JP6790638B2 - Travel control method and travel control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a travel control method and a travel control device.

Conventionally, the road information obtained based on the map information is compared with the road information obtained based on the road condition detected by the imaging device, and if the difference between the two road information is larger than the predetermined value, the map information is incorrect. A technique for controlling a vehicle by using a method of determining a vehicle is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-21492

However, in the prior art, when the detection accuracy of the road condition by the imaging device is low, the judgment accuracy for judging the error of the map information becomes low, and the vehicle may be controlled based on the wrong judgment result. was there.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a traveling control method and a traveling control device that improve the determination accuracy for determining an error in map information and suppress the traveling of a vehicle from being controlled based on the incorrect determination result. It is to be.

The present invention acquires information including the position of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle as the preceding vehicle information, calculates the traveling route of the own vehicle based on the map information as the first traveling route, and travels based on the preceding vehicle information. The route is calculated as the second travel route, the travel of the own vehicle is controlled according to the first travel route, it is determined whether or not the first travel route and the second travel route match, and the first travel route and the second travel route are determined. When the travel route does not match, the above problem is solved by prohibiting control of the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route.

According to the present invention, the accuracy of determination for determining an error in map information is improved, and it is possible to suppress control of vehicle travel based on the incorrect determination result.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the travel control device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the 1st travel path calculated by the 1st travel route calculation unit. It is a figure which shows an example of the 2nd travel path calculated by the 2nd travel path calculation unit. It is a figure which shows an example of the 3rd travel path calculated by the 3rd travel path calculation unit. It is a figure which shows an example of the comparison result of the 1st travel path and the 3rd travel path by the travel path comparison part. It is a figure which shows an example of the comparison result of the 2nd travel path and the 3rd travel path by the travel path comparison part. It is a flowchart which shows the traveling control processing which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the automatic operation control A which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the traveling control device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the traveling control processing which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the automatic operation control B which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention will be described by exemplifying a travel control device mounted on a vehicle. The type of road on which the vehicle travels is not particularly limited, and the road on which the vehicle travels may be not only a general road but also an expressway or other road.

<< First Embodiment >>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a travel control device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the travel control device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a camera group 10, a distance measuring device 20, an input device 30, a position detecting device 40, a map database 50, a drive mechanism 60, and the like. It includes a control device 100. These devices are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN in order to exchange information with each other.

The camera group 10 is, for example, a camera unit including at least a front camera, a right side camera, and a left side camera. The front camera is installed at or near the front bumper of the vehicle and images the front of the own vehicle. The right-side camera is installed on the right side of the vehicle (for example, the right side of the front end of the vehicle) and images the right side of the own vehicle. The left-side camera is installed on the left side of the vehicle (for example, the left side of the front end of the vehicle) and images the left side of the own vehicle. Examples of objects captured by each camera include moving objects such as motorcycles, automobiles, and pedestrians, and stationary objects such as road signs, road markings, medians, curbs, and guardrails. The camera group 10 outputs the captured image information to the control device 100.

The ranging device 20 is a radar device or sonar such as a millimeter-wave radar, a laser radar, an ultrasonic radar, etc., and is installed at the same position as the camera group 10 to cover obstacles, pedestrians, other vehicles, etc. around the vehicle. Detects presence / absence, these positions, and the distance to them. The ranging device 20 outputs the detection result to the control device 100. For example, when the preceding vehicle is traveling in front of the own vehicle, the distance measuring device 20 determines that the preceding vehicle exists and the position of the preceding vehicle (for example, in front of the own vehicle, in front of the right side of the own vehicle, etc.). , Detects the distance from the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle. The detection target of the distance measuring device 20 is not limited to the preceding vehicle, and may be, for example, a median strip, a curb, a guardrail, or the like.

The input device 30 is an operating device that can be operated by the driver. In the present embodiment, the driver operates the input device 30 to set on / off of the automatic driving control of the vehicle. The driver also sets the destination of the vehicle in the automatic driving control. For example, when the driver sets the destination and the driver sets the automatic driving control from off to on, the own vehicle travels by the automatic driving control according to the traveling route set by the control device 100. On the contrary, when the driver sets the automatic driving control from on to off, the own vehicle runs by the driver's manual driving control. The input device 30 outputs the setting information of the automatic operation control set by the driver to the control device 100.

The position detection device 40 includes a global positioning system (GPS) and detects the traveling position (latitude / longitude) of a moving vehicle. The position detection device 40 outputs the detection result to the control device 100.

Map information is stored in advance in the map database 50. The map database 50 outputs map information to the control device 100. The map information includes at least a road map indicated by nodes and links, and information on road type, road width, road shape, and number of lanes in road map coordinates. For example, roads on a road map are identified by link numbers for each road, and information on road type, road width, road shape, and number of lanes is associated with each link number. Furthermore, a link number is set for each lane of each road. In the present embodiment, the map database 50 stores map information in advance, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a system in which a vehicle is equipped with a communication device (not shown) capable of communicating with an external server and the external server provides the latest map information to the vehicle, the map information of the map database 50 is transmitted via the communication device. It may be configured to be updated regularly.

A control signal is input to the drive mechanism 60 from the control device 100. The drive mechanism 60 includes an engine and / or a motor (power system), a brake (braking system), a steering actuator (steering system), and the like for traveling the own vehicle.

The control device 100 is a control device that controls the traveling of the own vehicle by determining whether or not the map information is incorrect. The control device 100 accesses a ROM that stores a program for determining whether or not the map information is incorrect and a program for controlling the running of the own vehicle, a CPU that executes the program stored in the ROM, and access. It includes a RAM that functions as a possible storage device. Image information is input from the camera group 10 to the control device 100, detection results are input from the distance measuring device 20 and the position detection device 40, setting information for automatic operation control is input from the input device 30, and the map database 50 is used. Map information is entered. From these input information, the control device 100 calculates a plurality of different travel routes and determines whether or not the plurality of travel routes match, thereby determining whether or not the map information is incorrect. Then, the control device 100 generates a control signal for controlling the traveling of the own vehicle according to a determination result of whether or not the map information is incorrect, and outputs the generated control signal to the drive mechanism 60.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 100 includes, as functional blocks, a first travel route calculation unit 101, a second travel route calculation unit 102, a third travel route calculation unit 103, and a travel route comparison unit 104. It includes a traveling route determination unit 105 and a drive mechanism control unit 106. These blocks are shown to explain the function of the control device 100, that is, to explain the program executed by the CPU.

First, in the present embodiment, the processes executed by the first travel route calculation unit 101, the second travel route calculation unit 102, and the third travel route calculation unit 103 will be described.

Map information is input from the map database 50 to the first travel route calculation unit 101, and the travel position of the own vehicle is input from the position detection device 40. The first travel route calculation unit 101 calculates the travel route of the own vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the first travel route) based on the map information. The first travel route calculation unit 101 calculates the first travel route from the map information and the travel position of the own vehicle. The first travel route calculation unit 101 identifies the road on which the own vehicle is traveling in the map information by associating the travel position of the own vehicle with the map information. When there are a plurality of lanes on the road, the first travel route calculation unit 101 identifies the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling in the map information. Then, the first travel route calculation unit 101 sets a route along the road link of the lane as the first travel route. The first travel route calculation unit 101 outputs the calculated first travel route to the travel route comparison unit 104.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of the first travel path P1 calculated by the first travel route calculation unit 101. First, the first travel route calculation unit 101 identifies the road R1 on which the own vehicle is traveling in the map information. Next, the first travel route calculation unit 101 determines that the road R1 has a plurality of lanes (lanes L1 and L2 shown in FIG. 2A), and identifies the lane L1 in which the own vehicle is traveling. Then, the first travel route calculation unit 101 sets a route along the road link (not shown) of the lane L1 as the first travel route P1. Therefore, the first travel route P1 is a route that follows the road shape of the road R1 in the map information. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, if the shape of the road R1 in the map information is a road shape that turns left after passing a straight road, the first travel route P1 becomes a travel route along the road link of the lane L1. .. That is, the first traveling route P1 is a traveling route based on the traveling position of the own vehicle V1, and after passing the linear traveling route, the traveling route becomes a traveling route that turns to the left. As described above, since the first travel route P1 is a travel route based on the map information, even if the map information is incorrect, the first travel route calculation unit 101 can perform the first travel route based on the incorrect map information. Calculate P1. As an error of the map information, for example, because the map information is old, there is a road different from the actual road in the map information.

The detection result is input from the distance measuring device 20 to the second traveling route calculation unit 102, and the traveling position of the own vehicle is input from the position detecting device 40. The second travel route calculation unit 102 calculates a travel route (hereinafter referred to as a second travel route) based on the information of the preceding vehicle. The second travel route calculation unit 102 first determines whether or not the information of the preceding vehicle is included by confirming the existence or nonexistence of the preceding vehicle among the detection results from the distance measuring device 20. Information on the preceding vehicle includes, for example, the position of the preceding vehicle and the distance from the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle. When the existence of the preceding vehicle can be confirmed from the detection result, the second traveling route calculation unit 102 calculates the second traveling route based on the information of the preceding vehicle. On the contrary, the second travel route calculation unit 102 does not calculate the second travel route when the existence of the preceding vehicle cannot be confirmed from the detection result.

When the existence of the preceding vehicle can be confirmed, the second traveling route calculation unit 102 calculates the second traveling route from the information of the preceding vehicle and the traveling position of the own vehicle. For example, the second travel route calculation unit 102 statistically processes the relationship between the travel position of the own vehicle, the position of the preceding vehicle, and the distance from the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle, thereby determining the trajectory of the preceding vehicle. Calculate. Then, the second travel route calculation unit 102 sets the calculated locus as the second travel route. The second travel route calculation unit 102 outputs the calculated second travel route to the travel route comparison unit 104.

FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of a second travel path calculated by the second travel route calculation unit 102. FIG. 2B shows a scene in which the preceding vehicle V2 is traveling in front of the own vehicle V1. The second travel route calculation unit 102 first confirms the existence of the preceding vehicle V2 from the presence / absence of the preceding vehicle in the detection result of the distance measuring device 20. Next, the second travel route calculation unit 102 calculates the second travel route P2 from the travel position of the own vehicle V1, the position of the preceding vehicle V2, and the distance L _v2 from the own vehicle V1 to the preceding vehicle. For example, the second travel path calculation unit 102 RAMs the travel position of the preceding vehicle V2 and the distance L _v2 from the own vehicle V1 to the preceding vehicle each time the detection result is input from the distance measuring device 20 to the control device 100. Temporarily save to. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the second travel route calculating section 102, by statistically processing the distance L _v2 from the position and the vehicle V1 of the preceding vehicle V2 stored in the RAM to the preceding vehicle V2, prior Calculate the trajectory of the vehicle V2. The second travel route calculation unit 102 sets the calculated locus as the second travel route. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the second travel route calculation unit 102 calculates the locus in which the preceding vehicle V2 has moved as a straight line, and sets the second travel route P2. Therefore, the second travel path P2 is a travel path based on the position of the own vehicle V1 and is a linear travel path.

Image information is input from the camera group 10 to the third travel path calculation unit 103. The third travel route calculation unit 103 calculates the travel route of the own vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the third travel route) based on the shape of the road on which the own vehicle is traveling. The third travel route calculation unit 103 acquires information on the shape of the road on which the own vehicle travels as road information by performing image processing on the image information. Then, the third travel route calculation unit 103 calculates the travel route of the own vehicle based on the road information as the third travel route. For example, the third travel route calculation unit 103 identifies the white line of the road on which the own vehicle travels by performing image processing on the road image included in the image information, and uses the road shape information along the white line as the road information. get. Then, the third travel route calculation unit 103 calculates the travel route along the white line as the third travel route. The third travel route calculation unit 103 outputs the calculated third travel route to the travel route comparison unit 104. The third travel route calculation unit 103 specifies the shape of the road on which the own vehicle travels by specifying the white line of the road from the image information, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the third travel route calculation unit 103 uses one or a plurality of combinations of road signs, road markings other than white lines, medians, curbs, and guardrails included in the image information to determine the shape of the road on which the own vehicle travels. May be specified.

FIG. 2C is a diagram showing an example of a third travel path calculated by the third travel route calculation unit 103. The third travel route calculation unit 103 identifies the white line (indicated by WL1, WL2, WL3 in FIG. 2C) of the road on which the own vehicle travels by performing image processing on the road image included in the image information. The third travel route calculation unit 103 identifies the white line of the lane in which the own vehicle V1 is traveling among the white lines WL1 to 3 from the positional relationship of the white lines WL1 to 3. The third travel path calculation unit 103 calculates the relative positional relationship of the white lines from, for example, the image captured by the left side camera, the image captured by the right side camera, and the image captured by the front camera. By doing so, the position of the white line with respect to the own vehicle V1 is specified. In the example shown in FIG. 2C, the third travel path calculation unit 103 specifies the white line WL1 and the white line WL2 as white lines in the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling. The third travel route calculation unit 103 identifies the road shape on which the own vehicle V1 is traveling as the road shape along the white line WL1 and the white line WL2. Then, the third travel route calculation unit 103 calculates the route along the white line WL1 and the white line WL2 as the third travel route P3. For example, the third traveling route calculation unit 103 sets a route (center line between the white line WL1 and the white line WL2) located equidistant from the white line WL1 and the white line WL2 among the routes along the white line WL1 and the white line WL1. 3 Calculated as the travel path P3. In the example shown in FIG. 2C, since the white lines WL1 and WL2 specified by the third travel path calculation unit 103 are straight lines, the third travel path P3 is a travel path along the white lines WL1 and WL2. That is, the third travel path P3 is a travel route based on the travel position of the own vehicle V1 and is a linear travel route.

Here, the calculation accuracy of the third traveling path P3 will be described. The farther away from the own vehicle, the lower the accuracy of the image information captured by the camera group 10. Since the calculation accuracy of the third travel path P3 is linked to the accuracy of the image information captured by the camera group 10, the calculation accuracy of the third travel path P3 at a point far from the own vehicle is low. In particular, when the curve shape of the road at a point far from the own vehicle is calculated, the calculation accuracy of the third traveling path P3 becomes low. Therefore, the control device 100 in the present embodiment not only compares the first traveling route and the third traveling route, but also determines whether or not the map information is incorrect by using the second traveling route.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first travel route calculation unit 101, the second travel route calculation unit 102, and the third travel route calculation unit 103 make the first travel route, the second travel route, and the third travel route. , Each is calculated based on the map information, the information of the preceding vehicle, and the road information. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not the map information is incorrect. Next, the processes executed by the travel route comparison unit 104, the travel route determination unit 105, and the drive mechanism control unit 106 will be described.

The first travel route is input from the first travel route calculation unit 101, the second travel route is input from the second travel route calculation unit 102, and the third travel route calculation unit 103 to the third travel route comparison unit 104. The travel route is input. Further, a comparison command is input from the travel route determination unit 105 to the travel route comparison unit 104. The travel route comparison unit 104 compares two travel routes of the first travel route, the second travel route, and the third travel route in response to the comparison command from the travel route determination unit 105. Specifically, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the distance between the two travel routes, that is, the difference between the two travel routes. The travel route comparison unit 104 outputs the difference between the calculated two travel routes to the travel route determination unit 105.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of a comparison result between the first travel path P1 and the third travel path P3 by the travel route comparison unit 104. The first travel route P1 is the same travel route as the first travel route P1 shown in FIG. 2A, and the third travel route P3 is the same travel route as the third travel route P3 shown in FIG. 2C. Further, both the first traveling route P1 and the third traveling route P3 are traveling routes based on the traveling position of the own vehicle V1. As shown in FIG. 3A, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the distance between the first travel route P1 and the third travel route P3. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the travel path comparison unit 104, in the point the first travel path P1 and the third traveling path P3 is approximately the same travel path, and calculates the distance D _1. Further, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the distance D ₂ (D ₂ > D ₁ ) at the points of the travel routes where the first travel route P1 and the third travel route P3 are different.

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of a comparison result between the second travel path P2 and the third travel path P3 by the travel route comparison unit 104. The second travel route P2 is the same travel route as the second travel route P2 shown in FIG. 2B, and the third travel route P3 is the same travel route as the third travel route P3 shown in FIG. 2C. Further, both the second traveling route P2 and the third traveling route P3 are traveling routes based on the traveling position of the own vehicle V1. As shown in FIG. 3B, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the distance between the second travel route P2 and the third travel route P3. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the distance D ₃ at a point where the second travel route P2 and the third travel route P3 are substantially the same travel route.

The difference between the two travel routes is input to the travel route determination unit 105 from the travel route comparison unit 104. The travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not the two travel routes match. When the difference between the two travel routes is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (for example, vehicle width), the travel route determination unit 105 does not match the two travel routes (the two travel routes do not match). Is determined. On the contrary, when the difference between the two travel paths is less than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the two travel routes match (the two travel routes match). Then, the travel route determination unit 105 outputs the determination results of the two travel routes (for example, the first travel route and the second travel route match) to the drive mechanism control unit 106. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, for example, when the distance D ₂ is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route comparison unit 104 determines that the first travel route P1 and the second travel route P2 do not match. Similarly, in the example shown in FIG. 3B, for example, when the distance D ₃ is less than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route comparison unit 104 determines that the second travel route P2 and the third travel route P3 match. The predetermined threshold value is not limited to the vehicle width.

Further, the travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not there is an error in the map information based on the determination results of the two travel routes. Hereinafter, specific processing contents according to the determination results of the two travel routes will be described for the travel route determination unit 105 in the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the travel route determination unit 105 first outputs a comparison command to the travel route comparison unit 104 so as to compare the first travel route and the third travel route. Then, the difference between the first travel route and the third travel route calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 according to the comparison command is input to the travel route determination unit 105, and the travel route determination unit 105 receives the first travel route. It is determined whether or not the third traveling route matches. Next, the determination results of the first traveling route and the third traveling route will be described.

When the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route match, it determines that the map information is correct. That is, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the map information is incorrect from the precondition that the first travel route and the third travel route match if the map information is not incorrect. Then, the travel path determination unit 105 outputs a determination result that the first travel path and the third travel path match to the drive mechanism control unit 106.

On the contrary, when the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, it cannot determine that the map information is incorrect. That is, the travel route determination unit 105 says that the map information is incorrect in consideration of the possibility that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match because the calculation accuracy of the third travel route is low. I can't judge. For example, as described above, when the camera group 10 images the curve shape of the road at a point far from the own vehicle and calculates the third travel route, the calculation accuracy of the third travel route becomes low, and the travel route determination unit 105 Determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether or not the map information is incorrect only by the fact that the determination results of the first travel route and the third travel route do not match. In the present embodiment, when the determination results of the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, the travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not the map information is incorrect by using the second travel route. To do. Hereinafter, the travel route determination unit 105 will be described when the determination results of the first travel route and the third travel route do not match.

When the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, the travel route comparison unit 105 instructs the travel route comparison unit 104 to compare the second travel route and the third travel route. Is output. Then, the difference between the second travel route and the third travel route calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 according to the comparison command is input to the travel route determination unit 105, and the travel route determination unit 105 receives the second travel route. It is determined whether or not the third traveling route matches. Next, when the determination results of the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, the determination results of the second travel route and the third travel route will be described.

When the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the second travel route and the third travel route match, it determines that the map information is incorrect. In this case, although the second travel route and the third travel route match, the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, so that the travel route determination unit 105 has map information. Judge that it is wrong. Further, in this case, the travel route determination unit 105 determines the first travel route and the second travel route based on the determination result of the first travel route and the third travel route and the determination result of the second travel route and the third travel route. It can be indirectly determined that the route does not match. The travel route determination unit 105 outputs to the drive mechanism control unit 106 a determination result that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match and a determination result that the second travel route and the third travel route match.

On the other hand, when the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the second travel route and the third travel route do not match, it cannot determine whether or not the map information is incorrect. In this case, since the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, and further, the second travel route and the third travel route do not match, the travel route determination unit 105 matches among the three travel routes. Since there are no two travel routes, it is not possible to determine whether or not the map information is incorrect. The travel route determination unit 105 outputs to the drive mechanism control unit 106 the determination result of the mismatch between the first travel route and the third travel route and the determination result of the mismatch between the second travel route and the third travel route.

Information on the automatic driving control setting is input from the input device 30 to the drive mechanism control unit 106, and the travel route determination result is input from the travel route determination unit 105. When the automatic driving control setting is on, the drive mechanism control unit 106 sets a traveling route in the automatic driving control and controls the traveling of the own vehicle according to the set traveling route. In the present embodiment, the initial setting of the traveling route in the automatic driving control is the first traveling route. That is, when the automatic driving control is set to ON, the drive mechanism control unit 106 controls the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route (traveling route based on the map information).

Subsequently, the operation of the drive mechanism control unit 106 according to the determination result of the traveling path will be described.

When the determination result that the first travel path and the third travel path match is input to the drive mechanism control unit 106, the drive mechanism control unit 106 continues the automatic driving control, and the first travel route, that is, the map. The driving of the own vehicle is controlled according to the traveling route based on the information.

Further, when the determination result that the first traveling path and the third traveling path do not match and the determination result that the second traveling path and the third traveling path match are input to the drive mechanism control unit 106, the drive mechanism control unit The 106 controls the traveling of the own vehicle while reducing the speed according to the third traveling route. That is, the drive mechanism control unit 106 prohibits controlling the travel according to the first travel route. For example, the drive mechanism control unit 106 notifies the driver that the travel route has changed from the first travel route to the third travel route via a presentation device (not shown).

Further, when the determination result of the mismatch between the first traveling path and the third traveling path and the determination result of the mismatch between the second traveling path and the third traveling path are input to the drive mechanism control unit 106, the drive mechanism control unit 106 switches from automatic operation control to manual operation control. That is, the drive mechanism control unit 106 prohibits controlling the travel according to the first travel route. For example, the drive mechanism control unit 106 notifies the driver via the presenting device that the continuation of the automatic operation control is stopped and the operation is switched to the manual operation control.

Next, the traveling control process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the traveling control process according to the present embodiment. The driving control process described below is started when the driver sets the automatic driving control on. Further, the travel control process shown in FIG. 4 is executed at predetermined intervals.

In step S101, the control device 100 acquires map information from the map database 50. In step S102, the control device 100 acquires road information from the image information of the front of the own vehicle captured by the camera group 10. For example, the control device 100 identifies the white line information of the road from the image information of the road on which the own vehicle travels, and acquires the road shape information along the white line as the road information.

In step S103, the control device 100 acquires the preceding vehicle information from the detection result detected by the distance measuring device 20. For example, the control device 100 acquires the presence / absence of the preceding vehicle, the position of the preceding vehicle, and the distance from the traveling position of the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle as information on the preceding vehicle from the detection result.

In step S104, the first travel route calculation unit 101 calculates the first travel route from the map information acquired in step S101. In step S105, the second travel route calculation unit 102 calculates the second travel route from the preceding vehicle information acquired in step S103. In step S106, the third travel route calculation unit 103 calculates the third travel route from the road information acquired in step S102. When step S106 is completed, the automatic operation control A shown in FIG. 5 is started. Subsequently, the automatic operation control A according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the automatic operation control A.

In step S107, the travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not the first travel route and the third travel route match. That is, the travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not the travel route of the own vehicle based on the map information and the travel route based on the preceding vehicle information match. Specifically, in step S107, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the difference between the first travel route calculated in step S104 and the third travel route calculated in step S106. Then, the difference between the first travel route and the third travel route calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 is input to the travel route determination unit 105. When the difference calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route match. At the same time, the travel path determination unit 105 outputs a determination result that the first travel path and the third travel path match to the drive mechanism control unit 106, and proceeds to step S108. When the difference calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, and proceeds to step S109.

In step S108, the drive mechanism control unit 106 continues the automatic driving control according to the first traveling route based on the determination result determined in step S107 (the first traveling route and the third traveling route match).

In step S109, the travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not the second travel route and the third travel route match. That is, the travel route determination unit 105 determines whether or not the travel route based on the preceding vehicle information and the travel route based on the road information match. Specifically, in step S109, the travel route determination unit 105 transmits a comparison command to the travel route comparison unit 104 so as to compare the second travel route and the third travel route. In response to the comparison command, the travel route comparison unit 104 calculates the difference between the second travel route calculated in step S105 and the third travel route calculated in step S106. Then, the difference between the second travel route and the third travel route calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 is input to the travel route determination unit 105. When the difference calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the second travel route and the third travel route match. At the same time, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, which is determined in step S107, and the second travel route and the third travel route determined in step S109. The match determination result is output to the drive mechanism control unit 106, and the process proceeds to step S110. When the difference calculated by the travel route comparison unit 104 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the second travel route and the third travel route do not match. At the same time, the travel route determination unit 105 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, which is determined in step S107, and the second travel route and the third travel route determined in step S109. The discrepancy determination result is output to the drive mechanism control unit 106, and the process proceeds to step S111.

In step S110, the drive mechanism control unit 106 is set by the determination result determined in steps S107 and S109 (the first travel path and the third travel path do not match, and the second travel path and the third travel path match). 3 Continue automatic driving control while reducing the speed according to the traveling route. In step S110, the drive mechanism control unit 106 automatically determines based on the determination results determined in steps S107 and S109 (the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, and the second travel route and the third travel route do not match). Switch from operation control to manual operation control. When the steps S108, S110, or S111 are completed, the automatic operation control A ends, and the traveling control process ends.

As specific examples of the travel control processing shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the travel routes (first travel route P1, second travel route P2, third travel route P3) shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C and FIGS. 3A and 3B are shown. It will be described with reference to the comparison result of the travel route (comparison result between the first travel route P1 and the third travel route P3, comparison result between the second travel route P2 and the third travel route P3). In steps S101 to 106 shown in FIG. 4, the traveling route shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C is calculated. Hereinafter, the automatic operation control A shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

In step S107, it is determined whether or not the first travel path P1 and the third travel path P3 match. As shown in FIG. 3A, since the distance D _2, which is the difference between the first travel path P1 and the third travel path P3, is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 105 has the first travel path P1 and the third travel path P1. It is determined that the travel path P3 matches, and the process proceeds to step S109.

In step S109, it is determined whether or not the second travel path P2 and the third travel path P3 match. As shown in FIG. 3B, since the distance D ₃ between the second travel path P2 which is a difference between the third traveling path P3 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the travel path determination unit 105, a second travel path P2 third It is determined that the travel path does not match P3, and the process proceeds to step S110.

In step S110, the drive mechanism control unit 106 continues the automatic driving control while reducing the speed according to the third traveling path P3.

As described above, the travel control device 100 according to the present embodiment acquires the information and the map information of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle, and calculates the travel route of the own vehicle based on the map information as the first travel route. Then, the travel route based on the information of the preceding vehicle is calculated as the second travel route. Then, the travel control device 100 controls the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route, and determines whether or not the first travel route and the second travel route match. When the first travel route and the second travel route do not match, the travel control device 100 prohibits controlling the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route. As a result, the accuracy of determining the error in the map information is improved, and it is possible to suppress the control of the running of the vehicle based on the incorrect determination result.

For example, in automatic driving control, a high-precision map is used for the map information of the map database 50 in order to drive the own vehicle according to a traveling route based on the map information. The high-precision map is a map based on the detected road shape by detecting the road shape when the vehicle actually travels on the road, and the map information in the high-precision map has high accuracy. However, for example, when road closures or lane restrictions are implemented due to road construction, or when road signs are changed, even a high-precision map may differ from the actual road shape. In such a case, if the image information captured by the camera group 10, that is, the traveling route based on the road information is used, as described above, the determination accuracy for determining an error in the map information is the image captured by the camera group 10. It depends on the accuracy of the information. The travel control device 100 according to the present embodiment uses not only the travel route based on the road information but also the travel route of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle, thereby improving the determination accuracy for determining an error in the map information. be able to. Therefore, even when the high-precision map and the actual road shape are different, it is possible to suppress the control of the traveling of the vehicle based on the erroneous determination result.

Further, in the present embodiment, the white line of the road on which the own vehicle is traveling is acquired as road information, and the traveling route of the own vehicle based on the road information is calculated as the third traveling route. Then, it is prohibited to control the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route according to the comparison of the first traveling route, the second traveling route, and the third traveling route. As a result, it is determined whether or not the map information is incorrect by comparing a plurality of traveling routes, so that the accuracy of determining whether or not the map information is incorrect is improved. As a result, it is possible to more appropriately suppress the control of the running of the vehicle based on the incorrect map information.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first traveling route and the third traveling route are compared, and the second traveling route and the third traveling route are compared according to the comparison result between the first traveling route and the third traveling route. Then, the travel of the own vehicle is controlled according to the third travel route according to the comparison result between the second travel route and the third travel route. As a result, it is determined whether or not the traveling route based on the road information is incorrect as compared with the traveling route based on the information of the preceding vehicle, so that the accuracy of determining whether or not the road information is incorrect is improved. As a result, it is possible to continue the automatic driving control of the vehicle while more appropriately suppressing the control of the traveling of the vehicle based on the incorrect map information.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the first travel route and the third travel route are compared, and if the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, the second travel route and the third travel route are selected. Compare. Then, when the second traveling route and the third traveling route match, it is prohibited to control the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route. As a result, the accuracy of determining whether or not the map information is incorrect can be improved, and it is possible to prevent the vehicle from being controlled based on the incorrect map information.

It should be noted that the first embodiment described above has been described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and has not been described for limiting the present invention.

For example, in the above-described first embodiment, the first travel route and the second travel route are based on the determination result that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match and the determination result that the second travel route and the third travel route match. Although a configuration that indirectly determines that the vehicle does not match the traveling route is illustrated, the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, the control device 100 may compare the first travel path and the second travel path and directly determine that the first travel path and the second travel path do not match. As a result, it is possible to determine whether or not the first travel path and the second travel route match without calculating the third travel route. Then, when the control device 100 determines that the first traveling route and the second traveling route match, it may determine that the map information is correct. In addition, when the control device 100 determines that the first traveling route and the second traveling route match, the control device 100 may continue the automatic driving control and control the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route. .. Further, when the control device 100 determines that the first traveling path and the second traveling path do not match, the control device 100 may switch from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control. That is, the control device 100 may prohibit controlling the travel according to the first travel route.

<< Second Embodiment >>
Next, the travel control device according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the travel control device 2 according to the second embodiment. The travel control device 2 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as the travel control device 1 according to the first embodiment, except for the sensor group 70, the storage device 80, and the control device 200 described below.

The sensor group 70 is a sensor for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the sensor group 70 includes at least a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed and acceleration of the own vehicle. The steering angle sensor detects steering information related to steering such as the steering amount, steering speed, and steering acceleration of the own vehicle. The yaw rate sensor detects the yaw rate of the own vehicle and the yaw angle of the own vehicle. The sensor group 70 outputs the detection result detected by each sensor to the control device 200.

The storage device 80 is a storage device for recording the traveling history of the own vehicle, and examples thereof include a read / write ROM, an HDD, and the like. In the present embodiment, the travel history of the own vehicle is input from the control device 200 to the storage device 80, and the travel history of the own vehicle is recorded in the storage device 80. For example, the control device 200 records the traveling history of the own vehicle in the storage device 80 every predetermined period of time. Further, the storage device 80 outputs the recorded travel history to the control device 200 in response to an output command from the second travel route calculation unit 202. Examples of the traveling history include not only the traveling position of the own vehicle, the road type on which the own vehicle traveled, the road width, the road shape, the information on the lane, and the setting information of the automatic driving control, but also the information on the traveling state of the vehicle. Be done. Examples of information regarding the running state of the vehicle include vehicle speed and / or acceleration of the vehicle, vehicle steering information, yaw rate and / or yaw angle detected by the sensor group 70.

The control device 200 is the first except that the fourth travel path calculation unit 207 is provided and the functions described below are added to the second travel route calculation unit 202, the travel route determination unit 205, and the drive mechanism control unit 206. It has the same configuration as the control device 100 according to the first embodiment.

The travel history is input from the storage device 80 to the fourth travel route calculation unit 207, the travel position of the own vehicle is input from the position detection device 40, the detection result is input from the sensor group 70, and the second travel route calculation unit A calculation command is input from 202. The fourth travel route calculation unit 207 calculates a travel route (hereinafter, referred to as a fourth travel route) based on the travel history of the own vehicle in response to the calculation command. The fourth travel route calculation unit 207 extracts the travel position corresponding to the current travel position of the own vehicle from the past travel position of the own vehicle included in the travel history, and the corresponding past travel route from the travel history. Is extracted. The fourth travel route calculation unit 207 sets the extracted past travel route as the fourth travel route. The fourth travel route calculation unit 207 uses the current travel state of the own vehicle when extracting the travel route corresponding to the current travel position of the own vehicle from the travel history, thereby more accurately performing the fourth travel route. Can be set. That is, for example, when a plurality of travel routes are extracted from the travel history, the fourth travel route calculation unit 207 includes the past travel state included in the travel history and the current travel state detected by the sensor group 70. By comparing the above, the fourth traveling route can be set accurately. The running conditions to be compared include speed and acceleration, steering information, yaw rate or yaw angle.

The second travel route calculation unit 202 according to the present embodiment has the same function as the function of the second travel route calculation unit 202 according to the first embodiment, except that it differs in processing when the preceding vehicle cannot be recognized. Have. The second travel route calculation unit 202 determines whether or not the information of the preceding vehicle is included by confirming the existence or nonexistence of the preceding vehicle among the detection results of the distance measuring device 20. When the presence of the preceding vehicle can be confirmed from the detection result of the distance measuring device 20, the second traveling route calculation unit 202 calculates the second traveling route from the information of the preceding vehicle. On the contrary, when the existence of the preceding vehicle cannot be confirmed from the detection result of the distance measuring device 20, the second travel route calculation unit 202 does not calculate the second travel route and issues an calculation command to the fourth travel route calculation unit 207. At the same time as outputting, an output command is output to the storage device 80. Further, the second travel route calculation unit 202 outputs the determination result regarding the presence / absence of the preceding vehicle to the travel route determination unit 205.

The travel route determination unit 205 in the present embodiment has different functions depending on the determination result regarding the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle, which is input from the second travel route calculation unit 202. Further, the traveling route determination unit 205 determines whether or not there is an error in the map information based on the determination results of the two traveling routes, as in the first embodiment.

When the preceding vehicle is present, the travel route determination unit 205 performs the same processing as the travel route determination unit 105 according to the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. In this case, since the drive mechanism control unit 206 also performs the same processing as the drive mechanism control unit 206 according to the first embodiment, the description of the drive mechanism control unit 206 when the preceding vehicle is present is also omitted.

Next, the traveling route determination unit 205 will be described when the preceding vehicle does not exist. In the present embodiment, the travel route determination unit 205 first determines whether or not the first travel route and the third travel route match, similarly to the travel route determination unit 105 according to the first embodiment.

When the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route match, the description is omitted because it is the same as the travel route determination unit 105 according to the first embodiment.

When the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, the travel route determination unit 205 instructs the travel route comparison unit 204 to compare the third travel route and the fourth travel route. Is output. Then, the difference between the third travel route and the fourth travel route calculated by the travel route comparison unit 204 according to the comparison command is input to the travel route determination unit 205, and the travel route determination unit 205 receives the third travel route. It is determined whether or not the fourth traveling route matches. Next, the determination results of the third traveling route and the fourth traveling route will be described when the determination results of the first traveling route and the third traveling route do not match.

When the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the third travel route and the fourth travel route match, it determines that the map information is incorrect. In this case, although the third travel route and the fourth travel route match, the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, so that the travel route determination unit 205 has map information. Judge that it is wrong. In this case, the travel route determination unit 205 determines the first travel route and the fourth travel route from the determination results of the first travel route and the third travel route and the determination results of the third travel route and the fourth travel route. Can be indirectly determined to be inconsistent. The travel route determination unit 205 outputs to the drive mechanism control unit 206 a determination result that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match and a determination result that the third travel route and the fourth travel route match.

On the other hand, when the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the third travel route and the fourth travel route do not match, it cannot determine whether or not the map information is incorrect. In this case, since the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, and further, the third travel route and the fourth travel route do not match, the travel route determination unit 205 matches among the three travel routes. There are no two travel routes, and it is not possible to judge the map information. The travel route determination unit 205 outputs to the drive mechanism control unit 106 the determination result of the mismatch between the first travel route and the third travel route and the determination result of the mismatch between the third travel route and the fourth travel route.

Subsequently, the drive mechanism control unit 206 when the preceding vehicle does not exist will be described.

When the determination result that the first traveling path and the third traveling path match is input to the drive mechanism control unit 106, the drive mechanism control unit 206 performs the same processing as the drive mechanism control unit 106 according to the first embodiment. I do. That is, the drive mechanism control unit 206 continues the automatic driving control and controls the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route, that is, the traveling route based on the map information.

Further, when the determination result that the first traveling path and the third traveling path do not match and the determination result that the third traveling path and the fourth traveling path match are input to the drive mechanism control unit 206, the drive mechanism control unit The 206 controls the traveling of the own vehicle while reducing the speed according to the third traveling route. That is, the drive mechanism control unit 106 prohibits controlling the travel according to the first travel route.

Further, when the determination result of the mismatch between the first traveling path and the third traveling path and the determination result of the mismatch between the third traveling path and the fourth traveling path are input to the drive mechanism control unit 206, the drive mechanism control unit 206 switches from automatic operation control to manual operation control. That is, the drive mechanism control unit 206 prohibits controlling the travel according to the first travel route.

Next, the traveling control process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the traveling control process according to the present embodiment. The driving control process described below is started when the driver sets the automatic driving control on. Further, the travel route calculation process shown in FIG. 7 is executed at predetermined intervals.

Since steps S201, S202, S204, and S205 are the same as steps S101, S102, S104, and S106 in the travel control process according to the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S203, the control device 100 acquires the detection result detected by the distance measuring device 20.

In step S206, the second travel route calculation unit 202 determines whether or not the detection result acquired in step S203 includes the preceding vehicle information. For example, the second travel route calculation unit 202 determines whether or not the preceding vehicle information is included by confirming the existence / non-existence information of the preceding vehicle included in the detection result of the distance measuring device 20. When the detection result of the distance measuring device 20 includes the preceding vehicle information, the second traveling route calculation unit 202 acquires the preceding vehicle information and proceeds to step S207. When the detection result does not include the preceding vehicle information, the second travel route calculation unit 202 outputs a calculation command to the fourth travel route calculation unit 207 without calculating the second travel route, and step S208. Proceed to.

In step S207, the second travel route calculation unit 202 calculates the second travel route from the preceding vehicle information acquired in step S206. When step S207 is completed, the automatic operation control A shown in FIG. 5 is started. The description of the automatic operation control A will be omitted.

In step S208, the fourth travel route calculation unit 207 acquires the travel history from the storage device 80. In step S209, the fourth travel route calculation unit 207 calculates the fourth travel route from the travel history acquired in step S208. When step S209 is completed, the automatic operation control B shown in FIG. 8 is started. Subsequently, the automatic operation control B according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the automatic operation control B.

The automatic driving control B shown in FIG. 8 is a flow when the preceding vehicle information is not acquired, that is, when the preceding vehicle cannot be recognized. Since steps S210 and S211 are the same as steps 107 and S108 in the automatic operation control A according to the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S212, the travel route determination unit 205 determines whether or not the third travel route and the fourth travel route match. That is, the travel route determination unit 205 determines whether or not the travel route based on the road information and the travel route based on the travel history match. Specifically, in step S212, the travel route determination unit 205 transmits a comparison command to the travel route comparison unit 204 so as to compare the third travel route and the fourth travel route. The travel route comparison unit 204 calculates the difference between the third travel route calculated in step S205 and the fourth travel route calculated in step S209. Then, the difference between the third travel route and the fourth travel route calculated by the travel route comparison unit 204 is input to the travel route determination unit 205. When the difference calculated by the travel route comparison unit 204 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the third travel route and the fourth travel route match. At the same time, the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, which is determined in step S210, and the third travel route and the fourth travel route determined in step S212. The match determination result is output to the drive mechanism control unit 206, and the process proceeds to step S213. When the difference calculated by the travel route comparison unit 204 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the third travel route and the fourth travel route do not match. At the same time, the travel route determination unit 205 determines that the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, which is determined in step S210, and the third travel route and the fourth travel route determined in step S212. The discrepancy determination result is output to the drive mechanism control unit 206, and the process proceeds to step S214.

In step S213, the drive mechanism control unit 206 sets the third travel path according to the determination result determined in step S212 (the first travel path and the third travel path do not match, and the third travel path and the fourth travel path match). The automatic operation control is continued while reducing the speed according to. In step S214, the drive mechanism control unit 206 is subjected to automatic driving control based on the determination result determined in step S212 (the first traveling path and the third traveling path do not match, and the third traveling path and the fourth traveling path do not match). Switch to manual operation control. When the steps S211, S213, or S214 are completed, the automatic operation control B ends, and the traveling control process ends.

As described above, the travel control device 2 according to the present embodiment records the travel history of the own vehicle, and when the information of the preceding vehicle cannot be acquired, the travel route of the own vehicle based on the travel history is set to the fourth travel route. Calculate as. Then, the travel control device 2 determines whether or not the first travel route and the fourth travel route match. When the third travel route and the fourth travel route do not match, the travel control device 2 prohibits controlling the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route. As a result, even when the preceding vehicle cannot be recognized, the determination accuracy for determining an error in the map information is improved, and it is possible to suppress that the traveling of the vehicle is controlled based on the incorrect determination result.

The first embodiment and the second embodiment described above are described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the control device 100 exemplifies a configuration for specifying the shape of the road on which the own vehicle is traveling based on the image information from the camera group 10. It is not limited to this configuration. For example, the control device 100 may specify the shape of the road based on the information around the own vehicle (median strip, curb, guardrail, etc.) included in the detection result from the distance measuring device 20. Further, the shape of the road may be specified by combining the image information captured by the camera group 10 and the detection result detected by the distance measuring device.

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, when the control device 100 compares the traveling routes, a configuration in which the two traveling routes are compared is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, the control device 100 may compare the first travel path, the second travel path, and the third travel path at the same time. Similarly, in the second embodiment described above, for example, the control device 200 may simultaneously compare the first travel path, the third travel path, and the fourth travel path.

In addition, in the above-described first embodiment, when the first traveling route and the third traveling route do not match, and the second traveling route and the third traveling route match, the control device 100 is the third. Although the configuration in which the automatic driving control is continued while reducing the speed according to the traveling route is illustrated, the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, the control device 100 may continue the automatic driving control according to the third traveling route without reducing the speed. Further, the control device 100 may continue the automatic driving control according to the second traveling route. Further, the control device 100 may switch from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control. That is, the control device 100 may prohibit controlling the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route. Similarly, also in the second embodiment described above, if the first traveling route and the third traveling route do not match, and the third traveling route and the fourth traveling route match, the control device 200 determines. The automatic driving control may be continued according to the third traveling route without reducing the speed. Further, the control device 200 may continue the automatic driving control according to the fourth traveling route. Further, the control device 200 may switch from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control. That is, the control device 200 may prohibit controlling the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route.

Further, in the above-described second embodiment, the configuration in which the control device 200 calculates the fourth travel route based on the travel history of the own vehicle is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, in a system in which a vehicle is equipped with a communication device capable of communicating with an external server, probe information is acquired from a plurality of vehicles on which the external server runs, and probe information of another vehicle is provided to the own vehicle from the external server. May record in the storage device 80 the travel history of the other vehicle included in the probe information of the other vehicle provided from the external server via the communication device. Then, the control device 200 may calculate the fourth traveling route based on the traveling history of another vehicle. As a result, it is possible to calculate a highly reliable travel route even on a road on which the own vehicle has not traveled so far.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, the control device 200 determines that the third traveling path and the fourth traveling path do not match, and when the automatic operation is switched to the manual operation, the control device 200 switches to the manual operation. After that, the traveling position or traveling information of the own vehicle may be recorded in the storage device 80. As a result, the latest travel history of the own vehicle is recorded in the storage device 80, and the calculation accuracy of the fourth travel route is improved. As a result, even when the preceding vehicle cannot be recognized, the determination accuracy for determining an error in the map information can be further improved. As a result, it is possible to prevent the traveling of the vehicle from being controlled based on an erroneous determination result.

The distance measuring device 20 of the traveling control device 1 according to the first embodiment and the traveling control device 2 according to the second embodiment described above corresponds to the sensor of the present invention.

1 ... Travel control device 10 ... Camera group 20 ... Distance measuring device 30 ... Input device 40 ... Position detection device 50 ... Map database 60 ... Drive mechanism 60
100 ... Control device 100
101 ... 1st travel route calculation unit 102 ... 2nd travel route calculation unit 103 ... 3rd travel route calculation unit 104 ... Travel route comparison unit 105 ... Travel route determination unit 106 ... Drive mechanism control unit

Claims (6)

It is a travel control method executed by a control device that controls the travel of the own vehicle.
The control device is
The travel route of the own vehicle based on the map information is calculated as the first travel route, and
Controlling the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route,
It is determined whether or not information including the position of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle can be acquired as the preceding vehicle information.
When it is determined that the preceding vehicle information can be acquired, the traveling route based on the preceding vehicle information is calculated as the second traveling route.
It is determined whether or not the first traveling route and the second traveling route match, and
A travel control method for prohibiting control of the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route when the first travel route and the second travel route do not match. The control device is
Information including the shape of the road on which the own vehicle is traveling is acquired as road information, and the information is obtained.
The travel route of the own vehicle based on the road information is calculated as the third travel route, and
The traveling according to claim 1, which prohibits control of the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route according to the comparison result of the first traveling route, the second traveling route, and the third traveling route. Control method. The control device is
Information including the shape of the road on which the own vehicle is traveling is acquired as road information, and the information is obtained.
The travel route of the own vehicle based on the road information is calculated as the third travel route, and
Comparing the first traveling route and the third traveling route,
The second travel path and the third travel route are compared according to the comparison result between the first travel route and the third travel route, and the comparison result between the second travel route and the third travel route. The traveling control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the traveling of the own vehicle is controlled according to the third traveling route. The control device is
Record the running history of the vehicle and
When the preceding vehicle information cannot be acquired, the traveling route based on the traveling history is calculated as the fourth traveling route.
It is determined whether or not the first traveling route and the fourth traveling route match, and
The traveling control method according to claim 1, wherein when the first traveling route and the fourth traveling route do not match, control of the traveling of the own vehicle according to the first traveling route is prohibited. The control device is
Comparing the first traveling route and the third traveling route,
When the first travel route and the third travel route do not match, the second travel route and the third travel route are compared.
The travel control method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when the second travel route and the third travel route match, control of the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route is prohibited. A sensor that acquires information including the position of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle as preceding vehicle information, and
And a control unit for controlling the traveling of the vehicle,
The control device is
The travel route of the own vehicle based on the map information is calculated as the first travel route, and
Controlling the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route,
It is determined whether or not the information including the position of the preceding vehicle can be acquired as the preceding vehicle information.
When it is determined that the preceding vehicle information can be acquired, the traveling route based on the preceding vehicle information is calculated as the second traveling route.
It is determined whether or not the first traveling route and the second traveling route match, and
A travel control device that prohibits control of the travel of the own vehicle according to the first travel route when the first travel route and the second travel route do not match.