Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

A vehicle control method comprising:

• by a computer,
• recognizing a surrounding situation of a vehicle;
• generating a target route of the vehicle on the basis of the recognized surrounding situation to perform lane keeping control of the vehicle along the target route by applying a reaction force to a steering operation when a steering torque is applied to a steering wheel by an occupant of the vehicle in a direction that deviates from the target route;
• and
• stopping the lane keeping control while a direction indicator is activated in both of a first case in which the direction indicator is continuously operated by operating an operating unit from a reference position to a first position and a second case in which the direction indicator is activated a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period of time by operating the operating unit from the reference position to a second position where an amount of operation is smaller than at the first position,
• wherein the vehicle control method further comprises determining whether it is possible to perform lane change control on the basis of the surrounding situation when the operating unit is operated to the second position, and performs lane change control from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane in a direction in which the operating unit is operated when it is determined that it is possible to perform the lane change control,
• wherein the vehicle control method further comprises stopping the lane keeping control during activation of the direction indicator when the operating unit is operated to the second position and it is determined that it is not possible to perform the lane change control, and
• wherein, when the operating unit is operated to the second position, the computer stops the lane keeping control and the lane change control during the activation of the direction indicator even if determination on whether it is possible to perform the lane change control is changed from a state of being impossible to a state of being possible on the basis of the surrounding situation during the activation of the direction indicator.

A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that stores a program causing a computer to execute:

• recognizing a surrounding situation of a vehicle;
• generating a target route of the vehicle on the basis of the recognized surrounding situation to perform lane keeping control of the vehicle along the target route by applying a reaction force to a steering operation when a steering torque is applied to a steering wheel by an occupant of the vehicle in a direction that deviates from the target route;
• and
• stopping the lane keeping control while a direction indicator is activated in both of a first case in which the direction indicator is continuously operated by operating an operating unit from a reference position to a first position and a second case in which the direction indicator is activated a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period of time by operating the operating unit from the reference position to a second position where an amount of operation is smaller than at the first position,
• wherein the program further causes the computer to execute:
• determining whether it is possible to perform lane change control on the basis of the surrounding situation when the operating unit is operated to the second position, and performs lane change control from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane in a direction in which the operating unit is operated when it is determined that it is possible to perform the lane change control, and
• stopping the lane keeping control during activation of the direction indicator when the operating unit is operated to the second position and it is determined that it is not possible to perform the lane change control,
• wherein, when the operating unit is operated to the second position, the computer stops the lane keeping control and the lane change control during the activation of the direction indicator even if determination on whether it is possible to perform the lane change control is changed from a state of being impossible to a state of being possible on the basis of the surrounding situation during the activation of the direction indicator.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a storage medium configured to store computer-readable instructions;
• and
• a processor connected to the storage medium,
• wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions to
• recognize a surrounding situation of a vehicle,
• generate a target route of the vehicle on the basis of the recognized surrounding situation to perform lane keeping control of the vehicle along the target route by applying a reaction force to a steering operation when a steering torque is applied to a steering wheel by an occupant of the vehicle in a direction that deviates from the target route, and
• stop the lane keeping control while a direction indicator is activated in both of a first case in which the direction indicator is continuously operated by operating an operating unit from a reference position to a first position and a second case in which the direction indicator is activated a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period of time by operating the operating unit from the reference position to a second position where an amount of operation is smaller than at the first position,
• wherein the processor determines whether it is possible to perform lane change control on the basis of the surrounding situation when the operating unit is operated to the second position, and performs lane change control from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane in a direction in which the operating unit is operated when it is determined that it is possible to perform the lane change control,
• wherein the processor stops the lane keeping control during activation of the direction indicator when the operating unit is operated to the second position and it is determined that it is not possible to perform the lane change control, and
• wherein, when determination on whether it is possible to perform the lane change control is changed from a state of being impossible to a state of being possible on the basis of the surrounding situation during the activation of the direction indicator after the operating unit is operated to the second position, the processor stops the lane keeping control and the lane change control for a certain period of time even if the operating unit is operated to the second position again.