This information presentation can further improve the convenience of automated driving.

[0131] Additionally, in the first embodiment, when the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2 are performed consecutively, the device control unit 65 continues to operate the turn signal 44 of the host vehicle Am. As a result, the control state and future behavior of the host vehicle Am can be accurately notified to other vehicles.

[0132] In the first embodiment, the environment recognition unit 62 corresponds to the “situation grasping unit,” the notification request unit 72 corresponds to the “notification implementation unit,” the rear vehicle Ab and the approaching vehicle Ac correspond to the “other vehicles,” and the intersection area IA corresponds to the “area of ​​the intersection.” Furthermore, the autonomous driving ECU 50 corresponds to the “autonomous driving control device.”

[0133] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the first embodiment. The autonomous driving ECU 50 according to the second embodiment performs control related to the in-intersection automatic LC in scenes 9 to 13, which will be described later, similar to scenes 1 to 8 of the first embodiment. Details of the control related to the automated lane change performed in scenes 9 to 13 of the second embodiment will be described below based on FIGS. 13 to 17 and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0134] [Scene 9: Consecutive Right and Left Turns at Multiple Intersections] In scene 9 shown in Fig. 13 , the host vehicle Am makes consecutive right and left turns at multiple (two) intersections IS. As an example, the host vehicle Am makes a right turn at a first intersection IS1, which is the first intersection of the consecutive intersections that the host vehicle Am enters, and makes a left turn at a second intersection IS2, which the host vehicle enters after exiting the first intersection IS1. Two right-turn lanes Lnr are provided on the approach road AR to the first intersection IS1. The host vehicle Am is traveling in the right-turn lane Lnr of the two right-turn lanes Lnr.

[0135] The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether successive right and left turns are planned at multiple intersections IS based on route information acquired from the navigation ECU 38. The environment recognition unit 62 determines that the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2 are consecutive intersections if the distance between the intersections IS, i.e., the distance between the centers of the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2, is equal to or less than a predetermined distance (approximately 150 to 300 meters). When successive right and left turns are planned at the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2, the environment recognition unit 62 identifies a right and left turn-compatible lane Lnt corresponding to the right and left turn at the second intersection IS2 from among the multiple lanes included in the connecting road IR. The connecting road IR is a road connecting the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2.

[0136] If a vehicle is planning to make a left turn at the second intersection IS2, the left (leftmost) lane of the multiple lanes included in the connecting road IR becomes the right / left turn lane Lnt. As a result, on the approach road AR of the first intersection IS1, the left right turn lane Lnr becomes the right / left turn lane Lnt (see FIG. 13 ). On the other hand, if a vehicle is planning to make a right turn at the second intersection IS2, the right (rightmost) lane of the multiple lanes of the connecting road IR becomes the right / left turn lane Lnt. As a result, on the approach road AR of the first intersection IS1, the right right turn lane Lnr becomes the right / left turn lane Lnt.

[0137] The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the host vehicle Am has reached the right-turn / left-turn compatible lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1. In scene 9, the host vehicle Am is traveling in a right-turn lane Lnr (host vehicle lane Lns) on the right side, which is not the right-turn / left-turn compatible lane Lnt. A leading vehicle Ae is present in the right-turn / left-turn compatible lane Lnt. The leading vehicle Ae is another vehicle that is making a right turn at the first intersection IS1, just like the host vehicle Am.

[0138] If the vehicle is traveling in a right-turn lane Lnr that is not a right-turn lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 attempts an in-intersection automatic LC to move from the lane Lns in which the vehicle is traveling to the right-turn lane Lnt. If the environment recognition unit 62 detects a preceding vehicle Ae that is in the right-turn lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 postpones the automatic lane change to the right-turn lane Lnt and enters the intersection area IA of the first intersection IS1.

[0139] If the host vehicle Am has not reached the right / left turn lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 decelerates to a speed slower than that of the preceding vehicle Ae and enters the intersection area IA. The driving control unit 76 performs an automated lane change to move the host vehicle Am toward the right / left turn lane Lnt in accordance with the right turn at the first intersection IS1. The driving control unit 76 moves the host vehicle Am toward the space behind the preceding vehicle Ae, which is exiting the right / left turn lane Lnt of the connecting road IR before the host vehicle Am, by the automated lane change. The driving control unit 76 drives the host vehicle Am in the right / left turn lane Lnt and turns left at the second intersection IS2.

[0140] When changing lanes in conjunction with a right turn at the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 starts to leave the vehicle's lane Lns in the latter half section TS2 of the first intersection IS1. The latter half section TS2 is a right-turn driving section of the vehicle Am making a right turn at the intersection area IA that is closer to the exit road ER (connecting road IR) than the entry road AR. The section of the right-turn driving section of the vehicle Am that is closer to the entry road AR than the exit road ER is the former half section TS1. In other words, the former half section TS1 is an entrance section that is closer to the entry road AR (nearer) than the oncoming lane Lno. The latter half section TS2 is an exit section that crosses the oncoming lane Lno and connects to the exit road ER. The driving control unit 76 starts to leave the vehicle's lane Lns in the latter half section TS2 of the intersection area IA, not only at the first intersection IS1 of a series of intersections, but also when changing lanes in conjunction with a right or left turn at a normal intersection IS.

[0141] When the environment recognition unit 62 detects an oncoming vehicle Ad entering the first intersection IS1 from the oncoming lane Lno, the driving control unit 76 temporarily stops the host vehicle Am in a section (first half section TS1) in front of the oncoming lane Lno. When performing an automated lane change in the intersection area IA in conjunction with a right turn across the oncoming lane Lno, the driving control unit 76 sets the waiting stop position for waiting for the oncoming vehicle Ad to pass to a position farther from the exit road ER than when an automated lane change is not performed. When performing an automated lane change in conjunction with a right turn, the driving control unit 76 shifts the waiting stop position of the host vehicle Am toward the center of the intersection area IA and toward the approach road AR. In this case, the host vehicle Am stops in a position in front of the oncoming lane Lno within the intersection area IA, not immediately in front of the oncoming lane Lno, but approximately several meters away from the oncoming lane Lno.

[0142] 14, the lane on the left side of the main road MR is the host vehicle's lane Lns, as in scene 2 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 4). In scene 10, the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection area IA is congested, and an incoming vehicle Ac is turning left from a cross road CR on the left side of the intersection IS and entering the host vehicle's lane Lns.

[0143] The environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS due to the entry of the entering vehicle Ac. The environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd beyond the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 decides to perform an in-intersection automatic LC to the right, moving from the host vehicle lane Lns to the adjacent lane Lnd in the section including the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 starts moving to the right near the center of the intersection area IA.

[0144] When a lane change is performed in a section including the intersection IS and the vehicle Am starts moving to the right near the center of the intersection area IA, the device control unit 65 postpones starting the flashing of the turn indicator 44 until the vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA. The device control unit 65 starts the flashing of the turn indicator 44 after the vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA. When lateral movement starts in the latter half of the intersection area IA, the device control unit 65 starts the flashing of the turn indicator 44 after the vehicle Am has passed the center of the intersection area IA.

[0145] Even when the vehicle starts moving rightward near the center of the intersection area IA or after passing through the center, the notification request unit 72 notifies the vehicle of a plan to perform in-intersection automatic LC in a direction to depart from the host vehicle's lane Lns before the turn signal 44 starts flashing. Before the vehicle enters the intersection area IA, the notification request unit 72 notifies a passenger (such as the driver) in the vehicle of a plan to perform in-intersection automatic LC via the meter display 21 or the status display SD of the CID 22.

[0146] [Scene 11: Emergency Vehicle Avoidance Scene] In scene 11 shown in Figure 15, similar to scene 5 of the first embodiment (see Figure 7), an emergency vehicle EmV is approaching the host vehicle Am from behind. When the emergency vehicle EmV is approaching from behind and the host vehicle Am is traveling on the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV, the driving control unit 76 determines to perform in-intersection automatic LC. By the in-intersection automatic LC, the driving control unit 76 moves the host vehicle Am to the left so as to move away from the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV, and stops the host vehicle Am by pulling over to the shoulder of the road within the intersection area IA.

[0147] The host vehicle Am is equipped with an exterior display 27. The exterior display 27 is an exterior alarm provided on the host vehicle Am. The host vehicle Am may also be provided with an exterior speaker as an exterior alarm. The exterior display 27 is installed on an exterior surface of the host vehicle Am, for example, on the rear or side of the host vehicle Am. The exterior display 27 is a display capable of displaying text, and displays information to the outside of the vehicle. The exterior display 27 may be controlled directly by the notification request unit 72, or may be controlled by cooperation between the notification request unit 72 and the HCU 100.

[0148] When an in-intersection automatic LC is scheduled in a direction that will cause the emergency vehicle EmV to deviate from the predicted path of travel, the notification request unit 72 uses the exterior displays 27 on the rear and sides of the vehicle to notify other vehicles and pedestrians Pd and the like around the vehicle of the planned in-intersection automatic LC before the vehicle enters the intersection IS. As an example, the notification request unit 72 displays a text message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching. The vehicle will change lanes and stop in the intersection" on the exterior displays 27 as information indicating the planned automatic lane change.

[0149] When the vehicle Am is equipped with an exterior display 27 and is capable of providing an exterior notification of the scheduled implementation of an in-intersection automatic LC, the device control unit 65 starts the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44, which indicates the direction of travel of the vehicle Am, in synchronization with the start of the exterior notification by the exterior display 27. After the vehicle Am stops, the device control unit 65 switches from the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 to the blinking operation of the hazard lamps (emergency flashing indicator lights).

[0150] As a result, the cruise control unit 76 performs an automatic in-intersection LC in a direction that will deviate from the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV, with both the turn signal 44 flashing and the external notification of a planned lane change being made using the external display 27. The host vehicle Am waits for the emergency vehicle EmV to overtake while continuing to flash its hazard lights. When the environment recognition unit 62 detects that the emergency vehicle EmV has passed, the cruise control unit 76 restarts the host vehicle Am.

[0151] [Scene 12: Automobile Lane Change Scene at Intersection with Traffic Lights] In scene 12 shown in FIG. 16 , a traffic light TL is installed at intersection IS. The host vehicle Am is located in the left lane (host vehicle lane Lns) of the multiple lanes of the main road MR. The host vehicle Am is stopped before the stop line at intersection IS because the traffic light TL in front of the host vehicle is red. An adjacent vehicle Aa is stopped in the adjacent lane Lnd adjacent to the right of the host vehicle lane Lns. In scene 12, a parked vehicle Ap is parked on the road in the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection area IA, so there is no space for the host vehicle Am to enter the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection area IA. Meanwhile, there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd beyond the intersection area IA.

[0152] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the lighting pattern of a traffic signal TL installed at an intersection IS. When the traffic signal TL is in a lighting pattern (red light) instructing a stop, the environment recognition unit 62 further recognizes whether or not an adjacent vehicle Aa is stopped alongside the vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes when the traffic signal TL changes from a lighting pattern instructing a stop to a lighting pattern (green light) that allows progression.

[0153] When there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS and an adjacent vehicle Aa is present, the driving control unit 76 permits the execution of an in-intersection automatic LC in which the host vehicle Am moves forward toward the adjacent vehicle Aa after the traffic light TL changes from red to green. The driving control unit 76 accelerates the host vehicle Am at a higher acceleration than the adjacent vehicle Aa, and moves the host vehicle Am into the adjacent lane Lnd beyond the intersection IS.

[0154] When the vehicle Am, stopped at a red light, is scheduled to perform an automatic lane change within the intersection in order to move forward toward the adjacent vehicle Aa, the device control unit 65 starts the blinking operation of the turn signal 44 before the traffic light TL switches to a green light. The device control unit 65 blinks the turn signal 44 before the vehicle starts moving, thereby notifying the adjacent lane Lnd in advance of the planned automatic lane change within the intersection area IA.

[0155] 17, similar to scene 1 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), an entering vehicle Ac is turning right from a cross road CR on the right side of the intersection IS and entering the host vehicle lane Lns. The entering vehicle Ac enters the intersection area IA just before the host vehicle Am traveling in the right lane (host vehicle lane Lns) of the main road MR.

[0156] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes not only the entering vehicle Ac ahead of the host vehicle, but also other vehicles (adjacent vehicles Aa) traveling in the adjacent lane Lnd. The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space available for the host vehicle Am to move into based on whether there are adjacent vehicles Aa traveling to the side (left side) and rear (left rear side) of the host vehicle Am. If there is heavy traffic volume to the side and rear of the adjacent lane Lnd and the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space available for the host vehicle Am to move into, the driving control unit 76 postpones the execution of an automated lane change into the adjacent lane Lnd, even if the entering vehicle Ac has just entered the adjacent lane. The driving control unit 76 causes the entering vehicle Ac to follow the host vehicle Am, and causes the host vehicle Am to enter the host vehicle lane Lns beyond the intersection IS.

[0157] (Summary of the Second Embodiment) The second embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and the host vehicle Am can be caused to leave the intersection IS by changing the driving lane due to an automatic lane change in a section including the intersection IS. As a result, it becomes less likely that the host vehicle Am will become stuck in the intersection IS, and the convenience of automated driving can be ensured.

[0158] Additionally, in the second embodiment, while the turn signal 44 is flashing and an external notification of a planned lane change is being issued using the external display 27, the host vehicle Am performs an automatic in-intersection LC in a direction that will deviate from the predicted path of the emergency vehicle EmV. Therefore, the host vehicle Am can indicate to other vehicles and pedestrians Pd around the host vehicle, as well as the emergency vehicle EmV behind the host vehicle, that it has recognized the emergency vehicle EmV. As a result, the host vehicle Am can more smoothly yield to the emergency vehicle EmV in the intersection area IA, where space is likely to be secured near the shoulder of the road.

[0159] In the second embodiment, the lighting pattern of the traffic signal TL installed at the intersection IS is detected. Additionally, when the traffic signal TL is red, the presence or absence of an adjacent vehicle Aa stopped alongside the host vehicle Am is further detected. If there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS and an adjacent vehicle Aa is present, an automated lane change to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle Aa is permitted after the traffic signal changes from red to green. Furthermore, if an automated lane change to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle Aa is scheduled, the blinking operation of the turn signal 44 is initiated before the traffic signal TL changes to green. The above-described control of the in-intersection automatic LC makes it possible to move the host vehicle Am out of the intersection area IA while avoiding parked vehicles Ap, even in a situation where an adjacent vehicle Aa is present.

[0160] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when consecutive right and left turns are planned at the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2, it is determined whether the host vehicle Am has reached the right-left turn-enabled lane Lnt corresponding to the right or left turn at the second intersection IS2 before entering the first intersection IS1. If the host vehicle Am has not reached the right-left turn-enabled lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1, an automated lane change is performed to move the host vehicle Am toward the right-left turn-enabled lane Lnt in accordance with the right or left turn at the first intersection IS1. The above-described in-intersection automated lane change allows the host vehicle Am to smoothly make a right or left turn at the second intersection IS2 after exiting the first intersection IS1.

[0161] In addition, in the second embodiment, when a lane change is performed in conjunction with a right or left turn at an intersection IS, the vehicle begins to leave the host vehicle's lane Lns in the latter half of the section TS2, which is closer to the exit road ER than the entrance road AR of the intersection IS. By performing a lane change in conjunction with a right or left turn near the exit of the intersection IS, it becomes easier to change lanes within the intersection area IA. Furthermore, because the host vehicle Am remains in the host vehicle's lane Lns in the former half of the section TS1, it can wait for the oncoming vehicle Ad to pass in a position where it is less likely to obstruct the progress of other vehicles around the host vehicle.

[0162] In the second embodiment, when the in-intersection automatic LC is performed in response to a right or left turn across the oncoming lane Lno, the waiting stop position for waiting for the oncoming vehicle Ad to pass is set at a position farther from the exit road ER than when the in-intersection automatic LC is not performed. By adjusting the waiting stop position in this way, the distance from the waiting stop position to the intersection exit can be ensured to be long, and the host vehicle Am can be positioned behind the leading vehicle Ae traveling in the destination lane. As a result, the success rate of the in-intersection automatic LC can be improved.

[0163] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when an automated lane change is performed in a direction away from the host vehicle's lane Lns in a section including an intersection IS, the blinking operation of the turn signal 44 is initiated after the host vehicle passes the center of the intersection IS. If the blinking operation of the turn signal 44 is initiated before or immediately after entering the intersection area IA, other vehicles around the host vehicle may mistakenly believe that the host vehicle Am is making a right or left turn rather than a lane change. Therefore, when an in-intersection automatic LC is performed, it is possible to avoid other vehicles from being mistakenly identified by the turn signal 44 by controlling the blinking operation of the turn signal 44 to start after entering the intersection area IA, preferably after passing the center of the intersection IS.

[0164] Additionally, in the second embodiment, a notification of a planned lane change in a direction away from the host vehicle's lane Lns is issued before the start of the flashing operation of the turn indicator 44. As a result, even if the start of operation of the turn indicator 44 is delayed until the host vehicle has passed near the center of the intersection area IA, it is possible to notify the passengers of the host vehicle Am of a planned lane change at an early stage.

[0165] In the second embodiment, when the host vehicle Am attempts to perform an in-intersection automatic lane change, if there is a large amount of traffic in the adjacent lane Lnd, the host vehicle Am puts the in-intersection automatic lane change on hold and follows the approaching vehicle Ac. Based on the above, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to perform an automatic lane change depending on the congestion situation near the intersection IS. In the second embodiment, the exterior display 27 corresponds to the "exterior alarm."

[0166] (Other Embodiments) Although multiple embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0167] In the above embodiment, if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns beyond the intersection IS, the presence or absence of space in the adjacent lane Lnd is further determined (see S15 in FIG. 11 ). In contrast, in Modification 1 of the above embodiment, the determination of the presence or absence of space in the adjacent lane Lnd is omitted. Furthermore, in Modification 2 of the above embodiment, the presence or absence of space in the adjacent lane Lnd is determined depending on the movement direction of the in-intersection automatic vehicle LC. As an example, when changing lanes to the right, the presence or absence of space in the adjacent lane Lnd is determined, and when changing lanes to the left, such determination is omitted.

[0168] In a third modification of the above embodiment, the control content of the in-intersection automatic LC is changed depending on whether the driver has a periphery monitoring obligation or not. As an example, the driving control unit 76 reduces the driving speed of the host vehicle Am in the in-intersection automatic LC when the driver does not have a periphery monitoring obligation, more than when the driver has a periphery monitoring obligation. For example, the above-described restriction conditions that restrict the implementation of the in-intersection automatic LC may be applied to only one of the driving assistance control and the autonomous driving control. Furthermore, when the automated lane change is in a standby state within the intersection area IA, the control switching unit 75 may cooperate with the notification request unit 72 to request the driver to implement periphery monitoring.

[0169] In the above embodiment, the intersection area IA is defined as the area between the stop lines of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. However, for example, at an intersection IS with a pedestrian crossing PC, the area between two pedestrian crossings PC may be defined as the intersection area IA. Furthermore, the type of the intersection IS is not limited to a crossroad as in the above embodiment. For example, it may be determined to implement in-intersection automatic LC at intersections of various types, such as a multi-junction (e.g., a six-way intersection), a Y-junction, a T-junction, and a roundabout.

[0170] In the fourth modification of the second embodiment, the notification request unit 72 determines whether or not an exterior display device 27 is available. If the exterior display device 27 is not installed on the host vehicle Am, the device control unit 65 omits the blinking of the turn signal 44 and starts the blinking of the hazard lamps in response to the start of lane change control. That is, the host vehicle Am moves to the shoulder of the road within the intersection area IA with the hazard lamps blinking.

[0171] In the above embodiment, the control of the automated lane change is described assuming a traffic environment in which vehicles drive on the right side. The control related to the automated lane change (the automated lane change control) of the present disclosure can also be applied to a traffic environment in which vehicles drive on the left side. In other words, the vehicle equipped with the autonomous driving ECU and HMI system may be a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. The automated lane change control of the present disclosure may be optimized as appropriate according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, the position of the vehicle's steering wheel, and the like.

[0172] More specifically, the control content for changing lanes to the right in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the left side can be applied to the control for changing lanes to the left in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the right side, and similarly, the control content for changing lanes to the left in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the left side can be applied to the control for changing lanes to the right in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the right side.

[0173] Furthermore, in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the left side, a right turn means passing through an intersection where the vehicle crosses the oncoming lane Lno, and a left turn means passing through an intersection without crossing the oncoming lane Lno. In contrast, in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the right side, a left turn means passing through an intersection where the vehicle crosses the oncoming lane Lno, and a right turn means passing through an intersection without crossing the oncoming lane Lno. The above-described control related to right and left turns can also be applied to a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the right side, by switching the left and right directions.

[0174] In a fifth modification of the above embodiment, a driving assistance ECU that performs level 2 driving assistance control is provided separately from the autonomous driving ECU 50. As in the fifth modification, an autonomous driving system including multiple on-board ECUs may correspond to the "autonomous driving control device."

[0175] In the sixth modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the automatic driving ECU 50 and the HCU 100 are provided by a single integrated ECU. In the sixth modification, the integrated ECU corresponds to the "automatic driving control device."

[0176] In the above embodiments, the functions provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software alone, hardware alone, or a combination of these. Furthermore, when such functions are provided by electronic circuits as hardware, the functions can also be provided by digital circuits including multiple logic circuits or analog circuits. Furthermore, the software for realizing such functions may include, at least in part, code automatically generated by, for example, a neural network or language model trained using real-world camera footage.

[0177] Each processing unit in the above-described embodiments includes at least one arithmetic core, such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The processing unit may further include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a neural network processing unit (NPU), and an IP core with other dedicated functions. The processing unit is not limited to being individually mounted on a printed circuit board. The processing unit may be mounted on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a chiplet integration, an FPGA, or the like.

[0178] The form of the storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) that stores various programs and the like may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to being mounted on a circuit board, but may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as an autonomous driving ECU or HCU. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk, hard disk drive, solid state drive, or the like that serves as a source from which programs are copied or distributed to the autonomous driving ECU or HCU.

[0179] Vehicles equipped with the above-mentioned autonomous driving ECU and HMI system are not limited to ordinary private passenger cars, but may also be rental cars, manned taxis, ride-sharing vehicles, freight vehicles, buses, etc.

[0180] 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.

[0181] (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, with the subsequent clause alternatively referring to the preceding clause. Furthermore, some clauses may be described in a multiple dependent form, with the subsequent clause referring to another multiple dependent clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0182] (Technical Idea 1) An automatic driving control device that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, comprising: a situation grasping unit (62) that grasps whether or not there is space for the host vehicle in the host vehicle's lane (Lns) beyond an intersection in a scene where the host vehicle plans to pass through an intersection (IS), and a driving control unit (76) that, if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane, decides to implement a lane change in a direction away from the host vehicle's lane in a section that includes the intersection. (Technical Idea 2) The automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 1, wherein the situation grasping unit determines whether or not the host vehicle has entered the intersection, and the driving control unit decides to implement the lane change if it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane after the host vehicle has entered the intersection, and postpones the implementation of the lane change if it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane before the host vehicle has entered the intersection. (Technical Idea 3) The autonomous driving control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the driving control unit changes the driving speed of the host vehicle depending on the left / right movement direction during the lane change. (Technical Idea 4) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 3, wherein the situation assessment unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in a waiting area (WA) facing the intersection, and the driving control unit reduces the driving speed of the host vehicle during the lane change when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area compared to when the pedestrian is not present in the waiting area. (Technical Idea 5) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 4, wherein the situation assessment unit determines whether bad weather is present around the host vehicle, and the driving control unit restricts the lane change in a section including the intersection when the bad weather is present around the host vehicle. (Technical Idea 6) An automatic driving control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 5, wherein the situation grasping unit grasps the size of the intersection through which the vehicle is scheduled to pass, and the driving control unit changes the criteria for determining whether to permit the lane change in a section including the intersection depending on the size of the intersection.(Technical Idea 7) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, wherein the situation understanding unit recognizes an emergency vehicle (EmV) approaching the host vehicle from behind, and the driving control unit, when the emergency vehicle is recognized, permits the lane change in a direction that will deviate from the expected path of the emergency vehicle in a section including the intersection. (Technical Idea 8) The automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 7, wherein the driving control unit implements the lane change in a direction that will deviate from the expected path of the emergency vehicle in a state in which both a turn signal (44) is flashing and an external alarm (27) is used to notify outside the vehicle of the planned lane change. (Technical Idea 9) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, wherein the situation understanding unit understands whether a traffic light (TL) is installed at the intersection, and the driving control unit makes it easier to decide to change lanes at the intersection where the traffic light is not installed than at the intersection where the traffic light is installed. (Technical Idea 10) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, further comprising: the situation grasping unit grasps the lighting pattern of a traffic signal (TL) installed at the intersection; and, when the traffic signal has the lighting pattern instructing the vehicle to stop, further grasps whether or not there is an adjacent vehicle (Aa) on the side that will stop alongside the vehicle; and the driving control unit, when there is no space in the vehicle's lane beyond the intersection and the adjacent vehicle is present, permits the lane change to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle after switching from the lighting pattern instructing the vehicle to stop to the lighting pattern that permits progress, when the lane change to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle is scheduled, an equipment control unit (65) that starts a flashing operation of a direction indicator (44) of the vehicle before the traffic signal is switched to the lighting pattern that permits progress. (Technical Idea 11) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 10, wherein the driving control unit sets a lower limit speed at which the lane change is permitted in a section that includes the intersection to be lower than the lower limit speed at which the lane change is permitted in a section that does not include the intersection.(Technical Idea 12) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, wherein the situation grasping unit grasps behavior prediction information to predict future behavior in the lateral direction of other vehicles (Ab, Ac) located around the host vehicle, and the driving control unit uses the behavior prediction information to determine whether to start the lane change in a section that includes the intersection. (Technical Idea 13) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 12, wherein the driving control unit sets a minimum inter-vehicle distance that permits the lane change in a section that includes the intersection to be shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance that permits the lane change in a section that does not include the intersection. (Technical Idea 14) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 13, wherein the driving control unit causes the lateral vector generated by the host vehicle during the lane change in a section that includes the intersection to be smaller than the lateral vector during the lane change in a section that does not include the intersection. (Technical Idea 15) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 14, wherein the situation assessment unit determines whether or not a pedestrian (Pd) is present in a waiting area (WA) facing the intersection, and the driving control unit makes a lateral vector generated in the host vehicle when changing lanes toward the pedestrian smaller than the lateral vector when changing lanes away from the pedestrian. (Technical Idea 16) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 15, wherein the situation assessment unit determines whether or not a pedestrian (Pd) is present in a waiting area (WA) facing the intersection, and the driving control unit completes the lane change within an area (IA) of the intersection if the pedestrian is present in the waiting area. (Technical Idea 17) An automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 16, wherein the situation grasping unit grasps whether or not a pedestrian crossing (PC) is provided at the intersection, and the driving control unit, if the pedestrian crossing is provided at the intersection, completes the lane change just before the pedestrian crossing.(Technical Idea 18) The automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 17, wherein the situation assessment unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present at the crosswalk, and the driving control unit, if the pedestrian is present, completes the lane change on the near side of the crosswalk and then causes the host vehicle to wait on the near side. (Technical Idea 19) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 18, wherein the driving control unit sets a lane change completion point (EP) in a section including the intersection to a point beyond the intersection. (Technical Idea 20) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 19, wherein the situation assessment unit assesses a planned driving route of the host vehicle set in the automatic driving function, and the driving control unit restricts the host vehicle from changing lanes in a direction that deviates from the planned driving route even if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane beyond the intersection. (Technical Idea 21) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 20, wherein the driving control unit, after deciding to perform the lane change, times out the waiting state if the duration of the waiting state for the lane change exceeds an upper limit waiting time, and sets the upper limit waiting time for the lane change in a section that includes the intersection to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time for the lane change in a section that does not include the intersection. (Technical Idea 22) The situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic light (TL) is installed at the intersection, and the driving control unit, after deciding to perform the lane change, times out the waiting state if the duration of the waiting state for the lane change exceeds an upper limit waiting time, and sets the upper limit waiting time longer at the intersection where the traffic light is not installed than at the intersection where the traffic light is installed.(Technical Idea 23) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 22, wherein the situation grasping unit determines whether the host vehicle has entered the intersection, and the driving control unit, after deciding to perform the lane change, if the duration of the waiting state for the lane change exceeds an upper limit waiting time, times out the waiting state, and sets the upper limit waiting time after entering the intersection to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time before entering the intersection. (Technical Idea 24) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 21 to 23, further comprising a control switching unit (75) that switches driving to a driver of the host vehicle if the duration of the waiting state after entering the intersection exceeds the upper limit waiting time. (Technical Idea 25) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 21 to 23, wherein the situation grasping unit grasps a planned driving route of the host vehicle set in the autonomous driving function, and the driving control unit, when the duration of the standby state after entering the intersection exceeds the upper standby time limit, causes the host vehicle to leave the intersection by turning right or left in a direction deviating from the planned driving route. (Technical Idea 26) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 21 to 23, wherein the driving control unit, when the space appears beyond the intersection after the lane change has entered the standby state within the intersection, causes the host vehicle to drive straight toward the space. (Technical Idea 27) An automatic driving control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 21 to 25, wherein, when the situation grasping unit determines that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane beyond the intersection, it estimates whether the congestion occurring beyond the intersection will continue or not; and, when the lane change enters the waiting state within the intersection and it is estimated that the congestion will continue, the driving control unit stops the host vehicle in an inclined attitude toward the moving side of the lane change; and when the lane change enters the waiting state within the intersection and it is estimated that the congestion will not continue, it stops the host vehicle in a straight-ahead attitude along the host vehicle's lane.(Technical Idea 28) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 27, wherein the situation grasping unit grasps another vehicle (Ac) entering the intersection in a direction intersecting with the host vehicle, and the driving control unit, when the other vehicles are present on both the left and right sides of the intersection, restricts the lane change in a section including the intersection. (Technical Idea 29) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 28, when the situation grasping unit grasps another vehicle (Ac) entering the intersection in a direction intersecting with the host vehicle, determines whether a priority of an intersecting road on which the other vehicle is traveling is higher than the priority of the host road on which the host vehicle is traveling, and the driving control unit, when the priority of the intersecting road is higher than the priority of the host road, restricts the lane change in a section including the intersection. (Technical Idea 30) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 29, wherein, when consecutive right and left turns are planned at a first intersection (IS1) that is the intersection and a second intersection (IS2) that the vehicle will enter after exiting the first intersection, the situation grasping unit grasps whether the host vehicle has reached a right or left turn compatible lane (Lnt) that corresponds to the right or left turn at the second intersection before entering the first intersection, and the driving control unit, when the host vehicle has not reached the right or left turn compatible lane before entering the first intersection, performs the lane change by moving the host vehicle toward the right or left turn compatible lane in accordance with the right or left turn at the first intersection. (Technical Idea 31) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 30, wherein, when performing the lane change in accordance with the right or left turn at the intersection, the driving control unit starts to leave the host vehicle's lane in a latter half section (TS2) that is closer to an exit road (ER) than to an approach road (AR) of the intersection. (Technical Idea 32) The automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 31, wherein when the lane change is performed at the intersection in accordance with a right or left turn across an oncoming lane (Lno), the travel control unit sets a waiting stop position where the vehicle waits for an oncoming vehicle (Ad) in the oncoming lane to pass at a position farther from the exit road than when the lane change is not performed.(Technical Idea 33) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 32, further comprising: a notification implementation unit (72) that notifies a driver of a transition from the first lane change to the second lane change when the driving control unit successively implements a first lane change (LC1), which is the lane change in a section that does not include the intersection, and a second lane change (LC2), which is the lane change in a section that includes the intersection. (Technical Idea 34) The autonomous driving control device according to Technical Idea 33, further comprising: an equipment control unit (65) that continues flashing a direction indicator (44) of the host vehicle when the driving control unit successively implements the first lane change and the second lane change. (Technical Idea 35) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 34, further comprising: an equipment control unit (65) that starts flashing a direction indicator (44) of the host vehicle after the vehicle has passed the center of the intersection when the lane change is implemented in a direction away from the host vehicle's lane in a section that includes the intersection. (Technical Idea 36) The automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 35, further comprising a notification unit (72) that notifies the driver of a planned lane change in a direction away from the vehicle's lane before the direction indicator starts flashing.

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, a situation grasping unit (62) for grasping whether or not there is a space for the host vehicle in the host vehicle lane (Lns) beyond the intersection in a scene where the host vehicle is scheduled to pass through the intersection (IS); a travel control unit (76) that, when there is no space in the own vehicle lane, determines to execute a lane change in a direction to depart from the own vehicle lane in a section including the intersection, The driving control unit is an automatic driving control device that makes the lateral vector generated in the vehicle when changing lanes in a section that includes the intersection smaller than the lateral vector when changing lanes in a section that does not include the intersection.

2. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, a situation grasping unit (62) for grasping whether or not there is a space for the host vehicle in the host vehicle lane (Lns) beyond the intersection in a scene where the host vehicle is scheduled to pass through the intersection (IS); a travel control unit (76) that, when there is no space in the own vehicle lane, determines to execute a lane change in a direction to depart from the own vehicle lane in a section including the intersection, The situation grasping unit determines whether or not a pedestrian (Pd) is present in a waiting area (WA) facing the intersection, The driving control unit is an automatic driving control device that completes the lane change within the intersection area (IA) when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area.

3. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, a situation grasping unit (62) for grasping whether or not there is a space for the host vehicle in the host vehicle lane (Lns) beyond the intersection in a scene where the host vehicle is scheduled to pass through the intersection (IS); a travel control unit (76) that, when there is no space in the own vehicle lane, determines to execute a lane change in a direction to depart from the own vehicle lane in a section including the intersection, The situation grasping unit grasps whether or not a pedestrian crossing (PC) is provided at the intersection, The driving control unit is an automatic driving control device that, when the crosswalk is provided at the intersection, completes the lane change just before the crosswalk.

4. The situation grasping unit determines whether or not a pedestrian (Pd) is planning to cross the crosswalk, 4. The automatic driving control device according to claim 3, wherein, when the pedestrian is present, the driving control unit completes the lane change on the near side of the crosswalk and then causes the host vehicle to wait on the near side.

5. The situation grasping unit determines whether the vehicle has entered the intersection, The traveling control unit When it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle lane after the host vehicle enters the intersection, determining to execute the lane change; The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein if it is determined that there is no space in the vehicle's lane before the vehicle enters the intersection, the lane change is postponed.

6. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit changes the driving speed of the host vehicle depending on the left / right movement direction during the lane change.

7. The situation grasping unit determines whether or not a pedestrian (Pd) is present in a waiting area (WA) facing the intersection, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit reduces the driving speed of the vehicle when changing lanes when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area more than when the pedestrian is not present in the waiting area.

8. The situation grasping unit determines whether or not the weather around the vehicle is bad, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit restricts the execution of the lane change in a section including the intersection when the weather around the vehicle is bad.

9. The situation grasping unit grasps the size of the intersection through which the host vehicle is scheduled to pass, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit changes the criteria for determining whether to allow the lane change in a section including the intersection depending on the size of the intersection.

10. the situation grasping unit recognizes an emergency vehicle (EmV) approaching the host vehicle from behind, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit, when the emergency vehicle is recognized, permits the lane change in a direction away from the expected path of the emergency vehicle in a section including the intersection.

11. The situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic signal (TL) is installed at the intersection, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit makes it easier to decide to change lanes at an intersection where the traffic signal is not installed than at an intersection where the traffic signal is installed.

12. The situation grasping unit The lighting pattern of the traffic signal (TL) installed at the intersection is grasped, When the traffic signal is in the lighting pattern instructing the vehicle to stop, the presence or absence of an adjacent vehicle (Aa) on the side of the vehicle that is stopping alongside the vehicle is further ascertained; when there is no space in the host vehicle's lane beyond the intersection and the adjacent vehicle is present, the travel control unit switches from the lighting pattern instructing the host vehicle to stop to the lighting pattern permitting the host vehicle to proceed, and then permits the host vehicle to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle to perform the lane change; The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an equipment control unit (65) that, when a lane change is scheduled to be made in which the vehicle moves forward of the adjacent vehicle, starts a flashing operation of a direction indicator (44) of the vehicle before the traffic signal switches to the lighting pattern that allows the vehicle to proceed.

13. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit sets a lower limit speed for permitting the lane change in a section including the intersection to be lower than the lower limit speed for permitting the lane change in a section not including the intersection.

14. the situation grasping unit grasps behavior prediction information for predicting future behaviors in the left and right direction of other vehicles (Ab, Ac) located around the host vehicle; The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit uses the behavior prediction information to determine whether or not to start the lane change in a section including the intersection.

15. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit sets the minimum inter-vehicle distance for permitting the lane change in a section including the intersection to be shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance for permitting the lane change in a section not including the intersection.

16. The situation grasping unit determines whether or not a pedestrian (Pd) is present in a waiting area (WA) facing the intersection, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit makes the lateral vector generated in the vehicle when changing lanes toward the pedestrian smaller than the lateral vector when changing lanes away from the pedestrian.

17. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit sets the lane change completion point (EP) in the section including the intersection beyond the intersection.

18. The situation grasping unit grasps a planned driving route of the vehicle set in the automatic driving function, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving control unit restricts the execution of the lane change in a direction that would cause the vehicle to deviate from the planned driving route even if there is no space in the vehicle's lane beyond the intersection.

19. The traveling control unit After the decision to execute the lane change is made, if the duration of the waiting state for the lane change exceeds an upper waiting time limit, the waiting state is timed out; The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper limit waiting time for the lane change in a section including the intersection is set shorter than the upper limit waiting time for the lane change in a section not including the intersection.

20. The situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic signal (TL) is installed at the intersection, The traveling control unit After the decision to execute the lane change is made, if the duration of the waiting state for the lane change exceeds an upper waiting time limit, the waiting state is timed out; The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper limit waiting time is set longer at the intersection where the traffic signal is not installed than at the intersection where the traffic signal is installed.