JP7147858B2 - VEHICLE TRIP CONTROL METHOD AND TRIP CONTROL DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control method and apparatus including lane change control, right turn travel control or left turn travel control, departure travel control from a main road or entrance travel control, and the like.

When the vehicle automatically changes lanes, the driver operates the turn signal lever to indicate his/her intention to change lanes, with the aim of prompting the driver to confirm safety. Based on the captured image of the head of the driver, it determines whether the driver has performed a lane change safety confirmation operation based on the direction of the face or the direction of the line of sight, and automatically changes lanes based on this condition. device is known. (Patent document 1).

International publication WO2017/094316

However, in the conventional technology, even if the driving support device can confirm the safety of the lane change and there is no problem even if the lane change is performed automatically, the driver does not perform the intention to approve the lane change and the safety confirmation operation. Since it should not be possible, there was a problem that it was troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a travel control method and a travel control device that enable a driver to consent to a change in travel direction including lane change without feeling annoyed.

The present invention presents first driving control change information to the driver before executing automatic driving control that automatically changes the driving direction of the vehicle, and determines whether the driver's gesture is an acceptance gesture including an instruction of the driving direction. is determined, and if it is a consent gesture, it is determined whether or not the traveling direction to be changed by the automatic driving control indicated by the first traveling control change information matches the traveling direction indicated by the consent gesture. , and the above problem is solved by executing automatic running control when they match.

According to the present invention, the driver can execute the automatic driving control simply by indicating the driving direction with the acceptance gesture, so that the driver does not feel annoyed.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle running control device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table used for judging a driving scene; FIG. It is a top view showing the scene of the lane change concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing the installation state of the in-vehicle camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the gesture table which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the 1st lane control change information shown before change of traveling control which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an acceptance gesture according to an embodiment of the invention; It is a figure which shows the 3rd driving|running-control change information shown by the detection/determination error of the gesture which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the 2nd traveling control change information which is shown when the gesture cannot be detected which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 4 is a flowchart (part 1) showing lane change control processing of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 2 is a flowchart (part 2) showing lane change control processing of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 3 is a flowchart (part 3) showing lane change control processing of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 4 is a flowchart (part 4) showing lane change control processing of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 5 is a flowchart (No. 5) showing lane change control processing of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 1 is a plan view (part 1) for explaining a method of detecting a target range of a vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view (part 2) for explaining a method of detecting a target range of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a plan view (No. 3) for explaining a target range detection method of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. 11 is a plan view (No. 4) for explaining a method of detecting a target range of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. 11 is a plan view (No. 5) for explaining the target range detection method of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. 11 is a plan view (No. 6) for explaining a method of detecting a target range of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining a method of setting a lane change target position of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 1 is a plan view (part 1) for explaining a method of predicting the position of another vehicle after a required time of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view (part 2) for explaining a method of predicting the position of another vehicle after a required time of the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; 1 is a plan view (part 1) for explaining a method for determining whether a lane change is permitted or not by the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view (part 2) for explaining a method of determining whether or not a lane change is permitted by the vehicle cruise control device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining the positional relationship in the width direction between the target lane mark and the host vehicle;

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle running control device 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle cruise control device 1 of the present embodiment is also an embodiment for carrying out the vehicle cruise control method according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle travel control device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a sensor 11, a vehicle position detection device 12, a map database 13, an in-vehicle device 14, a presentation device 15, and an input device 16. , a communication device 17 , a drive control device 18 , and a control device 19 . These devices are connected by, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN in order to transmit and receive information to and from each other.

A sensor 11 detects the running state of the host vehicle. For example, the sensors 11 may include a front camera that captures the front of the vehicle, a rear camera that captures the rear of the vehicle, a front radar that detects obstacles in front of the vehicle, and a rear camera that detects obstacles behind the vehicle. Radars, side radars that detect obstacles on the left and right sides of the vehicle, vehicle speed sensors that detect the speed of the vehicle, and in-vehicle cameras that capture images of the driver. As the sensor 11, one of the plurality of sensors described above may be used, or two or more types of sensors may be used in combination. The detection result of the sensor 11 is output to the control device 19 at predetermined time intervals.

The vehicle position detection device 12 is composed of a GPS unit, a gyro sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and the like. Also, the current position of the target vehicle is detected based on the acquired position information of the target vehicle, the angle change information acquired from the gyro sensor, and the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle speed sensor. The position information of the target vehicle detected by the own vehicle position detection device 12 is output to the control device 19 at predetermined time intervals.

The map database 13 stores map information including location information of various facilities and specific points. Specifically, location information such as road confluence points, branch points, toll gates, lane reduction positions, service areas (SA)/parking areas (PA), etc. are stored together with map information. Map information stored in the map database can be referred to by the control device 19 .

The in-vehicle device 14 is various devices mounted in the vehicle, and operates by being operated by the driver. Such in-vehicle devices include steering, accelerator pedals, brake pedals, navigation devices, audio devices, air conditioners, hands-free switches, power windows, wipers, lights, direction indicators, horns, specific switches, and the like. When the vehicle-mounted device 14 is operated by the driver, the information is output to the control device 19 .

The presentation device 15 includes, for example, a display provided in a navigation device, a display incorporated in a rearview mirror, a display incorporated in a meter section, a head-up display projected on a windshield, a speaker provided in an audio device, and a vibrating body embedded. It is a device such as a seat seat device. The presentation device 15 notifies the driver of presentation information and travel control change information, which will be described later, under the control of the control device 19 . The travel control change information includes information on lane change control of the vehicle, information on right turn travel control or left turn travel control of the vehicle, or information on departure travel control from the main road or entry travel control into the main road. and so on.

The input device 16 is, for example, a device such as a dial switch that allows manual input by the driver, a touch panel arranged on a display screen, or a microphone that allows driver's voice input. In this embodiment, the driver can operate the input device 16 to input response information to the presentation information presented by the presentation device 15 . For example, in the present embodiment, a direction indicator or other switches of the vehicle-mounted device 14 can be used as the input device 16, and the driver responds to an inquiry whether the control device 19 automatically changes the driving control. By turning on the switch of the direction indicator, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which consent or permission to change the running control is input. The response information input by the input device 16 is output to the control device 19 .

The communication device 17 communicates with a communication device outside the own vehicle. For example, the communication device 17 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles, performs vehicle-to-road communication with equipment installed on the shoulder of the road, or communicates with an information server installed outside the vehicle. Various types of information can be acquired from an external device by performing wireless communication. Information acquired by the communication device 17 is output to the control device 19 .

The drive control device 18 controls running of the own vehicle. For example, the drive control device 18 controls the acceleration/deceleration and the vehicle speed so that the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle is constant when the own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle. operation (in the case of engine vehicles, the operation of the internal combustion engine, in the case of electric vehicles, the operation of the driving motor, and in the case of hybrid vehicles, including the torque distribution between the internal combustion engine and the driving motor) and brakes control behavior. Lane keep control that detects the lane mark of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling (hereinafter also referred to as the own lane) and controls the traveling position of the own vehicle in the width direction so that the own vehicle travels within the own lane. When performing lane change control such as overtaking the preceding vehicle or changing the driving direction, when controlling driving to turn right or left at an intersection, etc., driving to realize acceleration / deceleration and vehicle speed Steering control of the own vehicle is performed by controlling the operation of the steering actuator in addition to the operation of the mechanism and the brake operation. The drive control device 18 controls the running of the own vehicle according to instructions from the control device 19, which will be described later. Other well-known methods can also be used as the travel control method by the drive control device 18 .

The control device 19 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a program for controlling the running of the vehicle, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the program stored in the ROM, and an accessible storage device. It consists of functional RAM (random access memory). In addition, as the operation circuit, instead of or together with the CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. can be used.

The control device 19 has a running information acquisition function for acquiring information about the running state of the own vehicle, a running scene determination function for determining the running scene of the own vehicle, and a running scene determining function for determining the running scene of the own vehicle. A driving control function that controls the driving of the vehicle, a lane change control function that determines whether a lane change is possible, and a lane change control function that controls the lane change, and a driving control that presents lane change information related to the driving behavior of the own vehicle to the driver by lane change control. A change information presentation function, a consent confirmation function for confirming whether or not the driver has accepted the lane change in response to the presented lane change information, a urgency level determination function for determining the urgency level for changing the driving direction, Realize Each function of the control device 19 will be described below.

The travel information acquisition function of the control device 19 is a function of acquiring travel information regarding the travel state of the own vehicle. For example, the control device 19 uses the driving information acquisition function to obtain image information of the outside of the vehicle captured by the front camera and the rear camera included in the sensor 11, detection results of the front radar, the rear radar, and the side radar. Get it as information. The control device 19 also acquires vehicle speed information of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor included in the sensor 11 and image information of the driver's face captured by the in-vehicle camera as driving information by the driving information acquisition function.

Furthermore, the control device 19 acquires the information of the current position of the own vehicle from the own vehicle position detection device 12 as the traveling information by the traveling information acquisition function. In addition, the control device 19 uses the travel information acquisition function to use location information such as merging points, junctions, toll gates, locations where the number of lanes decreases, service areas (SA)/parking areas (PA), etc., as travel information to the map database 13. Get from In addition, the control device 19 acquires operation information of the in-vehicle device 14 by the driver from the in-vehicle device 14 as travel information using the travel information acquisition function.

The driving scene determination function of the control device 19 refers to a table stored in the ROM of the control device 19 to determine the driving scene in which the host vehicle is running. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a table used for judging a driving scene. As shown in FIG. 2, the table stores driving scenes suitable for changing lanes and determination conditions for each driving scene. The control device 19 uses the driving scene determination function to refer to the table shown in FIG. 2 to determine whether or not the driving scene of the host vehicle is suitable for changing lanes.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the determination conditions for the ``catch-up scene with the preceding vehicle'' include ``the presence of a preceding vehicle ahead'', ``vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle < vehicle speed set for the own vehicle'', and ``arrival of the preceding vehicle. is within a predetermined time" and "the lane change direction does not meet the lane change prohibition condition" are set. The control device 19 uses the driving scene determination function to determine, for example, the results of detection by the front camera and front radar included in the sensor 11, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, and the position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection device 12. Based on the information, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle satisfies the above conditions, and if the above conditions are met, the host vehicle is determined to be in a "catch-up scene with the preceding vehicle". Similarly, the control device 19 uses the driving scene determination function to determine whether or not all the driving scenes registered in the scene determination table shown in FIG. 2 satisfy the determination conditions.

The lane change prohibition conditions include, for example, "the vehicle is driving in a lane change prohibited area", "there is an obstacle in the lane change direction", "the vehicle must cross the center line (road center line)", and "entering the shoulder of the road or crossing over the edge of the road". In addition, on roads that allow emergency stops on the shoulder, etc. in the "emergency evacuation scene", the condition of "entering the shoulder or crossing the road edge" is allowed in the "emergency evacuation scene". can also Note that, of the table shown in FIG. 2, the necessity of lane change, the time limit, and the direction of lane change will be described later.

When the driving scene of the vehicle corresponds to a plurality of driving scenes, the control device 19 determines the driving scene with a higher degree of necessity of lane change as the driving scene of the vehicle by the driving scene determination function. do. For example, in the table shown in FIG. 2, the driving scene of the own vehicle corresponds to the "scene of catching up with the preceding vehicle" and the "scene of changing lanes to the destination", and the necessity of lane change in the "scene of catching up with the preceding vehicle". It is assumed that X1 is lower than the necessity X8 of the lane change in the "lane change scene to the destination" (X1<X8). In this case, the control device 19 uses the driving scene determination function to determine, as the driving scene of the host vehicle, the “scene of changing lanes to the destination” in which the necessity of changing lanes is higher. The "lane change scene to the destination" refers to the lane in the direction of the target branch or exit from the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling, such as before the branch point or exit of a road with multiple lanes. It refers to a scene where you change lanes to transfer to.

The travel control function of the control device 19 is a function of controlling travel of the own vehicle. For example, the control device 19 uses the travel control function to detect the lane mark of the own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling based on the detection result of the sensor 11, and controls the own vehicle so that the own vehicle travels within the own lane. Lane keep control is performed to control the running position in the width direction. In this case, the control device 19 causes the drive control device 18 to control the operation of the steering actuator and the like using the travel control function so that the host vehicle travels in an appropriate travel position. In addition, the control device 19 can also perform follow-up travel control in which the vehicle automatically follows the preceding vehicle by keeping a certain inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle by the travel control function. When performing this follow-up running control, the control device 19 outputs a control signal to the drive control device 18 so that the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle run at a constant inter-vehicle distance by the running control function, and controls the engine, brakes, etc. to control the operation of the drive mechanism of Note that, hereinafter, automatic driving control will be described including lane keeping control, follow-up driving control, right/left turn driving control, and lane change control.

The lane change control function of the control device 19 is a function for determining whether or not to change lanes based on the driving scene of the own vehicle and information on obstacles existing around the own vehicle. The lane change control function is also a function for causing the drive control device 18 to control the operation of drive mechanisms such as the engine and brakes and the operation of the steering actuator when it is determined that a lane change is to be performed. Furthermore, the lane change control function is a function that sets the start timing for starting lane change control based on the driving state of the vehicle and the driver's state, and executes lane change control according to the set start timing. Details of lane change control by the lane change control function will be described later.

The driving control change information presentation function of the control device 19 provides, via the presentation device 15, change information regarding the driving behavior of the host vehicle under automatic driving control including lane keep control, follow-up driving control, right/left turn driving control, lane change control, and the like. This is a function that presents the information to the driver. For example, if there is a fork in the road ahead, an exit from a motorway, or a service area while lane-keeping control is being performed, the vehicle must change direction and change lanes. Sometimes. In addition, when the preceding vehicle changes lanes during execution of follow-up running control of the preceding vehicle, the own vehicle may also change lanes accordingly. In addition, it may be necessary to change the traveling direction by turning right or left at an intersection or the like on the way to the destination. When executing such a change of driving direction by automatic driving control, in addition to judging whether it is possible to change the driving direction, in order to encourage the driver to confirm safety by himself if it is possible to change the driving direction , the control device 19 presents the change information of the travel direction of the travel control to the driver by the travel control change information presentation function. Since the timing of presenting the travel control change information is intended for the driver's own safety confirmation, it may be at least before the change of the travel direction of the travel control is started.

Here, an example of the driving control change information presented to the driver before starting the change of the driving direction of the driving control will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a scene of a lane change according to the embodiment of the present invention. On a left-hand traffic road with three lanes L1, L2, and L3 on one side, the subject vehicle _V0 is traveling in front of another vehicle. This is the scene of overtaking _V1 . The left diagram of FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of lane change control for executing a lane change from the lane L2 in which the own vehicle _V0 is currently traveling to the adjacent lane L3, and the right diagram of FIG. ₁ is a plan view showing an example of lane change control for returning to lane L2 after overtaking vehicle 1; FIG.

In the present embodiment, when lane changes are performed a plurality of times, the presentation device 15 is presented with first travel control change information Td1 (see FIG. 6A ) indicating that the lane change is to be performed before the first lane change control is performed. do. In addition, if the driver indicates that he/she will accept this presentation, after executing the first lane change, the second lane change will be performed before performing the second lane change control. is presented to the presentation device 15. In the example shown in FIG. 3, there are two lane changes, but in the case of three or more lane changes, similarly, before the next lane change is performed, the first travel is performed to the effect that the lane change is performed. The control change information Td1 is presented on the presentation device 15 to confirm the driver's approval. In this way, the control device 19 of the present embodiment prompts the driver to confirm safety each time a lane change is performed using the driving control change information presentation function.

Note that the mode of presentation to the presentation device 15 by the driving control change information presentation function is, if the presentation device 15 is provided with a display, display of visual patterns including images and languages, and if the presentation device 15 is provided with a speaker , driving control change information including the direction in which the vehicle moves due to lane change control (for example, guidance information to change lanes to the left or right) is transmitted as auditory information (voice or sound). You can show it to the driver. Further, when the presentation device 15 is provided with one or more warning lamps installed on an instrument panel or the like, by lighting a specific warning lamp in a specific presentation mode, the own vehicle moves by lane change control. The driving control change information including the orientation of the width direction may be presented to the driver. Furthermore, when the presentation device 15 includes a seat device in which a plurality of vibrating bodies are embedded, by vibrating a specific vibrating body in a specific presentation mode, the direction in the width direction in which the vehicle moves due to lane change control The driver may be presented with cruise control change information including

In this way, instead of displaying the driving control change information on the display as visual information, or in addition to displaying it on the display as visual information, auditory information such as voice and sound, visual information by displaying the warning lamp, Alternatively, by presenting the information to the driver as tactile information based on vibration, the driver can more intuitively grasp the travel control change information. In addition, in the vehicle running control device 1 of the present embodiment, in order to prevent the driver from feeling annoyed by the operation for accepting the running control change information presented by the presentation device 15, one time The driver's acceptance operation each time the change of the traveling direction of the traveling control is executed is set as follows in relation to the presentation of the traveling control change information.

The approval confirmation function of the control device 19 is a function for confirming whether or not the driver has consented to the change of the travel control with respect to the first travel control change information Td1 presented by the travel control change information presentation function. The driver's consent to change the driving direction of the driving control is made by the driver's gesture that accompanies the direction, that is, the consent gesture that includes instructions for the changed driving direction, such as the direction of movement in the lane change direction and the direction of turning left or right. shown. It should be noted that the approval gesture made with respect to the first travel control change information Td1 corresponds to the first gesture of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, for example, on the dashboard _V0a of the vehicle _{V0, the upper body, head and face of the driver D seated in the driver's seat V0b are} photographed, and the photographed images are input to the control device 19. An in-vehicle camera 111 is installed. If the driver D agrees to the first traveling control change information Td1 presented by the presentation device 15, the driver D makes an acceptance gesture including an instruction of the changed traveling direction.

The consent confirmation function of the control device 19 analyzes the image input from the in-vehicle camera 111 by image recognition processing or the like, and detects the consent gesture made by the driver D. FIG. Then, it is determined whether or not the traveling direction indicated by the detected consent gesture matches the changed traveling direction presented in the first traveling control change information Td1. The approval confirmation function of the control device 19 is that when the traveling direction presented by the first traveling control change information Td1 and the traveling direction indicated by the approval gesture match, the change of the traveling direction of the traveling control is approved. determined to be

The control device 19 refers to the gesture table shown in FIG. 5 to detect and determine the acceptance gesture of the driver D by the acceptance confirmation function. A gesture table is stored in the ROM of the control device 19 . The gesture table registers an approval gesture for indicating approval for the change in the traveling direction presented in the first travel control change information Td1, and a cancellation gesture for not accepting or canceling the change. Acceptance gestures include, for example, "shaking your head in the direction of travel", "turning your head in the direction of travel", "moving your gaze in the direction of travel", "pointing in the direction of travel", and "shaking your hand or arm in the direction of travel". A plurality of types of gestures such as "raise" and "wave your hand or arm in the running direction" are registered. Note that the motion of shaking the neck may include motion of turning the neck, motion of tilting the neck, and the like.

In addition, there are multiple types of cancel gestures in the gesture table, such as "shake head left and right", "raise both hands or both arms", "shake hands left and right", and "show X with both hands or both arms". A gesture is registered. _Gestures that indicate approval or disapproval differ depending on the country or region. preferably.

In this way, a plurality of types of acceptable gestures are registered in the gesture table, and when driver D indicates any one of the plurality of types of acceptable gestures registered in the gesture table, the gesture is displayed. is detected to determine whether or not the driver has consented. Therefore, the driver D only needs to show the easiest gesture of consent, which can eliminate the annoyance associated with the consent motion.

6A to 6D are diagrams showing an example of driving control change information presented by the driving control change information presentation function and driver D's approval gesture for the driving control change information. As described above, in addition to the lane change information, the first travel control change information of the present embodiment includes change information related to right/left turn travel control, departure travel control from the main road, or entry travel to the main road. Although change information regarding control is included, FIGS. 6A to 6D show an example in which the first lane change of the two lane change controls shown in FIG. 3 is executed.

FIG. 6A shows the first travel control change information Td1 presented to the presentation device 15 before starting the lane change from the center lane L2 to the rightmost lane L3 as shown in FIG. In this example, before starting the lane change from the center lane L2 to the _rightmost lane L3, as shown in FIG. The image data of the forward field of view is displayed, and the lane change destination of the own vehicle _V0 using a visual pattern such as an arrow, and the OK mark and Cancel mark are displayed. The OK mark and the Cancel mark indicate options for the first driving control change information Td1 to the driver D, and in FIG. 6A, both are displayed in light density to indicate that they are in a non-selected state. Also, in FIG. 6A, along with this display, a message such as "Are you willing to change the lane to the right? Please indicate with a gesture" is output from the speaker as voice data. This message may be displayed as character data on the display.

The driver visually confirms the surrounding conditions and the like with respect to the first travel control change information Td1 shown in FIG. Execute any gesture selected from among multiple consent gestures provided. FIG. 6B shows an example of a consent gesture made by Driver D during a lane change to the right, including an indication of the changed direction of travel. (A) of the same figure shows an acceptance gesture of "shake your head in the direction of travel" or "turn your face in the direction of travel". (B) of the same figure shows an acceptance gesture of "moving the line of sight in the running direction". FIG. 1C shows a left hand gesture of "pointing in the direction of travel". (D) of the same figure shows an acceptance gesture of "raise the hand or arm in the running direction" or "wave the hand or arm in the running direction" with the right hand. In this way, the driver D can approve the change of the driving direction presented by the first driving control change information Td1 by making a gesture with the directionality of the approval gesture including the direction of the driving direction to be changed. is.

The control device 19 uses the consent confirmation function to detect the consent gesture of the driver D, and when the traveling direction indicated by the detected consent gesture matches the traveling direction presented in the first traveling control change information Td1. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 6C, the presentation device 15 presents the third traveling control change information Td3 indicating the determination result of the gesture. In the third travel control change information Td3, the OK mark is displayed with a high density to indicate that the driver D has approved the lane change. In addition, in the left diagram of FIG. 6C, along with this display, a message such as "The lane change to the right has been accepted. If you wish to change the lane, please perform a cancel gesture" is output from the speaker as voice data. This message may be displayed as character data on the display.

Contrary to the above, when the driver D makes a cancel gesture with respect to the first driving control change information, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 6C, the third driving control change information Td3 includes Cancel The density of the mark is displayed darker. In addition, in the right diagram of FIG. 6C, along with this display, a message such as "The lane change to the right has been canceled. If you want to change the lane, please make a cancel gesture." . This message may be displayed as character data on the display.

When changing the determination result presented in the third travel control change information Td3, the driver D performs an arbitrary cancel gesture selected from multiple types of cancel gestures registered in the gesture table of FIG. This cancel gesture is photographed by the in-vehicle camera 111, analyzed by the consent confirmation function of the control device 19, and detected/determined.

When the driver D does not make a cancel gesture in response to the third driving control change information Td3, the approval confirmation function of the control device 19 converts the determination result presented in the third driving control change information Td3 into a regular determination result. Identify as That is, when the determination result indicating that the driver D consents to the lane change is presented in the third driving control change information Td3, the determination result becomes the normal determination result. Further, when the determination result to the effect of canceling the lane change is presented in the third driving control change information Td3, the determination result becomes the regular determination result.

On the other hand, when the driver D makes a cancellation gesture with respect to the third driving control change information Td3, the approval confirmation function of the control device 19 is different from the determination result presented in the third driving control change information Td3. A reverse determination result is identified as a normal determination result. That is, when the third driving control change information Td3 presents the determination result indicating that the driver D agrees to the lane change, the determination result indicating that the lane change is canceled becomes the normal determination result. Further, when the determination result to the effect of canceling the lane change is presented in the third travel control change information Td3, the determination result to the effect that the lane change is accepted becomes the normal determination result.

In this way, after detecting and judging the gesture of the driver D with respect to the first driving control change information Td1, the third driving control change information Td3 indicating the judgment result is presented to prompt the driver D to reconfirm the same gesture. Even if the gesture is performed, the behavior may differ depending on the driver D's understanding and recognition of the gesture, physique, gender, etc. In such a case, the consent confirmation function of the control device 19 may erroneously detect the gesture. Because there is Therefore, after detecting/determining the gesture of the driver D for the first driving control change information Td1, the third driving control change information Td3 is presented so that the cancellation gesture can be reaccepted to change the determination result. Note that the cancel gesture performed with respect to the third travel control change information Td3 corresponds to the second gesture of the present invention.

As described above, depending on the understanding and recognition of the gestures of the driver D, there is a possibility that an erroneous detection may occur no matter how many times the same gesture is performed by the driver D. Therefore, even if it is possible to detect that the driver D is making a gesture, if the content of the gesture or the direction of travel cannot be identified, the type of gesture is specified to the driver D, and the gesture is performed. It is preferable to prompt re-execution. In this embodiment, when approval or disapproval cannot be identified from the gestures of driver D, as shown in FIG. Presented on the presentation device 15, a message such as "Gesture could not be detected. Raise your right hand if you agree to change lanes to the right" is output from the speaker as voice data. In addition, the same message may be displayed as character data on the display of the presentation device 15 in order to clarify that it is the second travel control change information Td2 for prompting re-execution of the gesture.

In this way, when the driving direction presented by the first driving control change information Td1 matches the driving direction indicated by the detected approval gesture, it is assumed that the change of driving control has been approved by the driver D. By making the determination, it is possible to prevent the driver D from feeling annoyed by the operation for approving the change of the traveling direction. That is, in the prior art, even if there is no problem in automatically changing the lane, the driver D can indicate the intention of the lane change by operating the turn signal lever, and then determine the direction of the face and the direction of the line of sight in advance. Since the operator had to move the robot according to the instructions and confirm the safety, the operation for approval was very troublesome. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, consent can be given only with the consent gesture indicating the driving direction, so that the driver's annoyance can be eliminated. In addition, by using a gesture indicating the direction of travel instead of a mere gesture, it is possible to make the driver D maintain a certain level of awareness or attention to the change in the direction of travel.

In the vehicle travel control device 1 of the present embodiment, in principle, a predetermined determination threshold value is used for detecting and determining gestures of the driver D. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, the determination threshold of the gesture is lowered so that even somewhat unclear gestures such as gestures with a short duration or small movements can be detected and determined. The urgency level determination function of the control device 19 shown in FIG. This is a function that sets the judgment threshold to be lower than the normal level so that even somewhat unclear gestures can be detected and judged. Note that the judgment threshold of the gesture is, for example, a judgment threshold of the normal level used for the acceptance gesture of raising the right hand, and it is judged that the driver D has accepted when the right hand is raised to a position higher than the chest. is set as follows. In the present embodiment, by lowering the determination threshold below the normal level, it is determined that the driver D has consented even if the right hand is only raised to a position lower than the chest.

In addition, when the degree of urgency to change the driving direction is high, for example, the distance to the junction of the interchange, the entry point to the service area, the exit point of the motorway is short, and there is sufficient time to transfer the driving control of the vehicle. In addition to the case where there is no sensor, it is an environment where the detection accuracy of the surroundings of the own vehicle by the sensor 11 is often low, such as bad weather, and the reliability of the automatic cruise control by the cruise control device 1 of the vehicle is below a certain threshold. It also includes cases where Therefore, in the vehicle running control device 1 of the present embodiment, in principle, a common determination threshold value for gestures is normally applied regardless of the age, physique, gender, etc. of the driver D. If the degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold under the circumstances described above, the gesture determination threshold is set lower than usual in order to give priority to quick instructions by the driver D. As a result, driver D can focus on monitoring the vehicle without spending extra attention on making gestures correctly.

Next, lane change control processing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7E. 7A to 7E are flowcharts showing lane change control processing according to the present embodiment. Note that the lane change control process described below is executed by the control device 19 at predetermined time intervals. In the following description, the travel control function of the control device 19 is used to control the _{lane change} control scene shown in FIG. It is assumed that the vehicle overtakes the preceding _other vehicle V1 from the lane L3 and then returns to the original lane L2 while the lane keep control for controlling the position is being performed.

First, in step S1 in FIG. 7A, the control device 19 acquires travel information regarding the travel state of the host vehicle using the travel information acquisition function. In subsequent step S2, the control device 19 uses the driving scene determination function to determine the driving scene of the host vehicle based on the driving information acquired in step S1.

In step S3, the control device 19 uses the driving scene determination function to determine whether or not the driving scene of the host vehicle determined in step S2 is suitable for changing lanes. Specifically, the driving scene determination function determines that the driving scene of the own vehicle is suitable for changing lanes when the driving scene of the own vehicle is one of the driving scenes shown in FIG. do. If the driving scene of the host vehicle is not suitable for changing lanes, the process returns to step S1 and repeats the determination of the driving scene. On the other hand, if the driving scene of the own vehicle is suitable for changing lanes, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the control device 19 detects the target range by the lane change control function. Specifically, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to control the image information of the outside of the vehicle captured by the front camera and the rear camera included in the sensor 11, the detection results by the front radar, the rear radar, and the side radar. obstacles around the vehicle are detected based on the traveling information including Then, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to detect, as a target range, a range that is located on the side of the host vehicle and in which no obstacle exists.

Note that the "target range" in this embodiment is a relative range based on the traveling position when the own vehicle travels at the current speed, and other vehicles existing around the own vehicle are different from the own vehicle. When going straight at the same speed, the target range does not change. In addition, "to the side of the own vehicle" is the target position of the lane change when the own vehicle changes lanes. position), and the range (direction, width, angle, etc.) can be set as appropriate. A method for detecting the target range OS will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8F. 8A to 8F are plan views for explaining the target range OS.

The example shown in FIG. 8A is a scene in which the _other vehicle V1, which is an obstacle, does not exist in the adjacent lanes L1 and L3 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the own vehicle _V0 is traveling. In this case, the control device 19 detects these adjacent lanes L1 and L3 as the target range OS by the lane change control function. In addition, the road shoulder RS is excluded from the target range OS because it is a range in which the lane cannot be changed in principle. However, on roads where the driving scene of the own vehicle _V0 is an "emergency evacuation scene" and the vehicle is allowed to stop on the road shoulder RS in an emergency, the road shoulder RS can be included in the target range OS (the same applies hereinafter). .).

In the example shown in FIG. 8B, there is no other vehicle V1 in the left adjacent lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 in which the host vehicle _V0 is traveling, but there is _another vehicle V1 in the right adjacent lane L3. ₁ and V ₁ are present. However, in the adjacent lane L3, the range where the _other vehicles V1, V1 do not exist between the _other vehicle V1 in front and the _other vehicle V1 _behind the lane L2 on which the own vehicle _V0 is traveling. It is a scene with The control device 19 uses the lane change control function to detect, as the target range OS, the adjacent lane L1 on the left side and the range where other vehicles do not exist in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side.

In the example shown in FIG. 8C, as in the example shown in FIG. 8B, there is a range in which the other vehicles V ₁ and V ₁ do not exist in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side. This is a scene in which there is _a range between ₁ and V1 where other vehicles do not exist. In this case, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to control the range in which the other vehicles V _{1 and V 1 do not exist in the adjacent lane L1 on the left side and the range in which the other vehicles V 1 and V 1 do not} exist in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side. is detected as the target range OS.

In the example shown in FIG. 8D, as in the example shown in FIG. 8C, there is a range in which the other vehicles V ₁ and V ₁ do not exist in the adjacent lane L1 on the left side, and there are no other vehicles in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side. This is a scene in which there is a range RA in which the own vehicle _V0 cannot travel, such as a construction section or an accident vehicle, in the adjacent lane L3. In this case, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to detect the target range OS by excluding the range RA where the own vehicle _V0 cannot travel, such as a construction section or an accident vehicle, from the target range OS. The range RA where the own vehicle _V0 cannot travel includes, in addition to the construction section, a range where the _other vehicle V1 is parked or stopped, and a range where the vehicle is prohibited from traveling due to traffic regulations or the like. As shown in FIG. 8D, when the range RA where the own vehicle _V0 cannot travel due to a construction section or the like is, for example, half or more of the adjacent lane L3 (half or more in the width direction), the remaining less than half of the range may be excluded from the target range OS.

In the example shown in FIG. 8E, there is a range in which the other vehicles V ₁ and V ₁ do not exist in the adjacent lane L1 on the left side, but the other vehicle V ₁ is continuously running in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side. This is a scene in which there is no space for changing lanes in lane L3. In this case, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to determine that the target range OS cannot be detected in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side.

The example shown in FIG. 8F is a scene in which lane change from adjacent lane L2 to adjacent lane L3 is prohibited by lane change prohibition mark RL. On such a road, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to determine that the target range OS cannot be detected in the adjacent lane L3 on the right side.

Note that the control device 19 of the present embodiment uses the lane change control function to detect the target range OS in the direction suitable for changing lanes in the direction in which the vehicle V0 is traveling in the driving scene of the vehicle _V0 , among the left and right directions. do. In this embodiment, directions suitable for changing lanes in each driving scene are stored in advance in the table shown in FIG. Using the lane change control function, the control device 19 refers to the table shown in FIG. 2 and acquires information on the "direction of lane change" in the driving scene of the own vehicle. For example, if the driving scene of the own vehicle is "catching up with the preceding vehicle", the lane change control function acquires "passing lane side" as the "lane change direction" with reference to FIG. Then, the lane change control function detects the target range OS in the obtained "direction of lane change".

Further, the control device 19 detects the target range OS on the side of the own vehicle _V0 by the lane change control function. For example, even if an obstacle-free range is detected in the adjacent lane L1 on the left and the adjacent lane _L3 on the right, the range is the rear side or If it is located on the front side, it is difficult to change lanes in such a range, so it is not detected as the target range OS.

Returning to FIG. 7A, in step S5, the lane change target position is set by the lane change control function. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of setting a target position for changing lanes. For example, with the _lane change control function, the control device 19, as shown in FIG. A slightly backward position is set as a target position for lane change (for example, the position of vehicle _V01 shown in FIG. 9). The target position for lane change (the position of the vehicle _V01 ) is a position relative to the position where the own vehicle _V0 travels. That is, when the position of the host vehicle _V0 traveling at the current speed is set as the reference position, a position slightly behind the reference position is set as the target position for lane change. As a result, when the own vehicle _V0 is moved to the lane change target position, the own vehicle _V0 can be lane-changed to the adjacent lane L3 on the right side without accelerating the own vehicle _V0 .

Note that the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to check that there is a range in which the vehicle _V0 can move within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 on the right side, and that the vehicle V0 enters the target range OS around the vehicle _V0 . The target position for changing lanes may be set taking into consideration the ease of changing lanes, such as the absence of other vehicles V1 that may cause _another vehicle V1 to change lanes. For example, when _another vehicle V1 existing around the target range OS is emitting a blinker in the direction of the target range OS by the lane change control function, or is traveling closer to the target range OS side, It may be determined that there is a possibility that the _other vehicle V1 may enter the target range OS, and _another position within the target range OS where the possibility of the other vehicle V1 entering is less may be set as the target position. Also, an example has been shown in which the target position for lane change is set to a position behind the host vehicle _V0 within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3. It may be set at a position forward of the host vehicle _V0 . Further, in step S5, instead of the target position for lane change, a target route for lane change may be set.

Returning to FIG. 7A, in step S6, the control device 19 predicts the required time T1 for lane change by the lane change control function. For example, the lane change control function predicts the time required for the vehicle to move from the current position to the target position for lane change as the required time T1 based on the vehicle speed and acceleration of the vehicle. Therefore, for example, when the width of the lane is wide, when the road is congested, and when consecutive lane changes are performed as in this example, the required time T1 is predicted to be long.

In step S7, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to predict the target range OS after the required time T1 predicted in step S6. Specifically, the lane change control function predicts the traveling position of the _other vehicle V1 after the required time T1 based on the speed and acceleration of the _other vehicle _V1 existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle V0. For example, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to repeatedly detect the position information of the other vehicle V ₁ , _{so that the speed vector v 0 , acceleration vector a 0 , and} Compute the position vector _p0 .

Here, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the traveling direction of the own vehicle V0 is the X axis and the width direction of the road is the Y axis, the speed vector _v0 of the _other vehicle V0 is expressed by the following equation ( ₁ ). be done.
v0 _{= vx0i} + _vy0j (1)
In the above formula ( ₁ ), _vx0 is the velocity component in the X-axis direction of the velocity vector v0 of the _other vehicle V1, and _vy0 is the velocity component in the Y-axis direction of the velocity vector _v0 of the _other vehicle V1. velocity component. Also, i is a unit vector in the X-axis direction, and j is a unit vector in the Y-axis direction (the same applies to equations (2), (3), and (6) below).

Further, the acceleration vector _a0 of the _other vehicle V1 can be obtained as shown in the following formula ( ₂ ), and the position vector p0 of the _other vehicle V1 can be obtained as shown in the following formula (3). can.
_{a0 =} ax0i+ _ay0j (2)
p0 _{= px0i} + _py0j (3)
In the above formula (2), ax ₀ is the acceleration component in the X-axis direction of the acceleration vector a ₀ of the other vehicle V ₁ , and ay ₀ is the Y-axis direction component of the acceleration vector a ₀ of the other vehicle V ₁ . Acceleration component. In the above equation (3), px ₀ is the position component of the position vector p ₀ of the other vehicle V ₁ in the X-axis direction, and py ₀ is the position component of the position vector p ₀ of the other vehicle V ₁ in the Y-axis direction. It is a positional component.

Then, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to calculate the position vector _pT1 of the _other vehicle V1 after the required time T1, as shown in FIG. 10B. Specifically, the lane change control function calculates the position vector _pT1 of the _other vehicle V1 after the required time T1 based on the following equations (4) to (6).
pxT1 _{= px0} +vx0T1+ ₁ /2( _ax0T1 ) ² (4)
pyT1 _{= py0} +vy0T1+ ₁ /2( _ay0T1 ) ² (5)
_pT1 = _pxT1i + _pyT1j (6)
In the above formulas (4) and (5), pxT ₁ is the position component in the X-axis direction of the position vector pT ₁ of the other vehicle V ₁ after the required time T1, and pyT ₁ is the position component after the required time T1. is the position component in the Y-axis direction of the position vector _pT1 of the _other vehicle V1. Further, vx ₀ T1 is the moving speed of the other vehicle V ₁ in the X-axis direction after the required time T1, and vy ₀ T1 is the moving speed of the other vehicle V ₁ in the Y-axis direction after the required time T1. Furthermore, ax ₀ T1 is the acceleration in the X-axis direction of the other vehicle V ₁ after the required time T1, and ay ₀ T1 is the acceleration in the Y-axis direction of the other vehicle V ₁ after the required time T1.

Next, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to predict the positions of all the _other vehicles _V1 existing around the host vehicle V0 after the required time T1. Then, the lane change control function predicts the target range OS after the required time T1 based on the position of the _other vehicle V1 after the required time T1. In addition, the lane change control function further considers the lane regulation situation after the required time T1, the presence of obstacles on the road, the presence or absence of blocking of the adjacent lane L3, and the presence of sections where the vehicle cannot move, such as construction sections. The target range OS after the required time T1 is predicted. Note that the lane change control function can predict the target range OS after the required time T1, as in step S4.

In step S8, the control device 19 acquires information on the requested range RR by the lane change control function. The requested range RR is a range of size required for the vehicle _V0 to change lanes, and is a range having at least a size larger than the size of the road surface occupied by the vehicle _V0 . In this embodiment, when the requested range RR is set for the target position of the lane change, and the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 includes the requested range RR, the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 corresponds to the requested range RR. It is determined that there is space, and the lane change to the adjacent lane L3 is permitted. In this embodiment, information including the shape and size of the requested range RR is stored in the memory of the controller 19, and the information about the requested range RR is acquired from the memory of the controller 19 by the lane change control function.

In step S9, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to determine whether there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR acquired in step S8 within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1 predicted in step S7. A determination is made as to whether or not Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11A, the lane change control function sets the request range RR to the lane change target position (the position of the host vehicle _V01 ) set in step S5. Then, by the lane change control function, it is determined whether or not the requested range RR is included in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 11A, since the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1 does not include the rear side of the requested range RR, the lane change control function controls the target range OS of the adjacent lane after the required time T1. It is determined that there is no space corresponding to the requested range RR within the range OS. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the requested range RR is included in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1, the lane change control function controls the target range of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1. It is determined that there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR in the OS. When there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1, the process proceeds to step S11 shown in FIG. 7B, and when there is no space, the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the requested range RR is not included in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1, and there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1. determined to be undetectable. Therefore, in step S10, the control device 19 changes the target position of the lane change by the lane change control function. Specifically, the lane change control function resets the target position of the lane change so that the requested range RR is included in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the rear portion of the requested range RR is not included in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1, the lane change target position is changed forward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11B, the requested range RR is included in both the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1, and the requested range RR is included in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1. is determined to be detectable. After step S10, the process returns to step S6, and detection of the target range OS and the like are performed again.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S9 of FIG. 7A that the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T1 includes the requested range RR, the process proceeds to step S11 shown in FIG. 7B. In step S11 of FIG. 7B, the control device 19 performs the approval request process of the first lane change control by the lane change control function. In this step S11, the control device 19 judges that the lane change from the lane L2 to the lane L3 is possible in the processing of steps S1 to S9, and before actually executing the lane change, the driver himself/herself In order to prompt the driver to confirm safety, the driver is requested to answer whether or not to approve the execution of the lane change control. This corresponds to presentation of the first travel control change information Td1 according to the present invention.

FIG. 7D is a flowchart showing a subroutine of lane change control consent request and consent confirmation processing executed in step S11. In step S111 of FIG. 7D, the control device 19 sets the determination threshold of the gesture by the running control change information presentation function.

In step S111, the control device 19 first detects the degree of urgency of changing lanes by the urgency degree determination function, and determines whether or not the detected urgency degree is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value. As described above, for example, when the distance to the branch point of an interchange, the entry point to a service area, or the exit point of a motorway is short and there is not enough time to shift the travel control of the vehicle, the sensor 11 In an environment where the detection accuracy of the surroundings of the own vehicle is often low, when the reliability of the automatic cruise control by the vehicle cruise control device 1 drops below a certain threshold, the degree of tightness is high. I judge. Next, the control device 19 sets the judgment level of the gesture to the judgment threshold of the normal level when the detected urgency is less than a preset threshold by the urgency degree determination function. Conversely, when the detected urgency is equal to or higher than the preset threshold, the gesture determination threshold is set lower than the normal level, that is, the gesture is not detected with the normal level determination threshold. A determination threshold for gestures is set so that even unclear gestures can be detected.

In step S112 in FIG. 7D, the presentation device 15 is presented with the first traveling control change information Td1 described with reference to FIG. 6A. That is, in the example of FIG. 6A, the control device 19 uses the lane change information presentation function to perform the lane change shown in FIG. 6A before starting the lane change from the center lane L2 to the rightmost lane L3 as shown in FIG. , the display of the presentation device 15 displays the vehicle V ₀ and the image data of the front view including the lanes L1, L2, and L3, and the lane change destination of the vehicle V ₀ using a visual pattern such as an arrow; An OK mark and a Cancel mark with reduced density are displayed. Along with this display, a message such as "Are you willing to change the lane to the right? Please indicate with a gesture" is output from the speaker as voice data.

Returning to FIG. 7D, in step S113, the control device 19 detects a gesture made by the driver D according to the first travel control change information Td1 by the lane change information presentation function. Specifically, the controller 19 captures images of the upper body, head and face of the driver D using the in-vehicle camera 111 shown in FIG. 4 using the lane change information presentation function. Next, the controller 19 uses the lane change information presentation function to analyze the captured image by image recognition processing or the like, and detects whether or not the driver D is making a gesture. When the gesture of driver D is detected, the process proceeds to step S114.

In step S114, the control device 19 determines whether or not the detected gesture is an approval gesture with directionality using the lane change information presentation function. The determination of whether or not this is a consent gesture is made by, for example, referring to the gesture table shown in FIG. determine whether or not to If the detected gesture is an acceptance gesture, the process proceeds to step S115.

In step S115, the control device 19 uses the lane change information presentation function to determine whether or not the traveling direction indicated by the detected approval gesture matches the traveling direction presented in the first traveling control change information Td1. . This determination of the traveling direction is performed based on the analysis result of the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 111, for example, so that the traveling direction indicated by the detected approval gesture is the traveling direction presented in the first traveling control change information Td1. Determine whether or not they match. If the running directions match, the process proceeds to step S116.

In step S116, the control device 19 uses the lane change information presentation function to present the presentation device 15 with the third driving control change information Td3 indicating the determination result of the gesture of the driver D, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 6C.

In the next step S117, the control device 19 uses the lane change information presentation function to detect the cancellation gesture that the driver D performs to change the gesture detection/determination result for the third driving control change information Td3. Similar to step S113, this cancellation gesture is detected by photographing the upper body, head and face images of driver D with the in-vehicle camera 111 shown in FIG. 4 and analyzing the photographed images by image recognition processing or the like. done by

In step S117, if the driver D's cancellation gesture for the third driving control change information Td3 is not detected, in the next step S118, the control device 19 uses the acceptance confirmation function to present the third driving control change information Td3. The determination result is specified as a normal determination result. That is, when the determination result indicating that the driver D consents to the lane change is presented in the third driving control change information Td3, the determination result becomes the normal determination result. Further, when the determination result to the effect of canceling the lane change is presented in the third driving control change information Td3, the determination result becomes the regular determination result.

Contrary to the above, when the cancellation gesture of the driver D with respect to the third travel control change information Td3 is detected in step S117, in the next step S119, the control device 19 performs the third travel by the approval confirmation function. A determination result opposite to the determination result presented in the control change information Td3 is specified as a normal determination result. That is, when the determination result indicating that the driver D agrees to the lane change is presented in the third travel control change information Td, the determination result indicating that the lane change is canceled becomes the normal determination result. Further, when the determination result to the effect of canceling the lane change is presented in the third travel control change information Td3, the determination result to the effect that the lane change is accepted becomes the normal determination result.

Next, the description returns to step S113 in FIG. 7D. In step S113, when the gesture of the driver D with respect to the 1st driving control change information Td1 is not detected, it progresses to step S120. In this step S120, the control device 19 determines whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the presentation of the first travel control change information Td1 by the lane change information presentation function. This determination of the predetermined time is performed to re-present the first driving control change information Td1 when there is no response from the driver D within a predetermined time after presenting the first driving control change information Td1. This predetermined time may be, for example, a preset time, or may be set according to the distance or time to the lane change point. If the predetermined time has not elapsed in step S120, the process returns to step S112 to re-present the first traveling control change information Td1. Moreover, when the predetermined time has passed in step S120, the process proceeds to the next step S121.

In step S121, the control device 19 determines whether or not the first travel control change information Td1 has been re-presented a predetermined number of times by the lane change information presentation function. This determination of the number of times of presentation is performed in order to stop the lane change control itself when there is no response from the driver D even after the first running control change information Td1 has been re-presented a predetermined number of times. The number of times of re-presentation may be set in advance, or may be set according to the distance or time to the lane change point. In step S121, when the number of times of re-presentation has not reached the predetermined number of times, the process returns to step S112 to re-present the first traveling control change information Td1. Moreover, when the number of times of re-presentation has reached the predetermined number of times in step S121, the process proceeds to step S122 to stop the lane change control.

Next, the description returns to step S114 in FIG. 7D. In step S114, if the detected gesture of driver D is not an approval gesture with directionality, the process proceeds to step S123. In this step S123, the control device 19 determines whether or not the detected gesture is the cancel gesture by the lane change information presentation function. The control device 19 refers to the gesture table shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not the analysis result corresponds to multiple types of cancel gestures. When the detected gesture is the cancel gesture, the process proceeds to step S116, and the presentation device 15 presents the third driving control change information Td3 shown in the right diagram of FIG. 6C. If the detected gesture is not the cancel gesture, the process proceeds to next step S124.

If the process proceeds to step S124, it is determined that the detected gesture of driver D is neither an acceptance gesture nor a cancellation gesture. Therefore, in step S124, the control device 19 uses the lane change information presentation function to specify the type of gesture of consent, and presents the second driving control change information Td2 to the presentation device 15, thereby instructing the driver D to repeat the gesture. Encourage action. In addition, in step S124, along with the presentation of the second travel control change information Td2, a message such as "Gesture could not be detected. Raise your right hand if you approve the lane change to the right" is sent from the speaker by voice data. Output. After step S124 is completed, the control device 19 returns to step S113 by the lane change information presentation function, and detects the gesture re-executed by driver D.

As described above, in the subroutine of step S11 shown in FIG. 7D, it is determined whether or not the driver D has consented to the lane change, and after the determination is completed, the process proceeds to step S12 shown in FIG. 7B.

Returning to FIG. 7B, in step S12, if driver D approves the lane change from lane L2 to lane L3 in response to the approval request in step S11, control device 19 proceeds to step S13. does not approve the lane change, the process returns to step S1 without executing the lane change control.

In step S13, the control device 19 acquires the lane change time limit Z by the lane change control function. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the time required for the host vehicle to approach a point at which it is difficult to change lanes in each driving scene is stored as the time limit Z in a table. Using the lane change control function, the control device 19 refers to the table shown in FIG. 2 and acquires the time limit Z in the driving scene of the own vehicle. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, in the “scene of catching up with the preceding vehicle”, the time limit is stored as the arrival time to the preceding vehicle−α seconds. In this case, the control device 19 calculates the arrival time to the preceding vehicle by referring to the table shown in FIG. do. Note that α is a predetermined number of seconds (for example, 5 seconds), and can be set as appropriate for each driving scene. For example, if the arrival time to the preceding vehicle is 30 seconds and α is 5 seconds, the lane change time limit Z is 25 seconds.

In step S14, lane change control start processing is performed. In this lane change control start process, the control device 19 sets the start timing L for starting the lane change control by the lane change control function. The method for setting the start timing L is not particularly limited, and can be set by, for example, the following methods (1) to (8). That is, (1) a unique timing is set as the start timing L of lane change control. For example, the start timing L of the lane change control is set to a predetermined time (for example, 6 seconds) after the driver approves the lane change. (2) Based on the degree of necessity of lane change shown in FIG. 2, the start timing L of lane change control is set. Specifically, the degree of necessity of lane change in the driving scene of the host vehicle is obtained from the table shown in FIG. The start timing L of the lane change control is set to an earlier timing than in the case of . (3) Based on the lane change time limit Z shown in FIG. 2, the start timing L of the lane change control is set. Specifically, the _lane change time limit Z in the driving scene of the host vehicle is obtained from the table shown in FIG. The start timing L of the lane change control is set earlier than when Z is equal to or greater than the predetermined time _Zth . (4) Based on the required time T1 for lane change, the start timing L of the lane change control is set. Specifically, when the required time T1 for lane change predicted in step S6 of FIG. 7A is less than the predetermined time _Tth , compared to the case where the lane change time limit Z is equal to or greater than the predetermined time _Tth , The start timing L of lane change control is set to an early timing.

(5) Based on the lane change time limit Z and the required time T1, the lane change control start timing L is set. Specifically, from the required time T1 for lane change and the time limit Z for lane change, the margin time Y is obtained (for example, time limit Z−required time T1=margin time Y), and the margin time Y is the predetermined time Y _th , the lane change control start timing L is set earlier than when the margin time Y is equal to or greater than the predetermined time _Yth . (6) The start timing L of lane change control is set based on the attention level (inclination level) O, which is the degree of the driver's interest in driving. For example, an input device 16 such as an in-vehicle microphone or a hands-free device detects the voice of the driver to determine whether the driver is talking or making a hands-free call. If so, the driver's attention level 0 is determined to be less than the threshold value _Oth , and the lane change control start timing L is set later than when the driver's attention level is equal to or greater than the threshold value _Oth .

(7) Based on the degree of traffic congestion K, the start timing L of lane change control is set. For example, based on the distance to the preceding vehicle, the distance to the rear vehicle, the number of surrounding vehicles, the degree of congestion included in the VICS (registered trademark) information, and the degree of divergence between the legal speed and the actual speed of the own vehicle, Judge the degree of traffic congestion K. The shorter the distance to the preceding vehicle, the shorter the distance to the rear vehicle, the greater the number of surrounding vehicles, the higher the degree of congestion included in the VICS information, or the statutory The greater the degree of deviation between the speed and the actual vehicle speed of the own vehicle, the higher the traffic _congestion degree _K is determined. The start timing L of the lane change control is set to an earlier timing than when it is less than. (8) Based on the likelihood B of lane change, the start timing L of lane change control is set. For example, it is possible to determine the degree of certainty that the host vehicle will change lanes as the likelihood B based on whether the destination is set or not and the distance to the preceding vehicle. Specifically, when the destination is set and the vehicle needs to change lanes to reach the destination, it is determined that the likelihood B of the lane change is equal to or greater than the threshold value _Bth . do. If the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is less than the predetermined distance, it is determined that the driver desires a lane change, and the lane change likelihood B is determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold value _Bth . Then, when the lane change likelihood B is equal to or greater than the threshold _Bth , the lane change control start timing L is set earlier than when the lane change likelihood B is less than the threshold _Bth . . As described above, the start timing L of the lane change control is set. Note that the above-described (1) to (8) are examples of the method for setting the start timing L, and are not limited to the above-described configuration. Further, after setting the start timing L, the control device 19 may set the advance notice presentation timing P for presenting the lane change information indicating that the lane change will start before the lane change control is started.

When the set start timing L comes, the control device 19 starts lane change control by the lane change control function. Specifically, the control device 19 causes the drive control device 18 to operate the steering actuator so that the host vehicle moves to the target position for lane change set in step S5 or step S10 of FIG. 7A by the lane change control function. Initiate control of movement. In addition, when the lane change control is started, the lane change information indicating that the lane change control is being executed may be presented to the presentation device 15 .

In steps S15 to S17 in FIG. 7C, similar to steps S4 and S6 to S7 in FIG. 7A, the current target range OS and the host vehicle _V0 change lanes for the first time (from lane L2 to lane L3 in FIG. 9). The detection of the target range OS is performed after the required time T2 for moving to the target position related to the lane change. Then, in step S18, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to determine that a space corresponding to the requested range RR acquired in step S8 exists within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T2 predicted in step S17. determine whether or not there is Then, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to set the requested range RR to the target position for the first lane change, and when the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T2 includes the requested range RR, determines that there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T2, and proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no space corresponding to the requested range RR in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T2, the process proceeds to step S19. Note that the processing of step S19 and the subsequent processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 7E.

In step S20, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to determine whether or not the time limit Z obtained in step S13 has elapsed since the first lane change control was started in step S14. When the elapsed time S1 after starting the first lane change control exceeds the time limit Z, that is, even if the time limit Z has passed since the start of the lane change control, the target position for the first lane change cannot be reached, the process proceeds to step S22. In this step S22, the control device 19 performs a process of canceling the first lane change control by the lane change control function. Specifically, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to notify the driver of information indicating that the lane change control is to be stopped. For example, after informing the driver of the message "Lane change is interrupted due to timeout" via the display device 15, the lane change control is ended. In the lane change control stop processing, the running position of the host vehicle in the width direction may remain at the position at the end of the lane change control, or may be returned to the position at the start of the lane change control. When returning to the position at which the lane change control was started, for example, a message such as "return to original position due to timeout" may be notified to the driver.

On the other hand, in step S20, when the elapsed time S1 after starting the lane change control does not exceed the time limit Z, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, the control device 19 determines whether or not the host vehicle has reached the target position for the first lane change using the lane change control function. When the own vehicle reaches the target position for the first lane change, the process proceeds to step S23. In step S23, since the first lane change control by the lane change control function has been completed, lane change information indicating that the first lane change has been completed is presented to the presentation device 15 . If it is determined in step S21 that the vehicle has not reached the target position for the first lane change, the process returns to step S15 to continue lane change control.

Now, in step S18 of FIG. 7C, when it is determined that there is no space corresponding to the requested range RR in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T2, the process proceeds to step S19. That is, at the time of step S9 when the lane change control is started, there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3. If there is no space corresponding to the requested range RR in the OS, the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the positional relationship in the width direction between the lane mark (hereinafter also referred to as the target lane mark) that the vehicle straddles when changing lanes and the vehicle is detected.

For example, FIG. 12 illustrates a scene in which the own vehicle _V0 changes lanes in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure (from the left lane to the right lane in the figure). In this case, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to control the state in which even a part of the host vehicle _V0 does not straddle the target lane mark CL as shown in FIG. 12(C), a state in which a part of the own vehicle _{V0 straddles} the target lane mark CL but the center line VC of the own vehicle V0 does not straddle the target lane mark CL, as shown in FIG. The entire vehicle _V0 does not straddle the target lane mark CL, but the center line VC of the own vehicle _{V0 straddles} the target lane mark CL, as shown in FIG. It is determined in which state the vehicle is straddling the target lane mark CL.

In step S51 shown in FIG. 7E, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to change lanes based on the positional relationship in the width direction between the target lane mark CL and the own vehicle _V0 determined in step S19 in FIG. 7C. Perform control processing to stop or continue. Specifically, based on the positional relationship in the width direction between the target lane mark CL and the own vehicle _V0 , (a) a method of presenting information to the driver when canceling or continuing a lane change, (b) a lane change (c) determines the travel position of the own vehicle _V0 when the lane change is canceled or continued.

For example, (a) as a method of presenting information to the driver when canceling or continuing the lane change, (a1) presenting information for letting the driver select the option of canceling or continuing the lane change without a time limit, Execute control of the driver-selected option (cancel or continue lane change) if the driver selects either option, (a2) prompting the driver to select the option to cancel or continue the lane change with a time limit; If the driver selects one of the options within the time limit, control of the option selected by the driver (cancel or continue lane change) will be performed, and the driver will If none of the options is selected, a predetermined option (default control) out of lane change control suspension and continuation is executed; (a3) automatically suspend or continue lane change; and (a4) automatically canceling or continuing the lane change, and instructing the driver to cancel the automatically executed lane change. or do not specify how to cancel the continuation.

In addition, (b) the content of control after stopping or continuing the lane change includes (b1) canceling the lane change and also canceling the automatic driving control, (b2) canceling only the lane change control and continuing the automatic driving control, (b3) Suspend the lane change control and enter a standby state until a space corresponding to the requested range RR is detected again in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3, and the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 corresponds to the requested range RR. When the space is detected again, any one of the three controls of resuming the lane change control is executed.

In addition, (c) the running position of the own vehicle when the lane change control is stopped or continued, (c1) the own vehicle is returned to the position before the start of the lane change, and (c2) the own vehicle travels before the start of the lane change. One of the following three position adjustments is executed: (c3) maintaining the current position;

Then, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to provide (a) information to the driver when canceling or continuing the lane change based on the positional relationship in the width direction between the target lane mark CL and the host vehicle _V0 . Control for stopping or continuing the lane change by appropriately combining the presentation method, (b) content of control after stopping or continuing the lane change, and (c) the driving position of the own vehicle when the lane change is stopped or continued. process.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12(A), when the own vehicle _V0 does not straddle the target lane mark CL, (a4) lane change cancellation is automatically executed, and the driver is instructed to cancel the lane change. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the cancellation method is not specified. In this case, the lane change control function can be configured to (b1) stop the lane change and also stop the automatic driving control, and (c1) return the host vehicle to the position before the lane change started. Also, in such a case, it will be possible to say, "There will be no more space to change lanes, so we will return to the original position." It is possible to inform the driver of the content of the control to stop the lane change. In this case, the process proceeds to step S23 in FIG. 7C and ends the lane change control.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, a part of the own vehicle _{V0 straddles} the target lane mark CL, but when the center line VC of the own vehicle V0 does not straddle the target lane mark CL, (a3) A lane change cancellation can be automatically executed, and a method of canceling the lane change cancellation can be clearly indicated to the driver. In this case, the lane change control function (c2) moves the vehicle _V0 to a position in the vicinity of the target lane mark CL in the lane in which the vehicle was traveling before starting the lane change, and then (b2) A configuration can be adopted in which only the lane change control is stopped and the automatic travel control is continued. Also, in such a case, it is possible that there will be no space left to change lanes, so the vehicle will return to the original lane. In addition, it is possible to inform the driver of the content of the control to stop the lane change that will be performed from now on. In addition, a button for continuing the lane change can be displayed on the display along with the message "Press the button below if you want to continue the lane change." If the driver presses the button to continue lane change, the process proceeds to step S52 of FIG. 7E, whereas if the driver does not press the button to continue lane change, the process proceeds to FIG. 7C. to step S23.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12C, when the vehicle _V0 as a whole does not straddle the target lane mark CL, but the center line VC of the vehicle _V0 straddles the target lane mark CL, ( a4) It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the continuation of the lane change is automatically executed and the method of canceling the continuation of the lane change is not indicated to the driver. In this case, (c3) the current position of the vehicle is maintained and waited, and (b3) the lane change is suspended until a space corresponding to the requested range RR is detected again in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3. Then, when a space corresponding to the requested range RR is detected again in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3, the lane change control can be restarted. For example, in this case, you can say, "There will be no more lane change space, so we will wait at the current location." The driver can be notified of the content of the control to continue the lane change. In this case, the process proceeds to step S52 in FIG. 7E.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12(D), when the entire host vehicle _V0 straddles the target lane mark CL, (a4) lane change is automatically canceled, and the driver is instructed to perform lane change control. It is possible to adopt a configuration that does not specify how to cancel the cancellation of the. In this case, (c3) the current position of the host vehicle is maintained, and (b2) only the lane change control is stopped and the automatic travel control is continued. In this case, the driver will be instructed to stop changing lanes, such as "We will wait at the current location because there is almost no space left to change lanes." can be notified. In this case, the process proceeds to step S23 in FIG. 7C, and the travel control process ends.

Note that the positional relationship in the width direction between the target lane mark CL and the own vehicle _V0 is not limited to the four shown in FIGS. . In addition, the combination of control for each positional relationship is not limited to the combination described above, and includes (a) a method of presenting information to the driver when stopping or continuing lane change control, (b) stopping or continuing lane change control. It is possible to appropriately combine the content of control after continuation and (c) the traveling position of the own vehicle when the lane change is canceled or continued.

Next, a case where the lane change is continued in step S51 of FIG. 7E will be described. When continuation of the lane change is started in step S51, the process proceeds to step S52. In step S52, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to measure the elapsed time S2 after the lane change control has entered the standby state in step S51. That is, in this embodiment, when the lane change is continued in step S51, the lane change is interrupted until the space corresponding to the requested range RR is detected again in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3, and the lane change control is stopped. Standby state. In step S52, the elapsed time S2 after the start of the lane change control standby is measured.

In step S53, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to predict the required time T3 for the vehicle to move from the current position to the target position for lane change. Note that the required time T3 can be predicted by a method similar to step S6 in FIG. 7A.

In step S54, the control device 19 uses the lane change control function to calculate the total time (S2+T3) of the elapsed time S2 measured in step S52 and the required time T3 predicted in step S53 in step S13 of FIG. 7B. It is determined whether or not the acquired time limit Z is exceeded. When the total time (S2+T3) exceeds the time limit Z, the process proceeds to step S55, the lane change control function cancels the standby state of the lane change control, and drives the own vehicle to the traveling position of the own vehicle before the start of the lane change. Moving. Then, it progresses to step S23 of FIG. 7C, and lane change control is complete|finished. On the other hand, if the total time (S2+T3) does not exceed the time limit Z, the process proceeds to step S56.

In step S56, the controller 19 continues the lane change control standby state, and in subsequent steps S57 and S58, similar to steps S4 and S7 in FIG. To detect. Then, in step S59, similarly to step S9 in FIG. 7A, it is determined whether or not there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR within the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T3 predicted in step S58. . In step S59, the control device 19 sets the requested range RR to the target position of the lane change. It is determined that there is a space corresponding to the requested range RR within the target range OS of L3, and the process proceeds to step S60. In step S60, since a space corresponding to the requested range RR is detected in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3, the control device 19 cancels the standby state of the lane change control by the lane change control function, and the lane change control is performed. to resume. The processing in this case returns to step S15 in FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S59 that there is no space corresponding to the requested range RR in the target range OS of the adjacent lane L3 after the required time T3, the process proceeds to step S61 to continue the lane change control standby state. Then, the process returns to step S52.

Next, after the lane change from the lane L2 to the lane L3 shown in the left diagram of FIG. 3 described above is executed, the lane change control from the lane L3 to the lane L2 shown in the right diagram of FIG. 7E for explanation. When the lane change shown in the left diagram of FIG. 3 is executed, the process of step S23 of FIG. 7C is executed, and then the process returns to step S1 of FIG. 7A. Then, each process of steps S1 to S10 is executed for the lane change control shown in the right diagram of FIG. These processes are the same as the lane change control process shown in the left diagram of FIG.

In step S11 of FIG. 7B, the control device 19 performs the approval request and approval confirmation process of this time (second time) lane change control by the lane change control function. In this step S11, the control device 19 determines that it is possible to change the lane from the lane L3 to the lane L2 in the processing of steps S1 to S9, and before actually executing the lane change, the driver himself/herself In order to prompt the driver to confirm safety, the driver is requested to answer whether or not to approve the execution of the lane change control. Note that step S11 is the same as the processing of steps S111 to S124 in FIG. 7D described above, so description thereof will be omitted.

The processing from step S13 in FIG. 7B to step S23 in FIG. 7C is the same as the lane change control processing shown in the left diagram of FIG. Thus, the lane change from lane L3 to lane L2 shown in the right diagram of FIG. 3 is completed.

As described above, according to the vehicle cruise control device ₁ and the cruise control method according to the present embodiment, the first cruise control change information Td1 is presented to the driver D, a gesture of approval by the driver D for this first driving control change information Td1 is detected, and the driving direction indicated by this gesture of consent and the driving direction presented by the first driving control change information Td1 If they match, it is determined that the change of the traveling direction has been accepted, and the automatic traveling control related to the changing of the traveling direction is executed. That is, it is possible to give consent to the first travel control change information Td1 only with an approval gesture indicating the traveling direction, and the complicated approval operation as in the prior art is not required, so that the driver D is bothered by the approval operation. can be eliminated. In addition, by using a gesture indicating the direction of travel instead of a mere gesture, it is possible to make the driver D maintain a certain level of awareness or attention to the change in the direction of travel.

Further, according to the travel control device 1 and the travel control method for a vehicle according to the present embodiment, a plurality of types of gestures are set as detectable consent gestures, and the driver D shows an arbitrary consent gesture from the plurality of types of gestures. If so, it is determined whether or not the change in traveling direction has been accepted. Therefore, since the driver D can freely select and perform the consent gesture that is easiest to perform, it is possible to eliminate the annoyance of the driver D associated with the consent motion.

Further, according to the vehicle travel control device 1 and the travel control method of the present embodiment, the motion of the head of the driver D is detected as the consent gesture, and the travel direction indicated by the motion of the head and the first It is determined whether or not the traveling direction presented in the traveling control change information Td1 matches. Therefore, the driver D can approve the first traveling control change information Td1 only by a simple movement of the head without releasing the hand from the steering wheel or the like. can do.

Further, according to the vehicle cruise control device 1 and the cruise control method according to the present embodiment, the direction of the line of sight of the driver D is detected as the consent gesture, and the direction of travel indicated by the direction of the line of sight and the direction of the first cruise control change are detected. It is determined whether or not the traveling direction presented by the information Td1 matches. Therefore, the driver D can approve the first travel control change information Td1 only by a simple movement of the line of sight without releasing the hand from the steering wheel or the like. be able to.

Further, according to the vehicle cruise control device 1 and the cruise control method according to the present embodiment, the movement of at least one of the hand or arm of the driver D is detected as the consent gesture, and the motion of at least one of the hand or arm is indicated. It is determined whether or not the travel direction indicated by the first travel control change information Td1 matches the travel direction presented in the first travel control change information Td1. Therefore, the driver D can approve the first traveling control change information Td1 with only a simple movement of the hand or arm, so that the troublesomeness of the driver D associated with the approval operation can be eliminated.

Further, according to the vehicle running control device 1 and the running control method of the present embodiment, when the running direction cannot be identified from the detected gesture, the second running control for indicating the type of consent gesture to be made to the driver D is performed. The change information Td2 is presented to encourage re-execution of the approval gesture. Therefore, even if it is difficult to detect/determine the gesture of acceptance by Driver D and is likely to be falsely detected, the gesture of Driver D can be detected/determined with a high probability by presenting the type of gesture of acceptance to be made. can. Therefore, it is not necessary for the driver D to re-execute the gesture many times.

Further, according to the cruise control device 1 and the cruise control method for a vehicle according to the present embodiment, when it is determined that the driver D approves the change of the driving direction, the third cruise control change information Td3 indicating the determination result is presented. , the determination result is canceled when the driver's cancellation gesture for the third traveling control change information Td3 is detected. Therefore, even if the gesture of the driver D is erroneously detected and an erroneous determination regarding acceptance is made based on this erroneous detection, the erroneous determination can be canceled and the true intention of the driver D can be reflected in the automatic driving control.

Further, according to the vehicle travel control device 1 and the travel control method of the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the degree of urgency to change the travel direction is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value, and the degree of urgency is equal to or greater than the threshold value. In this case, the determination level of the traveling direction of the consent gesture is made lower than when the degree of urgency is less than the threshold. Therefore, when the degree of urgency to change the direction of travel is high, the determination level is lowered so that even a slightly unclear acceptance gesture can be determined. can. In addition, driver D can focus on monitoring the vehicle without spending extra attention on performing gestures correctly.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the gesture cannot be detected/determined by the running control change information presentation function, the control device 19 designates the type of gesture to be executed and presents it as the third running control change information Td3. However, this function may be used to direct driver D's attention to the designated direction. For example, when there are many other vehicles and pedestrians on a road with a high degree of traffic congestion, the load of monitoring the surrounding situation by the driving control device 1 is high, and the reliability or confidence of monitoring becomes lower than a predetermined value. presents the direction to be monitored by the driver D by means of the travel control change information, so that the driver D's monitoring level for the specified direction can be increased. According to this, the safety of the automatic travel control is further enhanced.

In addition, in order to further enhance the driver's attention and ability to monitor the surroundings when the driving control is changed, the direction of the vehicle may be changed in a direction different from the direction in which the lane is changed, such as in the opposite direction to the direction in which the lane is changed or in the vertical direction. The traveling control change information may be presented so as to perform a gesture with directionality or a gesture without directionality. When the driver D performs the presented gesture in response to the presentation of the travel control change information, it is determined that the change of the travel control is accepted, thereby increasing the awareness or attention of the driver D to the change of the travel control. It can be increased and maintained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Travel control apparatus 11... Sensor 111... In-vehicle camera 12... Vehicle position detection apparatus 13... Map database 14... Vehicle-mounted apparatus 15... Presentation apparatus 16... Input device 17... Communication apparatus 18... Drive control apparatus 19... Control apparatus V0... Own vehicle V1... Other vehicles L1, L2, L3... Lane RS... Road shoulder OS... Target range RR... Required range RA... Range where own vehicle cannot travel RL... Lane change prohibition mark CL... Target lane mark VC... Center line of own vehicle Td1... First travel control change information Td2... Second travel control change information Td3... Third travel control change information

Claims (11)

the computer
Automatically change the direction of travel of the vehicleselfPresenting to the driver first driving control change information indicating the driving direction to be changed by the automatic driving control before executing the dynamic driving control;
detecting a gesture made by the driver in response to the presentation of the first travel control change information;
Referencing pre-registered gestures, determining whether the detected gesture is an approval gesture including a direction of travel;
When the gesture is determined to be the consent gesture, determining whether the traveling direction indicated by the consent gesture and the traveling direction to be changed by the automatic travel control match,
A travel control method for a vehicle that executes the automatic travel control when the travel direction indicated by the acceptance gesture and the travel direction to be changed by the automatic travel control match.in
After completing the presentation of the first travel control change information, A vehicle cruise control method for re-presenting the first cruise control change information when the gesture is not detected for a predetermined time after the first cruise control change information is presented. The computer is
PreviousRe-present the first travel control change informationTanochi,
Determining whether the re-presentation has been performed a predetermined number of times,
2. The vehicle cruise control method according to claim 1, wherein the execution of the automatic cruise control is stopped when there is no response from the driver even if the re-presentation is performed a predetermined number of times. As the consent gesture, a plurality of types of gesturesto said computeris registered and
The computer is
A request to refer to the plurality of types of registered gestures and determine whether or not the detected gesture is any consent gesture including an indication of a driving direction when the gesture by the driver is detected. Item 1or 24. The vehicle travel control method described in . The computer is
When it cannot be determined whether or not the detected gesture is the consent gesture, the driver is provided with second travel control change information that designates the type of the consent gesture and prompts the driver to execute the designated consent gesture. Claims 1 to present3The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3. The computer is
When a gesture by the driver is detected, pre-registered gestures are referred to, and the detected gesture is an acceptance gesture including an instruction of the driving direction and a cancellation gesture indicating that the automatic driving control is not accepted. determine which is
Presenting the judgment result of the detected gesture and the third travel control change information indicating whether to change the judgment result,
If the driver does not make a gesture in response to the presentation of the third driving control change information, specifying the determination result as a normal determination result,
Claims 1 to 1, wherein when the driver performs a gesture in response to the presentation of the third driving control change information, a determination result opposite to the determination result is specified as a normal determination result.4The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3. on said computer Claims 1 to 5, wherein the registered gestures can be added or changed5The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 1. The computer is
Determining whether the degree of urgency to change the traveling direction is equal to or greater than a preset threshold,
Claims 1 to 1, wherein when the degree of urgency is equal to or greater than the threshold, the determination level of the acceptance gesture is lower than the determination level when the degree of urgency is less than the threshold.6The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 1. The computer is
Detecting movement of the driver's head as the consent gesture,
It is determined whether or not the running direction indicated by the movement of the head and the running direction changed by the automatic running control match or not.7The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 1. The computer is
Detecting the direction of the line of sight of the driver as the consent gesture,
It is determined whether or not the running direction indicated by the line of sight direction matches the running direction changed by the automatic running control.7The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3. The computer is
detecting movement of at least one of the driver's hand or arm as the consent gesture;
It is determined whether or not the running direction indicated by the movement of at least one of the hand or the arm matches the running direction changed by the automatic running control.7The vehicle travel control method according to any one of Claims 1 to 1. In a vehicle cruise control device that executes automatic cruise control that automatically changes the running direction of the vehicle,
The travel control device is
Presenting first driving control change information indicating a driving direction to be changed by the automatic driving control to the driver before executing the automatic driving control;
detecting a gesture made by the driver in response to the presentation of the first travel control change information;
Referencing pre-registered gestures, determining whether the detected gesture is an approval gesture including a direction of travel;
When the gesture is determined to be the consent gesture, determining whether the traveling direction indicated by the consent gesture and the traveling direction to be changed by the automatic travel control match,
When the traveling direction indicated by the acceptance gesture and the traveling direction to be changed by the automatic traveling control match, the automatic traveling control is executed.death,
After completing the presentation of the first travel control change information, the vehicle that re-presents the first travel control change information when the gesture is not detected for a predetermined time after presenting the first travel control change information. travel control device.

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