Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method

A vehicle control method comprising:

• setting a target steering angle of a vehicle every predetermined cycle;
• and
• controlling a steering angle on a basis of the target steering angle,
• wherein the setting the target steering angle in each of the predetermined cycle includes
• acquiring a target path of the vehicle to be traveling and a current position of the vehicle,
• setting a plurality of target points on the target path,
• obtaining an arc passing through the current position of the vehicle and tangent to a traveling direction of the vehicle based on the plurality of target points, and
• setting the target steering angle based on a curvature radius of the arc, and
• a first target steering angle is set based on a first curvature radius of a first arc in a first cycle, and a second target steering angle is set based on a second curvature radius of a second arc in a second cycle subsequent to the first cycle, and
• the second target steering angle is set in the second cycle before the vehicle reaches a position corresponding to the farthest target point, out of the plurality of target points used for setting the first target steering angle in the first cycle.

A vehicle control apparatus comprising

• circuitry configured to
• set a target steering angle of a vehicle every predetermined cycle, and
• control a steering angle on a basis of the target steering angle,
• wherein the target steering angle is set by, in each cycle of the predetermined cycle:
• acquiring a target path of the vehicle to be traveling and a current position of the vehicle,
• setting a plurality of target points on the target path,
• obtaining an arc passing through the current position of the vehicle and tangent to a traveling direction of the vehicle based on the plurality of target points, and
• setting the target steering angle based on a curvature radius of the arc
• a first target steering angle is set based on a first curvature radius of a first arc in a first cycle, and a second target steering angle is set based on a second curvature radius of a second arc in a second cycle subsequent to the first cycle, and
• the second target steering angle is set in the second cycle before the vehicle reaches a position corresponding to the farthest target point, out of the plurality of target points used for setting the first target steering angle in the first cycle.