JP2006350568A - Vehicle control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle control system for enabling smooth traffic control at an intersection. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle control system is provided with a vehicle detection means for detecting a vehicle approaching an intersection in order to enter the intersection, a crossing possibility decision means for deciding the possibility of crossing at the intersection of respective detected vehicles, a priority setting means for setting priority for the respective vehicles whose crossing are possible according to predetermined priority setting algorithm, and a control means for controlling approaching forms of the vehicles to the intersection so that the vehicle whose priority is higher can preferentially enter the intersection on the basis of the set priority. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control system for ensuring smooth traffic at an intersection.

  Conventionally, by using at least one of sensor information transmitted from a sensor installed on the roadside and communication information including sensor information transmitted from the sensor, the presence or absence of a collision is predicted by a probabilistic method, and the result of this prediction In the case where it is determined that a collision occurs, information related to the occurrence of the collision is provided to the driver, or information for avoiding the collision is transmitted to the information processing apparatus included in the vehicle. An intersection collision prevention support method is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this intersection collision prevention support method, a physical quantity that is difficult to predict deterministically due to variations in the behavior of the driver is used by using the statistical properties calculated from the past data of the physical quantity. Using a prediction method, it is predicted that a collision will occur between vehicles approaching the intersection from different directions.

In addition, as a method for smooth braking control, it is the case of following driving instead of passing through an intersection, but the concept of environmental force exerted on the host vehicle from the environment such as the preceding vehicle is introduced, and deceleration according to the environmental force is introduced. There is also known a method of performing braking force control so as to realize smooth braking so as not to collide with a preceding vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-140799 A JP-A-8-11579

  However, in the prior art according to Patent Document 1 described above, deceleration control or the like is performed from the viewpoint of avoiding a collision between vehicles having a high possibility of crossing. Since an appropriate priority is not set from the viewpoint of realizing traffic control, it is difficult to realize smooth traffic control at an intersection.

  Even in the configuration in which priority is given, if the priority is uniformly set, the circumstances of each vehicle are not considered, and it is difficult to realize appropriate traffic control.

  In particular, in situations where there is a lot of traffic, it is more effective to give priority to the vehicle group than to set the priority to the vehicle unit from the viewpoint of realizing smooth and efficient traffic control at the intersection. It is.

  In view of these points, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control system capable of realizing smooth traffic control at an intersection.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention is a vehicle detection means for detecting a vehicle approaching the intersection to enter the intersection;
A target vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle having a possibility of crossing at an intersection from the vehicles detected by the vehicle detection means;
Priority setting means for setting a priority for each vehicle that may be crossed according to a predetermined priority setting algorithm;
Control means for controlling the approaching mode of the vehicle to the intersection so that a vehicle having a higher priority can preferentially enter the intersection based on the set priority.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control system further includes a specific circumstance acquisition unit that acquires individual specific circumstances in each vehicle that may be mixed, and the priority setting unit is configured to acquire the specific circumstances. The priority is set in consideration of the unique circumstances acquired by the means.

3rd invention is equipped with the vehicle group extraction means which extracts the vehicle group which makes a group approach to an intersection from the vehicles detected by the vehicle detection means in the vehicle control system which concerns on 1st invention,
The priority setting means sets the priority for each vehicle belonging to each vehicle group having a possibility of crossing in consideration of each attribute of each vehicle group.

4th invention is the vehicle control system which concerns on 3rd invention, The attribute of the said vehicle group contains the vehicle group length from the head vehicle of a vehicle group to the last vehicle,
The priority setting means assigns a high priority to each vehicle belonging to a vehicle group having a long vehicle group length.

5th invention is the vehicle control system which concerns on 3rd invention, The attribute of the said vehicle group contains the vehicle group speed which is the moving speed as the whole vehicle group,
The priority setting means assigns a high priority to each vehicle belonging to a vehicle group having a high vehicle group speed.

  6th invention is provided with the vehicle group formation means which controls the driving | running | working state of a vehicle in the vehicle control system which concerns on 3rd invention so that several vehicles which approach an intersection from the same direction form a vehicle group. It is characterized by.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle group formation means controls the vehicle running state such that a predetermined group state vehicle group is formed within a predetermined range before the intersection. It is characterized by controlling.

  According to an eighth aspect, in the vehicle control system according to the third or fourth aspect, the attribute of the vehicle group includes an integrated value of a distance between the vehicles belonging to the vehicle group.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control system according to the eighth aspect of the invention, each vehicle is provided with a function of measuring the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and a function of performing inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles. And
The vehicle group length is derived based on each inter-vehicle distance information obtained through inter-vehicle communication between vehicles belonging to the vehicle group.

  According to a tenth aspect, in the vehicle control system according to the third aspect, the attribute of the vehicle group is determined based on a speed history of one vehicle belonging to the vehicle group.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control system according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the priority setting means is configured such that when a vehicle speed of one vehicle belonging to the vehicle group continues below a predetermined value for a predetermined time or more, A high priority is given to each vehicle belonging to the group.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, in the vehicle control system according to the first aspect of the invention, the priority setting means gives a low priority to a vehicle whose vehicle speed is a predetermined value or less.

  A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle control system according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein at least some of the operations of the vehicle detection means, the target vehicle selection means, the priority setting means, and the control means are It is realized in cooperation with a dedicated in-vehicle device with a communication function mounted on each vehicle. Furthermore, in the vehicle control system according to the third aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the operation of the vehicle group extraction unit may be realized in cooperation with a dedicated in-vehicle device with a communication function mounted on each vehicle. In the vehicle control system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the operation of the vehicle group forming means may be realized in cooperation with a dedicated in-vehicle device with a communication function mounted on each vehicle.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle control system which can implement | achieve smooth traffic control in an intersection can be obtained.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle control system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle-side configuration and a control-side configuration. The vehicle-side configuration shown in FIG. 1 is a configuration related to one vehicle, but the same configuration is mounted on each vehicle related to the present system. Similarly, although the control side structure shown in FIG. 1 is a structure concerning one intersection, the same structure is set to each intersection relevant to this system.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-side configuration is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a vehicle speed recording device 10, a high-accuracy position specifying device 12, a communication device 14, a braking / driving force generating device 16, and an accelerator pedal reaction force generating device 18. Prepare.

  The vehicle speed recording device 10 records the speed history of the vehicle based on the sensor output of the wheel speed sensor, for example.

  The high-accuracy positioning device 12 has a high-precision positioning function by, for example, RTK-GPS (real-time kinematic global positioning system) or a carrier phase type positioning method. The high-accuracy position specifying device 12 specifies the current position of the host vehicle on the map with reference to the host vehicle position information and road information obtained by GPS positioning. In this embodiment, the road information is stored in an appropriate memory, but may be acquired from an in-vehicle device (for example, a navigation device) or the like, and further external (other vehicle or external information provision via the communication device 14). You may acquire from a center.

  The communication device 14 communicates with other vehicles and / or the control side, and realizes so-called vehicle-to-vehicle communication and / or road-to-vehicle communication. There are no particular restrictions on the performance and shape of the antenna, the method used for communication, the frequency band, and the like, and may be arbitrary. Various techniques and device configurations have already been proposed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication, and further specific examples of the communication device 14 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  The braking / driving force generating device 16 includes a braking force generating device including a brake (mechanical brake) arranged for each wheel and a regenerative brake by a motor generator. In the case of mechanical brakes, each brake is electrically controlled according to the amount of operation of the brake pedal by the driver by an actuator provided for each brake, and automatically automatically for each wheel as necessary. To be controlled. The braking / driving force generating device 16 also includes a driving force generating device such as an engine or an electric motor. The electric motor may operate using a secondary battery or a fuel cell as a power source.

  In the present embodiment, the braking / driving force generating device 16 generates a braking force and / or a driving force in accordance with a control signal received from the control side via the communication device 14 as will be described later. Even during acceleration / deceleration control by such intervention, when the driver performs an independent brake operation, braking by the brake operation is preferentially realized. This is because the driver's willingness to brake should be given the highest priority especially considering safety.

  The accelerator pedal reaction force generator 18 controls the reaction force of the accelerator pedal by an actuator set on the accelerator pedal operated by the driver with his / her foot, and has a size corresponding to the intervention braking state by the braking / driving force generator 16. The accelerator pedal reaction force is generated. Various methods and device configurations have already been proposed for controlling the accelerator pedal reaction force, and specific examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  The control side configuration is a base station or relay station installed as an infrastructure, and may be arranged at each intersection (in particular, an intersection without a traffic signal) or may be arranged so as to control a plurality of intersections.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control side configuration includes an environmental force generation unit 20, a priority setting unit 22, a coordinate conversion unit 24, a target vehicle selection unit 26, a vehicle detection unit 27, and a communication device 28. The vehicle side and the control side are configured to be capable of bidirectional communication (road-to-vehicle communication) via the communication device 14 and the communication device 28, respectively.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the intersection passage determination algorithm according to this embodiment. This intersection passage determination algorithm is to allow a plurality of vehicles entering the intersection to pass through the intersection while being shifted in time. In the following, the vehicle side and the control side cooperate to realize an intersection passage determination algorithm. However, various functional units 20 to 26 may be set on the vehicle side, and a plurality of vehicles may cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication. It is also possible to set some of the various function units 20 to 26. When all of the various functional units 20 to 26 are set on the vehicle side, the control side, that is, the infrastructure itself is not necessary.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the control side detects a vehicle approaching the intersection by the vehicle detection unit 27 by road-to-vehicle communication with each vehicle by the communication device 28 (S210). For example, the control side detects a vehicle within a predetermined area or a predetermined time radius from the intersection center. In a configuration in which a plurality of vehicles cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication, each vehicle has its own vehicle intersection based on its vehicle position information and road information. Detecting approach to

  The control side acquires the detected position and speed of each vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication with each vehicle by the communication device 28 (S220). In a configuration in which a plurality of vehicles cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication, each vehicle acquires the position and speed of another vehicle via inter-vehicle communication. .

  Next, the target vehicle selection unit 26 on the control side selects a vehicle that is likely to intersect among the vehicles approaching the intersection (S230). Here, the term “intersection” is different from “collision”. That is, in this embodiment, as will be described in detail below, since the approaching mode of each vehicle to the intersection is controlled in advance according to an appropriate priority set before the intersection, the possibility of a collision at the intersection is theoretically Therefore, a vehicle having a possibility of crossing has only the meaning of “a vehicle approaching from an intersection at a different direction”. Specific examples of the selection of vehicles that are likely to cross each other include, for example, a vehicle traveling in the same direction in the same lane with respect to a certain target vehicle, an oncoming vehicle when the target vehicle goes straight through an intersection, a target vehicle Vehicles traveling on a road that intersects with the traveling road, vehicles traveling on places other than the road (for example, slowly traveling in a parking lot along the road), and vehicles moving away from the intersection are not eligible. Similarly to the vehicle of interest, a vehicle that is traveling toward the intersection and the inner product of the velocity vectors with the vehicle of interest is 0 or close to 0 is selected. In the configuration in which a plurality of vehicles cooperate to autonomously realize the intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication, the own vehicle is the vehicle of interest, and other vehicles that may be crossed with the own vehicle. Will be selected.

  Next, the priority setting unit 22 on the control side determines a priority order or priority (hereinafter simply referred to as “priority order”) for each vehicle that may be crossed in accordance with a predetermined priority setting algorithm (hereinafter referred to as “priority order”). S240). The priority setting algorithm is basically constructed from the viewpoint of realizing smooth and efficient traffic at an intersection. The priority order may be determined in two stages (that is, with or without priority), or may be determined in three or more stages. In the following, the priority is expressed as high and low, but in the case of a configuration in which the priority is expressed in two stages, the high priority is a case where there is a priority, and the low priority is a case where there is no priority. is there. In the case of a configuration in which the priority order is expressed in three stages, a high priority means that the priority is relatively high or there is a lower priority. Unless otherwise specified, the priority order Does not necessarily mean that is at the top. In addition, the term “non-priority vehicle” used in the following means a vehicle that does not have priority (in the case of a configuration in which the priority order is expressed in two stages) or a vehicle that does not have the highest priority order. The “highest priority vehicle” means a vehicle having a priority (in the case of a configuration in which the priority is expressed in two stages) or a vehicle having the highest priority.

  The processing for determining the priority order in this step 240 is performed individually for all the vehicles entering the intersection. In a configuration in which a plurality of vehicles cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication, a plurality of vehicles having the possibility of crossing proceeding toward the same intersection Since each vehicle knows each other's position information (and vehicle speed information) and all vehicles determine priority based on the same priority setting algorithm, the same conclusion can be obtained in any vehicle, contradiction Does not occur.

  The priority order determination process may be based on an arbitrary priority setting algorithm as long as it is common to all the vehicles and no contradiction occurs. For example, based on the vehicle speed information of each vehicle, a vehicle having a predetermined speed or less is set as a non-priority vehicle. Next, it is determined by the characteristics of the roads that intersect at the intersection. If there is a difference in the width of the road, the road with a wider width is given priority. If the road information has a special designation as one of the intersecting roads, it may be followed. Next, when the priorities according to the road characteristics are the same (for example, when the road widths are substantially equal), priorities are given in the order of arrival at the intersection earlier based on the position information (and vehicle speed information) of each vehicle. Next, if the priority is still not determined, the left priority principle is applied, and the vehicle coming from the left side is given priority. In addition, when there are many factors that determine the priority order, points may be given to each vehicle by the point addition method for each factor, and a higher priority may be given in order from the vehicle with the largest points.

  This priority order determination process is repeatedly executed for each vehicle until the vehicle passes through the intersection. This is because, for example, when a vehicle suddenly decelerates or stops due to a front obstacle or the like, or enters a parking lot along a road, the priority can change. In addition, when the highest priority vehicle finishes passing the intersection, the priority order of the other vehicles is increased and a new highest priority vehicle is determined.

  In this way, when priorities are determined for a plurality of vehicles having the possibility of crossing, a time difference is generated so that a vehicle other than the highest priority vehicle does not pass the intersection until the highest priority vehicle passes the intersection as a non-priority vehicle. Move on to processing.

  That is, after the prioritization (S240), the coordinate conversion unit 24 performs a coordinate conversion process on the non-prioritized vehicle (S250). Note that the vehicle set as the highest priority is not subjected to any control intervention for deceleration by the control side, and the vehicle speed as operated by the driver is allowed. In this coordinate conversion process, the position and speed of each target vehicle are converted into an orthogonal coordinate system corresponding to the intersection shape (that is, each target vehicle is converted into a coordinate point having a respective speed vector). .

  Next, the environmental force generation unit 20 on the control side applies the environmental force algorithm to the non-prioritized vehicle. Specifically, the environmental force generation unit 20 can intersect the position and speed obtained by orthogonal coordinate conversion relating to the top priority vehicle on the road of the vehicle having a lower priority than the top priority vehicle (that is, crossover with the top priority vehicle). Mapping on the road where the vehicle having the characteristic exists), the mapped highest priority vehicle is regarded as the preceding vehicle, and the following environmental force regarding the following vehicle is calculated (S260). The following environmental force is an environmental force that is received from the field so that the following vehicle does not collide with the preceding vehicle, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-115777 (Patent Document 2). Therefore, by decelerating the following vehicle (non-priority vehicle) of the virtual preceding vehicle as receiving the following environmental force from the virtual preceding vehicle, the highest priority vehicle does not cross the vehicle with higher priority than the highest priority vehicle at the intersection. Can be.

  Here, according to Patent Document 2, the following environmental force C is

と表される（特許文献２の段落［００５５］の記載参照）。ここで、ａは運転者固有の最大加速度であり、ｘ及びｘ’は非優先車両の位置及び速度であり、ｘ_−１及びｘ’_−１は先行車両の位置及び速度であり、Ｔは運転者固有の車間時間であり、Ｌは運転者固有の停止時車間距離であり、ｐは環境条件の有効な範囲の大きさを決めるパラメータである。

(Refer to paragraph [0055] of Patent Document 2). Where a is the driver's specific maximum acceleration, x and x ′ are the position and speed of the non-priority vehicle, x ₋₁ and x ′ ₋₁ are the position and speed of the preceding vehicle, and T is the driving The vehicle-to-vehicle time unique to the driver, L is the driver-specific vehicle-to-vehicle distance, and p is a parameter that determines the size of the effective range of environmental conditions.

Here, when the position and speed of the mapped virtual leading vehicle are y ₋₁ and y ′ ₋₁ , the above equation (1) is

と書き換えることができる。ここで、Ｔ_{ｃｒｏｓｓ}は運転者固有の交錯車間時間であり、Ｌ_{ｃｒｏｓｓ}は運転者固有の交錯停止時車間距離である。

Can be rewritten. Here, T _cross is a driver-specific inter-vehicle time, and L _cross is a driver-specific inter-vehicle distance at the time of crossing stop.

y ₋₁ and y ′ ₋₁ are obtained by orthogonal coordinate transformation,

である。ここで、ｙ及びｙ’は仮想先行車両の位置及び速度であり、（Ｘ_ｓｉｇ，Ｙ_ｓｉｇ）は交差点位置である。ここで、式（４）の右辺には２階微分が入っているため、これを解くと解が２つ現れ、一方の解が発散してしまう。そこで、本実施態様では、便宜上、２階微分の項を丸めて、式（４）を

It is. Here, y and y ′ are the position and speed of the virtual preceding vehicle, and (X _sig , Y _sig ) is the intersection position. Here, since the second order differential is included in the right side of the equation (4), two solutions appear when this is solved, and one solution diverges. Therefore, in this embodiment, for convenience, the second-order differential term is rounded, and Equation (4) is

と変形して用いるものとする。これによる実質的な問題は生じない。

It shall be used after being modified. This does not cause a substantial problem.

  In this way, when the following environmental force is calculated for each vehicle that receives the following environmental force when the highest priority vehicle is a virtual preceding vehicle, the control side responds to the calculated environmental force. Thus, the braking / driving force generating device 16 of each vehicle is instructed for the braking force to be generated (S270). In response to this, the braking / driving force generating device 16 of each vehicle is operated to realize deceleration and / or vehicle speed according to the calculated environmental force, and in each vehicle, deceleration, slowdown or temporary stop line as required. Stop at is realized. The following environmental power of each vehicle may be calculated as a virtual preceding vehicle, in addition to the calculation method described above, as a virtual preceding vehicle, or all of the higher ranks than the vehicle. May be calculated by accumulating the following environmental forces calculated as virtual preceding vehicles.

  In this step 270, the accelerator pedal reaction force generator 18 responds to the braking force generated by the braking / driving force generator 16 to transmit to the vehicle occupant (especially the driver) that the speed control is being performed on the vehicle side. Control the accelerator pedal reaction force. Accordingly, the driver (and other occupants) are visually, audibly, and / or tactilely notified that the brake is automatically applied, so that the situation can be grasped.

  In order to allow each vehicle to pass through the intersection smoothly with a time difference, it is permitted that the lower priority vehicle is temporarily stopped. However, from the viewpoint of facilitating traffic, it is preferable that the vehicle speed of the non-priority vehicle is controlled so that a vehicle that stops temporarily is not generated as much as possible.

  If the vehicle is temporarily stopped, the vehicle is provided with a start support for starting from the temporarily stopped state by the crossing start determination support algorithm (S280). Various methods have already been proposed for the crossing start decision support algorithm, and specific examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, for simplicity, the control side grasps the approach direction (straight forward, left / right turn) of each waiting vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication, and when the priority of the waiting vehicle becomes the highest, An instruction may be issued to the accelerator pedal reaction force generator 18 so that the accelerator pedal reaction force control of the vehicle is released, so that the driver can grasp the start permission state.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, two or more vehicles having the possibility of crossing can pass through the intersections without contacting and colliding with a time difference while minimizing the deceleration of each vehicle. Smooth traffic is realized as if the intersecting roads are three-dimensionally intersecting while existing on the same two-dimensional plane at the intersection where there is no traffic signal.

  Next, on the premise of the basic embodiment described above, some characteristic examples that can be realized by adding or changing them will be described.

  The first embodiment relates to a priority setting method (priority setting algorithm) in the priority setting unit 22 described above. In the first embodiment, each vehicle is provided with a unique situation acquisition unit 19 that detects and acquires individual unique situations in each vehicle. Each unique situation acquired by each vehicle is acquired by the priority setting unit 22 via road-to-vehicle communication, and is reflected in the priority setting method in the priority setting unit 22.

  Here, each unique situation includes circumstances relating to vehicle performance such as acceleration / deceleration performance including engine output, engine torque, vehicle weight, etc., and occupant circumstances such as the number of occupants and whether or not they are in a hurry. Note that the occupant's psychological circumstances, such as whether or not he / she is in a hurry, may be detected based on image analysis of the in-vehicle camera, voice recognition results, and the like.

  Specifically, the priority setting unit 22 gives high priority to a vehicle with good vehicle performance, a vehicle on which a rushing occupant is boarded, or a vehicle with a large number of occupants. This eliminates the need to assume an excessive control margin corresponding to a vehicle with relatively poor performance, for example, for a vehicle with good deceleration performance, and can achieve optimal priority determination.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to set a flexible priority in accordance with each unique situation by considering the unique situation that may be different for each vehicle, and to construct a more efficient system. Can do.

  The second and subsequent embodiments relate to an embodiment in which priorities are not set in units of vehicles but are given in units of vehicle groups.

  FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of the vehicle control system according to the second embodiment. This system differs from the system configuration shown in FIG. 1 in that a vehicle group extraction unit 40 is set on the control side.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the intersection passage determination algorithm according to the second embodiment. This intersection passage determination algorithm is to allow a plurality of vehicles entering the intersection to pass through the intersection while being shifted in time for each vehicle group. In the following, the vehicle side and the control side cooperate to realize an intersection passage determination algorithm. However, various functional units 20 to 26 and 40 may be set on the vehicle side, and a plurality of vehicles may cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication. It is also possible to set some of the various functional units 20 to 26 and 40 on the side. Hereinafter, detailed description of steps in which the same processing as in FIG. 2 is performed will be omitted.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the control side detects a vehicle approaching the intersection by vehicle detection unit 27 through road-to-vehicle communication with each vehicle by communication device 28 (S310).

  The control side acquires the detected position and speed of each vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication with each vehicle by the communication device 28 (S320).

  Next, the target vehicle selection unit 26 on the control side selects a vehicle that is likely to intersect among the vehicles approaching the intersection (S330). For example, as described above, a vehicle that is proceeding toward an intersection and a vehicle whose velocity vector between the vehicles is 0 or close to 0 is selected.

  Next, the control side vehicle group extraction unit 40 forms a group (convoy) with respect to the intersection from the vehicles selected by the target vehicle selection unit 26 based on the information obtained in the above steps 310 and 320. The approaching vehicle group is extracted (S335). Thereby, each vehicle group with the possibility of crossing is specified. Here, the vehicle group is a group (aggregate) of a plurality of vehicles approaching the intersection in a group. For example, a plurality of vehicles traveling in the same direction while satisfying a predetermined inter-vehicle distance and a predetermined speed difference are “ It may be extracted as “vehicle group”. In a configuration in which a plurality of vehicles cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication, a vehicle group that may be crossed with respect to the vehicle group to which the host vehicle belongs is specified. Will be.

  Next, the priority setting unit 22 on the control side determines a priority order for each vehicle that may be crossed according to a predetermined priority setting algorithm (S340). At this time, the priority setting unit 22 determines the priority in units of vehicle groups, and in principle gives the same priority to vehicles belonging to the same vehicle group. Note that a lower priority order than vehicles belonging to a vehicle group may be given to vehicles that do not form a vehicle group.

  Here, regarding the priority order determination method for each vehicle group, the priority setting unit 22 basically has a vehicle group having a long vehicle group length (the length from the first vehicle to the last vehicle in the vehicle group). Is given high priority. This is because more vehicles (passengers) can pass through the intersection more efficiently when the vehicle group length is given priority. The vehicle group length may be simply calculated based on position information of the last vehicle and the first vehicle.

  From the same viewpoint, the unique circumstances as described in the first embodiment may be evaluated for each vehicle group. For example, when a vehicle with a large number of passengers (for example, a bus) is included, a high priority may be given to a vehicle group including the vehicle. This is because a larger number of passengers can pass through the intersection more efficiently if priority is given to those with a larger number of passengers.

  In addition, the priority setting unit 22 gives a high priority to a vehicle group having a large moving speed of the vehicle group (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle group speed”). This is because more vehicles (passengers) can pass through the intersection more efficiently when the vehicle group speed is higher. The vehicle group speed may be the average value of the vehicle speeds of the vehicles belonging to the vehicle group, or may be the vehicle speed of an appropriate representative vehicle such as the leading vehicle.

  In step 340, the priority setting unit 22 specifically, for each vehicle group extracted by the vehicle group extraction unit 40, attributes of each vehicle group (in this example, the vehicle group length and the vehicle group). Speed) and assign priorities according to the attributes of each vehicle group.

  When the priority order is determined for a plurality of vehicles having the possibility of crossing in this way, a vehicle belonging to a vehicle group other than the highest priority vehicle group or a vehicle not belonging to the vehicle group is set as a non-priority vehicle, and the highest priority is given. The process shifts to a process for causing a time difference so that the non-priority vehicle does not pass through the intersection until the priority vehicle (vehicle belonging to the vehicle group with the highest priority) passes through the intersection.

  That is, after prioritizing (S340), the coordinate conversion unit 24 performs coordinate conversion processing for non-priority vehicles (S350). Note that the highest priority vehicle is not subjected to any control intervention for deceleration by the control side, and the vehicle speed as operated by the driver is allowed. In this coordinate conversion process, the position and speed of each target vehicle are converted into an orthogonal coordinate system corresponding to the intersection shape.

  Next, the environmental power generation unit 20 on the control side can cross the position and speed, which have been subjected to Cartesian coordinate transformation, related to the highest priority vehicle on the traveling road of a vehicle having a lower priority than the highest priority vehicle (that is, can be crossed with the highest priority vehicle). The vehicle is mapped onto a road where there is a characteristic vehicle, the mapped top priority vehicle is regarded as a preceding vehicle, and the following environmental force regarding the following vehicle is calculated (S360). At this time, the highest priority vehicle mapped as the virtual preceding vehicle as described above may be the last vehicle in the vehicle group having the highest priority. Further, the environmental force generation unit 20 may calculate the following environmental force for each vehicle group. That is, the environmental force generation unit 20 maps the last vehicle of the vehicle group with a high priority on the traveling road of the leading vehicle of the vehicle group with a low priority, and the following environmental force received by the leading vehicle is It is good also as acting on each vehicle of the vehicle group to which a vehicle belongs.

  In this way, when the following environmental force is calculated for each vehicle that receives the following environmental force when the highest priority vehicle is a virtual preceding vehicle, the braking control and the accelerator pedal reaction according to the following environmental force are calculated. Force control is executed (S370).

  If the leading vehicle in the vehicle group is temporarily stopped by the braking control in step 370, the starting support for starting from the paused state is executed for the leading vehicle and the following vehicle by the crossing start determination support algorithm. (S380). For example, the control side grasps the approach direction (straight-running, left-right turn) of each waiting vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication, and when the priority of the waiting vehicle becomes the highest priority, the accelerator pedal of the vehicle An instruction may be issued to the accelerator pedal reaction force generator 18 so that the reaction force control is released, and the driver may be made aware of the start permission state.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, two or more vehicle groups having the possibility of crossing can pass through the intersections without contacting and colliding with a time difference while minimizing the deceleration as the respective vehicle groups. Therefore, smooth traffic is realized as if the intersecting roads are three-dimensionally intersecting while existing on the same two-dimensional plane at the intersection where there is no traffic signal.

  FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of the vehicle control system according to the third embodiment. This system differs from the system configuration shown in FIG. 3 in that a vehicle group forming unit 42 is set on the control side.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the intersection passage determination algorithm according to the second embodiment. This intersection passage determination algorithm is to allow a plurality of vehicles entering the intersection to pass through the intersection while being shifted in time for each vehicle group. In the following, the vehicle side and the control side cooperate to realize an intersection passage determination algorithm. However, various functional units 20 to 26, 40, and 42 may be set on the vehicle side, and a plurality of vehicles may cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication. It is also possible to set some of the various functional units 20 to 26, 40, and 42 on the vehicle side. Hereinafter, detailed description of steps in which the same processing as in FIG. 4 is performed will be omitted.

  The control side detects a vehicle approaching the intersection by the vehicle detection unit 27 by road-to-vehicle communication with each vehicle by the communication device 28 (S410).

  The control side acquires the detected position and speed of each vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication with each vehicle by the communication device 28 (S420).

  Next, the target vehicle selection unit 26 on the control side selects a vehicle having a possibility of crossing out of the vehicles approaching the intersection (S430). For example, as described above, a vehicle that is proceeding toward an intersection and a vehicle whose velocity vector between the vehicles is 0 or close to 0 is selected.

  Next, the control-side vehicle group extraction unit 40 extracts a vehicle group and vehicle group candidates from the vehicles selected by the target vehicle selection unit 26 (S440). A vehicle group candidate refers to a plurality of vehicles that do not currently form a vehicle group but should form a vehicle group or form a vehicle group within a section up to an intersection.

  Next, the priority setting unit 22 on the control side determines the priority for each vehicle that may be crossed according to a predetermined priority setting algorithm (S450). That is, the priority setting unit 22 determines priorities in units of vehicle groups including vehicle group candidates, and in principle gives the same priority to vehicles belonging to the same vehicle group or vehicle group candidates. At this time, the priority setting unit 22 determines the priority order of each vehicle group or vehicle group candidate based on the attributes of the vehicle group or vehicle group candidate (for example, vehicle group length and vehicle group speed). A vehicle that does not belong to a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate may be given a lower priority than a vehicle that belongs to the vehicle group.

  Next, the control-side coordinate conversion unit 24 performs a coordinate conversion process on the non-priority vehicles and the vehicles in the vehicle group candidates (S460).

  Next, the control-side vehicle group formation unit 42 applies a vehicle group formation algorithm to the vehicle group candidates to form a vehicle group in a desired state (S470). In simple terms, this vehicle group formation algorithm is designed to actively reduce the distance between vehicles belonging to a vehicle group candidate or form a relative speed between vehicles in the vehicle group candidate in order to form a vehicle group in a desired state. It may be an algorithm that actively reduces. For example, when each vehicle has a preceding vehicle following function by the braking / driving force generating device 16 (a function capable of controlling acceleration / deceleration so as to follow the preceding vehicle with a desired inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time), The following control may be executed with a target value smaller than the target inter-vehicle distance or the target inter-vehicle time during normal follow-up control.

  This kind of vehicle group formation algorithm is applied in a predetermined area before the intersection, and is applied so that each vehicle can pass through the intersection in a predetermined group state at the latest. This application area may vary depending on the features or attributes of the intersection (for example, distance between intersections, road width, etc.). For example, when the distance between intersections is long (ie, there is sufficient time to the intersection) In this case, the application area is widened, and a vehicle group can be formed by smooth acceleration / deceleration.

  In step 470, the vehicle group formation unit 42 applies the vehicle group formation algorithm in consideration of the priority given by the priority setting unit 22. That is, in the same way as the environmental force calculation described above, based on the target movement mode of each vehicle group or vehicle group candidate as a whole, the environmental force is applied to the vehicle group or vehicle group candidate leading vehicle with a low priority. An algorithm is applied so that an environmental force acts on a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate having a low priority.

  In this way, when the vehicle group formation algorithm and the environmental force algorithm are applied to a vehicle group or vehicle group candidate having a low priority, acceleration / deceleration control and acceleration are performed in each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group or vehicle group candidate. Pedal reaction force control is executed (S480).

  If the leading vehicle in the vehicle group is temporarily stopped by the braking control in step 480, the starting support for starting from the paused state is executed for the leading vehicle and the following vehicle by the crossing start determination support algorithm. (S490). For example, the control side grasps the approach direction (straight-running, left-right turn) of each waiting vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication, and when the priority of the waiting vehicle becomes the highest priority, the accelerator pedal of the vehicle An instruction may be issued to the accelerator pedal reaction force generator 18 so that the reaction force control is released, and the driver may be made aware of the start permission state.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, by applying both the vehicle group formation algorithm and the environmental force algorithm, even in a situation where a large number of vehicles approach the intersection without being grouped together, the vehicle group can be efficiently managed. You can pass through the intersection. And, since two or more vehicle groups having the possibility of crossing can pass through the intersections without contacting and colliding with a time difference while minimizing the deceleration as each vehicle group, at intersections without traffic lights Smooth traffic is realized as if the intersecting roads are three-dimensionally crossed while existing on the same two-dimensional plane.

  The fourth embodiment relates to a vehicle group attribute determination logic used in the priority setting unit 22 on the control side, and can be applied to the above-described second and third embodiments.

  In the fourth embodiment, the priority setting unit 22 determines whether or not the vehicle belongs to a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate based on the vehicle speed history recorded by the vehicle speed recording device 10 on the vehicle side. If so, the vehicle group or vehicle group attributes (for example, vehicle group length and vehicle group speed) are determined.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the speed history of the vehicles belonging to the vehicle group, and the speed from time t1 to time tn is indicated by a bar graph. Time tn represents the timing at which the priority setting unit 22 determines the priority order. In general, as shown in FIG. 7, when a vehicle is absorbed by a preceding vehicle group, the speed gradually decreases, and after belonging to the vehicle group, the vehicle generally matches the overall moving speed of the vehicle group. Continue running at a speed below a certain speed.

  Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, paying attention to this speed tendency, based on the speed history of a certain vehicle, whether or not the vehicle belongs to a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate, and if so, the vehicle group or The attributes of the vehicle group (for example, the vehicle group length and the vehicle group speed) are determined. Specifically, the priority setting unit 22 acquires a speed history of a specific vehicle through road-to-vehicle communication, and as shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle becomes a predetermined vehicle group recognition speed Vlow or less for the vehicle. When the time Tc is calculated and the time Tc is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, it is determined that the vehicle belongs to a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate. And the priority setting part 22 judges the attribute (for example, vehicle group length and vehicle group speed) of the vehicle group thru | or vehicle group candidate based on the length of time Tc. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7A, the priority setting unit 22 determines that the vehicle group length is longer as the time Tc is longer, and is higher than the vehicle group or vehicle group candidate to which the vehicle belongs. Priorities may be given. If the time Tc exceeds the predetermined time, it is determined that the movement of the vehicle group is stagnant, and the highest priority is given to the vehicle group or the vehicle group candidate to which the vehicle belongs. Good.

  Alternatively, the priority setting unit 22 may acquire a speed history of a specific vehicle through road-to-vehicle communication, and calculate the frequency at which the vehicle becomes a predetermined vehicle group recognition speed Vlow or less with respect to the vehicle. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7B, the priority setting unit 22 determines that the vehicle group length is larger as the frequency of the vehicle group recognition speed Vlow is lower than the predetermined vehicle group recognition speed, and the vehicle to which the vehicle belongs. High priority may be given to the group or vehicle group candidates. Further, when the frequency exceeds a predetermined number of times, it is determined that the movement of the vehicle group is stagnant, and the highest priority order may be given to the vehicle group or the vehicle group candidate to which the vehicle belongs. . In the determination method based on this frequency, even if the vehicle speed temporarily becomes higher than the vehicle group recognition speed Vlow during the process, it is determined that the vehicle belongs to the vehicle group.

  Alternatively, the priority setting unit 22 may acquire a speed history of a specific vehicle via road-to-vehicle communication, and calculate an average vehicle speed during a predetermined measurement period for the vehicle. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7C, the priority setting unit 22 determines that the vehicle group length is larger as the average vehicle speed is smaller, and is higher than the vehicle group or vehicle group candidate to which the vehicle belongs. Priorities may be given. Further, when the average vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed, it may be determined that the movement of the vehicle group is stagnant, and the highest priority may be given to the vehicle group or the vehicle group candidate to which the vehicle belongs. .

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is only necessary to acquire speed information of at least one vehicle traveling on the road toward the intersection, and whether a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate exists on the road and whether the vehicle is The attributes of the group or vehicle group candidate can be recognized. Therefore, when the present embodiment is applied to the above-described second and third embodiments, the processing of steps 320 and 420 in the above-described second and third embodiments, that is, the processing of acquiring the respective speed information from each vehicle. Can be unnecessary. In addition, by giving the highest priority to the vehicle group in which the movement is staying, the vehicle group to which the environmental power is applied with the lower priority given in the second and third embodiments described above, Since it is possible to pass through the intersection at an appropriate stage, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the state of low priority continues and the passage of the intersection is not permitted for a long time.

  In the present embodiment, not only the speed information of one vehicle but also the speed history of other vehicles approaching the intersection in the same direction may be used in combination to improve the recognition / judgment accuracy. In addition, in a configuration in which a plurality of vehicles cooperate to autonomously realize an intersection passage determination algorithm via inter-vehicle communication, each vehicle group or vehicle group candidate, for example, the leading vehicles perform inter-vehicle communication, It is also possible to recognize the attributes of each vehicle group or vehicle group candidate based on the speed history of the specific vehicle of that vehicle group or vehicle group candidate, and to determine the respective priorities.

  Example 5 relates to an algorithm for deriving attributes of a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate. This algorithm is executed via inter-vehicle communication between vehicles belonging to a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate, and as a result, the attributes of the vehicle group or the vehicle group candidate are autonomously derived.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the autonomous attribute determination algorithm according to the fifth embodiment.

  In step 500, the integrated value I1 is sent from the following vehicle belonging to the vehicle group or the vehicle group candidate to the preceding vehicle via inter-vehicle communication. In the preceding vehicle that has received the integrated value I1 from the following vehicle, I2 is calculated by multiplying the integrated value I1 by the coefficient α (S510), and when there is a further preceding vehicle (YES in S520), the further vehicle The inter-vehicle distance D with the preceding vehicle is measured (S530), the reciprocal d = 1 / D is added to I2, and I3 is calculated (S540), and I3 is used as an integrated value to perform inter-vehicle communication with the further preceding vehicle. (S550). In the further preceding vehicle, the process after step 500 is similarly performed with the integrated value I3 as the integrated value I1. The inter-vehicle distance D from the preceding vehicle may be measured by a radar sensor or an image sensor mounted on each vehicle. In addition, the coefficient α is a fitness value that is adjusted so that traffic at intersections of car groups or car group candidates that may be crossed is smooth.

  On the other hand, when there is no further preceding vehicle (No in S520), the final integrated value I3 is calculated with d = 0 in the leading vehicle (S560). Then, the leading vehicle performs inter-vehicle communication with the leading vehicle of the vehicle group or vehicle group candidate that may be mixed, and recognizes the attribute of each vehicle group or vehicle group candidate based on the value of each integrated value I3. Each priority is determined (S570). In this case, a high priority order may be given to a vehicle group or a vehicle group candidate having a large integrated value I3.

  As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, the attributes of the vehicle group are evaluated based on the integrated value of the reciprocal of the inter-vehicle distance. Can also be evaluated equally as a vehicle group. This prevents a situation in which the priority is lowered because there is a part where the inter-vehicle distance is more than a certain distance, and a vehicle that should originally be set to a high priority cannot pass through the intersection in the optimal order. it can.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of vehicles cooperate to realize the intersection passage determination algorithm autonomously through inter-vehicle communication. However, as described above, the intersection passage determination is performed in cooperation with the control side. It is also possible to implement an algorithm. In this case, the priority setting unit 22 on the control side can determine each priority order according to the integrated value I3 obtained from each vehicle group or vehicle group candidate.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, intervention control for acceleration / deceleration by the braking / driving force generator 16 is performed in each vehicle as a result of application of the environmental force algorithm and the vehicle group formation algorithm. In addition to or in addition, an operation guide that prompts the driver to perform an independent operation may be performed.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a basic embodiment of a vehicle control system according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the intersection passage determination algorithm which concerns on a basic embodiment. It is a system configuration | structure figure which shows one Example of the vehicle control system which concerns on Example 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the intersection passage determination algorithm which concerns on the present Example 2. FIG. 9 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle control system according to a third embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the intersection passage determination algorithm which concerns on the present Example 3. It is a figure which shows an example of the speed history of the vehicle which belongs to a vehicle group. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the autonomous attribute determination algorithm which concerns on the present Example 5.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle speed recording device 12 High-accuracy position specifying device 14 Communication device 16 Braking / driving force generating device 18 Accelerator pedal reaction force generating device 19 Unique situation acquisition unit 20 Environmental force generating unit 22 Priority setting unit 24 Coordinate conversion unit 26 Target vehicle selection unit 28 Communication device 40 Vehicle group extraction unit 42 Vehicle group formation unit

Claims (13)

Vehicle detection means for detecting a vehicle approaching the intersection to enter the intersection;
A target vehicle selection means for selecting a vehicle having a possibility of crossing at an intersection from the vehicles detected by the vehicle detection means;
Priority setting means for setting a priority for each vehicle that may be crossed according to a predetermined priority setting algorithm;
A vehicle control system comprising: control means for controlling an approach mode of the vehicle to the intersection so that a vehicle having a higher priority can preferentially enter the intersection based on the set priority.   A unique situation acquisition means for obtaining individual unique situations in each vehicle that may be mixed, and the priority setting means sets the priority in consideration of the unique circumstances acquired by the unique situation acquisition means. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein: Vehicle group extraction means for extracting a vehicle group approaching the intersection from the vehicle detected by the vehicle detection means;
2. The priority setting unit according to claim 1, wherein the priority setting unit sets the priority for each vehicle belonging to each vehicle group having a possibility of crossing in consideration of an attribute of each vehicle group. Vehicle control system. The attribute of the vehicle group includes a vehicle group length from the first vehicle to the last vehicle of the vehicle group,
The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the priority setting means gives a high priority to each vehicle belonging to a vehicle group having a long vehicle group length. The attributes of the vehicle group include a vehicle group speed that is a moving speed of the entire vehicle group,
The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the priority setting means gives a high priority to each vehicle belonging to a vehicle group having a high vehicle group speed.   The vehicle control system according to claim 3, further comprising vehicle group formation means for controlling a traveling state of the vehicle so that a plurality of vehicles approaching the intersection from the same direction form a vehicle group.   The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle group formation unit controls a traveling state of the vehicle such that a vehicle group in a predetermined group state is formed within a predetermined range before the intersection.   The vehicle control system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the attribute of the vehicle group includes an integrated value of a distance between vehicles belonging to the vehicle group. Each vehicle is equipped with a function for measuring the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle and a function for performing inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles,
The vehicle control system according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle group length is derived based on each inter-vehicle distance information obtained through inter-vehicle communication between vehicles belonging to the vehicle group.   The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the attribute of the vehicle group is determined based on a speed history of one vehicle belonging to the vehicle group.   The priority setting means gives a high priority to each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group when a state where the vehicle speed of one vehicle belonging to the vehicle group is below a predetermined value continues for a predetermined time or more. Item 11. The vehicle control system according to Item 10.   The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the priority setting means gives a low priority to a vehicle having a vehicle speed equal to or lower than a predetermined value.   The operation of at least a part of the vehicle detection unit, the target vehicle selection unit, the priority setting unit, and the control unit is realized in cooperation with a dedicated in-vehicle device with a communication function mounted on each vehicle. Item 13. A vehicle control system according to any one of Items 1 to 12.

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