JP2023120645A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of selecting a suitable road shoulder space from a plurality of stop destination candidates when stopping a vehicle in the road shoulder space within a limited time.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: vehicle external detection means 1 for detecting a road shoulder space; drivable distance calculation means 30 for calculating a drivable distance of a vehicle; total candidate number calculation means 31 for calculating a total number of road shoulder space candidates as a stopping destination candidate based on the drivable distance; cutoff threshold calculation means 32 for calculating a cutoff threshold from the total number of candidates; evaluation value calculation means 33 for calculating an evaluation value of the road shoulder space; reference evaluation value setting means 34 for setting a maximum value of the evaluation value of the road shoulder space with a candidate number equal to or less than the cutoff threshold as a reference evaluation value; and stop position selection means 35 for selecting a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or more than the reference evaluation value as a stop position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for controlling driving of a vehicle such as an automobile.

2. Description of the Related Art In automatic driving control of a vehicle such as an automobile, when an abnormality (poor physical condition) occurs in a driver, control may be performed to stop the vehicle in a road shoulder space. As such road shoulder stop control technology by automatic driving, for example, when there is a road shoulder space of a predetermined width and a predetermined length or more in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-97315 (Patent Document 1), the vehicle is placed in the road shoulder space. A technique for stopping the vehicle is disclosed.

JP 2020-97315 A

By the way, in the driver's abnormality response system, it is necessary to complete the road shoulder stop promptly (for example, within a time limit of 180 seconds or less) after the occurrence of an abnormality. On the other hand, it is required that the road shoulder space where the vehicle is to be stopped has a high degree of adaptability (for example, safety) to the road shoulder stop as much as possible. For example, it is desirable that the shoulder space be sufficiently wide so that the vehicle can be stopped smoothly and relief can be easily provided after the vehicle has stopped. The shoulder stop control will select a suitable shoulder space from a plurality of shoulder spaces appearing one after another under such conditions.

When making such a selection, it is acceptable if the road shoulder space first detected as a possible stopping destination has a sufficient degree of fitness. be. In such a case, it is necessary to decide whether to stop in the roadside space or continue searching for a more suitable stop destination, but this decision is very difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to select a suitable road shoulder space from a plurality of candidates for stopping when stopping the vehicle in the road shoulder space within a limited time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control device capable of

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following solutions. That is, as described in claim 1, in a vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle to stop in a road shoulder space, a road shoulder space detection means for detecting a road shoulder space that is a candidate for a stop destination, and the road shoulder space means evaluation value calculation means for calculating the evaluation value of the road shoulder space detected by; total candidate number calculation means for calculating the total number of candidates as the total number of road shoulder spaces that are candidates for stopping; the square root of the total number of candidates; Cutoff threshold calculation means for setting a cutoff threshold to either an integer obtained by truncating the square root of the total number of candidates, or an integer obtained by rounding up the square root of the total number of candidates, and the road shoulder space. is attached with a candidate number that is a serial number in the order closest to the control start position, and the maximum evaluation value among the evaluation values of the road shoulder space for which the candidate number is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold is set as the reference evaluation value. value calculation means; and stop position selection means for comparing the evaluation value of the detected road shoulder space with the reference evaluation value and selecting a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value as the road shoulder space to be stopped. provided.

According to the above-described solution method, it is possible to select the road shoulder space with the maximum expected value of the evaluation value (applicability to the road shoulder stop) from among the plurality of road shoulder spaces that are candidates for stopping. Therefore, even when a roadside space is searched for within a limited time, a roadside space with a relatively high evaluation value can be selected without delay and a suitable roadside stop can be performed.

Preferred modes based on the above-described solution method are as described in claims 2 and subsequent claims. That is, the travelable distance for which the vehicle is allowed to travel is calculated based on the vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means, and the time limit until the road shoulder is stopped. and a travelable distance calculation means, wherein the total number of candidates calculation means calculates the total number of candidates based on the travelable distance (corresponding to claim 2). In this case, the total number of candidates appropriately reflects the time limit until the road shoulder stops, and is set accurately. Also, when the vehicle speed changes, the total number of candidates is appropriately adjusted.

The total candidate number calculating means refers to the map information outside the vehicle and/or the map information stored inside the vehicle, so that the total number of road shoulder spaces assumed to exist within the range of the drivable distance is The total number of candidates is calculated (corresponding to claim 3). In this case, it is possible to accurately calculate the total number of candidates based on the map information.

The candidate number calculation means sets the travelable distance to the total number of candidates, and the cutoff threshold calculation means sets a cutoff distance, which is the square root of the travelable distance, to the cutoff threshold, and the reference The evaluation value calculation means and the stop position calculation means calculate the reference evaluation value and select the road shoulder space to stop using the travel distance of the vehicle after the start of control as the candidate number (corresponding to claim 4). In this case, since the total number of candidates, the cutoff threshold, and the candidate number are real numbers, it is possible to accurately handle the case where the evaluation value changes continuously for each position.

When a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than a predetermined sufficient threshold is found, the stop position selection means selects the sufficient space even before the reference evaluation value is calculated by the reference evaluation value calculation means. A roadside space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than the threshold is selected as a stop destination (corresponding to claim 5). In this case, it is possible to quickly stop in a road shoulder space with a sufficiently high evaluation value, so a quick road shoulder stop can be realized.

When the evaluation value of the road shoulder space is less than a predetermined necessary threshold, the stop position selection means does not select the road shoulder space as a stop destination even if the evaluation value of the road shoulder space is equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value. (corresponding to claim 6). In this case, it is possible to avoid the selection of an inappropriate road shoulder space as a stop destination due to a low degree of safety.

When the reference evaluation value calculated based on the evaluation value of the road shoulder space for which the candidate number is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value is less than a predetermined necessary threshold value, the reference evaluation value calculation means sets the necessary threshold value as the reference evaluation value. set to a value (corresponding to claim 7). In this case, since the evaluation based on the necessary threshold is incorporated into the reference evaluation value, the processing for selecting the road shoulder space can be simplified.

The road-shoulder space detection means can detect a plurality of road-shoulder spaces at the same time, and the stop position selection means evaluates a road-shoulder space whose candidate number is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value to be equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value. If there is a road shoulder space with a value, it is selected as the road shoulder space to stop (corresponding to claim 8). In this case, it is possible to quickly select the road shoulder space with the maximum expected value of the evaluation value and stop the road shoulder.

The road-shoulder space detection means can detect a plurality of road-shoulder spaces at the same time, and the stop position selection means detects the largest road-shoulder space when a plurality of road-shoulder spaces having an evaluation value equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value is detected at the same time. A road shoulder space having an evaluation value is selected as a road shoulder space to be stopped (corresponding to claim 9). In this case, a safer shoulder space can be selected for the shoulder stop.

The road-shoulder space detection means can detect a plurality of road-shoulder spaces at the same time, and the stop position selection means detects a plurality of road-shoulder spaces having an evaluation value equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value at the same time. , is selected as the road shoulder space of the stop destination (corresponding to claim 10). In this case, a sufficiently suitable shoulder space can be selected without delay.

The stop position selection means selects a predetermined evaluation value of the last detected road shoulder space when no road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value is found among the total number of candidate road shoulder spaces. If the evaluation value of the last detected shoulder space is less than the predetermined threshold, the appropriate threshold on the driving lane is selected. Select a location as a stop destination (corresponding to claim 11). In this case, forcible stopping in an inappropriate road shoulder space is avoided.

The evaluation value calculation means calculates an evaluation value based on the length and/or width of the road shoulder space (corresponding to claim 12). In this case, the evaluation value (safety level) of the shoulder space is appropriately set based on the length and width of the shoulder space, which are important factors.

Automatic operation control means for controlling automatic operation of the vehicle is provided, and the automatic operation control means controls the vehicle to stop at the stop destination selected by the stop position selection means (corresponding to claim 13). In this case, it is possible to quickly stop the road shoulder in an appropriate road shoulder space in automatic driving such as when dealing with a driver's abnormality.

According to the present invention, when stopping a vehicle on a road shoulder within a limited time, a road shoulder space with the largest expected evaluation value is selected from among a plurality of road shoulder spaces serving as candidates for stopping destinations. A road shoulder stop can be executed without delay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figure for demonstrating the outline of this invention. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of a control system of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of a control system of the present invention; FIG. A diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart showing a control procedure of an example of control according to the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the control system of the present invention. As shown, the control system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) U. The electronic control unit U is, for example, a control device composed of a microcomputer. The control system includes vehicle external detection means (roadside space detection means) 1, vehicle state detection means 2, information acquisition means 3, and driver state detection means 4. , signals (information) are input. A control signal is also transmitted from the electronic control unit U to the vehicle control system 5 .

The vehicle external detection means 1 is means for detecting the external conditions of the own vehicle such as the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and other vehicles in the vicinity, and includes an external camera 10 and a radar detector 11 . In the present invention, the vehicle exterior detection means 1 functions as roadside space detection means for detecting a roadside space.

The vehicle state detection means 3 is a means for detecting the running state of the own vehicle, and includes sensors of a vehicle speed sensor 12, an acceleration sensor 13, a gyro sensor 14, a steering angle sensor 15, an accelerator sensor 16, and a brake sensor 17. .

The information acquisition means 3 is means for acquiring various types of information related to running of the vehicle, and includes a positioning sensor 18 consisting of GPS and a map information acquisition means 19 for acquiring information from a map information system or the like. The vehicle interior condition monitoring means 4 is means for monitoring the condition of the driver and the like inside the vehicle interior, and includes an in-vehicle camera 20 that captures the driver's condition.

The vehicle control system 5 is means for controlling the driving of the vehicle, and comprises steering control means 21 , engine control means 22 and brake control system 23 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic control unit U includes, as functions for executing road shoulder stop control, a travelable distance calculation means 30, total candidate number calculation carelessness 31, cutoff threshold value calculation means 32, evaluation value detection means 33, , reference evaluation value detection means 34 , stop position selection means 35 , and automatic operation control means 36 . Note that these means are provided in the electronic control unit U as programs.

With the configuration described above, the vehicle control device of the present invention can select a suitable road shoulder space from among a plurality of stop destination candidates that appear sequentially when stopping the own vehicle (vehicle to be controlled) on the road shoulder (for example, by automatic driving). Select to execute shoulder stop control to stop the vehicle in that shoulder space. In addition, the road shoulder in the present invention means a general space existing on the side of the driving lane, and in addition to the road shoulder in the normal sense (all road shoulders, etc.), emergency parking zones, shelters, etc. are also included. Its form is not particularly limited. Moreover, the road shoulder space is an empty space on the road shoulder, and can take any form as long as it can serve as a candidate for stopping the vehicle.

The road shoulder stop control is started, for example, when the in-vehicle camera 20 detects that the driver has an abnormality (poor physical condition, etc.) and the vehicle is switched from manual operation to automatic operation. When the control is started, the travelable distance calculation means 30 first calculates the travelable distance l. The travelable distance l is a distance that the vehicle is permitted to travel from the start of control, and is calculated from the time limit (travelable time) for completing the road shoulder stop and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, as will be described in detail later. .

The road shoulder space where the vehicle is to be stopped is searched for within a section of the road (drivable range L) of the travelable distance l from the control start point. Therefore, in this case, the travelable range L becomes the search section. Here, the search section is a section in which roadside spaces that are candidates for stopping destinations are searched for. Although the travelable range L is set as the search section here, it is also possible to set the search section to a section different from the travelable range L (for example, see the example of FIG. 3).

The road shoulder space as a stop destination candidate is detected by the vehicle exterior detection means (road shoulder space detection means) 1 and the evaluation value E is calculated by the evaluation value calculation means 33 . More specifically, the evaluation value calculation means 33 detects the size and shape of the road shoulder space that is approaching sequentially based on the analysis of the image taken by the outside camera 10 and the detection by the radar detector 11, and the detection result is Based on this, the evaluation value E of the shoulder space is calculated. Incidentally, as will be described later in the example shown in FIG. 4, the detection of the road shoulder space and the calculation of the evaluation value E may be performed simultaneously for a plurality of road shoulder spaces.

Here, the evaluation value E is an index representing the degree of suitability (for example, degree of safety) of the road shoulder space for stopping on the shoulder, and is set such that the higher the evaluation value E, the higher the degree of suitability. In the present invention, the specific setting of the evaluation value E is not particularly limited, but can be set as follows, for example.

Various factors such as the size (width) and shape of the shoulder space can be considered as factors for determining the evaluation value E, so the evaluation value E can be set by combining a plurality of factors. For example, the evaluation value E can be set by a pair of an evaluation value Ew regarding the shoulder width and an evaluation value El regarding the shoulder length. Incidentally, the size comparison of pairs is performed according to an appropriate rule defined in advance.

The wider the road shoulder space, the higher the evaluation value E is set. In other words, if the shoulder space is wide, the vehicle stopped on the shoulder does not protrude into the lane, and the vehicle can be stopped within the shoulder with plenty of time to spare. Therefore, it can be said that the adaptability (safety level) to a road shoulder stop is high because there is little hindrance to traffic around the vehicle.

In addition, the longer the road shoulder space is, the easier it is to access, the easier it is to stop with time to spare, and it is also advantageous in terms of allowing other vehicles (e.g. ambulances) to stop behind the own vehicle. , it can be said that the suitability (safety level) for a road shoulder stop is high. Therefore, the longer the road shoulder space, the higher the evaluation value E is set.

In addition, the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space changes depending on the surrounding conditions of the road shoulder space. For example, if the road shoulder space is located immediately after a blind corner, the risk of collision with other vehicles increases and safety decreases. Therefore, the evaluation value E may be adjusted according to the circumstances surrounding the space.

In order to effectively select a roadside space (determine whether to stop the roadside) based on such an evaluation value E, the present invention utilizes the knowledge of the basic remuneration problem. Here, the basic reward problem is a kind of optimal stopping problem (a variation of the secretary problem). is the one that maximizes the expected value of In the optimal policy of the basic reward problem, there is an integer threshold for the number of candidates to skip selection, which is floor(N ^1/2 ) or ceil(N ^1/2 ) where N is the total number of candidates. ) is known to be Here, floor(x) is a floor function (a function that rounds down decimal places), and ceil(x) is a ceiling function (a function that rounds up decimals). Since the basic remuneration problem itself is well known, further explanation is omitted.

In order to utilize the knowledge of the basic remuneration problem, the total candidate number N of roadside spaces that are candidates for stopping destinations is calculated by the total candidate number calculation means 31 . The total number of candidates N is the total number of road shoulder spaces existing (estimated) within the travelable distance L (search section). The total number of candidates N is calculated based on the travelable distance L, the map information obtained from the map information obtaining means 19, and the like. Details of calculation of the total number of candidates N will be described later in the description of the example of FIG.

Subsequently, a cutoff threshold value C is calculated based on the total number of candidates N by the cutoff threshold value calculation means 32 . Here, the cutoff threshold C corresponds to the threshold in the optimal policy (cutoff rule) of the basic reward problem, and is the number of candidates to be skipped in order to select the candidate with the maximum expected value. The cutoff threshold calculation means 32 sets the floor function of the square root of the total number of candidates N, the ceiling function of the square root of the total number of candidates N, or the square root of the total number of candidates N to the cutoff threshold C, according to the basic reward problem. set. That is, the cutoff threshold value C is calculated by one of the following formulas (1) to (3).
C=floor (N ^1/2 ) (1)
C=ceil (N ^1/2 ) (2)
C=N ^1/2 (3)
Subsequently, the cutoff threshold value C is used to select the road shoulder space. More specifically, each detected road shoulder space is given a candidate number, which is a serial number for identifying the road shoulder space, in order of proximity to the control start position (in order of proximity to the own vehicle at the time of detection). Until the candidate number of the detected road shoulder space reaches the cutoff threshold C, the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space of each candidate number is detected. In this way, when the evaluation value E of the roadside space with the candidate number C is detected, the evaluation values E of the roadside spaces with the candidate number equal to or lower than the cutoff threshold value C are compared with each other, and the maximum evaluation value among them is determined. The value Emax is set to the reference evaluation value ET.

After the reference evaluation value ET is calculated, the stop position selection means 35 compares the evaluation value E of the shoulder space that is sequentially detected with the reference evaluation value ET. Then, the vehicle does not stop in a road shoulder space where the evaluation value E is less than the reference evaluation value ET, and judges whether to pass the road shoulder space. Select a shoulder space to stop. As a result, the expected value of the evaluation value E of the selected road shoulder space can be maximized.

The automatic driving control means 36 generates a travel route for the own vehicle so as to stop it in the road shoulder space selected by the stop position selection means 35, and refers to the detection signal from the vehicle state detection means 2, while the vehicle control system 5 to perform a shoulder stop.

In the road-shoulder stop control of the present invention, in addition to the control described above, control based on the sufficient threshold ES and the necessary threshold EN set for the evaluation value E is performed. Here, the "sufficient threshold" is an evaluation value at which it is considered that a very safe road shoulder stop can be executed if the shoulder space has an evaluation value higher than that, and it is judged that there is no problem even if the road shoulder is stopped immediately. is the threshold. When a shoulder space having an evaluation value sufficiently equal to or higher than the threshold value ES is found, it is rational to stop at the shoulder space as soon as possible, so even before the reference evaluation value ET is calculated. , immediately execute a stop to that shoulder space.

Further, the necessary threshold is an evaluation value that is the minimum necessary for safely stopping the vehicle on the road shoulder. A shoulder space with an evaluation value less than the required threshold EN cannot be safely stopped, so the search for the shoulder space will continue without stopping at that shoulder space. In order to simplify the control, it is possible to compare the maximum evaluation value Emax and the necessary threshold value EN and set the larger one as the reference evaluation value ET when determining the reference evaluation value ET.

Thus, the road-shoulder stop control of the present invention has not reached a level where a stop destination candidate having an evaluation value E between the necessary threshold EN and the sufficient threshold ES, that is, a road-shoulder stop can be performed extremely safely ( (i.e., the threshold ES is not reached sufficiently), but a shoulder stop is possible (i.e., the threshold E is greater than the required threshold EN). It is a control for

Hereinafter, the content of the road shoulder control by the vehicle control system of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 and subsequent drawings. FIG. 3 shows an example of a situation in which road-shoulder stop control is executed. As shown in the figure, in this example, on a one-lane road R with all shoulders S, in a situation where there are many parked vehicles VP on the shoulder S, the road shoulder space (possibility of stopping) between the parked vehicles VP empty space). That is, in a situation in which the host vehicle VE, which is automatically driving on the road R, passes by the road shoulder spaces G1, G2, and G3 in sequence, the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space at which the vehicle is stopped is set to a suitable value. , the judgment of whether to stop at that road shoulder space or to proceed further and stop at another road shoulder space is executed sequentially.

In this example, the length of the shoulder space is simply adopted as the evaluation value E of the shoulder space. That is, the evaluation values E1, E2, and E3 of the shoulder spaces G1, G2, and G3 are E1=5.5 m, E2=5.0 m, and E3=6 m, respectively.

In this example, the line of sight range at the start of the road shoulder stop control is set as the search section, and the three road shoulder spaces G1, G2, and G3 detected within the line of sight range by the vehicle exterior detection means 1 are all candidates for the road shoulder space. . That is, the total number of candidates N is three.

It is assumed that the road-shoulder spaces G1, G2, and G3 have been found when the road-shoulder stop control is started, but the evaluation value E has not yet been detected. That is, this example relates to control when all of the road shoulder spaces G1 to G3, which are candidates for stopping destinations, have been found in the search section, but the evaluation values of the road shoulder spaces have not yet been detected.

After calculating the total number of candidates N, the cutoff threshold value C is calculated from the total number of candidates N based on one of the above equations (1) to (3). In this example, since the total number of candidates N=3, the cutoff threshold value C=1 is set according to the above equation (1).

The vehicle control device sequentially detects the evaluation value E of each shoulder space while the own vehicle VE advances along the side of the shoulder spaces G1, G2, and G3 in the order of G1→G2→G3. That is, the candidate numbers for the roadside spaces G1, G2, and G3 are 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In this example, the number of road shoulder spaces for which the evaluation value E can be detected at the same time is only one. , are detected one by one.

In this way, the evaluation values of the road shoulder space are detected in the order of the candidate numbers. Unless a roadside space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than ES is found, the vehicle does not stop at the roadside space and only performs evaluation value detection. In the example of FIG. 1, the cutoff threshold value C=1, and the reference evaluation value ET is not set until the candidate number exceeds 1, so the vehicle does not stop in the road shoulder space G1 where the candidate number does not exceed 1. , only the calculation of the evaluation value E1 is performed.

When the candidate number reaches the cutoff threshold C, a reference evaluation value ET is determined. As the reference evaluation value ET, the maximum evaluation value Emax among the evaluation values of roadside spaces with candidate numbers equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value C is set. In this example, the shoulder space G1 is the only road-shoulder space with a candidate number equal to or lower than the cutoff threshold value C, so the evaluation value E1 of the shoulder space is set as the reference evaluation value ET. In this example, the reference evaluation value ET=5.5 m.

After the candidate number of the road shoulder space exceeds the cutoff threshold value C and the reference evaluation value ET is set, the evaluation value of the road shoulder space is sequentially compared with the reference evaluation value ET, and the evaluation value of the road shoulder space to be evaluated is obtained. becomes equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET, unless the evaluation value is less than the predetermined necessary threshold EN, the road shoulder is stopped in the road shoulder space.

That is, evaluation values E2 and E3 are sequentially calculated for road shoulder spaces G2 and G3 with candidate numbers (candidate numbers of 2 or more) exceeding the cutoff threshold value C=1, and it is determined whether or not road shoulders can be stopped in each road shoulder space. continue. Specifically, first, the evaluation value E2 of the roadside space G2 with the candidate number 2 is obtained and compared with the reference evaluation value ET. , the host vehicle VE is advanced toward the shoulder space G3 of the next candidate number (=3).

Subsequently, when moving to the evaluation value detection and determination of the road shoulder space G3, the evaluation value E3=6.0 m of the road shoulder space G3 is equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET=5.5 m. Therefore, the road shoulder space G3 is selected as the road shoulder stop destination, and the vehicle is stopped in the road shoulder space G3 (however, it is assumed that the evaluation value E3 is equal to or greater than the necessary threshold EN). As a result, it is possible to select the shoulder space G3 in which the expected value of the evaluation value E is the largest and to stop the vehicle on the shoulder.

In this example, it is assumed that each road shoulder space is at a distance of at least the shortest stopping distance from the host vehicle when the evaluation value detection and determination of whether to stop at the road shoulder space are completed. Here, the shortest stopping distance is the distance required to safely stop the vehicle on the shoulder of the road. Calculated. In the first place, the vehicle cannot be safely stopped at a position shorter than the shortest stopping distance as seen from the own vehicle. Therefore, the road shoulder space before the shortest stopping distance is excluded from the candidates for the road shoulder stop. However, even the shoulder space before the shortest stopping distance is used as the shoulder space for determining the reference evaluation value ET.

Also, in this example, since the evaluation value EC of the road shoulder space C of the last candidate number 3 was equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET, it was possible to stop at the road shoulder space C, but the road shoulder space of the last candidate number may not be greater than or equal to the reference evaluation value ET. In such a case, for example, unless the last shoulder space is one in which it is impossible to stop (the evaluation value E is less than the necessary threshold EN), the last shoulder space is stopped.

An example of the road shoulder stop control by the vehicle control apparatus of the present invention has been described above. This corresponds to control when the space evaluation value is unknown. In the following description, a control example for realizing road shoulder stop control in a more complicated situation will be described in detail.

FIG. 4 shows another example of road-shoulder stop control by the vehicle control system of the present invention. As illustrated, in this example, the vehicle travelable range L is set as the search section. As described above, the travelable range L is the section in which the vehicle can travel within the time limit for completing the road shoulder stop.

When road shoulder stop control is performed as a response to a driver abnormality, a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) elapses after the in-vehicle camera 20 confirms that an abnormality in the driver of the vehicle has been detected (for example, the driver is in a prostrate state). Elapsed), after switching to automatic operation (after road shoulder stop control is started), control to stop the vehicle within a predetermined time limit (for example, within 180 seconds from the start of control) become. Therefore, the remaining time of the time limit is set as the travelable time Tr, and the travelable range L is calculated based on the travelable time Tr.

In this case, if the vehicle speed v is constant, the vehicle can travel a distance obtained by multiplying the travelable time Tr by the vehicle speed v of the own vehicle, but the vehicle speed v changes from moment to moment during control. For example, in the case of road-shoulder stop control in response to a driver's abnormality, the speed of the host vehicle is gradually reduced in order to ensure safety. Therefore, in calculating the travelable distance L, it is necessary to handle the vehicle speed v as a function of time as well as the travelable time Tr.

Specifically, the product of the travelable time Tr at time t and the vehicle speed v is set as the remaining travelable distance lr at that time. Then, the distance lr+de obtained by adding the distance de from the control start point X0 to the position Xego of the vehicle at that time to the remaining travelable distance lr is set as the travelable distance l.

Thus, in this control, the travelable range L (the section from the control start position X0 to the end point Xt of the travelable distance L) determined by the travelable distance l that is sequentially updated with the passage of time is A search section is set, and the total number of candidates N and the cutoff threshold C at that time are calculated to select a road shoulder space. That is, the optimum road shoulder space is selected under conditions that change from moment to moment. Therefore, the shoulder space selected may change over time. For example, when the vehicle speed v decreases, a candidate that was not planned to stop may be adopted as the road shoulder space to stop.

After the travelable distance l is calculated, the total number of candidates N of road shoulder spaces that are candidates for the shoulder stop place is calculated based on the calculated travelable distance l. As a specific method for calculating the total number of candidates N, the following method is conceivable.

If the existence of the road shoulder space within the drivable distance L (search section) is known from the map information, the map information is referred to and the road shoulder space within the drivable distance L (e.g., emergency parking zone, The total number of candidates, N, is obtained by counting the number of interlocking spaces, etc. As the map information to be referred to, the map information acquired from the outside (map information system) by the map information acquisition means 21 may be used, or the map information created by detecting and recording the surrounding information in the own vehicle on a regular basis. You can use the map of Alternatively, the number of road shoulder spaces may be counted based on information acquired through road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

If detailed map information can be referred to, detailed information (size, etc.) of the shoulder space may also be obtained, but the actual condition of the shoulder space cannot be determined. For example, there are cases where other vehicles are already parked in the shoulder space, and there are cases where the state of the shoulder space has changed from the map information. Therefore, even if detailed map information is available, it is necessary to select a road shoulder space based on the detection of the evaluation value E by the vehicle exterior detection means 1 of the own vehicle according to the road shoulder stop control of the present invention.

On the other hand, if there is no map information or the like that can be referred to, or if only insufficient information can be obtained from the map information or the like, the number of shoulder spaces within the travelable range L is determined by estimation. For example, even if there is no detailed map of mountain roads, etc., it is considered that there are spaces for leaving and leaving at predetermined distances on prefectural roads, and emergency parking zones exist at predetermined distances on highways. There should be. When such various types of information are available, the total number of candidates N can be estimated by combining the various types of information with a rough map.

Also, the total number of candidates N can be estimated using the vehicle exterior detection means 1 (camera 10, radar 12, etc.) of the own vehicle. For example, it can be predicted that the condition of the road after the start of shoulder stop control will be similar to the condition of the road on which the road was traveled just before the start of shoulder stop control. The total number of candidates N may be estimated from the road conditions on which the vehicle was running immediately before the start. Alternatively, by detecting as much as possible the existence of the road shoulder space on the road ahead, the situation of the entire travelable distance L is predicted from the situation of the detected range, and the total number of candidates N is estimated. good too.

If it can be assumed that the road shoulder space is uniformly distributed within the drivable distance L, the total number of candidates N can be estimated as a value obtained by dividing the drivable distance L by a predetermined unit distance. In this case, a candidate number is assigned to each section obtained by dividing the travelable distance L by the unit distance. As a result, the total number of candidates N can be set even when it is difficult to estimate the number of shoulder spaces, such as general roads where it is not guaranteed that there will be an emergency stop zone or the like at every predetermined distance.

Here, the unit distance is a distance at which the correlation between a certain point and a point a fixed distance away from the point is sufficiently reduced when the evaluation values are compared. The unit distance is a tuning parameter and is set, for example, to the detectable distance of the detection means.

Once the total number of candidates N has been calculated, the same processing as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is performed. That is, the cutoff threshold value C is calculated based on one of the above equations (1) to (3), and the candidate number of the detected road shoulder space (serial number counted from the control start position) is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value C. During this period, (unless a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E sufficiently equal to or higher than the threshold ES is found), the evaluation value E of each road shoulder space is detected, and candidates for which the evaluation value E is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold C are detected. The maximum value Emax of the evaluation value E of the shoulder space of the number is set as the reference evaluation value ET.

After the candidate number exceeds the cutoff threshold value C, the evaluation value E of the detected road shoulder space is compared with the reference evaluation value ET. Select that shoulder space to stop the vehicle (unless the evaluation value E is below the required threshold EN).

The cutoff threshold value C may be obtained from the total number of candidates N as described above, but a value directly calculated from the travelable distance l can also be employed as the cutoff threshold value C. That is, by taking the square root of the travelable distance L, the cutoff distance lc is obtained and set as the cutoff threshold value C. FIG. i.e.
C=lc=l ^1/2 (2)
and

FIG. 4 shows the cutoff distance lc calculated in this way. As shown in the figure, a cutoff position Xc is a point on the road that is a cutoff distance lc from the control start position X0, and a detectable position Xc (a position separated from the position Xego of the host vehicle VE by a detectable distance d2) is the cutoff position. Until the position Xc is exceeded, the vehicle does not stop at the road shoulder space, and only detects the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space (however, if there is a road shoulder space sufficiently larger than the threshold ES, the vehicle stops there).

When the detectable position Xc reaches the cutoff position Xc, the maximum value of the evaluation values E detected so far is set as the reference evaluation value ET. Then, the evaluation value E of the detected road shoulder space is compared with the reference evaluation value ET, and if a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E exceeding the reference evaluation value ET is found, the road shoulder space is selected to drive the vehicle. Stop (however, if the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space does not reach the required threshold EN, stop is postponed).

By using the cutoff distance lc as the cutoff threshold value C in this way, the total number of candidates N, which is a natural number, is replaced with a real number of travelable distance l (the travelable distance l becomes the total number of candidates), and the stop destination Candidate shoulder spaces are represented by position X (distance from control start point X0), which is a real number, instead of natural number candidate number i. That is, the candidate number of the roadside space is the position (road) X which is a real number, and the evaluation value is the function E(X) of the position X. As a result, it is possible to accurately handle the case where the evaluation value changes continuously for each position of the road shoulder.

As shown in FIG. 4, the host vehicle VE has a shortest stopping distance d1 and a detectable distance d2. The shortest stopping distance d1 is the distance required to safely stop the vehicle on the shoulder space, as described above. Therefore, the road shoulder space located within the shortest stopping distance d1 from the own vehicle VE (that is, the point advanced in the vehicle traveling direction from the position Xego of the own vehicle VE by the shortest stopping distance d1 is defined as the shortest stopping position Xb, and the position from the position Xego A road shoulder space within the shortest stop section D2 leading to Xb) is excluded from candidates for the stop destination (however, it is used as a road shoulder space for calculating the reference evaluation value ET).

The detectable distance d2 is a distance at which the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space can be detected by the vehicle exterior detection means 1 (external camera 10, radar detector 11) of the host vehicle VE. That is, the detectable position Xs is a point that is a detectable distance d2 in the vehicle traveling direction from the position Xego of the vehicle VE. The evaluation value E can be detected for the shoulder space on the other side.

In this embodiment, the evaluation values E of all road shoulder spaces within the detectable range are simultaneously detected. That is, if a plurality of shoulder spaces exist within the detectable range D2, the evaluation values E of the plurality of shoulder spaces are detected at the same time.

On the other hand, even if a shoulder space having an evaluation value E greater than or equal to the reference evaluation value ET is found in the shoulder space within the detectable range D2, if the shoulder space is within the unstoppable range D1, the own vehicle cannot stop. Since it is impossible to safely stop the VE, it cannot be a candidate for a road shoulder stop. That is, the road shoulder space that can be a road shoulder stop destination candidate at that time is the road shoulder space within the section (selectable range D3) from the shortest stop position Xb to the detectable position Xs.

The selectable range D3 moves toward the end point Xt of the travelable distance L as the vehicle VE travels. As shown in FIG. 4, when the detectable position Xs does not exceed the cutoff position Xc and the entire selectable range D3 is within the cutoff range Lc (section from X0 to Xc), the reference evaluation value ET has not been determined, the plurality of road shoulder spaces within the selectable range D3 are only used to calculate the reference evaluation value ET and are selected as stop destination candidates unless the evaluation value E is sufficiently greater than or equal to the threshold value ES. not.

On the other hand, when the own vehicle VE advances and the detectable position Xs reaches the cutoff position Xc, all evaluation values E of the shoulder space within the cutoff distance Lc are detected, and the reference evaluation value ET is determined. Thereafter, it becomes possible to compare the evaluation value E of the road shoulder space within the selectable range D3 with the reference evaluation value ET.

In this case, when a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E exceeding the reference evaluation value ET is found among the road shoulder spaces at positions (candidate numbers equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value C) that do not exceed the cutoff position Xc, Select the shoulder space as a candidate stop. That is, even if the position does not exceed the cutoff position Xc (even if the candidate number does not exceed the cutoff threshold value C), if the road shoulder space is within the selectable range D3, it is considered as a stop destination candidate.

Therefore, a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET can be selected more quickly than when the road shoulder stop destination candidates are limited to road shoulder spaces beyond the cutoff position Xc. That is, in the basic remuneration problem, it is possible to go back by the length d3 of the selectable range D3 and select the road shoulder stop candidate, so that more efficient selection can be performed.

The selectable range D3 may include a plurality of shoulder spaces having an evaluation value E equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET. In such a case, the road shoulder stop destination should be determined by balancing the safety of the road shoulder stop destination and the promptness of selection.

For example, when emphasizing the safety of the stop destination (evaluation value E), the road shoulder space having the maximum evaluation value E is selected as the stop destination. This allows the vehicle to stop in a safer shoulder space without much delay. In this case, as the selectable range D3 progresses, a second road shoulder space with a higher evaluation value E may be discovered at a point beyond the first road shoulder space initially selected as a stop destination. However, in this case, the first road shoulder space is not adopted, and the newly appeared second road shoulder space is selected as a stop destination.

On the other hand, when the promptness of selection is important, the nearest road shoulder space is selected from the road shoulder spaces having an evaluation value E equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET. As a result, it becomes possible to stop the road shoulder more quickly, and it is possible to avoid delaying the stop due to a new candidate being discovered later. Also in this case, since the selected road shoulder space has an evaluation value E that is equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value ET, a road shoulder space with a sufficiently high evaluation value E can be selected.

Alternatively, it is possible to make a choice that balances safety and speed. For example, based on the selection of the nearest road shoulder space, when the evaluation value E of the candidate that appears later is significantly high (for example, the evaluation value E of the initial candidate is sufficiently smaller than the threshold ES On the other hand, when the evaluation value E of the candidate that appears later is sufficiently greater than the threshold value ES, etc.), it is conceivable to perform control to change the candidate that appears later to the stop destination.

Next, an example of the control procedure of the road shoulder stop control according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flow chart of FIG. The road-shoulder stop control is started, for example, when the driver who is driving the vehicle develops an abnormality and switches to automatic driving, and when the driver expresses an intention to stop on the shoulder during automatic driving.

When the road shoulder stop control is started, first, in step S1, the maximum evaluation value up to that point is initialized. Subsequently, in step S2, the travelable distance l is calculated from the state of the vehicle, and the total number N of road shoulder space candidates within the travelable distance l is calculated. In subsequent step S3, a cutoff threshold value C is calculated based on the total number of candidates N calculated in step S2 (or a cutoff distance lc is calculated based on the travelable distance l).

In step S4, all road-shoulder spaces existing within the detectable range D2 are detected, and an evaluation value E of each road-shoulder space is calculated. In subsequent step S5, it is determined whether or not the entire travelable range L has been detected (whether or not the detectable position Xs has reached the end point Xt of the travelable range L). When it is determined in step S5 that the entire travelable range L has not been detected, it means that there is a road shoulder space for which the evaluation value E has not yet been calculated, so control proceeds to step S6 and subsequent steps.

In step S6, it is determined whether or not there exists a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E that is sufficiently above the threshold value ES for road shoulder stop and within the possible stop range D3, among the road shoulder space evaluation values calculated so far. If it exists, the process proceeds to step S12, and the road shoulder space (if there are a plurality of road shoulder spaces having an evaluation value E sufficiently equal to or higher than the threshold ES, one of them (for example, the nearest road shoulder space) ) is determined as the stop position, and the series of control ends. That is, when there is a shoulder space having an evaluation value E that is sufficiently equal to or greater than the threshold ES, it is rational to stop at the shoulder space as soon as possible, and there is no need to continue searching for the shoulder space thereafter. A series of control ends with the shoulder space as the stop destination.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6 that there is no road shoulder space having an evaluation value sufficiently equal to or higher than the threshold ES, the process proceeds to step S7 to determine whether the detected road shoulder space candidate number exceeds the cutoff threshold C. If it does not exceed the cutoff threshold value C, the process returns to step S2 and repeats the processing from step S2 to step S6 (detection of road shoulder space). Note that the travelable distance l and the total number of candidates N in step S2 and the cutoff threshold value C in step S3 change according to the running state (vehicle speed v) of the vehicle, so they are updated each loop.

If it is determined in step S7 that the candidate number has exceeded the cutoff threshold value C, the process advances to step S8 to set the reference evaluation value E (updated in the second and subsequent rounds). That is, the maximum evaluation value Emax among the evaluation values E of the road shoulder space having the candidate number equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value C is set as the reference evaluation value ET. When the travelable distance l, the total number of candidates N, and the cutoff threshold C are updated, the reference evaluation value ET is updated accordingly.

In the subsequent step S9, it is determined whether or not there is a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E that is equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET among the detected road shoulder spaces. If so, the process returns to step S2 to continue detection of the shoulder space. On the other hand, if there is a road-shoulder space having an evaluation value E equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value ET, the road-shoulder space is regarded as a candidate for a road-shoulder space to be stopped, and the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, it is determined whether or not the evaluation value E of the candidate road shoulder space is equal to or greater than the necessary threshold EN. If not equal to or greater than the necessary threshold EN, the process returns to step S2. That is, if the evaluation value E of the candidate road shoulder space has not reached the required threshold EN, it is inappropriate to stop in that road shoulder space, so the process returns to step S2 to continue detecting new candidates.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the evaluation value of the road shoulder space of the candidate stop destination is equal to or greater than the necessary threshold EN, the process proceeds to step S11 to determine whether or not the road shoulder space of the candidate stop destination can be stopped. (Whether it is within the unstoppable range D1) is determined, and if it is within the unstoppable range D1, it is impossible to stop in that shoulder space. Return to step S2 to continue detecting new candidates.

In step S11, when it is determined that the road shoulder space of the stop destination candidate can be stopped, the process proceeds to step S12, the candidate is determined as the road shoulder stop position, and a series of control ends. That is, the candidate has an evaluation value equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value ET and the required threshold EN, and is also capable of stopping, so control is performed to stop the vehicle in the road shoulder space of the candidate.

In step S9, if a plurality of road shoulder spaces having an evaluation value E equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET are found, an appropriate one of them (for example, the closest road shoulder space or the one with the largest evaluation value E) shoulder space) as the shoulder stop position. Even if the candidate number is a road shoulder space equal to or lower than the cutoff threshold value C, the road shoulder space is determined as the stop position as long as the conditions are satisfied.

In this way, in the control from step S7 onwards, until the detected road shoulder space candidate number exceeds the cutoff threshold value C, the road shoulder stop position is not determined and detection of the road shoulder space is continued. , when the detection of the road shoulder space reaches the candidate number exceeding the cutoff threshold value C, the reference evaluation value ET is set, and when the road shoulder space exceeding the reference evaluation value ET is found, the road shoulder space is set to the necessary threshold EN On the condition that the vehicle has the above evaluation value E and is not within the unstoppable range D1, the road shoulder stop control for the road shoulder space is executed.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S5 that the entire travelable range L has been detected, the evaluation values E of all candidates within the travelable range L have been obtained. Proceed to S21. In step S21, it is determined whether or not the detected road shoulder space has an evaluation value E equal to or greater than the necessary threshold EN. A space is selected as the stop destination, and a series of control ends.

That is, for example, even if the processing from step S6 onward is repeated, the search for all the candidates within the travelable range L ends without finding a road shoulder space having an evaluation value E that is equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value ET. In this case, there is no choice but to select the best road shoulder space (at least the road shoulder space whose evaluation value E is equal to or greater than the necessary threshold EN) from the remaining candidates at that time, so the vehicle is stopped in that road shoulder space.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that there is no road shoulder space having an evaluation value E equal to or greater than the required threshold EN, the process proceeds to step S22 to select an appropriate stop position within the driving lane and perform a series of controls. finish. That is, as long as there is no road shoulder space that satisfies the necessary threshold EN for stopping on the road shoulder within the drivable range L, it is better to stop in the driving lane than to stop in an inappropriate road shoulder space. Stopping the vehicle is more advantageous for rescue after stopping, so the vehicle is stopped at an appropriate position in the driving lane (for example, a position as close to the shoulder as possible), and the series of controls is completed. do.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to automatic driving has been described, but the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this, but broadly includes driving assistance in general.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for automatic driving control of vehicles such as automobiles.

U electronic control unit 1 vehicle external detection means 2 vehicle state detection means 3 information acquisition means 4 vehicle interior state monitoring means 5 vehicle control system 10 vehicle exterior camera 11 radar detector 12 vehicle speed sensor 13 acceleration sensor 14 gyro sensor 15 steering angle sensor 16 accelerator Sensor 17 Brake sensor 18 Positioning sensor 19 Map information acquisition means 20 In-vehicle camera 21 Steering control means 22 Engine control means 23 Brake control means 30 Travelable distance calculation means 31 Total candidate number calculation means 32 Cutoff threshold calculation means 33 Evaluation value detection means 34 Reference evaluation value calculation means 35 Stop position selection means 36 Automatic driving control means VE Own vehicle VP Parked vehicle R Road S Road shoulder G1 Road shoulder space G2 Road shoulder space G3 Road shoulder space L Travelable range D1 Unstoppable range D2 Detectable range D3 Selectable range

Claims (13)

In a vehicle control device that performs control for stopping a vehicle in a road shoulder space,
Roadside space detection means for detecting a roadside space that is a candidate stop destination;
evaluation value calculation means for calculating an evaluation value of the road shoulder space detected by the road shoulder space means;
Total candidate number calculation means for calculating the total number of candidates as the total number of roadside spaces that are candidates for stopping destinations;
A cutoff threshold value that is set to any one of the square root of the total number of candidates, an integer obtained by truncating the square root of the total number of candidates, and an integer obtained by rounding up the square root of the total number of candidates. calculating means;
A candidate number, which is a serial number in order of proximity to the control start position, is assigned to the road shoulder space, and the maximum evaluation value among the evaluation values of the road shoulder space having the candidate number equal to or less than the cutoff threshold is set as a reference evaluation value. a reference evaluation value calculation means for
vehicle control comprising stop position selection means for comparing the evaluation value of the detected road shoulder space with the reference evaluation value and selecting a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value as the road shoulder space to be stopped. Device. In the vehicle control device according to claim 1,
vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
a travelable distance calculating means for calculating a travelable distance in which the vehicle is allowed to travel, based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means and a time limit until the road shoulder is stopped;
The vehicle control device, wherein the total candidate number calculation means calculates the total number of candidates based on the travelable distance. In the vehicle control device according to claim 2,
The total candidate number calculating means refers to the map information outside the vehicle and/or the map information stored inside the vehicle, so that the total number of road shoulder spaces assumed to exist within the range of the drivable distance is A vehicle control device that calculates the total number of candidates. In the vehicle control device according to claim 2,
The candidate number calculation means sets the travelable distance to the total number of candidates,
The cutoff threshold calculation means sets a cutoff distance, which is the square root of the travelable distance, to the cutoff threshold,
The vehicle control device, wherein the reference evaluation value calculation means and the stop position calculation means calculate the reference evaluation value and select a road shoulder space to stop, using the travel distance of the vehicle after the start of control as the candidate number. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
When a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than a predetermined sufficient threshold is found, the stop position selection means selects the sufficient space even before the reference evaluation value is calculated by the reference evaluation value calculation means. A vehicle control device that selects a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than a threshold as a stop destination. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
When the evaluation value of the road shoulder space is less than a predetermined necessary threshold, the stop position selection means does not select the road shoulder space as a stop destination even if the evaluation value of the road shoulder space is equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value. Vehicle controller. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
When the reference evaluation value calculated based on the evaluation value of the road shoulder space for which the candidate number is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold value is less than a predetermined necessary threshold value, the reference evaluation value calculation means sets the necessary threshold value as the reference evaluation value. Vehicle controller to set to value. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The road-shoulder space detection means can simultaneously detect a plurality of road-shoulder spaces,
The stop position selection means selects the vehicle as a road shoulder space to stop if there is a road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value even if the candidate number is equal to or less than the cutoff threshold. Control device. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The road-shoulder space detection means can simultaneously detect a plurality of road-shoulder spaces,
When a plurality of road shoulder spaces having evaluation values equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value are found at the same time, the stop position selection means selects the road shoulder space having the largest evaluation value as the road shoulder space to stop. Device. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The road-shoulder space detection means can simultaneously detect a plurality of road-shoulder spaces,
The stop position selection means selects a road shoulder space closest to the vehicle as a road shoulder space to stop when a plurality of road shoulder spaces having evaluation values equal to or higher than the reference evaluation value are found at the same time. . In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The stop position selection means selects a predetermined evaluation value of the last detected road shoulder space when no road shoulder space having an evaluation value equal to or greater than the reference evaluation value is found among the total number of candidate road shoulder spaces. If the evaluation value of the last detected shoulder space is less than the predetermined threshold, the appropriate threshold on the driving lane is selected. A vehicle controller that selects a location to stop. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The evaluation value calculation means is a vehicle control device that calculates an evaluation value based on the length and/or width of the road shoulder space. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
An automatic operation control means for controlling automatic operation of the vehicle,
The automatic operation control means is a vehicle control device that controls the vehicle to stop at the stop destination selected by the stop position selection means.

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