Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

1. A vehicle control device comprising:

a recognizer configured to recognize a position and a speed of a vehicle traveling in a lane included in a main lane, the main lane being a merging destination of a merging path, when a self-vehicle is traveling in the merging path; and

a merging controller configured to generate a first plan for changing a lane of the self-vehicle to in front of or behind a first vehicle traveling in a first main lane closest to the merging path of the main lane, based on a relative relationship between a position and a speed of the self-vehicle and a position and a speed of the first vehicle, and

to allow the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan when it is estimated that a third vehicle is able to change lanes to a second main lane adjacent to the first main lane without interfering with a fourth vehicle, based on a relative relationship between a position and a speed of the third vehicle and a position and a speed of the fourth vehicle in a case where it is assumed that the self-vehicle has changed lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan, the third vehicle being the first vehicle or a second vehicle present behind the self-vehicle and traveling in the first main lane, the fourth vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the third vehicle in the second main lane,

wherein, in a case where it is estimated that the third vehicle is able to change lanes to the second main lane without interfering with the fourth vehicle, when it is estimated that the fourth vehicle is able to change lanes to a third main lane without interfering with a fifth vehicle based on a relative relationship between the position and the speed of the fourth vehicle and a position and a speed of the fifth vehicle, the merging controller is configured to allow the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan, the fifth vehicle traveling around the fourth vehicle in the third main lane adjacent to the second main lane.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when it is estimated that the third vehicle interferes with the fourth vehicle when changing the lane to the second main lane, the merging controller is configured to allow the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on a second plan different from the first plan.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the merging controller is configured to generate the first plan for changing the lane of the self-vehicle to in front of or behind the first vehicle in the first main lane based on the relative relationship between the position and the speed of the self-vehicle and the position and the speed of the first vehicle and determination information associated with a criterion that two vehicles will interfere with each other based on a relative relationship between the two vehicles, and

is configured to determine whether the third vehicle is able to change lanes to the second main lane without interfering with the fourth vehicle, based on the relative relationship between the position and the speed of the third vehicle and the position and the speed of the fourth vehicle, and the determination information.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when it is estimated that the fourth vehicle interferes with the fifth vehicle when changing the lane to the third main lane, the merging controller is configured to allow the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on a second plan different from the first plan.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, based on a relative relationship between a pair of two vehicles and determination information associated with a criterion that the two vehicles will interfere with each other, the merging controller is configured to determine whether the self-vehicle is able to change lanes to the first main lane, the third vehicle is able to change lanes to the second main lane, and the fourth vehicle is able to change lanes to the third main lane.

6. A vehicle control method implemented by a computer performing:

a process of recognizing a position and a speed of a vehicle traveling in a lane included in a main lane, the main lane being a merging destination of a merging path, when a self-vehicle is traveling in the merging path; and

a process of generating a first plan for changing a lane of the self-vehicle to in front of or behind a first vehicle traveling in a first main lane closest to the merging path of the main lane, based on a relative relationship between a position and a speed of the self-vehicle and a position and a speed of the first vehicle; and

a process of allowing the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan when it is estimated that a third vehicle is able to change lanes to a second main lane adjacent to the first main lane without interfering with a fourth vehicle, based on a relative relationship between a position and a speed of the third vehicle and a position and a speed of the fourth vehicle in a case where it is assumed that the self-vehicle has changed lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan, the third vehicle being the first vehicle or a second vehicle present behind the self-vehicle and traveling in the first main lane, the fourth vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the third vehicle in the second main lane,

wherein, in a case where it is estimated that the third vehicle is able to change lanes to the second main lane without interfering with the fourth vehicle, when it is estimated that the fourth vehicle is able to change lanes to a third main lane without interfering with a fifth vehicle based on a relative relationship between the position and the speed of the fourth vehicle and a position and a speed of the fifth vehicle, a process of allowing the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan, the fifth vehicle traveling around the fourth vehicle in the third main lane adjacent to the second main lane.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storing medium storing a program causing a computer to perform:

a process of recognizing a position and a speed of a vehicle traveling in a lane included in a main lane, which is a merging destination of a merging path, when a self-vehicle is traveling in the merging path; and

a process of generating a first plan for changing a lane of the self-vehicle to in front of or behind a first vehicle, which travels in a first main lane closest to the merging path of the main lane, based on a relative relationship between a position and a speed of the self-vehicle and a position and a speed of the first vehicle; and

a process of allowing the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan when it is estimated that a third vehicle is able to change lanes to a second main lane adjacent to the first main lane without interfering with a fourth vehicle, based on a relative relationship between a position and a speed of the third vehicle and a position and a speed of the fourth vehicle in a case where it is assumed that the self-vehicle has changed lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan, the third vehicle being the first vehicle or a second vehicle present behind the self-vehicle and traveling in the first main lane, the fourth vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the third vehicle in the second main lane

wherein, in a case where it is estimated that the third vehicle is able to change lanes to the second main lane without interfering with the fourth vehicle, when it is estimated that the fourth vehicle is able to change lanes to a third main lane without interfering with a fifth vehicle based on a relative relationship between the position and the speed of the fourth vehicle and a position and a speed of the fifth vehicle, a process of allowing the self-vehicle to change lanes to the first main lane based on the first plan, the fifth vehicle traveling around the fourth vehicle in the third main lane adjacent to the second main lane.