JP6809087B2 - Driving support method and driving support device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving support method and a driving support device that support the driving of a vehicle.

A technique for determining whether or not to change the lane of the own vehicle based on the first distance and the first relative speed with respect to the object in front and the second distance and the second relative speed with respect to the object behind after the lane change. It is known (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-20988

In the conventional technique, there is a problem that the lane change plan cannot be executed when another vehicle is running in parallel with the own vehicle at the timing of executing the planned lane change.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the success rate of planned lane changes.

According to the present invention , a preset lane change execution condition is set when the own vehicle decelerates or accelerates based on the relationship between the own vehicle traveling in the first lane of the route and another vehicle traveling in the second lane. If the time until the fulfillment is less than the predetermined threshold value, when generating the first control command for preliminary action to control the speed of the vehicle, satisfies the execution condition of the car line changes, the vehicle The above problem is solved by generating a second control command for a lane change action for moving the vehicle from the first lane to the second lane.

According to the present invention, the success rate of planned lane changes can be improved.

It is a block block diagram of the driving support system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the execution permission condition of a lane change. It is the first figure for demonstrating the scene where a lane change is not successful. It is the 2nd figure for demonstrating the scene where the lane change is not successful. It is a figure for demonstrating the scene where the lane change is not successful when the vehicle speed is maintained. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where the lane change succeeds when the vehicle speed is maintained. FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining a case where the lane change is successful when decelerating, and FIG. 5B is a diagram for explaining a case where the lane change is successful when accelerating. is there. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the driving support processing of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the subroutine of planning / execution processing of a preliminary action.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a case where the driving support device according to the present invention is applied to a driving support system mounted on a vehicle will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a block configuration of the driving support system 1. The driving support system 1 of the present embodiment includes a driving support device 100 and an in-vehicle device 200. The embodiment of the driving support device 100 of the present invention is not limited, and it may be mounted on a vehicle and integrally configured with the in-vehicle device 200, or as a portable terminal device capable of exchanging information with the in-vehicle device 200. It may be configured independently. Terminal devices include devices such as smartphones and PDAs. The driving support system 1, the driving support device 100, the in-vehicle device 200, and each of the devices provided therein are computers that include a calculation processing device such as a CPU and execute calculation processing.

First, the in-vehicle device 200 will be described. The in-vehicle device 200 of the present embodiment cooperates to control the driving behavior of the own vehicle according to the driving plan devised by the driving support device 100.
The vehicle-mounted device 200 of the present embodiment includes a vehicle controller 210, a navigation device 220, an obstacle detection device 230, a lane departure prevention device 240, and an output device 250. Each device constituting the in-vehicle device 200 is connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN in order to exchange information with each other. The in-vehicle device 200 can exchange information with the driving support device 100 via the in-vehicle LAN. The vehicle controller 210 of the present embodiment operates in cooperation with the detection device 260, the drive device 270, and the steering device 280.

The detection device 260 includes a steering angle sensor 261, a vehicle speed sensor 262, and an attitude sensor 263. The rudder angle sensor 261 detects information such as rudder steering, steering amount, steering speed, and steering acceleration. The vehicle speed sensor 262 detects the speed and / or acceleration of the vehicle. The posture sensor 263 of the present embodiment includes a gyro sensor. The attitude sensor 263 detects the position of the vehicle, the pitch angle of the vehicle, the yaw angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the like. From these detected values, the amount of change in the posture of the vehicle can be obtained. The detection device 260 outputs the detection result to the vehicle controller 210 or the driving support device 100.

The vehicle controller 210 of the present embodiment is an in-vehicle computer such as an engine control unit (ECU), and electronically controls the driving of the vehicle. Examples of the vehicle of the present embodiment include an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a drive source, an engine vehicle having an internal combustion engine as a drive source, and a hybrid vehicle having both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as drive sources. The electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle using an electric motor as a drive source includes a type in which a secondary battery is used as a power source for the electric motor and a type in which a fuel cell is used as a power source for the electric motor.

The drive device 270 of the present embodiment includes a drive mechanism of the own vehicle V1. The drive mechanism includes an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine which are the above-mentioned drive sources, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmit the output from these drive sources to the drive wheels, and a braking device that brakes the wheels. 271 and the like are included. The drive device 270 generates each control signal of these drive mechanisms based on the input signal by the accelerator operation and the brake operation and the control signal acquired from the vehicle controller 210 or the driving support device 100, and performs driving control including acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle. Execute. By sending control information to the drive device 270, driving control including acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle can be automatically performed. In the case of a hybrid vehicle, the torque distribution output to each of the electric motor and the internal combustion engine according to the driving state (driving state) of the vehicle is also sent to the drive device 270.

The steering device 280 of the present embodiment includes a steering actuator. The steering actuator includes a motor and the like attached to the column shaft of the steering. The steering device 280 executes change control of the moving direction of the vehicle based on the control signal acquired from the vehicle controller 210 and the steering operation amount acquired from the steering angle sensor 261. The vehicle controller 210 executes control for changing the moving direction by transmitting control information including the steering amount to the steering device 280. Further, the driving support device 100 may execute the change control of the moving direction of the vehicle by controlling the braking amount of each wheel of the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle controller 210 executes control for changing the moving direction of the vehicle by transmitting control information including the braking amount of each wheel to the braking device 271. The control of the drive device 270 and the control of the steering device 280 may be performed completely automatically, or may be performed in a mode of supporting the drive operation (progress operation) of the driver. The control of the drive device 270 and the control of the steering device 280 can be interrupted / stopped by the intervention operation of the driver. The vehicle controller 210 controls the operation of the own vehicle according to a predetermined operation plan.

The vehicle-mounted device 200 of the present embodiment includes a navigation device 220. The navigation device 220 of the present embodiment calculates a route from the current position of the own vehicle to the destination. As the route calculation method, a method known at the time of filing based on the graph search theory such as Dijkstra's algorithm or A * can be used. The calculated route is sent to the vehicle controller 210 for use in driving support of the own vehicle. The calculated route is output as route guidance information via the output device 250 described later. The navigation device 220 includes a position detection device 221. The position detection device 221 of the present embodiment includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) and detects the traveling position (latitude / longitude) of a moving vehicle.

The navigation device 220 includes accessible map information 222. The map information 222 includes road information 223 and traffic rule information 224. The map information 222 (road information 223, traffic rule information 224) may be configured as a separate body from the in-vehicle device 200 as long as it can be read by the navigation device 220, or is a server that can be read via communication means. It may be stored in. The map information 222 of the present embodiment is a so-called electronic map, which is information in which latitude / longitude and map information are associated with each other. The map information 222 has road information 223 associated with each point.

The road information 223 of the present embodiment is defined by a node and a link connecting the nodes. Links are identified at the lane level. The road information 223 of the present embodiment stores information about the position of the intersection, the approach direction of the intersection, the type of the intersection, and other information about the intersection for each identification information of each road link. In addition, the road information 223 relates to the road type, road width, road shape, whether or not to go straight, the priority relationship of progress, whether or not to pass (whether or not to enter the adjacent lane) and other roads for each identification information of each road link. Information is associated and stored.

The navigation device 220 calculates the route on which the own vehicle travels based on the current position of the own vehicle detected by the position detection device 221. The navigation device 220 of the present embodiment specifies a road link as a route on which the own vehicle travels with reference to the road information 223 described later. The route of the present embodiment includes specific information (coordinate information) of one or more points that the own vehicle will pass through in the future.

The traffic rule information 224 of the present embodiment is a rule regarding traffic that the vehicle should comply with when traveling, such as pausing on the route, parking / stopping prohibition, slowing down, and speed limit. Each rule is defined for each point (latitude, longitude) and for each link. The traffic rule information 224 may include information on traffic signals acquired from a device provided on the road side.

The vehicle-mounted device 200 of the present embodiment includes an obstacle detection device 230. The obstacle detection device 230 of the present embodiment detects the situation around the own vehicle. The obstacle detection device 230 of the own vehicle detects the existence of obstacles including obstacles existing around the own vehicle and the existence position thereof. Although not particularly limited, the obstacle detection device 230 of the present embodiment includes a camera 231. The camera 231 of the present embodiment is an image pickup device including an image pickup element such as a CCD. The camera 231 may be an infrared camera or a stereo camera. The camera 231 is installed at a predetermined position of the own vehicle and images obstacles around the own vehicle. The circumference of the own vehicle includes the front, the rear, the front side, and the rear side of the own vehicle. Obstacles include moving objects such as pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles and other vehicles.

The obstacle detection device 230 may analyze the image data and identify the type of obstacle based on the analysis result. Obstacles include other vehicles. The obstacle detection device 230 uses pattern matching technology or the like to identify whether the obstacle included in the image data is a moving object such as a vehicle or a pedestrian, or a stationary object such as a sign. The obstacle detection device 230 processes the acquired image data and acquires the positional relationship between the obstacle and the own vehicle. The obstacle detection device 230 calculates the distance and arrival time from the own vehicle to the obstacle.

The obstacle detection device 230 of the present embodiment may use the radar device 232. As the radar device 232, a method known at the time of filing, such as a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar, or an ultrasonic radar, can be used. The obstacle detection device 230 detects the presence / absence of an obstacle, the position of the obstacle, and the distance to the obstacle based on the received signal of the radar device 232. The obstacle detection device 230 detects the presence / absence of an obstacle, the position of the obstacle, and the distance to the obstacle based on the clustering result of the point cloud information acquired by the laser radar.

If the other vehicle and the own vehicle can communicate with each other, the obstacle detection device 230 uses the state information such as the vehicle speed, the moving direction, and the acceleration of the other vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor of the other vehicle as an obstacle. It may be acquired as information. Of course, the obstacle detection device 230 can also acquire state information including the position, moving direction, speed, and acceleration of another vehicle from an external device of the intelligent transportation system.

The vehicle-mounted device 200 of the present embodiment includes a lane departure prevention device 240. The lane departure prevention device 240 includes a camera 241 and road information 242. The camera 241 may share the camera 231 of the obstacle detection device. The road information 242 may share the road information 223 of the navigation device. The lane departure prevention device 240 detects the route and lane in which the own vehicle travels from the image captured by the camera 241. The lane departure prevention device 240 includes a lane departure prevention function (lane keep support function) that controls the movement of the own vehicle so that the position of the lane marker in the lane of the route and the position of the own vehicle maintain a predetermined relationship. The driving support device 100 of the present embodiment controls the movement of the own vehicle so that the own vehicle travels in the center of the lane.

The vehicle-mounted device 200 of the present embodiment includes an output device 250. The output device 250 includes a display 251 and a speaker 252. The output device 250 of the present embodiment outputs various information related to driving support to the user or the occupants of surrounding vehicles. In the present embodiment, the output device 250 outputs information on the content of the driving support and the driving control based on the driving support. The occupants of the own vehicle are notified in advance via the display 251 and the speaker 252 that the route change, deceleration, acceleration, and steering for avoiding contact with the obstacle are executed. In addition, the information regarding the driving support may be notified in advance to the occupants of the own vehicle or the occupants of other vehicles via the vehicle interior lamps and the vehicle interior lamps. Further, the output device 250 of the present embodiment may output various information related to driving support to an external device such as an intelligent transport system (ITS) via a communication device.

The driving support device 100 will be described.
The driving support device 100 of the present embodiment includes a driving support processor 10, an output device 20, and a communication device 30. The output device 20 sends the determined content of the driving support to the in-vehicle device 200. Further, the output device 20 has the same function as the output device 250 of the in-vehicle device 200 described above. The display 251 and the speaker 252 of the in-vehicle device 200 can be used as the output device 20 of the driving support device 100. The communication device 30 executes communication with the outside of the driving support system 1 or communication with each device constituting the driving support system 1. The devices included in each driving support system 1 can exchange information with each other via a wired or wireless communication line.

The driving support device 100 includes a driving support processor 10 that functions as a control device thereof. Prior to executing the driving action of changing lanes, the driving support processor 10 executes a preliminary action of controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle based on the relationship between the other preceding vehicle and the own vehicle.

Specifically, the driving support processor 10 acquires information on events around the own vehicle. The information about the event includes the state information of the own vehicle and the state information of obstacles such as other vehicles. The event includes state information of another vehicle traveling in a second lane in which the own vehicle may change lanes, such as an adjacent lane along the first lane in which the own vehicle travels and a lane next to the lane. The state information includes the position, moving direction, speed, and acceleration of the own vehicle and / or another vehicle. The state information of the own vehicle is acquired from the in-vehicle device 200. The state information of the other vehicle is detected by the detection device 260 (or a similar detection device) of the vehicle-mounted device 200 included in the other vehicle. The pedestrian state information is detected by the GPS function and the speed / acceleration detection function of the smartphone carried by the pedestrian. Information on the state of obstacles such as other vehicles and pedestrians is acquired via the communication device 30.

The information about the event includes the information about the route on which the own vehicle travels. Information about the event includes the intersections, junctions, and confluences that the vehicle encounters, especially for the lane in which it is traveling. Information about the event includes information about facilities such as parking areas and service areas that exist along the route on which the vehicle is traveling. Information about these events is obtained from the navigation device 220.

The driving support processor 10 generates a first control command for a preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, and then, when the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied, the own vehicle is moved from the first lane to the second lane. An operation that functions as a driving support device 100 by executing a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program for generating a second control command for a lane change action to be moved to is stored and a program stored in this ROM. It is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a circuit and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as an accessible storage device. The driving support processor 10 includes a storage medium in which a program for executing the driving support process is stored.

The driving support processor 10 evaluates events (including obstacles) around the own vehicle traveling in the first lane of the route based on preset lane change execution conditions, and satisfies the lane change execution conditions. In this case, it has a function to formulate and execute a lane change action plan for moving the own vehicle from the first lane to the second lane.

The driving support processor 10 formulates a lane change action plan when it is necessary to change lanes in order to travel on the guidance route of the own vehicle V1 and when the occupant instructs it.
The driving support processor 10 determines whether or not the execution condition for changing lanes is satisfied / unsatisfied at a timing required. The driving support processor 10 has at least (1) a first timing for formulating a driving plan for a lane change (hereinafter, also referred to as a planning timing; the same applies hereinafter), and (2) a first timing for executing (starting) the drafted lane change. Satisfaction of lane change execution conditions at 2 timings (hereinafter, also referred to as execution timing; the same shall apply hereinafter) and (3) 3rd timing (hereinafter, also referred to as completion timing; the same shall apply hereinafter) when the lane change to the 2nd lane is completed. / Judge unsatisfied.

At the first timing, the driving support processor 10 determines whether or not to execute the driving action of changing lanes. The driving support processor 10 goes from the first timing to the third timing based on the position / traveling direction / vehicle speed of the own vehicle and the position / traveling direction / vehicle speed of the event (other vehicle) acquired at the first timing. Predict the positional relationship between your vehicle and other vehicles over time. The driving support processor 10 determines the predicted positions of the own vehicle and the other vehicle in all the times from the first timing (planned timing) to the third timing (completion timing) through the second timing (execution timing). Determine if the relationship meets the lane change execution conditions. When the driving support processor 10 determines that the execution condition for changing lanes is satisfied, the driving support processor 10 "makes up" a driving plan for changing lanes. The operation plan can include a second timing for executing the plan. The second timing may be defined as after a predetermined time of the first timing.

At the second timing, the driving support processor 10 determines whether or not to execute the driving action of changing lanes. Determine if it is possible to actually carry out the planned lane change driving behavior. The driving support processor 10 has its own vehicle from the second timing to the third timing based on the position / traveling direction / vehicle speed of the own vehicle and the position / traveling direction / vehicle speed of the event (other vehicle) acquired in the second timing. Predict the positional relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles over time. In the driving support processor 10, the predicted positional relationship between the own vehicle and another vehicle satisfies the lane change execution condition at all times from the second timing (execution timing) to the third timing (completion timing). Decide whether to do it or not. When the driving support processor 10 determines that the lane change execution condition is satisfied, the driving support processor 10 "executes" the lane change driving plan.

An example of determining whether the lane change execution condition is satisfied / unsatisfied will be described based on FIGS. 2A (a) to 2 (c). The driving support processor 10 acquires the vehicle speed of the own vehicle and the vehicle speed (state information) of another vehicle around the own vehicle (including front, side, and rear; the same applies hereinafter), and the own vehicle and the surrounding other vehicles. If it is predicted that the vehicle will approach less than a predetermined distance, it is judged that the lane change execution conditions are not satisfied, and the lane change is prohibited. In other words, when the own vehicle changes lanes (moves) from the first lane L1 currently running to another second lane L2, it is possible to secure a state in which the own vehicle is separated from other surrounding vehicles by a predetermined distance or more. If predicted, plan or implement a lane change. In the present embodiment, the first lane L1 and the second lane L2 may be different lanes and are not limited to adjacent lanes.

In the state shown in FIG. 2A (a), the position of the own vehicle V1 traveling in the first lane L1 and the other vehicle V2 traveling in the second lane L2 are the same along the traveling direction (position in the Y-axis direction). Is common). That is, the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 are running in parallel. When the own vehicle V1 moves to the second lane L2, there is a high possibility that the own vehicle V1 approaches the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined distance, and the execution condition for changing lanes is not satisfied. Therefore, the driving plan for changing the lane of the own vehicle V1 to the second lane L2 is not drafted (first timing), and even if it is drafted, it is not executed.
In the state shown in FIG. 2A (b), the other vehicle V2 traveling in the second lane L2 is traveling ahead of the own vehicle V1 traveling in the first lane L1 in the traveling direction (Y-axis direction). In order for the own vehicle V1 to change lanes to the second lane L2, the vehicle must travel at a vehicle speed equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed (a vehicle speed that can overtake another vehicle V2), and if the vehicle moves to the second lane, the own vehicle must travel. It is highly possible that V1 approaches another vehicle V2 within a predetermined distance. Therefore, the driving plan for changing the lane of the own vehicle V1 to the second lane L2 is not drafted (first timing), and even if it is drafted, it is not executed.
In the state shown in FIG. 2A (c), the other vehicle V2 traveling in the second lane L2 is traveling behind the own vehicle V1 traveling in the first lane L1 in the traveling direction (Y-axis direction). When the own vehicle V1 moves to the second lane, it is highly probable that the own vehicle V1 approaches the following other vehicle V2 within a predetermined distance. When the own vehicle V1 moves to the second lane, the following other vehicle V2 is forced to decelerate unless it moves at a high speed exceeding the vehicle speed of the other vehicle V2. Therefore, the driving plan for changing the lane of the own vehicle V1 to the second lane L2 is not drafted (first timing), and even if it is drafted, it is not executed.

On the contrary, when the state shown in FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (c) does not occur and the own vehicle V1 moves to the second lane, the own vehicle V1 moves to the second lane at all times from the first timing to the third timing. If the distance between the vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 can be sufficiently secured, the lane change execution condition at the determination timing is satisfied. When the preset lane change execution conditions are satisfied, the lane change of the own vehicle V1 is permitted. In this case, the vehicle speed of the other vehicle V2, the lane width, and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 are taken into consideration. Of course, regarding the positional relationship with another vehicle traveling in the second lane (vehicle traveling in front of and behind the other vehicle V2) and another vehicle traveling in the first lane (vehicle traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle V1). Also consider.

It is assumed that the lane change of the own vehicle V1 is permitted at the first timing, which is the planning timing of the driving action. However, even if it is determined (predicted) that the lane change execution condition is satisfied at the first timing, if it is determined that the lane change execution condition is not satisfied at the second timing, the lane change operation plan is executed. Instead, the lane change driving plan fails.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a scene in which the lane change is not successful. As shown in FIG. 3A (a), even if the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicles V2 and V3 are running in parallel at the first timing, the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V2 and V3 are relatively low, and the own vehicle V1 When the relative speed (absolute value) of the other vehicles V2 and V3 is large, or when the other vehicles V2 and V3 are decelerating, it is predicted that the lane change execution condition is satisfied. The driving support processor 10 sets a second timing (execution timing), and makes a plan to move the own vehicle V1 from the first lane L1 to the second lane L2 at the second timing.
Immediately before the second timing, the driving support processor 10 confirms whether or not the lane change can be executed. When the vehicle speed of the other vehicles V2 and V3 changes higher than that of the first timing at the confirmation timing (when the deceleration in the first timing is changed and the other vehicles V2 and V3 are accelerating), FIG. 3A ( As shown in b), since the state of parallel running is continued, it is determined that the execution condition of the lane change is not satisfied. If it is determined that the driving plan drafted at the first timing cannot be executed based on the judgment immediately before the second timing, the driving plan for changing lanes at the second timing is not executed. After confirmation, the acceleration and steering operation plan for lane change, which was scheduled to start at the second timing, will not be executed. In this way, in the process of determining whether the lane change execution conditions are satisfied / unsatisfied and then performing speed / steering control, the lane change operation plan is planned depending on the changes in the behavior of other vehicles V2 and V3. May fail (fail).

As shown in FIG. 3B (a), it is assumed that an operation plan for driving the own vehicle V1 according to the guidance route RT1 designated by the navigation device 220 is formulated. In order to drive the own vehicle V1 according to the guidance route RT1 designated by the navigation device 220, it is necessary to move the own vehicle V1 from the first lane L1 to the second lane L2. However, if the scene where the lane change driving plan described in FIG. 3A fails occurs in the scene where the route change is required as shown in FIG. 3B, the own vehicle V1 cannot follow the guidance route RT1 designated by the navigation device 220. .. In this way, if the driving plan for changing lanes necessary for traveling on the guidance route to the destination cannot be executed (fails), the own vehicle V1 cannot be guided to the destination.
As described above, since the failure of the drafted lane change driving plan affects the evaluation of the driving support system 1 itself, it is an important issue to improve the success rate of the driving plan.

The driving support processor 10 of the present embodiment has the first lane among the acquired events around the own vehicle V1 at the "preliminary timing" before the first timing at which the driving plan for the lane change action is made. Executes a "preliminary action" for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 based on the relationship between the other vehicle V2 traveling in a different second lane and the own vehicle V1. The driving support processor 10 generates a first control command for the "preliminary action" at the "preliminary timing" and sends it to the vehicle controller 210 of the own vehicle V1.

The "preliminary action" of the present embodiment is the own vehicle before determining whether the lane change execution condition is satisfied / unsatisfied in order to formulate a driving plan for the lane change action and / or confirm the execution of the driving plan. It is a driving behavior that controls the vehicle speed of. By executing the "preliminary action" to control the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 in advance at the "preliminary timing" before determining whether the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied / unsatisfied, the other vehicles V1 and V2 The absolute value of the relative speed of, and the distance to other vehicles V1 and V2 can be expanded in advance. In other words, the driving support processor 10 has an empty space (others) on the side (adjacent lane) of the own vehicle V1 due to the vehicle speed limitation of the own vehicle V1 before determining whether or not the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied. Create a space where no vehicle exists). By this "preliminary action", it is possible to reduce the possibility that the judgment of satisfaction / non-satisfaction of the execution condition of the lane change occurs (the judgment is overturned) in the time from the "preliminary timing" to the "execution timing". As a result, the success rate of the driving plan for the lane change behavior can be improved.

The driving support processor 10 of the present embodiment determines the "preliminary timing" for generating the first control command for the "preliminary action" for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1.
The "preliminary timing" is set before the second timing (execution timing) for determining whether or not the execution condition for changing lanes is satisfied. The "preliminary timing" may be set before the first timing (planning timing) for determining whether or not the lane change execution condition is satisfied. The "preliminary action" can be executed at a predetermined cycle, but in the present embodiment, the vehicle speed is controlled from the viewpoint of improving the success rate of the driving plan for changing lanes and from the viewpoint of not performing unnecessary vehicle speed control. Select (extract) an effective timing for (performing a preliminary action) as a "preliminary timing".

The driving support processor 10 evaluates the possibility that the own vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to another second lane, and extracts a timing at which there is a high possibility of changing lanes as a "preliminary timing".
Specifically, the driving support processor 10 acquires map information 222 including information on the route on which the own vehicle V1 travels, and the own vehicle V1 is separated from the first lane based on an event on the route on which the own vehicle V1 travels. Judge the possibility of moving to the second lane of. The driving support processor 10 acquires information on events related to the route on which the own vehicle V1 travels via the navigation device 220. The navigation device 220 acquires this information from the map information 222. The map information 222 includes road information 223 and traffic rule information 224. The possibility that the own vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to another second lane is determined based on the map information 222 regarding the first lane and the second lane. The navigation device 220 determines the travel route of the own vehicle V1 based on the designated destination and the destination determined from the travel history. Further, the navigation device 220 determines the first lane in which the own vehicle V1 travels on the traveling route based on the road information 223 and the current position of the own vehicle V1.

When the driving support processor 10 has facilities such as an intersection, a branch point, a confluence point, and a parking area on the traveling direction side of the own vehicle V1 in the second lane attached to the first lane to which the current position of the own vehicle V1 belongs. It is judged that there is a high possibility that the own vehicle V1 will move from the first lane to another second lane. In such a case, the own vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to the second lane, turns left or right at an intersection, leaves the main lane at a branch point, enters the main lane at a confluence, uses a parking area, etc. This is because it can be judged that the possibility is relatively high. The first lane and the second lane need only have the same laying direction, and are not limited to adjacent lanes. Based on map information 222, if it is judged that there is a relatively high possibility of turning left or right at an intersection, leaving the main line at a branch point, entering the main line at a confluence, or using a parking area, etc. , Determine the "preliminary timing" to generate the first control command for the preliminary action to control the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1.

When it is determined that the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the driving support processor 10 determines that it is "preliminary timing" and generates a first control command for preliminary action. To do. The possibility of moving to the second lane is the facilities such as intersections, branch points, merging points, parking areas, etc. on the traveling direction side of the own vehicle V1 in the second lane attached to the first lane to which the current position of the own vehicle V1 belongs. The possibility evaluation value is given according to the existence of the vehicle, and the shorter the distance from the current position of the own vehicle V1 to the facilities such as intersections, branch points, merging points, parking areas, etc., the higher the possibility evaluation value is attached. To do. When a point determined that the evaluation value of the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than the preset first threshold value is detected, the distance between that point and the current position of the own vehicle V1 is predetermined. The timing predicted to be less than the value is judged as "preliminary timing".

The driving support processor 10 may evaluate the possibility of changing the lane of the own vehicle V1 based on the history of the driving behavior of the lane change derived from the traveling history of the own vehicle V1 acquired from the navigation device 220. If there is a high possibility that the driving history for commuting to work / school and the driving history for this time will match, it is highly likely that the driving behavior of changing lanes on the route for commuting to work / school will be executed in this driving as well. Can be judged.

By determining the preliminary timing based on the evaluation value of the possibility of moving to the second lane, the possibility of changing lanes is determined from static information (information that does not change depending on the situation) such as map information 222. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately judge the objective preliminary timing.

The driving support processor 10 generates a first control command for a preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 at the "preliminary timing" prior to the first timing for making a driving plan for the lane change action. The driving support processor 10 determines the own vehicle after a predetermined time based on the relationship between the own vehicle V1 traveling in the first lane and the other vehicle V2 traveling in the second lane, which is obtained from the event acquired in the "preliminary timing". When the relative distance between V1 and the other vehicle V2 is less than a predetermined value, a preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed is executed. At this time, not only the relative distance but also the relative speed may be considered.

As shown in FIG. 4A (a), if the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 is maintained, the execution condition of the lane change may not be satisfied. However, as shown in FIG. 4A (b), the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1. Even if the above is maintained, the lane change execution conditions may be satisfied. The driving support processor 10 accelerates or decelerates the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 when the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time from the "preliminary timing" is less than a predetermined value. As an example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the state in which the relative distance is less than a predetermined value continues from the "preliminary timing" to a predetermined time later, the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated. In the "preliminary timing", by changing the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1, the relative speed with the other vehicle V2 is changed, and as a result, the relative distance is changed. As a result, the state in which the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 is less than a predetermined value is eliminated, and the first timing (timing of driving plan for lane change) and the second timing (lane change) after the preliminary timing are eliminated. (Execution timing), the relationship between the own vehicle V1 and the event can easily satisfy the execution condition of the lane change. That is, an empty space can be formed on the side of the own vehicle V1 (creating an area where the other vehicle V2 does not exist). As a result, it is possible to improve the success rate of the driving plan for changing lanes and prevent the failure of the driving plan.

The driving support processor 10 simulates the relationship between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 when the speed is accelerated or decelerated. The driving support processor 10 has a timing A in which the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 becomes a predetermined value or more when accelerating, and a relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 when decelerating. By comparing with the timing B, it is determined whether the simulation of acceleration or deceleration led to the earlier timing. The driving support processor 10 selects acceleration or deceleration so that the timing at which the relative distance becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value is earlier. As a result, it is possible to effectively eliminate the state in which the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 is less than a predetermined value at an early timing. In other words, it is possible to quickly prepare a situation in which the execution conditions for changing lanes are likely to be satisfied.

The driving support processor 10 sets a wider range of acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 in the first control command as the possibility that the own vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to the second lane is higher. When there is a high possibility of changing the lane of the own vehicle V1, the width of acceleration / deceleration at the time of changing the lane is set large, so that the own vehicle V1 can be moved quickly.

The timing A at which the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 becomes a predetermined value or more when accelerating, and the timing B at which the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 becomes a predetermined value or more when decelerating. Select deceleration control when the difference between To do. If it becomes impossible to calculate the timing A and the timing B and the difference between them, the deceleration control is selected. Prioritize the merit of reducing the processing cost required to determine which of acceleration and deceleration is preferable over the merit of shortening the time required to change the situation. Thereby, the acceleration / deceleration can be determined quickly and appropriately.

The driving support processor 10 further calculates the timing C at which the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 becomes a predetermined value or more when acceleration / deceleration is not performed. If the difference between the time to the timing A, the time to the timing B, and the time to the timing C is less than a predetermined value, the acceleration / deceleration control is not executed. For example, in a scene where another vehicle V2 having a high relative speed approaches from a distance, the other vehicle V2 overtakes the own vehicle V1 and runs away in a short time. In such a case, the time to timing C is shorter than the time to timing A and timing B. In such a situation, acceleration / deceleration control is not executed. Prioritize the benefits of maintaining current traffic flow over the benefits of reducing the time it takes to change the situation. As a result, it is possible to quickly and appropriately determine whether or not to execute the acceleration / deceleration control process.

When a plurality of other vehicles V1, V2, and V3 are traveling in the second lane L2, these are grouped and used as one other vehicle (vehicle group) V'as shown by a broken line in FIG. deal with. In this case, the speed of the other vehicle V', which is a vehicle group, is the maximum value, the median value, the average value of the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V1, V2, V3, or the vehicle speed of the leading other vehicle V1 as the speed of the vehicle group V'. I reckon. The distance to the other vehicle V', which is a group of vehicles, is the minimum value of the distance to the other vehicles V1, V2, V3 (the distance to the other vehicle closest to the other vehicle is regarded as the speed of the vehicle group V'.

The driving support processor 10 calculates a specific acceleration / deceleration speed after deciding whether to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle speed control. From the viewpoint of stabilizing the behavior of the vehicle, the amount of change in speed before and after acceleration / deceleration is set to be less than a predetermined upper limit value. From the viewpoint of rapidly changing the relationship between the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the amount of change in speed before and after acceleration / deceleration may be equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value.

By controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 before executing the driving plan of the lane change action, the relationship between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 can be adjusted so that the execution condition of the lane change is easily satisfied in advance. Thereby, the possibility (success rate) of execution at the second timing can be improved.

Further, by controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 before making a driving plan for the lane change action, the relationship between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 can be adjusted before making the driving plan. Since the relationship between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 is adjusted in advance so that the execution conditions for changing lanes are easily satisfied, it is easy to make a driving plan for changing lanes at the first timing, and the lane knitting element at the second timing. It is possible to improve the possibility (success rate) that the operation plan of is executed.

The driving support processor 10 generates a second control command at the second timing after controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 as a preliminary action. The second control command is a command for drafting a driving plan for a lane change action for moving the own vehicle V1 from the first lane to the second lane. The second control command may be an execution command for executing a driving plan for a lane change action for moving the own vehicle V1 from the first lane to the second lane. The driving support processor 10 moves the own vehicle V1 from the first lane to the second lane when the relationship between the event including the other vehicle V2 and the own vehicle V1 satisfies the preset execution condition of the lane change. A second control command, which is a driving plan drafting command for driving a lane change action or an execution command for executing a driving plan, is generated and sent to the controller of the own vehicle V1.

When it is determined that the possibility of moving from the first lane to another second lane is equal to or higher than the second threshold value higher than the first threshold value, the driving support processor 10 performs the second control for the lane change action. Generate a command. As described above, the possibility that the vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to another second lane is determined based on the map information 222 regarding the first lane and the second lane. When the possibility of moving from the first lane to another second lane is higher than the first threshold value, the first control command for the preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 is generated and the own vehicle V1 If the possibility of executing speed control and further moving from the first lane to another second lane is further increased and is higher than the second threshold (> first threshold), the own vehicle V1 is moved from the first lane. A second control command for changing lanes to be moved to the second lane is generated, and speed control for changing lanes of the own vehicle V1 is executed.

Based on the possibility of moving from the first lane to another second lane, when the possibility of the first stage is confirmed, the first control command is generated and the speed control of the own vehicle V1 is executed. After that, when the possibility of the second stage is confirmed, the second control command is generated to plan and execute the lane change action, so that the lane change can be prepared (preliminary action) and executed according to the situation. ..

When the occupant of the own vehicle V1 requests a lane change action, the driving support processor 10 generates a second control command for the lane change action. By promptly responding to the lane change request from the occupant, it is possible to drive according to the occupant's wishes.

The driving support control process of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
In step S1, the driving support processor 10 acquires information about the event. The driving support processor 10 acquires the state information detected by the detection device 260 of the own vehicle V1. The state information includes one or more of the moving direction of the own vehicle V1, the steering amount of the own vehicle V1, the steering direction, the vehicle speed, the acceleration, and the attitude. The moving direction may be obtained from the navigation device 220.

In step S1, the driving support processor 10 acquires information on the traveling route (including the first lane and the second lane) of the own vehicle V1 from the navigation device 220 as information on the event. The navigation device 220 acquires this information from the map information 222.

In step S1, the driving support processor 10 acquires obstacle information about the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device 230 as information about the event. Obstacle information includes the location of the obstacle, information on whether the obstacle is a moving object or a stationary object, information on whether the obstacle is a vehicle or a pedestrian, the moving direction of the obstacle, and the moving speed. , And one or more of accelerations. The driving support processor 10 uses the communication device 30 via an external device or directly to detect the detection result (movement direction, steering amount, steering direction, etc.) of the detection device (device corresponding to the detection device 260) of another vehicle. Information on vehicle speed, acceleration, and attitude) and identification information of other vehicles may be acquired.

In step S2, the driving support processor 10 determines the possibility that the own vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to the second lane based on the event related to the route on which the own vehicle V1 travels. If it is determined that the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the driving support processor 10 generates a first control command for the preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1. This process follows the flow of FIG. 7 described later.

In step S4, the driving support processor 10 sends a first control command to the vehicle controller 210. The vehicle controller 210 executes the first control command.

In step S5, the driving support processor 10 determines whether or not it is time to change lanes. The timing of lane change may be determined by satisfying / unsatisfying the execution conditions for lane change, or by determining whether or not the points of turning left / right, branching, and merging required in the guidance route are within a predetermined distance. Good.

In step S5, the driving support processor 10 generates a second control command for a lane change action for moving the own vehicle V1 from the first lane to the second lane, and sends the second control command to the vehicle controller 210.

In step S6, the vehicle controller 210 executes the second control command.

The generation process of the first control command in step S3 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
In step S11, the driving support processor 10 temporarily sets a point where the lane change is expected to be executed. The points may be tentatively set every predetermined distance / every predetermined time. In the present embodiment, the point at which the generation of the first control command is examined may be determined based on whether or not the evaluation value of the possibility of changing lanes is equal to or higher than the first threshold value.

In step S12, the driving support processor 10 uses the information about the event acquired in step S1 to simulate the relative distance to the other vehicle V2 when the own vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated.

In step S13, the driving support processor 10 calculates the time until the relationship between the other vehicle V2 and the own vehicle V1 satisfies the preset execution condition of the lane change when the vehicle decelerates or accelerates. When the own vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated, it is determined whether or not the time until the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied is less than a predetermined threshold value. If it takes a long time to satisfy the lane change execution condition and is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the process proceeds to step S18, it is determined that the preliminary action is not performed, and the first control command is not generated. In this case, a first control command indicating that the vehicle speed is not changed may be generated and sent to the vehicle controller 210.

In step S14, the driving support processor 10 proceeds to step S15 when the time until the lane change execution condition is satisfied is short and is less than a predetermined threshold value. In step S14, the driving support processor 10 determines whether the acceleration takes a shorter time to satisfy the lane change execution condition, or the deceleration takes a shorter time to satisfy the lane change execution condition. .. If the acceleration takes a shorter time to satisfy the lane change execution condition, the process proceeds to step S16, and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 is controlled by acceleration as a preliminary action. On the other hand, if the deceleration takes a shorter time to satisfy the lane change execution condition, the process proceeds to step S17, and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 is controlled by deceleration as a preliminary action. After determining acceleration or deceleration, the process proceeds to step S19.

In step S19, the higher the possibility that the driving support processor 10 moves to the second lane, the greater the range of acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 in the first control command. That is, the upper limit of the amount of change in vehicle speed is set large.

In step S20, the driving support processor 10 generates a first control command for the preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 and sends it to the vehicle controller 210 of the own vehicle V1. After that, the process proceeds to step S4 of FIG. 6 to execute the subsequent processing.

Since the driving support device 100 of the embodiment of the present invention and the driving support method executed by the device operate as described above, the following effects are obtained.

[1] The driving support method of the present embodiment is a reserve for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 based on the relationship between the own vehicle V1 traveling in the first lane of the route and another vehicle V2 traveling in the second lane. When the first control command for the action is generated and the preset execution condition for the lane change is satisfied, the second control command for the lane change action for moving the own vehicle V1 from the first lane to the second lane is satisfied. Generate a control command. By controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 before making a driving plan for the lane change action, the relationship between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 is adjusted so that the execution conditions for the lane change are easily satisfied in advance, and the own vehicle is used. It is possible to prevent another vehicle V2 from existing on the side of V1. As a result, it is possible to improve the possibility (success rate) that the lane change driving plan formulated in the first timing is executed in the second timing.
In the "preliminary timing", by changing the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 and changing the relative distance to the other vehicle V2, the side of the own vehicle V1 can be vacated (a state in which no other vehicle exists). it can. This eliminates the situation where the relative distance between the own vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 is less than a predetermined value, and the first timing (timing of driving plan for lane change) and second timing (timing of execution of lane change) afterwards. ), The own vehicle V1 can easily satisfy the execution condition of the lane change. As a result, the success rate of executing the driving plan for changing lanes can be improved.

[2] The driving support method of the present embodiment determines the possibility that the own vehicle V1 moves from the first lane to the second lane based on the event related to the route on which the own vehicle V1 travels obtained from the map information 222. , When it is determined that the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, a first control command for preliminary action is generated. According to the present invention, by determining the preliminary timing based on the evaluation value of the possibility of moving to the second lane, the lane is changed from static information (information that does not change depending on the situation) such as map information 222. Since the possibility of the above is judged, the objective preliminary timing can be appropriately judged.

[3] In the driving support method of the present embodiment, the higher the possibility of moving to the second lane, the larger the range of acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle speed of the own vehicle V1 in the first control command is set. According to this method, when the possibility of changing the lane of the own vehicle V1 is high, the width of acceleration / deceleration at the time of changing the lane is set large, so that the own vehicle V1 can be moved quickly.

[4] In the driving support method of the present embodiment, when it is determined that the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than the second threshold value higher than the first threshold value, the second control for the lane change action is performed. Generate a command. According to this method, the possibility of moving from the first lane to another second lane is used as a criterion, and when the possibility of the first stage is satisfied, a first control command is generated to control the speed of the own vehicle V1. After that, if the possibility of the second stage is satisfied, the second control command is generated to plan and execute the lane change action, so that the lane change preparation (preliminary action) and the execution can be performed according to the situation. ..

[5] The driving support method of the present embodiment generates a second control command for the lane change action when the occupant of the own vehicle V1 requests the lane change action. According to this method, it is possible to drive in accordance with the occupant's wishes by promptly responding to the lane change request from the occupant.

[6] The driving support device 100 of the present embodiment has the same effect as the driving support method described above.

It should be noted that the embodiments described above are described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

1 ... Driving support system 100 ... Driving support device 10 ... Driving support processor 20 ... Output device 21 ... Output control processor 30 ... Communication device 200 ... In-vehicle device 210 ... Vehicle controller 220 ... Navigation device 221 ... Position detection device 222 ... Map information 223 ... Road information 224 ... Traffic rule information 230 ... Obstacle detection device 231 ... Camera 232 ... Radar device 240 ... Lane deviation prevention device 241 ... Camera 242 ... Road information 250 ... Output device 251 ... Display 252 ... Speaker 260 ... Detection device 261 ... Steering angle sensor 262 ... Vehicle speed sensor 263 ... Attitude sensor 270 ... Drive device 271 ... Braking device 280 ... Steering device

Claims (6)

Using the processor used for driving support processing of the own vehicle,
Acquire events around the own vehicle traveling in the first lane of the route,
Among the above events, when the own vehicle decelerates or accelerates based on the relationship between the other vehicle traveling in the second lane different from the first lane and the own vehicle, the other vehicle and the own vehicle Calculates the time until the relationship with and satisfies the preset execution conditions for lane change,
When the own vehicle is decelerated or accelerated, it is determined whether or not the time until the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied is less than a predetermined threshold value.
When the time until the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied is less than the predetermined threshold value , the first control command for the preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle is generated, and the controller of the own vehicle is generated. Send to
The other vehicle and the relationship between the host vehicle, when satisfying the execution condition of the lane change, the second control for lane change behavior of moving to the second lane of the host vehicle from the first lane A driving support method that generates a command and sends it to the controller of the own vehicle. With reference to map information including information on the route, based on information on whether or not an intersection, a branch point, a confluence point, or a facility exists on the traveling direction side of the own vehicle , or from the traveling history of the own vehicle. Based on the history of the driving behavior of the guided lane change, the evaluation value of the possibility that the own vehicle moves from the first lane to the second lane is determined.
The first aspect of claim 1 is to generate a first control command for the preliminary action when it is determined that the evaluation value of the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than a preset first threshold value. Driving support method. The driving support method according to claim 2, wherein the higher the evaluation value of the possibility of moving to the second lane, the larger the upper limit of the deceleration or the upper limit of the acceleration of the own vehicle in the first control command is set. A claim for generating a second control command for the lane change action when it is determined that the evaluation value of the possibility of moving to the second lane is equal to or higher than the second threshold value higher than the first threshold value. The driving support method according to 2 or 3. The driving support method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when the occupant of the own vehicle requests a lane change action, a second control command for the lane change action is generated. A processor that executes the driving support processing of the own vehicle,
A sensor that detects events around the own vehicle traveling in the first lane of the route, and
A driving support device including a communication device that acquires a detection result of the sensor and sends it to the processor.
The processor
Among the above events, when the own vehicle decelerates or accelerates based on the relationship between the other vehicle traveling in the second lane different from the first lane and the own vehicle, the other vehicle and the own vehicle Calculates the time until the relationship with and satisfies the preset execution conditions for lane change,
When the own vehicle is decelerated or accelerated, it is determined whether or not the time until the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied is less than a predetermined threshold value.
When the time until the execution condition of the lane change is satisfied is less than the predetermined threshold value , the first control command for the preliminary action for controlling the vehicle speed of the own vehicle is generated.
The other vehicle and the relationship between the host vehicle, when satisfying the execution condition of the lane change, the second control for lane change behavior of moving to the second lane of the host vehicle from the first lane Generate a command,
The communication device is
When the first control command is generated, the first control command is sent to the controller that controls the operation of the own vehicle.
A driving support device that sends the second control command to a controller that controls the operation of the own vehicle when the second control command is generated.