Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

1. A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle and configured to control traveling of the vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the vehicle control device to at least:

detect a shape and a road width of a traveling lane of the vehicle;

detect a present transverse position indicating a position of the vehicle in a width direction of the traveling lane where the vehicle is traveling at present;

set a driver-corresponding transverse position indicating a position of the vehicle in the width direction of the traveling lane so as to correspond to a driving tendency of a driver of the vehicle;

set upper/lower limit values that the driver-corresponding transverse position is allowed to take, in accordance with the road width;

set, as a target transverse position, the driver-corresponding transverse position within the upper/lower limit values, and calculate a transverse position control amount for the vehicle from the present transverse position of the vehicle;

calculate a target steering angle for the vehicle on the basis of the transverse position control amount and the shape of the traveling lane; and

steer the vehicle on the basis of the target steering angle, wherein

when change in the road width is detected and there is no road toll gate detected in a forward direction of the vehicle, the transverse position control amount for the vehicle is calculated on the basis of the upper/lower limit values in which the change in the road width is reflected.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when the change in the road width is detected, the at least one processor gradually changes the driver-corresponding transverse position over time so as to be within the upper/lower limit values in which the change in the road width is reflected, and calculates the transverse position control amount for the vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor calculates a target acceleration/deceleration for the vehicle and controls a vehicle speed of the vehicle, wherein

when a width of the upper/lower limit values is greater than the road width, the at least one processor performs control to stop traveling of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein

the at least one processor performs control to stop traveling of the vehicle after a predetermined time has elapsed from when the width of the upper/lower limit values is determined to be greater than the road width.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a road toll gate detector for detecting a road toll gate present frontward in a traveling direction of the vehicle, wherein

when the change in the road width is detected and the road toll gate is detected by the road toll gate detector, the at least one processor calculates the transverse position control amount for the vehicle by setting a lane center of the traveling lane as the target transverse position.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when decrease in the road width is detected, the at least one processor changes the upper/lower limit values in a center direction of the traveling lane in accordance with the decrease in the road width.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

when increase in the road width is detected, the at least one processor changes the upper/lower limit values in a direction opposite to a center direction of the traveling lane in accordance with the increase in the road width.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values is to change each of the upper limit value and the lower limit value in the center direction of the traveling lane.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 7 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values is to change each of the upper limit value and the lower limit value in the direction opposite to the center direction of the traveling lane.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values is to keep one of the upper limit value or the lower limit value as a fixed value, and change the other one in the center direction of the traveling lane.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 7 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values is to keep one of the upper limit value or the lower limit value as a fixed value, and change the other one in the direction opposite to the center direction of the traveling lane.

12. A vehicle control method comprising:

a first step detects a road width of a traveling lane of a vehicle and detects a present transverse position indicating a position of the vehicle in a width direction of the traveling lane where the vehicle is traveling at present;

a second step sets a driver-corresponding transverse position indicating a position of the vehicle in the width direction of the traveling lane so as to correspond to a driving tendency of a driver of the vehicle;

a third step sets upper/lower limit values that the driver-corresponding transverse position is allowed to take, in accordance with the road width;

a fourth step detects change in the road width detected in the first step;

a fifth step, when the change in the road width is detected in the fourth step, changes the upper/lower limit values in accordance with the change in the road width;

a sixth step sets, as a target transverse position, the driver-corresponding transverse position within the upper/lower limit values changed in accordance with the change in the road width in the fifth step, and calculates a transverse position control amount for the vehicle from the present transverse position of the vehicle;

a seventh step calculates a target steering angle for the vehicle on the basis of the transverse position control amount calculated in the sixth step; and

an eighth step steers the vehicle on the basis of the target steering angle calculated in the seventh step.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 12 , wherein

in the sixth step, when the change in the road width is detected in the fourth step, the driver-corresponding transverse position is gradually changed over time so as to be within the upper/lower limit values changed in accordance with the change in the road width, and the transverse position control amount for the vehicle is calculated.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 12 , further comprising a ninth step calculates a target acceleration/deceleration for the vehicle and controls a vehicle speed of the vehicle, wherein

in the ninth step, control is performed to stop traveling of the vehicle, when a width of the upper/lower limit values is greater than the road width.

15. The vehicle control method according to claim 14 , wherein

in the ninth step, control is performed to stop traveling of the vehicle after a predetermined time has elapsed from when the width of the upper/lower limit values is determined to be greater than the road width.

16. The vehicle control method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a tenth step detects a road toll gate present frontward in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and

an eleventh step, when the road toll gate is detected in the tenth step, sets the driver-corresponding transverse position to a center of the traveling lane, wherein

the fourth step is performed after the eleventh step is performed.

17. The vehicle control method according to claim 12 , wherein

in the fifth step, when decrease in the road width is detected in the fourth step, the upper/lower limit values are changed in a center direction of the traveling lane in accordance with the decrease in the road width.

18. The vehicle control method according to claim 12 , wherein

in the fifth step, when increase in the road width is detected in the fourth step, the upper/lower limit values are changed in a direction opposite to a center direction of the traveling lane in accordance with the increase in the road width.

19. The vehicle control method according to claim 17 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values in the fifth step is to change each of the upper limit value and the lower limit value in the center direction of the traveling lane.

20. The vehicle control method according to claim 18 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values in the fifth step is to change each of the upper limit value and the lower limit value in the direction opposite to the center direction of the traveling lane.

21. The vehicle control method according to claim 17 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values in the fifth step is to keep one of the upper limit value or the lower limit value as a fixed value, and change the other one in the center direction of the traveling lane.

22. The vehicle control method according to claim 18 , wherein

the change of the upper/lower limit values in the fifth step is to keep one of the upper limit value or the lower limit value as a fixed value, and change the other one in the direction opposite to the center direction of the traveling lane.