Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

A vehicle control method comprising:

• detecting information on a region extending from a left front side of a vehicle to a right front side of the vehicle and including a front side of the vehicle;
• detecting a target in the region based on the information on the region;
• calculating relative positions of the target with respect to the vehicle at predetermined intervals based on the information on the region;
• detecting information on a state of the vehicle including a steering angle of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, and a yaw rate of the vehicle;
• capturing an image of a face of a driver in the vehicle;
• acquiring the detected information on the region;
• acquiring the detected information on the state of the vehicle;
• acquiring the calculated relative positions detected;
• calculating a first direction that the target travels based on the relative positions;
• determining whether the first direction intersects a second direction that the vehicle travels and whether the target approaches a course that the vehicle travels;
• determining the target as an intersecting approaching target in response to a plurality of the determinations that the first direction intersects the second direction and the target approaches the course;
• calculating a third direction from the vehicle toward the intersecting approaching target based on the information on the region and the information on the state of the vehicle;
• acquiring information including a fourth direction of the face of the driver in the vehicle based on the captured image;
• calculating a difference between the third direction and the fourth direction;
• calculating a threshold based on the difference, the threshold decreasing as the difference increases;
• predicting time to collision that is a period until the vehicle collides with the intersecting approaching target;
• determining whether the time to collision is equal to or less than the threshold;
• and
• applying braking force to the vehicle in response to the determination that the time to collision is equal to or less than the threshold.

A non-transitory storage medium storing a vehicle control program causing a computer to execute:

• detecting information on a region extending from a left front side of a vehicle to a right front side of the vehicle and including a front side of the vehicle;
• detecting a target in the region based on the information on the region;
• calculating relative positions of the target with respect to the vehicle at predetermined intervals based on the information on the region;
• detecting information on a state of the vehicle including a steering angle of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, and a yaw rate of the vehicle;
• capturing an image of a face of a driver in the vehicle;
• acquiring the detected information on the region;
• acquiring the detected information on the state of the vehicle;
• acquiring the calculated relative positions detected;
• calculating a first direction that the target travels based on the relative positions;
• determining whether the first direction intersects a second direction that the vehicle travels and whether the target approaches a course that the vehicle travels;
• determining the target as an intersecting approaching target in response to a plurality of the determinations that the first direction intersects the second direction and the target approaches the course;
• calculating a third direction from the vehicle toward the intersecting approaching target based on the information on the region and the information on the state of the vehicle;
• acquiring information including a fourth direction of the face of the driver based on the captured image;
• calculating a difference between the third direction and the fourth direction;
• calculating a threshold based on the difference, the threshold decreasing as the difference increases;
• predicting time to collision that is a period until the vehicle collides with the intersecting approaching target;
• determining whether the time to collision is equal to or less than the threshold;
• and
• applying braking force to the vehicle in response to the determination that the time to collision is equal to or less than the threshold.