JPH11328597A - Vehicle driving controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize safe and efficient travel by enabling smooth entry of a merging vehicle at a merging point while the vehicle is traveling on a through traffic by automatic driving. SOLUTION: A vehicle 1 on the through traffic changes a lane to a fast lane 6 so as not to hinder the entry of the vehicle traveling on a merging road 3 to merge a through traffic 2 at the merging point 4 while the merging vehicle is traveling on a lane 5 on the mergin side in front of which the merging point 4 is provided. Change of lane is always performed at fixed timing by calculating time to reach the merging point 4. Control to judge whether the change of lane is performed or not based on the time to be required for the merging vehicle to reach the merging point 4 by performing communication between vehicles between the merging vehicle traveling on the merging road 3 and the vehicle 1 on the through traffic is also enabled. When plural vehicles on the through traffic are running in file by forming a group, the change of lane is controlled by the leading vehicle on the through traffic and follow-up travel is controlled by the following vehicles on the through traffic.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle operation control device for automatically changing lanes when a vehicle traveling on a main road has a merging vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An arterial road on which a large number of vehicles travel generally has a plurality of lanes including a traveling lane and an overtaking lane. Such highways may include junctions where other roads join,
A branch point that branches to another road is provided. At the junction, vehicles traveling on other roads merge with some lanes of the main road that is the main road. In order to use roads efficiently and to facilitate traffic, it is important to ensure safety at the junction.

[0003] Prior art relating to driving control of a vehicle traveling on a road having a junction is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-334.
790, JP-A-8-263793, JP-A-8-3145
41 and the like. In the prior art of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-334790, a vehicle traveling on a main road having a merging point predicts the presence or absence of a merging vehicle based on the result of monitoring the behavior of the preceding vehicle approaching the merging point. When it is predicted that there is a merging vehicle, acceleration / deceleration control is performed to adjust the time required for the vehicle to reach the merging point. JP-A-8-2
In the prior art of 63793, the speed control of the own vehicle and the lane change are performed according to the approach level of the merging vehicle. JP-A-8-3
In the prior art of 14541, a plurality of vehicles traveling on a main road on which a vehicle driving guidance system such as a magnetic nail is provided form a group called platoon, and at a confluence point based on information from a device provided on the road such as a beacon. When it is determined that a merging vehicle exists, control is performed to increase the inter-vehicle distance in the platoon.

[0004]

At the merging point, the vehicle traveling on the main road is always given priority and the merging vehicles are merged within a range that does not hinder the operation of the vehicle traveling on the main road. Vehicles traveling on the road do not need to perform any special control at the junction. However, when the vehicle is continuously running on the main road, the merging vehicle cannot enter the main road, which hinders efficient use of the road.

[0005] As in the prior art of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-334790, if a vehicle traveling on a main road performs acceleration / deceleration control, a merging vehicle can smoothly enter the main road. However, when a vehicle traveling on the main road is traveling near the upper limit at the time of speed limitation, control needs to be performed on the deceleration side, and subsequent vehicles traveling on the main road also need to be decelerated. For this reason, the flow of traffic becomes slow, and it becomes impossible to drive efficiently on the road.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-263793 discloses that vehicle speed control and lane change are performed in accordance with an approach level corresponding to a difference in arrival time between a host vehicle and a merging vehicle. However, the timing when changing lanes is unknown. Since mainly the case of manual driving by the driver is explained, it is presumed that it is left to the judgment of the driver.

Further, as in the prior art of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-314541, when a vehicle traveling on a main road forms a platoon and runs in a platoon, if the platoon first passes through a merge, May block the main road, and the merging vehicle may not be able to enter the merging point until Platone has passed the merging point, and may be kept waiting. Conversely, if the merging vehicle enters the merging point first,
There is a possibility that driving on the main road of Platone may be hindered. The control for increasing the inter-vehicle distance between the platoon platoons, as in the prior art of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-314541, also impairs the advantage of the platoon running that uses the main road efficiently.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle operation control device that allows a vehicle traveling on a main road to change lanes at a confluence point so that the converged vehicle can smoothly enter the main road.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the operation of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein the self-vehicle has a plurality of lanes on a main road, and a merging from another road ahead of the course. When traveling in the lane where the point is provided, time calculating means for calculating the time required to reach the junction, and when the calculation result of the time calculating means reaches within a predetermined time, the vehicle is provided at the junction. And a lane changing means for performing control to shift from a given lane to another lane.

According to the present invention, a main road on which a vehicle having an automatic steering function is traveling has a plurality of lanes, and the lane on which the vehicle is traveling has a junction where another road joins ahead of the course. Provided. The time calculation means calculates the time required for the vehicle to reach the junction. When the calculated time reaches within the predetermined time, the lane changing means controls the vehicle to shift from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane, so that the vehicle can continue traveling avoiding the junction. As a result, even if there is a vehicle from another road that is going to enter the junction, the other vehicle can also enter smoothly, and the vehicle traveling on the main road continues to run smoothly. it can.

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for performing driving control for platooning in which a group is formed by a plurality of vehicles, wherein the group is a main road having a plurality of lanes, and a merging from another road ahead of the course. When traveling in a lane where a point is provided, a time calculating means for calculating a time required to reach a merging point; and when the calculation result of the time calculating means reaches within a predetermined time, the own vehicle is a leading vehicle in the group. Lane changing means for performing control to shift the own vehicle from the lane in which the junction is provided to another lane when it is determined that the vehicle is the leading vehicle. This is a vehicle operation control device.

According to the present invention, if a plurality of vehicles form a group as a group, and are traveling on a lane having a junction in front of a main road having a plurality of lanes, it is necessary to reach the junction. The time is calculated by the time calculating means.
When the calculation result reaches within a predetermined time, if the own vehicle is the leading vehicle of the group, the lane changing means performs control to shift the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane, so The vehicle can also change lanes according to the leading vehicle, and can run the group around the junction. Since a group of a plurality of vehicles does not block the junction, even if there is a vehicle entering the junction, a smooth approach can be performed, and smooth and efficient use of the road can be performed.

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for controlling the operation of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein when the vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, another device is provided in front of the traveling lane. Convergence detection means where the road merges, approach detection means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the junction detected by the merge detection means; When it is detected that the vehicle is approaching the merging point, information collecting means for collecting, by communication, arrival information about the time at which the vehicle traveling on the other road reaches the merging point; And a lane changing means for performing control to shift the vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane.

According to the present invention, when the merging detecting means detects a merging point ahead of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the approach detecting means determines whether the vehicle is approaching the merging point within a predetermined range. Detect whether or not. When it is detected that the own vehicle is approaching the junction, the information collecting means collects, by communication, arrival information about the time at which the vehicle traveling on another road merging at the junction reaches the junction. . Since the lane changing means performs control for changing lanes in accordance with the arrival information, the own vehicle can change lanes in accordance with a vehicle entering a junction from another road.

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for performing operation control for platooning in which a group of a plurality of vehicles is formed, and when the group is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, In the course of the course, a merging detecting means for detecting a merging point where other roads merge, and detecting whether or not the group is approaching within a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means. When the approach detecting means detects that the group is approaching the confluence point, the communication means communicates arrival information about the time at which the vehicle traveling on the other road reaches the confluence point. Information collection means to collect the vehicle and determine whether or not the vehicle is the leading vehicle of the group. When the vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle, the vehicle is connected to the merging point according to the arrival information. Transition from an established lane to another lane A vehicle operation control device which comprises a lane change means for controlling.

According to the present invention, when a vehicle traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes is a leading vehicle forming a group in which a plurality of vehicles perform platooning while transmitting control information, When it is detected by the merging detecting means that there is a merging point where another road merges ahead of the course of the traveling vehicle, the time required for the vehicle traveling on the other road to reach the merging point by the information collecting means is determined. Information is collected and the lane is changed in accordance with the arrival information, so that the lane changing in the platoon does not hinder other vehicles from entering the confluence point, and the lane change is performed smoothly. Roads can be used.

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for controlling the operation of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein when the own vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, another device is provided in front of the traveling lane. Merging detecting means for detecting a merging point where the road merges; approach detecting means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is approaching a predetermined area with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means; Means for calculating the time required for the vehicle to reach the junction when the vehicle is approaching the junction, and a vehicle traveling on the other road. The arrival information about the time to reach the junction, information collection means to collect by communication, time comparison means to compare the calculation result of the time calculation means and information about the arrival time to be collected by the information collection means, Time A vehicle operation control device which comprises a lane change means for controlling to shift the vehicle in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison means from the lane to the merging point is provided to the other lanes.

According to the present invention, collection of other vehicle information on the calculation result of the time required for the vehicle to reach the junction and the time required for the vehicle traveling on another road to reach the junction. The result is compared with the result, and according to the result of the comparison, for example, when the difference in arrival time is small, the own vehicle is controlled to change from the lane having the junction to another lane. A lane having a junction can be driven, and the lane can be changed only when it is necessary to change lanes, so that efficient driving can be continued.

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for performing operation control for platooning in a group of a plurality of vehicles,
When the group is traveling on a main lane road having a plurality of lanes, a merging detection unit that detects a merging point where another road merges ahead of the traveling lane, and a merging point that is detected by the merging detection unit. On the other hand, when the approaching detecting means for detecting whether or not the leading vehicle of the group is approaching within a predetermined range, and when the approaching detecting means detects that the leading vehicle is approaching the junction, Time calculating means for calculating the time required to reach the junction; information collecting means for collecting, by communication, arrival information about the time at which the vehicle traveling on the other road reaches the junction; Time comparing means for comparing the calculation result of the calculating means with the information about the arrival time collected by the information collecting means, and determining whether or not the own vehicle is the leading vehicle of the group according to the comparison result of the time comparing means And the beginning When it is determined that the two, is a vehicle operation control device which comprises a lane change means for performing control to transition from the lane that the vehicle is the merging point provided to the other lanes.

According to the present invention, the leading vehicle traveling while forming a group of lanes having a merging point ahead of the course and performing platooning, calculates the time required for the vehicle to reach the traveling point by time. Means are calculated, and the time required for the vehicle entering the junction from another road to reach the junction is collected as arrival information. The time comparing means compares the time calculated by the time calculating means for the vehicle to reach the junction with the time required for the other vehicles collected by the information collecting means to reach the junction. The lane changing means changes the lane according to the comparison result of the time comparing means so that the own vehicle shifts from the lane where the merging point is provided to another lane, so the merging point is only required when a vehicle traveling on the main road is necessary. Lane changes can be made to allow vehicles from other roads to enter.

Further, in the present invention, the information collecting means receives, as the arrival information, information about the arrival time at the junction, which is transmitted from the vehicle traveling on the another road.

According to the present invention, the information collecting means receives, as the arrival information, the information on the arrival time at the junction, which is transmitted from the vehicle traveling on another road, and directly collects necessary information. The lane can be reliably changed.

[0023] In the present invention, the information collecting means may include information on a time required for the other vehicle traveling on the road to reach the junction, transmitted from a device installed on the road, by the arrival information. It is characterized by receiving as.

According to the present invention, the information on the time required for the traveling vehicle to reach the junction from the device provided on the road toward the junction is received as arrival information. Even when the vehicle traveling on the vehicle does not directly transmit the arrival information, the lane can be changed so as not to hinder the merging of other vehicles.

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for controlling the operation of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein when the vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, another road ahead of the traveling lane is provided. Detecting means for detecting a merging point where the vehicle merges, approach detecting means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means; Information collection means for collecting other vehicle information as to whether or not the other vehicle exists within a predetermined range of the other road when it is detected that the own vehicle is approaching the junction. A vehicle operation control device comprising: a lane changing unit that performs control for shifting the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane based on other vehicle information.

According to the present invention, when a vehicle traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes detects a merge point ahead of the lane on which the vehicle is traveling by the merge detecting means, the approach detecting means detects It is detected whether the vehicle is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the junction. When it is detected that the vehicle is approaching within a predetermined range at the junction, collecting other vehicle information about whether or not another vehicle exists within a predetermined range of another road merging at the junction, Since the lane change is performed by the lane changing means based on the other vehicle information,
For example, if a vehicle exists within a predetermined distance from the junction on another road, the lane change is performed so that another vehicle can smoothly enter the main road at the junction. .

Further, the present invention is an apparatus for performing driving control for platooning in which a group of a plurality of vehicles is formed, and when the group is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, Convergence detecting means for detecting a merging point where another road merges ahead of the course, and approaching for detecting whether or not the group is approaching within a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means. When the detecting means and the approach detecting means detect that the group is approaching the confluence point, collecting other vehicle information as to whether or not another vehicle exists within a predetermined range of the other road. A lane change that performs control to shift the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane based on the information collecting means and the other vehicle information, when the own vehicle is the leading vehicle in the group. Means for driving a vehicle A control device.

According to the present invention, when the leading vehicle of a group traveling in a row with a plurality of vehicles on a main road approaches a junction where another road joins the traveling lane. In addition, when a vehicle traveling on another road is within a predetermined range, the lane change is performed, so a group formed by a plurality of vehicles closes the merge point and moves to the merge point of vehicles from other roads. Can be controlled so as not to hinder the entry of the vehicle.

Further, in the present invention, the information collection means receives position information transmitted from the vehicle traveling on the another road as the other vehicle information.

According to the present invention, it is determined whether or not a vehicle on another road is within a predetermined range from the junction by receiving position information transmitted from the other vehicle. It is possible to make a reliable judgment based on important information.

Further, in the present invention, the information collecting means receives, as the other vehicle information, position information of a vehicle traveling on the other road transmitted from a device installed on the road.

According to the present invention, since information on other vehicles about the presence of a vehicle traveling on another road is received from a device provided on the road, stable and reliable information can be received.

In the present invention, the vehicle following the leading vehicle in the group is controlled to follow the running of the vehicle immediately before.

According to the present invention, the following vehicle which is not the leading vehicle of the group traveling in the platoon is controlled so as to follow the traveling of the immediately preceding vehicle. The vehicle also changes lanes, and can smoothly change lanes when the vehicle enters from another road at the junction.

[0035]

FIG. 1 shows a control state of a vehicle operation control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Main line car 1
Is traveling on a main road 2 such as a highway. A merging road 3 merges with the main road 2 at an intersection 4 at an interchange or the like. The main road 2 has a plurality of lanes, and when the merging point 4 is provided ahead of the merging side lane 5 where the main lane 1 is traveling, the vehicle operation control device of the present embodiment always Control to change lanes from the main lane 1 to the overtaking lane 6 is performed. The main lane 1 traveling on the merging lane 5 detects the approach of the merging point 4 from a road device 7 such as a beacon provided in front of the merging point 4 on the main road 2, for example.
The lane change is performed at a predetermined timing. A white line 8 is drawn at the boundary between the lanes.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic system configuration of an operation control device 10 mounted on the main lane 1 of FIG. The operation control device 10 includes a CCD camera 11, a magnetic sensor 12, a steering actuator 13, and a brake actuator 1.
4, throttle actuator 15, vehicle control means 1
6. Information communication means 17, distance / direction sensor 18, GPS
It includes a receiver 19, a map data storage unit 20, a navigation control unit 21, a display / voice output unit 22, and the like.

The CCD camera 11 captures an image of a road surface on which the main lane 1 travels. From the image obtained by the CCD camera 11, the white line 8 which is the boundary of the lane drawn on the main road 2
Are recognized. The operation control device 10 performs automatic steering along a white line 8 recognized from an image obtained by the CCD camera 11. In addition, it is possible to know which lane the main lane 1 is currently traveling by white line recognition. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, it can be seen that the vehicle is traveling on the merging lane 5 which is the traveling lane. Further, the CCD camera 11 can also be used to monitor the movement of a preceding vehicle during a follow-up traveling in which another vehicle is traveling ahead.

The magnetic sensor 12 is a magnetic marker embedded in a road surface, for example, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-314541.
The detection of a magnetic nail as disclosed in US Pat. If such a magnetic marker is embedded in a road surface, automatic driving can be performed along the magnetic marker. The steering actuator 13 is used for automatic steering during automatic driving. The brake actuator 14 brakes the vehicle, and the throttle actuator 15 controls the amount of fuel supplied to the engine of the vehicle. Brake actuator 14 and throttle actuator 1
5 enables control of the speed of the vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance. Control of the steering actuator 13, brake actuator 14 and throttle actuator 15 is performed by a vehicle control means 16 including a microcomputer.
Done by The vehicle control means 16 automatically drives the vehicle along a preset route,
Information input from the camera 11 and the magnetic sensor 12 is used.

The information communication means 17 receives information transmitted by external radio waves or infrared rays, such as inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles, roadside devices 7 such as beacons, and the like. Can also be transmitted to the outside.
The information received by the information communication means 17 is input to the vehicle control means 16 and also to the navigation control means 21.

The navigation control means 21 outputs the detection output of the distance / direction sensor 18 for detecting the distance based on the vehicle speed pulse and the direction based on the gyro sensor, and the absolute position information of the vehicle using radio waves from GPS satellites. And the information from the GPS receiver 19 for receiving the vehicle information is provided, and the current position of the vehicle is detected. Also, the map data storage means 20
Stores road map data including the main road 2.
The road map data is stored in advance in a large-capacity recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD, and necessary data is read. When the current position is detected based on information from the distance / direction sensor 18 and the GPS receiver 9, the main road 2 is also specified based on the map data, and information about the junction 4 can also be obtained. The navigation control means 21 displays information on the current position of the own vehicle and the road on which the vehicle is running on a map by the display / voice output means 22 and performs voice guidance, so that the driver of the vehicle can use the information. Provides assistance when driving. When performing automatic driving, information about the current position of the vehicle and the road on which the vehicle is traveling is also transmitted to the vehicle control unit 16.

FIG. 3 shows a control procedure performed by the operation control device 10 of FIG. 2 in the embodiment of FIG. The control procedure starts from step S0. In step S1, the navigation control means 21 detects the current position. For the position detection, information collected by the information communication means 17 that receives information from the road device 7 such as the GPS receiver 19, the distance / direction sensor 18, or the beacon is used. In step S2, the lane in which the own vehicle, in this case, the main lane 1 is traveling is confirmed. As a method of checking the lane, a traveling road is specified by map matching between the current position detected by the navigation control unit 21 and road data included in the map data obtained from the map data storage unit 20, and then the road is identified. The lane can be confirmed from the lane information about. Further, if the CCD camera 11 is mounted on the vehicle, it is also possible to take an image of the traveling main road 2, recognize the white line 8 as an image, and confirm the lane. Next, in step S3, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling on the merging lane 5. If the vehicle is not traveling in the merge lane 5, the vehicle continues traveling in the currently traveling lane and returns to step S1. If the vehicle is traveling in the merged lane 5, step S
Proceed to 4. In step S4, the junction 4 is detected.
Navigation control means 21 is map data storage means 20
Based on the map data read from step S1 and the current position detected in step S1, the closest confluence point 4 in front of the course is detected. If there is no junction, the process returns to step S1.

When the junction 4 is detected in step S4, the time required to reach the junction 4 is calculated in step S5. The time to reach the junction 4 can be determined from the distance between the current position detected in step S1 and the junction 4 and the traveling speed of the vehicle. In step S6, it is determined whether the arrival time obtained in step S5 is within a predetermined time. This determination is made using, for example, 15 seconds as a threshold. When the arrival time is larger than the threshold, the process returns to step S1, and the current position is obtained and updated again, and the arrival time is obtained again. When it is determined that the arrival time is equal to or less than the threshold, the steering actuator 13, the brake actuator 14, and the throttle actuator 15 are controlled in the next step S7, and the lane is changed by automatic steering. If the lane change has been performed, the procedure ends in step S8.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows a control state of a lane change performed by the vehicle operation control device. In the present embodiment and other subsequent embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to portions corresponding to those of the above-described embodiment, and redundant description will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the merging side lane 5 of the main road 2 is divided into a plurality of main lanes 1a, 1
.. b, 1c,... An operation control device 10 shown in FIG. 2 is mounted on each of the main lanes 1a, 1b, 1c,. The following main lanes 1b, 1c,... Forming the platoon follow the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle control information transmitted from the main lane 1a, which is the leading vehicle, via inter-vehicle communication via the information communication means 17, and follow the platoon. To form In the vehicle group forming the platoon, the brake control information of the preceding vehicle is immediately transmitted to the following vehicle, so the inter-vehicle distance can be reduced as compared with the case where the vehicle travels independently, and the road can be efficiently constructed. Can be used.

FIG. 5 shows the control performed by the operation control device 10 mounted on each of the main lanes 1a, 1b, 1c,... The control procedure is started from step S20, and in step S21, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is running in platoon. If the vehicle is running in a platoon, it is determined in step S22 whether or not the vehicle is the leading vehicle in the platoon. When it is determined that the vehicle is not the leading vehicle, such as the main lanes 1b, 1c,..., A follow-up running control for following the preceding vehicle is performed in step S23. If it is determined in step S22 that the vehicle is the leading vehicle, the lane is changed in step S24 so as to avoid the junction 4 as in the case of a single vehicle as in steps S0 to S8 in FIG.

In this embodiment, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the main road vehicles 1 running on the main road 2 or the main road vehicles 1a, 1b, 1c,. 4 to change lanes. Therefore, even if the vehicle traveling on the merging road 3 does not have a function of performing inter-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication equivalent to the information communication means 17 or the like, occurrence of traffic congestion at the merging point 4 is avoided. be able to. In addition, it is natural that the lane change to the overtaking lane 6 needs to be performed after confirming the safety of the overtaking lane 6 side.

FIG. 6 shows a control state of lane change by the vehicle operation control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the time required for the merging vehicle 25 traveling on the merging side lane 5 to reach the merging point 4 is determined by the road-to-vehicle communication from the on-road device 27 provided along the merging road 3 to the main lane 1, or Collected by direct inter-vehicle communication between the merging vehicle 25 and the main line vehicle 1. The on-road device 27 includes, for example, a beacon, a sensor, a camera, or the like, and collects information on the time to reach the junction 4 directly from the junction vehicle 25, or detects the current position, the traveling speed, and the like of the junction vehicle 25. The time required to reach the junction 4 is calculated and obtained. The main line vehicle 1 receiving the information on the time when the merging vehicle 25 reaches the merging point 4 from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication or the road device,
According to this time, the lane is changed from the merging lane 5 to the overtaking lane 6 just before the merging point 4.

FIG. 7 shows a control procedure leading to a lane change in the embodiment of FIG. The procedure starts from step S30. In step S31, the navigation control means 21 detects the current position of the main lane 1 using the distance / direction sensor 18, the GPS receiver 19, the map data storage means 20, and the like. In step S32, the main lane 1 checks the traveling lane of the own vehicle based on image recognition by the CCD camera 11, information from road data in the map data storage unit 20, and the like. In step S33, it is determined whether or not the traveling lane of the own vehicle confirmed in step S32 is the merge lane 5. When it is determined based on the map data read from the map data storage means 20 that the vehicle is not traveling on the junction lane 5 where the junction 4 is provided ahead of the traveling lane, the process returns to step S31.

When it is determined in step S33 that the vehicle is traveling on the merging lane 5, it is determined in step S34 whether the vehicle has approached the merging point 4. This determination is made based on the map data read from the map data storage means 20 and the current position detected in step S31. By detecting the distance from the current position of the main lane 1 to the junction 4,
It is determined whether the distance between the vehicle and the junction 4 is larger than a predetermined threshold value, for example, 800 m. If it is determined that the distance is larger than the threshold value, step S3
Return to 1. If it is determined in step S34 that the distance is smaller than the threshold, it is determined that the junction is approaching, and the process proceeds to step S35. In step S35, it is determined whether or not arrival time information, which is the time required for the merging vehicle 25 to reach the merging point 4, has been received. The arrival time information is collected based on the inter-vehicle communication between the merging vehicle 25 and the main line vehicle 1 and the road-to-vehicle communication between the road device 27 and the main line vehicle 1 as described above. When the arrival time information of the merging vehicle has not been received, the process returns to step S31.

In step S35, when the main lane 1 has received the arrival time information indicating, for example, 10 seconds later from the merging vehicle 25, it is determined in step S36 whether the lane change is necessary. For example, 20 seconds is set as the determination threshold, and if the merged vehicle arrival time is ≧ 20 seconds or more, it is determined that the lane change of the own vehicle is not necessary, and the process returns to step S31. In step S35, if information indicating arrival after 10 seconds has been received as described above, it is determined that lane change is necessary, and the process proceeds to step S37. In step S37, control of the main lane 1 changing lanes from the merging lane 5 to the overtaking lane 6 is performed by the automatic steering function, and the lane changing procedure ends in step S38.

Instead of the main lane 1 shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of main lanes 1a, 1b, 1c,...
When approaching, the main lanes 1a, 1b, 1c,
.. Perform the control as shown in FIG.
Only the lane change is performed in the same procedure as in FIG. However, in the determination of the necessity of the lane change in step S36, the time when the rear end of the platoon passes the confluence point 4 is determined so that the long platoon does not block the confluence point 4 and prevent the entry of the confluence vehicle 25. The condition that the lane change is not performed is set to be sufficiently earlier than the time when the vehicle 25 reaches the junction 4. That is, the reference time for the determination is set longer than when the main lane 1 is traveling alone on the merging lane 4 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a control state of lane change by the vehicle operation control device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the time when the main vehicle 1 or a group of vehicles formed by a plurality of main vehicles traveling on the merging lane 5 of the main road 2 reaches the merging point 4 and the merging vehicle traveling on the merging road 3 25 is compared with the time to reach the junction 4 to determine whether or not a lane change is necessary. That is, the time when the main lane 1 or the group of vehicles reaches the junction 4 is compared with the time when the junction 25 reaches the junction 4, and when the time is longer than a predetermined value, the lane change is not performed. Further, the speed adjustment may be performed by calculating a speed adjustment amount for adjusting the speed of the main lane 1 or the vehicle group based on the time difference between the arrival times. That is, it is also possible to increase the safety at the junction 4 by calculating the arrival time between the main line vehicle 1 or the vehicle group and the junction 25 at predetermined time intervals before reaching the junction 4 and repeating the speed adjustment.

FIG. 9 shows a procedure for changing lanes in the embodiment of FIG. Each step from step S40 to S45 is substantially equivalent to each step from step S30 to step S35 in FIG. In step S46, the vehicle moves to the junction 4 according to the current position of the vehicle detected in step S41, the distance obtained based on the road map data read from the map data storage unit 20, and the traveling speed of the vehicle. Calculate the time required to reach. The arrival time can also be calculated from the speed of the vehicle and the distance to the junction 4 obtained from the road device 7 or the like. In step S47, it is determined whether or not the lane change of the own vehicle is necessary. For example, if there is a difference of 5 seconds or more between the time required for the vehicle to reach the junction 4 and the time required for the vehicle 25 to reach the junction 4, it is determined that there is no need to change lanes. Then, the process returns to step S41. If the difference from the time until the merging vehicle 25 reaches the merging point 4 is less than 5 seconds, it is determined that lane change is necessary, and lane change control is performed in step S48, and lane change control is performed in step S49. End the procedure.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the main lanes 1a, 1b, 1c,... Traveling on the merging lane 5 of the main road 2 form a platen and run in platoon, each main lane 1a , 1b, 1c,... Make the determination shown in FIG. 5, and only the main lane 1a, which is the leading vehicle in the group, changes lanes according to the procedure shown in FIG. The following main lanes 1b, 1c,... Follow the leading main lane 1a. Main line car 1a,
When the vehicles 1b, 1c,... Perform platooning, the merging vehicle 25 is determined by the necessity of lane change in step S47.
Determines that there is no need to change lanes when the vehicle reaches the junction 4 more than 5 seconds ahead of the leading main lane 1a or arrives at the junction 4 more than 5 seconds later than the last main lane. In other cases, it may be determined that the lane needs to be changed.

FIG. 10 shows a control state of lane change by the vehicle operation control device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the main lane 1 running on the merging side lane 5 of the main lane 2 or a plurality of main lanes forming a platoon and moving along the predetermined range 30 provided on the merging road 3
It is determined whether or not to change lanes according to whether or not 5 is traveling. The main line vehicle 1 or the main line vehicle which is the leading vehicle of the platoon is provided, for example, along the main line road 2 and has a junction 4
When the vehicle reaches the position of the road device 7 such as a beacon representing a predetermined position before the vehicle, the detection of the merging vehicle 25 is started. The predetermined range 30 of the merging road 3 represents a range in which the arrival at the merging point 4 is expected to coincide with the vehicle traveling on the predetermined position where the on-road device 7 is provided on the merging side lane 5. The position information and the speed information of the merging vehicle 25 existing in the predetermined range 30 are given to the main vehicle 1 traveling on the main road 2 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. That is, if the merging vehicle 25 is equipped with a control device equivalent to the operation control device 10 as shown in FIG. 2, the information obtained by the position detecting means and the speed sensor mounted on the merging vehicle 25 is used for information communication. It is transmitted to the main vehicle 1 traveling on the main road 2 by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication means via the means 17.
The merging vehicle 25 has an operation control device 1 as shown in FIG.
Even if 0 is not installed, if the on-road device 27 is provided on the merging road 3, it is detected by a sensor or the like that the merging vehicle 25 is traveling in the predetermined range 30, and this information is transmitted to the road-to-vehicle communication. Is transmitted to the main vehicle 1.

FIG. 11 shows a procedure for changing lanes in the embodiment shown in FIG. Step S50 to step S54
The steps up to are basically the same as the steps S30 to S34 in FIG. In step S55, the position information of the merging vehicle 25 is collected as other vehicle information by receiving the above-described inter-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. When the other vehicle information is not received, the process returns to step S51. Merging vehicle 2 in step S55
When the position information of No. 5 is received, in step S56, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle needs to change lanes in accordance with whether or not the merging vehicle 25 is traveling on the predetermined range 30 of the merging road 3. Whether or not the merging vehicle 25 is traveling within the predetermined range 30 may be determined from the current position of the merging vehicle 25 and the merging point 4 based on the map data read from the map data storage means 20. it can. If it is not determined in step S56 that the merging vehicle 25 is traveling in the predetermined range 30, it is determined that the lane change is not necessary, and the process returns to step S51. When it is determined in step S56 that the lane change is necessary, the lane change is performed in step S57, and step S5 is performed.
At 8 the procedure ends.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the main vehicles 1a, 1b, 1c,... Running in platoon, the judgment shown in FIG. 5 is made, and only the main vehicle 1a which is the leading vehicle is shown in FIG. The following main lanes 1b, 1c,... Perform control to follow the leading main lane 1a. In this case, the predetermined range 30 set on the merging road 3 is set longer according to the length of the platoon than when the main lane 1 is alone.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the vehicle approaches the junction, the lane is changed from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane. The coordination with the vehicle traveling on the main road can be smoothly performed, and the road can be used efficiently.

Further, according to the present invention, when a group performing platooning with a plurality of vehicles approaches a junction, the lane is changed from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane. Even if there is a vehicle entering the junction from another road without blocking the junction, the group is controlled so as not to prevent the group from approaching the junction. It can help vehicles enter from other roads and continue efficient road use.

Further, according to the present invention, a vehicle traveling on a lane in which a merging point is provided ahead of the course changes lanes in accordance with the time at which a vehicle merging from another road to the merging point reaches the merging point. Therefore, the merging point can be opened so that the vehicle traveling on the main road does not hinder the vehicle merging from another road.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the leading vehicle of the group running on the main road forming a group in platooning is the time required for a vehicle entering from another road to reach the junction at the junction. In response to this, change lanes to move from the lane with the junction to another lane, avoid situations where the group of platoons will block the junction and prevent vehicles from entering other roads, Smooth and efficient use can be performed.

Further, according to the present invention, the time required for the vehicle traveling on the road to reach the junction is compared with the time required for the vehicle to travel and reach the lane having the junction.
According to the comparison result, the vehicle is controlled so that the lane is changed from the lane having the merging point to another lane, so that the lane change is controlled only when the lane change is necessary, and the difference in arrival time is large. When there is no need to change lanes, it is possible to continue running in the lane without changing the lane and to use the road efficiently.

Further, according to the present invention, the leading vehicle traveling in a group in which a plurality of vehicles travel in a row on the main road,
A merging point is provided in front of the traveling lane, and the calculation results of the time for the vehicle traveling on another road merging at the merging point to reach the merging point and the time for the vehicle to reach the merging point are obtained. And change the lane according to the comparison result.
It is possible to avoid a situation in which a plurality of vehicles forming a group block the merging point and prevent vehicles from other roads from merging, and to efficiently use the road.

According to the present invention, the arrival time of the vehicle entering the junction from another road is collected by receiving the information transmitted from the other vehicle. High information collection can be performed.

Further, according to the present invention, the information about the time until the vehicle traveling on another road reaches the merging point is obtained by receiving the information transmitted from the device provided on the road. Information can be collected by the road-to-vehicle communication.

Further, according to the present invention, a vehicle traveling on a lane having a junction ahead of the course is located within a predetermined range from a junction with a vehicle traveling on another lane merging at the junction. When the vehicle is traveling, the lane change is performed, so that another vehicle can enter the vehicle at the junction without being obstructed by a vehicle traveling on the main road.

Further, according to the present invention, a vehicle forming a row and traveling on a main road with a plurality of vehicles merges at the junction when a junction is provided in front of the traveling lane. When a vehicle traveling on another road is within a predetermined range from the junction, if the own vehicle is the leading vehicle in the group, the lane is changed, so vehicles traveling on another road merge. When approaching at a point, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the group blocks the merging point and hinders the approach, and to use a smooth road.

According to the present invention, information on whether or not a vehicle traveling on a road is within a predetermined range from a junction is collected from information transmitted from vehicles on another road. The lane change at the junction can be appropriately performed using the information communication between the vehicles.

Further, according to the present invention, other vehicle information on vehicles entering the junction from other roads is collected by receiving information from a device installed on the road. The lane can be changed at the appropriate junction.

Further, according to the present invention, the following vehicles which are not the leading vehicle among the vehicles forming the group and traveling in platoon are controlled to follow the vehicle immediately before, so that the leading vehicle is controlled at the junction. If the lane is changed so as not to hinder the entry of vehicles entering the merging point from other roads, the group as a whole will also change lanes so that other vehicles can enter the main road smoothly To allow efficient use of the road.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified plan view showing a control state of a lane change by a vehicle operation control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an operation control device 10 mounted on the main line vehicle 1 of FIG.
1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure for changing lanes by the operation control device 10 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a control state of a lane change by a vehicle operation control device when a plurality of main lanes 1a, 1b, 1c,... Form a vehicle group and perform platooning as a second embodiment of the present invention. It is the simplified top view.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the main vehicle 1 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure about the lane change which a, 1b, 1c, ... performs.

FIG. 6 is a simplified plan view showing a control state of lane change performed by a vehicle operation control device as a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for changing lanes in the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a simplified plan view showing a control state of lane change performed by a vehicle operation control device as a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for changing lanes in the embodiment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a simplified plan view showing a control state of lane change performed by a vehicle operation control device as a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for changing lanes in the embodiment of FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1; 1a, 1b, 1c, ... Main line car 2 Main road 3 Merging road 4 Merging point 5 Merging side lane 6 Overtaking lane 7, 27 Roadside device 10 Operation control device 11 CCD camera 12 Magnetic sensor 13 Steering actuator 14 Brake actuator 15 Throttle actuator 16 Vehicle control means 17 Information communication means 20 Map data storage means 21 Navigation control means 25 Merging vehicle 30 Predetermined range

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G05D 1/02 G05D 1/02 S // B62D 13:00

Claims (13)

[Claims] An apparatus for controlling the operation of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein the vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes and in which a merging point from another road is provided in front of the course. At this time, when the calculation result of the time calculation means reaches a predetermined time, the own vehicle is moved from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane when the calculation result of the time calculation means reaches a predetermined time. And a lane changing means for controlling the vehicle driving. 2. An apparatus for performing operation control for platooning in which a group is formed by a plurality of vehicles, wherein the group is a main road having a plurality of lanes, and a merging point from another road is provided in front of the course. Time calculating means for calculating the time required to reach the merging point when traveling in a given lane; and when the calculation result of the time calculating means reaches within a predetermined time, whether the own vehicle is the leading vehicle in the group. Determining whether the vehicle is the leading vehicle and, when the vehicle is determined to be the leading vehicle, controlling to shift the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane. Control device. 3. An apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein when the vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, another road merges ahead of the traveling lane. Means for detecting whether or not the own vehicle is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the confluence point detected by the confluence detection means; and When it is detected that the vehicle is approaching, information collecting means for collecting, by communication, arrival information about a time at which the vehicle traveling on the other road reaches the junction, according to the arrival information, A vehicle lane change control device for controlling the vehicle to shift from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane. 4. An apparatus for performing driving control for platooning in which a group of a plurality of vehicles is formed, wherein when the group is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, the traveling direction of the traveling lane is reduced. A merging detecting means for detecting a merging point where other roads merge, and an approach detecting means for detecting whether or not the group is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means. When the approach detecting means detects that the group is approaching the junction, arrival information about the time at which the vehicle traveling on the other road reaches the junction is collected by communication. Information collecting means for determining whether or not the vehicle is the leading vehicle of the group, and when determining that the vehicle is the leading vehicle, the merging point is provided for the vehicle according to the arrival information; Perform control to shift from one lane to another lane Vehicle operation control apparatus which comprises a line change means. 5. An apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein when a vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, another road joins ahead of the traveling lane. Converging detecting means for detecting a merging point to be detected, approach detecting means for detecting whether or not the own vehicle is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means, Time calculation means for calculating the time required for the vehicle to reach the junction when the vehicle is approaching the junction; and Information collecting means for collecting arrival information about the time to reach a point by communication, time comparing means for comparing the calculation result of the time calculating means with information about the arrival time collected by the information collecting means, and time comparing means of A vehicle operation control device comprising: a lane changing unit that performs control to shift the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane in accordance with the comparison result. 6. An apparatus for performing driving control for platooning in which a plurality of vehicles form a group, wherein the group is traveling on a main lane road having a plurality of lanes, in front of the traveling lane. A merging detecting means for detecting a merging point where other roads merge, and an approach for detecting whether or not the leading vehicle of the group is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means. Detection means; time calculation means for calculating the time required to reach the junction when the leading vehicle is approaching the junction by the approach detection means; and traveling on the other road. Information collecting means for collecting arrival information about the time at which the vehicle in the vehicle reaches the junction by communication, and a time comparison for comparing the calculation result of the time calculating means with the information on the arrival time collected by the information collecting means. It is determined whether or not the own vehicle is the leading vehicle of the group according to the comparison result of the step and the time comparing means. When it is determined that the leading vehicle is the leading vehicle, the own vehicle is connected to the lane where the merging point is provided. And a lane changing means for performing control for shifting from the vehicle to another lane. 7. The information collecting means receives, as the arrival information, information about an arrival time at the junction point transmitted from a vehicle traveling on the another road. 7. The vehicle operation control device according to any one of claims 6 to 6. 8. The information collection means may transmit information about a time required for the another vehicle traveling on a road to reach the junction, transmitted from a device installed on a road.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information is received as the arrival information.
7. The vehicle operation control device according to any one of claims 6 to 6. 9. An apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle having an automatic steering function, wherein when the vehicle is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, another road joins ahead of the traveling lane. Merging detection means for detecting a merging point; approach detecting means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detecting means; Information collecting means for collecting other vehicle information as to whether or not another vehicle exists within a predetermined range of the other road when it is detected that the vehicle is approaching the junction; And a lane changing unit for performing control to shift the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane based on the lane change. 10. An apparatus for performing driving control for platooning in which a group is formed by a plurality of vehicles, wherein the group is traveling on a main road having a plurality of lanes, in front of the traveling lane. Merging detection means for detecting a merging point where other roads merge, and proximity detecting means for detecting whether or not the group is approaching a predetermined range with respect to the merging point detected by the merging detection means. When the approach detecting means detects that the group is approaching the junction, information collection for collecting other vehicle information as to whether or not another vehicle exists within a predetermined range of the other road. Means, based on the other vehicle information, when the own vehicle is the leading vehicle in the group, lane changing means for performing control to shift the own vehicle from the lane where the junction is provided to another lane. A vehicle operation control device comprising: 11. The vehicle driving control according to claim 9, wherein the information collecting means receives position information transmitted from a vehicle traveling on the another road as the other vehicle information. apparatus. 12. The information collecting means according to claim 9, wherein said information collecting means receives, as said other vehicle information, position information of a vehicle traveling on said another road transmitted from a device installed on the road. Or the vehicle operation control device according to 10. 13. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a vehicle following the leading vehicle in the group is controlled to follow the running of the vehicle immediately before. Vehicle operation control device.