JP2019123449A - Travel control device, travel control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a travel control device which makes smooth control over cutting of another vehicle into a travel path.SOLUTION: When cutting into a travel path of other vehicles, the driver of the own vehicle is suggested to take an action to indicate intention to cut in. A travel of the own vehicle is so controlled thereafter to cut into the travel path of other vehicles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel control device that controls travel of a host vehicle, a travel control method, and a program.

  In the case of changing into a lane or the like on the traveling road of another vehicle, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled in accordance with the inter-vehicle space. Patent Document 1 describes adjusting the speed of a vehicle so that it is possible to change lanes even in a situation where there is no inter-vehicle space.

JP, 2009-078735, A

  However, if there is not enough space between vehicles due to traffic congestion or the like and the movement of the train itself is stagnant, it may be difficult to adjust the speed of the vehicle.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a travel control device, a travel control method, and a program that facilitate control of an interrupt on a travel road of another vehicle.

  The travel control device according to the present invention is a travel control device for controlling the travel of a vehicle, and when interrupting the travel path of another vehicle, notifies a passenger of the vehicle to urge an intention to interrupt the vehicle. And a traveling control unit configured to control traveling of the vehicle so as to interrupt the traveling path of the other vehicle after being notified by the notification unit.

  The travel control method according to the present invention is a travel control method that is executed in a travel control device that controls the travel of a vehicle, and when it breaks into a travel path of another vehicle, it promotes an intention indication act of the own vehicle. And a traveling control step of controlling traveling of the vehicle so as to interrupt the traveling path of the other vehicle after being notified in the notification step. I assume.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate control of an interrupt on the traveling road of another vehicle.

It is a block diagram of a control system for vehicles. It is a block diagram of a control system for vehicles. It is a block diagram of a control system for vehicles. It is a figure which shows the block configuration to control of an actuator. It is a figure showing the scene which merges into a main line. It is a flowchart which shows the traveling control processing at the time of interrupting to a main line from a junction lane. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed when determining the behavior of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a search of an interruption area | region. It is a flow chart which shows processing of a demand to a driver. FIG. 6 shows a display for a request to a driver. It is a flowchart which shows the setting process of the predetermined time according to the secondary task. It is a figure showing the scene which drive | works a roundabout. It is a flow chart which shows run control processing at the time of running a roundabout. It is a flow chart which shows run control processing at the time of running a roundabout.

First Embodiment
1 to 3 are block diagrams of a control system 1 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment. The control system 1 controls a vehicle V. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle V is schematically shown in plan and side views. The vehicle V is a sedan-type four-wheeled vehicle as an example. Control system 1 includes a control device 1A and a control device 1B. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the control device 1A, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control device 1B. FIG. 3 mainly shows the configuration of communication lines and power supplies between the control device 1A and the control device 1B. The configuration of FIG. 3 can be a computer that implements the present invention according to a program.

  The control device 1A and the control device 1B are obtained by multiplexing or redundantly a part of the functions realized by the vehicle V. This can improve the reliability of the system. The control device 1A also performs, for example, driving support control related to danger avoidance and the like in addition to normal operation control in automatic driving control and manual driving. The control device 1B is mainly responsible for driving support control related to danger avoidance and the like. Driving support may be called driving support. By performing different control processes while making the functions redundant between the control device 1A and the control device 1B, the reliability can be improved while decentralizing the control processes.

  The vehicle V of the present embodiment is a parallel type hybrid vehicle, and FIG. 2 schematically shows the configuration of a power plant 50 that outputs a driving force for rotating the drive wheels of the vehicle V. The power plant 50 has an internal combustion engine EG, a motor M and an automatic transmission TM. The motor M can be used as a drive source for accelerating the vehicle V and also as a generator at the time of deceleration or the like (regenerative braking).

<Control device 1A>
The configuration of the control device 1A will be described with reference to FIG. Control device 1A includes an ECU group (control unit group) 2A. ECU group 2A includes a plurality of ECUs 20A to 29A. Each ECU includes a processor represented by a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores a program executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like. The number of ECUs and the functions to be in charge can be appropriately designed, and can be subdivided or integrated as compared with the present embodiment. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, names of representative functions of the ECUs 20A to 29A are given. For example, the ECU 20A describes "automatic driving ECU".

  The ECU 20A executes control related to automatic driving as travel control of the vehicle V. In automatic driving, at least one of driving of the vehicle V (acceleration of the vehicle V by the power plant 50, etc.), steering or braking is automatically performed regardless of the driver's driving operation. The present embodiment also includes the case where driving, steering and braking are performed automatically.

  The ECU 21A is an environment recognition unit that recognizes the traveling environment of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the detection units 31A and 32A that detect the surrounding situation of the vehicle V. The ECU 21A generates target data as the surrounding environment information.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the detection unit 31A is an imaging device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a camera 31A) that detects an object around the vehicle V by imaging. The camera 31A is provided at the front of the roof of the vehicle V so as to be able to capture the front of the vehicle V. By analyzing the image captured by the camera 31A, it is possible to extract the contour of the target and extract the lane line (white line etc.) on the road.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the detection unit 32A is a lidar that detects an object around the vehicle V by light (LIDAR: Light Detection and Ranging) (hereinafter, may be referred to as a lidar 32A). Detect a target or measure the distance to a target. In the case of the present embodiment, five lidars 32A are provided, one at each of the front corners of the vehicle V, one at the center of the rear, and one at each side of the rear. The number and arrangement of the riders 32A can be selected as appropriate.

  The ECU 29A is a driving assistance unit that executes control related to driving assistance (in other words, driving assistance) as traveling control of the vehicle V based on the detection result of the detection unit 31A.

  The ECU 22A is a steering control unit that controls the electric power steering device 41A. Electric power steering apparatus 41A includes a mechanism that steers the front wheels in accordance with the driver's driving operation (steering operation) on steering wheel ST. The electric power steering device 41A assists the steering operation or detects a motor that exerts a driving force for automatically steering the front wheels, a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor, and a steering torque that the driver bears. Torque sensor etc.

  The ECU 23A is a braking control unit that controls the hydraulic device 42A. The driver's braking operation on the brake pedal BP is converted to hydraulic pressure in the brake master cylinder BM and transmitted to the hydraulic device 42A. The hydraulic device 42A is an actuator capable of controlling the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the brake devices (for example, the disk brake devices) 51 respectively provided to the four wheels based on the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the brake master cylinder BM. The ECU 23A performs drive control of a solenoid valve and the like included in the hydraulic device 42A. In the case of the present embodiment, the ECU 23A and the hydraulic device 42A constitute an electric servo brake, and the ECU 23A controls, for example, the distribution of braking force by the four brake devices 51 and braking force by regenerative braking of the motor M.

  The ECU 24A is a stop maintenance control unit that controls the electric parking lock device 50a provided in the automatic transmission TM. The electric parking lock device 50a is provided with a mechanism that locks the internal mechanism of the automatic transmission TM mainly when the P range (parking range) is selected. The ECU 24A can control locking and unlocking by the electric parking lock device 50a.

  The ECU 25A is an in-vehicle notification control unit that controls an information output device 43A that notifies information in the vehicle. The information output device 43A includes, for example, a display device such as a head-up display or an audio output device. Further, it may include a vibrating device. The ECU 25A causes the information output device 43A to output, for example, various information such as the vehicle speed and the outside air temperature, and information such as route guidance.

  The ECU 26A is an outside notification control unit that controls an information output device 44A that notifies information outside the vehicle. In the case of the present embodiment, the information output device 44A is a direction indicator (hazard lamp), and the ECU 26A performs blinking control of the information output device 44A as a direction indicator to move the traveling direction of the vehicle V outside the vehicle. Further, by performing blinking control of the information output device 44A as a hazard lamp, the alertness to the vehicle V can be enhanced with respect to the outside of the vehicle.

  The ECU 27A is a drive control unit that controls the power plant 50. In the present embodiment, one ECU 27A is allocated to the power plant 50, but one ECU may be allocated to each of the internal combustion engine EG, the motor M, and the automatic transmission TM. The ECU 27A outputs, for example, the output of the internal combustion engine EG or the motor M in response to the driver's drive operation or vehicle speed detected by the operation detection sensor 34a provided on the accelerator pedal AP and the operation detection sensor 34b provided on the brake pedal BP. Control or switch the gear of automatic transmission TM. The automatic transmission TM is provided with a rotation number sensor 39 for detecting the number of rotations of the output shaft of the automatic transmission TM as a sensor for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle V. The vehicle speed of the vehicle V can be calculated from the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39.

  The ECU 28A is a position recognition unit that recognizes the current position and the course of the vehicle V. The ECU 28A controls the gyro sensor 33A, the GPS sensor 28b, and the communication device 28c, and performs information processing of the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 33A detects the rotational movement of the vehicle V. The course of the vehicle V can be determined based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 33 or the like. The GPS sensor 28b detects the current position of the vehicle V. The communication device 28 c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information to acquire such information. The database 28a can store map information with high accuracy, and the ECU 28A can specify the position of the vehicle V on the lane with higher accuracy based on the map information and the like. The communication device 28c is also used for inter-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication, and can acquire, for example, information of another vehicle.

  The input device 45A is disposed in the vehicle so as to be operable by the driver, and receives input of instructions and information from the driver.

<Control device 1B>
The configuration of the control device 1B will be described with reference to FIG. Control device 1B includes an ECU group (control unit group) 2B. The ECU group 2B includes a plurality of ECUs 21B to 25B. Each ECU includes a processor represented by a CPU or a GPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like. The number of ECUs and the functions to be in charge can be appropriately designed, and can be subdivided or integrated as compared with the present embodiment. Similar to the ECU group 2A, names of representative functions of the ECUs 21B to 25B are given in FIGS. 2 and 3.

  The ECU 21B is an environment recognition unit that recognizes the traveling environment of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the detection units 31B and 32B that detect the surrounding condition of the vehicle V, and also supports traveling as the traveling control of the vehicle V (in other words, driving Support unit that executes control related to the The ECU 21B generates target data as the surrounding environment information.

  In the present embodiment, although the ECU 21B is configured to have the environment recognition function and the traveling support function, an ECU may be provided for each function as the ECU 21A and the ECU 29A of the control device 1A. Conversely, in the control device 1A, as in the case of the ECU 21B, the functions of the ECU 21A and the ECU 29A may be realized by one ECU.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the detection unit 31B is an imaging device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a camera 31B) that detects an object around the vehicle V by imaging. The camera 31 </ b> B is provided at the front of the roof of the vehicle V so as to be able to capture the front of the vehicle V. By analyzing the image captured by the camera 31 B, it is possible to extract the contour of the target and extract the lane line (white line etc.) on the road. In the case of this embodiment, the detection unit 32B is a millimeter wave radar that detects an object around the vehicle V by radio waves (hereinafter may be referred to as a radar 32B), and detects a target around the vehicle V Or, measure the distance to the target. In the case of this embodiment, five radars 32B are provided, one at the center of the front of the vehicle V and one at each front corner, and one at each rear corner. The number and arrangement of the radars 32B can be selected as appropriate.

  The ECU 22B is a steering control unit that controls the electric power steering device 41B. Electric power steering apparatus 41B includes a mechanism that steers the front wheels in accordance with the driver's driving operation (steering operation) on steering wheel ST. The electric power steering device 41B assists the steering operation or detects a motor that exerts a driving force for automatically steering the front wheels, a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor, and a steering torque that the driver bears. Torque sensor etc. Further, a steering angle sensor 37 is electrically connected to the ECU 22B via a communication line L2 described later, and the electric power steering apparatus 41B can be controlled based on the detection result of the steering angle sensor 37. The ECU 22B can acquire the detection result of the sensor 36 that detects whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel ST, and can monitor the gripping state of the driver.

  The ECU 23B is a braking control unit that controls the hydraulic device 42B. The driver's braking operation on the brake pedal BP is converted to hydraulic pressure in the brake master cylinder BM and transmitted to the hydraulic device 42B. The hydraulic device 42B is an actuator capable of controlling the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the brake device 51 of each wheel based on the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the brake master cylinder BM, and the ECU 23B is an electromagnetic device included in the hydraulic device 42B. Drive control of valves etc.

  In the case of this embodiment, the wheel speed sensor 38 provided for each of the four wheels, the yaw rate sensor 33B, and the pressure sensor 35 for detecting the pressure in the brake master cylinder BM are electrically connected to the ECU 23B and the hydraulic device 42B. Based on these detection results, the ABS function, the traction control, and the attitude control function of the vehicle V are realized. For example, the ECU 23B adjusts the braking force of each wheel based on the detection result of the wheel speed sensor 38 provided for each of the four wheels to suppress the sliding of each wheel. In addition, the braking force of each wheel is adjusted based on the rotational angular velocity about the vertical axis of the vehicle V detected by the yaw rate sensor 33B, and a rapid change in posture of the vehicle V is suppressed.

  The ECU 23B also functions as an out-of-vehicle notification control unit that controls an information output device 43B that notifies information outside the vehicle. In the case of the present embodiment, the information output device 43B is a brake lamp, and the ECU 23B can light the brake lamp at the time of braking or the like. This can increase the attention to the vehicle V with respect to the following vehicle.

  The ECU 24B is a stop maintenance control unit that controls an electric parking brake device (for example, a drum brake) 52 provided on the rear wheel. The electric parking brake device 52 includes a mechanism for locking the rear wheel. The ECU 24B can control the locking and unlocking of the rear wheel by the electric parking brake device 52.

  The ECU 25B is an in-vehicle notification control unit that controls an information output device 44B that notifies information in the vehicle. In the case of the present embodiment, the information output device 44B includes a display device disposed on the instrument panel. The ECU 25B can cause the information output device 44B to output various types of information such as vehicle speed and fuel consumption.

  The input device 45B is disposed in the vehicle so as to be operable by the driver, and receives input of instructions and information from the driver.

<Communication line>
An example of a communication line of the control system 1 which communicably connects the ECUs will be described with reference to FIG. Control system 1 includes wired communication lines L1 to L7. The ECUs 20A to 27A and 29A of the control device 1A are connected to the communication line L1. The ECU 28A may also be connected to the communication line L1.

  The ECUs 21B to 25B of the control device 1B are connected to the communication line L2. Further, the ECU 20A of the control device 1A is also connected to the communication line L2. The communication line L3 connects the ECU 20A and the ECU 21A. The communication line L5 connects the ECU 20A, the ECU 21A, and the ECU 28A. The communication line L6 connects the ECU 29A and the ECU 21A. The communication line L7 connects the ECU 29A and the ECU 20A.

  The protocols of the communication lines L1 to L7 may be the same or different, but may differ depending on the communication environment, such as communication speed, communication volume, and durability. For example, the communication lines L3 and L4 may be Ethernet (registered trademark) in terms of communication speed. For example, the communication lines L1, L2, and L5 to L7 may be CAN.

  The control device 1A includes a gateway GW. The gateway GW relays the communication line L1 and the communication line L2. Therefore, for example, the ECU 21B can output a control command to the ECU 27A via the communication line L2, the gateway GW, and the communication line L1.

<Power supply>
The power supply of the control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The control system 1 includes a large capacity battery 6, a power supply 7A, and a power supply 7B. The large capacity battery 6 is a battery for driving the motor M and is a battery charged by the motor M.

  The power supply 7A is a power supply that supplies power to the control device 1A, and includes a power supply circuit 71A and a battery 72A. The power supply circuit 71A is a circuit that supplies the power of the large capacity battery 6 to the control device 1A, and reduces the output voltage (for example, 190 V) of the large capacity battery 6 to a reference voltage (for example, 12 V). The battery 72A is, for example, a 12V lead battery. By providing the battery 72A, power can be supplied to the control device 1A even when the power supply of the large capacity battery 6 or the power supply circuit 71A is interrupted or reduced.

  The power supply 7B is a power supply that supplies power to the control device 1B, and includes a power supply circuit 71B and a battery 72B. The power supply circuit 71B is a circuit similar to the power supply circuit 71A, and is a circuit that supplies the power of the large capacity battery 6 to the control device 1B. The battery 72B is a battery similar to the battery 72A, for example, a 12V lead battery. By providing the battery 72B, power can be supplied to the control device 1B even when the power supply of the large capacity battery 6 or the power supply circuit 71B is interrupted or reduced.

<Redundant>
The commonality of the function which control device 1A and control device 1B have is explained. The reliability of the control system 1 can be improved by making the same function redundant. In addition, some of the redundant functions do not have the same functions multiplexed but exhibit different functions. This suppresses the cost increase due to the redundant function.

[Actuator system]
Steering control device 1A includes an electric power steering device 41A and an ECU 22A that controls the electric power steering device 41A. The control device 1B also includes an electric power steering device 41B and an ECU 22B that controls the electric power steering device 41B.

Braking control device 1A includes a hydraulic device 42A and an ECU 23A that controls the hydraulic device 42A. The control device 1B includes a hydraulic device 42B and an ECU 23B that controls the hydraulic device 42B. These are all available for braking the vehicle V. On the other hand, while the braking mechanism of the control device 1A mainly has the distribution of the braking force by the braking device 51 and the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor M, the braking mechanism of the control device 1B is Attitude control etc. is the main function. Although both are common in terms of braking, they exert different functions.

Stop Maintenance The control device 1A includes the electric parking lock device 50a and the ECU 24A that controls the electric parking lock device 50a. Control device 1B has electric parking brake device 52 and ECU24B which controls this. Any of these can be used to maintain the stop of the vehicle V. On the other hand, while the electric parking lock device 50a is a device that functions at the time of selecting the P range of the automatic transmission TM, the electric parking brake device 52 locks the rear wheel. Although both are common in terms of maintaining the stop of the vehicle V, they exert different functions.

In-Vehicle Notification The control device 1A includes an information output device 43A and an ECU 25A that controls the information output device 43A. The control device 1B includes an information output device 44B and an ECU 25B that controls the information output device 44B. Any of these can be used to inform the driver of the information. On the other hand, the information output device 43A is, for example, a head-up display, and the information output device 44B is a display device such as instruments. Although both are common in terms of in-vehicle notification, different display devices can be employed.

Outside Vehicle Notification The control device 1A includes an information output device 44A and an ECU 26A that controls the information output device 44A. The control device 1B includes an information output device 43B and an ECU 23B that controls the information output device 43B. Any of these can be used to report information outside the vehicle. On the other hand, the information output device 43A is a direction indicator (hazard lamp), and the information output device 44B is a brake lamp. Although both are common in terms of informing outside the vehicle, they exert different functions.

The difference is that the control device 1A has the ECU 27A that controls the power plant 50, whereas the control device 1B does not have its own ECU that controls the power plant 50. In the case of the present embodiment, any one of the control devices 1A and 1B is capable of steering, braking and stopping independently, and either the control device 1A or the control device 1B is degraded in performance, or the power is shut off or communication is shut off Even in this case, it is possible to decelerate and maintain the stop state while suppressing the lane departure. Further, as described above, the ECU 21B can output a control command to the ECU 27A via the communication line L2, the gateway GW, and the communication line L1, and the ECU 21B can also control the power plant 50. Although the cost increase can be suppressed by not providing the ECU unique to the control device 1B for controlling the power plant 50, it may be provided.

[Sensor system]
Detection of Ambient Condition The control device 1A includes detection units 31A and 32A. The control device 1B includes detection units 31B and 32B. Any of these can be used to recognize the traveling environment of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the detection unit 32A is a rider and the detection unit 32B is a radar. The lidar is generally advantageous for shape detection. Also, radar is generally more cost-effective than riders. By using these sensors having different characteristics in combination, it is possible to improve the recognition performance of the target and reduce the cost. Although both detection units 31A and 31B are cameras, cameras with different characteristics may be used. For example, one may be a higher resolution camera than the other. Also, the angles of view may be different from one another.

  In comparison between the control device 1A and the control device 1B, the detection units 31A and 32A may have different detection characteristics from the detection units 31B and 32B. In the case of this embodiment, the detection unit 32A is a lidar, and generally, the detection performance of the edge of the target is higher than that of the radar (detection unit 32B). In addition, in the radar, relative speed detection accuracy and weather resistance are generally superior to the rider.

  If the camera 31A is a camera with a higher resolution than the camera 31B, the detection units 31A and 32A have higher detection performance than the detection units 31B and 32B. By combining a plurality of sensors having different detection characteristics and costs, cost advantages may be obtained when considered in the entire system. In addition, by combining sensors having different detection characteristics, it is possible to reduce detection omissions and false detections more than in the case where the same sensors are made redundant.

The vehicle speed control device 1A has a rotational speed sensor 39. The control device 1 B includes a wheel speed sensor 38. Any of these can be used to detect the vehicle speed. On the other hand, the rotation speed sensor 39 detects the rotation speed of the output shaft of the automatic transmission TM, and the wheel speed sensor 38 detects the rotation speed of the wheel. Although both are common in that the vehicle speed can be detected, they are sensors whose detection targets are different from each other.

The yaw rate controller 1A has a gyro 33A. The controller 1B has a yaw rate sensor 33B. Any of these can be used to detect the angular velocity around the vertical axis of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the gyro 33A is used to determine the course of the vehicle V, and the yaw rate sensor 33B is used to control the attitude of the vehicle V. Both are sensors that are common in that the angular velocity of the vehicle V can be detected, but are sensors that have different usage purposes.

Steering Angle and Steering Torque The control device 1A has a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor of the electric power steering device 41A. The control device 1 B has a steering angle sensor 37. Any of these can be used to detect the steering angle of the front wheel. In the control device 1A, cost increase can be suppressed by using a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor of the electric power steering device 41A without adding the steering angle sensor 37. However, the steering angle sensor 37 may be additionally provided in the control device 1A.

  Further, as both of the electric power steering devices 41A and 41B include a torque sensor, the steering torque can be recognized in any of the control devices 1A and 1B.

The amount of braking operation The control device 1A includes an operation detection sensor 34b. The controller 1 </ b> B includes a pressure sensor 35. Any of these can be used to detect the amount of braking operation by the driver. On the other hand, the operation detection sensor 34b is used to control the distribution of the braking force by the four brake devices 51 and the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor M, and the pressure sensor 35 is used for attitude control and the like. Although both are common in that the amount of braking operation is detected, they are sensors whose usage purposes are different from each other.

[Power supply]
Control device 1A receives supply of power from power supply 7A, and control device 1B receives supply of power from power supply 7B. Even when the power supply of either the power supply 7A or the power supply 7B is cut off or lowered, power is supplied to either the control device 1A or the control device 1B. Reliability can be improved. When the power supply of the power supply 7A is interrupted or reduced, communication between ECUs through the gateway GW provided in the control device 1A becomes difficult. However, in the control device 1B, the ECU 21B can communicate with the ECUs 22B to 24B and 44B via the communication line L2.

[Redundancy in controller 1A]
The control device 1A includes an ECU 20A that performs automatic operation control and an ECU 29A that performs travel support control, and includes two control units that perform travel control.

<Example of control function>
Control functions that can be executed by the control device 1A or 1B include travel related functions related to the control of driving, braking, and steering of the vehicle V, and a notification function related to the notification of information to the driver.

  Examples of the driving-related functions include lane keeping control, lane departure suppression control (off road departure suppression control), lane change control, forward vehicle follow-up control, collision mitigation brake control, and false start suppression control. The notification function may include adjacent vehicle notification control and a leading vehicle start notification control.

  The lane keeping control is one of control of the position of the vehicle with respect to the lane, and is control for causing the vehicle to automatically run (without depending on the driver's driving operation) on the traveling track set in the lane. The lane departure suppression control is one of control of the position of the vehicle relative to the lane, detects a white line or a central separation zone, and automatically performs steering so that the vehicle does not exceed the line. The lane departure suppression control and the lane keeping control thus have different functions.

  The lane change control is control for automatically moving the vehicle from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling to the adjacent lane. The forward vehicle following control is control for automatically following other vehicles traveling in front of the own vehicle. The collision mitigation brake control is a control that automatically brakes to support collision avoidance when the possibility of collision with an obstacle ahead of the vehicle increases. The erroneous start suppression control is control for restricting the acceleration of the vehicle when the acceleration operation by the driver is equal to or more than the predetermined amount in the stopped state of the vehicle, and suppresses the sudden start.

  The adjacent vehicle notification control is a control for notifying the driver of the presence of another vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane adjacent to the traveling lane of the own vehicle, for example, the existence of another vehicle traveling to the side of the own vehicle and to the rear To inform The vehicle-in-front vehicle start notification control is control to notify that the host vehicle and the other vehicle in front of it are in the stop state and the other vehicle in front is started. These notifications can be performed by the in-vehicle notification device (the information output device 43A, the information output device 44B) described above.

  The ECU 20A, the ECU 29A, and the ECU 21B can share and execute these control functions. Which control function is assigned to which ECU can be appropriately selected.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a block configuration from acquisition of external world information to control of an actuator in a vehicle V. As shown in FIG. The block 401 of FIG. 4 is implemented by, for example, the ECU 21A of FIG. The block 401 acquires external world information of the vehicle V. Here, the external world information is, for example, image information or detection information acquired by the detection units 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B (camera, radar, lidar) mounted on the vehicle V. Alternatively, the outside world information may be acquired by inter-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. The block 401 recognizes obstacles and signs such as guard rails and separation bands, and outputs the recognition result to the block 402 and the block 408. The block 408 is realized, for example, by the ECU 29A of FIG. 1, and based on the information of the obstacle, the pedestrian, the other vehicle, etc. recognized by the block 401, the risk potential based on the optimum route judgment is calculated. Is output to block 402.

  The block 402 is realized by, for example, the ECUs 29A and 20A of FIG. A block 402 determines the optimum route based on the recognition result of the external world information, vehicle motion information such as speed and acceleration, and operation information from the driver 409 (steering amount, acceleration amount, etc.). At that time, the traveling model 405 and the risk avoidance model 406 are considered. The traveling model 405 and the risk avoidance model 406 are, for example, traveling models generated as a result of learning based on probe data collected by the server in advance by test traveling by an expert driver. In particular, the traveling model 405 is a model generated for each scene such as a curve or an intersection, and the risk avoidance model 406 is, for example, a model of sudden braking prediction of a preceding vehicle or movement prediction model of a moving object such as a pedestrian. is there. The travel model and the risk avoidance model generated by the server are implemented in the vehicle V as the travel model 405 and the risk avoidance model 406. When the automatic driving support system is configured in the vehicle V, the block 402 determines the amount of support based on the operation information from the driver 409 and the target value, and transmits the amount of support to the block 403.

  The block 403 is implemented by, for example, the ECUs 22A, 23A, 24A, 27A of FIG. For example, the control amount of the actuator is determined based on the optimal path and the support amount determined in block 402. The actuator 404 includes a system of steering, braking, stop maintenance, in-vehicle notification, and out-of-vehicle notification. A block 407 is an HMI (Human Machine Interface) which is an interface with the driver 409, and is realized as the input devices 45A and 45B. In block 407, for example, notification of switching between the automatic driving mode and the driver driving mode, and a comment from the driver at the time of transmission of probe data when the vehicle V is driven by the above-described expert driver are received.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the interrupt request to the driver of the host vehicle in the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a scene joining the main line. In particular, FIG. 5 shows that the main line is congested with vehicles including other vehicles 502, 503, 504. Usually, the host vehicle is required to join the main line at the same speed as or faster than the vehicle traveling on the main line. Therefore, even when the host vehicle is performing driving support control or automatic operation control in which the driver is not involved, the host vehicle is controlled to run as described above.

  However, when the main line is congested as shown in FIG. 5, it is difficult to execute the traveling control so as to perform the above-mentioned merging. In the case of traffic congestion, the traveling state of the other vehicle 502, 503, 504 stagnates, and as a result, it is determined whether the space before and after the other vehicle 502, 503, 504 is sufficient for the own vehicle 501 to break in. There is a possibility that the state where it can not do or the state judged to be insufficient may continue.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a travel control process at the time of interrupting from the merging lane into the main line in the present embodiment. At the start of the process of FIG. 6, it is assumed that automatic driving control of the vehicle 501 is performed without the driver's involvement.

  In S101, the block 402 determines whether the traveling state of the host vehicle 501 satisfies the condition. If it is determined that the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S102, and if it is determined that the condition is not satisfied, the process of FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process performed when making the determination of S101. In step S201, the block 402 determines, based on the recognition result of the block 401, whether the host vehicle 501 is traveling in the merging lane. For example, the block 402 may determine whether the host vehicle 501 is traveling in the merging lane based on whether or not the road sign “with merging traffic” is recognized by the block 401.

  In S202, the block 402 determines whether the traveling speed of the host vehicle 501 is equal to or less than a predetermined speed. If it is determined that the speed is equal to or less than the predetermined speed, the process proceeds to step S203, and the block 402 determines that the traveling state of the host vehicle 501 satisfies the condition. On the other hand, when it is determined that the speed is higher than the predetermined speed, the process proceeds to S204, and the block 402 determines that the traveling state of the host vehicle 501 does not satisfy the condition. Here, the predetermined speed is, for example, a speed which is determined in advance at a speed equal to or less than the speed required to join the main lane from the merging lane.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the main line is congested, the leading vehicles are considered to be congested without being able to merge smoothly even in the confluence lane. In that case, the traveling state in the merging lane stagnates, and becomes lower than a predetermined speed. Therefore, in S203, the block 402 determines that the host vehicle 501 is stagnating in the merging lane due to the traffic jam on the main line. On the other hand, in S204, the host vehicle 501 does not stagnate in the merging lane, and determines that normal merging is possible. If it is determined that the condition is satisfied in step S203, the process proceeds to step S102 after step S101 in FIG. On the other hand, if it is determined that the condition is not satisfied in S204, the process of FIG. 6 ends after S101 of FIG.

  In step S102, when the block 402 recognizes that the host vehicle 501 approaches a traffic jammed on the main line as it moves forward in the merging lane, the block 402 searches for an interruption area. When moving on the merging lane, the host vehicle 501 is controlled to travel following the preceding vehicle.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of S102. In S301, a block 402 identifies a nearby vehicle. Identification of a proximity vehicle may be performed based on the recognition result of block 401, for example. The close vehicle is, for example, the other vehicle 502 in FIG.

  In S302, the block 402 determines whether there is an interruptible space ahead of the nearby vehicle. The determination of S302 may be performed, for example, by comparing the inter-vehicle distance obtained by the recognition result of block 402 with the inter-vehicle distance threshold necessary for the interruption. If it is determined that there is a space capable of interrupting in front of the approaching vehicle, the process proceeds to S303, and if it is determined that there is no space capable of interrupting, the process proceeds to S306.

  In S303, the block 402 analyzes the behavior of the nearby vehicle, and in S304, determines whether or not an interrupt is possible. The block 402 determines that the interruption is possible in S304, for example, when the approaching vehicle decelerates in anticipation of the interruption of the own vehicle 501 and decelerates. In addition, the block 402 may also determine the behavior of the driver of the nearby vehicle, for example, the operation of raising the hand and giving it up. In addition, the block 402 may judge not only the proximity vehicle but also the behavior of the vehicle preceding the proximity vehicle. If it is determined in S304 that the interrupt is possible, the process proceeds to S305, and the block 402 determines that the interrupt is possible. On the other hand, if it is determined in S304 that the interrupt is not possible, the process proceeds to S306.

  In step S306, the block 402 determines whether there is an interruptible space behind the approaching vehicle. The determination of S306 may be performed, for example, by comparing the inter-vehicle distance obtained by the recognition result of block 402 with the inter-vehicle distance threshold necessary for the interruption. If it is determined that there is a space which can be interrupted behind the approaching vehicle, the process proceeds to S307, and if it is determined that there is no space which can be interrupted, the process proceeds to S309. In step S309, the block 402 determines that interruption is not possible.

  In S307, the block 402 analyzes the behavior of a nearby vehicle, and in S308, determines whether or not an interrupt is possible. The block 402 determines that interruption is possible in S308, for example, when the nearby vehicle accelerates in anticipation of interruption of the own vehicle 501. Further, the block 402 may determine that the interruption is possible in S308, for example, when the vehicle following the close-up vehicle decelerates in anticipation of the interruption of the own vehicle 501. In addition, the block 402 may also determine the behavior of the driver of the vehicle following the nearby vehicle, for example, the operation of raising the hand and giving it up. The block 402 may also judge the behavior of the close vehicle and the vehicle following the close vehicle. If it is determined in S308 that the interrupt is possible, the process proceeds to S305, and the block 402 determines that the interrupt is possible. On the other hand, if it is determined in S308 that the interrupt is not possible, the process proceeds to S309, and the block 402 determines that the interrupt is not possible.

  If it is determined in S305 that the interrupt is possible, the process proceeds to S110 after S103 of FIG. On the other hand, if it is determined in S309 that the interrupt is not possible, the process proceeds to S104 after S103 of FIG.

  In S110, the block 402 determines a travel route so as to interrupt the front or rear of the nearby vehicle. If it is determined in FIG. 8 that it is possible to interrupt the front of the close vehicle, in S110, the block 402 determines the travel route so as to interrupt the front of the close vehicle. Further, if it is determined in FIG. 8 that it is possible to interrupt the rear of the close vehicle, in S110, the block 402 determines the travel route so as to interrupt the rear of the close vehicle. In S110, the block 402 further determines the control amount of the actuator including the steering amount and speed for interrupting the approaching vehicle forward or backward, and the block 403 controls the block 404 based on the control amount to control the vehicle An interrupt of 501 is performed.

  In S104, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed, and if it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the processing from S102 is repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S105. That is, the search of the interrupt area of FIG. 8 is performed until the predetermined time elapses, and the interrupt is performed when it is determined that the interrupt is possible.

  At S105, the block 402 requests the driver to indicate the intention to interrupt another vehicle. The process of S105 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of S105. In step S401, the block 402 determines whether to request the driver. If it is determined that the driver's request is to be made, the process proceeds to S402, and if it is determined that the driver's request is not to be made, the process of FIG. 9 is ended. For example, when inter-vehicle communication is possible between the own vehicle 501 and another vehicle, the process of FIG. 9 is ended without making a request to the driver thereafter. Then, the inter-vehicle communication negotiates, for example, the interruption of the own vehicle 501 with the nearby vehicle. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S106 of FIG.

  Alternatively, S401 may determine the timing of the request for the driver based on the position of the host vehicle 501. For example, when it is recognized that the own vehicle 501 is located between the vehicle existing on the main line and the vehicle, or the own vehicle 501 is decelerated to be located between the vehicle existing on the main line and the vehicle , It may be determined that a request to the driver is to be made. When such a determination is made, if it is determined that a request for the driver is made, the process proceeds to S402, and if it is determined that the request for the driver is not made, the process of S401 is repeated. With such a configuration, it is possible to make a request to the driver at a position where it is easy for the other vehicle to notice the intention of interrupting from the driver to be described later.

  In S402, the block 402 determines whether the direction in which the host vehicle 501 cuts in is the right side or the left side. If it is determined that it is on the left side, the process proceeds to S403, and if it is determined that it is on the right side, it proceeds to S404. For example, in the case of the scene shown in FIG. 5, it is determined to be the right side. In the present embodiment, the merging scene as shown in FIG. 5 is described as an example, but the operation of the present embodiment can be realized even in the case of interrupting to the left in a scene of lane change. In the case of interrupting to the left side in a scene of lane change, it is determined in S402 that it is the left side. In step S403, the block 402 performs a display or an announcement to request the driver of an intention indicating operation for interrupting to the left.

  FIG. 10A shows an example of image display displayed on the left side mirror. In a normal state where the driver's request is not made, as shown on the left of FIG. 10A, the sign is displayed on the left side mirror when the following vehicle approaches. Then, when requesting the driver to indicate the intention to interrupt on the left side in S403, the left side mirror prompts the driver to shake his hand, as shown on the right of FIG. 10 (a). Image 1001 is displayed. Further, the image 1001 is displayed as a moving image so as to swing in the direction of the double arrow. The driver who has seen the image 1001 can display the intention to interrupt the other vehicle on the left side by waving his hand from the side window.

  If it is determined in S402 that it is the right side, in S404, the block 402 makes a display or an announcement for requesting the driver to indicate the intention to interrupt on the right side.

  FIG. 10B is a view showing an example of image display displayed on the right side mirror. In the normal state where the driver's request is not made, as shown on the right of FIG. 10B, the right side mirror displays the sign when the following vehicle approaches. Then, when requesting the driver to indicate the intention to interrupt to the right in S404, as shown on the left of FIG. 10B, the right side mirror prompts the driver to shake his hand. Image 1002 is displayed. Further, the image 1002 is displayed as a moving image so as to swing in the direction of the double arrow. The driver who sees the image 1002 can display the intention to interrupt the other vehicle on the right side by waving his hand from the side window.

  At the time of request to the driver, in addition to the above-described image display, an announcement may be voice-outputted by a speaker in the car. In such a case, for example, "Please take out your hand from the side window and signal to interrupt in the left direction (right direction)". By outputting the voice, it is possible to make the driver easily notice the request. Also, both image display and announcement may be performed. Further, when making a request to the driver, control may be made to open the side window. With such a configuration, the driver's face can be made more visible to other vehicles.

  Also, even if the image display as shown in FIG. 10 (a) or 10 (b) is displayed to the passenger of the rear seat instead of the driver by means of a panel or the like provided on the back of the front seat. good. Alternatively, various types of requests for the above-described driver may be combined with requests for rear seat passengers.

  In step S405, the block 402 determines whether to end the request for the driver. For example, by analyzing the behavior of the driver using a camera provided in the car, when it is recognized that a waving operation has been performed, the driver request is ended. Alternatively, an instruction to end the request to the driver may be received via the HMI 407. If it is determined that the request to the driver is ended, the processing of FIG. 9 is ended, and if it is determined that the request to the driver is not ended, the processing of S405 is repeated.

  Refer again to FIG. After the process of S105, the processes of S106 and S107 are performed. The processes of S106 and S107 are the same as the descriptions of S102 and S103, and thus the description thereof is omitted. If it is determined in S107 that the interrupt is possible, the process proceeds to S110, and if it is determined that the interrupt is not possible, the process proceeds to S108.

  In S108, the block 402 determines whether to switch the operation control. That is, the block 402 determines whether to switch from automatic driving control involving no driver to manual driving control involving the driver. This determination may be made to switch to manual operation control, for example, when an interrupt can not be performed even after a predetermined time has elapsed after a request to the driver in S105.

  When it is determined in S108 that the operation control is to be switched, in S109, for example, the block 402 notifies the driver to switch to the manual operation control on the HMI 407, and then switches to the manual operation control. After S109, the process of FIG. 6 ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation control is not switched in S108, the processing from S102 is repeated.

  The determination as to whether or not to switch the operation control in S108 may be performed by accepting the selection as to whether or not to switch to the manual operation control on the HMI 407. When the processing of S102 to S108 is repeated a predetermined number of times, control may be made to switch to manual operation control.

  Next, the process of setting the predetermined time in S104 will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process of setting a predetermined time in S104. The process of FIG. 11 is not performed as shown in FIG. 5, but is performed when the vehicle is traveling on a normal road.

  In step S501, the block 402 determines whether the host vehicle is executing an automatic driving control in which the driver is not involved. If it is determined that the automatic operation control is being performed, the process proceeds to S502, and if it is determined that the automatic operation control is not being performed, that is, the manual operation control is being performed, the processing of FIG.

  In S502, a block 402 determines whether or not a predetermined traveling state is established. For example, the determination in S502 may be made according to the state of the driver, and may be determined based on, for example, whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel. In step S503, the block 402 detects a driver's secondary task using an in-vehicle camera, a microphone, or the like. Here, the secondary task is, for example, an act of reading a book, a conversation with a passenger, and an act of watching a movie or the like on a monitor installed in a car.

  In S504, the block 402 sets a predetermined time used in S104 according to the secondary task detected in S503. For example, the predetermined time is set based on the line of sight of the driver while tracking the line of sight of the driver and the time at which the line of sight is fixed. For example, as the time in which the driver's gaze is concentrated on the travel destination is longer, the predetermined time used in S104 is set shorter. On the contrary, for example, when the driver is reading a book, or when the driver's gaze does not look at the traveling destination, or when the position of the gaze is dispersed, the predetermined time used in S104 is set relatively long. After S504, the process of FIG. 11 ends.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the state of automatic driving control, for example, when the main line is congested in a scene where it merges from the merging lane to the main line, an intention to interrupt the driver's own vehicle is displayed. Ask. As a result, in a scene where it is difficult to determine an interrupt in automatic driving control, the driver can carry out an action such as waving his hand to another vehicle, whereby interrupt running by automatic driving control can be smoothly realized. Further, in the present embodiment, a case where the main line is congested in the scene where the main lane merges from the merging lane is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to such a scene. If it is a scene to interrupt, the operation of this embodiment can be realized similarly.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, points of the second embodiment which are different from the first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the scene in which the main lane is joined from the merging lane has been described, but in the present embodiment, a scene in which a roundabout is traveled will be described.

  FIG. 12 (a) is a view showing an example of a roundabout at which the ring road is two lanes, and FIG. 12 (b) is a view showing an example of the round intersection at which the ring road is three lanes. Specific driving rules are defined at the roundabout. For example, when the vehicle 1201 enters from the intersection entrance A and tries to turn right at the intersection exit D, the inside of the circular intersection travels in the inner lane clockwise and passes the intersection exit C just before the intersection exit D When you turn on the left blinker, exit from the intersection exit D. Also, for example, when the vehicle 1203 entering from the intersection entrance C leaves straight from the intersection exit A as shown in FIG. 12 (a), or the vehicle 1206 enters from the intersection entrance C as shown in FIG. When driving straight out from the intersection exit A, drive straight lanes.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), it is assumed that there is a traffic jam in the circular intersection or in the vicinity of the circular intersection, and that the traveling state is stagnant. 12 (a) and 12 (b) show a small number of vehicles on the display of an explanatory arrow, a reference sign, etc., but in actuality, the traffic jams of vehicles across almost the entire area in the roundabout It is assumed that In FIG. 12 (a), in the state of automatic operation control, the interruption to the train of the other vehicle 1202 when entering a roundabout and the interruption to the train of the other vehicle 1203 when exiting from a roundabout are extremely effective. It will be difficult. Similarly, in FIG. 12B, in the state of automatic driving control, interruption to the train of the other vehicle 1205 when entering a roundabout or interruption to the train of another vehicle 1206 when exiting from the roundabout Is extremely difficult.

  So, in this embodiment, when entering into a roundabout and leaving from a roundabout, traveling of a roundabout by automatic operation control is realized smoothly by making a request to a driver.

  FIG.13 and FIG.14 is a flowchart which shows driving control processing at the time of driving | running | working the roundabout in this embodiment. In the processing of FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, when the host vehicle is traveling by automatic operation control, it is determined that the host vehicle approaches the ring intersection by the block 401 recognizing the sign of the ring intersection. It is started.

  In step S601, the block 402 determines whether to use the right turn route of the roundabout. For example, block 402 may determine whether to use the right turn route of the roundabout, based on the navigation information to the destination. If it is determined that the right turn route of the roundabout is used, the process proceeds to S602, and if it is determined that the right turn route is not used, that is, if the straight or left route is used, the process proceeds to S614. In step S614, the block 402 determines a travel route so as to travel in a lane for going straight or turning left. In step S614, the block 402 further determines a control amount of the actuator including a steering amount and a speed for traveling in a lane for going straight or turning left. Then, the block 403 controls the block 404 based on the control amount. After S614, the process of FIG. 13 ends.

  In step S602, the block 402 determines the traveling route to travel along the center line as approaching the roundabout, pauses at the entrance to the roundabout in S603 and S604, and then enters the roundabout while traveling slowly. Determine your driving route.

  In step S605, the block 402 searches for an interrupt area on the right side of the host vehicle 1201. In step S606, it is determined whether an interrupt to the right is possible. The process of S605 is a search for an area for the host vehicle 1201 in FIG. 12A to interrupt the vehicle row of the other vehicle 1202. Alternatively, it is a search for an area for the own vehicle 1204 in FIG. 12B to break into the train of the other vehicle 1205. The search for the interrupt area may be performed based on the presence or absence of a space for interrupting the front or rear of the nearby vehicle, as in FIG. However, if the size of the roundabout is not so large, there may be cases where the space for interrupting vehicles can not be searched in the roundabout. Therefore, the search for the interrupt area may be performed by analyzing the behavior of the nearby vehicle and the vehicles before and after it and judging that the behavior of the other vehicle can be recognized such as reducing the speed, it may be determined that the interrupt is possible . If it is determined in S606 that an interrupt to the right is possible, the process proceeds to S607, and if it is determined that an interrupt to the right is not possible, the process proceeds to S609. Hereinafter, the operation will be described with FIG. 12 (a) as a representative example among FIG. 12 (a) and FIG. 12 (b).

  In step S607, the block 402 determines the travel route of the host vehicle 1201 to interrupt the vehicle train of the other vehicle 1202. In step S607, the block 402 further determines an actuator control amount including a steering amount and a speed for interrupting the vehicle train of the other vehicle 1202. Then, the block 403 controls the block 404 based on the control amount. As a result, an interrupt of the vehicle 1201 is performed.

  In step S608, the block 402 determines the travel route of the host vehicle 1201 so as to follow the preceding vehicle. In step S608, the block 402 further determines the control amount of the actuator including the steering amount and the speed for following the preceding vehicle. Then, the block 403 controls the block 404 based on the control amount. As a result, the preceding vehicle of the host vehicle 1201 is followed. The processing after S608 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S609, the block 402 requests the driver to indicate the intention to interrupt the vehicle train of the other vehicle 1202. Since the process of S609 is the same as the explanation in FIG. 9, the explanation is omitted.

  In S610, as in S605, the block 402 searches for an interrupt area on the right side of the host vehicle 1201. In S611, as in S606, it is determined whether or not an interrupt to the right is possible. If it is determined in S611 that an interrupt to the right is possible, the process proceeds to S607, and if it is determined that an interrupt to the right is not possible, the process proceeds to S612.

  In step S612, the block 402 determines whether to switch the operation control. That is, the block 402 determines whether to switch from automatic driving control involving no driver to manual driving control involving the driver. This determination may be made to switch to manual operation control, for example, when an interrupt can not be performed even after a predetermined time has elapsed after a request to the driver in S609.

  If it is determined in S612 that operation control is to be switched, in S613, for example, the block 402 notifies the driver that manual operation control has been switched on the HMI 407, and then switches to manual operation control. After S613, the process of FIG. 13 ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation control is not switched in S612, the processing from S610 is repeated.

  The determination as to whether or not to switch the operation control in S612 may be performed by accepting the selection as to whether or not to switch to the manual operation control on the HMI 407. That is, when the interrupt request is displayed in S609, an instruction acceptance button for switching to manual operation control may be displayed on the HMI 407.

  In S621 of FIG. 14, a block 402 determines whether the vehicle has passed a roundabout exit just before the desired roundabout exit. The immediately preceding roundabout exit is, for example, the roundabout exit C in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b). Here, if it is determined that the vehicle has passed, the process proceeds to S622, where the block 402 controls the left blinker to blink. If it is determined that the vehicle has not passed, the process of S621 is repeated.

  In S623, an interrupt area is searched on the left side of the host vehicle 1201. In S624, it is determined whether an interrupt on the left side is possible. The process of S624 is a search for an area for the host vehicle 1201 of FIG. 12A to interrupt the vehicle row of the other vehicle 1203. Alternatively, it is a search for an area for the own vehicle 1204 in FIG. 12B to break into the vehicle row of the other vehicle 1206. The search for the interrupt area may be performed based on the presence or absence of a space for interrupting the front or rear of the nearby vehicle, as in FIG. However, if the size of the roundabout is not so large, there may be cases where the space for interrupting vehicles can not be searched in the roundabout. Therefore, the search for the interrupt area may be made by analyzing the behavior of the nearby vehicle and the vehicles before and after it, and if it is possible to recognize the behavior such as reducing the speed, it may be determined that the interrupt is possible. If it is determined in S624 that an interrupt to the left is possible, the process proceeds to S625, and if it is determined that an interrupt to the left is not possible, the process proceeds to S627.

  In S625, the block 402 interrupts the train of the other vehicle 1203 and, in S626, determines the traveling route of the own vehicle 1201 so as to exit from the roundabout. In S625 and S626, the block 402 further interrupts the train of the other vehicle 1203, and determines the control amount of the actuator including the steering amount and the speed for leaving the roundabout. Then, the block 403 controls the block 404 based on the control amount. After S626, the process of FIG. 14 ends.

  In step S627, the block 402 requests the driver to indicate the intention to interrupt the vehicle train of the other vehicle 1203. Since the process of S627 is the same as the explanation in FIG. 9, the explanation is omitted.

  In S628, as in S625, the block 402 searches for an interrupt area on the left side of the host vehicle 1201. In S629, it is determined whether an interrupt to the left is possible as in S624. If it is determined in S629 that an interrupt to the left is possible, the process proceeds to S625, and if it is determined that an interrupt to the left is not possible, the process proceeds to S630.

  At S630, the block 402 determines whether to switch the operation control. That is, the block 402 determines whether to switch from automatic driving control involving no driver to manual driving control involving the driver. This determination may be made to switch to manual operation control, for example, when an interrupt can not be performed even after a predetermined time has elapsed after the driver has been requested in S627.

  The determination as to whether or not to switch the operation control in S630 may be performed by accepting the selection as to whether or not to switch to the manual operation control on the HMI 407. That is, when the interrupt request is displayed in S627, an instruction acceptance button for switching to manual operation control may be displayed on the HMI 407.

  When it is determined in S630 that the operation control is to be switched, in S631, for example, the block 402 notifies the driver that the operation control has been switched to the manual operation control on the HMI 407, and then switches to the manual operation control. After S631, the process of FIG. 14 ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation control is not switched in S630, the process proceeds to S632.

  At S632, the block 402 controls the left blinker to extinguish. In S633, the block 402 determines the traveling route of the host vehicle 1201 so as to follow the preceding vehicle. At S633, block 402 further determines the amount of control of the actuator, including the amount of steering and the speed to follow the preceding vehicle. Then, the block 403 controls the block 404 based on the control amount. As a result, the following operation to the preceding vehicle of the own vehicle 1201 is performed. After S633, the process of S621 is repeated.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when making a right turn at a roundabout that is congested, when entering a roundabout and leaving a roundabout, the driver's intention to interrupt the driver of the host vehicle Request to perform display act. As a result, in a scene where it is difficult to determine an interrupt in automatic driving control, the driver itself can perform actions such as waving his hand to another vehicle, so that the right turn of the circular intersection can be smoothly realized by automatic driving control.

<Summary of the embodiment>
The travel control device according to each of the above embodiments is a travel control device that controls the travel of a vehicle, and in the case of interrupting the travel path of another vehicle, the passenger of the own vehicle is urged to prompt an intention to interrupt the own vehicle. And (S105, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, S609, S627) and travel control means for controlling the travel of the vehicle so as to interrupt the travel path of the other vehicle after being notified by the notification means. And (S110, S607, S625).

  With such a configuration, it is possible to smoothly implement interrupt control of the own vehicle by notifying the passenger of the own vehicle to urge an intention of interrupt intention.

  In addition, the traveling control device further includes determination means (S103, S606, S624) for determining whether or not the other vehicle can be interrupted, and the determination means can not interrupt the other vehicle. In the case where it is determined, the notification means notifies a passenger of the vehicle in such a manner as to prompt an intention of displaying an interrupt of the vehicle. With such a configuration, when it is determined that an interrupt to another vehicle is not possible, it is possible to notify a passenger of the own vehicle to urge an intention to interrupt the interrupt.

  In addition, when the traveling control device determines that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible by the determination means, and the predetermined time has passed (S104), the notification means displays the intention to interrupt the vehicle. It is characterized by notifying a passenger of the self-vehicle to urge. With such a configuration, when it is determined that interruption to another vehicle is not possible and a predetermined time has elapsed, it is possible to notify the passenger of the own vehicle to urge an intention to interrupt the interruption.

  Further, the traveling control device is characterized by further comprising setting means (FIG. 11) for setting the predetermined time. The setting means is set according to the behavior of the driver of the host vehicle. With such a configuration, it is possible to set the time for notification by the notification means, for example, according to the behavior of the driver of the host vehicle.

  In addition, after the traveling control device is notified by the notification means, when it is determined that the interruption to the other vehicle is possible by the determination means (S107, S611, S629), the traveling control means is configured to It is characterized in that the traveling of the vehicle is controlled to interrupt the traveling path of another vehicle. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform an interrupt when it becomes possible to perform an interrupt after the driver's intention indicating operation of the host vehicle.

  In addition, after being notified by the notification means, the traveling control device determines that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible by the determination means (S109, S613, S631), the traveling control means determines that It is characterized in that traveling control of the vehicle is switched to manual operation control. With such a configuration, it is possible to switch to manual operation control when interruption can not be made even after the intention indicating act of the passenger of the host vehicle.

  In addition, after the traveling control device is notified by the notification means, the determination means determines that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible and the predetermined time has elapsed (S108, S612, S630), the traveling The control means switches travel control of the host vehicle to manual operation control. With such a configuration, it is possible to switch to manual operation control after a predetermined time if interruption can not be made even after the intention indicating act of the passenger of the host vehicle.

  In addition, after the traveling control device is notified by the notification means, the determination means determines that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible and the instruction from the driver of the own vehicle is received (S108, S612 , S630), the traveling control means switches traveling control of the host vehicle to manual operation control. With such a configuration, when an interruption can not be made even after the intention display operation of the passenger of the host vehicle, it is possible to receive an instruction from the driver and switch to manual operation control.

  In addition, the traveling control device determines whether or not the interruption to the other vehicle is possible when the vehicle travels a specific scene (FIG. 5, S101, FIG. 12, S601). It is characterized by With such a configuration, when traveling a specific scene, it is determined whether it is possible to interrupt another vehicle, and based on the determination result, the passenger of the own vehicle is urged to act to indicate the intention of the own vehicle. Can be notified.

  Further, the specific scene is a merging lane (FIG. 5), and the traveling path of the other vehicle is a main road. Further, the specific scene is a roundabout (FIG. 12), and the traveling path of the other vehicle is a roundabout of the roundabout. With such a configuration, it is determined whether it is possible to interrupt another vehicle when traveling on a confluence lane or a roundabout, and based on the determination result, the self-vehicle's intention display action is promoted. The passenger can be notified.

  Further, the notification means is characterized by notifying the passenger of the own vehicle by displaying an image prompting the intention display action of the own vehicle (FIG. 10). Further, the image is displayed on a side mirror. With such a configuration, it is possible to display, for example, an image prompting the intention display operation of the own vehicle's interrupt on the side mirror. Further, the notification means is characterized in that the passenger of the vehicle is notified by opening the window of the vehicle (paragraph 0094). With such a configuration, it is possible to make the face of the passenger of the host vehicle more visible to other vehicles.

  The notification means may notify the passenger of the own vehicle by outputting a voice prompting the intention display action of the own vehicle (S403, S404). According to such a configuration, for example, it is possible to urge a passenger of the vehicle to display an intention of interruption of the vehicle by voice.

  1A, 1B Control device: 2A, 2B ECU group: 20A Automatic operation ECU: 21A Environment recognition ECU: 22A, 22B Steering ECU: 23A, 23B Brake ECU: 24A, 24B Stop keeping ECU: 25A Information ECU: 26A Light ECU: 27A Drive ECU: 28A Position recognition ECU: 29A, 21B Driving support ECU: 25B Instrument display ECU

Claims (18)

A travel control device for controlling the travel of a vehicle, wherein
A notification means for notifying a passenger of the host vehicle to urge an intention of displaying an intention of the host vehicle when interrupting the traveling path of the other vehicle;
Travel control means for controlling the travel of the vehicle so as to interrupt the travel path of the other vehicle after being notified by the notification means;
A travel control device comprising: And a determination unit that determines whether or not the other vehicle can be interrupted.
When it is determined that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible by the determination means, the notification means notifies a passenger of the own vehicle to urge an intention of displaying the interruption of the own vehicle. The travel control device according to claim 1.   When it is determined that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible by the determination means, and the predetermined time has elapsed, the notification means notifies the passenger of the own vehicle to urge an intention to interrupt the own vehicle. The travel control device according to claim 2, characterized in that:   The travel control device according to claim 3, further comprising setting means for setting the predetermined time.   The travel control device according to claim 4, wherein the setting unit is set according to the behavior of the driver of the host vehicle.   After being notified by the notification means, when it is determined that the interruption to the other vehicle is possible by the determination means, the traveling control means travels the vehicle so as to interrupt the traveling path of the other vehicle. The travel control device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that   After being notified by the notification means, when it is determined by the determination means that interruption to the other vehicle is not possible, the travel control means switches travel control of the host vehicle to manual operation control. The travel control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.   After being notified by the notification means, when it is determined that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible by the determination means, and the predetermined time has elapsed, the travel control means manually controls the travel control of the own vehicle The travel control device according to claim 7, wherein the travel control device is switched to   After being notified by the notification means, when it is determined that the interruption to the other vehicle is not possible by the determination means, and the instruction from the driver of the own vehicle is received, the traveling control means determines that the own vehicle The travel control device according to claim 7, switching travel control to manual operation control.   The said determination means determines whether the interruption to the said other vehicle is possible, when the said own vehicle drive | works a specific scene, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Travel control device.   The travel control device according to claim 10, wherein the specific scene is a junction lane, and the travel path of the other vehicle is a main road.   The travel control device according to claim 10, wherein the specific scene is a roundabout, and a travel path of the other vehicle is a roundabout at the roundabout.   The said notification means is notified to the passenger of the said own vehicle by displaying the image which urges the intention display operation | movement of the said own vehicle, The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12 characterized by the above-mentioned. Traveling control device.   The travel control device according to claim 13, wherein the image is displayed on a side mirror.   The travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the notification unit notifies a passenger of the host vehicle by opening a window of the host vehicle.   16. The passenger according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the notification means notifies a passenger of the vehicle by outputting a voice prompting an intention display operation of the vehicle. Traveling control device. A travel control method executed in a travel control device for controlling the travel of a vehicle, comprising:
A notification step of notifying a passenger of the host vehicle to urge an intention to display an intention of the host vehicle when interrupting the traveling path of the other vehicle;
A traveling control step of controlling traveling of the vehicle so as to interrupt the traveling path of the other vehicle after being notified in the notification step;
A travel control method comprising:   A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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