JP7461847B2 - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

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

In recent years, research has been conducted into automatically controlling vehicle travel. In this regard, a technology is known that determines whether a vehicle can merge onto the main line based on the ratio between the length of the merging section at the merging point from a branch line to the main line and the distance traveled by the vehicle from the branch line to the main line, and allows the vehicle to travel from the branch line to the main line if it is determined that merging is possible (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2017/159493

Conventional technology has controlled driving in merging sections mainly based on distance information related to the vehicle's travel direction, but has not considered driving control using lateral information between the vehicle and other vehicles. As a result, it may not be possible to achieve sufficiently smooth driving control in merging sections.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can achieve smoother driving control in merging sections.

A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration.
(1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes road conditions around the host vehicle and the driving state of other vehicles traveling on a main line when the host vehicle is traveling in a merging lane, a merging determination unit that determines whether or not the host vehicle is able to merge onto the main line based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, and a driving control unit that causes the host vehicle to merge onto the main line when the merging determination unit determines that merging onto the main line is possible, wherein the merging determination unit determines that the host vehicle is able to merge onto the main line when a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the direction of travel of the main line satisfies a first condition and a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition.

(2): In the above aspect (1), the first condition includes the presence of another vehicle whose positional relationship in the traveling direction between the host vehicle and the other vehicle has a margin of a predetermined value or more, and the second condition includes the margin of a lateral positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle being a predetermined value or less.

(3): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the merging determination unit determines the position where the host vehicle merges into the main lane based on the speed limit of the merging lane.

(4): In any one of the above (1) to (3), the driving control unit executes driving control to cause the host vehicle to enter in front of another vehicle that satisfies the first condition and the second condition.

(5): In any one of the above (1) to (4), the recognition unit recognizes the end point of the merging section, and the driving control unit initiates steering control to cause the host vehicle to merge with the main line when the host vehicle reaches a point a predetermined distance before the end point.

(6): In the above aspect (5), when there is no area on the main lane where the host vehicle will merge, the driving control unit uses the steering control to move the host vehicle closer to the main lane than the center of the merging lane.

(7): A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes road conditions around the host vehicle and the traveling state of another vehicle merging onto the main line on which the host vehicle is traveling, a merging determination unit that determines whether the other vehicle is able to merge onto the main line based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, and a traveling control unit that executes traveling control based on the behavior of the other vehicle when the merging determination unit determines that the other vehicle is able to merge onto the main line, and the merging determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines that the other vehicle is able to merge onto the main line when the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the traveling direction satisfies a first condition and the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the lateral direction satisfies a second condition.

(8): A vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which a computer recognizes road conditions around the host vehicle and the traveling state of other vehicles traveling on the main line when the host vehicle is traveling in a merging lane, determines whether or not the host vehicle can merge onto the main line based on the recognition result, merges the host vehicle onto the main line if it is determined that the host vehicle can merge onto the main line, and determines that the host vehicle can merge onto the main line if the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition.

(9): A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to recognize road conditions around the host vehicle and the traveling state of other vehicles traveling on the main line when the host vehicle is traveling in a merging lane, determine whether or not the host vehicle can merge onto the main line based on the recognition result, merge the host vehicle onto the main line if it is determined that the host vehicle can merge onto the main line, and determine that the host vehicle can merge onto the main line if the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition.

According to the above aspects (1) to (9), smoother driving control can be achieved in merging sections.

1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 including a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining driving control in a merging section in a first scene. 11 is a diagram for explaining a first determination process by a merging determination unit 142. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a second determination process by a merging determination unit 142. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining driving control by a driving control unit 144. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining driving control in a merging section in a second scene. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the determination process in a second scene. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100 of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of driving control according to the embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining a determination process in a modified example. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100 in a modified example. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As an example, an embodiment in which a vehicle control device is applied to an autonomous vehicle will be described below. Autonomous driving means, for example, automatically controlling one or both of the steering and speed of a vehicle to execute driving control. The above-mentioned vehicle driving control may include various driving controls such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), ALC (Auto Lane Changing), and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System). The driving of an autonomous vehicle may also be controlled by manual driving by an occupant (driver).

[overall structure]
1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 including a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the subject vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its driving source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a battery (storage battery) such as 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, 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 brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and devices are connected to each other by multiple communication lines such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, etc. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and part of the configuration may be omitted, or another configuration may be added. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device". A combination of the camera 10, the radar device 12, the LIDAR 14, and the object recognition device 16 is an example of an "external sensor". HMI30 is an example of an "output unit."

The camera 10 is a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to any location of the vehicle M in which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the room mirror, the front of the vehicle body, etc. When capturing an image of the rear, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the rear windshield, the back door, etc. When capturing an image of the side, the camera 10 is attached to a door mirror, etc. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle M, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by surrounding objects (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the objects. The radar device 12 is attached to any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of objects using the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The LIDAR 14 irradiates light around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between emitting and receiving the light. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to any location on the vehicle M.

The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of objects around the vehicle M. Examples of objects include other vehicles (e.g., surrounding vehicles within a predetermined distance), pedestrians, bicycles, road structures, etc. Examples of road structures include road signs, traffic signals, railroad crossings, curbs, medians, guardrails, fences, etc. Examples of road structures may also include road markings such as road dividing lines (hereinafter referred to as dividing lines) drawn or affixed to the road surface, crosswalks, bicycle crossings, and stop lines. Examples of objects may also include obstacles such as objects that have fallen on the road (e.g., cargo from other vehicles or signs installed around the road). The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the autonomous driving control device 100. In that case, the object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the configuration of the vehicle system 1 or the external sensor. The object recognition device 16 may also be included in the autonomous driving control device 100.

The communication device 20 communicates with, for example, other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, the terminal device of the user using the vehicle M, or various server devices, using a network 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), or the Internet.

The HMI 30 outputs various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes, for example, various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, microphones, etc. The HMI 30 may also include a driving changeover switch that switches between automatic driving and manual driving by the occupant.

The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate (e.g., the rotational angular velocity around a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the host vehicle M), and a direction sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M. The vehicle sensor 40 may also be provided with a position sensor that detects the position of the host vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. The position sensor may also be a sensor that acquires position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of the navigation device 50. The results detected by the vehicle sensor 40 are output to the automatic driving control device 100.

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The GNSS receiver 51 may be provided in the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely shared with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 by referring to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which a road shape is expressed by links indicating roads in a predetermined section and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include POI (Point Of Interest) information and the like. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server. The navigation device 50 outputs the determined route on the map to the MPU 60.

The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a number of blocks (for example, every 100 m in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines, for example, which lane from the left to use. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel along a reasonable route to proceed to the branch point.

The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on road shapes and road structures. The road shapes include, for example, the number of lanes, the curvature radius (or curvature), width, gradient, etc., as more detailed road shapes than the first map information 54. The above information may be stored in the first map information 54. The information on the road structures may include information on the type, position, orientation with respect to the extension direction of the road, size, shape, color, etc. of the road structures. For example, the division line may be one type, and lane marks, curbs, median strips, etc. belonging to the division line may each be different types. In addition, the types of division lines may include, for example, division lines indicating that lane changes are possible and division lines indicating that lane changes are not possible. The types of division lines may be set for each section of a road or lane based on a link, and multiple types may be set within one link.

The second map information 62 may include location information (latitude and longitude) of roads and buildings, address information (address and postal code), facility information, etc. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with an external device. The first map information 54 and the second map information 62 may be provided as an integrated piece of map information. The map information (the first map information 54 and the second map information 62) may be stored in the memory unit 190.

The driving operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal. The driving operators 80 may also include a shift lever, a special steering wheel, a joystick, and other operators. Each operator of the driving operators 80 is fitted with an operation detection unit that detects, for example, the amount of operation of the operator by the occupant or the presence or absence of operation. The operation detection unit detects, for example, the steering angle and steering torque of the steering wheel, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, and the like. The operation detection unit then outputs the detection results to the automatic driving control device 100, or one or both of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, an HMI control unit 180, and a storage unit 190. The first control unit 120, the second control unit 160, and the HMI control unit 180 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by collaboration between software and hardware. The above-mentioned program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD, CD-ROM, or memory card, and installed in the storage device of the automatic driving control device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) into a drive device, card slot, or the like. The combination of the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 is an example of a "driving control unit." The HMI control unit 180 is an example of an "output control unit."

The storage unit 190 may be realized by the various storage devices described above, or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory). For example, the storage unit 190 stores information necessary for executing the merging control in this embodiment, various other information, programs, etc. The storage unit 190 may also store map information (first map information 54, second map information 62).

2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The first control unit 120 realizes, for example, a function based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function based on a pre-given model in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" may be realized by performing recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and recognition based on pre-given conditions (signals, road markings, etc. that can be pattern matched) in parallel, and scoring and comprehensively evaluating both. This ensures the reliability of the autonomous driving. In addition, the first control unit 120 executes control related to the autonomous driving of the vehicle M based on instructions from, for example, the MPU 60, the HMI control unit 180, etc.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle M based on the results of the recognition of the external sensor (information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16). For example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the type, position, speed, acceleration, and other conditions of the vehicle M and objects present in the vicinity of the vehicle M. The type of object may be, for example, whether the object is a vehicle or a pedestrian, or may be a type for identifying each vehicle. The position of the object is recognized as the position of an absolute coordinate system (hereinafter, vehicle coordinate system) with a representative point of the vehicle M (center of gravity, center of drive shaft, etc.) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity, corner, or tip of the object in the traveling direction, or may be represented by a represented area. The speed includes, for example, the speed of the vehicle M and other vehicles in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction) of the lane on which the vehicle is traveling (hereinafter referred to as longitudinal speed) and the speed of the vehicle M and other vehicles in the lateral direction of the lane (hereinafter referred to as lateral speed). The "state" of an object may include, for example, if the object is a moving body such as another vehicle, the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavioral state" (e.g., whether or not the object is changing lanes or about to change lanes).

The recognition unit 130 also includes, for example, a road condition recognition unit 132 and a vehicle recognition unit 134. The details of these functions will be described later.

The action plan generating unit 140 generates an action plan for driving the host vehicle M by driving control such as automatic driving based on the result of the recognition by the recognition unit 130. For example, the action plan generating unit 140 drives the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determining unit 61 in principle, and further generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to automatically (without the driver's operation) drive in the future so as to respond to the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 130 or the surrounding road shape based on the current position of the host vehicle M acquired from the map information. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequential arrangement of points (trajectory points) to be reached by the host vehicle M. The trajectory points are points to be reached by the host vehicle M for each predetermined driving distance (for example, about several [m]) in road distance, and separately, a target speed (and target acceleration) for each predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0.1 [sec]) is generated as part of the target trajectory. The trajectory points may also be positions to be reached by the host vehicle M at each sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the target velocity (and target acceleration) information is expressed as the interval between trajectory points.

The action plan generating unit 140 may set an event for automatic driving when generating the target trajectory. The event may include, for example, a constant speed driving event in which the host vehicle M drives in the same lane at a constant speed, a following driving event in which the host vehicle M follows another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a forward vehicle) that exists within a predetermined distance (for example, within 100 [m]) in front of the host vehicle M and is closest to the host vehicle M, a lane change event in which the host vehicle M changes lanes from the host vehicle's own lane to an adjacent lane, a branching event in which the host vehicle M branches into a lane on the destination side at a branching point on the road, a merging event in which the host vehicle M merges into a main lane at a merging point, a takeover event in which the host vehicle M ends automatic driving and switches to manual driving, and the like. In addition, the event may include, for example, an overtaking event in which the host vehicle M changes lanes to an adjacent lane to overtake a forward vehicle and then changes lanes back to the original lane, an avoidance event in which the host vehicle M performs at least one of braking and steering to avoid contact with an object in front of the host vehicle M, and the like.

The behavior plan generating unit 140 may change an event already determined for the current section to another event or set a new event for the current section, depending on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M recognized while the vehicle M is traveling. The behavior plan generating unit 140 may change an event already determined for the current section to another event or set a new event for the current section, depending on the operation of the occupant on the HMI 30. The behavior plan generating unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the set event.

The behavior plan generation unit 140 also includes, for example, a junction determination unit 142 and a driving control unit 144. The details of these functions will be described later.

The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at the scheduled time.

The second control unit 160 includes, for example, a target trajectory acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The target trajectory acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the driving force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on the speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the degree of curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the radius of curvature (or curvature) of the road ahead of the vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

The HMI control unit 180 notifies the occupant of predetermined information through the HMI 30. The predetermined information includes, for example, information related to the driving of the vehicle M, such as information related to the state of the vehicle M and information related to driving control. The information related to the state of the vehicle M includes, for example, the speed of the vehicle M, the engine speed, the shift position, and the like. The information related to the driving control includes, for example, whether or not driving control is performed by automatic driving, information inquiring whether or not automatic driving is to be started, information related to changes in driving control, and information related to the status of driving control by automatic driving (for example, the contents of an event being performed). The information related to changes in driving control includes, for example, information indicating a change in the degree of automation, information indicating a point to be changed, and information requesting the driver to perform some or all of the driving operation in accordance with the change. The predetermined information may also include information unrelated to the driving control of the vehicle M, such as television programs, content (for example, movies) stored in a storage medium such as a DVD. The predetermined information may also include, for example, information related to the current position and destination of the vehicle M, and the remaining amount of fuel.

For example, the HMI control unit 180 may generate an image including the above-mentioned predetermined information and display the generated image on the display device of the HMI 30, or may generate a sound indicating the predetermined information and output the generated sound from the speaker of the HMI 30. The HMI control unit 180 may also output the information received by the HMI 30 to the communication device 20, the navigation device 50, the first control unit 120, etc. The HMI control unit 180 may also transmit various pieces of information to be output by the HMI 30 to a terminal device used by a user (passenger) of the vehicle M via the communication device 20. The terminal device is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

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

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

[Functions of the road condition recognition unit, other vehicle recognition unit, merging determination unit, and driving control unit]
Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given of the functions of the road condition recognition unit 132, the other vehicle recognition unit 134, the merging determination unit 142, and the driving control unit 144 according to the embodiment. In the following, the driving control in and around the merging section will be described by dividing it into several scenes.

<Scene 1>
3 is a diagram for explaining driving control at a merging section in the first scene. In the following description, the X direction is approximately the traveling direction of the road (longitudinal direction of the road), and the Y direction is approximately the width direction of the road (lateral direction of the road). In addition, when a vehicle is traveling along a lane, the X direction is approximately the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the Y direction is approximately the width direction of the vehicle (lateral direction of the vehicle).

Figure 3 includes lanes L1 to L3. Lane L1 is a merging lane that merges from the left side of the travel direction of lane L2. Lanes L2 and L3 are main lanes that extend along the arrow in the travel direction (X direction) shown in the figure. Also, lane L2 is a lane to be merged. For example, the vehicle M is automatically driven along a route to a destination set by the navigation device 50, and is traveling on lane L1 toward the merging section at a speed Vm. The merging section is a section where lane L1 and lane L2 are connected, and is, for example, a section of distance D1 from point (start point) P1 to point (end point) P2 on lanes L1 to L3. Point P1 is, for example, the end point of a zebra zone (guiding zone) Z1 that exists between lane L1 and lane L2 when viewed from the travel direction of lane L1 and lane L2. Also, point P1 may be any point within the zebra zone Z1. Also, the point P2 is, for example, a point a predetermined distance before the end of the lane L1. The predetermined distance here includes at least a distance necessary for a vehicle traveling on the lane L1 to merge into the lane L2. Also, in the example of FIG. 3, in the section where the lane L1 and the lane L2 are separated (hereinafter referred to as the "separation section"), partition bodies OB1 to OB2 are provided between the lane L1 and the lane L2. The partition bodies OB1 to OB2 are, for example, road structures such as walls, fences, and median strips on which vehicles cannot travel. In the example of FIG. 3, the partition body OB1 is a road structure such as a wall or fence that prevents a vehicle present in one lane (for example, lane L2) from recognizing a vehicle present in the other lane (for example, lane L1) across the partition body OB1 by the recognition unit 130. Moreover, the partition body OB2 is a median strip or the like that allows a vehicle in one lane to be recognized by the recognition unit 130 from a vehicle in the other lane across the partition body OB2. In the example of FIG. 3, other vehicles m1, m2, and m3 are traveling in this order on lane L2 at speeds Vm1 to Vm3, respectively. In addition, 10 [m], 0 [m], and -10 [m] shown in FIG. 3 indicate the distance of each vehicle from a predetermined position (for example, the position of the vehicle M) described below.

The road condition recognition unit 132 recognizes the road conditions around the vehicle M, for example, based on the detection results of the external sensor. The road conditions include, for example, the road shape, the number of lanes, the lane width, the gradient, the curve curvature, and the legal speed limit for each lane. The road shape includes, for example, information on merging roads, branching roads, and intersections. The road condition recognition unit 132 may also recognize information on the merging section (start point and end point) when a merging lane exists. The road condition recognition unit 132 may also refer to map information based on the position information of the vehicle M and recognize information on the road conditions from the road information associated with the position information. The road condition recognition unit 132 may also recognize the road conditions by comparing the results recognized from the detection results of the external sensor with the results recognized from the map information.

The other vehicle recognition unit 134 recognizes the driving state of other vehicles present in the vicinity of the vehicle M (for example, within a predetermined distance from the vehicle M). For example, when the vehicle M is driving in a merging section or is predicted to drive in the future, the other vehicle recognition unit 134 recognizes the driving state of other vehicles driving in the merging lane (lane L1) and the main lane (lane L2). The driving state includes, for example, information on whether the other vehicle is driving in the lane L2 of the merging destination, and when the other vehicle is driving in the lane L2, information on the driving position, speed, angular velocity, vehicle length, etc. of the other vehicle. The driving state may also include, for example, information on the relative position and relative speed between the vehicle M and the other vehicle. In the example of FIG. 3, the other vehicle recognition unit 134 recognizes the driving state of other vehicles m1 to m3 driving on the main lane L2. Vehicle m3 is the rearmost vehicle among the other vehicles that the recognition unit 130 was able to recognize from the position shown in FIG. 3 (the position where the host vehicle M is traveling next to the zebra zone Z1, or the position before the merging section).

The merging determination unit 142 determines whether or not the host vehicle M can merge into lane L2 based on the recognition results of the road condition recognition unit 132 and the other vehicle recognition unit 134. For example, when the merging determination unit 142 determines that the host vehicle M needs to merge from lane L1 into lane L2 based on the recognition results of the road condition recognition unit 132 and the driving state of the host vehicle M, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether or not the host vehicle M can merge into lane L2 based on the road conditions and the driving state of the other vehicle.

Specifically, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the host vehicle M is able to merge into the lane L2 when the positional relationship between the host vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3 in the travel direction (longitudinal direction) of the lane L2 to be merged satisfies a first condition, and the positional relationship between the host vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3 in the lateral direction of the lane L2 satisfies a second condition. The positional relationship is, for example, the relative position and relative speed between the host vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3. The positional relationship may also be the relative position between the host vehicle M or the other vehicles m1 to m3 and a predetermined position on the road.

The merging determination unit 142 also derives an index value that quantifies the risk of interference between the vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3 based on the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3, and uses the derived index value to determine whether merging is possible. The index value includes the time headway (THW) and time to collision (TTC) between the vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3.

In this embodiment, THW is an example of the margin of safety until the other vehicles m1 to m3 arrive at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the first margin of safety). The first margin of safety may also include the margin of safety until the host vehicle M arrives at a predetermined position. The predetermined position is, for example, a point where the host vehicle M is located (for example, a point where the leading edge of the host vehicle M in the traveling direction is located). The predetermined position may also be, for example, the start point (point P1) or end point (point P2) of the merging section.

In the embodiment, the TTC is an example of a margin of error (hereinafter referred to as the second margin of error) regarding contact between the vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3 in the longitudinal or lateral direction. For example, when deriving the second margin of error in the travel direction (longitudinal direction) of the lane L2, the TTC between the vehicles in the longitudinal direction of the lane is derived, and when deriving the second margin of error in the lateral direction of the lane L2, the TTC is derived until the vehicle M or the other vehicles m1 to m3 contact a predetermined position in the lateral direction (for example, a dividing line dividing the lane L2 (for example, a boundary line between lanes L1 and L2) or the center position of the lane L2).

For example, the merging determination unit 142 derives a first margin of safety (hereinafter referred to as THWv) and a second margin of safety (hereinafter referred to as TTCv) in the travel direction of the lane L2 (the longitudinal direction of the main lane). For example, the merging determination unit 142 calculates THWv and TTCv using the following formulas (1) and (2).
THWv = (position of other vehicle - predetermined position (point where the host vehicle M is located)) / longitudinal speed of other vehicle
... (1)
TTCv=(position of other vehicle−position of vehicle M)/(longitudinal speed of other vehicle−longitudinal speed of vehicle M)
... (2)

The merging determination unit 142 calculates the derivation of THWv and TTCv for each of the other vehicles m1 to m3. Then, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether the values of THWv and TTCv satisfy the first condition. In the following, the above-mentioned determination will be described as a first determination process. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the first determination process by the merging determination unit 142. The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 4 indicates THWv [s], and the vertical axis indicates TTCv [s]. In addition, in the example of FIG. 4, the values of THWv and TTCv for each other vehicle derived in the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3 shown in FIG. 3 are plotted. In the example of FIG. 4, THWv is plotted in a positive area when the vehicle has already reached a predetermined position, and in a negative area when the vehicle has not yet reached a predetermined position. In addition, the TTCv is plotted in a positive area when the distance between the vehicle M and the target vehicle continues to increase in the longitudinal direction of the lane L2, and is plotted in a negative area when the distance between the vehicle M and the target vehicle continues to decrease.

The threshold lines TH1 to TH3 on the graph shown in FIG. 4 indicate the threshold range associated with the first condition. The threshold line TH1 is a line for specifying the condition of THWv, the threshold line TH2 is a line for specifying the condition of TTCv [s], and the threshold line TH3 is a line that passes through the origin and whose slope changes based on the speed difference between lanes L1 and L2. The speeds in lanes L1 and L2 may be the legal speeds of the respective lanes, or may be the average speed of vehicles traveling in those lanes. The threshold line TH3 is set, for example, so that the slope of the line becomes smaller (θ1 shown in FIG. 4 becomes smaller) as the speed difference between lanes L1 and L2 becomes larger.

For example, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the first condition is satisfied when there is another vehicle whose margin in the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicle in the traveling direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and determines that the first condition is not satisfied when there is no other vehicle whose margin is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. For example, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicle satisfies the first condition when a point of the other vehicle is plotted in an area A1 where THWv is equal to or less than the threshold line TH1, TTCv is equal to or greater than the threshold line TH2, and THWv and TTCv are equal to or greater than the threshold line TH3, and determines that the first condition is not satisfied when a point of the other vehicle is not plotted in the area A1. In the example of FIG. 4, the plot point of the other vehicle m3 is included in the area A1. In this case, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the vehicle M and the other vehicle m3 satisfy the first condition.

The merging determination unit 142 can change the first condition by changing the above-mentioned threshold lines TH1 to TH3 depending on road conditions and the driving conditions of other vehicles. For example, if the threshold line TH1 is set on the TTCv axis, the first condition includes other vehicles that are behind the host vehicle M and take longer to reach a specified position than the host vehicle M.

Furthermore, the merging determination unit 142 derives a lateral margin of the lane L2. The lateral margin may be either the first margin or the second margin, or both. In the following description, the second margin is the lateral margin, and the first margin is the vertical margin. The merging determination unit 142 calculates the first margin (hereinafter referred to as THWh) and the second margin (hereinafter referred to as TTCh) in the lateral direction of the lane L2 using the following formulas (3) and (4).
THWh = (vehicle position - predetermined position (start point of merging section (point P1))) / vehicle longitudinal speed
...(3)
TTCh=(predetermined position (line dividing lane L2)-vehicle position)/vehicle lateral speed
...(4)

The vehicles in the above formulas (3) and (4) are the host vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3. In formula (4), if the other vehicles m1 to m3 are traveling parallel to the lane, a tentative lateral speed may be set. The merging determination unit 142 calculates THWh and TTCh for each of the host vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3. The merging determination unit 142 then determines whether or not the values of THWh and TTCh satisfy the second condition. In the following, the above-mentioned determination is described as the second determination process.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the second determination process by the merging determination unit 142. The horizontal axis of the graph shown in Figure 5 indicates THWh [s], and the vertical axis indicates TTCh [s]. In the example of Figure 5, the values of THWh and TTCh for each other vehicle derived from the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicles m1 to m3 shown in Figure 3 are plotted. In the example of Figure 5, THWh is plotted in a positive area when the vehicle has already reached a predetermined position, and is plotted in a negative area when the vehicle has not yet reached a predetermined position. In addition, TTCh is plotted in a negative area when the vehicle is traveling on the right side of the left-hand dividing line in the traveling direction of the lane L2, and is plotted in a positive area when the vehicle is traveling on the left-hand side of the left-hand dividing line. In addition, TTCh may be plotted in a negative area when the vehicle is moving to the right when looking at the traveling direction of the lane L2, and may be plotted in a positive area when the vehicle is moving to the left.

The merging determination unit 142 determines, as the second condition, whether the difference between the TTCh of the host vehicle M and the TTCh of the other vehicles m1 to m3 is equal to or less than a first predetermined time, and whether the difference between the THWh of the host vehicle M and the THWh of the other vehicles m1 to m3 is equal to or less than a second predetermined time. The first and second predetermined values may be set based on the predetermined positions in the formulas (3) and (4). The merging determination unit 142 determines that the second condition is met if the above condition is met, and determines that the second condition is not met if the above condition is not met.

Then, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the host vehicle M can merge into the lane L2 when the first condition and the second condition described above are satisfied. The above-mentioned determination is repeatedly performed while traveling in the merging section and its vicinity. When it is determined that merging is possible, the merging determination unit 142 may further determine that merging ahead of another vehicle that satisfies the first condition is possible. When there are multiple vehicles that satisfy the first condition, the merging determination unit 142 may determine the merging position based on the TTCh or THWh of the vehicle that satisfies the second condition. For example, the merging determination unit 142 determines that merging ahead of or behind another vehicle that has the largest TTCh or THWh of the vehicle that satisfies the second condition is possible.

The driving control unit 144 executes driving control to cause the host vehicle M to merge into lane L2 when the merging determination unit 142 determines that merging is possible. For example, the driving control unit 144 performs control to enter in front of the other vehicle m3 determined by the merging determination unit 142 (specifically, between the other vehicles m2 and m3) and merge into lane L2.

6 is a diagram for explaining the driving control by the driving control unit 144. The driving control unit 144 generates a target trajectory so that the host vehicle M enters the area between the other vehicles m2 and m3, and drives the host vehicle M along the generated target trajectory. As shown in the driving trajectory K1 in FIG. 6, the driving control unit 144 may perform steering control so that the host vehicle M drives closer to the lane L2 side than the center of the lane L1 while blinking the right turn signal of the host vehicle M in the merging section. Furthermore, the driving control unit 144 may perform speed control or deceleration control so as to approach the speed (for example, average speed) of the other vehicles m2 and m3 in the merging section. This makes it easier for the other vehicle m3 behind the host vehicle M to recognize that the host vehicle M will merge into the lane L2. This encourages the other vehicle m3 to decelerate, and the area between the other vehicles m2 and m3 can be enlarged. Therefore, a smoother merge can be performed.

In addition, when the merging determination unit 142 determines that the vehicle M cannot merge into the lane L2, the driving control unit 144 may perform control to decelerate or stop the vehicle until it is determined that the vehicle M can merge.
<Second Scene>
Next, the second scene will be described. In the second scene, for example, the merging determination unit 142 determines the merging position based on the speed limit of the lane L1 and the lanes L2 to L3. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the driving control in the merging section in the second scene. In the example of FIG. 7, the vehicle M travels on the merging lane L1 at a speed VM, and the other vehicles m4 to m6 travel at speeds Vm4 to Vm6, in the order of the other vehicle m4 at the head, the other vehicles m5, and m6. In addition, 0 [m], 5 [m], 25 [m], and 40 [m] shown in FIG. 7 indicate the distance from a predetermined position of each vehicle (for example, the position of the vehicle M).

In the second scene, the road condition recognition unit 132 recognizes the legal speed of the lane L1 as the speed limit of each lane. For example, the road condition recognition unit 132 acquires the speed depicted on the road sign MK1 associated with the lane L1 from the image captured by the camera 10 by image analysis. The road condition recognition unit 132 may also refer to map information based on the position of the vehicle M and acquire the legal speed of the lane L1 from the map information. In the example of FIG. 7, the road condition recognition unit 132 recognizes that the legal speed of the lane L1 is 60 [kph]. The road condition recognition unit 132 may also acquire the legal speed of the merging lanes L2 and L3 as the speed limit of each lane. In this case, the road condition recognition unit 132 recognizes that the legal speed of the lanes L2 and L3 is 100 [kph] from the road sign MK2. Additionally, the road condition recognition unit 132 may recognize the average speed of other vehicles traveling in the lane as the speed limit, or may recognize a fixed speed as the speed limit.

The merging determination unit 142 determines whether or not merging into lane L2 is possible, taking into account the speed limit recognized by the road condition recognition unit 132. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the first and second conditions described above are satisfied.

Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the judgment process in the second scene. In the example of Figure 8, as in Figure 5, the horizontal axis of the graph indicates THWh [s] and the vertical axis indicates TTCh [s]. Also, in Figure 8, the THWh and TTCh of the host vehicle M and other vehicles m4 to m6 obtained by the above-mentioned equations (3) and (4) are plotted on the graph. Also, in Figure 8, a threshold line TH4 is shown that is set based on the speed limit of lane L1. The threshold line TH4 is intended to, for example, specify the range of an index value (e.g., THWh) so that the difference between the speed of the host vehicle M and the speed limit does not exceed a predetermined value.

For example, when the host vehicle M merges into lane L2, the first and second conditions are satisfied, and there is another vehicle close to the host vehicle M (another vehicle whose TTCh is within a predetermined distance), the merging determination unit 142 determines the position where the host vehicle M will merge when the value of THWh is within a predetermined range (e.g., ±1 [S]) from the threshold line TH4. In the example of FIG. 8, the merging determination unit 142 determines that merging is possible in areas A2 and A3. Area A2 is the area between other vehicles m4 and m5. Area A3 is the area between other vehicles m5 and m6.

When it is determined that merging is possible at the two areas A2 and A3, the driving control unit 144 performs merging control to enter area A2, which is the area in the traveling direction. Here, when it is determined that entry into area A2 is difficult due to a change in the speed of the other vehicle M, etc., the driving control unit 144 performs control to enter area A3 by adjusting the longitudinal position through deceleration. "Entry is difficult" means, for example, when area A2 becomes narrow to the extent that the host vehicle M cannot enter, or when vehicle m4 or m5 is traveling parallel to the host vehicle M. In this case, the host vehicle M can be merged more smoothly by entering area A3 rather than performing driving control to forcibly enter area A2.

Note that, for example, when the driving control unit 144 determines that it is difficult to enter area A3 even if the speed is adjusted due to a change in the speed of the other vehicle (in other words, when there is no area in lane L2 where the vehicle M can merge), the driving control unit 144 may control the vehicle M to move closer to lane L2 than the center of lane L1 in the merging section, or to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle. This makes it possible to convey an intention to merge to the other vehicle, and to encourage the other vehicle to increase the distance between them.

In addition, when it is difficult to enter areas A2 and A3, the driving control unit 144 may start steering control to merge into lane L2 when the vehicle M reaches point P3, a predetermined distance before the end point (point P2) of the merging section. This makes it possible to merge into lane L2 more reliably before the end of the merging section. Note that, when merging is difficult even with the above-mentioned driving control, the vehicle may decelerate or stop until other vehicles have passed, and then merge into lane L2 after the other vehicles have passed.

As shown in the second scenario, by controlling the travel of vehicles when merging based on the lane speed limit, traffic congestion in the merging section can be reduced and smoother traffic flow can be achieved.

[Processing flow]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100 of the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 9, the processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100 will be mainly described, focusing on processing related to merging control. The processing shown below may be executed as a merging event. In addition, the processing shown in FIG. 9 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing or at a predetermined cycle, for example, during execution of automatic driving.

In the example of FIG. 9, first, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surroundings of the host vehicle M (step S100). The process of step S100 includes recognition processes by the road condition recognition unit 132 and the other vehicle recognition unit 134. Next, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether or not to perform merging control (step S102). In the process of step S102, for example, the merging determination unit 142 determines to merge when it recognizes a merging section ahead on the traveled road or when the traveled lane ends at a point a predetermined distance ahead.

When it is determined that merging control should be performed, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether there is another vehicle traveling on the main line at the merging destination (step S104). When it is determined that there is an object traveling on the main line, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the traveling direction satisfies a first condition (step S106). When it is determined that the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the traveling direction satisfies the first condition, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the lateral direction satisfies a second condition (step S108).

If it is determined that the lateral positional relationship with the other vehicle satisfies the second condition, the driving control unit 144 executes merging control to enter in front of the other vehicle (step S110). If it is determined in the processing of step S108 that the lateral positional relationship with the other vehicle does not satisfy the second condition, the driving control unit 144 executes driving control to merge behind the other vehicle, for example, by decelerating or stopping (step S112).

If it is determined in step S108 that the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the traveling direction does not satisfy the first condition, the driving control unit 144 starts steering control at a predetermined position in the merging section (step S114), and controls the host vehicle M to merge into the merging area when a merging area is found due to deceleration of the rear vehicle or the like (step S116). If it is determined in step S104 that there is no other vehicle traveling on the main line, the driving control unit 144 controls the host vehicle M to merge into the main line at the merging section (step S118). This ends the flow chart. If it is determined in step S102 that merging control is not to be performed, the flow chart ends.

[Modification]
Next, a modified example of the driving control according to the embodiment will be specifically described. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the driving control according to the embodiment. In the modified example, when the vehicle M travels on the lane (main lane, merging lane) L2 and travels through a merging section, the vehicle M recognizes the merging of another vehicle from the lane L1 and performs driving control (driving control for merging). In the example of FIG. 10, the lane L1 is assumed to be traveling in the order of the other vehicles m7 at the head, m8, and m9 at speeds Vm7 to Vm9, respectively. In addition, in the example of FIG. 10, the lane L2 is assumed to be traveling in the order of the other vehicles m10 at the head, m10, and M, Vm11, respectively. 10 indicate the distance from a predetermined position of each vehicle (for example, the start point of the merging section (point P1)). The legal speed limit for lane L1 is 60 kph, and the legal speed limit for lanes L2 and L3 is 100 kph.

Even when traveling in a lane to be merged, the merging determination unit 142 derives index values in the travel direction (longitudinal direction) and horizontal direction of lane L2 using the above-mentioned formulas (1) to (4) and the like. Then, based on the derived index values, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether other vehicles m7 to m9 traveling in lane L1 satisfy the first and second conditions for merging into lane L2. Furthermore, when any of the other vehicles m7 to m9 satisfies the first and second conditions, the merging determination unit 142 determines the position when the other vehicle merges into lane L2 based on the legal speed limits of lanes L1 and L2.

Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining the determination process in the modified example. The horizontal axis of the graph in Figure 11 indicates THWh [s], and the vertical axis indicates TTCh [s]. Also, in Figure 10, the THWh and TTCh of the host vehicle M and the other vehicles m7 to m11 obtained by equations (3) and (4) are plotted on the graph. Also, in Figure 11, a threshold line TH4 based on the legal speed of lane L1 and a threshold line TH5 set based on the legal speeds of lanes L2 and L3 are shown. The threshold line TH5 is for specifying the range of an index value (e.g., THWh) so that the difference between the speed of the host vehicle M and the legal speed does not exceed a predetermined value.

The merging determination unit 142 determines, based on the plot results in FIG. 11, that the other vehicle m9, which is closest to the plot point of the host vehicle M among the other vehicles m7 to m9 traveling on the lane L1, is likely to enter in front of the host vehicle M when it merges into the lane L2. In this case, the driving control unit 144 performs deceleration control based on the behavior of the other vehicle M to make it easier for the other vehicle m9 to enter in front of the host vehicle M. Note that, when performing deceleration control, the driving control unit 144 may control the other vehicle m9 to decelerate within a predetermined range based on the threshold line TH5. In addition, the driving control unit 144 may perform acceleration control based on the difference value of THWh and TTCh between the other vehicle m9 and the host vehicle M, and allow the other vehicle m9 to enter the area behind the host vehicle M (between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle m11). The above-mentioned processing makes it possible to realize smoother driving control in the merging section.

[Processing flow]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100 in the modified example. In the example of FIG. 12, the driving control processing in a scene where another vehicle merges when traveling mainly in the own lane (main lane) is mainly described. In addition, the processing shown in FIG. 12 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing or a predetermined period during the execution of automatic driving, for example. In addition, in the example of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the own vehicle M is traveling at a constant speed in the own lane by automatic driving.

In the example of FIG. 12, first, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surroundings of the vehicle M (step S200). The processing of step S200 includes recognition processing by the road condition recognition unit 132 and the other vehicle recognition unit 134. Next, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether or not there is another vehicle merging into the vehicle's lane (step S202).

When it is determined that there is another vehicle merging into the own lane, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the traveling direction satisfies a first condition (step S204). When it is determined that the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the traveling direction satisfies the first condition, the merging determination unit 142 determines whether the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the lateral direction satisfies a second condition (step S206).

If it is determined that the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the lateral direction satisfies the second condition, the driving control unit 144 executes driving control to allow the other vehicle to enter in front of the host vehicle M based on the behavior of the other vehicle M (step S208). In the process of step S208, the driving control unit 144 may perform deceleration control, etc., to avoid contact with the other vehicle. Also, in the process of step S204, if it is determined that the positional relationship with the other vehicle in the traveling direction does not satisfy the second condition, the driving control unit 144 executes driving control to avoid contact with the other vehicle by decelerating, accelerating, or changing lanes to an adjacent lane on the opposite side of the merging lane from the host lane (step S210). Also, in the process of step S202, if it is determined that there is no other vehicle that will merge, the driving control unit 144 continues automatic driving (for example, constant speed driving) (step S212). This ends the process of this flowchart.

According to the above-described embodiment, the automatic driving control device 100 (an example of a vehicle control device) includes a recognition unit 130 that recognizes the road conditions around the vehicle M and the driving state of other vehicles traveling on the main line when the vehicle M is traveling on the merging lane, a merging determination unit 142 that determines whether the vehicle M can merge onto the main line based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130, and a driving control unit 144 that causes the vehicle M to merge onto the main line when the merging determination unit 142 determines that the vehicle M can merge onto the main line. When the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicle in the traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and the positional relationship between the vehicle M and the other vehicle in the lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the vehicle M can merge onto the main line, thereby realizing smoother driving control in the merging section.

According to the above-described embodiment, the automatic driving control device 100 (an example of a vehicle control device) includes a recognition unit 130 that recognizes the road conditions around the host vehicle M and the driving state of another vehicle merging into the main line on which the host vehicle M is traveling, a merging determination unit 142 that determines whether or not the other vehicle can merge into the main line based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130, and a driving control unit 144 that executes driving control based on the behavior of the other vehicle when the merging determination unit 142 determines that the other vehicle can merge into the main line. When the positional relationship between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle in the traveling direction satisfies a first condition and the positional relationship between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle in the lateral direction satisfies a second condition, the merging determination unit 142 determines that the other vehicle can merge into the main line, thereby realizing smoother driving control in the merging section.

Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, traffic flow in the merging section can be made smoother.

[Hardware configuration]
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an automatic driving control device 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, the computer of the automatic driving 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, a storage device 100-5 such as a flash memory or HDD, a drive device 100-6, and the like, which are interconnected by an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with components other than the automatic driving control device 100. A portable storage medium such as an optical disk (for example, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium) is attached to the drive device 100-6. The storage device 100-5 stores a program 100-5a to be executed by the CPU 100-2. This program is deployed to the RAM 100-3 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) or the like, and executed by the CPU 100-2. The program 100-5a referenced by the CPU 100-2 may be stored in a portable storage medium attached to the drive device 100-6, or may be downloaded from another device via a network. In this way, some or all of the components of the automatic driving control device 100 are realized.

The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
A storage device storing a program;
a hardware processor;
The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device,
Recognizing the road conditions around the vehicle and the traveling conditions of other vehicles traveling on the main lane when the vehicle is traveling on the merging lane,
determining whether or not the host vehicle is able to merge onto the main line based on the recognition result;
When it is determined that merging onto the main line is possible, the host vehicle is caused to merge onto the main line;
determining that the host vehicle is capable of merging onto the main line when a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition;
The vehicle control device is configured as follows.

The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1...vehicle system, 10...camera, 12...radar device, 14...LIDAR, 16...object recognition device, 20...communication device, 30...HMI, 40...vehicle sensor, 50...navigation device, 60...MPU, 80...driving operator, 100...automatic driving control device, 120...first control unit, 130...recognition unit, 132...road condition recognition unit, 134...other vehicle recognition unit, 140...action plan generation unit, 142...merging determination unit 142...driving control unit, 160...second control unit, 162...target trajectory acquisition unit, 164...speed control unit, 166...steering control unit, 180...HMI control unit, 190...storage unit, 200...driving force output device, 210...brake device, 220...steering device

Claims (8)

a recognition unit that recognizes a road condition around the host vehicle and a traveling state of another vehicle traveling on a main lane when the host vehicle is traveling on a merging lane;
a merging determination unit that determines whether or not the host vehicle is able to merge into the main line based on a recognition result from the recognition unit;
a travel control unit that causes the host vehicle to merge onto the main line when the merging determination unit determines that the host vehicle can merge onto the main line,
the merging determination unit determines that the host vehicle is able to merge onto the main line when a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition ;
the first condition includes a condition that a margin of error in a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the traveling direction according to a speed difference between the merging lane and the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined value,
the second condition includes a degree of margin in a lateral positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value,
The speed difference is a difference between the legal speed of the merging lane and the legal speed of the main line, or a difference between an average speed of a vehicle traveling in the merging lane recognized by the recognition unit and an average speed of a vehicle traveling on the main line.
Vehicle control device. The merging determination unit determines a position where the host vehicle merges into the main lane based on a legal speed limit of the merging lane.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . the travel control unit executes travel control to cause the host vehicle to enter ahead of the other vehicle that satisfies the first condition and the second condition.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2 . The recognition unit recognizes an end point of a merging section,
the traveling control unit starts a steering control for causing the host vehicle to merge with the main line when the host vehicle reaches a point a predetermined distance before the end point.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . When there is no area on the main line where the host vehicle merges, the traveling control unit moves the host vehicle closer to the main line than a center of the merging lane by the steering control.
The vehicle control device according to claim 4 . When the vehicle is traveling on a main line,
The recognition unit recognizes a road condition around the vehicle and a traveling state of another vehicle merging into a main line on which the vehicle is traveling ,
The merging determination unit determines whether or not the other vehicle is able to merge into the main line based on a recognition result by the recognition unit ,
the traveling control unit, when it is determined by the merging determination unit that the other vehicle is able to merge into the main line, executes traveling control based on a behavior of the other vehicle ;
the merging determination unit determines that the other vehicle is able to merge onto the main line when a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a traveling direction satisfies the first condition and a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a lateral direction satisfies the second condition.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . The computer
Recognizing the road conditions around the vehicle and the traveling conditions of other vehicles traveling on the main lane when the vehicle is traveling on the merging lane,
determining whether or not the host vehicle is able to merge onto the main line based on the recognition result;
When it is determined that merging onto the main line is possible, the host vehicle is caused to merge onto the main line;
determining that the host vehicle is capable of merging onto the main line when a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition ;
the first condition includes a condition that a margin of error in a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the traveling direction according to a speed difference between the merging lane and the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined value,
the second condition includes a degree of margin in a lateral positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value,
The speed difference is a difference between the legal speed of the merging lane and the legal speed of the main line, or a difference between the recognized average speed of vehicles traveling in the merging lane and the average speed of vehicles traveling on the main line.
A vehicle control method. On the computer,
The vehicle is made to recognize the road conditions around the vehicle and the traveling conditions of other vehicles traveling on the main lane when the vehicle is traveling on the merging lane,
determining whether or not the host vehicle is able to merge onto the main line based on the recognition result;
When it is determined that merging onto the main line is possible, the host vehicle is caused to merge onto the main line;
determining that the host vehicle is capable of merging onto the main line when a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a traveling direction of the main line satisfies a first condition and a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in a lateral direction of the main line satisfies a second condition ;
the first condition includes a condition that a margin of error in a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in the traveling direction according to a speed difference between the merging lane and the main lane is equal to or greater than a predetermined value,
the second condition includes a degree of margin in a lateral positional relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value,
The speed difference is a difference between the legal speed of the merging lane and the legal speed of the main line, or a difference between the recognized average speed of vehicles traveling in the merging lane and the average speed of vehicles traveling on the main line.
program.

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