WO2023157607A1

WO2023157607A1 - Autonomous driving control device and autonomous driving control method

Info

Publication number: WO2023157607A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/002601
Authority: WO
Inventors: 拓弥久米; 一輝和泉
Original assignee: 株式会社デンソー
Priority date: 2022-02-16
Filing date: 2023-01-27
Publication date: 2023-08-24

Abstract

An autonomous driving ECU (50b) functions as an autonomous driving control device which enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel by means of an autonomous driving function. The autonomous driving ECU (50b) sets a lane change section (SLC) in which an automatic lane change by autonomous travel control is required, on the basis of a set route to a destination set in the host vehicle (Am) during a travel period under autonomous travel control for which there is no obligation for a driver to monitor the surroundings. The autonomous driving ECU (50b) determines whether an automatic lane change can be executed in the lane change section (SLC) on the basis of at least one among section-related information pertaining to the lane change section (SLC) and control state information indicating the control state of the autonomous travel control. In addition, when it has been determined that an automatic lane change cannot be executed in the lane change section (SLC), the autonomous driving ECU (50b) executes a notification which indicates that an automatic lane change cannot be executed in a travel period under autonomous travel control.

Description

AUTOMATIC OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE AND AUTOMATIC OPERATION CONTROL METHOD

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is based on Patent Application No. 2022-22441 filed in Japan on February 16, 2022 and Patent Application No. 2022-207112 filed in Japan on December 23, 2022, The contents of the underlying application are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The disclosure in this specification relates to control technology for automatic driving.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic driving system that notifies the driver that automatic driving cannot be continued when the surrounding conditions of the vehicle change during automatic driving and it is determined that automatic driving cannot be continued. An operating system is described.

JP 2017-107502 A

Due to recent improvements in automated driving functions, implementation of a function that allows the vehicle to change lanes while maintaining a controlled state in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is being considered. However, when the self-driving system drives the own vehicle along the set route toward the destination, there may be a scene where the automatic lane change cannot be performed even if the continuation of the self-driving is possible. If an appropriate notification is not given in such a scene, there is a risk of impairing the convenience of automatic driving.

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control method that can ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed aspect is an automatic driving control device that enables the own vehicle to travel by the automatic driving function, based on the set route to the destination set for the own vehicle, A section setting section that sets a lane change section that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control that does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings, and section related information related to the lane change section and control state information that indicates the control state of the autonomous driving control. Based on at least one information, a situation determination unit that determines whether the automatic lane change can be performed in the lane change section, and when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, by autonomous driving control and a notification performing unit that performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed during the driving period.

In addition, one disclosed aspect is an automatic driving control method that enables the own vehicle to travel by the automatic driving function, and the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings based on the set route to the destination set in the own vehicle. A lane change section that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control is set, and based on at least one of information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating the control state of autonomous driving control, the lane change section If it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, a notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed during the driving period under autonomous driving control The automatic operation control method includes the step of executing in the processing executed by at least one processing unit.

In these aspects, when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section set based on the set route to the destination, the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is performed by the autonomous driving control. implemented during the period. Therefore, the driver can understand that it is difficult to travel along the set route while the automatic driving is not obliged to monitor the surroundings, and that a countermeasure is required. As a result, it is possible to ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

It should be noted that the reference numbers in parentheses in the claims merely indicate an example of correspondence with specific configurations in the embodiments described later, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. In addition, if there is no particular problem with the combination, it is possible to combine claims that are not explicitly stated in the scope of claims.

1 is a diagram showing an overview of an in-vehicle network including an automatic driving ECU according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. It is a block diagram showing the details of an automatic driving ECU. FIG. 4 is a timing chart for explaining control and display transitions in a driving scene related to a lane change section; 4 is a flowchart showing details of section setting processing for setting a lane change section; 4 is a table showing a correspondence relationship between a control state of automatic driving and a decision as to whether an automatic lane change can be performed. 4 is a flowchart showing details of a first determination process that is performed before entering a lane change section; It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the 2nd judgment process implemented after approaching into the lane change area. FIG. 10 is a table showing the correspondence relationship between the control state of automatic driving and the determination of whether to change the automatic lane in the second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing details of automatic lane change control that is performed in a disappearing merging lane; 9 is a flowchart showing details of first determination processing; 9 is a flowchart showing details of section adjustment processing; It is a flow chart which shows the details of the 1st judgment processing of a third embodiment.

A plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below based on the drawings. Note that redundant description may be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configurations of other embodiments previously described can be applied to other portions of the configuration. Moreover, not only the combinations of the configurations explicitly specified in the description of each embodiment, but also the configurations of a plurality of embodiments can be partially combined even if they are not specified unless there is a particular problem with the combination. Also, unspecified combinations of configurations described in a plurality of embodiments and modifications are also disclosed by the following description.

(First embodiment)
The functions of the automatic driving control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure are realized by an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50b shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The automatic driving ECU 50b is mounted on the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as host vehicle Am) together with the driving support ECU 50a. The automatic driving ECU 50b, the driving support ECU 50a, and the like constitute an automatic driving system 50 for the host vehicle Am. By installing the automatic driving system 50, the own vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle having an automatic driving function, and can travel by the automatic driving function.

The driving assistance ECU 50a is an in-vehicle ECU that implements a driving assistance function that assists the driving operation of the driver in the automatic driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables advanced driving assistance of about level 2 or partial automated driving at the automated driving level defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers of America. The automatic driving performed by the driving support ECU 50a is an automatic driving with a perimeter monitoring duty that requires the driver to visually monitor the perimeter of the vehicle. For example, driving assistance functions such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LTC (Lane Trace Control), and LCA (Lane Change Assist) are implemented by the driving assistance ECU 50a.

The automatic driving ECU 50b is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function that can take over the driving operation of the driver. The automatic driving ECU 50b can implement autonomous driving of level 3 or higher in which the system is the main control. Level 3 automatic driving performed by the automatic driving ECU 50b is an eyes-off automatic driving that does not require monitoring of the surroundings of the vehicle and does not have a duty to monitor the surroundings. Furthermore, level 4 automated driving performed by the automated driving ECU 50b is fully automated driving in which all driving tasks are performed by the system, and brain-off automated driving that does not require the driver to change driving. .

In the automatic driving system 50, the control state of the automatic driving function is switched among a plurality of at least including driving support control with the obligation to monitor the surroundings by the driving support ECU 50a and autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings by the automatic driving ECU 50b. . In the following description, automatic driving control of level 2 or lower by the driving support ECU 50a is described as "driving support control", and automatic driving control of level 3 or higher by the automatic driving ECU 50b is described as "autonomous driving control".

During an automatic driving period in which the own vehicle Am travels under autonomous driving control by the automatic driving ECU 50b, the driver may be permitted to perform a specific action (hereinafter referred to as a second task) other than predetermined driving. The second task is legally permitted to the driver until the automatic driving ECU 50b issues a driving change request in cooperation with an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100, which will be described later. For example, watching entertainment content such as video content, operating a device such as a smartphone, and eating a meal are assumed as second tasks.

The driving support ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b are communicably connected to the communication bus 99 of the in-vehicle network 1 mounted on the host vehicle Am. The communication bus 99 is connected with the surroundings monitoring sensor 30, the locator 35, the navigation ECU 38, the onboard communication device 39, the travel control ECU 40, the body ECU 43, the HCU 100, and the like. These nodes connected to communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Specific nodes of these ECUs and the like may be directly electrically connected to each other, and may be able to communicate without the communication bus 99 .

The driver monitor 29 includes a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit that controls them. The driver monitor 29 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column or the upper surface of the instrument panel, with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest portion of the driver's seat. The driver monitor 29 uses a near-infrared camera to photograph the driver's head irradiated with near-infrared light from the near-infrared light source. An image captured by the near-infrared camera is image-analyzed by the control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the driver's eye point position and line-of-sight direction from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the HCU 100, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the like with the eye point position information and line-of-sight direction information extracted by the control unit as driver status information.

The surroundings monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the surroundings of the own vehicle Am. Perimeter monitoring sensors 30 include, for example, one or more of camera unit 31 , millimeter wave radar 32 , lidar 33 and sonar 34 . The surroundings monitoring sensor 30 can detect a moving object and a stationary object from the detection range around the own vehicle. The surroundings monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the vehicle to the driving support ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the like.

The locator 35 is configured to include a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, and the like. The locator 35 combines the positioning signals received from a plurality of positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, the measurement results of the inertial sensor, the vehicle speed information output to the communication bus 99, etc., and determines the vehicle position and traveling direction of the vehicle Am. Sequential positioning. The locator 35 sequentially outputs the position information and direction information of the own vehicle Am based on the positioning result to the communication bus 99 as locator information.

The locator 35 further has a map database (hereinafter referred to as map DB) 36 that stores map data. The map DB 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium storing a large amount of 3D map data and 2D map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map and includes road information necessary for automatic driving. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional shape information of roads, detailed information of each lane, and the like. The locator 35 can update the 3D map data and the 2D map data to the latest information through external communication by the vehicle-mounted communication device 39 . The locator 35 reads map data around the current position from the map DB 36, and provides the driving support ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the like together with the locator information.

The navigation ECU 38 acquires destination information specified by a passenger such as a driver based on operation information acquired from the HCU 100 . The navigation ECU 38 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 35 and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 provides the driving support ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like with route information indicating the set route to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 cooperates with the HMI system 10 to provide route guidance to the destination by combining screen displays, voice messages, etc., and notifies the driver of the traveling direction of the own vehicle Am at intersections, junctions, and the like.

Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network 1 or the HCU 100. Instead of the locator 35, such a user terminal may provide the vehicle position information, direction information, map data, and the like to the driving support ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the like. Further, instead of the navigation ECU 38, the user terminal may provide route information to the destination to the driving support ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like.

The in-vehicle communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the own vehicle Am and functions as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 39 transmits and receives information by wireless communication to and from a roadside device installed on the side of the road. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives traffic congestion information and traffic control information around the current position and traveling direction of the own vehicle Am from the roadside device. The congestion information and traffic control information are, for example, VICS (registered trademark) information. The in-vehicle communication device 39 provides the received congestion information and traffic control information to the automatic driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like.

The traveling control ECU 40 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The traveling control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information indicating the current traveling speed of the own vehicle Am based on detection signals from wheel speed sensors provided at the hub portions of each wheel, and sequentially outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99. do. In addition, the travel control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The travel control ECU 40 controls the braking force of each wheel, the output control of the on-vehicle power source, and the steering based on one of the operation command based on the driving operation of the driver, the control command of the driving support ECU 50a, and the control command of the automatic driving ECU 50b. Angle control is continuously implemented.

The body ECU 43 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. The body ECU 43 has at least a function of controlling the operation of a lighting device (for example, the direction indicator 44, etc.) mounted on the own vehicle Am. The body ECU 43 causes either the left or right direction indicator 44 corresponding to the direction of operation to start blinking based on the detection of the user's operation input to the direction indicator switch provided on the steering column or the like. In addition, the body ECU 43 blinks either the left or right direction indicator 44 corresponding to the moving direction of the own vehicle Am when changing the automatic lane by the driving support control or the autonomous driving control based on the control command received from the automatic driving system 50. to start.

The HCU 100 constitutes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10 together with a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an ambient light 25, an operation device 26, and the like. The HMI system 10 has an input interface function for accepting operations by a passenger such as the driver of the own vehicle Am, and an output interface function for presenting information to the driver.

The display device presents information through the driver's vision, such as by displaying images. The display devices include a meter display 21, a center information display (hereinafter referred to as CID) 22, a head up display (hereinafter referred to as HUD) 23, and the like. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects a touch operation on the display screen by a driver or the like.

The audio device 24 has a plurality of speakers installed inside the vehicle so as to surround the driver's seat, and reproduces information sounds, voice messages, etc. in the vehicle through the speakers. The ambient light 25 is provided on an instrument panel, a steering wheel, and the like. The ambient light 25 presents information using the driver's peripheral vision by ambient display that changes the color of emitted light.

The operation device 26 is an input unit that receives user operations by a driver or the like. The operation device 26 receives, for example, a user operation related to activation and deactivation of the automatic driving function, a user operation related to setting a destination for route guidance, and the like. The operation device 26 includes a steer switch provided on the spoke portion of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column portion, a voice input device for recognizing the utterance content of the driver, and the like.

The HCU 100 is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit having a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input/output interface 14, and a bus connecting them. The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device and comprehensively controls information presentation using multiple display devices, the audio device 24 and the ambient light 25 .

The HCU 100 presents information related to automatic driving in cooperation with the automatic driving system 50. Specifically, the HCU 100 acquires control status information indicating the operating state of the automatic driving function and a request to present information related to the automatic driving function from the automatic driving ECU 50b, and provides content and information according to the operating state of automatic driving. Carry out the presentation. For example, when the autonomous driving ECU 50b is scheduled to end the autonomous driving control, the HCU 100 issues a notification requesting the implementation of a driving operation, in other words, a notification requesting a change of driving.

The HCU 100 acquires operation information indicating the details of user operations from the CID 22, the operation device 26, and the like. The HCU 100 provides the automatic driving ECU 50b with operation information of user operations related to the automatic driving function. The HCU 100 also provides the navigation ECU 38 with operation information of a user's operation for setting the destination of the own vehicle Am.

Next, the details of the automatic driving ECU 50b will be further described.

The automatic driving ECU 50b has higher computing power than the driving support ECU 50a, and can at least implement driving control corresponding to ACC, LTC and LCA. The automatic driving ECU 50b may be capable of implementing driving support control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings in place of the driving support ECU 50a in situations such as when the autonomous driving control is temporarily interrupted. The automatic driving ECU 50b is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit having a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input/output interface 54, and a bus connecting them.

By accessing the RAM 52, the processing unit 51 executes various processes for realizing the automatic driving control method of the present disclosure. The storage unit 53 stores various programs (automatic driving control program, etc.) executed by the processing unit 51 . By executing the program by the processing unit 51, the automatic driving ECU 50b includes an information cooperation unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action determination unit 63, a control execution unit 64, and the like as a plurality of functional units for realizing the automatic driving function. constructed (see Figure 2).

The information cooperation unit 61 provides information to the HCU 100 and acquires information from the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29 . The information linking unit 61 acquires control state information indicating the operation state of the automatic driving function from the action determination unit 63 and provides the acquired control state information to the HCU 100 . The control state information includes information indicating the automatic driving level of the automatic driving function in the operating state. In other words, the control state information includes information indicating whether or not there is an obligation to monitor the surroundings, and information indicating the control state of autonomous travel control. The information cooperation unit 61 has an HMI information acquisition unit 71 and a notification request unit 72 as sub-function units for information cooperation with the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29 .

Based on the operation information acquired from the HCU 100, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the contents of user operations input to the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. by the driver or the like. The HMI information acquisition unit 71 recognizes, for example, a level 2 transition operation that instructs transition from manual driving to driving support control, a level 3 transition operation that instructs transition from driving support control to autonomous driving control, and the like. Furthermore, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps an approval operation for approving the start of lateral movement in a scene where an automatic lane change is performed, which will be described later.

The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the behavior of the driver based on the driver status information acquired from the driver monitor 29. The HMI information acquisition unit 71 continuously obtains, for example, the driver's driving posture, line-of-sight direction, whether or not surrounding monitoring is performed, whether or not a second task is performed, and the degree of arousal during the driving period under driving support control or autonomous driving control. grasp.

The notification request unit 72 enables notification by the HCU 100 in synchronization with the operating state of the automatic driving function by outputting a request for notification to the HCU 100 . For example, when the end of the autonomous driving control is scheduled, the notification requesting unit 72 outputs to the HCU 100 a request for notification requesting a change of driving. In addition, notification requesting unit 72 outputs a request for performing notification related to an automatic lane change, which will be described later, to HCU 100 . The notification requesting unit 72 causes the HMI system 10 to perform the implementation notification, standby notification, approval request notification, cancellation notice, cancellation notification, monitoring recommendation notification, alternative route proposal notification, etc. as notifications related to the automatic lane change ( 6 and 7). A virtual image display using the HUD 23 and a screen display using the meter display 21 are used for these notifications. Playback of an alert tone or message by the audio device 24 may be used as these alerts.

The environment recognition unit 62 combines the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 with the detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 to recognize the driving environment of the own vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the current running speed from the communication bus 99 as information indicating the state of the own vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle recognition unit 73 and a road information recognition unit 74 as sub-function units for recognizing the driving environment.

The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the relative positions and relative velocities of dynamic targets around the own vehicle such as other vehicles traveling around the own vehicle Am. The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the relative position, relative speed, etc. of another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane as a destination in a scene where an automatic lane change is performed, for example, to be described later, and determines the space in which the own vehicle Am can move. It is determined whether or not it exists in an adjacent lane.

The other vehicle comprehension unit 73 comprehends the traffic congestion around the own vehicle Am by combining the recognized information of the other vehicle and the vehicle speed information of the own vehicle Am. The other vehicle grasping unit 73 determines that the current traveling speed of the own vehicle Am is equal to or lower than the traffic jam speed (for example, about 30 km/h) and that there are both forward and backward vehicles traveling in the same lane as the own vehicle Am. If so, it is determined that there is a traffic jam around the vehicle.

The road information grasping unit 74 acquires information related to the road on which the own vehicle Am travels or is scheduled to travel. Specifically, the road information grasping unit 74 identifies the position of the own vehicle lane in which the own vehicle Am travels when the own vehicle Am travels on a road including a plurality of lanes. In addition, the road information grasping unit 74 combines the route information acquired from the navigation ECU 38 and the congestion information and traffic regulation information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 39 to determine the congestion and traffic regulation occurring on the set route to the destination. (For example, lane restrictions due to construction work).

The road information grasping unit 74 grasps whether the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling or the road on which the vehicle Am is scheduled to travel is within a preset permitted area or restricted permitted area. Information indicating whether the area is a permitted area or a restricted permitted area may be recorded in the map data stored in the map DB 36 or may be included in the received information received by the in-vehicle communication device 39 . Permitted areas and restricted permitted areas correspond to road conditions in the Operational Design Domain where the use of automated driving without perimeter monitoring obligations by the driver is permitted. The operation design area is a specific condition related to the designed driving environment that is a prerequisite for the automatic driving system 50 to operate normally, and is set according to the capabilities of the automatic driving system 50 . The permitted area and restricted permitted area in the first embodiment are set, for example, on highways or motorways. Furthermore, a specific general road that is maintained so that automatic driving without surrounding monitoring obligation can be implemented may be set as a permitted area or restricted permitted area.

The action determination unit 63 cooperates with the driving support ECU 50a and the HCU 100 to control the automatic driving system 50 and the driving change between the drivers. When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has the right to control the driving operation, the action determination unit 63 generates a scheduled driving line along which the host vehicle Am travels based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62, and determines the generated scheduled driving line. is output to the control execution unit 64 . The action determination unit 63 has a control switching unit 75 as a sub-function unit for controlling the operating state of the automatic driving function.

The control switching unit 75 cooperates with the driving support ECU 50a to switch between level 2 driving support control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings and autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. In addition, the control switching unit 75 performs switching between automatic driving at level 3 and automatic driving at level 4 in the autonomous driving control without obligation to monitor the surroundings. Furthermore, the control switching unit 75 selects an area-limited control (hereinafter referred to as area level 3) that is limited to driving in a specific area, and a control state that is limited to driving in traffic jams. Congestion limited control (hereinafter referred to as congestion time level 3).

More specifically, the control switching unit 75 permits implementation of both area level 3 and congested level 3 on roads within the permitted area, and implements only congested level 3 on roads within the restricted permitted area. To give permission. For example, when the vehicle Am is traveling on a road within the permitted area and there is no traffic jam around the vehicle, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to area level 3. On the other hand, when the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road within the permitted area or the restricted permitted area and the other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps traffic congestion around the own vehicle, the control switching unit 75 autonomously The control state of travel control is set to level 3 during congestion. The control switching unit 75 generates control state information indicating the current operating state of the automatic driving function, and provides the generated control state information to the information linking unit 61, the situation determination unit 77, and the like.

When the automatic driving ECU 50b has the right to control the driving operation, the control execution unit 64 performs acceleration/deceleration control and steering of the own vehicle Am according to the scheduled driving line generated by the action determination unit 63 in cooperation with the driving control ECU 40. Execute control, etc. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the planned travel line, and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the travel control ECU 40 .

The above-described automatic driving ECU 50b can change lanes through autonomous driving control while maintaining a state in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. As a configuration for implementing such an automatic lane change, the behavior determination unit 63 is provided with sub-functions such as a section setting unit 76, a situation determination unit 77, a lane change control unit 78, and the like. In addition, the automatic driving ECU 50 b further includes an operation control section 65 .

The section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC (see FIG. 3) based on the set route set for the own vehicle Am. The lane change section SLC is a section that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control in order to head to the destination set in the navigation ECU 38 . The section setting unit 76 starts section setting processing (see FIG. 4), for example, based on the start of travel of the own vehicle Am by autonomous travel control.

In the section setting process, the section setting unit 76 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38 (S11). The section setting unit 76 extracts, as guidance reference points P2 (see FIG. 3), points at which a lane change is required from the set route indicated by the route information (S12). For example, a branch point leading to a junction, a branch point leading to an interchange serving as an exit, and the like are extracted as the guidance reference point P2. Furthermore, a branch point leading to an interchange that serves as an entrance to an expressway, a confluence point where the main road of the expressway joins, and the like may be extracted as the guidance reference point P2. The guidance reference point P2 is set at the end point where it becomes physically impossible to change lanes. The section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC in the section on the near side of the guidance reference point P2 (S13). As an example, the section setting unit 76 sets the start point of the lane change section SLC (hereinafter referred to as the section start point P1, see FIG. 3) a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km) before the guidance reference point P2.

The section start point P1 is set between the guidance start point P0 (see FIG. 3) and the guidance reference point P2. The guidance start point P0 is a point at which the HCU 100 starts initial route guidance for the guidance reference point P2 based on an implementation request from the navigation ECU 38 . As an example, the guidance start point P0 is set about 3 km before the guidance reference point P2. Also, instead of the section start point P1 and the guidance start point P0, the section start time t1 and the guidance start time t0 are set based on the time when the own vehicle Am reaches the guidance reference point P2 (hereinafter referred to as the reference time t2). may be Even in this form, the section from the section start time t1 to the reference time t2 is the lane change section SLC.

The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not it is possible to change the auto lane while maintaining the autonomous driving control in the lane change section SLC. The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not it is possible to change the lane both before the vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC and after the vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. judge. The situation determination unit 77 determines whether multiple auto lane changes are necessary in the lane change section SLC based on the detailed information of each lane recorded in the map data. In addition, when multiple auto lane changes are required, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not multiple auto lane changes can be completed in the lane change section SLC after the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. further determine whether

The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the automatic lane can be changed in the lane change section SLC based on at least one of the section related information and the control state information (see FIG. 5). The section-related information is information related to the lane change section SLC, and specifically includes congestion information of the lane change section SLC. As described above, the control state information is information indicating the current operating state of the automatic driving function, and includes information indicating the control state of autonomous driving control of level 3 or higher.

The situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane cannot be changed in the lane change section SLC when the control state information indicating that the congestion time level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation is obtained. On the other hand, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane can be changed in the lane change section SLC when the control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control of level 4 or higher is in an operating state.

Furthermore, when the control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control of area level 3 is in an operating state is acquired, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not it is possible to change the automatic lane based on the section-related information. to decide. In this case, the situation determination unit 77 grasps whether or not the lane change section SLC is congested based on the traffic congestion information. The situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when the lane change section SLC is congested. On the other hand, when the lane change section SLC is not congested, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change can be performed.

In addition, when the area level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation, the situation determination unit 77 may use map data and road regulation information related to the lane change section SLC as section related information. Specifically, based on the detailed information of each lane recorded in the map data, the situation determination unit 77 assumes that the cruising speed of other vehicles running in, for example, an overtaking lane exceeds the speed limit. lane change (hereinafter referred to as an overspeed lane). Autonomous driving control, which does not allow the vehicle to exceed the speed limit, makes it difficult to change lanes to the overspeed lane. Therefore, if the lane change is to the overspeed lane, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed.

Also, based on the road regulation information, the situation determination unit 77 grasps whether or not lane regulation is being performed in the lane change section SLC. If the lane is restricted, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed. In addition, when lane regulation occurs in the lane change section SLC, the section setting unit 76 may perform a process of changing the lane change section SLC to a non-restricted section.

The lane change control unit 78 executes an automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC. If there is a space in the adjacent lane in which the vehicle Am can move, the lane change control unit 78 starts lateral movement of the vehicle Am toward the adjacent lane. On the other hand, when there is no space in the adjacent lane in which the vehicle Am can move, the lane change control unit 78 performs offset control. The offset control is a running control that shifts the lateral running position of the own vehicle Am from the approximate center of the own vehicle lane to the adjacent lane side. The lane change control unit 78 offsets the traveling position of the own vehicle Am toward the adjacent lane so that the own vehicle Am does not contact the section line between the lane of the own vehicle and the adjacent lane. After the start of the offset control, the lane change control unit 78 starts lateral movement across the lane line based on the driver's input of approval operation when there is a space in the adjacent lane in which the vehicle Am can move.

The operation control unit 65 controls the start and end of the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 by outputting a control command to the body ECU 43 . When the lane change control unit 78 changes the automatic lane, the operation control unit 65 causes the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side to flash. Specifically, the operation control unit 65 causes the direction indicator 44 to start blinking before the vehicle Am starts laterally moving toward the adjacent lane. Furthermore, the operation control unit 65 terminates the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 after the movement to the adjacent lane is completed.

In addition, even when the lane change control unit 78 performs offset control, the operation control unit 65 causes the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side to flash. The operation control unit 65 causes the direction indicator 44 to start blinking before the start of lateral movement by offset control. The operation control unit 65 terminates the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 based on the completion of movement to the adjacent lane or the decision to cancel the automatic lane change. When the automatic lane changes are continuously performed a plurality of times, the operation control unit 65 continues the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 until all the automatic lane changes are completed a plurality of times.

Next, the details of the multiple notifications related to the automatic lane change explained so far will be explained.

By outputting an implementation request to the HCU 100, the notification requesting unit 72 causes the above-described implementation notification, standby notification, approval request notification, cancellation notice notification, cancellation notification, monitoring recommendation notification, alternative route proposal notification, and the like. The HCU 100 uses the meter display 21 and the HUD 23 to issue these notifications mainly to the driver based on the execution request obtained from the notification requesting unit 72 . The HCU 100 may use the CID 22 to present information related to automatic lane changes to the occupants of the host vehicle Am other than the driver. Additionally, audio devices 24 and ambient lights 25 may be used for these announcements.

The implementation notification is a notification that indicates to the driver the control state of the automatic lane change. The implementation notification is started when the lateral movement for the automatic lane change can be started in the lane change section SLC (see FIG. 3). The implementation notification is continued until the vehicle Am has completely moved to the adjacent lane.

The standby notification is a notification that indicates to the driver that the vehicle is waiting for an automatic lane change. The standby notification is started prior to the start of the offset control when there is no space in the adjacent lane in which the vehicle Am can move in the lane change section SLC (see FIG. 3). The wait notification continues until a move to an adjacent lane can begin or the auto lane change is cancelled.

Notification of the approval request is started when a space in which the own vehicle Am can move is generated in the adjacent lane after the start of the offset control (see FIG. 3). The approval request notification is a notification to inquire of the driver whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane. Specifically, it is a notification to request the driver to input an approval operation to approve the start of moving toward the adjacent lane. be. Notification of the approval request is continued until the input of the approval operation is grasped by the HMI information acquisition unit 71 or until the automatic lane change is cancelled.

The suspension notice notification and suspension notification are notifications indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC. The advance notice of suspension and the suspension notification are performed during an automatic travel period during which the host vehicle Am continues to travel under autonomous travel control. The cancellation advance notice and cancellation notice are notifications related to the cancellation of the automatic lane change, and do not have content to announce the cancellation of the autonomous driving control.

The advance notice of cancellation is given before the section start point P1 where the vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC, and is a notice that the automatic lane change cannot be performed (see FIG. 3). The stop notification is performed after the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC, that is, after passing the section start point P1, and is a notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed (see FIG. 3). Also when it is determined that a plurality of auto lane changes are scheduled in the lane change section SLC and the plurality of auto lane changes cannot be completed before reaching the guidance reference point P2, the cancellation notification is also carried out. This indicates to the driver that multiple auto lane changes cannot be performed.

The monitoring recommendation notification is started after entering the lane change section SLC when it is determined that multiple auto lane changes are required in the lane change section SLC. The recommended monitoring notification is a notification that prompts the driver to monitor the surroundings. However, the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings even if the auto lane is changed multiple times. The monitoring recommendation notification recommends the driver to perform preliminary perimeter monitoring in situations where there is no obligation to monitor the perimeter.

The alternative route proposal notification is performed when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC. The alternative route proposal notification is a notification that proposes to the driver a route that is different from the set route that is being guided and that allows the vehicle to continue traveling under autonomous driving control. Information on the alternate route is generated by the navigation ECU 38 and provided to the HCU 100 . The alternative route proposal notification can be performed both before the own vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC and after the own vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. The first alternative route proposal notification is carried out following the cancellation notice notification. The second alternative route proposal notification is carried out following the cancellation notification. The alternative route proposal notification may be started together with the cancellation advance notice or the cancellation notice.

Next, the details of the first determination process and the second determination process for determining whether or not an automatic lane change can be implemented will be described based on FIGS. 6 and 7 with reference to FIGS.

The first determination process (see FIG. 6) is started by the automatic driving ECU 50b after the own vehicle Am passes the guidance start point P0 and the first route guidance is performed. In the first determination process, the status determination unit 77 acquires the latest control state information and section-related information (S31 and S32). The acquisition order of the control state information and the section related information may be changed as appropriate. Based on the control state information, the status determination unit 77 determines whether or not automatic driving of level 4 or higher is in an operating state (S33). If it is determined that level 4 or higher automatic driving is in operation (S33: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC is possible (S36). A notification indicating that an automatic lane change can be performed may be performed or may be omitted.

On the other hand, when the situation determination unit 77 determines that automatic driving of level 3 or lower is in an operating state (S33: NO), it determines whether or not traffic congestion is occurring (S34). If the congestion time level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation, or if congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion in the lane change section SLC is acquired, the situation determination unit 77 determines that there is congestion ( S34: YES). In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC (S37). The control switching unit 75 continues the autonomous driving control at level 3 even when it is determined that the lane change section SLC is to be cancelled.

If the area level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation and traffic information indicating the occurrence of traffic congestion in the lane change section SLC has not been acquired, the situation determination unit 77 determines that there is no traffic congestion (S34). : NO). In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not a lane change to the overspeed lane is scheduled in the lane change section SLC (S35). If the lane change to the overspeed lane is not scheduled (S35: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the situation is such that the automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC can be implemented (S36).

On the other hand, if a lane change to the overspeed lane is scheduled (S35: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC (S37). The notification requesting unit 72 outputs a request to perform a cancellation advance notice to the HCU 100 based on the decision made by the situation determination unit 77 to cancel the automatic lane change (S38). As a result, the driver is notified that the automatic lane change cannot be performed before entering the lane change section SLC. Further, the notification requesting unit 72 outputs a request to perform notification of another route proposal to the HCU 100 (S39). As a result, another route is proposed to the driver on which the autonomous travel control can continue to travel. The notification requesting unit 72 may cause the driver to perform a notification to suggest driving change instead of or together with the alternative route proposal notification. In this case, the driver is suggested to change lanes manually.

The second determination process (see FIG. 7) is started by the automatic driving ECU 50b after the own vehicle Am passes the section start point P1. In the second judgment process, the situation judgment unit 77 judges whether or not the execution judgment of the automatic lane change has been made in the first judgment process (S51). If it is determined in the first determination process that the automatic lane change is to be canceled (S51: NO), the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform the cancellation notification and the alternative route proposal notification (S67 and S68). The situation determination unit 77 may re-determine in S51 of the second determination process whether or not it is possible to change the automatic lane by the same determination method (S34 and S35) as in the first determination process.

On the other hand, if it has been determined to change the automatic lane in the first determination process (S51: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether automatic driving of level 4 or higher is in operation based on the control state information. (S52). If automatic driving of level 3 or lower is in operation (S52: NO), the situation determination unit 77 further determines whether or not multiple automatic lane changes are necessary (S53). If multiple automatic lane changes are required (S53: YES), the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform monitoring recommendation notification (S54). The monitoring recommendation notification is continued until a plurality of automatic lane changes are completed. On the other hand, when the number of times of necessary automatic lane changes in the lane change section SLC is one (S53: NO), the monitoring recommendation notification is not carried out.

The lane change control unit 78 determines whether or not it is possible to start lateral movement toward the adjacent lane. When it becomes possible to start the lateral movement toward the adjacent lane (S55: YES), the operation control section 65 starts blinking the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side (S56). Further, the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform the notification (S57). Then, lane change is performed by the lane change control unit 78 (S58). If multiple auto lane changes are required and there is an unexecuted lane change (S59: YES), the steps after S55 are executed again.

On the other hand, if the lateral movement toward the adjacent lane cannot be started (S55: NO), the automatic lane change will be in a standby state. In this case, the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform standby notification (S60). Further, based on the start of blinking of the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side (S61), the lane change control unit 78 starts offset control (S62). If there is a gap in the adjacent lane due to the appeal by the offset control, the lane change control unit 78 determines that lateral movement can be started (S63: YES). In this case, the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to notify the approval request (S64). Then, when there is an input of an approval operation by the driver (S65: YES), the steps after S57 are executed.

On the other hand, if the lateral movement cannot be started (S63: NO), or if there is no approval operation input (S65: NO), the situation determination unit 77 cancels the planned lane change before passing the guidance reference point P2. It is determined whether or not it can be completed (S66). When multiple auto lane changes are required, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not all auto lane changes can be completed before passing the guidance reference point P2. If it is time to complete the scheduled lane change and it is before timeout (S66: NO), the steps after S63 are executed again. On the other hand, when the scheduled lane change cannot be completed and time-out occurs (S66: YES), the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform the cancellation notification and the alternative route proposal notification (S67 and S68). In this case as well, instead of, or together with the alternative route proposal notification, notification to suggest driving change to the driver may be performed.

Based on the completion of all automatic lane changes (S59: YES) or cancellation of automatic lane changes, a series of automatic lane change control termination processing is performed (S69). As a result, the displays on the meter display 21, the CID 22, and the like are returned to normal status displays and the like. The automatic driving ECU 50b can continue the autonomous driving control even when the automatic lane change is completed or when the automatic lane change is cancelled.

In the first embodiment described so far, when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC set based on the set route to the destination, the cancellation indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is performed. Advance notification or suspension notification is performed during the automatic driving period. Therefore, the driver can understand that it is difficult to travel along the set route while the automatic driving is not obliged to monitor the surroundings, and that a countermeasure is required. As a result, it is possible to ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

In addition, in the first embodiment, when congestion information indicating that the lane change section SLC is congested is acquired as section-related information, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed. Therefore, in a scene where it is difficult to change the auto lane due to traffic jams around the vehicle, it is possible to quickly determine whether to cancel the auto lane change and prompt the driver to take action. As a result, the driver can handle the change of the lane or the route by manual driving with a margin.

In addition, in the first embodiment, when the control state of the automatic driving function is traffic congestion level 3, which is implemented only during traffic congestion, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed. Determination based on such a control state also makes it possible to prompt the driver to take action early in a traffic jam scene in which it is difficult to change the automatic lane. This allows the driver to react to the situation with time to spare. Therefore, the convenience of automatic driving can be more ensured.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not the vehicle Am can change lanes before the vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. Then, a cancellation advance notice indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is performed before the own vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. According to the above, the driver can respond to the situation with time to spare. As a result, the convenience of automatic driving can be more ensured.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether multiple auto lane changes are necessary in the lane change section SLC. Then, when it is determined that it is necessary to change the automatic lane multiple times, even in a situation where there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings, a monitoring recommendation notification is provided to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings. If the driver monitors the surroundings in accordance with such monitoring recommendations, the driver will be less likely to feel uneasy about the behavior of the own vehicle Am that repeatedly changes its lane. As a result, it is possible to improve the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not multiple auto lane changes can be completed in the lane change section SLC. Then, when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be completed a plurality of times, the cancellation notification indicates that the automatic lane change cannot be performed. According to the above, it is possible to quickly determine that multiple automatic lane changes have not been made in time, and prompt the driver to take action. Therefore, even in the automatic driving system 50 that continuously changes automatic lanes, it is possible to ensure convenience.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when there is no space in which the vehicle Am can move in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle Am moves in the lane change section SLC, the traveling position of the vehicle Am in the lateral direction is adjusted by the offset control. is shifted to the adjacent lane side. Then, when a space is created in the adjacent lane by the offset control, an approval request is notified to the driver as to whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane. If the appeal to open up the space is implemented by the offset control, it will cooperate with other vehicles in the adjacent lane even if the traffic volume around the own vehicle is heavy, as in the case of lane change by manual driving. to complete the lane change. As a result, the convenience of automatic driving can be further improved.

In addition, in the first embodiment, when offset control is performed, blinking of the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side is performed. By operating the direction indicator 44 in this way, it becomes possible to effectively appeal to other vehicles in the adjacent lane that they wish to change lanes to the adjacent lane. As a result, it becomes possible to smoothly change lanes, and the convenience of automatic driving can be further improved.

Further, in the first embodiment, when it is determined that the automatic lane cannot be changed in the lane change section SLC, there is a route other than the set route being guided and on which the autonomous travel control can continue to travel. proposed. Therefore, the driver can decide to switch from the currently set route to another route without being impatient with the fact that the automatic lane cannot be changed. Therefore, even if the automatic lane change cannot be performed, the driver is less likely to feel that convenience is bad.

In the above-described first embodiment, the notification request unit 72 corresponds to the "notification execution unit", the lane change control unit 78 corresponds to the "running control unit", and the automatic driving ECU 50b corresponds to the "automatic driving control device". do.

(Second embodiment)
The second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modification of the first embodiment. In the automatic driving system 50 of the second embodiment, the automatic driving permission area without surrounding monitoring obligation includes not only expressways and motorways (hereinafter referred to as expressways) but also specific public roads. A general road is a road that is not included in an expressway or the like. On general roads, various traffic subjects such as pedestrians can exist on the roads compared to highways and the like. A specific general road is, for example, a highway on which an HD map is prepared. In a permitted area of a general road, information detected by road (infrastructure) side cameras, lidar, etc. may be provided to the automatic driving system 50 through the in-vehicle communication device 39 .

The control switching unit 75 of the automatic driving ECU 50b shown in FIG. Switching among a plurality of further including control (hereinafter, general road level 3). Specifically, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to area level 3 when the host vehicle Am is traveling within a permitted area set on a highway or the like. The control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to the traffic jam level when the own vehicle Am is traveling within a restricted permitted area set on a highway or the like and the surrounding area of the own vehicle is congested. Set to 3. Further, the control switching unit 75 switches the control state of the autonomous driving control to the general state regardless of whether or not the surroundings of the vehicle Am are congested when the own vehicle Am is traveling in the permitted area set for the general road. Set to road level 3.

The autonomous driving ECU 50b can change lanes through autonomous driving control while maintaining a state in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings even during the implementation period of Level 3 on ordinary roads. Hereinafter, the details of each function of the road information grasping unit 74, the section setting unit 76, the situation determining unit 77, and the notification requesting unit 72 constructed in the automatic driving ECU 50b of the second embodiment are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 will be described.

The road information grasping unit 74 grasps the type of road on which the vehicle Am travels, and also grasps whether the road on which the vehicle Am travels is a permitted area or a restricted permitted area around the vehicle Am. As the road type information, the road information grasping unit 74 acquires the type information indicating the type of the vehicle lane in addition to the type information indicating whether the road is a general road or an expressway.

Based on the type information of the vehicle lane, the road information grasping unit 74 determines whether the vehicle lane in which the vehicle Am is traveling is a merging lane with an end EL (hereinafter referred to as lost merging lane LnG, see FIG. 9). grasp. The vanishing merging lane LnG is one lane provided along the driving lane (merging lane Lnd) of the main roadway to be the merging destination in the automatic lane change. is a lane that makes it impossible to continue. In the disappearing merging lane LnG, the traveling speed of the own vehicle Am is adjusted so that the speed difference with other vehicles traveling in the merging lane Lnd is reduced.

When the road information grasping unit 74 determines that the own vehicle lane is the disappearing merging lane LnG, the other vehicle grasping unit 73 determines whether the disappearing merging lane LnG and the merging lane Lnd are congested. judge. The road information grasping unit 74 may determine whether or not there is congestion in the merging lane Lnd based on the congestion information obtained from the vehicle-mounted communication device 39 .

When a route to join the main roadway is set, the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC (see FIG. 9) to the merging lane provided along the main roadway. When the road information grasping unit 74 determines that the own vehicle lane (merging lane) is the lost merging lane LnG, the section setting unit 76 performs section adjustment processing (see FIG. 11), which will be described later. In the section adjustment process, the position of the lane change section SLC set for the lost merging lane LnG is changed according to the degree of congestion of the merging lane Lnd.

The section setting unit 76 determines whether the merging lane Lnd, which is the destination of the automatic lane change, is congested (see FIGS. 9C and 9D), and when the merging lane Lnd is not congested (FIGS. 9A and 9B). ), the lane change section SLC is set at a position closer to the terminal EL. The section setting unit 76 sets the length of the section of the disappearing merging lane LnG facing the merging lane Lnd (hereinafter, merging possible section) to a predetermined distance (for example, about 500 m to 1 km) or more than the section length of the lane change section SLC. Position adjustment of the lane change section SLC is performed only when it is long. In other words, if the merging section is short and there is no need to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC, the section setting unit 76 does not adjust the position of the lane change section SLC. Such an adjustment process corresponds to a process of setting a virtual rubber pole section that prevents a lane change in the first half of the merging section in terms of control.

When neither the disappearing merging lane LnG nor the merging lane Lnd is congested, the section setting unit 76 sets the section starting point of the lane change section SLC immediately after the starting point of the merging possible section (hereinafter referred to as the merging starting point GS). Set P1 (FIG. 9A). Similarly, even when only the disappearing merging lane LnG is congested (congested) and the merging lane Lnd is not congested, the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC immediately after the merging starting point GS of the merging possible section. A section start point P1 is set (FIG. 9B). When only the disappearing merging lane LnG is congested, the section setting unit 76 may set a longer lane change section SLC than when the disappearing merging lane LnG is not congested in order to accelerate the own vehicle Am. .

On the other hand, when the merging lane Lnd is congested, the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC near the terminal EL. The section setting unit 76 sets the guidance reference point P2 immediately before the terminal end EL, and further sets the section start point P1 on the near side (on the own vehicle side). When the own vehicle lane (disappearing merging lane LnG) is not congested, the automatic driving ECU 50b decelerates the own vehicle Am in the lane change section SLC, and moves the merging lane Lnd detected by the other vehicle grasping unit 73. The host vehicle Am is made to change lanes toward a possible space (Fig. 9C). On the other hand, when the host vehicle lane is congested, each vehicle on the merging side, including the host vehicle Am, moves between the vehicles traveling on the merging lane Lnd at one point near the terminal EL. merge (Fig. 9D). By performing such a merging (fastener merging) and suppressing the merging at a plurality of locations in the merging section, it is possible to reduce the time lost due to traffic congestion.

The section setting unit 76 determines whether or not to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC to be set in the disappearing merging lane LnG based on the judgment of the driver such as the passenger. If there is no permission determination by the driver, the section setting unit 76 stops the control of setting the lane change section SLC near the terminal EL even when the merging lane Lnd is congested. As an example, the section setting unit 76 stops adjusting the position of the lane change section SLC based on a preset setting based on a user's operation. Further, when the vehicle is scheduled to merge onto the main road, an inquiry to the driver (see notification of judgment request, which will be described later) is carried out each time. The section setting unit 76 determines whether or not to perform the position adjustment of the lane change section SLC based on the driver's response (user operation, etc.) to the inquiry. If the driver does not allow the alignment of the lane change section SLC, the automatic lane change is carried out in the lane change section SLC set immediately after the merging starting point GS.

Similar to the first embodiment, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the automatic lane can be changed in the lane change section SLC based on at least one of the section related information and the control state information (see FIG. 8). reference). When the situation determination unit 77 acquires the control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control of level 3 during traffic congestion is in an operating state, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the lane change section SLC is selected except for the scene in which the own vehicle lane is the disappearing merging lane LnG. , it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed. Further, when the situation determination unit 77 acquires the control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control of the area level 3 is in the operating state, the lane change section SLC is congested and the own vehicle lane is lost. If the vehicle is not traveling on the merging lane LnG, it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed. Furthermore, when the situation determination unit 77 acquires the control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control of general road level 3 is in an operating state, the situation determination unit 77 grasps the necessity of multiple auto lane changes as section-related information. . When multiple auto lane changes are required on a general road, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the auto lane change cannot be performed regardless of the presence or absence of traffic congestion occurring in the lane change section SLC.

The notification requesting unit 72 outputs a notification request to the HCU 100 to cause the HMI system 10 to issue a cancellation notice indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed, as in the first embodiment. In addition, the notification requesting unit 72 causes the HMI system 10 to perform a determination request notification requesting a determination of whether the position of the lane change section SLC can be adjusted.

When the autonomous driving control of level 3 on ordinary roads is in operation, the notification requesting unit 72, for example, even if it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC due to traffic congestion, etc., the cancellation advance notification is performed. Restrict. On general roads, the conditions of other vehicles around the vehicle are more likely to change than on highways, so the lane change control unit 78 continues to attempt to change the automatic lane to the merging lane Lnd. In response to such lane change control, the notification requesting unit 72 does not perform the stop notice notification until immediately before entering the lane change section SLC.

The notification request unit 72 determines whether or not the driver is performing the second task, in other words, whether or not the driver is monitoring the surroundings when the congestion time level 3 or area level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation. change the mode and timing of the cancellation notice. Specifically, if the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the need for notification is reduced. Therefore, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification requesting unit 72 suppresses the cancellation notice more than when the driver is performing the second task. As an example, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification requesting unit 72 delays the start timing of the cancellation notice notification more than when the driver is performing the second task. As a result, the cancellation notice to the driver who is monitoring the surroundings is performed immediately before the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC.

It should be noted that when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification requesting unit 72 may reduce the intensity of the cancellation notice, or may cancel the cancellation notice. In this case, the reproduction of the sound associated with the cancellation notice and the display of the content are canceled. In addition to the cancellation notice, the notification requesting unit 72 applies changes such as delaying, weakening, or canceling the cancellation notification depending on whether the driver is performing the second task. good too.

The notification requesting unit 72 issues a judgment request notification before the vehicle enters the merging section and before the lane change section SLC is set to the lost merging lane LnG when the lane of the vehicle is the lost merging lane LnG. An implementation request is output to HCU 100 . The judgment request notification may be performed only when the merging lane Lnd is congested. As described above, the judgment request notification is for inquiring of the driver whether or not it is permissible to set the setting position of the lane change section SLC in the vicinity of the terminal EL. The judgment request notification is continued until the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the input of the decision operation, or until the joining possible section reaches a predetermined distance or time.

Next, details of the first determination process and the section adjustment process performed by the automatic driving ECU 50b of the second embodiment will be described below based on FIGS. 10 and 11 and with reference to FIGS. explain.

In the first determination process (see FIG. 10), the situation determination unit 77 acquires the latest control state information and section-related information (S231 and S232). Based on the control state information, the status determination unit 77 determines whether or not automatic driving of level 4 or higher is in an operating state (S233). If it is determined that level 4 or higher automatic driving is in operation (S233: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC is possible (S239).

When the situation determination unit 77 determines that automatic driving at level 3 or lower is in an operating state (S233: NO), it further determines whether automatic driving at general road level 3 is in an operating state based on the control state information. Determine (S234). If it is determined that level 3 automatic driving is in operation (S234: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether multiple auto lane changes are necessary (S235). If the number of times of the necessary auto lane change is one (S235: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the auto lane change is possible in the lane change section SLC (S239). As a result, the cancellation notice (S243) is no longer carried out. On the other hand, if multiple auto lane changes are required (S235: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines to stop the auto lane change (S240).

When the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automated driving of traffic jam level 3 or area level 3 is in operation instead of general road level 3 (S234: NO), it is a merging scene using lost merging lane LnG. It is determined whether or not (S236). If it is determined that the scene is a merging scene using the disappearing merging lane LnG (S236: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines that it is possible to change the automatic lane in the lane change section SLC (S239).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the merging scene does not use the disappearing merging lane LnG (S236: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not there is traffic congestion (S237). When the situation determination unit 77 determines that traffic congestion is occurring (S237: YES), it determines to cancel the automatic lane change (S240). On the other hand, when it is determined that no traffic jam has occurred (S237: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the destination of the planned lane change is the overspeed lane (S238). If the planned destination is not the overspeed lane (S238: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the situation is such that the lane change in the lane change section SLC can be performed (S239). On the other hand, if the lane change to the overspeed lane is scheduled (S238: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automatic lane change (S240).

When it is determined that the automatic lane change is to be canceled in the lane change section SLC, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 determines whether or not the driver is monitoring the surroundings (S241). If the driver is monitoring the surroundings (S241: YES), the notification requesting unit 72 makes an adjustment to delay the timing of the cancellation notice or the like (S242). On the other hand, if the driver is performing the second task (S241: NO), such notification timing adjustment is omitted.

The notification request unit 72 sequentially outputs to the HCU 100 a request to perform the cancellation advance notification and the alternative route proposal notification at timing according to the driver state (S243 and S244). As described above, the driver is notified that the automatic lane change cannot be performed before entering the lane change section SLC, and another route that allows the driver to continue traveling under the autonomous driving control is proposed to the driver. If the driver is monitoring the surroundings (S241: YES), one or both of the cancellation notice (S243) and the alternate route proposal notice (S244) may be omitted.

The section adjustment process (see FIG. 11) is started by the section setting unit 76 based on the determination in the first determination process that the automatic lane change is possible (see S239 in FIG. 10). In the section adjustment process, the position of the lane change section SLC set in the section setting process (see FIG. 4) is adjusted.

The section setting unit 76 determines whether or not the type of the own vehicle lane ascertained by the road information ascertaining unit 74 is the disappearing merging lane LnG (S251). If the vehicle's lane is not the disappearing merging lane LnG (S251: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC at this reference position without changing the position determined in the section setting process (S255). ). On the other hand, if the vehicle lane is the lost merging lane LnG (S251: YES), the section setting unit 76 determines whether or not the merging lane Lnd (see FIG. 9) is congested (S252).

If the merging lane Lnd is not congested (S252: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC as the reference position (S255). On the other hand, if the merging lane Lnd is congested (S252: YES), the section setting unit 76 determines whether the merging possible section has a section length that allows position adjustment of the lane change section SLC. is determined (S253).

If the merging possible section is short and there is no need to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC (S253: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC as the reference position (S255). On the other hand, if the merging section is long and it is necessary to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC (S253: YES), the section setting unit 76 determines whether the driver has made a determination to permit the position adjustment of the lane change section SLC. It is determined whether or not (S254).

If the driver does not make a decision to permit position adjustment (S254: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC as the reference position (S255). On the other hand, if the driver determines that the position adjustment is permitted (S254: YES), the section setting unit 76 moves the lane change section SLC to the far side and sets it near the terminal EL (S256). As described above, the fastener merging due to the automatic lane change becomes possible.

In the second embodiment described so far, the same effect as in the first embodiment is obtained, and the cancellation advance notice or cancellation notice indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is performed during the automatic driving period. As a result, it is possible to ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the road information grasping unit 74 grasps the type of road on which the own vehicle Am travels. When the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling is an ordinary road, that is, when the control period is for general road level 3, the implementation of the advance notice of suspension is restricted. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver is early notified of the cancellation of the automatic lane change despite the possibility that the automatic lane change can be implemented on a general road where the situation of surrounding vehicles changes greatly.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the cancellation notice is canceled during the control period of general road level 3. Therefore, before entering the lane change section SLC, a notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is not performed. According to the above, it is difficult for the driver to preliminarily start a driving operation before entering the lane change section SLC despite the possibility that the automatic lane can be changed. As a result, it is possible to ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps whether or not the driver is performing the second task during the driving period under the autonomous driving control. Then, depending on whether or not the driver is performing the second task, the implementation timing of the cancellation notice is changed. According to the above, even if the driver is performing the second task, when it is difficult to change the automatic lane, the driver can resume surroundings monitoring and the like at an appropriate timing according to the stop notice notification.

In addition, in the second embodiment, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the cancellation notice is suppressed more than when the driver is performing the second task. If the driver monitors the surroundings, the need for the cancellation notice is reduced. Therefore, by suppressing unnecessary notifications, the annoyance felt by the driver can be reduced.

Further, in the second embodiment, when the own vehicle lane in which the own vehicle Am travels is the disappearing merging lane LnG with the terminal EL and the merging lane Lnd is congested, the merging lane Lnd is not congested. The lane change section SLC is set at a position closer to the terminal EL than the case. According to the above, in the merging scene from the disappearing merging lane LnG to the main roadway, the flow of vehicles on the main roadway side is less likely to be obstructed. As a result, automated driving can contribute to the realization of smooth traffic.

Here, the control to bring the lane change section SLC closer to the terminal EL may cause the occupants of the own vehicle Am to feel uneasy. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when there is no permission determination by the driver, the control to bring the position of the lane change section SLC closer to the terminal EL is stopped when the merging lane Lnd is congested. As described above, it is possible to avoid an unnecessary increase in occupant anxiety due to the implementation of the automatic lane change.

In the above-described second embodiment, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 corresponds to the "driver state grasping unit", the road information grasping unit 74 corresponds to the "road type grasping unit", and the disappearing merging lane LnG corresponds to the "merging lane". and the merging lane Lnd corresponds to the "adjacent lane".

(Third embodiment)
The third embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, when it is determined that an automatic lane change cannot be performed in the initially set lane change section SLC, the driver is proposed to perform an automatic lane change on the nearer side. Details of the first determination process performed by the automatic driving ECU 50b of the third embodiment before entering the lane change section SLC will be described below based on FIG. 12 and with reference to FIGS. The contents of the processes performed in S331-S336 and S341-S344 of the third embodiment are substantially the same as those of S231-S235, S237, S239, S240, 243 and S244 of the second embodiment.

In the first determination process, the section setting unit 76 determines whether or not a new lane change section SLC can be set before the first lane change section SLC set in the section setting process (see FIG. 4). is determined (S337). If the lane change section SLC in which the auto lane change can be performed cannot be set (S337: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the auto lane change (S342).

On the other hand, if it is possible to reset the lane change section SLC in which the automatic lane change can be performed (S337: YES), the notification requesting unit 72 outputs a request to the HCU 100 to perform forward-moving proposal notification (S338). In the advance proposal notification, it is proposed to the driver that the automatic lane change be performed on the near side of the initial lane change section SLC.

If the driver approves the proposal from the system side (S339: YES), more specifically, if the HMI information acquisition unit 71 acquires the input information of the user operation indicating the intention of approval, the interval setting unit 76 The lane change section SLC is reset (S340). In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines that it is possible to change the automatic lane in the reset lane change section SLC (S341). On the other hand, if the proposal from the system side is not approved (S339: NO), the section setting unit 76 decides to cancel the automatic lane change (S342).

The third embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first and second embodiments, and it is possible to ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to automatic lane changes.

In addition, in the third embodiment, when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC, the driver is suggested to change the automatic lane in front of the lane change section SLC. According to the above, it is possible to reduce the frequency of driver changes related to automatic lane changes. As a result, the convenience of automated driving is less likely to be compromised.

(Other embodiments)
A plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, but the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited to the above embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope of the present disclosure. can do.

The determination method for determining whether or not an automatic lane change can be performed in the lane change section SLC is not limited to the above embodiment. In Modification 1 of the above-described embodiment, acquisition and reference of section-related information are not performed, and the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the automatic lane change can be performed based only on the control state information. Further, in Modification 2 of the above-described embodiment, acquisition and reference of the control state information are not performed, and the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the automatic lane can be changed based only on the section-related information.

In the above embodiment, it is determined whether it is possible to change the lane both before and after entering the lane change section SLC. However, in Modified Example 3 of the above-described embodiment, the notification related to the determination of whether or not to implement is performed only before entering the lane change section SLC. That is, in Modification 3, only the first determination process is performed out of the first determination process and the second determination process. Further, in Modification 4 of the above-described embodiment, only after entering the lane change section SLC, the notification related to the determination of whether or not to implement is performed. That is, in Modification 4, only the second determination process is performed out of the first determination process and the second determination process.

In the above second embodiment, the method of restricting the implementation of the cancellation notice may be changed as appropriate. For example, in Modified Example 5 of the second embodiment, even when the autonomous driving control of general road level 3 is in operation, the notification requesting section 72 does not cancel the cancellation advance notification. The notification requesting unit 72 performs the cancellation advance notification while weakening the strength of the notification (display) by, for example, displaying an unconverted display on the meter display 21 .

In the sixth modification of the second embodiment, when the driver is performing the second task, the implementation timing of the cancellation notice is adjusted later than when the driver is monitoring the surroundings. According to the above, a longer time can be secured for the second task, so the convenience of automatic driving is further improved.

The section setting unit 76 of Modification 7 of the second embodiment moves the lane change section SLC to the vicinity of the end of the disappearing merging lane LnG without referring to the presence or absence of the permission determination by the driver. According to Modification 7, reliable fastener merging can be implemented.

In the first determination process according to the modified example 8 of the third embodiment, if the lane change section SLC can be reset (S337: YES), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section without depending on the approval of the driver. The SLC is automatically reset (S340). That is, in the first determination process of modification 8, the processes of S338 and S339 are omitted. According to such processing, the lane change control unit 78 can search for possible positions and execute the automatic lane change without being recognized by the driver. As a result, even in Modification 8, the frequency of driver changes related to automatic lane changes can be reduced.

In the automatic driving ECU 50b according to Modification 9 of the above embodiment, the level 4 automatic driving function is omitted. Further, in the automatic driving ECU 50b according to Modification 10 of the above-described embodiment, the function of switching between area level 3, traffic jam level 3, and general road level 3 is omitted. Furthermore, in the automatic driving ECU 50b according to Modification 11 of the above embodiment, the function of performing offset control when the automatic lane change is in the standby state is omitted. In Modification 11, only the blinking of the direction indicator 44 is performed as an appeal for the adjacent lane to open a space.

In Modification 12 of the above embodiment, each function of the driving support ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b is provided by one automatic driving ECU. That is, the functions of the driving support ECU 50a are implemented in the automatic driving ECU 50b of the twelfth modification.

Also, in the thirteenth modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the driving support ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the HCU 100 are provided by one integrated ECU. In such modification 13, the integrated ECU corresponds to the "automatic driving control device". Further, each function of the automatic driving control device according to the present disclosure may be realized by cooperation between the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100. In such a form, a system including the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 corresponds to the "automatic driving control device".

Each function provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU in the above embodiment can be provided by software and hardware that executes it, software only, hardware only, or a complex combination thereof. Furthermore, if such functions are provided by electronic circuits as hardware, each function can also be provided by digital circuits, including numerous logic circuits, or analog circuits.

Each processing unit in the above-described embodiment is configured to include at least one calculation core such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processing unit may further include an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an NPU (Neural network Processing Unit), and an IP core with other dedicated functions. In addition, the processing unit may be configured to be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be configured to be mounted on an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), SoC (System on Chip), FPGA, or the like.

The form of the storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) that stores various programs, etc. may also be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to being provided on a circuit board, but is provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as an automatic driving ECU or HCU. configuration. Further, the storage medium may be an optical disk or a hard disk drive, which is a copy source or distribution source of the program to the automatic driving ECU or HCU.

Vehicles equipped with the above-mentioned automatic driving system and HMI system are not limited to general private passenger cars, but can be rental vehicles, manned taxi vehicles, ride-sharing vehicles, freight vehicles, buses, etc. good too. Also, the vehicle equipped with the automatic driving system and the HMI system may be a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the traffic environment in which the vehicle travels may be a traffic environment assuming left-hand traffic or a traffic environment assuming right-hand traffic. Automatic driving control and information presentation control according to the present disclosure may be appropriately optimized according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle, and the like.

The controller and techniques described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer comprising a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented by dedicated hardware logic circuitry. Alternatively, the apparatus and techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented by one or more special purpose computers configured in combination with a processor executing a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored as computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible storage medium.

(Disclosure of technical ideas)
This specification discloses a plurality of technical ideas described in a plurality of sections listed below. Some paragraphs may be presented in a multiple dependent form in which subsequent paragraphs refer to the preceding paragraphs alternatively. Moreover, some terms may be written in a multiple dependent form referring to another multiple dependent form. These clauses written in multiple dependent form define multiple technical ideas.

(Technical idea 1)
An automatic driving control device that enables traveling of the own vehicle (Am) by an automatic driving function,
A section setting unit (76) that sets a lane change section (SLC) that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control that does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings, based on the set route to the destination set for the own vehicle;
Based on at least one of section related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating the control state of the autonomous driving control, it is determined whether the automatic lane change can be performed in the lane change section. a situation determination unit (77);
A notification execution unit (72) that performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed during the driving period under the autonomous driving control when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section;
Automatic operation control device with.
(Technical idea 2)
Technical idea 1. The automatic vehicle according to the technical concept 1, wherein the situation determination unit determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when congestion information indicating that the lane change section is congested is acquired as the section related information. driving controller.
(Technical idea 3)
The situation determination unit determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when the control state information indicating that the control state is congestion limited control that is limited to running in a traffic jam is acquired. The automatic operation control device according to technical idea 1 or 2.
(Technical idea 4)
further comprising a road type grasping unit (74) for grasping the type of road on which the vehicle travels,
Any one of technical ideas 1 to 3, wherein the notification execution unit restricts the execution of the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when the road type grasped by the road type grasping unit is a general road. or the automatic operation control device according to claim 1.
(Technical idea 5)
The situation determination unit determines whether the automatic lane change can be performed before the vehicle enters the lane change section,
5. Technical ideas according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 4, wherein the notification execution unit performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed before the vehicle enters the lane change section. Automatic driving control device.
(Technical idea 6)
A driver state grasping unit (71) that grasps whether the driver is performing a specific action other than a predetermined driving during the driving period under the autonomous driving control,
Any one of technical ideas 1 to 5, wherein the notification execution unit changes the execution timing of the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed, depending on whether or not the driver is performing the specific action. The automatic operation control device according to the paragraph.
(Technical idea 7)
Technical idea 6: When the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification execution unit suppresses the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed more than when the driver is performing the specific action. Automatic driving control device according to.
(Technical idea 8)
The situation determination unit determines whether or not the automatic lane change is required multiple times in the lane change section,
Automatic driving according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 7, wherein the notification execution unit performs notification to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings when it is determined that the automatic lane change is necessary multiple times. Control device.
(Technical idea 9)
The situation determination unit determines whether or not the automatic lane change can be completed multiple times in the lane change section,
The automatic driving control device according to technical idea 8, wherein the notification execution unit performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be completed a plurality of times.
(Technical idea 10)
Technical idea 1, wherein the notification execution unit proposes to the driver that the automatic lane change be performed in the lane change section before the lane change section when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section. The automatic operation control device according to any one of -9.
(Technical idea 11)
Any one of technical ideas 1 to 9, wherein the section setting unit resets the position of the lane change section to the near side when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the initially set lane change section. or the automatic operation control device according to claim 1.
(Technical idea 12)
When there is no space in which the vehicle can move in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle moves in the lane change section, offset control is performed to shift the traveling position of the vehicle in the lateral direction toward the adjacent lane. A running control unit (78) that performs
Any one of technical ideas 1 to 11, wherein, when the space is generated in the adjacent lane by the offset control, the notification execution unit performs notification to inquire of the driver whether to start moving to the adjacent lane. or the automatic operation control device according to claim 1.
(Technical idea 13)
Automatic operation control according to technical idea 12, further comprising an operation control unit (65) that causes the direction indicator (44) on the adjacent lane side to perform a blinking operation when the offset control is performed by the travel control unit. Device.
(Technical idea 14)
When it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, the notification execution unit selects a route different from the set route being guided and is capable of continuing traveling under the autonomous travel control. The automatic operation control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 13 for implementing route proposal.
(Technical idea 15)
The section setting unit determines that the own vehicle lane in which the own vehicle travels is a merging lane (LnG) with an end (EL), and the adjacent lane (Lnd) that is the destination of the automatic lane change is congested. Automatic operation control device according to any one of the technical ideas 1 to 14 for setting the lane change section at a position closer to the end than when the adjacent lane is not congested.
(Technical idea 16)
The automatic driving control device according to technical idea 15, wherein the section setting unit stops control to bring the position of the lane change section closer to the end when there is no permission determination by the driver when the adjacent lane is congested.
(Technical Thought 17)
An automatic driving control program that enables driving of the own vehicle (Am) by the automatic driving function,
Based on the set route to the destination set for the own vehicle, set a lane change section (SLC) that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control that does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings (S11 to S13),
Determining whether the automatic lane change can be performed in the lane change section based on at least one of the section related information related to the lane change section and the control state information indicating the control state of the autonomous driving control. (S33-S35, S233-S238, S333-S337, S51),
When it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, a notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is performed during the driving period under the autonomous driving control (S38, S243, S343, S67). ,
An automatic operation control program that causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute a process including

Claims

An automatic driving control device that enables traveling of the own vehicle (Am) by an automatic driving function,
A section setting unit (76) that sets a lane change section (SLC) that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control that does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings, based on the set route to the destination set for the own vehicle;
Based on at least one of section related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating the control state of the autonomous driving control, it is determined whether the automatic lane change can be performed in the lane change section. a situation determination unit (77);
A notification execution unit (72) that performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed during the driving period under the autonomous driving control when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section;
Automatic operation control device with.
The automatic driving according to claim 1, wherein the situation determination unit determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when congestion information indicating that the lane change section is congested is acquired as the section-related information. Control device.
The situation determination unit determines that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when the control state information indicating that the control state is congestion limited control that is limited to running in a traffic jam is obtained. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1.
further comprising a road type grasping unit (74) for grasping the type of road on which the vehicle travels,
Automatic driving according to claim 1, wherein the notification execution unit restricts the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when the road type grasped by the road type grasping unit is a general road. Control device.
The situation determination unit determines whether the automatic lane change can be performed before the vehicle enters the lane change section,
The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification implementation unit performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed before the vehicle enters the lane change section.
A driver state grasping unit (71) that grasps whether the driver is performing a specific action other than a predetermined driving during the driving period under the autonomous driving control,
The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification execution unit changes the execution timing of the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed, depending on whether the driver is performing the specific action. .
7. When the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification execution unit suppresses the notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed more than when the driver is performing the specific action. Automatic operation control device described.
The situation determination unit determines whether or not the automatic lane change is required multiple times in the lane change section,
Automatic operation control according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the notification implementation unit performs notification that prompts the driver to implement surrounding monitoring when it is determined that the automatic lane change is necessary a plurality of times. Device.
The situation determination unit determines whether or not the automatic lane change can be completed multiple times in the lane change section,
The automatic driving control device according to claim 8, wherein the notification execution unit performs notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be completed a plurality of times.
The notification execution unit, when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, proposes to the driver that the automatic lane change be performed on the front side of the lane change section. 8. The automatic operation control device according to any one of 7.
8. The section setting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein when it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the initially set lane change section, the section setting unit resets the position of the lane change section to the near side. The automatic operation control device according to item 1.
When there is no space in which the vehicle can move in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle moves in the lane change section, offset control is performed to shift the traveling position of the vehicle in the lateral direction toward the adjacent lane. A running control unit (78) that performs
8. The notification execution unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, when the space is generated in the adjacent lane by the offset control, the notification execution unit performs notification to inquire of the driver whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane. The automatic operation control device according to item 1.
The automatic operation control device according to claim 12, further comprising an operation control unit (65) that causes the direction indicator (44) on the adjacent lane side to perform a blinking operation when the offset control is performed by the travel control unit. .
When it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, the notification execution unit selects a route different from the set route being guided and is capable of continuing traveling under the autonomous travel control. The automatic operation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which implements route suggestion.
The section setting unit determines that the own vehicle lane in which the own vehicle travels is a merging lane (LnG) with an end (EL), and the adjacent lane (Lnd) that is the destination of the automatic lane change is congested. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lane change section is set at a position closer to the end than when the adjacent lane is not congested.
16. The automatic driving control device according to claim 15, wherein the section setting unit suspends the control to bring the position of the lane change section closer to the end when there is no permission determination by the driver when the adjacent lane is congested.
An automatic driving control method that enables traveling of the own vehicle (Am) by the automatic driving function,
Based on the set route to the destination set for the own vehicle, set a lane change section (SLC) that requires an automatic lane change by autonomous driving control that does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings (S11 to S13),
Determining whether the automatic lane change can be performed in the lane change section based on at least one of the section related information related to the lane change section and the control state information indicating the control state of the autonomous driving control. (S33-S35, S233-S238, S333-S337, S51),
When it is determined that the automatic lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, a notification indicating that the automatic lane change cannot be performed is performed during the driving period under the autonomous driving control (S38, S243, S343, S67). ,
The automatic operation control method including the step of in the processing performed by at least one processing unit (51).