Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle control method, and program

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect an surrounding object in a road area surrounding the vehicle in which the vehicle is driving, the road area being divided into a plurality of divided areas;

a first setting unit configured to set a first potential for the plurality of divided areas based on the road area;

a second setting unit configured to set a second potential for the divided areas based on the surrounding object detected by the detecting unit;

an evaluating unit configured to

select one divided area of the divided areas,

select other divided areas which surround the one divided area,

obtain the first potential and the second potential set for the one divided area,

obtain foreseen information generated for the other divided areas, and

calculate an index value which represents a total potential of the one divided area, based on (i) the first potential and the second potential set for the one divided area and (ii) the foreseen information

generated for the other divided areas; and

a selecting unit configured to select one or more divided areas along a moving direction of the vehicle from the plurality of divided areas, based on the index value calculated for the one divided area by the evaluating unit.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the foreseen information is generated based on the first potential and the second potential set for the other divided areas.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the other divided areas are selected so as to include the divided areas extending from a front side of the one divided area in the moving direction of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the other divided areas comprise the divided areas selected along the moving direction of the vehicle and selected along a width direction of the vehicle, and

wherein a number of the other divided areas selected along the moving direction of the vehicle is greater than a number of the other divided areas selected along the width direction of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the evaluating unit determines and selects the other divided areas extending in the moving direction of the vehicle based on a driving state of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the selecting unit selects the one or more divided areas from the divided areas extending in a width direction based on the index values calculated for the respective divided areas extending in the width direction while shifting the area to be evaluated in the moving direction of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein when the divided area selected by the selecting unit is inside a lane on which the vehicle is driving and the index value of the corresponding one divided area is higher than or equal to a predetermined value, the evaluating unit further calculates the index value of another divided area outside the lane on which the vehicle is driving.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a route generating unit that generates a route on which the vehicle will drive using the one or more divided areas selected by the selecting unit.

9. A vehicle control method performed by a computer, the method comprising:

detecting an surrounding object in a road area surrounding the vehicle in which the vehicle is driving, the road area being divided into a plurality of divided areas;

setting a first potential for the plurality of divided areas based on the road area;

setting a second potential for the divided areas based on the detected surrounding object;

selecting one divided area of the divided areas;

selecting other divided areas which surround the one divided area;

obtaining the first potential and the second potential set for the one divided area;

obtaining foreseen information generated for the other divided areas;

calculating an index value which represents a total potential of the one divided area based on (i) the first potential and the second potential set for the one divided area and (ii) the foreseen information generated for the other divided areas; and

selecting one or more divided areas along a moving direction of the vehicle from the plurality of divided areas based on the index value calculated for the one divided area.

10. A computer readable medium containing a program having instructions stored in the medium to perform:

detecting an surrounding object in a road area surrounding the vehicle in which the vehicle is driving, the road area being divided into a plurality of divided areas;

setting a first potential for the plurality of divided areas based on the road area;

setting a second potential for the divided areas based on the detected surrounding object;

selecting one divided area of the divided areas;

selecting other divided areas which surround the one divided area;

obtaining the first potential and the second potential set for the one divided area;

obtaining foreseen information generated for the other divided areas;

calculating an index value which represents a total potential of the one divided area based on (i) the first potential and the second potential set for the one divided area and (ii) the foreseen information generated for the other divided areas; and

selecting one or more divided areas along a moving direction of the vehicle from the plurality of divided areas based on the index value calculated for the one divided area.