JP7229286B2 - control system, program - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to technology for assisting a vehicle in changing lanes or implementing lane changes.

In recent years, a navigation device that guides the running of a vehicle not only performs simple route search, but also provides various driving assistance. As one of them, a technique for assisting a vehicle in changing lanes has been proposed. For example, in Patent Literature 1, lanes near intersections where lane changes are prohibited are stored in advance, lane changes are prohibited, and lane change guidance is provided in advance toward the intended driving direction of the vehicle. do Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique of storing information on restricted sections for lane changes and notifying the driver of the information.

JP 2007-127598 A JP 2013-19806 A

However, these technologies memorize so-called binary information, such as whether or not lane changes are prohibited, and provide lane change guidance. In some cases, we were unable to respond. Such information is sufficiently useful if it is just to provide voice guidance for lane changes. It is assumed that sufficient measures cannot be taken with the information of the degree of whether or not.

The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the problems described above, and can be implemented as the following aspects or application examples.

(1) As one embodiment of the present invention, a control system for assisting driving of a vehicle is provided. In this control system , when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined position of the lanes that make up the road, the physical obstacles that exist at the boundaries of the plurality of lanes that make up the road that are stored in the storage unit are detected. a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle based on the indicated boundary information; a determination unit that determines that the traveling vehicle is in an emergency situation that is not a normal situation; a control unit that assists driving of the vehicle based on a recognition result and a determination result of the emergency situation by the determination unit , wherein the control unit determines that the determination unit is in the emergency situation. If the determination is made, the recognition unit has previously recognized that the physical obstacle indicated by the boundary information corresponding to the surrounding situation is an obstacle that can be overcome , and the actual surrounding information of the vehicle. The vehicle is steered in the direction of the obstacle and guided to the obstacle based on the actual surrounding conditions of the vehicle acquired by the acquiring unit .

In the above embodiments, the obstacles that can be overcome are at least one of road cones, pole cones, and cat's eyes .

(2) A program is provided as another embodiment of the present invention. This program instructs the computer , when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined position of the lanes that make up the road, the physical obstacles that exist at the boundaries of the plurality of lanes that make up the road that are stored in the storage unit. a recognition function for recognizing surrounding conditions of the vehicle based on boundary information indicating objects; a determination function for determining whether the vehicle is in an emergency situation that is not a normal condition; A control function for assisting driving of the vehicle is realized based on the result of recognition of the situation and the result of determination of the emergency situation by the determination function , and the control function performs the determination function when the determination function is in the emergency situation. If it is determined that there is, the recognition function previously recognized that the physical obstacle indicated by the boundary information corresponding to the surrounding situation is an obstacle that can be overcome , and the actual surrounding information of the vehicle. The vehicle is steered in the direction of the obstacle and guided to the obstacle based on the actual surrounding conditions of the vehicle acquired by an acquisition unit that acquires the vehicle .

(3) A program is provided as another embodiment of the present invention. This program is a program that realizes a reference function that causes a computer having a recognition function , a judgment function, and a control function to refer to boundary information indicating physical obstacles existing at the boundary of a plurality of lanes that constitute the road. The recognition function recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle based on the boundary information stored in the storage unit when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined position of the lane that constitutes the road. The determination function determines that the vehicle is traveling in an emergency situation that is not a normal situation , and the control function determines the result of recognition of the surrounding situation by the recognition function and the emergency situation by the determination function. and a function for supporting driving of the vehicle based on the determination result, and the function for supporting driving of the vehicle is configured such that, when the determination function determines that the emergency situation exists, the recognition function is activated by the peripheral device. It is recognized in advance that the physical obstacle indicated by the boundary information corresponding to the situation is an obstacle that can be overcome ; and the surrounding conditions, the vehicle is steered toward the obstacle and guided to the obstacle .

The present invention can also be implemented as a method corresponding to the above apparatus. Any of the methods has the effects corresponding to the device invention. Furthermore, the present invention can be practiced in aspects other than those described above. For example, it can be implemented as a lane change assisting method or a vehicle control method, or as a lane change assist system or lane change operation control system comprising a server and a vehicle. Alternatively, it can be implemented as an invention of a server that implements these systems.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a lane change support system as a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between logical network (NW) data and lane NW data; Explanatory drawing which shows an example of lane change route search. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data structure stored in a storage unit; 4 is a flowchart showing a lane change guidance processing routine; 4 is a flowchart showing a route search processing routine at the road NW level; 4 is a flow chart showing a route search processing routine at the lane NW level; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how lanes NW are divided in a lane changeable section; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing how weighting is used to search for a final possible lane change location and a recommended lane change location. A graph exemplifying the relationship between the distance from the last possible lane change point and the weighting. 4 is a flowchart showing a voice guidance output processing routine; The graph which shows the example which changes the relationship between the distance from the last possible lane change place, and weighting. The schematic block diagram which shows schematic structure of the lane change driving control system as 2nd Embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a lane change operation processing routine; 4 is a flowchart showing a lane change processing routine; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an emergency operation control processing routine showing details of processing for performing emergency operation control as a third embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of rules for lane change permission/prohibition levels;

[First embodiment]
Several embodiments of the invention are described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a lane change support system 10 as a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, this lane change support system 10 includes a server 20 that stores data necessary for route search and processes such as route search. and a vehicle 40 having a function of presenting information to assist driving. The server 20 and the vehicle 40 are connected to the network NW, and at least the vehicle 40 can be wirelessly connected to the network NW. The connection between the server 20 and the network NW may be wired or wireless.

The server 20 includes a server control unit 21 implemented by a CPU, a communication unit 22 for exchanging data with the network NW, and a storage unit 30 for storing various data. The server control unit 21 includes a route searching means 24 for searching for roads and lanes. The route search unit 24 corresponds to a travel route determination unit and a lane determination unit, and is implemented by the server control unit 21 executing a predetermined program. Various data necessary for the route searching means 24 to search for roads and lanes are stored in the storage unit 30 . This storage unit 30 functions as a storage unit for each information such as a road network information storage unit, a lane change restriction level storage unit, a feature information storage unit, and includes at least road network (NW) data 31, lane NW data 32, Lane NW attribute data 35, lane change permission level data (abbreviated as "lane change data" in FIG. 1) 36, feature data 37 as feature information, and recommendation level data 39 are stored. Among these, the road NW data corresponds to the road map data, and corresponds to the road network information used for route search. The road NW data 31 is not only based on the actual shape of roads and road connections due to intersections, etc., but also reflects logical connection relationships for search, so it is hereinafter referred to as "logical NW data 31". , the illustration also follows this. The contents of such various data will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

A vehicle 40 that exchanges data with the server 20 has a driving information device 50 . The driving information device 50 is not directly related to the driving of the vehicle 40, but presents necessary information to the driver, such as voice notification of navigation. In addition to a navigation control unit 60 realized by a CPU, the driving information device 50 includes the following devices connected to the navigation control unit 60: a communication unit 52 for exchanging data with the network NW; An input unit 53 that receives instructions, an output unit 54 that outputs route guidance in various formats such as voice and screen display, a temporary storage unit 55 that temporarily stores data, and a position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the vehicle using GNSS or the like. 56, an image acquisition unit 70 which is an in-vehicle camera for acquiring images around the vehicle, and the like.

The navigation control unit 60 includes therein a position specifying unit 61 for specifying the position of the vehicle 40 from the GNSS data from the position acquisition unit 56 and the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 70, and route guidance using the output unit 54. A route guidance means 62 for performing route guidance, and a recommended lane change point extraction means 63 for specifying a recommended lane change point are provided. These means 61 to 63 are realized by the CPU of the navigation control section 60 executing a predetermined program. The program is stored in a storage medium such as a ROM or hard disk (not shown), and is executed by the navigation control unit 60 at the required timing.

The output unit 54 corresponds to a presentation unit and includes a color liquid crystal display device and a speaker. A touch panel is incorporated in the display panel of the color liquid crystal display device, and this touch panel constitutes a part of the input section 53 . The navigation control unit 60 displays buttons for receiving instructions from the user on the display panel of the output unit 54, and the button is pressed by operating the portion of the touch panel corresponding to the display area of the button. recognized as In this way, the user's instruction is input at the necessary timing. It should be noted that, as the input unit, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which instructions are directly input using voice recognition or the like. The output unit 54 can also be configured by a speech synthesizer or the like. A display panel such as a color liquid crystal display device may have a configuration in which a navigation image or the like is reflected on the windshield and viewed by the driver (user). Specific configurations and functions of the position specifying means 61, the route guidance means 62, the lane change recommended point extracting means 63, etc. provided in the navigation control section 60 will be described in detail later.

The structure of the logical NW data 31, the structure of the lane NW data 32, and the structure of the lane NW attribute data 35 corresponding to the actual road, and the corresponding relationship will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram explaining the relationship between logical network (NW) data and lane NW data, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of lane change route search, and FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data structure; As shown in FIG. 2, logical NW data for route search is prepared in advance for actual roads (actual roads). This logical NW data is logical data associated with the connection relationship of actual roads that exist in the route search target area. This data is
It is used to search for road routes from a starting point (mostly the current location) to a destination. When searching for a route, it is desirable in terms of search processing to store the connection relation of actual roads as logical data including links associated with roads and nodes corresponding to nodes between links. Nodes are generally associated with intersections and the like, but they are also provided at places with different route search conditions, such as the entrance and exit of tunnels. A link is the data that connects these nodes. In this embodiment, the logical NW data used for route search is prepared as a set of link data, which is data about this link.

Data (link data) of each link that constitutes the logical NW data is managed using a unique link ID. An example of link data is shown at the left end of FIG. All lane NW data 32 and the like, which will be described later, are managed in association with this link ID. Of course, the structure of the logical NW data is not limited to the one illustrated in FIG. 4, and any format may be used as long as it enables route search and retrieval of other data. For example, it may be constructed as a set of node data.

Such logical NW data 31 and lane NW data 32, which is lane information, are associated by an identifier ID. If the actual road has a total of three lanes on both sides as shown in FIG. 2, the lane NW data may also be prepared as data in which the three lanes are arranged in parallel. The lane NW data 32 is also managed as link data connecting nodes. The end of the link (the position where the node is placed) in the lane NW data is placed at a point that directly affects the actual running of the vehicle, such as a pedestrian crossing or a stop line, as illustrated in FIG. good. As for an intersection, one link is from the pedestrian crossing to the nearest node at the position where the intersection is passed, for example, the pedestrian crossing at the passing position. Therefore, at a four-way intersection with pedestrian crossings on all roads, the lane NW data for four lanes: turn left from the left lane, go straight from the left lane, go straight from the right lane, and turn right from the right lane. will exist.

A route search by the route search means 24 is performed by first using the logical NW data 31 to search for a route from the departure point to the destination. Then, it is performed in units of lanes along the searched route. However, even if one road has a plurality of lanes, the route search to the destination is not performed by specifying which lane to drive. A route search to the destination is performed for each road based on the logical NW data. In addition, during route guidance, for example, when turning right at the next intersection, guidance is provided to change the lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a lane in which it is possible to turn right.

FIG. 3 schematically shows such a lane change navigation technique. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the exit EX from the expressway RD is provided on the right side of the road. Assuming that the vehicle 40 is traveling in the driving lane DL, it is assumed that navigation is performed to change to the exit lane EL via the overtaking lane OL before a branch. A route search using the lane NW data 32 is performed in a certain range before such a branch or intersection. As shown in FIG. 3, the lane NW data 32 is stored in a state in which each lane is virtually divided into several parts in a certain range before a branch or the like. For example, there are lanes 1000 to 1004 for the driving lane DL, lanes 2001 to 2004 for the passing lane OL, and lanes 3001 to 3004 for the exit lane EL. In addition, it is assumed that there are routes to change lanes to adjacent lanes between these lanes, and guidance is given on which route is desirable to change lanes.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, a cost of 50 to 100 is assigned to the route between each lane 1000 to 1004 of the driving lane DL and each lane 2000 to 2004 of the overtaking lane OL. A cost of 60 to 100 is added to the route between each lane 2001 to 2004 of the overtaking lane OL and each lane 3001 to 3004 of the exit lane EL. In this example, a lower cost indicates a more desirable lane change route. Therefore, when the vehicle 40 approaches this area, the route guidance means 62 changes lanes before the exit EX along a virtual route for lane change guidance based on the lane NW data. will guide you. Such lane change guidance will be described in detail again later.

As in the case where an exit exists, if there is a point in each lane where the setting of attributes related to the lane is changed, such as a narrowing of the width or a restricted lane for right and left turns, the starting point of the setting. Data up to and from the start point are created, and lane NW data is constructed from these data. The lane NW data 32 corresponding to lanes are managed by unique lane NWIDs. Each lane NW data is linked to link data forming logical NW data 31 using a lane NWID, as shown in FIG.

Further, lane NW attribute data 35 is associated with the lane NW data 32 managed by this lane NWID. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the lane NW attribute data 35 is managed using a unique lane NW attribute ID. The lane NW attribute data 35 includes a lane NW attribute ID that is used to identify the lanes on both sides of the lane, or information on the lane change permission/inhibition level.

The lane change data 36 indicating the lane change permission/prohibition level is data indicating the permission/prohibition of the lane change. The lane change permission/prohibition level data 36 can set at least one of a plurality of restriction levels with different reasons for lane change restriction. In this embodiment, as the reason for lane change restriction, the presence or absence of physical obstacles and the presence or absence of legal restrictions are distinguished. One is selected and set from

Level 1: Indicates that there is a physical obstacle, such as a wall, fence, guardrail, delineator, etc., and it is physically impossible to change lanes (transfer).
Level 2: Although there are physical obstacles such as road cones, pole cones, cat's eyes, etc., it indicates that lane changes (transfers) are possible if necessary in an emergency or the like.
Level 3: Although there are no physical obstacles, there are legal restrictions, such as lane changes that are restricted to straight ahead lanes, or lanes that are marked with a solid yellow line and are prohibited from straying out of the lane. Indicates that change (transfer) is not possible.
Level 4: Indicates that there are no physical obstacles or legal restrictions, and lane changes (transfers) are allowed, but lane changes in that section are not recommended. For example, level 4 is set for a section with very heavy traffic, a section where traffic congestion is almost always occurring, and a lane change to a lane on the merging side in a predetermined section before the merging.
Level 5: Indicates that there are no physical obstacles or legal restrictions, lane changes (transfers) are allowed, and lane changes in that section are recommended.

These restriction levels may include multiple restriction levels with different reasons for restricting lane changes, such as physical reasons, reasons other than legal reasons, such as lane changes obtained from analysis of past accident data. A restriction level based on reasons such as the probability of occurrence of an accident may be included. In addition, the restriction level due to physical reasons is not limited to the two levels of "with or without", but it is not physically possible to transfer, it is possible to transfer with a certain probability of damage to the vehicle like pole cones, like cat's eye It may also be divided into three or more levels, such as a transfer with a low probability of damage to the vehicle, and so on. Each reason can be further subdivided.

The logical NW data 31, lane NW data 32, lane NW attribute data 35, feature data 37, lane change permission/inhibition level data 36, etc. described above are prepared according to the actual road and stored in the storage unit 30 of the server 20. do. By exchanging information with the server 20, the driving information device 50 of the vehicle 40 realizes lane change guidance described below. It should be noted that the manner of holding the various data described above is an example, and all the data may be held on the vehicle 40 side, or part of the data may be held on the vehicle 40 side. Further, it is not necessary to collect them in one server, and they may be distributed and stored in a plurality of servers. A route search or the like, which will be described later, may also be partially or wholly performed on the vehicle 40 side. It may be realized as one lane change support device including route search.

[Lane change guidance processing]
Next, lane change guidance processing performed in the above system configuration will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a lane change guidance processing routine performed by the lane change support system 10. As shown in FIG. This process is actually realized by exchanging necessary information between the driving information device 50 of the vehicle 40 and the server 20 via the network NW. Although separate programs are running in the driving information device 50 and the server 20, for the sake of convenience of explanation, they are shown as combined processing.

When the lane change guidance processing routine is started, destination input processing is first performed (step S110). This process is actually realized by the driving information device 50 receiving the input of the destination from the driver via the input unit 53 . Input of the destination can be performed by known methods such as searching from a telephone number, inputting an address, or directly specifying a facility or place displayed on a map. The input destination information is transmitted from the communication unit 52 to the server 20 via the network NW together with the current location information, which is the current position data of the vehicle. Information on the current location (latitude, longitude) is specified in real time by the position specifying means 61 based on information from the position acquisition unit 56 provided in the vehicle 40 .

The server 20 that has received the information of the destination and the current location performs route search processing at the logical NW level by the route search means 24 (step S200). An example of this route search processing (step S200) is shown in FIG. When the route search processing routine on the logical NW level is started, first, processing for identifying the current location of the vehicle 40 on the logical NW level is performed (step S210). Information on the current location is transmitted from the vehicle 40, and based on the latitude and longitude information, the current location on the logical NW level is specified.

Subsequently, if there are route search conditions, they are input from the terminal, that is, the driving information device 50 of the vehicle 40 (step S220). The route search conditions include, for example, the availability of expressways and designation of waypoints. Of course, if the default conditions are used, there is no need to receive any particular specification from the vehicle 40 side. In addition, designation of search conditions may be collectively received from the vehicle 40 side together with information on the destination and the current location.

When the information about the destination, the current location, and the conditions for route search is specified, the server 20 performs route search processing by means of the route search means 24 (step S230). Since the method of route search using the logical NW data 31 is well known, the explanation thereof will be omitted. When the route search is completed, the server 20 transmits the result to the vehicle 40 side via the network NW. The vehicle 40 side acquires this route search result (step S240). The acquired route search result is used for route guidance in the vehicle 40 by the route guidance means 62 . Route guidance is performed, for example, by updating the display of the recommended route superimposed on the map on the output unit 54 of the vehicle 40 as the vehicle 40 travels.

When the route search at the logical NW level is completed in this way, route search processing at the lane NW level (step S300) is next executed. This processing is also continuously performed by the route searching means 24 of the server 20. FIG. The route search at the lane NW level is a process of searching for a lane on which the vehicle 40 should travel and specifying the lane on which the vehicle 40 should travel. Specifically, the lane to be taken by the vehicle 40 is specified in advance in preparation for turning left or right at an intersection, entering a fork road or exit at a high speed, narrowing the road width, and the like.

An example of route search processing at the lane NW level is shown in FIG. When the route search processing routine at the lane NW level is started, first, the current location is specified at the lane NW level (step S310). In short, it specifies even which lane the vehicle is traveling. Subsequently, the data of the lane NW associated with the route identified at the logical NW level is extracted (step S320). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lane NW data 32 corresponding to the position where the vehicle is currently traveling is retrieved from the storage unit 30. FIG.

Subsequently, from the extracted lane NW data 32, processing for extracting lane change information associated therewith is performed (step S330). The lane change information is extracted from the lane NW attribute data 35 . Specifically, the lane in which the vehicle 40 is currently traveling and the lane in which the vehicle 40 should travel next are identified. Taking FIG. 3 as an example, when the vehicle 40 is currently traveling in the driving lane DL and is about to change lanes to the exit lane EL, referring to the lane NW attribute data 35, Lane change information from the driving lane DL to the exit lane EL via the overtaking lane OL is extracted. If the vehicle 40 is currently traveling in the passing lane OL, the lane change information from the passing lane OL to the exit lane EL is extracted by referring to the lane NW attribute data 35 . As shown in FIG. 4, the lane NW attribute data 35 indicates, for each lane, whether or not there is a right lane or left lane, the lane NWID for identifying the existing lane, and the lane change permission/prohibition level. Since the information and the like are stored, if the lane in which the vehicle 40 is currently traveling is specified, the lane change information associated with it can be easily extracted.

From the lane change information obtained in this way, the range in which the lane can be changed can be determined. Then, a process for creating a lane change link is performed (step S340). This state is shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing how lanes NW are divided in a lane changeable section. As shown in FIG. 8(A), by the process of step S330, lane data LS1 and LS2 included in the lane NW data 32 are obtained as the lane change information, which is the range in which the lane can be changed. Therefore, next, the lane data LS1 and LS2 are divided into a plurality of sections as shown in FIG. 8(B). The division is performed so that each section after division has a predetermined length. For example, if the lane data LS1 and LS2 are 200 meters, they are divided into four 50-meter sections. In FIG. 8B, sets of divided sections are denoted by DLS1 and DLS2.

Each lane data after division thus obtained is connected as shown in FIG. 8(C) to create a lane change link (step S340). A lane change link, as shown in FIG. 8C, is a set of route candidates for a lane change virtually created between lanes. In logical NW data corresponding to roads, links are connected at nodes such as intersections that actually exist, but in lane changes, there are no lane change points such as intersections as actual features. Therefore, a virtual lane change link is created to guide the lane change. These lane change links are virtual in the sense that they do not correspond to real intersections, but as shown in FIG. It is prepared in advance for each location where lane change guidance should be provided, such as before the road, before the branch of the highway, and before the exit. The lane change link is created by reading necessary links based on the current position of the vehicle 40 (the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling position on the lane) and combining them.

When creating such a lane change link, in this embodiment, the lane change permission/prohibition level data 36 shown in FIG. 4 is used to flexibly respond. For example, in the present embodiment, a lane change link is recommended based on the driver's specification input from the input unit 53 of the driving information device 50 of the vehicle 40, although there are no legal restrictions, from the viewpoint of traffic volume, etc. It is decided whether to create a level 4 section that is not included or not. A lane change link is created under any condition based on the input from the input unit 53 .

Weighting (1) is applied to the lane change link created in this way, searching for the last possible lane change point, creating a lane NW level route (step S350), and further weighting (2) the lane change link, A recommended lane change location is searched for and a lane NW level route is created (step S360). These two processes will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram assuming a case where the vehicle 40 is approaching a location where a branch exists. In the example shown in FIG. 9, there are a lane LL1 that goes straight on the branch and a lane LL2 that branches to the left. Then, by the processing of step S340, a lane change link is created for these two lanes. In FIG. 9, the arrow lines are the links in the lane NW data, and the "o" marks indicate the points where those links are connected.

A lane change link is created in a range where lane change is allowed in the lane NW attribute information. A weighting of (1) is then applied to this lane change link. As weights (1) and (2), the values shown in the bottom column of FIG. 9 are set in advance. These values are set according to the distance from the branch. Weighting (1) is set to increase as the distance from the branch increases, and its value ranges from 0-100. When this weighting (1) is applied to the lane change links (step S350), each lane change link is given a value of 30 to 90, as shown in the top column of FIG. Among the lane change links, the location of the link given the smallest value is searched for as the last possible lane change location. Various points such as an entrance point of an intersection, a branching point at a branch, and a narrowing point where the width of the road is narrowed are assumed as places where such a lane change final possible point occurs.

Then, weighting (2) is applied, this time ending at the last possible lane change point. This result is shown in the middle part of FIG. In this example, a value of 100 is given to the lane change link of the last possible lane change point, and a smaller value is given as the distance from the branch increases.

Applying the weightings (1) and (2) to the lane change link in this way means that the conditions under which the lane change is possible on the actual road, such as temporary changes due to changes in laws and regulations, construction work, etc. This is to flexibly deal with restrictions on lane changes and the like. By the same procedure of forming a lane change link in a lane changeable range according to the lane NW attribute information and applying weighting (1) to this, the last possible lane change location can be easily known. Furthermore, by applying the weighting (2) from such determined last possible lane change points, it is possible to easily determine the point at which a lane change is recommended within the lane change link. Such weighting (1) and (2) data is stored in the storage unit 30 as recommendation level data 39 .

The last possible lane change location and the recommended lane change location will be further described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. FIG. 9 is a graph showing an example of weighting (2). This weighting (2) indicates the relationship between the distance from the last possible lane change point and the weighting (2). If there are no restrictions on lane changes, the lane change link will be set so that the farther the lane change guidance is from the last possible indicates that there is Even in that case, it is not desirable to recommend a lane change at a point that is too far from the last possible lane change point. Therefore, the weighting (2) becomes smaller as the distance from the last possible lane change point increases, and after reaching the value of 0, that is, in the range further away from the final possible lane change point by the distance SL, the value becomes 100. is set to

However, there may be a case where the lane change possible range ends before the distance SL from the lane change final possible point. FIG. 10 illustrates such a case. In the example shown in FIG. 10, before the vehicle moves away from the last possible lane change location by the distance SL, physical restrictions due to construction are applied over a predetermined range CL, and lane change is temporarily disabled in this range. indicates that there is

Therefore, when weighting (2) is applied to the lane change link by the processing of step S360 in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. , the lane change link is given a value (cost in route search) from 100 at maximum to 0 at minimum. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the minimum value given to the lane change link does not become 0 when the lane change possible range from the last possible lane change point is not sufficiently large.

Therefore, in the lane NW level route search processing routine shown in FIG. 7, it is next determined what the cost of the recommended lane change location is (step S370). The recommended lane change point is a point in the lane change link to which the minimum value is applied, so the value is 0 in the example of FIG. 9, and the value is greater than 0 in the example of FIG. That is, if the cost of the recommended lane change location is not 0, the section in which the lane change is possible is relatively short. Therefore, if the cost of the recommended lane change location is greater than 0, a lane change section short flag F (hereinafter simply referred to as flag F) indicating that the lane change section is short is set to 1 (step S380), If the cost is 0, the flag F is reset to 0 (step S390). With this, the lane NW level route search processing routine ends. After that, returning to FIG. 5, the following processing is continued.

After the lane NW level route search process (step S300) is completed, the current position of the vehicle 40 is acquired (step S120). Since the current position of the vehicle 40 is obtained in real time by the position obtaining unit 56 mounted on the vehicle 40, the current position is obtained from the vehicle 40 side via the network NW. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the acquired current location of the vehicle 40 is on the route searched by the route search processing (step S200) at the logical NW level (step S130).

If the current position of the vehicle 40 is not on the searched route, the process returns to step S200, and the above processes are repeated from the route search process on the logical NW level from the current position to the destination. By performing such processing, if it is determined that the current position of the vehicle 40 is on the searched route (step S130), next, based on the route information, the recommended lane change point closest to the current position of the vehicle 40 is determined. and the final possible location for lane change are acquired (step S400). The recommended lane change location and the final possible lane change location acquired here are the locations searched by the processing of steps S350 and S360 of the lane NW level route search processing (FIG. 7). That is, they are the recommended lane change location and the last possible lane change location in the direction of travel on the route at the lane NW level. Since the vehicle 40 is traveling, such a recommended lane change location may be acquired as a location with no cost as described with reference to FIG. may be taken as a non-zero location.

After obtaining the recommended lane change location and the final possible lane change location, the voice guidance output process (step S500), which will be described later, is executed. Thereafter, it is determined whether the destination has been reached (step S140), and if the destination has not been reached, the process returns to step S120 and repeats the process. If the destination is reached (step S140), the lane change guidance process is no longer necessary, so the process exits to "END" and ends the lane change guidance process routine.

The details of the voice guidance output process in step S500 will be described with reference to FIG. The processing of this voice guidance output processing routine is executed on the vehicle 40 side. Prior to this process, the recommended lane change location extraction means 63 of the navigation control unit 60 receives data from the server 20 and extracts the final possible lane change location and the recommended lane change location. When the voice guidance processing routine shown in FIG. 11 is started, first, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in the guidance section (step S510). This is because if the vehicle is still far from the section in which the lane change should be performed, there is no need to provide lane change guidance. In this case (step S510: "NO"), nothing is done, the flow goes to "END", and the voice guidance output processing routine ends.

When the vehicle 40 approaches a section such as an intersection or a branch where a lane change should be performed, it is determined that the vehicle 40 has entered the guidance section (step S510: "YES"), and then the value of the flag F is determined (step S520). This flag F indicates whether or not the section in which the lane can be changed is short, as described above. Therefore, the value of the flag F is discriminated. If the flag F is 1, the distance G from the current position of the vehicle 40 to the last possible lane change point is calculated assuming that the lane change possible section may be short. First, it is calculated (step S530). Then, the calculation of the distance G (step S530) and the comparison with the predetermined value α (step S540) are repeated until the distance G becomes smaller than the predetermined value α. Here, the predetermined value α is set to GL+y meters. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, GL is the "distance from the last possible lane change point to the recommended lane change point", and y is a predetermined value, such as 50. Note that α may be a fixed value regardless of the distance GL.

When the position of the vehicle 40 is shorter than GL+y meters from the final possible lane change point (step S540: G<α), a voice message saying, "In y meters, the lane change is possible. Please prepare for the lane change." is output (step S550). In this embodiment, such guidance by voice is performed on the vehicle 40 side, but may be realized by transmitting instructions from the server 20 to the driving information device 50 of the vehicle 40 via the network NW. . The voice for voice guidance may be output by voice synthesis at the output unit 54 of the vehicle 40, or the voice data is transmitted from the server 20 side to the vehicle 40, and the output unit 54 reproduces the voice data. can be

Such voice guidance is provided to urge the driver to prepare because the flag F may be 1, ie, the section in which the lane can be changed may be short. Therefore, if the determination in step S520 is that the flag F=0, the above-described steps S530 through S550 are not executed as unnecessary.

Next, based on the current position of the vehicle 40, it is repeatedly determined whether or not the vehicle 40 has passed through the recommended lane change position until the vehicle passes through the recommended lane change position (step S560). If it is determined that the vehicle 40 has passed through the recommended lane change point, voice guidance is given to "Please change the lane in the z direction" (step S570). The z direction is the direction that follows the lane change link created by the lane NW level route search process (FIG. 7). If, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle traveling in the right lane LL1 diverges to the left, z is "left", and vice versa, "right". This process may also be implemented by issuing an instruction from the server 20 to the driving information device 50 of the vehicle 40 . After such voice guidance is performed, the processing routine is terminated by going to "END".

The lane change guidance process described above is repeated until the vehicle 40 reaches the destination. For this reason, the driver of the vehicle 40 receives normal route guidance until arriving at the destination, and when approaching a location where a lane change is required, the driver of the vehicle 40 receives a preset appropriate position (lane change recommended location). , you can receive voice guidance for lane changes in the required direction. For this reason, in route guidance, you may simply receive guidance such as "There is a restricted lane for right turns ahead" or "Please branch to the left at ○○ meters ahead". Compared to the case, it is possible to change the lane of the own vehicle to an appropriate lane in advance, and it is possible to increase the convenience of driving and the safety of driving.

Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the lane change permission/prohibition level data indicating whether or not a lane change is permitted is distinguished by the presence or absence of physical obstacles and the presence or absence of legal restrictions. It can be set in 5 stages up to level 5. In addition, in this embodiment, the driver can specify whether or not to include the level 4 section in the lane change link. Specifically, when creating a lane change link (FIG. 7, step S340), it is possible to set up to which level of such lane change permission/prohibition level data is used. Therefore, lane change guidance can be provided within an appropriate range according to the intention of the driver.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, after creating a lane change link, two types of weighting (1) and (2) are applied to it to specify a recommended lane change location and a final possible lane change location. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly provide guidance according to the situation of the location where the lane change is required, instead of uniformly providing the lane change guidance for the location where the lane change is required. For example, in the present embodiment, when the distance from the recommended lane change point to the final possible lane change point is short, the driver is urged to prepare for the lane change in advance, and the driver makes the lane change with time to spare. be able to. Therefore, the convenience and safety of driving the vehicle can be further enhanced. Such a response is particularly useful for novice drivers who need guidance to a high degree. It should be noted that there is no problem even if such advance guidance is not given.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, lane NW attribute data 35 is associated with the lane NW data 32, and lane change permission/inhibition level data 36 is associated with the lane NW attribute data 35. FIG. Therefore, lane change guidance can be performed by finely setting whether or not lane changes are permitted based on physical conditions, legal regulations, and the like.

[Modification of First Embodiment]
Several modifications of the lane change support system 10 of the first embodiment will be described. The relationship between the distance from the last possible lane change point and the lane change cost (weighting) may be changed according to various conditions. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when changing lanes for one lane, the relationship indicated by solid line Ja is used, and when changing lanes for two lanes, the relationship indicated by broken line Ba is used. can be In order to change lanes for two lanes, a distance is required compared to a lane change for one lane. The relationship Ba is set so as to be farther than . note that,
The relationship between the distance from the last possible lane change point and the weighting does not need to be linear, and can be arbitrarily set to a polygonal line, a quadratic curve, or the like. Since the psychological burden increases as the point where the lane change becomes impossible (the final possible lane change point) is approached, the weight of the place far from the final possible lane change point is set to a lower cost. is also desirable.

The two relationships Ja and Ba shown in FIG. 12 can also be associated with relationships other than the number of lane changes. For example, depending on the vehicle speed of the traveling vehicle 40, the relationship Ja may be used when the speed is 90 kilometers per hour or less on an expressway, and the relationship Ba may be used when the speed exceeds 90 kilometers per hour. This is because, if the vehicle speed is high, it is preferable to provide lane change guidance from the front rather than when the vehicle speed is low. Alternatively, it may be switched according to the driver's preference input by the input unit 53 . This is because some people want the guidance to change lanes early, while others do not want to change lanes too early. It may be changed depending on whether the driver is a beginner or not. In the case of a beginner, the relation Ba is used so that the lane can be changed with plenty of time. Information such as whether or not the driver is a beginner may be input from the input unit 53, or may be estimated from driving patterns. Furthermore, the relationship Ba may be used for expressways, and the relationship Ja may be used for general roads.

In the first embodiment described above, the image obtained by the image obtaining unit 70 may be used. For example, the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 70 can be used as follows.
(A) used to accurately determine the current position of the vehicle 40; The image data of the feature is stored in advance as one of the feature data 37 in which the data of the feature around the road is stored. The position of the vehicle 40 can be accurately grasped. In this case, the image acquisition section 70 functions as a feature information acquisition section. In this way, even if the current position of the vehicle 40 is obtained by the position obtaining unit 56 using GNSS or the like and the accuracy of the position information is limited by GNSS, the position can be accurately grasped. becomes possible. By doing so, a position data corrector can be realized. When the accuracy of position information is restricted by GNSS, for example, under a highway between high-rise buildings, the accuracy of vehicle position may be temporarily insufficient due to radio wave conditions.

(B) Grasp the situation around the vehicle 40 and use it for lane change guidance. The surroundings of the vehicle 40 can be imaged by the image acquisition unit 70, and, for example, when there is another vehicle, which is an object, obliquely behind the vehicle 40, the image can be reflected in the lane change guidance in that direction. As a way to reflect, it is possible to call attention to the existence of a vehicle, such as ``Be careful of the vehicle diagonally behind and change lanes in the z direction'', or to wait until the vehicle diagonally behind disappears. Various measures such as delaying the guidance are possible.

(C) Taking an image of a division line or the like and comparing it with the feature data 37 . The legal regulations for each lane have been researched in advance and reflected in the lane change permission level data 36, and lane markings corresponding to these regulations are drawn on each road. If the lane markings other than the center line are yellow, straying from the lane is prohibited, so you cannot change lanes to the side of the yellow lane markings. Therefore, the lane marking may be imaged by the image acquisition unit 70, reflected in the lane change permission/inhibition level data on the spot, and lane change guidance may be provided. The existence of such regulations is reflected in the lane change permission/prohibition level data 36 in principle. Even if such discrepancy occurs, it can be corrected by the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 70 .

In the above-described embodiment, there are two types of voice guidance, ie, prompting for lane change preparation ( FIG. 11 , step S550) and lane change guidance (step S570), but only one of them may be provided. Or, if the vehicle has not yet changed lanes when the vehicle passes the last possible lane change point, the lane will say, "You cannot change lanes from here" or "You cannot change lanes, so please follow the next route guidance." Guidance of prohibition of change may be provided. In addition, when the lane change guidance is provided, the guidance may include the degree to which the change is recommended. The degree of recommendation reflects the degree of recommendation, such as "It is most desirable to change lanes at this position" or "If possible, please change lanes here." It is not necessary to perform all of these guidances, and any one or a combination of two or more of these guidances may be implemented.

In the above-described embodiment, lane change guidance is provided by voice using the output unit 54, but the guidance is not necessarily provided by voice, and the guidance may be displayed on a display panel provided in the output unit 54. FIG. Alternatively, guidance may be displayed to the driver, which is superimposed on the real image through the windshield and recommends the direction of lane change, etc., by reflecting the light on the windshield. Alternatively, guidance may be provided by a method of selectively vibrating the right side or left side of the steering wheel.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system 100 as a second embodiment. This vehicle control system 100 differs in the configuration of a vehicle 41 from the lane change support system 10 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the server 20 is similar to that of the first embodiment.

A vehicle 41 that constitutes the vehicle control system 100 includes a driving control device 51 instead of the driving information device 50, as shown in FIG. The driving control device 51 further includes a vehicle control unit 80 in addition to the communication unit 52 and the image acquiring unit 70 included in the driving information device 50 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the operation control device 51 has a function as a determination unit that determines whether or not it is possible to change lanes. The vehicle control section 80 is connected to a motor drive section 82 and an accessory drive section 90 mounted on the vehicle 41 . The motor driving section 82 is connected to the battery 83 . The motor driving section 82 receives an instruction from the vehicle control section 80 and drives a traveling motor 84 for traveling the vehicle and a steering motor 87 for steering with the electrical energy stored in the battery 83 . The travel motor 84 is coupled to drive wheels 85, which are rear wheels. By controlling the rotation speed and torque of the travel motor 84, the vehicle 41 functions as an electric vehicle capable of starting, traveling, and stopping. Also, the steering motor 87 is coupled to a steering shaft (not shown) of the front wheels 88 . By driving the steering motor 87, the angle of the front wheels 88 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle can be varied, and the vehicle can freely change the direction of travel.

Accessory drive unit 90 drives accessories mounted on vehicle 41 and collects information from the accessories. In FIG. 13, a group of lights 91 such as headlights and winkers and a millimeter wave radar 92 functioning as one of detection units are illustrated as auxiliary devices. A vehicle control unit 80 of the operation control device 51 automatically turns on the headlights of the vehicle 41 when it gets dark, and blinks the blinker on the side to be turned when turning right or left or changing lanes. Also, signals from a millimeter wave radar 92 are read via the accessory drive unit 90 to detect objects around the vehicle 41 . In addition to the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 13, the vehicle 41 is also equipped with devices necessary for running the vehicle on roads, such as a brake system and various indicators, but descriptions of these are omitted.

Next, a lane change operation processing routine performed using vehicle control system 100 will be described. As in the first embodiment, in the lane change operation processing routine of the second embodiment, the server 20 and the operation control device 51 of the vehicle 41 cooperate to realize the lane change operation processing shown in FIG. 14 . This processing is the same as the lane change guidance processing routine shown in FIG. 5 except that the lane change processing (step S600) is performed instead of the voice guidance output processing of step S500. Therefore, in addition to the process of inputting the destination (step S110), step S
200, S300, S120, S130, S400, and S140 will not be described.

The lane change process (step S600) will be described with reference to FIG. As a premise for executing the process shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle 41 is automatically driven based on the input of the destination (FIG. 14, step S110) and the accompanying route search. Automatic operation uses information such as the current position of the vehicle 41 acquired by the position acquisition unit 56, the surrounding conditions acquired by the image acquisition unit 70 and millimeter wave radar 92, and the remaining capacity of the battery 83. This is achieved by driving the traveling motor 84 and the steering motor 87 by the unit 80 . The vehicle speed and the like are determined by referring to the speed limit information of the road attached to the logical NW data 35 as an attribute. The distance to the vehicle in front is obtained by the millimeter wave radar 92, and the color of the signal is obtained by the image obtaining unit 70, respectively, and the vehicle is accelerated and decelerated. A hydraulic brake system (not shown) is also provided, but normal braking is realized by regenerative braking utilizing electric power regeneration by the traveling motor 84 . The regenerated electrical energy is used to charge battery 83 .

How the lane change is realized while the vehicle 41 is automatically driven in this manner will be described below. When the lane change processing routine shown in FIG. 15 is started, first, processing for obtaining the current position of the vehicle 41 is performed (step S610). The current location may be obtained from the position information obtained by the position obtaining unit 56 of the vehicle 41, or may be obtained by comparing the surrounding image obtained by the image obtaining unit 70 with the feature data.

When the current position is detected, it is then determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the recommended lane change point (step S620). The recommended lane change point is the lowest weighted (cost) point in the lane change link, as described in the first embodiment. If it is determined that the vehicle has passed through this point, lane change processing (step S700) is performed. Specifically, this lane change process is a process of controlling travel of the vehicle 41 along the lane change link described in the first embodiment. After passing the recommended lane change point and before reaching the final possible lane change point, the vehicle 41 is routed along the lane NW level route by controlling the traveling motor 84 and the steering motor 87 while checking the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 41. The vehicle is caused to travel along the route searched by the search processing.

Of course, there are cases in which it is not possible to immediately change lanes along the route with the lowest cost among the lane change links. According to signals from the image acquisition unit 70 and the millimeter wave radar 92, if another vehicle, which is an object, is present near the vehicle 41, lane change processing at the nearest lane change link is postponed. Therefore, after trying the lane change process, it is determined in the following step S630 whether the lane change is completed. to resume processing from obtaining the current position. Therefore, it prepares for the next lane change while driving automatically.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S630 in FIG. 15 is "NO", that is, if it is determined that the lane change has not been completed, then it is determined whether or not the vehicle 41 has passed through the last possible lane change point (step S630). S640). If the vehicle 41 has not passed through the final possible location for lane change, the process returns to step S700 and restarts from the lane change process. That is, further lane change attempts are made along the lane change link. If the vehicle 41 cannot complete the lane change even after repeating such processing, the vehicle 41 may pass through the last possible lane change point without being able to change the lane. In this case, the determination in step S640 becomes "YES", and the process returns to step S200 of FIG. 14, that is, restarts the process from the route search at the logical NW level. This is because the vehicle 41 cannot proceed along the initially planned route because the lane cannot be changed, and naturally follows another route. In this case, another route to the destination is searched, and based on the result, automatic driving of the vehicle and necessary lane change processing are continued. The above process is repeated until the vehicle 41 reaches the destination (step S140).

By executing the lane change driving process described above, the vehicle control system 100 of the second embodiment can automatically drive the vehicle 41 and realize a necessary lane change. Moreover, as described in the first embodiment, the lane change permission/prohibition level data 36 regarding a lane change includes two levels of information regarding physical conditions under which lane changes are restricted, and legal regulations and their presence or absence. 3 stages of information are stored, and based on this, the range of implementation of lane changes can be changed. For example, since it is possible to specify whether or not to include a section of level 4 in the lane change link, when changing lanes by automatic driving, the level 4 is included in the lane change section. This makes it possible to widen or narrow the creation range of the lane change link even in automatic driving. Also, for example, if the lane change is performed only in the section of level 5, and if the lane change is not completed only in that range, the range in which the lane can be changed is extended by adding the section of level 4, When it is determined that the lane change final possible point has been passed (FIG. 15, step S640), it is also possible to recreate the lane change link by adding the section of level 4 and attempt the lane change.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described. The vehicle control system 100 of the third embodiment has the same hardware configuration as that of the second embodiment, and executes the automatic driving and lane change operation processing (FIGS. 14 and 15) described in the second embodiment. . In addition, the vehicle control system 100 of the third embodiment executes the emergency operation control processing routine shown in FIG. The processing shown in FIG. 16 is always executed while the vehicle is running independently of the processing described in the second embodiment. Such parallel processing may be realized, for example, by providing another processor, or may be realized by using interrupt processing that is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

In this process, first, the current location of the vehicle 41 is acquired (step S810), the lane change permission/inhibition level around the current location is acquired, and this is stored in the temporary storage unit 55 of the vehicle 41 and updated to the latest information (step S810). step S820). Acquisition of the lane change permission/prohibition level is performed by referring to the "lane change permission/prohibition level table DT" shown in FIG. This table is linked to the lane NW attribute data 35 as shown in FIG. 4 and can be acquired at any time based on the current travel position of the vehicle 41 . The difference from the first and second embodiments is that, in the example shown in FIG. 17, the lane change permission/prohibition level is stored as one of four levels of values 1-4. Of course, it is also possible to store at least one of three or five or more types. The lane NW attribute data stores a number corresponding to one of the lane change permission/prohibition levels for each lane. The reason why the lane change permission/prohibition level data is stored in the temporary storage unit 55 of the vehicle 41 is that the vehicle 41 can quickly respond to an emergency.

After updating the lane change permission/prohibition level data, it is determined whether or not there is an emergency (step S830). In this embodiment, an emergency corresponds to a case where it is determined from a signal from the millimeter wave radar 92 that contact with another vehicle cannot be avoided by acceleration/deceleration processing of the vehicle 41 (accident cannot be avoided). It should be noted that the judgment as to whether or not there is an emergency may be made independently by interrupt processing that is repeated at shorter intervals, which is different from the processing shown in FIG. Alternatively, the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 70 may be used for determination. Further, emergency processing may be started with a sudden operation of a brake (not shown) as a starting point, and then the details to be avoided may be determined from signals from the millimeter wave radar 92 or the like. If it is not an emergency, the process returns to step S810 and repeats the process from acquisition of the current position of the vehicle 41 .

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an emergency (step S830: "YES"), the emergency avoidance method is determined from the lane change permission level stored in the temporary storage unit 55 (step S840). Since it is determined that the vehicle 41 cannot avoid contact with another vehicle by accelerating or decelerating the vehicle 41, a possible avoidance method is to change the traveling direction of the vehicle. Normally, such a change of direction would result in the vehicle drifting out of the lane. Therefore, by referring to the lane change permission/prohibition level data stored in the temporary storage unit 55, it is determined whether the vehicle should evade to the right side or the left side of the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling. If the lane change permission level to either the left or right lane is value 1 and the lane change permission level to the other lane is value 2 or higher, avoidance to the other side is selected. If the lane change permission/prohibition level to the other side is value 2, it means that there is a physical obstacle. In normal driving, the change to the lane of level 2 is not performed, but in an emergency, there is an obstacle that can be overcome. Do not prohibit lane changes in that direction by judging it as an object.

Of course, if the lane change permission/prohibition level to either of the left and right lanes is equal to or higher than the value 2, the lane change permission/prohibition level value does not depend on the comparison of the lane change permission/prohibition level values. The contact may be easily avoided by selecting the side.

In this way, when contact with another vehicle is to be avoided by changing the traveling method that accompanies a lane change, the operation control device 51 outputs a signal to the vehicle control unit 80 to drive the traveling motor 84 and the steering motor 87. (step S850). As a result, depending on the situation, the vehicle may overcome road cones (pylons), etc., and travel toward other lanes to avoid contact with other vehicles. After that, it is determined whether or not the vehicle should stop traveling (step S860). If the vehicle continues to travel, the process may be continued from step S810. If the running of the vehicle is to end (step S860: "YES"), the process exits to "END" and ends.

According to the third embodiment described above, the vehicle control system 100 can move from the current lane to another lane in an emergency in which collision with another vehicle cannot be avoided without changing the direction of travel along with the lane change. The direction of avoidance is determined based on the lane change permission level. At this time, there are two further classifications for the level where there is a physical obstacle that prevents the vehicle from changing lanes. A distinction is made between obstacles (level 2) that the vehicle can overcome, such as eyes. As a result, even though the vehicle is not treated as an object that can change lanes at any level during normal driving, it is possible to change lanes in the direction where there is a physical obstacle that can be overcome in an emergency. deal. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of emergency avoidance actions, and to easily avoid contact with other vehicles.

In the vehicle control system 100 of the third embodiment, the judgment is not made only based on the data of the lane change permission/prohibition level to the surrounding lanes in advance, but the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 70 and the proximity object acquired by the millimeter wave radar 92 are used. Information on walls, signal lights, bridge piers, and the like existing at the site may be taken in from the information, and an emergency avoidance method may be determined in consideration of the presence of these objects. In addition to using information from an image or millimeter wave radar, a beacon emitted by a feature may be used for determination. A device that outputs a beacon may be provided in advance on a feature that may become an obstacle on the lane.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is by no means limited to these embodiments, and can of course be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. be. For example, the lane change support system 10 of the first embodiment and the vehicle control system 100 of the second and third embodiments may be mounted on a two-wheeled vehicle. The lane change permission/prohibition level may be determined, for example, by analyzing big data acquired as the vehicle travels, and assigning levels based on the accident rate and conditions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Lane change assistance system 20... Server 21... Server control part 22... Communication part 24... Route search means 30... Storage part 31... Logical NW data (road NW data)
32... Lane NW data 35... Lane NW attribute data 36... Lane change propriety level data 37... Feature data 39... Recommendation level data 40... Vehicle 41... Vehicle 50... Driving information device 51... Driving control device 52... Communication unit 53... Input unit 54 Output unit 55 Temporary storage unit 56 Position acquisition unit 60 Navigation control unit 61 Position specifying means 62 Route guidance means 63 Lane change recommended point extraction means 70 Image acquisition unit 80 Vehicle control unit 82 Motor drive unit 83 Battery 84 Traveling motor 85 Drive wheel 87 Steering motor 88 Front wheel 90 Accessory drive unit 91 Light group 92 Milliwave radar 100 Vehicle control system 1000 to 3004 Lane

Claims (4)

A control system for assisting driving of a vehicle,
Based on boundary information indicating physical obstacles existing at boundaries of a plurality of lanes constituting the road stored in a storage unit when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined position of the lanes constituting the road a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle;
a determination unit that determines that the vehicle is in an emergency situation that is not a normal situation ;
a control unit that assists the driving of the vehicle based on the recognition result of the surrounding situation by the recognition unit and the judgment result of the emergency situation by the judgment unit ;
has
When the determination unit determines that the situation is urgent, the control unit determines that the physical obstacle indicated by the boundary information corresponding to the surrounding situation is an obstacle that can be overcome by the recognition unit. and the actual peripheral situation of the vehicle acquired by an acquisition unit that acquires the actual peripheral information of the vehicle, the vehicle is steered in the direction of the obstacle and guided to the obstacle . control system. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the climbable obstacle is at least one of a road cone, a pole cone, and a cat's eye. to the computer,
Based on boundary information indicating physical obstacles existing at boundaries of a plurality of lanes constituting the road stored in a storage unit when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined position of the lanes constituting the road a recognition function for recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle;
a judgment function for judging that the traveling vehicle is in an emergency situation that is not a normal situation ;
realizing a control function for assisting driving of the vehicle based on the result of recognition of the surrounding situation by the recognition function and the result of determination of the emergency situation by the determination function ;
When the determination function determines that the situation is urgent, the control function determines that the physical obstacle indicated by the boundary information corresponding to the surrounding situation is an obstacle that can be overcome by the recognition function. and the actual peripheral situation of the vehicle acquired by an acquisition unit that acquires the actual peripheral information of the vehicle, the vehicle is steered in the direction of the obstacle and guided to the obstacle . Do, program. A program for realizing a reference function that causes a computer having a recognition function , a determination function, and a control function to refer to boundary information indicating physical obstacles existing at the boundary of a plurality of lanes that make up the road,
The recognition function recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle based on the boundary information stored in the storage unit when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined position of a lane that constitutes a road,
The determination function determines that the vehicle traveling is in an emergency situation that is not a normal situation ,
The control function has a function of assisting driving of the vehicle based on a recognition result of the surrounding situation by the recognition function and a determination result of the emergency situation by the determination function,
The vehicle driving support function is such that, when the determination function determines that the situation is urgent, the recognition function can overcome a physical obstacle indicated by the boundary information corresponding to the surrounding situation. Steering the vehicle in the direction of the obstacle based on the fact that the obstacle is recognized in advance and the actual peripheral situation of the vehicle acquired by an acquisition unit that acquires the actual peripheral information of the vehicle. A program that guides to the obstacle.

Images