阅读说明：本技术 车辆的控制装置 (Vehicle control device ) 是由 广村达哉 大森阳介 于 2020-04-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及车辆的控制装置。车辆(90)的控制装置(100)通过控制车辆(90)的致动器而使车辆(90)基于跟随路径行驶。控制装置(100)具备获取在车辆(90)行驶的道路中车辆(90)能够通行的道路宽度的宽度信息获取部(15)。控制装置(100)具备基于获取的道路宽度来创建跟随路径的轨迹跟随控制部(21)。轨迹跟随控制部(21)导出使车辆(90)沿着跟随路径行驶的控制量。(The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. A control device (100) for a vehicle (90) controls an actuator of the vehicle (90) so that the vehicle (90) travels on the basis of a follow path. The control device (100) is provided with a width information acquisition unit (15) that acquires the width of a road on which a vehicle (90) can pass in the road on which the vehicle (90) is traveling. The control device (100) is provided with a trajectory following control unit (21) that creates a following route on the basis of the acquired road width. A trajectory following control unit (21) derives a control amount for causing a vehicle (90) to travel along a following route.)

1. A control device for a vehicle, which controls an actuator of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to travel on a target route, comprising:

a width information acquisition unit that acquires a road width that the vehicle can pass through on a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

a route creating unit that creates the target route based on the acquired road width; and

and a control unit configured to derive a control amount for causing the vehicle to travel along the target route, and to drive the actuator based on the control amount.

2. The control device of the vehicle according to claim 1,

a main path generation unit for generating a target main path based on the peripheral information of the vehicle,

the control unit executes follow-up control for deriving, as the control amount, a follow-up control amount for causing the vehicle to follow the target main path within the road width, and instructing driving of the actuator in the follow-up control amount,

in the following control for causing the vehicle to follow the target main route within the road width, the route creation unit creates the target route as a route along which the vehicle travels.

3. The control device of the vehicle according to claim 2,

when the position of the vehicle is brought close to the target main route in the following control, the route creation unit creates the target route as a route that causes the vehicle to turn sharply as the road width becomes narrower.

4. The control device of the vehicle according to claim 2 or 3,

in the follow-up control, the control unit derives the follow-up control amount by feedback control using as input a degree of deviation of the position of the vehicle from the target main path,

the smaller the road width is, the larger the gain of the feedback control is.

5. The control device of the vehicle according to claim 2 or 3,

in the follow-up control, the control unit may derive the follow-up control amount based on a degree of deviation of a position of the vehicle from the target main path and an amount of movement applied to the vehicle when the vehicle is brought close to the target main path,

the control unit increases the proportion of reflecting the degree of deviation to the follow-up control amount as the road width is narrower when deriving the follow-up control amount.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that assists in the travel of a vehicle. The control device generates a target trajectory as a target when performing travel control of the vehicle, and controls the vehicle so as to follow the target trajectory.

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2011/086684

When the vehicle is affected by the external environment while the vehicle is traveling so as to follow the target trajectory, the vehicle may deviate from the target trajectory. The influence of the external environment includes the vehicle being subjected to a crosswind, the wheels of the vehicle passing over a step on the road surface, and the like.

Disclosure of Invention

A control device for a vehicle for controlling an actuator of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to travel along a target route, the control device for the vehicle for solving the above problems includes: a width information acquisition unit that acquires a road width that the vehicle can pass through on a road on which the vehicle is traveling; a route creating unit that creates the target route based on the acquired road width; and a control unit configured to derive a control amount for causing the vehicle to travel along the target route, and to drive the actuator based on the control amount.

Based on the above configuration, it is possible to cause the vehicle to follow the target path in consideration of the acquired road width. Therefore, even when the vehicle is affected by the external environment, the vehicle can be caused to travel within a range in which the vehicle can pass.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a control device for a vehicle and the vehicle to be controlled by the control device.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the environment around the vehicle recognized by the control device.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed when the control device generates the target trajectory.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed when the control device generates the target trajectory.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed when the control device causes the vehicle to travel based on the target trajectory.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a travel route of the vehicle when the control device causes the vehicle to travel based on the target trajectory.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a relationship between a gain of feedback control used in calculation of a control amount and a road width.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control device to determine whether the vehicle deviates from the target trajectory.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle deviating from a target trajectory and the target trajectory regenerated by the control device of the comparative example.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of predicting deviation of the vehicle from the target trajectory based on the movable range of the vehicle.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a relationship between a correction term used in calculation of a control amount and a road width in the control device according to the modified example.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a relationship between a correction term used in calculation of a control amount and a road width in the control device according to the modified example.

Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a control device according to another modification.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of a vehicle control device will be described below with reference to fig. 1 to 10.

Fig. 1 shows a control device 100 of a vehicle and a vehicle 90 as a control target of the control device 100.

The vehicle 90 includes an internal combustion engine 91 that provides driving force to the vehicle 90. The vehicle 90 includes a brake device 92 that applies a braking force to the vehicle 90. The vehicle 90 includes a steering device 93 that changes a steering angle of wheels of the vehicle 90.

The vehicle 90 includes a periphery monitoring device 81 that monitors the environment around the vehicle 90. As the periphery monitoring device 81, for example, a camera, a radar, a laser detection device, or the like can be used. The periphery monitoring device 81 may be configured by combining different types of detection devices. The periphery monitoring device 81 acquires the road shape and recognizes the lane. Further, the periphery monitoring device 81 acquires information on the size and position of an obstacle present in the periphery of the vehicle 90. Examples of the obstacle include another vehicle, a pedestrian, a guardrail, and a wall. The information acquired by the periphery monitoring device 81 is input to the control device 100.

The vehicle 90 is provided with a position information acquisition device 82. The position information acquisition device 82 has a function of detecting the own vehicle position CP as the current position of the vehicle 90. For example, the position information acquiring device 82 may be configured by a map information storage unit that stores map information and a receiving device that receives information transmitted from a GPS satellite. The vehicle position CP acquired by the position information acquisition device 82 is input to the control device 100.

The vehicle 90 is provided with various sensors. In fig. 1, a wheel speed sensor 88 and a yaw rate acceleration sensor 89 are shown as examples of various sensors.

As shown in fig. 1, detection signals from various sensors provided in the vehicle 90 are input to the control device 100.

The control device 100 calculates a wheel speed VW based on the detection signal from the wheel speed sensor 88. The control device 100 calculates a vehicle speed VS based on the wheel speed VW. The control device 100 calculates the yaw rate Yr based on the detection signal from the yaw rate acceleration sensor 89. Further, the control device 100 calculates the vehicle acceleration G as the acceleration applied to the vehicle 90 based on the detection signal from the yaw rate acceleration sensor 89.

The control device 100 calculates the slip amount for each wheel of the vehicle 90 based on the wheel speed VW and the vehicle speed VS. The control device 100 estimates a μ value of the road surface on which the vehicle 90 travels, based on the calculated slip amount.

The control device 100 includes an engine control unit 30, a steering angle control unit 40, and a brake control unit 20 as a travel control system that controls the travel of the vehicle 90. The engine control unit 30, the steering angle control unit 40, and the brake control unit 20 are ECUs that are connected to be able to communicate with each other. Further, "ECU" is an abbreviation of "Electronic Control Unit".

The engine control unit 30 controls the internal combustion engine 91 by driving an actuator included in the internal combustion engine 91. The actuators included in the internal combustion engine 91 are a fuel injection valve, an ignition device, a throttle valve, and the like.

The steering angle control unit 40 controls the steering angle of the vehicle 90 by driving an actuator provided in the steering device 93.

The brake control unit 20 has a trajectory following control unit 21 and a motion control unit 22 as functional units. The motion control unit 22 drives an actuator included in the brake device 92 to control the braking force applied to the vehicle 90. The motion control unit 22 can cause the vehicle 90 to travel by instructing the engine control unit 30 and the steering angle control unit 40 to drive the internal combustion engine 91 and the steering device 93.

The trajectory following control unit 21 executes travel control for assisting the travel of the vehicle 90 together with the travel assisting unit 10 described later. The trajectory following control unit 21 performs a process of calculating the movable range PA as a range that the vehicle 90 can reach when the vehicle 90 is caused to travel with the own vehicle position CP as a starting point. The movable range PA is calculated based on a vehicle model in which the vehicle characteristics of the vehicle 90 are stored. The vehicle model is stored in the brake control unit 20. The vehicle model includes, for example, the wheel base, which is the distance between the front and rear wheels, the wheel base, which is the distance between the left and right wheels, the weight of the vehicle 90, the maximum angle of the steering angle, and the maximum speed of the vehicle speed VS. The trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the movable range PA by estimating, based on the vehicle model, a motion state quantity of the vehicle 90 associated with driving of an actuator of the vehicle 90. The calculation of the movable range PA also uses the current state of the vehicle 90 and the μ value of the road surface. The current state of vehicle 90 includes, for example, vehicle speed VS, yaw rate Yr, vehicle acceleration G, steering angle, and the like.

Control device 100 can execute travel control that assists travel of the vehicle. In the travel control, the control device 100 controls the travel of the vehicle 90 such that the vehicle 90 travels following the generated target trajectory TL.

The control device 100 includes the travel support unit 10 as an ECU related to travel control. The travel support unit 10 is communicably connected to the brake control unit 20. The driving support unit 10 includes, as functional units, an external information synthesizing unit 11, a free space extracting unit 12, a target trajectory generating unit 13, a target position selecting unit 14, and a width information acquiring unit 15.

Each functional unit included in the driving assistance unit 10 will be described with reference to fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows an example of a road 70 on which a vehicle 90 travels. There are obstacles 78 and other vehicles 79 on the road 70.

The external information combining unit 11 combines the information acquired by the periphery monitoring device 81 to grasp the environment on the road 70. The external information combining unit 11 combines the information on the road 70 with the own vehicle position CP acquired by the position information acquiring device 82 to grasp the environment around the vehicle 90. That is, the external information combining unit 11 combines the shape of the road 70, the information of the obstacle 78, the other vehicle 79, and the like, with the own vehicle position CP, and creates information for grasping the positional relationship of the vehicle 90, the obstacle 78, and the other vehicle 79 on the road 70 as shown in fig. 2.

The free space extraction unit 12 extracts, as the free space 71, an area where the vehicle 90 can travel on the road 70 on which the vehicle 90 travels, based on the information synthesized by the external information synthesis unit 11 and which grasps the positional relationship of the vehicle 90, the obstacle 78, and the other vehicle 79 on the road 70. In fig. 2, the free space 71 is illustrated as an area surrounded by a dotted line.

The target trajectory generation unit 13 generates a target trajectory TL for causing the vehicle 90 to travel during travel control. As shown in fig. 2, the target trajectory generating unit 13 generates the target trajectory TL so that the vehicle 90 can pass through the free space 71. The target trajectory generation unit 13 uses the movable range PA calculated by the trajectory following control unit 21 of the brake control unit 20 when generating the target trajectory TL. An example of the movable range PA is shown in fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows a situation where the vehicle 90 travels on the road 70. In fig. 10, a left boundary PAL and a right boundary PAR indicating the range of the movable range PA of the vehicle 90 are shown by a dashed-dotted line. The left boundary PAL indicates a boundary between the reachable range and the unreachable range in the case where the preceding vehicle 90 makes a left turn. The right boundary PAR indicates a boundary between the reachable range and the unreachable range when the forward vehicle 90 turns right. That is, the movable range PA is located between the left boundary PAL and the right boundary PAR.

The target position selecting unit 14 selects the target position TP from a portion of the target trajectory TL generated by the target trajectory generating unit 13, which is located in front of the vehicle 90 with respect to the own vehicle position CP. The target position TP is a target for guiding the vehicle 90 in the running control. While the travel control is being executed, the target position selection unit 14 repeatedly selects the target position TP based on the vehicle position CP, the movable range PA, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2, the width information acquisition unit 15 calculates information on the width of an area where the vehicle 90 can travel on the road 70 in front of the vehicle 90 with respect to the own vehicle position CP as a road width Wi, based on the target trajectory TL and the free space 71. For example, the road width Wi is a length from one end to the other end of the free space 71 in a direction orthogonal to both the target trajectory TL and the vertical direction of the vehicle 90. An example of four road widths Wi is shown in fig. 2. In the example shown in fig. 2, a road width Wi at a position where no obstacle exists in the free space 71 is shown as the first road width Wi 1. In addition, a road width Wi when the vehicle 90 traveling following the target trajectory TL passes by the side of the other vehicle 79 is shown in fig. 2 as the second road width Wi 2. Also, a road width Wi when the vehicle 90 passes between the other vehicle 79 and the obstacle 78 is shown as a third road width Wi 3. In addition, a road width Wi when the vehicle 90 passes by the side of the obstacle 78 is shown as a fourth road width Wi 4. The width information acquiring unit 15 is not limited to acquiring four road widths Wi as illustrated in fig. 2, and acquires the road width Wi of each point at a plurality of points on the target trajectory TL.

An example of the travel control performed by the control device 100 will be described. In the travel control, the following route FT is calculated as a route for causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the target trajectory TL generated by the target trajectory generation unit 13. The trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the following path FT. For example, in the case where the vehicle 90 travels on the target trajectory TL, the following path FT is calculated as a path on the target trajectory TL. Based on the following route FT, a control amount Ac for causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the following route FT is calculated by the trajectory following control unit 21. By controlling the vehicle 90 based on the control amount Ac, the vehicle 90 travels along the following path FT. Thereby, the travel of the vehicle 90 is controlled to follow the target trajectory TL.

The trajectory following control unit 21 uses the road width Wi acquired by the width information acquisition unit 15 for calculation of the following route FT. The trajectory following control portion 21 uses the road width Wi as a range in which the vehicle 90 can pass in the lateral direction of the vehicle 90. That is, the trajectory following control unit 21 uses the road width Wi as a range in which the deviation of the vehicle position CP is allowed in the direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction of the vehicle 90 and the target trajectory TL with respect to the target position TP selected from the target trajectory TL. Therefore, when the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL, for example, as shown in fig. 6, the following path FT is calculated such that the vehicle 90 travels within the range of the road width Wi and the own vehicle position CP gradually approaches the target trajectory TL. That is, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the following route FT and derives a following control amount for causing the vehicle to follow the target trajectory TL within the range of the road width Wi as the control amount Ac. The brake control portion 20 performs follow-up control that instructs driving of the actuator by the motion control portion 22 based on the control amount Ac.

Further, for example, the deviation of the vehicle 90 from the target trajectory TL may occur when the travel control is executed, because the vehicle 90 is influenced by the external environment. The influence of the external environment includes road surface conditions such as freezing and rutting, and side wind.

A flow of processing performed when the travel support unit 10 of the control device 100 generates the target trajectory TL and selects the target position TP on the target trajectory TL will be described with reference to fig. 3 and 4.

The processing routine shown in fig. 3 is a processing routine for starting generation of the target trajectory TL. When the travel control is performed, the present processing routine is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

When the present processing routine is started, first, in step S101, the external information synthesizing unit 11 of the driving support unit 10 synthesizes the external information of the vehicle 90. Specifically, the external information combining unit 11 combines the information acquired from the position information acquiring device 82 with the periphery monitoring device 81. The travel support unit 10 grasps information such as a road on which the vehicle 90 travels, based on the information synthesized by the external information synthesis unit 11. After that, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the free space extraction unit 12 extracts the free space 71 based on the information synthesized by the external information synthesis unit 11 in step S101. After that, the process proceeds to step S103.

In step S103, the width information acquisition unit 15 calculates the road width Wi on the road 70 in front of the vehicle 90 with respect to the own vehicle position CP. After that, the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the driving assistance unit 10 determines whether the target trajectory TL ahead of the current position of the vehicle 90 has been generated. If the target trajectory TL has not been generated (S104: no), the process proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the driving support unit 10 outputs the first regeneration trigger TGR 1. The first regeneration trigger TGR1 is a signal for the driving support unit 10 to request the target trajectory generation unit 13 to generate the target trajectory TL. If the first regeneration trigger TGR1 is output, the present processing routine ends.

On the other hand, if the target trajectory TL has been generated further ahead than the current position of the vehicle 90 in the process of step S104 (S104: YES), the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the driving assistance portion 10 determines whether the vehicle 90 traveling on the basis of the target trajectory TL is able to travel in the free space 71. In the case where the target trajectory TL does not exceed the area of the free space 71, the driving assistance portion 10 determines that the vehicle 90 can travel in the free space 71. If the vehicle 90 is able to travel in the free space 71 (S106: "YES"), the present processing routine ends.

On the other hand, in the case where the target trajectory TL exceeds the region of the free space 71, the driving assistance portion 10 determines that the vehicle 90 cannot travel in the free space 71. If the vehicle 90 cannot travel in the free space 71 (S106: no), the process proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the driving support unit 10 outputs the first regeneration trigger TGR 1. That is, the driving support unit 10 requests the target trajectory generation unit 13 to regenerate the target trajectory TL. If the first regeneration trigger TGR1 is output, the present processing routine ends.

The processing routine shown in fig. 4 is a processing routine for selecting the target position TP. When the travel control is performed, the present processing routine is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

When the present processing routine is started, first, in step S201, the travel assist unit 10 acquires the movable range PA calculated by the brake control unit 20. After that, the process proceeds to step S202.

In step S202, the target trajectory generation unit 13 determines whether or not the first regeneration trigger TGR1 or the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is detected. The second regeneration trigger TGR2 is a signal that is output from the brake control unit 20 to the travel assist unit 10 by the processing executed by the brake control unit 20, although it will be described in detail later. When the first regeneration trigger TGR1 is detected (S202: yes), the process proceeds to step S203. When the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is detected (S202: yes), the process also proceeds to step S203. When both the first regeneration trigger TGR1 and the second regeneration trigger TGR2 are detected, the process also proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, the target trajectory generation unit 13 generates the target trajectory TL. When the target trajectory TL is generated, the process proceeds to step S204, and the driving assistance unit 10 outputs the completion trigger TGC to the brake control unit 20. The completion trigger TGC is a signal that communicates completion of generation of the target trajectory TL. When the output completion trigger TGC is output, the process is moved to step S205.

On the other hand, if neither of the first regeneration trigger TGR1 nor the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is detected in the processing of step S202 (S202: NO), the processing proceeds to step S205. That is, if neither of the first regeneration trigger TGR1 or the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is detected, the processing in steps S203 and S204 is not executed.

In step S205, the target position selection unit 14 selects the target position TP from the target trajectory TL. The target position selection unit 14 extracts a point within the movable range PA from the target trajectory TL based on the vehicle position CP and the movable range PA, and selects the extracted point as the target position TP. When there are a plurality of points on the target trajectory TL within the movable range PA, any one of the plurality of points is selected as the target position TP. When the target position TP is selected, the present processing routine is ended.

A flow of processing executed by the brake control unit 20 of the control device 100 will be described with reference to fig. 5. The processing routine shown in fig. 5 is a processing routine for calculating the following path FT and the control amount Ac. When the travel control is performed, the present processing routine is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

When the present processing routine is started, first, in step S301, the brake control unit 20 acquires information from the travel assist unit 10. The brake control unit 20 acquires, as information, the vehicle position CP, the target position TP selected by the target position selection unit 14, and the road width Wi calculated by the width information acquisition unit 15. After that, the process proceeds to step S302. In step S302, the trajectory following control portion 21 of the brake control portion 20 holds the history of the target position TP that has been stored, and newly stores the target position TP acquired in step S301. After that, the process proceeds to step S303.

In step S303, the trajectory following control unit 21 executes the regeneration determination process. The contents of the regeneration determination process will be described later with reference to fig. 8. When the regeneration determination process is finished, the process proceeds to step S304.

In step S304, the trajectory following control unit 21 determines whether or not the completion trigger TGC is detected. The completion trigger TGC is output from the driving assistance unit 10 to the brake control unit 20. When the completion of the trigger TGC is detected (S304: YES), the process proceeds to step S305.

In step S305, the trajectory following control unit 21 resets the history of the stored target position TP. The trajectory tracking control unit 21 newly acquires the target position TP from the travel assist unit 10. Then, the trajectory following control portion 21 acquires and stores a history of the path on which the vehicle 90 travels. The detection of the completion trigger TGC in the process of step S304 means that the target trajectory TL has been regenerated. That is, when the target trajectory TL has been reproduced, the trajectory tracking control unit 21 cancels the target position TP stored before the reproduction of the target trajectory TL in the processing of step S305. Then, the trajectory tracking control unit 21 acquires the latest target position TP selected based on the regenerated target trajectory TL. After that, the process proceeds to step S306.

On the other hand, if the completion of the trigger TGC is not detected in the processing of step S304 (S304: NO), the processing proceeds to step S306. That is, in the case where the completion trigger TGC is not detected, the process of step S305 is not executed.

In step S306, the trajectory following control portion 21 calculates a following path FT for causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the target trajectory TL based on the road width Wi. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S307, and the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates a control amount Ac for causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the following route FT. That is, the control amount for the internal combustion engine 91, the control amount for the steering device 93, and the control amount for the braking device 92 are calculated as the control amount Ac. If the control amount Ac is calculated, the present processing routine is ended.

When the control amount Ac is calculated by the trajectory following control portion 21, the motion control portion 22 of the brake control portion 20 performs a process of instructing driving based on the control amount Ac for each actuator of the vehicle 90. That is, the brake control unit 20 controls the actuator of the brake device 92 based on the control amount of the brake device 92. The engine control portion 30 controls the actuator of the internal combustion engine 91 based on the control amount for the internal combustion engine 91. The steering angle control unit 40 controls the actuator of the steering device 93 based on the control amount of the steering device 93.

The following path FT and the control amount Ac will be described with reference to fig. 6 and 7.

Fig. 6 shows a case where the vehicle 90 travels on the road 70 by executing the travel control. The target trajectory TL is generated by the target trajectory generation unit 13 in accordance with the shape of the road 70. A point on the target trajectory TL is selected as the target position TP by the target position selection unit 14. In the example shown in fig. 6, the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL. As shown in fig. 6, the trajectory following control portion 21 calculates the following path FT as a path that causes the vehicle 90 to travel within the range of the road width Wi and gradually brings the own-vehicle position CP closer to the target trajectory TL. In other words, the following path FT is a path where the vehicle 90 deviated from the target trajectory TL passes the side of the target position TP within the range of the road width Wi.

When the trajectory following control unit 21 executes the following control for causing the vehicle 90 to follow the target trajectory TL within the range of the road width Wi as shown in fig. 6, the following path FT is created as a path that causes the vehicle 90 to make a sharp turn as the road width Wi becomes narrower. That is, the trajectory following control unit 21 creates, as the following path FT, a path in which the degree of deviation between the vehicle position CP and the target trajectory TL decreases more rapidly as the road width Wi becomes narrower. When the following route FT is created, the trajectory following control portion 21 calculates a control amount Ac for causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the following route FT. For example, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the control amount Ac by feedback control with the degree of deviation of the vehicle position CP from the target trajectory TL as an input. Fig. 7 shows the relationship between the gain of the feedback control in the feedback control and the road width Wi. As shown in fig. 7, the gain of the feedback control is set to be larger as the road width Wi is narrower. Therefore, the narrower the road width Wi, the larger the control amount Ac is calculated, thereby causing the vehicle 90 to turn sharply.

Fig. 8 shows a processing routine of the regeneration determination processing of step S303 in fig. 5.

When the present processing routine is started, first, in step S401, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the distance between the vehicle position CP and the target position TP as the deviation amount Ao. The disengagement amount Ao is a value indicating the degree of deviation of the vehicle 90 from the target trajectory TL. For example, when the own vehicle position CP exists in the right area with respect to the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90, the escape amount Ao is calculated as a positive value. In this case, the disengagement amount Ao increases as the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL. On the other hand, in the case where the own vehicle position CP exists in the region on the left side of the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90, the escape amount Ao is calculated as a negative value. In this case, the disengagement amount Ao is smaller as the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL. If the disengagement amount Ao is calculated, the process proceeds to step S402.

In step S402, the locus tracing control unit 21 calculates the movable range PA. If the movable range PA is calculated, the process proceeds to step S403.

In step S403, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the predicted path PT based on the vehicle position CP and the movable range PA. The predicted path PT is a path within the range of the movable range PA. The predicted path PT is calculated as a path such that the intersection of the movable range PA and the target trajectory TL is closest to the target position TP, for example. In this case, when the target position TP is within the movable range PA, a path connecting the vehicle position CP and the target position TP is calculated as the predicted path PT. On the other hand, when the target position TP is outside the movable range PA, a path along the left boundary PAL or the right boundary PAR is calculated as the predicted path PT. After that, the process proceeds to step S404.

In step S404, the trajectory tracking control unit 21 calculates the predicted deviation amount Apo based on the target trajectory TL and the predicted route PT. The trajectory tracking control unit 21 calculates the deviation amount between the target trajectory TL at the position where the predicted path PT is farthest from the target trajectory TL and the predicted path PT as the predicted deviation amount Apo. The predicted disengagement amount Apo is a predicted value of the degree of deviation of the vehicle 90 from the target trajectory TL. When the region on the right side of the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90 includes the predicted path PT, the predicted deviation amount Apo is calculated as a positive value. In this case, the predicted disengagement amount Apo increases as the degree of deviation of the prediction increases. On the other hand, when the predicted path PT is included in the region on the left side of the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90, the predicted deviation amount Apo is calculated as a negative value. In this case, the predicted disengagement amount Apo decreases as the degree of predicted deviation increases. If the predicted separation amount Apo is calculated, the process proceeds to step S405.

In step S405, the trajectory tracking control unit 21 determines whether or not the magnitude of the disengagement amount Ao is larger than the first disengagement threshold value Tho 1. In step S405, the trajectory tracking control unit 21 determines whether or not the magnitude of the predicted disengagement amount Apo is larger than the second disengagement threshold value Tho 2. When the magnitude of disengagement amount Ao is equal to or less than first disengagement threshold Tho1 and the magnitude of predicted disengagement amount Apo is equal to or less than second disengagement threshold Tho2 (S405: "no"), the present processing routine ends.

On the other hand, in the process of step S405, when the magnitude of the disengagement amount Ao is larger than the first disengagement threshold Tho1 (S405: "YES"), the process proceeds to step S406. If the magnitude of the predicted disengagement amount Apo is greater than the second disengagement threshold value Tho2 (S405: "yes"), the process also proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the trajectory following control portion 21 outputs the second regeneration trigger TGR2 to the driving assistance portion 10. The second regeneration trigger TGR2 is a signal that the trajectory tracking control unit 21 requests the target trajectory generation unit 13 to regenerate the target trajectory TL. If the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is output, the present processing routine is ended.

The first disengagement threshold value Tho1 and the second disengagement threshold value Tho2 are set to values calculated by the driving assistance unit 10. The travel assist portion 10 sets a disengagement allowing area 72 shown by a two-dot chain line in fig. 10 as an area that allows the vehicle 90 to disengage from the target trajectory TL based on the shape of the road 70 on which the vehicle 90 travels. The driving assistance unit 10 sets the first disengagement threshold value Tho1 and the second disengagement threshold value Tho2 based on the disengagement allowing region 72.

The first disengagement threshold Tho1 is set to a value greater than the second disengagement threshold Tho2, which is the predicted disengagement threshold. In the flow of processing shown in fig. 8, when the magnitude of predicted disengagement amount Apo is equal to or less than second disengagement threshold Tho2, second regeneration trigger TGR2 is not output. However, when vehicle 90 deviates from target trajectory TL by more than the predicted amount and disengagement amount Ao is significantly higher than predicted disengagement amount Apo, if the magnitude of disengagement amount Ao is larger than first disengagement threshold value Tho1, second regeneration trigger TGR2 is output.

The operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.

In the control device 100, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the following route FT as a route in which the vehicle 90 travels within the range of the road width Wi and the own-vehicle position CP gradually approaches the target trajectory TL. At this time, the following path FT is calculated in consideration of the road width Wi. Then, by causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the following route FT, the vehicle 90 can be caused to follow the target trajectory TL in consideration of the road width Wi. Therefore, even when the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL due to the influence of the external environment, the vehicle 90 can be caused to travel within a range in which the vehicle 90 can pass on the road 70.

In the control device 100, the brake control unit 20 acquires the road width Wi as a range in which the vehicle 90 can pass, together with the target trajectory TL. That is, the brake control unit 20 can grasp the range in which the vehicle 90 can pass on the road 70. Therefore, the following route FT can be created on the brake control unit 20 side, and the vehicle 90 can be caused to travel along the following route FT. Therefore, when the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL, the travel control can be continued only by the follow-up control by the brake control unit 20 without accompanying the regeneration of the target trajectory TL.

Here, when the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL, a case is considered in which a path connecting the target position TP selected at that time and the own vehicle position CP is created as the follow path FT. In this case, if the distance between the target position TP and the own vehicle position CP is too short, the vehicle 90 may be turned sharply when the vehicle 90 is caused to travel along the follow path FT, thereby giving an uncomfortable feeling to the occupant of the vehicle 90. In this regard, in the control device 100, a path that gradually reduces the degree of deviation of the target trajectory TL from the position of the vehicle 90 is calculated as the follow path FT. That is, a path connecting the target position TP selected at the time of calculating the following path FT and the vehicle position CP is not created as the following path FT. Thus, when the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL, it is possible to suppress the vehicle 90 from heading toward the target position TP along with a sharp turn.

Further, in the control device 100, the following path FT is created in consideration of the road width Wi. That is, a path in which the narrower the road width Wi, the sharper the turn of the vehicle 90 is caused is created as the following path FT. By causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the following path FT, the vehicle 90 can travel without departing from the road 70 even if the road width Wi is narrow. On the other hand, in the case where the road width Wi is wide, the following path FT is created so that the degree of deviation of the target trajectory TL from the position of the vehicle 90 slowly becomes small. By causing the vehicle 90 to travel along the follow path FT, abrupt changes in the amount of movement of the vehicle 90 during follow-up control are suppressed. As a result, it is difficult to give discomfort to the occupant of the vehicle 90.

Further, in the control device 100, the gain of the feedback control in calculating the control amount Ac is set to be larger as the road width Wi acquired when the following route FT is created is narrower. The control amount Ac is likely to be larger as the gain is larger. Therefore, when the following path FT, which urges the vehicle 90 to make a sharp turn, is created due to the narrow road width Wi, the gain of the feedback control is increased, and the control amount Ac tends to become large. By driving the actuator of the vehicle based on the control amount Ac, the vehicle 90 can easily travel along the follow path FT. That is, the vehicle traveling along the following path FT can be realized.

On the other hand, when the following route FT is created to encourage the vehicle 90 to make a gentle turn because the road width Wi is wide, the control amount Ac may be excessively large if the gain of the feedback control is large. In this case, when the actuator is driven based on the control amount Ac, there is a possibility that fluctuation occurs in which the control amount Ac repeatedly increases and decreases. In this regard, in the control device 100, the gain of the feedback control is set smaller as the road width Wi is wider. That is, the controlled amount Ac is difficult to increase. This can suppress the occurrence of hunting when the vehicle 90 is caused to travel along the follow path FT.

Even if the target trajectory TL is not displaced from the position of the vehicle 90, the target trajectory TL is generated such that the turning amount of the vehicle 90 increases due to the change in the road width Wi. Even in such a case, the vehicle 90 can be easily caused to travel along the target trajectory TL by increasing the gain of the feedback control as the road width Wi becomes narrower.

Fig. 9 shows a vehicle 90 in which travel control is performed by a control device of a comparative example. The control device of the comparative example does not have a structure for calculating the predicted separation amount Apo. Therefore, in the control device of the comparative example, when the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL and the magnitude of the deviation amount Ao is larger than the threshold value, the target trajectory TL is regenerated. In other words, when the actual degree of deviation of the vehicle 90 from the target trajectory TL does not become large, the target trajectory TL is not generated any more. Therefore, in order to suppress the vehicle 90 from crossing the boundary of the road 70, there is a possibility that a trajectory promoting a sharp turn of the vehicle 90 is regenerated as the target trajectory TL. In order to suppress such a sharp turn of the vehicle 90, it is desirable to limit the escape allowing area 72 with respect to the width of the road 70. In the example shown in fig. 9, a region having a width narrower than half of the width of the road 70 is set as the escape allowing region 72. In fig. 9, a vehicle 90 that deviates from the target trajectory TL and leaves the escape allowing area 72 is shown in a broken line. In the control device of the comparative example, when it is determined that the vehicle 90 has left the departure permission area 72, the target trajectory TL' is regenerated to continue the travel control. That is, when it is determined that the vehicle 90 has left the departure permission area 72, the regenerated target trajectory TL' is set even when the vehicle 90 does not reach a situation of crossing the boundary line of the road 70. Then, the travel of the vehicle 90 is controlled such that the vehicle 90 follows the regenerated target trajectory TL'.

Fig. 10 shows a vehicle 90 in which running control is performed by a control device 100 according to the present embodiment. In fig. 10, the vehicle 90 departing to the right side with respect to the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90 is shown by a broken line. At this time, a path along the left boundary PAL of the movable range PA calculated by the trajectory following control unit 21 is calculated as the predicted path PT. In fig. 10, the left boundary PAL is shown by a dotted line. In this case, as shown in fig. 10, the predicted separation amount Apo calculated by the trajectory tracking control unit 21 in the process of step S404 in fig. 8 is smaller than the second separation threshold value Tho 2. Therefore, the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is not output, and regeneration of the target trajectory TL is not requested (S405: "NO"). Maintaining the target trajectory TL, the vehicle 90 is controlled to follow the target position TP selected from the target trajectory TL.

However, in the case where the vehicle 90 is difficult to turn due to, for example, a low μ value of the road surface of the road 70, the movable range PA is narrower than in the case where the vehicle 90 is easy to turn due to a high μ value. In fig. 10, the left boundary line when the μ value of the road surface of the road 70 is low is shown as the left boundary line PAL'. In this case, a path along the left boundary PAL' is calculated as the predicted path PT. In this case, since the predicted disengagement amount Apo is greater than the second disengagement threshold value Tho2, the vehicle 90 is predicted to leave the disengagement allowing region 72. That is, in the process of step S404, the predicted separation amount Apo calculated by the trajectory tracking control unit 21 is larger than the second separation threshold value Tho 2. Therefore, the second regeneration trigger TGR2 is output, requesting regeneration of the target trajectory TL (S406). Thereby, the target trajectory TL is regenerated (S203). The vehicle 90 is controlled to follow the target position TP selected from the regenerated target trajectory TL.

As described above, the control device 100 can predict whether or not the vehicle 90 has left the departure permission region 72 using the predicted departure amount Apo calculated based on the movable range PA. Therefore, according to the control device 100, the disengagement allowing area 72 may not be set to be narrow as in the case of the control device of the comparative example. As a result, it is difficult to request regeneration of the target trajectory TL even if the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL as compared with the control device of the comparative example. That is, in the control device 100, when the vehicle 90 can follow the target trajectory TL even if the target trajectory TL is not generated any more, the regeneration of the target trajectory TL is not requested. According to the control device 100, it is possible to reduce the frequency of requesting regeneration of the target trajectory TL and control the vehicle 90 to follow the target trajectory TL.

Here, when the target trajectory TL is regenerated, the continuity of the travel control of the vehicle 90 is easily interrupted along with the regeneration of the target trajectory TL. In order to continue the continuity of the travel control, it is preferable to regenerate the target trajectory TL so that the amount of movement of the vehicle does not greatly change before and after the regeneration of the target trajectory TL. Therefore, when the frequency of regeneration of the target trajectory TL is high, the target trajectory TL is easily selectable, and the freedom of the route on which the vehicle 90 travels is easily restricted by the travel control. According to the control device 100, by suppressing an increase in the frequency of the re-creation of the target trajectory TL, it is possible to suppress narrowing of the width of the selection of the route on which the vehicle 90 travels in the travel control.

When the vehicle 90 deviates from the target trajectory TL during execution of the travel control and regeneration of the target trajectory TL is necessary, the later the timing of regenerating the target trajectory TL, the narrower the width of selection of the path of the target trajectory TL can be set. In this regard, according to the control device 100, it is possible to predict whether or not the vehicle 90 has left the disengagement allowing area 72 using the predicted disengagement amount Apo calculated based on the movable range PA. Therefore, it is possible to request regeneration of the target trajectory TL before the vehicle 90 actually leaves the departure permission area 72. As a result, as compared with the case where regeneration of the target trajectory TL is requested after the vehicle 90 actually leaves the departure permission area 72, it is possible to suppress a delay in the timing of regenerating the target trajectory TL. Therefore, the width of the selection of the path that can be set to the target trajectory TL is difficult to narrow.

However, in calculating the control amount Ac for guiding the vehicle 90 to the target position TP in the running control, it is required to consider the vehicle characteristics. Therefore, in the control device 100, the brake control unit 20 includes a vehicle model in which the vehicle characteristics are stored. In the control device 100, the trajectory following control unit 21 of the brake control unit 20 calculates the movable range PA. That is, the brake control unit 20, which is an ECU including a vehicle model, calculates the movable range PA using the vehicle model. Therefore, according to control device 100, movable range PA can be calculated efficiently, compared to a case where it is necessary to separately acquire the vehicle characteristics by transmission and reception between ECUs.

The correspondence between the items in the above embodiment and the items described in the above section of "summary of the invention" will be described below.

The trajectory following control unit 21 corresponds to a "route creation unit that creates the target route based on the acquired road width". The brake control unit 20 having the trajectory following control unit 21 and the motion control unit 22 corresponds to a "control unit that derives a control amount for causing the vehicle to travel along the target path and drives the actuator based on the control amount". The following path FT corresponds to a "target path".

The target trajectory generation unit 13 corresponds to a "main path generation unit that generates a target main path based on the peripheral information of the vehicle". Target trajectory TL corresponds to "main target path".

This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within a range not technically contradictory to each other.

In the above embodiment, the flow of the processing shown in fig. 3 to 5 and 8 is an example of the processing related to the travel control. If the road width Wi is acquired and the travel control for causing the vehicle 90 to travel so as to follow the target trajectory TL within the range of the road width Wi is executed, various processes may be executed by a process flow different from the process flow described in the above embodiment. In this case as well, the vehicle 90 can be caused to travel in a range where the vehicle 90 can pass on the road 70 even if the vehicle 90 is affected by the external environment, as in the above-described embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the length from one end to the other end of the free space 71 in the direction orthogonal to the target trajectory TL is defined as the road width Wi. The road width Wi may be position information including a position of one end of the free space 71 and a position of the other end of the free space 71 in the direction orthogonal to the target trajectory TL. Even when the road width Wi including the position information is used, the range in which the vehicle 90 can pass can be identified as in the above-described embodiment, and the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the following path FT for causing the vehicle 90 to follow the target trajectory TL within the range of the road width Wi. Instead, the target trajectory generation unit 13 may generate the target trajectory TL in consideration of the road width Wi, which is information on the width of the road 70. In this case, the target trajectory TL may be updated in sequence every time the acquired road width Wi changes. Then, the trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the following route as a route connecting the target position TP selected from the target trajectory TL and the vehicle position CP. In such a configuration, as in the above-described embodiment, the vehicle 90 can be caused to travel along the target trajectory TL within the range of the road width Wi. In this case, the target trajectory generation unit 13 corresponds to a "route creation unit that creates the target route based on the acquired road width". The target trajectory TL corresponds to a "target path".

In the above embodiment, the gain of the feedback control is made variable according to the road width Wi at the time of calculation of the following route FT, but the gain may be fixed to a predetermined value.

In the above embodiment, the calculation of the control amount Ac is configured such that the gain of the feedback control is increased as the road width Wi becomes narrower, and the vehicle 90 is more likely to make a sharp turn as the road width Wi becomes narrower. In order to make it easier to make the vehicle 90 turn sharply as the road width Wi becomes narrower, for example, the following calculation process of the control amount Ac may be employed.

The trajectory following control unit 21 calculates the control amount Ac based on the degree of deviation of the own vehicle position CP from the target trajectory TL and the amount of movement applied to the vehicle 90 when the vehicle 90 is brought close to the target trajectory TL. The trajectory following control unit 21 changes the proportion reflecting the degree of deviation to the controlled variable Ac and the proportion reflecting the amount of movement to the controlled variable Ac based on the road width Wi. Specifically, the trajectory following control portion 21 calculates, as the control amount Ac, a value based on the sum of a first control amount obtained by multiplying the degree of deviation by the first correction term We1 and a second control amount obtained by multiplying the motion amount by the second correction term We 2.

Fig. 11 illustrates the relationship of the road width Wi with the first correction term We 1. The first correction term We1 is a value that is larger as the road width Wi is narrower and smaller as the road width Wi is wider. Therefore, the narrower the road width Wi, the greater the specific gravity reflecting the degree of deviation to the control amount Ac.

Fig. 12 illustrates the relationship of the road width Wi with the second correction term We 2. The second correction term We2 is a value that is smaller as the road width Wi is narrower and larger as the road width Wi is wider. Therefore, the narrower the road width Wi, the smaller the specific gravity that reflects the motion amount to the control amount Ac.

When the road width Wi that the vehicle 90 can pass through is narrow, the vehicle 90 easily crosses the boundary line of the road 70, compared to when the road width Wi is wide. According to the above configuration, the first correction term We1 becomes larger as the road width Wi becomes narrower, so the first control amount tends to become larger. As a result, the vehicle 90 can be urged to make a sharp turn as the road width Wi becomes narrower, so as to eliminate the degree of deviation. The vehicle 90 can thereby be brought closer to the target trajectory TL in advance.

On the other hand, when the road width Wi is wide, the vehicle 90 may be greatly deviated from the target trajectory TL. In this case, the first correction term We1 is smaller as the road width Wi is wider, and therefore the first control amount is less likely to become larger. As a result, the vehicle 90 can be made to approach the target trajectory TL slowly. However, since the second correction term We2 is larger as the road width Wi is wider, the control amount Ac can be increased when the motion amount is large.

In the case of adopting the processing of setting the value based on the sum of the first control amount and the second control amount as the control amount Ac, if the first correction term We1 is made variable according to the road width Wi, the second correction term We2 may not be made variable. Likewise, if the second correction term We2 is made variable according to the road width Wi, the first correction term We1 may not be made variable. When either the first correction term We1 or the second correction term We2 is set to a predetermined value, the proportion reflecting the degree of deviation to the controlled variable Ac and the proportion reflecting the motion amount to the controlled variable Ac can be changed based on the road width Wi.

In the above embodiment, the driving support unit 10 includes the target trajectory generation unit 13 and the target position selection unit 14. The driving support unit 10 does not necessarily have to include the target trajectory generation unit 13, which is a functional unit that generates the target trajectory TL, and the target position selection unit 14, which is a functional unit that selects the target position TP.

For example, as shown in fig. 13, the control device 200 may include a brake control unit 120 including a target trajectory generation unit 13 and a target position selection unit 14. Note that, in the control device 200 shown in fig. 13, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above-described embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the trajectory following control unit 21 may not be provided in the brake control unit 20 but may be provided in the travel assist unit 10. In this case, various information necessary for calculation of the movable range PA and the following path FT is output from the brake control unit 20 to the travel assist unit 10.

In the above-described embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 10, the target trajectory TL is set to pass through the center of the road 70. When the target trajectory TL is generated to pass through the center of the road 70, the first departure threshold value Tho1 and the second departure threshold value Th o2 are equal in size to each other on the right and left sides with respect to the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90.

On the other hand, the target trajectory TL may be set not to pass through the center of the road 70. In this case, the first and second disengagement thresholds Tho1 and Tho2 are different in size on the right side and on the left side with respect to the target trajectory TL in the traveling direction of the vehicle 90. Therefore, the corresponding departure threshold value is used depending on which of the left and right sides of the vehicle 90 departs from the target trajectory TL. By comparing the slip-off amount Ao with the predicted slip-off amount Apo using an appropriate slip-off threshold, it is possible to determine whether or not regeneration of the target trajectory TL is necessary regardless of the position where the target trajectory TL passes.

In the above embodiment, the target trajectory generation unit 13 is requested to regenerate the target trajectory TL based on the detection of the first regeneration trigger TGR1 or the second regeneration trigger TGR 2. The structure of requesting the regeneration of the target trajectory TL is not limited to the output of the trigger signal. For example, the target track generating unit 13 may be configured to turn on the reproduction request flag when reproduction of the target track TL is requested, and to reproduce the target track TL when the reproduction request flag is on.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle 90 including the internal combustion engine 91 is exemplified. The drive source of the vehicle 90 is not limited to the internal combustion engine 91. For example, the vehicle 90 may be a hybrid vehicle in which a motor generator and an internal combustion engine 91 are drive sources. The vehicle 90 may be an electric vehicle using only a motor as a drive source.

Technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiments and modification examples are described.

(A) A control device for a vehicle that causes the vehicle to travel based on a target trajectory by controlling an actuator,

the disclosed device is provided with: a driving support unit having an external information synthesis unit for grasping an environment around the vehicle; and a control unit communicating with the travel support unit,

the control unit includes:

a target trajectory generation unit configured to generate the target trajectory based on an environment around the vehicle acquired from the travel support unit; and

and a target coordinate selection unit for setting a point on the target trajectory as a target position.

(B) The control unit executes a process of calculating a control amount for causing the vehicle to follow the target position.

(C) The control unit executes a process of instructing the actuator to drive based on the control amount.

(D) The control unit executes the following processing:

a process of calculating a movable range as a range that the vehicle can reach when the vehicle is caused to travel with a current position of the vehicle as a starting point, based on a motion state amount of the vehicle accompanying driving of the actuator;

determining whether the position of the vehicle deviates from the target trajectory based on the movable range and the target position; and

a process of requesting the target trajectory generation unit to regenerate the target trajectory when it is determined that the position of the vehicle deviates from the target trajectory,

when the control unit requests the target trajectory to be regenerated, the target trajectory generation unit regenerates the target trajectory.

(E) The control unit derives a predicted deviation amount, which is a predicted value of a deviation between a position where the vehicle reaches and the target position when the vehicle is caused to travel toward the target position, using the movable range, and determines that the position of the vehicle deviates from the target trajectory when the magnitude of the predicted deviation amount is larger than a predicted deviation threshold value.

The correspondence relationship between the matters in the above embodiment and the matters in the above technical idea is described below.

The brake control unit 20 corresponds to a "control unit that communicates with the travel support unit". The trajectory following control portion 21 performs "processing of calculating a control amount". The motion control unit 22 executes "a process of instructing the actuator to drive based on the control amount". The trajectory tracking control unit 21 executes "a process of calculating a movable range", "a process of determining whether or not the position of the vehicle deviates from the target trajectory", and "a process of requesting the target trajectory generation unit to regenerate the target trajectory". The trajectory following control unit 21 calculates, as the predicted separation amount Apo, "a predicted separation amount, which is a predicted value of a deviation between a position where the vehicle arrives and the target position when the vehicle is caused to travel toward the target position. When the magnitude of the predicted deviation amount is larger than the predicted deviation threshold value, the trajectory following control unit 21 determines that the position of the vehicle deviates from the target trajectory.