Lane change control device and control method

1. A lane change control device for controlling a vehicle, the device comprising:

a space recognition unit, including a camera sensor, that

detects a front object using the camera sensor of the vehicle,

recognizes an empty space, in which the front object is not located, inside an adjacent lane that is adjacent to a traveling lane, and

determines a target position, to which the vehicle is to move, within the empty space on a basis of a lane modeling equation determined from a lateral offset, which is a distance between a center of the camera sensor and a center of the adjacent lane, a vehicle's traveling velocity (V), and a lane change request time (t);

a control unit that performs a lane change control and controls at least one of the vehicle's steering angle and a vehicle velocity such that the vehicle moves to the target position along a path generated for moving from a current vehicle position to the target position; and

a maximum steering angle limiting unit, including a velocity sensor of the vehicle, that limits a maximum steering angle on a basis of velocity information acquired using the velocity sensor of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit is configured to move the vehicle along the path to the empty space, on a basis of the vehicle's width, length, and limited maximum steering angle.

2. The lane change control device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit initiates the lane change control only when at least one of a turn signal input condition requiring that a turn signal input (turn indicator activation) exist, a vehicle velocity condition requiring that the vehicle's traveling velocity be equal to or higher than a predetermined velocity, a distance condition requiring that a distance to a front vehicle in the traveling lane be equal to or larger than a predetermined length, a lane boundary recognition condition requiring that both a lane boundary of the traveling lane and a lane boundary of the adjacent lane be recognized, a lane position condition requiring that the vehicle be positioned in a predetermined area in the traveling lane, an acceleration condition requiring that vehicle's lateral acceleration and longitudinal acceleration be within a predetermined range, a road curvature condition requiring that a road curvature be equal to or lower than a predetermined value, a stable behavior condition requiring that a vehicle's yaw rate is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and a driver non-intervention condition requiring that a steering torque be equal to or lower than a predetermined value in an absence of acceleration/braking manipulation, is satisfied.

3. The lane change control device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit releases the lane change control that has been operating when one of a turn signal ending condition requiring that turn signal input be extinct, a lateral distance condition requiring that a lateral distance to a side object be equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, and a driver intervention condition requiring that a steering torque be equal to or higher than a predetermined value or an acceleration/braking manipulation exist, is satisfied while performing the lane change control.

4. The lane change control device of claim 3 , wherein the lane change control device further comprises side camera sensor to detect a side object, and

the control unit calculates an acceleration for moving along the path without colliding with the detected side object, on a basis of a relative velocity with regard to the detected side object, and controls the acceleration of the vehicle.

5. The lane change control device of claim 4 , wherein the control unit calculates a target steering angle for moving along the path, and the target steering angle is calculated by a proportional deviation (PD) feedback control that attenuates a front predicted lateral offset error of the vehicle with regard to the path and a front predicted heading angle error with regard to the path.

6. The lane change control device of claim 5 , wherein the control unit provides a driver with an alarm when at least one of a case in which the path has not been generated, a case in which the lane change control release has been performed, and a case in which the lane change control entry condition has not been satisfied, is satisfied.

7. A lane change control method, for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a front object using two front cameras of the vehicle;

recognizing an empty space, in which the front object is not locate, inside an adjacent lane that is adjacent to a traveling lane;

determining a target position, to which the vehicle is to move, within the empty space on a basis of a lane modeling equation determined from a lateral offset, which is a distance between a center of the front cameras and a center of the adjacent lane, a vehicle's traveling velocity (V), and a lane change request time (t);

limiting a maximum steering angle on a basis of velocity information acquired using a velocity sensor of the vehicle;

generating a path for moving from a current vehicle position to the target position, on a basis of the vehicle's width, length, and limited maximum steering angle; and

controlling, by a control unit, at least one of the vehicle's steering angle and a vehicle velocity to perform a lane change control such that the vehicle moves to the target position along the path.

8. The lane change control method of claim 7 , wherein the performing lane change control further comprises determining a control entry by initiating the lane change control only when at least one of a turn signal input condition requiring that a turn signal input (turn indicator activation) exist, a vehicle velocity condition requiring that the vehicle's traveling velocity be equal to or higher than a predetermined velocity, a distance condition requiring that a distance to a front vehicle in the traveling lane be equal to or larger than a predetermined length, a lane boundary recognition condition requiring that both a lane boundary of the traveling lane and a lane boundary of the adjacent lane be recognized, a lane position condition requiring that the vehicle be positioned in a predetermined area in the traveling lane, an acceleration condition requiring that vehicle's lateral acceleration and longitudinal acceleration be within a predetermined range, a road curvature condition requiring that a road curvature be equal to or lower than a predetermined value, a stable behavior condition requiring that a vehicle's yaw rate is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and a driver non-intervention condition requiring that a steering torque be equal to or lower than a predetermined value in an absence of acceleration/braking manipulation, is satisfied.

9. The lane change control method of claim 8 , wherein the performing control further comprises releasing control by releasing the lane change control that has been operating when one of a turn signal ending condition requiring that turn signal input be extinct, a lateral distance condition requiring that a lateral distance to a side object be equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, and a driver intervention condition requiring that a steering torque be equal to or higher than a predetermined value or an acceleration/braking manipulation exist, is satisfied while performing the lane change control.

10. The lane change control method of claim 9 , wherein, in the performing control, an acceleration for moving along the path without colliding with a side object, which has been detected using a side camera, is calculated, on a basis of a relative velocity with regard to the side object, and controls the acceleration of the vehicle.

11. The lane change control method of claim 10 , wherein, in the performing control, a target steering angle for moving along the path is calculated, and the target steering angle is calculated by a proportional deviation (PD) feedback control that attenuates a front predicted lateral offset error with regard to the path and a front predicted heading angle error with regard to the path.

12. The lane change control method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises providing an alarm to a driver when at least one of a case in which the path has not been generated, a case in which the lane change control release has been performed, and a case in which the lane change control entry condition has not been satisfied, is satisfied.