Traveling track determination processing and automated drive device

1. A traveling track determination device that determines a future traveling track for a vehicle when the vehicle travels from a first course toward a second course which is bent relative to and connected to the first course, the traveling track determination device comprising:

a second course target point acquisition processor that acquires a second course target point that is a target of future traveling on the second course; and

a traveling track determination processor that determines the future traveling track for the vehicle using:

(i) a first straight line that extends from the vehicle in a forward direction of the vehicle through a continuous section between the first course and the second course,

(ii) a second straight line that extends along the second course while passing through the second course target point and intersects with the first straight line in the continuous section,

(iii) a first small curved line section that extends, while being curved, from a first predetermined point on the first straight line such that a curvature of which gradually increases from a value smaller than a curvature of an arc inscribed in the first straight line and the second straight line in the continuous section,

(iv) a large curved line section that is connected to and continues from one end of the first small curved line section and extends, while being curved, such that a curvature of which gradually increases to a maximum value larger than the curvature of the arc and gradually decreases from the maximum value, and

(v) a second small curved line section that is connected to and continues from one end of the large curved line section and extends, while being curved, to a second predetermined point on the second straight line such that a curvature of which gradually decreases from a value of a curvature of the large curved line section at the one end to a value smaller than the curvature of the arc,

wherein the traveling track determination processor determines the future traveling track such that at least a portion of the first small curved line section, at least a portion of the second small curved line section, and the large curved line section are included in the continuous section,

wherein the traveling track determination device further comprises a second boundary line acquisition processor that acquires a second boundary line defining a boundary between the second course and the continuous section, wherein

the traveling track determination processor determines the future traveling track such that the second predetermined point on the second straight line is displaced from a third intersection that is an intersection of the second straight line and the second boundary line to a position located on a second course side of the third intersection which is opposite to a continuous section side of the third intersection.

2. The traveling track determination device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first boundary line acquisition processor that acquires a first boundary line defining a boundary between the first course and the continuous section, wherein

the traveling track determination processor determines the future traveling track such that the first predetermined point on the first straight line is displaced in the forward direction of the vehicle from a first intersection that is an intersection of the first straight line and the first boundary line.

3. The traveling track determination device according to claim 2 , wherein

an intersection of the second straight line and the first straight line is a second intersection, and

the traveling track determination processor determines a displacement of the first predetermined point from the first intersection according to a distance between the second intersection and the first intersection.

4. The traveling track determination device according to claim 1 , wherein

an intersection of the second straight line and the first straight line is a second intersection, and

the traveling track determination processor determines a displacement of the second predetermined point from the third intersection according to a distance between the second intersection and the third intersection.

5. The traveling track determination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a lane boundary area acquisition processor that acquires a lane boundary area corresponding to a boundary area between (i) a travel lane on which the vehicle travels in the second course and (ii) an opposite lane in the second course;

a surrounding status data acquisition processor that acquires surrounding status data indicating a surrounding status of the traveling vehicle when the vehicle actually travels according to the future traveling track after determination of the future traveling track; and

a traveling track change processor that changes the future traveling track so as to avoid interference of the vehicle with the lane boundary area when it is determined that the lane boundary area is present in the forward direction of the vehicle based on the acquired surrounding status data.

6. The traveling track determination device according to claim 5 , wherein

when the vehicle travels toward the second course while the vehicle crosses an opposite lane of the first course in the continuous section, in a case that the lane boundary area is present in the forward direction of the vehicle,

the traveling track change processor determines a point on the second straight line which is located closer to the intersection of the second straight line and the first straight line relative to the second predetermined point as a third predetermined point, and updates the future traveling track to a track comprising a straight track linking between the vehicle and the third predetermined point and a straight track linking between the third predetermined point and the second predetermined point.

7. The traveling track determination device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first small curved line section, the large curved line section, and the second small curved line section are configured of a Bézier curve.

8. The traveling track determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the traveling track determination processor determines the future traveling track without using map or map data with respect to the first course, the second course and the continuous section.

9. The traveling track determination device according to claim 8 , wherein the second course target point acquisition processor that acquires the second course target point without using the map or the map data with respect to the second course.

10. The traveling track determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous section is an inter section of the first course and the second course.

11. The traveling track determination device according to claim 10 , wherein the second course comprises at least two lanes including a traveling lane and an opposite lane.

12. A method executed by an on-board computer, the method determining a future traveling track for a vehicle when the vehicle travels from a first course toward a second course which is bent relative to and connected to the first course, the method comprising steps of:

acquiring a second course target point that is a target of future traveling on the second course; and

determining the future traveling track for the vehicle using:

(i) a first straight line that extends from the vehicle in a forward direction of the vehicle through a continuous section between the first course and the second course,

(ii) a second straight line that extends along the second course while passing through the second course target point and intersects with the first straight line in the continuous section,

(iii) a first small curved line section that extends, while being curved, from a first predetermined point on the first straight line such that a curvature of which gradually increases from a value smaller than a curvature of an arc inscribed in the first straight line and the second straight line in the continuous section,

(iv) a large curved line section that is connected to and continues from one end of the first small curved line section and extends, while being curved, such that a curvature of which gradually increases to a maximum value larger than the curvature of the arc and gradually decreases from the maximum value, and

(v) a second small curved line section that is connected to and continues from one end of the large curved line section and extends, while being curved, to a second predetermined point on the second straight line such that a curvature of which gradually decreases from a value of a curvature of the large curved line section at the one end to a value smaller than the curvature of the arc,

wherein the determining step determines the future traveling track such that at least a portion of the first small curved line section, at least a portion of the second small curved line section, and the large curved line section are included in the continuous section,

wherein the determining step further comprising: acquiring a second boundary line defining a boundary between the second course and the continuous section, and

determining the future traveling track such that the second predetermined point on the second straight line is displaced from a third intersection that is an intersection of the second straight line and the second boundary line to a position located on a second course side of the third intersection which is opposite to a continuous section side of the third intersection.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing an on-board computer to execute processing to determine a future traveling track for a vehicle when the vehicle travels from a first course toward a second course which is bent relative to and connected to the first course, the processing comprising steps of:

acquiring a second course target point that is a target of future traveling on the second course; and

determining the future traveling track for the vehicle using:

(i) a first straight line that extends from the vehicle in a forward direction of the vehicle through a continuous section between the first course and the second course,

(ii) a second straight line that extends along the second course while passing through the second course target point and intersects with the first straight line in the continuous section,

(iii) a first small curved line section that extends, while being curved, from a first predetermined point on the first straight line such that a curvature of which gradually increases from a value smaller than a curvature of an arc inscribed in the first straight line and the second straight line in the continuous section,

(iv) a large curved line section that is connected to and continues from one end of the first small curved line section and extends, while being curved, such that a curvature of which gradually increases to a maximum value larger than the curvature of the arc and gradually decreases from the maximum value, and

(v) a second small curved line section that is connected to and continues from one end of the large curved line section and extends, while being curved, to a second predetermined point on the second straight line such that a curvature of which gradually decreases from a value of a curvature of the large curved line section at the one end to a value smaller than the curvature of the arc,

wherein the determining step determines the future traveling track such that at least a portion of the first small curved line section, at least a portion of the second small curved line section, and the large curved line section are included in the continuous section,

wherein the determining step further comprising: acquiring a second boundary line defining a boundary between the second course and the continuous section, and

determining the future traveling track such that the second predetermined point on the second straight line is displaced from a third intersection that is an intersection of the second straight line and the second boundary line to a position located on a second course side of the third intersection which is opposite to a continuous section side of the third intersection.