Driving control method and driving control device

Abstract

A sensor 2 is used to acquire detection information related to a trailing vehicle V2 traveling behind an own vehicle V1 in an adjacent lane. When the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, the own vehicle V1 is caused to execute avoidance driving for distancing the own vehicle from the trailing vehicle V2, and when determination is made on the basis of the detection information that the trailing vehicle V2 is a saddle type vehicle, the avoidance driving is less readily executed than when determination is made that the trailing vehicle V2 is not a saddle type vehicle.

Description

Operation control method and operation control device

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

[0002] There is known a technique for controlling a host vehicle so that it heads in the opposite direction from the other vehicle when the distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle to the side becomes less than a predetermined value.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-315491

[0004] However, with conventional technology, the behavior of the vehicle may become unstable due to erroneous detection by the sensor or the swaying of other vehicles.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent the behavior of the vehicle from being disturbed due to erroneous detection by a sensor or the swaying of another vehicle.

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by making it more difficult to execute avoidance maneuvering when it is determined that the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle in the execution control of avoidance maneuvering to separate the own vehicle from the rear vehicle when predetermined avoidance conditions are met, compared to when it is determined that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-ride type vehicle.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the behavior of the vehicle from being disturbed due to erroneous detection by a sensor or the swaying of another vehicle.

[0008] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a driving control system. It is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of avoidance driving control. It is a diagram for explaining avoidance driving. It is a diagram for explaining the feasibility of avoidance driving. It is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the distance between a rear vehicle and a lane mark, the feasibility of avoidance driving, and the threshold value of the avoidance condition.

[0009] 1 shows the configuration of a driving control system 100 equipped with a vehicle driving control device 1 according to this embodiment. The driving control method is implemented using the devices (hardware) of the perception system, judgment and control system, and information system of the driving control system 100, which includes a processor 10 of the driving control device 1.

[0010] As perceptual system devices, the driving control system 100 includes one or more sensors 2, a host vehicle information acquisition device 3, a second vehicle information acquisition device 4, and a rear vehicle recognition device 5. The processor 10 acquires observed values ​​from each perceptual system device and uses known techniques to determine the state and changes in the position, attitude, and movement (speed, acceleration, etc.) of objects including the host vehicle and second vehicles.

[0011] A plurality of sensors 2 are provided on the vehicle, forming a sensor group that cooperates with each other. The sensors 2 detect the presence or absence of objects, including other vehicles, in the entire surroundings of the vehicle, the distance to the objects, and the relative speed and relative acceleration of the objects. The detection information acquired by the sensors 2 is provided to the processor 10. The sensors 2 include one or more cameras 21 arranged on the vehicle. The single or multiple cameras 21 capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle in all directions. The cameras 21 include image sensors with imaging elements such as CCDs, ultrasonic cameras, and infrared cameras. The cameras 21 include at least a front camera that captures images in front of the vehicle, a rear camera that captures images behind or on the rear sides of the vehicle, and left and right side cameras that capture images of the left and right sides, and the front and rear of the left and right sides of the vehicle. The type of the cameras 21 is not limited as long as they can capture images in all directions of the vehicle. A single camera 21 mounted on a base with a rotation mechanism may be used, or multiple other cameras 21 may be used in combination. The sensors 22 include a radar device 22 that detects (measures distance to) the presence, position, and position changes of objects around the vehicle. The radar device 22 measures the distance and direction to an object by emitting electromagnetic waves toward the object and measuring the reflected waves. The radar device 22 includes a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar (LRF), a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) unit, an ultrasonic radar, and a sonar. The sensor 2 includes a global positioning system (GPS) unit, a gyro sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and the like, and detects the position of the vehicle at each timing. Each sensor 2 can also acquire information from an in-vehicle device or an external device depending on its function. Each sensor 2 transmits the acquired detection information to the host vehicle information acquisition device 3, the other vehicle information acquisition device 4, the rear vehicle recognition device 5, or the processor 10 in response to a request or command. The processor 10 may acquire the detection information directly from the camera 21 and the radar device 22, or via the host vehicle information acquisition device 3, the other vehicle information acquisition device 4, or the rear vehicle recognition device 5, which will be described later.

[0012] The host vehicle information acquisition device 3 calculates the current position, posture, speed, acceleration, behavior, and direction of travel of the host vehicle based on the detection information acquired from the sensor 2, and provides the calculated information to the processor 10. The other vehicle information acquisition device 4 calculates the position, posture, speed, acceleration, behavior, and direction of travel of objects, including other vehicles, around the host vehicle based on the detection information acquired from the sensor 2, and provides the calculated information to the processor 10. The rear side vehicle recognition device 5 recognizes other vehicles traveling behind the host vehicle in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle's lane based on the detection information acquired from the sensor 2, and recognizes these as "rear side vehicles." Rear side vehicles are located to the rear side of the host vehicle. Only other vehicles that exist within a predetermined distance that the host vehicle should recognize may be recognized as rear side vehicles. The recognition result of the rear side vehicle is provided to the processor 10 as rear side vehicle information. The rear vehicle information includes one or more of the following: the presence of the rear vehicle, the position of the rear vehicle, the lateral position of the rear vehicle in the lane (position in the road width direction), the lateral position of the rear vehicle relative to the lane markings, the speed of the rear vehicle, the acceleration of the rear vehicle, and the vehicle model of the rear vehicle. The vehicle model of the rear vehicle includes types such as saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles and tricycles, large vehicles, standard cars, and trucks. The type of the rear vehicle can be determined from the shape characteristics of the rear vehicle, such as width and / or height and size. The host vehicle information, other vehicle information, and rear vehicle information may be determined by the processor 10 based on detection information from the sensor 2.

[0013] The driving control system 100 has map information 6 and lane information 61 as information-related devices. The map information 6 and lane information 61 are stored in a storage device accessible by the processor 10 via the communication device 30 and an external server. The map information 6 is high-precision map information that includes the lane information 61, which is referenced when executing autonomous lane change control. The lane information 61 includes identification information that identifies each of multiple lanes belonging to a road. The navigation device 7 references the map information 6 and calculates a route to a set destination. This route includes a target trajectory. The calculated route and target trajectory are provided to the vehicle controller 200 and used for autonomous driving control.

[0014] The vehicle controller 200 includes a steering control device 210 and a drive control device 220. The vehicle controller 200 acquires command values ​​for autonomous driving control according to a driving plan formulated by the processor 10 of the driving control device 1, and controls the host vehicle to travel along a route to a destination. The route is composed of a series of target trajectories associated with command values. The target trajectory includes an avoidance trajectory for avoidance driving. The avoidance trajectory is calculated based on a target lateral position for avoiding a rear vehicle. The command values ​​for driving control are generated by the vehicle controller 200 or the processor 10. The command values ​​include a set speed for driving the vehicle, and the vehicle controller 200 drives the host vehicle according to the set speed. The set speed may be automatically set according to a predetermined standard based on information detected by the sensor 2, such as the distance to the leading vehicle and the relative speed and relative acceleration relative to the leading vehicle, subject to legal regulations, or may be set by the driver via the input / output device 20. The vehicle controller 200 inputs longitudinal and lateral forces for controlling the driving position of the host vehicle based on the command values. According to these inputs, the behavior of the vehicle body and the behavior of the wheels are controlled so that the vehicle autonomously travels along a route to the destination. Based on these controls, at least one of the drive actuator and the brake actuator of the drive mechanism of the vehicle body controlled by the drive control device 220 and the steering actuator of the steering control device 210, which is activated as needed, operate autonomously, and autonomous driving control is executed to make the vehicle autonomously travel along a target trajectory. Of course, the vehicle controller 200 can also perform driving according to command values ​​based on manual operation by the driver input via the input / output device 20.

[0015] The driving control system 100 includes a driving control device 1 and a vehicle controller 200 as devices in the judgment and control system. The driving control device 1 controls autonomous driving, causing the vehicle to travel along a target trajectory. The target trajectory includes an avoidance trajectory for avoidance driving. The processor 10 included in the driving control device 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12 that stores a program for controlling autonomous driving, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that executes the program stored in the ROM 12, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 that functions as an accessible storage device. The processor 10 implements this driving control method using each piece of hardware in the driving control system 100.

[0016] The processor 10 executes each function by working in cooperation with software for realizing at least a function of determining whether the avoidance conditions are satisfied or not, a function of determining the ease of performing avoidance driving, and an automatic driving function of performing driving control including avoidance driving depending on the ease of performing, and each hardware shown in Figure 1.

[0017] The process of autonomous avoidance driving executed in autonomous driving control will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 2. Avoidance driving in this embodiment is performed by the host vehicle to avoid approaching the rear vehicle, which is another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle on a lane adjacent to the host vehicle's driving lane. The rear vehicle may change its lateral position to approach the host vehicle. Although this is undesirable, there are cases where the rear vehicle changes lanes from an adjacent lane to the host vehicle's driving lane without sufficient lane-changing space being secured, or where the rear vehicle changes its lateral position or changes lanes without noticing the presence of the host vehicle. In such cases, the driving control device 1 executes avoidance driving to avoid the rear vehicle through autonomous control. This avoidance driving includes lateral movement of the host vehicle along the width direction of the driving lane.

[0018] The processor 10 acquires detection information from the sensor 2, which includes the camera 21 and the radar device 22 (S1). The detection information includes detection information based on imaging information from the camera 21 and detection information based on observation information from the radar device 22. Each piece of detection information includes an identifier that distinguishes the sensor 2 that performed the detection. The processor 10 distinguishes between the detection information from the camera 21 and the detection information from the radar device 22 by referring to the identifier. The processor 10 acquires host vehicle information, such as the current position and speed of the host vehicle, from the host vehicle information acquisition device 3 as necessary (S2). The processor 10 acquires lane information for the current host vehicle's traveling lane as part of the host vehicle information by referring to the detection information from the sensor 2 or the lane information 61 in the map information 6 (S2). The traveling lane is included in the route to the destination, and this route may be obtained from the navigation device 7. The position of the traveling lane and the positions of lane markers may be obtained from the detection information from the sensor 2. The processor 10 acquires other vehicle information, such as the presence or absence of other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle, their positions (distance), relative speed, and relative acceleration (S3). The other vehicle includes a rear vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane behind the host vehicle. The processor 10 obtains a determination from the rear vehicle recognition device 5 as to whether or not a rear vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane behind the host vehicle exists, i.e., whether or not a rear vehicle has been detected (S4). The rear vehicle is a vehicle to be avoided in the driving control of the host vehicle, and therefore may be a vehicle whose distance from the host vehicle or time to collision (hereinafter referred to as TTC: Time-To-Collision) is within a predetermined range. The processor 10 observes objects on the rear side based on the detection information from the sensor 2 until the rear vehicle is detected (NO in S4). The recognition process for the rear vehicle may be performed by the processor 10.

[0019] When a rear vehicle is detected (YES in S4), the processor 10 reads a predefined avoidance condition and determines whether the detection information of the sensor 2 satisfies the avoidance condition (S5). The avoidance condition is a condition for determining whether or not to perform avoidance maneuver to separate the host vehicle from the rear vehicle. The avoidance condition is predefined based on the proximity between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle. The proximity is a risk index indicating the degree of proximity between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle. The higher the proximity, the closer the host vehicle and the rear vehicle are, and the lower the proximity, the farther the host vehicle and the rear vehicle are. When the avoidance condition is defined by the proximity, the avoidance condition is determined to be satisfied when the risk of approach indicated by the proximity is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (high approach risk). Because a rear vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane approaches the host vehicle while moving laterally, the proximity may be defined using the lateral distance, lateral speed, and lateral acceleration. The degree of proximity can be expressed using a threshold defined by an index value known at the time of filing, which uses the distance between the host vehicle and the vehicle behind, the lateral distance along the lane width, the TTC value, their reciprocal or differential value, etc. The TTC is an index value based on the time it takes for the host vehicle and the vehicle behind to come into contact, assuming that the current relative speed is maintained.

[0020] If the avoidance condition is satisfied (YES in S5), the processor 10 determines whether the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle based on the detection information (S6). Whether the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle is determined based on the width, height, size, shape, etc. of the rear vehicle, which is based on the image information captured by the camera 21. The characteristics of the shape of the saddle-ride type vehicle may be stored in advance and the determination may be made using a pattern matching method. Similarly, whether the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle can be determined based on the characteristics of the information received from the radar device 22. Note that the order of the processes of S5 and S6 may be reversed, so that whether the avoidance condition is satisfied may be determined after determining whether the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle, or the determination processes of S5 and S6 may be executed in parallel (simultaneously).

[0021] The processor 10 sets different "ease of execution" for the avoidance maneuver depending on whether it is determined that the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride vehicle or whether it is determined that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-ride vehicle. The ease of execution is the ease with which the avoidance maneuver can be executed, and is defined as the level of ease of the avoidance maneuver. Considering the series of steps in which an execution command is generated when an avoidance condition is satisfied as a trigger, and the avoidance maneuver is executed and completed, the "ease of execution" is an evaluation index that indicates how quickly the avoidance maneuver can be started and how quickly the avoidance maneuver is executed (how short the time required for the avoidance maneuver). When the ease of execution is high, the avoidance maneuver is started early and executed quickly. When the ease of execution is low, the avoidance maneuver is started after a certain waiting time, and the avoidance maneuver is executed slowly.

[0022] If the processor 10 determines that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-ride type vehicle, that is, if the processor 10 determines that the rear vehicle is a four-wheeled vehicle or the like (NO in S6), it sets the ease of execution of evasive maneuvering to level E1 (> E2) (S7) and proceeds to S9. If the processor 10 determines that the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle (YES in S6), it sets the ease of execution of evasive maneuvering to level E2 (< E1) (S8) and proceeds to S9. The execution ease levels E have a relationship of level E1 > level E2. The execution ease of evasive maneuvering at level E1 is relatively high, and evasive maneuvering is relatively easy to execute. The execution ease of evasive maneuvering at level E2 is lower than level E1, and evasive maneuvering is relatively difficult to execute. Through this processing, if the processor 10 determines that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-ride type vehicle, it is associated with a relatively high execution ease level E1, and if the processor 10 determines that the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle, it is associated with a relatively low execution ease level E2.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the movements of the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 from the decision to execute evasive maneuvering until its completion. The direction indicated by the arrow Y is the longitudinal direction along the traveling direction of the host vehicle V1, and the direction indicated by the arrow X is the lateral direction along the width direction or road width direction of the host vehicle V1. FIG. 3(a) shows the host vehicle V1 (T1) and the rear vehicle V2 (T1) at timing T1. The host vehicle V1 (T1) is traveling in lane L3, and the rear vehicle V2 (T1) is traveling behind the host vehicle V1 in the adjacent lane L2. At timing T1 or T2, the processor 10 detects that the rear vehicle V2 (T1) is a saddle-type vehicle. As described above, whether the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-type vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a three-wheeled vehicle can be determined based on its shape characteristics. It may also be determined based on the number of tires at the ground contact position of the rear vehicle V2. Additionally, vehicle type information of the rear vehicle V2 traveling behind the host vehicle V1 may be acquired via a roadside device. The roadside device may also determine the vehicle type from the registration number of the rear vehicle. Figure 3(b) shows the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) at timing T2. The processor 10 calculates the proximity between the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) to determine whether the avoidance condition is met or not. The proximity indicates the risk of approaching the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 and is a requirement for defining the avoidance condition. The proximity is calculated based on the distance D, the lateral distance DX, or the longitudinal distance DY between the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2). The processor 10 compares the proximity threshold defined by distance with the actual measured distance to determine whether the avoidance condition is met or not. The proximity may be calculated as a risk assessment value using TTC, which takes into account the relative speed between the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2). The processor 10 compares a proximity threshold defined using TTC with an index value using TTC based on actual measurements to determine whether the avoidance conditions are met or not. The proximity threshold can be set depending on the type of sensor 2. The proximity is not limited to these, and may be calculated based on the distance from the center of the host vehicle V1's lane to the rear vehicle V2 (the deviation from the host vehicle V1's lane) or the distance from the center of the rear vehicle V2's lane to the center of the rear vehicle V2 (the deviation from the rear vehicle V2's lane). Acquisition of detection information that satisfies these avoidance conditions triggers the execution of evasive maneuvering.In the avoidance condition, the proximity threshold for the detection information from the camera 21 may be the same as or different from the proximity threshold for the detection information from the radar device 22. FIG. 3(c) illustrates a situation in which evasive maneuvering is performed to move the host vehicle V1 (T2) away from the rear vehicle V2 (T2). The evasive maneuver involves movement to move away from the rear vehicle V2, and therefore includes lateral movement. The evasive maneuvering includes lateral movement within the same lane, lateral movement to change lanes to an adjacent lane, and lateral movement to the shoulder. FIG. 3(c) illustrates the host vehicle V11 (T3) after completion of evasive maneuvering control, which involves lateral movement within the driving lane L3, and the host vehicle V12 (T3) after completion of evasive maneuvering control, which involves lateral movement to the adjacent lane L4. The processor 10 may perform evasive maneuvering to shift the lateral position V1X2 of the host vehicle V1 (T2) to a lateral position V11X3 within the lane L3 in which the host vehicle V1 (T2) is traveling, or may perform evasive maneuvering to move the host vehicle V1 (T2) from the lateral position V1X2 in the lane L3 in which the host vehicle V1 (T2) is traveling to a lateral position V12X3 in the lane L4 adjacent to the lane L3.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a time chart from the acquisition of information satisfying the avoidance conditions to the completion of evasive maneuvering. Here, the data processing time in the processor 10 is ignored. The timing T2 at which the detection information satisfying the avoidance conditions is acquired is the timing at which a decision is made to perform evasive maneuvering. At timing T2, the processor 10 obtains a determination result as to whether the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle. After the decision is made to perform evasive maneuvering, evasive maneuvering begins at timing TS after a waiting time TR2 has elapsed. The waiting time T2 is set as a confirmation time, rather than as a time for the host vehicle to start moving immediately after the decision is made. The execution time TR3 from timing TS at which evasive maneuvering begins to timing T3 at which evasive maneuvering is completed is the time required for the host vehicle V1 to move to the destination calculated to avoid the rear vehicle V2. The timing at which evasive maneuvering begins can be determined by the start of a lateral position change, the start of steering control, a change in wheel angle, etc. to separate the host vehicle V1 from the rear vehicle V2. The timing of the completion of evasive maneuvering can be determined by the completion of the target lateral position movement, the completion of steering control, and the direction of the wheels becoming the vehicle length direction. The timing of the start of evasive maneuvering involving a lane change can be determined by the above, in addition, when one or two front wheels cross the lane. The timing of the completion of evasive maneuvering involving a lane change can be determined by the above, in addition, when one or two rear wheels cross the lane, when the reference position of the vehicle body (center of gravity, etc.) enters the new lane, when all or part of the vehicle body belongs to the new lane, when the orientation of the vehicle body returns from a left-right direction (when turning) to a straight-ahead direction, and when the posture of the vehicle body after steering matches the direction of the lane.

[0025] The ease of performing evasive maneuvering, i.e., the ease of performing it, will be described in detail. Ease of performing evasive maneuvering (high ease of performing it) means that the time spent on evasive maneuvering is relatively short. Difficulty performing evasive maneuvering (low ease of performing it) means that the time spent on evasive maneuvering is relatively long. The time spent on evasive maneuvering refers to the total time TR1 from timing T2 when detection information satisfying the avoidance conditions shown in FIG. 4 is acquired to timing T3 when evasive maneuvering is completed. Furthermore, ease of performing evasive maneuvering (high ease of performing it) means that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively early (early, swiftly) and that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively quickly (quickly, fast). Early performance of evasive maneuvering means that the waiting time TR2 from timing T2 when detection information satisfying the avoidance conditions shown in FIG. 4 is acquired to timing TS when evasive maneuvering begins is short. On the other hand, difficulty performing evasive maneuvering (low ease of performing it) means that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively late (lately) and that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively slowly. Delayed execution of evasive maneuvering means that the waiting time TR2 from the timing T2 at which information satisfying the avoidance conditions in FIG. 4 is acquired to the timing TS at which evasive maneuvering begins is long. The waiting time TR2 is a time set aside for processing to check the reliability of the detection information, such as whether noise is included in the information, before evasive maneuvering begins. By shortening the waiting time TR2, the host vehicle can begin moving more quickly during evasive maneuvering. Rapid execution of evasive maneuvering means that the execution time TR3 from the timing TS at which evasive maneuvering begins to the timing T3 at which evasive maneuvering ends in FIG. 4 is short. Avoidant maneuvering with a relatively short overall time TR1, waiting time TR2, or execution time TR3 is evaluated as being easy to execute (high ease of execution), while avoidant maneuvering with a relatively long overall time TR1, waiting time TR2, or execution time TR3 is determined as being difficult to execute (low ease of execution). The fact that avoidance driving is likely to be performed (high ease of execution) means that avoidance driving is performed early (waiting time TR2 is short) and that avoidance driving is performed quickly (execution time TR3 is short).Conversely, "it is difficult to perform evasive maneuvering (low ease of execution)" means that the execution of evasive maneuvering is delayed (long waiting time TR2) or that the execution of evasive maneuvering is performed slowly (long execution time TR3). "It is easy to perform evasive maneuvering (high ease of execution)" means that the total time TR1 required to complete the execution of evasive maneuvering is relatively short. Conversely, "it is difficult to perform evasive maneuvering (low ease of execution)" means that the total time TR1 is relatively long. By shortening the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3, the total time TR1 can inevitably be shortened. Note that, in cases where careful confirmation or cautious driving is required, it is preferable to make it difficult to perform evasive maneuvering (low ease of execution).

[0026] Returning to S9 in FIG. 2, the processor 10 acquires the details of the evasive maneuver. For convenience, the flowchart in FIG. 2 describes the processing of S6 after S5. However, the processor 10 acquires the result of the determination of whether the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle simultaneously with or around the timing when it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied. In S9, the processor 10 acquires the details of the evasive maneuver associated with the feasibility levels E1 and E2, which are set according to the determination of whether the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle. In the evasive maneuver at level E1, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride vehicle, the total time TR1(1) from time T2, when information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance condition, is acquired, to time T3, when the execution of the evasive maneuver is completed, is shorter than the total time TR1(2) in the evasive maneuver at level E2, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle. The length of the total time TR1 satisfies the relationship TR1(1)<TR1(2). In other words, the total time TR1(2) for avoidance driving at level E2, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle, is longer than the total time TR1(1) when it is not. Based on the fact that the rear vehicle V2 is a four-wheeled vehicle, if the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle, a relatively long total time TR1(2) is set.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the total time TR1 includes a waiting time TR2 and an execution time TR3. Increasing the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 results in an increase in the total time TR1. Therefore, in the avoidance maneuver at level E2, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle, the waiting time TR2(2) from timing T2, when information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is acquired, to timing TS, when the execution of the avoidance maneuver begins, is longer than the waiting time TR2(1) in the avoidance maneuver at level E1, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride vehicle. The length of the waiting time TR2 satisfies the relationship TR2(1)<TR2(2).

[0028] Similarly, in the case of evasive maneuvering at level E2, which is set when the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride vehicle, the execution time TR3(2) from the timing TS at which the execution of the evasive maneuver begins to the timing T3 at which the execution of the evasive maneuver is completed is longer than the execution time TR3(1) in the case of evasive maneuvering at level E1, which is set when the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride vehicle. The length of the execution time TR3 satisfies the relationship TR3(1) < TR3(2). The execution time TR3 in the evasive maneuvering can be lengthened by reducing the movement speed of the host vehicle V1, particularly the movement speed (lateral speed) along the lateral direction, which is the direction of the road width as the rear vehicle V2 traveling in the adjacent lane approaches the host vehicle V1. Specifically, by reducing the speed, turning speed, and turning acceleration, the lateral movement speed can be reduced, allowing the host vehicle V1 to move to the desired avoidance position over a longer period of time. For this reason, the lateral movement speed VL(2) of the host vehicle V1 defined in the execution of evasive maneuvering at level E2, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride vehicle, is lower than the lateral movement speed VL(1) in the evasive maneuvering at level E1, which is set when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride vehicle. The relationship of the lateral movement speeds VL is VL(1) > VL(2).

[0029] Even if the camera 21 and the radar device 22 have high performance, false detections are inevitable depending on the detection environment. If the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-type vehicle such as a small two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle, the camera 21 may not be able to accurately capture its image, and the radar device 22 may not be able to receive sufficient reflected waves, making it impossible to accurately recognize and measure the distance. Furthermore, saddle-type vehicles have a smaller area of ​​reflective material, such as metal, than four-wheeled vehicles, so the radar device 22 tends to be unable to receive sufficient reflected waves for detection. For this reason, the detection accuracy when the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-type vehicle tends to be lower than the detection accuracy when the rear vehicle V2 is a vehicle other than a saddle-type vehicle. Although the accuracy level of the sensor 2 has improved, when a saddle-type vehicle is being detected, noise may be introduced into the acquired detection information, which may cause false detections. Furthermore, because the observation information of the radar device 22 and the image information of the camera 21 cannot be stably acquired, the detection information may lead to a detection result that the rear vehicle V2 is swaying. If swaying behavior accompanied by lateral movement is detected for the rear vehicle V2, the rear vehicle V2 may be mistakenly detected as approaching the host vehicle V1 even though it is traveling straight. While acceleration and deceleration are sufficient for approaching in the front-rear direction, movements that involve a change in lateral position, such as evasive maneuvering, require securing space for movement in the adjacent lane after the lateral movement and waiting for an opportunity to start the lateral movement. Therefore, it is desirable to determine as quickly as possible whether the avoidance conditions that trigger evasive maneuvering are met. Furthermore, from the perspective of appropriately performing evasive maneuvering, it is necessary to determine whether the appropriate avoidance conditions are met based on accurate detection information, and it is not possible to take measures such as uniformly changing the threshold value in order to reduce the frequency of false detections.

[0030] In the present invention, when the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride type vehicle, it is predicted that the accuracy of the detection information will tend to decrease, and the likelihood of evasive maneuvering (the ease of execution) is set lower than when the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride type vehicle. This makes it possible to change the content of evasive maneuvering in preparation for a decrease in the detection accuracy of the rear vehicle V2. By associating the ease of execution E1, E2 of evasive maneuvering with whether the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride type vehicle, when the rear vehicle V2, which is a saddle-ride type vehicle, approaches the host vehicle V1 and satisfies the approach condition, the start of evasive maneuvering can be delayed more than usual, and the evasive maneuvering can be controlled to be performed more slowly.

[0031] "Evasive evasive maneuvering is unlikely to be performed" means that the time until evasive maneuvering begins is relatively long, and the time from the start to the completion of evasive maneuvering is relatively long. A period of time for confirming detection information may be provided before the start of evasive maneuvering. On the other hand, "active evasive maneuvering is likely to be performed" means that the time until evasive maneuvering begins is relatively short, and the time from the start to the completion of evasive maneuvering is relatively short. If the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride vehicle, the waiting time TR2 is set longer than when the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride vehicle. This allows processing to confirm the reliability of the detection information before the start of evasive maneuvering. Furthermore, by setting the execution time TR3 longer after the start of evasive maneuvering, evasive maneuvering can be performed slowly at a low speed. By reducing the speed of lateral movement during evasive maneuvering, the execution time TR3 can be set relatively long. As a result, the overall time TR1 is longer, and the host vehicle V2 can avoid the rear vehicle V2 by moving carefully and slowly. On the other hand, if the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride vehicle but a four-wheeled vehicle, the detection information is determined to be reliable, and evasive maneuvering can be started early. After driving has begun, avoidance maneuvering can be performed swiftly by shortening the execution time TR3. By increasing the speed of lateral movement during avoidance maneuvering, the execution time TR3 can be shortened. As a result, the overall time TR1 is shortened, and the host vehicle V2 can respond sensitively to the detection results and perform avoidance maneuvering with smooth, agile movements without hesitation.

[0032] In this embodiment, if the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride type vehicle, the details of the evasive maneuver can be determined based on the lateral position of the rear vehicle V2, which is determined to be a saddle-ride type vehicle. The processor 10 determines the lateral position of the rear vehicle V2. Using FIG. 3(c) as an example, the processor 10 acquires the distance DLV2 from the lane mark TL between the lane L3 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling and the lane L2 in which the rear vehicle V2 (T2) is traveling at time T2 to the lateral position V2X2 of the rear vehicle V2 (T2). When the acquired distance DLV2 between the lane mark TL and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) is relatively short, the processor 10 makes it less likely that the evasive maneuver will be performed than when the acquired distance DLV2 is relatively long. Avoidance maneuvers that are less likely to be performed, i.e., those with a low degree of ease of execution, have long overall times TR1, waiting times TR2, and execution times TR3. FIG. 5(a) shows the relationship between the distance DLV2 and the overall times TR1, waiting times TR2, and execution times TR3. As shown in the relationship Fa1, when the distance DLV2 is relatively short, the total time TR1, waiting time TR2, and execution time TR3 are set relatively long, resulting in an avoidance maneuver that is less easy to execute. As shown in the relationship Fa1, the time TR may be gradually lengthened when the distance DLV2 is short compared to when it is long, or as shown in the relationship Fa2, the time TR may be lengthened as the distance DLV2 becomes shorter, or a relationship Fa3 that combines these may be used.

[0033] Saddle-riding vehicles tend to travel near the edge regions of lanes, i.e., near the lane marks that separate the lanes. The likelihood that the rear vehicle V2, which is a saddle-riding vehicle, will change lanes when traveling in the edge region of a lane is lower than the likelihood that the rear vehicle V2, which is a four-wheeled vehicle, will change lanes when traveling in the edge region of a lane. Even if the rear vehicle V2, which is a saddle-riding vehicle, is approaching the lane TL, there is little need to perform evasive maneuvering with a high degree of ease of execution. Therefore, when the distance DLV2 between the lane mark TL and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) is relatively short, the rear vehicle V2 is predicted not to change lanes, and evasive maneuvering is performed with a lower degree of ease of execution than when the distance DLV2 is relatively long, i.e., with a relatively long overall time TR1, waiting time TR2, and execution time TR3. This allows evasive maneuvering to be performed according to the degree of ease of execution of evasive maneuvering that takes into account the lateral position of the saddle-riding vehicle during normal driving. Normally, when a saddle-type vehicle traveling on the edge of a lane is detected as the rear vehicle V2, unnecessary avoidance maneuvering can be prevented.

[0034] Here, a method for changing the avoidance condition will be described. When the processor 10 determines that the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-ride type vehicle, it raises the threshold value of the avoidance condition compared to when it is determined that the rear vehicle V2 is not a saddle-ride type vehicle. In other words, it raises the level of contact risk stipulated by the proximity of the avoidance condition, making it less likely that the condition will be met, and as a result, making it less likely that evasive maneuver will be performed. Since it is predicted that detection accuracy will decrease when the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride type vehicle, it makes it more difficult to transition to evasive maneuver by determining that evasive maneuver will be performed based on the avoidance condition with a raised threshold value. This makes it possible to prevent the host vehicle V1 from performing evasive maneuver due to false detection, which is likely to occur when the target to be avoided is a saddle-ride type vehicle, or the event of recognizing the rear vehicle V2 as swaying even though it is traveling straight.

[0035] The avoidance condition is defined by the degree of contact risk based on the proximity between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1. When the proximity between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1 exceeds the contact risk threshold of the avoidance condition, evasive maneuvering is performed. The processor 10 calculates the proximity based on the relative position and relative speed of the rear vehicle V2 with respect to the host vehicle V1. The processor 10 changes the proximity threshold for evaluating the contact risk defined by the avoidance condition to a higher value. Specifically, when the proximity threshold is defined using one or more index values ​​of the TTC between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1, the distance between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1, and the distance in the vehicle width direction between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1, the processor 10 changes the proximity threshold defined using these index values ​​to increase the contact risk. By increasing the proximity threshold in the avoidance condition, the avoidance condition becomes less likely to be met, and evasive maneuvering of the host vehicle V1 becomes less likely to be performed. To prepare for the occurrence of false detections that tend to occur when the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-type vehicle, or the occurrence of an event in which the rear vehicle V2 is detected as swaying even when traveling straight, the avoidance conditions are made stricter, making it more difficult to perform avoidance maneuvering. This allows the host vehicle V1 to perform appropriate avoidance maneuvering based on judgments appropriate to the situation.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the rear vehicle V2 is determined to be a saddle-ride type vehicle, the avoidance condition can be corrected according to the lateral position of the rear vehicle V2 determined to be a saddle-ride type vehicle. The processor 10 acquires a distance DLV2 from a lane mark TL between the lane L3 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling and the lane L2 on which the rear vehicle V2 (T2) is traveling at timing T2, as shown in FIG. 3C, to a lateral position V2X2 of the rear vehicle V2 (T2). When the acquired distance DLV2 between the lane mark TL and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) is relatively short, the processor 10 changes the threshold of the avoidance condition to a higher value than when the acquired distance DLV2 is relatively long. When the proximity threshold is defined using one or more index values ​​of the TTC between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1, the distance between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1, and the vehicle width direction distance between the rear vehicle V2 and the host vehicle V1, the proximity threshold defined by these index values ​​may be changed to a higher value. This allows the system to set avoidance conditions that take into account the lateral position of the saddle-riding vehicle during normal driving, and to execute avoidance maneuvering. Normally, when a saddle-riding vehicle traveling on the edge of a lane is detected as a rear vehicle V2, unnecessary avoidance maneuvering can be prevented. FIG. 5(b) shows the relationship between the proximity threshold Th and the distance DLV2. As shown in the relationship Fb1, when the distance DLV2 is relatively short, the threshold Th is set relatively high. As shown in the relationship Fb1, the threshold Th may be set to be gradually higher when the distance DLV2 is short than when it is long, or as shown in the relationship Fb2, the threshold Th may be set to a higher value as the distance DLV2 becomes shorter, or a combination of these may be used, as shown in the relationship Fb3.

[0037] Even if the rear vehicle V2, which is a saddle-ride type vehicle, is approaching the lane mark TL in Fig. 3(c), it is predicted that the possibility of the rear vehicle V2 actually changing lanes is low because saddle-ride type vehicles often travel close to the lane. Therefore, even if the distance DLV2 between the lane mark TL and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) is relatively short, by predicting that the rear vehicle V2 will not change lanes and correcting the threshold value of the avoidance condition higher, it is possible to prevent the host vehicle V1 from mistakenly performing avoidance driving in response to the behavior of the rear vehicle V2, which will not actually approach any closer to the host vehicle V1.

[0038] 100... driving control system, 1... driving control device, 10... processor, 11... CPU, 12... ROM, 13... RAM, 20... input / output device, 30... communication device, 2... sensor, 21... camera, 22... radar device, 3... vehicle information acquisition device, 4... other vehicle information acquisition device, 5... rear vehicle recognition device, 6... map information, 7... navigation device, 200... vehicle controller, 210... steering control device, 220... drive control device

Claims

1. A driving control method for controlling the driving of a vehicle, used in a driving control device equipped with a sensor and a processor, wherein the processor uses the sensor to obtain detection information on a rear vehicle traveling behind the vehicle in an adjacent lane, and when the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, causes the vehicle to perform an evasive maneuver to distance the vehicle from the rear vehicle, and when it is determined based on the detection information that the rear vehicle is a saddle-type vehicle, makes the evasive maneuver less likely to be performed than when it is determined that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-type vehicle.

2. A driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein the processor makes it more difficult for the avoidance driving to be performed by lengthening the time from when the detection information that satisfies the avoidance condition is obtained to when the execution of the avoidance driving is completed.

3. A driving control method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor makes it more difficult for the avoidance driving to be performed by lengthening the time from when the detection information satisfying the avoidance condition is obtained to when the avoidance driving is started.

4. A driving control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor makes it difficult for the avoidance maneuver to be performed by lengthening the time from the start to the completion of the execution of the avoidance maneuver.

5. The driving control method according to claim 4, wherein the processor reduces a speed of lateral movement of the host vehicle when the avoidance driving is being performed.

6. A driving control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, when the processor determines that the rear vehicle is a saddle-type vehicle, it acquires the distance from a lane mark between the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and the lane in which the rear vehicle is traveling to the rear vehicle, and when the acquired distance is relatively short, it makes it less likely that the evasive maneuver will be performed than when the acquired distance is relatively long.

7. A driving control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the avoidance condition is defined based on the degree of proximity between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle, and when the processor determines that the rear vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle based on the detection information, the processor sets a higher threshold value of the degree of proximity of the avoidance condition than when the processor determines that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-ride type vehicle.

8. A driving control method according to claim 7, wherein the degree of approach is calculated based on a relative position and a relative speed of the rear vehicle with respect to the host vehicle.

9. A driving control method as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein the proximity threshold is defined using one or more index values ​​of the contact margin time between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle, the distance between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle, and the vehicle width direction distance between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle.

10. A driving control method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein, when the processor determines that the rear vehicle is a saddle-type vehicle, it measures the distance from a lane mark between the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and the lane in which the rear vehicle is traveling to the rear vehicle, and when the measured distance is short, it sets the threshold value of the avoidance condition higher than when the measured distance is long.

11. A driving control device that has a sensor and a processor and controls the driving of the host vehicle, wherein the processor uses the sensor to obtain detection information regarding a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, and when the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, causes the host vehicle to perform an avoidance maneuver to distance the host vehicle from the rear vehicle, and when it is determined based on the detection information that the rear vehicle is a saddle-type vehicle, makes the avoidance maneuver less likely to be performed than when it is determined that the rear vehicle is not a saddle-type vehicle.

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