82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregular steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. The operator 80 includes a first operator 84 and a second operator 86. The direction indicator 90 is turned on or off depending on the operation of the first operator 84. The first operator 84 and the second operator 86 will be described below in detail.

The driver assistance device 100 includes, for example, a recognition part 110 and a controller 150. The recognition part 110 and the controller 150 are realized by executing, for example, a program (software) using a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or the like. Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (circuit part; including circuitry) such as large scale integration (LSI), a application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a system on chip (SOC), or the like, or cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in a storage device such as an HDD, a flash memory, or the like, (a storage device including a non-transitory storage medium) of the driver assistance device 100, or may be stored in a detachable storage medium such as a DVD, a CD-ROM, or the like, in advance, or may be installed in a HDD or a flash memory of the driver assistance device 100 by mounting a storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) in a drive device.

The recognition part 110 recognizes a state of the object around the vehicle M such as a position, a speed, acceleration, or the like, on the basis of the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on absolute coordinates using a representative point (a center of gravity, a driving shaft center, or the like) of the vehicle M as an origin, and used in control. The position of the object may be expressed by a representative point such as a center of gravity, corners of the object, or may be expressed by a region. The “state” of the object may include acceleration or jerk of the object, or “a behavioral state” (for example, whether lane change is performed or to be performed).

The recognition part 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (traveling lane). For example, the recognition part 110 recognizes the traveling lane by comparing a pattern of road division lines (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and broken lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with a pattern of road division lines around the vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. The recognition part 110 may recognize a traveling lane by recognizing track boundaries (road boundaries), which are not limited to the road division lines but include road division lines, shoulders, curbs, median strips, guard rails, and the like. This recognition may take into account the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results from the INS. The recognition part 110 recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red signals, toll gates, and other road incidents.

When recognizing the traveling lane, the recognition part 110 recognizes the position or posture of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. The recognition part 110 may recognize, for example, a deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the lane center and an angle of the direction of advance of the vehicle M with respect to a line connecting the lane centers as the relative position and posture of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. On the other hand, the recognition part 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle M with respect to any side end portion of the traveling lane (road division lines or road boundaries) as the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane.

The controller 150 executes driver assistance control. The controller 150 automatically controls the traveling driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210, for example, without relying on the driver's operation, and automatically controls the speed of the vehicle M. The controller 150 executes so-called adaptive cruise control (ACC).

The controller 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M does not deviate from the traveling lane. For example, the controller 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M travels in the center or near the center of the traveling lane recognized by the recognition part 110. Hereinafter, the control may be referred to as “lane maintenance control.” The controller 150 executes hands-on lane maintenance control, and hands-off lane maintenance control.

The hands-on lane maintenance control is control executed in a state in which a driver grips the steering wheel (a state in which a steering grip sensor (not shown) detects a grip of the steering wheel). A condition under which the hands-on lane maintenance control can be executed is more lenient than a condition in which the hands-off lane maintenance control can be executed.

The hands-off lane maintenance control is control executed in a state in which the driver does not grip the steering wheel (a state in which the steering grip sensor (not shown) does not detect a grip of the steering wheel). The hands-off lane maintenance control can be executed, for example, when the following conditions are satisfied. The conditions are as follows: a speed of the vehicle M is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the vehicle M is traveling a predetermined road (for example, a road or a type of a road which is set in advance that the hands-off lane maintenance control can be executed), and a driver is looking ahead. The hands-off lane maintenance control is performed when the driver is looking ahead, and is not performed or stops when the driver is not looking ahead.

The conditions under which the above-mentioned hands-on lane maintenance control and hands-off lane maintenance control can be executed are only examples, and other conditions (for example, the vehicle M following the preceding vehicle) may be included, or some conditions may be omitted. The conditions under which the hands-on lane maintenance control can be executed may be more lenient than the conditions under which the hands-off lane maintenance control can be executed (the conditions under which the hands-off lane maintenance control can be executed should be stricter than the conditions under which hands-on lane maintenance control can be executed). Further, the driver assistance device 100 recognizes whether the driver is looking ahead based on an image captured by a camera that captures an image of a driver (not shown).

The controller 150 causes the vehicle M to automatically change lanes. Details of the control will be described below. The automatic lane change control may be conditioned on the execution of the hands-off lane maintenance control or the hands-on lane maintenance control.

The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) to the driving wheels so that the vehicle M travels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes a combination of, for example, an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a gearbox, as well as an ECU that controls these. The ECU controls the above configuration according to the information input from the driver assistance device 100 or the information input from the operator 80.

The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder configured to transmit a hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor configured to generate a hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the driver assistance device 100 or the information input from the operator 80 so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU, and an electric motor. The electric motor applies, for example, a force to a rack and pinion mechanism to change a direction of a steered wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor and changes the direction of the steered wheels according to the information input from the driver assistance device 100 or the information input from the operator 80.

[Control Related to Lane Change]

In response to acquiring the first instruction information, when the controller 150 determines that a lane change is possible on the basis of the surrounding situation at the time when the first instruction information was acquired, it executes the first lane change control to change the vehicle M to the adjacent lane. The “time” when the first instruction information is acquired does not only refer to a specific point in time, but also to a certain length of time. In response to receiving the second instruction information, the controller 150 transitions to a lane change standby state, maintains the standby state until a lane change becomes possible based on the surrounding situation, and executes the second lane change control to change the vehicle M to the adjacent lane when it is determined that a lane change became possible based on the surrounding situation in the standby state. The second lane change control maintains the standby state of the lane change until a lane change becomes possible, even in a situation where a lane change is judged to be not possible due to the presence of other vehicles around the vehicle M, which is in surrounding situations, and when it is determined that a lane change became possible based on the surrounding situations in the standby state, it causes the vehicle M to change to the adjacent lane. When it is determined that the lane change is not possible on the basis of the surrounding situation, this may be due to other external environmental factors in addition to (or instead of) the presence of other vehicles around the vehicle M as described above. The other external environments are external environments that make the controller 150 hesitate to change lanes, such as the shape of the road such as a sharp curve, a change in the situation of the surroundings such as a sudden change in weather, or the like.

The first lane change control causes the vehicle M to change lanes after the first time has elapsed from the time the first instruction information is acquired, if there are no other vehicles around the vehicle that would interfere with the lane change of the vehicle M. The second lane change control causes the vehicle M to change lanes after the second time has elapsed from the time the second instruction information is acquired, when there are no other vehicles around the vehicle M that may interfere with the lane change of the vehicle M in the lane change standby state. The second time is a longer time than the first time. Even if the vehicle M is able to change lanes as described above, the lane change by the second lane change control is performed at a slower timing than the lane change by the first lane change control.

The first instruction information is transmitted to the controller 150 in response to an operation by the first operator 84. The first instruction information is the information (for example, signal) output from the first operator 84 when the first operator 84 is operated. The second instruction information is transmitted to the controller 150 in response to the operation of the second operator 86 different from the first operator 84. The second instruction information is information (for example, signal) output from the second operator 86, for example, when the second operator 86 is operated. The standby state is the state in which the vehicle M is traveling in a traveling lane without initiating the lane change (see description of FIG. 5, which will be described below in detail).

FIG. 2 is a view for describing the first operator 84, the second operator 86, the first lane change control, and the second lane change control. The first operator 84 is, for example, a turn signal lever switch. For example, when the driver performs a predetermined operation on the first operator 84, the first operator 84 outputs the first instruction information. The predetermined operation is, for example, operating a turn signal lever switch for a predetermined time in the direction in which the lane change is intended, or pushing the turn signal lever switch to a predetermined position. More specifically, the predetermined operation is performed when the turn signal lever switch is operated for a predetermined time in a state that it is maintained at a predetermined position in the direction in which the lane change is intended. The first lane change control is executed in response to the operation of the first operator 84.

The second operator 86 is, for example, a button switch. The second operator 86 is attached to, for example, a position that is easy for the driver to operate, such as on the steering wheel spoke or on the installment panel, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, when the driver performs a predetermined operation on the second operator 86 (operates the button), the second operator 86 outputs the second instruction information. The second lane change control is executed in response to the operation of the second operator 86.

Further, the first operator 84 or the second operator 86 may be a button on a touch panel or some other aspect, instead of the above-mentioned. The first operator 84 is, for example, a button or other aspect used for the operation of the direction indicator 90, and the second operator 86 may be any aspect different from the first operator 84.

[First Lane Change Control]

FIG. 3 is a view for describing an example of a scene where the first lane change control is executed. At a time T, it is assumed that the driver has performed an operation on the first operator 84 to automatically change lanes of the vehicle M from a lane L1 to a lane L2. The lane L1 is a lane along which the vehicle M is traveling. The lane L2 is a lane adjacent to the lane L1. The controller 150 turns on the direction indicator 90 in response to the above-mentioned operation. The controller 150 turns on the direction indicator 90 when the first operator 84 is operated. For example, the direction indicator 90 is turned on at the timing when the operation is performed.

Further, the controller 150 determines whether the vehicle M can change lanes from the lane L1 to the lane L2 on the basis of the surrounding situation in response to the above-mentioned operation. For example, it is determined whether the lane change is possible when the above-mentioned operation is performed or during a predetermined time period from the time the operation is performed. The controller 150 determines that the lane change is possible, for example, when the first condition is satisfied. The first condition is that the degree of interference with the traveling of surrounding vehicles, for example, another vehicle ml traveling in the lane L2, is equal to or smaller than the first threshold. The first condition satisfies, for example, one or both of that the distance in the direction of advance between the other vehicle ml present in the lane of the lane change destination of the vehicle M and the vehicle M is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and that the time it takes for the other vehicle ml to reach the reference position set with respect to the vehicle M is equal to or greater than the second threshold. In the following example, it is assumed that the first condition is satisfied when both conditions are satisfied, and the first condition is not satisfied when either condition is not satisfied.

In the example of FIG. 3, the distance from the vehicle M to the other vehicle ml is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and the time it takes for the other vehicle ml to reach the reference position set with respect to the vehicle M (X1 in FIG. 3) is equal to or greater than the second threshold. When the controller 150 determines that the first condition is satisfied, it causes the vehicle M to change lanes to the lane L2 within a predetermined time (immediately). In the example of FIG. 3, at the time T+1, the controller 150 causes the vehicle to change a lane in front of the other vehicle ml. Further, in this example, the direction indicator may be turned on after the first condition is satisfied. As described above, the controller 150 can quickly change lanes of the vehicle M in response to an operation by the first operator 84.

FIG. 4 is a view for describing an example of a scene where the first lane change control is not executed. At the time T, it is assumed that the driver has performed an operation on the first operator 84 to automatically change lanes of the vehicle M from the lane L1 to the lane L2. The controller 150 turns on the direction indicator 90 in response to the above-mentioned operation. The controller 150 turns on the direction indicator 90 when the first operator 84 is operated.

Further, the controller 150 determines whether the first condition is satisfied in response to the above-mentioned operation. In the example in FIG. 4, the distance from the vehicle M to the other vehicle ml is less than the first threshold, and the time it takes for the other vehicle ml to reach the reference position set with respect to the vehicle M (X2 in FIG. 4) is less than the second threshold. At the time T, the controller 150 determines that the first condition is not satisfied and notifies the driver of a failure notification indicating that the first lane change control cannot be performed. That is, the first lane change control is cancelled. The notification may be, for example, by using sound or image, or by vibrating the steering wheel, a driver seat, a driver's seatbelt, or the like. For example, the controller 150 uses the HMI 30 to output a sound for failure notification. In addition, the controller 150 turns off the direction indicator 90. The timing for turning off the direction indicator 90 may be before the failure notification, after the failure notification, or at the same timing as the failure notification. In the case of the operation input of the one-touch turn signal, the direction indicator 90 may be turned on the number of times corresponding to the one-touch turn signal (for example, three times) and may remain in the off state after the above-mentioned number of times of the one-touch turn signal has been performed, and the direction indicator 90 may be turned on or off again depending on the determination as to whether the lane change is possible thereafter. The one-touch turn signal is a function that turns on the direction indicator 90 a predetermined number of times and then turns off automatically when the turn signal lever switch is operated to a predetermined degree (for example, lightly operated). In addition, when the first operator 84 is a switch different from the turn signal lever switch, the direction indicator 90 does not need to be turned on until the timing when the vehicle M makes a lane change.

At the time T+1, which is a predetermined time after the failure notification is notified, the controller 150 controls the vehicle M to travel in the lane L1. When the controller 150 determines that the lane change is not possible on the basis of the surrounding situation at the time the first instruction information was received in response to receiving the first instruction information, it causes the vehicle M to maintain traveling in the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling. As described above, the controller 150 can realize the control according to the surrounding situation.

[Second Lane Change Control]

FIG. 5 is a view for describing an example of a scene where the second lane change control is executed. At the time T, it is assumed that the driver has performed an operation on the second operator 86 to automatically change lanes of the vehicle M from the lane L1 to the lane L2. At the time T+1, the controller 150 accepts the lane change and notifies the driver that acceptance has been completed. The notification is done by the sound, image, vibration, or the like, as mentioned above.

Upon receiving the lane change, the controller 150 determines whether the second condition is satisfied. The second condition is to satisfy one or both of the following conditions: the distance in the direction of advance between the other vehicle ml present in the lane of the lane change destination of the vehicle M and the vehicle M is equal to or greater than a third threshold; and the time it takes for the other vehicle ml to reach the reference position set with respect to the vehicle M is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold. In the following example, it is assumed that the second condition is satisfied when both conditions are satisfied, and the second condition is not satisfied when either one is not satisfied.

The second condition is a condition that is more severe to satisfy than the first condition (a condition that is difficult to achieve). The second condition is a condition in which the degree to which the vehicle M interferes with the traveling of other vehicles when the vehicle M changes lanes is lower than in the first condition. A low degree of interference means that the speed changes of other vehicles are less likely to occur, and that a lane change by the vehicle M has a smaller impact on the drivers of other vehicles. For example, the third threshold is a distance greater than the first threshold of the first lane change control. For example, the fourth threshold is a time greater than the second threshold of the first lane change control.

In the example of FIG. 5, the distance from the vehicle M to the other vehicle ml is less than the third threshold, and the time it takes for the other vehicle ml to reach the reference position set with respect to the vehicle M is less than the fourth threshold. In this case, at the time T+2, the controller 150 maintains the state of having the vehicle M travel in the lane L