Lane change decision method for vehicle, computer program product, control device and vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a lane change decision method for a vehicle, comprising the following steps: S11, acquiring historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed 5 by a vehicle before the current time, of lane change from a lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a first direction; S12, according to the historical lane change information acquired in step S11, determining a first route cost for evaluating a lane change operation of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the first direction; and S13, 10 based on the first route cost, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the first direction. The disclosure also relates to a corresponding computer program product, a control device, and a vehicle. By the present disclosure, a long-term decision method 15 for a lane change decision may be provided, so that the lane change decision of the vehicle is more reasonable, and in particular, has long-term efficiency.

Description

LANE CHANGE DECISION METHOD FOR VEHICLE, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, CONTROL DEVICE AND VEHICLETECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicles, and particularly, to a lane change decision method for a vehicle, a computer program product, a control device for a vehicle, and a vehicle.BACKGROUND

[0002] A vehicle having an automatic driving function or a driving assistance function may make an automatic or assisted lane change decision.

[0003] For example, an ADAS system (Advanced Driving Assistance System) of a vehicle may determine whether the vehicle performs a lane change operation from a current lane to an adjacent lane according to current states of the vehicle and its surrounding vehicles. When the vehicle travels following a preceding vehicle having a relative slow speed, the ADAS system may initiate an automatic lane change operation of the vehicle to overtake the preceding vehicle upon recognizing that there is a safe gap on an adjacent lane that allows the lane change of the vehicle.

[0004] Current lane change decision methods typically rely on the perception of the current states of the vehicle and its surrounding vehicles. In this case, the vehicle may often successfully perform lane change with respect to an adjacent vehicle, but, after the lane change, its object as desired, e.g., to overtake the preceding vehicles, may not be reached. Conversely, such a lane change operation may also enable the vehicle in a running environment in which it is difficult to speed up. Current lane change decision methods may cause the vehicle to frequently perform such an ineffective lane change operation.

[0005] Thus, the prior art is still deficient in lane change decisions for vehicles.SUMMARY

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an improved lane change decision method for a vehicle, and a corresponding computer program product, a control device and a vehicle, so that the lane change decision of a vehicle is more reasonable, and in particular, has long-term efficiency.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a lane change decision method for a vehicle, comprising the following steps: S11 , acquiring historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed by a vehicle before the current time, of lane change from a lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a first direction; S12, according to the historical lane change information acquired in step S11 , determining a first route cost for evaluating a lane change operation of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the first direction; and S13, based on the first route cost, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the first direction.

[0008] Thus, a long-term decision method for a lane change decision can be provided. With the first route cost, it is possible to evaluate a lane change operation to be performed by a vehicle on the basis of comprehensive consideration of historical lane change operations previously performed by the vehicle and related driving conditions. Thus, the lane change decision of the vehicle is more reasonable, and in particular, has long-term efficiency.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, in step S12, the first route cost may be determined based at the least on a route benefit integral obtained by the vehicle in the at least one historical lane change operation. The route benefit integral may be expressed as: the integral over time of the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed of the vehicle when the vehicle starts to perform the historical lane change operation from the speed of the vehicle after the historical lane change operation. With the route benefit integrals, it is possible to reduce the possibility that an invalid lane change operation performed by the vehicle.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, the route benefit integral is reset upon reaching a predetermined upper reset value and / or a predetermined lower reset value. That is advantageous for comprehensively considering a longterm driving condition and avoiding that a relatively extreme driving condition in a certain time range overly affects the lane change decision.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the route benefit integral may be set to not continue to increase beyond a predetermined upper integral value upon reaching the upper integral value. Alternatively or additionally, the route benefit integral is set not to continue to decrease below a predetermined credit lower limit value when it is reached. That is also advantageous for comprehensively considering a long-term driving condition and avoiding that a relatively extreme driving condition in a certain time range overly affects the lane change decision.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, in step S12, at least one of the following route benefit parameters may be determined based on the route benefit integral, and a first calculation component of the first route cost is determined from the at least one of the route benefit parameters:

[0013] a first route benefit parameter determined from the route benefit integral and the speed of the vehicle;

[0014] a second route benefit parameter determined from the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the lane change initial speed; and

[0015] a third route benefit parameter determined from the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the current vehicle flow speed of the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation.

[0016] Thus, the first route cost can more fully reflect the benefit obtained by the vehicle from the historical lane change operation.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, in step S12, the first route cost may be determined based at least on an overtaking cost for the vehicle generated from the at least one historical lane change operation. The overtaking cost may indicate the number of times of the vehicle being overtaken after each historicallane change operation by another vehicle in the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation. With the overtaking cost, it is possible to reduce the possibility that an invalid lane change operation performed by the vehicle. The combination of the overtaking cost and route benefit is particularly advantageous. That facilitates that the first route cost can more fully reflect the benefit obtained by the vehicle from the historical lane change operation.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment, in step S12, the first route cost may be determined based at least on a lane change operation cost obtained by the vehicle in the at least one historical lane change operation. The lane change operation cost may be set to indicate: whether after each historical lane change operation, the vehicle performs a reverse lane change operation initiated by a driver having a lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation; and / or whether a lane change operation request of the vehicle in the first direction is canceled. With the lane change operation cost, it is possible to reduce the possibility that an invalid lane change operation performed by the vehicle. The combination of the lane change operation cost and route benefit integral is particularly advantageous. That facilitates that the first route cost can more fully reflect the benefit obtained by the vehicle from the historical lane change operation.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment, in step S13, the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane in the first direction may be encouraged and / or suppressed using the first route cost. The lane change decision is not based solely from the first route cost.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment, step S13 may include the following steps: S131 , acquiring a first initial release threshold for the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction; S132, determining a first actual release threshold according to the first route cost and first initial release threshold; and S133, deciding to perform the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane when the lane change condition parameter related to the lane change operation of the vehicle satisfies the release condition defined by the first actual release threshold.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment, the first initial release threshold set for the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction may be equal to a second initial release threshold set for a lane change operation of the vehicle in a second direction. The same initial release threshold may be set for two lane change operations in different directions.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment, in step S132, if the first route cost is within a first threshold range, the initial release threshold is used as the actual release threshold; and if the first route cost is within a second threshold range, the initial release threshold is adjusted to be used as the actual release threshold according to the first route cost, so as to suppress the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane. Thus, with the first route cost, it may be decided in the lane change decision to suppress or not suppress the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction. In particular, the initial release threshold is not adjusted to be more easily satisfied. Thus, it can be ensured that the lane change operation of the vehicle is carried out only when a basic safety requirement is satisfied.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment, the lane change decision method may further include the following steps: S14, comparing the lane level of the current lane with the lane level of the target lane, and performing step S13 only if the lane level of the target lane is lower than the lane level of the current lane, wherein the first direction indicates a lane change direction from a high- level lane to a low-level lane, or otherwise performing step S15; and S15, when the first route cost is not considered, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane in the second direction. For lane change operations in different directions, different lane change decision patterns may be used.

[0024] In one exemplary embodiment, the historical lane change information for determining the first route cost in step S12 may include only historical lane change information generated within a time range having a predetermined duration before the current time. This helps to improve the reliability of the lane change decision method.

[0025] For example, the predetermined duration may be determined according to the speed of the vehicle. The predetermined duration may be inversely related to the speed of the vehicle. Thus, the reliability of the lane change decision method can be further improved.

[0026] Optionally, the historical lane change information for determining the first route cost in step S12 may include only historical lane change information generated within a road segment having a predetermined travel distance before the current position of the vehicle. This also helps to improve the reliability of the lane change decision method.

[0027] In one exemplary embodiment, the lane change decision method may further include the following steps: S21 , acquiring historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed by the vehicle before the current time, of lane change from the lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a second direction; S22, according to the historical lane change information acquired in step S21 , determining a second route cost for evaluating a lane change of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the second direction; and S23, based on the second route cost, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the second direction.

[0028] According to a second aspect of the present application, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer program instruction, wherein, when the computer program instruction is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors can perform the lane change decision method according to the present disclosure.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control device for a vehicle, when the control device comprises a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program instruction thereon, and when the computer program instruction is executed by the processor, the processor can perform the lane change decision method according to the present disclosure.

[0030] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes the control device according to the present disclosure. The vehicle optionally further comprises: a sensing device configured to sense information about the vehicle and surroundings thereof for acquiring historical lane change information; and a lane change execution device configured to execute a corresponding lane change operation in response to an instruction of the control device.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The principles, features and advantages of the present disclosure can be better understood from the following further detailed description of the present disclosure provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings include:

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically shows a flowchart of a lane change decision method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 schematically illustrate a scene in which a vehicle travels on a road according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates route benefit integral calculated in a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 7 schematically shows a flowchart of step S13 of the lane change decision method according to the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 8 schematically shows a flowchart of a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0038] FIG. 9 schematically shows a flowchart of a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALSI vehicleI I control device12 sensing device13 lane change execution device21 fast lane22 slow lane31 first preceding vehicle32 second preceding vehicle33 first rear vehicle34 second rear vehicleDETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects clearer, the present disclosure will be described below in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely used to explain the present disclosure, but are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 1 schematically shows a flowchart of a lane change decision method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1 , the lane change decision method may include steps S11 , S12 and S13.

[0042] In step S11 , it is to acquire historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed by the vehicle before the current time, of lane change from a lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a first direction.

[0043] In step S12, it is to determine, according to the historical lane change information, a first route cost for evaluating a lane change operation of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the first direction.

[0044] In step S 13, it is to make, based on the first route cost, a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the first direction.

[0045] Thus, a long-term decision method for a lane change decision can be provided. With the first route cost, it is possible to evaluate a lane change operation to be performed by a vehicle on the basis of comprehensive consideration of historical lane change operations previously performed by the vehicle and related driving conditions. Thus, the lane change decision of the vehicle is more reasonable, and in particular, has long-term efficiency.

[0046] The historical lane change information may include, for example, at least one of the following information related to at least one historical lane change operation: speed information of a vehicle, a speed of a surrounding vehicle, a vehicle flow speed in a lane related to a historical lane change operation, vehicle flow driver operation information, the identification information that a vehicle is overtaken by another vehicle, and the identification information that a vehicle overtakes another vehicle.

[0047] Specifically, for example, when a lane change decision is made in step S13, the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction can be encouraged and / or suppressed using the first route cost.

[0048] Herein, the lane change decision is particularly useful for determining whether to perform a lane change operation from a current lane to a target lane for the purpose of overtaking the preceding vehicle.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first direction may be right or left. It is important to consider previously performed historical lane change operation also in the first direction in the lane change decision regarding the lane change operation in the first direction.

[0050] The lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is particularly suitable for a vehicle traveling on an expressway. Traffic conditions on relatively closed roads such as expressways are generally relatively stable. The lane change decision method may include, for example, a road identification step of identifying atype of a road where the vehicle is located, and steps S11 , S12 and S13 are performed only when the vehicle travels on a road of a predetermined type. The predetermined type may include, for example, an expressway, a urban trunk road, etc.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the historical lane change information for determining the first route cost in step S12 includes only historical lane change information generated within a time range having a predetermined duration before the current time. Optionally, the predetermined duration may be set to be less than 15 min. If the predetermined duration is 10 min, when making a lane change decision, the historical lane change information 10 min before the current time is not used to determine the first route cost, and thus does not affect the lane change decision any more. This helps to improve the reliability of the lane change decision method.

[0052] The predetermined duration may in particular be determined depending on the speed of the vehicle. The predetermined duration may be inversely related to the speed of the vehicle. For example, when the speed of the vehicle is 40 km / h, the predetermined duration may be set between 5 min and 10 min, for example, 6 min. When the speed of the vehicle is 120 km / h or more, the predetermined duration may be set as 40 s, for example. Thus, the reliability of the lane change decision method can be further improved.

[0053] The historical lane change information used in step S12 to determine the first route cost may be related to one or more historical lane change operations depending on the actual driving condition.

[0054] Alternatively or additionally, the historical lane change information for determining the first route cost in step S12 includes only historical lane change information generated within a road segment having a predetermined travel distance before the current position of the vehicle. This may also improve the reliability of the lane change decision method. “A road segment before a current position of a vehicle” means a road segment through which the vehicle travels before the current position.

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the historical lane change information for determining thefirst route cost in step S12 is related only to the previous historical lane change operation in the first direction.

[0056] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a vehicle having an automatic driving function or a driving assistance function.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 may include a control device 11. The control device 11 may be configured for a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] The control device 11 is implemented, for example, as an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 1. The control device 11 may comprise a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program instruction thereon, and when the computer program instruction is executed by the processor, the processor can perform, for example, the lane change decision method for the vehicle 1 . The computer process instruction may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may include, for example, a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory or a volatile solid-state memory device. The processor may be a central processing unit, other general purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or other programmable logic device, etc.

[0059] The vehicle 1 may also comprise a sensing device 12. The sensing device 12 may be configured to sense information about the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof. The control device 11 may be communicatively connected to the sensing device 12 such that the control device 11 can acquire information, for example, historical lane change information, from the sensing device 12. Optionally, the control device 11 may send a control instruction to a sensor in order to control the sensing device 12 to perform a corresponding sensing operation.

[0060] The sensing device 12 may for example comprise a vehicle-mounted sensor, which may be used to detect the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof in order to acquire detection information. The vehicle-mounted sensor may include, for example, a radar, a laser radar, an imaging device, a speed sensor,and the like. For example, the vehicle 1 may detect the lane where the vehicle 1 is located and the adjacent lane by a camera device. By means of the radar, the relative distance between the vehicle 1 and a preceding vehicle can be detected.

[0061] Alternatively or additionally, the sensing device 12 may comprise a communication device of the vehicle 1. By means of the communication device, information about the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof can be acquired. As an example, information about the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof, such as a speed of another vehicle, etc., may be received from another vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Alternatively, information may be received from a road testing device and / or a remote server by communication between the vehicle 1 and the road testing device and / or the remote server.

[0062] The vehicle 1 may further include a lane change execution device 13 configured to perform a lane change operation of the vehicle 1 . The lane change execution device 13 may for example comprise an actuator of an electronic power steering system (EPS). The lane change execution device 13 may be communicatively connected with the control device 11 such that the lane change execution device 13 can perform a corresponding lane change operation in response to an instruction of the control device 11.

[0063] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 schematically illustrate a scene in which a vehicle 1 travels on a road according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG. 3 schematically illustrate a vehicle 1 traveling on a two-lane expressway. The two-lane expressway has two lanes which are adjacent to each other and which define the same driving direction. Here, description is made by an example of a region in which a right-hand traffic regulation is carried out according to traffic regulations. The two lanes may include a fast lane 21 on the left and a slow lane 22 on the right.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 1 travels in the fast lane 21. A first preceding vehicle 31 , which is located ahead of the vehicle 1 in the fast lane 21 , travels at a relatively slow speed. For example, when the speed of the first preceding vehicle 31 is lower than the speed limit of the fast lane 21 and lowerthan the desired speed of the vehicle 1 , the control device 11 of the vehicle 1 may generate a lane change operation request for right lane change to the slow lane 22 for the purpose of overtaking the first preceding vehicle 31 .

[0066] As an example, when the vehicle 1 travels on the current lane, if it is recognized that the vehicle flow speed in the adjacent target lane is greater than the vehicle flow speed in the current lane, the lane change operation request from the current lane to the target lane may be generated.

[0067] FIG. 3 schematically shows that the vehicle 1 performs a corresponding right lane change operation in response to a generated request for a right-lane change from the fast lane 21 to the slow lane 22 in expectation of overtaking the first preceding vehicle 31 . In a conventional lane change decision method, the lane change decision may be made based on the current states of the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof as perceived by the vehicle 1 . Typically, such a lane change decision can achieve short-term efficiency. And, the lane change decision does not take into account long-term efficiency. As a result, this may cause the vehicle to perform an ineffective lane change operation and thus is subjected to a loss in the route efficiency.

[0068] FIG. 4 schematically shows a traveling condition of the vehicle 1 after the lane change operation is performed.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 1 can travel for a while without hindrance after the lane change to the slow lane 22. During this time range, the speed of the vehicle 1 may be increased. Then, the vehicle 1 approaches the second preceding vehicle 32 located ahead of the vehicle 1 in the slow lane 22. Since the speed of the second preceding vehicle 32 is relatively slow, the vehicle 1 is forced to reduce the speed and travel following the second preceding vehicle 32.

[0070] FIG. 5 schematically shows a traveling condition of the vehicle 1 after the time shown in FIG. 4.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle 1 follows the second preceding vehicle 32 and travels at a relatively slow speed. The speed of the second preceding vehicle 32 may be lower than the speed of the first preceding vehicle 31 , for example. Therefore, the vehicle 1 does not overtake the first precedingvehicle 31 as expected after performing the right lane change. Instead, the first rear vehicle 33, which is located behind the vehicle 1 before the vehicle 1 performs the right lane change, overtakes the vehicle 1 . Also, the first rear vehicle 33 and the second rear vehicle 34, which are located behind the vehicle 1 before the vehicle 1 performs the right lane change, travel behind the first preceding vehicle 31 with a small inter-vehicle distance. This makes it difficult for the vehicle 1 to make a left lane change to return to the fast lane 21 . In this case, the second rear vehicle 34 is also likely to overtake the vehicle 1 .

[0072] It can be seen in connection with FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 that this right lane change performed by the vehicle 1 does not achieve the goal of overtaking the first preceding vehicle 31 and / or raising the speed of the vehicle 1. Thus, this right lane change is an invalid lane change operation. In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, this right lane change may be used as a historical lane change operation, and using the historical lane change information related thereto, the first route cost may be determined, and thereby be a consideration in the decision process of a subsequent right lane change operation. As a result, it is possible to reduce invalid lane change operations of the vehicle 1 . In particular, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the vehicle 1 performs such an ineffective right lane change again in a short time.

[0073] For example, when a plurality of other vehicles (for example, a train of trucks) traveling at a reduced speed travel on the slow lane 22, the vehicle traveling on the fast lane 21 is actually not suitable for a lane change to the slow lane 22. However, in this case, a conventional lane change decision method may make a lane change decision of a lance change for the vehicle 1 from the fast lane 21 to the slow lane 22 only based on the current states of the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof and for short-term benefit. This often results in that the vehicle 1 is blocked by a front truck having a relatively low speed and can only travel at a relatively low speed (e.g. possibly a speed lower than that before the lane change operation of the vehicle) after the lane change. In this case, if the vehicle flow state in the fast lane 21 is suitable, the vehicle 1 can return to the fast lane 21 by the lane change operation. If thespacing between the vehicle 1 and another vehicle traveling on the fast lane 21 is small, the vehicle 1 can only remain in the slow lane 22. When the vehicle 1 returns to the fast lane 21 , if its lane change decision is based only on the current states of the vehicle 1 and surroundings thereof, the vehicle 1 may again make a right lane change decision to the slow lane 22 in a short time. This is very disadvantageous for the route efficiency of the vehicle 1 . The lane change decision method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure facilitates to prevent such an ineffective lane change operation, particularly the ineffective lane change operation frequently performed by the vehicle 1 in a short time.

[0074] Herein, in the description with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, illustration is made taking the first direction that is a right direction (a direction toward a lane having a low lane level) as an example, the current lane is a fast lane, and the target lane is a slow lane. In another embodiment, the first direction may be a leftward direction (a direction toward a lane having a higher lane level). Herein, “a lane having a lower lane level” means a lane having a relatively low speed limit and / or a lane located on the same side as the traffic side. For example, in a region where vehicles need to keep to the right according to traffic regulations, a right lane has a level lower than that of a left lane.

[0075] Although a vehicle traveling on a two-lane expressway is described herein as an example, it should be understood that the lane change decision method may also be applied to a vehicle traveling on roads having more than two co-directional lanes.

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S12, the first route cost is determined based at the least on a route benefit integral obtained by the vehicle in the at least one historical lane change operation. The route benefit integral may be expressed as: the integral over time of the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi of the vehicle when the vehicle starts to perform the historical lane change operation from the speed v(t) of the vehicle after the historical lanechange operation. With the route benefit integrals, it is possible to reduce the possibility that an invalid lane change operation performed by the vehicle.

[0077] The route benefit integral may be expressed as: for example I = J[v(t) - v-^dt, where: v(t) indicates the speed of the vehicle after a historical lane change operation, which may vary with time, and v indicates a lane change initial speed of the vehicle when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation.

[0078] It should be understood that the route benefit integral I may be (approximately) calculated by numerical integration or the like.

[0079] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates route benefit integral calculated in a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] Description is made taking the right lane change operation shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 as an example of the historical lane change operation.

[0081] At the start of the right lane change operation (for example, as shown in FIG. 3), the vehicle 4 travels at the lane change initial speed vi. At this time, the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) of the vehicle 4 is 0. The speed v(t) and the lane change initial speed vi of the vehicle can be detected, for example, by the speed sensor of the vehicle.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 4, after the right lane change operation is performed, the speed v(t) of the vehicle 4 may be increased for a period of time. Accordingly, within the period of time, the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) of the vehicle 4 is a positive value. Then, the speed v(t) of the vehicle 4 may decrease due to the blocking of the second preceding vehicle 32 until the speed v(t) of the vehicle 1 is equal to the lane change initial speed vi again.

[0083] As shown in region A1 in FIG. 6, since the speed v(t) of the vehicle is larger than the lane change initial speed vi , the route benefit integral continues to increase.

[0084] When the speed v(t) of the vehicle 1 is smaller than the lane change initial speed vi , the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane changeinitial speed vi from the speed v(t) of the vehicle 1 is a negative value, the route benefit integral would reduce accordingly, as shown in a region A2 in FIG. 6.

[0085] If the route benefit integral is a positive value, it means that the vehicle obtains a significant benefit in terms of the route efficiency by the lane change operation on the basis of the speed when it starts to perform the lane change operation. In other words, on the basis of the speed when it starts to perform the lane change operation, the vehicle travels faster due to the lane change operation. If the route benefit integral is a negative value, it means that the vehicle does not obtain an effective benefit in terms of the route efficiency by the lane change operation, but suffers unfavorable loss in terms of the route efficiency due to the lane change operation, on the basis of the speed when it starts to perform the lane change operation. In other words, on the basis of the speed when it starts to perform the lane change operation, the vehicle travels slower due to the lane change operation.

[0086] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, after the vehicle performs a right lane change (here, a lane change operation in the first direction), the route benefit integral may be continuously calculated and dynamically changed until the vehicle performs a new right lane change (i.e., a new lane change operation in the first direction). When the vehicle performs a new right lane change, the lane change initial speed may be updated, and the calculation of the integral continues. At any time, the lane change initial speed may always indicate the initial speed of the vehicle when the vehicle starts to perform the previous lane change operation in the lane change direction of interest. Specifically, for example, when the first direction is right, the lane change initial speed is the initial speed when the vehicle starts to perform the previous right lane change operation.

[0087] For example, referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, if the vehicle 1 is blocked by the second preceding vehicle 32 to travel at a speed lower than the lane change initial speed after the vehicle performs the right lane change, the route benefit integral obtained by the integral calculation is likely a negative value.The route benefit integral that is a negative value would suppress a right lane change operation in a subsequent lane change decision of the vehicle 1 .

[0088] If the vehicle 1 can travel at a faster speed (higher than the lane change initial speed) on the slow lane 22 after performing the right lane change, or can travel at a faster speed (higher than the lane change initial speed) in front of the first preceding vehicle 31 , for example, when returning to the fast lane 21 later, the route benefit integral obtained by the integral calculation will be a positive value. The route benefit integral that is a positive value would encourage or do not suppress a right lane change operation in a subsequent lane change decision of the vehicle 1 .

[0089] For example, the route benefit integral obtained by the vehicle in a plurality of historical lane change operations may be summed. The route benefit integral I obtained by the vehicle in N historical lane change operations is expressed, for example, as follows:

[0090] where li indicates the route benefit integral obtained in the i-th historical lane change operation before the current time, v (t) indicates the speed of the vehicle after the i-th historical lane change operation, andindicates the lane change initial speed of the vehicle when it starts to perform the i-th historical lane change operation.

[0091] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the route benefit integral I may be reset upon reaching a predetermined upper reset value and / or a predetermined lower reset value.

[0092] For example, if I > lmax_R, I is reset to 0; and If I < lmin_R, I is reset to 0. lmax_R indicates an upper reset limit value, and lmin_R indicates a lower reset limit value. After reset, the route benefit integral may continue to be calculated.

[0093] That is advantageous for comprehensively considering a long-term driving condition and avoiding that a relatively extreme driving condition in a certain time range overly affects the lane change decision.

[0094] For example, in a certain time range, the vehicle is blocked by a relatively slow preceding vehicle such that the route benefit integral reduces toa very small negative value, and after the time range, the blocking of the vehicle is eliminated (e.g., the relatively slow preceding vehicle switches to another lane, or the vehicle switches towards the left to another lane). In this case, even if the speed of the vehicle has increased, it is difficult to increase the route benefit integral from a very small negative value to more than 0. By resetting the route benefit integral, the integral can be prevented from decreasing to a very small negative value, thereby avoiding that the route benefit integral based on a relatively extreme driving condition within a certain time range overly affects the following lane change decision. Similarly, by resetting the route benefit integral, the integral can be prevented from increasing to a very large positive value.

[0095] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the route benefit integral may be set to not continue to increase beyond a predetermined upper integral value upon reaching the upper integral value. Alternatively or additionally, the route benefit integral is set to not continue to decrease below a predetermined lower integral value upon reaching the lower integral value.

[0096] For example, the upper integral limit value may be indicated by lmax_i, and the lower integral limit value may be indicated by lmin_i. If the route benefit integral I increases to lmax_i and the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) is greater than 0, I is maintained at lmax_i until the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) is less than 0. When the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) is less than 0, the route benefit integral I decreases, and the integral calculation of the route benefit integral I can be recovered. Similarly, if the route benefit integral I reduces to lmin_i and the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) of the vehicle is less than 0, I is maintained at lmin_i until the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) of the vehicle is greater than 0. When the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed vi from the speed v(t) of the vehicle is greater than 0, theroute benefit integral I increases, and the integral calculation of the route benefit integral I can be recovered. That is also advantageous for comprehensively considering a long-term driving condition and avoiding that a relatively extreme driving condition in a certain time range overly affects the lane change decision.

[0097] In step S12, a first calculation component of the first route cost may be determined based on the route benefit integral. Optionally, in addition to the first calculation component, the first route cost comprises other calculation components (to be described further below).

[0098] For example, based on the route benefit integral, at least one of the following route benefit parameters may be determined: a first route benefit parameter, a second route benefit parameter, and a third route benefit parameter, and the first calculation component of the first route cost is determined from the at least one of the route benefit parameters.

[0099] The first route benefit parameter may be determined from the route benefit integral and the speed of the vehicle. Thus, by the first route benefit parameter, it is possible to comprehensively consider the route benefit integral and the speed of the vehicle in the first route cost. The first route cost can more fully reflect the benefit obtained by the vehicle from the historical lane change operation.

[0100] For example, the first route benefit parameter may be determined by a look up table. A first relation table is used to indicate the relation of the route benefit integral with the speed of the vehicle and the first route benefit parameter, and may be stored in a memory in advance as a two-dimensional table. According to the route benefit integral and the speed of the vehicle, a corresponding first route benefit parameter may be retrieved from the first relation table.

[0101] Optionally, the first route benefit parameter may also be determined as a function value by calculation with the route benefit integral and the speed of the vehicle as variables.

[0102] The second route benefit parameter may be determined from the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of thevehicle and the lane change initial speed. With the second route benefit parameter thus determined, it facilitates that the first route cost more fully reflects the benefit obtained by the vehicle from the historical lane change operation.

[0103] Similarly, the second route benefit parameter may be determined by a look up table. A second relation table is used to indicate the relation of the route benefit integral with the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the lane change initial speed and the second route benefit parameter, and may be stored in a memory in advance as a two-dimensional table. According to the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the lane change initial speed, a corresponding second route benefit parameter may be retrieved from the second relation table.

[0104] Optionally, the second route benefit parameter may also be determined as a function value by calculation with the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the lane change initial speed as variables.

[0105] The third route benefit parameter may be determined from the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the current vehicle flow speed of the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation. For example, when the vehicle flow speed in the lane where the vehicle is located decreases or increases both before and after the historical lane change operation, it is difficult to accurately indicate, depending on the route benefit integration only, the benefit obtained by the vehicle from the historical lane change operation. For this reason, correction may be made by additionally considering the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the current vehicle flow speed in the lane where the vehicle is located when the lane change operation is started.

[0106] Similarly, the third route benefit parameter may be determined by a lookup table or calculation. For example, a third relation table is used to indicate the relation of the route benefit integral with the speed differencebetween the speed of the vehicle and the current vehicle flow speed of the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation, and may be stored in a memory in advance as a two- dimensional table.

[0107] As an example, the first calculation component may be indicated as a product of the first route benefit parameter, the second route benefit parameter, and the third route benefit parameter.

[0108] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, in step S12, the first route cost may be determined based at least on an overtaking cost for the vehicle generated from the at least one historical lane change operation. The overtaking cost may indicate the number of times of the vehicle being overtaken after each historical lane change operation by another vehicle in the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation. The calculation of the overtaking cost may stop when the vehicle performs a new lane change operation (either in the first direction or the second direction), and continue when the vehicle again performs a lane change operation in the first direction.

[0109] Taking a historical lane change operation from a fast lane towards the right to a slow lane as an example, after the historical lane change operation, the vehicle may be blocked by a preceding vehicle in the slow lane, causing the vehicle to be overtaken by other vehicles in the fast lane. This means that this historical lane change operation from the fast lane towards right to the slow lane brings no or little benefit to the vehicle.

[0110] Optionally, the second calculation component of the first route cost is determined based on the overtaking cost. In particular, the second calculation component may be determined according to the overtaking cost and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the current vehicle flow speed of the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation. The second calculation component is for example determined in the form of a look-up table.

[0111] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S12, the first route cost may be determined based at least on a lanechange operation cost obtained by the vehicle in the at least one historical lane change operation. The lane change operation cost may be set to indicate: whether after each historical lane change operation, the vehicle performs a reverse lane change operation initiated by a driver having a lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation; and / or whether a lane change operation request of the vehicle in the first direction is canceled.

[0112] After the historical lane change operation, if a driver initiates a reverse lane change operation having a lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation, it indicates that the lane where the vehicle is located has a preceding vehicle having a relatively slow speed after the historical lane change operation, or that the driver prefers to travel on the lane where the vehicle is located before the historical lane change operation.

[0113] Optionally, the lane change operation cost may be set to indicate: within a predetermined time threshold after each historical lane change operation and / or within a predetermined travel distance threshold after each historical lane change operation, whether the vehicle performs the reverse lane change operation initiated by the driver having the lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation.

[0114] If a relatively slow another vehicle is identified on the target lane of the lane change operation in the first direction, the lane change operation in the first direction may be automatically canceled by a control device. Conversely, if the lane change operation request of the vehicle in the first direction is automatically cancelled, it may indicate that the vehicle flow speed of the corresponding target lane is slow.

[0115] If the lane change operation request of the vehicle in the first direction is cancelled by the driver, it may indicate that the driver dislikes the lane change operation in the first direction.

[0116] As an example, if the vehicle performs the reverse lane change operation initiated by the driver having the lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation after the historical lane change operation, or the lane change operation request of the vehicle in the firstdirection is cancelled, the lane change operation cost may be determined as 1 . If the vehicle does not perform the reverse lane change operation having the lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation initiated by the driver after the historical lane change operation, and the lane change operation request of the vehicle in the first direction is not cancelled, the lane change operation costs may be determined to be 0.

[0117] Optionally, the third calculation component may be determined according to the lane change operation cost and the speed of the vehicle.

[0118] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the first calculation component, the second calculation component, and the third calculation component may be considered when determining the route cost. In particular, the first calculation component, second calculation component and third calculation component may be considered comprehensively to determine the first route cost. For example, the first route cost may include or be indicated as a weighted sum of a first calculation component, second calculation component, and third calculation component. Optionally, a relatively large weight may be set for the first calculation component.

[0119] FIG. 7 schematically shows a flowchart of step S13 of the lane change decision method according to the present disclosure.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 7, step S13 may include steps S131 , S132, and S133.

[0121] In step S131 , it is to acquire a first initial release threshold for a lane change operation of a vehicle in a first direction.

[0122] In step S132, a first actual release threshold is determined according to the first route cost and first initial release threshold.

[0123] In step S133, it is to decide to perform the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane when the lane change condition parameter related to the lane change operation of the vehicle satisfies the release condition defined by the first actual release threshold. Otherwise, the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane is not performed.

[0124] The lane change condition parameter is related to the current conditions of the vehicle and surroundings thereof. For example, the lane change condition parameter may include at least one of a relative distance, a relative speed, and a relative acceleration of a vehicle from a preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle in a target lane and / or at least one of a relative distance, a relative speed, and a relative acceleration of a vehicle from a preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle in a current lane, etc.

[0125] The first initial release threshold set for the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction may be equal to a second initial release threshold set for a lane change operation of the vehicle in a second direction. Obviously, the second direction is opposite to the first direction. Specifically, the same initial release threshold may be set for a left lane change and a right lane change of a vehicle.

[0126] Optionally, in step S132, if the first route cost is within a first threshold range, the initial release threshold is used as the actual release threshold, and if the first route cost is within a second threshold range, the initial release threshold is adjusted to be used as the actual release threshold according to the first route cost, so as to suppress the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane. Thus, with the first route cost, it may be decided in the lane change decision to suppress or not suppress the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction. In particular, the initial release threshold is not adjusted to be more easily satisfied. Thus, it can be ensured that the lane change operation of the vehicle is carried out only when a basic safety requirement is satisfied.

[0127] If the first route cost is within the first threshold range, it indicates that the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane is not suppressed. The first threshold range is, for example, (0, +°°).

[0128] If the first route cost is within the second threshold range, it indicates that the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane is suppressed. The release condition defined by the actual release threshold may be more difficult to be satisfied than the release condition defined by the initial release threshold. The second threshold range is, for example, (-°°, 0).

[0129] FIG. 8 schematically shows a flowchart of a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0130] Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the lane change decision method comprises steps S11 , S12 and S13.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 8, the lane change decision method may include also steps S14 and S15.

[0132] In step S14, the lane level of the current lane is compared with the lane level of the target lane. Step S13 is performed only if the lane level of the target lane is lower than the lane level of the current lane, wherein the first direction indicates a lane change direction from a high-level lane to a low-level lane. Otherwise, step S15 is performed.

[0133] In step S15, when the first route cost is not considered, it is to make a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane in the second direction.

[0134] For lane change operations in different directions, different lane change decision patterns may be used. Taking a region where right-hand traffic regulations are implemented according to traffic rules as an example, if a vehicle travels in such a region, the first route cost may be applied in a lane change decision regarding a right lane change, while the corresponding route cost is not considered in a lane change decision regarding a left lane change. For example, in the lane change decision for a left lane change, it is only considered whether a lane change condition parameter related to a lane change operation of a vehicle satisfies the release condition defined by the second initial release threshold.

[0135] “A target lane having a lane level lower than that of a current lane” means that the target lane has a speed limit lower than that of a current lane and / or that a target lane is on the same side as the traffic side of the current lane.

[0136] In step S14, it is determined whether a target lane has a lane level lower than that of a current lane, for example, in response to a lane change operation request to lane change from the current lane to the target lane. When the target lane has a lane level lower than that of the current lane, steps S11 ,S12, and S13 may be continuously performed. When the target lane has a lane level lower than that of the current lane, step S15 is executed.

[0137] FIG. 9 schematically shows a flowchart of a lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0138] Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the lane change decision method comprises steps S11 , S12 and S13.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 9, the lane change decision method may include steps S21 , S22 and S23.

[0140] In step S21 , it is to acquire historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed by a vehicle before the current time, of lane change from the lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a second direction;

[0141] in step S22, according to the historical lane change information acquired in step S21 , it is to determine a second route cost for evaluating a lane change of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the second direction; and

[0142] in step S23, based on the second route cost, it is to make a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the second direction.

[0143] The second route cost may be determined in a similar manner as the first route cost.

[0144] It should be understood that the feature and advantage described herein for the lane change decision method are suitable for the control device and vice versa.

[0145] The present disclosure also relates to a computer program product comprising a computer program instruction, wherein, when the computer program instruction is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors can perform the lane change decision method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0146] Although particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail herein, the particular embodiments are given merelyfor the purpose of explanation, and should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A lane change decision method for a vehicle, comprising the following steps:511 , acquiring historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed by a vehicle before the current time, of lane change from a lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a first direction;512, according to the historical lane change information acquired in step S11 , determining a first route cost for evaluating a lane change operation of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the first direction; and513, based on the first route cost, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the first direction.

2. The lane change decision method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step S12, the first route cost is determined based at the least on a route benefit integral obtained by the vehicle in the at least one historical lane change operation, the route benefit integral being expressed as: the integral over time of the speed difference obtained by subtracting the lane change initial speed of the vehicle when the vehicle starts to perform the historical lane change operation from the speed of the vehicle after the historical lane change operation.

3. The lane change decision method according to claim 2, wherein, the route benefit integral is reset upon reaching a predetermined upper reset value and / or a predetermined lower reset value.

4. The lane change decision method according to claim 2, wherein,the route benefit integral is set to not continue to increase beyond a predetermined upper integral value upon reaching the upper integral value; and / or the route benefit integral is set to not continue to decrease below a predetermined lower integral value upon reaching the lower integral value.

5. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein, in step S12, at least one of the following route benefit parameters is determined based on the route benefit integral, and a first calculation component of the first route cost is determined from the at least one of the route benefit parameters: a first route benefit parameter determined from the route benefit integral and the speed of the vehicle; a second route benefit parameter determined from the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the lane change initial speed; and a third route benefit parameter determined from the route benefit integral and the speed difference between the speed of the vehicle and the current vehicle flow speed of the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation.

6. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -5, wherein, in step S12, the first route cost is determined based at least on an overtaking cost for the vehicle generated from the at least one historical lane change operation, the overtaking cost indicating the number of times of the vehicle being overtaken after each historical lane change operation by another vehicle in the lane where the vehicle is located when it starts to perform the historical lane change operation.

7. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -6, wherein, in step S12, the first route cost is determined based at least on a lane change operation cost obtained by the vehicle in the at least one historical lane change operation, the lane change operation cost being set to indicate: whether after each historical lane change operation, the vehicle performs a reverse lane change operation initiated by a driver having a lane change direction opposite to that of the historical lane change operation; and / or whether a lane change operation request of the vehicle in the first direction is canceled.

8. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -7, wherein, in step S13, the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane in the first direction is encouraged and / or suppressed using the first route cost.

9. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -8, wherein, step S13 comprises the following steps:5131 , acquiring a first initial release threshold for the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction;5132, determining a first actual release threshold according to the first route cost and first initial release threshold; and5133, deciding to perform the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane when the lane change condition parameter related to the lane change operation of the vehicle satisfies the release condition defined by the first actual release threshold.

10. The lane change decision method according to claim 9, wherein,the first initial release threshold set for the lane change operation of the vehicle in the first direction is equal to a second initial release threshold set for a lane change operation of the vehicle in a second direction.

11. The lane change decision method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, in step S132: if the first route cost is within a first threshold range, the initial release threshold is used as the actual release threshold; and if the first route cost is within a second threshold range, the initial release threshold is adjusted to be used as the actual release threshold according to the first route cost, so as to suppress the lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane.

12. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -11 , further comprising the following steps:514, comparing the lane level of the current lane with the lane level of the target lane, and performing step S13 only if the lane level of the target lane is lower than the lane level of the current lane, wherein the first direction indicates a lane change direction from a high-level lane to a low-level lane, or otherwise performing step S15; and515, without considering the first route cost, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane to the target lane in the second direction.

13. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -12, wherein, the historical lane change information for determining the first route cost in step S12 includes only historical lane change information generated within a time range having a predetermined duration before the current time; and / or the historical lane change information for determining the first route cost in step S12 includes only historical lane change information generated withina road segment having a predetermined travel distance before the current position of the vehicle.

14. The lane change decision method according to claim 13, wherein, the predetermined duration is determined according to the speed of the vehicle.

15. The lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -11 and 13-14, further comprising the following steps:521 , acquiring historical lane change information related to at least one historical lane change operation, performed by the vehicle before the current time, of lane change from the lane where the vehicle is located to an adjacent lane in a second direction;522, according to the historical lane change information acquired in step S21 , determining a second route cost for evaluating a lane change of the vehicle from the lane where the vehicle is located to the adjacent lane in the second direction; and523, based on the second route cost, making a lane change decision on whether to perform a lane change operation from the current lane where the vehicle is located at the current time to the adjacent target lane in the second direction.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer program instruction, wherein, when the computer program instruction is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors can perform the lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -15.

17. A control device for a vehicle, wherein the control device comprises a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program instruction thereon, and when the computer program instruction is executed by theprocessor, the processor can perform the lane change decision method according to any one of claims 1 -15.

18. A vehicle, comprising the control device according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle optionally further comprises: a sensing device configured to sense information about the vehicle and surroundings thereof for acquiring historical lane change information; and a lane change execution device configured to execute a corresponding lane change operation in response to an instruction of the control device.

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