Automatic driving control device for vehicle
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2025/012777
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-01
Smart Images
Figure JP2025012777_01102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Automatic driving control device for vehicles
[0001] The present application mainly discloses an automatic driving control device for a vehicle.
[0002] For vehicles such as automobiles, the development of automatic driving is progressing. Patent Document 1 discloses that when the empty space of the road ahead of a right or left turn is not longer than the total length of the own vehicle, the vehicle stops before the intersection. Patent Document 2 discloses that in the advanced assistance mode, when another vehicle is present in the road shoulder side lane to be entered by turning right at an intersection, the side surface of the other vehicle on the center side of the roadway is set as a horizontal boundary, an intersection exit point 110 is set at a position separated by a certain distance β from the horizontal boundary in the roadway width direction, and a second half route after the right turn toward the intersection exit point 110 is generated.
[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-171071, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-018827
[0004] Meanwhile, as for the road on which a vehicle travels, as in Patent Document 1, there may be one intersecting lane on the intersecting road ahead of a right or left turn, but as in Patent Document 2, there may also be two intersecting lanes on the intersecting road ahead of a right or left turn. When there are a plurality of intersecting lanes on the intersecting road ahead of a right or left turn, traffic regulations require, in principle, that the vehicle turn right or left into the road shoulder side intersecting lane. Automatic driving vehicles are also required to turn right and left in accordance with these traffic regulations. However, in actual situations, for example, among a plurality of intersecting lanes on an intersecting road, only the road shoulder side intersecting lane may be congested. In this case, the automatic driving vehicle that turns right or left according to the principle will stop before the intersection as described in Patent Document 1, and continue to stop before the intersection until the intersecting lane becomes empty. In contrast, when a driver manually drives a vehicle according to their own judgment, the driver may turn the vehicle, as the own vehicle, right or left into the center-side intersecting lane. Such a difference between automatic driving and manual driving makes vehicle users feel uncomfortable.
[0005] As described above, for vehicles, there is a demand for improving right and left turns under automatic driving.
[0006] An automated driving control device for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is an automated driving control device for a vehicle provided on the vehicle, comprising: an acquisition device provided on the vehicle for acquiring information on surrounding vehicles; a memory for recording high-precision map data including road lane information; and a driving control unit that uses the surrounding vehicle information from the acquisition device to perform automated driving control to drive the vehicle along the lanes of the high-precision map data, wherein when the vehicle turns right or left from the first road at an intersection of a first road and a second road, the acquisition device acquires information on at least the preceding vehicle traveling in the intersecting lane of the second road to which the vehicle is turning right or left. Furthermore, if the high-precision map data shows that there are multiple intersecting lanes on the second road where the vehicle will turn right or left, the driving control unit generates a list of lane candidates for the multiple intersecting lanes, and evaluates each of the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list based on information of at least the preceding vehicle, thereby selecting a driving lane from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list that the vehicle will use to turn right or left, and controls the vehicle's right or left turn at the intersection so that the vehicle turns right or left from the first road towards the driving lane on the second road.
[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, when a vehicle turns right or left from the first road at an intersection of the first road and the second road, the acquisition device acquires information on at least the preceding vehicle traveling in the intersecting lane on the second road to which the vehicle is turning right or left. The driving control unit then uses the surrounding vehicle information from the acquisition device to perform automatic driving control that drives the vehicle along the lane in the high-precision map data. When the vehicle turns right or left at an intersection, if there are multiple intersecting lanes on the second road to which the vehicle is turning right or left in the high-precision map data, the driving control unit generates a list of lane candidates for the multiple intersecting lanes. The driving control unit evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list based on information on the preceding vehicle for at least each lane. The driving control unit then selects the driving lane on which the vehicle will turn right or left from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list. The driving control unit controls the vehicle's turning at the intersection so that the vehicle turns right or left from the first road towards the driving lane on the second road. As a result, when a vehicle is driving automatically, it can turn right or left into the driving lane selected according to the lane evaluation based on the lane candidate list. When an autonomous vehicle makes a right or left turn, it can select not only the lane closest to the roadside of the second road, but also the lane closest to the center of the second road, based on an evaluation. As a result, autonomous vehicles can make right or left turns not only towards the lane closest to the roadside, but also towards the lane closest to the center of the road.
[0008] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle making a right or left turn while driving autonomously travels toward one of the multiple intersecting lanes of the second road. Since the autonomously driving vehicle makes a right or left turn toward the lane closest to the center of the road, vehicle users are less likely to feel any discomfort with the autonomously driving vehicle's right or left turn. In contrast, compared to a case where, for example, another vehicle is parked or stopped in the lane closest to the roadside of the second road, and the vehicle makes a right or left turn to avoid the other vehicle after or during the turn, vehicle users are less likely to feel any discomfort with the autonomously driving vehicle's right or left turn. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve the right or left turn of an autonomously driving vehicle.
[0009] This is an explanatory diagram showing an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention attempting to turn right at an intersection. This is an explanatory diagram of an example of the control system of the autonomous vehicle in Figure 1. This is a flowchart of the autonomous driving control for passing through an intersection by the driving control device shown in the figure. This is a flowchart of the lane selection control for intersecting roads for turning right or left at the intersection in Figure 3. This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a lane candidate list and evaluation items for multiple intersecting lanes on the intersecting road in Figure 1. This is an explanatory diagram showing an autonomous vehicle attempting to turn right at an intersection different from the one in Figure 1. This is an explanatory diagram of an example of a lane candidate list and evaluation items for multiple intersecting lanes on the intersecting road in Figure 6.
[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings in the following order. Each embodiment will first describe an overview of the embodiment, followed by a specific example of the embodiment. The specific example will describe, in order, a specific example of a right turn, a configuration example, a control example, an overview of lane selection at an intersecting road, an example of lane selection at an intersecting road, an example of a lane candidate list, an example of another intersection, and an example of a lane candidate list for another intersection. Note that the following description of embodiments and drawings are examples of the invention disclosed in this application and do not limit the invention disclosed in this application.
[0011] (Overview) Vehicles that travel on roads using autonomous driving may be equipped with an autonomous driving control system that controls the vehicle's operation. Roads intersect with second roads at intersections such as crossroads and T-junctions. Roads may also intersect with second roads in a T-shape. Furthermore, roads connected to intersections may have multiple intersecting lanes. When traveling through such intersections, it is desirable for a vehicle traveling under the control of the autonomous driving control system to turn right or left at the intersection and travel towards the intersecting lane of the second road. It is also desirable for the autonomous driving control system to select the most appropriate intersecting lane from among the multiple intersecting lanes of the second road and travel in that lane. The autonomous driving control system of a vehicle includes an acquisition device that acquires information on surrounding vehicles, a memory that records high-precision map data including road lane information, and a driving control unit that uses the surrounding vehicle information from the acquisition device to execute autonomous driving control that drives the vehicle along the lane in the high-precision map data. When the vehicle is turning right or left at an intersection between the first road on which the vehicle is traveling and the second road that intersects the first road, the acquisition device acquires information on at least the preceding vehicle traveling in the intersecting lane of the second road to which the vehicle is turning right or left. Here, the acquisition device may be a vehicle sensor that observes the area around the vehicle. The acquisition device may be a communication device that communicates with a server device that provides position information of a vehicle traveling on a road. Alternatively, the acquisition device may be both a vehicle sensor and a communication device. If the high-precision map data shows that there are multiple intersecting lanes for right and left turns on the second road, the driving control unit generates a list of lane candidates for the multiple intersecting lanes. The driving control unit evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list for each intersecting lane, based on information about the preceding vehicle. Based on the evaluation, the driving control unit selects a driving lane from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list that the vehicle will use to turn right or left. The driving control unit then controls the vehicle's right and left turns at the intersection so that the vehicle turns right or left from the first road towards the driving lane of the second road. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
[0012] (Specific example of turning right) Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an autonomous vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention attempting to turn right at an intersection 13. Here, autonomous vehicle 1 refers to a vehicle that is driving autonomously. Furthermore, the following description of the embodiment will use an example of an intersection with left-hand traffic. There are also intersections with right-hand traffic.
[0013] In Figure 1, the road 11 on which the autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling is a two-way road with one lane in each direction. The autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling in its own lane L1 on road 11 toward intersection 13. The autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling along road 11 toward intersection 13 and is about to make a right turn from road 11 toward intersecting road 12. Here, road 11 is the first road, and intersecting road 12 is the second road. Intersecting road 12 is a two-way road with two lanes in each direction, having four intersecting lanes: intersecting lane L11 on the roadside of the road after the right turn, intersecting lane L12 on the roadside of the road after the right turn, intersecting lane L13 on the roadside of the opposing road, and intersecting lane L14 on the roadside of the opposing road. Note that some intersections 13 also have right-turn lanes and left-turn lanes.
[0014] The autonomous vehicle 1 then controls its own driving so that it basically drives along the lane center link information, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. Hereafter, this dashed line indicating the lane center will be referred to as the lane center line. When the autonomous vehicle 1 turns right at intersection 13 in Figure 1, it basically drives along the lane center line of its own lane L1 on its own road 11, and activates the turn signal on the right side of the vehicle either inside the intersection or just before intersection 13. After that, the autonomous vehicle 1 drives from its own lane L1 on its own road 11 along the lane center line for right turns inside the intersection, and continues driving along the lane center line of the intersecting lane L11 at the left edge of the intersecting road 12. In this way, the autonomous vehicle 1 can drive from its own road 11, turn right at intersection 13, and proceed to the intersecting road 12.
[0015] The high-precision map data 34 records link information and node information that form the basis of these lane centerlines. Based on the high-precision map data 34, the autonomous vehicle 1 obtains the position of the lane centerline at the intersection 13 from its own lane L1 to the intersecting lane, and performs driving control for turning right or left.
[0016] Incidentally, the intersecting road 12 that the autonomous vehicle 1 turns right or left at may have one intersecting lane, but as shown in Figure 1, it may also have two or more intersecting lanes. When there are multiple intersecting lanes at the intersecting road 12 to which the vehicle is turning, traffic regulations generally require that the vehicle turn to the intersecting lane closest to the roadside. The autonomous vehicle 1 is also required to turn right or left in accordance with these traffic regulations. However, in reality, for example, among the multiple intersecting lanes of the intersecting road 12, only the intersecting lane closest to the roadside may become congested. For example, as shown in Figure 1, there may be a parking lot near the destination of the right turn, and the intersecting lane closest to the roadside may become congested due to the preceding vehicle 6 entering the parking lot. In this case, the autonomous vehicle 1, which turns right or left according to the general rule, will turn right towards the congested intersecting lane closest to the roadside and stop at the back of the congested line. Alternatively, if the congestion in the intersecting lane closest to the roadside reaches the intersection 13, the autonomous vehicle 1 will stop before turning right. It is conceivable that such stops may be necessary in some cases, but they are not necessary, for example, if the autonomous vehicle 1 is heading beyond the parking lot. In contrast, when the driver is manually operating the autonomous vehicle 1 according to their own judgment, they can make the autonomous vehicle 1 turn right or left into the intersecting lane on the center side of the road. This difference between autonomous driving and manual driving can cause discomfort to users of the autonomous vehicle 1. Thus, improvements are needed in the autonomous vehicle 1's ability to make right or left turns while autonomous driving is in progress.
[0017] (Configuration Example) Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the control system 20 of the autonomous vehicle 1 shown in Figure 1. The control system 20 of the autonomous vehicle 1 in Figure 2 is an autonomous driving control device for the vehicle. The control system 20 has a vehicle network 29 and a plurality of control devices connected thereto. As examples of the plurality of control devices, Figure 2 shows a sensor control device 21, a driving control device 22, a drive control device 23, a steering control device 24, a braking control device 25, and an external communication control device 26. The control system 20 of the autonomous vehicle 1 may also include other control devices, such as an operation control device. The operation control device is connected to operating members that the driver operates when driving manually, such as a steering wheel, pedals, and a turn signal lever. In addition, each of the control devices shown in Figure 2 may be divided into multiple units and connected to the vehicle network 29.
[0018] The vehicle network 29 may be an automotive-specific network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network), a LIN (Local Interconnect Network), or a broadband network for vehicles. Alternatively, the vehicle network 29 may include a general network such as the IEEE (Institute of Electronics and Electronics Engineers) 802.3. By using such a vehicle network 29, the control device installed in the autonomous vehicle 1 can input and output information to and from other control devices through the vehicle network 29.
[0019] The sensor control device 21 controls the operation of various vehicle sensors installed in the autonomous vehicle 1 and outputs the detected values of the various vehicle sensors or processed information obtained by processing the detected values to other control devices via the vehicle network 29. In Figure 2, examples of vehicle sensors connected to the sensor control device 21 include a GNSS (Goba Navigation Site System) receiver 31, an external camera 32, and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 33. In addition to these, the sensor control device 21 may also be connected to a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the autonomous vehicle 1, a speed sensor, a steering sensor for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheels of the autonomous vehicle 1, and so on.
[0020] The GNSS receiver 31 generates the latest position and time information of the autonomous vehicle 1 by receiving radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites.
[0021] The external camera 32 captures images of the driving environment around the autonomous vehicle 1 as it travels on a road or the like. The external camera 32 may be a monocular camera, a compound camera, or a 360-degree camera. Preferably, the external camera 32 is capable of capturing images of at least the front of the moving autonomous vehicle 1 at a wide angle.
[0022] The LiDAR 33 emits light toward the front of the vehicle and receives the reflected light. The LiDAR 33 generates spatial information of the detection range. In this way, the external camera 32 and LiDAR 33 observe the area around the vehicle. Other devices that observe the area around the vehicle include, for example, lasers. The sensor control device 21 may generate processing information such as information on the unevenness of the road surface around the vehicle, the type of other vehicles around the vehicle, their relative direction and distance, etc., based on information about the driving environment such as the image captured by the external camera 32. The external camera 32, LiDAR 33, laser, etc. are installed in the autonomous vehicle 1 and function as acquisition devices that acquire information on the surrounding vehicles 3, 6, 7, and 8 of the autonomous vehicle 1.
[0023] Furthermore, it is desirable that the external camera 32, LiDAR 33, or laser be able to acquire information on at least the preceding vehicle 6 traveling in the intersecting lane of the intersecting road 12, or information on the preceding vehicle 6 that will be traveling in the intersecting lane of the intersecting road 12, when the vehicle is making a right or left turn at an intersection 13 where the vehicle is traveling on its own road 11 and the intersecting road 12 intersects with the vehicle.
[0024] The vehicle communication device 35, installed in the autonomous vehicle 1, is connected to the external communication control device 26. The vehicle communication device 35 establishes a wireless communication path with a communicationable base station 41. The external communication control device 26 controls the operation of the vehicle communication device 35 and performs the sending and receiving of information with the vehicle information server device 42 through the vehicle communication device 35 and the base station 41. For example, the external communication control device 26 outputs information received by the vehicle communication device 35 from the vehicle information server device 42 or the base station 41 to other control devices via the vehicle network 29. The external communication control device 26 transmits information input from other control devices via the vehicle network 29 to the vehicle information server device 42 via the vehicle communication device 35 and the base station 41. The vehicle information server device 42 transmits information that can be used for driving control of the autonomous vehicle 1, for example, the location information of surrounding vehicles 3, 6, 7, and 8 to the autonomous vehicle 1. When the external communication control device 26 obtains information about other vehicles, such as oncoming vehicles, in the vicinity of its own vehicle from the vehicle information server device 42, it outputs that information to the vehicle network 29. In this case, the external communication control device 26 may output information on the relative direction and distance of other vehicles, based on the vehicle's position as determined by the GNSS receiver 31, to the vehicle network 29. The external communication control device 26 is installed in the autonomous vehicle 1 and functions as an acquisition device that acquires information on surrounding vehicles 3, 6, 7, and 8 of the autonomous vehicle 1.
[0025] Furthermore, it is desirable that the external communication control device 26 be able to acquire, at least, information on the preceding vehicle 6 traveling in the intersecting lane of the intersecting road 12, or information on the preceding vehicle 6 that will be traveling in the intersecting lane of the intersecting road 12, when the vehicle is making a right or left turn at an intersection 13 where the road 11 on which the vehicle is traveling connects or intersects with the intersecting road 11. In this case, the vehicle information server device 42 will provide the location information of the autonomous vehicle 1 traveling on the road.
[0026] The drive control device 23 is provided in the autonomous vehicle 1 and includes, for example, an engine that generates driving force using gasoline or hydrogen as fuel, a motor that generates driving force using electricity, a transmission, or a drive system that combines these. The drive control device 23 controls the operation of the drive system based on control values acquired through the vehicle network 29.
[0027] The steering control device 24 is connected to, for example, a steering system installed in the autonomous vehicle 1. The steering control device 24 controls the operation of the steering system based on control values acquired through the vehicle network 29.
[0028] The braking control device 25 is connected to the brake system installed in the autonomous vehicle 1. The braking control device 25 controls the operation of the brake system based on control values obtained through the vehicle network 29.
[0029] The driving control device 22 repeatedly performs driving control of the autonomous vehicle 1 during autonomous driving. During autonomous driving, the driving control device 22 may control the flashing of the vehicle's turn signals. In addition to this, the driving control device 22 may also control the autonomous vehicle 1's manual driving in response to the driver's operation of the autonomous vehicle 1. In this case, the driving control device 22 may perform control to support the autonomous vehicle 1's manual driving. A memory 36 is connected to the driving control device 22. The memory 36 stores high-precision map data 34, which includes road lane information. In the case of autonomous driving, the driving control device 22 acquires information on the vehicle's driving state and information on the vehicle's surroundings from the sensor control device 21, the external communication control device 26, etc., and generates control values according to that information. In this case, the driving control device 22 may, for example, determine the road, lane, and surrounding conditions on which the vehicle is traveling based on the latest position of the vehicle in the high-precision map data 34 recorded in the memory 36, and generate control values for steering and acceleration / deceleration so that the autonomous vehicle 1 travels along the lane center line. Also, if the driving control device 22 has received control information from the vehicle information server device 42, it may generate control values in accordance with the control information. For example, if the driving control device 22 determines that the vehicle needs to turn right or left by comparing the position of the vehicle by the GNSS receiver 31 with the high-precision map data 34, it will turn on the turn signal on the lane change side, generate control values for steering, and output them to the steering control device 24. The steering control device 24 will execute steering control in accordance with the control values. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 1 can turn right or left.
[0030] (Control Example) Figure 3 is a flowchart of the automatic driving control for passing through intersection 13 by the driving control device 22 shown in the figure. The driving control device 22 in Figure 2 repeatedly executes the automatic driving control for passing through intersection 13 in Figure 3 for each automatic driving control cycle. The automatic driving control cycle can be, for example, several tens of milliseconds to several hundred milliseconds.
[0031] In step ST1, the driving control device 22 determines whether or not the control cycle for automatic driving has been reached. The driving control device 22 may determine whether the elapsed time since the previous processing timing, measured by the built-in timer, is equal to or greater than the control cycle for automatic driving. If the elapsed time is not equal to or greater than the control cycle for automatic driving, the driving control device 22 repeats this process. When the elapsed time becomes equal to or greater than the control cycle for automatic driving, the driving control device 22 proceeds to step ST2 and starts driving control for automatic driving for each control cycle.
[0032] In step ST2, the driving control device 22 determines whether the vehicle's direction of travel will result in a right or left turn at the intersection 13 in the direction of travel. If the vehicle's direction of travel will result in a right or left turn at the intersection 13, the driving control device 22 proceeds to step ST4. If the vehicle's direction of travel will not result in a right or left turn at the intersection 13, that is, if the vehicle continues straight along the road 11, the driving control device 22 proceeds to step ST3.
[0033] In step ST3, the driving control device 22, based on high-precision map data 34, executes straight-ahead control to allow the vehicle to proceed straight through the intersection 13 in its own lane L1 on the road 11 on which it is traveling. At this time, the driving control device 22 may determine the possibility of interference with intersecting vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the intersecting road 12 at the intersection 13 based on information acquired from the external camera 32, LiDAR 33, laser, or external communication control device 26, and execute straight-ahead control according to whether or not there is a possibility of interference. For example, if there are intersecting vehicles 7 and 8 approaching the intersecting road 12 from the left, the driving control device 22 may execute straight-ahead control to stop temporarily in its own lane L1 before entering the intersection 13 in accordance with traffic rules, and then enter the intersection 13 and proceed straight after the intersecting vehicles 7 and 8 have passed. After that, the driving control device 22 terminates this control.
[0034] In step ST4, the driving control device 22 selects a driving lane on the road 11 for the vehicle to turn right or left at intersection 13 based on high-precision map data 34. Alternatively, the driving control device 22 may select a driving lane on the road 11 for the vehicle to turn right or left at intersection 13 based on information acquired from the external camera 32, LiDAR 33, laser, or external communication control device 26. If the road 11 connected to intersection 13 has a right-turn lane or a left-turn lane, the driving control device 22 selects the right-turn lane or left-turn lane as the driving lane on the road 11. In contrast, if the road 11 connected to intersection 13 does not have a right-turn lane or a left-turn lane as shown in Figure 1, the driving control device 22 selects the vehicle lane L1 closest to the side on which the vehicle will turn as the driving lane on the road 11. If the vehicle's own lane L1 and the vehicle's own lane 11 are different, the driving control device 22 sets a lane change flag on the vehicle's own lane 11 to change from the vehicle's own lane L1 to the vehicle's own lane 11 in order to turn right or left at the intersection 13. The lane change flag may be recorded in memory 36, for example.
[0035] In step ST5, the driving control device 22 selects a driving lane on the intersecting road 12 where the vehicle will turn right or left, based on the high-precision map data 34. If the intersecting road 12 has multiple intersecting lanes as shown in Figure 1, the driving control device 22 selects one of them as the driving lane on the intersecting road 12.
[0036] In step ST6, the driving control device 22 selects a driving lane within the intersection 13 for driving from the driving lane of the vehicle road 11 selected in step ST4 towards the driving lane of the intersecting road 12 selected in step ST5. If the high-precision map data 34 contains information on lane center lines for right and left turns within the intersection, the driving control device 22 may select a driving lane within the intersection from the high-precision map data 34. If the high-precision map data 34 does not contain information on lane center lines for right and left turns within the intersection, the driving control device 22 may generate a driving lane within the intersection by unfolding the lane information of the intersection 13 from the high-precision map data 34 onto a plane. The driving control device 22 may also generate a driving lane within the intersection based on information acquired from the external camera 32, LiDAR 33, laser, or external communication control device 26. The driving control device 22 may, for example, generate an arc-shaped driving lane of the intersecting road 12 that travels from the position of the entry point to the intersection for the driving lane of the vehicle road 11 to the position of the exit point to the intersection for the driving lane of the intersecting road 12.
[0037] In step ST7, the driving control device 22 acquires information about other vehicles entering the intersection 13. The external camera 32, LiDAR 33, laser, or external communication control device 26 generates information such as the position of other vehicles entering the intersection 13. The driving control device 22 may acquire information about other vehicles entering the intersection 13 from these acquisition devices. Note that there is not limited to one other vehicle entering the intersection 13.
[0038] In step ST8, the driving control device 22 determines the possibility of interference with other vehicles, which was obtained in step ST7, regarding the vehicle's path using the driving lane for turning right or left through the intersection 13, which was obtained in steps ST4 to ST6. At this time, the driving control device 22 may determine whether there is a possibility of interference between the vehicle and the other vehicle at the intersection of the vehicle's path and the other vehicle's path. In this case, the driving control device 22 compares, for example, the estimated time it will take for the vehicle to reach the intersection with the estimated time it will take for the other vehicle to reach the intersection. If the difference between these times is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the driving control device 22 may determine that there is a possibility of interference between the vehicle and the other vehicle at the intersection. On the other hand, if the difference between these times is not less than or equal to a predetermined value, the driving control device 22 may determine that there is no possibility of interference between the vehicle and the other vehicle at the intersection. If the driving control device 22 has acquired multiple other vehicles in step ST7, it determines the possibility of interference at the road intersection for each of them. Note that the other vehicles involved in the processing of steps ST7 and ST8 may be limited to other vehicles traveling at the front of each lane of the self-driving road 11, or other vehicles traveling at the front of each lane of the intersecting road 12. Here, "front of a lane" means traveling at the position closest to the intersection 13 in that lane.
[0039] In step ST9, the driving control device 22 determines whether or not it determined in step ST8 that there is a possibility of interference. If it determined in step ST8 that there is a possibility of interference with even one of the multiple other vehicles, the driving control device 22 determines that there is a possibility of interference and proceeds to step ST10. On the other hand, if it determined in step ST8 that there is no possibility of interference with any of the multiple other vehicles, the driving control device 22 determines that there is no possibility of interference and proceeds to step ST11.
[0040] In step ST10, the driving control device 22 executes driving control to turn right or left while avoiding interference with other vehicles at intersection 13. The driving control device 22 executes driving control to decelerate so that the vehicle can stop before entering intersection 13 or before the path of other vehicles that may cause interference. If the lane change flag is set, the driving control device 22 executes driving control to change lanes from the vehicle's lane L1 on the vehicle road 11 to the driving lane before or in conjunction with the operation of the lane before intersection 13. After that, the driving control device 22 terminates this control.
[0041] In step ST11, the driving control device 22 executes driving control to pass through intersection 13 by turning right or left without stopping. The driving control device 22 executes driving control including steering to pass through intersection 13 without stopping and by turning right or left at intersection 13. If the lane change flag is set, the driving control device 22 executes driving control in advance to change lanes from the vehicle lane L1 on the vehicle road 11 to the driving lane before reaching intersection 13. After that, the driving control device 22 terminates this control.
[0042] As a result, the autonomous vehicle 1 can make right or left turns at the intersection 13, moving from its own lane 11 to the lane of the intersecting road 12 through autonomous driving.
[0043] (Outline of Lane Selection at Intersecting Roads) Next, we will explain how to select a lane at an intersection when turning right or left. The driving control unit evaluates the intersecting lanes using multiple criteria, including congestion levels, to select a lane. The driving control unit generates a list of lane candidates for multiple intersecting lanes on an intersecting road. The driving control unit evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list, which are the destinations for right or left turns, using two or more criteria to select the lane on which the vehicle will turn. The evaluation criteria may include, for example, the congestion level of preceding vehicles in each intersecting lane, the number of intersections between the vehicle's lane on its own road and the paths of the multiple intersecting lanes on the intersecting road when the vehicle turns right or left towards each intersecting lane, the positional relationship between the vehicle's destination and the intersection, and the possibility of oncoming vehicles on the vehicle's road turning right or left into the intersecting road. Congestion levels are desirable to include in the evaluation criteria for smooth right or left turns at intersections. The driving control unit then evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes using an additive method, adding up the points for each evaluation criterion. For example, the driving control unit assigns a higher evaluation value to the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles in each intersecting lane for intersecting lanes, based on the distance from the intersection to the rear end of the preceding vehicle in each intersecting lane. Regarding the number of intersections, the driving control unit assigns a higher evaluation value to intersecting lanes with fewer intersections with the paths of multiple intersecting lanes on the intersecting road. If the vehicle's destination is near an intersection, the driving control unit assigns a higher evaluation value to intersecting lanes closer to the roadside of the intersecting road. If there is a possibility of oncoming vehicles turning right or left onto the intersecting road, the driving control unit lowers the evaluation value of the intersecting lanes closer to the roadside of the intersecting road. Then, from among the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list that are potential turning points, the driving control unit selects the intersecting lane with the highest total evaluation value as the lane the vehicle will use for turning right or left. Furthermore, when evaluating using this additive method, where points for each evaluation item are added together, multiple intersecting lanes may have the same value. In this case, if there are multiple intersecting lanes to select according to the evaluation of the total evaluation value, the driving control unit should select the intersecting lane closest to the center of the road from among the multiple intersecting lanes with the same total evaluation value as the driving lane in which the vehicle will make a right or left turn.
[0044] (Example of selecting a travel lane on an intersecting road) FIG. 4 is a flowchart of selection control for a travel lane on an intersecting road 12 for turning right or left at the intersection 13 of FIG. 3. In step ST5 of FIG. 3, the travel control device 22 executes the selection control for the travel lane on the intersecting road 12 of FIG. 4.
[0045] In step ST21, the travel control device 22 acquires connection information to the intersection 13 for the intersecting road 12 which is the right / left turn destination. The travel control device 22 may acquire, from the high-precision map data 34, the connection information to the intersection 13 for the intersecting road 12 which is the right / left turn destination.
[0046] In step ST22, the travel control device 22 determines whether or not there are a plurality of intersecting lanes on the intersecting road 12 which is the destination where the own vehicle turns right or left. Then, when there are a plurality of intersecting lanes at the right / left turn destination, the travel control device 22 causes the process to proceed to step ST24. In contrast, when there is one intersecting lane at the right / left turn destination, the travel control device 22 causes the process to proceed to step ST23.
[0047] In step ST23, the travel control device 22 selects one intersecting lane as the travel lane of the intersecting road 12 which is the right / left turn destination of the own vehicle. Thereafter, the travel control device 22 returns the process to step ST6 of FIG. 3.
[0048] In step ST24, the travel control device 22 generates a lane candidate list 39 for a plurality of intersecting lanes at the right / left turn destination. All of the plurality of intersecting lanes at the right / left turn destination are identifiably registered in the lane candidate list 39. The lane candidate list 39 may be stored in the memory 36.
[0049] In step ST25, the driving control device 22 acquires evaluation information for multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39. Here, the evaluation information for the intersecting lanes may include, for example, the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles 6 for each intersecting lane, the number of intersections between the vehicle's route and the routes of the multiple intersecting lanes on the intersecting road 12 when the vehicle turns right or left from its own lane L1 on the road 11 toward each intersecting lane, the positional relationship between the vehicle's destination and the intersection 13, and whether or not there is a possibility of oncoming vehicles on the road 11 turning right or left toward the intersecting road 12. The driving control device 22 may acquire evaluation information for at least two or more items from these multiple evaluation items, including the degree of congestion.
[0050] In step ST26, the driving control device 22 uses the evaluation information acquired in step ST25 to evaluate multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39. Details will be described later.
[0051] In step ST27, the driving control device 22 selects a driving lane from among the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39, which will be the lane on which the vehicle will make a right or left turn. Here, the driving control device 22 selects the intersecting lane with the highest total evaluation value in the evaluation in step ST26 as the driving lane.
[0052] In step ST28, the travel control device 22 determines, based on the lane candidate list 39, whether or not there are multiple travel lanes selected in step ST27. If there are multiple travel lanes selected, the travel control device 22 proceeds to step ST29. If there is only one travel lane selected, the travel control device 22 terminates the control shown in Figure 4 and returns the process to step ST6 in Figure 3.
[0053] In step ST29, the driving control device 22 selects one final intersection lane from among the multiple intersection lanes that have been selected. From among the multiple intersection lanes with the same total evaluation value, the driving control device 22 selects the intersection lane closest to the center of the road as the lane in which the vehicle will make a right or left turn. After that, the driving control device 22 terminates the control shown in Figure 4 and returns the process to step ST6 in Figure 3.
[0054] (Example of a lane candidate list) Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a lane candidate list 39 and evaluation items for multiple intersecting lanes of the intersecting road 12 in Figure 1. When the vehicle makes a right turn at the intersection 13 in Figure 1, the driving control device 22 generates the lane candidate list 39 in Figure 5 in step ST24 in Figure 4 and records it in the memory 36. The lane candidate list 39 in Figure 5 includes the intersecting lanes to which the vehicle will turn right or left from among the multiple intersecting lanes L11 to L14 of the intersecting road 12 in Figure 1. Specifically, it includes the intersecting lane L11 on the roadside to which the vehicle will turn right or left, and the intersecting lane L12 on the roadside to which the vehicle will turn right or left. Also, Figure 5 includes the following evaluation items for the intersecting lanes: congestion level, number of intersections, destination, and the possibility of oncoming vehicles turning right or left onto the intersecting road 12.
[0055] The congestion level item is assigned an evaluation value according to the order of congestion levels of the multiple intersecting lanes to which right or left turns are taken, as included in the lane candidate list 39. In Figure 1, the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the roadside intersecting lane L11 is further from the intersection 13 than the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the center-side intersecting lane L12. The distance D11 from the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the roadside intersecting lane L11 to the intersection 13 is longer than the distance D12 from the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the center-side intersecting lane L12 to the intersection 13. In this case, the driving control device 22 assigns an evaluation value of, for example, "1" to the roadside intersecting lane L11 and an evaluation value of, for example, "0" to the center-side intersecting lane L12. The driving control device 22 evaluates the less congested intersecting lanes more highly than the congested intersecting lanes. For the congestion level item of the leading vehicle 6 for each intersecting lane, the driving control device 22 sets a larger evaluation value for intersecting lanes that are further from the intersection 13 to the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 for each intersecting lane. Here, the driving control device 22 may obtain the distance from the rear end of the preceding vehicle 6 to the intersection 13 for each intersecting lane based on the information of the intersection 13 in the high-precision map data 34 and the information from the external camera 32, LiDAR 33, laser, or external communication control device 26. Note that there is a parked vehicle 9 in the roadside intersecting lane L11 in Figure 1. In this case, the driving control device 22 may calculate the distance D11 from the rear end of the preceding vehicle 6 in the roadside intersecting lane L11 to the intersection 13, excluding the parked vehicle 9. The parked vehicle 9 is significantly offset from the lane center line. The driving control device 22 may determine whether or not it is a parked vehicle 9 based on whether there is no change in position or whether the offset amount is greater than or equal to a threshold.
[0056] The "Number of Intersections" item is assigned an evaluation value corresponding to the order of the number of intersections with intersection lanes L11 to L15 for each intersection lane to which a vehicle is turning right or left, as included in the lane candidate list 39. Here, intersection lane L15 is the lane to which vehicle 7 turns right onto the intersecting road 12. In Figure 1, the first driving lane within the intersection for a vehicle to move from its own lane L1 on its own road 11 to the roadside intersection lane L11, and the second driving lane within the intersection for a vehicle to move from its own lane L1 on its own road 11 to the roadside intersection lane L12, are shown by dashed lines. Also in Figure 1, the lane centerlines of multiple intersection lanes L11 to L15 for vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the intersecting road 12 are shown by dashed lines. White circles are placed where these lane centerlines intersect. In this case, the first driving lane intersects with the lane centerlines of multiple intersecting lanes L11 to L15 for vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the intersecting road 12 at five locations. In contrast, the second driving lane intersects with the lane centerlines of multiple intersecting lanes L11 to L15 for vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the intersecting road 12 at four locations. The driving control device 22 counts the number of intersections for each route and assigns an evaluation value of, for example, "1" to the intersecting lane L12 on the roadside with fewer intersections, and an evaluation value of, for example, "0" to the intersecting lane L11 on the roadside with more intersections. The driving control device 22 evaluates intersecting lanes on routes with fewer intersections higher than intersecting lanes on routes with more intersections. Regarding the number of intersections, the driving control device 22 sets a larger evaluation value for intersecting lanes that have fewer intersections with the routes of the multiple intersecting lanes on the intersecting road 12. Here, the driving control device 22 may count the number of intersections for each intersecting lane based on the information of the intersection 13 in the high-precision map data 34.
[0057] The destination field is assigned an evaluation value corresponding to the positional relationship between the vehicle's destination and the intersection 13 where it intends to turn right or left. For example, if the vehicle's destination is the parking lot shown in Figure 1, the distance from intersection 13 to the vehicle's destination is short. If the distance from intersection 13 to the vehicle's destination is below a threshold, the driving control device 22 assigns a larger evaluation value to the crossing lane on the roadside of the intersecting road 12, because the vehicle's destination is close to intersection 13. For example, the driving control device 22 assigns an evaluation value of "1" to the crossing lane L11 on the roadside and an evaluation value of "0" to the crossing lane L12 on the roadside. Here, the driving control device 22 may generate the distance from intersection 13 to the vehicle's destination based on the information of the position of intersection 13 and the position of the destination in the high-precision map data 34.
[0058] The item "Possibility of an oncoming vehicle turning right or left" is assigned an evaluation value according to the likelihood of the oncoming vehicle turning right or left. For example, in Figure 1, the oncoming vehicle on the road 11 has its right turn signal activated in order to turn right at intersection 13. The image captured by the external camera 32 can capture the state of the oncoming vehicle's right turn signal. When the oncoming vehicle has its right turn signal activated, the driving control device 22 determines that the oncoming vehicle is likely to turn right and lowers the evaluation value of the intersection lane closest to the road edge of the intersecting road 12. In this case, the driving control device 22 assigns an evaluation value of, for example, "-1" to the intersection lane L11 on the road edge and an evaluation value of, for example, "0" to the intersection lane L12 on the road center side.
[0059] In step ST26, the driving control device 22 performs these evaluation processes, assigning evaluation values for multiple items to the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39 for right and left turns. The driving control device 22 also calculates a total evaluation value for each intersecting lane. Then, in step ST27, the driving control device 22 selects the intersecting lane with the highest total evaluation value from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39 in Figure 5 as the driving lane that the vehicle will use to turn right or left. In the lane candidate list 39 in Figure 5, the total evaluation value of the roadside intersecting lane L11 is "1". The total evaluation value of the roadside intersecting lane L12 is "1". In this case, the driving control device 22 selects the roadside intersecting lane L11, which has the highest total evaluation value of "1", and the roadside intersecting lane L12 as driving lanes. Since there are multiple driving lanes to select, the driving control device 22 executes step ST29 to select the intersecting lane closest to the center of the road as the final driving lane. In the case of Figure 5, the driving control device 22 selects the intersection lane L12 on the center side of the road as the final driving lane. In this case, the autonomous vehicle 1 performs driving control in step ST10 or step ST11 to turn right at the intersection 13 so as to move from its own lane L1 on its own road 11 to the intersection lane L12 on the center side of the intersection road 12.
[0060] (Another Intersection Example) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which an autonomous vehicle 1 is attempting to make a right turn at an intersection 13 different from that in Figure 1. In Figure 6, the road 11 on which the autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling is a two-way road with one lane in each direction. The autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling in its own lane L1 on the road 11 toward the intersection 13. The autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling along the road 11 toward the intersection 13 and is attempting to make a right turn from the road 11 toward the intersecting road 12. The intersecting road 12 is a two-way road with five intersecting lanes: intersecting lane L21 on the roadside of the right turn, intersecting lane L23 on the roadside of the right turn, intersecting lane L22 in the middle of the right turn, intersecting lane L24 on the roadside of the opposing road, and intersecting lane L25 on the roadside of the opposing road.
[0061] The autonomous vehicle 1 then controls its own driving so that it basically drives along the lane center line in the middle of the lane, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. When the autonomous vehicle 1 turns right at intersection 13 in Figure 6, it basically drives along the lane center line of its own lane L1 on its own road 11, and activates the turn signal on the right side of the vehicle either inside the intersection or just before intersection 13. After that, the autonomous vehicle 1 drives from its own lane L1 on its own road 11 along the lane center line for right turns inside the intersection, and continues driving along the lane center line of the intersection lane L21 at the left edge of the intersecting road 12. In this way, the autonomous vehicle 1 can turn right from its own road 11 at intersection 13 and drive onto the intersecting road 12.
[0062] (Example of lane candidate list for other intersection examples) Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a lane candidate list 39 and evaluation items for multiple intersecting lanes of the intersecting road 12 in Figure 6. When the vehicle makes a right turn at the intersection 13 in Figure 6, the driving control device 22 generates the lane candidate list 39 in Figure 7 in step ST24 of Figure 4 and records it in the memory 36. The lane candidate list 39 in Figure 7 includes the intersecting lanes to which the vehicle will turn right or left from among the multiple intersecting lanes L21 to L25 of the intersecting road 12 in Figure 6. Specifically, it includes the roadside intersecting lane L21 to which the vehicle will turn right or left, the central intersecting lane L22 to which the vehicle will turn right or left, and the road-center intersecting lane L23 to which the vehicle will turn right or left. Also, Figure 7 includes the following evaluation items for the intersecting lanes: congestion level, number of intersections, destination, and the possibility of oncoming vehicles turning right or left onto the intersecting road 12.
[0063] In Figure 7, the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the roadside crossing lane L21 is further from the intersection 13 than the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the central crossing lane L22 and the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the center crossing lane L23. The distance D11 from the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the roadside crossing lane L21 to the intersection 13 is longer than the distance D12 from the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the central crossing lane L22 to the intersection 13. The distance D12 from the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the central crossing lane L22 to the intersection 13 is longer than the distance D13 from the rear end of the leading vehicle 6 in the center crossing lane L23 to the intersection 13. In this case, the driving control device 22 assigns, for example, an evaluation value of "2" to the roadside crossing lane L11, for example, an evaluation value of "1" to the central crossing lane L22, and for example, an evaluation value of "0" to the center crossing lane L23.
[0064] Figure 6 shows, with dashed lines, the first driving lane within the intersection for a vehicle to move from its own lane L1 on road 11 to the roadside crossing lane L11, the second driving lane within the intersection for a vehicle to move from its own lane L1 on road 11 to the central crossing lane L22, and the third driving lane within the intersection for a vehicle to move from its own lane L1 on road 11 to the roadside crossing lane L23. Also, with dashed lines, the lane centerlines of multiple crossing lanes L21 to L26 for vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the crossing road 12 are shown. White circles are placed where these lane centerlines intersect. In this case, the first driving lane intersects with the lane centerlines of multiple crossing lanes L21 to L26 for vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the crossing road 12 at six locations. In contrast, the second driving lane intersects at five locations with the lane centerlines of multiple intersecting lanes L21 to L26 for intersecting vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the intersecting road 12. The third driving lane also intersects at four locations with the lane centerlines of multiple intersecting lanes L21 to L26 for intersecting vehicles 7 and 8 traveling on the intersecting road 12. In this case, the driving control device 22 counts the number of intersections along each route and assigns an evaluation value of, for example, "2" to the intersecting lane L23 on the roadside with the fewest intersections, an evaluation value of, for example, "1" to the central intersecting lane L22 with the next fewest intersections, and an evaluation value of, for example, "0" to the intersecting lane on the roadside with the most intersections.
[0065] If the destination of the vehicle that is about to turn right or left is the parking lot shown in Figure 6, the distance from intersection 13 to the vehicle's destination is short. If the distance from intersection 13 to the vehicle's destination is below a threshold, the driving control device 22 assigns a larger evaluation value to the crossing lane on the edge of the intersecting road 12 because the vehicle's destination is close to intersection 13. The driving control device 22 assigns an evaluation value of "2" to the crossing lane on the edge of the road, an evaluation value of "1" to the crossing lane in the center, and an evaluation value of "0" to the crossing lane on the center of the road.
[0066] In Figure 6, the oncoming vehicle on the road 11 has its right turn signal activated in order to turn right at intersection 13. The image captured by the external camera 32 can capture the status of the oncoming vehicle's right turn signal. When the oncoming vehicle has its right turn signal activated, the driving control device 22 determines that the oncoming vehicle may be turning right and lowers the evaluation value of the intersecting lane on the roadside of the intersecting road 12. Here, the driving control device 22 assigns an evaluation value of, for example, "-1" to the intersecting lane L21 on the roadside, and an evaluation value of, for example, "0" to the other intersecting lanes L22 and L23.
[0067] In step ST26, the driving control device 22 performs these evaluation processes, assigning evaluation values for multiple items to the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39 for right and left turns. The driving control device 22 also calculates a total evaluation value for each intersecting lane. Subsequently, in step ST27, the driving control device 22 selects the intersecting lane with the highest total evaluation value from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39 in Figure 7 as the driving lane that the vehicle will use to turn right or left. In the lane candidate list 39 in Figure 7, the total evaluation value of the roadside intersecting lane L21 is "3". The total evaluation value of the central intersecting lane L22 is "3". The total evaluation value of the road-center intersecting lane L23 is "2". In this case, the driving control device 22 selects the roadside intersecting lane L21, which has the highest total evaluation value of "3", and the central intersecting lane L22 as the driving lanes. Since there are multiple driving lanes to choose from, the driving control device 22 executes step ST29 to select the intersection lane L22 closest to the center of the road among the selected lanes as the final driving lane. In the case of Figure 5, the driving control device 22 selects the central intersection lane L22 as the final driving lane. In this case, the autonomous vehicle 1 executes driving control in step ST10 or step ST11 to turn right at the intersection 13 so as to move from its own lane L1 on its own road 11 towards the central intersection lane L22 on the intersecting road 12.
[0068] As described above, this embodiment includes an external camera 32, a LiDAR 33, and an external communication control device 26 as acquisition devices. These acquisition devices can acquire information about the preceding vehicle 6 traveling in the intersecting lane of the road 12 to which the vehicle is turning right or left, or information about the preceding vehicle 6 that the vehicle will be traveling in. The driving control device 22 then uses the information of the surrounding vehicles 3, 6, 7, and 8 from the acquisition devices to perform automatic driving control that drives the vehicle along the lane of the high-precision map data 34. When the vehicle is turning right or left at the intersection 13, the driving control device 22 determines, based on the high-precision map data 34, whether there are multiple intersecting lanes to which the vehicle is turning right or left at the road 12, and if there are multiple intersecting lanes, it generates a lane candidate list 39 for the multiple intersecting lanes. The driving control device 22 evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39 based on information about the preceding vehicle 6 for at least each lane, and selects the driving lane that the vehicle will travel in after turning right or left from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39. The driving control device 22 controls the vehicle's right and left turns at the intersection 13 so that the vehicle turns from its own lane L1 on the road 11 towards the driving lane of the intersecting road 12. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 1, when driving autonomously, can turn right or left into the driving lane selected according to the lane evaluation based on the lane candidate list 39. When driving autonomously, the autonomous vehicle 1 can select not only the intersecting lane on the roadside but also the intersecting lane on the roadside based on the evaluation, and as a result, it becomes possible to turn right or left towards the intersecting lane on the roadside as well as the intersecting lane on the roadside.
[0069] Moreover, in this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 1, which turns right or left while driving autonomously, can travel toward any of the multiple intersecting lanes of the intersecting road 12. Since the autonomous vehicle 1, which is driving autonomously, turns right or left toward the intersecting lane on the center side of the road, users of the autonomous vehicle 1 are less likely to feel any discomfort with the autonomous vehicle 1 turning right or left while driving autonomously. In contrast, compared to, for example, a case where another vehicle is parked or stopped in the intersecting lane on the edge side of the intersecting road 12, and the autonomous vehicle simply turns right or left to avoid that other vehicle, users of the autonomous vehicle 1 are less likely to feel any discomfort with the autonomous vehicle 1 turning right or left while driving autonomously.
[0070] In this embodiment, the multiple intersecting lanes for right and left turns included in the lane candidate list 39 are evaluated not only by the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles 6 in each intersecting lane, but also by the number of intersections, the positional relationship of the vehicle to its destination, and the possibility of oncoming vehicles turning right or left. This makes it possible to prioritize available intersecting lanes, prioritize the route to the vehicle's destination, reduce the number of intersections, and improve the safety of passing through the intersection 13 by accommodating oncoming vehicles turning right.
[0071] In this embodiment, if there are multiple intersecting lanes to select according to the evaluation of the total evaluation value, the driving control device 22 selects the intersecting lane closest to the center of the road as the driving lane in which the vehicle will turn right or left. As a result, the driving control device 22 does not hesitate in selecting a driving lane from multiple intersecting lanes. Moreover, as a result of the selection, the driving control device 22 can preferentially select the intersecting lane with the fewest intersections. The safety of the autonomous vehicle 1 passing through the intersection 13 is increased.
[0072] Thus, in this embodiment, the right and left turns performed by the autonomous vehicle 1 during autonomous driving can be improved.
[0073] The embodiments described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.
[0074] (Modification) In the embodiment described above, the driving control device 22 evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list 39 for right and left turns not only based on the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles 6 for each intersecting lane, but also on the number of intersections, the positional relationship of the vehicle to its destination, and the possibility of oncoming vehicles turning right or left. In addition to this, for example, the driving control device 22 may evaluate based on at least two items, such as the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles 6, the number of intersections, the positional relationship of the vehicle to its destination, and the possibility of oncoming vehicles turning right or left. In this case, it is preferable to include an evaluation of the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles 6. As a result, in this embodiment, the range of speeds in which deceleration is possible in the open distance of the driving lane after turning right or left at the intersection 13 is expanded, the speed when passing through the intersection 13 can be increased, and safety when passing through the intersection 13 can be expected to be improved. Furthermore, the driving control device 22 may evaluate each intersecting lane included in the lane candidate list 39 based on evaluation items other than those described above.
[0075] 1...Autonomous vehicle (vehicle), 6...Preceding vehicle (surrounding vehicle), 7...Intersecting vehicle (surrounding vehicle), 9...Parked / Stopped vehicle, 11...Own road (first road), 12...Intersecting road (second road), 13...Intersection, 20...Control system (autonomous driving control device for vehicle), 21...Sensor control device, 22...Driving control device, 23...Drive control device, 24...Steering control device, 25... Brake control device, 25... Brake control device, 26... External communication control device, 29... Vehicle network, 31... GNSS receiver, 32... External camera, 33... LiDAR, 34... High-precision map data, 35... Vehicle communication device, 36... Memory, 39... Lane candidate list, 41... Base station, 42... Vehicle information server device, L1... Vehicle lane, L11... Crossing lane on the roadside, L12... Crossing lane on the roadside, L13... Crossing lane, L14... Crossing lane, L15... Crossing lane, L21... Crossing lane on the roadside, L22... Central crossing lane, L23... Crossing lane on the roadside, L24... Crossing lane, L25... Crossing lane
Claims
1. An automatic driving control device for a vehicle, comprising: an acquisition device provided on the vehicle for acquiring information on surrounding vehicles; a memory for recording high-precision map data including road lane information; and a driving control unit that uses the surrounding vehicle information from the acquisition device to perform automatic driving control to drive the vehicle along the lanes in the high-precision map data, wherein the acquisition device acquires information on at least a preceding vehicle traveling in the intersecting lane of the second road at the point of the right or left turn when the vehicle turns right or left from the first road at an intersection of a first road and a second road; the driving control unit generates a list of lane candidates for the multiple intersecting lanes in the high-precision map data if there are multiple intersecting lanes at the point of the right or left turn of the second road; evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list based on information on at least a preceding vehicle for each intersecting lane, and selects a driving lane from the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list that the vehicle will travel in when turning right or left; and controls the vehicle's right or left turn at the intersection so that the vehicle turns right or left from the first road towards the driving lane of the second road. Automatic driving control system for vehicles.
2. The driving control unit evaluates the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list for right or left turns based on at least one of the following: the number of intersections between the vehicle's lane on the first road and the paths of the multiple intersecting lanes on the second road when the vehicle turns right or left from its own lane on the first road towards each intersecting lane, the positional relationship between the vehicle's destination and the intersection, and whether or not there is a possibility of oncoming vehicles on the first road turning right or left onto the second road, and the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles in each intersecting lane, and selects the driving lane in which the vehicle will turn right or left. This is an automatic driving control device for a vehicle according to claim 1.
3. The driving control unit assigns a higher evaluation value to the degree of congestion of preceding vehicles in each intersecting lane for intersecting lanes that are further away from the intersection to the rear end of the preceding vehicle in each intersecting lane; assigns a higher evaluation value to the number of intersections for intersecting lanes that have fewer intersections with the routes of the multiple intersecting lanes of the second road; assigns a higher evaluation value to the intersecting lanes on the roadside of the second road if the destination of the vehicle is near the intersection; or, if the oncoming vehicle is likely to turn right or left onto the second road, lowers the evaluation value of the intersecting lanes on the roadside of the second road; and selects the intersecting lane with the highest total evaluation value from among the multiple intersecting lanes included in the lane candidate list that the vehicle will turn right or left into as the driving lane.
4. The vehicle automatic driving control device according to claim 3, wherein, if there are multiple crossing lanes to be selected according to the evaluation of the total evaluation value, the driving control unit selects the crossing lane closest to the center of the road from among the multiple crossing lanes with the same total evaluation value as the driving lane in which the vehicle will make a right or left turn.
5. The vehicle automatic driving control device according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition device provided on the vehicle is a vehicle sensor for observing the surroundings of the vehicle and / or a communication device for communicating with a server device that provides location information of a vehicle traveling on a road.