KR102319082B1 - Method for controlling a vehicle tracking and Apparatus thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for continuously following a vehicle in the next lane by controlling a lane change in a situation in which the vehicle is following the vehicle in front using radar. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a lane change using radar when following a vehicle ahead, such as a Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) system. In particular, the present invention provides a lane change determination unit that determines whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of a first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal, and a second vehicle within the following area is detected. The traveling direction of the own vehicle using at least one of the lateral distance information between the vehicle and the own vehicle, the first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and the second longitudinal distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle Provided are a tracking control apparatus and method comprising: a vehicle behavior control unit for changing a vehicle; and a lane change canceling unit for terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between a second vehicle and the host vehicle is less than a reference value.

Description

BACKGROUND CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREOF

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for continuously following a vehicle in the next lane by controlling a lane change in a situation in which the vehicle is following the vehicle in front using radar. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a lane change using radar when following a vehicle ahead, such as a Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) system.

The Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) system is a system for resolving the inconvenience of a driver having to frequently change the speed of a vehicle when the vehicle is traveling at less than a certain speed. That is, when the vehicle is less than a certain speed, the TJA system tracks the vehicle ahead, maintains an inter-vehicle distance with the vehicle in front, and tracks the lateral position with the vehicle in front. Through this, the driver can solve the inconvenience of frequent vehicle speed change in a traffic congestion area. In addition, the technology for following the vehicle ahead is used in various vehicle assistance systems such as cruise control systems.

Meanwhile, as in the TJA system, it may be necessary for the driver to change the lane of the vehicle during the forward vehicle following operation. However, since it is difficult to recognize a lane in a vehicle equipped with only a radar device, it is difficult to automatically change lanes while following a vehicle in front. Accordingly, the inconvenience of having to terminate the TJA system and perform a lane change operation directly by the driver follows.

The present invention devised in this background is to provide a method and apparatus for controlling a lane change to be performed while following a vehicle ahead using only a radar sensor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for detecting a vehicle in a next lane according to an input of a lane change signal and changing a lane so as to follow the vehicle in the next lane.

According to the present invention for solving the above problems, a lane change determination unit that determines whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of a first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal and a second vehicle within the following area If detected, using at least one information of the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, the first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and the second longitudinal distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle Provided is a tracking control device comprising: a vehicle behavior control unit for changing the traveling direction of the own vehicle; and a lane change canceling unit for terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between a second vehicle and the host vehicle is less than a reference value.

In addition, the present invention provides a lane change determination step of determining whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of a first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal, and a second vehicle within the following area is detected. The traveling direction of the own vehicle using at least one of the lateral distance information between the vehicle and the own vehicle, the first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and the second longitudinal distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle Provided is a tracking control method comprising: a vehicle behavior control step of changing , and a lane change cancellation step of terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between a second vehicle and the host vehicle is less than a reference value.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that a lane change is performed while following a vehicle ahead using only the radar sensor.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an effect to provide a method and apparatus for detecting a vehicle in a next lane according to an input of a lane change signal and changing a lane so as to follow the vehicle in the next lane.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a tracking control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining a lane change according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a behavior of a vehicle according to a lane change determination according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the longitudinal control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the lateral control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view for explaining an operation when a second vehicle leaves a tracking area according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a tracking control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention discloses a tracking control apparatus and method.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. In describing the components of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the essence, order, or order of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component is between each component. It should be understood that elements may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected.”

In the present specification, the lane change signal may refer to a signal capable of confirming the intention of the driver to change the lane. For example, the lane change signal may be a vehicle turn signal signal. That is, when the driver manipulates the turn indicator lamp of the vehicle to change the lane while following the vehicle in front, the turn indicator lamp operation signal is input. Accordingly, the tracking control apparatus of the present invention may receive the turn signal operation signal as a lane change signal.

Alternatively, the lane change signal may be another signal capable of determining whether the driver intends to change lanes. For example, when the driver wants to change a lane, the side mirror of the lane to be changed may be checked. Accordingly, when the driver's gaze direction is checked through a camera or the like provided in the vehicle, and the driver checks the side mirrors above a certain standard, it can be determined that there is a will to change the lane.

In addition to this, the lane change signal in the present specification may include various internal or external signals capable of determining the driver's intention to change lanes.

Meanwhile, the present invention relates to an operation of changing a lane when a subject vehicle follows a vehicle in front, and the above-described TJA system will be described as an example. However, this is for convenience of understanding, and the present invention may be applied to various systems in which the subject vehicle maintains a predetermined distance from the vehicle in front or drives in alignment with the vehicle in front. That is, the present invention may be applied to various situations in which a lane change is performed in a situation in which a vehicle in front is followed by using an in-vehicle sensor such as a radar.

Also, in the present specification, it is assumed that the radar sensor is used when the own vehicle detects a vehicle ahead, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, various sensors capable of detecting the distance to the vehicle in front may be used. For example, a laser sensor or an ultrasonic sensor may be used.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a tracking control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A tracking control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lane change determination unit configured to determine whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of a first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal, and a second lane change determination unit within the following area. When a vehicle is detected, at least one information of the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, the first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and the second longitudinal distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle It may include a vehicle behavior control unit for changing the traveling direction of the own vehicle using the vehicle behavior control unit, and a lane change canceling unit for terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle is less than the reference value.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the tracking control apparatus 100 includes a lane change determination unit 110 that determines whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of a first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal. can do. When a signal for lane change, such as the above-described direction indicator signal, is input, the lane change determination unit 110 may set a following area on one side of the first vehicle currently being followed. The following area may be set in a lane to be changed by the vehicle, and may be set based on the location of the first vehicle. For example, the following area may be set according to a preset value in a lane direction to be changed by the vehicle based on the first vehicle. That is, when the vehicle changes a lane to the right lane of the first vehicle, a following area having a lateral length of 2 m and a longitudinal length of 4 m may be set based on the first vehicle. The size or setting position of the tracking area may be preset through an experiment or the like. Through this, even if there is no lane information, it is possible to induce a safe lane change by setting the approximate position of the next lane with respect to the vehicle in front. Also, the following area may be dynamically set based on at least one of the type of road on which the subject vehicle is traveling, lane width information, and lane number information. For example, when the own vehicle is traveling on a highway, the following area may be set to be wider, and when the vehicle is driving on a general road, the following area may be set to be narrower. Accordingly, the following area may be set to be included in the lane by reflecting the road width designed differently according to the type of road.

In addition, the lane change determining unit 110 may set a following area on one side based on the direction information of the lane change signal and determine that a lane change is possible when a second vehicle exists in the following area. The lane change determining unit 110 may determine the direction of the lane to be changed by the vehicle based on the lane change signal. For example, the lane change determining unit 110 may determine whether the vehicle intends to change to a left lane or a right lane based on a turn indicator signal.

The lane change determining unit 110 may set the above-described following area based on the first vehicle in a direction in which the vehicle intends to change, and determine whether a preceding second vehicle exists in the following area. That is, it is determined whether there is a preceding vehicle in the lane to be changed, and it is determined whether the vehicle in front can be followed. If the second vehicle exists in the following area, the lane change determining unit 110 determines that the lane of the own vehicle can be changed to the corresponding lane.

When the second vehicle in the following area is detected, the tracking control device 100 provides lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and between the second vehicle and the host vehicle. The vehicle behavior control unit 120 may include a vehicle behavior controller 120 that changes the traveling direction of the own vehicle by using at least one of the second longitudinal distance information. The vehicle behavior controller 120 may calculate a longitudinal distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, respectively, and the host vehicle by using information received from a sensor such as a radar. That is, the vehicle behavior control unit 120 may calculate the distance value of how far the first vehicle and the own vehicle are spaced apart, and may calculate the difference value of how far the second vehicle and the own vehicle are spaced apart. Also, the vehicle behavior control unit 120 may calculate how far apart the second vehicle and the host vehicle are in the lateral direction and also calculate the distance value.

The vehicle behavior control unit 120 changes the first vehicle currently being followed to the second vehicle by using the lateral distance information, the first longitudinal distance information, and the second longitudinal distance information with the above-described second vehicle to change the lane You can control the change operation to be performed.

Meanwhile, the vehicle behavior control unit 120 may include a longitudinal control unit 140 that maintains a predetermined distance from the front vehicle and controls the speed of the own vehicle so that the own vehicle travels. Also, the vehicle behavior control unit 120 may include a lateral direction control unit 150 that controls the steering of the own vehicle to match the traveling direction with the vehicle in front. The longitudinal control unit 140 and the transverse control unit 150 may control acceleration, deceleration, and steering necessary for the vehicle to follow the vehicle in front by using longitudinal and lateral distance information with the vehicle in front, respectively.

Therefore, as in the present invention, in order to change the lane by changing the vehicle in front, it is necessary for the longitudinal controller 140 and the lateral controller 150 to change and process the received information. A specific embodiment thereof will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 .

Meanwhile, when the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the host vehicle is less than the reference value, the tracking control apparatus 100 may include a lane change canceling unit 130 for terminating a lane change. The lane change canceling unit 130 may end the lane change operation when the subject vehicle successfully changes the lane to change the vehicle ahead from the first vehicle to the second vehicle. For example, when the lateral distance from the second vehicle is less than or equal to the reference value, the lane change canceling unit 130 may determine that the subject vehicle is traveling on the same driving path as the second vehicle and end the lane change operation. . That is, the operation of the subject vehicle following the first vehicle is terminated, and the lane changing operation is terminated to follow the second vehicle as the front vehicle. When the lane change operation is completed, the above-described longitudinal control unit 140 and transverse direction control unit 150 may control the speed and steering by following the second vehicle as a front vehicle.

As described above, the present invention provides an effect of safely changing a lane by maintaining/using the following vehicle even in an environment in which it is difficult to detect a lane using a radar sensor.

2 is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining a lane change according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the lane change determining unit 110 of the present invention may receive a lane change signal ( S200 ). As described above, the lane change signal includes a signal for the driver's intention to change lanes generated inside or outside the vehicle. For example, the lane change signal may be a vehicle direction indicator lighting signal.

The lane change determination unit 110 may use the input lane change signal to determine the direction of the lane to be changed by the vehicle ( S202 ). For example, when the vehicle intends to change to a left lane, the turn signal signal may instruct the left turn indicator light to turn on. Through this, the lane change determining unit 110 may confirm that the vehicle intends to change the lane in the left direction. The same may be applied when the vehicle intends to change to the right lane.

When the lane change direction is confirmed through the lane change signal of the vehicle, the lane change determination unit 110 determines whether a tracking area can be set in the corresponding direction ( S204 ). For example, the lane change determining unit 110 may determine whether the following area can be set by determining whether an obstacle exists in the direction in which the vehicle intends to change. As another example, the lane change determination unit 110 may determine whether there is a space in which all of the preset following areas can be set in the direction the vehicle wants to change. That is, it is possible to determine whether the following area can be set by determining whether the following area can be set by an obstacle such as a wall or a parked vehicle.

If it is determined that the following area can be set, the lane change determination unit 110 may set the following area and determine whether a second vehicle exists in the following area ( S206 ). For example, the lane change determining unit 110 may set the following area to a preset position in the lane change direction. Also, the lane change determining unit 110 may determine whether a second vehicle to be followed by the own vehicle exists within the set following area.

If the second vehicle exists within the following area, the lane change determination unit 110 may determine that the lane change is possible ( S208 ). When it is determined that the lane change is possible, the tracking control apparatus 100 may control the behavior of the vehicle for changing the lane thereafter.

As described above, even when the vehicle is following the vehicle in front, the tracking control apparatus 100 determines whether a lane change is possible using only the radar sensor, thereby reducing the risk of an accident and performing the lane change.

3 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a behavior of a vehicle according to a lane change determination according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the vehicle 300 configured with the tracking control device 100 of the present invention is driving while following the first vehicle 301 in front. If the vehicle 300 intends to change the lane to the left lane according to the driver's turn signal operation signal, the lane change determination unit 110 sets the following area 302 in the above-described manner. Specifically, the lane change determining unit 110 determines whether the following area 310 can be set on the left side of the first vehicle 301 based on the lane change signal. When the following area 310 can be set, the lane change determination unit 110 sets a predetermined separation distance on the left side of the first vehicle 301 and sets the following area 310 with a preset longitudinal length and a lateral length. ) can be set.

Also, the lane change determining unit 110 may determine whether the second vehicle 302 to be followed exists in the following area 310 . If the second vehicle 302 exists in the following area 310 , the lane change determining unit 110 determines that the vehicle 300 can change the lane.

The longitudinal length and lateral length constituting the following region 310 and the separation distance between the first vehicle 301 and the following region 310 may be preset or dynamically set using road information or the like. For example, on a road in which the lane width is set to be relatively wide, such as a highway, the lateral length of the following region 310 may be set to be relatively wide according to the lane width. In addition, the separation distance between the first vehicle 301 and the following area 310 may be set to be wide. Similarly, in the case of a general road or a narrow road, the lateral length and the separation distance between the first vehicle 301 and the following area 310 may be set to be narrow.

The vehicle behavior control unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the longitudinal control unit 140 controlling the speed of the subject vehicle so that the longitudinal distance with the front vehicle is maintained within the first reference distance, and the lateral direction with the front vehicle. It may further include a lateral control unit 150 for controlling the steering of the subject vehicle so that the distance is maintained within the second reference distance. That is, the vehicle behavior controller 120 may perform longitudinal and lateral control of the vehicle in order to change a lane by distinguishing it from an operation when following a vehicle in front.

Meanwhile, when the second vehicle is detected in the following area, the vehicle behavior controller 120 may assign identifiers to the first vehicle and the second vehicle currently being followed, respectively. The identifier is fixed until the lane change operation of the own vehicle is finished. This is to prevent the vehicle from being unable to distinguish the first vehicle from the second vehicle while the following vehicle is changed during a lane change. That is, in order to prevent confusion between the first vehicle and the second vehicle during the lane change operation, a fixed identifier may be assigned to perform lane change control.

4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the longitudinal control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The longitudinal control unit 140 of the present invention may control the speed of the own vehicle so that a smaller value of the first longitudinal distance information and the second longitudinal distance information is maintained within the first reference distance.

Referring to FIG. 4 , when the vehicle follows the vehicle in front without performing a lane change, the longitudinal control unit 140 controls the speed of the own vehicle using longitudinal distance information of the vehicle in front and speed information of the vehicle in front. can do. That is, the longitudinal control unit 140 receives only distance and speed information about the vehicle being followed and uses it to control the speed of the own vehicle. However, when performing a lane change, this operation is changed as follows.

The longitudinal control unit 140 determines that a lane change is possible and recognizes that the lane change operation has started (S400). The longitudinal control unit 140 determines the distance between the first longitudinal distance information including information on the distance between the first vehicle being followed and the own vehicle and the distance between the second vehicle and the own vehicle running in the lane to be changed for lane change. Receives second longitudinal distance information including information on the If necessary, the speed information of each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle may be received.

The longitudinal control unit 140 compares the received first longitudinal distance with the second longitudinal distance and selects a smaller value. That is, the longitudinal control unit 140 determines whether the first longitudinal distance has a smaller value than the second longitudinal distance (S402). Alternatively, the longitudinal control unit 140 may select a minimum value of the first longitudinal distance and the second longitudinal distance. Hereinafter, a case of comparing the first longitudinal distance and the second longitudinal distance will be described as an example.

When the first longitudinal distance has a smaller value than the second longitudinal distance, the longitudinal control unit 140 may control the speed of the own vehicle based on the first longitudinal distance information ( S404 ). As another example, when the first longitudinal distance has a value greater than or equal to that of the second longitudinal distance, the longitudinal control unit 140 may perform speed control of the own vehicle using the second longitudinal distance ( S406).

Specifically, the longitudinal control unit 140 compares a smaller value of the first longitudinal distance and the second longitudinal distance with a first reference distance preset for vehicle safety, and the speed so that the own vehicle is located within the first reference distance. can control Through this, the longitudinal control unit 140 may prevent a collision that may occur during a lane change.

Meanwhile, when the tracking of the first vehicle is released, the longitudinal control unit 140 may control to follow the second vehicle based on the second longitudinal distance information. That is, the longitudinal control unit 140 may control the speed of the own vehicle according to whether the second longitudinal distance information is maintained within a preset first reference distance. According to the lane change operation, it is necessary to release the following of the first vehicle and change the following target to the second vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the longitudinal control unit 140 ends the comparison of the first longitudinal distance information and the second longitudinal distance information, and uses the second longitudinal distance information with the second vehicle to be followed. You can control the speed of the vehicle.

5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the lateral control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , when the own vehicle does not perform a lane change operation, the lateral control unit 150 calculates lateral distance information between the front vehicle and the host vehicle, and the own vehicle travels on the same driving path as the front vehicle. You can control the steering of the vehicle to do this. For example, when the separation distance between the center of the front vehicle and the center of the own vehicle is out of a predetermined distance, the steering of the own vehicle is controlled so that the separation distance is located within a predetermined distance. Through this, the lateral control unit 150 provides an effect of preventing a collision with a neighboring lane by following the driving path of the vehicle in front.

However, when the vehicle performs a lane change operation as in the present invention, when the subject vehicle controls the steering centering on the first vehicle, which is the front vehicle, there is a problem that the lane change cannot be performed. In order to solve such a problem, the lateral direction control unit 150 may change the target for measuring the lateral distance to a vehicle of a lane to be changed.

Specifically, the lateral direction control unit 150 may recognize that the lane change operation has started (S500). When the lane change operation starts, the lateral direction control unit 150 calculates lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the host vehicle (S502). For example, the lateral direction control unit 150 calculates lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the host vehicle by using the second vehicle existing in the following area.

The lateral direction control unit 150 may compare the calculated lateral distance information with the second vehicle and a preset second reference distance ( S504 ). For example, the lateral direction control unit 150 may determine whether the lateral distance with the second vehicle is calculated within a preset second reference distance. When the host vehicle changes lanes and approaches the second vehicle located in the lane to be changed, the lateral distance between the host vehicle and the second vehicle becomes narrow. Accordingly, the lateral control unit 150 may determine whether the subject vehicle coincides with the center line of the second vehicle. If the lateral distance with the second vehicle is calculated within the second reference distance, the lane change is completed and the lane change of the own vehicle may be ended (S506).

The second reference distance may be dynamically set according to road information on which the vehicle is currently driving, or may be set to a preset value.

Meanwhile, when the vehicle of the present invention changes a lane, the second vehicle existing in the following region may leave the following region due to acceleration or lane change. In this case, there is a problem in that the vehicle tracking control apparatus 100 cannot normally obtain information for changing a lane. That is, when the target vehicle for lane change is out of the following area of the second vehicle, the above-described longitudinal control unit 140 and lateral direction control unit 150 do not receive information related to the second vehicle, so as to normally change lanes. You may not be able to perform the action. In order to solve this problem, the present invention can be performed by creating a virtual second vehicle so that the lane changing operation is maintained even when the second vehicle departs.

6 is a view for explaining an operation when a second vehicle leaves a tracking area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle behavior control unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may generate a virtual second vehicle at a relative position where the second vehicle is sensed with respect to the first vehicle when the second vehicle is out of the tracking area.

Referring to FIG. 6A , the tracking control apparatus 100 of the present invention sets a tracking area 310 on one side of the front vehicle 301 , and a second vehicle 302 within the following area 310 . can be detected to initiate a lane change operation. In this case, the second vehicle 302 may leave the following area 310 through acceleration or lane change. In preparation for this case, the tracking control apparatus 100 may calculate and store the relative position of the second vehicle 302 with respect to the first vehicle 301 . For example, the distance between the first vehicle 301 and the second vehicle 302 separated in the longitudinal direction and the distance in the lateral direction are calculated based on the distance between the first vehicle 301 and the second vehicle 302 . A vector value 610 for the separation distance may be calculated.

Referring to FIG. 6B , when the second vehicle 302 leaves the following area 310 through acceleration, the vehicle behavior control unit 120 uses the above-described separation distance vector value 610 to create a virtual The second vehicle 600 may be generated. For example, when the first vehicle 301 accelerates or decelerates, the vehicle behavior control unit 120 uses the position of the first vehicle 301 and the distance vector value 610 to obtain a virtual second vehicle 600 . location can be determined.

Based on the determined position of the virtual second vehicle 600 , the above-described longitudinal control unit 140 and lateral direction control unit 150 may control the speed and steering of the vehicle. Specifically, for example, the above-described second longitudinal distance information may mean distance information between the own vehicle 300 and the virtual second vehicle 600 , and between the own vehicle 300 and the second vehicle 302 . The lateral distance information may mean lateral distance information between the own vehicle 300 and the virtual second vehicle 600 .

In other words, the vehicle behavior controller 120 may perform speed and steering control of the vehicle for the aforementioned lane change operation by using the location information of the virtual second vehicle 600 .

As described above, it is possible to continue the lane changing operation even if the second vehicle departs from within the following area and is not detected. However, in this case, a warning signal may be generated to inform the driver that the lane change is performed using the virtual second vehicle. The driver can check the warning signal to stop the lane change or manually complete the lane change.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that a lane change is performed while following a vehicle ahead using only the radar sensor. In addition, according to the present invention, there is an effect to provide a method and apparatus for detecting a vehicle in a next lane according to an input of a lane change signal and changing a lane so as to follow the vehicle in the next lane.

A tracking control method in which all of the operations of the tracking control apparatus of the present invention described above can be performed will be described again with reference to the drawings.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a tracking control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following control method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lane change determination step of determining whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of a first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal, and a second step within the following area. When a vehicle is detected, at least one information of the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, the first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and the second longitudinal distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle It may include a vehicle behavior control step of changing the traveling direction of the own vehicle using the vehicle behavior control step and a lane change cancel step of terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle is less than a reference value.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the following control method may include a lane change determination step of determining whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of the first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal (S700) . In the lane change determination step, when a signal for lane change, such as the above-described turn indicator signal, is input, a following area may be set on one side of the first vehicle currently being followed. The following area may be set in a lane to be changed by the vehicle, and may be set based on the location of the first vehicle. For example, the following area may be set according to a preset value in a lane direction to be changed by the vehicle based on the first vehicle. The size or setting position of the tracking area may be preset through an experiment or the like. Alternatively, the following area may be dynamically set based on at least one of the type of road on which the own vehicle is traveling, lane width information, and lane number information. For example, when the own vehicle is traveling on a highway, the following area may be set to be wider, and when the vehicle is driving on a general road, the following area may be set to be narrower. Accordingly, the following area may be set to be included in the lane by reflecting the road width designed differently according to the type of road.

The lane change determining unit 110 may set a following area on one side based on the direction information of the lane change signal, and determine that a lane change is possible when a second vehicle is present in the following area. The lane change determining unit 110 may determine the direction of the lane to be changed by the vehicle based on the lane change signal. For example, the lane change determining unit 110 may determine whether the vehicle intends to change to a left lane or a right lane based on a turn indicator signal.

The lane change determination step may include setting the above-described following area based on the first vehicle in a direction in which the vehicle intends to change, and determining whether a preceding second vehicle exists within the following area. That is, it is determined whether there is a preceding vehicle in the lane to be changed, and it is determined whether the vehicle in front can be followed. If the second vehicle exists in the following area, the lane change determination step determines that the lane of the own vehicle can be changed to the corresponding lane.

In the following control method, when the second vehicle in the following area is detected, the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, the first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and the second type of the second vehicle and the own vehicle It may include a vehicle behavior control step of changing the traveling direction of the own vehicle by using at least one of the direction distance information (S702). The vehicle behavior control step may calculate a longitudinal distance between each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle and the host vehicle using information received from a sensor such as a radar. That is, the vehicle behavior control step may calculate the distance value of how far the first vehicle and the own vehicle are spaced apart, and may calculate the difference value of how far the second vehicle and the own vehicle are spaced apart. In addition, the vehicle behavior control step may calculate how far apart the second vehicle and the host vehicle are in the lateral direction and the distance value thereof.

In the vehicle behavior control step, a lane change operation is performed by changing the first vehicle currently being followed to the second vehicle using the lateral distance information, the first longitudinal distance information, and the second longitudinal distance information with the above-described second vehicle. You can control this to happen.

In addition, the vehicle behavior control step may include a longitudinal control step of maintaining a predetermined distance from the vehicle ahead and controlling the speed of the own vehicle so that the own vehicle travels. In addition, the vehicle behavior control step may include a lateral direction control step of controlling the steering of the own vehicle to match the traveling direction with the vehicle in front. In the longitudinal control step and the transverse control step, the acceleration, deceleration, and steering necessary for the vehicle to follow the vehicle in front can be controlled using longitudinal and lateral distance information with the vehicle in front, respectively.

The following control method may include a lane change cancellation step of terminating the lane change when the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the host vehicle is less than the reference value (S704). The lane change canceling step may end the lane change operation when the subject vehicle successfully changes a lane to change a following vehicle from the first vehicle to the second vehicle. For example, in the step of canceling the lane change, if the lateral distance from the second vehicle is less than or equal to the reference value, it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on the same driving route as the second vehicle, and the lane change operation may be terminated. That is, the operation of the subject vehicle following the first vehicle is terminated, and the lane changing operation is terminated to follow the second vehicle as the front vehicle. In this case, in the longitudinal control step and the transverse control step, when the lane changing operation is finished, the speed and steering may be controlled by following the second vehicle as the front vehicle.

In the above, even though all the components constituting the embodiment of the present invention are described as being combined or operating in combination, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this embodiment. That is, within the scope of the object of the present invention, all the components may operate by selectively combining one or more. The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present invention, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

a lane change determination unit configured to determine whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of the first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal;
When the second vehicle in the following area is detected, lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and second information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle a vehicle behavior control unit configured to change a traveling direction of the own vehicle by using at least one piece of longitudinal distance information; and
and a lane change canceling unit terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the subject vehicle is less than a reference value,
The vehicle behavior control unit,
and generating a virtual second vehicle at a relative position where the second vehicle is sensed with respect to the first vehicle when the second vehicle deviates from the tracking area. The method of claim 1,
The lane change determination unit,
The following control apparatus sets a following area on the one side based on direction information of the lane change signal, and determines that a lane change is possible when the second vehicle exists in the following area. ◈Claim 3 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ The method of claim 1,
The vehicle behavior control unit,
and assigning fixed identifiers to the first vehicle and the second vehicle when a second vehicle in the following area is detected. The method of claim 1,
The vehicle behavior control unit,
a longitudinal control unit for controlling the speed of the host vehicle so that the longitudinal distance from the vehicle in front is maintained within a first reference distance; and
and a lateral control unit for controlling the steering of the host vehicle so that the lateral distance from the front vehicle is maintained within a second reference distance. 5. The method of claim 4,
The longitudinal control unit,
and controlling the speed of the own vehicle so that a smaller value of the first longitudinal distance information and the second longitudinal distance information is maintained within the first reference distance. 6. The method of claim 5,
The longitudinal control unit,
When the tracking of the first vehicle is canceled, the tracking control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the speed of the own vehicle is controlled so that the second longitudinal distance information is maintained within a first reference distance. 5. The method of claim 4,
The transverse control unit,
and controlling the steering of the own vehicle so that the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle is maintained within the second reference distance. delete ◈Claim 9 was abandoned when paying the registration fee.◈ a lane change determination step of determining whether a lane change is possible by setting a following area on one side of the first vehicle being followed according to an input of a lane change signal;
When the second vehicle in the following area is detected, lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle, first longitudinal distance information between the first vehicle and the own vehicle, and second information between the second vehicle and the own vehicle a vehicle behavior control step of changing a traveling direction of the own vehicle using at least one piece of longitudinal distance information; and
and a lane change cancellation step of terminating a lane change when the lateral distance information between the second vehicle and the subject vehicle is less than a reference value,
The vehicle behavior control step includes:
and generating a virtual second vehicle at a relative position where the second vehicle is sensed with respect to the first vehicle when the second vehicle deviates from the tracking area.

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