JP7082095B2 - Vehicle control devices, vehicle control methods, and programs - Google Patents

Description

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

In general, the own vehicle that intends to overtake the preceding vehicle may urge the preceding vehicle to decelerate by indicating the intention to overtake the preceding vehicle. In relation to this, the vehicle in front is of a predetermined vehicle type, the time for detecting the presence of the vehicle in front is longer than the predetermined time, and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle within the time for detecting the presence of the vehicle in front. There is known a technique for outputting a warning for indicating an intention to overtake from the own vehicle to the vehicle in front when the value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-238053

By the way, in recent years, the practical use of automatic overtaking has been promoted, but in the conventional technique, how to handle the automatic overtaking control when the driving environment of the own vehicle is inappropriate for the automatic overtaking is considered. I didn't.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of appropriately suppressing control in a situation where automatic overtaking is inappropriate. Is one of the purposes.

The vehicle control device, the vehicle control method, and the program according to the present invention have adopted the following configurations.
(1): The vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention controls a recognition unit that recognizes peripheral conditions including peripheral objects of the vehicle, and controls the speed and steering of the vehicle, and the preceding vehicle recognizes the recognition unit by the recognition unit. When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the driving control unit includes a driving control unit that automatically overtakes the preceding vehicle. It suppresses automatic overtaking.

(2): In the aspect of the above (1), in the operation control unit, the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the preceding vehicle is a predetermined vehicle type by the recognition unit. When it is recognized, it suppresses the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front.

(3): In the aspect of (1) or (2) above, the operation control unit is a point where the vehicle has windproof equipment even when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. When the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle in front is automatically overtaken.

(4): In the aspect of the above (3), the operation control unit is the first region or the first region in the windbreak equipment, even when the vehicle is traveling at a point where the windbreak equipment is present. When traveling in two regions, the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is suppressed, and the first region is a region having a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the starting point of the windbreak equipment. The second region is a region having a length of a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the end point of the windbreak equipment.

(5): In the aspects (1) to (4) above, the driving control unit starts the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle and changes the lane to the adjacent lane, and then the traveling point of the vehicle. When the wind speed in the above is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the speed of the vehicle is accelerated to overtake the preceding vehicle, and then the lane is changed to the original lane.

(6): In the aspect of (5) above, after the operation control unit starts the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle and changes the lane to the adjacent lane, the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is the said. Even if the value exceeds a predetermined value, if the first predetermined time has not elapsed since the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is started, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is stopped. ..

(7): In the aspect of (6) above, after the operation control unit starts the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle and changes the lane to the adjacent lane, the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is the above. Even when the value exceeds a predetermined value, if the mileage of the vehicle to the windbreak equipment is less than the second predetermined distance, the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is continued.

(8): In the above aspects (1) to (7), when the speed of the vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the driving control unit is the traveling point of the vehicle. Even when the wind speed in the above is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the vehicle in front is automatically overtaken.

(9): In the above aspects (1) to (8), when the driving control unit estimates that the following vehicle will overtake and the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, It promotes the overtaking of the vehicle by the following vehicle.

(10): In the vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention, the computer recognizes the peripheral situation including the peripheral objects of the vehicle, controls the speed and steering of the vehicle, and stays on the same lane as the vehicle. When a preceding vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle is recognized, the preceding vehicle is automatically overtaken, and when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the preceding vehicle is automatically overtaken. It suppresses overtaking.

(11): In the program according to another aspect of the present invention, the computer controls the process of recognizing the peripheral situation including the peripheral objects of the vehicle, the speed and steering of the vehicle, and the vehicle is on the same lane as the vehicle. When a preceding vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle is recognized, the process of automatically overtaking the preceding vehicle and when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the preceding vehicle It is to execute the process of suppressing the automatic overtaking of.

According to (1) to (11), control can be appropriately suppressed in a situation where automatic overtaking is inappropriate.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control unit 120 and the 2nd control unit 160. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the 1st region R1 and the 2nd region R2 of a windbreak equipment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control apparatus 100 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control apparatus 100 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control device 100 of a modification. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the automatic operation control apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle, or a four-wheeled vehicle, and the drive source thereof is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates by using the power generated by the generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the discharge power of the secondary battery or the fuel cell.

The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a finder 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, and the like. It includes an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driving controller 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a vehicle control device. These devices and devices are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted or another configuration may be added.

The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary position of the vehicle M (hereinafter, own vehicle) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When photographing the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rear-view mirror, and the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the own vehicle, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves around the own vehicle, and also 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 own vehicle. The radar device 12 may detect the position and velocity of the object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The finder 14 is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The finder 14 irradiates the periphery of the own vehicle with light and measures the scattered light. The finder 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. The emitted light is, for example, a pulsed laser beam. The finder 14 is attached to any part of the own vehicle.

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

The communication device 20 communicates with the server device 300 by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like. The server device 300 includes, for example, a server device that manages weather information for each area.

The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the own vehicle and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys and the like.

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

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a routing unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of its own vehicle based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the own vehicle may be specified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or wholly shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, is a route (hereinafter, a map) from the position of the own vehicle specified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The upper route) is determined with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which a road shape is expressed by a link indicating a road and a node connected by the link. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to MPU60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, the function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by an occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides the route into 100 [m] units with respect to the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the second map information 62. Determine the recommended lane for each block. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane to drive from the left. When a branch point exists on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the own vehicle can travel on a reasonable route to proceed to the branch destination.

The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of the lane, information on the boundary of the lane, and the like. Further, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address / zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

The driving controller 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a deformed steering wheel, a joystick, and other controls. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is attached to the operation controller 80, and the detection result is the automatic operation control device 100, or the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device. It is output to a part or all of 220.

The automatic operation control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each realized by executing a program (software) by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, some or all of these components are hardware (circuits) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It may be realized by the part; including circuitry), or it may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device including a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic operation control device 100, or may be detachable such as a DVD or a CD-ROM. It is stored in a storage medium, and may be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic operation control device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in the drive device.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The first control unit 120, for example, realizes a function by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function by a model given in advance in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" is executed in parallel with the recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and the recognition based on a predetermined condition (there is a signal that can be pattern matched, a road marking, etc.). It may be realized by scoring and comprehensively evaluating. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

The recognition unit 130 includes, for example, a wind speed recognition unit 132 and a windbreak equipment recognition unit 134.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the peripheral situation including the peripheral objects of the own vehicle based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 via the object recognition device 16. The recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, a vehicle in front traveling in the same lane as the vehicle in the same direction as the own vehicle as an example of a peripheral object. Other peripheral objects recognized by the recognition unit 130 include, for example, bicycles, motorcycles, four-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, road signs installed on the side of roads, road markings formed on the road surface, and sections. Includes wires, electric poles, guardrails, falling objects, etc. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes states such as the position, speed, and acceleration of peripheral objects. The position of a peripheral object is recognized as, for example, a position on relative coordinates (that is, a relative position with respect to the own vehicle) with a representative point of the own vehicle (center of gravity, center of drive axis, etc.) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the peripheral object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the peripheral object, or may be represented by a represented region. The "state" of a peripheral object may include the jerk or jerk of the peripheral object, or a "behavioral state" (eg, whether or not the vehicle is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

The recognition unit 130 refers to the second map information 62 and recognizes that the road section on which the own vehicle travels is an automatic driving permission section. For example, the recognition unit 130 has a pattern of road lane markings obtained from the second map information 62 (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and broken lines) and road lane markings around the own vehicle recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. By comparing with the pattern, the automatic driving permission section is recognized. Further, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling and the adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane based on the comparison of the patterns of the road lane markings.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes an automatic driving permission section by recognizing a lane boundary (road boundary) including not only a road lane marking but also a road lane marking, a shoulder, a median strip, a guardrail, and the like. It may recognize a lane or an adjacent lane. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be added. The recognition unit 130 also recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, tollhouses, and other road events.

When recognizing the own lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the relative position and posture of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 sets the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle from the center of the lane and the angle formed with respect to the line connecting the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the own vehicle as the relative position and posture of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane. You may recognize it. Instead of this, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the reference point of the own vehicle with respect to any side end portion (road division line or road boundary) of the own lane as the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane. May be good.

The wind speed recognition unit 132 recognizes the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle. The wind speed recognition unit 132 recognizes the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle based on, for example, the weather information acquired from the server device 300 through the communication device 20. For example, when the wind speed sensor is attached to the own vehicle, the wind speed recognition unit 132 may recognize the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle based on the signal output from the wind speed sensor.

The windbreak equipment recognition unit 134 recognizes the windbreak equipment on the travel path of the own vehicle. Windbreak equipment includes, for example, windbreak walls, windbreak fences, tunnels and the like. The windbreak equipment recognition unit 134 recognizes the windbreak equipment on the travel path of the own vehicle by referring to, for example, the second map information 62.

The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, an overtaking control unit 142.

In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 drives the own vehicle in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and further, when the own vehicle travels in the recommended lane, the action plan generation unit 140 responds to the surrounding situation in advance. Generates a future target track that automatically drives the vehicle (without depending on the driver's operation) in the specified driving mode. The target track includes, for example, a position element that determines the position of the own vehicle in the future and a speed element that determines the speed of the own vehicle in the future. Further, the action plan generation unit 140 determines the target speed and the target acceleration for each predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 comma number [sec]) as the velocity elements of the target trajectory. Further, the track point may be a position to be reached by the own vehicle at the sampling time at a predetermined sampling time. In this case, the target velocity and the target acceleration are determined by the sampling time and the interval between the orbital points. The action plan generation unit 140 outputs information indicating the generated target trajectory to the second control unit 160. The overtaking control unit 142 has such a function. These will be described later.

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

The second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The combination of the overtaking control unit 142 and the second control unit 160 is an example of the “operation control unit”.

The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target trajectory (orbit point) from the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in the memory.

The speed control unit 164 controls one or both of the traveling driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210 based on the speed elements (for example, the target speed, the target acceleration, etc.) included in the target trajectory stored in the memory.

The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to a position element (for example, a curvature representing the degree of bending of the target trajectory) included in the target trajectory stored in the memory.

The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road in front of the own vehicle and feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and the like, and a power ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The power ECU controls the above configuration according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 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 in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80 so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a mechanism for transmitting the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the operation operator 80 to the cylinder via the master cylinder as a backup. The brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and is an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls the actuator according to the information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder. May be good.

The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, exerts a force on the rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80, and changes the direction of the steering wheel.

[Automatic overtaking]
The overtaking control unit 142 automatically overtakes the vehicle in front when the condition for automatic overtaking is satisfied. Automatic overtaking means that the vehicle changes the first lane from the first lane to the second lane (adjacent lane) adjacent to the first lane, and then changes from the second lane to the first lane (original lane). 2 Overtaking the vehicle in front by changing lanes. The condition for automatic overtaking includes, for example, a condition where the relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the vehicle in front is equal to or higher than the threshold value. The conditions for automatic overtaking may include, for example, conditions relating to the relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the vehicle in front, as well as conditions relating to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle.

The overtaking control unit 142 suppresses the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed even when the condition for automatic overtaking is satisfied. The overtaking control unit 142 suppresses the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle by, for example, changing the threshold value regarding the relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle. The overtaking control unit 142 suppresses the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle when the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the vehicle type of the preceding vehicle is a predetermined vehicle type. The predetermined vehicle type includes, for example, a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus. Further, even if the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 automatically performs the automatic operation of the preceding vehicle when the own vehicle is traveling at the point where the windbreak equipment exists. Overtake. Further, the overtaking control unit 142 is used when the own vehicle is traveling in the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the windbreak equipment even when the own vehicle is traveling at a point where the windbreak equipment exists. Suppresses the automatic overtaking of vehicles in front. Further, when the speed of the own vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the overtaking control unit 142 runs ahead even if the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or more than the predetermined value. Automatically overtake the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the first region or the second region in the windbreak equipment. In FIG. 3, a case where the windbreak equipment is a tunnel TL will be described as an example. In the illustrated example, the first region R1 and the second region R2 are set as the lane change prohibition region in the tunnel TL. The first region R1 is a region having a length of the first distance A in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the entrance TL1 (starting point) of the tunnel TL in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. In this example, the first region R1 is set from the front side to the back side of the entrance TL1 of the tunnel TL. However, the entrance TL1 of the tunnel TL may be used as the starting point, or the back side may be used as the starting point. The second region R2 is a region having a length of a second distance B in the longitudinal direction of the road with reference to the exit TL2 (end point) of the tunnel TL in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. The second region R2 is set from the front side to the back side of the exit TL2 of the tunnel TL. However, the exit TL2 of the tunnel TL may be the end point, or the front side may be the end point.

[Processing flow of vehicle control device]
Hereinafter, a series of processing flows of the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 4 shows an example of a process of determining the start of automatic overtaking of a vehicle in front. FIG. 5 shows an example of automatic overtaking processing of a vehicle in front.

First, the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 will be described. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 may be repeated at a predetermined cycle, for example, when the condition for automatic overtaking is satisfied.

The overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the preceding vehicle recognized by the recognition unit 130 is a large vehicle (step S10). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the vehicle in front is a large vehicle, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle recognized by the wind speed recognition unit 132 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (step S12). .. When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the speed of the own vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding predetermined vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more (step). S14).

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the speed of the own vehicle is not faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the own vehicle is traveling in the windbreak equipment recognized by the windbreak equipment recognition unit 134. Whether or not it is determined (step S16). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle is traveling in the windbreak equipment, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the own vehicle is traveling in the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the windbreak equipment (). Step S18). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle is not traveling in the first region R1 or the second region R2 in the windbreak equipment, the overtaking control unit 142 starts automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S20). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

The overtaking control unit 142 determines that the preceding vehicle is not a large vehicle, determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is less than a predetermined value, or the speed of the own vehicle is higher than the speed of the preceding vehicle. Even when it is determined that the speed is faster than the first predetermined speed, the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is started (step S20). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

The overtaking control unit 142 determines that the own vehicle is not traveling in the windbreak equipment, or the own vehicle is traveling in the windbreak equipment and the first region R1 or the second in the windbreak equipment. When it is determined that the area R2 is not being traveled, the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is suppressed (step S22). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

Next, the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 may be executed, for example, when the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is started.

The overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the change of the first lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S30). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change of the first lane of the own vehicle is completed, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle recognized by the wind speed recognition unit 132 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value ( Step S32). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is less than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 continues the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S36). On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the speed of the own vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding predetermined vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more. (Step S34).

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the speed of the own vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the overtaking control unit 142 continues the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S36). On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the speed of the own vehicle is not faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the first predetermined time has elapsed since the automatic overtaking was started. Determination (step S38). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the first predetermined time has elapsed since the automatic overtaking is started, the overtaking control unit 142 accelerates the speed of the own vehicle and overtakes the preceding vehicle (step S40). Next, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the change to the second lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S42). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change of the second lane has been completed, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the first predetermined time has not elapsed since the automatic overtaking was started, the overtaking control unit 142 stops the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S44). Stopping the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle includes, for example, the own vehicle continuing to drive in the overtaking lane and the own vehicle retreating to the rear of the preceding vehicle and returning to the original lane. As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

According to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment described above, control can be appropriately suppressed in a situation where automatic overtaking is inappropriate. For example, when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is preferable to avoid the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment, when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is suppressed. As a result, control can be appropriately suppressed in situations where automatic overtaking is inappropriate.

Further, according to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment, it becomes easy to secure an opportunity for automatic overtaking. For example, even if the wind speed at the running point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, if the wind speed at the running point of the own vehicle has a small effect on the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is performed. It is not necessary to avoid the execution of. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment, even when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, when the own vehicle is traveling in the windbreak equipment. , Perform automatic overtaking of vehicles in front. This makes it easier to secure opportunities for automatic overtaking.

Further, according to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment, control can be appropriately suppressed in a series of automatic overtaking processes. For example, even if the wind speed at the running point of the own vehicle is low before the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is started, the wind speed at the running point of the own vehicle may be increased after the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is started. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment, if the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle increases after the automatic overtaking is started, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is stopped. As a result, control can be appropriately suppressed in a series of automatic overtaking processes.

Further, according to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment, automatic overtaking can be stably performed. For example, when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is not preferable to prolong the parallel running time between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment, when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle increases after the automatic overtaking is started, the speed of the own vehicle is accelerated, and the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle The parallel running time is shortened. As a result, automatic overtaking can be performed stably.

Further, according to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the first embodiment, the automatic overtaking can be stopped in a situation where it is inappropriate to continue the automatic overtaking. For example, if the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle increases immediately after the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is started, it is preferable to avoid the continuation of the automatic overtaking. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the first embodiment, even if the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the first predetermined time has elapsed since the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle was started. If not, the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front will be stopped. As a result, automatic overtaking can be appropriately stopped in situations where it is inappropriate to continue automatic overtaking. In particular, when the automatic driving control device 100 slows down the speed of the own vehicle, retracts it to the rear of the preceding vehicle in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, and then returns the own vehicle to the original lane, the own vehicle It is possible to appropriately stop automatic overtaking while stabilizing the running posture of the vehicle.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that after the automatic overtaking is started, the automatic overtaking processing method is changed according to the mileage of the own vehicle to the windbreak equipment. Hereinafter, this difference will be mainly described.

Hereinafter, a series of processing flows of the automatic operation control device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 6 shows an example of the automatic overtaking process of the vehicle in front. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 may be repeated at a predetermined cycle, for example, after the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is started.

The overtaking control unit 142 according to the second embodiment determines whether or not the change of the first lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S50). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change of the first lane of the own vehicle is completed, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle recognized by the wind speed recognition unit 132 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value ( Step S52). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is less than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 continues the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S58). On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the speed of the own vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding predetermined vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more. (Step S54).

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the speed of the own vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the overtaking control unit 142 continues the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S58). On the other hand, if the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the speed of the own vehicle is not faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, is the mileage of the own vehicle to the windbreak equipment less than the second predetermined distance? It is determined whether or not (step S56). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the mileage of the own vehicle to the windbreak equipment is less than the second predetermined distance, the overtaking control unit 142 continues the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S58). Next, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the change of the second lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S60). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change of the second lane of the own vehicle is completed, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the mileage of the own vehicle to the windbreak equipment is equal to or longer than the second predetermined distance, the overtaking control unit 142 stops the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S62). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

According to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the second embodiment described above, it is possible to appropriately suppress the suspension of automatic overtaking in a situation where it is appropriate to continue automatic overtaking. For example, even if the wind speed at the running point of the own vehicle increases after the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is started, if the wind speed at the running point of the own vehicle has a small effect on the automatic overtaking, the automatic overtaking is performed. It is preferable to continue. Therefore, according to the automatic operation control device 100 according to the second embodiment, even if the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle becomes a predetermined value or more after the automatic overtaking is started, the own vehicle up to the windbreak equipment is reached. If the mileage of the vehicle is less than the second predetermined distance, the automatic overtaking is continued. As a result, it is possible to appropriately suppress the suspension of automatic overtaking in situations where it is appropriate to continue automatic overtaking.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described. Compared with the first and second embodiments, the third embodiment promotes overtaking when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value when the overtaking of the own vehicle by the following vehicle is estimated. It differs in that it does. Hereinafter, this difference will be mainly described.

Hereinafter, a series of processing flows of the automatic operation control device 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 7 shows an example of overtaking processing by a following vehicle. The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 may be repeated at a predetermined cycle, for example, when a following vehicle is recognized.

The overtaking control unit 142 according to the third embodiment estimates whether or not the following vehicle overtakes (step S70). The overtaking control unit 142 estimates whether or not the following vehicle overtakes, for example, based on the blinking state of the blinker of the following vehicle, the relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the own vehicle, and the like. For example, in the overtaking control unit 142, when the turn signal of the following vehicle is blinking toward the adjacent lane and the relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the own vehicle is equal to or higher than the threshold value (the following vehicle is faster), the following vehicle moves. Estimate to overtake.

When the overtaking control unit 142 estimates that the following vehicle will overtake, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle recognized by the wind speed recognition unit 132 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (step S72). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, for example, the speed of the own vehicle is reduced or the own vehicle is placed in the own traveling lane on the opposite side of the overtaking lane. (Step S74) to promote overtaking by the following vehicle, for example, by moving the vehicle closer to the vehicle. As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

According to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the third embodiment described above, overtaking by the following vehicle can be smoothly performed. For example, when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it may not be possible to smoothly overtake by the following vehicle. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device 100 according to the third embodiment, when the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, overtaking by the following vehicle is promoted. As a result, overtaking by the following vehicle can be smoothly performed.

<Modified example of the embodiment>
-In each of the above embodiments, the overtaking control unit 142 may perform the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, for example. The flowchart shown in FIG. 8 may be repeated at a predetermined cycle, for example, after the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is started.

In this example, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the change of the first lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S80). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change of the first lane of the own vehicle is completed, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle recognized by the wind speed recognition unit 132 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value ( Step S82).

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is less than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the change to the second lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S84). When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change to the second lane of the own vehicle has not been completed, the overtaking control unit 142 returns the process to step S82. The overtaking control unit 142 determines whether or not the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value until the change of the second lane of the own vehicle is completed (step S82).

When the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 stops the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle (step S86). As a result, the processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed. On the other hand, when the overtaking control unit 142 determines that the change to the second lane has been completed while the wind speed at the traveling point of the own vehicle is maintained below a predetermined value, the overtaking control unit 142 continues the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle while continuing the automatic overtaking. The processing of one cycle of this flowchart is completed.

[Hardware configuration]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic operation control device 100 of each of the above embodiments. As shown in the figure, the automatic operation control device 100 includes a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM 100-3 used as a working memory, a ROM 100-4 for storing a boot program, and a storage device such as a flash memory and an HDD. The 100-5, the drive device 100-6, and the like are connected to each other by an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with components other than the automatic operation control device 100. A portable storage medium such as an optical disk (for example, a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium) is mounted on the drive device 100-6. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2. This program is expanded to RAM 100-3 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) or the like, and is executed by CPU 100-2. Further, the program 100-5a referred to by the CPU 100-2 may be stored in a portable storage medium mounted on the drive device 100-6, or may be downloaded from another device via a network. As a result, a part or all of the functions of the automatic operation control device 100 are realized.

In the first embodiment, the process in step S10 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 may be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the processes of steps S38 and S40 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

In the second embodiment, when the mileage of the own vehicle to the windbreak equipment is less than the second predetermined distance, the overtaking control unit 142 automatically overtakes the preceding vehicle after passing through the first region R1 in the windbreak equipment. May be restarted.

In each of the above embodiments, it is not always necessary to perform all the determination processes in each of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, and a necessary one may be selected and adopted as appropriate.

Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be added.

Each embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.
Storage to store programs and
With a processor,
By executing the program, the processor
Recognize the surrounding situation including the surrounding objects of the vehicle,
It controls the speed and steering of the vehicle, and when the vehicle in front is recognized, it automatically overtakes the vehicle in front.
When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is suppressed.
Vehicle control unit.

1 ... vehicle system, 10 ... camera, 12 ... radar device, 14 ... finder, 16 ... object recognition device, 20 ... communication device, 30 ... HMI, 40 ... vehicle sensor, 50 ... navigation device, 60 ... MPU, 80 ... driving Operator, 100 ... Automatic operation control device, 120 ... First control unit, 130 ... Recognition unit, 132 ... Wind speed recognition unit, 134 ... Windproof equipment recognition unit, 140 ... Action plan generation unit, 142 ... Overtaking control unit, 160 ... Second control unit, 162 ... acquisition unit, 164 ... speed control unit, 166 ... steering control unit, 200 ... traveling driving force output device, 210 ... brake device, 220 ... steering device.

Claims (10)

A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions including objects around the vehicle,
A driving control unit that controls the speed and steering of the vehicle and automatically overtakes the vehicle in front when the vehicle in front is recognized by the recognition unit.
Equipped with
The operation control unit
When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is suppressed .
When the speed of the vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is performed even when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or more than the predetermined value. conduct,
Vehicle control unit. When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and the recognition unit recognizes that the preceding vehicle is a predetermined vehicle type, the operation control unit automatically overtakes the preceding vehicle. Suppress,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. Even if the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the operation control unit automatically overtakes the preceding vehicle when the vehicle is traveling at a point where the windbreak equipment is present. I do,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. Even if the vehicle is traveling at a point where the windbreak equipment is present, the operation control unit may use the operation control unit if the vehicle is traveling in the first region or the second region of the windbreak equipment. Suppresses the automatic overtaking of vehicles in front,
The first region is a region having a length of the first distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the starting point of the windbreak equipment.
The second region is a region having a length of a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the road with respect to the end point of the windbreak equipment.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3. When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value after the driving control unit starts the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front and changes the lane to the adjacent lane, the vehicle After accelerating the speed of the vehicle and overtaking the vehicle in front, the vehicle changes to the original lane.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value after the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is started and the lane is changed to the adjacent lane, the driving control unit performs the preceding driving. If the first predetermined time has not elapsed since the automatic overtaking of the vehicle was started, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is stopped.
The vehicle control device according to claim 5. Even when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value after the driving control unit starts the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle and changes the lane to the adjacent lane. If the mileage of the vehicle to the windbreak equipment is less than the second predetermined distance, the automatic overtaking of the vehicle in front is continued.
The vehicle control device according to claim 6. When the driving control unit estimates that the following vehicle will overtake and the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value , the speed of the vehicle is decelerated or the vehicle is driven. By shifting the width of the vehicle to the side opposite to the overtaking lane in the lane, the following vehicle promotes the overtaking of the vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The computer
Recognize the surrounding situation including the surrounding objects of the vehicle,
It controls the speed and steering of the vehicle, and when it recognizes a vehicle in front that travels in the same lane as the vehicle in the same direction as the vehicle, it automatically overtakes the vehicle in front.
When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is suppressed .
When the speed of the vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is performed even when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or more than the predetermined value. conduct,
Vehicle control method. On the computer
Recognize the surrounding situation including the surrounding objects of the vehicle,
The speed and steering of the vehicle are controlled, and when a vehicle in front traveling in the same lane as the vehicle in the same direction as the vehicle is recognized, the vehicle in front is automatically overtaken.
When the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is suppressed .
Further, when the speed of the vehicle is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by the first predetermined speed or more, the automatic overtaking of the preceding vehicle is performed even when the wind speed at the traveling point of the vehicle is equal to or more than the predetermined value. To do,
program.

Images