IP Library › Granted Patent US 12691882
Granted Patent B2
US 12691882 · App. 19/059,748 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Control device, control method, and storage medium

Inventor: Tomotaka Teramachi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
B60W30/18163B60W50/14B60W2520/10B60W2552/10B60W2552/30B60W2720/106
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691882
App. No.
19/059,748
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control device performs: determining (a) whether a length in a traveling direction of a connection area in which a first lane and a second lane are connected satisfies being a length for changing a lane of a mobile object; determining (b) whether changing the lane of the mobile object to the second lane is possible in the connection area at a mobile object speed; notifying an occupant that the mobile object is not able to change the lane before the mobile object arrives at the second lane and when (a) is not satisfied; and decelerating the mobile object to a speed at which the mobile object is able to change the lane and which is equal to or higher than the prescribed speed when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is satisfied and (b) is not satisfied.

Claims (44)

1 . A control device comprising:

a storage medium storing computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors connected to the storage medium,

wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

determining whether automatic lane change control for automatically changing a lane of a mobile object to a second lane which is adjacent to a first lane in which the mobile object travels is executable;

changing the lane of the mobile object when the automatic lane change control is executable;

the second lane being a lane which is not present at a position at which the mobile object is traveling and which is added in front of the position in a traveling direction of the mobile object,

determining (a) whether a length in the traveling direction of a connection area in which the first lane and the second lane are connected satisfies being a length for changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane at a speed equal to or higher than a prescribed speed at which the automatic lane change control is executable;

determining (b) whether changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane is possible in the connection area at a current speed of the mobile object or a mobile object speed when the mobile object is assumed to arrive at the second lane;

notifying an occupant of the mobile object that the mobile object is not able to change the lane to the second lane through the automatic lane change control before the mobile object arrives at the second lane when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is not satisfied; and

decelerating the mobile object to a speed at which the mobile object is able to change the lane to the second lane and which is equal to or higher than the prescribed speed when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is satisfied and (b) is not satisfied.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform determining that (b) is not satisfied when the length in the traveling direction of the connection area is less than a length in which the mobile object is able to change the lane to the second lane at the mobile object speed.

3 . The control device according to claim 2 , wherein a release position of the automatic lane change control is set on a near side in the traveling direction with respect to an end point of the connection area, and

wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform delivery of the notification before the mobile object arrives at the release position because the automatic lane change control is not executable when the mobile object travels at a speed equal to or higher than the prescribed speed and the release position is located on a near side in the traveling direction with respect to a start point of the connection area.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform determining that (b) is satisfied when the mobile object speed is equal to or lower than an allowable speed, and

wherein the allowable speed is a speed which is set according to the length of the connection area in the traveling direction and at which the mobile object is able to change the lane to the second lane from the first lane.

5 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

determining whether a road curvature in the second lane or in the vicinity of the second lane is a curvature in which the automatic lane change control to the second lane is not executable when the mobile object travels at a speed equal to or higher than the prescribed speed; and

notifying the occupant of the mobile object that the mobile object is not able to change the lane to the second lane through the automatic lane change control before the mobile object arrives at the second lane before the mobile object arrives at the second lane when it is determined that the road curvature is a curvature in which the automatic lane change control to the second lane is not executable.

6 . The control device according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

determining whether a road curvature at a start point of the connection area or in the vicinity of the start point of the connection area is a curvature in which the automatic lane change control to the second lane is not executable when the mobile object travels at a speed equal to or higher than the prescribed speed; and

notifying the occupant of the mobile object that the mobile object is not able to change the lane to the second lane through the automatic lane change control before the mobile object arrives at the second lane before the mobile object arrives at the second lane when it is determined that the road curvature is a curvature in which the automatic lane change control to the second lane is not executable.

7 . The control device according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform determining that the automatic lane change control to the second lane is executable when it is determined that the road curvature at the start point or in the vicinity of the start point of the connection area is a curvature in which the automatic lane change control to the second lane is not executable when the mobile object travels at a speed equal to or higher than the prescribed speed and it is determined that the length in the traveling direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined length.

8 . The control device according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined length is a length in which the automatic lane change control is executable when the road curvature at the start point or in the vicinity of the start point of the connection area is equal to or less than a threshold value and the mobile object is decelerated in a range which is not less than the prescribed speed.

9 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to perform:

determining that (a) is satisfied when an allowable speed correlated with the length in the traveling direction of the connection area is equal to or greater than a prescribed speed at which the automatic lane change control is executable; and

determining that (b) is satisfied when the mobile object speed is equal to or lower than an allowable speed, and

wherein the allowable speed is a speed which is set according to the length in the traveling direction of the connection area and at which the mobile object is able to change the lane.

10 . A control method that is performed by a computer, the control method comprising:

a process of determining whether automatic lane change control for automatically changing a lane of a mobile object to a second lane which is adjacent to a first lane in which the mobile object travels is executable;

a process of changing the lane of the mobile object when the automatic lane change control is executable;

the second lane being a lane which is not present at a position at which the mobile object is traveling and which is added in front of the position in a traveling direction of the mobile object,

a process of determining (a) whether a length in the traveling direction of a connection area in which the first lane and the second lane are connected satisfies being a length for changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane at a speed equal to or higher than a prescribed speed at which the automatic lane change control is executable;

a process of determining (b) whether changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane is possible in the connection area at a current speed of the mobile object or a mobile object speed when the mobile object is assumed to arrive at the second lane;

a process of notifying an occupant of the mobile object that the mobile object is not able to change the lane to the second lane through the automatic lane change control before the mobile object arrives at the second lane when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is not satisfied; and

a process of decelerating the mobile object to a speed at which the mobile object is able to change the lane to the second lane and which is equal to or higher than the prescribed speed when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is satisfied and (b) is not satisfied.

11 . A storage medium storing a program, the program causing a computer to perform:

a process of determining whether automatic lane change control for automatically changing a lane of a mobile object to a second lane which is adjacent to a first lane in which the mobile object travels is executable;

a process of changing the lane of the mobile object when the automatic lane change control is executable;

the second lane being a lane which is not present at a position at which the mobile object is traveling and which is added in front of the position in a traveling direction of the mobile object,

a process of determining (a) whether a length in the traveling direction of a connection area in which the first lane and the second lane are connected satisfies being a length for changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane at a speed equal to or higher than a prescribed speed at which the automatic lane change control is executable;

a process of determining (b) whether changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane is possible in the connection area at a current speed of the mobile object or a mobile object speed when the mobile object is assumed to arrive at the second lane;

a process of notifying an occupant of the mobile object that the mobile object is not able to change the lane to the second lane through the automatic lane change control before the mobile object arrives at the second lane when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is not satisfied; and

a process of decelerating the mobile object to a speed at which the mobile object is able to change the lane to the second lane and which is equal to or higher than the prescribed speed when the mobile object is scheduled to change the lane to the second lane and when (a) is satisfied and (b) is not satisfied.