Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

recognizing surrounding conditions of a vehicle;

controlling a speed and a steering of the vehicle on a basis of a result of recognition from the recognizer; and

receiving an operation of an occupant of the vehicle of selecting on which of a first path and a second path the vehicle is to travel at a branching point through which the vehicle passes, wherein the receiving the operation comprises receiving the operation while the vehicle is located in a selection area a first distance or more before the branching point or in a selection area from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a first time, and

wherein controlling the speed and the steering of the vehicle comprises controlling the speed and the steering in a plurality of modes with different automation levels;

traveling by following a vehicle preceding the vehicle at a first automation level in the selection area; and

decreasing the first automation level at a point before the branching point to a second automation level which is lower than the first automation level, wherein the first automation level comprises an automation level at which the vehicle is controlled on a basis of:

a degree of operation by the occupant on the vehicle that is lower than the degree of operation of the second automation level, or monitoring surroundings of the vehicle required by the occupant requires less attention than the attention required by the second automation level, and

wherein decreasing the first automation level comprises:

decreasing the first automation level at a point a second distance before the branching point or at a point from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a second time when the operation is received; and

decreasing the first automation level at a point a third distance before the branching point or at a point from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a third time when the operation is not received by the receiver, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance, wherein the second distance is greater than the third distance, wherein the first time is greater than the second time, and wherein the second time is greater than the third time.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first path is a path which branches from a travel lane in which the vehicle is traveling at a predetermined angle or more, and wherein the second path is a path which is connected to the travel lane in which the vehicle is traveling at an angle less than the predetermined angle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein decreasing the first automation level further comprises decreasing the automation level by stopping a mode in which the vehicle travels by following a preceding vehicle at a point before the branching point, and wherein the operations further comprise, when a transit facility or a vehicle stopping place is located before the first path and the operation of selecting the first path is received by the receiver, changing the point at which the automation level is decreased to a point closer to the branching point in comparison with when the operation of selecting the second path is received by the receiver.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise, when the transit facility or the vehicle stopping place is located before the first path and the operation of selecting the second path is received by the receiver, changing the point at which the automation level is decreased, when the recognizer recognizes that the preceding vehicle traveling in the same travel lane as the vehicle is traveling offset in a vehicle width direction with respect to the lane center of the travel lane or the center of the vehicle and a direction of the offset is directed to the first path, to a point further apart from the branching point in comparison with when the direction of the offset is directed to the second path.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise increasing an inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle when the operation of selecting the first path is received in comparison with the inter-vehicle distance set in the mode in which the vehicle travels by following the preceding vehicle in the selection area.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling the vehicle using at least one of first control based on a lane mark on a travel lane, second control based on a lateral position of a preceding vehicle recognized by the recognizer, and third control based on the first control and the second control until the vehicle passes through the branching point; and

controlling the vehicle using the second control after the vehicle has passed through the branching point.

7. A vehicle control method which is performed by a computer, the vehicle control method comprising:

recognizing surrounding conditions of a vehicle;

controlling a speed and a steering of the vehicle on a basis of a result of recognition from the recognizer; and

receiving an operation of an occupant of the vehicle of selecting on which of a first path and a second path the vehicle is to travel at a branching point through which the vehicle passes, wherein receiving the operation comprises receiving the operation while the vehicle is located in a selection area a first distance or more before the branching point or in a selection area from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a first time, wherein controlling the speed and the steering of the vehicle comprises controlling the speed and the steering in a plurality of modes with different automation levels;

traveling by following a vehicle preceding the vehicle at a first automation level in the selection area; and

decreasing the first automation level at a point before the branching point to a second automation level which is lower than the first automation level, wherein the first automation level comprises an automation level at which the vehicle is controlled on a basis of:

a degree of operation by the occupant on the vehicle that is lower than the degree of operation of the second automation level, or monitoring surroundings of the vehicle required by the occupant requires less attention than the attention required by the second automation level, and

wherein decreasing the first automation level comprises:

decreasing the first automation level at a point a second distance before the branching point or at a point from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a second time when the operation is received, and

decreasing the first automation level at a point a third distance before the branching point or at a point from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a third time when the operation is not received by the receiver, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance, wherein the second distance is greater than the third distance, wherein the first time is greater than the second time, and wherein the second time is greater than the third time.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

recognizing surrounding conditions of a vehicle;

controlling a speed and a steering of the vehicle on a basis of a result of recognition from the recognizer; and

receiving an operation of an occupant of the vehicle of selecting on which of a first path and a second path the vehicle is to travel at a branching point through which the vehicle passes, wherein receiving the operation comprises receiving the operation while the vehicle is located in a selection area a first distance or more before the branching point or in a selection area from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a first time, wherein controlling the speed and the steering of the vehicle comprises controlling the speed and the steering in a plurality of modes with different automation levels;

traveling by following a vehicle preceding the vehicle at a first automation level in the selection area; and

decreasing the first automation level at a point before the branching point to a second automation level which is lower than the first automation level, wherein the first automation level comprises an automation level at which the vehicle is controlled on a basis of:

a degree of operation by the occupant on the vehicle that is lower than the degree of operation of the second automation level, or

monitoring surroundings of the vehicle required by the occupant requires less attention than the attention required by the second automation level, and

wherein decreasing the first automation level comprises:

decreasing the first automation level at a point a second distance before the branching point or at a point from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a second time when the operation is received, and

decreasing the first automation level at a point a third distance before the branching point or at a point from which a time required to reach the branching point is equal to or greater than a third time when the operation is not received by the receiver, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance, wherein the second distance is greater than the third distance, wherein the first time is greater than the second time, and wherein the second time is greater than the third time.