Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to assist a vehicle in traveling smoothly. This vehicle control system comprises: a route acquisition means for acquiring a planned travel route of a vehicle; a road information acquisition means for acquiring road information for the roads on the planned travel route; and a lane selection means for selecting a lane in which the vehicle is to travel, on the basis of the acquired road information.

Description

Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a program.

[0002] As a related art, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device. In the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1, when an object such as another vehicle exists on the same lane as the lane on which the host vehicle is traveling, and it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with the other vehicle if the host vehicle continues traveling on the same lane, it is determined that a lane change is necessary. When it is determined that a lane change is necessary, the vehicle control device generates a travel lane plan including the lane before the change and the lane after the change.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2021-170292

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle traveling in autonomous driving changes lanes from a first traveling lane to a second traveling lane, if there are many vehicles traveling in the second traveling lane, the vehicle may not be able to smoothly change lanes from the first traveling lane to the second traveling lane. If a situation in which the vehicle cannot change lanes from the first traveling lane to the second traveling lane continues, the vehicle may stop behind a stopped vehicle for a long time. Therefore, it is desirable to support smooth traveling of the vehicle.

[0005] One exemplary object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of supporting smooth traveling of a vehicle.

[0006] The vehicle control system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: route acquisition means for acquiring a planned travel route of a vehicle; road information acquisition means for acquiring road information of a road on the planned travel route; and lane selection means for selecting a lane on which the vehicle travels based on the acquired road information.

[0007] A vehicle control method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: acquiring a planned travel route of a vehicle; acquiring road information of a road on the planned travel route; and selecting a lane on which the vehicle travels based on the acquired road information.

[0008] A program according to a third aspect of this disclosure involves causing a computer to perform the following processes: acquiring the planned route of a vehicle, acquiring road information for the roads along the planned route, and selecting the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the acquired road information.

[0009] The vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and program relating to this disclosure can support the smooth operation of a vehicle.

[0010] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle control system related to this disclosure. This is a block diagram showing a vehicle control system related to this disclosure. This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a mobile body. This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control device. This is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of a vehicle control device. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of lane selection. This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a computer device.

[0011] Prior to describing embodiments of this disclosure, an overview of this disclosure will be given. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle control system according to this disclosure. The vehicle control system 10 includes a route acquisition means 11, a road information acquisition means 12, and a lane selection means 13.

[0012] Route acquisition means 11 acquires the vehicle's planned route. Road information acquisition means 12 acquires road information for the roads along the planned route. Lane selection means 13 selects the lane the vehicle will travel in based on the acquired road information.

[0013] In the vehicle control system 10 according to this disclosure, the lane selection means 13 selects the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on road information along the vehicle's planned route. In this disclosure, the lane selection means 13 can, in accordance with road information, select the lane in which the vehicle will travel in advance, for example, when the vehicle is traveling through a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present. In this disclosure, the vehicle control system 10 can, for example, prevent the vehicle from changing lanes immediately before a parked vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle control system 10 can support the smooth driving of the vehicle.

[0014] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in each drawing, the same elements and similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations have been omitted where necessary.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control system according to the present disclosure. An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 2. The vehicle control system 100 includes a vehicle control device 110. In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which the vehicle control device 110 remotely monitors and controls the movement of a mobile body 200.

[0016] The vehicle control device 110 is connected to the mobile unit 200 via a network 150. The network 150 includes, for example, a wireless communication network using a communication line standard such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). The network 150 may also include a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi® or a fifth-generation mobile communication system. Although only one mobile unit 200 is shown in Figure 1, it is not limited to this. The vehicle control device 110 may be connected to multiple mobile units 200 via the network 150. The vehicle control device 110 corresponds to the vehicle control system 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0017] The mobile vehicle 200 is configured as a land vehicle such as a car, bus, taxi, or truck. The mobile vehicle 200 may be configured to enable automatic driving based on information from sensors mounted on the mobile vehicle. The mobile vehicle 200 may be configured to allow switching between automatic driving and manual driving by a driver inside the vehicle. The mobile vehicle 200 may be switched from manual driving to automatic driving, or from automatic driving to manual driving, in response to instructions transmitted from a vehicle control device 110, for example.

[0018] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the mobile unit 200. The mobile unit 200 includes a surrounding monitoring sensor 201, a vehicle sensor 202, a vehicle control electronic control unit (ECU) 203, an autonomous driving ECU 204, a communication device 205, and a display device 206. In the mobile unit 200, these components are configured to communicate with each other via a network such as an in-vehicle Local Area Network (LAN) or a Controller Area Network (CAN).

[0019] The surrounding monitoring sensor 201 is a sensor that monitors the surrounding conditions of the mobile body 200. The surrounding monitoring sensor 201 includes, for example, cameras. The surrounding monitoring sensor 201 may include, for example, multiple cameras that acquire images of the areas in front of, behind, to the right, and to the left of the vehicle. The surrounding monitoring sensor 201 may also include a camera that acquires images of the inside of the mobile body 200. The surrounding monitoring sensor 201 may also include radar and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR).

[0020] The vehicle sensor 202 is a sensor for detecting various states of the mobile body 200. The vehicle sensor 202 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting vehicle speed, a steering sensor for detecting steering angle, an accelerator pedal position sensor for detecting accelerator pedal opening, and a brake pedal force sensor for detecting brake pedal depression. The mobile body 200 may have sensors for measuring its position information, for example, using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0021] The vehicle control ECU 203 is an electronic control unit that performs driving control of the mobile unit 200. Generally, an electronic control unit has a processor, memory, input / output (I / O) circuits, and a bus connecting them. Based on sensor information output by the vehicle sensor 202, the vehicle control ECU 203 performs various controls, such as controlling the fuel injection amount, controlling the engine ignition timing, and controlling the power steering assist amount.

[0022] The autonomous driving ECU 204 is an electronic control unit that controls the autonomous driving of the mobile unit 200. The autonomous driving ECU 204 acquires video and sensor information from the surrounding monitoring sensor 201 and the vehicle sensor 202, and controls the autonomous driving of the mobile unit 200 based on the acquired video and sensor information.

[0023] The communication device 205 is configured as a device for wireless communication between the mobile unit 200 and the network 150. The communication device 205 includes, as a hardware configuration, a wireless communication antenna, a transmitter, and a receiver. The communication device 205 also has a processor, memory, I / O circuits, and a bus connecting these. The functions of each part within the communication device 205 are realized, for example, by executing a control program stored in memory using the processor.

[0024] The communication device 205 transmits sensor information acquired by the surrounding monitoring sensor 201 to the vehicle control device 110 via the network 150. The communication device 205 also transmits sensor information acquired from the vehicle sensor 202 to the vehicle control device 110 via the network 150.

[0025] The communication device 205 receives information regarding the control of the mobile vehicle 200 from the vehicle control device 110 via the network 150. The communication device 205 receives control information from the vehicle control device 110 that indicates the control content for automatic driving performed on the mobile vehicle 200, such as control commands. The control content includes, for example, information indicating the lane in which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel. The communication device 205 transmits the received control information to the automatic driving ECU 204 via the in-vehicle LAN or the like. The automatic driving ECU 204 controls the driving of the mobile vehicle 200 according to the received control information.

[0026] The communication device 205 may receive remote control information, i.e., information for remotely controlling the mobile unit 200, from the vehicle control device 110. The remote control information includes, for example, information indicating the accelerator opening, the amount of steering wheel operation, and the amount the brake pedal is pressed. When the communication device 205 receives remote control information, it transmits the received remote control information to the vehicle control ECU 203 via the in-vehicle LAN or the like. The vehicle control ECU 203 controls the mobile unit 200 based on the received remote control information.

[0027] The display device 206 is located outside the mobile body 200 and is used to display information to the outside of the mobile body 200. The display device 206 is located, for example, behind the mobile body 200. The display device 206 may include a display device located in front of the mobile body 200 and a display device located behind the mobile body 200. The display device 206 displays, for example, character information.

[0028] The vehicle control device 110 is used to remotely monitor the mobile body 200 and control the movement of the monitored mobile body 200. The vehicle control device 110 may also be capable of remotely operating the mobile body 200. The vehicle control device 110 is configured to control the movement of the mobile body 200 using information received from the mobile body 200, other vehicles traveling on the road, an external server, and roadside equipment. The vehicle control device 110 may display information used for monitoring the mobile body 200 on a display device (not shown).

[0029] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the vehicle control device 110. The vehicle control device 110 includes a route acquisition unit 111, a road information acquisition unit 112, a lane selection unit 113, a notification unit 114, and a sharing unit 115. The vehicle control device 110 is configured, for example, as a device having one or more memories and one or more processors. The vehicle control device 110 can be realized by the processor executing processing according to instructions read from the memory. In the following embodiments, "-unit" is also called "-means".

[0030] The route acquisition unit 111 acquires the planned route of the mobile body 200. Here, the planned route indicates the route that the mobile body 200 is scheduled to travel. For example, if the mobile body 200 is a bus, the planned route is a fixed route. The route acquisition unit 111 corresponds to the route acquisition means 11 shown in Figure 1.

[0031] The road information acquisition unit 112 acquires road information for the roads along the planned route of the mobile vehicle 200. The road information includes, for example, information indicating sections where parked vehicles are expected to exist. Parked vehicles mean, for example, vehicles that are stopped on the shoulder of the road. The road information acquisition unit 112 acquires road information for, for example, each predetermined section. The road information acquisition unit 112 acquires road information from, for example, a map that includes information on roads with many parked vehicles. The sections where parked vehicles are expected to exist may change depending on the time of day and day of the week.

[0032] The road information acquisition unit 112 may predict sections in which parked vehicles are expected to exist based on past driving data of the mobile vehicle 200 and information received from other vehicles. For example, the road information acquisition unit 112 may predict the presence or absence of parked vehicles by learning past driving data and information obtained from other vehicles, and then predict sections in which parked vehicles are expected to exist based on the prediction results. The road information acquisition unit 112 corresponds to the road information acquisition means 12 shown in Figure 1.

[0033] The lane selection unit 113 selects the lane in which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel based on the road information acquired by the road information acquisition unit 112. The lane selection unit 113 selects the lane in which the vehicle will travel depending on whether or not the road on which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel is a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present. If the road on which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel is a section with few or no parked vehicles, the lane selection unit 113 selects the first driving lane as the lane in which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel. Here, the first driving lane is the leftmost lane among multiple driving lanes in the case of left-hand traffic.

[0034] The lane selection unit 113 selects the second lane as the lane for the mobile vehicle 200 to travel in if the road on which the mobile vehicle 200 is traveling is a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present. For example, if the mobile vehicle 200 is approaching a section where many parked vehicles are expected to be present, the lane selection unit 113 selects the second lane as the lane for the mobile vehicle 200 to travel in. Here, in the case of left-hand traffic, the second lane is the lane adjacent to the first lane among multiple lanes, that is, the second lane from the leftmost lane. In the case of right-hand traffic, the first lane is the rightmost lane among multiple lanes, and the second lane is the second lane from the rightmost lane.

[0035] The lane selection unit 113 may further determine whether there are parked vehicles on the road and select a lane in which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel based on the presence or absence of parked vehicles. The lane selection unit 113 may determine whether there are parked vehicles based on images captured by a camera mounted on the mobile vehicle 200, for example. Alternatively, the lane selection unit 113 may acquire driving images captured by other vehicles and determine whether there are parked vehicles from the acquired driving images. The lane selection unit 113 may also determine whether there are parked vehicles based on images captured by roadside cameras installed on the road. The lane selection unit 113 may also acquire information indicating the presence or absence of parked vehicles on the road from an external server that provides real-time traffic information. If the lane selection unit 113 determines that there are parked vehicles in the first driving lane on a road with multiple driving lanes, it selects the second driving lane from the multiple driving lanes as the lane in which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel.

[0036] The lane selection unit 113 may determine whether or not the road is congested. Depending on whether or not the road is congested and whether or not the road on which the mobile body 200 is traveling is a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present, the lane selection unit 113 may select the lane on which the mobile body 200 will travel. For example, if the lane selection unit 113 determines that the road is congested and the mobile body 200 is traveling in a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present, it will select the second lane as the lane on which the mobile body 200 will travel. Even if the mobile body 200 is traveling in a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present, if the lane selection unit 113 determines that the road is not congested, it may select the first lane as the lane on which the mobile body 200 will travel.

[0037] The lane selection unit 113, for example, instructs the mobile vehicle 200, which is driving autonomously, to select a lane. For example, the lane selection unit 113 instructs the mobile vehicle 200 to select a lane when it turns left or right at an intersection toward a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present. The lane selection unit 113 may also instruct the mobile vehicle 200 to select a lane when it passes a predetermined number of intersections before the section where parked vehicles are expected to be present. Specifically, the lane selection unit 113 may instruct the mobile vehicle 200 to select a lane when it passes two or three intersections before the section where parked vehicles are expected to be present. The lane selection unit 113 corresponds to the lane selection means 13 shown in Figure 1.

[0038] If the lane selection unit 113 selects the second lane as the lane in which the mobile vehicle 200 will travel, the notification unit 114 notifies surrounding vehicles that the mobile vehicle 200 will travel in the second lane. The notification unit 114 notifies surrounding vehicles that the mobile vehicle 200 will travel in the second lane by, for example, displaying text information such as "We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the need to avoid parked vehicles" on the display device 206. The notification unit 114 may also notify pedestrians and cyclists on the road that the mobile vehicle 200 will travel in the second lane.

[0039] The shared unit 115 shares information indicating the presence or absence of parked vehicles among multiple mobile units 200. For example, if a parked vehicle is detected in the first driving lane in an image captured by the camera of a mobile unit 200, the shared unit 115 transmits information indicating the presence of a parked vehicle in the first driving lane to other mobile units 200. If a mobile unit 200 is a bus, the shared unit 115 transmits information indicating the presence or absence of parked vehicles in the bus lane to other buses, and the presence or absence of parked vehicles in the bus lane is shared among multiple buses in real time. Other buses can use the presence or absence of parked vehicles in the bus lane to select a lane, thereby supporting the on-time operation of buses.

[0040] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the vehicle control device 110. The operation procedure of the vehicle control device 110 corresponds to the vehicle control method. The route acquisition unit 111 acquires information on the planned route, that is, the route that the mobile body 200 is scheduled to travel (step S1). The road information acquisition unit 112 acquires road information for the planned route of the mobile body 200 (step S2).

[0041] The lane selection unit 113 determines whether the road on which the mobile body 200 is traveling is a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present (step S3). If, in step S3, it is determined that the road on which the mobile body 200 is traveling is a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present, the lane selection unit 113 selects the second lane as the lane on which the mobile body 200 will travel in order to avoid the parked vehicles (step S4). If, in step S3, it is determined that the road on which the mobile body 200 is traveling is not a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present, the lane selection unit 113 selects the first lane as the lane on which the mobile body 200 will travel (step S5).

[0042] The lane selection unit 113 instructs the moving object 200 of the selected lane (step S6). In the moving object 200, the automatic driving ECU 204 controls the traveling of the moving object 200 so that the moving object 200 travels along the instructed traveling lane. When the second traveling lane is selected in step S4, the automatic driving ECU 204 controls the traveling of the moving object 200 such that the moving object 200 travels in the second traveling lane in a section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist. When the second traveling lane is selected in step S5, the automatic driving ECU 204 controls the traveling of the moving object 200 such that the moving object 200 travels in the first traveling lane.

[0043] When the moving object 200 is instructed to travel in the second traveling lane to avoid a parked vehicle, the moving object 200 may generate avoidance information for a section in which a parked vehicle is predicted to exist. The avoidance information includes a response to the instruction, vehicle information, and an image captured in the section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist. The response to the instruction includes, for example, information indicating whether the vehicle has traveled in the second traveling lane in accordance with the instruction. The vehicle information includes information such as the speed of the vehicle in the section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist.

[0044] The moving object 200 may transmit the generated avoidance information to the vehicle control device 110. The moving object 200 may also transmit to the vehicle control device 110 a difference between a passage time of the section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist and a required time of the section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist in the case of regular operation. The vehicle control device 110 may correct or update road information using the avoidance information received from the moving object 200.

[0045] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of lane selection. In the example of FIG. 6, the moving object 200 turns left at an intersection 250 and proceeds onto a road 260. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that a plurality of parked vehicles 220 exist on the road 260. The lane selection unit 113 selects a lane for the moving object 200 to travel on the road 260 before the moving object 200 proceeds onto the road 260, for example, before the moving object 200 turns left at the intersection 250. The lane selection unit 113 may detect the parked vehicle 220 from an image captured by a vehicle 210 traveling ahead of the moving object 200, and determine whether the parked vehicle 220 actually exists on the road 260.

[0046] The lane selection unit 113 determines whether or not the section of the road 260 on which the moving body 200 travels is indicated in road information as a section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist. If the section of the road 260 is a section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist, the lane selection unit 113 selects the second traveling lane as the lane on which the moving body 200 travels. The moving body 200 turns left at the intersection 250 and travels on the second traveling lane on the road 260. If the section of the road 260 is a section where no parked vehicle is predicted to exist, the lane selection unit 113 selects the first traveling lane as the lane on which the moving body 200 travels.

[0047] In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the moving body 200 turns left at the intersection 250 and travels on the first traveling lane of the road 260. In this case, immediately before the parked vehicle 220, the moving body 200 needs to change lanes from the first traveling lane to the second traveling lane in order to avoid the parked vehicle 220. If the moving body 200 is a bus, when the speed difference between the bus and a vehicle traveling on the second traveling lane is large, the moving body 200 may not be able to smoothly change lanes to the second traveling lane. In particular, when the road 260 is congested and the traffic volume on the road 260 is large, the moving body 200 cannot change lanes to the second traveling lane until there is no other vehicle on the second traveling lane, and may temporarily stop immediately before the parked vehicle 220.

[0048] In one embodiment, when the parked vehicle 220 is predicted to exist on the road 260, the lane selection unit 113 selects the second traveling lane as the lane on which the moving body 200 travels. The moving body 200 can travel on the second traveling lane immediately after turning left at the intersection 250. In this case, on the road 260, the moving body 200 does not need to change lanes from the first traveling lane to the second traveling lane immediately before the parked vehicle 220. When the moving body 200 has passed the section where a parked vehicle is predicted to exist, the lane selection unit 113 may select the first traveling lane as the lane on which the moving body 200 travels.

[0049] Generally, a mobile vehicle 200, such as an autonomous bus traveling at a low speed, travels in the left lane, i.e., the first lane. When an autonomous bus travels through a section or area with many parked vehicles, it changes lanes to the right lane, i.e., the second lane, to avoid the parked vehicles. However, during times when there are many vehicles traveling in the right lane at a higher speed than the autonomous bus, the speed difference between the autonomous bus and other vehicles is large, making it difficult for the autonomous bus to change lanes autonomously. If the autonomous bus cannot change lanes, it may come to a stop for a long time directly in front of a parked vehicle. Thus, it is considered that there are road conditions in which it is difficult for the mobile vehicle 200 to continue driving autonomously based solely on its autonomous driving function or performance.

[0050] In one embodiment, the lane selection unit 113 selects the second driving lane as the lane on which the mobile vehicle 200 travels when there is a lot of on-street parking. In this case, when there is a section where parked vehicles are expected to be present, the mobile vehicle 200 does not need to change lanes from the first driving lane to the second driving lane immediately before the parked vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle control device 110 can reduce the frequency of the mobile vehicle 200 avoiding parked vehicles, or in other words, the frequency of lane changes.

[0051] In one embodiment, the vehicle control device 110 can reduce the frequency of lane changes, thereby preventing the mobile vehicle 200 from stopping immediately in front of a parked vehicle without being able to change lanes to the second lane. In one embodiment, when the mobile vehicle 200 is a bus, the impact on on-time operation due to avoiding parked vehicles is mitigated, and the vehicle control device 110 can contribute to the on-time operation of the bus. Furthermore, in one embodiment, since the mobile vehicle 200 can be prevented from cutting into the second lane immediately in front of a parked vehicle, it is expected that traffic flow in sections where parked vehicles are expected to be present will improve.

[0052] In one embodiment, the notification unit 114 notifies surrounding vehicles that the mobile body 200 is traveling in the second lane to avoid parked vehicles. In this case, even if the speed of the mobile body 200 is not high, drivers of other vehicles can understand why the mobile body 200 is traveling in the second lane. Therefore, in sections where many parked vehicles are expected, it is thought that other vehicles can avoid attempting to overtake the mobile body 200 from the first lane.

[0053] In this disclosure, the vehicle control device 110 may be configured using a computer device or a server device. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a computer device that can be used as the vehicle control device 110. The computer device 500 includes a processor 510 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage unit 520, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 530, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 540, a communication interface (IF: Interface) 550, and a user interface 560.

[0054] The communication interface 550 is an interface for connecting the computer device 500 to a communication network via wired communication means or wireless communication means. The user interface 560 includes a display unit, such as a display. The user interface 560 also includes input units such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel.

[0055] The memory unit 520 is an auxiliary storage device capable of holding various types of data. The memory unit 520 does not necessarily have to be part of the computer device 500; it may be an external storage device or cloud storage connected to the computer device 500 via a network.

[0056] ROM 530 is a non-volatile memory device. For example, a semiconductor memory device such as a relatively small-capacity flash memory is used for ROM 530. The program executed by the processor 510 can be stored in the storage unit 520 or ROM 530. The storage unit 520 or ROM 530 stores various programs, for example, for realizing the functions of each part of the vehicle control device 110.

[0057] The program, when loaded into a computer, includes a set of instructions (or software code) for causing the computer to perform one or more of the functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium or a physical storage medium. Examples, but not limited to, include RAM, ROM, flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, Compact Disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted over a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium. Examples, but not limited to, include, a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium that includes an electrical, optical, acoustic or other form of propagating signal.

[0058] The RAM 540 is a volatile memory device. Various semiconductor memory devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) can be used for the RAM 540. The RAM 540 may be used as an internal buffer for temporarily storing data, etc. The processor 510 loads the program stored in the memory unit 520 or ROM 530 into the RAM 540 and executes it. By executing the program, the functions of each part of the vehicle control device 110 can be realized. The processor 510 may have an internal buffer that can temporarily store data, etc.

[0059] In this disclosure, the vehicle control device 110 does not necessarily have to be configured as a single computer device. The vehicle control device 110 may be configured using a plurality of physically separated devices. For example, the vehicle control device 110 may be configured by a plurality of computer devices interconnected via a network. For example, the vehicle control device 110 may include a first device mounted on the mobile body 200 and a second device connected to the mobile body 200 via a network 150. Alternatively, the vehicle control device 110 may be mounted on the mobile body 200.

[0060] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Any embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0061] Each drawing is merely illustrative to illustrate one or more embodiments. Each drawing may be associated with one or more other embodiments, rather than being associated with only one specific embodiment. As those skilled in the art will understand, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings, for example, to create embodiments not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing to illustrate an exemplary embodiment are necessarily required, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any of the drawings may be changed as appropriate.

[0062] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0063] [Note 1] A vehicle control system comprising: a route acquisition means for acquiring the planned route of a vehicle; a road information acquisition means for acquiring road information of the roads along the planned route; and a lane selection means for selecting the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the acquired road information.

[0064] [Note 2] The vehicle control system according to Note 1, wherein the road information includes information indicating a section in which a parked vehicle is expected to be present, and the lane selection means selects a lane in which the vehicle travels depending on whether the road in which the vehicle travels is a section in which a parked vehicle is expected to be present.

[0065] [Note 3] The vehicle control system according to Note 2, wherein when the vehicle is traveling through a section in which the parked vehicle is expected to be present, the lane selection means selects a second driving lane adjacent to a first driving lane, which is the leftmost or rightmost lane among the multiple driving lanes, as the lane in which the vehicle will travel.

[0066] [Note 4] The vehicle control system according to Note 3, wherein the lane selection means determines whether the road is congested, and if it is determined that the road is congested and the vehicle is traveling through a section where the parked vehicle is expected to be present, it selects the second driving lane as the lane in which the vehicle will travel.

[0067] [Note 5] The vehicle control system according to any one of Notes 2 to 4, wherein the road information acquisition means predicts a section in which the parked vehicle is expected to be located based on the vehicle's past driving data and information received from other vehicles.

[0068] [Note 6] The vehicle control system according to any one of Notes 1 to 5, further comprising a notification means for notifying surrounding vehicles that the vehicle will travel in the second driving lane, which is the second lane from the left or right among the multiple driving lanes on a road having multiple driving lanes.

[0069] [Note 7] The vehicle control system according to Note 6, wherein the notification means further notifies pedestrians and cyclists on the road that the vehicle is traveling in the second lane.

[0070] [Appendix 8] The vehicle control system according to any one of Appendix 1 to 7, wherein the lane selection means further determines whether there are parked vehicles on the road based on at least one of an image taken by another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle and an image taken by a camera installed on the road, and selects a lane in which the vehicle travels based on the presence or absence of parked vehicles.

[0071] [Appendix 9] The vehicle control system according to Appendix 8, further comprising a sharing means for sharing information indicating the presence or absence of a parked vehicle among multiple vehicles.

[0072] [Note 10] A vehicle control method that acquires the planned route of a vehicle, acquires road information of the roads along the planned route, and selects the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the acquired road information.

[0073] [Note 11] A program that causes a computer to perform the following processes: obtain the planned route of a vehicle, obtain road information for the roads along the planned route, and select the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the obtained road information.

[0074] Some or all of the elements (e.g., configuration and function) described in Appendices 2 to 9 that are subordinate to Appendice 1, and some or all of the elements described in any appendice that may be subordinate to Appendices 10 and 11 in the same manner as those described in Appendices 2 to 9, may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means, systems, and methods for recording software.

[0075] 10: Vehicle control system 11: Route acquisition means 12: Road information acquisition means 13: Lane selection means 100: Vehicle control system 110: Vehicle control device 111: Route acquisition unit 112: Road information acquisition unit 113: Lane selection unit 114: Notification unit 115: Shared unit 150: Network 200: Mobile unit 201: Surrounding monitoring sensor 202: Vehicle sensor 203: Vehicle control ECU 204: Autonomous driving ECU 205: Communication device 206: Display device 500: Computer device 510: Processor 520: Memory unit 530: ROM 540: RAM 550: Communication interface 560: User interface

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising: a route acquisition means for acquiring the planned route of a vehicle; a road information acquisition means for acquiring road information of the roads along the planned route; and a lane selection means for selecting the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the acquired road information.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the road information includes information indicating a section in which a parked vehicle is expected to be present, and the lane selection means selects a lane in which the vehicle travels depending on whether the road in which the vehicle travels is a section in which a parked vehicle is expected to be present.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein when the vehicle is traveling through a section in which the parked vehicle is expected to be present, the lane selection means selects a second driving lane adjacent to a first driving lane, which is the leftmost or rightmost lane among the multiple driving lanes, as the lane in which the vehicle will travel.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the lane selection means determines whether the road is congested, and if it determines that the road is congested and the vehicle is traveling through a section where the parked vehicle is expected to be present, it selects the second driving lane as the lane in which the vehicle will travel.

5. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the road information acquisition means predicts a section in which the parked vehicle is expected to be located based on the vehicle's past driving data and information received from other vehicles.

6. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a notification means for notifying surrounding vehicles that the vehicle is traveling in the second lane, which is the second lane from the left or right among the multiple driving lanes on a road having multiple driving lanes.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the notification means further notifies pedestrians and cyclists on the road that the vehicle is traveling in the second lane.

8. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lane selection means further determines whether there are parked vehicles on the road based on at least one of an image taken of another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle and an image taken by a camera installed on the road, and selects a lane in which the vehicle travels based on the presence or absence of parked vehicles.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 8, further comprising a sharing means for sharing information indicating the presence or absence of a parked vehicle among a plurality of vehicles.

10. A vehicle control method that acquires the planned route of a vehicle, acquires road information for the roads along the planned route, and selects the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the acquired road information.

11. A program that causes a computer to perform the following processes: obtain the planned route of a vehicle, obtain road information for the roads along the planned route, and select the lane in which the vehicle will travel based on the obtained road information.

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