RU2803428C2 - Method and device for vehicle movement control - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: control devices.

SUBSTANCE: motion control method and device for vehicle motion control using a processor. The method comprises: autonomous control of the vehicle, performing the first and the second autonomous controls. Autonomous vehicle control occurs through speed and steering control. The first autonomous control takes place using information recognized from an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle. The second autonomous control takes place using map information stored on a data carrier in the vehicle. The first autonomous control is performed when the external situation of the vehicle is recognized from the captured image. When an unrecognized area is present on the vehicle's driving path, switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control is performed.

EFFECT: improved safety of autonomous control.

5 cl, 9 dwg

Description

[Technical field]

[0001]

The present invention relates to a motion control method and a motion control device for a vehicle that includes autonomous motion control.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-92431 filed on May 15, 2019. For those designated countries that permit incorporation by reference, the contents described and/or illustrated in the above application are incorporated by reference into this application as part descriptions and/or drawings of this application.

[Technique level]

[0002]

A driving assistance device for a vehicle is known that is configured to set a target steering angle for steering the vehicle in question for driving in a lane (Patent Document 1). In this device, when it is determined that the camera unit cannot recognize the right and left compartment lines of the driving route of the subject vehicle, the map curvature stored for the lane on the road map of the subject vehicle is read, and the estimated lateral position deviation is obtained based on the map curvature , the prior curvature and vehicle speed of the vehicle in question. The previous curvature is based on the trajectory of the tracking object preceding the vehicle. The estimated lateral location deviation is added to the lateral location of the vehicle in question to set the target steering angle specified above.

[Prior Art Document]

[Patent Document]

[0003]

[Patent Document 1] JP201919-38396A

[Essence of the invention]

[Problems solved by the invention]

[0004]

However, according to the above-mentioned prior art, the map curvature is read from the road mapping database after determining that the camera cannot recognize the right and left compartment lines, and therefore switching from driving the vehicle using the camera recognition result to driving the vehicle using the data road mapping database is delayed. Thus, there is a problem that the range of behavior of the vehicle becomes large.

[0005]

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a motion control method and a motion control device for a vehicle that is capable of suppressing the behavior of the vehicle when switching autonomous control of a vehicle.

[Problem Solvers]

[0006]

The present invention solves the above problem when there is an unrecognized area on a vehicle's route by switching from autonomous driving using information recognized from a camera image to autonomous driving using map information on a storage medium. before the vehicle enters an unrecognized area.

[Invention Effect]

[0007]

According to the present invention, the behavior of the vehicle can be suppressed when the autonomous control of the vehicle is switched.

[Brief description of drawings]

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a portion of the input device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the cartographic database and control device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is a diagram for describing driving paths and target points when driving from a main road to a spur lane with a branch road.

FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating part of the motion paths and target points of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating state transition of the control device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart (Part 1) illustrating a motion control process of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart (Part 2) illustrating a motion control process of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 6C is a flowchart (Part 3) illustrating a motion control process of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[Embodiment(s) of the present invention]

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a motion control device 1 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle motion control device 1 according to the present embodiment represents an embodiment for carrying out a vehicle motion control method according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the driving control device 1 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment includes sensors 11, a device for determining the location of the subject vehicle 12, a map database 13, an on-board equipment 14, a presentation device 15, an input device 16, a driving control device 17, and a 18 controls. These devices are connected to each other, for example, via a controller area network (CAN) or other on-board LAN for mutual exchange of information.

[0010]

Sensors 11 detect the motion state of the vehicle in question. Examples of the sensors 11 include, for example, a front camera that captures images in front of the subject vehicle, a rear camera that captures images behind the subject vehicle, a front radar that detects obstacles ahead of the subject, a rear radar that detects obstacles behind the subject vehicle, side radars that detect obstacles existing on the right and left side of the vehicle in question, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle in question, a touch sensor (capacitance sensor) that detects whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, an on-board camera that captures images of the driver etc. The sensors 11 may be one of the various sensors described above or may also be configured as a combination of two or more sensors. The detection results of the sensors 11 are output to the control device 18 at predetermined time intervals.

[0011]

The device 12 for determining the location of the vehicle in question consists of a GPS unit, a gyroscope, a vehicle speed sensor, etc. The target vehicle location determination device 12 detects radio waves transmitted from a plurality of communication satellites using a GPS unit to periodically obtain location information of a target vehicle (the subject vehicle), and detects the current location of the target vehicle based on the acquired target vehicle location information. means, angle change information received from the gyroscopic sensor, and vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed sensor. Information about the location of the target vehicle, determined by the device 12 for determining the location of the subject vehicle, is output to the control device 18 at predetermined time intervals.

[0012]

The map database 13 is a memory that stores three-dimensional high-precision map information, including information about the location of various objects and specific points, and is accessible from the control device 18. The three-dimensional high-precision map information stored in the map database 13 is three-dimensional high-precision map information based on the shape of the road detected when driving on a real road using a data collection vehicle, and, in the three-dimensional high-precision map information, detailed and high-precision elements location information such as curved route and curve size (e.g., curvature or radius of curvature), road junction point and branch point, toll plaza, lane reduction location, and service area/parking area are associated with map information such as with three-dimensional information.

[0013]

The on-board equipment 14 includes various modules installed in the vehicle and is controlled by the driver. Examples of such on-board equipment include the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, navigation device, turn signals, windshield wipers, lights, horn and other special switches. When the driver controls the on-board equipment 14, information about its operation is output to the control device 18.

[0014]

The presentation device 15 is represented, for example, by devices such as a navigation device display, a display built into a rear view mirror, a display built into a metering unit, a head-up display projected onto a windshield, a speaker of an audio device, and a seat with built-in vibrating bodies. The presentation device 15 informs the driver with presentation information and lane change information, which will be described below, under the control of the control device 18.

[0015]

The input device 16 is, for example, a device such as a push-button switch or touch pad located on a display screen with which the driver can manually enter information, or a microphone with which the driver can input information by voice. In the present embodiment, the driver can operate the input device 16, thereby inputting setting information in response to presentation information that is represented by the presentation device 15. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a portion of the input device 16 of the present embodiment, and represents an example including a set of push button switches located on a spoke portion or the like of a steering wheel. The illustrated input device 16 includes pushbutton switches used when turning on/off the autonomous speed control function and the autonomous steering control function of the control device 18, and the pushbutton switches include a main switch (MAIN SW) 161, a (RES+) resume/ acceleration switch 162, set/coast switch (SET -) 163, cancel switch (CANCEL) 164, distance control switch (DISTANCE) 165 and lane change assist (L/C) switch 166.

[0016]

The main switch 161 is a switch for turning on/off the system power supply, which performs the autonomous speed control function and the autonomous steering control function of the control device 18. The resume/accelerate switch 162 is a switch for turning off the operation of the autonomous speed control function, and then resuming the autonomous speed control function at the set speed before the OFF state, to increase the set speed, and/or to follow the preceding vehicle to stop and then restart . The set/coast switch 163 is a switch for activating the autonomous speed control function at the driving speed and/or reducing the set speed. The cancel switch 164 is a switch for disabling the autonomous speed control function. The inter-vehicle distance control switch 165 is a switch for setting the distance between vehicles from the preceding vehicle and, for example, a switch for selecting one of a plurality of setting steps such as short distance/middle distance/long distance. The lane change assist switch 166 is a switch for commanding (accepting) the start of a lane change when the control device 18 confirms the start of a lane change with the driver.

[0017]

Additionally or as an alternative to the set of pushbutton switches shown in FIG. 2, turn signal switches or other on-board equipment 14 may also be used as the input device 16, and a configuration may be adopted in which the driver turns on the turn signal switch in response to a request from the control device 18 as to whether to perform a lane change automatically or autonomously, and enters consent or permission to change lanes. The setting information input by the input device 16 is output to the control device 18.

[0018]

The driving control device 17 controls the movement of the vehicle in question. For example, when the subject vehicle is moving at a constant set speed or is moving to follow a previous vehicle using the autonomous speed control function, the driving control device 17 controls the operation of the drive mechanism (including the operation of the internal combustion engine in the case of a motor vehicle or the operation of the electric motor for driving in the case of an electric vehicle, and also including torque distribution for the internal combustion engine and the electric motor for driving in the case of a hybrid vehicle) and braking operation to achieve acceleration/deceleration and driving speed such that the speed of the vehicle in question becomes the set speed or, when there is a previous vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle in question and the preceding vehicle becomes a constant distance. Additionally or alternatively, when the autonomous steering control function is used to perform lane keeping control to detect traffic signs of the lane in which the subject vehicle is traveling (also hereinafter referred to as the lane of the subject vehicle) and control the driving position of the vehicle, the vehicle in question in the road width direction, such that the vehicle in question is moving, for example, in the center of the lane of the vehicle in question, or when a lane change assist function, an overtaking assistance function, or a route assistance function are used for the object to perform automatic lane change control such as overtaking a preceding vehicle or changing direction of travel, or when the right or left turn assist function is used to control traffic to turn right or left at an intersection and the steering of the vehicle in question is performed by controlling the operation of the steering drive in addition to the operation of the drive mechanism and t Braking operation to achieve acceleration/deceleration and driving speed. The driving control device 17 controls the movement of the subject vehicle in accordance with instructions from the control device 18, which will be described below. Any of the other known methods can also be used as the motion control method performed by the driving control device 17.

[0019]

The control device 18 consists of a read-only memory (ROM) that stores programs for controlling the movement of the vehicle in question, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes the programs stored in the ROM, and a random access memory (RAM) that serves as an accessible storage device. As a replacement for or in addition to the CPU, a microprocessor (MPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like may be used as the operating circuit.

[0020]

The control device 18 executes programs stored in the ROM using the CPU (processor), thereby providing a driving information acquisition function for obtaining information regarding the driving state of the vehicle in question, and an autonomous driving control function for autonomously controlling driving speed and/or steering control of the subject vehicle (the autonomous driving control function includes an autonomous speed control function for autonomously controlling the driving speed of the subject vehicle and an autonomous steering control function for autonomously controlling the steering of the subject vehicle).

[0021]

The motion information acquisition function of the control device 18 is a function used to obtain motion information regarding the motion state of the subject vehicle. For example, the control device 18 uses the motion information acquisition function to obtain, as motion information, images of the external environment around the vehicle captured by the front camera and rear camera included in the sensors 11, and/or detection results by the front radar, rear radar and side radars. included in the sensors 11. Additionally or alternatively, the control device 18 uses a motion information acquisition function to obtain, as motion information, vehicle speed information of the actual vehicle in question detected by the vehicle speed sensor included in the sensors 11, and /or driver's face image information captured by the on-board camera included in the sensors 11.

[0022]

Additionally or alternatively, the control device 18 uses a motion information acquisition function to obtain, as traffic information, current location information of the subject vehicle from the subject vehicle location determination device 12. Additionally or alternatively, the control device 18 uses a traffic information acquisition function to obtain, as traffic information, information about the location of curved routes and the size of the curve (for example, curvature or radius of curvature), merge points, branch points, toll points driveways, locations where the number of lanes is reduced, service areas (SA)/parking areas (PA), etc. from the map database 13. In addition, the control device 18 uses the traffic information acquisition function to obtain as traffic information information about work with on-board equipment 14 performed by the driver from on-board equipment 14.

[0023]

Here, the motion information acquisition function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the cartographic database 13 and the control device 18. The control device 18 has a first memory 18a, a second memory 18b, a data acquisition unit 18c, and a motion control unit 18d. The first memory 18a is a memory that temporarily stores data obtained from the map database 13. The capacity of the first memory 18a is smaller than the memory capacity of the map database 13. The second memory 18b is a memory that temporarily stores data obtained from the first memory 18a . The capacity of the second memory 18b is smaller than the capacity of the first memory 18a.

[0024]

The data collection unit 18c is a travel information collection function function block. The data acquisition unit 18c stores and deletes data for the first memory 18a and the second memory 18b. In addition, the data acquisition unit 18c obtains data required for autonomous driving from the data stored in the second memory 18b according to the driving state of the subject vehicle, and outputs the obtained data to the driving control unit 18d. The motion control unit 18d is a function block of the autonomous motion control function.

[0025]

The map database 13 stores data about a specific area, for example, throughout Japan. Data stored in the map database 13 is used to find a route in the navigation system. The data acquisition unit 18c stores in the first memory 18a information about a road within a predetermined range relative to the current location of the subject vehicle among the map information stored in the map database 13 . For example, the data acquisition unit 18c stores in the first memory 18a traffic information from the current location of the subject vehicle to a predetermined distance (eg, 2 km) ahead. The vehicle information stored in the first memory 18a includes information about the lane center line, lane mark (white line), speed limit, sign, etc.

[0026]

In addition, the data acquisition unit 18c stores in the second memory 18b traffic information within a predetermined range relative to the current location of the subject vehicle among the traffic information stored in the first memory 18a. For example, the data acquisition unit 18c stores in the second memory 18b traffic information from the current location of the subject vehicle to a predetermined distance (eg, 1 km) ahead. When traffic information from the current location of the subject vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead is stored in the first memory 18a and the second memory 18b, the predetermined distance for storage in the second memory 18b is shorter than that for storage in the first memory 18a.

[0027]

The data acquisition unit 18c obtains only the traffic information required for autonomous driving from the traffic information stored in the second memory 18b, and outputs the obtained traffic information to the traffic control unit 18d. In this operation, when the driving path of the vehicle may be limited to a plurality of lanes, the data acquisition unit 18c selectively obtains traffic information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling and outputs the obtained traffic information to the traffic control unit. 18d. In other words, when the driving path of the vehicle may be limited to a plurality of traffic lanes, the data acquisition unit 18c retrieves the traffic information stored in the second memory 18b and outputs the retrieved traffic information to the traffic control unit 18d.

[0028]

The data collection unit 18c limits the vehicle's roadway from a plurality of lanes depending on the driver's actions and/or the driving route. For example, under the condition that the road splits in front of the current location of the subject vehicle, when the driver operates the turn signals to flash the left-side turn signals, the data acquisition unit 18c limits the left-side road from the split roads.

[0029]

The description will be made for an exemplary case in which the traffic route is set in such a way that vehicles exit the boundary of a toll plaza from a highway and are directed onto a public road, and the vehicle in question is approaching an interchange. In such a case, when the driver turns on the turn signals before the lane change portion to enter a spur road (a road separated from the main road and connected to a toll plaza), the vehicle's travel path may be restricted. The road information for the main road and the road information for the branch road are stored in the second memory 18b, and the data acquisition unit 18c selectively obtains the road information for the branch road using the turn signal trigger and outputs the selected road information to the traffic control unit 18d.

[0030]

Thus, when a road branches in front of the current location of the subject vehicle and the road for the subject vehicle to travel may be limited based on the driving state of the vehicle, the driver's steering, the driving route, etc., the data acquisition unit 18c selectively obtains road information and outputs it to the motion control unit 18d. Lane traffic information not related to the autonomous control of the subject vehicle is not input to the traffic control unit 18d, but traffic information necessary for the autonomous control of the subject vehicle is input, and the computation load in the traffic control unit 18d can therefore be reduced.

[0031]

The autonomous driving control function of the control device 18 is a function used for autonomously controlling the movement of the subject vehicle without depending on the actions of the driver, and includes an autonomous speed control function used for autonomously controlling the driving speed of the subject vehicle, and an autonomous steering control function , used for autonomous steering control of the vehicle in question. The autonomous speed control function and the autonomous steering control function of the present embodiment will be described below.

[0032]

"Autonomous speed control function"

Autonomous speed control function is a function used when detecting the preceding vehicle to move, to follow the preceding vehicle when performing inter-vehicle distance control, so as to maintain the distance between vehicles according to the speed of the vehicle with the upper limit of the vehicle speed, which is set by the driver and is also a function used when detecting the absence of a preceding vehicle to carry out a constant speed drive at the vehicle speed set by the driver. The former is also called vehicle distance control and the latter is constant speed control. The autonomous speed control function may include a function used when a lane speed limit is detected using a traffic information acquisition function to automatically adopt the speed of the speed limit sign as the set speed of the vehicle.

[0033]

To activate the autonomous speed control function, the driver first operates the resume/accelerate switch 162 or the set/coast switch 163 of the input device 16 illustrated in FIG. 2 to enter the desired driving speed. For example, when the set/coast switch 163 is pressed while the subject vehicle is moving at a speed of 70 km/h, the current driving speed is set without any change, but if the speed desired by the driver is 80 km/h, the resume switch 162/ acceleration button can be pressed several times to increase the set speed. On the contrary, if the speed desired by the driver is 60 km/h, the set/coast switch 163 can be pressed multiple times to decrease the set speed. The vehicle distance required by the driver can be selected, for example, from a plurality of setting steps such as short distance/middle distance/long distance by operating the vehicle distance adjustment switch 165 of the input device 16 illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0034]

In constant speed driving, the driving control device 17 controls the operation of the driving mechanism such as the motor and the brake while using sensors 11 such as the front radar that detects an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle to detect that there is no vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle. his lane and when transmitting back the vehicle speed data received by the vehicle speed sensor to maintain the driving speed set by the driver.

[0035]

When controlling the distance between vehicles, the driving control device 17 controls the operation of the driving mechanism, such as the engine and the brake, while using sensors 11, such as the front radar, which detects an obstacle ahead of the vehicle in question, to detect that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the vehicle in question in its lane and detects the distance between vehicles (the preceding vehicle in this case is the vehicle located directly in front of the vehicle in question) and when sending data about the distance between vehicles is detected by the sensors 11 (front radar) to maintain distance between vehicles set by the driver, with an upper speed limit set by the driver. If the preceding vehicle stops while the subject vehicle is moving under vehicle spacing control, the subject vehicle also stops following the preceding vehicle, and if the preceding vehicle moves away within 30 seconds after the subject vehicle stops, the subject vehicle also starts moving. to re-follow the preceding vehicle using a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control system. If the subject vehicle stops for more than 30 seconds, that vehicle does not start automatically or autonomously, even when the preceding vehicle starts, and after the preceding vehicle starts, the subject vehicle starts moving to follow the preceding vehicle again by controlling the distance between the vehicles when the resume/accelerate switch 162 or the accelerator pedal is pressed.

[0036]

"Autonomous steering function"

The autonomous steering control function is a function used to control the operation of the steering actuator, thereby performing steering control of the vehicle in question. This autonomous steering control function includes: a lane keeping function (lane keeping function), in which the steering is controlled to move, for example, close to the center of the lane to assist the driver in steering; a lane change assist function in which, when the driver operates the swing arm, the steering is controlled in such a way as to assist the steering wheel operation required to change lanes; overtaking assist function, in which, when a vehicle ahead is detected whose speed is lower than the set speed, the display is used to confirm to the driver whether to carry out the overtaking operation, and when the driver presses the overtaking switch, the steering is controlled to assist in overtaking; a route assistance function in which, when the driver enters a destination into a navigation device or similar device and arrives at the lane change point required to follow the route, the display is used to confirm to the driver whether and when to make a lane change The driver operates the take-over switch, the steering is controlled to assist with lane changes; and other functions.

[0037]

The route assist function is a function used when a driving route to a destination is set to control the steering, vehicle speed and turn signals to guide the vehicle along the route. FIG. 4A is a diagram for describing driving paths and target points when driving from a main road to a spur lane with a branch road. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating part of the motion paths and target points of FIG. 4A. In 4A and 4B, the X-axis represents a coordinate axis in the transverse direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle, and the Y-axis represents a coordinate axis in the driving direction of the vehicle on the main road.

[0038]

A description will be made for the route assistance function, for example, when the driving route is set to drive at an interchange from the main road of an expressway to a toll road through a spur lane. As shown in FIG. 4A Lane A is a branch lane connecting the main road to the toll plaza. The main road includes lanes B and C, and lane C is the overtaking lane.

[0039]

When a destination is set by a user or the like, the control device 180 calculates a driving route to the destination. The control device 180 performs a lane keeping function and a lane changing function for driving along a driving route. The control device 180 performs each function based on information recognized from the camera image and map information stored in the database 13 . The information recognized from the camera image represents the actual driving environment, and therefore, when lane signs can be recognized from the camera image, the control device 180 preferably uses the information recognized from the camera image to autonomously control the vehicle. On the spur road shown in FIG. 4A, a dotted boundary line is drawn between the main road and the branch lane, but many vehicles traveling from the main road to the branch lane cross this boundary line, so part of the boundary line has disappeared, and the traffic lanes may not be recognized from the camera image. Additionally or alternatively, the shape of the interchange varies depending on the location, and the road shape of the spur lane is complex; Therefore, lane signs may not be recognized in the camera image when driving on a branch road. To navigate a traffic route in an area where lane signs cannot be recognized, control device 180 autonomously controls the vehicle based on map information stored in database 13 .

[0040]

In the present embodiment, a region in which a feature to be recognized for autonomous driving, such as a lane sign and/or an obstacle, but which cannot be recognized from the camera image, is pre-specified as an unrecognized region. The unrecognized area is an area in which the external situation of the vehicle cannot be recognized from the camera image. Information about the size and location of the unrecognized area is previously stored in the map database 13. The control device 180 accesses the map database 13 to determine whether there is an unrecognized area on the driving route calculated in the vehicle. When there is an unrecognized zone on the driving route, the vehicle must drive in the unrecognized zone. In the unrecognized area, the lane keeping function cannot operate using information recognized from the camera image, and therefore the control device 180 performs the lane keeping function and/or the lane changing function using the road information stored in the map database as replacement for the camera image. That is, when the vehicle is not moving in the unrecognized area, the control device 180 autonomously controls the vehicle using information recognized from the camera image, while when the vehicle is moving in the unrecognized area, the control device 180 autonomously controls the vehicle using road information stored in a map database instead of a camera image.

[0041]

When switching from autonomous control based on camera image (hereinafter also referred to as camera control) to autonomous control based on map information (also referred to as map control hereinafter), if autonomous control is switched after confirming that an object located in front of the vehicle is not possible recognized from the camera image, the range of vehicle behavior can become large. Autonomous vehicle control involves setting target points on the vehicle's trajectory and controlling the steering so that the vehicle's location intersects the target points. The driving path of the vehicle is calculated by calculation, and when a camera image is used, for example, the center line between the recognized right and left lane marks is set as the driving path (target path) of the vehicle. On the other hand, when map information is used, the center line of a traffic lane included in the map information is specified as a vehicle path. Each target point is set at a location separated from the current location of the subject vehicle by a predetermined driving time (eg, 1.25 seconds). When the deviation between the lane markers recognized from the camera image and the lane markers stored in the map information is large, the deviation of the target points is also large. Therefore, when switching the information used for autonomous control from camera control information to map control information after confirming that the function is not recognized from the camera image, the range of vehicle behavior may become large due to the delay in switching the autonomous control mode and/or deviation from target points.

[0042]

In the present embodiment, the unrecognized area is predetermined, and when autonomous control of the vehicle is performed, the autonomous control based on the camera image is switched to the autonomous control based on map information before the vehicle enters the unrecognized area.

[0043]

In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the control device 180 indicates a predetermined area R including a branch road as an unrecognized area. Unrecognized zone A includes at least the boundary line between the main road and the lane, as well as part of the branch lane.

[0044]

The control device 180 sets a lane change starting point P because it is necessary to change a lane from a main road to a branch lane on a road with an interchange branch. The lane change initiation point is the point at which the steering is engaged so that the vehicle moves laterally (laterally). When the subject vehicle is moving in lane B, the control device 180 sets the lane change starting point P in lane B. The lane change starting point P is set to a location in front of the point O where the branch lane begins, by a predetermined distance. When the subject vehicle is moving in lane B, the lane change start point P is set in lane B. When the subject vehicle is moving in lane C, the corresponding lane change start points are set in lane B and lane C. In the direction of travel of the vehicle, the distance from The lane change starting point set in Lane C to the lane change starting point set in Lane B is set to be greater than the distance from the lane change starting point set in Lane B to the point O where the branch begins. When a vehicle is traveling in passing lane C, it is necessary to change lanes twice before driving in the spur lane, and therefore a longer predetermined distance is provided to set the start point of the lane change in lane C so that the lane change can be made. have a reserve.

[0045]

The control device 180 sets the intention confirmation point Q to confirm the user's intention to change lanes at a location before the lane change start point P by a predetermined distance. At the moment when the subject vehicle reaches the intention confirmation point Q, the control device 180 makes a confirmation as to whether the driver should change lanes through a display. When the driver operates the receive switch, the data acquisition unit 18c of the control device 180 receives road information of lane A, which is a branch lane, and does not receive road information of lanes B and C. Alternatively, the driver operates the turn signals in the same direction as the direction lane change, the data acquisition unit 18c of the control device 180 obtains the road information of lane A, which is a branch lane, and does not receive the road information of lanes B and C. The time point at which the data acquisition unit 18c of the control device 180 obtains the road information lane A, may be at the moment the turn indicators begin to flash or otherwise after the turn indicators begin to flash. The blinking of the direction indicators starts at the moment when the subject vehicle reaches the starting point P of the lane change, and therefore the data acquisition unit 18c of the control device 180 can obtain lane A information in connection with the blinking of the direction indicators.

[0046]

On the other hand, when the driver does not operate the acceptance switch or when the driver turns on the turn signals in the direction opposite to the lane change direction, it is determined that there is no intention to change lanes, and the data acquisition unit 18c of the control device 180 obtains the road information of lanes B and C included in the main road and does not receive lane A road information. Lane B is included in the same road as the road the vehicle is currently on. trips.

[0047]

The control device 180 uses the lane keeping function to recognize lane markers in the camera image and then controls the steering to move closer to the center of lane B. Then, when the intention to change lanes is confirmed and the subject vehicle reaches the lane change initiation point P, control device 180 uses the lane change assist function to recognize lane markers in the camera image, then calculates a driving path for a lane change and controls the steering so that the vehicle's location passes through target points on the driving path. This allows the vehicle to move laterally so that the distance between the vehicle's current location and the lanes on the right side increases.

[0048]

While camera control is being executed, control device 180 sets a control switching point on the branch road in preparation for switching from camera control to map control. The control switching point is set, for example, at the intersection point between the center line between the right and left lane markers recognized from the camera image (or an extension line obtained by extending the center line) and the center line of the lane. included in the cartographic information (traffic lane including branch lane) (or extension line obtained by extending the center line). Alternatively, the control switching point is set to a location where the deviation is less than a predetermined length between the center line between the right and left lane markers recognized from the camera image (or an extension line obtained by extending the center line) and the center line of the lane, included in the cartographic information (strip including branch strip) (or continuation line obtained by extending the center line). The control switching point is set at a location outside the unrecognized area and on the center line of band B. In the example of FIG. 4A, the control switching point is set to the location of the lane change start point P. When the vehicle reaches the control switching point P (lane change start point P), the control device 180 switches from camera control to map control. After switching from the camera control to the map control, the autonomous control of the vehicle is performed such that the vehicle moves along the center line of the lane included in the traffic information A, and the vehicle moves along the branch lane.

[0049]

While the vehicle is moving in the unrecognized area or after the vehicle has passed through the unrecognized area, the control device 180 calculates the switching time from the map control to the camera control. While driving in an unrecognized area or after passing through an unrecognized area, the control device 180 calculates a target point (also referred to hereinafter as the first target point) using the camera image. When the lane marks cannot be stably recognized from the camera image in the unrecognized area, the first target point is calculated after reaching a state in which the lane marks can be recognized. In addition, the control device 180 calculates the target point (hereinafter also referred to as the second target point) using information about the road A. Then, when the difference between the first target point and the second target point becomes a predetermined value or less, the control device 180 switches from the map control to control the camera.

[0050]

As shown in FIG. 4B, the CL curve represents the driving path calculated from the camera image, and the ML curve represents the driving path calculated from the map information (traffic information A). The first target point C is represented by location (Xc, Yc), and the second target point M is represented by location (XM, YM). Assuming that the current location of the vehicle is the origin, the angle (θC) formed between the X-axis and the line segment connecting the origin and the first target point C is calculated. Additionally, also assuming that the current location of the vehicle is the origin , the angle (θM) formed between the X-axis and the line segment connecting the origin point and the second target point M is calculated. The angles (θC, θM) are calculated using the following equations (1) and (2).

[Equation 1]

[Equation 2]

[0051]

By subtracting the angle (θM) from the angle (θC), the difference between the first target point and the second target point is calculated. The difference is calculated as an absolute value. The calculated difference is then compared to a preset threshold (Δθth). That is, the control device 180 determines whether the condition of the following equation (3) is satisfied or not.

[Equation 3]

[0052]

When the absolute value of the calculated difference does not exceed a threshold value (Δθth), the control device 180 switches from map control to camera control and autonomously controls the vehicle so that the location of the vehicle intersects the first target point.

[0053]

In the example in FIG. 4B, the difference between the angle (θC1) calculated for the first target point C1 and the angle (θM1) calculated for the second target point M1 is greater than the threshold value (Δθth). Accordingly, at the moment when the second target point M1 is calculated, the control device 180 continues the mapping control. The difference between the angle (θC2) calculated for the first target point C2 and the angle (θM2) calculated for the second target point M2 is less than the threshold value (Δθth). Accordingly, at the moment when the subject vehicle passes the first target point C2, the control device 180 switches from map control to camera control. With this operation, it is possible to prevent the vehicle's behavior range from increasing when switching from map control to camera control.

[0054]

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the transition between states of each function installed in the control device 18. In the figure, the system means an autonomous motion control system implemented by the control device 18. When the main switch 161 in FIG. 2 is turned on from the system OFF state shown in the figure, the system enters the standby state. From this standby state, autonomous speed control is activated by turning on the set/coast switch 163 or the resume/accelerate switch 162 of FIG. 2. This allows the above-described constant speed control or distance control between vehicles to begin, and the driver can control the vehicle in question by simply operating the steering wheel without pressing the accelerator or brake.

[0055]

During the execution of autonomous speed control, when condition (1) in FIG. 5 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering mode/manual mode. Examples of condition (1) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which all of the following conditions are met: traffic signs are detected on both sides of the subject vehicle; the driver holds the steering wheel; the vehicle is moving in the center of the lane; The turn indicators do not work; The windshield wiper does not operate at high speed (HI); and when a high-precision map is provided, there is no checkpoint, exit point, merge point, intersection or point where the number of lanes decreases within approximately 200 m ahead. Manual mode refers to a mode in which autonomous steering control does not operate unless the driver is holding the steering wheel, while driverless mode refers to a mode in which autonomous steering control operates even when the driver releases the steering wheel.

[0056]

During the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering mode/manual mode, when condition (2) in FIG. 5 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering mode/driverless mode. Examples of condition (2) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which all of the following conditions are met: the vehicle in question is moving on a highway; the vehicle is moving on a road that is structurally separated from the oncoming lane; the vehicle is moving on a road for which a highly accurate map has been prepared; the vehicle is moving at a speed not higher than the set speed; GPS signals are effective; the driver holds the steering wheel; the driver looks forward; there is no road gate, exit ramp, merge point, intersection or point where the number of lanes decreases within 800 m ahead; there is no sharp turn of 100R or less within 500 m ahead; the vehicle does not move through a tunnel more than 500 m from the tunnel entrance; and the accelerator pedal is not pressed.

[0057]

On the contrary, during the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering mode/driverless mode, when condition (3) in FIG. 5 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering mode/manual mode. Examples of condition (3) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: the vehicle in question is traveling on a road other than a highway; the vehicle is moving on a two-way road; the vehicle is moving on a road for which a high-precision map has not been prepared; the vehicle is moving at a speed higher than the set speed; GPS signals are no longer received; the driver does not turn to face forward within 5 seconds after the forward gaze alarm is triggered; The driver monitor camera can no longer detect the driver; within 800 m ahead there is any road gate, exit point, merge point, intersection or point where the number of lanes decreases; when driving at a vehicle speed of less than approximately 40 km/h, there is a sharp turn of 100R or less within approximately 200 m ahead; When driving at a speed of about 40 km/h or more, there is a sharp turn of 170R or less ahead at a distance of about 200 m; the vehicle moves through a tunnel more than 500 m from the tunnel entrance; the driver pressed the accelerator pedal while holding the steering wheel; and the approaching alarm went off.

[0058]

During the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering mode/driverless mode, when condition (4) in FIG. 5 is executed, the autonomous steering control is terminated and switches to the autonomous speed control. Examples of condition (4) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: traffic signs on both sides of the subject vehicle are no longer detected for a certain period of time; the driver controlled the steering wheel; and the windshield wiper was operating at high speed (HI). During the lane keeping mode in the autonomous steering mode/driverless mode, when condition (5) in FIG. 5, Autonomous steering control and autonomous speed control stop and enter the standby state. Examples of condition (5) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: the driver has applied the brake; the driver has operated the cancel switch 164 of FIG. 2; one or more doors of the vehicle in question opened; The driver's seat belt was released; the seat sensor has detected that the driver is no longer in the driver's seat; the selector lever has moved to a location other than "D" or "M"; the parking brake is applied; the vehicle's anti-skid braking system is turned off; the anti-skid braking system has been activated; snow mode enabled; the emergency brake was activated; the stopped state continues for about 3 minutes after the vehicle stops due to vehicle speed control; the front camera has detected poor visibility, such as inability to correctly recognize an object due to dirt, backlight, rain/fog and the like; the forward radar has detected shielding or radio interference; the forward radar detected an axis deviation; side radar detected shielding or radio interference; and the side radar detected an axis deviation.

[0059]

During the execution of the autonomous steering mode/manual mode, when condition (6) in FIG. 5 is executed, the autonomous steering control is terminated and switches to the autonomous speed control. Examples of condition (6) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: traffic signs on both sides of the subject vehicle are no longer detected; the driver controlled the steering wheel; the driver turned on the direction indicators; the windshield wiper operated at high speed (HI); the vehicle arrived at the toll station while a high-precision map was being drawn up; and the front camera has detected poor visibility, such as the inability to correctly recognize an object due to dirt, backlight, rain/fog, etc. During the execution of the autonomous steering mode/manual mode, when condition (7) in FIG. 5, Autonomous steering control and autonomous speed control stop and enter the standby state. Examples of condition (7) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: the driver has applied the brake; the driver has operated the cancel switch 164 of FIG. 2; one or more doors of the vehicle in question opened; The driver's seat belt was released; the seat sensor has detected that the driver is no longer in the driver's seat; the selector lever has moved to a location other than "D" or "M"; the parking brake is applied; the vehicle's anti-skid braking system is turned off; the anti-skid braking system has been activated; snow mode enabled; the emergency brake has been activated; the stopped state continues for about 3 minutes after the vehicle stops due to vehicle speed control; the forward radar has detected shielding or radio interference; and the forward radar detected an axis deviation.

[0060]

During the execution of autonomous speed control, when condition (8) in FIG. 5 is executed, control goes into the standby state. Examples of condition (8) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: the driver has applied the brake; the driver has operated the cancel switch 164 of FIG. 2; one or more doors of the vehicle in question opened; The driver's seat belt was released; the seat sensor has detected that the driver is no longer in the driver's seat; the selector lever has moved to a location other than "D" or "M"; the parking brake is applied; the vehicle's anti-skid braking system is turned off; the anti-skid braking system has been activated; snow mode enabled; the emergency brake has been activated; the stopped state continues for about 3 minutes after the vehicle stops due to vehicle speed control; the forward radar has detected shielding or radio interference; and the forward radar detected an axis deviation.

[0061]

During the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering mode/driverless mode, when condition (9) in FIG. 5, the mode enters the lane change mode of autonomous steering mode/manual mode. Examples of condition (9) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: when the system proposed a lane change, the driver pressed the lane change assist switch 166 of FIG. 2; and the driver turned on the turn signals.

[0062]

During the execution of the lane change mode of the autonomous steering mode/manual mode, when condition (10) in FIG. 5 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering mode/manual mode. Examples of condition (10) include, but are not limited to, a condition in which any of the following conditions are satisfied: the speed limit was exceeded before the lane change execution (hereinafter abbreviated as LCP); the driver pressed the accelerator pedal while holding the steering wheel until the LCP started; The LCP can no longer be started within 10 seconds after the lane change assist switch 166 is pressed during a lane change suggestion when there is a slow moving vehicle ahead; The LCP can no longer be started and the vehicle has come too close to the branch point after pressing the lane change assist switch 166 while suggesting a lane change for route driving; Lane Change Maneuver (hereinafter abbreviated as LCM) can no longer be initiated within 5 seconds of LCP activation; the vehicle speed fell below 50 km/h after LCP was started and before LCM was started; there is no longer space in the adjacent lane to change lanes after operating the LCP and before starting the LCM; the driver performed a cancel operation before starting the LCM; road signs can no longer be detected before LCM starts; before running the LCM, it has been determined that there is no adjacent lane in the direction of the lane change or that there will be no adjacent lane at a certain distance ahead; before starting the LCM, it was determined that there is a curve ahead at a certain distance with a radius of curvature of 250 m or less; before running the LCM, it was determined that at a certain distance ahead there is a section where the type of lane marking prohibits changing lanes to the adjacent lane; side radar detected shielding or radio interference before LCM triggered; the side radar detected an axis deviation before the LCM was triggered; manual alarm activated (this condition is set when one of the following conditions is met: the driver does not hold the steering wheel for approximately 2 seconds after the LCP is activated; the driver does not hold the steering wheel for approximately 2 seconds after pressing the lane change assist switch 166 during a lane change suggestion when there is a slow moving vehicle ahead; and the driver does not hold the steering wheel for about 2 seconds after pressing the lane change assist switch 166 during a lane change suggestion for route driving); the driver turned off the direction indicators; and the LCP was completed.

[0063]

The system is turned off when the main switch 161 is turned off in any of the autonomous steering/driverless mode, autonomous steering/manual mode, autonomous speed control and standby state.

[0064]

Next, the motion control process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. from 6a to 6c. Fig. 6A to 6C are flowcharts illustrating a motion control process according to the present embodiment. The control device 18 carries out the motion control process, which will be described below, at predetermined time intervals. The following description will be made under the assumption that the control device 18 uses the autonomous driving control function to perform autonomous speed control and autonomous steering control, and the subject vehicle is traveling on a route that requires a lane change to follow the driving route due to approaching interchange, when the lane keeping control for controlling the moving position of the subject vehicle in the width direction is performed such that the subject vehicle moves along the lane at a speed that is set by the driver.

[0065]

First, in step S1 of FIG. 6A, determining whether the main switch 161 of the control device 18 is turned on, and when the main switch 161 is turned off, step S1 is repeated until the main switch 161 is turned on. When the main switch 161 is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined whether the driving speed has been set by the driver. If the driving speed is not set, the process returns to step S1, from which steps S1 and S2 are repeated until the driving speed is set. Setting the driving speed is performed by the driver operating the resume/accelerate switch 162 or the set/coast switch 163 of the input device 16 illustrated in FIG. 2 to enter the desired driving speed.

[0066]

When the driving speed is set, autonomous speed control starts. In step S3, a front radar (among the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle is used to determine whether and when there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle in its lane. vehicle, the process proceeds to step S4 in which distance control between vehicles is performed, while when there is no preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S5 in which constant speed control is performed. This allows the driver to drive the vehicle in question at the desired speed by simply operating the steering wheel without pressing the accelerator or brake.

[0067]

While performing the vehicle distance control in step S4 or the constant speed control in step S5, a determination is made in step S6 whether the above-described condition (1) for entering the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering/manual mode is satisfied. When condition (1) is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S7, and when condition (1) is not satisfied, the process returns to step S2.

[0068]

In step S7, a front radar (from among the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle is used to determine whether there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle in its lane, and when there is a preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S8, in which the vehicle distance control/lane keeping mode is executed, while in the absence of the preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S9, in which the constant speed control/lane keeping mode is executed. completed. Autonomous control in step S8 or S9 is control based on the camera image.

[0069]

While the vehicle distance control/lane keeping mode in step S8 or the constant speed control/lane keeping mode in step S9 is executed, determination is made in the subsequent step S10 in FIG. 6B regarding whether the destination is set. If the destination is not set, the process returns to step S2 in FIG. 6A. When the destination is set, the process proceeds to step S11, in which route assistance is performed. With route assistance, when it is necessary to change lanes in order to travel along the traffic route, a lane change initiation point and an intention confirmation point are established to confirm the intention to change lanes. At step S12, a reference is made to the map information stored in the map database 13, and an unrecognized area is indicated on the driving route. In this operation, when the lane change starting point is included in the unrecognized area, the lane change starting point is again set to be outside the unrecognized area. In step S13, it is determined whether the current location of the vehicle has reached the intention confirmation point, and when the current location of the vehicle has not reached the intention confirmation point, the process returns to step S11, while when the current location of the vehicle has reached the intention confirmation point, the display displays display screen to confirm the driver's intention as to whether to perform a lane change or not.

[0070]

In step S14, it is determined whether there is an intention to change lanes. When the driver operates the receive switch after displaying the display, it is determined that there is an intention to change lanes, and the process proceeds to step S15, while when the receive switch is not operated, it is determined that there is no intention to change lanes, and the process goes to step S19.

[0071]

In step S15, it is determined whether the lane change condition is satisfied or not. The lane change condition is the state (9) illustrated in FIG. 5. However, when condition (9) in FIG. 5 includes a condition that lane signs are recognized and a condition that the adjacent lane includes space required for changing lanes, these conditions are excluded from the lane changing condition to be set in the determination process in step S15. When the lane change condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S16, and when the lane change condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S19.

[0072]

In step S16, it is determined whether the current location of the vehicle has reached the starting point of the lane change, and when the current location of the vehicle has reached the starting point of the lane change, the process proceeds to step S17, while when the current location of the vehicle has not reached the starting point lane change, the process returns to step S16. When the vehicle moves so as not to follow the driving route before reaching the start point of the lane change (for example, when the vehicle moves into a traffic lane adjacent to the current lane), the process proceeds to step S19.

[0073]

At step S17, the control device 180 starts flashing the direction indicators. In step S18, the control device 180 obtains road information for lane A, which is a branch lane, among the road information stored in the second memory 18b, and the process proceeds to step S20. In the case where the branch lane information has already been acquired, when the current location of the vehicle reaches the intention confirmation point or the starting point of the lane change, the road information of lane A located in front of the branch lane for which the information has already been acquired is acquired. In step S19, the control device 180 obtains the road information of lanes B and C, which are included in the main road, among the road information stored in the second memory 18b, and the process returns to step S2 in FIG. 6A.

[0074]

In step S20, the camera image-based autonomous control is switched to the map information-based autonomous control, and lane change assistance is performed. Lane change assistance in step S20 is carried out manually. In map-based autonomous driving, M target points are calculated using the road information of lane A, and the steering is controlled so that the vehicle passes the M target points. During map-based autonomous driving, the calculation of M target points is performed repeatedly in a predetermined cycle, and the steering is controlled so that the vehicle passes each of the calculated target points M.

[0075]

In step S21, it is determined whether the lane marks can be recognized from the camera image, and when the lane marks can be recognized, the process proceeds to step S22, while when the lane marks cannot be recognized, the process returns to step S20. The determination in step S21 may be performed, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time at which the camera image-based autonomous control was switched to the map information-based autonomous control. The duration of the predetermined time may be set equal to or greater than the duration of time from the start to completion of the lane change. In step S22, target points C and M are calculated. That is, each target point C is calculated in addition to each target point M. In step S23, angles (θC, θM) are calculated. In step S24, a difference (|θC-θM|) between the first target point and the second target point is calculated, and it is determined whether the calculated difference (|θC-θM|) is a threshold (Δθth) or less. When the difference (|θC-θM|) is a threshold value (Δθth) or less, the map information-based autonomous control is switched to the camera image-based autonomous control (S29). In the example in FIG. 4A, the lane change on the branch road is completed, and while the vehicle is moving on the branch lane, the map information-based autonomous control is switched to the camera image-based autonomous control.

[0076]

When the difference (|θC-θM|) is larger than the threshold value (Δθth), in step S26, it is determined whether the state in which the difference (|θC-θM|) exceeds the threshold value (Δθth) continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 Seconds). When the predetermined time (eg, 10 seconds) has not elapsed, the process returns to step S22, while when the predetermined time (eg, 10 seconds) has elapsed, the autonomous steering control is disabled and switched to the driver steering operation. The control flow in step S20 and subsequent steps is performed in a manual mode, and therefore, when the automatic steering control is turned off in step S27, the driver holds the steering wheel, and the driver can smoothly perform the steering operation. When a state in which lane signs can be recognized from the camera image is achieved during the execution of autonomous control based on map information, if the map control switches to camera control in a state in which the difference between the first target point (target point C) and the second target point (target point M) are large, the vehicle's behavior range becomes large. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a state in which the difference between the first target point (target point C) and the second target point (target point M) is large continues for a predetermined time or more, the autonomous steering control is turned off, and In this way, it is possible to prevent the vehicle's behavior range from increasing when changing control.

[0077]

As described above, according to the driving control device 1 and the driving control method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, when an unrecognized area is present on the driving route of the vehicle, the autonomous control based on the map image (corresponding to the "first autonomous control" of the present invention) is switched to autonomous control based on map information (corresponding to the "second autonomous control" of the present invention) before the vehicle enters the unrecognized area. Camera image-based autonomous driving is the autonomous driving of a vehicle using information recognized from a camera image, and map-based autonomous driving is autonomous driving of a vehicle using mapping information stored in a mapping database 13. It can prevent an increase in vehicle behavior range due to deviation of target points when switching autonomous control mode. As a result, it is possible to prevent passengers from feeling discomfort due to the behavior of the vehicle.

[0078]

Moreover, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, when the difference between the first target point and the second target point is a predetermined value or less after switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, the second autonomous control is switched for the first autonomous control. This can prevent the vehicle from increasing its range of behavior when switching from the second autonomous control to the first autonomous control.

[0079]

Moreover, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, when a state in which the difference between the first target point and the second target point is greater than a predetermined value continues for a predetermined time or Moreover, after switching From the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, the autonomous steering control function is disabled. This can prevent the map control from switching to the camera control in a state in which the difference between the first target point and the second target point is large, and the vehicle behavior range can be prevented from increasing.

[0080]

Moreover, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, when the difference between the first target point and the second target point is greater than a predetermined value after switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, the second autonomous control continues . This can prevent the map control from switching to the camera control in a state in which the difference between the first target point and the second target point is large, and the vehicle behavior range can be prevented from increasing.

[Description of designators]

[0081]

1 Motion control device

11 Sensors

12 Device for determining the location of the vehicle in question

13 Cartographic database

14 Onboard equipment

15 Presentation device

16 Input device

161 Main switch

162 Resume/accelerate switch

163 Installation/coasting switch

164 Cancel switch

165 Switch for controlling the distance between vehicles

166 Lane change assist switch

167 Display screen

168 ON button

169 OFF button

17 Driving control device

18 Control device

18a First memory

18b Second memory

18c Data acquisition block

18d Motion control unit

Claims (35)

1. A motion control method for controlling the motion of a vehicle using a processor, the motion control method comprising: autonomously driving the vehicle by using an autonomous speed control function to autonomously control the speed of the vehicle, and an autonomous steering control function to autonomously control the steering of the vehicle; performing a first autonomous control in which the vehicle is autonomously controlled using information recognized from an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle; performing a second autonomous control in which information indicating the external situation of the vehicle is obtained from map information stored on a storage medium provided in the vehicle, and the vehicle is controlled autonomously using the obtained information; characterized in that the first autonomous control is performed when the external situation of the vehicle is recognized from the captured image, and indicating an unrecognized region in which the external situation of the vehicle is not recognized from the captured image; And when there is an unrecognized area on the vehicle's driving route, switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control is performed at a location where the deviation is less than a predetermined length between the center line between the right and left lane markers recognized from the captured image and the center line of the lane included in the map information before the vehicle enters an unrecognized area. 2. The motion control method according to claim 1, containing: calculating a first target point located on the target path of the vehicle using information recognized from the captured image; performing a first autonomous control such that the location of the vehicle intersects the first target point; calculating a second target point located on the target path of the vehicle using information obtained from the mapping information; performing a second autonomous control such that the location of the vehicle intersects a second target point; And when the difference between the first target point and the second target point is a predetermined value or less after switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, switching from the second autonomous control to the first autonomous control. 3. The motion control method according to claim 1 or 2, containing: calculating a first target point located on the target path of the vehicle using information recognized from the captured image; performing a first autonomous control such that the location of the vehicle intersects the first target point; calculating a second target point located on the target path of the vehicle using information obtained from the mapping information; performing a second autonomous control such that the location of the vehicle intersects a second target point; And when a state in which the difference between the first target point and the second target point is greater than a predetermined value continues for a predetermined time or more after switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, disabling the steering autonomous control function. 4. The motion control method according to claim 1 or 2, containing: calculating a first target point located on the target path of the vehicle using information recognized from the captured image; performing a first autonomous control such that the location of the vehicle intersects the first target point; calculating a second target point located on the target path of the vehicle using information obtained from the mapping information; performing a second autonomous control such that the location of the vehicle intersects a second target point; And when the difference between the first target point and the second target point exceeds a predetermined value after switching from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, continuing the second autonomous control. 5. A motion control device comprising: a storage medium configured to store map information; And a controller configured to control the movement of a vehicle, wherein the controller functions to: autonomously control the vehicle by using an autonomous speed control function to autonomously control the speed of the vehicle, and an autonomous steering control function to autonomously control the steering of the vehicle; perform a first autonomous control in which the vehicle is autonomously controlled using information recognized from an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle; perform a second autonomous control in which information indicating the external situation of the vehicle is obtained from map information stored on a storage medium provided in the vehicle, and the vehicle is controlled autonomously using the obtained information; characterized in that the first autonomous control is performed when the external situation of the vehicle is recognized from the captured image, and the controller further functions to indicate an unrecognized region in which the external situation of the vehicle cannot be recognized from the captured image; And when there is an unrecognized area on the vehicle's driving route, switch from the first autonomous control to the second autonomous control, at a location in which the deviation is less than a predetermined length between the center line between the right and left lane marks recognized from the captured image and the center line of the lane included in the map information before the vehicle enters an unrecognized area.

Images