Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

An automatic driving ECU (10) that can be used in a vehicle that performs automatic driving is provided with: a proximity possibility specification unit (122) that, when a host vehicle is going to travel straight through an intersection by automatic driving, specifies the level of possibility of proximity to a non-priority oncoming vehicle for which traffic at the intersection is non-prioritized with respect to the straight traveling of the host vehicle; and an avoidance determination unit (121) that, when it is specified by the proximity possibility specification unit (122) that the possibility of proximity to the non-priority oncoming vehicle is high, causes avoidance control for avoiding proximity to the non-priority oncoming vehicle to be performed.

Description

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

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2024-31637 filed in Japan on March 1, 2024, and the contents of the original application are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for automatically driving a vehicle.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-324661

[0005] One scenario in which a vehicle may be driven autonomously is driving through an intersection. When driving autonomously through an intersection, various disturbances, such as oncoming vehicles, may occur even when the vehicle is simply driving straight through the intersection. These disturbances may affect the autonomous driving and reduce the convenience for the vehicle's occupants. Therefore, even when driving autonomously through an intersection, it is necessary to minimize the loss of convenience for the vehicle's occupants.

[0006] One object of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that make it possible to minimize the loss of convenience for occupants even when a vehicle is driven automatically through an intersection.

[0007] The symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the first vehicle control device of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, and is equipped with an approach possibility identification unit that identifies the degree of possibility of approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle that has no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's straight-on movement when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through an intersection while autonomously driving, and an avoidance determination unit that performs avoidance control to avoid approaching the non-priority oncoming vehicle when the approach possibility identification unit identifies that there is a high possibility of approaching the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the first vehicle control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, and includes an approach possibility identification process executed by at least one processor that identifies the likelihood of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle that will have no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's straight-on movement when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through an intersection while autonomously driving, and an avoidance determination process that, when it is determined in the approach possibility identification process that there is a high likelihood of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle, performs avoidance control to avoid an approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when a vehicle is going straight through an intersection under automated driving, it is possible to avoid approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is identified as having a high probability of approaching. Therefore, even when a vehicle is going straight through an intersection under automated driving, it is less likely to cause anxiety to the occupants. As a result, it is possible to prevent a loss of convenience for the occupants even when the vehicle is going through an intersection under automated driving.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the second vehicle control device of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, and includes: a conflict situation identification unit that identifies a conflict situation in which, when the vehicle is autonomously driving and attempts to turn right or left at an intersection, a non-priority oncoming vehicle that has no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's right or left turn is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left; a driving environment identification unit that identifies the driving environment including the conditions of vehicles surrounding the vehicle; and a right or left turn determination unit that, when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, causes the vehicle to turn right or left if the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the second vehicle control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, and includes: a conflicting situation identification process executed by at least one processor to identify a conflicting situation in which, when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection while autonomously driving, a non-priority oncoming vehicle, which has no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's right or left turn, is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left; a driving environment identification process to identify the driving environment including the conditions of vehicles surrounding the vehicle; and a right or left turn determination process to, if the conflicting situation is identified in the conflicting situation identification process, cause the vehicle to turn right or left based on the identification in the driving environment identification process of a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0013] According to the above configuration, in a conflict situation where a non-priority oncoming vehicle, which has no priority and has no priority to pass, is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving, the host vehicle will be made to turn right or left if the non-priority oncoming vehicle decelerates by more than a threshold. Therefore, in a conflict situation, it is possible to make the host vehicle turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving when the possibility of approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle is low. Therefore, even when attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving, it is less likely to cause anxiety to the occupants. As a result, it is possible to make the vehicle less convenient for the occupants even when the vehicle is driven through an intersection under automated driving.

[0014] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an automatic driving ECU in embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of intersection straight ahead-moving-related processing in the automatic driving ECU in embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of an avoidance-related processing flow in the automatic driving ECU in embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an automatic driving ECU in embodiment 2. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an avoidance-related processing flow in the automatic driving ECU in embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an automatic driving ECU in embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of an avoidance-related processing flow in the automatic driving ECU in embodiment 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an automatic driving ECU in embodiment 4. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a shifted intersection. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a Sasmata intersection. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an intersection type-related processing flow in the automatic driving ECU in embodiment 4. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an automatic driving ECU in embodiment 5. FIG. 12 is a table for explaining an example of switching of an exit lane at a Sasmata intersection depending on a congested road condition. FIG. 13 is a table for explaining an example of switching of an exit lane at a Sasmata intersection depending on an intra-intersection distance. 10 is a table for explaining an example of switching of the exit lane at the Sasumata intersection according to the remaining switching time. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving ECU in a sixth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving ECU in a seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of right / left turn restriction control. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of right / left turn-related processing in the autonomous driving ECU in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving ECU in an eighth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining an example of a turning radius when turning right or left according to the number of pedestrians. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving ECU in a ninth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of turning radius adjustment-related processing in the autonomous driving ECU in the ninth embodiment.

[0015] A number of embodiments for the purpose of disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, parts having the same functions as parts shown in the drawings used in the previous explanations in the number of embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. For parts given the same reference numerals, the explanations in other embodiments may be referred to.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) <Schematic Configuration of Vehicle System 1> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be used in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving (hereinafter referred to as an autonomous vehicle). As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes an autonomous driving ECU 10, a communication module 11, a locator 12, a map database (hereinafter referred to as a map DB) 13, a vehicle state sensor 14, a periphery monitoring sensor 15, and a vehicle control ECU 16. For example, the autonomous driving ECU 10, the communication module 11, the locator 12, the map DB 13, the vehicle state sensor 14, the periphery monitoring sensor 15, and the vehicle control ECU 16 may be configured to be connected to an in-vehicle LAN (see LAN in FIG. 1). Although the vehicle using the vehicle system 1 is not necessarily limited to an automobile, the following description will be given taking the case of use in an automobile as an example.

[0017] There are multiple levels of autonomous driving for autonomous vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "automation levels"), as defined by the SAE, for example. The automation levels are classified into LV0 to LV5 as follows:

[0018] LV0 is a level at which the driver performs all driving tasks without system intervention. The driving task may also be referred to as a dynamic driving task. The driving task may be, for example, steering, acceleration / deceleration, and periphery monitoring. LV0 corresponds to so-called manual driving. LV1 is a level at which the system assists with either steering or acceleration / deceleration. LV1 corresponds to so-called driving assistance. LV2 is a level at which the system assists with both steering and acceleration / deceleration. LV2 corresponds to so-called partial driving automation. LV1 to LV2 are also considered to be part of autonomous driving. Note that in this embodiment, driving with an automation level of LV2 or higher may also be considered autonomous driving. In other words, the explanation will continue using an example where the vehicle system 1 is used in a vehicle that performs autonomous driving with assistance in both steering and acceleration / deceleration.

[0019] For example, automated driving levels 1 to 2 are levels in which the driver has the responsibility to monitor safe driving (hereinafter simply referred to as the monitoring responsibility). In other words, these levels correspond to automated driving with a monitoring responsibility. The monitoring responsibility includes visually monitoring the surroundings. Level 3 automated driving is a level in which the system can perform all driving tasks under certain conditions, with the driver taking over driving operations in emergencies. Level 3 automated driving requires the driver to be able to respond quickly when the system requests a handover. This handover can also be described as the transfer of the responsibility to monitor the surroundings from the vehicle's system to the driver. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional automated driving. Level 4 automated driving is a level in which the system can perform all driving tasks except under certain circumstances, such as on uncontrollable roads or in extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to so-called highly automated driving. Level 5 automated driving is a level in which the system can perform all driving tasks in any environment. Level 5 corresponds to so-called fully automated driving. Autonomous driving at levels 4 and 5 may be implemented, for example, in driving sections for which high-precision map data is available. High-precision map data will be described later. For example, autonomous driving at levels 3 or higher is defined as autonomous driving in which the driver has no monitoring obligation. In other words, it corresponds to autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation. In this embodiment, it is assumed that an autonomous vehicle is capable of implementing autonomous driving at least at level 2 or higher.

[0020] The communication module 11 transmits and receives information to and from a center external to the vehicle via wireless communication. That is, it performs wide-area communication. The communication module 11 receives traffic congestion information and the like from the center via wide-area communication. The communication module 11 may transmit and receive information to and from other vehicles via wireless communication. That is, it may perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication module 11 may transmit and receive information to and from a roadside device installed on the roadside via wireless communication. That is, it may perform road-to-vehicle communication. When performing road-to-vehicle communication, the communication module 11 may receive information about surrounding vehicles transmitted from surrounding vehicles of the vehicle via the roadside device. Furthermore, the communication module 11 may receive information about surrounding vehicles transmitted from surrounding vehicles of the vehicle via wide-area communication via the center.

[0021] The locator 12 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from multiple positioning satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The locator 12 sequentially determines the vehicle position of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle position) by combining the positioning signals received by the GNSS receiver with the measurement results of the inertial sensor. The vehicle position may be expressed, for example, in latitude and longitude coordinates. Note that the vehicle position may also be determined using a travel distance calculated from signals sequentially output from a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle.

[0022] The map DB 13 is a non-volatile memory that stores high-precision map data. The high-precision map data is map data with higher precision than the map data used for route guidance in the navigation function. The high-precision map data includes information usable for automated driving, such as three-dimensional road shape information, information on the number of lanes, and information indicating the permitted travel direction for each lane. The high-precision map data may also include node point information indicating the positions of both ends of road markings such as lane markings. The map DB 13 may also store map data used for route guidance. Note that the locator 12 may be configured to use three-dimensional road shape information without using a GNSS receiver. For example, the locator 12 may be configured to determine the vehicle's position using three-dimensional road shape information and detection results from the perimeter monitoring sensor 15. The three-dimensional road shape information may be generated based on captured images using REM (Road Experience Management).

[0023] Map data distributed from an external server may be received via wide-area communication via the communication module 11 and stored in the map DB 13. In this case, the map DB 13 may be configured as a volatile memory, and the communication module 11 may successively acquire map data for an area corresponding to the vehicle position.

[0024] The vehicle condition sensor 14 is a group of sensors for detecting various conditions of the vehicle. The vehicle condition sensor 14 includes a vehicle speed sensor, a steering sensor, a steering torque sensor, etc. The vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle. The steering sensor detects the steering angle of the vehicle. The steering torque sensor (hereinafter referred to as steering torque sensor) detects the amount of steering operation. The vehicle condition sensor 14 outputs the detected sensing information to an in-vehicle LAN. Note that the sensing information detected by the vehicle condition sensor 14 may be configured to be output to the in-vehicle LAN via an ECU installed in the vehicle.

[0025] The perimeter monitoring sensor 15 monitors the environment surrounding the vehicle. As an example, the perimeter monitoring sensor 15 detects obstacles around the vehicle. Examples of obstacles include moving objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles. Examples of obstacles include objects fallen on the road and stationary objects such as roadside traffic lights. The perimeter monitoring sensor 15 also detects road markings such as lane markings around the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 15 is, for example, a perimeter monitoring camera that captures an image of a predetermined area around the vehicle, or a search wave sensor that transmits search waves within a predetermined area around the vehicle. Examples of search wave sensors include millimeter-wave radar, sonar, and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The predetermined area may be a range that at least partially includes the front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle. For example, the predetermined area may be a range that at least includes the area ahead of the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring camera sequentially outputs the captured images to the autonomous driving ECU 10 as sensing information. The search wave sensor sequentially outputs the scanning results based on the received signal obtained when receiving the reflected wave reflected by an obstacle to the autonomous driving ECU 10 as sensing information.

[0026] The vehicle control ECU 16 is an electronic control device that controls the driving of the vehicle. Examples of driving control include acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control. The vehicle control ECU 16 includes a steering ECU that controls steering, a power unit control ECU that controls acceleration / deceleration, and a brake ECU. The vehicle control ECU 16 controls driving by outputting control signals to each driving control device mounted on the vehicle. Examples of driving control devices include an electronically controlled throttle, a brake actuator, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor.

[0027] The autonomous driving ECU 10 is mainly composed of a computer including, for example, a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these. The autonomous driving ECU 10 executes control programs stored in the non-volatile memory to perform processing related to autonomous driving. This autonomous driving ECU 10 corresponds to a vehicle control device. The configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10 will be described in detail below.

[0028] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10> Next, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10 will be described using Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the autonomous driving ECU 10 includes a driving environment recognition unit 101, an action determination unit 102, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. Execution of the processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10 by a computer corresponds to execution of a vehicle control method. Note that some or all of the functions executed by the autonomous driving ECU 10 may be configured as hardware using one or more ICs, etc. Also, some or all of the functional blocks included in the autonomous driving ECU 10 may be realized by a combination of software execution by a processor and hardware components.

[0029] The driving environment recognition unit 101 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle from the vehicle position, map data, and sensing information acquired from the surrounding monitoring sensor 15. The vehicle position may be acquired from the locator 12. The map data may be acquired from the map DB 13. As an example, the driving environment recognition unit 101 uses this information to recognize the position, shape, and movement state of objects around the vehicle, and generates a virtual space that reproduces the actual driving environment. The driving environment recognition unit 101 may recognize the vehicle position on the map from the vehicle position and map data. The driving environment recognition unit 101 may also recognize the presence, position, speed, etc. of vehicles around the vehicle as the driving environment from the sensing information. The speed of the surrounding vehicles may be recognized as the longitudinal speed and lateral speed of the surrounding vehicles. The longitudinal speed will be referred to hereinafter as vehicle speed. The lateral speed will be referred to hereinafter as lateral speed. The lateral direction can also be referred to as the width direction or left / right direction of the vehicle. The lateral speed can also be referred to as the speed of the surrounding vehicle in the width direction or left-right direction. The position and speed of the surrounding vehicle may be determined relative to the host vehicle and recognized from the host vehicle position and speed and this relative value. The lateral speed of the host vehicle may be determined from the host vehicle's orientation determined from the inertial sensor and the host vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor. Furthermore, if the driving environment recognition unit 101 can acquire the positions, speeds, etc. of surrounding vehicles via the communication module 11, this information may also be used to recognize the driving environment.

[0030] When the system has control over the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 102 determines a driving plan for driving the vehicle based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the driving environment recognition unit 101. The behavior determination unit 102 includes a driving plan unit 121, an approach possibility identification unit 122, and an offset determination unit 123 as sub-functional blocks.

[0031] The driving planner 121 determines a driving plan for driving the host vehicle in autonomous driving mode. The driving planner 121 determines a long-term / medium-term driving plan and a short-term driving plan as driving plans. In the long-term / medium-term driving plan, a planned route for driving the host vehicle to a set destination is determined. The driving planner 121 may determine this planned route in a manner similar to route search by a navigation function. The driving planner 121 may also determine a set vehicle speed for driving along the planned route. The driving planner 121 determines a short-term driving plan for realizing driving in accordance with the long-term / medium-term driving plan based on the driving environment recognized by the driving environment recognition unit 101. Specifically, as the short-term driving plan, steering, braking, etc. for obstacle avoidance are determined. Details of the processing by the driving planner 121 when the host vehicle is to travel straight through an intersection in autonomous driving mode will be described later.

[0032] The proximity possibility identification unit 122 identifies the degree of possibility of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle that has a non-priority of passage through the intersection relative to the straight-on movement of the host vehicle when the host vehicle is about to proceed straight through an intersection under automated driving. Hereinafter, the target intersection through which the host vehicle is about to proceed straight is referred to as the target intersection. The possibility of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle is referred to as the oncoming proximity possibility. When the host vehicle is about to proceed straight through an intersection under automated driving, this may include the time before the host vehicle enters the target intersection. In countries where driving on the left is legal, a non-priority oncoming vehicle corresponds to an oncoming vehicle that is about to turn right. In countries where driving on the right is legal, a non-priority oncoming vehicle corresponds to an oncoming vehicle that is about to turn left.

[0033] The approach possibility identification unit 122 may identify a high possibility of an oncoming approach when a non-priority oncoming vehicle overlaps with a planned straight-line trajectory, which is a planned trajectory that the host vehicle will follow when traveling straight through the target intersection in autonomous driving. A state in which a non-priority oncoming vehicle overlaps with a planned straight-line trajectory, which is a planned trajectory that the host vehicle will follow when traveling straight through the target intersection in autonomous driving, is hereinafter referred to as a straight-line blocked state. For example, the planned straight-line trajectory may be a trajectory that connects, in a straight line, a point at which the host vehicle enters the target intersection from the host vehicle's lane and an entrance point of a lane that the host vehicle will use as an exit route when traveling straight through the target intersection. The planned straight-line trajectory may have a width that corresponds to the vehicle width of the host vehicle. The width that corresponds to the vehicle width of the host vehicle may be the vehicle width or the vehicle width plus a margin. Note that the host vehicle lane refers to the lane in which the host vehicle is currently traveling.

[0034] The proximity possibility determination unit 122 may also determine that there is a high possibility of oncoming proximity when the positions of the non-priority oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle are predicted to overlap within the target intersection. A state in which the positions of the non-priority oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle are predicted to overlap within the target intersection is hereinafter referred to as a straight-line blocked predicted state. The straight-line blocked predicted state is a state in which the positions of the non-priority oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle are predicted to overlap within the target intersection if the non-priority oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle maintain their current driving state. The straight-line blocked predicted state may be determined from the predicted positions of the host vehicle and the non-priority oncoming vehicle when the non-priority oncoming vehicle is not stopped. The temporal position of the host vehicle may be predicted, for example, from the steering angle detected by a steering sensor and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. The temporal position of the non-priority oncoming vehicle may be predicted, for example, from time-series changes in the position of the non-priority oncoming vehicle. The proximity possibility determination unit 122 may determine that the straight-line blocked predicted state is present when the predicted positions of the host vehicle and the non-priority oncoming vehicle approximately coincide at the same time.

[0035] The proximity possibility identification unit 122 may also identify that there is a high possibility of oncoming proximity when a non-priority oncoming vehicle is predicted to change lanes in a non-priority direction without noticing the host vehicle. The change of lanes to a non-priority direction referred to here corresponds to a right turn in countries where driving on the left is legal, and a left turn in countries where driving on the right is legal. A state in which a non-priority oncoming vehicle is predicted to change lanes in a non-priority direction without noticing the host vehicle is hereinafter referred to as a "both vehicles proceeding state." The proximity possibility identification unit 122 may identify a state in which a non-priority oncoming vehicle continues to move despite the host vehicle not having stopped as a "both vehicles proceeding state."

[0036] The proximity possibility identification unit 122 may be configured to use any of the straight-through blocked state, the straight-through blocked predicted state, and the two-vehicle traveling state to identify that the possibility of oncoming approach is high. The proximity possibility identification unit 122 may identify that the possibility of oncoming approach is low when none of the above three states used to identify that the possibility of oncoming approach is high is satisfied. The processing by the proximity possibility identification unit 122 corresponds to an proximity possibility identification step.

[0037] The driving planner 121 performs avoidance control to avoid approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle when the approach possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that an oncoming approach possibility is high. The driving planner 121 corresponds to an avoidance determination unit. Furthermore, the processing by the driving planner 121 corresponds to an avoidance determination process. On the other hand, when the approach possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that an oncoming approach possibility is low, the driving planner 121 does not perform the avoidance control. This makes it possible to avoid approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is specified as having a high possibility of approaching when attempting to proceed straight through an intersection under automated driving. Therefore, even when attempting to proceed straight through an intersection under automated driving, it is possible to reduce the anxiety of the occupants. Furthermore, even when an oncoming approach possibility is high, avoiding approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle makes it possible to continue automated driving without terminating it. As a result, it is possible to reduce the loss of convenience for the occupants even when the vehicle passes through an intersection under automated driving.

[0038] Examples of avoidance control include lane change control (hereinafter referred to as LC control), offset control, deceleration, temporary stop, etc. LC control is a control that causes the vehicle to change lanes to an adjacent lane. In LC control, lane changes can be made by performing acceleration / deceleration control and steering control. Offset control is a control that causes the body of the vehicle to move closer to the lane boundary line within the vehicle's own lane. Details of offset control will be described later. Deceleration as avoidance control is a control that reduces the vehicle speed of the vehicle compared to when the proximity possibility identification unit 122 does not identify that there is a high possibility of oncoming proximity. Temporary stop is a control that temporarily stops the vehicle while continuing autonomous driving.

[0039] The offset determination unit 123 determines whether offset control is possible. The offset control here is a driving control in which the host vehicle moves closer to the lane boundary line on the opposite side of the lane from the side where the non-priority oncoming vehicle is located in the width direction of the host vehicle's lane. The direction opposite the side where the non-priority oncoming vehicle is located from the host vehicle's perspective is hereinafter referred to as the oncoming vehicle avoidance direction. Herein, the oncoming vehicle avoidance direction is the left side in countries where driving on the left is legal, and the right side in countries where driving on the right is legal. The amount by which the vehicle moves closer to the lane boundary line in the offset control may be set arbitrarily. For example, the vehicle may move closer to the lane boundary line until the distance between the vehicle and the lane boundary line becomes zero, or a margin may be provided.

[0040] The offset determination unit 123 may determine whether offset control is possible based on the possibility of approaching an obstacle as a result of offset control. Examples of target obstacles include moving objects such as other vehicles, such as automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians. The target obstacle may also be a stationary object. For example, the offset determination unit 123 may determine that offset control is not possible when an obstacle exists in the oncoming avoidance direction that is within a predetermined distance from the lane boundary of the own lane. The predetermined distance may be any value that can be set. The offset determination unit 123 may determine that offset control is not possible when a moving object exists to the rear of the oncoming avoidance direction that is within a predetermined distance from the lane boundary of the own lane. The offset determination unit 123 may determine that offset control is not possible when a large vehicle, such as a truck or bus, exists in an adjacent lane in the offset direction of the own vehicle. The offset determination unit 123 may determine that offset control is possible when it does not determine that offset control is not possible.

[0041] When the driving planner 121 determines that a high probability of an oncoming vehicle approaching is present because the vehicle is in a straight-line blocked state or a predicted straight-line blocked state, it is preferable to perform the following. When the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is possible, the driving planner 121 may perform offset control as avoidance control. On the other hand, when the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is not possible, the driving planner 121 may perform temporary stop of the vehicle as avoidance control. According to this, when the offset control allows the vehicle to continue straight-line driving through the intersection under automated driving, the offset control enables the vehicle to continue straight-line driving through the intersection under automated driving. Therefore, even when there is a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is likely to approach, the offset control can be used to avoid approaching the non-priority oncoming vehicle, enabling the vehicle to smoothly proceed straight through the intersection under automated driving. On the other hand, when the offset control prevents the vehicle from continuing straight-line driving through the intersection under automated driving, the vehicle can be temporarily stopped to avoid approaching the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

[0042] When the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is not possible and causes the driving planner 121 to temporarily stop the vehicle as avoidance control, it is preferable to do the following. The driving planner 121 may wait until the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is possible. This makes it possible to wait until a state in which straight-line driving can be continued through offset control, perform offset control, and drive straight through an intersection in autonomous driving. Therefore, it becomes possible to continue straight-line driving by waiting until a state in which straight-line driving can be continued through offset control, without having to wait until there are no non-priority oncoming vehicles left.

[0043] If the proximity possibility identification unit 122 continues to identify a high possibility of oncoming proximity even after performing offset control, the driving planner 121 may perform the following: The driving planner 121 may perform avoidance control other than offset control. For example, the avoidance control may be to temporarily stop the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle may wait until the proximity possibility identification unit 122 identifies a high possibility of oncoming proximity and then continue straight. Alternatively, the avoidance control may be to decelerate the vehicle. In this case, if the possibility of oncoming proximity continues to be identified as high even after the distance to the non-priority oncoming vehicle reaches a threshold, the vehicle may be temporarily stopped. The threshold may be set arbitrarily. Alternatively, LC control may be performed as avoidance control. LC control may be implemented when there is an adjacent lane through which the target intersection can be traveled straight and it is possible to change lanes to that adjacent lane. If LC control is not implementable, the vehicle may be temporarily stopped.

[0044] The control execution unit 103 executes driving control in cooperation with the vehicle control ECU 16 when the control authority for driving operation is on the system side of the host vehicle. The control execution unit 103 executes driving control such as acceleration / deceleration control and steering control of the host vehicle in accordance with the driving plan determined by the action determination unit 102. In other words, the control execution unit 103 performs automatic driving. The control execution unit 103 also executes adaptive cruise control (ACC) control, lane tracing assist (LTA) control, etc. ACC control is constant speed driving control of the host vehicle at a set vehicle speed and / or lane tracing assist control of the host vehicle. In lane tracing assist control, acceleration / deceleration control is performed to maintain a target inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the nearest preceding vehicle. The target inter-vehicle distance may be set according to the speed of the host vehicle, for example. LTA control is control to maintain the host vehicle within its lane. In LTA control, steering control is performed to maintain the host vehicle within its lane.

[0045] <Processing Related to Going Straight at an Intersection by Autonomous Driving ECU 10> Here, an example of the flow of processing related to going straight at an intersection during autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 10 (hereinafter referred to as processing related to going straight at an intersection) will be described using the flowchart in Figure 3. The flowchart in Figure 3 may be configured to be started when the vehicle is about to go straight at an intersection during autonomous driving. As one example, the processing may be started when the distance to the entrance on the approach road side of the intersection where the vehicle is scheduled to go straight during autonomous driving is equal to or less than a threshold. The entrance to the intersection may be the position of a stop line, for example.

[0046] First, in step S1, the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies whether the probability of oncoming approach is high or low. In step S2, if the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that the probability of oncoming approach is high (YES in S2), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that the probability of oncoming approach is low (NO in S2), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0047] In step S3, the driving planner 121 causes the control execution unit 103 to perform avoidance control. In step S4, if it is time to end the intersection straight-through related processing (YES in S4), the intersection straight-through related processing is ended. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the intersection straight-through related processing (NO in S4), the process returns to S1 and the process is repeated. Examples of timings to end the intersection straight-through related processing include exiting an intersection and switching to manual driving.

[0048] <Avoidance-related processing in autonomous driving ECU 10> Next, an example of the flow of processing related to avoidance control in the autonomous driving ECU 10 (hereinafter, avoidance-related processing) will be described using the flowchart in Figure 4. The flowchart in Figure 4 may be configured to be started when avoidance control is started. Note that the flowchart in Figure 4 explains an example of a case where, even if it has been determined that there is a high possibility of an oncoming vehicle approaching the target intersection, it is possible to exit the target intersection by going straight if offset control is performed.

[0049] First, in step S21, the offset determination unit 123 determines whether or not offset control is possible. In step S22, if the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is possible (YES in S22), the process proceeds to step S23. On the other hand, if the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is not possible (NO in S22), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0050] In step S23, the driving planner 121 executes offset control as avoidance control, and then ends the avoidance-related processing. In step S24, the driving planner 121 executes temporary stop as avoidance control.

[0051] In step S25, the offset determination unit 123 determines whether offset control is possible. In step S26, if the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is possible (YES in S26), the process proceeds to step S27. On the other hand, if the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is not possible (NO in S26), the process returns to S25 and repeats the flow. In step S27, the driving plan unit 121 performs offset control as avoidance control, and ends the avoidance-related processing.

[0052] (Embodiment 2) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 2 described below may be adopted instead of the configuration of the above-described embodiment. An example of the configuration of embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of embodiment 2 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of embodiment 1, except that it includes an autonomous driving ECU 10a instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0053] <Schematic Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10a> Next, the schematic configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10a will be described using Figure 5. The autonomous driving ECU 10a is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10a includes a driving environment recognition unit 101, an action determination unit 102a, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10a is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for the action determination unit 102a instead of the action determination unit 102. This autonomous driving ECU 10a also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing by a computer of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10a corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method.

[0054] The behavior determination unit 102a includes, as sub-functional blocks, a driving plan unit 121a, a proximity possibility identification unit 122, an offset determination unit 123, and an LC determination unit 124. The behavior determination unit 102a includes the driving plan unit 121a instead of the driving plan unit 121. The behavior determination unit 102a includes the LC determination unit 124. Except for these points, the behavior determination unit 102a is similar to the behavior determination unit 102 of the first embodiment.

[0055] The LC determination unit 124 determines whether LC control is possible. The LC control here refers to a driving control in which the host vehicle changes lanes to an adjacent lane adjacent to the host vehicle's lane that is located in the oncoming avoidance direction. As described above, the oncoming avoidance direction is the direction opposite to the side where the non-priority oncoming vehicle is located. The LC determination unit 124 may determine that LC control is possible when, for example, the following two conditions are satisfied. The first condition is that an adjacent lane on the oncoming avoidance direction side is an adjacent lane that allows the host vehicle to travel straight through the target intersection. The second condition is that no other vehicle is present within a predetermined range from the side to the rear of the oncoming avoidance direction side. The predetermined range may be set arbitrarily. The LC determination unit 124 may determine that LC control is not possible when either of these two conditions is not satisfied. The LC determination unit 124 corresponds to a lane change determination unit.

[0056] The driving planner 121a is similar to the driving planner 121 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The driving planner 121a also corresponds to an avoidance determination unit. Furthermore, the processing by the driving planner 121a also corresponds to an avoidance determination process. When the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is not possible, the driving planner 121a causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as avoidance control, and performs the following procedure. The driving planner 121a waits until the LC determination unit 124 determines that LC control is possible. In other words, the vehicle continues to temporarily stop until LC control is possible, and then performs LC control once LC control is possible. This allows the vehicle to continue driving straight through the intersection in an automated driving mode by waiting until a lane change allows it to continue driving straight through the target intersection, and then performs LC control. Therefore, it is possible to continue driving straight through the intersection in an automated driving mode, without having to wait until there are no non-priority oncoming vehicles, by waiting until LC control allows it to continue driving straight.

[0057] Even when offset control is performed, if the proximity possibility specification unit 122 continues to specify that there is a high possibility of oncoming proximity, the driving planner 121a may do the following: If the LC determination unit 124 determines that LC control is possible, the driving planner 121a may perform LC control. This makes it possible to avoid the proximity of a non-priority oncoming vehicle and proceed straight through the target intersection by changing lanes, even if it is difficult to avoid the proximity of a non-priority oncoming vehicle and proceed straight through the target intersection using offset control alone.

[0058] <Avoidance-related processing in autonomous driving ECU 10a> Next, an example of the flow of avoidance-related processing in the autonomous driving ECU 10a will be described using the flowchart in Figure 6. The flowchart in Figure 6 may be configured to be started when avoidance control is started. Note that the flowchart in Figure 6 explains an example of a case where, even if it has been determined that there is a high possibility of an oncoming vehicle approaching the target intersection, it is possible to exit the target intersection by going straight if LC control is performed.

[0059] First, in step S41, the offset determination unit 123 determines whether or not offset control is possible. In step S42, if the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is possible (YES in S42), the process proceeds to step S47. On the other hand, if the offset determination unit 123 determines that offset control is not possible (NO in S42), the process proceeds to step S43.

[0060] In step S43, the driving planner 121a performs a temporary stop as avoidance control. In step S44, the LC determination unit 124 determines whether LC control is possible. In step S45, if the LC determination unit 124 determines that LC control is possible (YES in S45), the process proceeds to step S46. On the other hand, if the LC determination unit 124 determines that LC control is not possible (NO in S45), the process returns to S41 and repeats the flow. In step S46, the driving planner 121a performs LC control as avoidance control, and the avoidance-related processing ends.

[0061] In step S47, the driving planner 121a performs offset control as avoidance control. In step S48, the approach possibility identifier 122 identifies whether the possibility of oncoming approach is high or low. In stop S49, if the approach possibility identifier 122 identifies that the possibility of oncoming approach is high (YES in S49), the process proceeds to S44. Note that, when proceeding to S44 and repeating the flow, if offset control has already been performed in S47, it is sufficient to determine in S42 that offset control is not possible. In stop S49, if the approach possibility identifier 122 identifies that the possibility of oncoming approach is low (NO in S49), the avoidance-related processing ends. If the possibility of oncoming approach is identified to be low in S49, the vehicle will proceed straight through the intersection in automated driving.

[0062] (Embodiment 3) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 3 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and may be the configuration of the following embodiment 3. An example of the configuration of embodiment 3 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of embodiment 3 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of embodiment 1, except that it includes an autonomous driving ECU 10b instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0063] <Schematic Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10b> Next, the schematic configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10b will be described using FIG. 7 . The autonomous driving ECU 10b is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10b includes a driving environment recognition unit 101, an action determination unit 102b, a control execution unit 103, and a signal timing identification unit 104 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10b includes an action determination unit 102a instead of the action determination unit 102. The autonomous driving ECU 10b includes the signal timing identification unit 104. Except for these points, the autonomous driving ECU 10b is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1. This autonomous driving ECU 10b also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10b by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method. The control execution unit 103 of the third embodiment is capable of executing at least the constant speed cruise control of the ACC control.

[0064] The signal timing identification unit 104 identifies the signal switching timing (hereinafter referred to as signal timing) of a traffic light at an intersection. For example, the signal timing identification unit 104 may identify the signal timing from signal information indicating the lighting pattern of the traffic light. The signal timing identification unit 104 may acquire the signal information via the communication module 11. The signal information may be acquired by transmitting the signal information from a center via wide-area communication, or by transmitting the signal information via road-to-vehicle communication from a roadside device installed at the intersection. The signal information may be, for example, information such as the light color status of the traffic light, the order in which the light colors are displayed, the cycle length of one signal cycle, the proportion of time allocated to each light color in one cycle, and the expected number of seconds remaining. The light color status of a traffic light may include the arrow lighting of an arrow-type traffic light. When the arrow lighting is activated, traffic is prohibited in any direction other than that indicated by the arrow lighting.

[0065] The behavior determination unit 102b includes, as sub-functional blocks, a travel planner 121b and an approach possibility identification unit 122. The behavior determination unit 102b includes the travel planner 121b instead of the travel planner 121. The behavior determination unit 102b does not necessarily include the offset determination unit 123. Except for these points, the behavior determination unit 102b is similar to the behavior determination unit 102 of the first embodiment.

[0066] The travel planning unit 121b is similar to the travel planning unit 121 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The travel planning unit 121b also corresponds to an avoidance determination unit. Furthermore, the processing in the travel planning unit 121c also corresponds to an avoidance determination process. The travel planning unit 121b at least temporarily stops or decelerates the host vehicle as avoidance control. If, as a result of temporarily stopping or decelerating the host vehicle as avoidance control, the host vehicle is located in an intersection and a traffic light in the host vehicle's straight-ahead direction indicates impassability, the travel planning unit 121b performs the following. The travel planning unit 121b automatically drives the host vehicle to exit the target intersection at a speed lower than the set vehicle speed for constant-speed cruise control. The speed lower than the set vehicle speed for constant-speed cruise control may be, for example, a slow speed such as 10 km / h. A state in which the host vehicle is located in an intersection and a traffic light in the host vehicle's straight-ahead direction indicates impassability is referred to as a stop-required transition state. The driving planner 121b may determine that the vehicle is in a stop-required transition state by using the signal timing identified by the signal timing identification unit 104. The driving planner 121b may also determine that the vehicle is in a stop-required transition state from the result of the light color of a traffic light captured by a surrounding monitoring camera being recognized by the driving environment recognition unit 101. Examples of cases in which a traffic light indicates impassability include when the light color of a traffic light that is not an arrow-type traffic light is red, and when the arrow light of an arrow-type traffic light is in a direction other than the straight-ahead direction.

[0067] With the above configuration, even if the traffic light in the direction of travel of the vehicle at the target intersection indicates impassability as a result of the avoidance control, the vehicle can exit the target intersection more safely. As a result, the vehicle can avoid stopping in a position that would obstruct the traffic of other vehicles at the target intersection, making it less likely to obstruct traffic at the target intersection.

[0068] Furthermore, the travel planning unit 121b preferably performs the following when performing avoidance control, at least when causing the host vehicle to temporarily stop. When performing avoidance control and the host vehicle has just entered an intersection, the travel planning unit 121b may cause the host vehicle to wait until the traffic light indicates that the host vehicle is clear to pass. "Just after entering an intersection" refers to a state in which the host vehicle is temporarily stopped within a predetermined distance from the stop line. The predetermined distance may be a short distance that can be considered as immediately after entering an intersection, and may be set arbitrarily. This predetermined distance may be, for example, several meters. The predetermined distance may be set longer as the distance from the entrance to the intersection to the center of the intersection increases. When causing the host vehicle to temporarily stop and wait, the travel planning unit 121b causes the host vehicle to wait in a state in which the host vehicle does not overlap the space on the crosswalk by more than a certain amount. Here, "certain" refers to an overlap amount that is estimated to be small enough to prevent pedestrians from obstructing the crosswalk. The state in which the own vehicle does not overlap the space on the crosswalk by a certain amount or more may be the state in which the own vehicle does not overlap the space on the crosswalk.

[0069] With the above configuration, if stopping at a target intersection is unlikely to disrupt the traffic of other vehicles in the intersection, stopping can be done to disrupt traffic less than exiting the target intersection. Also, even if a vehicle stops at a target intersection, it can be done to less likely to disrupt the traffic of pedestrians on the crosswalk.

[0070] <Avoidance-related processing in autonomous driving ECU 10b> Next, an example of the flow of avoidance-related processing in the autonomous driving ECU 10b will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 8. The flowchart in Fig. 8 may be configured to be started when the driving planner 121b determines a short-term plan to perform a temporary stop as avoidance control.

[0071] First, in step S61, if the host vehicle is located within an intersection (YES in S61), the process proceeds to step S67. On the other hand, if the host vehicle is not located within an intersection (NO in S61), the process proceeds to step S62. Whether the host vehicle is located within an intersection can be determined by the travel planning unit 121b from the recognition result of the travel environment recognition unit 101. The boundary between the inside and outside of the intersection can be, for example, a stop line.

[0072] In step S62, if the travel planning unit 121b determines that the vehicle is in a transition state requiring a stop (YES in S62), the process proceeds to step S63. On the other hand, if the travel planning unit 121b determines that the vehicle is not in a transition state requiring a stop (NO in S62), the process proceeds to step S64. In step S63, the travel planning unit 121b performs a temporary stop as avoidance control, and the process returns to S61 and repeats the process.

[0073] In step S64, the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies whether the possibility of oncoming approach is high or low. In step S65, if the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that the possibility of oncoming approach is high (YES in S65), the process returns to S61 and is repeated. On the other hand, if the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that the possibility of oncoming approach is low (NO in S65), the process proceeds to step S66. In step S66, the travel planning unit 121b causes the host vehicle to travel straight and exit the intersection, and ends the avoidance-related processing. In S66, the host vehicle may travel straight at a set vehicle speed for constant speed travel control, for example.

[0074] In step S67, if the driving planner 121b determines that the vehicle is in a transition state requiring a stop (YES in S67), the process proceeds to step S68. On the other hand, if the driving planner 121b determines that the vehicle is not in a transition state requiring a stop (NO in S67), the process proceeds to S64.

[0075] In step S68, if the driving planner 121b determines that the vehicle has just entered the intersection (YES in S68), the process proceeds to S63, where the vehicle is made to stop temporarily. At this time, if the vehicle overlaps the space on the crosswalk by a certain amount or more, the vehicle can be moved at a low speed until the overlap becomes less than the certain amount, and then the vehicle can be made to stop temporarily. Here, the low speed may be, for example, the creep speed described above. On the other hand, if the driving planner 121b determines that the vehicle has not just entered the intersection (NO in S68), the process proceeds to step S69.

[0076] In step S69, the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies whether the oncoming approach possibility is high or low. In step S70, if the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that the oncoming approach possibility is high (YES in S70), the process returns to S69 and is repeated. On the other hand, if the proximity possibility specifying unit 122 specifies that the oncoming approach possibility is low (NO in S70), the process proceeds to step S71. In step S71, the travel planning unit 121b drives the host vehicle straight ahead at a speed lower than the set vehicle speed of the constant speed travel control, causes the host vehicle to exit the intersection, and ends the avoidance-related process.

[0077] When the driving planner 121b determines a short-term plan to perform deceleration as avoidance control, the avoidance-related processing may be modified as follows, for example. In this modified example, the processing of S68 in the flowchart of Fig. 8 may be omitted. Also, when it is determined in S65 and S70 that there is a high possibility of an oncoming approach and the distance to the non-priority oncoming vehicle has reached a threshold, the driving planner 121b may be configured to temporarily stop the vehicle.

[0078] (Fourth embodiment) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the fourth embodiment is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following fourth embodiment. An example of the configuration of the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of the fourth embodiment is similar to the vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, except that it includes an autonomous driving ECU 10c instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0079] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10c> Next, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10c will be described using FIG. 9 . The autonomous driving ECU 10c is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10c includes a driving environment recognition unit 101c, an action determination unit 102c, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10c includes the driving environment recognition unit 101c instead of the driving environment recognition unit 101. The autonomous driving ECU 10c includes the action determination unit 102c instead of the action determination unit 102. Except for these points, the autonomous driving ECU 10c is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1. This autonomous driving ECU 10c also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10c by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method.

[0080] The driving environment recognition unit 101c is similar to the driving environment recognition unit 101 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The driving environment recognition unit 101c corresponds to a driving environment identification unit. The driving environment recognition unit 101c recognizes the type of intersection through which the vehicle is about to pass. The driving environment recognition unit 101c is capable of recognizing offset intersections and sasmata intersections as types of intersections. As illustrated in FIG. 10 , an offset intersection is an intersection where the slope of the exit direction relative to the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line is equal to or greater than a specified value. The specified value here may be any value that can be set. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an offset intersection. In FIG. 10 , the arrow indicated by AD points in the entry direction, and the arrow indicated by ED points in the exit direction. A sasmata intersection is an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, as illustrated in FIG. 11 . Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the Sasumata intersection. In Fig. 11, the arrows indicated by AL indicate the approaching lanes, and the arrows indicated by EL indicate the exiting lanes. In the example of Fig. 11, the number of lanes on the approaching side is one on each side, while the number of lanes on the exiting side increases to two on each side.

[0081] The behavior determination unit 102c includes, as sub-functional blocks, a travel planner 121c and a proximity possibility identification unit 122. The behavior determination unit 102c includes the travel planner 121c instead of the travel planner 121. The behavior determination unit 102c does not necessarily include the offset determination unit 123. Except for these points, the behavior determination unit 102c is similar to the behavior determination unit 102 of the first embodiment.

[0082] The driving planner 121c is similar to the driving planner 121 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. These differences will be described below. The driving planner 121c also corresponds to an avoidance determination unit. Furthermore, the processing by the driving planner 121c also corresponds to an avoidance determination process. When the vehicle is about to proceed straight through a deviated intersection under automated driving, the driving planner 121c reduces the vehicle speed of the vehicle compared to when the vehicle is about to proceed straight through an intersection that is not a deviated intersection under automated driving. An intersection that is not a deviated intersection is an intersection where the inclination of the exit direction relative to the entry direction when passing through the intersection straight is less than a specified value. The driving planner 121c may determine that the vehicle is about to proceed straight through a deviated intersection under automated driving based on the recognition result of the type of intersection by the driving environment recognition unit 101c.

[0083] When driving straight through a misaligned intersection, the vehicle's lateral movement within the intersection is greater than when driving straight through an intersection that is not a misaligned intersection. When the vehicle's lateral movement within the intersection is greater, occupants are more likely to feel uneasy about approaching other vehicles within the intersection. In response to this, by setting the vehicle speed lower than when driving straight through an intersection that is not a misaligned intersection, it is possible to reduce this sense of uneasiness.

[0084] Furthermore, when the host vehicle is autonomously driving straight through a skewed intersection, the travel planning unit 121c preferably performs the following. The travel planning unit 121c may control the lateral speed of the host vehicle so that the difference between the lateral speed of the surrounding vehicle, which is one of the conditions of the surrounding vehicles, and the lateral speed of the host vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold. The travel planning unit 121c may use the lateral speed of the surrounding vehicle that is recognized and identified by the travel environment recognition unit 101c. The travel planning unit 121c may use the lateral speed of the host vehicle that is recognized and identified by the travel environment recognition unit 101c. Note that the threshold value here may be set arbitrarily. For example, the threshold value may be a value that can be said to be approximately the same as the lateral speeds of the surrounding vehicles and the host vehicle. The surrounding vehicles may be vehicles within a predetermined range from the host vehicle. The predetermined range may be set arbitrarily. When there are multiple surrounding vehicles, for example, the average value of the lateral speeds of the multiple surrounding vehicles may be used.

[0085] According to the above configuration, even if the lateral movement of the host vehicle within an intersection becomes large, it is possible to reduce the relative lateral speed of the host vehicle relative to surrounding vehicles. Therefore, even if the lateral movement of the host vehicle becomes large, the occupants are less likely to feel that surrounding vehicles are approaching from the side of the host vehicle. As a result, even if the host vehicle passes surrounding vehicles when traveling straight through a misaligned intersection under automated driving, it is possible to make the occupants feel less uneasy.

[0086] Furthermore, when the host vehicle is to travel straight through the Sasumata intersection in autonomous driving, the travel planning unit 121c preferably performs the following. The travel planning unit 121c preferably switches the lane into which the host vehicle is to exit, depending on the positions of surrounding vehicles in the situation of the surrounding vehicles. The travel planning unit 121c may use the positions of the surrounding vehicles recognized and identified by the travel environment recognition unit 101c as the positions of the surrounding vehicles. The travel planning unit 121c may select, from among multiple lanes in the exiting direction, a lane into which the host vehicle is to exit that allows the host vehicle to avoid getting closer to surrounding vehicles.

[0087] When a vehicle attempts to proceed straight through the Sasmata intersection under automated driving, it is possible to select a lane to exit. However, the preferred lane to exit may change depending on the positions of surrounding vehicles. In contrast, with the above configuration, even when a vehicle attempts to proceed straight through the Sasmata intersection under automated driving, it is possible to cause the vehicle to exit into a preferred lane depending on the positions of surrounding vehicles. For example, it is possible to cause the vehicle to exit into a lane that allows the vehicle to avoid getting too close to surrounding vehicles, thereby reducing the sense of anxiety felt by the occupants.

[0088] <Intersection type-related processing by autonomous driving ECU 10c> Next, an example of the flow of processing related to the type of intersection at which the autonomous driving ECU 10c will proceed straight ahead (hereinafter referred to as intersection type-related processing) will be described using the flowchart in Figure 12. The flowchart in Figure 12 may be configured to be started when the vehicle enters an intersection at which the vehicle is to proceed straight ahead under autonomous driving. The entrance to the intersection may be the position of a stop line, for example.

[0089] First, in step S81, if the intersection is a shifted intersection (YES in S81), the process proceeds to step S82. On the other hand, if the intersection is not a shifted intersection (NO in S81), the process proceeds to step S86. The type of intersection where the vehicle is located can be determined by the travel planning unit 121c from the recognition result of the travel environment recognition unit 101c.

[0090] In step S82, the driving planner 121c suppresses the vehicle speed by reducing the vehicle speed compared to when the vehicle attempts to travel straight through an intersection that is not a staggered intersection in an automated driving manner. In step S83, if there are vehicles around the vehicle (YES in S83), the process proceeds to step S84. On the other hand, if there are no vehicles around the vehicle (NO in S83), the process proceeds to step S85. The driving planner 121c may determine whether there are any vehicles around the vehicle from the recognition results of the driving environment recognition unit 101c. For example, the driving planner 121c may determine that there are no vehicles around the vehicle when there are no other vehicles within a predetermined range from the vehicle. For example, a vehicle following the vehicle may be excluded from the target of vehicles around the vehicle.

[0091] In step S84, the driving planner 121c performs lateral speed matching, which controls the lateral speed of the host vehicle so that the difference between the lateral speed of the surrounding vehicle and the lateral speed of the host vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold. In step S85, the driving planner 121c causes the host vehicle to travel straight ahead in autonomous driving, exit the intersection, and terminates the intersection type-related processing. Note that when traveling straight through an intersection in autonomous driving, the avoidance control described in the above embodiment may be performed depending on the level of the likelihood of an oncoming vehicle approaching.

[0092] In step S86, if the intersection is a Sasumata intersection (YES in S86), the process proceeds to step S87. On the other hand, if the intersection is not a Sasumata intersection (NO in S86), the process proceeds to S85. In step S87, if there is a vehicle around the host vehicle (YES in S87), the process proceeds to step S88. On the other hand, if there is no vehicle around the host vehicle (NO in S87), the process proceeds to step S89. Whether or not there is a vehicle around the host vehicle can be determined by the travel planner 121c in the same manner as described above.

[0093] In step S88, the driving planner 121c selects a lane from among the multiple lanes on the exit road, depending on the positions of surrounding vehicles, and proceeds to S85. In this case, in S85, automated driving is performed to cause the host vehicle to exit the intersection by traveling straight toward the lane selected in S88. In step S89, the driving planner 121c selects a lane that is in a straight line from the direction of entry into the intersection (hereinafter, a straight-line lane) from among the multiple lanes on the exit road, and proceeds to S85. In this case, in S85, automated driving is performed to cause the host vehicle to exit the intersection by traveling straight toward the lane selected in S89.

[0094] (Embodiment 5) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 5 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following embodiment 5. An example of the configuration of embodiment 5 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of embodiment 5 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of embodiment 1, except that it includes an autonomous driving ECU 10d instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0095] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10d> Next, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10d will be described using FIG. 13 . The autonomous driving ECU 10d is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10d includes, as functional blocks, a driving environment recognition unit 101c, an action determination unit 102d, a control execution unit 103, and a signal timing identification unit 104. The autonomous driving ECU 10d includes the driving environment recognition unit 101c instead of the driving environment recognition unit 101. The driving environment recognition unit 101c is similar to that described in embodiment 4. The autonomous driving ECU 10d includes the action determination unit 102d instead of the action determination unit 102. The autonomous driving ECU 10d includes the signal timing identification unit 104. The signal timing identification unit 104 is similar to that described in embodiment 3. Except for these points, the autonomous driving ECU 10d is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1. This autonomous driving ECU 10d also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10d by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method.

[0096] The behavior determination unit 102c includes, as sub-functional blocks, a travel planner 121d and a proximity possibility identification unit 122. The behavior determination unit 102d includes the travel planner 121d instead of the travel planner 121. The behavior determination unit 102d does not necessarily include the offset determination unit 123. Except for these points, the behavior determination unit 102d is similar to the behavior determination unit 102 of the first embodiment.

[0097] The driving planner 121d is similar to the driving planner 121 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The driving planner 121d also corresponds to an avoidance determination unit. Furthermore, the processing by the driving planner 121d also corresponds to an avoidance determination process. When the host vehicle is to travel straight through the Sasumata intersection in an autonomous driving manner and it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane among the lanes on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection to a route-side lane, which is a lane preferable for traveling along the planned route, the driving planner 121d performs the following operations. The driving planner 121d switches between exiting the host vehicle to a straight-line lane and then changing lanes to a route-side lane, or exiting the route-side lane, depending on the driving environment recognized and identified by the driving environment recognition unit 101c. Note that a straight-line lane is a lane that is in a straight line from the direction of entry into the Sasumata intersection, as described in the fourth embodiment. A lane that is preferable for traveling along a planned route is a lane that is preferable for traveling in advance in preparation for turning right or left on the planned route.

[0098] According to the above configuration, depending on the driving environment when going straight through the Sasumata intersection, it is possible to exit into a preferred lane depending on the driving environment, in cases where it is better to exit into a lane on the exit straight line and then change lanes to a lane on the route side, or to exit into a lane on the route side.

[0099] The driving planner 121d preferably switches the lane used as the exit road at the Sasumata intersection according to the driving environment as follows. The lane used as the exit road is hereinafter referred to as the exit lane. The driving planner 121d preferably switches between exiting to a straight lane and then changing lanes to a route-side lane, or exiting to a route-side lane, according to the road congestion status. The driving planner 121d may determine whether the road is congested based on, for example, whether the number of surrounding vehicles is equal to or greater than a threshold. This makes it possible to exit to a preferred lane according to the road congestion status.

[0100] When the road is congested, a large lateral movement within the intersection can easily make the occupants feel uneasy. Therefore, as illustrated in the table of FIG. 14 , when the road is congested, the driving planner 121d can cause the vehicle to exit into a straight lane and then change lanes to a route-side lane. This makes it less likely for the occupants to feel uneasy, even when the road is congested. On the other hand, when the road is not congested, the driving planner 121d can cause the vehicle to exit into a route-side lane. This makes it possible to enter the route-side lane early in a situation that is less likely to make the occupants feel uneasy, thereby making it possible to travel along the planned route more smoothly. The table of FIG. 14 is intended to explain an example of switching the exit lane at the Sasumata intersection depending on the road congestion situation.

[0101] The driving planner 121d preferably switches between exiting into a straight lane and then changing lanes to a route-side lane, or exiting into a route-side lane, depending on the distance from the entrance road to the exit road within the Sasumata intersection. The driving planner 121d may determine the distance from the entrance road to the exit road within the Sasumata intersection from high-precision map data acquired from the map DB 13. The distance from the entrance road to the exit road within the Sasumata intersection may be, for example, the distance from the stop line on the entrance road to the stop line on the exit road. Hereinafter, the distance from the entrance road to the exit road within the Sasumata intersection will be referred to as the intra-intersection distance. This makes it possible to exit into a preferred lane depending on whether the intra-intersection distance is long or short. The intra-intersection distance may be determined based on whether the intra-intersection distance is equal to or greater than a specified distance. The specified distance may be set arbitrarily.

[0102] The shorter the intra-intersection distance, the greater the rate of change in lateral movement must be when the host vehicle exits into the route-side lane. A larger rate of change in lateral movement within an intersection can easily make the occupants feel uneasy. Therefore, as illustrated in the table of FIG. 15 , when the intra-intersection distance is short, the driving planner 121d can cause the host vehicle to exit into a straight lane and then change lanes to the route-side lane. On the other hand, when the intra-intersection distance is long, the driving planner 121d can cause the host vehicle to exit into the route-side lane. This makes it possible to limit the number of sasumata intersections where the rate of change in lateral movement within the intersection does not increase even when the host vehicle exits into the route-side lane. Therefore, the rate of change in lateral movement within the intersection is prevented from increasing, making the occupants less likely to feel uneasy. Furthermore, at sasumata intersections where the rate of change in lateral movement within the intersection does not increase even when the host vehicle exits into the route-side lane, driving along the planned route can be made smoother. The table in FIG. 15 is intended to illustrate an example of switching of exit lanes at Sasumata intersection depending on the distance within the intersection.

[0103] The travel planning unit 121d preferably switches between exiting to a straight lane and then changing lanes to a route-side lane, or exiting to a route-side lane, depending on the signal timing of the traffic light in the straight-ahead direction of the host vehicle at the Sasumata intersection. The signal timing of the traffic light may be that determined by the signal timing determination unit 104. This makes it possible to cause the host vehicle to exit to a preferred lane depending on the length of the remaining time until the light state changes to indicate impassability. The remaining time until the light state changes to indicate impassability will be referred to hereinafter as the remaining switching time. The length of the remaining switching time may be determined by whether the remaining switching time is equal to or greater than a specified time. The specified time may be set arbitrarily.

[0104] The shorter the remaining switching time, the less time the vehicle can spend moving within the intersection. Therefore, the shorter the remaining switching time, the less time the vehicle has to exit into the route-side lane. Therefore, as illustrated in the table of FIG. 16 , when the remaining switching time is short, the driving planner 121d can cause the vehicle to exit into the straight lane and then change lanes to the route-side lane. On the other hand, when the remaining switching time is long, the driving planner 121d can cause the vehicle to exit into the route-side lane. This makes it possible to cause the vehicle to exit into the route-side lane only when there is sufficient time to do so. Furthermore, when there is sufficient time to exit into the route-side lane, the vehicle can exit into the route-side lane, thereby enabling smoother travel along the planned route. The table of FIG. 16 is intended to illustrate an example of switching the exit lane at the Sasumata intersection depending on the remaining switching time.

[0105] Sixth Embodiment The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the sixth embodiment is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following sixth embodiment. An example of the configuration of the sixth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of the sixth embodiment is similar to the vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, except that it includes an autonomous driving ECU 10e instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0106] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10e> Next, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10e will be described using FIG. 17 . The autonomous driving ECU 10e is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10e includes a driving environment recognition unit 101c, a behavior determination unit 102e, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10e includes a driving environment recognition unit 101c instead of the driving environment recognition unit 101. The driving environment recognition unit 101c is similar to that described in embodiment 4. The autonomous driving ECU 10e includes a behavior determination unit 102e instead of the behavior determination unit 102. Except for these points, the autonomous driving ECU 10e is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1. This autonomous driving ECU 10e also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Execution of processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10e by a computer corresponds to execution of a vehicle control method.

[0107] The behavior determination unit 102e includes, as sub-functional blocks, a travel planner 121e and an approach possibility identification unit 122. The behavior determination unit 102e includes the travel planner 121e instead of the travel planner 121. The behavior determination unit 102e does not necessarily include the offset determination unit 123. Except for these points, the behavior determination unit 102e is similar to the behavior determination unit 102 of the first embodiment.

[0108] The travel planning unit 121e is similar to the travel planning unit 121 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. These differences are described below. The travel planning unit 121e also corresponds to an avoidance determination unit. Furthermore, the processing by the travel planning unit 121e also corresponds to an avoidance determination process. When the host vehicle is to proceed straight through the Sasumata intersection in autonomous driving mode, and the autonomous driving when proceeding straight through the Sasumata intersection is in hands-on mode, the travel planning unit 121e may perform the following. The travel planning unit 121e may enable the exit lane to be selected by steering the steering wheel of the host vehicle. The hands-on mode is a mode that requires the driver to hold the steering wheel of the host vehicle. The travel planning unit 121e may determine the degree of steering of the steering wheel from the detection results of the steering torque sensor of the vehicle state sensor 14. This makes it easier for the host vehicle to exit into the exit lane desired by the driver. As a result, it is possible to improve driver comfort.

[0109] For example, the driving planner 121e may associate a steering amount of the steering wheel within a range that does not require override with a plurality of exit lanes depending on the number of exit lanes. Then, the driving planner 121e may select an exit lane depending on the steering amount of the steering wheel. An override is an operation by which the driver of the vehicle voluntarily acquires control of the vehicle. In order to prevent an unintended override by the driver, the vehicle system 1 is configured not to override when the steering amount of the steering wheel is less than a threshold value.

[0110] As another example, the driving planner 121e may lower the threshold value of the steering amount of the steering wheel that is used to determine an override when entering a Sasumata intersection in automated driving in hands-on mode. In other words, when entering a Sasumata intersection in automated driving in hands-on mode, the driving planner 121e may leave steering to the driver. This may allow the exit lane to be selected by steering the steering wheel of the vehicle. In this case, the exit lane of the vehicle is selected by the driver's driving operation.

[0111] Seventh Embodiment The configuration of the vehicle system 1 according to the seventh embodiment is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following seventh embodiment. An example of the configuration of the seventh embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1f according to the seventh embodiment is similar to the vehicle system 1 according to the first embodiment, except that the vehicle system 1f includes an autonomous driving ECU 10f instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0112] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10f> Here, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10f will be described using FIG. 18 . The autonomous driving ECU 10f is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10f includes a driving environment recognition unit 101f, an action determination unit 102f, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10f is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10 of embodiment 1 except for the fact that the autonomous driving ECU 10f includes a driving environment recognition unit 101f and an action determination unit 102f instead of the driving environment recognition unit 101 and the action determination unit 102. This autonomous driving ECU 10f also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10f by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method.

[0113] The driving environment recognition unit 101f is similar to the driving environment recognition unit 101 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The driving environment recognition unit 101f also corresponds to a driving environment identification unit. The processing by the driving environment recognition unit 101f corresponds to a driving environment identification process. The following describes these differences. The driving environment recognition unit 101f also recognizes and identifies the speed and speed change of the surrounding vehicles as the status of the surrounding vehicles. The driving environment recognition unit 101f may recognize the speed and speed change of the surrounding vehicles as follows. The driving environment recognition unit 101f may recognize the speed of the surrounding vehicles from the relative speed of the surrounding vehicles with respect to the host vehicle, which is identified using, for example, the Doppler shift of the probe wave of a probe wave sensor, and the speed of the host vehicle. The driving environment recognition unit 101f may recognize the speed of the surrounding vehicles from the time change rate of the position of the surrounding vehicles in images captured by a perimeter monitoring camera. Furthermore, the change in speed of the surrounding vehicles may be recognized from the speed of the surrounding vehicles that are sequentially recognized. The change in speed of the surrounding vehicles refers to acceleration or deceleration. The driving environment recognition unit 101f preferably also recognizes the illumination status of the turn signal lamps of the surrounding vehicles of the host vehicle. As an example, the driving environment recognition unit 101f may recognize and identify the illumination status of the turn signal lamps of the surrounding vehicles by recognizing images of the surrounding vehicles detected by the perimeter monitoring sensor 15. The driving environment recognition unit 101f preferably also recognizes and identifies the number of lanes on each side of the roads around the host vehicle. As an example, the driving environment recognition unit 101f may recognize and identify the number of lanes on each side of the roads around the host vehicle from high-precision map data acquired from the map DB 13 and the host vehicle position acquired from the locator 12. The driving environment recognition unit 101f may also recognize and identify the number of lanes on each side of the roads around the host vehicle based on lane markings detected by the perimeter monitoring sensor 15.

[0114] The behavior determination unit 102f includes, as sub-functional blocks, a travel plan unit 121, a conflict situation identification unit 125, and a right / left turn determination unit 126. The behavior determination unit 102f is similar to the behavior determination unit 102 of the first embodiment, except that the behavior determination unit 102f includes the conflict situation identification unit 125 and the right / left turn determination unit 126 instead of the proximity possibility identification unit 122 and the offset determination unit 123.

[0115] The conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation when the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving. The processing by the conflict situation identification unit 125 corresponds to a conflict situation identification step. Here, a right or left turn corresponds to a left turn in countries where driving on the left is legal, and corresponds to a right turn in countries where driving on the right is legal. The conflict situation is identified as a conflict situation in which, when the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving, a non-priority oncoming vehicle, which has no priority at the intersection relative to the host vehicle's right or left turn, is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left. The non-priority oncoming vehicle here refers to a right-turning oncoming vehicle that is attempting to turn right in a country where driving on the left is legal, when the host vehicle is attempting to turn left. The non-priority oncoming vehicle here refers to a left-turning oncoming vehicle that is attempting to turn left in a country where driving on the right is legal, when the host vehicle is attempting to turn right. In the following, the explanation will be continued using an example in which the turn of the vehicle at an intersection is a left turn in a country where driving on the left side is legal. Note that if the turn of the vehicle at an intersection is a right turn in a country where driving on the right side is legal, the left and right in the following description can be reversed.

[0116] The conflict situation identification unit 125 may identify a conflict situation based on the illumination status of the turn signals of the host vehicle and the non-priority oncoming vehicle. For example, the conflict situation identification unit 125 may identify a conflict situation based on the condition that the host vehicle has its turn signal indicating a left turn illuminated, while the non-priority oncoming vehicle has its turn signal indicating a right turn illuminated. The conflict situation identification unit 125 may determine that the host vehicle has its turn signal indicating a left turn illuminated from a signal from the turn signal switch of the host vehicle. The conflict situation identification unit 125 may determine that the non-priority oncoming vehicle has its turn signal indicating a right turn illuminated from the recognition result described above by the driving environment recognition unit 101f. It is preferable that the conflict situation identification unit 125 also includes, in the conditions for identifying a conflict situation, that the non-priority oncoming vehicle is entering the intersection. This makes it possible to identify a conflict situation with greater accuracy. The conflict situation identification unit 125 may determine that a non-priority oncoming vehicle is entering the intersection from the position of the non-priority oncoming vehicle relative to the intersection recognized by the driving environment recognition unit 101f.

[0117] When the conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation, the right / left turn determination unit 126 causes the host vehicle to turn left when the driving environment recognition unit 101f identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold. Note that in countries where driving on the right is legally mandated, the host vehicle is caused to turn right. The threshold here may be a deceleration that is estimated to cause the non-priority oncoming vehicle to stop temporarily, and is an arbitrarily settable value. The right / left turn determination unit 126 may cause the host vehicle to turn right or left via the driving plan unit 121 and the control execution unit 103. The processing by the right / left turn determination unit 126 corresponds to a right / left turn determination process.

[0118] According to this, in a competitive situation between the vehicle and a non-priority oncoming vehicle at an intersection, the vehicle will be made to turn right or left if the non-priority oncoming vehicle decelerates at or above a threshold. Therefore, in a competitive situation, it is possible to make the vehicle turn right or left at an intersection by autonomous driving when the possibility of approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle is low. Therefore, even when attempting to turn right or left at an intersection by autonomous driving, it is less likely to cause anxiety to the occupants. As a result, it is possible to make the vehicle less likely to lose convenience for the occupants even when passing through an intersection by autonomous driving.

[0119] When the conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation, the right / left turn determination unit 126 preferably restricts the right / left turn of the host vehicle based on the fact that the driving environment recognition unit 101f did not identify a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle equal to or greater than the threshold. Examples of right / left turn restrictions will be described later. The right / left turn determination unit 126 may restrict the right / left turn of the host vehicle via the driving plan unit 121 and the control execution unit 103. Control restricting the right / left turn of the host vehicle will be referred to as right / left turn restriction control hereinafter. According to this, in a conflict situation between the host vehicle and a non-priority oncoming vehicle at an intersection, the right / left turn of the host vehicle is restricted if the non-priority oncoming vehicle is not decelerating equal to or greater than the threshold. Therefore, in a conflict situation, it is possible to restrict the host vehicle from making right / left turns at an intersection under automated driving when there is a high possibility of approaching a non-priority oncoming vehicle. Therefore, even when attempting to make a right / left turn at an intersection under automated driving, the occupant is less likely to feel uneasy. This also makes it possible to reduce the loss of convenience for the occupant.

[0120] Examples of right / left turn restriction control include temporarily stopping the host vehicle and suppressing the speed of the host vehicle, as shown in FIG. 19 . FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of right / left turn restriction control. The right / left turn determination unit 126 may temporarily stop the host vehicle to restrict the right / left turn of the host vehicle. This corresponds to the temporary stop in FIG. 19 . According to this, in a competition situation between the host vehicle and a non-priority oncoming vehicle at an intersection, the host vehicle is temporarily stopped if the non-priority oncoming vehicle is not decelerating at a speed equal to or greater than a threshold. This allows the non-priority oncoming vehicle to pass first, making it possible to turn right or left at an intersection while avoiding close contact with the non-priority oncoming vehicle. As a result, even when attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving, passengers are less likely to feel uneasy. The right / left turn determination unit 126 may cause the host vehicle to turn right or left when the driving environment recognition unit 101f determines that the non-priority oncoming vehicle has completed a right / left turn. The completion of a right / left turn by the non-priority oncoming vehicle may be determined, for example, by the non-priority oncoming vehicle entering an exit path for the non-priority oncoming vehicle at the intersection. Alternatively, the completion of a right or left turn by an oncoming vehicle with no priority may be determined by, for example, the turning-on of the blinker lamp of the oncoming vehicle with no priority.

[0121] The right / left turn determination unit 126 may restrict the right / left turn of the host vehicle by making the host vehicle turn right or left at a speed slower than the speed at which the host vehicle turns right or left when the conflict situation identification unit 125 has not identified a conflict situation. This corresponds to the speed suppression in FIG. 19 . According to this, in a conflict situation between the host vehicle and a non-priority oncoming vehicle at an intersection, the host vehicle turns right or left at a slower speed than when there is no conflict situation. This makes it possible to turn right or left at an intersection while avoiding close contact with the non-priority oncoming vehicle by allowing the non-priority oncoming vehicle to pass first or prompting the non-priority oncoming vehicle to stop. As a result, even when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving, it is less likely to cause anxiety to the occupants. Note that the speed at which the host vehicle turns right or left when the non-priority oncoming vehicle decelerates by more than a threshold may also be slower than the speed at which the host vehicle turns right or left when the conflict situation identification unit 125 has not identified a conflict situation. The speed at which the host vehicle turns right or left when the non-priority oncoming vehicle decelerates by a threshold or more may be the same as the speed at which the host vehicle turns right or left when no conflict situation is identified by the conflict situation identification unit 125. Here, the low speed means that the speed suppression as a restriction on the host vehicle's right or left turn may be lower than the speed at which the host vehicle turns right or left when the non-priority oncoming vehicle decelerates by a threshold or more.

[0122] When the traveling environment recognition unit 101f identifies a plurality of lanes on one side of the road where the host vehicle is to turn right or left, the right / left turn determination unit 126 preferably performs the following operation even when the conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation. The right / left turn determination unit 126 preferably causes the host vehicle to turn right or left regardless of whether the traveling environment recognition unit 101f identifies a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold. On the other hand, when the traveling environment recognition unit 101f identifies a single lane on one side of the road where the host vehicle is to turn right or left, the right / left turn determination unit 126 preferably performs the following operation when the conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation. The right / left turn determination unit 126 preferably restricts the host vehicle from turning right or left depending on whether the traveling environment recognition unit 101f identifies a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold. Specifically, the right / left turn determination unit 126 causes the host vehicle to turn right or left when the traveling environment recognition unit 101f identifies a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold. On the other hand, if the driving environment recognition unit 101f does not identify a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle equal to or greater than the threshold, the right / left turn determination unit 126 restricts right / left turns. The right / left turn restriction may be implemented by temporarily stopping or reducing the speed as described above.

[0123] When the number of lanes on each side of the road to which the host vehicle is turning right or left is multiple, even if the host vehicle and a non-priority oncoming vehicle are in a conflicting situation as described above, there is a high possibility that the two vehicles will enter different lanes. Therefore, even if the host vehicle continues to turn right or left in a conflicting situation, there is a low possibility that the host vehicle will come close to the non-priority oncoming vehicle. With the above configuration, when there is a low possibility that the host vehicle will come close to the non-priority oncoming vehicle, it is possible to perform the turn right or left without performing the unnecessary process of determining whether or not the non-priority oncoming vehicle has decelerated at a rate equal to or greater than a threshold. On the other hand, when the number of lanes on each side of the road to which the host vehicle is turning right or left is single, when the host vehicle and a non-priority oncoming vehicle are in a conflicting situation as described above, the two vehicles will enter the same lane. Therefore, if the host vehicle continues to turn right or left in a conflicting situation, there is a high possibility that the host vehicle will come close to the non-priority oncoming vehicle. With the above configuration, when there is a high possibility that the host vehicle will come close to the non-priority oncoming vehicle, the host vehicle restricts the turn depending on whether or not the non-priority oncoming vehicle has decelerated at a rate equal to or greater than a threshold, thereby more reliably avoiding the host vehicle from coming close to the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

[0124] <Right / Left Turn-Related Processing in Autonomous Driving ECU 10f> Next, an example of the flow of processing related to right / left turns of the host vehicle at an intersection in the autonomous driving ECU 10f (hereinafter referred to as right / left turn-related processing) will be described using the flowchart in Figure 20. The flowchart in Figure 20 may be configured to be started when the host vehicle is about to turn left at an intersection while autonomously driving. Note that in countries where driving on the right is legally mandated, the flowchart in Figure 20 may be configured to be started when the host vehicle is about to turn right at an intersection while autonomously driving.

[0125] First, in step S101, if the conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation with a non-priority oncoming vehicle (YES in S101), the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, if the conflict situation identification unit 125 does not identify a conflict situation with a non-priority oncoming vehicle (NO in S101), the process proceeds to step S103.

[0126] In step S102, if the number of target lanes, which is the number of lanes on one side of the left turn destination identified by the driving environment recognition unit 101f, is plural (YES in S102), the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if the number of target lanes identified by the driving environment recognition unit 101f is single (NO in S102), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0127] In step S103, the right / left turn determination unit 126 performs normal right / left turn control, and the process proceeds to step S107. The normal right / left turn control is control for turning right or left at an intersection without the above-mentioned restrictions on right or left turns. As an example, this control is control for turning right or left at an intersection at a default speed when there is no moving object within a range where control for avoiding proximity to the moving object is required.

[0128] In step S104, if the driving environment recognition unit 101f identifies a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold (YES in S104), the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if the driving environment recognition unit 101f does not identify a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold (NO in S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0129] In step S105, the right / left turn determination unit 126 performs normal right / left turn control, and the process proceeds to step S107. On the other hand, in step S106, the right / left turn determination unit 126 performs right / left turn restriction control, and the process proceeds to step S107. In the right / left turn restriction control, the above-mentioned right / left turn restriction is performed. In other words, the above-mentioned temporary stop or speed suppression is performed.

[0130] In step S107, if it is time to end the right / left turn-related processing (YES in S107), the right / left turn-related processing is ended. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the right / left turn-related processing (NO in S107), the process returns to S101 and is repeated. Examples of timings for ending the right / left turn-related processing include exiting an intersection and switching to manual driving.

[0131] 20 may omit the processes of S102 and S103. In this case, the process may proceed to S104 if the result of S101 is YES, and to S105 if the result of S101 is NO. In other words, when the conflict situation identification unit 125 identifies a conflict situation, the right / left turn determination unit 126 may restrict the right / left turn of the host vehicle if the traveling environment recognition unit 101f does not identify a deceleration of a non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0132] (Embodiment 8) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 8 may be adopted instead of the configuration of the above-described embodiment. An example of the configuration of embodiment 8 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of embodiment 8 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of embodiment 1, except that it includes an autonomous driving ECU 10g instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10.

[0133] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10g> Here, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10g will be described using FIG. 21 . The autonomous driving ECU 10g is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10f of embodiment 7 except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10g includes a driving environment recognition unit 101g, an action determination unit 102g, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10g is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10f of embodiment 7 except for the fact that the autonomous driving ECU 10g includes a driving environment recognition unit 101g and an action determination unit 102g instead of the driving environment recognition unit 101f and the action determination unit 102f. This autonomous driving ECU 10g also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Execution of the processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10g by a computer corresponds to execution of a vehicle control method.

[0134] The driving environment recognition unit 101g is similar to the driving environment recognition unit 101f of the seventh embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The driving environment recognition unit 101g also corresponds to a driving environment identification unit. The differences will be described below. The driving environment recognition unit 101g also recognizes and identifies the status of an area around the vehicle that is divided into areas where pedestrians pass (hereinafter referred to as a pedestrian area). The pedestrian area is, for example, a sidewalk. The pedestrian area may include not only sidewalks but also roadside strips, etc. The driving environment recognition unit 101g may recognize the pedestrian area from the detection results of road markings by the perimeter monitoring sensor 15. The status of the pedestrian area may be the presence or absence of pedestrians in the recognized pedestrian area, the number of pedestrians, etc.

[0135] The behavior determination unit 102g includes a travel plan unit 121, a conflict situation identification unit 125, and a right / left turn determination unit 126g as sub-functional blocks. The behavior determination unit 102g is similar to the behavior determination unit 102f of the seventh embodiment, except that the behavior determination unit 102g includes the right / left turn determination unit 126g instead of the right / left turn determination unit 126.

[0136] The right / left turn determination unit 126g is similar to the right / left turn determination unit 126 of the seventh embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. When the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under autonomous driving, the right / left turn determination unit 126g performs the following. In this case, the right / left turn corresponds to a left turn in countries where driving on the left is legal, and corresponds to a right turn in countries where driving on the right is legal. The following description will continue using an example in which the right / left turn of the host vehicle at an intersection is a left turn in a country where driving on the left is legal. The right / left turn determination unit 126g performs steering control to increase the turning radius of the host vehicle when turning left, as the number of pedestrians located in the pedestrian area on the side of the host vehicle that is making a left turn, identified by the driving environment recognition unit 101g, increases. In countries where driving on the right side of the road is legally required, a configuration may be adopted in which steering control is performed to increase the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right in accordance with the increase in the number of pedestrians in the pedestrian area on the side of the vehicle turning right. Increasing the turning radius when turning right or left can also be said to increase the curvature of the road when turning right or left.

[0137] As an example, the turning radius when turning right or left depending on the number of pedestrians may be as shown in the example of FIG. 22 . FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining an example of the turning radius when turning right or left depending on the number of pedestrians. In the example of FIG. 22 , the number of pedestrians is classified into "0," "few" (one or more but less than a specified number), and "many" (a specified number or more). The specified number here may be two or more and may be set arbitrarily. As shown in FIG. 22 , when the number of pedestrians is "0," the turning radius may be a default size. The default turning radius is the turning radius of the predicted trajectory from the host vehicle to the exit road of the intersection, which is set without taking into account pedestrians in the pedestrian area on the side where the host vehicle is turning left. When the number of pedestrians is "few," the turning radius may be larger than when the number of pedestrians is "0." When the number of pedestrians is "many," the turning radius may be larger than when the number of pedestrians is "few." Note that FIG. 22 is just an example, and the number of pedestrians classification may be further subdivided into three or more classifications.

[0138] The more people present in the pedestrian area on the side where the host vehicle is turning right or left, the more likely the occupants of the host vehicle are to feel uneasy about approaching that pedestrian area when turning right or left under automated driving. In contrast, according to the configuration of embodiment 8, the turning radius of the host vehicle when turning right is increased as the number of pedestrians present in the pedestrian area on the side where the host vehicle is turning right or left increases. Therefore, the more pedestrians present in the pedestrian area on the side where the host vehicle is turning right or left, the more difficult it becomes to approach that pedestrian area when turning right or left. As a result, the occupants of the host vehicle are less likely to feel uneasy.

[0139] (Ninth embodiment) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 according to the ninth embodiment is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following ninth embodiment. An example of the configuration of the ninth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 according to the ninth embodiment is similar to the vehicle system 1 according to the seventh embodiment, except that the vehicle system 1 includes an autonomous driving ECU 10h instead of the autonomous driving ECU 10f.

[0140] <General Configuration of Autonomous Driving ECU 10h> Here, the general configuration of the autonomous driving ECU 10h will be described using FIG. 23 . The autonomous driving ECU 10h is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10f of embodiment 7, except for some differences in processing. The autonomous driving ECU 10h includes a driving environment recognition unit 101g, an action determination unit 102h, and a control execution unit 103 as functional blocks. The autonomous driving ECU 10h is similar to the autonomous driving ECU 10f of embodiment 7, except for the fact that the autonomous driving ECU 10h includes a driving environment recognition unit 101g and an action determination unit 102h instead of the driving environment recognition unit 101f and the action determination unit 102f. This autonomous driving ECU 10h also corresponds to a vehicle control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing of each functional block of the autonomous driving ECU 10h by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method.

[0141] The driving environment recognition unit 101g is similar to the driving environment recognition unit 101f of embodiment 7. The behavior determination unit 102h includes a driving plan unit 121, a conflict situation identification unit 125, and a right / left turn determination unit 126h as sub-functional blocks. The behavior determination unit 102h is similar to the behavior determination unit 102f of embodiment 7 except that the behavior determination unit 102h includes the right / left turn determination unit 126h instead of the right / left turn determination unit 126.

[0142] The right / left turn determination unit 126h is similar to the right / left turn determination unit 126 of the seventh embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. When the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under autonomous driving, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs the following. When the driving environment recognition unit 101g determines that a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle on the side in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the host vehicle, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs steering control to increase the turning radius of the host vehicle when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present. This parallel vehicle is a nearby vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle in the lane to the left of the host vehicle if the host vehicle is making a left turn in a country where driving on the left is legal. This parallel vehicle is a nearby vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle in the lane to the right of the host vehicle if the host vehicle is making a right turn in a country where driving on the right is legal. "Parallel driving" refers to driving in an adjacent lane that is traveling in the same direction as the vehicle's own lane, while remaining to the side of the vehicle. The turning radius of the vehicle at an intersection when there are no parallel vehicles is set as the default turning radius. The default turning radius here is the turning radius of the predicted trajectory from the vehicle to the exit road of the intersection, which is set without taking into account parallel vehicles turning right or left in the same direction as the vehicle.

[0143] Furthermore, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs the following when the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection while autonomously driving. When the driving environment recognition unit 101g determines that a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the host vehicle, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs steering control to reduce the turning radius of the host vehicle when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present. This parallel vehicle is a nearby vehicle traveling parallel to the right of the host vehicle in the lane to the right of the host vehicle if the host vehicle is making a left turn in a country where driving on the left is legal. This parallel vehicle is a nearby vehicle traveling parallel to the left of the host vehicle in the lane to the left of the host vehicle if the host vehicle is making a right turn in a country where driving on the right is legal.

[0144] When the host vehicle turns right or left under automatic driving, the occupants of the host vehicle tend to feel uneasy about approaching a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle that is also turning right or left in the same direction. In contrast, according to the configuration of the ninth embodiment, the turning radius is changed in a direction away from the vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle that is also turning right or left in the same direction. Therefore, when the host vehicle turns right or left under automatic driving, it becomes less likely that the host vehicle will approach a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle that is also turning right or left in the same direction. As a result, the occupants of the host vehicle are less likely to feel uneasy.

[0145] When the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under autonomous driving, and the traveling environment recognition unit 101g has determined that a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the host vehicle, it is preferable that the right or left turn determination unit 126h do the following: When the traveling environment recognition unit 101g has determined that a pedestrian is located in a pedestrian area on the side in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left, the right or left turn determination unit 126h does not perform steering control to make the turning radius of the host vehicle smaller when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present.

[0146] When a host vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under automated driving, and a vehicle traveling parallel to the host vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the host vehicle is attempting to turn also attempts to turn right or left in the same direction, reducing the turning radius of the host vehicle when turning right or left makes it less likely to approach the parallel vehicle. However, if a pedestrian is located in a pedestrian area on the side of the host vehicle turning right or left, reducing the turning radius of the host vehicle when turning right or left increases the likelihood of the host vehicle approaching the pedestrian. Compared to a parallel vehicle and a pedestrian, the movements of a pedestrian are more difficult to predict. Therefore, in automated driving of the host vehicle, approaching a pedestrian is more likely to cause anxiety to the occupants of the host vehicle than to the parallel vehicle and pedestrian. In contrast, with the above configuration, the host vehicle makes a right or left turn by prioritizing the difficulty of approaching a pedestrian on the side of the host vehicle turning right or left over the difficulty of approaching a parallel vehicle. Therefore, the occupants of the host vehicle are less likely to feel anxious.

[0147] <Turning Radius Adjustment-Related Processing in Autonomous Driving ECU 10h> Next, an example of the flow of processing related to adjustment of the turning radius when the host vehicle turns right or left at an intersection in the autonomous driving ECU 10h (hereinafter, turning radius adjustment-related processing) will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 24. The flowchart of FIG. 24 will be described using an example in which the host vehicle turns right or left at an intersection as a left turn in a country where driving on the left is legal. The flowchart of FIG. 24 may be configured to be started when the host vehicle attempts to turn left at an intersection under autonomous driving. Note that the flowchart of FIG. 24 may be configured to be started when the host vehicle attempts to turn right at an intersection under autonomous driving in a country where driving on the right is legal.

[0148] First, in step S121, if the driving environment recognition unit 101g has identified a parallel vehicle attempting to turn left (YES in S121), the process proceeds to step S123. On the other hand, if the driving environment recognition unit 101g has not identified a parallel vehicle attempting to turn left (NO in S121), the process proceeds to step S122. In step S122, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs steering control to set the turning radius when turning right or left to a default turning radius, and the process proceeds to step S128.

[0149] In step S123, if the driving environment recognition unit 101g determines that the parallel running vehicle attempting to turn left is located on the left side of the host vehicle (YES in S123), the process proceeds to step S124. On the other hand, if the driving environment recognition unit 101g determines that the parallel running vehicle attempting to turn left is located on the right side of the host vehicle (NO in S123), the process proceeds to step S125. In step S124, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs steering control to make the turning radius during right / left turns larger than the default turning radius, and the process proceeds to step S128.

[0150] In step S125, if the driving environment recognition unit 101g determines that a pedestrian is located in the pedestrian area on the left side of the host vehicle (YES in S125), the process proceeds to step S126. On the other hand, if the driving environment recognition unit 101g determines that a pedestrian is not located in the pedestrian area on the left side of the host vehicle (NO in S125), the process proceeds to step S127. In step S126, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs steering control to set the turning radius when turning right or left to a default turning radius, and the process proceeds to step S128. On the other hand, in step S127, the right / left turn determination unit 126h performs steering control to make the turning radius when turning right or left smaller than the default turning radius, and the process proceeds to step S128.

[0151] In step S128, if it is time to end the turning radius adjustment-related process (YES in S128), the turning radius adjustment-related process is ended. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the turning radius adjustment-related process (NO in S128), the process returns to S121 and is repeated. Examples of timings to end the turning radius adjustment-related process include exiting an intersection and switching to manual driving.

[0152] (Embodiment 10) In the above-described embodiment, the autonomous driving ECUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h are shown as corresponding to the vehicle control device, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, an ECU other than the autonomous driving ECUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h may be shown as corresponding to the vehicle control device. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the autonomous driving ECUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h are shown as including the driving environment recognition units 101, 101c, 101f, and 101g, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, an ECU other than the autonomous driving ECUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h may be configured to perform the functions of the driving environment recognition units 101, 101c, 101f, and 101g. In this case, the autonomous driving ECUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, and 10h may acquire information recognized by the ECUs performing the functions of the driving environment recognition units 101, 101c, 101f, and 101g, and identify the driving environment. In this case, the ECUs performing the functions of the driving environment recognition units 101, 101c, 101f, and 101g correspond to the driving environment identification units.

[0153] (Disclosed 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, referring to another multiple dependent clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0154] (Technical Idea 1) A vehicle control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: an approach possibility identification unit (122) that identifies the likelihood of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle that will have no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's straight-on movement when the vehicle is about to proceed straight through an intersection under the autonomous driving; and an avoidance determination unit (121, 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d, 121e) that, when the approach possibility identification unit identifies that there is a high likelihood of an approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle, performs avoidance control to avoid the approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

[0155] (Technical Idea 2) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1, wherein the proximity possibility identification unit identifies that there is a high possibility of proximity with the non-priority oncoming vehicle when the non-priority oncoming vehicle overlaps with a planned straight-line trajectory, which is a planned trajectory that the vehicle will follow when traveling straight through the intersection in the automated driving mode, or when the positions of the non-priority oncoming vehicle and the vehicle are predicted to overlap within the intersection; the vehicle is equipped with an offset determination unit (123) that determines whether offset control is possible, which is a driving control that brings the vehicle body closer to the lane boundary line on the opposite side to the side where the non-priority oncoming vehicle is located in the width direction within the vehicle's lane; and the avoidance determination unit, when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is possible, performs the offset control as the avoidance control, while, when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is not possible, causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control.

[0156] (Technical Idea 3) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 2, wherein the avoidance determination unit temporarily stops the vehicle as the avoidance control when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is not possible, and waits until the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is possible.

[0157] (Technical Idea 4) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 2, comprising a lane change determination unit (124) that determines whether lane change control, which is driving control for changing lanes to an adjacent lane opposite to the side where the non-priority oncoming vehicle is present, is possible for the vehicle, and the avoidance determination unit causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is not possible, and waits until the lane change determination unit determines that the lane change control is possible.

[0158] (Technical Idea 5) A vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 3, wherein the automatic driving also includes constant speed travel control for causing the vehicle to travel at a constant speed according to a set vehicle speed, and the avoidance judgment unit at least causes the vehicle to stop or decelerate as the avoidance control, and when the vehicle is located within an intersection and a traffic light in the vehicle's straight-ahead direction indicates that passage is not permitted as a result of causing the vehicle to stop or decelerate as the avoidance control, the avoidance judgment unit causes the vehicle to exit the intersection at a speed lower than the set vehicle speed of the constant speed travel control.

[0159] (Technical Idea 6) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 5, wherein the avoidance determination unit at least causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control, and if, as a result of causing the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control, the vehicle is located within an intersection and a traffic light in the straight direction of the vehicle indicates that passage is prohibited, and the position where the vehicle will temporarily stop is within a predetermined distance from the position of the stop line immediately after entering the intersection, the vehicle waits until the traffic light indicates that passage is permitted, with the vehicle not overlapping the space on the crosswalk by more than a certain amount.

[0160] (Technical Idea 7) A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, wherein the avoidance judgment unit, when the vehicle attempts to proceed straight through a shifted intersection, which is an intersection where the inclination of the exit direction relative to the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, reduces the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle attempts to proceed straight through an intersection in a straight line using the automatic driving method, compared to when the vehicle attempts to proceed straight through an intersection where the inclination of the exit direction relative to the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line is less than the specified value.

[0161] (Technical Idea 8) A vehicle control device as described in Technical Idea 7, comprising a driving environment identification unit that identifies a driving environment including the status of vehicles surrounding the vehicle, and the avoidance judgment unit controls the lateral speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is driving straight through the offset intersection in the automated driving mode so that the difference between the lateral speed of the surrounding vehicles identified by the driving environment identification unit and the lateral speed of the vehicle is below a threshold.

[0162] (Technical Idea 9) A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, comprising a driving environment identification unit that identifies a driving environment including the status of vehicles surrounding the vehicle, and the avoidance judgment unit switches the lane that the vehicle will exit into depending on the positions of the surrounding vehicles in the status of the surrounding vehicles identified by the driving environment identification unit when the vehicle attempts to proceed straight through Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, using the automatic driving method.

[0163] (Technical Idea 10) A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, comprising a driving environment identification unit that identifies the driving environment including the status of vehicles surrounding the vehicle, wherein the avoidance judgment unit switches between exiting to the straight-line lane and then changing lanes to the route-side lane, or exiting to the route-side lane, depending on the driving environment identified by the driving environment identification unit, when the vehicle is about to proceed straight through Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection that is a lane that is on a straight line from the entry direction, to a route-side lane, which is a lane that is preferable for driving along a planned route.

[0164] (Technical Idea 11) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 10, wherein when the vehicle is attempting to proceed in the automatic driving mode through Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection that is a lane on a straight line from the entry direction, to a route-side lane, which is a lane that is preferable for traveling along a planned route, the avoidance judgment unit switches between exiting to the straight-line lane and then changing lanes to the route-side lane, or exiting to the route-side lane, depending on the road congestion status in the driving environment identified by the driving environment identification unit.

[0165] (Technical Idea 12) A vehicle control device as described in Technical Idea 10, wherein the avoidance judgment unit switches between exiting to the straight-line lane and then changing lanes to the route-side lane, or exiting to the route-side lane, depending on the distance from the entrance road to the exit road within the Sasumata intersection, when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through the Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entrance direction when passing through the intersection in the automatic driving mode, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on a straight line from the entrance direction among the lanes of the exit road of the Sasumata intersection, to a route-side lane, which is a lane preferable for driving along a planned route.

[0166] (Technical Idea 13) A vehicle control device as described in Technical Idea 10, comprising a signal timing identification unit that identifies the signal timing at which a traffic light at an intersection switches signals, and the avoidance judgment unit switches between causing the vehicle to exit to the straight-line lane and then change lanes to the route-side lane, or causing the vehicle to exit to the route-side lane, depending on the signal timing of the traffic light for the vehicle's straight-line direction at the Sasumata intersection identified by the signal timing identification unit, when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through a Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in the automatic driving mode, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection that is a lane that is in a straight line from the entry direction, to a route-side lane, which is a lane that is preferable for driving along a planned route.

[0167] (Technical Idea 14) A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 13, wherein the avoidance judgment unit makes it possible to select the lane to be used as the exit route by steering the steering wheel when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through a Sasumata intersection, which is an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, and when the automatic driving when proceeding straight through the Sasumata intersection is a hands-on mode automatic driving that requires the vehicle to hold the steering wheel.

[0168] (Technical Idea 15) A vehicle control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: a conflict situation identification unit (125) that, when the vehicle attempts to turn right or left at an intersection under autonomous driving, identifies a conflict situation in which a non-priority oncoming vehicle, which has no priority to pass through the intersection relative to the right or left turn of the vehicle, is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left; a driving environment identification unit (101f, 101g) that identifies a driving environment including the conditions of vehicles surrounding the vehicle; and a right or left turn determination unit (126, 126g, 126h) that, when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, causes the vehicle to turn right or left if the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0169] (Technical Idea 16) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 15, wherein the right / left turn determination unit (126) restricts right / left turns by temporarily stopping the vehicle when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation and the driving environment identification unit does not identify a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

[0170] (Technical Idea 17) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 15, wherein, when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, the right / left turn determination unit (126) restricts right / left turns by making the vehicle turn right or left at a speed slower than the speed at which the vehicle would turn right or left if the conflict situation identification unit had not identified the conflict situation, based on the fact that the driving environment identification unit (101f) did not identify a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0171] (Technical Idea 18) A vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 15 to 17, wherein the driving environment identification unit (101f) also identifies the number of lanes on one side of a road around the vehicle, and the right / left turn determination unit (126) allows the vehicle to turn right or left when the driving environment identification unit identifies a plurality of lanes on one side of a road where the vehicle is to turn right or left, even if the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, regardless of whether the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and when the driving environment identification unit identifies a single lane on one side of a road where the vehicle is to turn right or left, the vehicle control device restricts the right or left turn of the vehicle when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, depending on whether the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0172] (Technical Idea 19) A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 15 to 18, wherein the driving environment identification unit (101g) also identifies the status of a pedestrian area, which is an area around the vehicle that is divided into areas where pedestrians pass, and the right / left turn determination unit (126g), when the vehicle is about to turn right or left at an intersection by the autonomous driving, performs steering control to increase the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left, depending on the number of pedestrians located in the pedestrian area on the side of the vehicle that is identified by the driving environment identification unit.

[0173] (Technical Idea 20) A vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 15 to 19, wherein, when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection by the automated driving and the driving environment identification unit has determined that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle on the side in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the vehicle, the right or left turn determination unit (126h) performs steering control to increase the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present, and when the driving environment identification unit has determined that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the vehicle, the right or left turn determination unit (126h) performs steering control to decrease the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present.

[0174] (Technical Idea 21) A vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 20, wherein the driving environment identification unit (101g) also identifies the status of a pedestrian area, which is an area around the vehicle that is divided into areas where pedestrians pass, and the right / left turn determination unit, when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection by the automatic driving and the driving environment identification unit has identified that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the vehicle, if the driving environment identification unit has identified that a pedestrian is located in the pedestrian area on the side in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left, does not perform steering control to make the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left smaller than when the parallel vehicle is not present.

[0175] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the control unit and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor executing a computer program 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 tangible recording medium.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: an approach possibility identification unit (122) that identifies the likelihood of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle that will have no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's straight-on movement when the vehicle is about to proceed straight through an intersection under the autonomous driving mode; and an avoidance determination unit (121, 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d, 121e) that, when the approach possibility identification unit identifies that there is a high likelihood of an approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle, performs avoidance control to avoid the approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

2. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the proximity possibility identification unit identifies that there is a high possibility of proximity with the non-priority oncoming vehicle when the non-priority oncoming vehicle overlaps with a planned straight-line trajectory, which is a planned trajectory when the vehicle travels straight through the intersection under the automatic driving mode, or when the positions of the non-priority oncoming vehicle and the vehicle are predicted to overlap within the intersection; the vehicle is equipped with an offset determination unit (123) that determines whether offset control, which is a driving control that brings the vehicle body closer to the lane boundary line on the opposite side to the side on which the non-priority oncoming vehicle is located in the width direction of the vehicle's own lane, is possible; and the avoidance determination unit performs the offset control as the avoidance control when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is possible, while performing the avoidance control by temporarily stopping the vehicle when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is not possible.

3. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, wherein the avoidance determination unit, when determining that the offset control is not possible, causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control, and waits until the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is possible.

4. A vehicle control device as set forth in claim 2, comprising a lane change determination unit (124) that determines whether lane change control, which is driving control for changing lanes to an adjacent lane opposite to the side where the non-priority oncoming vehicle is present, is possible for the vehicle, and when the offset determination unit determines that the offset control is not possible, the avoidance determination unit causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control, and waits until the lane change determination unit determines that the lane change control is possible.

5. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the automatic driving also includes constant speed travel control for causing the vehicle to travel at a constant speed in accordance with a set vehicle speed, and the avoidance judgment unit at least causes the vehicle to stop or decelerate as the avoidance control, and when the avoidance judgment unit causes the vehicle to stop or decelerate as the avoidance control and the traffic light in the straight direction of the vehicle indicates that passage is not permitted when the vehicle is located within an intersection, the avoidance judgment unit causes the vehicle to exit the intersection at a speed lower than the set vehicle speed of the constant speed travel control.

6. A vehicle control device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the avoidance determination unit at least causes the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control, and if, as a result of causing the vehicle to temporarily stop as the avoidance control, the traffic light in the straight direction of the vehicle indicates that passage is prohibited when the vehicle is located within an intersection, and the position where the vehicle will temporarily stop is within a predetermined distance from the position of the stop line immediately after entering the intersection, the vehicle waits until the traffic light indicates that passage is permitted, with the vehicle not overlapping the space on the crosswalk by more than a certain amount.

7. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the avoidance judgment unit, when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through a shifted intersection, which is an intersection where the inclination of the exiting direction relative to the entering direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, reduces the speed of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode compared to when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through an intersection where the inclination of the exiting direction relative to the entering direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line is less than the specified value.

8. A vehicle control device as described in claim 7, comprising a driving environment identification unit that identifies a driving environment including the status of vehicles surrounding the vehicle, and the avoidance judgment unit controls the lateral speed of the vehicle when the vehicle travels straight through the offset intersection in the automated driving mode so that the difference between the lateral speed of the surrounding vehicles identified by the driving environment identification unit and the lateral speed of the vehicle is below a threshold.

9. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, comprising a driving environment identification unit (101c) that identifies the driving environment including the status of vehicles surrounding the vehicle, and the avoidance judgment unit switches the lane into which the vehicle will exit depending on the position of the surrounding vehicles in the status of the surrounding vehicles identified by the driving environment identification unit when the vehicle attempts to proceed straight through Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, using the automatic driving method.

10. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, comprising a driving environment identification unit (101c) that identifies the driving environment including the status of vehicles surrounding the vehicle, wherein the avoidance judgment unit switches between exiting to the straight-line lane and then changing lanes to the route-side lane, or exiting to the route-side lane, depending on the driving environment identified by the driving environment identification unit, when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection that is a lane on a straight line from the entry direction, to a route-side lane, which is a lane preferable for driving along a planned route.

11. A vehicle control device as described in claim 10, wherein the avoidance judgment unit switches between exiting the Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection by the automatic driving method, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection that is a lane on a straight line from the entry direction, to a route-side lane, which is a lane preferable for driving along a planned route, depending on the road congestion status in the driving environment identified by the driving environment identification unit.

12. A vehicle control device as described in claim 10, wherein the avoidance judgment unit switches between exiting to the straight-line lane and then changing lanes to the route-side lane, or exiting to the route-side lane, depending on the distance from the entrance road to the exit road within the Sasumata intersection, when the vehicle is attempting to proceed through the intersection in the automated driving mode, which is an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entrance direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on a straight line from the entrance direction among the lanes of the exit road at the Sasumata intersection, to a route-side lane, which is a lane preferable for traveling along a planned route.

13. A vehicle control device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a signal timing specification unit (104) that specifies the signal timing at which a traffic light at an intersection switches signals, wherein the avoidance judgment unit switches between causing the vehicle to exit to the straight-line lane and then change lanes to the route-side lane, or causing the vehicle to exit to the route-side lane, in accordance with the signal timing of the traffic light for the vehicle's straight-line direction at the Sasumata intersection specified by the signal timing specification unit, when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through the Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in the automated driving mode, and when it is preferable to change lanes from a straight-line lane, which is a lane on the exit road of the Sasumata intersection that is on a straight line from the entry direction, to a route-side lane, which is a lane that is preferable for traveling along a planned route.

14. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the avoidance judgment unit enables the vehicle to select the lane to be used as the exit route by steering the steering wheel when the vehicle is attempting to proceed straight through Sasumata intersection, an intersection where the number of lanes in the exit direction increases compared to the number of lanes in the entry direction when passing through the intersection in a straight line, and when the automatic driving when proceeding straight through the Sasumata intersection is automatic driving in a hands-on mode that requires the vehicle to hold the steering wheel.

15. A vehicle control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: a conflict situation identification unit (125) that identifies a conflict situation in which, when the vehicle attempts to turn right or left at an intersection under autonomous driving, a non-priority oncoming vehicle that has no priority to pass through the intersection relative to the vehicle's right or left turn is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left; a driving environment identification unit (101f, 101g) that identifies the driving environment including the conditions of vehicles surrounding the vehicle; and a right or left turn determination unit (126, 126g, 126h) that, when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, causes the vehicle to turn right or left if the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold.

16. A vehicle control device as described in claim 15, wherein the right / left turn determination unit (126) restricts right / left turns by forcing the vehicle to temporarily stop when the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation and the driving environment identification unit does not identify a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

17. A vehicle control device as described in claim 15, wherein the right / left turn determination unit (126), when the conflict situation identification unit has identified the conflict situation, restricts right / left turns by making the vehicle turn right / left at a speed slower than the speed at which the vehicle would turn right / left if the conflict situation identification unit had not identified the conflict situation, based on the fact that the driving environment identification unit (101f) has not identified a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

18. A vehicle control device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the driving environment identification unit (101f) also identifies the number of lanes on one side of a road around the vehicle, and the right / left turn determination unit (126) allows the vehicle to turn right or left when the driving environment identification unit identifies multiple lanes on one side of the road where the vehicle is to turn right or left, even if the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, regardless of whether the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold value; and when the driving environment identification unit identifies a single lane on one side of the road where the vehicle is to turn right or left, and the conflict situation identification unit identifies the conflict situation, the vehicle is restricted from turning right or left depending on whether the driving environment identification unit identifies a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

19. A vehicle control device as described in claim 15, wherein the driving environment identification unit (101g) also identifies the status of a pedestrian area, which is an area around the vehicle that is divided into areas where pedestrians pass, and the right / left turn determination unit (126g) performs steering control to increase the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left, depending on the number of pedestrians located in the pedestrian area on the side of the vehicle that is turning right or left, as identified by the driving environment identification unit, when the vehicle attempts to turn right or left at an intersection using the automatic driving method.

20. A vehicle control device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the right / left turn determination unit (126h) performs steering control to increase the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present, when the driving environment identification unit has determined that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle on the side of the vehicle in the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the vehicle, when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left in the automatic driving mode, and performs steering control to decrease the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left compared to when the parallel vehicle is not present, when the driving environment identification unit has determined that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the vehicle.

21. A vehicle control device as set forth in claim 20, wherein the driving environment identification unit (101g) also identifies the status of a pedestrian area, which is an area around the vehicle that is designated as an area where pedestrians pass, and the right / left turn determination unit, when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection by the automated driving method and the driving environment identification unit has identified that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle on the opposite side of the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left is also attempting to turn right or left in the same direction as the vehicle, does not perform steering control to make the turning radius of the vehicle when turning right or left smaller than if the parallel vehicle were not present, if the driving environment identification unit has identified that a pedestrian is located in the pedestrian area on the side in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left.

22. A vehicle control method usable in an autonomously driven vehicle, the vehicle control method including: an approach possibility determination process executed by at least one processor, which determines the likelihood of an approach to a non-priority oncoming vehicle that will have no priority at the intersection when the vehicle attempts to proceed straight through an intersection under the autonomous driving mode; and an avoidance determination process which, when it is determined in the approach possibility determination process that there is a high likelihood of an approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle, performs avoidance control to avoid an approach to the non-priority oncoming vehicle.

23. A vehicle control method usable in an autonomously driven vehicle, the vehicle control method comprising: a conflicting situation identification step executed by at least one processor for identifying a conflicting situation in which, when the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left at an intersection under autonomous driving, a non-priority oncoming vehicle that has no priority at the intersection relative to the vehicle's right or left turn is attempting to turn right or left in the direction in which the vehicle is attempting to turn right or left; a driving environment identification step for identifying the driving environment including the conditions of vehicles surrounding the vehicle; and a right or left turn determination step for causing the vehicle to turn right or left, if the conflicting situation is identified in the conflicting situation identification step, based on the identification in the driving environment identification step of a deceleration of the non-priority oncoming vehicle that is equal to or greater than a threshold.

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