JP2019046008A - Vehicle traveling control method and vehicle traveling control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow a vehicle to enter a post-merge lane.SOLUTION: A vehicle traveling control device detects a fact that a preceding vehicle traveling immediately in front of an own vehicle enters a post-merge lane after an own lane merges with another lane and then an adjacent vehicle traveling adjacent to the own vehicle enters the post-merge lane (S13: YES). After the detection, when an inter-vehicle distance between a succeeding vehicle traveling immediately behind the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle (S15) is equal to or more than a predetermined entrance possible inter-vehicle distance (S17:YES), the own vehicle is allowed to enter the post-merge lane (S19).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control method and a vehicle travel control device.

  Conventionally, when another vehicle is detected to the side of the own vehicle, it is determined whether or not it is a junction, and if it is a junction, the inter-vehicle distance adjustment is performed on the assumption that the possibility of interruption is large. A distance control device is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP, 2013-177054, A

  The above-mentioned technology is a technology for controlling the side that gives away to another vehicle at the time of merging, that is, the side that receives an interruption (non-merging side), and there is no disclosure about the control of the handed side (joining side). Therefore, depending on the situation on the non-joining side, it may not be possible to join forever.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle travel control method and a vehicle travel control device capable of causing a host vehicle to enter a traffic lane after merging.

  In the vehicle travel control method according to one aspect of the present invention, a preceding vehicle traveling immediately in front of a vehicle traveling in a lane enters a post-joining lane after the merging of the lane and the other lane, and next to the vehicle in the other lane Detects that an adjacent vehicle traveling on the road enters a lane after merging. Then, after the detection, when the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle traveling immediately after the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle is equal to or more than the inter-enterable inter-vehicle distance set in advance, the vehicle is made to enter the post-merge lane.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to cause the host vehicle to enter the lane after merging.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a part of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle travel control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining a vehicle travel control method in the vehicle of FIG. FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a state in which the vehicle of FIG. 1 enters a traffic lane after merging.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle includes an automatic driving controller 1, an external sensor unit 2, an internal sensor unit 3 and an actuator unit 4. This vehicle is called "the vehicle" so as not to be confused with other vehicles.

  The automatic driving controller 1 corresponds to a vehicle travel control device, and can be realized using a microcomputer including a CPU (central processing unit), a memory, and an input / output unit. A computer program for causing the microcomputer to function as the automatic driving controller 1 is installed in the microcomputer and executed. Thus, the microcomputer functions as the automatic driving controller 1. Although an example is shown here in which the automatic driving controller 1 is realized by software, it goes without saying that the automatic driving controller 1 may be configured by preparing dedicated hardware for executing each information processing described below. It is possible.

  The external sensor unit 2 includes a radar device such as a laser radar or a millimeter wave radar, or a camera (not shown) such as a monocular or compound eye stereo camera, and information on an object around the host vehicle obtained from the radar device or camera The information (referred to as peripheral object information) is output to the automatic driving controller 1. The peripheral object information includes at least information on objects in front of and in the side of the host vehicle. The surrounding object information includes the type of the object, the relative position to the host vehicle, and the relative speed to the host vehicle.

  The internal sensor unit 3 detects the vehicle speed, acceleration, angular acceleration and the like of the host vehicle (these are referred to as host vehicle information), and outputs them to the automatic driving controller 1. The internal sensor unit 3 is, for example, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of each vehicle as a signal, a G sensor that detects acceleration or deceleration applied to the vehicle in the front, rear, left, right, up and down directions as a signal, turning direction A yaw rate sensor is provided to detect the rate of change of the rotation angle as a signal.

  The autonomous driving controller 1 generates speed control information for controlling the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and steering control information for controlling the steering of the host vehicle based on surrounding object information and host vehicle information, and outputs the information to the actuator unit 4 Do.

  The actuator unit 4 controls the operation amount (driving force) of the accelerator pedal of the host vehicle, the operation amount (braking force) of the brake pedal, and the steering angle (steering amount) of the steering wheel based on the speed control information and the steering control information. , To drive the vehicle automatically.

  The autonomous driving controller 1 includes, as functional components realized by execution of a computer program, a lane entry determination unit 11 (lane entry determination circuit), an inter-vehicle distance measurement unit 12 (inter-vehicle distance measurement circuit), and a vehicle travel control unit 13 (Vehicle driving control circuit) is provided.

  The lane entering determination unit 11 is an adjacent vehicle in which the preceding vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle travels next to the host vehicle in another lane after entering a post-join lane, which is a lane after the host lane and another lane join. It detects that the vehicle has entered the lane after merging. The after-merging lane includes not only the after-merging lane 24 but also the other lane after the own lane is joined to the other lane.

  Specifically, the lane entering determination unit 11 first uses known methods such as dead reckoning, odometry, and Kalman filter based on the surrounding object information and the vehicle information obtained by the external sensor unit 2 and the internal sensor unit 3. Use this to identify the location of your vehicle on the map. And based on the surrounding object information which the external sensor part 2 acquired, the position on the map of a preceding vehicle and an adjacent vehicle is pinpointed and tracked.

The inter-vehicle distance measurement unit 12 measures the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle traveling immediately after the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle after detecting that the adjacent vehicle has entered the after-merging lane after the forward vehicle enters the after-joining lane Do. Specifically, the above-described inter-vehicle distance can be measured from the relative positions of the succeeding vehicle and the adjacent vehicle with respect to the host vehicle acquired by the external sensor unit 2.
The vehicle travel control unit 13 causes the host vehicle to enter the post-merge lane when the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined accessible inter-vehicle distance.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, an example of a vehicle travel control method in the vehicle of FIG. 1 will be described. The host vehicle repeatedly performs the process of FIG. 2 while traveling.
Step S1: The autonomous driving controller 1 detects another vehicle around the host vehicle based on the surrounding object information. In addition, the shape of the road around the host vehicle is detected based on the surrounding object information.

  Step S3: Next, based on the shape of the road in the vicinity of the host vehicle detected in Step S1, the autonomous driving controller 1 merges the other lane (the other lane) with the lane (the host lane) where the host vehicle currently travels. It is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling at a point (referred to as a merging point) where one lane (post-joining lane) is to be formed. Here, the lane is not limited to one of a plurality of lanes constituting a road. The one-lane road itself is also called a lane. In addition, it also includes the case where the lane in which the vehicle travels is blocked by the road construction or traffic accident.

If the vehicle is not traveling at the junction (S3: NO), traveling is continued (S5), and if the vehicle is traveling at the junction (S3: YES), the process proceeds to step S7.
Step S7: The automatic driving controller 1 determines whether or not there is a vehicle (adjacent vehicle) traveling next to the host vehicle in the other lane based on the surrounding object information. If there is no adjacent vehicle (S7: NO), the process proceeds to step S9, and if there is an adjacent vehicle (S7: YES), the process proceeds to step S11.

  The autonomous driving controller 1 is, for example, based on the highly accurate position information of the feature on the traffic environment and the surrounding object information acquired in advance, that is, by the position estimation method using an image, Estimate the relative position of your vehicle. Then, based on the relative position, it is determined whether there is an adjacent vehicle. The position of the host vehicle may be estimated based on the vehicle speed, acceleration, angular acceleration, etc. (host vehicle information) of the host vehicle by a method called odometry, dead reckoning method, or the like.

  Step S9: The autonomous driving controller 1 suppresses the entry of the host vehicle into the lane after merging, and ends the processing. Specifically, the vehicle travel control unit 13 outputs steering control information and speed control information to the actuator unit 4 so that the host vehicle does not enter the lane after merging. In some cases, the host vehicle decelerates.

  Step S11: The autonomous driving controller 1 decelerates the own vehicle so that the adjacent vehicle can enter the after-merge lane before the own vehicle (in order to give it to the adjacent vehicle). Specifically, the vehicle travel control unit 13 outputs speed control information for decelerating the host vehicle to the actuator unit. Thus, the host vehicle decelerates. By decelerating the own vehicle, the adjacent vehicle can easily enter the after-join lane after the own vehicle, and the own vehicle can easily enter the after-merge lane following the adjacent vehicle.

  Step S13: Next, the lane entry determination unit 11 of the automatic driving controller 1 enters a lane after the vehicle (forward vehicle) traveling immediately before the host vehicle based on the surrounding object information and the host vehicle information, and then, It is determined whether a vehicle (adjacent vehicle) traveling next to the host vehicle in another lane has entered a lane after merging.

  Here, the lane entering determination unit 11 recognizes the traveling tracks of the preceding vehicle and the adjacent vehicle by tracking the positions of the preceding vehicle and the adjacent vehicle on the map, for example, based on the surrounding object information and the own vehicle information. The lane entry determination unit 11 determines whether the preceding vehicle has entered the post-join lane and then the adjacent vehicle has entered the post-join lane, in accordance with the shape of the road, based on the travel locus.

  The lane entering determination unit 11 detects, for example, the traveling direction and the speed of the preceding vehicle based on the surrounding object information, and the forward vehicle accelerates in a state where the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle is facing the post-join lane. It is determined that the vehicle has entered the lane after merging.

  Similarly, the lane entering determination unit 11 detects, for example, the traveling direction and speed of the adjacent vehicle based on the surrounding object information, and the adjacent vehicle accelerates in a state where the traveling direction of the adjacent vehicle is facing the post-join lane. Determines that an adjacent vehicle has entered the lane after merging.

  By the way, when the preceding vehicle has entered the lane after merging, if the adjacent vehicle has entered the lane after merging (S13: YES), the process proceeds to step S15. If the preceding vehicle has not entered the lane after merging (S13: NO), or if the adjacent vehicle has not yet entered the lane after merging even if the preceding vehicle has entered the lane after merging (S13 : NO), it progresses to step S9.

  Step S15: The inter-vehicle distance measurement unit 12 of the automatic driving controller 1 measures the inter-vehicle distance between a vehicle (following vehicle) traveling immediately after the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle based on the surrounding object information. Here, the inter-vehicle distance measurement unit 12 can measure the inter-vehicle distance from the relative positions of the succeeding vehicle and the adjacent vehicle with respect to the own vehicle, which are acquired by the external sensor unit 2.

Step S17: Next, it is determined whether the entry distance d _A or the inter-vehicle distance is set in advance. Penetration distance d _A is the vehicle is following distance may enter between the following vehicle and the adjacent vehicle, for example, about 5 m.

If inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than penetration distance _{d A} (S17: YES), the process proceeds to step S19, if the inter-vehicle distance is less than the penetration distance _{d A} (S17: NO), the process proceeds to step S9.

  Step S19: The autonomous driving controller 1 causes the host vehicle to enter the lane after merging, and ends the process. Specifically, the vehicle travel control unit 13 outputs, to the actuator unit, steering control information and speed control information for causing the host vehicle to enter the post-join lane. As a result, the host vehicle enters the lane after merging.

The situation in which the host vehicle enters a traffic lane after merging will be described with reference to FIG.
The host vehicle A travels in the host lane 21 toward the junction 23 with the other lanes 22. In addition, a forward vehicle B traveling immediately in front of the host vehicle A tries to enter the lane 24 after merging. After the forward vehicle B enters the post-merge lane 24, the host vehicle A recognizes an adjacent vehicle C traveling next to the host vehicle A in an attempt to enter the post-merge lane 24 in another lane 22 (S7: YES). It decelerates (S11). On the other hand, the adjacent vehicle C accelerates and enters the lane 24 after merging (S13: YES).

As the adjacent vehicle C accelerates, the inter-vehicle distance d _{CD from} the following vehicle D traveling immediately after that accelerates. When the inter-vehicle distance d _CD is equal to or greater than the approachable distance d _A (d _CD d d _A ) (S15: YES), the host vehicle A enters the post-join lane 24 (S17). That is, the own vehicle A enters the after-merging lane 24 earlier than the following vehicle D as a succeeding vehicle of the adjacent vehicle C. The host vehicle A does not perform control for causing the following vehicle D to enter the post-merge lane 24 first (transfer).

It should be noted that there is a case where the following vehicle D accelerates with the adjacent vehicle C, and the inter-vehicle distance d _CD does not become equal to or more than the approachable distance d _A. is there. Even in this case, the own vehicle A can enter the post-join lane 24 when the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle D and the vehicle traveling immediately after that is equal to or greater than the approach possible distance d _A.

In other words, the vehicle has entered the merge after lane 24 from the other lane 22 (adjacent the vehicle has entered next to the preceding vehicle B C, its not limited to the following vehicle D) and its distance to the following vehicle is entering distance d _A more At the time, the host vehicle A can enter the lane 24 after merging.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure a sufficient following distance, the following distance between the host vehicle A and the front of the vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as inter-vehicle distance d) distance is predetermined (e.g., long distance (hereinafter from entering distance d _A, the distance If it is less than d _B )) (d <d _B ), the host vehicle A may stop and the vehicle can not be started unless the distance d _B or more. In this case, even if d _CD d d _A , the stopped own vehicle A can not start traveling if d <d _B. Therefore, the possibility that the vehicle of the other lane 22 will enter lane 24 after merging first increases in the meantime. When the vehicle in the other lane 22 first enters the post-join lane 24, the inter-vehicle distance d decreases, and it becomes difficult to start traveling. In this repetition, there is a possibility that the host vehicle A can not enter the lane 24 for a long time after merging.

  However, even if there is a premise of such control, if priority is given to vehicle travel control as in the embodiment (for example, under such conditions, the above-mentioned predetermined distance is temporarily set short, Or, the control based on the inter-vehicle distance d can be canceled) and the host vehicle A can be made to enter the post-join lane 24. That is, it is possible to prevent the host vehicle A from entering the lane 24 for a long time after merging, and to cause the host vehicle A to enter the lane 24 after merging.

  As described above, according to the embodiment, after entering the after-joining lane which is the lane after the preceding vehicle traveling immediately before the own vehicle merges with the own lane and the other lane, next to the own vehicle in the other lane It is detected that a traveling adjacent vehicle has entered a lane after merging (S13: YES). When the inter-vehicle distance (S15) between the following vehicle traveling immediately after the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle after detection is equal to or greater than the inter-enterable inter-vehicle distance set in advance (S17: YES), the own vehicle enters the lane after merging (S19). Therefore, it can be prevented that the host vehicle can not enter the lane for a long time after merging, and the host vehicle can be caused to enter the lane after merging.

  It is useful to avoid the risk of a collision or the like to make an adjacent vehicle in another lane first enter the post-join lane (leave the way). However, in a congested situation or the like, in a situation where a vehicle is alternately entered in the own lane and another lane into the post-join lane, even if there is a vehicle in the other lane, the own vehicle enters the post-merge lane You need to In particular, when the host vehicle is performing autonomous driving, if the driver always gives up for risk avoidance, the host vehicle can not be made to enter the lane after merging, and as a result, the host lane is stagnated. It leads to the end.

  In the embodiment, by performing the control described above, even when the vehicles are alternately approached, the own vehicle can be made to enter the after-joining lane, and it can be prevented that the vehicle is stagnated in the own lane. That is, from the situation of the vehicle traveling forward and the vehicle traveling sideways, it is recognized as a scene in which the vehicles merge alternately, so the vehicle can be moved even at an inter-vehicle distance that would normally stop. , Merge will be possible.

  In addition, when there is an adjacent vehicle traveling next to the vehicle in another lane (S7: YES), by decelerating the vehicle (S11), it is easy for the adjacent vehicle to enter the post-join lane before the vehicle And, it becomes easy for the own vehicle to enter the lane after merging following the adjacent vehicle. Thus, merging can be smoothly performed.

  Also, when the preceding vehicle has not entered the lane after merging (S13: NO), or when the adjacent vehicle has not entered the lane after merging after the preceding vehicle has entered the merging lane (S13: NO) Then, the host vehicle is prevented from entering the lane after merging (S9). Therefore, approach to the vehicle ahead can be prevented, and merging can be performed smoothly as in the case of deceleration (S11).

  Also, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the approachable inter-vehicle distance (S17: NO), the own vehicle approaches the adjacent vehicle or the following vehicle by suppressing the entry of the own vehicle into the after-joining lane (S9). Can be prevented and joining can be smoothly performed.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle travel control device is mounted on a target vehicle for travel control. However, the vehicle travel control device is installed in a server device that can communicate with the target vehicle or in another vehicle that is not the target vehicle, and necessary information and instructions are transmitted and received by communication between the server device or the other vehicle and the target vehicle. The vehicle travel judgment method of may be performed remotely. Communication between the server device and the target vehicle can be performed by wireless communication or road-vehicle communication. Communication between the other vehicle and the target vehicle can be performed by so-called inter-vehicle communication.

  While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should not be understood that the descriptions and the drawings, which form a part of this disclosure, limit the invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples and operation techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

  Each function shown in the above-described embodiments may be implemented by one or more processing circuits. The processing circuitry comprises a programmed processing device, such as a processing device that includes an electrical circuit. The processing device also includes devices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and conventional circuit components arranged to perform the functions described in the embodiments.

Reference Signs List 1 automatic driving controller 2 external sensor unit 3 internal sensor unit 4 actuator unit 11 lane lane entry determination unit 12 inter-vehicle distance measurement unit 13 vehicle travel control unit 21 own lane 22 other lanes 23 junction point 24 after merging lane A own vehicle B forward vehicle C Adjacent vehicle D Follow-on vehicle

Claims (5)

A vehicle travel control method of a vehicle travel control device for performing travel control of a vehicle traveling in a lane,
An adjacent vehicle traveling next to the vehicle in the other lane is the post-merging lane after the preceding vehicle traveling immediately before the vehicle enters the post-merging lane which is the lane after the lane and the other lane join. To detect entering the
After detection, the vehicle is made to enter the post-joining lane when the inter-vehicle distance between the following vehicle traveling immediately behind the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle is equal to or greater than the approachable inter-vehicle distance set in advance. Control method.   The vehicle travel control method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is decelerated when the adjacent vehicle traveling next to the vehicle is present in the other lane.   The vehicle merges when the preceding vehicle has not entered the post-join lane, or when the adjacent vehicle has not entered the post-join lane after the forward vehicle has entered the post-join lane. The vehicle travel control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by suppressing entry into the rear lane.   The vehicle travel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the approachable inter-vehicle distance, the vehicle is prevented from entering the after-merging lane. Control method. An adjacent vehicle traveling next to the vehicle in the other lane after entering the after-merging lane which is a lane after the lane and the other lane join, and a preceding vehicle traveling immediately in front of the vehicle traveling in the lane A lane entering determination circuit that detects that the vehicle has entered a lane after merging;
An inter-vehicle distance measurement circuit that measures an inter-vehicle distance between a following vehicle traveling immediately behind the adjacent vehicle and the adjacent vehicle;
A vehicle travel control device comprising: a vehicle travel control circuit which causes the vehicle to enter the after-joining lane when the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a preset inter-vehicle distance after detection.

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