Embodiments of the present invention relate to a self-driving method and an apparatus. The method includes: sending, by a first vehicle, lane change request information and first real-time information to a network device; receiving, by the first vehicle, lane change indication information sent by the network device, where the lane change indication information is determined by the network device according to the first real-time information and second real-time information that is sent by a second vehicle, and the lane change indication information indicates that the first vehicle is allowed to perform lane change; and changing, by the first vehicle, from the first lane to the second lane according to the lane change indication information.

An automotive active lane change assist designed to cause a motor vehicle to carry out autonomous-driving lane change manoeuvres and to customize the autonomous-driving lane change manoeuvres based on manual-driving lane change habits of a driver of the motor vehicle learnt during one or different manual-driving sessions of the motor vehicle. The automotive active lane change assist is further designed to customize the autonomous-driving lane change manoeuvres based on manual-driving lane change habits of a driver of the motor vehicle by determining one or different autonomous-driving lane change settings for one or different drivers of the motor vehicle and for one or different types or categories of roads along which the motor vehicle can carry out autonomous-driving lane change manoeuvres.

The first yaw angle return control is started at a first start time when the first interruption condition is established. The actuator is controlled under the first yaw angle return control so that yaw angle at a first finish time becomes a value closer to yaw angle at the lane change start time compared with yaw angle at the first start time. The first finish time comes when a first control execution time passes from the first start time. The actuator is controlled under the second yaw angle return control so that yaw angle at a second finish time becomes a value closer to yaw angle at the lane change start time compared with yaw angle at the second start time. The second finish time comes when a second control execution time longer than the first control execution time passes from the second start time.

A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a path generating unit and a control unit. The path generating unit generates a target path used by a vehicle to reach a destination. The control unit controls at least steering of the vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the target path generated by the path generating unit and increases a degree by which deviation from the target path is suppressed in a particular situation.

A vehicle control device includes a detecting unit that detects a towing state of a subject vehicle, a recognizing unit that recognizes surrounding situations of the subject vehicle, a control unit that performs automatic control in which at least one of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the subject vehicle is automatically controlled on the basis of the surrounding situations of the subject vehicle recognized by the recognizing unit, and a changing unit that changes, if the detecting unit has detected that the subject vehicle is in a state of towing an object, details of control performed by the control unit in such a manner that it is less likely to perform the automatic control than in the case where the detecting unit has not detected that the subject vehicle is in a state of towing an object.

Provided are a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program for more accurately controlling the velocity of an own vehicle with reference to a preceding vehicle. The vehicle control device includes: an identifying part identifying the velocity of the preceding vehicle present in front of the own vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle; a deriving part deriving an adjustment value, which is a value associated with the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle and decreases as the inter-vehicle distance identified by the identifying part decreases, and deriving a target velocity of the own vehicle based on the derived adjustment value and the velocity of the preceding vehicle identified by the identifying part; and a travel controlling part controlling travel of the own vehicle based on the target velocity derived by the deriving part.

An automatic driving system that is mounted in a vehicle includes: an information acquiring device configured to acquire driving environment information indicating a driving environment of the vehicle; and a running control device configured to execute lane change control from a first lane to a second lane, and set a lane change time which is a time required for lane change The running control device is configured to set an initial value of the lane change time, determine whether a moving object having a highest degree of approach to the vehicle is present in the second lane, and change the initial value based on a relative position of the moving object with respect to the vehicle and a relative speed of the vehicle with respect to the moving object when it is determined that the moving object having the highest degree of approach is present in the second lane.

Systems and methods for smoothing automated lane change (ALC) operations. A mission planner, upon receipt of an ALC request, sends a ALC heads up signal to a lateral control. The mission planner then begins confidence building operations, for a preprogrammed duration of time, and awaits an ALC ready signal from the lateral control. The lateral control, upon receipt of the ALC heads up, calculates an index of readiness, R.sub.ALC, as a function of the requested ALC, a current trajectory, and a lane centering control path. When R.sub.ALC is less than or equal to a readiness threshold, Rt, the lateral control sends the ALC ready signal. When R.sub.ALC is greater than Rt, the lateral control generates a steering correction and applies the steering correction to reduce the R.sub.ALC and thereby stabilize the vehicle and send the ALC ready signal. Upon receiving the ALC ready signal, the ALC operation is executed.

In a driving support device, an image output unit outputs an image including a vehicle object representing a vehicle and a peripheral situation of the vehicle, to a display unit. An operation signal input unit receives a gesture operation by a user that involves moving of the vehicle object in the image displayed on the display unit. A command output unit outputs a command according to the gesture operation, to an automatic driving control unit that controls automatic driving.

A lane change support device includes memory circuitry and control circuitry. The memory circuitry is configured to store at least one of a plurality of control levels having different reasons for restricting a lane change for each lane of a road in association with a position on the lane. The control circuitry is configured to support the lane change of a vehicle with reference to a control level of the lane change at the position on the lane in which the vehicle runs.