JP2021011254A - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program which can appropriately suppress the control in a situation where the automatic lane change of a vehicle is inappropriate.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes a driving control section for controlling the speed and steering of a vehicle to perform an automatic lane change. The driving control section restricts the automatic lane change when it is detected, on the basis of the information of either one of an external recognition result and map information, that the vehicle is in a first area having a length of a first distance in a road longitudinal direction with the starting point of a specific road structure as a reference, or in a second area having a length of a second distance in the road longitudinal direction with the end point of the specific road structure as a reference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle control devices, vehicle control methods, and programs.

Conventionally, there is known a technique of setting a target steering force so as to increase the ratio of the first steering force when the traveling in the tunnel of the own vehicle is detected and the traveling in the tunnel is not detected. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-36757

By the way, in recent years, automatic driving and lane change have been put into practical use, but in the conventional technology, consideration is given to how to handle lane change control when passing through a specific road structure such as a tunnel. It wasn't done.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of appropriately suppressing control in a situation where a vehicle lane change is inappropriate. One of the purposes is to provide.

The vehicle control device, the vehicle control method, and the program according to the present invention have adopted the following configurations.
(1): The vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle and changes the lane, and the driving control unit is either an outside world recognition result or map information. Based on one of the information, the vehicle uses the first region having the length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the start point of the specific road structure, or the end point of the specific road structure as a reference. When it is detected that the vehicle is in a second region having a length of a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road, the lane change is restricted.

(2): In the aspect of (1) above, when the driving control unit overtakes a preceding vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle, the driving control unit changes lanes from the own lane to the adjacent lane. After that, the lane change is performed from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle traveling lane.

(3): In the aspect of (2) above, the driving control unit receives the own vehicle from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking by the time the vehicle reaches the second region after passing through the first region. When it is determined that the lane change to the traveling lane can be completed, the lane change is permitted.

(4): In the embodiment (2) or (3), the operation control unit permits the lane change after the vehicle has passed the first region and before reaching the second region. When it is determined that the lane change from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle lane cannot be completed due to a change in the situation after changing the lane from the own vehicle lane to the adjacent lane, the first The lane change from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle traveling lane is not performed until the two regions are passed, and the lane change from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle traveling lane is performed after passing through the second region. It is a thing.

(5): In the aspect of (2) above, the driving control unit changes the lane from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking to the own lane by the time the vehicle reaches the first region. When it is determined that the above can be completed, the overtaking is performed.

(6): In the aspect of (5) above, the operation control unit changes the lane from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking to the own lane by the time the vehicle reaches the first region. If it is determined that the above-mentioned cannot be completed, the lane change from the own vehicle lane to the adjacent lane is not performed until the vehicle passes through the first region, and after passing through the first region, the vehicle travel lane is described as described above. This is to change the lane to an adjacent lane.

(7): In the aspect of the above (5), the driving control unit starts the overtaking from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking by the time the vehicle reaches the first region. When it is determined that the change of the lane to the own vehicle traveling lane cannot be completed, it is determined whether or not to overtake again after passing through the first region.

(8): In any of the above aspects (1) to (7), the operation control unit starts from the end point of the first specific road structure, and then the first specific road structure. When the distance to the start point of the second specific road structure through which the vehicle passes is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, the distance from the end point of the first specific road structure to the start point of the second specific road structure is reached. In the section between them, the change of the lane is restricted.

(9): In the above aspects (1) to (8), when it is detected that the vehicle is in the first region or the second region, the driving control unit changes a predetermined type of lane. Is executed, and the lane change that is not a predetermined type is not executed.

(10): In the above aspects (1) to (9), the road structure includes at least a tunnel or a bridge.

(11): In the embodiments (1) to (10), the operation control unit has the first region and the first region in the longitudinal direction of the road based on specific information indicating a traveling environment in the specific road structure. The length of at least one of the two regions is changed.

(12): In the aspect of (11) above, the specific information is at least one of the length of the specific road structure in the longitudinal direction of the road, the illuminance in the specific road structure, and the slope or curvature of the road. It contains information about the department.

(13): The vehicle control device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle and changes the lane, and the driving control unit is such that the vehicle is on the same lane. It controls to automatically overtake the preceding vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle, and based on either the outside world recognition result or the map information, the vehicle uses the starting point of a specific road structure as a reference. It is detected that the vehicle is in the first region having the length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road or the second region having the length of the second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the end point of the specific road structure. If so, the overtaking of the preceding vehicle is restricted.

(14): In the vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention, the computer controls the speed and steering of the vehicle, changes the lane, and is based on either the outside world recognition result or the map information. The first region of the specific road structure in which the vehicle has a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the start point of the specific road structure, or the end point of the specific road structure. When it is detected that the vehicle is in the second region, which is a region having a length of the second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the above, the change of the lane is restricted.

(15): The program according to another aspect of the present invention is based on a computer, a process of controlling the speed and steering of a vehicle to change a lane, and information of either an outside world recognition result or map information. The first region of the specific road structure in which the vehicle has a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the start point of the specific road structure, or the end point of the specific road structure. When it is detected that the vehicle is in the second region, which is the region having the length of the second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the above, the process of restricting the change of the lane is executed.

According to the above aspects (1) to (15), control can be appropriately suppressed in a situation where the vehicle lane change is inappropriate.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control unit 120 and the 2nd control unit 160. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the 1st region R1 and the 2nd region R2 of a specific road structure. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control device 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control device 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control device 100 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control device 100 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the setting method of the 1st region R1 and the 2nd region R2. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the setting method of the 1st region R1 and the 2nd region R2. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the setting method of the 1st region R1 and the 2nd region R2. It is a figure for demonstrating the process of the 2nd modification. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow of the 3rd modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a vehicle such as two wheels, three wheels, or four wheels, and the drive source thereof is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates by using the power generated by the generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the discharge power of the secondary battery or the fuel cell.

The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a finder 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, and the like. It includes an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a vehicle control device. These devices and devices are connected to each other by multiplex communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, and the like. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted or another configuration may be added.

The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary position of the vehicle M (hereinafter, own vehicle) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When photographing the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rearview mirror, and the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the own vehicle, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves around the own vehicle, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object to at least detect the position (distance and orientation) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle. The radar device 12 may detect the position and velocity of the object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The finder 14 is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The finder 14 irradiates the periphery of the own vehicle with light and measures the scattered light. The finder 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. The light to be irradiated is, for example, a pulsed laser beam. The finder 14 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle.

The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14, and recognizes the position, type, speed, and the like of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic operation control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 to the automatic driving control device 100 as they are. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle or various server devices by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like. To do.

The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the own vehicle and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys and the like.

The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the own vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis, an orientation sensor that detects the direction of the own vehicle, and the like.

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a routing unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of its own vehicle based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the own vehicle may be specified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or wholly shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, has a route from the position of the own vehicle (or an arbitrary position input) specified by the GNSS receiver 51 to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 (hereinafter, map). The upper route) is determined with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which a road shape is expressed by a link indicating a road and a node connected by the link. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to MPU60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, the function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by an occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides the route every 100 [m] with respect to the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the second map information 62. Determine the recommended lane for each block. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane to drive from the left. When a branch point exists on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the own vehicle can travel on a reasonable route to proceed to the branch destination.

The second map information 62 is more accurate map information than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of the lane, information on the boundary of the lane, and the like. Further, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address / zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

The driving controller 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a deformed steering wheel, a joystick, a winker lever, and other controls. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is attached to the operation operator 80, and the detection result is the automatic operation control device 100, or the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device. It is output to a part or all of 220.

The automatic operation control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. Each of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 is realized by executing a program (software) by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, some or all of these components are hardware (circuits) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It may be realized by the part (including circuitry), or it may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device including a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic operation control device 100, or is removable such as a DVD or a CD-ROM. It is stored in a storage medium, and may be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic operation control device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in the drive device.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The first control unit 120, for example, realizes a function by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function by a model given in advance in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" is executed in parallel with recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and recognition based on predetermined conditions (pattern matching signals, road markings, etc.), both of which are executed. It may be realized by scoring against and comprehensively evaluating. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes an object existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 via the object recognition device 16. Objects recognized by the recognition unit 130 include, for example, road signs installed on bicycles, motorcycles, four-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, roadsides, road markings formed on the road surface, lane markings, electric poles, guardrails, etc. Including falling objects. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the object, the speed, the acceleration, and the like. The position of the object is recognized as, for example, a position on relative coordinates (that is, a relative position with respect to the own vehicle) with the representative point of the own vehicle (center of gravity, center of drive axis, etc.) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a represented area. The "state" of an object may include acceleration or jerk of the object, or "behavioral state" (eg, whether or not the vehicle is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

The recognition unit 130 refers to the second map information 62 and recognizes that the road section on which the own vehicle travels is an automatic driving permission section. For example, the recognition unit 130 has a pattern of road lane markings obtained from the second map information 62 (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and broken lines) and road lane markings around the own vehicle recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. By comparing with the pattern, the automatic driving permission section is recognized. Further, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling and the adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane based on the comparison of the patterns of the road markings.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the automatic driving permission section by recognizing the lane boundary (road boundary) including not only the road lane marking but also the road lane marking, the shoulder, the curb, the median strip, the guardrail, etc. It may recognize a lane or an adjacent lane. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by INS may be added. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes a stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a tollhouse, and other road events.

When recognizing the own lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the relative position and posture of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 sets the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the own vehicle as the relative position and attitude of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane. You may recognize it. Instead of this, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the reference point of the own vehicle with respect to any side end portion (road division line or road boundary) of the own lane as the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane. May be good.

The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, an overtaking control unit 142 and a lane change execution unit 144.

In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 drives the own vehicle in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and further, when the own vehicle travels in the recommended lane, the action plan generation unit 140 responds to the surrounding conditions in advance. Generates a future target track that automatically drives the vehicle in the specified driving mode (regardless of the driver's operation). The target trajectory includes, for example, a position element that determines the position of the own vehicle in the future and a speed element that determines the speed of the own vehicle in the future. Further, the action plan generation unit 140 determines the target speed and the target acceleration for each predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 commas [sec]) as the speed elements of the target trajectory. Further, the track point may be a position to be reached by the own vehicle at the sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the target velocity and the target acceleration are determined by the sampling time and the interval between the orbital points. The action plan generation unit 140 outputs the information indicating the generated target trajectory to the second control unit 160. Each of the overtaking control unit 142 and the lane change execution unit 144 has such a function. These will be described later.

The second control unit 160 controls the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the own vehicle passes the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 on time. To do.

The second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The combination of the overtaking control unit 142, the lane change execution unit 144, and the second control unit 160 is an example of the “driving control unit”.

The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target trajectory (orbit point) from the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in the memory.

The speed control unit 164 controls one or both of the traveling driving force output device 200 and the braking device 210 based on the speed elements (for example, target speed, target acceleration, etc.) included in the target trajectory stored in the memory.

The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to a position element (for example, a curvature representing the degree of bending of the target trajectory) stored in the target trajectory stored in the memory.

The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road in front of the own vehicle and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for traveling the vehicle to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and the like, and a power ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The power ECU controls the above configuration according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation operator 80.

The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits flood pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates flood pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80 so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include, as a backup, a mechanism for transmitting the oil pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the operation operator 80 to the cylinder via the master cylinder. The brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and is an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit the oil pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder. May be good.

The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to the rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80, and changes the direction of the steering wheel.

[Overtaking control]
The overtaking control unit 142 performs overtaking control when the conditions for overtaking are satisfied. Overtaking control means that the own vehicle moves from the first lane (own lane) to the second lane (adjacent lane) adjacent to the first lane, and then moves from the second lane to the first lane. This is a control for overtaking a vehicle in front that travels in the same lane as the vehicle in the same direction as the own vehicle. In the overtaking control, the lane is changed from the first lane to the second lane, and then the lane is changed from the second lane to the first lane. The overtaking condition includes, for example, a condition where the relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle is equal to or higher than the threshold value. The overtaking condition may include, for example, a condition relating to the relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle, as well as a condition relating to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle. However, the overtaking control unit 142 restricts the start of overtaking control even when the overtaking condition is satisfied, when the own vehicle passes through the first region or the second region of the specific road structure. To do. Certain road structures include at least tunnels or bridges.

[Lane change control]
The lane change execution unit 144 performs lane change control when the condition for changing lanes is satisfied. The lane change control is a control in which the own vehicle changes lanes from the first lane to the second lane adjacent to the first lane. The condition for changing the lane includes, for example, a condition such as reaching a point on the traveling route to the destination where the lane needs to be changed, or the occupant operating the turn signal. Further, the lane change execution unit 144 controls the lane change when the own vehicle passes through the first region or the second region of the specific road structure even when the condition for changing the lane is satisfied. Limit the start of. When the lane change execution unit 144 proposes a lane change to the occupants of the own vehicle through the HMI 30 when the conditions for changing the lane are satisfied, and accepts the operation by the occupants of the own vehicle through the HMI 30. Lane change control may be started. Further, even when the start of the lane change control is restricted, the lane change execution unit 144 may release the restriction of the lane change control when the operation by the occupant of the own vehicle is accepted through the HMI 30. ..

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a first region or a second region of a specific road structure. In the following description, it is assumed that the specific road structure is a tunnel TL. In the illustrated example, the first region R1 and the second region R2 are set as the lane change prohibition region in the tunnel TL. The first region R1 is a region having a length of a first distance A in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the entrance TL1 (starting point) of the tunnel TL in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. In this example, the first region R1 is set from the front side to the back side of the entrance TL1 of the tunnel TL. However, the entrance TL1 of the tunnel TL may be the starting point, or the back side may be the starting point. The second region R2 is a region having a length of a second distance B in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the exit TL2 (end point) of the tunnel TL in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. The second region R2 is set from the front side to the back side of the exit TL2 of the tunnel TL. However, the exit TL2 of the tunnel TL may be the end point, or the slightly front side may be the end point.

[Processing flow of vehicle control device]
Hereinafter, a series of processing flows of the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an example of a flow of a series of processes by the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the prohibition flag setting process. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of overtaking control. The flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are processed as independent processes.

First, the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 will be described. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 may be executed, for example, when the own vehicle approaches the tunnel TL.

The overtaking control unit 142 refers to the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 that recognizes the external situation of the own vehicle, or obtains the position of the own vehicle and the second map information 62 that are specified or complemented based on the output of the vehicle sensor 40. By comparing, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in the first region R1 or the second region R2 (step S10). Next, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle is traveling in the first region R1 or the second region R2, the overtaking control unit 142 sets the prohibition flag (step S12). The prohibition flag is information for limiting the start of overtaking control or lane change control. When the prohibition flag is set, the overtaking control is not started even if the overtaking condition is satisfied. On the other hand, when the prohibition flag is cleared, the overtaking control is started when the overtaking condition is satisfied.

Next, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the own vehicle has passed the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the latest control cycle (step S14). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle has not passed through the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the latest control cycle, the overtaking control unit 142 returns the process to step S10. The overtaking control unit 142 repeats the processes of steps S10 to S14 until the own vehicle passes through the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the latest control cycle. When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle has passed the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the latest control cycle, the overtaking control unit 142 releases the setting of the prohibition flag (step S16). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

Next, the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed, for example, during automatic operation.

First, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the vehicle in front has been detected based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 (step S20). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the vehicle in front is detected, it determines whether or not the condition for overtaking is satisfied (step S22). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the overtaking condition is satisfied, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the prohibition flag is set (step S24). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the prohibition flag is not set, the overtaking control unit 142 starts overtaking control (step S26). On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the prohibition flag is set, the overtaking control unit 142 ends the processing of one cycle of this flowchart without starting the overtaking control.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, when the prohibition flag is set, the lane change control may be restricted instead of (or in addition to) the overtaking control.

According to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment described above, control can be appropriately suppressed in a situation where the lane change of the own vehicle is inappropriate. For example, immediately after the own vehicle enters the tunnel TL or immediately before the own vehicle exits the tunnel TL, it is preferable to avoid executing the lane change of the own vehicle. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment, the first region R1 or the second region R2 is set as an region in which the lane change of the own vehicle is inappropriate in the tunnel TL, and the own vehicle is the first. When it is detected that the vehicle is located in the area R1 or the second area R2, the change of the lane of the own vehicle is restricted. As a result, control can be appropriately suppressed in a situation where the lane change of the own vehicle is inappropriate.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described. Compared with the first embodiment, the second embodiment determines whether or not the lane change related to overtaking is completed by the time it reaches the first region or the second region, and based on the determination result, overtaking control is performed. The processing content of the overtaking control is different at the point of starting. Hereinafter, this difference will be mainly described.

Hereinafter, a series of processing flows of the automatic operation control device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a series of processes by the automatic operation control device 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of overtaking control processing.

The overtaking control unit 142 according to the second embodiment determines whether or not the vehicle in front has been detected based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 (step S30). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the vehicle in front is detected, it determines whether or not the condition for overtaking is satisfied (step S32). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the overtaking condition is satisfied, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the prohibition flag is set (step S34).

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the prohibition flag is not set, whether or not the own vehicle travels in front of the first region R1 and the own vehicle cannot complete overtaking by the first region R1. Determine (step S36). In this case, the overtaking control unit 142 first requires the own vehicle to overtake the preceding vehicle based on, for example, the relative speed between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle. Calculate the required time. In addition, the overtaking control unit 142 calculates the mileage required for overtaking based on the calculated required time and the speed of the own vehicle. Then, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the own vehicle can complete overtaking by the first region R1 by comparing the calculated mileage with the distance to the first region R1. Further, the overtaking control unit 142 determines that when another vehicle exists in the adjacent lane, the own vehicle cannot complete overtaking by the first region R1 without calculating the mileage required for overtaking. You may.

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle is not traveling in front of the first area R1 or the own vehicle can complete overtaking by the first area R1, the own vehicle is in the second area R2. It is determined whether or not the own vehicle can complete overtaking by the second region R2 while traveling in front of the vehicle (step S38). The overtaking control unit 142 starts overtaking control when it is determined that the own vehicle is not traveling in front of the second area R2 or the own vehicle can complete overtaking by the second area R2 (step). S40). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed. On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines in the previous step S36 that the own vehicle travels in front of the first region R1 and the own vehicle cannot complete overtaking by the first region R1, the own vehicle After passing through the first region R1, the overtaking control is started (step S42). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed. Further, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines in the previous step S38 that the own vehicle travels in front of the second region R2 and the overtaking cannot be completed by the second region R2, the overtaking control unit 142 starts the overtaking control. The process of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

According to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the second embodiment described above, the effect of the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment can be obtained, and overtaking control can be started more carefully. For example, if the overtaking control is started without determining whether or not the overtaking can be completed by the time the own vehicle reaches the first region R1 or the second region R2, the overtaking control cannot be completed after the overtaking control is started. If it is determined that, it may be necessary to cancel the overtaking control. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the second embodiment, it is determined whether or not the overtaking can be completed by the time the own vehicle reaches the first region R1 or the second region R2, and the overtaking can be completed. Overtaking control is started on condition that the judgment is made. As a result, overtaking control can be started more carefully.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described. Compared with the first embodiment, the third embodiment is a method of overtaking control in that it starts overtaking control and determines whether or not it is possible to return to the first region by the second region after moving to the second lane. The processing content is different. Hereinafter, this difference will be mainly described.

Hereinafter, a series of processing flows of the automatic operation control device 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a series of processes by the automatic operation control device 100 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow after starting overtaking control between the first region and the second region.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 will be described. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 may be executed, for example, when the overtaking control is started.

The overtaking control unit 142 according to the third embodiment determines whether or not the own vehicle has already moved to the second lane (step S50). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle has already moved to the second lane, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the own vehicle cannot move to the first lane by the time it reaches the second region R2 (step S52). .. When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle can move to the first lane by the time it reaches the second region R2, the overtaking control unit 142 moves the own vehicle to the first lane (step S54). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed. On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle cannot move to the first lane by the time it reaches the second area R2, the overtaking control unit 142 moves the own vehicle to the first lane after passing through the second area R2 (step S56). ). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

According to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the third embodiment described above, the effect of the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment can be obtained, and the completion timing of the overtaking control can be appropriately controlled. For example, although the lane is changed to the second lane after the overtaking control is started, the vehicle to be overtaken may accelerate and may not be able to return to the first lane by the predetermined area. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the third embodiment, the own vehicle reaches the second region R2 on the condition that the own vehicle has already moved to the second lane after starting the overtaking control. It is determined whether or not the vehicle can move to the first lane by the time, and the timing at which the own vehicle moves to the first lane is determined based on the determination result. As a result, the completion timing of the overtaking control can be appropriately controlled.

[Modified example of the embodiment]
(First modification)
In each of the above embodiments, the overtaking control unit 142 may change the length of at least one of the first region R1 and the second region R2 in the road longitudinal direction based on the specific information indicating the traveling environment in the tunnel TL. .. The specific information includes at least a part of the length of the tunnel TL in the longitudinal direction of the road, the illuminance in the tunnel TL, and the slope or curvature of the road. For example, as in the example shown in FIG. 8, when the slope section is included in the vicinity of the entrance TL1 or the exit TL2 of the tunnel TL, the first region R1 or the second in the road longitudinal direction is included as compared with the case where the slope section is not included. The length of the region R2 may be set to be long. Further, as in the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the longer the length of the tunnel TL in the longitudinal direction of the road, the longer the length of the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the longitudinal direction of the road is set. You may. Further, the length of the first region R1 and the second region R2 in the longitudinal direction of the road may be set to be longer as the difference in illuminance inside and outside the tunnel TL is larger.

(Second modification)
Further, the action plan generation unit 140 further has its own vehicle from the exit (end point) TL # 1-2 of a certain tunnel TL (hereinafter, the first tunnel TL # 1) to the next to the first tunnel TL # 1. When the distance X to the entrance (starting point) TL # 2-1 of the passing tunnel TL (hereinafter, the second tunnel TL # 2) is the predetermined distance Xmin or less, the exit TL # 1 of the first tunnel TL # 1 In the section C between -2 and the entrance TL # 2-1 of the second tunnel TL # 2, the lane change may be restricted. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the second modification. In the figure, M is the own vehicle and _DM is the traveling direction of the own vehicle. Section C is a section in which lane change is prohibited if the distance X is a predetermined distance Xmin or less. In order to realize such a process, for example, the determination process of step S10 in FIG. 4 is performed as "a section in which the own vehicle is traveling in the first region R1 or the second region R2, or the distance X is a predetermined distance Xmin or less. It may be changed to "determine whether or not the vehicle is traveling C". As a result, when the vehicle is traveling in the section C in which the distance X is the predetermined distance Xmin or less, the prohibition flag is set and the lane change is prohibited.

(Third modification example)
Further, the action plan generation unit 140 changes the lane when the prohibition flag is set because the own vehicle is in the first region or the second region (or between the tunnels within the above predetermined distance). As another example of limiting the above, a predetermined type of lane change may be executed and a lane change other than the predetermined type may not be executed. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the third modification. As a premise of this flowchart, it is assumed that the prohibition flag is set by the process described with reference to FIG.

First, the action plan generation unit 140 determines whether or not a lane change event has occurred (step S60). The trigger for generating the lane change event will be described in S66. When the lane change event occurs, the action plan generation unit 140 determines whether or not the prohibition flag is set (step S62). If the prohibition flag is not set, the action plan generation unit 140 executes the lane change (step S64).

When the prohibition flag is set, the action plan generation unit 140 determines whether or not the lane change related to the lane change event is a lane change of a predetermined type (step S66). When the lane change related to the lane change event is a lane change of a predetermined type, the action plan generation unit 140 conditionally executes the lane change (step S64), for example, and the lane change of the predetermined type. If it is not a change, the lane change is not executed (step S68).

In the third modification, there are the following types of lane changes.
Type 1: Change of lane due to system request (Part 1)
Type 2: Change of lane due to system request (Part 2)
Type 3: Change of lane by driver request (Part 3)

Type 1 is a lane change voluntarily performed by the action plan generation unit 140 because, for example, the condition for overtaking the vehicle in front is satisfied or the lane must be changed in order to reach the destination. The action plan generation unit 140 treats the type 1 as not being a predetermined type. That is, when the type 1 lane change event occurs, the action plan generation unit 140 does not execute the lane change.

Type 2 is a lane change voluntarily performed by the action plan generation unit 140, and is a lane change performed after asking the driver and approving the driver. Questions and approvals are made using HMI30. The action plan generation unit 140 treats the type 2 as not being a predetermined type. That is, when the type 2 lane change event occurs, the action plan generation unit 140 does not execute the lane change.

Type 3 is a lane change based on an operation performed by the driver. When the blinker lever included in the driving operator 80 is operated by the first operation amount, the action plan generation unit 140 determines that the instruction to change the lane has been given and changes the lane. This is a type 3 lane change. When a type 3 lane change event occurs, the action plan generation unit 140 determines that a predetermined type of lane change has been instructed, and executes, for example, conditionally changes the lane. For example, the action plan generation unit 140 uses the HMI 30 to output information indicating that the lane cannot be changed during the first operation, and executes the lane change assuming that the conditions are satisfied when the second operation is performed. To do. The action plan generation unit 140 may execute the lane change without imposing such a condition.

The action plan generation unit 140 does not prohibit (allows execution) the lane change due to the driver's manual driving after switching to the manual driving based on the operation performed by the driver. When the driver operates the blinker lever included in the operation operator 80 with the second operation amount, the automatic operation control device 100 stops the automatic operation and switches to the manual operation. The second operation amount is an operation amount larger than the first operation amount, and is, for example, an operation amount when the blinker lever is operated by the maximum amount. In this case, the lane is changed by the steering operation of the driver. The switching to the manual operation is performed in the same manner based on the operation of the blinker lever and other operation operators 80.

Alternatively, when the driver operates the turn signal lever with the second operation amount, the action plan generation unit 140 changes the lane without imposing the conditions as in the case where the turn signal lever is operated with the first operation amount. It may be. The lane change in this case is treated as a predetermined type of lane change.

The present invention can also be applied to a vehicle that does not have an automatic driving function and has a lane change function. The lane change function in this case is, for example, when the occupant instructs the lane change control by operating the direction indicator while the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and the LKAS (Lane Keep Assist System) are operating. , It controls both speed and steering to execute lane change. Further, in the case of a vehicle having an automatic driving function and having the above-mentioned lane change function during manual driving, the present invention may be applied to both automatic driving and lane change during manual driving.

Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be added.

1 ... Vehicle system, 10 ... Camera, 12 ... Radar device, 14 ... Finder, 16 ... Object recognition device, 20 ... Communication device, 30 ... HMI, 40 ... Vehicle sensor, 50 ... Navigation device, 60 ... MPU, 80 ... Driving Operator, 100 ... Automatic driving control device, 120 ... First control unit, 130 ... Recognition unit, 140 ... Action plan generation unit, 142 ... Overtaking control unit, 144 ... Lane change execution unit, 160 ... Second control unit, 162 ... Acquisition unit, 164 ... Speed control unit, 166 ... Steering control unit, 200 ... Travel driving force output device, 210 ... Brake device, 220 ... Steering device

Claims (15)

Equipped with a driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle and changes the lane.
Based on the information of either the outside world recognition result or the map information, the driving control unit has a first region in which the vehicle has a length of a first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the starting point of a specific road structure. Or, when it is detected that the vehicle is in a second region having a length of a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the end point of the specific road structure, the lane change is restricted.
Vehicle control device. When overtaking a preceding vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle, the driving control unit changes the lane from the own lane to the adjacent lane, and then changes the lane from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle. Make the lane change toward the driving lane,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The driving control unit can complete the lane change from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle traveling lane related to the overtaking by the time the vehicle reaches the second region after passing through the first region. If it is determined, the lane change is permitted.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2. The driving control unit permits the lane change by the time the vehicle reaches the second region after passing through the first region, and changes the lane from the own vehicle traveling lane to the adjacent lane. If it is determined that the lane change from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle driving lane cannot be completed due to a change in the situation, the vehicle changes from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle traveling lane until the second region is passed. After passing through the second region, the lane change from the adjacent lane to the own vehicle traveling lane is performed without changing the lane.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3. When the driving control unit determines that the lane change from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking to the own lane can be completed by the time the vehicle reaches the first region, the overtaking is performed. Do, do
The vehicle control device according to claim 2. When the driving control unit determines that the lane change from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking to the own vehicle traveling lane cannot be completed by the time the vehicle reaches the first region, the first region The lane is not changed from the own lane to the adjacent lane until the vehicle passes through, and the lane is changed from the own lane to the adjacent lane after passing through the first region.
The vehicle control device according to claim 5. When the driving control unit determines that the lane change from the adjacent lane related to the overtaking to the own vehicle traveling lane cannot be completed by the time the vehicle reaches the first region, the first region After passing through, it is decided whether or not to overtake again.
The vehicle control device according to claim 5. The operation control unit determines the distance from the end point of the first specific road structure to the start point of the second specific road structure through which the vehicle passes next to the first specific road structure. When the distance is less than or equal to the distance, the lane change is restricted in the section from the end point of the first specific road structure to the start point of the second specific road structure.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. When it is detected that the vehicle is in the first region or the second region, the driving control unit executes a predetermined type of lane change and does not execute a lane change other than the predetermined type.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The road structure includes at least a tunnel or a bridge.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The driving control unit changes the length of at least one of the first region and the second region in the longitudinal direction of the road based on the specific information indicating the traveling environment in the specific road structure.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The specific information includes at least a part of the length of the specific road structure in the longitudinal direction of the road, the illuminance in the specific road structure, the slope or the curvature of the road.
The vehicle control device according to claim 11. Equipped with a driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle and changes the lane.
The driving control unit controls the vehicle so as to automatically overtake the preceding vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle on the same lane.
Based on the information of either the outside world recognition result or the map information, the vehicle has a first region having a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the starting point of the specific road structure, or the specific. When it is detected that the vehicle is in the second region having a length of the second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the end point of the road structure, the overtaking of the preceding vehicle is restricted.
Vehicle control device. The computer
Control vehicle speed and steering, make lane changes,
In a region where the vehicle has a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the start point of the specific road structure in the specific road structure based on the information of either the outside world recognition result or the map information. When it is detected that the vehicle is in a first region or a second region having a length of a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the end point of the specific road structure, the lane change is performed. Restrict,
Vehicle control method. On the computer
The process of controlling the speed and steering of the vehicle and changing lanes,
In a region where the vehicle has a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the start point of the specific road structure in the specific road structure based on the information of either the outside world recognition result or the map information. When it is detected that the vehicle is in a first region or a second region having a length of a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the end point of the specific road structure, the lane change is performed. Processing to limit and
A program that executes.

Images