Autonomous driving control device and autonomous driving control method

Abstract

In the present invention, an autonomous driving ECU functions as an autonomous driving control device for controlling traveling of an own vehicle (Am). The autonomous driving ECU acquires road information of a gate peripheral area (GA) present in a traveling direction of the own vehicle (Am) and detects approach of an emergency vehicle (Ae) to the own vehicle (Am). When an emergency vehicle approaches an own vehicle (Am) traveling in the gate peripheral area (GA) by an autonomous driving function, the autonomous driving ECU changes a stop position for stopping the own vehicle (Am) in order to avoid the emergency vehicle (Ae), in accordance with a current position of the own vehicle (Am) in the gate peripheral area (GA).

Description

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

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2024-61002 filed in Japan on April 4, 2024, and the contents of the original application are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The disclosure of this specification relates to an automatic driving control technology for controlling the driving of a vehicle.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 discloses an automatic driving control unit that controls a vehicle to travel along a route to a destination. This automatic driving control unit selects one of a plurality of ETC (Electronic Toll Collection, registered trademark) gates installed on a highway as a target gate and controls the traveling of the vehicle so that it passes through the selected target gate.

[0004] Patent No. 6692935

[0005] When an emergency vehicle approaches the vehicle, it may be necessary to stop the vehicle to avoid the emergency vehicle. However, while Patent Document 1 discloses a control to allow the vehicle to pass through an ETC gate, it does not disclose any control to avoid an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle in the area around the ETC gate. Therefore, when an emergency vehicle approaches the vehicle in the area around the gate, the vehicle attempting to pass through the ETC gate may obstruct the emergency vehicle.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control method that can control a vehicle so as not to obstruct emergency vehicles in an area around a gate.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control device that controls the driving of a vehicle using an autonomous driving function, and is equipped with an information acquisition unit that acquires road information for the area around the gate through which the vehicle is scheduled to pass, an approach detection unit that detects the approach of an emergency vehicle to the vehicle, and a stop control unit that, when an emergency vehicle approaches the vehicle driving in the area around the gate using the autonomous driving function, changes the stopping position at which the vehicle is stopped to avoid the emergency vehicle according to the current position of the vehicle in the area around the gate.

[0008] Another disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control method for controlling the driving of a vehicle using an autonomous driving function, which includes the following steps in processing performed by at least one processing unit: acquiring road information for the area around a gate in the direction of travel of the vehicle; detecting the approach of an emergency vehicle to the vehicle; and, when an emergency vehicle approaches the vehicle driving in the area around the gate using the autonomous driving function, changing the stopping position at which the vehicle is stopped to avoid the emergency vehicle according to the current position of the vehicle in the area around the gate.

[0009] In these aspects, when an emergency vehicle approaches the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling through the area around the gate, the stopping position of the host vehicle is changed according to the host vehicle's current position in the area around the gate. Therefore, the host vehicle can quickly retreat to an evacuation area suitable for avoiding the emergency vehicle. As a result, it is possible to control the host vehicle so as not to obstruct the emergency vehicle in the area around the gate.

[0010] It should be noted that the reference numbers in parentheses in the claims merely indicate an example of the correspondence with the specific configurations in the embodiments described below, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. Furthermore, claims not explicitly stated in the claims may be combined together if no particular problems arise in the combination.

[0011] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall view of an in-vehicle system including an autonomous driving ECU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating details of an autonomous driving ECU together with related configurations. FIG. 3 is a table illustrating a relationship between a current position of a host vehicle when an approaching emergency vehicle is detected and an evacuation area to which the host vehicle Am is directed. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating responsive driving control in scene 1 in which an approaching emergency vehicle is detected while passing through a gate. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating responsive driving control in scene 2 in which an approaching emergency vehicle is detected while waiting in line at a gate. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating responsive driving control in scene 3 in which an emergency vehicle is traveling in a lane different from that of the host vehicle. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating control in scene 4 in which the host vehicle is restarted after evacuation to an evacuation area. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating details of an emergency evacuation process performed by the autonomous driving ECU together with FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating details of an emergency evacuation process together with FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating details of a restart control process. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating details of an emergency vehicle notification process. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating responsive driving control in scene 5 in which an approaching emergency vehicle is detected in a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating responsive driving control in scene 6 in which the direction of the emergency vehicle cannot be detected. 8 is a diagram for explaining response driving control in scene 7 when an approaching emergency vehicle is detected on the way to the area around the gate. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining response driving control in scene 8 when an approaching emergency vehicle is detected in the area around the gate where an emergency vehicle lane is provided. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of emergency evacuation processing of the second embodiment together with FIG.

[0012] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that corresponding components in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another embodiment described previously can be applied to the remaining portion of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of several embodiments can also be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0013] (First embodiment) The functions of an automatic driving control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure are realized by an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The automatic driving ECU 50 is mounted on a vehicle (hereinafter, host vehicle Am). By mounting the automatic driving ECU 50, the host vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle or an autonomously traveling vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, and is able to travel using the automatic driving function.

[0014] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function that can take over driving operations from the driver. The autonomous driving ECU 50 can perform advanced driving assistance or partial autonomous driving at around level 2, and autonomous driving at level 3 or higher where the system is the main control element. The autonomous driving levels in this disclosure are based on standards defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0015] Level 2 autonomous driving (driving control) is an autonomous driving with a perimeter monitoring obligation (eyes-on autonomous driving) that requires the driver to visually monitor the area around the vehicle. Level 2 autonomous driving includes hands-on autonomous driving, in which the driver is required to hold the steering wheel (hereinafter referred to as the steering wheel), and hands-off autonomous driving, in which the driver is not required to hold the steering wheel.

[0016] Level 3 autonomous driving (driving control) is eyes-off autonomous driving, which means that there is no need to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle and no obligation to monitor the surroundings. The autonomous driving ECU 50 may be capable of Level 4 fully autonomous driving, in which the system performs all driving tasks under certain conditions, and Level 5 fully autonomous driving, in which the system performs all driving tasks under all conditions. Level 4 autonomous driving is brain-off autonomous driving, in which there is essentially no request for the driver to take over driving. Level 5 autonomous driving is driverless autonomous driving, which does not require a driver on board.

[0017] The autonomous driving ECU 50 switches the state of driving control by the autonomous driving function among a plurality of states including at least autonomous driving control with a periphery monitoring obligation of Level 2 or lower, and autonomous driving control without a periphery monitoring obligation of Level 3 or higher. In the following description, autonomous driving control of Level 2 or lower will be referred to as "driving assistance control," and autonomous driving control of Level 3 or higher will be referred to as "autonomous driving control." Furthermore, autonomous driving Level 0 driving control means that the autonomous driving function is stopped, and is equivalent to manual driving.

[0018] [Configuration of the In-Vehicle System] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is included in an in-vehicle system mounted on the host vehicle Am. The autonomous driving ECU 50 is communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network 1 that constitutes the in-vehicle system. The communication bus 99 is connected to an ETC in-vehicle device 28, a perimeter monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a navigation ECU 38, an in-vehicle communication device 39, a cruise control ECU 40, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) control device 100, etc. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Certain nodes among these ECUs, etc. may be directly electrically connected to each other and be able to communicate without going through the communication bus 99.

[0019] The ETC vehicle-mounted device 28 is a vehicle-side communication device that constitutes an electronic toll collection system. The ETC vehicle-mounted device 28 performs wireless communication with roadside wireless devices installed at toll booths RKJ (see Figure 3) on toll roads such as expressways. Expressways include national expressways and motorways where pedestrians, cyclists, and some small vehicles are prohibited from entering. Roads other than expressways are general roads. The ETC vehicle-mounted device 28 performs wireless communication with the roadside wireless device when passing through a toll booth RKJ, enabling automatic collection of expressway tolls according to the vehicle classification and traffic section of the vehicle Am.

[0020] The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor mounted on the host vehicle Am and monitors the environment surrounding the host vehicle Am. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 is capable of detecting moving and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the autonomous driving ECU 50, etc. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 includes a camera unit 31, a millimeter-wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and an exterior acoustic sensor 34. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 may further include a sonar sensor, etc.

[0021] The camera unit 31 includes a front camera module, a rear camera module, a left side camera module, and a right side camera module. The camera unit 31 includes multiple camera modules, so that it can capture images of the entire surroundings of the vehicle Am. The camera unit 31 provides the autonomous driving ECU 50 with image data captured by each camera module or analysis information of the image data as detection information.

[0022] The millimeter-wave radar 32 emits millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves toward the surroundings of the vehicle. The millimeter-wave radar 32 receives reflected waves from moving objects, stationary objects, and the like, and generates detection information, which is then provided to the autonomous driving ECU 50.

[0023] The lidar 33 emits laser light toward the surroundings of the vehicle. The lidar 33 receives the laser light reflected by moving objects and stationary objects within the irradiation range, and generates detection information (point cloud data) that is then provided to the autonomous driving ECU 50.

[0024] The exterior acoustic sensor 34 is primarily composed of a microphone element that converts sound into an electrical signal. The exterior acoustic sensor 34 is held on the exterior structural part of the host vehicle Am with the sound collection surface of the microphone element facing the exterior structural part. Multiple exterior acoustic sensors 34 are provided on the front, rear, left and right sides, and ceiling of the host vehicle Am. The exterior acoustic sensors 34 provided at each location can detect incoming sounds coming from all around the host vehicle Am and collect environmental sounds around the host vehicle Am. For example, when an emergency vehicle Ae (see FIG. 4 ) is approaching the host vehicle Am, the exterior acoustic sensor 34 collects environmental sounds including a specific siren sound sounded by the emergency vehicle Ae and a loudspeaker sound. The exterior acoustic sensor 34 provides the autonomous driving ECU 50 with sound data of the environmental sounds generated by each microphone element or analysis information of the sound data (e.g., extracted information on the siren sound) as detection information. In this disclosure, the emergency vehicle Ae includes a police vehicle, a fire engine, and an ambulance. Unless otherwise specified, the emergency vehicle Ae is assumed to be sounding a siren for emergency purposes.

[0025] The locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. The locator 35 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of the host vehicle Am by combining positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results from the inertial sensor, and vehicle speed information output to the communication bus 99. The locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of the host vehicle Am based on the positioning results to the communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0026] The locator 35 also has a map database that stores map data. The map database is primarily composed of a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called high-definition (HD) map and includes road information necessary for autonomous driving. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional road shape information and detailed information about each lane. The locator 35 can update the three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data to the latest information through external communication via the on-board communication device 39. The locator 35 reads map data about the area around the current location from the map database and provides it to the autonomous driving ECU 50, the HMI control device 100, etc., along with locator information.

[0027] The navigation ECU 38 acquires information about a destination specified by a passenger such as a driver based on operation information acquired from the HMI control device 100. The navigation ECU 38 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 35, and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the autonomous driving ECU 50, the HMI control device 100, etc. The navigation ECU 38 works in cooperation with the HMI control device 100 to provide route guidance to the destination by combining screen displays and voice messages, etc., and notifying the driver of the direction of travel of the vehicle Am at intersections, branching points, etc.

[0028] Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone or tablet may be connected to the in-vehicle network 1 or the HMI control device 100. Such a user terminal may provide the autonomous driving ECU 50 with information such as vehicle position information, direction information, and map data, instead of the locator 35. Furthermore, the user terminal may provide the autonomous driving ECU 50 and the HMI control device 100 with information such as route information to a destination, instead of the navigation ECU 38.

[0029] The in-vehicle communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the host vehicle Am. The in-vehicle communication device 39 functions as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 39 transmits and receives information via wireless communication between roadside devices installed on the side of the road, and other vehicles around the host vehicle. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives congestion information and traffic regulation information around the current location of the host vehicle Am and in the direction of travel from the roadside devices. The congestion information and traffic regulation information are, for example, VICS (registered trademark) information. The in-vehicle communication device 39 provides the received congestion information and traffic regulation information to the autonomous driving ECU 50, the HMI control device 100, etc.

[0030] The cruise control ECU 40 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The cruise control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information indicating the current traveling speed of the host vehicle Am based on detection signals from wheel speed sensors provided at the hub portions of each wheel, and sequentially outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99. The cruise control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The cruise control ECU 40 continuously controls the braking force of each wheel, the output of the on-board power source, and the steering angle based on operation commands based on the driver's driving operation or control commands from the automatic driving ECU 50.

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

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

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

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

[0035] The HMI control device 100 is a computer mainly including a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a control circuit equipped with a bus connecting these units. The processing unit 11 accesses the RAM 12 to execute various processes (instructions) for implementing the presentation control method according to the present disclosure. The storage unit 13 stores various programs (presentation control programs, etc.) executed by the processing unit 11. The HMI control device 100 functions as a presentation control device and comprehensively controls information presentation using multiple display devices, an audio device 24, and ambient light 25.

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

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

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

[0039] The information linking unit 61 provides information to the HMI control device 100 and acquires information from the HMI control device 100. The information linking unit 61 enables the sharing of acquired information between the autonomous driving ECU 50 and the HMI control device 100. The information linking unit 61 provides the HMI control device 100 with control status information indicating the operating state of the autonomous driving function, etc. The information linking unit 61 acquires operation information from the HMI control device 100 and grasps the content of user operations input by the driver or the like to the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. The information linking unit 61 grasps, for example, a level 2 transition operation that instructs a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control, and a level 3 transition operation that instructs a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control, etc.

[0040] The information linking unit 61 has a notification requesting unit 72 as a sub-functional unit for information linking with the HMI control device 100. The notification requesting unit 72 enables the HMI control device 100 to issue a notification synchronized with the operating state of the autonomous driving function by outputting a request to issue a notification to the HMI control device 100. For example, when the end of autonomous driving control is scheduled, the notification requesting unit 72 outputs a request to issue a notification requesting a driver change to the HMI control device 100.

[0041] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the driving environment of the host vehicle Am by combining the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 with the detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 30. The environment recognition unit 62 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38 and provides the acquired route information to the action determination unit 63. The environment recognition unit 62 acquires, for example, vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed as information indicating the state of the host vehicle Am from the communication bus 99. The environment recognition unit 62 has a target recognition unit 73 and a road recognition unit 74 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment.

[0042] The target recognition unit 73 recognizes dynamic targets and static targets present around the host vehicle based on detection information generated by the perimeter monitoring sensor 30. The target recognition unit 73 recognizes, for example, the size, type, relative position, relative speed, etc. of other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. The target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae (see FIG. 4 ) based on acoustic recognition technology using detection information from the exterior acoustic sensor 34. The target recognition unit 73 further detects the type, relative position, relative speed, etc. of the emergency vehicle Ae that has recognized its approach. The target recognition unit 73 estimates the planned driving route of the emergency vehicle Ae (hereinafter referred to as the estimated driving route) based on the detection of the direction of movement of the emergency vehicle Ae. When information indicating the planned driving route of the emergency vehicle Ae is provided to the on-board communication device 39 via road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the target recognition unit 73 may set the estimated driving route of the emergency vehicle Ae based on the information received by the on-board communication device 39. The target recognition unit 73 provides the behavior determination unit 63 with the recognition results relating to targets around the host vehicle.

[0043] The road recognition unit 74 acquires road information related to the roads on which the host vehicle Am is traveling and the roads on which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to travel, based on route information acquired from the navigation ECU 38. For example, when the host vehicle Am plans to pass through a toll gate RKJ (see FIG. 4 ), the road recognition unit 74 acquires detailed road information (hereinafter, “gate information”) related to an area including the toll gate RKJ (hereinafter, “gate surrounding area GA”; see FIG. 4 ). The road recognition unit 74 acquires the gate information before the host vehicle Am arrives at the gate surrounding area GA. The gate information includes information indicating the location (latitude and longitude) of the toll gate RKJ, information indicating the number of gates Gt (see FIG. 4 ) installed at the toll gate RKJ, information indicating the type of gate Gt, and information indicating the road shape of the sections before and after the toll gate RKJ. Detailed road information such as gate information may be recorded in map data stored in a map database or may be included in information received by the on-board communication device 39 from a roadside device. The road recognition unit 74 provides the acquired road information to the behavior determination unit 63 .

[0044] When the autonomous driving ECU 50 has control of driving operations, the behavior determination unit 63 determines the behavior of the host vehicle Am based on the route information, road information, and recognition results of the driving environment acquired from the environment recognition unit 62. The behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line along which the host vehicle Am will travel as a driving plan that defines the behavior of the host vehicle Am, and outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64. The behavior determination unit 63 has a control switching unit 77 and an evacuation control unit 78 as sub-functional units.

[0045] The control switching unit 77 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to switch the control state of the host vehicle Am between automatic driving and manual driving. The control switching unit 77 switches the automation level of cruise control (automatic driving control) performed by the automatic driving function. The automation level of cruise control is, in other words, the state of cruise control executed by the automatic driving function. For example, when the information linking unit 61 detects an input of an operation to transition to level 3 or level 4, the control switching unit 77 switches the automation level of cruise control from manual driving or driving assistance control of level 2 or lower to autonomous cruise control of level 3 or higher. When the control switching unit 77 determines to end the autonomous cruise control, it switches the automation level of cruise control from autonomous cruise control to driving assistance control or manual driving.

[0046] The evacuation control unit 78 performs adaptive travel control to accommodate the emergency vehicle Ae when the environment recognition unit 62 detects an emergency vehicle Ae (see FIG. 4 ) approaching the host vehicle Am. In the adaptive travel control, the evacuation control unit 78 controls the behavior of the host vehicle Am to avoid the emergency vehicle Ae while grasping the status of other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. As the adaptive travel control, the evacuation control unit 78 performs stop control to stop the host vehicle Am at a position that is a predetermined distance or more away from the emergency vehicle Ae (for example, an evacuation area EA, see FIG. 4 , etc.).

[0047] The avoidance control unit 78 performs, as response travel control, not only stop control but also low-speed travel control, departure control, reroute control, etc. Low-speed travel control is control to suppress the travel speed of the host vehicle Am so that the host vehicle Am does not enter the estimated travel path of an emergency vehicle Ae located in front of the host vehicle. Departure control is control to change lanes to cause the host vehicle Am to leave the current lane when an emergency vehicle Ae approaching from behind is traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle Am. Reroute control is control to reset the planned travel path of the host vehicle Am so as to avoid the estimated travel path of the emergency vehicle Ae. The change of the planned travel path by the reroute control may be realized by a process in which the action determination unit 63 changes the planned travel line, or may be realized by a process in which a reroute request is output to the navigation ECU 38.

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

[0049] [Response Travel Control for Emergency Vehicles in Gate Periphery Area] When an emergency vehicle Ae approaches the host vehicle Am traveling using the autonomous driving function, the autonomous driving ECU 50 described above can cause the host vehicle Am to travel without impeding the progress of the emergency vehicle Ae through response travel control by the evacuation control unit 78. This evacuation control unit 78 performs response travel control to avoid the emergency vehicle Ae even when the emergency vehicle Ae approaches the host vehicle Am in a scene where the host vehicle Am is traveling through the gate peripheral area GA. Below, details of the gate peripheral area GA in which the host vehicle Am is expected to travel and details of the response travel control performed in the gate peripheral area GA will be described based on Figures 3 to 7 and with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0050] <Details of the Gate Surrounding Area> The gate surrounding area GA shown in Figures 4 to 7 is a road section including multiple gates Gt installed at the toll gate RKJ. The multiple gates Gt are lined up along the width direction of the road. Vehicles equipped with an ETC onboard unit 28 can pass through each gate Gt non-stop. The multiple gates Gt include so-called ETC-only lanes through which only vehicles equipped with an ETC onboard unit 28 can pass, as well as mixed "ETC / general" lanes through which vehicles not equipped with an ETC onboard unit 28 can also pass. The ETC-only lanes are unmanned lanes in which no toll collectors are present. On the other hand, the mixed lanes are manned lanes in which toll collectors are present.

[0051] The gate surrounding area GA is defined within a predetermined distance (several tens to several hundred meters) before and after a gate point where multiple gates Gt are lined up. In other words, the gate surrounding area GA includes road sections before and after the gate point. As an example, the gate surrounding area GA is a section where the road width (number of lanes) is expanded compared to the connecting roads before and after. The gate surrounding area GA may be a laneless section where no dividing lines separating individual lanes are provided on the road surface.

[0052] The connecting road on the near side of the gate peripheral area GA is the entrance-side normal area S1. In contrast, the connecting road on the far side of the gate peripheral area GA is the post-passing normal area S2. The post-passing normal area S2 includes a first branch road S2a and a second branch road S2b. As an example, the first branch road S2a is a connecting road leading to a general road. The second branch road S2b is a connecting road leading to another expressway. Both the first branch road S2a and the second branch road S2b may be connecting roads leading to different expressways. The number of lanes in the gate peripheral area GA is greater than the number of lanes in the entrance-side normal area S1. Similarly, the number of lanes in the gate peripheral area GA is greater than the total number of lanes in the post-passing normal area S2, which includes the first branch road S2a and the second branch road S2b.

[0053] The gate surrounding area GA includes a pre-gate area GS1, a gate passing area GS2, and a post-gate area GS3. The pre-gate area GS1 is a road section between the entrance-side normal area S1 and the gate passing area GS2. In the pre-gate area GS1, the road width is widened from the entrance-side normal area S1 toward the gate passing area GS2 in accordance with the number of gates Gt provided at the toll gate RKJ. The gate passing area GS2 is a passing section through the toll gate RKJ, which includes multiple individually separated gates Gt. The post-gate area GS3 is a road section between the gate passing area GS2 and the post-passing normal area S2. In the post-gate area GS3, the road width is narrowed from the gate passing area GS2 toward the post-passing normal area S2 (first branch road S2a and second branch road S2b) in accordance with the number of lanes in the post-passing normal area S2.

[0054] In the pre-gate area GS1 and the post-gate area GS3, roadside areas close to the left and right road edges are used as evacuation areas EA. Multiple evacuation areas EA may be set in each of the pre-gate area GS1 and the post-gate area GS3. Each evacuation area EA has an area large enough for the host vehicle Am to temporarily stop after leaving the lane associated with each gate Gt.

[0055] <Details of Adaptive Travel Control> When the host vehicle Am is traveling in the gate surrounding area GA, the road recognition unit 74 recognizes the current position of the host vehicle Am. The road recognition unit 74 recognizes both the current position of the host vehicle Am in the traveling direction (forward / backward direction) and the current position of the host vehicle Am in the road width direction (left / right direction). The road recognition unit 74 identifies, as the current position in the traveling direction, which of the pre-gate area GS1, the gate passing area GS2, and the post-gate area GS3 the host vehicle Am is traveling in. The road recognition unit 74 identifies, as the current position in the road width direction, the position of the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling, among multiple lanes associated with each gate Gt.

[0056] The road recognition unit 74 refers to the gate information of the gate peripheral area GA and determines whether or not an evacuation area EA into which the host vehicle Am can escape exists in the gate peripheral area GA. The road recognition unit 74 extracts all areas in the gate peripheral area GA into which the host vehicle Am can escape as evacuation areas EA, based on data indicating the road shape of the gate peripheral area GA.

[0057] When multiple evacuation areas EA can be set in the pre-gate area GS1, the road grasping unit 74 refers to the planned driving line set by the behavior determining unit 63 and determines the evacuation area EA that is closest to the planned driving line among the multiple evacuation areas EA as the evacuation destination for the host vehicle Am in the pre-gate area GS1. Similarly, when multiple evacuation areas EA can be set in the post-gate area GS3, the road grasping unit 74 determines the evacuation area EA that is closest to the planned driving line among the multiple evacuation areas EA as the evacuation destination for the host vehicle Am in the post-gate area GS3.

[0058] If the road recognition unit 74 cannot set the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1, it may set the evacuation area EA only in the post-gate area GS3. Furthermore, if the evacuation area EA cannot be set in the post-gate area GS3, the road recognition unit 74 may set the evacuation area EA in a side strip or the like in the post-passage normal area S2 (see FIG. 5, etc.).

[0059] When the target recognition unit 73 detects that an emergency vehicle Ae is approaching the host vehicle Am in the gate surrounding area GA, the evacuation control unit 78 performs stop control as a response travel control. In the stop control, the evacuation control unit 78 sets a stop position in the evacuation area EA and stops the host vehicle Am at the stop position to avoid the emergency vehicle Ae. The evacuation control unit 78 changes the stop position of the host vehicle Am in the stop control depending on the current position of the host vehicle Am in the gate surrounding area GA.

[0060] The evacuation control unit 78 changes the evacuation area EA into which the host vehicle Am is to be evacuated, depending on the current position of the host vehicle Am in the traveling direction (see FIG. 3 ). More specifically, when the host vehicle Am has not yet reached the gate Gt and its current position is the pre-gate area GS1, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1. On the other hand, when the host vehicle Am has passed through the gate Gt and its current position is the post-gate area GS3, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3. Note that the corresponding travel control when the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected immediately before entering the gate Gt or while passing through the gate Gt will be described in detail in Scenes 1 to 3, which will be described later.

[0061] The evacuation control unit 78 changes the evacuation area EA into which the host vehicle Am is to be evacuated, depending on the current position of the host vehicle Am in the road width direction. More specifically, when the host vehicle Am passes through a gate Gt close to the right road edge of the gate surrounding area GA, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA set near the right sidewalk in the pre-gate area GS1 or the post-gate area GS3. On the other hand, when the host vehicle Am passes through a gate Gt close to the left road edge of the gate surrounding area GA, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA set near the left sidewalk in the pre-gate area GS1 or the post-gate area GS3.

[0062] The evacuation control unit 78 performs offset control after detecting the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae until starting stop control to direct the vehicle to the evacuation area EA. The offset control is control that shifts the traveling position of the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane while the vehicle is traveling to either the left or right from a reference position (e.g., the center of the lane). The evacuation control unit 78 performs offset control in the gate surrounding area GA to shift the traveling position of the host vehicle Am in the road width direction in a direction away from the estimated traveling path of the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0063] If the gate surrounding area GA is a laneless section, there are no dividing lines on the road defining the host vehicle's lane in the pre-gate area GS1 and the post-gate area GS3. In this case, the boundary of the host vehicle's lane is set based on the boundary of the lane of the gate Gt (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle gate GtS) where the planned driving route of the host vehicle Am is set. Specifically, virtual lines extending the left and right boundaries of the host vehicle gate GtS toward the host vehicle are set as the virtual dividing lines of the host vehicle's lane. The evacuation control unit 78 shifts the driving position of the host vehicle Am in a direction away from the estimated driving route of the emergency vehicle Ae while avoiding crossing the virtual dividing lines of the host vehicle's lane.

[0064] Even if the driving plan for the host vehicle Am includes a plan to change the automation level in the gate surrounding area GA, if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected, the control switching unit 77 suspends the change of the automation level in the gate surrounding area GA. As a result, the automation level (autonomous driving level) of the driving control currently being executed is maintained until the host vehicle Am stops in the evacuation area EA. For example, if the host vehicle Am is driving through the entry-side normal area S1 under autonomous driving control at autonomous driving level 3 or autonomous driving level 4, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am toward the evacuation area EA while continuing autonomous driving control at level 3 or level 4.

[0065] When the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae, the notification request unit 72 cooperates with the HMI control device 100 to notify passengers such as the driver about the emergency vehicle Ae (see FIG. 11 ). Based on the implementation request acquired from the notification request unit 72, the HMI control device 100 displays a text message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching," and a vehicle icon representing the emergency vehicle Ae on at least one display device. The HMI control device 100 plays a voice message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching," inside the vehicle cabin using the audio device 24.

[0066] The notification request unit 72 changes the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae according to the automation level of the driving control executed by the autonomous driving function. The notification request unit 72 lowers (weakens) the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae as the automation level of the driving control becomes higher. The notification request unit 72 adjusts the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae according to the number of display devices that display the content, the display area of ​​the content, whether or not to provide an audio notification, the volume of the audio notification, etc. The notification request unit 72 weakens the intensity of the notification by methods such as reducing the number of display devices, reducing the display area, omitting an audio notification, or lowering the volume of the notification.

[0067] As an example, when the host vehicle Am is traveling under autonomous driving level 4 cruise control, an icon indicating an emergency vehicle Ae is displayed on the meter display 21 or the CID 22, while audio notification is omitted. Furthermore, when the host vehicle Am is traveling under autonomous driving level 3 cruise control, content indicating the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is displayed by multiple display devices. Furthermore, when the host vehicle Am is traveling under autonomous driving level 2 cruise control, in addition to the notification using the display devices, an audio message indicating the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is played.

[0068] Next, we will further explain the details of emergency evacuation in scenes 1 to 3, in which the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected while passing through gate Gt or just before entering gate Gt, and the details of scene 4, in which the vehicle Am is restarted after evacuation to evacuation area EA.

[0069] 4, the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae, and the host vehicle Am is about to enter or has just entered the gate passage area GS2. That is, the host vehicle Am is passing through the host vehicle gate GtS, which is one of the multiple gates Gt. In scene 1, the emergency vehicle Ae is scheduled to enter the host vehicle gate GtS that the host vehicle Am is entering.

[0070] The evacuation control unit 78 acquires information indicating an estimated travel route of the emergency vehicle Ae from the target recognition unit 73. The evacuation control unit 78 identifies an emergency gate GtE through which the emergency vehicle Ae will proceed based on the acquired estimated travel route. The evacuation control unit 78 determines whether or not a host vehicle gate GtS, among the multiple gates Gt, for which a planned travel route of the host vehicle Am is set, matches the emergency gate GtE.

[0071] When the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae while the host vehicle is passing through the host vehicle gate GtS and the host vehicle gate GtS and the emergency gate GtE are aligned, the evacuation control unit 78 determines to evacuate through the post-gate area GS3. The evacuation control unit 78 continues traveling through the host vehicle gate GtS while maintaining a predetermined in-gate speed (e.g., approximately 20 km / h). After the host vehicle Am passes through the host vehicle gate GtS, in other words, after exiting the gate passage area GS2, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA closest to the host vehicle gate GtS among the multiple evacuation areas EA present in the post-gate area GS3. Before the host vehicle Am starts moving laterally, the evacuation control unit 78, in cooperation with the body ECU, starts flashing either the left or right turn signal (blinker) indicating the direction of movement of the host vehicle Am.

[0072] The evacuation control unit 78 waits for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake while stopping the host vehicle Am in the selected evacuation area EA. The evacuation control unit 78 maintains the stopped standby state of the host vehicle Am until detection of the emergency vehicle Ae is completed by the target recognition unit 73. During the period waiting for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake, the evacuation control unit 78 cooperates with the body ECU to continue flashing the turn signal on the roadside or the emergency flasher (hazard lamp).

[0073] <Scene 2: Emergency evacuation when approaching emergency vehicle is detected while waiting in line at gate> In scene 2 shown in Fig. 5 , the host vehicle Am is waiting to pass through gate Gt behind the leading vehicle Af at the timing when the approaching emergency vehicle Ae is detected by the target recognition unit 73. The host vehicle Am is following the leading vehicle Af and waiting in line at gate Gt. The leading vehicle Af is a vehicle that does not have an ETC onboard device 28. The gate Gt where the host vehicle Am is waiting is a manned gate.

[0074] When the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae while the host vehicle Am is waiting to pass through the gate Gt, the evacuation control unit 78 determines whether or not it is possible to direct the host vehicle Am to an evacuation area EA in the gate front area GS1. In other words, the evacuation control unit 78 determines whether or not it is possible to cause the host vehicle Am to leave the line of vehicles lined up at the gate Gt without moving the host vehicle Am back. If it is possible to direct the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA in the gate front area GS1, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA that is closest to the gate Gt where the host vehicle Am is waiting to pass, among the multiple evacuation areas EA present in the gate front area GS1.

[0075] If the evacuation control unit 78 cannot direct the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1, the evacuation control unit 78 determines to evacuate in the post-gate area GS3 or later. The evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA after passing through the gate Gt. The evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to exit the gate Gt following the preceding vehicle Af. After the host vehicle Am passes through the gate Gt, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA closest to the gate Gt that the host vehicle Am passed through (in FIG. 5, the evacuation area EA in front). The evacuation control unit 78 waits for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake, with the host vehicle Am stopped in the evacuation area EA set on the branch road to the second branch road S2b.

[0076] 6, similarly to scene 1, the host vehicle Am is about to enter or has just entered the gate passage area GS2 at the timing when the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected by the target recognition unit 73. In scene 3, the emergency vehicle Ae is scheduled to enter a gate Gt that is different from the host vehicle gate GtS through which the host vehicle Am is entering.

[0077] The evacuation control unit 78 identifies the emergency gate GtE through which the emergency vehicle Ae will proceed, based on the estimated travel route acquired from the target recognition unit 73. The evacuation control unit 78 determines whether the host vehicle gate GtS and the emergency gate GtE coincide. When the evacuation control unit 78 detects the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae while passing through the host vehicle gate GtS and the host vehicle gate GtS and the emergency gate GtE do not coincide, the evacuation control unit 78 decelerates the host vehicle Am and temporarily stops it at the host vehicle gate GtS. Before the host vehicle Am starts to decelerate, the evacuation control unit 78 cooperates with the body ECU to start flashing the hazard flashers. The evacuation control unit 78 waits for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake while the host vehicle Am is stopped within the host vehicle gate GtS. The evacuation control unit 78 continues flashing the hazard flashers while waiting for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake.

[0078] <Scene 4: Restarting after Emergency Evacuation> In scene 4 shown in Fig. 6, the host vehicle Am is evacuating to the nearest evacuation area EA. The emergency vehicle Ae has already overtaken the host vehicle Am. With the emergency vehicle Ae gone, the host vehicle Am can resume traveling toward the destination.

[0079] The control switching unit 77 determines whether to continue the ongoing automatic driving control when the emergency vehicle Ae is no longer detected by the target recognition unit 73. In other words, the control switching unit 77 determines whether to hand over driving to a driver before the host vehicle Am starts moving again from the stopped position. The control switching unit 77 makes the decision based on the stopped position of the host vehicle Am.

[0080] The control switching unit 77 determines to implement a driver changeover when movement of more than a predetermined amount along the road width direction in the gate surrounding area GA is required to return the host vehicle Am from a stopped position to a route for heading to the destination set for the host vehicle Am. As an example, the predetermined amount is a lateral movement amount equivalent to the width of multiple lanes. The lane width in the gate surrounding area GA, which is a laneless section, may be set based on the lane width within the gate Gt. When lateral movement across multiple lanes is required before exiting the gate surrounding area GA, the control switching unit 77 determines to implement a driver changeover.

[0081] Specifically, when the host vehicle Am stopped in the evacuation area EA on the right side of the pre-gate area GS1 heads toward the second branch road S2b (see the dashed arrow), the control switching unit 77 determines that lateral movement of more than a predetermined amount is unnecessary and allows the ongoing autonomous driving control to continue. Similarly, when the host vehicle Am stopped in the evacuation area EA on the left side of the post-gate area GS3 heads toward the first branch road S2a (see the solid arrow), the control switching unit 77 also determines that lateral movement of more than a predetermined amount is unnecessary and allows the ongoing autonomous driving control to continue.

[0082] The behavior determination unit 63 cooperates with the body ECU to start flashing the direction indicators that indicate the direction of travel of the host vehicle Am before the host vehicle Am resumes traveling, based on the decision to continue the autonomous driving control by the control switching unit 77. After the flashing of the direction indicators has started, the behavior determination unit 63 restarts the host vehicle Am toward the route to the destination.

[0083] On the other hand, when the host vehicle Am stopped in the evacuation area EA on the right side of the pre-gate area GS1 heads toward the first branch road S2a (see the solid arrow), the control switching unit 77 determines that a lateral movement of at least a predetermined amount is necessary and decides to switch to manual driving. Also, when the host vehicle Am stopped in the evacuation area EA on the left side of the post-gate area GS3 heads toward the second branch road S2b (see the solid arrow), the control switching unit 77 determines that a lateral movement of at least a predetermined amount is necessary and decides to switch to manual driving.

[0084] The notification request unit 72 outputs a request to the HMI control device 100 to issue a notification requesting a driver changeover based on the control switching unit 77's decision to transition to manual driving. The HMI control device 100 displays text messages such as "Automated driving cannot continue" and "Automated driving will end" on at least one display device based on the implementation request acquired from the notification request unit 72. The HMI control device 100 may also use the audio device 24 to play audio messages with the same content as the text messages inside the vehicle cabin.

[0085] The control switching unit 77 transfers control of the vehicle Am from the system to the driver when the driver starts driving. The driver, having acquired control of the vehicle Am, restarts the vehicle Am toward the route to the destination. The blinking of the turn signal may be started automatically.

[0086] [Processes related to responding to emergency vehicles in the area surrounding the gate] Next, details of the emergency evacuation process, restart control process, and emergency vehicle notification process related to responding to an emergency vehicle Ae in the area surrounding the gate GA will be explained based on Figures 8 to 11 and with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

[0087] 8 and 9 is a process for causing the host vehicle Am to retreat to an evacuation area EA when an emergency vehicle Ae is detected. The emergency evacuation process is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50 when the host vehicle Am, which is traveling under cruise control at autonomous driving level 2 or higher, reaches a position within a predetermined distance (for example, about 1 km) from a gate point.

[0088] In S11 of the emergency evacuation process, the road recognition unit 74 acquires road information (gate information) for the gate surrounding area GA that is located in the direction of travel of the host vehicle Am. In S12, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a driving plan (planned driving line) that passes through the gate surrounding area GA based on the route information and road information. Furthermore, in S13, the behavior determination unit 63 extracts an evacuation area EA from the gate surrounding area GA where the host vehicle Am can be evacuated, based on the road information for the gate surrounding area GA and the driving plan for the gate surrounding area GA.

[0089] In S14, the target recognition unit 73 acquires detection information from the perimeter monitoring sensor 30. In S15, the target recognition unit 73 determines whether or not the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae has been detected based on the most recent acquired detection information. If the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae has not been detected (S15: NO), the host vehicle Am continues traveling in accordance with the travel plan. Then, in S16, the behavior determination unit 63 determines whether or not traveling in the gate surrounding area GA has ended. If traveling in the gate surrounding area GA is continuing (S16: NO), monitoring of the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae and traveling of the host vehicle Am in accordance with the travel plan continue. On the other hand, if traveling in the gate surrounding area GA has ended (S16: YES), the current emergency evacuation process in the gate surrounding area GA is ended.

[0090] On the other hand, if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected (S15: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S17 whether a change in the automation level in the gate surrounding area GA is planned in the driving plan. If a change in the automation level is planned (S17: YES), the control switching unit 77 puts the planned change in the automation level on hold in S18. In this way, when an emergency vehicle Ae approaches, the control switching unit 77 maintains the automation level of driving control constant. Note that if a change in the automation level is not planned (S17: NO), the processing of S18 is skipped.

[0091] The behavior determination unit 63 activates the offset control in S19, thereby shifting the traveling position of the host vehicle Am in the road width direction in a direction away from the estimated traveling route of the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0092] In S20, the behavior determination unit 63 determines the current position of the host vehicle Am in the gate surrounding area GA. In S21, the behavior determination unit 63 determines whether the host vehicle Am has not yet reached the gate Gt based on the determined current position. If the host vehicle Am has not yet reached the gate Gt (S21: YES), in S27, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1.

[0093] On the other hand, if the host vehicle Am has already reached the gate Gt (S21: NO), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S22 whether the host vehicle Am is lined up at the gate Gt and is waiting behind the preceding vehicle Af to pass through the gate Gt. If the host vehicle Am is lined up at the gate Gt (S22: YES), the evacuation control unit 78 determines in S24 whether the host vehicle Am can be directed to the evacuation area EA in the gate front area GS1. If evacuation in the gate front area GS1 is possible (S24: YES), the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the gate front area GS1 in S27.

[0094] If the host vehicle Am is not lined up at the gate Gt (S22: NO), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S23 whether the host vehicle Am is passing through one of the gates Gt. If the host vehicle Am has already passed through the gate Gt (S23: NO), the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 in S29.

[0095] On the other hand, if the host vehicle Am is passing through the gate Gt (S23: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S25 whether the emergency vehicle Ae will enter the same lane as the host vehicle Am. If evacuation in the front-gate area GS1 is not possible (S24: NO), the behavior determination unit 63 also determines in S25 whether the emergency vehicle Ae will enter the same lane as the host vehicle Am.

[0096] If the emergency vehicle Ae is entering a different lane from the host vehicle Am (S25: NO), that is, if the host vehicle gate GtS and the emergency gate GtE do not coincide with each other, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to temporarily stop at the host vehicle gate GtS in S28. In this case, the host vehicle Am waits inside the host vehicle gate GtS for the emergency vehicle Ae to pass by.

[0097] On the other hand, if the emergency vehicle Ae is entering the same lane as the host vehicle Am (S25: YES), the evacuation control unit 78 continues driving control to pass through the gate Gt in S26. Then, after the host vehicle Am has passed through the gate Gt, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 in S29. By the processing of S27 to S29 described above, when the emergency vehicle Ae approaches the host vehicle Am traveling in the gate peripheral area GA, the stopping position at which the host vehicle Am is stopped to avoid the emergency vehicle Ae is changed according to the current position of the host vehicle Am in the gate peripheral area GA.

[0098] 10 is a process for restarting the traveling of the host vehicle Am that has evacuated to the evacuation area EA. The restart control process is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50 based on the host vehicle Am having moved to the evacuation area EA being in a stopped state upon completion of the emergency evacuation process (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

[0099] In S31 of the restart control process, the target recognition unit 73 determines whether the emergency vehicle Ae has disappeared. If the detection of the emergency vehicle Ae continues and the emergency vehicle Ae has not disappeared (S31: NO), the detection determination in S31 continues, and the disappearance of the emergency vehicle Ae is awaited. Then, if the emergency vehicle Ae has disappeared (S31: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S32 the stopped position of the host vehicle Am, which is stopped in the evacuation area EA. Furthermore, in S33, the behavior determination unit 63 refers to the route information and determines the return route to which the host vehicle Am will be returned.

[0100] In S34, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for returning the host vehicle Am from the stop position to the return route. The behavior determination unit 63 references the generated planned driving line and determines the amount of movement in the road width direction that the host vehicle Am needs to make in the gate surrounding area GA. Then, in S35, the behavior determination unit 63 determines whether movement of more than a predetermined amount is necessary to return to the return route. If movement of more than the predetermined amount is necessary (S35: YES), the control switching unit 77 determines in S36 to terminate the automatic driving control and implement a driving switch to switch to manual driving. On the other hand, if movement of more than the predetermined amount is not necessary (S35: NO), the control switching unit 77 determines in S37 to continue the automatic driving control that was being executed during evacuation.

[0101] 11, a notification is made to passengers that an emergency vehicle Ae is approaching. The emergency vehicle notification process is started by the notification request unit 72 when driving control by the autonomous driving function is turned on. The emergency vehicle notification process is repeatedly performed until driving control by the autonomous driving function is turned off.

[0102] In S51 of the emergency vehicle notification process, the notification request unit 72 determines whether or not the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae has been detected by the target recognition unit 73. If the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae has not been detected (S51: NO), the detection determination process of S51 is repeated to wait for the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae. Then, if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected (S51: YES), the notification request unit 72 acquires the automation level of the autonomous driving control currently being executed from the control switching unit 77 in S52.

[0103] In S53, the notification request unit 72 sets the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae according to the automation level of the autonomous driving control currently being executed. The higher the automation level, the lower the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae. In S54, the notification request unit 72 outputs a request to implement notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae to the HMI control device 100. In accordance with the implementation request acquired from the control switching unit 77, the HMI control device 100 notifies the occupants of the approaching emergency vehicle Ae at the notification intensity set in S53.

[0104] (Summary of First Embodiment) In the first embodiment described so far, when an emergency vehicle Ae approaches the host vehicle Am while the host vehicle Am is traveling through the gate peripheral area GA, the stopping position of the host vehicle Am is changed according to the current position of the host vehicle Am in the gate peripheral area GA. Therefore, the host vehicle Am can quickly retreat to an evacuation area EA that is suitable for avoiding the emergency vehicle Ae. As a result, it is possible to control the host vehicle Am so as not to obstruct the emergency vehicle Ae in the gate peripheral area GA.

[0105] Additionally, in the first embodiment, when the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected while the host vehicle Am is passing through one of the plurality of individually separated gates Gt, the host vehicle Am is caused to head toward a stopping position after passing through the gate Gt. As described above, by implementing the travel control that causes the host vehicle Am to leave the gate Gt, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the host vehicle Am blocks a gate Gt through which the emergency vehicle Ae may enter.

[0106] In the first embodiment, when the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected while the host vehicle Am is waiting to pass through the gate Gt behind the preceding vehicle Af, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle Am can be directed to a stop position in the gate front area GS1, which is in front of the gate Gt. If the host vehicle Am cannot be directed to the stop position in the gate front area GS1, stop control is performed to direct the host vehicle Am to the stop position after passing through the gate Gt. Based on the above, even when the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected immediately before entering the gate Gt, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to move the host vehicle Am into the gate front area GS1.

[0107] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, among the multiple gates Gt present in the gate surrounding area GA, a determination is made as to whether a host vehicle gate GtS through which the host vehicle Am is proceeding and an emergency gate GtE through which the emergency vehicle Ae is proceeding coincide with each other. If the host vehicle gate GtS and the emergency gate GtE do not coincide with each other, the host vehicle Am temporarily stops at the host vehicle gate GtS to avoid the emergency vehicle Ae. As described above, by temporarily stopping the host vehicle Am at the host vehicle gate GtS, it becomes possible for the emergency vehicle Ae to smoothly pass ahead in a situation where the emergency vehicle Ae is passing through a gate Gt different from the host vehicle Am.

[0108] Additionally, in the first embodiment, if the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected while the host vehicle is passing through the host vehicle gate GtS and the host vehicle gate GtS and the emergency gate GtE do not coincide, the host vehicle Am will stop temporarily at the host vehicle gate GtS. As described above, even if the host vehicle Am is passing through the gate, by controlling the host vehicle Am to immediately stop within the host vehicle gate GtS, it is possible to smoothly allow the emergency vehicle Ae to proceed ahead.

[0109] In the first embodiment, whether to hand over driving to a driver is determined based on the stopping position of the host vehicle Am. As a result, it is possible to appropriately determine whether to continue autonomous driving based on the situation of the host vehicle Am after evacuation.

[0110] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if the host vehicle Am needs to move a predetermined distance or more along the road width direction in the gate surrounding area GA in order to return the host vehicle Am from the stopped position to the route to the destination set for the host vehicle Am, a decision is made to implement a driver handover. As described above, a situation in which a driving control that is difficult for the autonomous driving function is forced to be performed can be avoided. Furthermore, because the control of the driving operation can be appropriately transferred to the driver, the host vehicle Am can return to the route to the destination based on the driver's judgment.

[0111] In addition, in the first embodiment, when an approaching emergency vehicle Ae is detected, a notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae is issued to the occupants of the host vehicle Am. The intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae is changed depending on the automation level of the driving control executed by the autonomous driving function. As a result, a notification that is less likely to be bothersome to the occupants can be issued depending on the control status of the autonomous driving in the gate surrounding area GA.

[0112] In the first embodiment, the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae is lowered as the automation level increases, so that even if the driver is performing a second task, the driver can be notified of the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae without interfering with the second task.

[0113] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, even if a change in the automation level in the gate surrounding area GA is scheduled, if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected, the change in the automation level in the gate surrounding area GA is put on hold. This can prevent the control state of automated driving from being changed in an unstable driving environment caused by the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae. This can also prevent the driver from suddenly being given a task corresponding to the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0114] Additionally, in the first embodiment, when the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected while the host vehicle Am is traveling in the gate surrounding area GA, offset control is implemented. In the offset control, the traveling position of the host vehicle Am in the road width direction is shifted in a direction away from the estimated traveling path of the emergency vehicle Ae. By implementing such offset control, even in a situation where the host vehicle Am is unable to retreat to the evacuation area EA in time and the emergency vehicle Ae overtakes the side of the host vehicle Am, the host vehicle Am can travel without obstructing the overtaking of the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the notification request unit 72 corresponds to the "notification implementation unit", the target object grasping unit 73 corresponds to the "approach detection unit", the road grasping unit 74 corresponds to the "information acquisition unit", the evacuation control unit 78 corresponds to the "stop control unit", and the automatic driving ECU 50 corresponds to the "automatic driving control device".

[0116] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, details of emergency evacuation in scenes 5 to 8 in which the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected before passing through the gate Gt will be described based on Figures 12 to 15 and with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0117] 12 , the host vehicle Am is traveling in a pre-gate area GS1 toward the host vehicle gate GtS, for which the planned traveling route is set, at the timing when the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected by the target recognition unit 73. The host vehicle gate GtS in scene 5 may be the emergency gate GtE through which the emergency vehicle Ae is scheduled to proceed, or may be a gate Gt different from the emergency gate GtE.

[0118] When the host vehicle Am has not yet passed through the gate Gt and the host vehicle gate GtS, for which the planned driving route is set, is located directly in front of the host vehicle Am, the evacuation control unit 78 does not perform evacuation to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1. When the host vehicle gate GtS is located directly in front of the host vehicle Am, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to continue traveling straight ahead so as to pass through the host vehicle gate GtS. After the host vehicle Am passes through the host vehicle gate GtS, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA. The evacuation control unit 78 temporarily stops the host vehicle Am in the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 or the post-passage normal area S2 and waits for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake.

[0119] 13 , the host vehicle Am is traveling in the area GS1 in front of the gate when the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected by the target recognition unit 73. While the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae, it is unable to detect the relative direction of the emergency vehicle Ae with respect to the host vehicle Am.

[0120] Even if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected in the gate surrounding area GA, if the direction of the emergency vehicle Ae relative to the host vehicle Am cannot be identified, the evacuation control unit 78 does not perform evacuation to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1. The evacuation control unit 78 continues driving the host vehicle Am so that it passes through the host vehicle gate GtS on the planned driving route. After passing through the host vehicle gate GtS, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA. The evacuation control unit 78 temporarily stops the host vehicle Am in the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 or the normal area S2 after passing through.

[0121] Here, if the direction of the emergency vehicle Ae is identified after passing through the gate Gt and it is estimated that the host vehicle Am will not obstruct the emergency vehicle Ae, the evacuation control unit 78 cancels evacuation to the evacuation area EA. For example, if it is estimated that the emergency vehicle Ae will head to a different branch road (e.g., the first branch road S2a) from the host vehicle Am, the evacuation control unit 78 cancels the movement to the evacuation area EA and continues traveling toward the normal area S2 after passing through the gate Gt.

[0122] <Scene 7: Emergency Evacuation When an Emergency Vehicle is Detected Before Entering the Gate Periphery Area> In Scene 7 shown in Fig. 14 , when the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae, the host vehicle Am is traveling in the entry-side normal area S1, which is located in front of the gate peripheral area GA. When the approach of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected while the host vehicle Am is traveling in the entry-side normal area S1, the behavior determination unit 63 determines the remaining distance from the host vehicle Am to the gate peripheral area GA (hereinafter referred to as the area reaching distance Dg). The behavior determination unit 63 determines whether the area reaching distance Dg is equal to or less than a predetermined distance (hereinafter referred to as the progress determination distance, for example, approximately 500 m).

[0123] When the host vehicle Am has not yet entered the gate surrounding area GA and the area reach distance Dg exceeds the proceeding decision distance, the evacuation control unit 78 determines to make an emergency evacuation in the entrance-side normal area S1. In this case, the evacuation control unit 78 sets an evacuation area EA to include the shoulder of the entrance-side normal area S1 and causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the set evacuation area EA. On the other hand, when the area reach distance Dg is equal to or less than the proceeding decision distance, the evacuation control unit 78 determines to continue traveling toward the gate surrounding area GA. After entering the gate surrounding area GA, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to head toward the evacuation area EA. The evacuation control unit 78 temporarily stops the host vehicle Am in the evacuation area EA in the gate front area GS1 and waits for the emergency vehicle Ae to pass.

[0124] <Scene 8: Emergency Evacuation in a Gate Surrounding Area with an Emergency Vehicle Lane> In scene 8 shown in FIG. 15 , when the target recognition unit 73 detects the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae, the host vehicle Am is traveling in a gate surrounding area GA in which an emergency vehicle lane LnE is provided. The emergency vehicle lane LnE is a lane for emergency vehicles Ae to travel in. The emergency vehicle lane LnE is installed on the side of the group of gates Gt, utilizing the road shoulder and the median strip. The emergency vehicle lane LnE is a lane installed to allow emergency vehicles Ae to quickly reach the scene, and is clearly distinguished from normal lanes by signs, road markings, etc. Ordinary vehicles other than the emergency vehicle Ae are prohibited from entering the emergency vehicle lane LnE. The emergency vehicle lane LnE may be closed except in emergencies.

[0125] The road recognition unit 74 refers to gate information based on map data, etc., and determines whether an emergency vehicle lane LnE is provided in the gate surrounding area GA. When the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected in the gate surrounding area GA where the emergency vehicle lane LnE is provided, the evacuation control unit 78 sets a stopping position so as not to interfere with the emergency vehicle lane LnE.

[0126] Specifically, the evacuation control unit 78 sets the evacuation area EA in an area away from the emergency vehicle lane LnE or in an area located on the opposite side of the emergency vehicle lane LnE. The evacuation control unit 78 generates a planned driving route toward the evacuation area EA so as not to intersect with the estimated driving route of the emergency vehicle Ae, and moves the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA according to the planned driving route. The evacuation control unit 78 temporarily stops the host vehicle Am in the evacuation area EA and waits for the emergency vehicle Ae to overtake.

[0127] <Emergency Evacuation Processing> Next, details of the emergency evacuation processing related to responding to an emergency vehicle Ae in the gate surrounding area GA will be described based on Figures 8 and 16, and with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 12 to 15. In the second embodiment, the emergency evacuation processing is also started by the autonomous driving ECU 50 when the host vehicle Am reaches a position that is approximately 1 km from the gate point or the gate surrounding area GA. Note that S12, S14 to S19, S22 to S23, and S26 to S29 of the emergency evacuation processing are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0128] In the emergency evacuation process of the second embodiment, in S11 shown in Fig. 8, gate information including information indicating whether or not an emergency vehicle lane LnE (see Fig. 15) is provided is acquired by the road recognition unit 74. Then, if an emergency vehicle lane LnE is provided in the gate surrounding area GA, the behavior determination unit 63 (evacuation control unit 78) sets an evacuation area EA that does not interfere with the emergency vehicle lane LnE in S13. As a result, a temporary stop at a position that does not interfere with the emergency vehicle lane LnE is realized.

[0129] 16, the behavior determination unit 63 determines the current position of the host vehicle Am in the gate peripheral area GA. If the host vehicle Am has not yet entered the gate peripheral area GA, the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S221 whether the area reach distance Dg (see FIG. 14) is equal to or less than the proceeding determination distance. If the host vehicle Am has not yet entered the gate peripheral area GA and the area reach distance Dg exceeds the proceeding determination distance (S221: NO), the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA set in the entry-side normal area S1 in S222.

[0130] On the other hand, if the area reach distance Dg is equal to or less than the travel determination distance (S221: YES), or if the host vehicle Am has already entered the gate surrounding area GA, the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S21 whether the host vehicle Am has not yet reached the gate Gt. If the host vehicle Am has not yet reached the gate Gt (S21: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S223 whether the relative direction of the emergency vehicle Ae has been detected by the target recognition unit 73. Even if the host vehicle Am is lined up at the gate Gt (S22: YES) and can retreat to the retreat area EA in the pre-gate area GS1 (S24: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 also determines in S223 whether the direction of the emergency vehicle Ae has been identified. If the direction of the emergency vehicle Ae has not been detected (S223: NO, see FIG. 13 ), the processing from S220 onward for determining the host vehicle's position is performed again. As a result, evacuation to the evacuation area EA in the gate front area GS1 is put on hold at least until the relative direction of the emergency vehicle Ae is detected.

[0131] On the other hand, if the direction of the emergency vehicle Ae has been detected (S223: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S224 whether the host vehicle gate GtS is located in front of the host vehicle Am (see FIG. 12 ). If the host vehicle gate GtS is located in front of the host vehicle Am (S224: YES), the evacuation control unit 78 continues driving control to pass through the host vehicle gate GtS in S26. After the host vehicle Am passes through the host vehicle gate GtS, the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 in S29. On the other hand, if the host vehicle gate GtS is not located in front of the host vehicle Am (S224: NO), the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to evacuate to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1 in S27.

[0132] Furthermore, if the host vehicle Am is passing through the gate Gt (S23: YES), the behavior determination unit 63 determines in S225 whether the emergency vehicle Ae will enter a lane different from that of the host vehicle Am. If the relative direction of the emergency vehicle Ae has been detected and it is clear that the emergency vehicle Ae will enter a lane different from that of the host vehicle Am (S225: YES), the evacuation control unit 78 causes the host vehicle Am to temporarily stop at the host vehicle gate GtS in S28.

[0133] On the other hand, if the emergency vehicle Ae is entering the same lane as the host vehicle Am (S225: NO), the evacuation control unit 78 continues the driving control to pass through the gate Gt in S26. In addition, if the relative direction of the emergency vehicle Ae has not been detected and the lane into which the emergency vehicle Ae will enter cannot be identified (S225: NO), the evacuation control unit 78 also continues the driving control to pass through the gate Gt in S26. After the host vehicle Am has passed through the gate Gt, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 in S29.

[0134] (Summary of Second Embodiment) The second embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and the stopping position of the host vehicle Am is changed depending on the current position of the host vehicle Am relative to the gate peripheral area GA. As a result, it is possible to quickly evacuate the host vehicle Am to an appropriate evacuation area EA in the gate peripheral area GA so as not to obstruct the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0135] Additionally, in the second embodiment, even if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected before passing through the gate Gt, if the host vehicle gate GtS is located directly in front of the host vehicle Am, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA after passing through the host vehicle gate GtS. Performing evacuation control to move the host vehicle Am to the left or right before passing through the gate Gt could cause inconvenience to vehicles traveling alongside the host vehicle and ultimately impede the emergency vehicle Ae. Therefore, in the evacuation control when the host vehicle gate GtS is already directly in front of the host vehicle, passing through the host vehicle gate GtS is prioritized. After passing through the gate Gt, the parallel vehicle is also traveling at a low speed, making it easier to determine the direction of travel of the parallel vehicle. As a result, the host vehicle Am can be evacuated to the evacuation area EA without interfering with the parallel vehicle and, ultimately, the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0136] In the second embodiment, even if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected in the gate surrounding area GA, if the direction of the emergency vehicle Ae relative to the host vehicle Am cannot be determined, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the host vehicle Am toward the evacuation area EA after passing through the gate Gt. As described above, in a situation where the relative position of the emergency vehicle Ae cannot be determined, control to move the host vehicle Am to the left or right in the gate front area GS1 is suppressed. This makes it possible to evacuate the host vehicle Am into the evacuation area EA in the gate passing area GS2, where ample space is secured. As a result, the host vehicle Am can proceed toward the evacuation area EA without obstructing the passage of the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0137] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, even if the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected while the vehicle is traveling in the normal entry area S1, if the area reach distance Dg is equal to or less than the proceeding decision distance, the evacuation control unit 78 directs the vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA after entering the gate peripheral area GA. Space for evacuation is more likely to be secured in the gate peripheral area GA than in the normal entry area S1. Therefore, by avoiding evacuation control in the normal entry area S1 and performing evacuation control in the gate peripheral area GA, emergency evacuation that is less likely to obstruct the emergency vehicle Ae can be implemented.

[0138] Additionally, in the second embodiment, when the approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is detected in the gate peripheral area GA where the emergency vehicle lane LnE is provided, the evacuation control unit 78 sets an evacuation area EA for the host vehicle Am so as not to interfere with the emergency vehicle lane LnE. By setting the evacuation area EA in this way so as to avoid interference with the emergency vehicle lane LnE, it is possible to more reliably perform emergency evacuation so as not to obstruct the passage of the emergency vehicle Ae.

[0139] In the above embodiment, the entrance-side normal area S1 corresponds to the "connecting road", and the area reach distance Dg corresponds to the "distance from the vehicle to the area around the gate".

[0140] (Other Embodiments) Although multiple embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0141] The road configuration of the gate surrounding area GA to which the emergency evacuation process of the above embodiment is applied and the road configuration of the connecting roads connected before and after the gate surrounding area GA may be changed as appropriate. For example, the number of gates Gt may be the same as the number of lanes of the connecting road. In addition, the post-passage normal area S2 may not include multiple branch roads, or the entrance-side normal area S1 may include multiple branch roads. Furthermore, the gate Gt may be an entrance gate for entering an expressway from a general road, an exit gate for exiting an expressway onto a general road, or a main line gate located on a main line connecting different expressways.

[0142] In the first modification of the above embodiment, stop control for keeping the host vehicle Am within the gate Gt is not performed. If the host vehicle Am cannot be evacuated to the evacuation area EA in the pre-gate area GS1, the evacuation control unit 78 evacuates the host vehicle Am to the evacuation area EA in the post-gate area GS3 or the post-passage normal area S2.

[0143] In the second modification of the above embodiment, offset control based on detection of approach of an emergency vehicle Ae is omitted. Furthermore, in the third modification of the above embodiment, the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae is kept constant regardless of the automation level of the currently executed cruise control. Furthermore, in the fourth modification of the above embodiment, the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle Ae is increased (stronger) as the automation level of the currently executed cruise control increases.

[0144] The evacuation control unit 78 in the above embodiment can perform evacuation control other than stop control, i.e., adaptive travel control for the emergency vehicle Ae. On the other hand, the evacuation control unit 78 in the fifth modification of the above embodiment performs only stop control as adaptive travel control.

[0145] In a sixth modification of the above embodiment, when the host vehicle Am stops in the evacuation area EA, the autonomous driving control is temporarily terminated regardless of the difficulty of driving control to return to the route to the destination. As a result, the host vehicle Am is restarted by manual driving operation by the driver. In a seventh modification of the above embodiment, driving control by the autonomous driving function is continued even if a lateral movement of more than a predetermined amount is required to return to the route to the destination. In the seventh modification, the driver may be required to monitor the surroundings before restarting and to input a trigger operation to instruct the host vehicle Am to restart.

[0146] In Modification 8 of the above embodiment, the functions of the automatic driving ECU 50 and the HMI control device 100 are provided by a single integrated ECU. In this Modification 8, the integrated ECU corresponds to the "automatic driving control device." Furthermore, the functions of the automatic driving control device according to the present disclosure may be realized by cooperation between the automatic driving ECU 50 and the HMI control device 100. In this embodiment, the system including the automatic driving ECU 50 and the HMI control device 100 corresponds to the "automatic driving control device," and the HMI control device 100 corresponds to the "alert implementation unit."

[0147] In the above embodiment, each function provided by the autonomous driving ECU 50 can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software alone, hardware alone, or a combination of these. Furthermore, when such functions are provided by electronic circuits as hardware, each function can also be provided by digital circuits including multiple logic circuits or analog circuits. Furthermore, the software for realizing such functions may include, at least in part, code automatically generated by a neural network or language model trained using a large amount of learning data.

[0148] Each processing unit in the above embodiments is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to a RAM. The processing unit includes at least one arithmetic core, such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The processing unit may further include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a neural network processing unit (NPU), and an IP core with other dedicated functions. Furthermore, the processing unit is not limited to being individually mounted on a printed circuit board. The processing unit may be mounted on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a chiplet integration, an FPGA, or the like.

[0149] In the above embodiments, the form of the storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) that stores various programs and the like may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to a configuration provided on a circuit board, but may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as an autonomous driving ECU. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk, hard disk drive, solid state drive, or the like that serves as a source from which programs are copied or distributed to the autonomous driving ECU or the like.

[0150] Vehicles equipped with the above-described autonomous driving ECUs and the like are not limited to general private passenger cars (Personally Owned Vehicles, POVs). Vehicles equipped with these may also be rental cars, manned taxis, ride-sharing vehicles, freight vehicles, buses, etc. Furthermore, vehicles equipped with autonomous driving ECUs and the like may be right-hand drive vehicles or left-hand drive vehicles. Furthermore, the traffic environment in which the vehicle travels may be a traffic environment based on left-hand traffic or a traffic environment based on right-hand traffic. The autonomous driving control and information presentation control according to the present disclosure may be optimized as appropriate according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, as well as the steering wheel position of the vehicle.

[0151] The controller and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by special-purpose hardware logic circuitry. Alternatively, the apparatus and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers comprising a processor executing a computer program in combination with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0152] (Disclosure of Technical Ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple clauses. Some clauses may be described in a multiple dependent form, with the subsequent clause alternatively referring to the preceding clause. Furthermore, some clauses may be described in a multiple dependent form, with the subsequent clause referring to another multiple dependent clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0153] (Technical Idea 1) An autonomous driving control device that controls the traveling of a host vehicle (Am) using an autonomous driving function, comprising: an information acquisition unit (74) that acquires road information of a gate peripheral area (GA) through which the host vehicle is scheduled to pass, an approach detection unit (73) that detects the approach of an emergency vehicle (Ae) to the host vehicle, and a stop control unit (78) that, when the emergency vehicle approaches the host vehicle traveling through the gate peripheral area using the autonomous driving function, changes a stop position at which the host vehicle is to stop to avoid the emergency vehicle, according to a current position of the host vehicle in the gate peripheral area. (Technical Idea 2) The autonomous driving control device according to Technical Idea 1, wherein, when the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected by the approach detection unit while the host vehicle is passing through one of a plurality of gates (Gt) individually separated in the gate peripheral area, the stop control unit directs the host vehicle to the stop position after passing the gate. (Technical Idea 3) The automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein, when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the host vehicle is waiting to pass through a gate (Gt) behind a preceding vehicle (Af), the stop control unit determines whether or not it is possible to direct the host vehicle to the stop position in a gate front area (GS1) on the near side of the gate, and, when it is not possible to direct the host vehicle to the stop position in the gate front area, directs the host vehicle to the stop position after passing through the gate. (Technical Idea 4) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 3, wherein the stop control unit determines whether or not a host vehicle gate (GtS) through which the host vehicle will proceed and an emergency gate (GtE) through which the emergency vehicle will proceed coincide with each other among a plurality of gates (Gt) present in the gate peripheral area, and, when the host vehicle gate and the emergency gate do not coincide with each other, causes the host vehicle to temporarily stop at the host vehicle gate to avoid the emergency vehicle. (Technical Idea 5) An automatic driving control device according to Technical Idea 4, wherein the stop control unit temporarily stops the host vehicle at the host vehicle gate when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the host vehicle is passing through the host vehicle gate and the host vehicle gate and the emergency gate do not coincide.(Technical Idea 6) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 5, further comprising a control switching unit (77) that determines whether to hand over driving to a driver of the host vehicle when the host vehicle has retreated to the stop position, according to the stop position of the host vehicle. (Technical Idea 7) The autonomous driving control device according to Technical Idea 6, wherein the control switching unit determines to implement the driver handover when movement of a predetermined amount or more along a road width direction is required in the area around the gate to return the host vehicle from the stop position to a route toward a destination set for the host vehicle. (Technical Idea 8) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7, further comprising an alert implementation unit (72) that, when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle, issues an alert regarding the emergency vehicle to occupants of the host vehicle, wherein the alert implementation unit changes the intensity of the alert regarding the emergency vehicle depending on the automation level of driving control executed by the autonomous driving function. (Technical Idea 9) The autonomous driving control device according to Technical Idea 8, wherein the notification implementation unit decreases the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle as the automation level increases. (Technical Idea 10) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, further comprising a control switching unit (77) that changes the automation level of driving control executed by the autonomous driving function, wherein the control switching unit suspends the change of the automation level in the area around the gate when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle, even if a change of the automation level in the area around the gate is planned. (Technical Idea 11) The autonomous driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 10, wherein, when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the vehicle is traveling in the area around the gate, the stop control unit performs offset control that shifts the traveling position of the vehicle in the road width direction in a direction away from the estimated traveling path of the emergency vehicle.(Technical Idea 12) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, wherein the stop control unit causes the host vehicle to head toward the stop position after passing through the host vehicle gate (GtS), where a host vehicle gate (GtS) for which a planned driving route of the host vehicle is set is located in front of the host vehicle, even if the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected in the gate peripheral area before the host vehicle passes through the gate (Gt). (Technical Idea 13) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 12, wherein the stop control unit causes the host vehicle to head toward the stop position after passing through the gate (Gt), if a host vehicle gate (GtS), for which a planned driving route of the host vehicle is set, is located in front of the host vehicle. (Technical Idea 14) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 13, wherein even if the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected while the vehicle is traveling on a connecting road (S1) on the near side of the gate peripheral area, if a distance (Dg) from the vehicle to the gate peripheral area is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the stop control unit causes the vehicle to head toward the stop position after entering the gate peripheral area. (Technical Idea 15) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 14, wherein, if the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected in the gate peripheral area where an emergency vehicle lane is provided for the emergency vehicle to travel, the stop control unit sets the stop position so as not to interfere with the emergency vehicle lane. (Technical Idea 16) An autonomous driving control program that controls the traveling of a host vehicle (Am) using an autonomous driving function, the autonomous driving control program causing at least one processing unit (51) to execute processes including: acquiring road information for a gate surrounding area (GA) that exists in the traveling direction of the host vehicle (S11); detecting an approach of an emergency vehicle (Ae) to the host vehicle (S15); and, when the emergency vehicle approaches the host vehicle traveling in the gate surrounding area using the autonomous driving function, changing a stopping position at which the host vehicle is stopped to avoid the emergency vehicle according to the current position of the host vehicle in the gate surrounding area (S27 to S29).

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device that controls the driving of a host vehicle (Am) using an automatic driving function, comprising: an information acquisition unit (74) that acquires road information for a gate surrounding area (GA) through which the host vehicle is scheduled to pass; an approach detection unit (73) that detects the approach of an emergency vehicle (Ae) to the host vehicle; and a stop control unit (78) that, when the emergency vehicle approaches the host vehicle driving through the gate surrounding area using the automatic driving function, changes the stopping position at which the host vehicle is stopped to avoid the emergency vehicle according to the current position of the host vehicle in the gate surrounding area.

2. The automatic driving control device of claim 1, wherein when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the vehicle is passing through one of a plurality of gates (Gt) individually separated in the area surrounding the gate, the stop control unit directs the vehicle toward the stop position after passing through the gate.

3. The automatic driving control device of claim 1, wherein when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the vehicle is waiting to pass through a gate (Gt) behind a preceding vehicle (Af), the stop control unit determines whether or not the vehicle can be directed to the stop position in the gate front area (GS1) on the near side of the gate, and when the vehicle cannot be directed to the stop position in the gate front area, the stop control unit directs the vehicle to the stop position after passing through the gate.

4. The automatic driving control device described in claim 1, wherein the stop control unit determines whether the host vehicle gate (GtS) through which the host vehicle is proceeding matches the emergency gate (GtE) through which the emergency vehicle is proceeding among multiple gates (Gt) present in the gate surrounding area, and if the host vehicle gate and the emergency gate do not match, causes the host vehicle to temporarily stop at the host vehicle gate to avoid the emergency vehicle.

5. An automatic driving control device as described in claim 4, wherein the stop control unit temporarily stops the host vehicle at the host vehicle gate when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the host vehicle is passing through the host vehicle gate and the host vehicle gate and the emergency gate do not coincide.

6. An automatic driving control device as described in claim 1, further comprising a control switching unit (77) that determines whether or not to hand over driving to a driver of the vehicle when the vehicle retreats to the stopping position, depending on the stopping position of the vehicle.

7. The automatic driving control device described in claim 6, wherein the control switching unit decides to implement the driving changeover when movement of more than a predetermined amount along the road width direction is required in the area around the gate in order to return the vehicle from the stopped position to the route toward the destination set for the vehicle.

8. An automatic driving control device as described in claim 1, further comprising an alert implementation unit (72) that issues an alert regarding the emergency vehicle to occupants of the vehicle when the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected by the approach detection unit, wherein the alert implementation unit changes the intensity of the alert regarding the emergency vehicle depending on the automation level of driving control executed by the automatic driving function.

9. The automatic driving control device according to claim 8, wherein the notification implementation unit reduces the intensity of the notification regarding the emergency vehicle as the automation level increases.

10. An automatic driving control device as described in claim 1, further comprising a control switching unit (77) that changes the automation level of driving control executed by the automatic driving function, wherein the control switching unit suspends the change of the automation level in the area surrounding the gate when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle, even if a change of the automation level in the area surrounding the gate is planned.

11. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the stop control unit performs offset control to shift the vehicle's driving position in the road width direction away from the estimated driving path of the emergency vehicle when the approach detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle while the vehicle is driving in the area around the gate.

12. The automatic driving control device of claim 1, wherein the stop control unit directs the vehicle to the stop position after passing through the gate (GtS), even if the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected in the area around the gate before the vehicle passes through the gate (Gt), if the gate (GtS) for which the planned driving route of the vehicle is set is located in front of the vehicle.

13. The automatic driving control device described in claim 1, wherein the stop control unit directs the vehicle toward the stop position after passing through the gate (Gt) if the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected in the area around the gate but the direction of the emergency vehicle relative to the vehicle cannot be identified.

14. The automatic driving control device of claim 1, wherein the stop control unit, even if the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected while the vehicle is traveling on a connecting road (S1) on the near side of the gate peripheral area, directs the vehicle toward the stop position after entering the gate peripheral area if the distance (Dg) from the vehicle to the gate peripheral area is less than a predetermined distance.

15. The automatic driving control device of claim 1, wherein the stop control unit sets the stop position so as not to interfere with the emergency vehicle lane when the approach of the emergency vehicle is detected in the area around the gate where an emergency vehicle lane is provided for the emergency vehicle to travel.

16. An autonomous driving control method for controlling the driving of a host vehicle (Am) using an autonomous driving function, the method including the following steps in processing performed by at least one processing unit (51): acquiring road information for a gate surrounding area (GA) present in the direction of travel of the host vehicle (S11); detecting the approach of an emergency vehicle (Ae) to the host vehicle (S15); and, when the emergency vehicle approaches the host vehicle driving in the gate surrounding area using the autonomous driving function, changing the stopping position at which the host vehicle stops to avoid the emergency vehicle according to the host vehicle's current position in the gate surrounding area (S27 to S29).

Images