JP2021041881A - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that allow suitable traveling of a vehicle traveling on a merging traffic lane of a curved road.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a recognition part which recognizes a peripheral situation of a vehicle, and recognizes a curve radius of a merging traffic lane when the vehicle travels on a merging traffic lane; and a behavior control part which controls traveling of the vehicle. If a curve radius of a merging traffic lane recognized by the recognition part is less than a predetermined value, and if a distance between a vehicle and a merging site where a main track can be entered from the merging traffic lane is equal to or more than a predetermined distance, the behavior control part executes a first control for making the vehicle travel outside of a curve beyond a center of the merging traffic lane, and executes a second control for making the vehicle travel at the center of the merging traffic lane if the distance between the vehicle and the merging site is less than the predetermined distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

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

Conventionally, there is known a driving support technique that detects a lane boundary and controls the running of the own vehicle when traveling on a curved road based on a lane boundary detection result and a curved road and a curve direction (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

International Publication No. 2019/43832

However, in the conventional technique, it has been insufficient to study how to preferably drive a vehicle traveling in a merging lane on a curved road.

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 suitably driving a vehicle traveling in a merging lane of a curved road. It is one of the purposes.

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 is a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane when the vehicle travels in the merging lane. When the curve radius of the merging lane recognized by the recognition unit is less than a predetermined value in the vehicle control device including the behavior control unit for controlling the traveling of the vehicle. When the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the vehicle is first controlled to travel outside the curve from the center of the merging lane. This is a vehicle control device that executes a second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane when the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance.

(2): In the aspect of (1) above, the behavior control unit is concerned with the distance between the vehicle and the merging point when the recognition unit recognizes the situation of the main lane that can be entered from the merging lane. Instead, the first control is terminated and the second control is executed.

(3): In the aspect of (2) above, the behavior control unit performs the first control when the recognition unit recognizes the main lane when the vehicle starts traveling in the merging lane. It does not execute.

(4): In the aspect of (2) or (3) above, the behavior control unit starts accelerating the vehicle after starting execution of the second control.

(5): In any of the above aspects (2) to (4), the recognition unit recognizes the bank inclination of the curve, and the behavior control unit recognizes a predetermined amount of bank inclination by the recognition unit. If so, the first control is not executed.

(6): In the above aspects (1) to (5), the behavior control unit does not execute the first control when the vehicle is traveling at a predetermined speed or lower.

(7): In any of the above aspects (1) to (6), the behavior control unit does not execute the first control when the state of the merging lane is a predetermined congestion state. ..

(8): The vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and recognizes the main lane at the merging destination of the merging lane when the vehicle travels in the merging lane. It is a vehicle control device including a recognition unit and an action control unit that controls the traveling of the vehicle, and the action control unit is used when the merging lane recognized by the recognition unit is a curved road. When the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the vehicle is first controlled to travel outside the curve from the center of the merging lane, and the vehicle and the merging lane are subjected to the first control. It is a vehicle control device that executes a second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane when the distance to the merging point is less than a predetermined distance.

(9): The vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a recognition unit in which a computer recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane when the vehicle travels in the merging lane. When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is equal to or more than a predetermined distance, the merging lane is entered into the vehicle. When the first control for traveling outside the curve from the center of the vehicle is performed, the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance. This is a vehicle control method for executing a second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane.

(10): The program according to one aspect of the present invention is a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels in the merging lane, causes the computer to recognize the curve radius of the merging lane. When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the vehicle is in the center of the merging lane. When the first control for traveling outside the curve is performed and the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance, the said This is a program for causing a vehicle to perform a second control of traveling in the center of the merging lane.

According to (1) to (10), a vehicle traveling in the merging lane of a curved road can be suitably driven.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device 100 of 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control unit 120 and the 2nd control unit 160. It is a figure which shows the 1st scene. It is a figure for demonstrating the control type determination process by the control type determination unit 142. It is a figure which shows the 2nd scene. It is a figure which shows the 3rd scene. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the track generation processing of own vehicle M by a vehicle system 1. It is a figure which shows the 4th scene. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the vehicle 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.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle, or a four-wheeled vehicle, 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 driving controller 80, a vehicle control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, and a braking device 210. , A steering device 220. These devices and devices are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or 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 on which the vehicle system 1 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 detect at least 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 emitted light 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 vehicle 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 vehicle 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 autonomous driving vehicle 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 autonomous driving 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 an autonomous driving vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor or gyro sensor that detects an angular velocity around a vertical axis, an orientation sensor that detects the orientation of an autonomous driving vehicle, and the like. ..

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the autonomous driving vehicle based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the autonomous driving 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, is a route from the position of the autonomous driving 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, 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 into a plurality of blocks (for example, 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 autonomous driving 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, and other controls. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is attached to the driving operator 80, and the detection result is the vehicle control device 100 or the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. It is output to some or all of them.

The vehicle control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software), respectively. Further, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as LSI, ASIC, FPGA, GPU (including circuit section; circuitry), or realized by collaboration between software and hardware. May be done. 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 vehicle control device 100, or a removable storage such as a DVD or a CD-ROM. It is stored in a medium, and the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) may be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the vehicle control device 100 by being attached to 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 the recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and the recognition based on predetermined conditions (there are signals that can be pattern matched, road markings, etc.), and both are executed. It may be realized by scoring and comprehensively evaluating. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the periphery of the own vehicle M. The recognition unit 130 includes, for example, a peripheral recognition unit 132.

Based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 via the object recognition device 16, the peripheral recognition unit 132 refers to an object (a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, which will be described later) in the vicinity of the autonomous driving vehicle. Recognize the position (including) and the state of speed, acceleration, etc. The position of the object is, for example, a position on absolute coordinates with the representative point of the automatically driven vehicle (arbitrary point on the center axis of the vehicle such as the center of gravity of the vehicle, the center of the front end, the center of the rear wheel axis, and the center of the drive axis) as the origin. Recognized and 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 it is changing lanes or trying to change lanes).

Further, the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes, for example, the lane (traveling lane) in which the autonomous driving vehicle is traveling. For example, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines the road division around the automatic driving vehicle recognized from the pattern of the road division line (for example, the arrangement of the solid line and the broken line) obtained from the second map information 62 and the image captured by the camera 10. By comparing with the line pattern, the traveling lane is recognized. Note that the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes the traveling lane by recognizing not only the road marking line but also the running road boundary (road boundary) including the road marking line, the shoulder, the curb, the median strip, the guardrail, and the like. Good. In this recognition, the position of the autonomous driving vehicle acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be added. In addition, the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes a stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a tollhouse, and other road events.

When recognizing a traveling lane, the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes the position and orientation of the autonomous driving vehicle with respect to the traveling lane. The peripheral recognition unit 132 makes, for example, the deviation of the reference point of the autonomous driving vehicle from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the autonomous driving vehicle with respect to the traveling lane. It may be recognized as a position and a posture. Instead, the peripheral recognition unit 132 sets the position of the reference point of the autonomous driving vehicle with respect to any side end (road division line or road boundary) of the traveling lane as the relative position of the autonomous driving vehicle with respect to the traveling lane. You may recognize it.

The peripheral recognition unit 132 uses the peripheral vehicle of the own vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10, the image captured by the camera 10, the traffic congestion information around the own vehicle M acquired by the navigation device 50, or the traffic congestion information around the own vehicle M. Based on the position information obtained from the second map information 62, the information on the road on which the peripheral vehicle, particularly the own vehicle M, is scheduled to travel is recognized. The information on the roadway to be traveled includes, for example, the lane width (roadway width) to be traveled by the own vehicle M, the curve radius when the roadway is a curved road, the curvature, the bank inclination, and the like. The peripheral recognition unit 132 outputs the recognition result to the action plan generation unit 140.

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 further executes automatic driving corresponding to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M. Generate a target track to run in the future. 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, for a predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 comma [sec]). ) Target velocity and target acceleration are generated as part of the target trajectory. 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, follow-up driving events, lane change events, branching events, merging events, takeover events, and the like.

The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, a control type determination unit 142 and an orbit generation unit 144.

The control type determining unit 142 determines the control type that controls the traveling of the own vehicle M while the own vehicle M is traveling in the merging lane. The control types include, for example, a first control for driving the own vehicle M outside the curve of the merging lane, a second control for running the own vehicle M near the center of the merging lane, and a third control for merging from the merging lane to the main lane. Control etc. are included. Further, the control type determination unit 142 decides to change from the first control to the second control or to change from the second control to the first control.

The track generation unit 144 controls the travel of the own vehicle M by generating a traveling track including a speed component for the own vehicle M to travel in the merging lane with the control type determined by the control type determination unit 142. A device having both the functions of the control type determination unit 142 and the trajectory generation unit 144 is an example of the “behavior control unit”.

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 autonomous driving vehicle passes the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at the scheduled time. Control.

Returning to FIG. 1, 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 autonomous driving 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 an ECU 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 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.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first scene. The first scene is a scene in which the own vehicle M is executing a merging event. FIG. 3 shows the positions of the own vehicle M at arbitrary time t0 to time t11. At time t0, the own vehicle M is traveling in the merging lane R3 that joins the main lane including the lane R1 and the lane R2. The merging lane R3 curves to the left and then joins the main lane. In the first scene, just before the merging lane R3 and the main lane, there is a concrete wall B between the merging lane R3 and the main lane. Since the concrete wall B obstructs the view from the own vehicle M traveling in the merging lane R3 at time t4, the lanes R1 and R2 of the main lane cannot be recognized. The lane R1 and lane R2 of the main lane can be recognized by the outside world from the own vehicle M after the area around the hard nose HN, which is the merging point of the merging lane R3 and the lane R1. When the position of the own vehicle M at time t5 in the figure is reached, the lane R1 and the lane R2 of the main lane can be recognized from the own vehicle M to the outside world. Here, "outside world recognizable" means recognizing the lane markings of lane R1 and lane R2 of the main lane, recognizing other vehicles traveling in lane R1 or lane R2, and determining whether lane R1 and lane R2 are congested. To recognize. The own vehicle M traveling in the merging lane R3 joins the lane R1 of the main lane by the time it reaches the vicinity of the end nose EN from the vicinity of the hard nose HN.

Peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes the curve radius R of the curved portion of the merging lane R3, for example, at time t0 (or at an arbitrary timing between times t0 to t3). Further, the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes which position of the merging lane R3 the own vehicle M is traveling and how far the distance to the hard nose HN is. The control type determination unit 142 determines the control type based on the recognition result by the peripheral recognition unit 132.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a control type determination process by the control type determination unit 142. FIG. 4 shows the position of the own vehicle M on the merging lane R3 at an arbitrary time t0 to t6 (the timing may be the same as or different from the time t0 to t6 shown in FIG. 3). In the control type determination unit 142, the curve radius R of the merging lane R3 recognized by the peripheral recognition unit 132 is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point RP that can enter the main lane from the merging lane R3 is predetermined. If it is greater than or equal to the distance, it is determined that the first control for causing the own vehicle M to travel outside the curve from the center of the merging lane is executed. Further, when the curve radius R of the merging lane R3 recognized by the peripheral recognition unit 132 is less than a predetermined value and the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point RP is less than the predetermined distance, the control type determining unit 142 self It is determined that the second control for causing the vehicle M to travel in the center of the merging lane R3 is executed. Further, the control type determination unit 142 performs the third control when the own vehicle M approaches the merging point RP while the second control is executed and the own vehicle M is stably traveling near the center of the lane. Decide to run. The merging point RP is an arbitrary position around the hard nose HN, for example, near the end of the concrete wall B, and a position where the lane R1 of the main lane can be recognized by the outside world from the own vehicle M (at time t6 in the figure). The position of the own vehicle M).

When the track generation unit 144 is determined by the control type determination unit 142 to execute the first control, the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point RP that can enter the main lane from the merging lane R3 is larger than the point P1 at a predetermined distance. When traveling in front, a traveling track K1 that travels outside the curve of the merging lane R3 recognized by the peripheral recognition unit 132 is generated. When the vehicle width of the own vehicle M is the road width WR3, the track generation unit 144 generates the traveling track K1 so that the distances W1 and W2 shown in the figure are larger than 1/2 of the road width WR3. More specifically, at time t0, the track generation unit 144 sets a target point DP1 outside the curve from 1/2 of the road width WR3 of the merging lane R3, and the target point DP1 is set by the representative point of the own vehicle M. Generates a traveling track K1 to pass through. As a result, the own vehicle M traveling under the first control may have a large gravitational acceleration (lateral G) in the lateral direction due to turning, and by traveling outside the curve, the generation of lateral G is suppressed. It is possible to reduce the discomfort of the occupants of the own vehicle M.

When the track generation unit 144 is determined by the control type determination unit 142 to execute the second control, the track generation unit 144 passes through a point P1 in which the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point RP that can enter the main lane from the merging lane R3 is a predetermined distance. Then, when the vehicle is traveling close to the main lane, a traveling track K2 that travels near the center of the merging lane R3 recognized by the peripheral recognition unit 132 is generated. The track generation unit 144 generates a traveling track K2 so that the distances W3 and W4 shown in the figure are close to 1/2 of the road width WR3. More specifically, the track generation unit 144 sets a target point DP2 near the center of the merging lane R3 at time t3, and generates a traveling track K2 through which the representative point of the own vehicle M passes through the target point DP2. In this way, the own vehicle M can recognize the peripheral vehicles on the lane R1 and the merging lane R3 of the main lane and the structures around the lane R1 and the merging lane R3 of the main lane in preparation for the start of the merging event. 2 Control, that is, traveling closer to the center of the merging lane R3, can increase the margin and reliability of lateral movement at the time of merging.

The control type determination unit 142 has passed a predetermined time since the second control was started, traveled a predetermined distance after the second control was started, and the own vehicle is based on the recognition result by the peripheral recognition unit 132. When it is recognized that M has come to stably travel near the center of the merging lane R3, it is determined to execute the third control. In FIG. 4, it is assumed that any of the above conditions is satisfied at the point P2, and the control type determination unit 142 determines to execute the third control after the point P2.

When the control type determination unit 142 determines that the third control is to be executed, the track generation unit 144 generates a travel track K3 that accelerates and controls the own vehicle M toward merging into the main line. More specifically, the track generation unit 144 sets a target point DP3 for smoothly changing lanes from the merging lane R3 to the main lane R1 at time t4, and the target point DP3 is set by the representative point of the own vehicle M. Generate a traveling track K3 to pass through. As a result, the own vehicle M can start accelerating after the point P2 after starting the execution of the second control, and can smoothly join the main line.

The control type determination unit 142 may determine that the first control is not executed when the own vehicle M is traveling at a predetermined speed or lower. Further, the control type determining unit 142 may decide not to execute the first control, for example, when the state of the merging lane R3 is a predetermined congestion state (that is, when there is a traffic jam). This is because the possibility of lateral G is low when the merging lane R3 is congested, and it cannot be expected that the same effect as when the merging lane R3 is not congested can be obtained even if the first control is performed. is there.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second scene. FIG. 5 shows the position of the own vehicle M on the merging lane R3 at an arbitrary time t0 to t6 (the timing may be the same as or different from the time t0 to t6 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). There is. The second scene is a merging scene in which there is no concrete wall B near the merging point of the merging lane R3 and the main lane, and the main lane can be recognized by the outside world from the own vehicle M traveling in the merging lane R3 at time t0. The outside world recognition is a state in which the state of the front of the vehicle and the main lane of the merging lane R3 in which the vehicle M is traveling can be directly recognized from the image imaged by the camera 10, and the route guidance and traffic provided by the navigation device 50. Refers to a state in which information other than quantity guidance can be recognized.

The peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes the degree of congestion in front of the own vehicle in the merging lane R3 while the own vehicle M is traveling in the merging lane R3. At this time, the peripheral recognition unit 132 may also recognize the lane markings of the main lanes R1 and R2, the moving vehicle, the degree of congestion, and the like. In the control type determination unit 142, the curve radius R of the merging lane R3 recognized by the peripheral recognition unit 132 is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point RP that can enter the main lane from the merging lane R3 is predetermined. It is determined that the first control is not executed even if the distance is greater than or equal to the distance. At this time, the control type determination unit 142 may determine to execute the second control. The track generation unit 144 generates a traveling track K for the own vehicle M to join the main line based on the recognition result by the peripheral recognition unit 132.

Further, when the own vehicle M is already traveling in the merging lane R3 in the first control, the control type determining unit 142 can recognize the lane R1 and the lane R2 of the main lane by the peripheral recognition unit 132 from the middle. Is determined to end the first control and execute the second control.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third scene. FIG. 6 shows the position of the own vehicle M on the merging lane R3 at an arbitrary time t0 to t6 (the timing may be the same as or different from the time t0 to t6 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5). There is. In the third scene, the curved road of the merging lane R3 is a reverse bank (a state in which the road surface has an inclination θ and the road surface inside the curve is higher than the road surface outside the curve), and the execution of the first control is performed. This is an unsuitable scene.

The peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes that the bank inclination of the curve is the inclination θ. The inclination θ may be a detection result by the vehicle sensor 40 or may be acquired from the second map information 62. When the inclination θ is equal to or greater than the criterion for determining whether or not to execute the first control, the control type determining unit 142 determines that the first control is not executed. This is because when the own vehicle M travels in the first control when the curved road of the merging lane R3 is a reverse bank, it will be in the outer lane of the merging lane R3 or the curb, guardrail, wall, etc. outside the curved road of the merging lane. This is because the vehicle M may interfere. The control type determination unit 142 determines that the first control is terminated when the first control has already been started as shown in the figure at the timing when the bank inclination of the curve is recognized as the inclination θ. Further, the control type determining unit 142 determines that the second control is started when the first control is not started at the timing when the bank inclination of the curve is recognized as the inclination θ.

[Processing flow]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the track generation process of the own vehicle M by the vehicle system 1. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is started, for example, when the own vehicle M starts traveling in the merging lane R3.

First, the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes the peripheral situation of the own vehicle M (step S100). Next, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines whether or not the curve radius of the merging lane R3 is less than a predetermined value (step S102). When the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines that the curve radius of the merging lane R3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control type determination unit 142 determines that the second control is executed. (Step S104). Next, the control type determining unit 142 determines whether or not the condition for starting the third control is satisfied, that is, whether or not the distance is equal to or greater than the third distance from the merging point (step S106), and the third distance from the merging point. If it is determined that the distance is less than, it is determined that the third control is to be executed, the track generation unit 144 is made to generate a merging track to the main line (step S108), and the processing of this flowchart is completed. Here, the third distance is the distance from the point 2 shown in FIG. 4 to the confluence point RP. If it is determined in step S106 that the distance is equal to or greater than the third distance from the confluence, it is determined that the second control is continued without executing the third control, and the process is returned to step S104.

When the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines in step S102 that the radius of the curve is less than a predetermined value, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines whether or not the own vehicle M is traveling at a predetermined speed or less (step S110). .. When it is determined that the own vehicle M is traveling at a predetermined speed or lower, the peripheral recognition unit 132 proceeds to the process in step S104. When it is determined that the own vehicle M is not traveling at a predetermined speed or lower, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines whether or not the merging lane R3 is congested (step S112). When it is determined that the merging lane R3 is congested, the peripheral recognition unit 132 proceeds to step S104.

When it is determined in step S112 that the merging lane R3 is not congested, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines whether or not the current position of the own vehicle M is at least the first distance from the merging point (step S114). Here, the first distance is the distance from the point P1 at the predetermined distance shown in FIG. 4 to the confluence point RP, and is an example of the “predetermined distance” in the claims. When it is determined that the current position of the own vehicle M is less than the first distance from the confluence point, the peripheral recognition unit 132 proceeds to the process in step S104.

When it is determined in step S114 that the current position of the own vehicle M is equal to or greater than the first distance from the merging point, the control type determining unit 142 determines to start the first control (step S116). Next, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines whether or not the curve of the merging lane has a predetermined amount of bank inclination (step S118). If it is determined that the bank inclination is not a predetermined value, the peripheral recognition unit 132 returns the process to step S114. When it is determined that the bank inclination is predetermined, the peripheral recognition unit 132 determines whether or not the current position of the own vehicle M is the second distance or more from the confluence point (step S120). Here, the second distance is the distance from the point P3 shown in FIG. 4 to the confluence point RP. If it is determined that the distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, the peripheral recognition unit 132 returns the process to step S116. If it is determined that the distance is less than the second distance, the peripheral recognition unit 132 proceeds to step S104. This is the end of the description of the processing of this flowchart.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the curve radius R of the merging lane R3 recognized by the peripheral recognition unit 132 is less than a predetermined value, the merging vehicle M and the merging lane R3 can enter the main lane. When the distance to the point is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the first control is performed so that the own vehicle M travels outside the curve from the center of the merging lane R3, and the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point is less than the predetermined distance. In this case, by executing the second control for causing the own vehicle M to travel closer to the center of the merging lane R3, the own vehicle M traveling in the merging lane R3 on the curved road can be suitably driven.

[Modification example]
Hereinafter, a modified example of the vehicle control device 100 will be described. FIG. 8 is the fourth scene. The fourth scene is a scene in which the own vehicle M is executing a merging event. The fourth scene is different from the first scene in that the curve radius of the curved road of the merging lane R3 is unknown. FIG. 8 shows the positions of the own vehicle M at each of time t0 to time t11. At time t0, the own vehicle M is traveling in the merging lane R3 that joins the main lane including the lane R1 and the lane R2. The merging lane R3 curves to the left and then joins the main lane. In the fourth scene, just before the merging lane R3 and the main lane, there is a concrete wall B between the merging lane R3 and the main lane. Since the concrete wall B obstructs the view from the own vehicle M traveling in the merging lane R3 at time t4, the lanes R1 and R2 of the main lane cannot be recognized. The lane R1 and lane R2 of the main lane can be recognized by the outside world from the own vehicle M after the area around the hard nose HN, which is the merging point of the merging lane R3 and the lane R1. When the position of the own vehicle M at time t5 in the figure is reached, the lane R1 and the lane R2 of the main lane can be recognized from the own vehicle M to the outside world.

When the curve radius of the merging lane R3 is unknown, the control type determination unit 142 determines the control type based on the recognition results other than the curve radius among the recognition results by the peripheral recognition unit 132. That is, when the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes that the merging lane R3 is a curved road, the control type determining unit 142 has a merging point RP that can enter the main lane that is the merging destination from the own vehicle M and the merging lane R3. When the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, it is determined that the first control for causing the own vehicle to travel outside the curve from the center of the merging lane R3 is executed. Further, when the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes that the merging lane R3 is a curved road, the control type determining unit 142 determines that the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point where the merging lane R3 can enter the main lane is a predetermined distance. In the above case, if the distance between the own vehicle M and the merging point RP is less than a predetermined distance, it is determined that the second control for causing the own vehicle M to travel in the center of the merging lane R3 is executed.

[Hardware configuration]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the vehicle control device 100 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the vehicle control device 100 includes a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM 100-3 used as a working memory, a ROM 100-4 for storing a boot program, and a storage device 100 such as a flash memory or an HDD. -5, drive devices 100-6, etc. 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 vehicle control device 100. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2. This program is expanded to 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 first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 is realized.

The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.
A storage device that stores programs and
With a hardware processor,
The hardware processor executes a program stored in the storage device by executing the program.
It is a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels in the merging lane, it recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane and recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane.
When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the vehicle is in the center of the merging lane. The first control is performed to drive the vehicle outside the curve.
When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance, the second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane is executed. To do,
A vehicle control device that is configured to.

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, 40 ... Vehicle sensor, 50 ... Navigation device, 51 ... GNSS receiver, 53 ... Route determination unit , 61 ... Recommended lane determination unit, 80 ... Driving operator, 100 ... Vehicle control device, 120 ... First control unit, 130 ... Recognition unit, 132 ... Peripheral recognition unit, 140 ... Action plan generation unit, 142 ... Control type determination Unit, 144 ... Track generation 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, M ... own vehicle

Claims (10)

A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels in the merging lane, a recognition unit that recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane.
The behavior control unit that controls the running of the vehicle and
It is a vehicle control device equipped with
The behavior control unit
When the curve radius of the merging lane recognized by the recognition unit is less than a predetermined value,
When the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the first control is performed to cause the vehicle to travel outside the curve from the center of the merging lane.
When the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance, the second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane is executed.
Vehicle control device. When the recognition unit recognizes the situation of the main lane that can be entered from the merging lane, the behavior control unit ends the first control regardless of the distance between the vehicle and the merging point. 2 Perform control,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The behavior control unit does not execute the first control when the recognition unit recognizes the main lane when the vehicle starts traveling in the merging lane.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2. The behavior control unit starts accelerating the vehicle after starting execution of the second control.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3. The recognition unit recognizes the bank inclination of the curve and recognizes the bank inclination of the curve.
The behavior control unit does not execute the first control when a predetermined amount of bank inclination is recognized by the recognition unit.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The behavior control unit does not execute the first control when the vehicle is traveling at a predetermined speed or lower.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The behavior control unit does not execute the first control when the state of the merging lane is a predetermined congestion state.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels in the merging lane, a recognition unit that recognizes the main lane at the merging destination of the merging lane.
The behavior control unit that controls the running of the vehicle and
It is a vehicle control device equipped with
The behavior control unit
When the merging lane recognized by the recognition unit is a curved road,
When the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the first control is performed to cause the vehicle to travel outside the curve from the center of the merging lane.
When the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance, the second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane is executed.
Vehicle control device. The computer
It is a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels in the merging lane, it recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane and recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane.
When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the vehicle is in the center of the merging lane. The first control is performed to drive the vehicle outside the curve.
When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance, the second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane is executed. To do,
Vehicle control method. On the computer
It is a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels in the merging lane, it recognizes the curve radius of the merging lane.
When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value, and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point where the merging lane can enter the main lane is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the vehicle is in the center of the merging lane. The first control is performed to drive the vehicle outside the curve.
When the recognized curve radius of the merging lane is less than a predetermined value and the distance between the vehicle and the merging point is less than a predetermined distance, the second control for causing the vehicle to travel in the center of the merging lane is performed. Let, let
program.

Images