Automated vehicle lane change control techniques

An automated lane change control system for a vehicle, the automated lane change control system comprising:

• a steering system configured to control steering of the vehicle;
• a controller configured to:
• detect whether a set of preconditions for performing an automated lane change on a roadway are satisfied;
• and
• when the set of preconditions for performing the automated lane change on the roadway are satisfied, perform the automated lane change by:
• determining a departing lane of the roadway in which the vehicle is currently traveling and a merging lane of the roadway to which the vehicle will be traveling after performing the automated lane change,
• determining a desired yaw rate of the vehicle based on a current speed of the vehicle,
• determining an end control point in a center of each of the departing lane and the merging lane,
• determining a set of intermediate control points based on the end control points and the desired yaw rate,
• determining a basis spline (B-spline) travel path defined by the end control points and the set of intermediate control points to obtain a desired path between the end control points, and
• commanding the steering system such that the vehicle follows the desired path;
• and
• a camera system configured to capture first images of first lane markers of first segments of the roadway to determine the end control points (A, B) in the departing and merging lanes,
• wherein the controller is further configured to after determining the desired path and commanding the steering system to follow the desired path for a period and before the automated lane change is complete:
• obtain second captured images of the roadway from the camera system;
• detect, based on the second captured images, second lane markers on the roadway corresponding to the departing and merging lanes;
• identify second segments of the departing and merging lanes based on the detected second lane markers in the second captured images, wherein the second segments are shorter than the first segments by a distance traveled by the vehicle during the period;
• update the end control point in the merging lane and the set of intermediate control points within the identified segments;
• determine an updated B-spline travel path defined by the end control point in the departing lane, the updated end control point in the merging lane, and the updated set of intermediate control points to obtain an updated desired path;
• and
• command the steering system such that the vehicle follows the updated desired path.

An automated lane change control method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a controller of the vehicle, whether a set of preconditions for performing an automated lane change on a roadway are satisfied;
• and
• when the set of preconditions for performing the automated lane change on the roadway are satisfied, performing the automated lane change by:
• determining, by the controller, a departing lane of the roadway in which the vehicle is currently traveling and a merging lane of the roadway to which the vehicle will be traveling after performing the automated lane change,
• determining, by the controller, a desired yaw rate of the vehicle based on a current speed of the vehicle,
• determining, by the controller, control points for the automated lane change, including:
• (i) determining, by the controller, an end control point (A) in a center of the departing lane,
• (ii) determining, by the controller, an end control point (B) in a center of the merging lane,
• (iii) determining, by the controller, an intermediate control point (Bpre) along a line (LB) that is tangent to a curvature of the merging lane at control point (B), the intermediate control point (Bpre) being before end control point (B) with respect to the vehicle's motion,
• (iv) determining, by the controller, an intermediate control point (Apost) along a line (LA) that is tangent to a curvature of the departing lane at control point (A), the intermediate control point (Apost) being after end control point (A) with respect to the vehicle's motion,
• (v) determining, by the controller, an intermediate control point (P1′) along a line (L1) that is perpendicular to a line (ABpre) connecting end control point (A) point to intermediate control point (Bpre), and
• (vi) determining, by the controller, an intermediate control point (P2′) along another line (L2) that is perpendicular to line (ABpre),
• determining, by the controller, a basis spline (B-spline) travel path defined by the end control points and the set of intermediate control points to obtain a desired path between the end control points, and
• commanding, by the controller, a steering system configured to control steering of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows the desired path.