Vehicle control device
In the present invention, automated driving control of a vehicle during automated driving is fundamentally performed by referring to a medium-term trajectory which is generated in a medium period having a relatively long computation period and in which emphasis is placed on the smoothness of driving behavior changes. As an exception, in cases in which reference-excluding conditions are matched, the medium-term trajectory is ignored, and automated driving control of the vehicle is performed using only a short-term trajectory generated in a short period having a shorter computation period than the medium period. Thus, a vehicle control device is provided which ensures adaptability without diminishing responsiveness.
1. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle configured to be driven automatically, the vehicle control device comprising:
a first trajectory generating unit configured to generate, based on external environment recognition information in which a situation around a periphery of the vehicle is recognized, a first trajectory in a first operation cycle; and
a second trajectory generating unit configured to generate, based on the external environment recognition information, and while referring to the first trajectory, a second trajectory in a second operation cycle which is shorter than the first operation cycle;
wherein, when performing automated driving, in a case of a reference exclusion condition having been met, the second trajectory generating unit is configured to generate the second trajectory without referring to the first trajectory, and thereby control the vehicle.
2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the reference exclusion condition is submitted from the first trajectory generating unit to the second trajectory generating unit.
3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the reference exclusion condition is determined based on the external environment recognition information.
4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the reference exclusion condition which is determined based on the external environment recognition information occurs when a travel restraint condition that restrains traveling of the host vehicle either vanishes or is alleviated.
5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein vanishing or alleviation of the travel restraint condition that restrains traveling of the host vehicle occurs with any one of the following conditions:
when it is no longer necessary to stop at a stop line;
when a collision avoidance situation vanishes after avoidance of a collision;
when a target vehicle which is a target of follow-up traveling starts traveling;
when a preceding vehicle accelerates;
when a straight path is recognized at the conclusion of traveling along a curve; and
when a curvature of a lane is alleviated.
6. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein the reference exclusion condition which is determined based on the external environment recognition information occurs when a travel restraint condition that restrains traveling of the host vehicle is generated.
7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 , wherein generation of the travel restraint condition that restrains traveling of the host vehicle occurs with any one of the following conditions:
when there is a narrow road up ahead;
when there is a change in slope up ahead; and
when visibility is poor in a forward direction.
8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the reference exclusion condition is a condition in which the second trajectory generating unit does not refer to the first trajectory, in a case that a deviation between the first trajectory to be referred to, and a candidate trajectory of the second trajectory to be generated is greater than or equal to a threshold value.