A multi-phase lane change decision-making method for autonomous vehicles

Lane changing is one of the common behaviors in urban and highway scenarios. Therefore, lane-changing behavior is very important in autonomous driving decisions. First, lane change (LC) decisions are divided into waiting to LC, overtaking, LC, and returning to the original lane (RTOL). The LC can be divided into a lane change preparation phase (LCPP), a lane change execution phase (LCEP) 1, and a LCEP 2. The driving intention during the LCPP is further determined by determining the optimal longitudinal acceleration during the LCPP. Second, the conditions under which the host vehicle (HV) chooses to overtake, wait to LC, and choose to LC are proposed, that is, a method for determining the choice of different LC driving options. A condition is proposed for HV to give up overtaking. Third, the practice of determining the interaction process between the host and rear vehicles based on the potential conflict area (PCA) is proposed in LCEP 1. The interaction between the two cars is constructed using a dynamic game method. Finally, VTD (Virtual Test Drive) simulates and verifies the proposed LC decision system.