JP7228549B2 - Control device, control method and program - Google Patents

Description

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

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, research has been conducted on automatically controlling the driving of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as automatic driving). In relation to this, the lane in which the vehicle was traveling at the start of automatic driving is determined as the default lane, and the vehicle is automatically driven along the default lane, or the lane in which the vehicle will be changed in the future before changing lanes. There is known a technique for displaying information about on a display unit (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example).

JP 2018-105692 A JP 2019-90627 A

Here, if an event such as a vehicle change is canceled immediately before or during execution, there is a possibility that the previously displayed information regarding the lane to which the lane change is to be made may continue to be displayed even after the cancellation. Driving control in a state in which the above-described display continues may give a sense of discomfort to the passengers in the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a control device, a control method, and a program capable of making it difficult for passengers to feel uncomfortable.

A control device, a control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configurations.

(1): A control device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of a vehicle, and based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit, any road included in the road on which the vehicle travels. a reference lane determination unit that determines the lane of the vehicle as a reference lane; and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit, The reference lane determination unit is a control device that determines candidates for the reference lane for each of a plurality of determination patterns, and determines the reference lane based on the priority of each of the determined candidates.

(2): A control device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of a vehicle, and based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit, any road included in the road on which the vehicle travels. a reference lane determination unit that determines the lane of the vehicle as a reference lane; and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit, If the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane after the reference lane is determined by one of a plurality of determination patterns, the reference lane determination unit determines the reference lane. It is a control device that returns to the reference lane of

(3): In the aspect (1) or (2) above, the plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern that determines the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a first determination pattern that determines the route of the vehicle. A second determination pattern for determining the lane in which the vehicle should travel in the future for guidance as the reference lane, and a third determination pattern for determining the lane before overtaking as the reference lane when the control for overtaking the preceding vehicle of the vehicle is executed. is included.

(4): In any one of the above aspects (1) to (3), one or both of the speed and steering of the vehicle are controlled so that the vehicle travels in the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit. It further comprises an operation control section for controlling.

(5): In the aspect of (4) above, the operation control unit displays an image indicating the reference lane on the display unit after the reference lane is determined by the reference lane determination unit or by the display control unit. If the vehicle is entering the reference lane when an instruction to stop moving to the reference lane is received after the display is displayed, the vehicle is allowed to continue moving to the reference lane. .

(6): In the aspect of (5) above, the instruction to stop moving to the reference lane is an intentional instruction by the occupant of the vehicle.

(7): In any one of the above aspects (4) to (6), the operation control unit can change lanes to the reference lane from the position of the vehicle to the reference lane. If the distance to the vanishing position is within a predetermined distance or the time until the lane change becomes impossible is within a predetermined time, the instruction to stop moving to the reference lane is not accepted.

(8): In a vehicle control method according to an aspect of the present invention, a computer recognizes a surrounding situation of a vehicle, and based on the recognized surrounding situation, any lane included in a road on which the vehicle travels is used as a reference. determining a lane, displaying an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane on a display unit, determining candidates for the reference lane for each of a plurality of determination patterns, and giving priority to each of the determined candidates; and determining the reference lane based on degrees.

(9): In a vehicle control method according to an aspect of the present invention, a computer recognizes a surrounding situation of a vehicle, and based on the recognized surrounding situation, any lane included in a road on which the vehicle travels is used as a reference. determining a lane, causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane, and determining the reference lane by one of a plurality of determination patterns; In this control method, the vehicle returns to the reference lane before the reference lane is determined when the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane.

(10): A program according to an aspect of the present invention causes a computer to recognize surrounding conditions of a vehicle, and based on the recognized surrounding conditions, any lane included in the road on which the vehicle travels is designated as a reference lane. and displaying an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane on a display unit, determining candidates for the reference lane for each of a plurality of determination patterns, and assigning priority to each of the determined candidates. A program for determining the reference lane based on:

(11): A program according to an aspect of the present invention causes a computer to recognize surrounding conditions of a vehicle, and based on the recognized surrounding conditions, any lane included in the road on which the vehicle travels is designated as a reference lane. and causing the display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane, and after determining the reference lane by one of a plurality of determination patterns, the vehicle The program causes the vehicle to return to the reference lane before determining the reference lane when the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane.

According to any one of the above aspects (1) to (11), it is possible to make it difficult for the occupant to feel uncomfortable.

1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a control device according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the state in the vehicle of the own vehicle M. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of a first controller 120, a second controller 160, and a third controller 170. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image IM1 displayed on a display device 32 in a manual operation mode; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of image IM2 displayed on the display apparatus 32 in automatic driving mode. It is a figure which shows an example of the state transition diagram of an operation mode. FIG. 3 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining a home lane determination unit 174 and an HMI control unit 176; FIG. 4 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining home lane determination section 174 and HMI control section 176; FIG. 3 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining home lane determination section 174 and HMI control section 176; FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 4) for explaining home lane determination section 174 and HMI control section 176; 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of flows of first determination processing and display processing; It is a flow chart which shows an example of the flow of processing of Step S150. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of first candidate determination processing; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of second candidate determination processing; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of third candidate determination processing; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining home lane determination processing based on priority; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of flows of second determination processing and display processing; FIG. It is a flow chart which shows an example of a flow of a series of processing by automatic operation control device 100 of an embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of hardware constitutions of automatic operation control device 100 of an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a control device, a control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. An embodiment in which the control device is applied to an automatically driving vehicle (a vehicle capable of automatically driving) will be described below as an example. Automatic driving means, for example, automatically controlling one or both of steering and speed of a vehicle to execute driving control. The vehicle operation control described above may include various operation controls such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control System), ALC (Auto Lane Changing), LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System), and CC (Cruise Control). . The driving of an automatically driven vehicle may be controlled by manual driving by a passenger (driver).

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a control device according to an embodiment. A vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle. or combinations thereof. The electric motor operates using electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or electric power discharged from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, and a vehicle sensor 40. , a navigation device 50 , an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60 , a driving operator 80 , an automatic driving control device 100 , a driving force output device 200 , a braking device 210 , and a steering device 220 . These apparatuses and devices are connected to each other by multiplex communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, and the like. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted, or another configuration may be added. A combination of the camera 10, the radar device 12, the LIDAR 14, and the object recognition device 16 is an example of the "external sensor". A configuration including at least the third control unit 170 in the automatic operation control device 100 is an example of a "control device."

The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to the arbitrary location of the own vehicle M. As shown in FIG. When imaging the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the rear surface of the rearview mirror, the front part of the vehicle body, or the like. When imaging the rear, the camera 10 is attached to the upper portion of the rear windshield, the back door, or the like. When imaging the side, the camera 10 is attached to a door mirror or the like. For example, the camera 10 repeatedly images the surroundings of the vehicle M periodically. Camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to any location of the own vehicle M. As shown in FIG. The radar device 12 may detect the position and velocity of an object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves having a wavelength close to light) around the vehicle M and measures scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. LIDAR14 is attached to the arbitrary locations of self-vehicles M. As shown in FIG.

The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14, and recognizes the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. Objects include, for example, other vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and road structures. Road structures include, for example, road signs, traffic signals, railroad crossings, curbs, medians, guardrails, fences, and the like. Road structures may also include, for example, road markings such as road markings drawn or attached to the road surface (hereinafter referred to as marking lines), pedestrian crossings, bicycle crossings, and stop lines. Objects may also include obstacles such as fallen objects on the road (for example, cargo from other vehicles or signs placed around the road). The object recognition device 16 outputs recognition results to the automatic driving control device 100 . In addition, the object recognition apparatus 16 may output the detection result of the camera 10, the radar apparatus 12, and LIDAR14 to the automatic operation control apparatus 100 as it is. In that case, the object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the configuration of the vehicle system 1 or the external sensor. Also, the object recognition device 16 may be included in the automatic driving control device 100 .

The communication device 20 uses networks such as a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (WiDe Area Network), and the Internet. For example, it communicates with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the vehicle M, the terminal device of the user who uses the vehicle M, or various server devices.

The HMI 30 presents various types of information to the occupants of the host vehicle M and receives input operations by the occupants. HMI 30 includes, for example, display 32 and switch assembly 34 . The display device 32 is an example of a “display unit”. The switch assembly 34 and the operation operator 80 are an example of the "receiving section". The display device 32 includes, for example, a first display section 32A and a second display section 32B. The switch assembly 34 includes, for example, a first switch 34A and a second switch 34B. The HMI 30 may further include a speaker, buzzer, touch panel, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the interior of the own vehicle M. As shown in FIG. For example, the first display unit 32A is provided near the front of the driver's seat (the seat closest to the steering wheel SW) on the instrument panel IP, and is positioned so that the occupant can view it through the gap between the steering wheels or through the steering wheel. Installed. The first display unit 32A is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device. The first display portion 32A displays, as an image, information (hereinafter referred to as driving support information) necessary for running the own vehicle M during manual driving or automatic driving. The information necessary for running the own vehicle M during manual operation includes, for example, the speed of the own vehicle M, the engine speed, the remaining amount of fuel, the radiator water temperature, the traveled distance, the state of the shift lever, and other information. The information necessary for the travel of the own vehicle M during automatic operation includes, for example, the lane in which the own vehicle M should travel set by the automatic operation control device 100 (home lane to be described later), the future target trajectory, and lane change information. This information includes the presence or absence of the vehicle, the lane to which the lane is to be changed, the recognized lane (division line), other vehicles, and the like. Further, the information necessary for driving the own vehicle M during automatic operation may include a part or all of the information necessary for driving the own vehicle M during manual operation.

The second display unit 32B is installed, for example, near the center of the instrument panel IP.
The second display section 32B is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display device, like the first display section 32A. For example, an image or the like indicating the navigation result by the navigation device 50 is displayed on the second display section 32B. The second display unit 32B may also display TV programs, play back DVDs, and display content such as downloaded movies. Further, driving support information may be displayed on the second display portion 32B. In this case, the second display section 32B may display the content of the driving support information different from the content of the driving support information displayed on the first display section 32A, or may display the same content. Further, when the same content is displayed on the first display portion 32A and the second display portion 32B, it may be displayed in different display modes or may be displayed in the same display mode. The display mode is, for example, the color, size, shape, pattern, brightness, display layout, etc. of an object image representing a vehicle, a road condition, or the like, or character information.

The display device 32 may also include, for example, a HUD (Head Up Display). The HUD is arranged at a position higher than the first display section 32A. The HUD projects an image onto a predetermined imaging unit. The HUD, for example, projects an image onto a part of the front windshield in front of the driver's seat, thereby allowing the eyes of the passenger seated in the driver's seat to visually recognize the virtual image. For example, driving support information is displayed on the HUD. In this case, it may be displayed in a different content or display manner from other display units. Display control on each of the display units described above is controlled by an HMI control unit, which will be described later.

The switch assembly 34 is attached to the steering wheel SW, for example, as shown in FIG. The first switch 34A and the second switch 34B are physically independent switches. For example, when the first switch 34A is operated, for example, the driving mode (manual driving mode and automatic driving mode) of the host vehicle M is switched to each other by an on/off operation. Also, when the second switch 34B is operated during execution of the automatic driving mode, for example, by turning on or off, a specific automatic driving event set in the switch (for example, a lane change event, an overtaking event, etc., which will be described later) is executed. or canceled.

Here, the manual driving mode is a mode in which the speed and steering of the own vehicle M are controlled according to the driver's driving operation. The automatic driving mode is a mode in which one or both of the speed and steering of the own vehicle M are controlled without depending on the driver's operation. For example, under the automatic driving mode, controls such as ACC, CC, LKAS, and ALC are performed.

For example, in the manual operation mode, when the passenger operates the first switch 34A to turn on the first switch 34A, the operation mode of the host vehicle M transitions from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode. Further, in the automatic driving mode, when the occupant operates the second switch 34B to turn on the second switch 34B, the driving mode of the host vehicle M is changed to the specific automatic driving mode associated with the second switch 34B. Transition to event. Further, when the occupant turns the first switch 34A from the ON state to the OFF state, the automatic driving mode is changed to the manual driving mode, and the second switch 34B is turned ON immediately before or during execution of a specific automatic driving event. , the automatic driving event is canceled. The positions, number, types, etc. of the switches of the switch assembly 34 are not limited to the above examples.

Returning to FIG. 1, the vehicle sensors 40 include a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects angular velocity about a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle M, and the like. including. Moreover, the vehicle sensor 40 may be provided with a position sensor for detecting the position of the vehicle M. FIG. A position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude/latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. Also, the position sensor may be a sensor that acquires position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of the navigation device 50 . A result detected by the vehicle sensor 40 is output to the automatic driving control device 100 .

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 , a navigation HMI 52 and a route determining section 53 . The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the own vehicle M based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites. The position of the own vehicle M may be specified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40 . The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, speaker, touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely shared with the HMI 30 described above. For example, the route determination unit 53 determines a route from the position of the own vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 (hereinafter referred to as route on the map) is determined with reference to the first map information 54 . The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which road shapes are represented by links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. A route on the map is output to the MPU 60 .

The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized, for example, by the function of a terminal device such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal owned by the passenger. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determining unit 61 divides the route on the map provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing each block by 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the second map information 62. Determine recommended lanes for each block. The recommended lane decision unit 61 decides which lane to drive from the left. For example, when there is a branching point in the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel a rational route to the branching destination.

The second map information 62 is map information with higher precision than the first map information 54 . The second map information 62 includes, for example, lane center information, lane boundary information, lane type information, and the like. Further, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address/zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with other devices. The above-described first map information 54 and second map information 62 (hereinafter simply referred to as “map information”) may be stored in storage section 190 .

The driving operator 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel SW, a direction indicator, a joystick, and other operators. The direction indicator is a device for notifying the surroundings of the own vehicle M that the own vehicle M is moving in the lateral direction, such as when the own vehicle M turns right or left, changes lanes, or the like. Further, each operating element of the operation operating element 80 is attached with a sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence/absence of operation. The sensor detects, for example, the steering angle and steering torque of the steering wheel, the depression amount of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, and the like. Then, the sensor outputs the detection result to one or both of the automatic driving control device 100 , the driving force output device 200 , the brake device 210 and the steering device 220 .

The automatic operation control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, a third control unit 170, and a storage unit 190. The first control unit 120, the second control unit 160, and the third control unit 170 are implemented by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) executing a program (software). be. Some or all of these components are implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). It may be realized by cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in the storage unit 190 of the automatic operation control device 100, or stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and the storage medium may be attached to the drive device. may be installed in the storage unit 190 by .

The storage unit 190 is implemented by, for example, an HDD, flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 190 stores, for example, information necessary for control processing according to the present embodiment, programs read and executed by the processor, and the like. Further, the storage unit 190 may store map information.

FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120, the second control unit 160, and the third control unit 170. As shown in FIG. A combination of the action plan generation unit 140, the second control unit 160, and the third control unit 170 is an example of the "operation control unit".

The 1st control part 120 is provided with the recognition part 130 and the action plan production|generation part 140, for example. The first control unit 120, for example, realizes in parallel a function based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function based on a model given in advance. For example, the "recognize intersections" function performs in parallel recognition of intersections by deep learning, etc., and recognition based on predetermined conditions (signals that can be pattern-matched, road markings, etc.). It may be realized by scoring and evaluating comprehensively. This ensures the reliability of automated driving.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes objects existing around the own vehicle M based on information obtained from the external sensor. Objects recognized by the recognition unit 130 include, for example, bicycles, motorcycles, four-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, road signs installed on the side of the road, road signs formed on the road surface, lane markings, utility poles, guardrails, Including falling objects. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the object and the state such as velocity and acceleration. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on relative coordinates (that is, a position relative to the own vehicle M) with a representative point (the center of gravity, the center of the drive shaft, etc.) of the own vehicle M as the origin, and used for control. The position of an object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a represented area. The "state" of the object may include acceleration or jerk of the object, or "behavioral state" (eg, whether it is changing lanes or about to change lanes).

The recognition unit 130 also refers to the map information based on the position information of the own vehicle M, and determines the shape of the road on which the own vehicle M travels, the number of lanes, the width of each lane, regulation information such as the legal speed limit, and road section information. You may recognize road information, such as whether it is an automatic driving permitted section. Further, the recognition unit 130 may compare information obtained from an external sensor and information obtained from map information to finally recognize the surrounding situation. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be taken into consideration.

For example, when recognizing the own lane (the lane in which the own vehicle M travels), the recognition unit 130 recognizes the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M with respect to the own lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 calculates the angle formed by a line connecting the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle M from the lane center and the lane center in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M as the relative position of the own vehicle M with respect to the own lane. and posture. Instead, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the reference point of the own vehicle M with respect to one of the side edges (division lines or road boundaries) of the own lane as the relative position of the own vehicle M with respect to the own lane. may The recognition unit 130 also recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll gates, and other road events.

The action plan generation unit 140 determines the driving mode of automatic driving when the own vehicle M is under automatic driving on the route for which the recommended lane has been determined. In the following description, the information that defines the driving mode of automatic driving will be referred to as an event.

The events include, for example, a constant-speed driving event in which the own vehicle M travels in the same lane at a constant speed, and an event that exists within a predetermined distance in front of the own vehicle M (for example, within 100 [m]) and is closest to the own vehicle M. A follow-up travel event is included in which the host vehicle M is caused to follow another nearby vehicle (preceding vehicle). "Following" may be, for example, a driving mode in which the inter-vehicle distance (relative distance) between the own vehicle M and the preceding vehicle is maintained constant, or the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle M and the preceding vehicle is maintained constant. In addition to keeping it constant, the driving mode may be one in which the own vehicle M is driven in the center of the own lane. Events include, for example, a lane change event that causes the vehicle M to change lanes from its own lane to an adjacent lane, a branching event that causes the vehicle M to branch into a lane that advances toward the destination at a fork in the road, and a merging point. A merging event for merging the host vehicle M onto the main line, a takeover event for ending automatic driving and switching to manual driving, and the like may be included. Further, the event includes, for example, an overtaking event in which the host vehicle M changes lanes into an adjacent lane, overtakes the preceding vehicle in the adjacent lane, and then changes lanes again to the original lane. An avoidance event or the like may be included that causes the host vehicle M to perform at least one of braking and steering to avoid an obstacle.

For example, the action plan generation unit 140 changes an event that has already been determined for the current section to another event, or A new event may be determined for the section. In addition, the action plan generation unit 140 changes an event that has already been determined for the current section to another event, or A new event may be determined for the current interval.

In addition, the action plan generation unit 140 selects an event immediately before execution or an event in the middle of execution that has already been decided to be executed based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit 130, the operation of the vehicle-mounted device by the passenger, and the like. Can be centered. For example, the action plan generation unit 140 may change an already determined event for the current section to a lane change event or newly change the lane for the current section when the occupant operates the direction indicator. Execute an event. Further, when the operation of the direction indicator is stopped immediately before or during execution of the lane change event, the action plan generation unit 140 cancels the vehicle change event immediately before or during execution, and executes another event. do.

In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 allows the own vehicle M to travel in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and furthermore, when the own vehicle M travels in the recommended lane, the action plan generation unit 140 responds to surrounding conditions. Therefore, a future target trajectory is generated that causes the own vehicle M to automatically travel (without relying on the driver's operation) in a travel mode defined by the event. The target trajectory includes, for example, a position element that defines the future position of the own vehicle M and a speed element that defines the future speed of the own vehicle M and the like.

For example, the action plan generator 140 determines a plurality of points (trajectory points) that the host vehicle M should reach in order as position elements of the target trajectory. A trajectory point is a point to be reached by the own vehicle M for each predetermined travel distance (for example, about several [m]). The predetermined travel distance may be calculated, for example, by the road distance when traveling along the route. In addition, the action plan generation unit 140 determines the target velocity and the target acceleration for each predetermined sampling time (for example, about the number of 0 commas [sec]) as velocity elements of the target trajectory. Also, the trajectory point may be a position that the vehicle M should reach at each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the target velocity and target acceleration are determined by the sampling time and the interval between trajectory points.

Also, the action plan generator 140 may generate a target trajectory based on a home lane determined by a home lane determiner 174, which will be described later, or adjust an already generated target trajectory. Action plan generator 140 outputs information indicating the generated target trajectory to second controller 160 and third controller 170 .

The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M passes the target trajectory generated by the action plan generating unit 140 at the scheduled time. Control. The second control unit 160 includes a first acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166, for example.

The first acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory point) from the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in the memory of the storage unit 190 . Speed control unit 164 controls one or both of driving force output device 200 and brake device 210 based on speed elements (for example, target speed, target acceleration, etc.) included in the target trajectory stored in memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 in accordance with the positional elements (for example, the curvature representing the degree of curvature of the target trajectory) included in the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 performs a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M and feedback control based on deviation from the target trajectory.

The running driving force output device 200 outputs running driving force (torque) for running the vehicle to the drive wheels. Traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and a power ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The power ECU controls the above configuration according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the operation operator 80 .

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

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

The third control unit 170 includes, for example, a second acquisition unit 172, a home lane determination unit 174, and an HMI control unit 176. Home lane determination unit 174 is an example of a “reference lane determination unit”. The HMI control unit 176 is an example of a "display control unit".

The second acquisition unit 172 acquires information on the result of recognition by the recognition unit 130 and information on the target trajectory and recommended lane generated by the action plan generation unit 140 .

Based on the information acquired by the second acquisition unit 172, the home lane determination unit 174 selects one of the one or more lanes included in the road on which the vehicle is traveling recognized by the recognition unit 130 as the home lane. to decide. A home lane is an example of a "reference lane." The home lane is, for example, a lane determined by the system side (automatic driving control device 100 side) as being rational for driving the own vehicle M, or a lane designated by the driver by operating a direction indicator or the like. This is the lane in which M should travel. For example, the home lane determining unit 174 determines the home lane at the timing when the driving mode changes to the automatic driving mode, the timing when the event changes, the timing when the surrounding situation changes, or the like. For example, the home lane determination unit 174 may also determine the home lane based on the recommended lane acquired by the second acquisition unit 172 . However, for example, when there is a branch point or a merging point in the middle of the route to the destination, or when it becomes necessary to overtake the preceding vehicle, the lane in which the vehicle M should travel dynamically changes. Therefore, the home lane determination unit 174 flexibly changes the home lane determined when the driving mode is switched to the automatic driving mode according to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M and instructions from the occupant. Home lane determining portion 174 outputs information about the home lane to action plan generating portion 140 . Details of the function of home lane determination unit 174 will be described later.

The HMI control unit 176 controls the HMI 30 based on the information acquired by the second acquisition unit 172, and causes the HMI 30 to output various information. For example, the HMI control unit 176 superimposes a first layer image simulating a road on which the own lane and adjacent lanes recognized from an external sensor or map information are recognized, and a second layer image simulating the own vehicle M. to display on the display device 32 of the HMI 30 (for example, the first display section 32A). The HMI control unit 176 also generates a third layer image simulating another vehicle recognized by the recognition unit 130 , a fourth layer image simulating a home lane determined by the home lane determination unit 174 , and an action plan generation unit 140 . A fifth layer image or the like simulating the target trajectory generated by is superimposed on the first layer image and displayed on the display device 32 . The third layer image includes, for example, peripheral vehicles within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle M, such as forward vehicles and backward vehicles. For example, the HMI control unit 176 associates the position and shape of the actual road (or lane) with the positional relationships between the own vehicle M, the other vehicle, the home lane, and the target trajectory, and displays the first line on the first layer image. 2nd to 5th layer images are superimposed.

In addition to the above-described first to fifth layer images, the HMI control unit 176 also provides other information related to the state of the vehicle M (for example, the speed of the vehicle M, the remaining amount of energy, the legal speed of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, etc.) , state of the shift lever, mileage) and other information (for example, outside temperature and time) may be displayed on the display device 32 . Further, the HMI control unit 176 may output part or all of the information included in the image displayed on the display device 32 by voice from the HMI 30 . Note that when the driving mode of the own vehicle M is the manual driving mode, the fourth layer image and the fifth layer image are not generated. Therefore, when the manual operation mode is executed, the HMI control unit 176 causes the display device 32 to display the second and third layer images superimposed on the first layer image.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an image IM1 displayed on the display device 32 in the manual operation mode. Image IM1 includes, for example, running state display area AR1. A first layer image showing a road RD1 including lanes LN1 to LN3, for example, is displayed in the running state display area AR1. In addition, in the display state display area AR1, a second layer image simulating the own vehicle M is displayed under the control of the HMI control unit 176 so as to correspond to the position of the travel lane (lane LN2) where the own vehicle M actually exists. , are superimposed on the image simulating the lane LN2 of the first layer image. In addition to the image displayed in the display state display area AR1, the image IM1 includes the vehicle state (for example, the speed of the own vehicle M, the shift state, the remaining amount of energy, the driving mode) and other information (for example, outside temperature, time) is included.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an image IM2 displayed on the display device 32 in the automatic driving mode. Comparing the image IM1 and the image IM2, in addition to the image displayed in the display state display area AR1 included in the image IM1, the driving state display area AR2 included in the image IM2 includes a fourth layer image indicating the home lane HL. and a fifth layer image showing the target trajectory TR are superimposed and displayed at the position associated with the position of the vehicle M and the lane line included in the first layer image. For example, the fourth layer image showing the home lane HL is displayed in a different color from the other lanes in a recognizable display mode by color or pattern. Note that in the images IM1 and IM2, if there are other vehicles (other vehicles) around the own vehicle M, the third layer image simulating the other vehicle is the first layer image associated with the actual position. is superimposed on the position of . Moreover, when the destination is not set to the own vehicle M, an automatic driving mode turns into automatic driving which drive|works along a road. In this case, the HMI control unit 176 does not display the fourth layer image showing the home lane HL.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the HMI control unit 176 selects another layer to be superimposed on the first layer image depending on whether the driving mode of the host vehicle M is the manual driving mode or the automatic driving mode. Display different types of images. The HMI control unit 176 may also generate an image in which another layer image is superimposed on the first layer image, and cause the display device 32 to display the generated image.

Next, state transitions of operation modes in the embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state transition diagram of operation modes. In the figure, S1 represents an automatic lane change mode, which is one of the automatic operation modes, and S2 represents another operation mode other than the automatic lane change mode S1, that is, an automatic operation mode or a manual operation mode in which at least ALC is not performed. represents. The automatic driving mode included in the other driving mode S2 specifically performs ACC and LKAS in parallel, and TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot) for controlling the steering and speed of the own vehicle M on a congested road. It is an automatic driving mode that goes.

For example, when the conditions for transitioning from another driving mode state to the automatic lane change mode S1 are satisfied, the other driving mode is switched to the automatic lane change mode and an event is executed. The transition condition is, for example, that automatic driving is in progress and that the second switch 34B is operated to turn on, or that the direction indicator is operated and ALC is performed under the automatic lane change mode S1. is to accept the execution instruction of

On the other hand, the transition condition from the automatic lane change mode S1 to another automatic driving mode S2 is, for example, that the release condition of the automatic lane change mode S1 is satisfied. The release condition is, for example, that the second switch 34B is turned off, or that an instruction is received to cancel the ALC performed under the automatic lane change mode S1 by operating the direction indicator to return the instruction. . All of these cancellation conditions are cancellation conditions based on the passenger's intention to cancel the lane change.

In the example of FIG. 6, the automatic lane change mode S1 includes an execution mode S1-1 and a pause mode S1-2. ALC is performed under execution mode S1-1, and ALC is temporarily stopped under suspension mode S1-2. When the execution condition is satisfied under the temporary stop mode S1-2, the state transitions from the temporary stop mode S1-2 to the execution mode S1-1.

The execution conditions include, for example, that there is no merging point or branching point ahead of the vehicle M in the traveling direction, that various sensors are functioning normally, and that the recognition unit 130 can recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle M. that the speed of the own vehicle M is less than a threshold value (for example, 60 [kph]); that the curvature of the road is less than the threshold value; , that the marking line that divides the own lane is not a specific marking line that prohibits a lane change, that the recognition unit 130 can recognize the marking line that divides the own lane, and the like. The execution condition may also include that the action plan generation unit 140 determines that the lane change to the adjacent lane is possible based on the TTC (Time To Collision) with surrounding vehicles.

If the execution conditions including these various conditions are not met, the state transitions from execution mode S1-1 to suspension mode S1-2. It should be noted that the above-described various conditions exemplified as execution conditions are merely examples, and some conditions may be replaced with other conditions, some conditions may be omitted, and other conditions may be changed. New ones may be added.

[Functions of Home Lane Determination Unit and HMI Control Unit]
Next, the functions of home lane determination section 174 and HMI control section 176 will be specifically described. 7A to 7D are diagrams (parts 1 to 4) for explaining the home lane determination unit 174 and the HMI control unit 176. FIG. In the example of FIGS. 7A to 7D, when the own vehicle M is traveling on the road RD1 including the lanes LN1 to LN3 in the automatic driving mode, the HMI control unit 176 uses the information obtained by the home lane determination unit 174 and the like. An example of an image to be displayed on the display device 32 is shown. Further, the examples of FIGS. 7A to 7D show different images (images IM11 to IM14) displayed in the running state display area AR2 depending on the surrounding conditions and driving mode of the own vehicle M in particular.

The home lane determination unit 174 determines the home lane based on any one of a plurality of predetermined determination patterns. The plurality of decision patterns include, for example, the following first to third decision patterns.

<First decision pattern>
The first determination pattern is, for example, a pattern in which the lane in which the host vehicle M travels is determined as the home lane when the passenger has set the destination. In this case, the home lane determining unit 174 determines the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling without changing lanes as the home lane.

<Second decision pattern>
The second determination pattern is a pattern that determines the lane to be driven in the future for route guidance as the home lane. The second determination pattern is a pattern in which the lane to be traveled in the future necessary for reaching the destination is determined as the home lane. In this case, the destination of the own vehicle M is set in advance by the navigation device 50, and automatic driving to the set destination is executed. In the second determination pattern, the home lane determination unit 174 determines the lane to be changed to as the home lane so that the vehicle M can change lanes from its own lane to a lane toward the destination (for example, an adjacent lane). . That is, in the second determination pattern, the home lane for route guidance is determined.

<Third decision pattern>
The third determination pattern is for overtaking a preceding vehicle, in which the own vehicle M travels in an adjacent lane (overtaking lane) and after overtaking the preceding vehicle returns to the original lane (traveling before overtaking). lane) is determined as the home lane. In this case, the home lane determination unit 174, for example, when a driving mode (for example, an overtaking event) in which the preceding vehicle is overtaken is executed, changes the lane to the adjacent lane, and selects the lane to move to after overtaking the preceding vehicle. Determine as home lane.

When the determination conditions set for each of the first to third determination patterns described above are satisfied, home lane determination section 174 determines the home lane by the determination pattern that satisfies the conditions.

HMI control unit 176 generates a fourth layer image indicating the home lane determined by the above-described first to third determination patterns, and drives the image in which the generated fourth layer image is superimposed on the first layer image. It is displayed in the state display area AR1. The image IM11 shown in the example of FIG. 7A is a driving state display area in a scene where the host vehicle M traveling in the lane LN1 changes lanes to the adjacent lane LN2 in order to overtake the preceding vehicle m1 due to an overtaking event. It is an image displayed on AR1. In this case, the home lane determination unit 174 determines the lane LN1 (the lane in which the vehicle was traveling before the overtaking event was executed) as the home lane HL according to the third determination pattern.

The HMI control unit 176 superimposes and displays a second layer image representing the own vehicle M and a third layer image representing the other vehicle m1 on the road RD1 of the first layer image. In addition, HMI control unit 176 superimposes and displays the fourth layer image on the area of lane LN1 of the first layer image. The HMI control unit 176 also displays the fifth layer image showing the target trajectory TR at a position corresponding to the display position of the road RD1 and the own vehicle M. This makes it easier for the occupants to understand that the behavior of the own vehicle M changes to return to the lane LN1 after overtaking the preceding vehicle m1. The driving control unit performs driving control to change lanes to the lane LN1, which is the home lane HL, after overtaking the preceding vehicle m1 by an overtaking event. After the execution, the overtaking event ends, and self-vehicle M continues automatic operation control such as CC and LKAS.

FIG. 7B shows a scene after the host vehicle M overtakes the preceding vehicle m1 shown in FIG. 7A, or a scene in which the lane LN2 is the home lane, and the host vehicle M is proceeding to the destination plane set. It shows an image IM12 displayed when the lane for driving is lane LN3. In this case, home lane determination unit 174 determines lanes LN1 to LN3 as home lanes HL based on the second determination pattern. The HMI control unit 176 superimposes the fourth layer image on the area of the lane LN3 of the first layer image. The HMI control unit 176 also superimposes a fifth layer image showing the target trajectory TR associated with the lane change from the lane LN2 to the lane LN3 on the position corresponding to the display position of the road RD1 and the own vehicle M. Then, the HMI control unit 176 displays the superimposed image IM12 in the running state display area AR1. This allows the occupant to predict in advance that the vehicle M will move to the lane LN3 instead of moving to the lane LN1.

FIG. 7C shows that after it has been determined that the lane change event is to be executed in the scene shown in FIG. 7B and immediately before or during the actual execution of the lane change event, the destination is deleted by the operation of the passenger. It shows an image IM13 that is displayed when the In this case, as a result, the lane change event is canceled, and the operation control unit generates and generates the target trajectory TR so as to maintain the current lane traveled by the host vehicle M. The own vehicle M is caused to travel along the target trajectory. The HMI control unit 176 also causes the image IM13, in which the image IM13 and the image IM14 and the fifth layer image indicating the target trajectory TR to be superimposed on the first layer image, to be displayed in the running state display area AR1. However, in such a situation, depending on the timing of determining the home lane or the timing of switching the display content, the information of the home lane HL determined by the second determination pattern is maintained, and the information of the home lane HL is displayed on the image of the lane L3. There is a possibility that the fourth layer image remains superimposed (image IM13 in the figure). Therefore, there is a possibility that the occupant will misunderstand that the lane change is made to the lane L3 even though the lane change has been cancelled.

Therefore, the home lane determination unit 174 of the embodiment determines the home lane using the determination process described below, so that even if the control is switched during the execution of the event due to the passenger's intention, etc. enable the determination and display of lane markings. By using the determination process described below, after the lane change event for moving to the destination plane is canceled, for example, as shown in image IM14 in FIG. The fourth layer image is superimposed and displayed on the position (on the image simulating the lane LN1) where the current lane was located, or the position of the own lane (on the image simulating the lane LN3) is superimposed and displayed. Such display control can be performed. In other words, by using the determination process described below, it is possible to display a more appropriate home lane according to the state of the own vehicle M and the surrounding situation, and as a result, the occupants who see the display content feel uncomfortable. can be made difficult.

Hereinafter, the determination processing applied in this embodiment will be divided into several and specifically described. In the following description, the determination processing and the display processing for displaying an image including an image simulating the home lane determined by the determination processing are included in the description.

<First decision processing>
FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of a series of flows of the first determination process and the display process. The following processing may be repeatedly executed while the own vehicle M is executing some driving mode. In the example of FIG. 8, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding situation of the own vehicle M (step S100). Next, the HMI control unit 176 generates a first layer image representing the road (step S110), and generates a second layer image representing the host vehicle M (step (step S120), based on the recognized surrounding conditions. ).The second layer image may be an image representing the host vehicle stored in advance in the storage unit 190 etc. Next, the HMI control unit 176 detects that surrounding vehicles (other vehicles) are in the vicinity of the host vehicle M. If there is, a third layer image representing the surrounding vehicle is generated (step S130).The third layer image may be an image representing the surrounding vehicle stored in advance in the storage unit 190 or the like.

Next, the home lane determination unit 174 determines whether or not the driving mode of the host vehicle M being executed is the automatic driving mode (step S140). If the automatic driving mode is determined, the home lane determination unit 174 determines a home lane by home lane determination processing (step S150). Details of the processing in step S150 will be described later. Next, the HMI control unit 176 generates a fourth layer image based on the determined home lane (step S160). Next, the HMI control unit 176 generates a fifth layer image based on the target trajectory for the host vehicle M to generate on the home lane (step S170). Next, the HMI control unit 176 superimposes the second to fifth layer images on the first layer image (step S180), and causes the display device 32 to display the superimposed images (step S190).

Further, when it is determined in the process of step S140 that the driving mode of the own vehicle M is not the automatic driving mode, the HMI control unit 176 superimposes the second and third layer images on the first layer image (step S200). , the superimposed image is displayed on the display device 32 (step S190). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing in step S150. Note that the process of step S150 is continuously executed as a separate process from the process shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 9, the home lane determination unit 174 performs the first candidate determination process (step S151) for determining the home lane candidate when determining the home lane according to the first determination pattern described above, and the second determination pattern. Second candidate determination processing (step S152) for determining a home lane candidate when the home lane is determined by the third candidate determination processing (step S152) for determining the home lane candidate when the home lane is determined by the third determination pattern ( Step S153) is executed in parallel. "Run in parallel" means, for example, when the automatic driving control device 100 has a multi-core (for example, one processor package has a plurality of processor cores), each processor core is used to perform a plurality of processes. are processed simultaneously. Also, "performing in parallel" may mean distributing a plurality of processes in time series and sequentially processing them in a time-division manner using one processor core (so-called time-division processing). Also, the home lane determination unit 174 may execute the processes of steps S151 to S153 in a predetermined order instead of parallel processing. It should be noted that the processing of steps S151 to S153 may include a case where the home lane candidate is not determined. Details of each process of steps S151 to S153 will be described later.

Next, the home lane determination unit 174 derives the priority of the home lane candidate for each of the processing results of steps S151 to S153 (step S154), and determines the final home lane based on the derived priority. Determine (step S155). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends. Thus, in the first determination process, the home lane determination process based on the first to third determination patterns described above is continuously executed, and arbitration control based on the priority or the like is performed for each result. Therefore, even if the event is canceled immediately before or during the execution of the event, another appropriate home lane can be immediately determined from the current situation of the own vehicle M, and the system and display contents can be changed.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of first candidate determination processing. In the example of FIG. 10, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling is initially selected as the home lane based on the first determination pattern. In this state, the home lane determining unit 174 determines whether or not the lane change has been executed since the driving mode of the host vehicle M was switched to the lane change event (automatic lane change mode) (step S151A). If it is determined that the lane change is not executed, the home lane determining unit 174 determines whether the vehicle M is traveling in the overtaking lane of a plurality of roads, or the lane change destination is the center side of the road with three or more lanes. It is determined whether or not it is a lane (a lane that is not a lane at both ends) (step S151B). If it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the overtaking lane or the lane change destination is the central lane of a road with three or more lanes, the lane change destination is determined as a home lane candidate (step S151C). ).

Further, in the process of step S151A, when it is determined that the lane is changed after switching to the lane change event, or when it is determined that the conditions shown in the process of step S151B are not satisfied, the own lane becomes a home lane candidate. (Step S151D). This completes the flowchart.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of second candidate determination processing. The example of FIG. 11 is processing for determining the lane to be driven in the future for route guidance as the home lane based on the second determination pattern. In the example of FIG. 11, the home lane determination unit 174 determines whether or not the destination of the host vehicle M is set by the navigation device 50 or the like (step S152A). When determining that the destination is set, the home lane determination unit 174 determines whether or not the lane change to the destination plane exists within a predetermined value. “Within a predetermined value” means, for example, within a range of time or distance in which a lane change to the lane toward the destination surface is feasible. When it is determined that the lane change to the destination surface is within the predetermined value, the home lane determining unit 174 determines the lane to which the lane is to be changed as a home lane candidate (step S152C). This completes the flowchart.

Also, if it is determined in the process of step S152A that the destination is not set, or if it is determined in the process of step S152B that the lane change to the destination plane does not exist within a predetermined value, the process of this flowchart ends.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of third candidate determination processing. The example of FIG. 12 is a process of determining the lane before the event execution as the home lane after the own vehicle M travels in the overtaking lane and overtakes the preceding vehicle based on the third determination pattern. In the example of FIG. 12, the home lane determining unit 174 determines whether overtaking control (execution of an overtaking event) for overtaking the preceding vehicle is required (step S153A). For example, the home lane determining unit 174 requires overtaking control when the speed of the own vehicle M is faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle by a predetermined speed or more and the distance between the own vehicle M and the preceding vehicle is within a predetermined distance. Determine that there is. When determining that overtaking control is necessary, the home lane determination unit 174 determines whether or not the vehicle is already traveling in the overtaking lane (step S153B). When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, the home lane determination unit 174 determines the lane in which the vehicle was traveling before the overtaking control was executed as a home lane candidate (step S153C). This completes the flowchart.

If it is determined in the processing of step S153A that overtaking control is not necessary, or if it is determined that the vehicle is not traveling in the overtaking lane in the processing of step S153B, the processing of this flowchart ends.

Next, the processing of steps S154 and S155 will be specifically described. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining home lane determination processing based on priority. Home lane determination unit 174 derives a correction value for candidate lanes for each of the home lane candidates determined by the above-described first to third candidate determination processing (step S154A), and derives a correction value for route guidance ( step S154B). A correction value is, for example, a value set for adjusting an index value (index value), which will be described later. Next, home lane determination unit 174 performs switching processing based on the remaining distance to the guidance route (step S154C), and sets the correction value obtained by either processing of step S154A or step S154B to step S154C. Used for the processing of S154D. In the process of step S154D, home lane determining section 174 derives an index value for each home lane candidate. Next, the home lane determination unit 174 sets the derived index value as a priority, and determines the lane with the highest priority as the home lane (step S155). The processing of steps S154A to S154D will be specifically described below.

In the process of step S154A, home lane determination unit 174 derives a correction value based on the relative positions of the own lane and the home lane candidates determined by the first to third candidate determination processes. In this case, the home lane determination unit 174, for example, sets the correction value of the own lane to "0", gives "+1" when the home lane candidate is on the right side of the own lane, and gives "-1" when it is on the left side. ” is given. The correction value to be given also increases according to the number of lanes up to the horn lane candidate. For example, when changing lanes, if the home lane candidate is the adjacent lane on the right side of the own lane, the home lane determination unit 174 gives "+1" to the home lane candidate.

Note that the candidate lanes described above may include lanes selected by the occupant instead of (or in addition to) the home lanes determined by the first to third candidate determination processes. The lane selected by the occupant is, for example, an adjacent lane that exists in the direction selected by the occupant's operation of the direction indicator. Home lane determination unit 174 also derives the correction value for the lane by the method described above, even when the lane is selected by the passenger.

In the process of step S154B, home lane determination unit 174 derives a correction value for a guidable lane for the home lane candidate. For example, the vehicle M can be guided in the automatic driving mode, the remaining distance of the driving lane is within a predetermined distance (for example, about 3000 [m] in the case of a highway), and the vehicle If one of the following conditions is satisfied: that M is traveling in a lane that is not the guidance destination (non-guiding lane) or that the occupant requests an auto lane change event, the own vehicle M is guided. It is better to perform control to move to the ahead lane. Therefore, when the above conditions are satisfied, home lane determining section 174 gives a correction value such that the priority of the home lane candidate corresponding to the lane to which the vehicle is guided is higher than that of the other candidates. Similarly to the process of step S154A, home lane determination unit 174 adds "+1" to the correction value when the lane to be guided to is on the right side of the own lane, and adds "-" to the correction value when it is on the left side. 1" may be given.

Here, the process of step S154A described above is, for example, a correction value due to a lane change for overtaking or overtaking, and the process of step S154B is a correction value in the guidance direction when the remaining guidance distance is within a predetermined distance. Also, overtaking and overtaking return are not executed during event route guidance. Therefore, step S154A and step S154B are mutually exclusive and need not be corrected at the same time. Therefore, in the process of step S154C, the correction value is switched and output according to the remaining guidance distance. In this case, for example, home lane determination unit 174 outputs the correction value derived in step S154A if the remaining distance that can be guided to the destination lane is within a predetermined distance, and outputs the correction value if it is greater than the predetermined distance. , and outputs the correction value derived in step S154B. The predetermined distance mentioned above is, for example, approximately 2000 [m] in the case of a highway. The predetermined distance described above may be variably set according to the speed of the host vehicle M, road shape, road conditions, and the like.

In the process of step S154D, home lane determination unit 174 determines the home lane candidate based on the input correction value for the home lane candidate and the abnormality determination result of the home lane candidate (left and right lanes) for the own lane. Derive the index value. For example, the home lane determination unit 174 assigns a reference index value to the home lane candidate, and further adjusts the index value based on the correction value described above. In this case, the home lane determination unit 174 may add the correction value to the index value, or may perform weight calculation (multiplication or division) based on the correction value.

In addition, the home lane determination unit 174 may adjust the index value based on, for example, the ease of movement from the own lane to the home lane candidate. The ease of movement is, for example, an index value relating to ease of movement from one's own lane to a home lane candidate. For example, the home lane determining unit 174 determines that the TTC with surrounding vehicles increases as the content of control related to movement from the own lane to the home lane candidate decreases, as the time or distance to complete movement decreases, or as the number of surrounding vehicles decreases. The greater the value, the greater the ease of movement. In addition, the home lane determination unit 174 increases the travel easiness degree because the larger the amount of overlap between the own lane and the home lane candidate, the smaller the amount of movement of the own vehicle M to change lanes. In addition, the home lane determining unit 174 reduces the ease of movement as the degree of abnormality of the home lane candidate increases. When the degree of abnormality is large, for example, when there is an obstacle in the home lane candidate that is likely to hinder the vehicle from traveling, the degree of easiness of movement is reduced. Obstacles here are, for example, falling objects from loading vehicles, cracks and depressions in roads, construction sites, and the like. The home lane determination unit 174 adjusts the index value so that the greater the ease of movement, the greater the index value.

Note that home lane determination section 174 cannot derive an index value for each home lane candidate, or if all the derived values exceed a preset range from the lower limit value to the upper limit value, an error has occurred. Alternatively, the correction value may be reset and the processing may be performed again. Then, home lane determination section 174 determines the home lane candidate with the highest priority as the home lane, using the derived index value as the priority. Further, home lane determination section 174 may determine the own lane as the final home lane when the priority of any home lane candidate is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Instead of the above-described method, home lane determination unit 174 sets priorities in advance for each of the first to third candidate determination processes, and determines by the candidate determination process with higher priority among the set priorities. The home lane candidate thus obtained may be determined as the final home lane. Note that the priority may be variably set according to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M or the like.

According to the above-described first determination process, each home lane candidate is determined based on the first to third candidate determination processes, and arbitration control is performed based on the priority of the determined home lane candidate, and the final home lane is determined. As a result, a more appropriate home lane can be quickly determined according to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M and the like. In addition, by displaying the determined home lane, it is possible to prevent the passenger from feeling uncomfortable.

<Second decision processing>
FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of a series of flows of the second determination process and the display process. 14 has steps S310 to S310 in place of the processing of step S150 in comparison with the processing shown in FIG. 8 (the processing of steps S100 to S200), and further includes steps S320 to S330. The difference is that they are added. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the differences described above.

In the process of step S140 in FIG. 14, when it is determined that the driving mode of the host vehicle M is the automatic driving mode, the home lane determination unit 174 performs a second determination process using a plurality of predetermined determination patterns (e.g. , the above-described first to third decision patterns) is selected (step S300). In this case, the home lane determination unit 174 selects a determination pattern based on, for example, the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M (eg, road conditions, surrounding vehicles, event execution conditions, passenger's operation instructions). Next, the home lane determination unit 174 determines the home lane based on the selected determination pattern (step S320). Next, the HMI control section 176 performs the processes of steps S160 to S190.

After the processing of step S190, the home lane determining unit 174 determines whether or not the vehicle does not travel on the home lane (step S320). A situation in which the home lane is not run is, for example, a case where the destination of the own vehicle M is deleted (cancelled) by the operation of the passenger (in other words, the intention of the passenger). In addition, the situation in which the home lane is not used may include, for example, a situation in which the lane determined as the home lane is blocked by an obstacle or the like, making it impossible to travel. When it is determined that the home lane is not to be traveled, the home lane determination unit 174 returns the home lane to the previously determined home lane (step S330), and returns to the process of step S160. For example, during an overtaking event, if a lane change event to the destination surface occurs and the lane change event is canceled due to the intention of the occupants immediately before or during the lane change event, the home lane. Information on the previously determined home lane is stored in the storage unit 190, a cache memory (not shown) of the home lane determination unit 174, or the like. Further, in the process of step S320, if it is determined that the vehicle does not travel on the home lane, the process of this flowchart ends.

According to the second determination process described above, for example, in a state where the fourth layer image is displayed in the lane of the lane change destination before the steering control of the own vehicle M for changing the lane is started, the lane When the change is canceled, the previously determined home lane can be immediately displayed from the lane to which the lane is to be changed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lane to be changed from being continuously displayed as the home lane even though the lane change has been cancelled. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the passenger viewing the image to feel uncomfortable.

Note that the above-described first or second decision processing may include part or all of other decision processing. For example, if a situation arises in which the home lane is not driven during the execution of automatic driving in which the home lane determined by the first determination process is run, the home lane determination unit 174 returns to the previously determined home lane. A running process (steps S320 to S320) may be performed.

[Processing flow]
Hereinafter, a flow of a series of processes by the automatic operation control device 100 of the embodiment will be described using a flowchart. In the following, among the processes by the automatic driving control device 100, mainly the processes in the case where the own vehicle M is controlled to travel based on the home lane will be mainly described in the automatic driving mode. The following processing is repeatedly executed while the host vehicle M is running. Drawing 15 is a flow chart which shows an example of a flow of a series of processing by automatic operation control device 100 of an embodiment. It should be noted that in the processing of FIG. 15, the destination has already been set.

In the process of FIG. 15, the home lane determination unit 174 determines whether or not the driving mode of the own vehicle M is the automatic driving mode (step S400). If the automatic driving mode is determined, the home lane determination unit 174 determines the home lane by the above-described first or second determination process (step S410). Next, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory so that the host vehicle M travels on the home lane (step S420). Next, the 2nd control part 160 performs automatic operation control so that the own vehicle M may be drive|worked along a target track|orbit (step S430).

Next, when the lane is changed by the lane change event (immediately before or during the execution), the occupant's operation or the like is used to issue an instruction to stop traveling to the home lane after the lane change (for example, an operation to erase the destination or an operation to cancel the event). is received (step S440). In other words, when the lane is changed, for example, after the home lane is determined by the home lane determination unit 174 or after the HMI control unit 176 displays the fourth layer image indicating the home lane on the display device 32. . When it is determined that the stop instruction has been received, it is determined whether the distance until the movement to the home lane becomes impossible is within a predetermined distance, or whether the time until the movement becomes impossible is within a predetermined time (step S450). If it is determined that the above conditions are not satisfied, the home lane determination unit 174 determines whether or not the host vehicle M is entering the home lane of the lane change destination (step S460). "The own vehicle M enters the home lane" means, for example, that at least a part of the own vehicle M exists in the area of the road surface when the road surface is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the road surface, or that the own vehicle M is straddling the division line that divides the home lane. When it is determined that the vehicle is entering the home lane, or when it is determined in step S450 that the specified condition is satisfied, the second control unit 160 continues the movement of the own vehicle M to the home lane ( step S470).

That is, in the present embodiment, if the host vehicle M is entering the home lane when the stop instruction is received, the size behavior of the host vehicle M is changed by continuing the movement to the home lane. can be suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the influence on the surrounding vehicles by the behavior. Further, in the present embodiment, when changing lanes to the home lane to head for a destination, etc., the distance from the current position of the host vehicle M to the position where it becomes impossible to change lanes to the home lane is within a predetermined distance, or When the time until the change becomes impossible is within a predetermined time, the movement to the home lane is continued without accepting the stop instruction of the movement to the home lane. As a result, it is possible to suppress a large change in the behavior of the own vehicle M due to a lane change in a short distance or time.

Further, when it is determined in the process of step S460 that the host vehicle has not entered the home lane, the second control unit 160 stops moving to the home lane (step S480) and returns to the lane before the lane change. to run.

Further, in the process of step S400, when it is determined that the driving mode of the host vehicle M is not the automatic driving mode, the automatic driving control device 100 assumes that manual driving is performed, and the driver's operation to the driving operator 80, etc. manual operation control is executed (step S490). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends. Note that if it is determined in the process of step S440 that the instruction to stop traveling to the home lane has not been received, the automatic driving control executed in step S430 will continue to be executed.

According to the embodiment described above, in the control device, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M, and based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130, the road on which the own vehicle M travels includes A home lane determination unit 174 that determines one of the lanes as the home lane, and an HMI control unit that causes the display device 32 to display an image including the road on which the host vehicle M travels and the home lane determined by the home lane determination unit 174. 176, and the home lane determination unit 174 determines home lane candidates for each of a plurality of determination patterns, and determines the home lane based on the priority of each determined candidate, thereby improving driving control and display. In control, it is possible to make it difficult for the passenger to feel uncomfortable.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, for example, home lane determination corresponding to a plurality of purposes (e.g. own lane priority, route guidance, overtaking control) is continued by parallel processing, while arbitration control of the home lane is performed. By going and determining the final home lane, an image such as the image IM14 in FIG. 7D can be presented, for example, so that the occupant can continue to be presented with a more appropriate home lane.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, when the home lane is determined by one of the plurality of determination patterns and the event is canceled during the execution of automatic driving to move to the home lane, one By presenting the previously determined home lane (for example, presenting an image such as the image IM14 in FIG. 7D) or presenting the home lane for driving the own lane, the home lane corresponding to the canceled control can be suppressed from being displayed. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the passenger who sees the displayed content to feel uncomfortable.

Although the first to third determination patterns have been described in the above-described embodiment, two of these determination patterns may be used, and other determination patterns may also be used to determine the home lane. Other determination patterns include, for example, a pattern in which the home lane is determined based on the set vehicle speed of the host vehicle M when ACC or the like is executed, and a pattern in which the home lane is determined based on the passenger's intention. "Determine the home lane based on the set vehicle speed" means that, for example, if the set vehicle speed is about 80 [kph], the leftmost lane of the road is determined as the home lane, and if the set vehicle speed is about 100 [kph], the home lane is determined. For example, the center lane of the road is determined as the home lane. Further, "determining the home lane based on the intention of the occupant" means, for example, determining the lane (adjacent lane) in the direction indicated by the occupant's operation of the direction indicator as the home lane. Also, for the first to third candidate determination processes, two of these candidate determination processes may be used, or other candidate determination processes may be used to determine home lane candidates.

[Hardware configuration]
Drawing 16 is a figure showing an example of hardware constitutions of automatic operation control device 100 of an embodiment. As shown, a computer that realizes the automatic operation control device 100 includes a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM 100-3 used as a working memory, a ROM 100-4 for storing a boot program and the like, a flash memory and an HDD. A storage device 100-5, a drive device 100-6, etc. are connected to each other by an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with components other than the automatic operation control device 100. FIG. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2. This program is developed in RAM 100-3 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) or the like and executed by CPU 100-2. Thereby, part or all of the first controller 120, the second controller 160, and the third controller 170 are realized.

The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.
a storage for storing programs;
a processor;
By executing the program, the processor
Recognizing the vehicle's surroundings,
determining one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels as a reference lane based on the recognized surrounding situation;
causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit;
After the reference lane is determined by one of a plurality of determination patterns, when the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane, the reference lane is returned to the reference lane before determination.
A controller configured to:

Moreover, the embodiment described above can also be expressed as follows.
a storage for storing programs;
a processor;
By executing the program, the processor
Recognizing the vehicle's surroundings,
determining one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels as a reference lane based on the recognized surrounding situation;
causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit;
After the reference lane is determined by one of a plurality of determination patterns, when the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane, the reference lane is returned to the reference lane before determination.
A controller configured to:

As described above, the mode for carrying out the present invention has been described using the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and replacements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. can be added.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle system 10... Camera 12... Radar apparatus 14... Finder 16... Object recognition apparatus 20... Communication apparatus 30... HMI 40... Vehicle sensor 50... Navigation apparatus 60... MPU 80... Driving Operation element 100 Automatic operation control device 120 First control unit 130 Recognition unit 140 Action plan generation unit 160 Second control unit 162 First acquisition unit 164 Speed control unit 166 Steering control unit 170 Third control unit 172 Second acquisition unit 174 Home lane determination unit 176 HMI control unit 190 Storage unit 200 Driving force output device 210 Brake device 220... Steering device, M... own vehicle

Claims (10)

a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle;
a reference lane determination unit configured to determine, as a reference lane, one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels, based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit;
a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit;
The reference lane determination unit continuously determines candidates for the reference lane for each of a plurality of determination patterns,
The plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern for determining the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a second determination pattern for determining a future driving lane for guiding the route of the vehicle as a reference lane. 2 determination pattern and a third determination pattern that determines the lane before overtaking as a reference lane when the vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle,
The reference lane determining unit is configured to give priority to each of the reference lane candidates determined by the first determination pattern, the second determination pattern, and the third determination pattern according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. determining a reference lane to be displayed on the display unit based on the degree;
Control device. a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle;
a reference lane determination unit configured to determine, as a reference lane, one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels, based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit;
a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit;
When the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane after determining the reference lane by one of a plurality of decision patterns according to the surrounding situation of the vehicle, , returning to the reference lane before determining the reference lane,
The plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern for determining the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a second determination pattern for determining a future driving lane for guiding the route of the vehicle as a reference lane. 2 determination pattern and a third determination pattern that determines the lane before overtaking as a reference lane when the vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle,
The control device, wherein the reference lane determination unit continuously executes the reference lane determination processing based on the first determination pattern, the second determination pattern, and the third determination pattern in parallel. A driving control unit that controls one or both of speed and steering of the vehicle so as to travel in the reference lane determined by the reference lane determination unit,
3. A control device according to claim 1 or 2 . The driving control unit controls movement to the reference lane after the reference lane is determined by the reference lane determination unit or after an image indicating the reference lane is displayed on the display unit by the display control unit. Continuing the movement of the vehicle to the reference lane when the vehicle has entered the reference lane when the instruction to stop is received;
4. A control device according to claim 3 . The instruction to stop moving to the reference lane is an intentional instruction by an occupant of the vehicle;
5. A control device according to claim 4 . In the lane change to the reference lane, the driving control unit determines that the distance from the position of the vehicle to the position where the lane change to the reference lane becomes impossible is within a predetermined distance, or the time until the lane change becomes impossible. not accepting an instruction to stop moving to the reference lane if it is within a predetermined time;
A control device according to any one of claims 3 to 5 . the computer
Recognizing the vehicle's surroundings,
determining one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels as a reference lane based on the recognized surrounding situation;
causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane;
continuously determining candidates for the reference lane for each of a plurality of determination patterns;
The plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern for determining the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a second determination pattern for determining a future driving lane for guiding the route of the vehicle as a reference lane. 2 determination pattern and a third determination pattern that determines the lane before overtaking as a reference lane when the vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle,
The display unit based on the priority according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle for each of the reference lane candidates determined by the first determination pattern, the second determination pattern, and the third determination pattern. determines the reference lane to be displayed in the
control method. the computer
Recognizing the vehicle's surroundings,
determining one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels as a reference lane based on the recognized surrounding situation;
causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane;
After determining the reference lane by one of a plurality of determination patterns according to the surrounding situation of the vehicle , the reference lane is determined when the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane. Return to the previous reference lane,
The plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern for determining the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a second determination pattern for determining a future driving lane for guiding the route of the vehicle as a reference lane. 2 determination pattern and a third determination pattern that determines the lane before overtaking as a reference lane when the vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle,
Determining each reference lane by the first determination pattern, the second determination pattern, and the third determination pattern are continuously executed in parallel;
control method. to the computer,
Recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle,
determining one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels as a reference lane based on the recognized surrounding situation;
causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane;
continue to determine the candidate for the reference lane for each of a plurality of determination patterns;
The plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern for determining the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a second determination pattern for determining a future driving lane for guiding the route of the vehicle as a reference lane. 2 determination pattern and a third determination pattern that determines the lane before overtaking as a reference lane when the vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle,
The display unit based on the priority according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle for each of the reference lane candidates determined by the first determination pattern, the second determination pattern, and the third determination pattern. to determine the reference lane to be displayed in
program. to the computer,
Recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle,
determining one of the lanes included in the road on which the vehicle travels as a reference lane based on the recognized surrounding situation;
causing a display unit to display an image including the road on which the vehicle travels and the determined reference lane;
After determining the reference lane by one of a plurality of determination patterns according to the surrounding situation of the vehicle , the reference lane is determined when the vehicle does not travel in the reference lane. Return to the previous reference lane,
The plurality of determination patterns include a first determination pattern for determining the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling as a reference lane, and a second determination pattern for determining a future driving lane for guiding the route of the vehicle as a reference lane. 2 determination pattern and a third determination pattern that determines the lane before overtaking as a reference lane when the vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle,
Continuing to execute the determination processing of the respective reference lanes by the first determination pattern, the second determination pattern, and the third determination pattern in parallel;
program.

Images