WO2024013997A1

WO2024013997A1 - Vehicle driving assistance method and driving assistance device

Info

Publication number: WO2024013997A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/027915
Authority: WO
Inventors: 泰久早川
Original assignee: 日産自動車株式会社
Priority date: 2022-07-15
Filing date: 2022-07-15
Publication date: 2024-01-18

Abstract

A vehicle driving assistance method that includes: executing a host steering control, including a first host steering control for maintaining travel along a host lane in which a vehicle is traveling and a second host steering control for changing lanes from the host lane to another lane; and, if a driver steering manipulation inputted during execution of the host steering control meets a prescribed interruption condition, interrupting the host steering control, wherein the prescribed interruption condition is that the second host steering control is more difficult to interrupt than the first host steering control at a time after the start of the second host steering control but before the vehicle starts moving in a lateral direction of the host lane.

Description

Vehicle driving support method and driving support device

The present invention relates to a vehicle driving support method and a driving support device.

comprising: a lane keeping unit that supports steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the driving lane; and a lane changing unit that supports steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle changes from the driving lane to another lane; BACKGROUND ART A driving support device is known that determines whether to discontinue steering support by a lane maintaining unit or by a lane changing unit based on a driver's steering amount (Patent Document 1). In this driving support device, if the driver's steering amount exceeds the lane-keeping abort threshold, the lane-keeping unit stops steering assistance, and if the steering amount exceeds the lane-change abort threshold, which is greater than the lane-keeping abort threshold. , the steering support by the lane change unit is discontinued.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-205558

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology does not describe the timing for changing the threshold value for stopping steering support to a larger value, so steering support may be stopped even though the autonomous lane change control is in a driving scene where it should be continued. There may be cases where

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving support method and a driving support device that can prevent autonomous steering control from being discontinued in a driving scene where autonomous lane change control should be continued due to a driver's steering operation. It is to be.

The present invention provides a method for performing autonomous steering control including a first autonomous steering control for maintaining a vehicle traveling along its own lane, and a second autonomous steering control for changing lanes from its own lane to another lane. , the second autonomous steering control sets the predetermined cancellation condition for canceling the autonomous steering control to the first autonomous steering control after the second autonomous steering control starts and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of its own lane. The above problem is solved by creating conditions that make it more difficult to cancel.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the suspension of autonomous steering control in a driving scene in which autonomous lane change control should be continued due to the driver's steering operation.

1 is a block diagram showing a driving support system including a driving support device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving support is performed by the driving support system shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view (part 1) showing another example of a driving scene in which driving support is performed by the driving support system shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing another example of a driving scene in which driving support is performed by the driving support system shown in FIG. 1 (part 2). FIG. 3 is a plan view showing another example of a driving scene in which driving support is performed by the driving support system shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing state transitions of autonomous driving control in the driving support device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart (Part 1) illustrating an example of a processing procedure in the driving support system of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart (Part 2) illustrating an example of a processing procedure in the driving support system of FIG. 1;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The following explanation assumes that vehicles drive on the left in countries that have left-hand traffic laws. In countries that have right-hand traffic laws, vehicles drive on the right-hand side, so the following explanations should be interpreted symmetrically between right and left.

[Driving support system configuration]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving support system 10 according to the present invention. The driving support system 10 is an in-vehicle system that uses autonomous driving control to drive the vehicle to a destination set by the occupants of the vehicle (including the driver). Autonomous driving control refers to autonomously controlling the driving behavior of a vehicle using a driving support device (described later), and the driving behavior includes acceleration, deceleration, starting, stopping, and turning to the right or left. This includes all driving movements, such as steering, changing lanes, and pulling alongside. Moreover, autonomously controlling the driving operation means that the driving support device controls the driving operation using a device of the vehicle. The driving support device controls these driving operations within a predetermined range, and driving operations that are not controlled by the driving support device are manually operated by the driver. In this embodiment, the control for changing the lane from the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a lane other than the own lane (for example, an adjacent lane) during autonomous driving by autonomous driving control is particularly referred to as autonomous lane change control. The lanes are also referred to as other lanes.

The above-mentioned vehicles include not only private vehicles but also vehicles allocated through ride-hailing services. A ride-hailing service refers to assigning and dispatching a vehicle to a user to transport the user from a pick-up point to a drop-off point, such as dispatching manned and unmanned taxis, and vehicles used for pick-up and drop-off services at airports, stations, hotels, etc. This includes the dispatch of vehicles used for car rental and ride-sharing services. Hereinafter, the host vehicle will also be simply referred to as a vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support system 10 includes an imaging device 11, a distance measuring device 12, a vehicle state detection device 13, map information 14, a vehicle position detection device 15, a navigation device 16, a vehicle control device 17, and a display. A device 18 and a driving support device 19 are provided. The devices constituting the driving support system 10 are connected via a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can exchange information with each other.

The imaging device 11 is a device that recognizes objects around the vehicle using images, and is, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging device such as a CCD, an ultrasonic camera, an infrared camera, or the like. A plurality of imaging devices 11 can be provided in one vehicle, and can be arranged, for example, in the front grille of the vehicle, below the left and right door mirrors, and near the rear bumper. This can reduce blind spots when recognizing objects around the vehicle.

The distance measuring device 12 is a device for calculating the relative distance and relative speed between a vehicle and an object, and includes, for example, a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar (LRF, etc.), a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, a super A radar device such as a sonic radar or a sonar. A plurality of distance measuring devices 12 can be provided in one vehicle, and can be arranged, for example, at the front, right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. Thereby, the relative distance and relative speed of the vehicle to surrounding objects can be calculated accurately.

Objects detected by the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 include road lane boundaries, center lines, road signs, median strips, guardrails, curbs, expressway side walls, road signs, traffic lights, crosswalks, and construction work. These include the scene, accident scene, and traffic restrictions. The objects also include obstacles that may affect the running of the vehicle, such as cars other than the own vehicle (other vehicles), motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 are acquired by the driving support device 19 at predetermined time intervals as necessary.

Further, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 can be integrated or synthesized (so-called sensor fusion) in the driving support device 19, thereby complementing missing information about the detected object. For example, based on the self-position information, which is the position where the vehicle is traveling, acquired by the own-vehicle position detection device 15, and the relative position (distance and direction) of the vehicle and the object, the driving support device 19 uses the position information of the object. can be calculated. The calculated object position information is integrated with multiple pieces of information such as the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14 in the driving support device 19, and is combined with driving environment information around the vehicle. Become. Further, using the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14, it is also possible to recognize objects around the vehicle and predict their movements.

The own vehicle state detection device 13 is a device for detecting the running state of the vehicle, and includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor (eg, a gyro sensor), a steering angle sensor, an inertial measurement unit, and the like. There are no particular limitations on these devices, and known devices can be used. Further, the arrangement and number of these devices can be set as appropriate within a range that can appropriately detect the driving state of the vehicle. The detection results of each device are acquired by the driving support device 19 at predetermined time intervals as necessary.

The map information 14 is information used for generating driving routes, controlling driving operations, etc., and includes road information, facility information, and their attribute information. Road information and road attribute information include road width, road radius of curvature, road shoulder structures, road traffic regulations (speed limit, lane change availability), road merging and branching points, increase in number of lanes, etc. Contains information such as the location of the decrease. The map information 14 is high-definition map information that can grasp the movement trajectory for each lane, and includes two-dimensional position information and/or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, road/lane boundary information at each map coordinate, and road attribute information. , lane up/down information, lane identification information, connection destination lane information, etc. Note that a high-definition map is also referred to as an HD (High-Definition) map.

The road/lane boundary information in the high-definition map information is information that indicates the boundary between the road on which the vehicle travels and other areas. A road on which a vehicle travels is a road on which a vehicle travels, and the form of the road is not particularly limited. The boundaries exist on both the left and right sides with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and their forms are not particularly limited. Boundaries are, for example, road markings or road structures. Road markings include lane boundary lines, center lines, etc., and road structures include median strips, guardrails, curbs, tunnels, expressway side walls, etc. Can be mentioned. Note that at points such as intersections where the boundaries of the route cannot be clearly specified, boundaries are set in advance on the route. This boundary is imaginary and not an actual road marking or road structure.

The map information 14 is stored in a readable state in a recording medium provided in a driving support device 19, an in-vehicle device, or a server on a network. The driving support device 19 acquires the map information 14 as necessary.

The own vehicle position detection device 15 is a positioning system for detecting the current position of the vehicle, and is not particularly limited, and a known device can be used. The own vehicle position detection device 15 calculates the current position of the vehicle from, for example, radio waves received from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. In addition, the own vehicle position detection device 15 estimates the current position of the vehicle from the vehicle speed information and acceleration information acquired from the vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, and gyro sensor that are the own vehicle state detection device 13, and uses the estimated current position as map information. 14, the current position of the vehicle may be calculated.

The navigation device 16 is a device that refers to the map information 14 and calculates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle detected by the own vehicle position detection device 15 to a destination set by the occupant (including the driver). be. The navigation device 16 uses the road information, facility information, etc. of the map information 14 to search for a travel route for the vehicle to reach the destination from the current location. The travel route includes at least information about the road on which the vehicle travels, the travel lane, and the travel direction of the vehicle, and is displayed, for example, in a linear format. There may be multiple travel routes depending on the search conditions. The travel route calculated by the navigation device 16 is output to the driving support device 19.

The vehicle control device 17 is an in-vehicle computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and electronically controls in-vehicle equipment that governs the running of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 17 includes a speed control device 171 that controls the traveling speed of the vehicle, and a steering control device 172 that controls the steering operation of the vehicle. The speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172 autonomously control the operations of these drive devices and steering devices according to control signals input from the driving support device 19. This allows the vehicle to autonomously travel along the set travel route. Information necessary for autonomous control by the speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172, such as the traveling speed, acceleration, steering angle, and attitude of the vehicle, is acquired from the own vehicle state detection device 13.

The drive devices controlled by the speed control device 171 include an electric motor and/or an internal combustion engine that are driving sources, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmit the output from these driving sources to the drive wheels, Examples include a drive device that controls a power transmission device. Further, the braking device controlled by the speed control device 171 is, for example, a braking device that brakes wheels. A control signal corresponding to a set traveling speed is input to the speed control device 171 from the driving support device 19. The speed control device 171 generates a signal to control these drive devices based on the control signal input from the driving support device 19, and transmits the signal to the drive device to autonomously control the traveling speed of the vehicle. to control.

On the other hand, the steering device controlled by the steering control device 172 is a steering device that controls the steered wheels according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and includes, for example, a steering actuator such as a motor attached to a column shaft of the steering wheel. The steering control device 172 controls the steering so that the vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined lateral position (position in the left-right direction of the vehicle) with respect to the set travel route based on the control signal input from the driving support device 19. Autonomously controls the operation of the device. This control includes the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the driving state of the vehicle obtained by the own vehicle state detection device 13, the map information 14, and the information of the current position of the vehicle obtained by the own vehicle position detection device 15. Use at least one of these.

The display device 18 is a device for providing necessary information to the occupants of the vehicle, and is, for example, a projector such as a liquid crystal display provided on an instrument panel or a head-up display (HUD). The display device 18 may include an input device for a vehicle occupant to input instructions to the driving support device 19. Examples of the input device include a touch panel that receives input using a user's finger or a stylus pen, a microphone that obtains a user's voice instructions, and a switch attached to a vehicle steering wheel. Further, the display device 18 may include a speaker as an output device.

The driving support device 19 is a device that controls the driving of the vehicle by controlling and cooperating with the devices that make up the driving support system 10, and drives the vehicle to a set destination. The destination is set, for example, by a vehicle occupant. The driving support device 19 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 191 that is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 192 in which a program is stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as an accessible storage device. ) 193. The CPU 191 is an operating circuit that executes a program stored in the ROM 192 and realizes the functions of the driving support device 19.

The driving support device 19 has a driving support function that allows the vehicle to travel to a set destination using autonomous driving control. The driving support device 19 has, as driving support functions, a route generation function that generates a driving route, an environment recognition function that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle, and a driving trajectory that generates a driving trajectory and causes the vehicle to travel along the driving trajectory. It also has a driving control function. The travel control function includes a vehicle speed control function that autonomously controls the travel speed of the vehicle, and a steering control function that autonomously controls the steering of the vehicle. In addition, the driving support device 19 has a determination function that determines whether the driver's steering operation satisfies a predetermined termination condition.

The programs stored in the ROM 192 include programs for realizing the functions described above, and these functions are realized by the CPU 191 executing the programs stored in the ROM 192. FIG. 1 shows extracted functional blocks for realizing each function for convenience.

[Functions of each functional block]
Hereinafter, the functions of each functional block of the support section 20, the generation section 21, the recognition section 22, the control section 23, and the determination section 24 shown in FIG. 1 will be explained.

The support unit 20 has a driving support function that allows the vehicle to travel to a set destination using autonomous driving control. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving support device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle using the driving support function of the support unit 20. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, a road with two lanes on each side extends in the vertical direction of the drawing, and a vehicle travels on the road from the bottom to the top of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, the lane on the left side of the driving direction is designated as lane L1, and the lane on the right side of the traveling direction is designated as lane L2.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the vehicle V travels in a position P1 in the lane L1 and heads for a destination X that is set by the occupant of the vehicle V and is located in front of the lane L2. In this case, the driving support device 19 uses the driving support function of the support unit 20 to generate a travel route toward the destination X, and causes the vehicle V to travel along the generated travel route using autonomous travel control. This autonomous driving control is mainly controlled by the functions of the generation section 21, the recognition section 22, the control section 23, and the determination section 24.

The generation unit 21 has a route generation function that generates a travel route for the vehicle to travel from the current location to the destination. The generation unit 21 also has a function of setting a lane for the vehicle to travel along the travel route. The driving support device 19 uses the navigation device 16 to generate a travel route for the vehicle to travel from the current position to the destination under autonomous travel control using the route generation function of the generation unit 21 . The driving support device 19 also sets a lane for driving along the generated travel route. The driving support device 19 acquires information about the generated driving route and the set lanes from the navigation device 16 as necessary.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. Then, a route to travel from position P1 to destination X is searched. If there are multiple routes searched, the route with the shortest travel time or travel distance is selected.

The recognition unit 22 has an environment recognition function that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle. The driving support device 19 uses the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 to recognize the driving environment around the vehicle using the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22 . The driving environment is information used to determine whether the vehicle can maintain its current driving state or whether it is necessary to change the driving state. For example, the type and position of objects, the presence of obstacles, etc. includes information such as its type and location, road conditions such as road surface conditions, and weather. The driving support device 19 performs appropriate processing such as pattern matching and sensor fusion on the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 to recognize the driving environment.

Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving support device 19 acquires image data from cameras installed on traffic lights, utility poles, road signs, etc., and detects obstacles that exist in a range that cannot be detected by the vehicle's imaging device 11. may be recognized. Further, the driving support device 19 may be connected to a server that provides traffic information such as the occurrence of traffic congestion, the occurrence of accidents, and road closure sections, and may recognize obstacles from the information acquired from the server. Furthermore, the driving support device 19 may recognize obstacles that are present in a range that cannot be detected by the imaging device 11 of the vehicle, using vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles traveling around the vehicle.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, there are no obstacles around the vehicle V. Therefore, based on the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the driving support device 19 determines that the driving environment is such that no obstacles are detected around the vehicle V and there are no objects that obstruct the travel of the vehicle V. recognize.

The control unit 23 has a travel control function that generates a travel trajectory for causing the vehicle V to travel along the generated travel route, and controls the travel operation of the vehicle V to follow the generated travel trajectory. The driving support device 19 uses the driving control function of the control unit 23 to generate a driving trajectory for driving the vehicle V along the driving route, and controls the vehicle control device 17 (especially , a speed control device 171, and a steering control device 172) to autonomously control the driving operation of the vehicle. To generate the travel trajectory, in addition to information such as the shape of the road, width, and curvature of the road included in the map information 14, the total length and width of the vehicle V's body, the minimum turning radius of the vehicle V, etc. are taken into consideration. .

The control unit 23 has a vehicle speed control function that autonomously controls the traveling speed of the vehicle V, and a steering control function that autonomously controls the steering of the vehicle V. The vehicle speed control function is mainly realized by the speed control unit 231, and the steering The control function is mainly realized by the steering control section 232. Hereinafter, the autonomous control of the traveling speed by the speed control section 231 is also simply referred to as autonomous speed control, and the autonomous control of steering by the steering control section 232 is also simply referred to as autonomous steering control.

When the driving support device 19 detects a preceding vehicle, the vehicle speed control function of the speed control unit 231 controls the inter-vehicle distance so that the driving speed set by the driver is set as the upper limit and the inter-vehicle distance is maintained according to the driving speed. While doing so, the vehicle V is made to follow the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, if no preceding vehicle is detected, the vehicle continues to drive at a constant speed set by the driver. The former is called distance control, and the latter is also called constant speed control. The driving support device 19 has a vehicle speed control function that uses the imaging device 11 to detect the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling from a road sign, or obtains the speed limit from the map information 14 and determines the speed limit. The travel speed may be set automatically.

In order to activate the vehicle speed control function by the speed control unit 231, the driver first operates a switch provided on the steering wheel and inputs a desired traveling speed. For example, if you press the switch while vehicle V is traveling at 70 km/h, the current traveling speed will be set as is, but if the desired traveling speed is other than that, operate the switch to increase or decrease the set speed. reduce Further, the driver selects one desired inter-vehicle distance from a plurality of settings, such as short distance, medium distance, and long distance, by operating a switch (for example, an inter-vehicle distance adjustment switch).

The constant speed control is executed when a preceding vehicle is not detected in front of the own lane in which the vehicle V is traveling, by the forward radar of the distance measuring device 12 or the like. In constant speed control, the operation of drive mechanisms such as the engine and brakes is controlled by the speed control device 171 while feeding back vehicle speed information from the vehicle speed sensor, which is the own vehicle state detection device 13, so as to maintain a set running speed. .

The inter-vehicle distance control is executed when a preceding vehicle is detected in front of the own lane in which the vehicle V is traveling, by the forward radar of the distance measuring device 12 or the like. In the inter-vehicle distance control, the operation of the drive mechanism is controlled by the speed control device 171 while feeding back inter-vehicle distance data detected by the forward radar so as to maintain the set inter-vehicle distance with the set traveling speed as the upper limit.

Incidentally, if the preceding vehicle stops while traveling under distance control, the driving support device 19 stops the vehicle V following the preceding vehicle. Further, if the preceding vehicle starts, for example, within 30 seconds after the vehicle V stops, the driving support device 19 causes the vehicle V to start and restarts the follow-up driving by controlling the vehicle distance. If vehicle V has been stopped for more than 30 seconds, it will not start automatically even if the preceding vehicle starts, and after the preceding vehicle has started, operate the switch on the steering wheel or press the accelerator pedal. Then, following distance control starts again.

If a predetermined condition is satisfied during execution of the above-described autonomous speed control, the driving support device 19 controls the operation of the steering actuator in the steering control device 172 using the steering control function of the steering control unit 232, and performs autonomous steering control. Execute. Autonomous steering control includes lane keep control and autonomous lane change control. In this embodiment, the lane keep control that keeps the vehicle traveling along its own lane is also referred to as the first autonomous steering control, and the autonomous lane change control that changes the lane from the own lane to another lane (for example, an adjacent lane) is the first autonomous steering control. 2 Also referred to as autonomous steering control. The difference between the first autonomous steering control and the second autonomous steering control is whether or not there is a lane change in the autonomous steering control. That is, the first autonomous steering control is an autonomous steering control in which the vehicle travels along the road along its own lane without changing lanes, and the second autonomous steering control is an autonomous steering control in which the vehicle travels along the road from its own lane to another lane (for example, an adjacent lane). It is an autonomous steering control that changes. Further, the first autonomous steering control is an autonomous steering control that sets a target position in the own lane, and the second autonomous steering control is an autonomous steering control that sets a target position in another lane (for example, an adjacent lane).

The driving support device 19 controls the steering actuator with the steering control device 172 so that the vehicle V runs near the center of the lane by lane keep control, and supports the driver's steering operation. Further, the driving support device 19 performs lane changes during autonomous driving using autonomous lane change control. That is, the autonomous lane change control by the driving support device 19 is mainly realized by the steering control function of the steering control section 232.

As an example, suppose that in the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, after the vehicle V travels from position P1 to position P2, the driver operates the direction indicator lever at position P2. In this case, the autonomous lane change control of the steering control unit 232 starts flashing the direction indicator, and if the preset lane change start conditions are met, the lane change is performed as a series of lane change processes by the autonomous driving control. Start the operation (hereinafter also referred to as LCP). Furthermore, when a button is operated to approve the start of autonomous lane change control, such as when a switch provided on a steering wheel is operated, the direction indicator may be blinked and LCP may be started.

The driving support device 19 determines whether the lane change start condition is satisfied based on the driving information acquired by the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22. Examples of lane change start conditions include, but are not particularly limited to, all of the following conditions being satisfied.
・Lane keep mode in hands-on mode.
・Hands-on evaluation is currently underway.
- Traveling at a speed of 60 km/h or more.
・There is a lane in the direction of the lane change.
・There is space in the lane to which you can change lanes.
- The lane marker type allows lane changes.
- The radius of curvature of the road is 250m or more.
- Within 1 second after the driver operates the direction indicator lever.

Note that the lane keep mode of the hands-on mode refers to a mode in which the driving support device 19 is executing autonomous speed control by the speed control unit 231 and lane keep control by the steering control unit 232, and, as will be described in detail later, A state in which it is detected that the driver is holding the steering wheel. In addition, the hands-on determination refers to a state in which the driver continues to hold the steering wheel.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, a lane L2 exists on the right side of the straight lane L1, and there is a space in the lane L2 for the vehicle V to enter. Therefore, the driving support device 19 is in the lane keep mode of the hands-on mode, the hands-on determination is in progress, the vehicle V is traveling at 60 km/h or more, the lane can be changed from lane L1 to lane L2, and the position P2 If the lane change start condition is within 1 second after operating the direction indicator lever, the lane change start condition is met.

If the lane change start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 starts LCP by autonomous lane change control. This LCP includes a lateral movement of the vehicle V to an adjacent lane (that is, lane L2) and a lane change maneuver (hereinafter referred to as LCM) to actually move to lane L2. Specifically, the driving support device 19 generates a travel trajectory T1 shown in FIG. 2, and changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 by following travel trajectory T1 and driving from position P2 to position P6. conduct. The driving support device 19 starts lateral movement to lane L2 at position P3, and starts LCM at position P4. At position P5, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and completes the LCM. Then, LCP is completed at position P6, and lane keep control is started. Note that while the LCP is being executed, the driving support device 19 presents information to the driver on the display device 18 indicating that a lane change is being performed using autonomous lane change control, and urges the driver to pay attention to the surroundings.

In addition to this, the control unit 23 has a function of executing overtaking control that combines lane keeping control and autonomous lane change control. Overtaking control is autonomous lane change control in a driving scene where the vehicle is overtaking a preceding vehicle. FIG. 3A is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving support device 19 executes overtaking control. The driving scene shown in FIG. 3A is the same as the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, except that there is another vehicle Y traveling in position Py of lane L1. As shown in FIG. 3A, the driving support device 19 displays the display device 18 when there is another vehicle Y slower than the vehicle V in front of the lane L1 and a predetermined overtaking proposal condition is satisfied. to present overtaking information to the driver.

The overtaking information is information for suggesting to the driver that the driver overtake another vehicle Y, which is the preceding vehicle. In addition, the driving support device 19 operates when the driver accepts the presentation of overtaking information by operating a switch provided on the steering wheel (equivalent to inputting consent), and when preset overtaking start conditions are met. Then, the above-mentioned LCP is started. The consent input includes the driver operating the direction indicator lever to the right or left.

Based on the information acquired by the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22, the driving support device 19 determines whether the overtaking proposal condition and the overtaking start condition are satisfied. Note that the overtaking support control may include a function of starting an LCP for overtaking a preceding vehicle when the driver operates a direction indicator lever even when no overtaking information is presented.

Examples of overtaking proposal conditions include, but are not limited to, all of the following conditions being met.
・Lane keep mode is hands-off mode.
- Traveling at a speed of 60 km/h or more.
・There is a lane in the direction of the lane change.
・There is space in the lane to which you can change lanes after 5 seconds.
- The lane marker type allows lane changes.
- The radius of curvature of the road is 250m or more.
- The speed of your vehicle is 5 km/h or more slower than the set speed.
- The speed of the preceding vehicle is 10 km/h or more slower than the set speed.
- The inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle is less than a preset threshold based on the speed difference between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle.
- The speed of the preceding vehicle existing in the lane to which the lane is to be changed satisfies a predetermined condition.

Note that the lane keep mode of the hands-off mode refers to a mode in which autonomous speed control and lane keep control are in progress and does not require the driver to hold the steering wheel, although the details will be described later. Further, the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle existing in the lane to which the lane is to be changed satisfies a predetermined condition is applied depending on the type of lane to which the lane is to be changed. For example, when changing lanes from the left lane to the right lane on a multi-lane road with left-hand traffic, the speed of the own vehicle in the left lane is approximately 5 km/h faster than the speed of the preceding vehicle in the right lane. The condition is that it must be faster. Conversely, when changing lanes from the right lane to the left lane on a multi-lane road with left-hand traffic, the speed difference between your vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the left lane must be within approximately 5 km/h. is the condition. Note that the conditions regarding the relative speed difference between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle are reversed on roads where traffic is on the right.

When the driver agrees to the presentation of the overtaking information and a predetermined overtaking start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 causes the turn signal to blink through overtaking control and starts LCP. Examples of overtaking start conditions include, but are not limited to, all of the following conditions being satisfied.
・Lane keep mode in hands-on mode.
・Hands-on evaluation is currently underway.
- Traveling at a speed of 60 km/h or more.
・There is a lane in the direction of the lane change.
・There is space in the lane to which you can change lanes.
- The lane marker type allows lane changes.
- The radius of curvature of the road is 250m or more.
- Your vehicle's speed is 5 km/h or more slower than the set speed (when changing lanes from left-hand traffic to the right lane).
- The speed of the preceding vehicle is more than 10 km/h slower than the set speed (when driving on the left and changing lanes to the right lane).
- The speed of the preceding vehicle existing in the lane to which the lane is to be changed satisfies a predetermined condition.
- Within 10 seconds of operating the switch that approves the start of autonomous lane change control (lane change support switch).

Note that the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle is 10 km/h or more slower than the set speed can be changed by the driver's settings, and the changed set speed becomes the overtaking start condition. As the changeable speed, for example, in addition to 10 km/h, 15 km/h and 20 km/h can be selected. Further, the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle existing in the lane to which the lane is to be changed satisfies a predetermined condition is the same as the overtaking proposal condition described above.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 3A, a lane L2 exists on the right side of the straight lane L1, and there is a space in the lane L2 for the vehicle V to enter, and this space will still exist five seconds later. Therefore, it is the lane keep mode of the hands-off mode, the vehicle V is traveling at 60 km/h or more, it is possible to change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2, and the traveling speed of vehicle V is 5 km/h or more than the set speed. slow, the traveling speed of the other vehicle Y is 10 km/h or more slower than the set speed, and the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle V and the other vehicle Y is less than a preset threshold based on the speed difference between the vehicle V and the other vehicle Y. If so, the overtaking proposal conditions are met. When the overtaking proposal condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 presents overtaking information using the display device 18 while the vehicle V is traveling at the position P1.

When the driver who has been presented with the overtaking information agrees to overtake, the driving support device 19 determines whether the overtaking start conditions are met. In the driving scene in Figure 3A, the overtaking proposal conditions are met, so hands-on judgment is in progress, and if the lane change assist switch on the steering wheel is operated within 10 seconds, the overtaking start conditions are met. . In the driving scene shown in FIG. 3A, it is assumed that the driver inputs consent to execute overtaking control while vehicle V is traveling at position P2. When the overtaking start conditions are met, LCP is started by overtaking control, and lateral movement to the adjacent lane and LCM are executed.

Specifically, the driving support device 19 generates a travel trajectory T2 shown in FIG. 3A, and changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 by following travel trajectory T2 and driving from position P3 to position P7. conduct. The driving support device 19 starts blinking the direction indicator at position P3, starts lateral movement to lane L2 at position P4, and starts LCM at position P5. At position P6, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and completes the LCM. Then, LCP is completed at position P7, and lane keep control is started. Vehicle V travels in lane L2 and overtakes another vehicle Y under lane keep control.

If the overtaking proposal condition is met again after overtaking another vehicle Y using overtaking control, the driving support device 19 uses the display device 18 to suggest to the driver to return to the original lane L1. If the driver accepts this proposal by operating a switch on the steering wheel, and the overtaking start conditions are met, the driving support device 19 performs overtaking control as shown in FIG. 3B. LCP is started to return vehicle V to the original lane L1.

Specifically, if the overtaking proposal condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 presents overtaking information using the display device 18 when the vehicle V is traveling at position P7. Then, if the driver inputs consent to execute overtaking control while the vehicle V is traveling at position P8, the driving support device 19 generates a traveling trajectory T3 shown in FIG. 3B and follows the traveling trajectory T3. The vehicle then travels from position P9 to position P13, and changes lanes from lane L2 to original lane L1. The driving support device 19 starts blinking the direction indicator at position P9, starts lateral movement to lane L1 at position P10, and starts LCM at position P11. At position P12, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and completes the LCM. Then, LCP is completed at position P13, and lane keep control is started.

In addition to this, the control unit 23 has a function of executing route driving control that combines lane keeping control and autonomous lane change control. The driving support device 19 causes the vehicle V to travel along a set travel route by route travel control. The driving support device 19 is configured to determine whether there is a travel direction change point such as a branch point, a confluence point, an exit, or a toll booth on the set travel route, and the distance to the travel direction change point is within a predetermined distance, and if the travel direction change point is within a predetermined distance. When route travel proposal conditions are met, route travel information is presented by route travel control. The driving support device 19 uses the display device 18 to suggest a lane change to a travel direction change point as route travel information.

The driving support device 19 starts LCP when the lane change proposal is accepted by operating a switch provided on the steering wheel and when predetermined route travel start conditions are met. Note that the operation of the switch may be an operation of a direction indicating lever by the driver. The driving support device 19 determines whether the route travel proposal condition and the route travel start condition are satisfied based on the information (driving environment) acquired by the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22.

Note that if the driving route is set by the navigation device 16 but the route driving control is not executed or if it is disabled in the settings, the navigation device 16 will not be able to use the normal route guidance for guiding the driving route. Navigation is performed. Further, the route driving control may include a function of starting an LCP for driving along the driving route when the driver operates a direction indicator lever even if a lane change is not suggested by the route driving information. .

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving support device 19 controls the route traveling. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4, a road with three lanes on each side extends in the vertical direction of the drawing, and the vehicle travels on the road from the bottom to the top of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 4, the lane on the right side of the traveling direction is designated as lane L1, the center lane is designated as lane L2, the lane on the left side of the traveling direction is designated as lane L3, and the branch line heading toward destination X is designated as lane L4.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the vehicle V travels in a position P1 in the lane L1 and heads for a destination X that is set by the occupant of the vehicle V and is located in front of the lane L4. In this case, if the driving support device 19 is within the first predetermined distance to the branch point Z (for example, approximately 2.5 km to 1.0 km before the branch point Z) and the route travel proposal conditions are satisfied, Through route travel control, a lane change from lane L1 to lane L2 is proposed.

Note that the first predetermined distance (also referred to as the lane change proposal section) is preset according to the number of lane changes required to move to the lane where the driving direction change point exists. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, if it is necessary to change lanes twice from lane L1 to lane L2 and then to lane L3, as shown in the example, the driver must change lanes approximately 2.5 km to 1.0 km before branching point Z. The section becomes the first predetermined distance (lane change proposal section).

Examples of route travel proposal conditions include, but are not limited to, all of the following conditions being met.
- A destination is set on the navigation device 16.
・Lane keep mode is hands-off mode.
- Traveling at a speed of 60 km/h or more.
・There is a lane in the direction of the lane change.
- The lane marker type allows lane changes.
- The radius of curvature of the road is 250m or more.

Note that under the route driving proposal conditions, even if there is no space available for lane change at the lane change destination, route driving information is presented in order to notify the driver of the need to change lanes along the driving route.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4, a destination X is set, a lane L2 exists on the left side (lane change side) of a straight lane L1, and there are no obstacles in the lane L2. Therefore, if the lane keep mode is the hands-off mode, the vehicle V travels at a speed of 60 km/h or more, and the boundary line between the lane L1 and the lane L2 allows a lane change, the route travel proposal conditions are satisfied. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4, if the route driving proposal conditions are met, route driving information is presented to the driver using the display device 18 while driving at position P1.

The driving support device 19 turns on the direction indicator by route travel control when the driver inputs consent to change lanes to head to the branch point at position P1 and the route travel start conditions are met. and start LCP. Examples of route travel start conditions include, but are not limited to, all of the following conditions being met.
・Lane keep mode in hands-on mode.
・Hands-on evaluation is currently underway.
- Traveling at a speed of 60 km/h or more.
・There is a lane in the direction of the lane change.
・There is space in the lane to which you can change lanes.
- The lane marker type allows lane changes.
・You are driving in a proposed lane change section.
- The radius of curvature of the road is 250m or more.

In the driving scene shown in Figure 4, since the route driving proposal conditions are satisfied, the lane keeping mode is in the hands-on mode, and hands-on judgment is in progress, and if the road shown in Figure 4 is the lane change proposal section, the route driving starts. Satisfy the conditions. When the route travel start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 19 starts LCP by route travel control, and executes lateral movement to lane L2 and LCM. The driving support device 19 generates, for example, a traveling trajectory T4 shown in FIG. 4, and autonomously controls the traveling operation of the vehicle V so as to follow the traveling trajectory T4. When the LCM is completed, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and starts lane keep control at position P3 in lane L2. Note that while the driving support device 19 is executing the LCP, the driving support device 19 presents the driver with information indicating that a lane change is being performed by route driving control on the display device 18, and urges the driver to pay attention to the surroundings.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the driving support device 19, while executing lane keep control in the lane L2, moves within a second predetermined distance to the branch point Z (for example, approximately 2.3 km to 700 meters before the branch point). And when the route travel start condition is satisfied, the route travel support control turns on the direction indicator, starts the second LCP, and changes the lane from lane L2 to lane L3. For example, the driving support device 19 generates a traveling trajectory T5 shown in FIG. 4, and causes the vehicle V to travel so as to follow the traveling trajectory T5 from position P4 to position P5. When the LCM is completed, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and starts lane keep control at position P5 in lane L3.

Furthermore, while executing lane keep control in lane L3, the driving support device 19 determines that the branch point Z is within a third predetermined distance (for example, about 800 m to 150 m before the branch point), and the route travel start condition is When the following conditions are met, the direction indicators are turned on by route driving control. The driving support device 19 generates a travel trajectory T6 that causes the vehicle to enter the lane L4 through route travel control. Then, at position P6 before branch point Z, autonomous steering control is started to enter lane L4, which is a branch line, and the vehicle travels from position P6 to position P7 following the travel trajectory T6, and then from lane L3 to lane L4. enter. When the vehicle enters lane L4, the driving support device 19 turns off the direction indicator and starts lane keep control at position P7 in lane L4.

Next, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing state transitions of each function established in the driving support device 19. The system shown in FIG. 5 means an autonomous driving control system realized by the driving support device 19. When the main switch is turned on from the system OFF state shown in FIG. 5, the system enters a standby state. The main switch is a switch that turns on/off the power of a system that implements the vehicle speed control function and the steering control function of the driving support device 19, and is provided, for example, on the steering wheel.

By turning on the set/coast switch or the resume/accelerate switch from the standby state, autonomous speed control using the vehicle speed control function starts. As a result, the above-described constant speed control or inter-vehicle distance control is started, and the driver can drive his/her own vehicle simply by operating the steering wheel without stepping on the accelerator or brake. The resume/accelerate switch is used to stop (turn OFF) autonomous speed control, then resume autonomous speed control at the set speed before turning it off, increase the set speed, or stop the vehicle while following the vehicle in front. This is a switch for restarting the vehicle using the support device 19. The set/coast switch is a switch that starts autonomous speed control at the speed at which the vehicle is traveling or reduces the set speed. These switches are provided, for example, on the steering wheel.

If condition (1) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while autonomous speed control is being executed, a transition is made to the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode. This condition (1) includes, for example, that the driver is holding the steering wheel while the lane markers on both sides of the vehicle V are being detected.

Hands-on mode refers to a mode in which autonomous steering control by the autonomous steering control function does not operate unless the driver holds the steering wheel, and hands-off mode refers to a mode in which autonomous steering control does not operate even if the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel. This refers to the mode in which autonomous steering control based on functions is activated. Note that the driver's holding of the steering wheel is detected by the touch sensor of the own vehicle state detection device 13.

If condition (2) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode is being executed, a transition is made to the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode. This condition (2) includes, for example, that the own vehicle V is traveling on a motorway with a high-precision map and that the GPS signal is valid.

On the other hand, if condition (3) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode is being executed, a transition is made to the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode. This condition (3) includes, for example, that the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit.

If condition (4) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode is being executed, the autonomous steering control is stopped and a transition is made to autonomous speed control. This condition (4) includes, for example, that the driver is operating the steering wheel.

Additionally, if condition (5) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while executing the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode, the autonomous steering control and autonomous speed control are stopped and the vehicle transitions to a standby state. This condition (5) includes, for example, that the driver operated the brake.

If condition (6) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode is being executed, the autonomous steering control is stopped and a transition is made to autonomous speed control. This condition (6) includes, for example, that the driver operated the direction indicator lever.

Additionally, if condition (7) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode is being executed, the autonomous steering control and autonomous speed control are stopped and a transition is made to the standby state. This condition (7) includes, for example, that the driver operated the brake.

If condition (8) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while autonomous speed control is being executed, a transition is made to the standby state. This condition (8) includes, for example, that the driver operated a cancel switch that turns off autonomous speed control.

If condition (9) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode is being executed, a transition is made to the lane change mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode. This condition (9) includes, for example, that the driver operated the lane change support switch in response to a lane change suggestion from the driving support system 10, and that the driver operated the direction indicator lever to execute autonomous lane change control. Examples include things that I did.

Note that the lane change support switch is a switch for instructing (accepting) the start of a lane change when the driving support device 19 confirms with the driver that the lane change has started. The lane change assist switch is provided, for example, on the steering wheel.

If the condition (10) in FIG. 5 is satisfied while executing the lane change mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode, a transition is made to the lane keep mode of the autonomous steering control/hands-on mode. This condition (10) includes, for example, that the traveling speed exceeds the speed limit before starting LCP.

Note that in this embodiment, lane keep mode and lane change mode are set in the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode, and autonomous lane change control can be executed in the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode.

Furthermore, when the main switch is turned off in any of the autonomous steering control/hands-off mode, autonomous steering control/hands-on mode, autonomous speed control, or standby state, the system is turned off.

The determining unit 24 determines whether or not the steering operation input by the driver satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition during execution of the autonomous steering control, and when it is determined that the steering operation input by the driver satisfies the predetermined cancellation condition. has the function of canceling autonomous steering control. Executing autonomous lane change control means, for example, after starting autonomous lane change control and before vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of the road (lateral movement) or before vehicle V starts LCM. It is. If the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines that the driver's steering operation satisfies the predetermined termination condition, the driving support device 19 suspends the autonomous steering control.

Specifically, if the driving support device 19 determines that the driver's steering operation satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition during execution of the first autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 cancels the first autonomous steering control. Further, if the driving support device 19 determines that the driver's steering operation satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition during execution of the second autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 cancels the second autonomous steering control or cancels the first autonomous steering control and the second autonomous steering control. Cancel autonomous steering control. When the second autonomous steering control is canceled, the vehicle transitions to the first autonomous steering control, and when the first autonomous steering control and the second autonomous steering control are canceled, the vehicle transitions to driving under manual operation by the driver.

A steering operation refers to an operation for directing the steered wheels of the vehicle V toward the target traveling direction of the vehicle V, and is, for example, rotating the steering wheel. The steering operation is detected using a steering angle sensor, a torque sensor, etc. of the vehicle state detection device 13. The predetermined discontinuation condition is a condition under which the driving support device 19 discontinues autonomous steering control, and includes, for example, a condition in which the absolute value of the rotation angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle V is larger than a predetermined angle, and a condition in which the absolute value of the rotation angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle V is greater than a predetermined angle, and The absolute value of the steering torque is greater than a predetermined value. Steering torque is the torque that rotates the steering wheel. Note that the predetermined cancellation conditions are not limited to these, and the above-mentioned conditions can be combined as appropriate.

The rotation angle of the steering wheel is 0° when the steered wheels (for example, front wheels) of the vehicle V are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V, and is considered a positive angle when the steering wheel is rotated clockwise, and counterclockwise. When rotated in the opposite direction, the angle is negative. Regarding the steering torque input to the steering wheel, the torque that rotates the steering wheel clockwise has a positive value, and the torque that rotates the steering wheel counterclockwise has a negative value. The rotation angle of the steering wheel and the steering torque input to the steering wheel are detected by, for example, a steering angle sensor and a torque sensor of the host vehicle state detection device 13.

The predetermined angle is a value that corresponds to the traveling speed of the vehicle V, and can be set to an appropriate value within a range that does not cause the occupants of the vehicle V to feel strange when the autonomous steering control is canceled. Specifically, when the vehicle V is traveling at 80 to 100 km/h, the angle is approximately 5 to 10 degrees, and when the vehicle V is traveling at 60 to 80 km/h, it is approximately 10 to 20 degrees. . Further, the predetermined value of the steering torque is about 5 to 15 Nm when the vehicle V is running at 80 to 100 km/h, and about 20 to 30 Nm when the vehicle V is running at 60 to 80 km/h. It is. In order to suppress changes in the behavior of the vehicle V, the predetermined angle and the predetermined value are preferably set to smaller values as the traveling speed of the vehicle V increases. Note that the predetermined angle and steering torque are not limited to the above-mentioned ranges, and can be used in any combination in the present invention.

After starting the autonomous steering control, if the driving support device 19 determines that the driver's steering operation satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition while executing the autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 cancels the autonomous steering control and transitions to manual driving. do. In this case, the state of the driving support device 19 becomes the system OFF state shown in FIG. 5, and the driving of the vehicle is controlled by the driver's steering operation. Note that manual driving means that the driving support device 19 does not perform autonomous driving control of the driving operation, and the driving of the vehicle is controlled by the driver's operation. This transition to traveling by manual operation is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

Alternatively, after the start of the autonomous steering control, if the driving support device 19 determines that the driver's steering operation satisfies a predetermined termination condition during execution of the autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 cancels the autonomous steering control and controls the autonomous speed. May maintain control. In this case, the state of the driving support device 19 becomes the autonomous speed control state shown in FIG. If it is determined that the driver's steering operation satisfies a predetermined termination condition during execution of autonomous steering control, canceling autonomous steering control and maintaining autonomous speed control is not an essential configuration of the present invention, but is necessary. It may be added or omitted depending on the situation.

On the other hand, if the driving support device 19 determines that the steering operation detected during execution of the autonomous steering control does not satisfy the predetermined termination condition after the start of the autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 automatically Corrects the driving operation by steering control. For example, the driving support device 19 advances or delays the timing of executing the lane change driving operation in the second autonomous steering control based on a steering operation that does not satisfy the predetermined cancellation condition. This correction of the traveling motion is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the driving support device 19 may shorten or lengthen the time required to perform the lane change driving operation in the second autonomous steering control based on the steering operation. Shortening or lengthening the time required to execute the driving operation of changing lanes is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary. In place of or in addition to this, the driving support device 19 performs the second autonomous steering control based on the steering operation, when the vehicle V moves from the own lane to another lane (for example, an adjacent lane). or road) may be increased or decreased. Setting the speed in the width direction of the own lane when the vehicle V moves from the own lane to another lane is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added as necessary and may be omitted. Good too.

As an example, correction of the driving operation will be described using the autonomous lane change control (that is, the second autonomous steering control) shown in FIG. 2. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, vehicle V starts lateral movement toward lane L2 at position P3. In this case, if a steering torque that rotates the steering wheel to the left is detected between positions P2 and P3 before starting the lateral movement, if the value of the steering torque is larger than the predetermined value, the above-mentioned As shown, the second autonomous steering control is canceled. On the other hand, when the value of the steering torque is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the driving support device 19 changes the position at which the vehicle V starts lateral movement to the lane L2 from the position P3 to the position P3a. That is, the driving support device 19 delays the timing at which the vehicle V starts moving laterally, depending on the steering torque input to the steering wheel.

As another example, suppose that in the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, a steering torque that rotates the steering wheel to the right is detected between positions P2 and P3 before starting lateral movement to lane L2. In this case, when the value of the steering torque is larger than the predetermined value, the second autonomous steering control is canceled. On the other hand, when the value of the steering torque is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the driving support device 19 changes the position at which the vehicle V starts lateral movement to the lane L2 from the position P3 to the position P3b. In other words, the timing at which the vehicle V starts moving laterally is brought forward.

When the timing at which the vehicle V starts lateral movement is changed, the position where the LCP is completed may be the initially set position, or the position where the LCP is completed may be changed in accordance with the changed timing. For example, when the vehicle V starts lateral movement from position P3a, the position where LCP is completed may be position P6, or may be a position ahead of position P6 in the traveling direction. Further, when the vehicle V starts lateral movement from position P3b, the position where LCP is completed may be position P6, or may be a position behind position P6 in the traveling direction.

Alternatively, the driving support device 19 may cancel the autonomous steering control if a steering torque of a predetermined value or less is continuously input to the steering wheel for a predetermined period of time or more after starting the autonomous steering control. . For example, in the autonomous lane change control (that is, the second autonomous steering control) shown in FIG. 2, after the driving support device 19 proposes a lane change to the driver at position P1, the torque that rotates the steering wheel to the left remains for a predetermined time or longer. If detected continuously, the driving support device 19 cancels the second autonomous steering control and transitions to driving under manual operation by the driver. The predetermined time can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which the occupants of the vehicle V do not feel uncomfortable when the second autonomous steering control is canceled, and specifically, it is about 5 to 60 seconds. Canceling autonomous steering control when a steering torque below a predetermined value is continuously input to the steering wheel for a predetermined period of time or more is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary. You may. Instead, if a steering operation that does not meet the predetermined termination conditions is detected for a predetermined period of time or more after the start of the autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 cancels the autonomous steering control and performs a manual operation by the driver. You may transition to running. Canceling this autonomous steering control and transitioning to driving under manual operation by the driver is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

In the driving support device 19 of this embodiment, the driver can correct or cancel both the first autonomous steering control and the second autonomous steering control by inputting a steering operation. However, even when the same steering operation is input, the driver's intention is different when executing the first autonomous steering control and when executing the second autonomous steering control. That is, if a steering operation is input during execution of the first autonomous steering control (lane keep control), the driver intends to cancel the autonomous steering control (lane keep control). On the other hand, if a steering operation is input during execution of the second autonomous steering control, the driver intends to correct the autonomous steering control. Therefore, the predetermined cancellation condition of the present embodiment is such that the second autonomous steering control is canceled by the first autonomous steering control after the second autonomous steering control is started, especially before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane. conditions that make it difficult for Thereby, while continuing the second autonomous steering control, it is possible to correct the driving operation for changing lanes by reflecting the driver's intention before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of its own lane.

For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, the driving support device 19 starts the second autonomous steering control between positions P1 and P2, and then starts lateral movement to lane L2 at position P3. First, the predetermined cancellation condition is set to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. The timing to start the second autonomous steering control is the timing when the vehicle V reaches the starting point for starting a lane change, and the timing is before the vehicle V starts moving laterally in the width direction of its own lane. be. For example, the timing at which LCP is started, the timing at which a lane change is suggested to the driver, the timing at which turn signal flashing starts, the timing at which a space for vehicle V to enter into another lane (for example, an adjacent lane) is detected, the second autonomous steering Examples include the timing when the vehicle V reaches a point set as the point to start control, and the timing when the speed difference between the vehicle V and a preceding vehicle in the own lane or another lane becomes less than a predetermined speed.

Note that in this embodiment, the predetermined cancellation condition is such that the second autonomous steering control is canceled by the first autonomous steering control after the second autonomous steering control starts and before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane. conditions that make it difficult for This means that, at least after the start of the second autonomous steering control and before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane, the second autonomous steering control is less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. All you have to do is stay there. Preferably, the predetermined termination condition is set when starting the second autonomous steering control. Note that the predetermined conditions may be changed so that the second autonomous steering control is easily canceled when starting movement in the width direction of the vehicle's own lane.

The driving support device 19 sets the predetermined angle of the second autonomous steering control to be larger than the predetermined angle of the first autonomous steering control regarding the predetermined angle that is the rotation angle of the steering wheel at which the autonomous steering control is to be stopped. For example, the predetermined angle of the first autonomous steering control is set to approximately 5 to 10 degrees, and the predetermined angle of the second autonomous steering control is set to approximately 7.5 to 15 degrees, which is 1.5 times that of the first autonomous steering control. Set. Instead of this, or in addition to this, the driving support device 19 sets the predetermined value of the second autonomous steering control to be larger than the predetermined value of the first autonomous steering control regarding the predetermined value of the steering torque for canceling the autonomous steering control. You can. For example, the predetermined value of the first autonomous steering control is set to about 5 to 15 Nm, and the predetermined value of the second autonomous steering control is set to about 10 to 30 Nm, which is twice the predetermined value of the first autonomous steering control. Setting the predetermined angle of the second autonomous steering control to be larger than the predetermined angle of the first autonomous steering control with respect to the predetermined angle that is the rotation angle of the steering wheel at which the autonomous steering control is to be stopped, and the steering to stop the autonomous steering control. Regarding the predetermined value of torque, setting the predetermined value of the second autonomous steering control to be larger than the predetermined value of the first autonomous steering control is not an essential configuration of the present invention, and may be added as necessary and may be omitted. You can.

Note that the driving support device 19 of this embodiment is assumed to alternatively execute the first autonomous steering control and the second autonomous steering control. Therefore, for example, when the predetermined angle of the first autonomous steering control is set to 10 degrees and the predetermined angle of the second autonomous steering control is set to 15 degrees, when the rotation angle of the steering wheel is detected as 12 degrees, , if the first autonomous steering control is being executed, the first autonomous steering control will be canceled, and if the second autonomous steering control is being executed, the second autonomous steering control will be continued. That is, even if the predetermined termination condition for the first autonomous steering control is met while the second autonomous steering control is being executed, the first autonomous steering control is not canceled and the second autonomous steering control is continued.

Alternatively, or in addition to this, the predetermined termination condition can be set by the second autonomous steering control by changing the operation settings of the steering wheel without changing the predetermined rotation angle of the steering wheel and the predetermined value of the steering torque. may be set to conditions that are less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. For example, when the vehicle is equipped with a steering device in which the amount of rotation of the steering wheel required to change the steering angle of the steering wheel is variable, the amount of rotation of the second autonomous steering control is set to the amount of rotation of the steering wheel. 1 Set larger than the rotation amount of autonomous steering control. Alternatively, or in addition to this, assistance is provided to the driver's steering input so that the torque required to rotate the steering wheel in the second autonomous steering control is greater than the torque required to rotate the steering wheel in the first autonomous steering control. The gain may be set low. This increases the amount of rotation and steering torque required to reach the predetermined angle, making it difficult for the second autonomous steering control to be canceled. Note that by changing the operation settings of the steering wheel without changing the predetermined rotation angle of the steering wheel and the predetermined value of the steering torque, the second autonomous steering control can set the predetermined cancellation condition better than the first autonomous steering control. Setting conditions that make it difficult to cancel is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

The driving support device 19 determines the amount of change in the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle V with respect to the rotation amount of the steering wheel of the vehicle V in the second autonomous steering control before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane. The amount of change may be set smaller than the amount of change in the first autonomous steering control. The steering angle is an angle indicating the inclination of the steered wheels with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V, and may be the yaw angle of the vehicle V. The steering angle is 0° when the steered wheels (for example, front wheels) of the vehicle V are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V, is a positive angle when the steered wheels are tilted to the right side of the vehicle, and is a positive angle when the steered wheels are tilted to the left side of the vehicle. If it is, it will be a negative angle. The steering angle is determined from the detection result of the steering angle sensor of the own vehicle state detection device 13. That is, since the steering angle corresponds to the amount of rotation (rotation angle) of the steering wheel, it can be determined using a correspondence (for example, a proportional relationship) between the steering angle and the amount of rotation (rotation angle). Alternatively, the yaw angle as the steering angle may be determined by integrating the yaw rate obtained from the yaw rate sensor. Setting the amount of change in the second autonomous steering control to be smaller than the amount of change in the first autonomous steering control before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane is not an essential configuration for the present invention; It may be added or omitted as necessary.

After the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of the own lane in which the vehicle V is traveling, the driving support device 19 sets the predetermined cancellation condition to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is more likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. Set. Alternatively, the driving support device 19 may set the predetermined cancellation condition to be a condition for canceling the first autonomous steering control after the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of the own lane in which the vehicle V is traveling. You can. As a result, when the driver wants to cancel autonomous steering control after the vehicle V starts driving to change lanes, or when the driver wants to increase the speed of movement in the width direction of the own lane, the driver's intention can be determined by the vehicle V. This will be more easily reflected in driving. After the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of the own lane in which the vehicle V runs, the predetermined cancellation condition is set to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is more likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control; However, setting the predetermined cancellation condition to a condition for canceling the first autonomous steering control after the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane is not an essential configuration of the present invention, but may be necessary. It may be added or omitted as appropriate.

Further, the driving support device 19 sets the predetermined stop condition after the steered wheel of the vehicle V in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V moves passes over the boundary line defining the own lane. The conditions are set such that the second autonomous steering control is more likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. Alternatively, the driving support device 19 performs a predetermined stop after the steering wheel of the vehicle V in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V moves passes over the boundary line that defines the own lane. The conditions may be set to cancel the first autonomous steering control.

For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, vehicle V changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 on the right, so the left front wheel of vehicle V passes over the dashed boundary line that defines lane L1. Later, the predetermined cancellation condition is set as a condition for canceling the first autonomous steering control. The position of the left front wheel is estimated based on, for example, the image data of the boundary line obtained from the imaging device 11 and the data of the distance to the road shoulder obtained from the distance measuring device 12. Instead of or in addition to this, it may be determined whether the front wheels of the vehicle V have passed over the boundary line based on the detection result of an acceleration sensor attached to the damper of the vehicle V. This makes it easier to reflect the driver's intention, such as canceling the autonomous steering control or increasing the moving speed in the width direction of the own lane, on the driving of the vehicle V. After the steered wheel of the vehicle V in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V moves passes over the boundary line defining the own lane, the second autonomous steering control sets the predetermined stop condition to the first autonomous steering control. The autonomous steering control should be set to conditions that are likely to be aborted, and after the steered wheels of the vehicle V in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V is moving pass over the boundary line that demarcates the vehicle's own lane. Setting the predetermined cancellation condition as a condition for canceling the first autonomous steering control is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

After the second autonomous steering control starts blinking the direction indicator of the vehicle V, the driving support device 19 sets the predetermined cancellation condition to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. Good too. As a result, it becomes difficult to cancel the second autonomous steering control after the direction indicator starts flashing, and the driver's intention is not reflected when a following vehicle that is traveling at a higher speed than the vehicle V approaches from behind the vehicle V. Therefore, the timing at which the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane can be brought forward. It is essential to the present invention that after the second autonomous steering control starts blinking the direction indicator of the vehicle V, the predetermined cancellation condition is set to a condition that makes it more difficult for the second autonomous steering control to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. It is not the configuration of , but may be added or omitted as necessary. Further, after the start of the second autonomous steering control, the driving support device 19 determines whether or not the driver's steering operation is detected before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane, and determines whether or not the driver's steering operation is detected. If detected, the direction indicator of the vehicle V may be made to blink. Thereby, it is possible to display to other vehicles around the vehicle V that the vehicle V is attempting to change lanes. After the start of the second autonomous steering control, it is determined whether or not the driver's steering operation is detected before the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane, and when the driver's steering operation is detected. Flashing the direction indicator of the vehicle V is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

The driving support device 19 uses the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22 to detect the vehicle based on the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 before starting to move to another lane (for example, an adjacent lane) using the second autonomous steering control. Detects space for V to enter other lanes. In this case, it is determined whether the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is longer than the overall length of the vehicle V and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change. . A space in which it is determined that a lane change is possible by the second autonomous steering control is, for example, a space in which the time-to-vehicle (THW) between the vehicle V and an obstacle in front of the vehicle V is 0.7 to 1.4 seconds or more, and the vehicle V This is a space where the time-to-vehicle (THW) with respect to an obstacle behind is 0.7 to 1.4 seconds or more.

If the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is longer than the overall length of the vehicle V and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change, the driving support device 19 controls a predetermined space. The cancellation condition is set to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. This allows the driver to change lanes while continuing the second autonomous steering control. On the other hand, if the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is less than or equal to the total length of the vehicle V, or if it is greater than or equal to the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change, The driving support device 19 maintains the predetermined discontinuation condition or sets the predetermined discontinuation condition to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is more likely to be discontinued than the first autonomous steering control. Before starting movement to another lane by the second autonomous steering control, a space in which the vehicle V enters the other lane is detected, and the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is determined. Determining whether the length is longer than the total length of the vehicle and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change is not an essential feature of the present invention, and may be added as necessary and may be omitted. You may.

In addition, when the driving support device 19 is equipped with a steering device in which the amount of rotation of the steering wheel required to change the steering angle of the steering wheels of the vehicle is variable, the driving support device 19 may be configured such that when a steering operation of the same amount of rotation is input. Even if the input time is short, the first autonomous steering control (lane keep control) is maintained, and when the input continues, the second autonomous steering control (autonomous lane change control) is executed. good. For example, when a rotation with a rotation angle of 30 degrees is input to the steering wheel and the input time is approximately 0.5 to 5 seconds, the first autonomous steering control is maintained without rotating the steering wheel. However, when the input time is longer than about 5 seconds, the steering wheels are rotated according to the steering operation and the second autonomous steering control is executed.

[Processing in the driving support system]
With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a procedure when the driving support device 19 processes information will be described. 6A and 6B are examples of flowcharts showing information processing executed in the driving support system 10 of this embodiment. The processing described below is executed at predetermined time intervals by the CPU 191, which is the processor of the driving support device 19. Note that the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are based on a driving scene in which the vehicle V runs on a road under lane keeping control.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 6A, the determination function of the determination unit 24 sets a predetermined discontinuation condition for the first autonomous steering control (lane keep control). This predetermined cancellation condition is, for example, a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is more likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control, and may be a preset reference condition. In subsequent step S2, the vehicle V is caused to travel using the vehicle control device 17 under the first autonomous steering control (lane keep control) of the steering control unit 232. Specifically, the traveling speed of the vehicle V is controlled using the speed control device 171 through inter-vehicle distance control or constant speed control. Furthermore, the steering control device 172 is used to control the steering device of the vehicle V so that the vehicle travels along its own lane through autonomous steering control.

In step S3, the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22 acquires the current position of the vehicle V from the own vehicle position detection device 15. In subsequent step S4, the travel control function of the control unit 23 acquires a travel route from the navigation device 16. In subsequent step S5, the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22 recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle V from the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12.

In step S6, the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether or not it is necessary to execute the second autonomous steering control based on the information acquired in steps S3 to S5. For example, in order to make a left turn along a set travel route, if it is necessary to change lanes from the own lane to an adjacent lane that is a left turn-only lane, it is determined that the second autonomous steering control needs to be executed. On the other hand, if the vehicle can continue traveling along its own lane and reach the destination, it is determined that there is no need to execute the second autonomous steering control.

If it is determined that it is not necessary to execute the second autonomous steering control, the process proceeds to step S7, and the vehicle maintains running under the first autonomous steering control (lane keep control). In subsequent step S8, the driving support function of the support unit 20 determines whether the vehicle V has arrived at the destination. If it is determined that the vehicle V has arrived at the destination, the autonomous driving control is stopped and the display device 18 prompts the driver to drive manually. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle V has not arrived at the destination, the process advances to step S2 and the above-described process is repeated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6 that it is necessary to execute the second autonomous steering control, the process proceeds to step S9, and the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether the lane change start condition is satisfied. If it is determined that the lane change start conditions are not met, the autonomous driving control is stopped and the display device 18 prompts the driver to manually change the lane. On the other hand, if it is determined that the lane change start condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S10, and the second autonomous steering control by the control unit 23 is started. In subsequent step S11, the determination function of the determination unit 24 sets a predetermined condition for discontinuing the second autonomous steering control. That is, a predetermined cancellation condition is set that makes it more difficult for the second autonomous steering control to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control.

Next, in step S12 of FIG. 6B, the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether a steering operation by the driver has been detected. If it is determined that no steering operation by the driver is detected, the process proceeds to step S17, and a lane change using the second autonomous steering control of the control unit 23 is started. Specifically, the vehicle starts blinking the LCP, LCM, and turn signal, or starts moving laterally in the width direction of its own lane. On the other hand, if a steering operation by the driver is detected, the process advances to step S13. Note that if the lane change has already started, step S17 shown in FIG. 6B should be read as "continue lane change."

In step S13, the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether the input steering operation satisfies a predetermined termination condition. For example, if the absolute value of the steering torque acquired from the torque sensor (vehicle state detection device 13) is larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the predetermined cancellation condition is satisfied. On the other hand, if the rotation angle of the steering wheel obtained from the steering angle sensor (vehicle state detection device 13) is less than or equal to the predetermined angle, it is determined that the predetermined discontinuation condition is not satisfied.

If it is determined that the steering operation does not satisfy the predetermined abort condition, the process proceeds to step S14, and the lane change driving operation is corrected in accordance with the steering operation. For example, when changing lanes to the right in the direction of travel, if a torque that turns the steering wheel to the left in the direction of travel is detected, the timing at which the vehicle V starts lateral movement is delayed.

In the following step S15, the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether a steering torque equal to or less than a predetermined value has been continuously input to the steering wheel for a predetermined period of time or more. If it is determined that a steering torque equal to or less than a predetermined value has not been continuously input to the steering wheel for a predetermined period of time or more, the process proceeds to step S17, and a lane change is executed based on the corrected driving operation.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the steering torque below the predetermined value has been continuously input to the steering wheel for a predetermined period of time or more, the process proceeds to step S16 and the second autonomous steering control is stopped. Further, if it is determined in step S13 that the input steering operation satisfies the predetermined cancellation condition, the process also proceeds to step S16, and the second autonomous steering control is canceled. The display device 18 then prompts the driver to drive manually.

After starting the lane change in step S17, in step S18, the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether the vehicle V has started moving in the width direction of its own lane. For example, if the rotation of the steering wheel is detected by the steering angle sensor or the torque sensor, it is determined that the vehicle V has started moving in the width direction of its own lane, and the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if rotation of the steering wheel is not detected, it is determined that the vehicle V has not started moving in the width direction of its own lane, and the process proceeds to step S19.

In step S19, the determination function of the determination unit 24 determines whether or not the steered wheel of the vehicle V in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V moves has passed over the boundary line defining the own lane. Determine whether For example, when the vehicle V changes lanes to the adjacent lane on the left, it is determined whether the right front wheels of the vehicle V have passed over the boundary line that defines the own lane. In this determination, for example, the position of the front wheels of the vehicle V in the own lane is estimated based on the image data of the boundary line acquired from the imaging device 11 and the data of the distance to the road shoulder acquired from the distance measuring device 12. If it is determined that the steered wheel in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V is moving has passed over the boundary line defining the own lane, the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if it is determined that the steered wheels in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle V is moving are not passing over the boundary line defining the own lane, the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 22 uses the image data acquired from the imaging device 11 to detect a space for entering the lane adjacent to the own lane. In subsequent step S21, it is determined whether the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is longer than the overall length of the vehicle V and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change. judge. If the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is longer than the overall length of the vehicle V and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change, the process proceeds to step S23. On the other hand, if the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle V is less than or equal to the total length of the vehicle V or is greater than or equal to the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change, Proceed to step S22.

In step S22, the determination function of the determination unit 24 changes the predetermined termination condition to a condition under which the first autonomous steering control is terminated. For example, the predetermined cancellation condition is changed to the condition set in step S1. Alternatively, the predetermined cancellation condition may be changed to a condition that makes it easier to cancel the second autonomous steering control. After that, the process advances to step S23.

In step S23, the driving control function of the support unit 20 determines whether the lane change has been completed. Specifically, it is determined whether LCM or LCP has been completed. If it is determined that the lane change has not been completed, the process advances to step S12 and the above-described process is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the lane change has been completed, the second autonomous steering control is ended and the process proceeds to step S8 in FIG. 6A.

[Embodiments of the present invention]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first autonomous steering control that maintains the vehicle V traveling along its own lane, and the second autonomous steering control that changes the lane from the own lane to another lane. A vehicle driving support method executed by a processor, wherein the autonomous steering control is executed, and if a driver's steering operation input during the execution of the autonomous steering control satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition, the autonomous steering control is canceled. In the above, the predetermined discontinuation condition is such that the second autonomous steering control stops the first autonomous steering after the second autonomous steering control starts and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane. A vehicle driving support method is provided that is less likely to be canceled than control. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the autonomous steering control from being canceled due to the driver's steering operation in a driving scene where the autonomous lane change control should be continued. Furthermore, even if the driver checks the surrounding driving environment and steers the vehicle at a time when a lane change is possible, the driver can initiate a lane change while continuing autonomous steering control. Therefore, the driver can start the driving operation to change lanes at a desired timing, and after starting the driving operation to change lanes, the driver can drive by autonomous steering control.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, after the start of the second autonomous steering control and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane, the processor performs the predetermined discontinuation condition. may be set to a condition in which the second autonomous steering control is less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the autonomous steering control from being canceled due to the driver's steering operation contrary to the driver's intention.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, the processor determines whether the vehicle is moving in the width direction of the own lane with respect to the amount of change in the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle with respect to the amount of rotation of the steering wheel of the vehicle. Before starting movement, the amount of change in the second autonomous steering control may be set to be smaller than the amount of change in the first autonomous steering control. This increases the amount of rotation required to reach the predetermined angle, making it difficult for the second autonomous steering control to be canceled.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, the processor sets the predetermined cancellation condition to cancel the first autonomous steering control after the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane. It may be set as a condition. As a result, when the driver wants to cancel autonomous steering control after the vehicle V starts driving to change lanes, or when the driver wants to increase the speed of movement in the width direction of the own lane, the driver's intention can be determined by the vehicle V. This will be more easily reflected in driving.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, the processor may be arranged such that one of the steered wheels of the vehicle in a direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves is located at a boundary defining the own lane. The predetermined discontinuation condition may be set as a condition for discontinuing the first autonomous steering control after passing over the line. This makes it easier to reflect the driver's intention, such as canceling the autonomous steering control or increasing the moving speed in the width direction of the own lane, on the driving of the vehicle V.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, after the second autonomous steering control starts blinking the direction indicator of the vehicle, the processor sets the predetermined discontinuation condition to the second autonomous steering control. The control may be set to conditions that are less likely to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. As a result, when a following vehicle traveling at a higher speed than the vehicle V approaches from behind the vehicle V, the timing at which the vehicle V starts moving in the width direction of its own lane can be brought forward to reflect the driver's intentions. can.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, the processor detects the steering operation after the start of the second autonomous steering control and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane. If so, the direction indicator of the vehicle may be flashed. Thereby, it is possible to display to other vehicles around the vehicle V that the vehicle V is attempting to change lanes.

Further, according to the vehicle driving support method of the present embodiment, the processor detects a space in which the vehicle enters the other lane, and the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle is If the length is longer than the total length of the vehicle and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change, the predetermined cancellation condition is set such that the second autonomous steering control is canceled by the first autonomous steering control. It may be set to difficult conditions. This allows the driver to change lanes while continuing the second autonomous steering control.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the autonomous vehicle V includes a first autonomous steering control for maintaining the vehicle V traveling along its own lane, and a second autonomous steering control for changing the lane from the own lane to another lane. The control unit 23 includes a control unit 23 that executes steering control, and a determination unit 24 that cancels the autonomous steering control if the driver's steering operation input during execution of the autonomous steering control satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition. The predetermined cancellation condition is that the second autonomous steering control is canceled by the first autonomous steering control after the second autonomous steering control is started and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane. The vehicle driving support device 19 is provided under conditions that are difficult to meet. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the autonomous steering control from being canceled due to the driver's steering operation in a driving scene where the autonomous lane change control should be continued. Furthermore, even if the driver checks the surrounding driving environment and steers the vehicle at a time when a lane change is possible, the driver can initiate a lane change while continuing autonomous steering control. Therefore, the driver can start the driving operation to change lanes at a desired timing, and after starting the driving operation to change lanes, the driver can drive by autonomous steering control.

In the vehicle driving support method and driving support device 19 of this embodiment, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be freely combined and used, and the combination is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the vehicle driving support method and driving support device 19 of the present embodiment are not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and may be used in any combination of the configurations described in the embodiments. Not particularly limited.

10...Driving support system 11...Imaging device 12...Distance measuring device 13...Vehicle status detection device 14...Map information 15...Vehicle position detection device 16...Navigation device 17...Vehicle control device 171...Speed control device 172...Steering control Device 18...Display device 19...Driving support device 191...CPU (processor)
192...ROM
193...RAM
20... Support part 21... Generation part 22... Recognition part 23... Control part 231... Speed control part 232... Steering control part 24... Judgment part L1, L2, L3, L4... Lane P1, P2, P3, P3a, P3b, P4 , P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10, P11, P12, P13, Py...Position T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6...Travel trajectory V...Vehicle (own vehicle)
X... Destination Y... Other vehicle Z... Branching point

Claims

Executing autonomous steering control including a first autonomous steering control for maintaining the vehicle traveling along its own lane, and a second autonomous steering control for changing the lane from the own lane to another lane,
In a vehicle driving support method executed by a processor, the autonomous steering control is canceled if a driver's steering operation input during execution of the autonomous steering control satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition.
The predetermined discontinuation condition is such that after the second autonomous steering control is started and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane, the second autonomous steering control is more effective than the first autonomous steering control. A vehicle driving support method that is difficult to discontinue.
After the start of the second autonomous steering control and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane, the processor sets the predetermined stop condition so that the second autonomous steering control does not change the first autonomous steering control. 2. The vehicle driving support method according to claim 1, wherein conditions are set to make it more difficult to cancel.
The processor determines the amount of change in the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle with respect to the amount of rotation of the steering wheel of the vehicle in the second autonomous steering control before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane. 3. The vehicle driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of change is set to be smaller than the amount of change in the first autonomous steering control.
4. The processor sets the predetermined discontinuation condition to a condition for discontinuing the first autonomous steering control after the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of its own lane. Vehicle driving support method described in .
The processor sets the predetermined discontinuation condition to the predetermined stop condition after a steered wheel of the vehicle in a direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle moves passes over a boundary line defining the own lane. 5. The vehicle driving support method according to claim 1, wherein a condition is set to cancel the first autonomous steering control.
After the second autonomous steering control starts blinking a direction indicator of the vehicle, the processor sets the predetermined cancellation condition to a condition that makes it more difficult for the second autonomous steering control to be canceled than the first autonomous steering control. The vehicle driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
If the steering operation is detected after the start of the second autonomous steering control and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of its own lane, the processor causes a turn signal of the vehicle to blink. The vehicle driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The processor includes:
detecting a space for the vehicle to enter the other lane;
If the length of the detected space in the traveling direction of the vehicle is longer than the overall length of the vehicle and shorter than the length determined by the second autonomous steering control to allow a lane change, the predetermined abort condition is met. 8. The vehicle driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the second autonomous steering control is set to conditions that are more difficult to cancel than the first autonomous steering control.
a control unit that executes autonomous steering control including a first autonomous steering control that maintains the vehicle traveling along its own lane; and a second autonomous steering control that changes the lane from the own lane to another lane;
a determination unit that cancels the autonomous steering control if the driver's steering operation input during execution of the autonomous steering control satisfies a predetermined cancellation condition;
The predetermined discontinuation condition is such that after the second autonomous steering control is started and before the vehicle starts moving in the width direction of the own lane, the second autonomous steering control is more effective than the first autonomous steering control. Vehicle driving support equipment is a condition that makes it difficult to cancel.