VEHICLE STATE PREDICTION METHOD AND VEHICLE STATE PREDICTION DEVICE

To suppress prediction error that increases in a case vehicle state is drastically changed at the time of predicting the vehicle states of an own vehicle at a plurality of future traveling points from a point near to a current traveling point when traveling following to a target traveling track.SOLUTION: A vehicle state prediction method at the time of predicting vehicle states to be predicted that are the vehicle states of an own vehicle at a plurality of future traveling points from a point near to a current traveling point when the own vehicle travels following to a target traveling track comprises the steps of: calculating the vehicle state to be predicted at the future traveling point nearest to the current traveling point based on vehicle state of the own vehicle; calculating the vehicle state to be predicted at the more far-off future traveling point from the current traveling point based on the vehicle state to be predicted at the near future traveling point relative to the current traveling point (S4); and shortening a prediction interval that is a time interval or a distance interval between points where the vehicle states to be predicted are predicted at the time of larger change amount of the vehicle state to be predicted of the own vehicle in comparison with smaller change amount when the own vehicle turns on a curved road (S3).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6 【課題】目標走行軌道に追従して走行した場合の複数の将来走行地点の各々における自車両の車両状態を現在走行地点に近い地点から順に予測する際に、車両状態が大きく変化する状況で増加する予測誤差を抑制する。【解決手段】車両状態予測方法では、自車両が目標走行軌道に追従して走行した場合の複数の将来走行地点の各々における自車両の車両状態である予測車両状態を、現在走行地点に近い地点から順に予測する際に、現在走行地点に最も近い将来走行地点における予測車両状態を現在の自車両の車両状態に基づいて算出し、現在走行地点により近い将来走行地点における予測車両状態に基づいて現在走行地点からより遠い将来走行地点における予測車両状態を算出し（Ｓ４）、自車両がカーブ路を旋回する際に、自車両の車両状態の変化量が小さい場合よりも変化量が大きい場合に、予測車両状態を予測する地点の時間間隔又は距離間隔である予測間隔を短くする（Ｓ３）。【選択図】図６