JP7219200B2 - vehicle controller - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to vehicle control devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, there are known inventions related to driving support technology for own vehicles such as collision avoidance (see Patent Document 1 below). Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle driving assistance system including a recognition section, an acquisition section, and an assistance control section (see the same document, abstract, claim 1, paragraph 0007, etc.).

The recognition unit recognizes a three-dimensional object existing in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. The acquiring unit acquires one or more avoidance target trajectories that can avoid a collision between the three-dimensional object and the own vehicle based on the running state of the own vehicle when the existence of the three-dimensional object is recognized by the recognition unit. do.

The support control unit performs support control for avoiding a collision between the three-dimensional object and the own vehicle based on the avoidance target trajectory acquired by the acquisition unit. When the avoidance target trajectory acquired by the acquisition unit exists in both the left and right directions of the own vehicle with the three-dimensional object interposed therebetween, the support control unit does not control the turning of the own vehicle. It controls braking.

Also, an invention related to an automatic driving control device that performs automatic driving control of a vehicle is known (see Patent Document 2 below). Patent Document 2 discloses an automatic driving control device that performs automatic driving control to drive a vehicle along a reference driving locus preset for lanes (the same document, abstract, claim 1, paragraph 0006 etc.). This automatic driving control device includes a steering detection section, a range setting section, an automatic driving control section, a position determination section, and a warning section.

The steering detection unit detects steering by a driver of the vehicle during the automatic operation control. The range setting unit sets an allowable range including the reference travel locus within the lane as a range in the lane width direction of the lane, and a first range including the reference travel locus within the allowable range and the first range. Sets the second range on both the left and right sides of the range.

The automatic operation control unit executes the automatic operation control. Further, when the steering detection unit detects steering by the driver and the position of the vehicle in the lane width direction is included in the allowable range, the automatic driving control unit controls the driver during the automatic driving control. is reflected in the running of the vehicle.

The position determination unit determines whether or not the position of the vehicle in the lane width direction is included in the second range when the steering detection unit detects the steering by the driver. The alerting unit alerts the driver about traveling of the vehicle when the position determination unit determines that the position of the vehicle in the lane width direction is included in the second range.

WO2013/046300 JP 2017-013644 A

In the conventional driving support system described in Patent Document 1, when the avoidance target trajectory acquired by the acquisition unit exists in both the left and right directions of the own vehicle with a three-dimensional object interposed therebetween, the support control unit Control for braking of the own vehicle is performed without performing control for turning. As a result, the own vehicle traveling in the driving lane decelerates, and the speed difference between the following vehicle traveling in the passing lane and the own vehicle increases. If the own vehicle changes lanes to the passing lane in this state, the risk of being rear-ended by a following vehicle traveling in the passing lane increases.

In the automatic driving control device described in Patent Document 2, the automatic driving control unit reflects the driver's steering during automatic driving control to the running of the vehicle when the position of the vehicle in the lane width direction is included in the allowable range. . In this case, if the vehicle continues to go straight, it is possible to return to the reference trajectory. , the vehicle must be operated to switch between forward and reverse, and there is a risk of being rear-ended by a following vehicle.

The present disclosure provides a vehicle control device that improves vehicle safety over conventional systems.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle including an external sensor that acquires external world information, a vehicle sensor that acquires vehicle information, and a storage device that stores map information. The processing device estimates a travel route of the vehicle based on one or more of the external world information, the vehicle information, and the map information, and estimates the positions and velocities of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle and the calculating a travelable area of the vehicle; generating one or more route candidates that can avoid collision between the vehicle and the surrounding object; selecting one avoidance route from the one or more route candidates; and setting an end speed of the avoidance control for causing the vehicle to travel along the road, and ending the avoidance control when the vehicle travels along the avoidance route after the start of the avoidance control and reaches the end speed. It is a vehicle control device that

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device that improves the safety of a vehicle as compared with the conventional one.

1 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 1 of a vehicle control device according to the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the vehicle control device of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the vehicle control device of FIG. 1; An example of the calculation result of the driving|running|working area by the vehicle control apparatus of FIG. An example of the calculation result of the driving|running|working area by the vehicle control apparatus of FIG. An example of a route candidate calculation result by the vehicle control device of FIG. 1 . An example of a route candidate calculation result by the vehicle control device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a graph for explaining a process of determining permission of avoidance control in FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining an example of conditions for ending the avoidance control in FIG. 3 ; FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining an example of conditions for ending the avoidance control in FIG. 3 ; FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining an example of conditions for ending the avoidance control in FIG. 3 ; FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining setting of a steering avoidance limit distance of the vehicle shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of the second embodiment of the vehicle control device according to the present disclosure; An example of a calculation result of a travel route and a route candidate of the vehicle control device of the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining calculation of a return region by the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining calculation of a return region by the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment; An example of the calculation result of the route candidate of the vehicle control apparatus of Embodiment 2. FIG. 11B is a graph showing a vehicle speed profile on the candidate route of FIG. 11A; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of the vehicle control device according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure; The flowchart which shows the flow of a process of Embodiment 4 of the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on this indication. An example of a route candidate calculation result by the vehicle control device of the fourth embodiment. An example of a route candidate calculation result by the vehicle control device of the fourth embodiment. An example of a route candidate calculation result by the vehicle control device of the fourth embodiment. An example of a route candidate calculation result by the vehicle control device of the fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle 100 equipped with a vehicle control device 110 according to Embodiment 1 of the vehicle control device of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 110 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2B is a functional block diagram of vehicle control device 110 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing by the vehicle control device 110 of FIG.

Vehicle control device 110 constitutes, for example, a part of an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) that assists the driver's operation of vehicle 100 . The ADAS assists the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle 100, for example, by automatically performing braking operation, steering, etc., to avoid collision between the vehicle 100 and surrounding obstacles. Vehicle control device 110 can be configured by, for example, a computer system such as a microcontroller or firmware.

The vehicle control device 110 includes hardware such as a processing device 111 such as a CPU, a memory 112 such as a RAM and a ROM, a non-volatile memory 113 such as a hard disk, an input/output interface 114, and software including a vehicle control program 115. Configured. Input/output interface 114 is connected to various parts of vehicle 100 including, for example, external sensor 106, vehicle sensor 107, and various control devices. Although the details will be described later, the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment is characterized by having the following configuration.

The vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment is for controlling the vehicle 100 including an external sensor 106 that acquires external world information EI, a vehicle sensor 107 that acquires vehicle information VI, and a storage device 108a that stores map information MI. It is a device. The vehicle control device 110 has a processing device 111 . The processing device 111 executes the following processes based on one or more of the external world information EI, the vehicle information VI, and the map information MI. First, a process P1 for estimating the travel route TR of the vehicle 100, a process P2 and P3 for calculating the positions and velocities of peripheral objects of the vehicle 100 and a travelable area RA of the vehicle 100, and a collision between the peripheral objects and the vehicle 100. and a process P6 of selecting one avoidance route AR from the one or more route candidates CR. Furthermore, a process P7 for setting the end speed ES of the avoidance control for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the avoidance route AR, and the avoidance control when the vehicle travels the avoidance route AR after the start of the avoidance control and reaches the end speed ES. is a process P9 for terminating the .

First, an example of the configuration of the vehicle 100 that is the object of control of the vehicle control device 110 will be described below, and then an example of the configuration of the vehicle control device 110 will be described in detail.

The vehicle 100 includes, for example, a driving force generating mechanism 101, a transmission 102, wheels 103, a braking device 104, and a steering device 105. Vehicle 100 also includes, for example, external sensor 106 , vehicle sensor 107 , navigation device 108 , and communication device 109 . Further, the vehicle 100 includes, for example, a vehicle control device 110, a brake control device 120, a steering control device 130, a driving force control device 140, a transmission control device 150, an input/output device 160, and a lighting device 170. , is equipped with

Driving force generating mechanism 101 is configured by, for example, an engine, a motor, or an engine and a motor, and generates driving force for driving vehicle 100 . The transmission 102 has a transmission mechanism that switches the driving force generated by the driving force generating mechanism 101 in an appropriate direction to move the vehicle 100 forward or backward. The wheels 103 are rotated by the driving force of the driving force generating mechanism 101 transmitted via the transmission 102 . Brake device 104 is controlled by brake control device 120 , for example, and drives an actuator to brake wheels 103 .

The steering device 105 includes, for example, a steering wheel and a steering mechanism. Steering device 105 changes the rudder angle of wheels 103 by means of a steering mechanism, for example, in accordance with the driver's operation of the steering wheel, thereby causing vehicle 100 to turn and turn. The steering wheel and the steering mechanism may be mechanically connected or may be mechanically separated using steer-by-wire (SBW).

When the steering wheel and the steering mechanism are separated, the steering device 105 may drive the actuator of the steering mechanism according to the amount of operation of the steering wheel detected by the steering angle sensor 107a. Note that the steering device 105 may have a disconnection mechanism that disconnects the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering mechanism according to a control signal from the vehicle control device 110 . Moreover, the steering device 105 may drive the actuator of the steering mechanism according to the control signal from the vehicle control device 110 .

The external sensor 106 acquires external world information EI including information on peripheral objects existing around the vehicle 100 and information on the environment around the vehicle 100 . The external sensor 106 includes, for example, an imaging device such as a monocular camera or a stereo camera, an ultrasonic sensor, millimeter wave radar, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging/Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and the like. Peripheral objects existing around the vehicle 100 include, for example, other vehicles around the vehicle 100, pedestrians, roads, road markings, road signs, traffic lights, guardrails, medians, road facilities, utility poles, buildings, and others. obstacles, etc.

The external world information EI acquired by the external world sensor 106 includes, for example, information such as the position, shape, size, range, color, three-dimensional point group information, traffic light information, and lane boundary lines of surrounding objects with respect to the vehicle 100 . The positional information of the surrounding object is not limited to, for example, two-dimensional positional information in the front-rear and left-right directions, and may be three-dimensional positional information including height. Also, the external world information EI may be obtained not only through the external sensor 106 but also through the communication device 109 . The traffic light information includes, for example, information such as the color of the traffic light ahead and the direction of the arrow of the traffic light. The lane boundary information includes information such as overtaking prohibition or overtaking based on the type of lane boundary.

The vehicle sensor 107 receives vehicle information VI including, for example, the position, speed, acceleration, steering angle, steering angular velocity, steering angular acceleration, direction indicator operation information, whether or not the driver is gripping and operating the steering wheel, etc. of the vehicle 100 . to get Vehicle sensors 107 include, for example, a steering angle sensor 107a, a vehicle speed sensor 107b, an acceleration sensor (not shown), and a satellite positioning system. In this embodiment, the satellite positioning system is, for example, a global positioning system (GPS) or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), which is installed in the navigation device 108 .

The steering angle sensor 107a detects the amount of operation of the steering device 105 by the driver, that is, the steering angle, steering angular velocity, steering acceleration, etc. based on the amount of operation of the steering wheel. The vehicle speed sensor 107b is, for example, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the wheels 103, a sensor that detects the rotational speed of the resolver of the motor of the driving force generating mechanism 101, or an output of a sensor that detects the rotational speed of the transmission 102. For example, the speed of the vehicle 100 is calculated.

Navigation device 108 is configured by, for example, the aforementioned satellite positioning system, and acquires position information of vehicle 100 . Navigation device 108 includes storage device 108a for storing, for example, map information MI, the destination of vehicle 100, travel route TR, and the like.

The map information MI includes, for example, road shape, number of lanes, road markings, road signs, traffic lights, reference driving position, traffic regulation, lane divisions, position information of lane center lines on straight roads, reference driving trajectories at intersections, tertiary It contains information such as original point cloud information. The road shape includes, for example, shape data close to the actual road shape represented by polygons, polylines, and the like. The traffic regulation information includes, for example, information such as speed limits and allowed vehicle types. The lane segment information includes, for example, information on main lanes, overtaking lanes, climbing lanes, straight lanes, left turn lanes, right turn lanes, and the like.

The communication device 109, for example, exchanges information with a server. Further, the communication device 109 performs information communication with, for example, communication terminals installed on the road and other vehicles around the vehicle 100 . Communication device 109 also provides the driver with information received from, for example, a server, a communication terminal, or another vehicle via input/output device 160 .

The brake control device 120 drives the actuator of the brake device 104 based on, for example, the operation of the brake pedal by the driver or the control signal from the vehicle control device 110, thereby generating a predetermined braking force on the wheels 103. Brake the wheels 103 . The steering control device 130 drives the actuator of the steering mechanism of the steering device 105 based on the amount of operation of the steering wheel of the steering device 105 by the driver or the control signal from the vehicle control device 110 to set the steering angle of the wheels 103 to a predetermined value. angle.

Driving force control device 140 controls the driving force generated by driving force generating mechanism 101 based on, for example, the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver or a control signal from vehicle control device 110 . Transmission control device 150 drives an actuator of transmission 102 based on, for example, a driver's operation of a shift lever or a control signal from vehicle control device 110, and switches forward and reverse in transmission 102, or shifts gears. Change the ratio.

Input/output device 160 allows the input of information by the driver and provides information to the driver. The input/output device 160 can be configured by, for example, a display device having a touch panel. Input/output device 160 receives, for example, a destination input by the driver, and displays information such as the position of vehicle 100, the destination and travel route, and surrounding objects on the screen.

Also, the input/output device 160 includes, for example, a microphone and a speaker. Input/output device 160 may be, for example, a head-up display that projects an image onto the windshield, room mirror, side mirror, or the like of vehicle 100, or a head-mounted display worn by the driver. Input/output device 160 may also be part of navigation device 108, for example.

The lighting device 170 includes, for example, headlights, direction indicator lights, width lights, taillights, reversing lights, brake lights, and the like. Lighting device 170 turns on, off, or blinks based on, for example, a driver's operation of a switch, a brake pedal, or a direction indicator, or a control signal from vehicle control device 110 .

The external world information EI acquired by the external sensor 106, the vehicle information VI acquired by the vehicle sensor 107, and the map information MI stored in the storage device 108a are input to the vehicle control device 110 via the input/output interface 114. . Vehicle control device 110 outputs control signal CS via input/output interface 114 based on one or more of external world information EI, vehicle information VI, and map information MI.

The control signal CS output from the vehicle control device 110 is input to the brake control device 120, the steering control device 130, the driving force control device 140, the transmission control device 150, the input/output device 160, and the lighting device 170 of the vehicle 100. . Accordingly, based on the control signal CS of the vehicle control device 110, the driving force generating mechanism 101, the transmission 102, the braking device 104, the steering device 105, the lighting device 170, etc. are operated, and the acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle 100 are controlled. A driver's driving operation can be assisted.

Next, the configuration of the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the vehicle control device 110 has, for example, a function F1 for acquiring external world information EI, a function F2 for acquiring map information MI, and a function F3 for acquiring vehicle information VI. . Further, the vehicle control device 110 has, for example, a function F4 of calculating the travelable area RA, a function F5 of estimating the travel route TR, and a function F6 of generating route candidates CR. Further, the vehicle control device 110 has, for example, a function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR, a function F8 for setting the avoidance control end speed ES, and a function F9 for executing the avoidance control.

Each function of the vehicle control device 110 shown in FIG. 2B is implemented by, for example, the processing device 111, the memory 112, the nonvolatile memory 113, the input/output interface 114, the vehicle control program 115, etc. shown in FIG. 2A. More specifically, each function of the vehicle control device 110 is realized by, for example, loading the vehicle control program 115 and various data stored in the nonvolatile memory 113 into the memory 112 by the processing device 111 and executing them. be. The flow of processing by each function of the vehicle control device 110 will be described below with reference to FIG. 3 .

(Process P1 for estimating travel route TR)
When starting the processing shown in FIG. 3 , vehicle control device 110 first executes processing P<b>1 for estimating travel route TR of vehicle 100 . Specifically, the external world information EI acquired by the external sensor 106, the map information MI stored in the storage device 108a, and the vehicle information VI acquired by the vehicle sensor 107 are transmitted to the vehicle control device 110 through the input/output interface 114. entered through Vehicle control device 110 acquires each input information by, for example, function F1 for acquiring external world information EI, function F2 for acquiring map information MI, and function F3 for acquiring vehicle information VI.

The function F1 that acquires the external world information EI outputs, for example, the acquired external world information EI to the function F4 that calculates the travelable area RA and the function F5 that estimates the travel route TR. The function F2 that acquires the map information MI outputs the acquired map information MI to, for example, a function F4 that calculates the travelable area RA and a function F5 that estimates the travel route TR. The function F3 that acquires the vehicle information VI outputs the acquired vehicle information VI, for example, to a function F4 that calculates the travelable area RA and a function F5 that estimates the travel route TR.

The function F5 for estimating the travel route TR estimates the travel route TR based on, for example, one or more of the input external world information EI, map information MI, and vehicle information VI. More specifically, the function F5 estimates the position of the vehicle 100 based on, for example, the map information MI, the position information including the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 100 included in the vehicle information VI, the speed, the steering angle, and the like. . Further, when the external world information EI and the map information MI both contain three-dimensional point group information, the function F5 may estimate the position of the vehicle 100 by matching these three-dimensional point group information. The function F5 can estimate the position of the vehicle 100 by effectively combining the multiple position estimation methods described above, for example.

Further, the function F5 for estimating the travel route TR estimates the travel route TR based on, for example, the estimated position of the vehicle 100 and the destination information and road information included in the map information MI. Further, function F5 predicts the traveling direction of vehicle 100, such as right turn, left turn, or straight ahead, based on the operation information of the direction indicator included in vehicle information VI, for example, and calculates travel route TR of vehicle 100. FIG. Further, function F5 may estimate travel route TR of vehicle 100 based on, for example, the steering angle, speed, acceleration, etc. included in vehicle information VI.

Further, the function F5 for estimating the travel route TR compares the lane divisions such as the straight lane, the left-turn lane, and the right-turn lane included in the map information MI with the position of the vehicle 100 included in the vehicle information VI. , the travel route TR may be estimated. The map information MI includes, for example, information such as a reference trajectory of a vehicle traveling on a road, position information of the center line of a straight road, and a reference trajectory of a vehicle traveling through an intersection. In this case, function F5 may estimate travel route TR based on comparison between these pieces of information and the position of vehicle 100 included in vehicle information VI.

(Processing P2 for calculating the position and velocity of the surrounding object)
Next, vehicle control device 110 performs, for example, function F4 for calculating drivable area RA, based on one or more of external world information EI, map information MI, and vehicle information VI to determine a predetermined area around vehicle 100. A process P2 of calculating the position and velocity of a peripheral object existing within the range of is executed. Furthermore, the function F4 predicts the future position of the surrounding object in several seconds, for example, based on the calculated position and speed of the surrounding object.

The future position of the surrounding object can be calculated, for example, by assuming that the surrounding object performs uniform motion. In addition, function F4 calculates a plurality of future positions at predetermined time intervals, for example, over a certain period of time up to several seconds later, and stores them in memory 112 or nonvolatile memory 113 . Further, the function F4 is, for example, a vehicle that is about to enter an intersection, and if the map information MI includes a reference trajectory of a vehicle traveling through the intersection, the vehicle that is the surrounding object moves on the reference trajectory. can be predicted.

(Processing P3 for calculating travelable area RA)
Next, the vehicle control device 110, for example, executes the process P3 of calculating the drivable area RA by the function F4 of calculating the drivable area RA. Specifically, the function F4 determines the left and right boundary lines of the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling and the previous process P2 based on one or more of the external world information EI, the map information MI, and the vehicle information VI. A travelable area RA, which is an area in which the vehicle 100 can travel, is calculated based on the positions, velocities, future positions, etc. of the surrounding objects calculated in .

FIG. 4A is a plan view showing an example of the drivable area RA on a straight road with one lane on each side. In this example, an area from the vehicle 100 to the rear of the preceding vehicle LV and an area from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle OV are defined as the travelable area RA inside the left and right boundary lines BL of the road. FIG. 4B is a plan view showing an example of the drivable area RA at an intersection of a one-lane road. In this example, since there are no other vehicles or surrounding objects at the intersection and its vicinity, the entire intersection and its vicinity are defined as the travelable area RA inside the boundary line BL of the road.

(Process P4 for generating route candidate CR)
Next, the vehicle control device 110 generates, for example, the external world information EI, the vehicle information VI, the travel route TR estimated in the process P1, the travelable area RA calculated in the process P3, etc. , a process P4 for generating route candidates CR is executed.

FIG. 5A is a plan view showing an example of a route candidate CR on a one-lane straight road. In this example, the function F6 for generating a route candidate CR is to select a route candidate CR in which the steering angle of the vehicle 100 traveling straight is not changed, and a route candidate CR in which the vehicle is turned by changing the steering angle stepwise on each of the left and right sides. A plurality of route candidate CRs including In this example, the left and right route candidates CR of the vehicle 100 are steered in one direction to the right and left from the straight traveling direction of the vehicle 100 to make a turn, and then are steered in the opposite direction to return to the straight traveling direction. is the route.

FIG. 5B is a plan view showing an example of route candidates CR at an intersection of a one-lane road. In this example, the function F6 for generating route candidates CR generates a route candidate CR with a small turning radius and a route candidate CR with a large turning radius along the traveling route TR of the vehicle 100 turning right at the intersection. Furthermore, in this example, the function F6 generates a route candidate CR with a small turning radius and a route candidate CR with a large turning radius that are steered in the left direction opposite to the traveling route TR of the vehicle 100 turning right at the intersection. ing. In this example, the left and right route candidate CR of the vehicle 100 is a one-way steering only route in which the vehicle 100 turns by turning in one direction, left and right, from the straight-ahead direction.

In this process P4, the function F6 for generating the route candidates CR is, for example, based on the current speed of the vehicle 100 included in the vehicle information VI, so that the lateral acceleration of the vehicle 100 in the lateral direction is within the allowable range. , a route candidate CR is generated. The permissible range of lateral acceleration of vehicle 100 is set in advance and stored in nonvolatile memory 113, for example.

(Process P5 for determining permission of avoidance control)
Next, the vehicle control device 110 executes a process P5 of determining permission of avoidance control by a function F7 of selecting an avoidance route AR, for example. FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of determination criteria in the process P5 for determining permission of avoidance control. In this graph, the horizontal axis is the relative velocity of surrounding objects such as other vehicles with respect to vehicle 100, and the vertical axis is the distance from vehicle 100 to the surrounding objects.

In the graph shown in FIG. 6, the curve passing through the origin O is a curve indicating the distance at which the vehicle 100 can avoid a collision with a surrounding object only by braking without turning, that is, the braking avoidance limit distance Db. This braking avoidance limit distance Db can be obtained, for example, by the following equation (1). In the following equation (1), Vr is the relative velocity between the vehicle 100 and the surrounding object, and α is the deceleration of the vehicle 100 during braking.

Db=Vr ² /2α (1)

In the graph shown in FIG. 6 , a straight line passing through the origin O is a straight line indicating a steering avoidance limit distance Ds, which is a distance at which the vehicle 100 can avoid collision with a surrounding object only by steering without decelerating. This steering avoidance limit distance Ds can be obtained, for example, by the following equation (2). Note that, in the following equation (2), Vr is the relative velocity between the vehicle 100 and surrounding objects. Xr is the distance between the vehicle 100 and surrounding objects. k is a constant. This constant k may be changed, for example, according to road conditions such as general roads, expressways, and intersections, and the road environment.

Ds=k(Xr/Vr) (2)

In the process P5 for determining whether the avoidance control is permitted, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR determines whether the avoidance control is permitted (YES) if, for example, the following two conditions are satisfied. The first condition is, for example, that the distance and relative speed between the vehicle 100 and the surrounding object are equal to or less than the braking avoidance limit distance Db and equal to or less than the steering avoidance limit distance Ds, that is, are included in the avoidable region A shown in FIG. is. The second condition is, for example, that one or more route candidates CR have been generated in the previous process P4.

If the first condition and the second condition are not satisfied, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR determines that the avoidance control permission is not permitted (NO) in the process P5 for determining whether the avoidance control is permitted, and the process shown in FIG. exit. On the other hand, when the first condition and the second condition are satisfied in the process P5, the function F7 determines permission (YES) of the avoidance control, and executes the process P6 of selecting the route candidate CR.

(Process P6 for selecting route candidate CR)
In the process P6 of selecting the route candidate CR, the vehicle control device 110 selects one avoidance route AR from one or more route candidates CR generated in the previous process P4 by the function F7 of selecting the avoidance route AR. . Specifically, the function F7 selects, from one or more route candidates CR, a route whose route candidate CR is included in the travelable area RA at each point in the future.

If two or more route candidates CR are selected here, the function F7 selects the route candidate CR that minimizes the change in the steering angle with respect to the current traveling direction of the vehicle 100, for example. Also here, when two or more route candidates CR are selected, the function F7 selects, for example, the route candidate CR that minimizes the longitudinal and lateral acceleration of the vehicle 100 . As a result, the ride comfort of the vehicle 100 can be improved during avoidance control, which will be described later.

Further, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR may select the route candidate CR accordingly, for example, if the vehicle information VI includes whether or not the driver of the vehicle 100 has gripped and operated the steering wheel. For example, when the driver holds the steering wheel and the vehicle 100 travels along the route candidate CR with S-shaped steering, the driver's arms are strained. Therefore, the function F7 may select a route candidate CR with only one-side steering when the driver is gripping the steering wheel.

Further, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR may change the upper limit value of the steering angle, steering angular velocity, or steering angular acceleration of the vehicle 100 depending on whether the steering wheel is gripped by the driver of the vehicle 100. . Specifically, when the steering wheel is not gripped by the driver of the vehicle 100, the route candidate CR is selected by increasing the upper limit value more than when the steering wheel is gripped. Alternatively, the upper limit value may be increased stepwise in the order that the driver holds the steering wheel, puts his hand on the steering wheel, and takes his hand off the steering wheel.

When the steering device 105 employs the aforementioned SBW or has a disconnection mechanism for disconnecting the mechanical connection between the steering mechanism and the steering wheel, the above-described The upper limit may be increased.

(Process P7 for setting end speed ES of avoidance control)
Next, the vehicle control device 110 sets the end speed ES, which is the condition for ending the avoidance control in the next process P8, by the function F8 for setting the end speed ES of the avoidance control. The avoidance control is a control for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the avoidance route AR, which is one route candidate CR selected in the previous process P6. Hereinafter, setting examples of the end speed ES will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C.

In the example shown in FIG. 7A , a vehicle 100 traveling in the traveling lane of a straight road with two lanes in each direction uses an avoidance route AR for avoiding a collision with a preceding vehicle LV positioned in front of the same traveling lane. A route with a lane change to an adjacent passing lane is selected. In this example, there is no following vehicle within a predetermined range of the passing lane to which the vehicle 100 changes lanes. In this case, the function F8 for setting the end speed ES of the avoidance control sets the end speed ES to 0 [km/h], for example, and controls the end point of the avoidance route AR to avoid collision with the preceding vehicle LV. set to the end position EP of

The example shown in FIG. 7B differs from the example shown in FIG. 7A in that the following vehicle FV is present in the overtaking lane to which the vehicle 100 changes lanes based on the avoidance route AR. In this case, the function F8 for setting the avoidance control end speed ES sets, for example, the end speed ES to the speed of the following vehicle FV, and sets the position where the lane change is completed as the avoidance control end position EP.

In the example shown in FIG. 7C , the vehicle 100 traveling on a straight road with one lane in each direction uses a lane change to the oncoming lane as the avoidance route AR for avoiding collision with the preceding vehicle LV located in front. selected. In this example, there is no oncoming vehicle within a predetermined range of the oncoming lane where the vehicle 100 is changing lanes. In this case, the function F8 for setting the end speed ES of the avoidance control sets the end speed ES to a creep speed of 5 [km/h] or less, or a creep speed of 10 [km/h] or less. Then, the position at which the lane change is completed is set as the avoidance control end position EP.

(Process P8 for executing avoidance control)
Next, the vehicle control device 110 executes avoidance control based on the avoidance route AR selected in process P6 and the end speed ES set in process P7 using function F9 for executing avoidance control. More specifically, the function F9 for executing avoidance control calculates temporal changes in the speed and steering angle of the vehicle 100 based on, for example, the avoidance route AR, the end speed ES, and the end position EP. Then, the function F9 outputs a control signal CS based on the calculation result to the brake control device 120, the steering control device 130, the driving force control device 140, etc., and causes the vehicle 100 to travel along the avoidance route AR.

Further, the vehicle control device 110 outputs a control signal CS to the input/output device 160 by the function F9 for executing the avoidance control, for example, so that the input/output device 160 displays an image or a sound that the vehicle 100 is under the avoidance control. , the driver of the vehicle 100 is notified. In addition, the vehicle control device 110 outputs a control signal CS to the lighting device 170 by the function F9 for executing avoidance control, for example, to appropriately light the direction indicator lights and the brake lights. Specifically, the function F9 for executing avoidance control blinks the turn signal lights in the moving direction, turns on the brake lights during deceleration, and blinks the left and right turn signal lights at the same time when stopping.

(Processing P9 for determining end speed ES)
Next, the vehicle control device 110 executes the process P9 of determining the end speed ES of the avoidance control by the function F9 of executing the avoidance control. Specifically, the function F9 determines whether or not the speed of the vehicle 100 included in the vehicle information VI is equal to the end speed ES set in the previous process P8. If the speed of the vehicle 100 is not equal to the end speed ES (NO), the function F9 returns to the previous process P8 and executes avoidance control to drive the vehicle 100 along the avoidance route AR. If the speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to the end speed ES (YES), the function F9 ends the avoidance control and ends the processing shown in FIG.

The operation of the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment will be described below.

As described above, the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment includes the external world sensor 106 that acquires the external world information EI, the vehicle sensor 107 that acquires the vehicle information VI, and the storage device 108a that stores the map information MI. Vehicle 100 is controlled. The vehicle control device 110 includes a processing device 111, and the processing device 111 performs the following operations based on one or more of the external world information EI, the vehicle information VI, and the map information MI. The processing device 111 first estimates the travel route TR of the vehicle 100 (process P1), and calculates the positions and velocities of objects around the vehicle 100 and the travelable area RA of the vehicle 100 (processes P2 and P3). The processing device 111 also generates one or more route candidates CR that can avoid a collision between the surrounding object and the vehicle 100 (process P4), and selects one avoidance route AR from the one or more route candidates CR (process P6). Further, the processing device 111 sets the end speed ES of the avoidance control for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the avoidance route AR (process P7), and the vehicle travels along the avoidance route AR after the start of the avoidance control (process P8). When the end speed ES is reached, the avoidance control is terminated (process P9).

With such a configuration, the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment can improve the safety of the vehicle 100 more than the conventional one. Specifically, for example, in avoidance control for avoiding a collision between the vehicle 100 and an obstacle such as a preceding vehicle LV on a straight road having a plurality of lanes, the situation of the following vehicle FV and the oncoming vehicle OV in the lane to be avoided is determined. , the end speed ES of the avoidance control can be changed. As a result, the risk of colliding with an obstacle such as a following vehicle FV or an oncoming vehicle OV can be reduced when the avoidance control of the vehicle 100 ends, and the safety of the vehicle 100 can be improved more than before.

In general, conventional driving assistance systems end vehicle control for collision avoidance and hand over vehicle operation to the driver when the vehicle is stopped. For example, in the conventional driving support system described in Patent Document 1, the host vehicle decelerates and the speed difference between the following vehicle and the host vehicle increases. Therefore, if the host vehicle changes lanes while avoiding a collision, the risk of being rear-ended by a following vehicle traveling in the new lane increases.

On the other hand, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111, for example, in the processing P7 for setting the ending speed ES described above, when the avoidance route AR of the vehicle 100 includes a lane change, the change destination lane determines whether or not there is a following vehicle FV. Then, the processing device 111 sets the ending speed ES to zero when there is no following vehicle, and sets the ending speed ES to the speed of the following vehicle FV when there is a following vehicle FV.

With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 can reduce the risk of a rear-end collision with the following vehicle FV when the avoidance control of the vehicle 100 ends, and can improve the safety of the vehicle 100 more than conventionally. More specifically, if the speed of the vehicle 100 at the start of avoidance control is higher than the speed of the following vehicle FV, even if the vehicle 100 is decelerated to the same speed as the following vehicle FV in the avoidance control, the rear-end collision of the following vehicle FV will occur. can be avoided. Further, if the speed of the vehicle 100 during avoidance control is lower than the speed of the following vehicle FV, the vehicle 100 can be accelerated to the same speed as the following vehicle FV in the avoidance control to avoid rear-end collision of the following vehicle FV. .

Further, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111, for example, in the processing P5 for determining whether to permit the avoidance control, the constant k is changed according to the road conditions and road environment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining the effect of setting the constant k in the above equation (2), that is, the steering avoidance limit distance Ds of the vehicle 100 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that the vehicle 100 is trying to avoid a collision with the preceding vehicle LV on a straight road with two lanes in each direction. At this time, when the following vehicle FV exists within a predetermined range of the overtaking lane adjacent to the driving lane in which the vehicle 100 is traveling, the processing device 111 is more efficient than when the following vehicle FV does not exist within the predetermined range. Increase the constant k in the above equation (2).

As a result, in the avoidance control described above, when the following vehicle FV exists within a predetermined range of the overtaking lane adjacent to the traveling lane in which the vehicle 100 is traveling, the following vehicle FV does not exist within the predetermined range. Also, the steering avoidance limit distance Ds increases. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle 100 travels along an avoidance route AR′ that changes lanes and moves to the next lane at an earlier stage than the avoidance route AR before the steering avoidance limit distance Ds increases. can be made Therefore, the intention of the vehicle 100 to perform the avoidance control to change lanes is transmitted to the following vehicle FV at an early stage, the risk of the vehicle 100 being rear-ended by the following vehicle FV is reduced, and the safety of the vehicle 100 is improved.

Also, for example, when the speed of the following vehicle FV is higher than the speed of the vehicle 100, the constant k in the above equation (2) is increased more than when the speed of the following vehicle FV is lower than or equal to the speed of the vehicle 100. As a result, the intention of the vehicle 100 to perform the avoidance control to change lanes is transmitted earlier by the following vehicle FV, the risk of the vehicle 100 being rear-ended by the following vehicle FV is reduced, and the safety of the vehicle 100 is improved.

Further, in a conventional driving support system in which vehicle control for avoiding a collision ends when the vehicle stops, for example, if an oncoming vehicle suddenly appears when vehicle control ends, the driver of the vehicle must turn the steering wheel. collision avoidance cannot be performed immediately. That is, when avoiding a collision with an oncoming vehicle that suddenly appears immediately after the vehicle stops after the vehicle control for avoiding a collision is terminated, the driver of the vehicle operates the shift lever and then depresses the accelerator pedal. It is necessary to operate and operate the steering wheel. As a result, the avoidance action of the vehicle is delayed, increasing the risk of colliding with an oncoming vehicle.

On the other hand, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111, for example, in the processing P7 for setting the ending speed ES described above, when the avoidance route AR includes the oncoming lane, the oncoming vehicle OV in the oncoming lane Determine presence/absence. Then, the processing device 111 sets the end speed ES to the creep speed or the creep speed when the oncoming vehicle OV is "no".

With this configuration, vehicle control device 110 can cause vehicle 100 to drive slowly when vehicle 100 is positioned in the oncoming lane when the avoidance control of vehicle 100 ends. Therefore, even if an oncoming vehicle suddenly appears when the avoidance control of the vehicle 100 by the vehicle control device 110 ends, the driver of the vehicle 100 can immediately perform collision avoidance by steering. As a result, the delay in the avoidance action of the vehicle 100 can be eliminated, the risk of collision with the oncoming vehicle OV can be reduced, and the safety of the vehicle 100 can be improved more than before.

Further, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111 determines whether the steering angle, the steering angular velocity, or the steering angular acceleration of the vehicle 100, or the acceleration of the vehicle 100 is the minimum when a plurality of route candidates CR are generated. is selected as the avoidance route AR. With this configuration, during the avoidance control of the vehicle 100 by the vehicle control device 110, a sudden change of direction and sudden acceleration/deceleration are suppressed, and the vehicle 100 is allowed to run more smoothly and safely along the avoidance route AR. can improve comfort.

In addition, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, when a plurality of route candidates CR are generated, the processing device 111 determines which route candidate CR the vehicle 100 can travel by steering in one direction toward the left or right. may be selected as the avoidance route AR. With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 can reduce the burden on the arm of the driver holding the steering wheel, compared to S-shaped steering in which the vehicle 100 is steered in both left and right directions during avoidance control of the vehicle 100. can.

In the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the vehicle information VI includes, for example, whether or not the driver of the vehicle 100 is holding the steering wheel. When the vehicle control device 110 does not have a disconnection mechanism for disconnecting the mechanical connection between the steering mechanism and the steering wheel, and when the grip is "absent", the processing device 111 reduces the The avoidance route AR is selected by increasing the upper limit of the steering angle, steering angular velocity, or steering angular acceleration of the vehicle 100 . Then, when the vehicle 100 has the cutting mechanism, the processing device 111 selects the avoidance route AR based on the upper limit value when the gripping is "no".

With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 can reduce the burden on the arm of the driver who grips the steering wheel during avoidance control of the vehicle 100 . In addition, in a state where the driver's arm load is small, that is, in a state in which the driver's hand is on the steering wheel, in a state in which the steering wheel is not held, or when SBW is adopted, more route candidate CRs are selected. can be widened, and the safety of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the vehicle control device 110 that improves the safety of the vehicle 100 compared to the conventional one.

[Embodiment 2]
A second embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 and FIGS. 9 to 11B. The vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment differs from the vehicle control device 110 described in the first embodiment in the process P6 of selecting the route candidate CR shown in FIG. Other points of the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment are the same as those of the vehicle control device 110 of the above-described first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the details of the process P6 for selecting a route candidate CR by the processing device 111 of the vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment. 10A to 10C are plan views for explaining the process P62 of calculating the return area CA by the function F7 of selecting the avoidance route AR of the vehicle control device 110. FIG. The return area CA is an area in which the vehicle 100 can return to the travel route TR without switching between forward and reverse.

As shown in FIG. 10A, it is assumed that the vehicle 100 avoids a collision with an oncoming vehicle OV traveling straight through the intersection when turning right at the intersection along the travel route TR. In this case, the vehicle control device 110 generates a plurality of route candidates CR as shown in FIG. 10A by the function F6 for generating route candidates CR shown in FIG. do.

Next, in the process P5 for determining permission of avoidance control shown in FIG. 3, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR shown in FIG. is started. In this process P6, the vehicle control device 110 first executes a process P61 of excluding route candidates CR outside the travelable area RA, as shown in FIG.

By this processing P61, in the example shown in FIG. 10A, two route candidates CR passing near the oncoming vehicle OV outside the travelable area RA, that is, two route candidates CR on the right side of the travel route TR of the vehicle 100 are formed. Excluded. Next, the vehicle control device 110 executes a process P62 of calculating a return area CA from which the vehicle can return to the travel route TR from the route candidate CR, for example, by the function F7 of selecting the avoidance route AR.

In this process P62, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 100 creates an arc based on the radius that can be swiveled. Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the generated circular arc is inside the boundary line BL of the road including the travel route TR, the circular arc and the area inside it are set as the return area CA. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10C, when the generated arc does not enter the boundary line BL of the road including the travel route TR, the arc and the area inside it are not set as the return area CA.

As shown in FIG. 10C, if the generated arc does not enter inside the boundary line BL of the road including the travel route TR, the speed of the vehicle 100 traveling along the route candidate CR may be reduced. An example of this will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIG. 11A is a plan view showing the end position EP of the route candidate CR shown in FIG. 10C when the speed of the vehicle 100 traveling along the route candidate CR shown in FIG. 10C is reduced. FIG. 11B shows the travel distance of the vehicle 100 traveling along the route candidate CR on the horizontal axis, and the speed of the vehicle 100 on the vertical axis. 4 is a graph showing a speed profile Vp2 of the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100;

As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, by reducing the speed of the vehicle 100, the end position EP' of the route candidate CR' moves before the end position EP of the route candidate CR shown in FIG. 10C. The function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR generates, for example, an arc based on the radius in which the vehicle 100 can turn at the end position EP' of the shortened route candidate CR', as shown in FIG. 11A. 10C is updated to a route candidate CR' shown in FIG. 11A, and the arc shown in FIG. The area inside it is assumed to be a return area CA.

Next, the vehicle control device 110 executes, for example, a process P63 of determining whether or not the route candidate CR exists in the calculated return area CA by the function F7 of selecting the avoidance route AR. In this process P63, as in the example shown in FIG. 10B, when the function F7 determines that the route candidate CR exists in the return area CA (YES), the route candidate CR in the return area CA is selected as the avoidance route AR. Then, the process P64 is executed. Here, when a plurality of route candidates CR exist within the return area CA, the function F7 selects one route candidate CR as the avoidance route AR, as in the first embodiment. After that, the vehicle control device 110 ends the process P6 for selecting the route candidate CR shown in FIG. 9, and executes the process P7 for setting the ending speed ES shown in FIG.

On the other hand, in the process P63, as in the example shown in FIG. 10C, when the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR determines that the route candidate CR does not exist in the return area CA (NO), the route candidate A process P65 for determining whether CR exists is executed. In this process P65, if the function F7 determines that the route candidate CR exists in the travelable area RA (YES), as in the example shown in FIG. The process P66 to select as is executed.

In this process P66, when there are a plurality of route candidates CR within the drivable area RA, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR selects one route candidate CR as the avoidance route AR as in the first embodiment. do. On the other hand, in the process P65 described above, if the function F7 determines that the route candidate CR does not exist in the travelable area RA (NO) due to the presence of a preceding vehicle or another oncoming vehicle, for example, the route candidate CR shown in FIG. is terminated.

As described above, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111 calculates the return area CA in which the travel route TR can be returned from the route candidate CR. If the route candidate CR is included in the return area CA, the processing device 111 selects the route candidate CR as the avoidance route AR. The route candidate CR that is determined by the route candidate CR is selected as the avoidance route AR. With this configuration, after the vehicle control device 110 completes the avoidance control for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the avoidance route AR, the driver can operate the vehicle 100 to return to the planned travel route TR.

Further, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the return area CA is an area in which the vehicle 100 can return to the travel route TR without switching between forward and reverse. With this configuration, after the vehicle control device 110 completes the avoidance control for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the avoidance route AR, the driver can perform the planned travel without performing the switching operation to switch the vehicle 100 between forward and reverse. It can return to the route TR. This reduces the possibility of vehicle 100 colliding with another vehicle after the vehicle control device 110 ends the avoidance control of vehicle 100 , thereby improving the safety of vehicle 100 .

Further, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111 reduces the speed of the vehicle 100 traveling along the route candidate CR when the return area CA does not include the route candidate CR as described above. can be made As a result, it is possible to increase the possibility of generating a route candidate CR' that can return to the travel route TR. In addition, in order to generate a route candidate CR' that can return to the travel route TR, the speed of the vehicle 100 traveling along the route candidate CR is not only reduced, but various route candidates CR and speed profiles of the vehicle 100 are generated. may be generated. In this case, whether or not it is possible to return to the traveling route TR may be determined based on the generated route candidate CR and speed profile, and the returnable route candidate CR and speed profile may be selected as the avoidance route AR.

[Embodiment 3]
Embodiment 3 of the vehicle control device of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 12 with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11B. The vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment differs from the vehicle control device 110 described in the above-described second embodiment in the process P6 of selecting the route candidate CR shown in FIG. Other points of the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment are the same as those of the vehicle control device 110 of the above-described second embodiment.

The vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment performs the processing when it is determined that the route candidate CR does not exist (NO) in the processing P65 for determining whether or not the route candidate CR exists in the travelable area RA. is different from the vehicle control device 110 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment performs the function F7 of selecting the avoidance route AR in the process P65 to determine that the route candidate CR does not exist in the travelable area RA (NO). If so, the route candidate CR with the lowest risk outside the travelable area RA is selected as the avoidance route AR.

More specifically, the function F7 that selects the avoidance route AR determines the degree of danger at the time of collision, for example, based on the physical properties or types of surrounding objects existing around the vehicle 100 . Here, the physical properties of the surrounding object include, for example, relative velocity, area, volume, weight, and material such as metal or wood. The types of surrounding objects include, for example, vehicles, pedestrians, guardrails, roadside trees, median strips, fences, and other obstacles. The degree of danger is determined, for example, by prioritizing the safety of pedestrians and drivers. Then, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR selects, as the avoidance route AR, the danger avoidance route that collides with the peripheral object with the lowest determined risk.

As described above, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111 determines based on the physical properties or types of surrounding objects when the route candidate CR is not included in the return area CA and the travelable area RA. Calculates a danger avoidance route that collides with a surrounding object that has the lowest collision risk. Then, the processing device 111 calculates the control amount of the danger avoidance control for causing the vehicle 100 to travel along the danger avoidance route.

With this configuration, even when the route candidate CR does not exist in the return area CA and the drivable area RA, the avoidance control is executed so that the vehicle 100 travels along the avoidance route AR, thereby driving the vehicle 100 around the area with the lowest risk. Can collide with objects. Therefore, the safety of the driver of vehicle 100 and pedestrians around vehicle 100 can be improved even when route candidate CR does not exist in return area CA and travelable area RA.

[Embodiment 4]
Hereinafter, Embodiment 4 of the vehicle control device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 and FIGS. 13 and 14A to 14D. In the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment, the process P6 for selecting the route candidate CR shown in FIG. 13 is different from the process P6 shown in FIG. 12 and described in the third embodiment. Other points of the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment are the same as those of the vehicle control device 110 of the above-described third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the flow of the process P6 for selecting a route candidate CR in the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment. In the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR determines whether the route candidate CR does not exist (NO) in the process P63 of determining whether or not the route candidate CR exists in the return area CA. When determined, a process P68 of determining whether or not a route candidate CR exists on the alternative route SR is executed.

FIGS. 14A to 14D are examples of calculation results of route candidates CR by the vehicle control device 110 of this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 14A, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR is not only for the route candidate CR centered on the travel route TR that turns right at the intersection, but also for the alternative route SR that deviates from the travel route TR and goes straight through the intersection. A route candidate CR is generated. In the example shown in FIG. 14B, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR includes not only the route candidate CR centered on the travel route TR that goes straight through the intersection, but also the alternative route SR that deviates from the travel route TR and turns left at the intersection. A route candidate CR is also generated for the alternative route SR that turns right.

In the example shown in FIG. 14C, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR is not only for the route candidate CR centered on the travel route TR that turns left at the intersection, but also for the alternative route SR that deviates from the travel route TR and goes straight through the intersection. , generating route candidates CR. In the example shown in FIG. 14D, since the vehicle 100 is traveling in the right-turn lane, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR generates only route candidates CR centered on the travel route TR that turns right at the intersection. No route candidate CR is generated for the alternative route SR to turn left or the alternative route SR to go straight through the intersection.

It should be noted that whether or not to generate a route candidate CR on the alternative route SR may be determined by displaying a traffic signal on the alternative route SR. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 14B, if the traffic signal at the intersection indicates that traveling only in the straight direction is permitted, route candidates CR are not generated for the alternative route SR for turning right at the intersection and the alternative route SR for turning left at the intersection. Thereby, the safety of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

In the process P68 shown in FIG. 13, the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR selects the route candidate CR of the alternative route SR as the avoidance route AR when determining that the route candidate CR exists in the alternative route SR (YES). On the other hand, in the process P68, when the function F7 for selecting the avoidance route AR determines that the route candidate CR does not exist in the alternative route SR (NO), the route candidate CR exists in the travelable area RA as in the third embodiment. A process P65 for determining whether or not to perform is executed.

As described above, in the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment, the processing device 111 generates the route candidate CR on the alternative route SR outside the travel route TR when the route candidate CR is not included in the return area CA. . With this configuration, the vehicle control device 110 of the present embodiment selects the route candidate CR of the alternative route SR as the avoidance route AR and executes avoidance control of the vehicle 100 even when the route candidate CR does not exist in the return area CA. can do. Therefore, after the avoidance control of the vehicle 100 is finished, the vehicle 100 can avoid danger without requiring a turning operation for switching between forward and backward in the intersection, and the safety of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

Although the embodiment of the vehicle control device according to the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. , etc., are intended to be included in this disclosure.

100 Vehicle 106 External sensor 107 Vehicle sensor 108a Storage device 110 Vehicle control device 111 Processing device AR Avoidance route CA Return area CR Route candidate EI External world information ES End speed FV Following vehicle MI Map information OV Oncoming vehicle RA Travelable area SR Alternative route TR Driving route VI Vehicle information

Claims (5)

A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle comprising an external sensor for acquiring external world information, a vehicle sensor for acquiring vehicle information, and a storage device for storing map information, the vehicle control device comprising a processing device,
The processing device is
Based on one or more of the external world information, the vehicle information, and the map information,
estimating a travel route of the vehicle;
calculating the positions and velocities of objects around the vehicle and the drivable area of the vehicle;
generating one or more route candidates that can avoid a collision between the surrounding object and the vehicle;
selecting one avoidance route from one or more of the route candidates;
setting an end speed of avoidance control for causing the vehicle to travel along the avoidance route;
If the avoidance route includes a lane change, determine whether there is a following vehicle in the lane to change,
setting the end speed to zero when there is no following vehicle;
setting the end speed to the speed of the following vehicle when the following vehicle is present;
A vehicle control device, characterized in that, after the avoidance control is started, the avoidance control is ended when the vehicle travels along the avoidance route and reaches the end speed. A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle comprising an external sensor for acquiring external world information, a vehicle sensor for acquiring vehicle information, and a storage device for storing map information, the vehicle control device comprising a processing device,
The processing device is
Based on one or more of the external world information, the vehicle information, and the map information,
estimating a travel route of the vehicle;
calculating the positions and velocities of objects around the vehicle and the drivable area of the vehicle;
generating one or more route candidates that can avoid a collision between the surrounding object and the vehicle;
selecting one avoidance route from one or more of the route candidates;
setting an end speed of avoidance control for causing the vehicle to travel along the avoidance route;
determining whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle in the oncoming lane when the avoidance route includes an oncoming lane;
when there is no oncoming vehicle, setting the end speed to a slow speed;
A vehicle control device, characterized in that, after the avoidance control is started, the avoidance control is ended when the vehicle travels along the avoidance route and reaches the end speed . When a plurality of route candidates are generated, the processing device selects, as the avoidance route, the route candidate that minimizes the steering angle, steering angular velocity, steering angular acceleration, or vehicle acceleration of the vehicle. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein: When a plurality of route candidates are generated, the processing device selects, as the avoidance route, the route candidate on which the vehicle can travel by turning the vehicle in one direction, leftward or rightward. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein: The vehicle information includes whether or not the steering wheel is gripped by the driver of the vehicle,
The processing device is
When the vehicle does not have a disconnection mechanism for disconnecting the mechanical connection between the steering mechanism and the steering wheel and when the grip is absent, the steering angle, steering angular velocity, or selecting the avoidance route by increasing the upper limit of the steering angular acceleration;
3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when said vehicle has said cutting mechanism, said avoidance route is selected based on said upper limit value when said gripping is absent.

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