JP2021024429A - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of more smoothly driving a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes an acquisition unit that acquires a current position of another vehicle existing in a periphery of a vehicle and a predicted future position, and a behavior control unit that controls a behavior of the vehicle on the basis of the position of the other vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit. In a case where the vehicle is to be changed in a lane on a first road which is a combined flow path on which the vehicle is running currently to a second road which is a path to be combined to which the first road is connected, and when it is predicted that the other vehicle is to be moved in a direction away from the vehicle in a direction of width of the road, the behavior control unit permits the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

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

Conventionally, there is known a merging support device that assists a vehicle in merging from the first lane to the second lane (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This merging support device calculates the mileage B until the vehicle stops with a preset deceleration, and during the period from the start of acceleration to the start of lane change, from the vehicle to the reference point in the first lane. The merging support is stopped on the condition that the distance A is acquired and the value obtained by subtracting the mileage B from the distance A is smaller than the preset threshold value.

JP-A-2017-124743 JP-A-2016-210380

However, with the conventional technology, there are cases where the vehicle cannot be driven more smoothly.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of traveling a vehicle more smoothly.

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 an acquisition unit that acquires the current position and a predicted future position of another vehicle existing in the vicinity of the vehicle, and other acquisition units acquired by the acquisition unit. A behavior control unit that controls the behavior of the vehicle based on the position of the vehicle is provided, and the behavior control unit is connected to a first road that is a junction flow path in which the vehicle is currently traveling. In the case of changing the lane of the vehicle on the second road, if it is predicted that the other vehicle will move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction, the vehicle permitting the other vehicle to overtake. It is a control device.

(2): In the aspect of (1) above, the vehicle control device includes a recognition unit that recognizes the periphery of the vehicle and a prediction unit that predicts the future position of the other vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. The acquisition unit further acquires the current position of the other vehicle recognized by the recognition unit from the recognition unit and the future position of the other vehicle predicted by the prediction unit from the prediction unit. ..

(3): In the aspect of (1) or (2) above, the action control unit determines whether or not to allow the overtaking based on the relative speed between the vehicle and the other vehicle. ..

(4): In the aspect of (3) above, it is estimated that the behavior control unit can overtake the other vehicle by the time it reaches the target point based on the relative speed between the vehicle and the other vehicle. If so, the overtaking is permitted.

(5): In any of the above aspects (1) to (4), the first road has a plurality of lanes, and the other vehicle travels in the second lane included in the first road. ..

(6): In any of the above aspects (1) to (5), the second road has a plurality of lanes, and the other vehicle travels in the second lane included in the second road. ..

(7): In any of the above aspects (1) to (6), the first road and the second road each have a plurality of lanes, and the behavior control unit travels on the first road. When the first other vehicle is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction, the vehicle is allowed to overtake the first other vehicle on the first road, and the vehicle is made to enter the second road. When it is predicted that the second other vehicle traveling on the second road will move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction, the vehicle is made to overtake the second other vehicle on the second road, and the vehicle To drive in front of the first other vehicle and the second other vehicle.

(8): In any of the above aspects (1) to (7), the behavior control unit determines to overtake the other vehicle and then based on the traffic condition of the lane in which the vehicle plans to change lanes. , Determine whether to overtake the other vehicle.

(9): In the aspect of (8) above, the behavior control unit travels in the lane to be changed from the position predicted to be reachable after a predetermined time when traveling in the currently traveling lane. If the position predicted to be reachable after a predetermined time is predicted to be a position far from the traveling direction of the vehicle, it is determined to overtake the other vehicle.

(10): In any of the above aspects (1) to (9), the behavior control unit has a third lane in front of the vehicle in any one of the plurality of lanes of the second road. When a specific lane exists while the other vehicle is traveling and it is predicted that the other vehicle will move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction and change lane to the specific lane. Based on the relative speed between the other vehicle and the vehicle, it is determined whether or not to overtake the other vehicle, and the specific lane is a lane different from the lane in which the third other vehicle travels and is a fourth lane. This is a lane in which the other vehicle does not exist on the traveling direction side of the third other vehicle for a certain distance or more from the reference position.

(11): In the aspect of (8) or (10) above, the behavior control unit does not overtake the other vehicle when the degree of congestion of the vehicle traveling in the lane to be changed is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree. Alternatively, the lane change is not executed after overtaking the other vehicle.

(12): In the vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention, the computer acquires the current position and the predicted future position of the other vehicle existing in the vicinity of the vehicle, and the acquired position of the other vehicle. In the case where the behavior of the vehicle is controlled based on the above, and the vehicle is changed to the second road, which is the concatenated flow path to which the first road, which is the confluence where the vehicle is currently traveling, is connected. This is a vehicle control method that allows the other vehicle to overtake the other vehicle when it is predicted that the other vehicle will move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction.

(13): The program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to acquire the current position and the predicted future position of another vehicle existing in the vicinity of the vehicle, and is based on the acquired position of the other vehicle. In the case where the behavior of the vehicle is controlled and the vehicle is changed lane to the second road which is the joined flow path to which the first road which is the joining flow path where the vehicle is currently traveling is connected, the other This is a program that allows the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle when it is predicted that the vehicle will move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction.

According to (1), (2), (5), (6), (12), and (13), the behavior control unit is connected to the first road, which is the junction where the vehicle is currently traveling. When the vehicle is changed to the second road, which is the joined flow path, and it is predicted that the other vehicle will move in the direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction, by permitting the other vehicle to overtake. The vehicle can be run more smoothly.

According to (3) or (4), the behavior control unit more reliably overtakes another vehicle by deciding whether or not to allow overtaking based on the relative speed between the vehicle and the other vehicle. Can be done.

According to (7), the behavior control unit can head to the destination more quickly by traveling in front of the first other vehicle and the second other vehicle.

According to (8) to (11), since the behavior control unit decides to overtake another vehicle based on the situation around the vehicle, unnecessary overtaking can be suppressed.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle system 2 using the vehicle control device which concerns on embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control unit 120 and the 2nd control unit 160. It is a figure (the 1) for demonstrating the specific control. It is a figure (the 2) for demonstrating the specific control. It is a figure (the 3) for demonstrating the specific control. It is a figure for demonstrating the situation when the specific control is not performed. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic operation control device 100. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific control of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic operation control apparatus 100 of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional structure of the automatic operation control device 100A of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional structure of the vehicle control system 1 of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the automatic operation control device 100 of an embodiment.

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>
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 2 using the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 2 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 electric power generated by the generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the electric power generated by the secondary battery or the fuel cell.

The vehicle system 2 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. 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 that uses 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 on which the vehicle system 2 is mounted (hereinafter, the own vehicle M). 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 M, 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 M, 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 M. 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 M 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 M.

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 2.

The communication device 20 communicates with another vehicle existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle M by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or wirelessly. Communicates with various server devices via the base station.

The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the own vehicle M 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 M, 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 M, 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 the own vehicle M based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the own vehicle M 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 M (or an arbitrary position input) specified by the GNSS receiver 51 to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 (hereinafter, hereafter). The route on the map) 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 M 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, 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. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of the “vehicle control device”, and a combination of the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 is an example of the “action control unit”.

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 determines the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the own vehicle M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 via the object recognition device 16. recognize. The position of the object is recognized as, for example, a position on absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of drive axis, etc.) of the own vehicle M 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).

In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 travels in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and the own vehicle M automatically (driver) so as to be able to respond to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M. Generate a target track to run in the future (regardless of the operation of). The target trajectory includes, for example, a velocity element. For example, the target track is expressed as a sequence of points (track points) to be reached by the own vehicle M. The track point is a point to be reached by the own vehicle M for each predetermined mileage (for example, about several [m]) along the road, and separately, a predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 comma [sec]). ), The target velocity and the target acceleration are generated as part of the target trajectory. Further, the track point may be a position to be reached by the own vehicle M at the sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information of the target velocity and the target acceleration is expressed by the interval of the orbital points.

The action plan generation unit 140 may set an event for automatic driving when generating a target trajectory. Autonomous driving events include constant-speed driving events, low-speed following driving events, lane change events, branching events, merging events, and takeover events. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the activated event. Further, for example, when the action plan generation unit 140 generates the target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 generates the target trajectory in consideration of the processing result of the action control unit 146 described later.

The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, a prediction unit 142, an acquisition unit 144, and an action control unit 146. The prediction unit 142 predicts the future position of another vehicle existing around the vehicle M based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130. For example, the prediction unit 142 predicts the direction in which the other vehicle travels and the position where the other vehicle exists after a predetermined time, based on the behavior (vehicle speed and acceleration) of the other vehicle and the past behavior history. The acquisition unit 144 acquires the current position of the other vehicle recognized by the recognition unit 130 from the recognition unit 130 and the future position of the other vehicle predicted by the prediction unit 142 from the prediction unit 142.

The behavior control unit 146 controls the behavior of the vehicle based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 144. The details of the processing of the behavior control unit 146 will be described later.

The second control unit 160 sets the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the own vehicle M passes the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at the scheduled time. Control.

Returning to FIG. 2, the second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target trajectory (orbit point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling driving force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the degree of bending of 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 M 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 an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The 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 operator 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.

[Overview of specific control]
The action control unit 146 changes the lane (or course) of the vehicle M to the second road, which is the connected flow path to which the first road, which is the confluence where the vehicle M is currently traveling, is connected. When it is predicted that the vehicle M will move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction, the vehicle M is allowed to overtake another vehicle (the vehicle M goes out in front of the other vehicle m without changing the course). In the specific control, instead of permitting overtaking, overtaking (changing the course and the vehicle M coming out in front of another vehicle) may be permitted.

[Specific example of specific control 1]
FIG. 3 is a diagram (No. 1) for explaining the specific control. In FIG. 3, the first road R1 is a road environment that joins the second road R2. The first road R1 is a confluence channel that joins the second road R2, and the second road R2 is a confluent channel that is the main line and is connected to the first road R1. A median strip OB1, a median strip OB2, and a median strip S are provided between the first road R1 and the second road R2. The separation zone OB1 is provided up to the position P1 in the traveling direction. The separation zone OB2 is provided from the position P1 to the position P2 in the traveling direction, for example. The separation zone S is provided from the position P2 to the position P3 in the traveling direction. The position P3 is a position where a vehicle traveling on the second road R2 can enter the first road R1. The median strip OB1 is, for example, a median strip having a height at which a vehicle traveling on the first road R1 cannot visually recognize a vehicle traveling on the second road R2. The median strip OB2 is, for example, a median strip having a height at which a vehicle traveling on the first road R1 can visually recognize a vehicle traveling on the second road R2.

The first road R1 has, for example, a plurality of lanes. The plurality of lanes are, for example, the first lane L1, the second lane L2, and the third lane L3. On the first road R1, the first lane L1 disappears near the position P2 (before the position P2). On the first road R1, the second lane L2 disappears at the position P4, which is a predetermined distance away from the position P3 in the traveling direction, the second lane L2 disappears, and then the third lane L3 disappears at the position P5. The second road R2 has, for example, a plurality of lanes. The plurality of lanes are, for example, the fourth lane L4, the fifth lane L5, and the sixth lane L6.

At time t, the vehicle M is traveling in the first lane L1, and the first other vehicle m1 is traveling in the second lane L2 in front of the vehicle M. The vehicle M and the first other vehicle m1 are about to change lanes to the lane of the second road R2. For example, the first vehicle m1 blinks the turn signal to indicate that the vehicle changes lanes to the third lane L3 or the second road R2. That is, the first other vehicle m1 is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction. In this way, the behavior control unit 146 permits the vehicle M to overtake the first other vehicle m1 when the vehicle M is about to change lanes. The case where the lane is to be changed is an example of "a case where the first other vehicle m1 is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction".

The behavior control unit 146 may predict that the other vehicle will move in the direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction based on the degree of inclination of the central axis of the other vehicle with respect to the central direction of the lane. The behavior control unit 146 is in the direction in which the other vehicle separates from the vehicle M in the road width direction when the direction of the central axis of the other vehicle is tilted so as to increase the deviation from the center direction of the lane with the passage of time. You may expect to move to.

When the first other vehicle m1 is predicted to move in the direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction as described above, the first other vehicle m1 moves in the direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction as described above. Since it is relatively easy for the vehicle M to overtake the first vehicle m1 while changing lanes to the lane to which the vehicle M changes, it is relatively easy for the vehicle M to proceed by passing the first vehicle m1 as compared with the case where it is predicted that the vehicle M does not. Allows overtaking the first other vehicle m1.

At time t + 1, vehicle M overtakes the first other vehicle m1, at time t + 2, vehicle M changes lanes from the first lane L1 to the second lane L2, and the first other vehicle m1 changes from the second lane L2 to the third lane. Change lane to L3.

At time t + 3, vehicle M travels in front of the first other vehicle m1, and at time t + 4, vehicle M changes lanes from the second lane L2 to the third lane L3 and moves in front of the first other vehicle m1. Run. At time t + 5, the vehicle M changes lanes from the third lane L3 to the fourth lane L4 and travels in front of the specific vehicle mA traveling in the fourth lane L4. At time t + 5, the first other vehicle m1 is traveling in the third lane L3. At time t + 6, the vehicle M changes lanes from the fourth lane L4 to the fifth lane L5 and travels in front of the specific vehicle mB traveling in the fifth lane L5.

In this way, the behavior control unit 146 allows the vehicle M to overtake the first other vehicle m1 so that the vehicle can run more smoothly.

The behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the vehicle M is allowed to overtake the first other vehicle m1 based on the relative speed between the vehicle M and the first other vehicle m1. For example, the behavior control unit 146 may overtake the first other vehicle m1 by the time it reaches the target point (P3 or an arbitrary position in the figure) based on the relative speed between the vehicle M and the first other vehicle m1. When it is presumed that it can be done, the vehicle M is allowed to overtake the first other vehicle m1.

For example, when the vehicle M does not overtake the first other vehicle m1, the vehicle M travels behind the first other vehicle m1 at time t + 5, and travels behind the main line vehicle mA and the main line vehicle mB after the time t + 5. It may be different.

On the other hand, the behavior control unit 146 of the present embodiment permits the vehicle M to overtake the first other vehicle m1 and overtakes the first other vehicle m1 to overtake the main line vehicle mA and the main line after time t + 5. It is possible to drive in front of the vehicle mB.

[Specific example 2 of specific control]
FIG. 4 is a diagram (No. 2) for explaining the specific control. The differences from FIG. 3 will be mainly described.

At time t, the vehicle M is traveling in the third lane L3, and the second other vehicle m2 is traveling in the fourth lane L4 in front of the vehicle M. At time t + 1, the second other vehicle m2 is traveling in front of the vehicle M, the vehicle M is about to change lanes to the fourth lane L4, and the second other vehicle m2 is about to change lanes to the fifth lane L5. For example, the second other vehicle m2 blinks the turn signal to indicate that the lane is changed to the fifth lane L5. That is, the second other vehicle m2 is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction.

In this way, the behavior control unit 146 permits the vehicle M to overtake the second other vehicle m2 when the second other vehicle m2 is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction. When the second other vehicle m2 is predicted to move in the direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction as described above, the second other vehicle m2 moves in the direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction as described above. This is because it is relatively easy for the vehicle M to overtake the second vehicle m2 while changing lanes to the lane to which the lane is changed, rather than when it is predicted that the vehicle M will not.

At time t + 2, vehicle M overtakes the second other vehicle m2, at time t + 3, vehicle M changes lanes from the third lane L3 to the fourth lane L4, and the second other vehicle m2 changes lanes from the fourth lane L4 to the fifth lane. Change lane to L5.

At time t + 4, the second other vehicle m2 changes lanes from the fifth lane L5 to the sixth lane L6 and travels in the sixth lane L6. At time t + 4, the vehicle M changes lanes from the fourth lane L4 to the fifth lane L5, then changes lanes from the fifth lane L5 to the sixth lane L6, and travels in front of the first other vehicle m1. At time t + 5, the vehicle M travels in front of the second other vehicle m2 in the sixth lane L6. In addition, the vehicle M can overtake the main line vehicle mb.

In this way, the behavior control unit 146 allows the vehicle M to overtake the second other vehicle m2, so that the vehicle can run more smoothly.

The behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the vehicle M is allowed to overtake the second other vehicle m2 based on the relative speed between the vehicle M and the second other vehicle m2. For example, the behavior control unit 146 reaches a second target point (Px or an arbitrary position between P3 and P4 in the figure) based on the relative speed between the vehicle M and the second other vehicle m2. When it is estimated that the vehicle M can overtake the other vehicle m2, the vehicle M is allowed to overtake the second other vehicle m2.

For example, if the vehicle M does not overtake the second other vehicle m2, the vehicle M will travel behind the second other vehicle m2 at time t + 5, and will travel behind the second other vehicle m2 after time t + 5. May become. In this case, when the second other vehicle mB runs in parallel with the main line vehicle mB, or when there is another vehicle traveling in the sixth lane L6 in front of the second other vehicle m2, the time t + 5 or the time t + 5 After that, the vehicle may travel behind the main line vehicle mB (or main line vehicle mA and main line vehicle mB).

On the other hand, the behavior control unit 146 of the present embodiment permits the vehicle M to overtake the second other vehicle m2, and by overtaking the second other vehicle m2, the main line vehicle mA and the main line after time t + 5 It can travel in front of the vehicle mB.

[Specific example 3 of specific control]
When the behavior control unit 146 predicts that the first other vehicle m1 traveling on the first road R1 moves in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction, the behavior control unit 146 attaches the first other vehicle m1 to the vehicle M on the first road R1. And let the vehicle M enter the second road R2. When the behavior control unit 146 predicts that the second other vehicle m2 traveling on the second road R2 moves in the direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction, the behavior control unit 146 attaches the second other vehicle m2 to the vehicle M on the second road R2. Is overtaken, and the vehicle M is made to travel in front of the first other vehicle m1 and the second other vehicle m2. In the action control unit 146, when the vehicle M is traveling on the first road R1 or the second road R2, the second other vehicle m2 traveling on the second road R2 is separated from the vehicle M in the road width direction. If it is predicted to move, the vehicle M may be allowed to overtake the second other vehicle m2 on the second road R2, and the vehicle M may be allowed to overtake the second other vehicle m2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram (No. 3) for explaining the specific control. The differences from FIGS. 3 and 4 will be mainly described. In FIG. 5, the first other vehicle m1 and the second other vehicle m2 exist.

At time t + 1, vehicle M overtakes the first other vehicle m1. At time t + 2 and time t + 3, vehicle M travels in front of the first other vehicle m1, and at time t + 4, vehicle M changes lanes from the second lane L2 to the third lane L3, and the first other vehicle m1 Drive in front of. At time t + 5, vehicle M overtakes the second other vehicle m2, and vehicle M changes lanes from the third lane L3 to the fourth lane L4.

At time t + 6, vehicle M changes lanes from the fourth lane L4 to the sixth lane L6. At time t + 6, the vehicle M travels in front of the second other vehicle m2 that has changed lanes from the fifth lane L2 to the sixth lane L6. At time t + 7, the vehicle M travels in front of the second other vehicle m2 and the main lane vehicle mB in the sixth lane L6.

In this way, the behavior control unit 146 allows the vehicle M to overtake the first other vehicle m1 and the second other vehicle m2, so that the vehicle can run more smoothly.

For example, if the vehicle M does not overtake the first other vehicle m1 or the second other vehicle m2, the vehicle M may travel behind the second other vehicle m2 at time t + 7. In this case, the vehicle M may travel behind the main line vehicle mB (or the main line vehicle mA and the main line vehicle mB).

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle M does not overtake the first vehicle m1 and does not overtake the second vehicle m2, the vehicle M is behind the second vehicle m2 in the sixth lane L6 at time t + 8. , May travel laterally or behind the main line vehicle mB. Further, at time t + 8, when there is a main lane vehicle mC traveling in the sixth lane L6 in front of the second vehicle m2, the vehicle M is in the sixth lane L6 behind the second other vehicle m2 and in the main lane vehicle mb. It may run in parallel with. When the vehicle M travels in this way, the progress of the vehicle M may be delayed as compared with the case where the vehicle M does not overtake the first other vehicle m1 or the second other vehicle m2.

On the other hand, the behavior control unit 146 of the present embodiment permits the vehicle M to overtake the first other vehicle m1 and the second other vehicle m2, and overtakes the first other vehicle m1 and the second other vehicle m2. Therefore, after the time t + 7, the vehicle can travel in front of the first other vehicle m1, the second other vehicle m2, the main line vehicle mA, and the main line vehicle mB.

[flowchart]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow executed by the automatic operation control device 100. For example, the process related to the specific control (process of this flowchart) is started from the position P3 at which the first road R1 to the second road R2 can be merged by the first predetermined distance (several hundred meters), and is the first from the position P3. 1 Finish at a predetermined distance (several hundred meters). Further, the process related to the specific control may be terminated when the vehicle M changes lanes to the target lane (lane to be traveled in the future).

First, the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the lane change is scheduled to be performed within a predetermined time (or a predetermined distance) in the merging scene (step S100). For example, the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the merging event is executed within a predetermined time.

When the lane change is planned, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle M (step S102). Next, the behavior control unit 146 determines the lane in which the vehicle M will travel in the future (step S104). The lane to be driven in the future is a lane included in the second road R2 described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The lane to be driven in the future is determined based on, for example, the distribution of other vehicles traveling on the second road R2 and the traffic conditions of the other vehicles. For example, the behavior control unit 146 determines a lane to be driven in the future so that the vehicle M can reach the destination faster or can proceed more smoothly (for example, without decelerating). To do. In the example of FIGS. 3 to 5, for example, the sixth lane L6 in which the main lane vehicle mA and the main lane vehicle mB do not exist is the lane to be driven in the future.

Next, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of another vehicle based on the recognition result in step S102 (step S106). Next, the prediction unit 142 predicts the future position of the other vehicle based on the recognition result of step S102 and the current position of the other vehicle (step S108).

Next, the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not it is rational to overtake another vehicle (step S110). Reasonable means that it is convenient for the occupants. Reasonable means, for example, satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2).
(1) In order for vehicle M to drive in the lane (target lane) to be driven in the future, overtaking another vehicle and heading for the target lane is smoother than when heading for the target lane without overtaking another vehicle.
(2) When it is assumed that the vehicle M reaches the target lane and travels in the target lane, when the vehicle M overtakes another vehicle, the vehicle M heads for the destination more quickly than when the vehicle M does not overtake the other vehicle. Is what you can do.

For example, the behavior control unit 146 generates a track when the vehicle M overtakes another vehicle and a track when the vehicle M does not overtake the other vehicle, and relates to the above (1) for the two generated tracks. The smoothness score and the rapidness score for (2) are derived, and the derived scores are processed into statistical processing to evaluate the two trajectories. Further, in addition to the scores related to (1) and (2) above, a safety score is added based on the distance between the two tracks and the position of the other vehicle (predicted future position of the other vehicle). You may. The above two tracks are, for example, a track corresponding to the movement locus of the vehicle M shown in FIG. 5 and a track corresponding to the movement locus of the vehicle M shown in FIG.

If it is not rational to overtake another vehicle, the behavior control unit 146 does not allow overtaking another vehicle (step S118). In this case, the behavior control unit 146 heads for the target lane without overtaking the other vehicle, or sets the other lane as the target lane and travels toward the target lane.

When it is rational to overtake another vehicle, the behavior control unit 146 will within a predetermined distance (or a predetermined time) based on the prediction result of step S108 and the future behavior of the vehicle M allowed by the vehicle M. It is determined whether or not the vehicle M can overtake another vehicle (step S114). In other words, the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the other vehicle can be overtaken by the time the target point is reached.

If the vehicle M can overtake another vehicle within a predetermined distance (or a predetermined time), the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the other vehicle is predicted to move away from the vehicle M in the road width direction. Determine (step S116). When it is predicted that the other vehicle will move away from the vehicle M in the road width direction, the behavior control unit 146 permits the vehicle M to overtake the other vehicle (step S120). Then, the behavior control unit 146 overtakes the other vehicle and travels toward the target lane. If the vehicle M cannot overtake another vehicle within a predetermined distance (or a predetermined time), or if it is not predicted to move in the direction of separation, the process proceeds to step S118. This completes the processing of this flowchart.

As described above, the behavior control unit 146 can head to the destination more quickly by allowing the vehicle M to overtake another vehicle. As a result, the satisfaction level of the occupants is improved.

When there are a plurality of other vehicles on the first road R1 or the second road R2, the behavior control unit 146 determines that the plurality of vehicles are based on the target lane, the future position of the other vehicle, the surrounding traffic conditions, and the like. It is not necessary to determine whether or not to overtake each vehicle, overtake the vehicle determined to overtake, and not overtake the vehicle determined not to overtake.

According to the first embodiment described above, when the automatic driving control device 100 is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction, the vehicle M is allowed to overtake the other vehicle. As a result, the vehicle can be driven more smoothly.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the behavior control unit 146 permits the overtaking of the other vehicle, and then determines whether or not to overtake the other vehicle based on the traffic condition in the target lane (specific lane). Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the specific control of the second embodiment. The difference from FIG. 5 described above will be mainly described. It is assumed that the vehicle M overtakes the first other vehicle m1 on the second road R2, and then the vehicle M tries to overtake the second other vehicle m2 on the second road R2. Then, it is assumed that the vehicle M changes lanes from the fourth lane L4 to the fifth lane L5 at time t + 6 in an attempt to overtake the second other vehicle m2. For example, at time t + 6, it is assumed that the vehicle M and the second other vehicle m2 are running in parallel.

At this time (after permitting the other vehicle to overtake), the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not to actually overtake the other vehicle based on the traffic condition of the sixth lane L6. The traffic condition is the difference between the number of vehicles in the target lane, the number of vehicles in the target lane (6th lane L6), and the number of vehicles in other lanes. , The speed of the vehicle in the target lane, the position of the vehicle in the target lane, the relative speed of the vehicle in another lane and the vehicle in the target lane, the vehicle The relative speed between M and the vehicle existing in the target lane, the degree of congestion derived based on the above information, the degree of progress, and the like. These vehicles are vehicles that exist within a predetermined distance with respect to the progress of the vehicle M.

For example, the behavior control unit 146 may decide to overtake another vehicle when some or all of the conditions (A) to (C) are satisfied. Further, the behavior control unit 146 may decide to overtake another vehicle when, for example, a plurality of conditions (A) to (C) are satisfied in a predetermined order.

The condition (A) is that the position predicted to be reachable after a predetermined time when the vehicle M is traveling in a specific lane is higher than the position predicted to be reachable after a predetermined time when the vehicle M is traveling in the current lane. It is predicted to be a distant position with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle M. The specific lane is a lane different from the lane in which the second other vehicle m2, the main lane vehicle mAm, or the main lane vehicle mC travels, and the other vehicle (main lane vehicle mC in FIG. 8) traveling in a different lane is the main lane vehicle mB. It is a lane that does not exist more than a certain distance from the reference position on the traveling direction side. The main line vehicle mA or the main line vehicle mAB is an example of the “third other vehicle”. The main line vehicle mC is an example of the "fourth other vehicle".

The condition (B) is that the traffic condition is suitable for the traveling of the vehicle M. “Preferable” means that it is suitable for the occupant of the vehicle M. For example, when the vehicle M travels in the target lane, it can reach the destination more quickly than when traveling in another lane. It is preferable that, for example, the degree of congestion of a vehicle traveling in the lane to be changed is less than a predetermined degree. The degree of congestion is less than a predetermined degree, for example, in the lane where the lane is to be changed, vehicles exist at a density lower than a predetermined density, vehicles are not connected within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, and the like. The predetermined density is a density according to the vehicle speed. Further, for example, when the vehicle M travels in the target lane when heading to the destination, it is more efficient than when traveling in another lane, or the efficiency does not decrease more than a predetermined degree. If so, it may be determined to be suitable. Efficiency is efficiency related to mileage and energy consumption.

The condition (C) is a state in which a main lane vehicle (main lane vehicle mA or main lane vehicle mB (an example of "third other vehicle")) is traveling in front of the vehicle M in any lane of the second road R2. , (A) There is a specific lane, and (b) It is predicted that another vehicle (for example, the second other vehicle m2) will move in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction and change lanes to the specific lane. That is. Further, in the condition (C), in addition to one or both of the above (a) and (b), the vehicle M overtakes the main line vehicle mC at the target point based on the relative speed between the second other vehicle m2 and the vehicle M. It is expected that it can be done. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the main lane vehicle mC is located at a position less than a certain distance d from the main lane vehicle mB (or vehicle M) in the traveling direction, it is determined not to overtake the second other vehicle m2. Regarding the direction of travel, the main lane vehicle mC does not exist at a position less than a certain distance d from the main lane vehicle mB, and the second vehicle m2 moves in a direction away from the vehicle M in the road width direction to change lanes to a specific lane. If predicted, it will be decided to overtake the second other vehicle m2.

Then, when it is determined to overtake another vehicle, the behavior control unit 146 changes lanes from the fifth lane L5 to the sixth lane L6 and travels in the sixth lane L6.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the main lane vehicle mC exists in the sixth lane L6 and the speed of the main lane vehicle mC is slower than that of the main lane vehicle mA or the main lane vehicle mB, the behavior control unit 146 uses another vehicle. Decide not to overtake. Further, the speed of the main line vehicle mC is faster than that of the main line vehicle mA and the main line vehicle mB, but the speed of the vehicle traveling in front of the main line vehicle mC (several tens of meters or several hundred meters ahead) in the sixth lane L6 is slow. When the front of the main lane vehicle mC is congested in the sixth lane L6, the behavior control unit 146 determines not to overtake another vehicle.

As described above, the behavior control unit 146 permits the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle, and then determines whether or not to overtake the other vehicle based on the traffic condition in the target lane, so that the vehicle can be moved more quickly and smoothly. Can be run.

[flowchart]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow executed by the automatic operation control device 100 of the second embodiment. First, the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not it is permitted to overtake another vehicle (step S200). When it is determined to overtake another vehicle (when it is permitted to overtake another vehicle by the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 7), the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding situation (step S202). The behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the overtaking condition is satisfied (step S204). The overtaking condition is a part or all of the conditions (A) to (B). If the overtaking condition is not satisfied, the behavior control unit 146 stops the control of overtaking another vehicle (step S206). When the overtaking condition is satisfied, the behavior control unit 146 executes control for overtaking another vehicle (step S208).

Next, the behavior control unit 146 determines whether or not the end condition of this process is satisfied (step S210). The termination condition is, for example, that the vehicle M has changed lanes to the target lane and that the control for overtaking another vehicle has been stopped. When the end condition is satisfied, the process returns to step S202. When the end condition is satisfied, the processing of this flowchart ends.

As described above, the process of determining whether or not the overtaking condition is satisfied is continuously performed until the end condition is satisfied after it is determined that overtaking is permitted. As a result, for example, when it is determined that it is not suitable for the vehicle M to overtake the second other vehicle m2 at the time t + 6 in FIG. 8, the vehicle M stops overtaking the second other vehicle m2. To do. More specifically, the vehicle M stays in the fifth lane L5 without changing lanes to the sixth lane L6, and is once overtaken by the second other vehicle m2. After that, for example, the vehicle M travels behind the main line vehicle mB, and when the main line vehicle mB overtakes the third vehicle mB, the vehicle M travels at a speed slower than the main line vehicle mB or the second other vehicle m2. Overtake the vehicle m2.

According to the second embodiment described above, the behavior control unit 146 allows the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle, and then determines whether or not to overtake the other vehicle based on the traffic condition in the target lane. It is possible to realize the running of a vehicle suitable for the surrounding conditions.

The process of the second embodiment may be applied to the first embodiment. For example, when the vehicle M is traveling on the first road R1 or the second road R2, the processing of the second embodiment (for example, the processing using the conditions (1) to (3)) is performed to another vehicle. You may decide whether or not to overtake. Further, in the above, after the vehicle M has overtaken another vehicle, it may be determined whether or not to change lanes to the target lane by using some or all of the conditions (A) to (C).

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the behavior control unit 146 executes the specific control when the specific control mode is set. Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the automatic operation control device 100A of the third embodiment. The automatic operation control device 100A includes a first control unit 120A. In addition, the first control unit 120A includes an action plan generation unit 140A. The action plan generation unit 140A further includes a mode setting unit 141 in addition to the functional configuration of the action plan generation unit 140 of the first embodiment.

The mode setting unit 141 sets any control mode among the plurality of control modes. For example, the control mode includes, for example, a specific control mode in which specific control is executed and a control mode in which specific control is not executed. For example, the mode setting unit 141 sets the control mode based on the operation performed by the occupant on the HMI 30. Further, the mode setting unit 141 may set the control mode to the specific control mode based on the utterance of the occupant input to the microphone provided in the vehicle M.

The action control unit 146 executes the specific control when the specific control mode is set by the mode setting unit 141, and does not execute the specific control when the specific control mode is not set by the mode setting unit 141. Control is performed based on the control mode set by the mode setting unit 141.

The mode setting unit 141 may set to automatically change the control mode to the specific control mode when the time scheduled to arrive at the destination of the vehicle M is later than the set target time by a predetermined time or more. ..

In this way, the automatic driving control device 100A can execute specific control and quickly head to the destination when the vehicle M needs to quickly head to the destination. As a result, the convenience of the user is improved.

According to the third embodiment described above, since the automatic operation control device 100A executes the specific control when the specific control mode is set, it suppresses unnecessary control and is specified in a situation where there is a high need. Control can be performed.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the behavior control unit 146 controls the vehicle M based on the control result of the control device provided at a position different from that of the vehicle M. That is, the vehicle M is remotely controlled by the control device. Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle control system 1 of the fourth embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 includes, for example, a vehicle system 2B, an imaging unit 300, and a control device 400. The vehicle system 2B communicates with the control device 400, and the imaging unit 300 communicates with the control device 400. The vehicle system 2B and the control device 400 communicate with each other to transmit or receive information necessary for the vehicle M to automatically travel on the first road R1 or the second road R2.

[Image pickup unit]
The image pickup unit 300 is a camera that takes an image of the vicinity of the confluence point where the first road R1 and the second road R2, which are shown in FIG. 3 and the like, meet. The image pickup unit 300, for example, takes an image of the vicinity of the confluence from a bird's-eye view direction. Although the example of FIG. 11 shows one imaging unit 300, the vehicle control system 1 may include a plurality of imaging units 300.

[Vehicle system]
The vehicle system 2B includes an automatic driving control device 100B instead of the automatic driving control device 100. In FIG. 11, the functional configurations other than the automatic operation control device 100B and the communication device 20 are not shown. The automatic operation control device 100B includes a first control unit 120A and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120A includes an action plan generation unit 140B. The action plan generation unit 140B includes, for example, an acquisition unit 144.

[Control device]
The control device 400 includes, for example, a recognition unit 410, a prediction unit 420, and a control unit 430. The recognition unit 410 is necessary when a vehicle near the confluence, a lane, or a vehicle M travels based on a pattern matching, deep learning, or other image processing method based on the image captured by the imaging unit. Recognize various objects, displays, etc. For example, the recognition unit 410 has the same function as the recognition unit 130. The prediction unit 420 has the same function as the prediction unit 142.

The control unit 430 has the same function as the action plan generation unit 140 of the first embodiment. However, in the control unit 430, the functions of the prediction unit 142 and the acquisition unit 144 of the first embodiment are omitted. In principle, the control unit 430 travels in the recommended lane (recommended lane which is the information transmitted to the vehicle M) determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and can respond to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M. , The vehicle M automatically generates a target track to be driven in the future. Further, as described in the first embodiment, the control unit 430 sets an automatic driving event such as a merging event when generating the target trajectory, and generates the target trajectory according to the event.

Further, when the control unit 430 changes the lane of the vehicle M to the second road R2 to which the first road R1 in which the vehicle M is currently traveling is connected, the control unit 430 separates the other vehicle from the vehicle M in the road width direction. If it is predicted to move in a direction, the vehicle M is allowed to overtake another vehicle. Then, when the vehicle M permits the vehicle M to overtake the other vehicle, the control unit 430 generates a target trajectory for overtaking the other vehicle. Then, the generated target trajectory is transmitted to the automatic driving control device 100B.

In the automatic driving control device 100B, the vehicle M travels based on the target track transmitted by the control device 400. In the above-mentioned example, the target trajectory is generated by the control device 400, but the target trajectory may be generated by the automatic driving control device 100B. In this case, the control unit 430 of the control device 400 determines whether or not the vehicle M is permitted to overtake another vehicle, and transmits the determination result to the automatic driving control device 100B. Further, in this case, the automatic operation control device 100100B includes a recognition unit 130.

According to the fourth embodiment described above, the processing load on the vehicle side is reduced by the control device 400 supporting the traveling of the vehicle M.

It should be noted that some of the processes of the above-mentioned flowcharts may be omitted, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate. Moreover, each of the above-described embodiments may be implemented in combination. For example, in the vehicle control system 1 of the fourth embodiment, the contents of the processing of the second embodiment or the third embodiment may be applied.

[Hardware configuration]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic operation control device 100 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the automatic operation control device 100 includes a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 100-3 used as a working memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing a boot program, and the like. 100-4, storage devices 100-5 such as flash memory and HDD (Hard Disk Drive), drive devices 100-6, and the like are connected to each other by an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with a component other than the automatic operation control device 100. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2. This program is expanded into RAM 100-3 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) or the like, and is executed by CPU 100-2. As a result, a part or all of the recognition unit 130 and the action plan generation unit 140 are realized.

The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.
A storage device that stores programs and
With a hardware processor,
When the hardware processor executes a program stored in the storage device,
Get the current position and predicted future position of other vehicles around the vehicle,
Based on the acquired position of the other vehicle, the behavior of the vehicle is controlled.
When the vehicle is changed to the second road, which is the concatenated flow path to which the first road, which is the confluence where the vehicle is currently traveling, is connected, the other vehicle is separated from the vehicle in the road width direction. It is configured to allow the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle if it is predicted to move in the direction of the vehicle.
Vehicle control device.

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.

2 Vehicle system, 100 Automatic driving control device, 120 1st control unit, 140 Action plan generation unit 142 Prediction unit 144 Acquisition unit 146 Behavior control unit 160 2nd control unit

Claims (13)

An acquisition unit that acquires the current position and predicted future position of other vehicles existing around the vehicle,
A behavior control unit that controls the behavior of the vehicle based on the position of another vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit is provided.
In the case where the behavior control unit changes the lane of the vehicle to the second road, which is the joined flow path to which the first road, which is the combined flow path in which the vehicle is currently traveling, is connected, the other vehicle is the vehicle. When it is predicted that the vehicle will move away from the road in the width direction of the road, the vehicle is allowed to overtake the other vehicle.
Vehicle control device. A recognition unit that recognizes the surroundings of the vehicle and
A prediction unit that predicts the future position of the other vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit is further provided.
The acquisition unit
The current position of the other vehicle recognized by the recognition unit from the recognition unit and the future position of the other vehicle predicted by the prediction unit from the prediction unit are acquired.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The behavior control unit determines whether or not to allow the overtaking based on the relative speed between the vehicle and the other vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. The behavior control unit permits the overtaking when it is estimated that the other vehicle can be overtaken by the time the target point is reached based on the relative speed between the vehicle and the other vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3. The first road has a plurality of lanes and has a plurality of lanes.
The other vehicle travels in the second lane included in the first road.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The second road has a plurality of lanes and has a plurality of lanes.
The other vehicle travels in the second lane included in the second road.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The first road and the second road each have a plurality of lanes.
The behavior control unit
When the first other vehicle traveling on the first road is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction, the vehicle is made to overtake the first other vehicle on the first road, and the vehicle is overtaken. Enter the second road and
When the second other vehicle traveling on the second road is predicted to move in a direction away from the vehicle in the road width direction, the vehicle is made to overtake the second other vehicle on the second road, and the vehicle is forced to pass the second other vehicle. Traveling in front of the first other vehicle and the second other vehicle,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. After deciding to overtake the other vehicle, the behavior control unit determines whether or not to overtake the other vehicle based on the traffic condition of the lane in which the vehicle plans to change lanes.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. It is predicted that the behavior control unit can reach the position after a predetermined time when traveling in the lane to be changed, rather than the position predicted to be reached after a predetermined time when traveling in the currently traveling lane. If the position is predicted to be distant with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, it decides to overtake the other vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 8. The behavior control unit
In a state where a third other vehicle is traveling in front of the vehicle in any of the plurality of lanes of the second road.
When a specific lane exists and it is predicted that the other vehicle will move away from the vehicle in the road width direction and change lanes to the specific lane, the relative speed between the other vehicle and the vehicle will be adjusted. Based on this, it is decided whether or not to overtake the other vehicle.
The specific lane is a lane different from the lane in which the third other vehicle travels, and the fourth other vehicle does not exist on the traveling direction side of the third other vehicle for a certain distance or more from the reference position. is there,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The behavior control unit does not overtake the other vehicle or does not execute the lane change after overtaking the other vehicle when the degree of congestion of the vehicle traveling in the lane to be changed is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree.
The vehicle control device according to claim 8 or 10. The computer
Get the current position and predicted future position of other vehicles around the vehicle,
Based on the acquired position of the other vehicle, the behavior of the vehicle is controlled.
When the vehicle is changed to the second road, which is the concatenated flow path to which the first road, which is the confluence where the vehicle is currently traveling, is connected, the other vehicle is separated from the vehicle in the road width direction. If it is predicted that the vehicle will move in the same direction, the vehicle is allowed to overtake the other vehicle.
Vehicle control method. On the computer
Get the current position and predicted future position of other vehicles around the vehicle,
Based on the acquired position of the other vehicle, the behavior of the vehicle is controlled.
When the vehicle is changed to the second road, which is the concatenated flow path to which the first road, which is the confluence where the vehicle is currently traveling, is connected, the other vehicle is separated from the vehicle in the road width direction. If it is predicted that the vehicle will move in the same direction, the vehicle is allowed to overtake the other vehicle.
program.

Images