JP6641583B2 - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program.

  Conventionally, a current vehicle speed maintenance mode for maintaining the current vehicle speed of the own vehicle, an acceleration mode for accelerating the vehicle speed of the own vehicle to the target speed, and a deceleration mode for reducing the vehicle speed of the own vehicle to the target speed are set in advance. Is regarded as an acceleration suppression section, and one of the above modes is selected according to the distance from the vehicle position to the start and end points of the acceleration suppression section, and the traveling of the vehicle is controlled so that the vehicle speed becomes the selected mode. An invention of a driving assistance device for a vehicle is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-077272 A

  At present, control of turning right or left at an intersection may not be easy for an autonomous vehicle. Particularly, at an intersection having an irregular shape other than the cross shape or the T-shape, or at an intersection having many pedestrians or bicycles, it may be difficult to generate a target trajectory for passing through the intersection by sensing. In the related art, a device for smoothly passing through an intersection has not been sufficiently devised.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can allow an own vehicle to pass an intersection more smoothly. I do.

  (1): a recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the own vehicle; and a driving control unit that controls acceleration / deceleration and steering of the own vehicle based on a recognition result by the recognition unit, wherein the driving control unit includes: When the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle crosses the intersection and crosses the intersection, and a central divider exists on a road on which the own vehicle travels. When the vehicle is running in front of the host vehicle, the host vehicle follows the host vehicle by performing a running control according to the behavior of the preceding vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated. A vehicle control device that passes through an intersection.

  (2): In (1), when the own vehicle passes through the intersection, the driving control unit may determine that the direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is the direction in which the own vehicle passes through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle. And when there is a median strip on the road on which the host vehicle travels, the direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and the host vehicle travels A device that causes the own vehicle to start following the preceding vehicle at an earlier timing than when a median strip does not exist on the road.

  (3): In (1) or (2), when the own vehicle passes through the intersection, the driving control unit may control the direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle to cross the intersection. When the vehicle is traveling and the median strip exists on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, the direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle and A vehicle that follows the preceding vehicle by shortening the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle as compared with a case where a median strip does not exist on a road on which the vehicle travels.

  (4): In any one of (1) to (3), when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, the driving control unit may determine that the direction in which the own vehicle is to travel crosses the path of the oncoming vehicle. In the case where the vehicle is traveling in the direction passing through the intersection and the median strip exists on the road on which the vehicle travels, the vehicle continues to follow the preceding vehicle at least up to the end of the median strip. What to do.

  (5): In any one of (1) to (4), in a case where the own vehicle passes through an intersection, the driving control unit may determine that the direction in which the own vehicle is to travel crosses the path of the oncoming vehicle. In the direction passing through the intersection and when there is no median strip on the road on which the vehicle travels, the vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle and estimating the intention to proceed in the scheduled direction is regarded as a preceding vehicle. When the self-vehicle follows the intersection and follows the intersection, the turning start point of the preceding vehicle does not match the turning start point on the expected route for the self-vehicle to pass the intersection in the planned direction, A vehicle that does not make the preceding vehicle follow the own vehicle.

  (6): In (5), the driving control unit may cause the own vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle even when the turning angle of the preceding vehicle does not match the turning angle on the predicted route. Things not to do.

  In (7), the vehicle further includes an estimating unit for estimating an intention regarding a traveling direction of the preceding vehicle, and the estimating unit is on a dedicated lane for the preceding vehicle to travel in the same direction as the planned direction. In such a case, it is estimated that the preceding vehicle has an intention to proceed in the predetermined direction.

  (8): In any one of (1) to (7), the operation control unit is a dedicated lane provided in the intersection, the dedicated lane for traveling in the same direction as the planned direction. When the preceding vehicle is above the vehicle, the own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle and is determined to pass through the intersection.

  (9): In any one of (1) to (8), when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, the driving control unit may determine that the direction in which the own vehicle is to travel crosses the path of the oncoming vehicle. A leading vehicle that travels in front of the host vehicle in a direction that passes through the intersection and has a median strip on the road on which the host vehicle travels, and is intended to proceed in the predetermined direction; The vehicle does not cause the preceding vehicle to follow the own vehicle when the turning angle of the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined angle.

  (10): In any one of (1) to (9), when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, the driving control unit may determine that a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel crosses a path of the oncoming vehicle. A leading vehicle that travels in front of the host vehicle in a direction that passes through the intersection and has a median strip on the road on which the host vehicle travels, and is intended to proceed in the predetermined direction; The vehicle does not cause the preceding vehicle to follow the own vehicle when the turning angle of the preceding vehicle is out of a predetermined angle range when the own vehicle follows the intersection and follows the intersection.

  (11): In any one of (1) to (10), the driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, the direction in which the own vehicle is to travel crosses the path of the oncoming vehicle. If there is a median strip in the direction of passing through the intersection and on the approach path that straddles the oncoming lane to the outside area of the road on which the vehicle travels, the vehicle travels in front of the vehicle and travels ahead of the vehicle. A vehicle that follows the preceding vehicle whose traveling intention is estimated to travel in the direction and passes through the intersection.

  (12): In any one of (1) to (11), when the driving control unit does not follow the preceding vehicle, the driving control for passing through the intersection based on a recognition result by the recognition unit. Things to do.

  (13): The computer recognizes a situation around the own vehicle, controls acceleration / deceleration and steering of the own vehicle based on a result of the recognition, and when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, If the direction in which the vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle and the median strip exists on the road on which the vehicle travels, the vehicle travels in front of the vehicle and travels in the direction of the schedule A vehicle control method, comprising: performing traveling control in accordance with the behavior of a preceding vehicle whose traveling intention to be estimated to travel to the preceding vehicle to cause the preceding vehicle to follow the own vehicle and pass through the intersection.

  (14): a process of recognizing a situation surrounding the own vehicle to a computer; a process of controlling acceleration / deceleration and steering of the own vehicle based on a result of the recognition; and a case where the own vehicle passes an intersection. If the direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and if there is a median strip on the road on which the host vehicle travels, the vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle. A process of causing the preceding vehicle to follow the subject vehicle and passing through the intersection by performing traveling control in accordance with the behavior of the preceding vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the scheduled direction is estimated. Program.

  According to (1) to (14), the own vehicle can pass through the intersection more smoothly.

  According to (2) to (4), when the vehicle ahead can be followed with certainty, vehicle control suitable for the situation can be performed.

1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. FIG. 4 is a diagram (part 1) for describing a function of a following travel control unit 144; FIG. 9 is a diagram (part 2) for describing a function of a following travel control unit 144; FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 3) for describing the function of the following travel control unit 144; FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing an expected route generated by a turning mode prediction unit 148. FIG. 14 is a diagram for describing processing of a turning mode prediction unit 148 when a right turn waiting lane is set. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a process performed by the intersection passage control part 142 at the time of a right turn at an intersection. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a process performed by the intersection passage control part 142 at the time of a right turn at an intersection. It is a figure showing an example of hardware constitutions of automatic operation control device 100 of an embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the case where the left-hand traffic rule is applied will be described. However, when the right-hand traffic rule is applied, the left and right may be read in reverse.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a vehicle control device according to the 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 its driving source 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 using electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or electric power discharged from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

  The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a finder 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, a HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, The vehicle includes an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and 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. Note that the configuration illustrated 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 a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary position of a vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When imaging the front, the camera 10 is attached to an upper part of a front windshield, a rear surface of a rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly takes images of the periphery of the host 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 vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary position of the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and the speed of the object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

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

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

  The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing around the own vehicle M using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), a Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), or the like, or wirelessly communicates. It communicates with various server devices via the base station.

  The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupant of the host vehicle M and accepts an input operation by the occupant. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, and the like.

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

  The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 specifies the position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The position of the host vehicle M may be specified or supplemented 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 entirely shared with the above-described HMI 30. The route determining unit 53 may, for example, route from the position of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to a destination input by an occupant using the navigation HMI 52 (hereinafter, referred to as a route). 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 represented 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 the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by the 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 determining unit 61, and stores the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determining unit 61 divides the route on the map provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides every 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the second map information 62. Determine the recommended lane for each block. The recommended lane determining unit 61 determines which lane to travel from the left. When there is a branch point on the map route, the recommended lane determining unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for traveling 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 or information on the boundary of the lane. Also, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address / postal 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 operator 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a deformed steer, a joystick, and other operators. A sensor for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of the operation is attached to the driving operator 80, and the detection result is transmitted to the automatic driving control device 100 or the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device. It is output to part or all of 220.

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

  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 realizes, for example, a function based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function based on a given model in parallel. For example, the "recognize intersection" function is such that recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and recognition based on a predetermined condition (such as a signal capable of pattern matching and a road sign) are performed in parallel. It may be realized by scoring and evaluating comprehensively. Thereby, the reliability of the automatic driving is ensured.

  Based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 via the object recognition device 16, the recognition unit 130 determines the position of an object in the vicinity of the own vehicle M, and the state of the speed, acceleration, and the like. recognize. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on an absolute coordinate with the representative point (the center of gravity, the center of the drive shaft, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a represented area. The “state” of the object may include acceleration or jerk of the object, or “action state” (for example, whether or not the vehicle is changing lanes or trying to change lanes).

  In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, a lane (traveling lane) in which the host vehicle M is traveling. For example, the recognizing unit 130 may include a road demarcation line pattern (for example, an array of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 and a road demarcation line around the vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The traveling lane is recognized by comparing with the pattern of (1). The recognizing unit 130 may recognize a traveling lane by recognizing not only road lane markings, but also road lane markings, road shoulders, curbs, median strips, guardrails, and other lane boundaries (road boundaries). . In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be added. Further, the recognition unit 130 recognizes a stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a tollgate, and other road events.

  When recognizing the traveling lane, the recognizing unit 130 recognizes the position and the posture of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. The recognizing unit 130 determines, for example, the deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed with respect to a line connecting the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the vehicle M, with respect to the traveling lane. And posture. Instead, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the position of the reference point of the vehicle M with respect to any one of the side edges (the lane marking or the road boundary) of the traveling lane as the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. May be.

  The recognition unit 130 includes, for example, a preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132. This will be described later.

  The action plan generation unit 140 runs in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 in principle, and furthermore, the own vehicle M automatically (the driver) A target trajectory to be run in the future is generated (independent of the operation of). The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequence in which points (trajectory points) to be reached by the vehicle M are sequentially arranged. The orbit point is a point to which the vehicle M should reach every predetermined traveling distance (for example, about several [m]) along the road, and separately from it, for a predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 comma number [sec]). ) Is generated as part of the target trajectory. The track point may be a position to be reached by the vehicle M at the sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, information on the target speed and the target acceleration is represented by the interval between the orbit points.

  When generating the target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 may set an event for automatic driving. The automatic driving events include a constant-speed traveling event, a low-speed following event, a lane change event, an intersection passing event, a branch event, a merging event, and a takeover event. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the activated event.

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

  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 information on the target trajectory (trajectory point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores the information in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling driving force output device 200 or the brake 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 the feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M and the feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

  The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs traveling driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle to driving 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 these. The ECU controls the above configuration according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operator 80.

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

  The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to a rack and pinion mechanism, for example. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[Intersection passing control]
Hereinafter, each unit of the action plan generation unit 140 will be described. The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, an intersection passage control unit 142. The intersection passage control unit 142 includes, for example, a follow-up traveling control unit 144 and a self-passage control unit 156. The following running control unit 144 includes, for example, a following target specifying unit 146, a turning mode prediction unit 148, and a turning match determination unit 150.

  The intersection passage control unit 142 operates when the intersection passage event starts. When passing through the intersection, the intersection passage control unit 142 switches between a following traveling mode in which the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a self-passing mode in which the vehicle travels through the intersection by recognizing the destination by itself. Do.

  The follow-up traveling control unit 144 operates when the intersection passage control unit 142 selects the follow-up traveling mode. FIG. 3 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the function of the following travel control unit 144. The own vehicle M is going to turn right at the intersection CR according to the above-mentioned recommended route to the destination, and is going to proceed in the direction (A). A right turn is an example of an operation of “passing an intersection across the path of an oncoming vehicle” in a left-handed area or country. Conversely, a left turn is an example of an operation of “passing an intersection across the path of an oncoming vehicle” in a right-handed area or country. In the scene illustrated in FIG. 3, for example, when the intention of a right turn is estimated by the preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132 by activating the right turn signal of the preceding vehicle m1, the following traveling control unit 144 It is decided to follow and pass the intersection. The follow-up running control unit 144 generates a target trajectory so as to match the lateral position while maintaining a predetermined inter-vehicle distance with respect to the preceding vehicle m1. That is, the follow-up traveling control unit 144 causes the host vehicle M to travel following the preceding vehicle m1 by performing traveling control according to the behavior of the preceding vehicle m1.

  However, the preceding vehicle does not always go to the destination of the vehicle M. FIG. 4 is a diagram (part 2) for describing the function of the following travel control unit 144. In the scene shown in the figure, the preceding vehicle m2 is not turning right at the intersection CR, but entering the outside road area HA near the intersection CR. If the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle m2 in such a scene, the own vehicle M also enters the outside road area HA. For this reason, the following traveling control unit 144 stops the own vehicle M from traveling following the preceding vehicle m2, and entrusts the control to the own vehicle passage control unit 156. Because of such circumstances, in the scenes shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is preferable to follow the preceding vehicle at a certain interval, for example. Further, the automatic driving control device 100 performs control to increase the certainty of following at a specific right turn point by a function described below. This makes it possible to more appropriately follow the rightward turn.

  Hereinafter, the function of each functional unit when the host vehicle M makes a right turn will be described in order. The leading vehicle monitoring unit 132 estimates the intention of the leading vehicle to make a right turn. The leading vehicle monitoring unit 132 is an example of an “estimating unit”. For example, the leading vehicle monitoring unit 132 estimates the intention of the leading vehicle to make a right turn based on the traveling lane of the leading vehicle and the operating state of the turn signal. The preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132 outputs, for example, the type of each traveling lane (right-turn lane, left-turn lane, etc.) and the position of the preceding vehicle included in the second map information 62, and the position of the preceding vehicle on the road obtained from the captured image of the camera 10. The intention estimation is performed based on the content of the drawn road sign, the content of the road sign on the road, the operation state of the turn signal obtained from the image captured by the camera 10, and the like.

  Further, the preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132 recognizes whether or not the preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle M is turning, a turning start point, a turning angle, and the like. The leading vehicle monitoring unit 132 performs the above-described turning based on, for example, the inclination of the contour of the vehicle body in the image captured by the camera 10, the angle of the wheels, and the distribution of target points detected by the radar device 12 or the finder 14. Recognize the situation.

  The following target specifying unit 146 specifies the preceding vehicle to be followed. For example, the tracking target specifying unit 146 determines whether the vehicle is traveling ahead of the host vehicle M in a state where no other vehicle is present between itself and the host vehicle M, and (B) the preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132 When both of the conditions that the intention of the preceding vehicle to make a right turn are estimated are satisfied, the preceding vehicle is specified as the preceding vehicle to be followed when turning right. Note that the following target specifying unit 146 may specify the preceding vehicle to be followed based on conditions different from the above (A) and (B) when the vehicle M goes straight or turns left.

  In addition, the tracking target specifying unit 146 includes a central divider that extends continuously from the vicinity of the vehicle M to the intersection on the road on which the vehicle M travels, more specifically, on the front side of the intersection where the vehicle turns right. When this is recognized by the recognition unit 130, the degree of certainty of following the preceding vehicle is increased. More specifically, when the following target specifying unit 146 is located outside the oncoming lane on the road on which the host vehicle M is traveling on the near side of the intersection where the vehicle turns right, the following target identifying unit 146 determines whether the area HA outside the road is When the median strip exists on the approach route that crosses the oncoming lane, the certainty of following the preceding vehicle is increased. In addition, when there is no such an outside road area HA, even if there is no median strip, the certainty of following the preceding vehicle may be increased. In these cases, it is possible to exclude the possibility that the preceding vehicle enters the outside road area HA. The recognition unit 130 may recognize the existence of the median strip based on the output of the camera 10 or the like, or may recognize the existence of the median strip by comparing the second map information 62 with the position of the vehicle M. May be.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram (part 3) for describing the function of the following travel control unit 144. In the illustrated scene, the preceding vehicle m3 is traveling on the lane L2, which is a lane dedicated to right-turning. In addition, a median strip CD extends in front of the intersection CR. For this reason, the following target specifying unit 146 increases the certainty of following the preceding vehicle m3.

  The follow-up traveling control unit 144 causes the own vehicle M to follow the preceding vehicle m3 that has been determined to have at least a high degree of certainty of the follow-up by the follow-up target specifying unit 146, and passes the intersection CR. “To follow and pass through the intersection CR” includes one or both of starting to follow and continuing to follow. The following control unit 144 determines, for the preceding vehicle m3 that is determined to have a high degree of certainty of the following by the following target specifying unit 146, for example, (1) when the certainty of the following is not high (for example, the forward running shown in FIG. 3). (In the case of the vehicle m1), the timing of starting the following is earlier, (2) the inter-vehicle distance to the following vehicle m3 to follow is shorter than in the case where the certainty of the following is not high, (3) ) At least one of the controls such as continuing the tracking until at least near the end portion CD1 of the median strip CD is executed.

  The turning mode prediction unit 148 predicts a turning start point on a predicted route for the preceding vehicle to be followed to pass through the intersection CR in a predetermined direction. The turning mode prediction unit 148 performs matching between the second map information 62 and the current position of the vehicle M, for example, and generates an expected route on a road shape model based on the second map information 62. Then, the turning mode prediction unit 148 predicts a turning start point and a turning angle on the predicted route.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the predicted route generated by the turning mode prediction unit 148. In the figure, PR is the predicted route, SP is the turning start point, and θ is the turning angle. The turning mode prediction unit 148, for example, virtually sets the center line of each of the lane L2 and the lane L3, and sets a path connecting the center lines with arcs inscribed in both of the center lines as the predicted path. A plurality of types of arcs inscribed on both of the center lines can be set, but the turning mode prediction unit 148 generates an expected route on the assumption that the vehicle starts to turn from the boundary between the lane L2 and the intersection CR, for example. The boundary between the lane L2 and the intersection CR is set based on the position of the end CD1 of the median strip CD, the break of the road division line, the stop line (not shown), the position of the road corner CN, and the like. Then, the turning mode prediction unit 148 predicts a connection point between the center line of the lane L2 and the arc as the turning start point SP, and predicts an angle formed between the center line of the lane L2 and the center line of the lane L3 as the turning angle θ. When it is known that the road is a general-shaped crossroad by referring to the second map information 62, the generation of the predicted route may be omitted and the turning angle θ may be set to 90 degrees.

  In addition, when a right turn waiting lane (an example of a dedicated lane provided in the intersection) is set in the intersection CR, the turning mode prediction unit 148 may obtain an expected route based on the position of the right turn waiting lane. . FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the turning mode prediction unit 148 when the right turn waiting lane is set. As shown in the figure, a right turn waiting lane RWL defined by the road division line DL may be set (drawn on the road) in the intersection CR. The existence and position of the right turn waiting lane RWL are recognized by the recognition unit 130 recognizing the road division line DL. When the right turn waiting lane RWL exists, the turning mode prediction unit 148 generates the predicted route PR so as to pass through the right turn waiting lane RWL and connect from the end RWL1 of the right turn waiting lane RWL to the center line of the lane L3.

  The turning match determination unit 150 determines whether or not the turning start point of the preceding vehicle recognized by the preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132 matches the turning start point SP on the predicted route. Matching means that the distance between the turning start point of the preceding vehicle and the turning start point SP falls within a predetermined distance range.

  In addition, the turning coincidence determining unit 150 determines whether or not the turning angle of the preceding vehicle recognized by the preceding vehicle monitoring unit 132 matches the turning angle θ in the predicted route. Matching means that the difference between the turning angle of the preceding vehicle and the turning angle θ falls within a predetermined angle range.

  Under predetermined conditions (described later), the follow-up traveling control unit 144 determines whether at least one of the turning start point and the turning angle does not match the turning mode of the preceding vehicle under the control of the turning match determination unit 150. Stop passing the intersection following the running vehicle.

  After stopping following the preceding vehicle, or when passing through an intersection without first following the preceding vehicle, the self-passage control unit 156 is activated to generate a target trajectory for passing through the intersection. The own-pass passage control unit 156 generates the target trajectory of the own vehicle M by, for example, the same method as the turning mode prediction unit 148 generates the predicted route. In addition, the self-passage control unit 156 uses information acquired via the camera 10 or the like to perform matching between the arrangement of map-based peripheral objects (traffic lights, stop lines, road signs, etc.) and the actual arrangement of peripheral objects. To ensure the accuracy of the target trajectory.

  FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the intersection passage control unit 142 when making a right turn at an intersection. The process of this flowchart is performed when the action plan generation unit 140 determines that the vehicle M has reached a point at a predetermined distance to the intersection where the vehicle M is to turn right based on the map route and the current position of the vehicle M. Be started.

  First, the tracking target specifying unit 146 specifies a preceding vehicle to be tracked (step S100). The intersection passage control unit 142 determines whether or not there is a preceding vehicle to be followed (specified) (step S102). If there is no preceding vehicle to be followed (not specified), the own-pass passage control is performed. The unit 156 is activated to perform control for turning right at the intersection by itself (step S104).

  When there is a preceding vehicle to be followed, the following traveling control unit 144 determines whether or not there is a median strip extending continuously from the vicinity of the vehicle M to the intersection before the intersection where the vehicle turns right. (Step S106).

  If there is such a median strip, the following travel control unit 144 starts following the preceding vehicle with a high degree of certainty (step S108). Specifically, it is as described above.

  Next, the following vehicle control unit 144 determines whether the preceding vehicle specified as the following object is stopped in the right turn waiting lane or has been stopped in the past (step S110). If the preceding vehicle specified as the following vehicle is stopped in the right turn waiting lane or has been stopped in the past, the following traveling control unit 144 determines that the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle and makes a right turn. The own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle until the vehicle passes by (step S112).

  If the preceding vehicle specified as the target to be followed has not stopped in the right turn waiting lane and has not stopped in the right turn waiting lane in the past, the leading vehicle monitoring unit 132 recognizes the turning angle of the leading vehicle ( Step S114). Then, the turning coincidence determining unit 150 determines whether or not the turning angle of the preceding vehicle deviates from the turning angle θ in the predicted route (step S116).

  In the specific content of the determination processing in step S116, a plurality of patterns may be generated as follows according to the shape of the intersection.

(1) In the case where there is only one road to which the vehicle turns right The turn coincidence determination unit 150 turns on the predicted route when the turn angle of the preceding vehicle exceeds the turn angle θ plus a predetermined angle (for example, about 10 degrees). Is determined to be out of the angle θ. This determination is for stopping the following only when the preceding vehicle makes a U-turn.

(2) When there are a plurality of roads to which a right turn is to be made, and the road in the planned direction is the road with the smallest required turning angle. The turning match determination unit 150 performs the same processing as (1). This determination is for stopping the following when the preceding vehicle makes a U-turn or proceeds on a road having a turning angle deeper than the road in the predetermined direction.

(3) When there are a plurality of roads to which the vehicle turns right and the road in the planned direction is not the road with the smallest required turning angle. The turning match determination unit 150 determines that the turning angle of the preceding vehicle is the turning angle θ in the predicted route plus the turning angle θ. When a predetermined angle (for example, about 10 degrees) is exceeded, or when the turning angle of the preceding vehicle is less than the turning angle θ in the predicted route minus a predetermined angle (for example, about 10 degrees), and the speed of the preceding vehicle is equal to or more than the threshold Th1, When the turning angular velocity becomes less than the threshold Th2, it is determined that the turning angle θ deviates from the turning angle θ in the predicted route. The former determination is to stop following when the preceding vehicle makes a U-turn, and the latter determination is to follow when the preceding vehicle proceeds on a road with a smaller turning angle than the planned direction. It is for stopping.

  If it is determined that the turning angle of the preceding vehicle deviates from the turning angle θ on the predicted route, the intersection passage control unit 142 proceeds to step S104.

  When it is not determined that the turning angle of the preceding vehicle deviates from the turning angle θ on the predicted route, the intersection passage control unit 142 determines whether or not the own vehicle M has passed the intersection (step S118). When it is determined that the vehicle M has passed through the intersection, the intersection passage control unit 142 ends the processing of this flowchart, and when it is determined that the vehicle M has not passed through the intersection, the intersection passage control unit 142 The process returns to step S110.

  Proceeding to FIG. 9, even when it is determined in step S106 that there is no median strip as described above, the following travel control unit 144 starts following the preceding vehicle (step S130). In the following control in this case, the timing of starting the following is delayed, or the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle that follows is longer than the control in step S108.

  Next, the following control unit 144 determines whether or not the preceding vehicle specified as the following target is stopped in the right turn waiting lane or stopped in the past (step S132). If the preceding vehicle specified as the following vehicle is stopped in the right turn waiting lane or has been stopped in the past, the following traveling control unit 144 determines that the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle and makes a right turn. The own vehicle is caused to travel following the preceding vehicle until the vehicle passes by (step S134).

  If the preceding vehicle specified as the target to be followed has not stopped in the right turn waiting lane and has not stopped in the past in the right turn waiting lane, the leading vehicle monitoring unit 132 determines the turning start point and turning angle of the leading vehicle. Is recognized (step S136). Then, the turning coincidence determining unit 150 determines whether the turning start position of the preceding vehicle deviates from the turning start position SP on the predicted route (step S138). If a negative determination is obtained in step S138, the turning match determination unit 150 determines whether the turning angle of the preceding vehicle deviates from the turning angle θ in the predicted route (step S140). If an affirmative determination is made in either step S138 or step S140, the process proceeds to step S104, where the intersection passage control unit 142 activates the self-passage control unit 156 to turn right at the intersection by itself. Perform control. In this way, when the turning start position of the preceding vehicle deviates from the turning start position SP on the predicted route, the following of the preceding vehicle is stopped, so that, for example, the leading vehicle m4 shown in FIG. In addition, following the preceding vehicle traveling in the outside road area HA in front of the intersection CR can be quickly stopped, and the vehicle can pass through the intersection smoothly.

  When a negative determination is obtained in both step S138 and step S140, the intersection passage control unit 142 determines whether the vehicle M has passed the intersection (step S142). The intersection passage control unit 142 ends the process of this flowchart when determining that the vehicle M has passed the intersection, and returns the process to step S132 when determining that the vehicle M has not passed the intersection.

  When the own vehicle M is driven to follow the preceding vehicle as the processing of steps S108, S112, S130, S134, etc. in the above-described flowchart, the following may be canceled in accordance with a change in the surrounding environment. Changes in the surrounding environment include the fact that a pedestrian is crossing between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle M, and that the traffic light has been changed to a state of no traffic (for example, a red light) after the preceding vehicle has passed the intersection. And the like. Further, after canceling the following, the intersection passage control unit 142 may cause the own vehicle M to pass through the intersection by itself, or may trace the traveling trajectory of the preceding vehicle, thereby eliminating the change in the surrounding environment. The self-vehicle M may be caused to travel based on the traveling locus traced in a case where, for example, the pedestrian has finished crossing or the traffic light is in a traffic permission state.

  According to the automatic driving control device 100 of the embodiment described above, when the own vehicle passes through the intersection, the direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and If a median strip exists on the road on which the vehicle travels, the vehicle travels in front of the vehicle and is expected to travel in the expected direction. Can cause the own vehicle M to pass through the intersection.

  Although the above description does not refer to the left turn, the left turn may also pass through the intersection following the preceding vehicle in which the intention to make a left turn is estimated similarly to the host vehicle. In this case, the same processing as the processing of steps S136 to S140 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 may be performed, and if the turning start position or the turning angle deviates from the assumption, the following may be stopped.

  Also, in the above description, if there is a preceding vehicle to be followed, the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle and passes through the intersection without any special conditions.However, only at night or during stormy weather Alternatively, the vehicle may pass through an intersection following the preceding vehicle. In these cases, the sensing ability of the camera 10 or the like is reduced in the daytime or in good weather.

[Hardware configuration]
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the automatic driving control device 100 includes a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 100-3 used as a working memory, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing a boot program and the like. 100-4, a storage device 100-5 such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a drive device 100-6 are connected to each other by an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with components other than the automatic driving control device 100. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2. This program is expanded in the RAM 100-3 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) or the like, and is executed by the CPU 100-2. Thereby, a part or all of the recognition unit 130, the action plan generation unit 140, and the second control unit 160 are realized.

The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.
A storage device storing the program,
And a hardware processor,
The hardware processor executes a program stored in the storage device,
Recognize the situation around your vehicle,
Controlling the acceleration / deceleration and steering of the host vehicle based on the result of the recognition,
When the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle crosses the intersection and crosses the intersection, and a central divider exists on a road on which the own vehicle travels. When the vehicle is running in front of the host vehicle, the driving control in accordance with the behavior of the host vehicle is performed on the preceding vehicle whose traveling intention in the predetermined direction is estimated, so that the preceding vehicle follows the preceding vehicle. Pass through an intersection,
The vehicle control device is configured as follows.

  As described above, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described using the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be added.

Reference Signs List 100 automatic driving control device 120 first control unit 130 recognition unit 132 preceding vehicle turning recognition unit 140 action plan generation unit 142 intersection passage control unit 144 following running control unit 146 following target specifying unit 148 turning mode prediction unit 150 turning match determination unit 156 Self-passage control unit 160 Second control unit

Claims (13)

A recognition unit for recognizing a situation surrounding the own vehicle;
A driving control unit that controls acceleration and deceleration and steering of the vehicle based on the recognition result by the recognition unit,
The driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a road on which the own vehicle travels. If there is a median in
The vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle and travels in accordance with the behavior of the preceding vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated, so that the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle and passes through the intersection. Let
The direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and at an earlier timing than when the median strip does not exist on the road on which the host vehicle runs. Causing the own vehicle to start following the preceding vehicle,
Vehicle control device. A recognition unit for recognizing a situation surrounding the own vehicle;
A driving control unit that controls acceleration and deceleration and steering of the vehicle based on a recognition result by the recognition unit,
The operation control unit,
When the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle crosses the intersection and crosses the intersection, and a central divider exists on a road on which the own vehicle travels. If you do
The vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle and travels in accordance with the behavior of the preceding vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated. Let
The direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is a direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and the leading vehicle is in comparison with the case where the median strip does not exist on the road on which the host vehicle runs. And shorten the inter-vehicle distance of the own vehicle, to cause the own vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle,
Vehicle control device. The driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a road on which the own vehicle travels. If there is a median strip, at least up to the end of the median strip continues to follow the preceding vehicle to the own vehicle,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . The driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a road on which the own vehicle travels. If there is no median strip, the vehicle travels in front of the vehicle and follows the vehicle in front of the vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated to pass through the intersection, and If the turning start point of the self-vehicle does not match the turning start point on the predicted route for the self-vehicle to pass through the intersection in the predetermined direction, the self-vehicle does not cause the preceding vehicle to follow the self-vehicle,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . Even when the turning angle of the preceding vehicle does not match the turning angle in the predicted route, the driving control unit does not perform the following vehicle to follow the own vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 4 . The vehicle further includes an estimating unit that estimates an intention regarding a traveling direction of the preceding vehicle,
The estimating unit, when the preceding vehicle is on a dedicated lane for traveling in the same direction as the scheduled direction, estimates that the preceding vehicle has an intention to proceed in the scheduled direction.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The driving control unit is a dedicated lane provided in the intersection, when the preceding vehicle is on a dedicated lane for traveling in the same direction as the scheduled direction, Confirm that the vehicle will follow the intersection and follow the vehicle,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . A recognition unit for recognizing a situation surrounding the own vehicle;
A driving control unit that controls acceleration and deceleration and steering of the vehicle based on a recognition result by the recognition unit,
The driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a road on which the own vehicle travels. In the state where the median strip is present, when the vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle and passes the intersection by causing the host vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle whose intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated, When the turning angle of the running vehicle exceeds a predetermined angle, the vehicle does not cause the preceding vehicle to follow the own vehicle,
Vehicle control device. The driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a road on which the own vehicle travels. In the state where the median strip is present, when the vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle and passes the intersection by causing the host vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle whose intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated, When the turning angle of the running vehicle is out of the predetermined angle range, the host vehicle does not follow the preceding vehicle,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . The driving control unit may be configured such that, when the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle travels over the course of the oncoming vehicle and passes through the intersection, and a road on which the own vehicle travels. If there is a median strip on the approach route that straddles the oncoming lane to the area outside the road, the vehicle travels in front of the vehicle and the vehicle ahead is estimated to have the intention to proceed in the planned direction. Follow and pass through the intersection,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . When the driving control unit does not follow the preceding vehicle, the driving control unit performs driving control for passing through the intersection based on a recognition result by the recognition unit.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . Computer
Recognize the situation around your vehicle,
Controlling the acceleration / deceleration and steering of the host vehicle based on the result of the recognition,
When the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle crosses the intersection and crosses the intersection, and a central divider exists on a road on which the own vehicle travels. If you do
The vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle and travels in accordance with the behavior of the preceding vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated. Let
The direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and at an earlier timing than when the median strip does not exist on the road on which the host vehicle runs. Causing the own vehicle to start following the preceding vehicle,
Vehicle control method. On the computer,
A process of recognizing a situation around the own vehicle;
A process of controlling acceleration and deceleration and steering of the host vehicle based on the result of the recognition;
When the own vehicle passes through an intersection, a direction in which the own vehicle is to travel is a direction in which the own vehicle crosses the intersection and crosses the intersection, and a central divider exists on a road on which the own vehicle travels. If you do
The vehicle travels in front of the host vehicle and travels in accordance with the behavior of the preceding vehicle in which the intention to proceed in the predetermined direction is estimated. Let
The direction in which the host vehicle is to travel is the direction passing through the intersection across the path of the oncoming vehicle, and at an earlier timing than when the median strip does not exist on the road on which the host vehicle runs. A process of causing the host vehicle to start following the preceding vehicle ;
A program for executing

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