Vehicle travel control method and vehicle travel control device

A travel control method for a vehicle, comprising:

• specifying a pedestrian crosswalk through which a subject vehicle is expected to pass as a first pedestrian crosswalk;
• estimating moving routes of a moving object moving toward the first pedestrian crosswalk on a basis of road configurations around the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• estimating a position on the first pedestrian crosswalk through which the subject vehicle passes as a crossing position in a length direction of the first pedestrian crosswalk, the crossing position being a point of intersection between a planned travel route of the subject vehicle and a moving route of the moving object in the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• specifying as a second pedestrian crosswalk another pedestrian crosswalk located within a predetermined first distance from the crossing position along the moving route of the moving object moving toward the first pedestrian crosswalk and located close to the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• setting an area including the first pedestrian crosswalk and the second pedestrian crosswalk as a detection area of a detector detecting an object around the subject vehicle;
• detecting the moving object in the detection area using the detector;
• and
• controlling travel of the subject vehicle on a basis of a detection result of the detector.

A travel control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

• a detector that detects an object around a subject vehicle;
• and
• a controller that controls travel of the subject vehicle on a basis of a detection result of the detector, wherein the controller:
• specifies a pedestrian crosswalk through which a subject vehicle is expected to pass as a first pedestrian crosswalk;
• estimates a position on the first pedestrian crosswalk through which the subject vehicle passes as a crossing position in a length direction of the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• determines whether or not another pedestrian crosswalk located within a predetermined first distance from the crossing position and located close to the first pedestrian crosswalk is specified as a second pedestrian crosswalk;
• when the second pedestrian crosswalk is specified, sets an area combining the first pedestrian crosswalk and the second pedestrian crosswalk as an interpolation area;
• and
• sets an area including the first pedestrian crosswalk, the second pedestrian crosswalk, and the interpolation area as a detection area of the detector.

A travel control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

• a detector that detects an object around a subject vehicle;
• and
• a controller that controls travel of the subject vehicle on a basis of a detection result of the detector, wherein the controller:
• specifies a pedestrian crosswalk through which the subject vehicle is expected to pass as a first pedestrian crosswalk;
• estimates moving routes of a moving object moving toward the first pedestrian crosswalk on a basis of road configurations around the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• estimates a position on the first pedestrian crosswalk through which the subject vehicle passes as a crossing position in a length direction of the first pedestrian crosswalk, the crossing position being a point of intersection between a planned travel route of the subject vehicle and a moving route of the moving object in the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• specifies as a second pedestrian crosswalk another pedestrian crosswalk located within a predetermined distance from the crossing position along the moving route of the moving object moving toward the first pedestrian crosswalk and located close to the first pedestrian crosswalk;
• sets an area including the first pedestrian crosswalk and the second pedestrian crosswalk as a detection area of the detector;
• and
• detects the moving object in the detection area.