Travel control device and travel control method

1. A travel control device equipped in a subject vehicle comprising:

an object information acquisition unit configured to acquire object information including a position of an avoidance object that exists around a subject vehicle;

a planning unit configured to plan a target route passing a side of the avoidance object on a basis of a position of the subject vehicle and the position of the avoidance object;

a control unit configured to output command information for driving the subject vehicle on the target route; and

a setting unit configured to:

calculate a target vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the avoidance object along a vehicle width direction when driving the subject vehicle on the target route; and

set a tolerable vehicle width distance range from a first vehicle width distance which is shorter than the target vehicle width distance to a second vehicle width distance which is longer than the target vehicle width distance, wherein

the control unit calculates an actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction and determines whether or not the actual vehicle width distance is within the tolerable vehicle width distance range,

when the actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction is within the tolerable vehicle width distance range, the control unit drives the subject vehicle on a basis of the target route, and

when the subject vehicle and the avoidance object come close to each other and the actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction is outside the tolerable vehicle width distance range, the planning unit sets a new target route on the basis of the position of the avoidance object.

2. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction is outside the tolerable vehicle width distance range, the control unit drives the subject vehicle on a basis of the new target route.

3. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a vehicle speed of the subject vehicle is a predetermined speed or higher, the setting unit sets the tolerable vehicle width distance range to have a wider width than a width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range which is set when the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed.

4. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a width of a road on which the subject vehicle travels is a predetermined value or smaller, the setting unit sets the tolerable vehicle width distance range to have a wider width than a width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range which is set when the width of the road is larger than the predetermined value.

5. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets a width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range in accordance with a type of a road on which the subject vehicle travels.

6. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a road on which the subject vehicle travels has a plurality of lanes, the setting unit sets a width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range in accordance with an attribute of a lane in which the subject vehicle travels.

7. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a first distance range is a part of the tolerable vehicle width distance range outside a target vehicle width distance and a second distance range is a part of the tolerable vehicle width distance range inside the target vehicle width distance, the tolerable vehicle width distance range is set such that a width of the second distance range is narrower than a width of the first distance range.

8. The travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the subject vehicle passes by the side of the avoidance object, the setting unit sets a width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range such that the width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range corresponding to a section before a passing start position and/or a section after a passing completion position is narrower than the width of the tolerable vehicle width distance range corresponding to a section between the passing start position and the passing completion position,

wherein the passing start position is a position at which a distance from a front end of the subject vehicle to the avoidance object becomes less than a predetermined distance and the passing completion position is a position at which a distance between a rear end of the subject vehicle and the avoidance object decreases and then increases.

9. The travel control device according to claim 1 , further comprising

an output unit configured to output, to external, one or more information items among information in accordance with the object information, information in accordance with a location of an object area that is set on a basis of the avoidance object, information in accordance with a location of the target route, and information in accordance with the command information for driving the subject vehicle on the target route.

10. A travel control method executed by a computer equipped in a subject vehicle, the computer outputting command information for controlling travel of a subject vehicle, the travel control method comprising:

acquiring object information including a position of an avoidance object that exists around the subject vehicle;

planning a target route passing a side of the avoidance object on a basis of the position of the avoidance object; and

outputting command information for driving the subject vehicle on the target route, the outputting command information comprising:

calculating a target vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the avoidance object along a vehicle width direction when driving the subject vehicle on the target route;

setting a tolerable vehicle width distance range from a first vehicle width distance which is shorter than the target vehicle width distance to a second vehicle width distance which is longer than the target vehicle width distance;

calculating an actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction;

determining whether or not the actual vehicle width distance is within the tolerable vehicle width distance range; and

driving the subject vehicle on a basis of the target route when the actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction is within the tolerable vehicle width distance range, and

wherein the planning the target route comprises:

planning a new target route on the basis of the position of the avoidance object when the subject vehicle and the avoidance object come close to each other and the actual vehicle width distance from the subject vehicle to the position of the avoidance object along the vehicle width direction is not within the tolerable vehicle width distance range.