Vehicle control method and vehicle control device

Abstract

A vehicle control device (10) controls a lane change of a host vehicle (1) from a lane of a road with an intersection ahead to a second lane at an end of the road and adjacent to the first lane. When, in the second lane, a stopped vehicle is present within a stopped vehicle detection range rearward of the intersection and a target vehicle is present within a target vehicle detection range based on at least the position or the speed of the host vehicle (1), the vehicle control device (10) estimates a stop position of the target vehicle. The vehicle control device (10) determines to execute a lane change to the second lane at a position behind the stopped vehicle when the estimated stop position is within a stop range behind the stopped vehicle, and determines to execute a lane change to the second lane at a position in front of the stopped vehicle when the estimated stop position exceeds the stop range.

Description

Vehicle control method and vehicle control device

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

[0002] In the field of automated driving and driving assistance for vehicles, there are known technologies for controlling lane changes to adjacent lanes. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes an automated driving assistance device that detects an inter-vehicle space equal to or greater than a predetermined range as a lane change target location, and sets a lane change start point at a point where the front end of the vehicle in the traveling direction and the front end of the lane change target location are approximately adjacent to each other, thereby changing lanes.

[0003] JP 2015-184722 A

[0004] When changing lanes to the leftmost lane before an intersection, such as when making a left turn, if there is a stopped vehicle in the lane you are changing into, even if there is sufficient space between the vehicles, changing lanes in front of the stopped vehicle may result in cutting in front of the stopped vehicle if the stopped vehicle is temporarily stopped, such as waiting at a traffic light.On the other hand, if you always change lanes behind the stopped vehicle in such cases, it will not be considered cutting in front of the stopped vehicle, but if the stopped vehicle is not waiting at a traffic light but is parked on the left side of the road, your vehicle's progress will be significantly hindered.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device that can appropriately perform lane changes before an intersection.

[0006] To achieve the above object, a vehicle control method according to the present invention uses a processor to control a lane change of a host vehicle from a first lane of a road with an intersection ahead to a second lane adjacent to the first lane and at the edge of the road. When a stopped vehicle is present in the second lane within a stopped vehicle detection range behind the intersection and a target vehicle is present within a target vehicle detection range based on at least the position or speed of the host vehicle, the processor estimates the stopping position of the target vehicle. If the estimated stopping position is within a stopping range behind the stopped vehicle, the processor determines to execute a lane change to the second lane behind the stopped vehicle. If the estimated stopping position is beyond the stopping range, the processor determines to execute a lane change to the second lane ahead of the stopped vehicle.

[0007] According to the present invention, lane changes are performed using a method based on the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle, so that lane changes can be performed appropriately before an intersection.

[0008] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment; 3 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change; 4 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change; 5 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change; 6 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change; 7 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change; 8 is a flowchart of a vehicle control process according to an embodiment; 9 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change in a modified example; 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lane change in a modified example;

[0009] A vehicle control method and a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment) A vehicle control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device for controlling vehicle driving. The vehicle control device 10 realizes autonomous driving of the vehicle by controlling various parts of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 10 is assumed to control level 4 autonomous driving, but other levels may be used. The vehicle control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when it is necessary for the vehicle to change lanes to the leftmost lane of the road before an intersection, it controls driving so as to make an appropriate lane change based on the status of other vehicles in the vicinity. For this reason, the following description will mainly focus on driving control when changing lanes before an intersection, among the vehicle driving control performed by the vehicle control device 10.

[0011] Next, the configuration of the vehicle control device 10 will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle control device 10. The vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 1. In addition to the vehicle control device 10, the vehicle 1 also includes an actuator 20 that operates each part of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 also includes an engine, a body, a chassis, a drive train, a steering wheel, electrical parts, brakes, etc., but these general components are not shown and will not be described. In the following description, the vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle control device 10 will also be referred to as the host vehicle 1 to easily distinguish it from other vehicles. In the following description, the host vehicle 1 is assumed to be traveling on a two-lane road, and the right lane (passing lane) of the two-lane road will be referred to as the first lane, and the left lane will be referred to as the second lane.

[0012] The vehicle control device 10 includes a controller 100 that controls the overall operation of the vehicle control device 10, a location information acquisition unit 200 that acquires location information of the vehicle 1, a map database 300 that stores map information (map data) including information on roads on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, and a sensor 400 that detects objects around the vehicle 1. Note that the location information acquisition unit 200, the map database 300, and the sensor 400 may be configured to be shared with other systems or devices such as a navigation system.

[0013] The position information acquisition unit 200 is any device, such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, that can acquire the position of the vehicle 1. The GNSS receiver receives orbit information and time information from a plurality of positioning satellites, and outputs position information indicating the position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the received signals to the controller 100.

[0014] The map database 300 is a database that stores map information (map data) including road information and intersection information. By referring to the map data stored in the map database 300, the vehicle control device 10 can recognize intersections ahead in the driving lane.

[0015] The sensor 400 detects objects such as other vehicles around the host vehicle 1. The sensor 400 is, for example, a camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a radio detection and ranging (RADAR), a laser range finder (LRF), or a sound navigation and ranging (SONAR). The sensor 400 outputs a sensor signal indicating the detection result to the controller 100. The controller 100 detects stopped vehicles and target vehicles (described later) based on the input from the sensor 400.

[0016] The controller 100 is a control device that controls the operation (described later) of the vehicle control device 10. An example of the hardware configuration of the controller 100 is shown in Fig. 2. In the example of Fig. 2, the controller 100 includes a processor 1011, a memory 1012, a storage 1013, and a communication interface (referred to as "communication I / F" in the figure) 1014, which are connected to each other via a bus 1010.

[0017] The processor 1011 includes, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits, and executes various types of arithmetic processing. The processor 1011 loads a control program stored in the storage 1013 into the memory 1012 and executes it. The processor 1011 may further include arithmetic circuits such as a logical arithmetic unit and a numerical arithmetic unit.

[0018] The memory 1012 includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and functions as a work memory for the processor 1011. The memory 1012 also temporarily stores the control program read by the processor 1011 from the storage 1013 and various data used in the processor 1011's arithmetic processing.

[0019] The storage 1013 includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. The storage 1013 stores a control program executed by the processor 1011 and various data used in the arithmetic processing of the processor 1011. For example, the storage 1013 stores, as examples of the various data, data that specifies the lane change space, stopped vehicle detection range, target vehicle detection range, stopping range, and the size of the undeterminable distance, which are referenced in the processing of the vehicle control device 10 described later.

[0020] The communication interface 1014 includes an interface circuit for connecting the controller 100 to an in-vehicle network that complies with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The communication interface 1014 receives signals from the map database 300, the position information acquisition unit 200, the sensor 400, and other in-vehicle components, and passes the signals to the processor 1011.

[0021] Furthermore, the communication interface 1014 transmits the vehicle control signal generated by the processor 1011 to the actuator 20 that operates the vehicle 1. The actuator 20 is a mechanical element that allows the vehicle 1 to travel, and includes a brake actuator, a steering motor, a drive unit (at least one of an engine and a motor), etc. The actuator 20 is controlled by the vehicle control signal received from the communication interface 1014, thereby realizing automatic driving of the vehicle 1.

[0022] For example, the processor 1011 executes a control program stored in the storage 1013, causing the controller 100 to realize the functions shown in Fig. 1. That is, the controller 100 realizes the functions of a travel information acquisition unit 101, a lane change necessity determination unit 102, a stopped vehicle detection unit 103, a target vehicle detection unit 104, a lane change execution determination unit 105, a deceleration instruction unit 106, and a vehicle control unit 107. Note that these units are functional components mainly related to control when changing lanes before an intersection, and other functional components of the controller 100 are omitted from Fig. 1.

[0023] The driving information acquisition unit 101 acquires driving information indicating driving conditions such as the speed, steering direction, autonomous driving status, whether or not there is an intersection ahead, etc. of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the driving information acquisition unit 101 analyzes information received from the sensor 400, the position information acquisition unit 200, the map database 300, and a user interface (not shown) via the communication interface 1014 to acquire the driving information.

[0024] The lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines whether the host vehicle 1 traveling in the first lane needs to change lanes before an intersection based on the traveling information of the host vehicle 1 acquired by the traveling information acquisition unit 101, the user's intention, etc. For example, if the host vehicle 1 is traveling in the first lane and plans to turn left at an intersection ahead by autonomous driving, the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines that it is necessary to change lanes to the second lane.

[0025] When the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines that it is necessary to change lanes to the second lane, the stopped vehicle detection unit 103 detects a vehicle (stopped vehicle) that is stopped in the second lane within a stopped vehicle detection range behind the intersection ahead of the vehicle, based on the output of the sensor 400. Data defining the length of the stopped vehicle detection range is stored in advance in the storage 1013 of the controller 100. The stopped vehicle detection range is, for example, a range of 50 meters.

[0026] When the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines that it is necessary to change lanes to the second lane, the target vehicle detection unit 104 detects a vehicle traveling in the second lane within a target vehicle detection range based on the position of the host vehicle 1, based on the output of the sensor 400. Hereinafter, a vehicle detected by the target vehicle detection unit 104 will also be referred to as a target vehicle. Specifically, the target vehicle detection range is a range of a predetermined distance in front of and behind the host vehicle 1. Data defining the length of the stopped vehicle detection range is stored in advance in the storage 1013 of the controller 100. The target vehicle detection range is, for example, a range of 15 meters in front of and behind the host vehicle 1.

[0027] The target vehicle detection range may be set taking into consideration not only the position but also the speed of the host vehicle 1. For example, the target vehicle detection range based on the position of the host vehicle 1 may be widened as the absolute value of the speed difference between the host vehicle 1 and the target vehicle 1 decreases. Alternatively, a vehicle in the second lane whose absolute value of the speed difference (relative speed) between the host vehicle 1 and the target vehicle 1 is within a predetermined range may be detected as a target vehicle.

[0028] Furthermore, the target vehicle detection unit 104 estimates the stopping position of the detected target vehicle. Specifically, the target vehicle detection unit 104 calculates the deceleration of the target vehicle based on the time-lapse change in the output of the sensor 400, and estimates as the stopping position the point where the speed becomes zero if the target vehicle continues to travel at the calculated deceleration.

[0029] When the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines that it is necessary to change lanes to the second lane before the intersection, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines how to execute the lane change. Then, the lane change execution determination unit 105 instructs the vehicle control unit 107 to change lanes using the determined method.

[0030] Specifically, when the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined distance that makes it impossible to make a decision, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines that a normal lane change using conventional automated driving should be performed because the stopped vehicle and the host vehicle 1 are too close to each other, which would hinder a lane change based on the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle. A normal lane change refers to a lane change in which the sensor 400 detects an empty space from the second lane that is equal to or greater than a predetermined lane change space, and the host vehicle 1 moves into that empty space.

[0031] It is desirable to set this undeterminable distance to a distance that allows space to be secured behind the target vehicle stopped behind the stopped vehicle in the second lane when the host vehicle 1 changes lanes. Alternatively, the undeterminable distance may be set to a distance that does not prevent the target vehicle from changing lanes to the first lane to overtake the stopped vehicle. For example, a value of the undeterminable distance calculated in advance by an experiment or a simulation may be stored in the storage 1013 of the controller 100, or the undeterminable distance may be calculated each time from the speed, acceleration, and position of the host vehicle 1 and the target vehicle.

[0032] On the other hand, if the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle is greater than the undeterminable distance, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines how to execute a lane change based on the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle. For example, if the estimated stopping position is within a predetermined stopping range behind the stopped vehicle, the target vehicle will stop immediately behind the stopped vehicle, and the stopped vehicle is considered to be temporarily stopped, such as waiting for a traffic light. Therefore, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines to change lanes to the first lane behind the target vehicle (i.e., behind the stopped vehicle). Note that the distance from the front vehicle that is ensured when the vehicle is stopped in the safe driving support system may be set as the stopping range.

[0033] Furthermore, if the estimated stopping position is beyond the stopping range, it is considered that the stopped vehicle is parked and the target vehicle will change lanes to lane 1 to overtake the stopped vehicle. Therefore, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines that the target vehicle will follow behind the target vehicle changing lanes to lane 1, overtake the stopped vehicle, and then change lanes to lane 1 ahead of the stopped vehicle.

[0034] When the deceleration instruction unit 106 determines that the target vehicle is located behind the vehicle 1 based on the output from the sensor 400, it instructs the vehicle control unit 107 to decelerate the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 is located behind the target vehicle before the distance between the vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle becomes less than the aforementioned indeterminable distance.

[0035] The vehicle control unit 107 controls the actuator 20 to change lanes based on an instruction from the lane change execution determination unit 105, thereby controlling the traveling of the host vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 107 also controls the actuator 20 based on an instruction from the deceleration instruction unit 106, thereby decelerating the host vehicle 1.

[0036] Here, an example of a lane change determined by the lane change execution determination unit 105 will be described. Figure 3A shows the surrounding situation when the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines that the host vehicle 1 traveling in the first lane needs to change lanes to the second lane in order to turn left at an intersection ahead. At this time, stopped vehicle A is detected in the second lane within a stopped vehicle detection range behind the intersection, and target vehicle B is detected traveling within a target vehicle detection range based on the position of the host vehicle 1. The distance between the host vehicle 1 and stopped vehicle A is greater than the undetectable distance. Therefore, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines what type of lane change to perform based on the estimated stopping position of target vehicle B.

[0037] Here, assume that the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle B is X. This estimated stopping position X is within the stopping range behind the stopped vehicle A. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B , the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines that the host vehicle 1 should change lanes to the second lane behind the target vehicle B, which is behind the stopped vehicle A.

[0038] Meanwhile, returning to Fig. 3A, assume that the estimated stopping position of target vehicle B is Y. This estimated stopping position Y is beyond the stopping range. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3C, target vehicle B changes lanes to the first lane to overtake stopped vehicle A, and host vehicle 1 travels in the first lane following target vehicle B. Then, as shown in Fig. 3D, after overtaking stopped vehicle A, host vehicle 1 changes lanes to the second lane ahead of stopped vehicle A.

[0039] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device 10 configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart of vehicle control processing executed by the vehicle control device 10 of the host vehicle 1. The processing shown in the flowchart of Fig. 4 is executed repeatedly at predetermined time intervals while the host vehicle 1, traveling in the first lane by automated driving, approaches an intersection ahead on the traveling route and the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the intersection is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. Note that apart from this processing, other vehicle control processing such as lane keeping control processing and collision avoidance processing is also executed in parallel.

[0040] First, the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines whether or not the host vehicle needs to change lanes to the second lane before the intersection (step S101). For example, when the host vehicle 1 is traveling in autonomous driving on a route that turns left at an intersection ahead, or when the driver operates the left turn signal, the lane change necessity determination unit 102 determines that the host vehicle needs to change lanes to the second lane.

[0041] If it is determined that a lane change to the second lane is not necessary (step S101; No), the processing ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that a lane change to the second lane is necessary (step S101; Yes), the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines whether or not the stopped vehicle detection unit 103 has detected a stopped vehicle and the target vehicle detection unit 104 has detected a target vehicle in the second lane (step S102).

[0042] If no stopped vehicle or target vehicle is detected (step S102; No), the lane change execution determination unit 105 cannot determine whether to execute a lane change based on the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle, and therefore executes a normal lane change (step S103). Specifically, the lane change execution determination unit 105 detects an empty space from the second lane that is equal to or larger than a predetermined lane change space based on the output of the sensor 400, and instructs the vehicle control unit 107 to move the host vehicle 1 into the empty space. Then, the process ends.

[0043] On the other hand, if both the stopped vehicle and the target vehicle are detected (step S102; Yes), the lane change execution judgment unit 105 determines whether the distance between the vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle is greater than a predetermined indeterminable distance (step S104).

[0044] If the distance between the vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle is less than the distance that cannot be determined (step S104; No), the vehicle 1 is too close to the stopped vehicle, which would hinder a lane change based on the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle, so the lane change execution judgment unit 105 executes a normal lane change (step S103).

[0045] On the other hand, if the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle is greater than the indeterminable distance (step S104; Yes), the host vehicle 1 is far enough away to change lanes behind the stopped vehicle. Then, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines whether the host vehicle 1 is located behind the target vehicle based on the output of the sensor 400, etc. (step S105).

[0046] If the host vehicle 1 is located behind the target vehicle (step S105; Yes), the process proceeds to step S107. On the other hand, if the host vehicle 1 is not located behind the target vehicle (step S105; No), the lane change execution determination unit 105 calculates the deceleration of the host vehicle 1 so that the host vehicle 1 is located behind the target vehicle before the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the stopped vehicle becomes equal to or shorter than the distance that makes it impossible to determine the lane change, and instructs the vehicle control unit 107 to decelerate (step S106). Upon receiving this instruction, the vehicle control unit 107 operates the brake via the actuator 20 to decelerate the host vehicle 1. This allows the host vehicle 1 to change lanes behind the target vehicle. The process then proceeds to step S107.

[0047] In step S107, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines whether the stopping position of the target vehicle estimated by the stopping position estimation unit is within the stopping range behind the stopped vehicle.

[0048] If the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle is within the stopping range (step S107; Yes), the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines that a lane change will be executed behind the target vehicle that stops immediately behind the stopped vehicle (i.e., behind the stopped vehicle), and instructs the vehicle control unit 107 to execute such a lane change (step S108). Upon receiving this instruction, the vehicle control unit 107 controls the actuator 20 to control the traveling of the host vehicle 1 so that the host vehicle 1 changes lanes to the second lane behind the target vehicle. Then, the processing ends.

[0049] On the other hand, if the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle is beyond the stopping range (step S107; No), the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines that the host vehicle 1 will follow the target vehicle ahead that is changing lanes into the first lane in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling, overtake the stopped vehicle, and then change lanes in front of the stopped vehicle, and instructs the vehicle control unit 107 to perform such a lane change (step S109). The vehicle control unit 107, which has received this instruction, controls the actuator 20 to control the traveling of the host vehicle 1 so that the host vehicle 1 follows the target vehicle, overtakes the stopped vehicle, and then changes lanes to the second lane in front of the stopped vehicle. This ends the vehicle control processing.

[0050] As described above, in the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment, when controlling a lane change of the host vehicle 1 from a first lane of a road with an intersection ahead to a second lane at the edge of the road next to the first lane, the stopped vehicle detection unit 103 detects a stopped vehicle behind the intersection in the second lane, and the target vehicle detection unit 104 detects the target vehicle. Then, if the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle is within a stopping range behind the stopped vehicle, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines to execute a lane change to the second lane behind the stopped vehicle. Furthermore, if the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle is beyond the stopping range, the lane change execution determination unit 105 determines to execute a lane change to the second lane ahead of the stopped vehicle. As a result, in a situation where the target vehicle is stopped immediately behind the stopped vehicle and it is highly likely that the stopped vehicle is temporarily stopped, for example, waiting for a traffic light, the host vehicle 1 will change lanes behind the stopped vehicle, thereby preventing the host vehicle from cutting in unreasonably behind the stopped vehicle. On the other hand, in a situation where the target vehicle is passing a stopped vehicle and it is highly likely that the stopped vehicle is a parked vehicle, the target vehicle 1 changes lanes in front of the stopped vehicle, thereby preventing the target vehicle 1 from stopping behind the parked vehicle and significantly impeding its progress. In this way, the vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment makes it possible to appropriately change lanes before an intersection.

[0051] (Modifications) The above embodiment can be modified in various ways. For example, if there are multiple target vehicles within the target vehicle detection range, the stopping positions of the multiple target vehicles can be estimated, and the rearmost stopping position of the estimated stopping positions can be compared with the stopping range, and a similar lane change judgment can be made. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, three target vehicles C, D, and E are detected within the target vehicle detection range, and their estimated stopping positions are Z. Ｃ , Z Ｄ , Z Ｅ In this case, the rearmost estimated stopping position is Z Ｃ is within the stopping range, it is determined that the host vehicle 1 will change lanes behind the target vehicle E, which is behind the stopped vehicle A, as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0052] As described above, the vehicle control device 10 according to this modified example can realize appropriate lane changes before an intersection even when multiple target vehicles are detected.

[0053] Note that the hardware configurations and flowcharts shown in the above-described embodiment and modified examples are merely examples and can be modified or applied as desired. For example, in the vehicle control process shown in FIG. 4, when the host vehicle 1 is located behind the target vehicle, deceleration processing is performed (steps S105 and S106) so that the host vehicle 1 always changes lanes behind the target vehicle, but such deceleration processing does not have to be performed. For example, without performing such deceleration processing, if the estimated stopping position of the target vehicle is within the stopping range and there is sufficient space between the stopped vehicle and the target vehicle behind it, the host vehicle 1 may change lanes into this space.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the control for a case where the vehicle changes lanes from the first lane to the second lane on a two-lane road, where the right lane is the first lane and the left lane is the second lane, has been described. However, the lane change control by the vehicle control device 10 described above is not limited to lane changes on two-lane roads. For example, a similar control is possible when changing lanes from the first lane to the second lane on a three-lane road, where the center lane is the first lane and the lane to the left of the first lane is the second lane. Furthermore, in the case of roads in countries such as the United States where people drive on the right, if the road is a two-lane road, the left lane is the first lane and the right lane is the second lane, and the lane change control similar to that described above is possible.

[0055] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which each function is realized by the processor 1011 executing a control program, but the vehicle control device 10 may also be configured using dedicated hardware that realizes each function.

[0056] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 10 may be configured to realize each function by storing and distributing a control program for executing the operations of the above-described embodiments on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto Optical Disc), or a memory card, and installing the program on a computer. When each function is realized by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0057] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0058] 1 Vehicle (own vehicle), 10 Vehicle control device, 20 Actuator, 100 Controller, 200 Position information acquisition unit, 300 Map database, 400 Sensor, 101 Traveling information acquisition unit, 102 Lane change necessity determination unit, 103 Stopped vehicle detection unit, 104 Target vehicle detection unit, 105 Lane change execution determination unit, 106 Deceleration instruction unit, 107 Vehicle control unit, 1010 Bus, 1011 Processor, 1012 Memory, 1013 Storage, 1014 Communication interface, A Stopped vehicle, B, C, D, E Target vehicle, X, Y, Z Ｃ , Z Ｄ , Z Ｅ Estimated stopping position.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method using a processor to control a lane change of a host vehicle from a first lane of a road with an intersection ahead to a second lane adjacent to the first lane and at the edge of the road, wherein the processor: when a stopped vehicle is present in the second lane within a stopped vehicle detection range behind the intersection and a target vehicle is present within a target vehicle detection range based on at least the position or speed of the host vehicle, estimates the stopping position of the target vehicle; when the estimated stopping position is within a stopping range behind the stopped vehicle, determines to execute a lane change to the second lane behind the stopped vehicle; and when the estimated stopping position is beyond the stopping range, determines to execute a lane change to the second lane ahead of the stopped vehicle.

2. The vehicle control method described in claim 1, wherein the processor makes a decision to execute a lane change behind the stopped vehicle and a decision to execute a lane change ahead of the stopped vehicle until the distance between the vehicle and the stopped vehicle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance beyond which a decision cannot be made.

3. The vehicle control method of claim 2, wherein, when the host vehicle is located in front of the target vehicle, the processor decelerates the host vehicle so that the host vehicle is located behind the target vehicle by the time the distance between the host vehicle and the stopped vehicle becomes equal to or less than the indeterminable distance.

4. A vehicle control method as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the processor sets the undeterminable distance to a distance that ensures space behind the target vehicle stopped within the stopping range for the host vehicle to change lanes.

5. A vehicle control method described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the processor sets the undeterminable distance to a distance at which the subject vehicle does not obstruct the target vehicle's lane change to the first lane to overtake the stopped vehicle.

6. A vehicle control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor, when the stopped vehicle is present in the second lane and multiple target vehicles are present within the target vehicle detection range, estimates the stopping positions of each of the multiple target vehicles, when the rearmost stopping position of the estimated multiple stopping positions is within the stopping range, determines to execute a lane change to the second lane behind the stopped vehicle, and when the rearmost stopping position of the estimated multiple stopping positions is beyond the stopping range, determines to execute a lane change to the second lane ahead of the stopped vehicle.

7. A vehicle control device comprising: a processor that controls lane changes of a host vehicle from a first lane of a road with an intersection ahead to a second lane adjacent to the first lane and at the edge of the road; and a sensor that detects the surroundings of the host vehicle, wherein the processor: detects a stopped vehicle in the second lane within a stopped vehicle detection range behind the intersection based on the output of the sensor; detects a target vehicle in the second lane within a target vehicle detection range based on at least the position or speed of the host vehicle based on the output of the sensor, and estimates the stopping position of the target vehicle; if the estimated stopping position is within the stopping range behind the stopped vehicle, executes a lane change to the second lane behind the stopped vehicle; and if the estimated stopping position is beyond the stopping range, executes a lane change to the second lane ahead of the stopped vehicle.

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