CN112172805B

CN112172805B - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN112172805B
Application number: CN202010616597.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马场一郎
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-07-02
Filing date: 2020-06-30
Publication date: 2024-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-30
Also published as: CN112172805A; JP2021009624A

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method and a storage medium, which can more appropriately start avoidance control by performing the avoidance control according to the conditions of other lanes. The vehicle control device is provided with: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation of the vehicle including an object existing in the surrounding of the vehicle; and a driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle, wherein when the recognition unit recognizes that a congestion occurs in a second lane different from the first lane in which the vehicle is present, the driving control unit changes the degree of activation of avoidance control for approach across the object recognized by the recognition unit, based on the attribute of the second lane.

Description

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Technical Field

The invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium.

Background

A technique relating to a driving support device for a vehicle that determines a congestion state of an adjacent lane adjacent to a host vehicle running road and, when it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested, changes a cruise control target vehicle speed with inter-vehicle distance control to a low vehicle speed for congestion that is set in advance is disclosed (for example, refer to japanese patent application laid-open No. 2009-214838).

In the conventional technique, there is insufficient study on controlling the travel of the host vehicle by including the relationship between the other road lane that is congested and the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium that can perform avoidance control in accordance with the situation of another lane, thereby enabling more appropriate activation of the avoidance control.

Disclosure of Invention

The vehicle control device, the vehicle control method, and the storage medium of the present invention adopt the following configurations.

(1): A vehicle control device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation of a vehicle including an object existing in the surrounding of the vehicle; and a driving control unit that controls a speed and a steering of the vehicle, wherein the driving control unit changes a degree of activation of avoidance control for approach of the traversing object recognized by the recognition unit based on an attribute of a second lane when the recognition unit recognizes that the second lane is congested with a first lane different from the first lane in which the vehicle is present.

(2): In the aspect of (1) above, the driving control unit may change the activation level of the avoidance control by relaxing or tightening the activation condition of the avoidance control or stopping activation of the avoidance control.

(3): In the aspect (1) or (2), the driving control unit may change the activation level of the avoidance control by increasing or decreasing the control amount of the avoidance control.

(4): In the aspect (2) or (3), the driving control unit may be configured to, when the second lane is a lane facing the first lane, widen an activation condition of the avoidance control or increase a control amount of the avoidance control.

(5): In the case where the second lane is a lane that is in the same direction as the first lane and is on the road shoulder side than the first lane, the driving control unit may widen the start condition of the avoidance control or increase the control amount of the avoidance control.

(6): In addition to any one of the above (2) to (5), the avoidance control includes a preparation control for preventing the approaching of the crossing object, and the driving control unit stops the start of the preparation control when the second lane is a lane which is in the same direction as the first lane and is on the opposite lane side from the first lane.

(7): In addition to any one of the above (2) to (6), the avoidance control includes a preparation control for preventing the approaching of the crossing object, and the driving control unit stops the start of the preparation control when the second lane is adjacent to the first lane and a third lane is present outside the second lane.

(8): In one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle control method causes a computer of a vehicle control apparatus to perform: identifying a surrounding condition of the vehicle including objects present in the surrounding of the vehicle; controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle; and when it is recognized that congestion occurs in a second lane different from the first lane in which the vehicle is present, changing the degree of activation of avoidance control for the recognized approach across the object based on the attribute of the second lane.

(9): A storage medium according to an aspect of the present invention stores a program for causing a computer of a vehicle control apparatus to: identifying a surrounding condition of the vehicle including objects present in the surrounding of the vehicle; controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle; when it is recognized that a congestion occurs in a second lane different from the first lane in which the vehicle is present, the degree of activation of avoidance control for the recognized approach to the crossing object is changed based on the attribute of the second lane.

Effects of the invention

According to the aspects (1) to (9) described above, the avoidance control can be started more appropriately according to the situation of the other lane.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system using a vehicle control device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit and the second control unit.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section according to the embodiment increases the activation level of the avoidance control.

Fig. 4 is a view showing another example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section according to the embodiment increases the activation level of the avoidance control.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section according to the embodiment does not increase the activation level of the avoidance control.

Fig. 6 is a view showing another example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section according to the embodiment does not increase the activation level of the avoidance control.

Fig. 7 is a view showing still another example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section according to the embodiment does not increase the activation level of the avoidance control.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the avoidance control section according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the automatic driving control device according to the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium according to the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, a case where the left-hand regulation is applied will be described, but when the right-hand regulation is applied, the left-right regulation may be read.

[ Integral Structure ]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, four-wheeled or the like vehicle, and the driving source thereof is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The motor operates using generated power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or discharge power of the secondary battery or the fuel cell.

The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a detector 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human MACHINE INTERFACE) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, navigation devices 50, MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driving operation element 80, an automatic driving control device (automated driving control device) 100, a running driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and apparatuses are connected to each other via a plurality of communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, and a wireless communication network. The configuration shown in fig. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted or another configuration may be added.

The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using solid-state imaging elements such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is mounted on an arbitrary portion of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When photographing the front, the camera 10 is mounted on the upper part of the front windshield, the rear view mirror of the vehicle interior, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly photographs the periphery of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereoscopic camera.

The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M, and detects at least the position (distance and azimuth) of the object by detecting the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object. The radar device 12 is mounted on an arbitrary portion of the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 may also detect the position and velocity of an object by means of FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave).

The detector 14 is a LIDAR (Light Detection AND RANGING). The detector 14 irradiates light around the vehicle M, and measures scattered light. The detector 14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The detector 14 is mounted on an arbitrary portion of the host vehicle M.

The object recognition device 16 performs a sensor fusion process on the detection results detected by some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the detector 14, to recognize the position, the type, the speed, and the like of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the detector 14 directly to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing around the host vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like, or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

The HMI30 presents various information to the occupant of the own vehicle M, and accepts an input operation by the occupant. HMI30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, etc.

The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity about the vertical axis, an azimuth sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M, and the like.

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation SATELLITE SYSTEM) receiver 51, a navigation HMI52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the own vehicle M based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M may also be determined or supplemented by INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI52 includes a display device, speakers, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI52 may be partially or entirely shared with the HMI30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines a route (hereinafter referred to as a route on a map) from the position of the host vehicle M (or an arbitrary position inputted thereto) specified by the GNSS receiver 51 to a destination inputted by the occupant using the navigation HMI52, for example, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information representing the shape of a road by a route representing the road and nodes connected by the route. The first map information 54 may also include curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by the functions of a terminal device such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal held by an occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20, and acquire a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

The MPU60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determining unit 61, and holds the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determining unit 61 divides the route on the map supplied from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, for every 100m in the vehicle traveling direction), and determines the recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane from the left is to be driven. The recommended lane determining unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for traveling to the branching destination when the branching point exists on the route on the map.

The second map information 62 is map information of higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information of the center of a lane, information of the boundary of a lane, and the like. The second map information 62 may also include road information, traffic restriction information, residence information (residence, zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with other devices.

The steering operation member 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a shaped steering wheel, a joystick, and other operation members. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is attached to the driving operation element 80, and the detection result is output to the automatic driving control device 100, or to some or all of the running driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each realized by a hardware processor such as CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit) such as LSI(Large Scale Integration)、ASIC(Application Specific Integrated Circuit)、FPGA(Field-Programmable Gate Array)、GPU(Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory (a storage device including a non-transitory storage medium) of the autopilot control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or the flash memory of the autopilot control device 100 by being mounted on a drive device via the storage medium (the non-transitory storage medium). The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device".

Fig. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The first control unit 120 implements, for example, an AT (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; artificial intelligence) based function and a predetermined model based function in parallel. For example, the function of "identifying an intersection" may be realized by "performing, in parallel, identification of an intersection by deep learning or the like, and identification based on a predetermined condition (presence of a signal, road sign, or the like capable of pattern matching), and scoring both sides to comprehensively evaluate. Thereby, reliability of automatic driving is ensured. The action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 are combined to be an example of a "driving control unit".

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of the object located in the vicinity of the host vehicle M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the detector 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is identified as a position on absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) of the host vehicle M as an origin, for example, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or the corners of the object, or may be represented by a represented area. The "state" of the object may also include acceleration, jerk, or "behavior" of the object (e.g., whether a lane change is being made or is to be made).

The identifying unit 130 identifies, for example, a lane (driving lane) in which the host vehicle M is driving. For example, the identifying unit 130 identifies the driving lane by comparing the pattern of the road dividing line (for example, the arrangement of the solid line and the broken line) obtained from the second map information 62 with the pattern of the road dividing line around the host vehicle M identified from the image captured by the camera 10. The identification unit 130 is not limited to identifying the road dividing line, and may identify the road dividing line, and a traveling road boundary (road boundary) including a road shoulder, a curb, a center isolation belt, a guardrail, and the like, thereby identifying the traveling lane. In this identification, the position of the host vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result of the INS processing may be added. The identification unit 130 identifies a temporary stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a toll station, and other road phenomena.

When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. The identification unit 130 may identify, for example, a deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and an angle formed by the traveling direction of the host vehicle M with respect to a line connecting the centers of the lanes, as the relative position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. Instead of this, the identification unit 130 may identify the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to any side end portion (road dividing line or road boundary) of the travel lane, or the like, as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the travel lane. The recognition unit 130 includes, for example, a congestion recognition unit 132 and a cross object recognition unit 134.

The congestion identifying unit 132 identifies the traveling state of another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as another vehicle V) existing in another traveling lane (second lane) adjacent to the traveling lane (first lane) in which the host vehicle M exists (travels, is stopped). The other travel lanes include a travel lane that is the same direction as the travel lane in which the own vehicle M exists and an opposite lane that is the opposite direction to the travel lane in which the own vehicle M exists. The congestion recognition unit 132 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and the like of the other vehicle V existing in the vicinity of the host vehicle M, for example, based on the information input from the object recognition device 16. The congestion identifying unit 132 identifies congestion occurring in another travel lane based on the result of identifying another vehicle V existing in another travel lane.

The cross object recognition unit 134 recognizes objects other than the other vehicle V that are present (traveling or stopped) around the host vehicle M. The cross object recognition unit 134 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, movement direction, and the like of objects other than the other vehicle V existing in the periphery of the host vehicle M, for example, based on the information input from the object recognition device 16. The transverse object recognition unit 134 recognizes a transverse object to be brought close to the vehicle M and to intersect the front based on the result of recognizing the object. A "crossing object" is an object such as a pedestrian, a bicycle, or the like that may suddenly rush out from between other vehicles that are stopped due to congestion on other travel lanes, or the like.

The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target track in which the host vehicle M automatically (Automatedly) runs in the future so as to be able to cope with the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M while traveling on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 in principle. The target track includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target track is represented by a track in which points (track points) where the host vehicle M should reach are sequentially arranged. The track point is a point where the own vehicle M should reach every predetermined travel distance (for example, several [ M ] level) in terms of the distance along the road, and is generated as a part of the target track at intervals of a predetermined sampling time (for example, several tenths [ sec ] level), unlike this point. The track point may be a position where the own vehicle M should reach at the sampling timing at every predetermined sampling timing. In this case, the information of the target speed and the target acceleration is expressed by the interval of the track points.

The action plan generation unit 140 may set an event of automatic driving when generating the target trajectory. In the event of automatic driving, there are a constant speed travel event, a low speed follow-up travel event, a lane change event, a branching event, a merging event, a takeover event, and the like. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target track corresponding to the started event. The action plan generation unit 140 includes an avoidance control unit 142.

The avoidance control section 142 performs avoidance control for the crossing object. The "avoidance control" includes the preparation control and the formal avoidance control. The "preparation control" is, for example, control that is prepared in advance so that the actual avoidance control can be started immediately in order to prevent sudden rushing out of the crossing object from the other travel lane side. The "preparation control" includes a traveling control such as a decrease (deceleration) of the traveling speed of the host vehicle M, a traveling of the host vehicle on a side away from the congested other traveling lane in the current traveling lane, or a lane change to a traveling lane on the opposite side from the congested other traveling lane, which is performed in advance before the main avoidance control is started. The term "main avoidance control" refers to control of braking or steering-based avoidance in response to a reduction in the collision margin TTC (Time To Collision) between a crossing object and a crossing object, such as when the crossing object from the other driving lane side suddenly rushes out.

When the congestion recognition unit 132 recognizes that congestion has occurred in another traveling lane, the avoidance control unit 142 changes the degree of activation of the avoidance control for the approach to the crossing object based on the attribute of the other traveling lane in which the congestion has occurred. The "attribute of the other travel lane in which the congestion occurs" means which position the travel lane in which the own vehicle M exists and the other travel lane including the congested travel lane are located with respect to the entire road. The "change in the activation degree of the avoidance control" refers to one or both of a case where the activation condition of the main avoidance control is changed, such as a relaxation of the condition or a stricter condition of the activation of the main avoidance control, or a stop of the activation of the main avoidance control, and a case where the control amount in the main avoidance control is changed, such as an increase in the control amount or a decrease in the control amount when the main avoidance control is performed. The "change in the activation degree of avoidance control" includes one or both of the case where the preparatory control is performed or not performed and the case where the threshold value and the control gain of the time to collision TTC are changed. For example, when the crossing object recognition unit 134 recognizes that there is a possibility that the crossing object suddenly rushes out from the other travel lane side such as between the other vehicles V stopped by the congestion on the other travel lane, the avoidance control unit 142 changes the degree of activation of the avoidance control for the approach of the crossing object to be high.

The "change in the activation degree of the avoidance control" in the avoidance control section 142 may be performed regardless of whether or not the crossing object recognition section 134 recognizes a crossing object. For example, the avoidance control section 142 may perform the preparation control in a state where the object is not recognized to be crossing. This is because the formal avoidance control is control of the actual recognized crossing object start, that is, control in which the crossing object needs to be recognized; on the other hand, the preparation control is control prepared in advance so that the main avoidance control can be started immediately, that is, control prepared in advance when the sudden approach of the crossing object is assumed, and it is considered that the traveling of the host vehicle M is not greatly affected by the preparation control alone.

The second control unit 160 controls the running driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M passes through the target track generated by the behavior plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined timing.

Returning to fig. 2, the second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information of the target track (track point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140, and causes a memory (not shown) to store the information. The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling driving force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on a speed element attached to the target track stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curved state of the target track stored in the memory. The processing by the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control, for example. As an example, the steering control unit 166 combines a feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M with a feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

The running driving force output device 200 outputs a running driving force (torque) for running the vehicle to the driving wheels. The running driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and the like, and controls these ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The ECU controls the above configuration in accordance with information input from the second control portion 160 or information input from the driving operation element 80.

The brake device 210 includes, for example, a caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor in accordance with information input from the second control portion 160 or information input from the driving operation member 80 so that a braking torque corresponding to a braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may be provided with a mechanism for transmitting the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the drive operation element 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via the master cylinder. The brake device 210 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the hydraulic cylinders by controlling the actuators in accordance with information input from the second control unit 160.

The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor applies a force to the rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheel, for example. The steering ECU drives the electric motor in accordance with information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operation element 80, and changes the direction of the steered wheels.

[ Control of avoidance across objects ]

Next, the following describes driving control (avoidance control) of the host vehicle M with respect to the approach to the object by the avoidance control section 142. The avoidance control unit 142 executes the avoidance control based on the positional relationship between the travel lane in which the host vehicle M exists and other travel lanes including the congested travel lane.

[ Scene example for improving the degree of starting avoidance control ]

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the avoidance control unit 142 according to the embodiment increases the activation level of the avoidance control. Fig. 3 is a first example of a scenario in which the activation level of avoidance control is improved. Fig. 3 is an example of a scene of preparation control when congestion occurs in a lane facing the road passing in both directions on one lane. In such a scene, for example, a pedestrian H walking on a sidewalk on the opposite lane side may suddenly rush out from between another vehicle V2 and another vehicle V3, etc. stopped on the opposite lane due to congestion, in order to pass through the road. In this case, the avoidance control unit 142 performs the preparation control so that the host vehicle M can be immediately started up in response to the congestion recognition unit 132 recognizing the congestion of the opposite lane. Fig. 3 shows an example of the traveling direction Dm in the case where the host vehicle M is decelerating and traveling in the current traveling lane by the preparation control by the avoidance control unit 142. In this case, the avoidance control section 142 may perform not only the preparation control but also a reduction in the threshold value of the actual avoidance control.

Fig. 4 is a view showing another example of a scenario in which avoidance control unit 142 according to the embodiment increases the activation level of the avoidance control. Fig. 4 is a second example of a scenario in which the degree of activation of avoidance control is improved. Fig. 4 shows an example of a scene of preparation control when congestion occurs in another travel lane (hereinafter referred to as an adjacent lane) that is located on the same direction as the travel lane in which the own vehicle M is located and is adjacent to the road shoulder side in the one-side two-lane road. In such a scene, for example, a pedestrian H walking on a sidewalk on the road shoulder may suddenly rush out from between another vehicle V2 and another vehicle V3, which are stopped by congestion on an adjacent lane, or the like, in order to pass through the road. In this case, the avoidance control unit 142 performs the preparation control based on the situation in which the congestion recognition unit 132 recognizes congestion of the adjacent lane on the road shoulder side. Fig. 4 shows an example of the traveling direction Dm in the case where the host vehicle M is decelerating due to the preparation control by the avoidance control unit 142 and traveling on the side away from the adjacent lane in the current traveling lane. In this case, the avoidance control section 142 may perform not only the preparation control but also a reduction in the threshold value of the actual avoidance control.

[ Scene example in which the degree of starting of avoidance control is not improved ]

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section 142 according to the embodiment does not increase the activation level of the avoidance control. Fig. 5 is a first example of a scenario in which the activation level of avoidance control is not improved. Fig. 5 shows an example of a scene in which congestion occurs in an adjacent lane on the opposite lane side in the same direction as the traveling lane in which the own vehicle M is present on the road with one-side two lanes, but preparation control is not performed. In such a scenario, for example, it is considered that a pedestrian H walking on a sidewalk on the opposite lane side is less likely to suddenly rush out from between other vehicles or the like stopped by congestion on an adjacent lane on the opposite lane side after passing through the opposite lane, regardless of whether the opposite lane is congested. Therefore, avoidance control unit 142 does not perform preparation control, and continues the current travel control. Fig. 5 shows an example of the traveling direction Dm in the case where the avoidance control unit 142 continues the current traveling control without performing the preparatory control such as deceleration. In this scene, the avoidance control section 142 also performs main avoidance control. However, the avoidance control section 142 may raise the threshold value of the main avoidance control to suppress false detection of the crossing object.

In a case where the host vehicle M is present in the center traveling lane on the one-side three-lane road and congestion occurs in the adjacent lane on the opposite lane side, the avoidance control unit 142 may execute the preparation control of traveling without decelerating the host vehicle M after the traveling lane on the shoulder side is changed.

Fig. 6 is a view showing another example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section 142 according to the embodiment does not increase the activation level of the avoidance control. Fig. 6 is a second example of a scenario in which the degree of activation of avoidance control is not improved. Fig. 6 shows an example of a scenario in which the host vehicle M is present in a travel lane on the opposite lane side on a road with three lanes on one side, and congestion occurs in a center adjacent lane that is in the same direction as the travel lane in which the host vehicle M is present and adjacent to the road shoulder side, but there is a travel lane on the outside of the adjacent lane that is across the center, that is, the road shoulder side. In such a scenario, for example, it is considered that a pedestrian H walking on a sidewalk on the shoulder side has a low possibility of suddenly rushing out from between other vehicles stopped on the adjacent lane at the center due to congestion, for example, by passing through the driving lane of the double-lane amount, regardless of whether or not the driving lane closest to the shoulder side is congested. Therefore, avoidance control unit 142 does not perform preparation control, and continues the current travel control. Fig. 6 shows an example of the traveling direction Dm in the case where the avoidance control unit 142 continues the current traveling control (traveling on the traveling lane on the opposite lane side) without performing the preparation control such as deceleration. In this case, since the avoidance control unit 142 also performs the main avoidance control, the threshold value of the main avoidance control can be raised to suppress false detection of the crossing object.

Fig. 7 is a view showing still another example of a scenario in which the avoidance control section 142 according to the embodiment does not increase the activation level of the avoidance control. Fig. 7 is a second example of a scenario in which the degree of activation of avoidance control is not improved. Fig. 7 shows an example of a scenario in which the host vehicle M is present in a road having three lanes on one side on the road shoulder side, and congestion occurs in a center adjacent lane that is in the same direction as the road lane in which the host vehicle M is present and adjacent to the opposite lane side, but there is a road lane outside the center adjacent lane, that is, on the opposite lane side, and thus no preparation control is performed. In such a scenario, for example, it is considered that a pedestrian H walking on a sidewalk on the opposite lane side has a low possibility of suddenly rushing out from between other vehicles stopped by congestion on the adjacent lane at the center through the opposite lane and the traffic lanes of the same pair of lanes, regardless of whether the opposite lane and the traffic lane closest to the adjacent lane on the opposite lane side are congested. Therefore, avoidance control unit 142 does not perform preparation control, and continues the current travel control. Fig. 7 shows an example of the traveling direction Dm in the case where the avoidance control unit 142 does not perform preparation control such as deceleration and continues current traveling control (traveling of the traveling lane on the road shoulder side). In this scenario, since the avoidance control unit 142 also performs the main avoidance control, the threshold value of the main avoidance control can be raised to suppress false detection of the crossing object.

[ Process flow ]

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by avoidance control section 142 according to the embodiment. The processing in the flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals when information is input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the detector 14 to the recognition unit 130 via the object recognition device 16. In the following description, the congestion recognition unit 132 sequentially inputs information indicating whether or not congestion has occurred in another driving lane, which is recognized based on the information input from the object recognition device 16, and information indicating whether or not there is a crossing object that is to approach the host vehicle M and crosses the front, which is recognized by the crossing object recognition unit 134, to the avoidance control unit 142. In other words, the avoidance controller 142 sequentially grasps the status of the other travel lane and the presence or absence of the crossing object.

First, the avoidance control unit 142 determines whether or not congestion is recognized by the congestion recognition unit 132 in another traveling lane (step S100). If it is determined in step S100 that no congestion has occurred in another traveling lane, avoidance control unit 142 advances the process to step S160.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S100 that congestion has occurred in another traveling lane, the avoidance control unit 142 determines whether or not the other traveling lane in which congestion has occurred is an adjacent lane (step S110). When it is determined in step S110 that the traveling lane in which the congestion has occurred is not an adjacent lane, the avoidance control unit 142 advances the process to step S160.

When it is determined in step S110 that the traffic lane in which the congestion has occurred is the adjacent lane, the avoidance control section 142 determines whether or not another traffic lane (third lane) is present on the outside of the adjacent lane, that is, on the side away from the host vehicle M (step S120). When it is determined in step S120 that another traveling lane is present outside the adjacent lane where the congestion has occurred (for example, see fig. 6 and 7), the avoidance control section 142 advances the process to step S160.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S120 that no other travel lane is further present outside the adjacent lane on which the congestion has occurred, the avoidance control unit 142 determines whether or not the adjacent lane on which the congestion has occurred is a facing lane (step S130). When it is determined in step S130 that the adjacent lane where the congestion has occurred is the opposite lane (for example, see fig. 3), the avoidance control section 142 advances the process to step S150.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S130 that the adjacent lane in which the congestion has occurred is not the opposite lane, in other words, the adjacent lane in which the congestion has occurred is the traveling lane in the same direction as the traveling lane in which the own vehicle M exists, the avoidance control unit 142 determines whether or not the adjacent lane in which the congestion has occurred is the traveling lane on the road shoulder side with respect to the traveling lane in which the own vehicle M exists (step S140). When it is determined in step S140 that the adjacent lane where the congestion has occurred is not the road shoulder side travel lane, in other words, the adjacent lane where the congestion has occurred is the opposite lane side travel lane (for example, see fig. 5), the avoidance control unit 142 advances the process to step S160.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S130 that the adjacent lane in which the congestion has occurred is the opposite lane or when it is determined in step S140 that the adjacent lane in which the congestion has occurred is the road shoulder side travel lane (for example, see fig. 4), the avoidance control unit 142 increases the degree of start of the avoidance control and causes the travel control of the host vehicle M to be performed (step S150). Then, avoidance control section 142 ends the processing of routine 1 in the present flowchart.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S100 that no traffic jam has occurred in another traveling lane, when it is determined in step S110 that the traveling lane in which traffic jam has occurred is not an adjacent lane, when it is determined in step S120 that another traveling lane is present outside the adjacent lane in which traffic jam has occurred, or when it is determined in step S140 that the adjacent lane in which traffic jam has occurred is not a traveling lane on the road shoulder side, the avoidance control unit 142 does not perform preparation control (does not increase the degree of starting of the avoidance control) and causes the host vehicle M to travel under control (step S160). That is, avoidance control section 142 continues the current driving control. Then, avoidance control section 142 ends the processing of routine 1 in the present flowchart.

As described above, the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment includes: a recognition unit 130 (more specifically, a congestion recognition unit 132) that recognizes the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M including objects (other vehicles V and crossing objects) existing in the surrounding of the host vehicle M; and a driving control unit (action plan generation unit 140, second control unit 160) that controls the speed and steering of the own vehicle M, wherein when the recognition unit 130 recognizes that there is a congestion in another travel lane (second lane) different from the travel lane (first lane) in which the own vehicle M exists, the driving control unit changes the degree of activation of avoidance control for the approach of the crossing object recognized by the recognition unit 130 (more specifically, crossing object recognition unit 134) based on the attribute of the second lane, and therefore can more appropriately activate the avoidance control (including preparation control).

In the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment, the description has been made of the case where the degree of activation of avoidance control (including preparation control) performed on a crossing object is changed. However, an object that is the object of avoidance control (including preparation control) in the host vehicle M may be considered to be an object other than the object. For example, it is also conceivable that another vehicle V stopped in a congested driving lane suddenly makes a lane change and enters the driving lane where the own vehicle M exists. However, the control (change) of the activation of the avoidance control (including the preparation control) in this case can be easily understood by considering the same as the control of the activation degree of the avoidance control performed across the object by the above-described change. Therefore, in this case, a detailed description about the process of changing the activation degree of the avoidance control by the avoidance control section 142 is omitted.

[ Hardware Structure ]

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the automatic drive control device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the automatic driving control device 100 has a configuration in which a communication controller 100-1, a CPU100-2, RAM (Random Access Memory) -3 used as a working memory, ROM (Read Only Memory) -4 for storing a boot program and the like, a storage device 100-5 such as a flash memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a drive device 100-6 and the like are connected to each other via an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 performs communication with components other than the automatic driving control device 100. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a for execution by the CPU 100-2. The program is developed into the RAM100-3 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) or the like, and executed by the CPU 100-2. Thus, the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160, more specifically, some or all of the congestion recognition unit 132, the traversing object recognition unit 134, and the avoidance control unit 142 are realized.

The embodiments described above can be expressed in the following manner.

The vehicle control device is provided with:

A storage device storing a program; and

A hardware processor is provided with a processor that,

The hardware processor executes a program stored in the storage device to perform the following processing:

Identifying a surrounding condition of the vehicle including objects present in the surrounding of the vehicle;

Controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle; and

When it is recognized that a congestion occurs in a second lane different from the first lane in which the vehicle is present, the degree of activation of avoidance control for the recognized approach across the object is changed based on the attribute of the second lane.

The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus, wherein,

The vehicle control device includes:

an identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation of a vehicle including an object existing in the surrounding of the vehicle; and

A driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle,

The driving control unit changes, when the recognition unit recognizes that a congestion occurs in a second lane different from a first lane in which the vehicle is present, a degree of activation of avoidance control for approach of the crossing object recognized by the recognition unit based on an attribute of the second lane,

The driving control unit changes the activation level of the avoidance control by relaxing or tightening the activation condition of the avoidance control or stopping activation of the avoidance control,

The driving control unit may be configured to, when the second lane is a facing lane, widen an activation condition of the avoidance control or increase a control amount of the avoidance control.

2. A vehicle control apparatus, wherein,

The vehicle control device includes:

A driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle,

The driving control unit may be configured to, when the second lane is a lane that is in the same direction as the first lane and is on a shoulder side of the first lane, either widen an engine condition of the avoidance control or increase a control amount of the avoidance control.

3. A vehicle control apparatus, wherein,

The vehicle control device includes:

A driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle,

The evasion control includes a readiness control to provide access to the traversing object,

The driving control unit stops the start of the preparation control when the second lane is a lane that is in the same direction as the first lane and is on the opposite lane side from the first lane.

4. A vehicle control apparatus, wherein,

The vehicle control device includes:

A driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle,

The driving control unit stops the start of the preparatory control when the second lane is adjacent to the first lane and a third lane is present outside the second lane.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein,

The driving control unit increases or decreases the control amount of the avoidance control to change the activation level of the avoidance control.

6. A vehicle control method, wherein,

The vehicle control method causes a computer of a vehicle control apparatus to perform the following processing:

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

When it is recognized that congestion occurs in a second lane different from a first lane in which the vehicle is present, changing the degree of activation of avoidance control for the recognized approach across an object based on the attribute of the second lane;

Changing the activation degree of the avoidance control by relaxing or tightening the activation condition of the avoidance control or stopping the activation of the avoidance control; and

When the second lane is a facing lane, the start condition of the avoidance control is relaxed or the control amount of the avoidance control is increased.

7. A storage medium storing a program, wherein,

The program causes a computer of a vehicle control apparatus to perform the following processing:

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

8. A vehicle control method, wherein,

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

When the second lane is a lane which is in the same direction as the first lane and is on the road shoulder side of the first lane, the start condition of the avoidance control is relaxed or the control amount of the avoidance control is increased.

9. A storage medium storing a program, wherein,

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

10. A vehicle control method, wherein,

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

When the second lane is a lane that is in the same direction as the first lane and is on the opposite lane side from the first lane, the start of the preparatory control is stopped.

11. A storage medium storing a program, wherein,

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

12. A vehicle control method, wherein,

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;

And stopping the start of the preparation control when the second lane is adjacent to the first lane and a third lane is present outside the second lane.

13. A storage medium storing a program, wherein,

controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle;