CN110155044B

CN110155044B - Vehicle control device

Info

Publication number: CN110155044B
Application number: CN201811590325.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 落田纯; 加纳忠彦
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-02-15
Filing date: 2018-12-25
Publication date: 2022-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-25
Also published as: JP2019142246A; CN110155044A; JP7018330B2

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device that solves the following problems: even if a sensor or an actuator has a failure during automated driving, a driver may not deal with the failure by excessively believing the automated driving. In the automatic driving mode, the time until the vehicle reaches the detected target (TTC) is estimated, and braking is automatically applied when the TTC is less than a predetermined braking threshold. Here, when a failure occurs in the sensor or the actuator, the braking threshold value is set to be large, and the timing for sending an alarm to the driver is changed to advance, increase the intensity, or extend the time, or the timing for braking is advanced, and the intensity of braking is increased.

Description

Vehicle control device

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to japanese patent application 2018-025337 entitled "vehicle control device" filed on 15.02/2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for performing automatic driving and driving assistance of an automobile, for example.

Background

In automatic driving or driving assistance of a vehicle, a specific direction or all directions of the vehicle is monitored by a sensor, automatic driving of the vehicle in an appropriate route or at an appropriate speed is controlled based on the monitoring result, and driving by a driver is assisted. With such a configuration, when a sensor such as a camera or a driving unit for braking, driving, and steering fails during automatic driving, the vehicle or the driver needs to take care of the failure. Patent document 1 discloses the following technique: in a vehicle provided with two object detection means, the travel assist control is switched to the suppression side in the order of the case where object detection is performed by both the first object detection means and the second object detection means, the case where object detection is performed only by the first object detection means, and the case where object detection is performed only by the second object detection means.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent specification No. 4193765

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In automatic driving, there is a possibility that a delay in control may occur due to a failure of a sensor or a driving unit, and it is also necessary to alert a driver. However, in the automatic driving, when the system continues to perform the control, there may be a case where the reaction of the driver becomes slow with respect to the attention calling of the system.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control device that continues automatic driving even if a failure occurs, and that more easily calls the attention of a driver, and that reduces the risk of a collision.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configurations.

That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to a vehicle control device, characterized by comprising:

periphery monitoring means (41, 42, 43) capable of monitoring the periphery of the vehicle; and

running control means (20-29, 315, 317) for controlling running based on the output of the periphery monitoring device,

the travel control means outputs an alarm or performs at least one of automatic braking of the host vehicle when an operation condition based on a relative relationship between the target and the host vehicle detected by the periphery monitoring means is satisfied,

when at least a part of the travel control means, the periphery monitoring device, and the travel control means has failed, an operation change process is performed to change the operation condition or the degree of operation (step S505).

Alternatively, according to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to a vehicle control device, characterized by having:

when at least a part of the travel control unit, the periphery monitoring device, and the travel control unit has failed, an alarm change process is performed to change an alarm to an alarm different from an alarm in the case where no failure has occurred (step S521).

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device that continues automatic driving even if a failure occurs and reliably reminds a driver of the driver.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, which refers to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle system of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the detection range of the autonomous vehicle according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram for automatic driving control.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a part of the steps of the self-diagnosis and local map creation process performed by the driving control unit.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of the procedure of the action candidate determination processing performed by the driving control unit according to the embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

301: an external recognition unit; 305: a self-position identifying part; 307: a local map; 309: an action candidate determination unit; 311: a route selection unit; 315: a travel control unit; 317: an actuator; 319: a self-diagnosis unit; 321: a state storage unit.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >

Outline of automatic driving and driving assistance

Next, an outline of an example of the automatic driving will be described. In the autonomous driving, a driver sets a destination from a navigation system mounted on a vehicle before traveling, and determines a route to the destination in advance by a server or the navigation system. When the vehicle starts, a vehicle control device (or a driving control device) configured by an ECU or the like included in the vehicle drives the vehicle to a destination along the route. During this period, appropriate action is determined in accordance with the external environment such as the route and road conditions, the state of the driver, and the like, and the vehicle is caused to travel by performing drive control, steering control, brake control, and the like for the action. These controls are also sometimes collectively referred to as running control.

In autonomous driving, there are several levels (or also called modes) depending on the rate of automation (or the amount of tasks requested of the driver). For example, in the top level, the driver may turn his attention to something other than driving. This ranking is performed when control is easy, for example, when following a preceding vehicle due to congestion on a highway. In addition, in the lower level thereof, the driver may not hold the steering wheel, but needs to pay attention to the surrounding situation and the like. This rank can be applied to, for example, a case where a vehicle travels while maintaining a lane on an expressway. This level is also sometimes referred to as the second mode in this example. Further, the driver's attention to the surroundings can be detected by the driver state detection camera, and the gripping of the steering wheel can be detected by the steering wheel grip sensor. In the next lower level, the driver may not perform the steering wheel operation or the throttle operation, but needs to grasp the steering wheel and pay attention to the driving in preparation for passing to the driver. This rank can be applied to branching and merging on a highway, for example. This level is also sometimes referred to as the first mode in this example. In its further lower level, the automation rate is further reduced. The lowest level is manual driving, but sometimes partially automated driving assistance is included.

The driving assistance is a function of assisting a driving operation performed by a driver as a driving subject by peripheral monitoring or partial automation. Examples of the parking function include an automatic braking function for performing braking control when an obstacle is detected while monitoring only the front, a rear monitoring function for detecting a vehicle diagonally behind and prompting the driver to pay attention, and a parking function for parking in a parking space.

Furthermore, there may also be driver intervention in the automatic driving. For example, when the driver performs steering and braking operations in automated driving, the automated driving level may be lowered to a level of driving assistance, giving priority to the driving operations performed by the driver. In this case, after the driver stops the operation, the automatic driving level corresponding to the state of the own vehicle and the external environment may be set again to continue the automatic driving. For example, as an example of the steering operation in the present embodiment, there is a direction indication lamp lever operation during running on a highway by the automatic driving with the automation rate of the first mode or more. For example, when the driver operates the winker in such a state, the vehicle assumes that there is an indication of a lane change and makes a lane change toward the indicated lane. In this case, a travel control unit configured by an ECU or the like performs control such as steering, braking, and driving while monitoring obstacles around the vehicle.

In the case of switching the automatic driving level (or mode), the driver is notified of the situation by sound, display, vibration, or the like. For example, when the automatic driving mode is switched from the first mode to the second mode, the driver is notified of the content that the driver can leave the steering wheel. In the opposite case, the driver is notified to hold the steering wheel. This notification is repeatedly issued until the driver's grip on the steering wheel is detected by the steering wheel grip sensor. Then, for example, if the steering wheel is not held within the time limit or until the limit point of the mode switching, an operation such as stopping the vehicle in a safe place can be performed. The automatic driving is performed substantially as described above, and the following describes the configuration and control for the automatic driving

Constitution of vehicle control device

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and controls a vehicle 1. Fig. 1 shows an outline of a vehicle 1 in a plan view and a side view. As an example, the vehicle 1 is a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger vehicle.

The control device of fig. 1 comprises a control unit 2. The control unit 2 includes a plurality of ECUs 20 to 29 that are connected to be able to communicate via an in-vehicle network. Each ECU includes a processor typified by a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores a program executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like.

Hereinafter, functions and the like carried by each of ECU20 to ECU29 will be described. The number of ECUs and the functions to be borne by the ECUs may be appropriately designed for the vehicle 1, or may be more detailed or integrated than in the present embodiment.

The ECU20 executes control related to automatic driving of the vehicle 1. In the automatic driving, at least one of steering and acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle 1 is automatically controlled. In the control example described later, both steering and acceleration/deceleration are automatically controlled.

The ECU21 controls the electric power steering device 3. The electric power steering apparatus 3 includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in accordance with a driving operation (steering operation) of the steering wheel 31 by the driver. The electric power steering apparatus 3 includes a motor that generates a driving force for assisting a steering operation or automatically steering front wheels, a sensor that detects a steering angle, and the like. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is the automatic driving, the ECU21 automatically controls the electric power steering device 3 in accordance with an instruction from the ECU20, and controls the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

The

ECUs

22 and 23 control the detection units 41 to 43 for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle and process the detection results. The detection means 41 is a camera (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 41) that captures an image of the front of the vehicle 1, and in the case of the present embodiment, two cameras are provided in the cabin of the vehicle 1. By analyzing the image captured by the camera 41, the outline of the target and the dividing line (white line or the like) of the lane on the road can be extracted. The detection unit 41a is a camera for detecting the state of the driver (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a driver state detection camera 41 a), is provided so as to capture the expression of the driver, and is connected to the ECU that performs processing of image data, although not shown. As a sensor for detecting the state of the driver, a steering wheel holding sensor, not shown, is provided. This makes it possible to detect whether or not the driver holds the steering wheel.

The Detection unit 42 is an optical radar (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an optical radar 42) that detects a target around the vehicle 1 and measures a distance to the target. In the present embodiment, five optical radars 42 are provided, one at each corner of the front portion of the vehicle 1, one at the center of the rear portion, and one at each side of the rear portion. The detection unit 43 is a millimeter wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as a radar 43), and detects a target around the vehicle 1 and measures a distance to the target. In the present embodiment, five radars 43 are provided, one at the center of the front portion of the vehicle 1, one at each corner portion of the front portion, and one at each corner portion of the rear portion.

The ECU22 controls one of the cameras 41 and the optical radars 42 and performs information processing of detection results. The ECU23 controls the other camera 41 and each radar 43 and performs information processing of the detection results. By providing two sets of devices for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, the reliability of the detection result can be improved, and by providing different types of detection means such as a camera, an optical radar, and a radar, the surrounding environment of the vehicle can be analyzed in various ways.

The ECU24 controls the gyro sensor 5, the GPS sensor 24b, and the communication device 24c and processes the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 5 detects a rotational motion of the vehicle 1. The course of the vehicle 1 can be determined based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 5, the wheel speed, and the like. The GPS sensor 24b detects the current position of the vehicle 1. The communication device 24c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires these pieces of information. The ECU24 can access the database 24a of map information constructed in the storage device, and the ECU24 performs route search and the like from the current position to the destination.

The ECU25 includes a communication device 25a for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication device 25a performs wireless communication with other vehicles in the vicinity, and performs information exchange between the vehicles.

The ECU26 controls the power unit 6. The power plant 6 is a mechanism that outputs a driving force for rotating the driving wheels of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, an engine and a transmission. The ECU26 controls the output of the engine in accordance with, for example, the driver's driving operation (accelerator operation or accelerator operation) detected by an operation detection sensor 7A provided on the accelerator pedal 7A, or switches the shift speed of the transmission based on information such as the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor 7 c. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is the automatic driving, the ECU26 automatically controls the power unit 6 in accordance with an instruction from the ECU20, and controls acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 1.

The ECU27 controls lighting devices (headlights, tail lights, etc.) including the direction indicator 8. In the case of the example of fig. 1, the direction indicator 8 is provided at the front, door mirror, and rear of the vehicle 1.

The ECU28 controls the input/output device 9. The input/output device 9 outputs information to the driver and receives input of information from the driver. The voice output device 91 reports information to the driver by voice. The display device 92 reports information to the driver through display of an image. The display device 92 is disposed on the front surface of the driver's seat, for example, and constitutes an instrument panel or the like. Note that although voice and display are shown here as examples, information may be reported by vibration or light. Further, a plurality of voice, display, vibration, or light may be combined to report information. Further, the combination may be changed or the manner of reporting may be changed according to the level of information to be reported (e.g., urgency). The input device 93 is a switch group that is disposed at a position where the driver can operate and that gives an instruction to the vehicle 1, and may include a voice input device.

The ECU29 controls the brake device 10 and a parking brake (not shown). The brake device 10 is, for example, a disc brake device, is provided on each wheel of the vehicle 1, and decelerates or stops the vehicle 1 by applying resistance to rotation of the wheel. The ECU29 controls the operation of the brake device 10 in accordance with, for example, the driver's driving operation (braking operation) detected by an operation detection sensor 7B provided on the brake pedal 7B. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is the automatic driving, the ECU29 automatically controls the brake device 10 in accordance with an instruction from the ECU20, and controls deceleration and stop of the vehicle 1. The brake device 10 and the parking brake can be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1. In addition, when the transmission of the power unit 6 includes the parking lock mechanism, the parking lock mechanism may be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1.

When a failure occurs in a sensor or a drive unit that is a control target of the ECU20, for example, each ECU other than the ECU20 detects the state of the failure and notifies the ECU20, for example, that the ECU20 stores the received state as a sensor state or a drive unit state, which will be described later. The state of a failure during operation can be determined by, for example, deviation of a signal from a normal signal level, a delay time, or the like from a signal from a driving unit (actuator) such as a motor or a solenoid, or a sensor.

Surroundings monitoring apparatus

The camera 41, the optical radar 42, and the radar 43 shown in fig. 1 constitute a periphery monitoring device that detects a target or the like around the vehicle. Fig. 2 shows an example of a range of detection by the periphery monitoring apparatus. In fig. 2,

areas

204, 206, 207 and the like indicated by halftone dots represent the detection range of the radar 43. In particular, the region 204 is a region in front of the vehicle 1, and the

regions

206 and 207 are regions behind. The corresponding radar 43 detects a target such as an obstacle or a vehicle in each area, and measures the distance. The radar 43 can detect, for example, a vehicle traveling in the front and rear direction, an obstacle, and the like.

Regions

201, 202, 205, and the like surrounded by broken lines represent the detection range of the optical radar 42. In particular, the

regions

201 and 202 are regions in front of the vehicle 1, and the region 205 is a region behind the vehicle 1. The corresponding optical radar 42 detects a target such as an obstacle or a vehicle in each area, and measures the distance. The optical radar 42 can detect, for example, a vehicle traveling in the right rear direction, a vehicle overtaking in a right lane, and the like. An area 203 indicated by oblique lines indicates the detection range of the camera 41. In this example, two cameras 41 are provided, but only one camera is shown because almost overlapping regions are set as detection ranges. The image captured by the camera 41 is subjected to image recognition, and a white line or the like indicating a traveling lane is specified from the image and used as a reference for lane keeping or lane changing.

In this way, since the detection ranges of different sensors overlap, redundancy of the sensors is achieved. This can further improve the reliability, and can determine a failure of the sensor or the possibility of a failure by comparing detection results of different sensors having the same region as the detection range. For example, the same area is detected by two sensors, i.e., the optical radar 42 and the radar 43, and a target is detected by one sensor and not detected by the other sensor. In this case, it can be inferred that a failure has occurred in either of the two parties. Alternatively, the output signal of the sensor and the like may be monitored by a self-diagnostic circuit not shown, and the failure of the sensor itself may be known. This can estimate a failure of the sensor, i.e., the periphery monitoring device.

Local map

The local map is map information including information indicating a vehicle, an object such as an obstacle, a lane, and the like in a certain range around the own vehicle. The local map may be in a form suitable for information processing, including, for example, information indicating the position, range, distance of an object, information indicating the boundary of a road, a lane, and the like. The local map shows the targets around the vehicle detected by the sensors shown in fig. 2 in a fixed range centered on the vehicle, and is updated, for example, periodically in accordance with the travel of the vehicle. For example, the update interval may be a period of time as long as the control can be performed to ensure safety, taking into account the relative speed between the host vehicle and the opposing vehicle. By continuously updating the local map 307, obstacles, road conditions, and the like around the host vehicle can be referred to in real time. In addition, when traveling forward or backward, The Time (TTC) required for the host vehicle to reach the target can be calculated based on, for example, the relative speed of the host vehicle with respect to the target on the route. Further, in the case where a plurality of targets are detected, the minimum value among TTCs with respect to the respective targets is selected. When the TTC is lower than a predetermined threshold value (hereinafter referred to as a braking threshold value), the driving control device automatically brakes the vehicle during automatic driving or during driving assistance, and warns the driver during manual driving without driving assistance. That is, the satisfaction of the operation condition such as automatic braking is determined based on the relative relationship between the target and the host vehicle. The braking threshold may be a time obtained by adding a delay and a margin (margin) of a vehicle system to a time required for decelerating from a current relative speed of the host vehicle with respect to the target to the earlier of the relative speed being 0 or the host vehicle speed being 0. This is of course only an example. The same applies in both forward and reverse situations. In addition, when the relative speed to the target is higher than the vehicle speed, steering or the like may be involved, but the present embodiment does not take that step into consideration.

Driving control device

Fig. 3 shows a functional block diagram of a driving control device for automatic driving or driving assistance. This driving control apparatus is realized, for example, by the ECU20 shown in fig. 1 executing the steps shown below in fig. 4. Of course, the steps shown in fig. 4 and below are only a very small part of the functions relating to the present embodiment among the functions relating to the automatic driving and the driving assistance realized by the driving control device. For example, when the driver instructs the destination and the vehicle is automatically driven, the ECU20 automatically controls the travel of the vehicle 1 toward the destination according to the guidance route searched by the ECU 24. During automatic control, ECU20 acquires information on the surrounding conditions of vehicle 1 from ECU22, ECU23, and the like, and instructs ECU21, ECU26, ECU29, and the like based on the acquired information to control steering, acceleration, and deceleration of vehicle 1. The content of the steps shown as a functional block diagram corresponds to fig. 3.

The environment recognition unit 301 generates information 303 indicating, for example, the relative speed, position, shape, and image of a target in the periphery, based on external environment information indicating the surrounding situation acquired by a peripheral monitoring device such as the camera 41, the optical radar 42, or the radar 43. Then, based on the information 303, the self-position recognition unit 305 determines the position of the vehicle on the road, the shape and arrangement of the vehicle traveling around the vehicle, and the shape and arrangement of the structures around the vehicle, thereby generating a local map 307. In addition to the information 303, information acquired from other than the peripheral monitoring apparatus, such as map information, may be referred to in order to create the local map 307. In this example, in addition to the local map 307, the state of the vehicle such as information indicating the sensitivity (detection distance, detection range) of the sensor is also supplied to the action candidate determination unit 309 together with the local map.

The action candidate determination unit 309 determines future action candidates using the local map 307 as an input. The action candidate is information indicating an action to be a candidate when determining the action of the host vehicle. The behavior of the vehicle is determined by referring to not only the local map 307 but also the state of the vehicle in addition to the route information up to the destination. The state of the vehicle includes, for example, a state in which a sensor such as the camera 41, the optical radar 42, or the sensor 43 included in the periphery monitoring device, an actuator such as the brake device 10 has a failure, a state in which there is a possibility of a failure, or the like. For example, when a target in the traveling direction (forward or backward) is detected, The Time (TTC) required for the host vehicle to reach the target is estimated, and when the TTC is lower than a predetermined threshold (the braking threshold described above), braking accompanied by a warning to the driver is determined as an action candidate. Here, in the case where each TTC is obtained with respect to a plurality of targets, the minimum value thereof is compared with the braking threshold value. That is, the case where TTC is lower than the predetermined threshold value can be said to be an operation condition for operating the brake. The action candidate may include, for example, information indicating an action, information indicating a degree of the action, and the like, and when the determined action is braking, may include, for example, information indicating that the action is braking, information indicating a timing to start braking, strength of braking, and the like. In addition, when one of the determined action candidates is braking, another action candidate may be prepared, or only braking may be used as a candidate in order to shorten the time required for the subsequent step. The action candidate determination unit 309 may determine the action candidates by referring to the states of the sensors, actuators, and the like stored in the state information storage unit 321, which will be described later. This will be described below with reference to fig. 4 and the like. This is merely an example, and other actions accompanied by steering and driving control can be determined as candidates.

The route selection unit 311 selects one action from among the action candidates determined by the action candidate determination unit 309. This action is an executed action, and steering, driving, and braking are controlled by the vehicle control device. Since there is no room for selection when there is one motion candidate, only one motion candidate is selected. The selection of which candidate from among the plurality of candidates can be determined by various criteria. For example, when the braking is included in the motion candidates, the braking may be preferentially selected. Further, each action candidate may be evaluated, and an action candidate with the highest evaluation may be selected. In short, these are only examples of selection criteria, and other criteria may be applied. The route selection unit 311 also generates route information and speed information 313 that are appropriate for the selected action. The route information and the speed information 313 are input to the travel control unit 315. Alternatively, when the selected action is braking, information indicating the degree of operation of the brake, such as the timing and intensity of braking, may be generated. The route selection unit 311 may select an action with reference to the states of the sensors, actuators, and the like stored in the state information storage unit 321, which will be described later.

The travel control unit 315 controls an operation unit (actuator) such as steering, driving, and braking based on the input route information and the input speed information 313. Further, steering, driving, and braking are controlled in accordance with the situation such as an obstacle around the host vehicle detected by the periphery monitoring device. The self-position recognizer 305, the action candidate determiner 309, and the route selector 311 can be realized by the ECU20, but the travel controller 315 is further realized by performing travel control by the ECU21, the ECU26, the ECU29, or the like. Of course, if necessary, the processing performed by other ECUs may be included. The travel control unit 315 may convert the input route and speed into the control amounts of the actuators using, for example, a conversion map in which the input route and speed are associated with the control amounts of the actuators 317. Then, the travel control is performed using the converted control amount.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle control device further includes a self-diagnosis unit 319 and a state storage unit 321. The state storage 321 includes a sensor state storage 3211 and an operating unit state storage 3212. The self-diagnosis unit 319 is implemented as a part of initial processing when the power supply of the vehicle is in the energized state, or in a state where the automation level of the autonomous driving is low and the processing load is light such as low-speed running. The target may be, for example, sensors such as the camera 41, the optical radar 42, and the radar 43, an actuator such as the brake device 10 (for example, a motor for operating the brake), a control circuit thereof, and the like. In the brake device 10, the actuator can be subjected to diagnosis by an operation unit such as a motor that drives the pump. Of course, other parts than those described herein may be targeted. The information for self-diagnosis may be acquired from the external world recognizing portion 301 and the travel control portion 315. The diagnosis may be performed by, for example, collecting the states determined by the environment recognition unit 301 and the travel control unit 315 based on signals received from the sensor devices and the actuators, or by transmitting and receiving a predetermined pilot signal to and from the sensors and the actuators again, and determining the states based on the response signals. The self-diagnosis unit 319, which acquires the states of the sensors, the drive unit (actuator), and the control circuits thereof, stores the respective states in the sensor state storage unit 3211 and the operating unit state storage unit 3212. The state of the control circuit may be stored in a state storage unit corresponding to the control target.

Further, even if the self-diagnosis is not performed, for example, when a sensor capable of detecting a target and a sensor incapable of detecting a target are included in a region where detection regions of a plurality of sensors overlap, the self-position recognition unit 305 can determine that there is a possibility of a failure in any of the sensors. In this case, the self-position identifying unit 305 may store the sensor that may have a failure and the state thereof in the sensor state storage unit 3211. The travel control unit 315 may store a state detected when controlling the actuator in the operating unit state storage unit 3212.

Saving of sensor and actuator states

Fig. 4 (a) shows an example of a processing procedure performed by the self-diagnosis unit 319. This step is performed in hardware, for example, by the ECU 20. First, the external world identification unit 301 and the travel control unit 315, specifically, the ECUs constituting them, collect self-diagnosis results (step S401). The self-diagnosis result includes a result of transmitting a signal for diagnosis to a sensor or an actuator and diagnosing based on a response of the signal. Then, the collected diagnosis result is stored in the state storage 321 (step S403). The state of the sensor is held in the sensor state storage 3211, and the state of the operating unit is stored in the operating unit state storage 3212. Then, it is determined whether or not the stored state, that is, the diagnosis result includes a content to output a warning (step S405). If the content is included, the warning is first output by display, voice, vibration, or the like at this stage (S407). In the manual driving mode, the display may be only performed to the extent that the display indicating the possibility of the occurrence of the failure is performed. In this way, the states of the sensors, actuators, and the like are acquired and saved by self-diagnosis.

Fig. 4 (B) shows a procedure of the local map creation process performed by the self-position identifying unit 305. First, a local map based on the own vehicle is created based on the self position, the vehicle shape and arrangement of the surrounding vehicles, the shape and arrangement of the surrounding structures, and the like (step S411). At this time, it is determined whether or not there is a sensor that has not detected the same target among the sensors having overlapping detection ranges (step S412), and if there is such a sensor, a possibility of failure occurrence is stored in the sensor state storage unit 3211 as the state of the sensor (step S415). If there is no such sensor, a normal state in which there is no failure is stored in the sensor state storage 3211 as the state of the sensor (step S413). In addition, when there is a sensor that does not detect the same object among sensors having overlapping detection ranges, it is preferable to create a local map with the sensor that detects the object. In this way, the state can be determined and maintained by the sensor in operation. Although not shown, the state in which the travel control unit 315 determines that the actuator (operating unit) such as the brake device 10 is operating can be stored in the operating unit state storage unit 3212 in the same manner as described above.

Fig. 5 shows a part of each process executed by the action candidate determination unit 309 and the route selection unit 311. As described above, these processes are implemented by the ECU20, and therefore the steps of fig. 5 are also processes executed by the ECU 20. The action candidate determination unit 309 acquires the state information stored in the local map 307 and the state storage unit 321 (step S501). Next, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of a failure occurring in the sensor or the working unit based on the acquired state information (step S503). When it is determined that the state information referred to indicates a failure or the possibility of failure, the braking threshold value is changed from the standard value to a threshold value larger than the standard value (step S505). The standard value is a threshold value in a normal state. The degree of increasing the braking threshold value in step S505 may be, for example, a fixed value determined in advance, or may be changed according to the degree of failure. The degree of failure refers to, for example, the number of sensors that are likely to fail when the sensors are involved. In addition, the actuator may have a delay in response time. Further, in the case where step S505 is skipped, the flow branches to step S507, in which case a standard threshold value is set.

Next, it is determined whether or not there is a target whose time (TTC) required for the host vehicle to reach the target is smaller than the set braking threshold value, among the targets in the traveling direction (forward or backward) calculated from the local map (step S507). If such a target exists, it is determined whether the current driving mode is automatic driving or manual driving (step S509). If it is determined that the vehicle is driven manually, it is further determined whether or not there is a possibility that a failure may occur in the sensor or the working unit (step S511). This determination is made on the same basis as in step S503. Here, the target sensor is a sensor for detecting the traveling direction, and the target actuator is an actuator related to braking, for example, the brake device 10. If there is a possibility of a failure, a failure display is performed for the corresponding sensor or operating unit (step S513). On the other hand, if there is no possibility of failure, the process is terminated. In this case, before step S511, an alarm (or warning) may be output that an object that has reached within the time of the braking threshold value is present. In the case of the manual driving mode, since it is not necessary to perform the travel control in accordance with the action plan, the processing can be terminated here.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S509 that the vehicle is automatically driven, the action that is stopped until the target is reached is determined as an action candidate for the target determined to be possessed in step S507 (step S515). The action of this determination includes applying the brake (and may further include the timing, intensity, etc. of the brake) and outputting a warning (alarm) thereof. The warning at this time is a normal content, and is a warning when the sensor and the operating unit of the vehicle are operating normally. Next, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of a failure occurring in the sensor or the working unit (step S519). This determination is performed based on the same criteria as in step S511. If there is a possibility of a failure, the warning level determined in step S515 is reset to a stronger level (step S521). Thereafter, the process moves to the process for selecting a route. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S507 that there is no corresponding target, an action matching the situation at that time is determined as an action candidate (step S517). If a plurality of actions can be acquired, the plurality of actions are determined as candidates. Thereafter, the process branches to step S519.

In step S521, the degree is strengthened by, for example, strengthening the alarm output as a warning, advancing the timing, or extending the warning. The emphasis is to be given to a voice alarm, for example, to increase the volume or to increase the pitch. In the case of a displayed alarm, for example, the alarm may be displayed in a highlighted color or appearance by increasing the brightness and blinking. If it is a vibration alarm, for example, the amplitude is increased, or the vibration period is decreased. Advancing the timing means literally advancing the timing of outputting the alarm. Extended refers to the duration of an alarm that can be extended. In addition, the degree to which the alarm is intensified may be determined according to the degree of failure or the possibility of failure. For example, in the case where a plurality of sensors are made redundant, the alarm may be intensified depending on the number of sensors among which a failure has occurred or the number of sensors having such a possibility. In this case, the alarm is made stronger, more advanced, or longer as the number of sensors that may fail is larger. For example, regarding the number of sensors that have failed, it is sufficient to extend the alarm for each of the sensors by 1 second or the like. In addition, several of the above cases may be combined. Alternatively, the alarm may be intensified according to the degree of the failure or the degree of the possibility thereof. For example, the intensity of the alarm may be increased, the timing may be advanced, and the duration may be extended as the delay from the input signal or the degree of the unsharpness of the captured image captured by the camera 41 is increased. Further, if the actuator fails, an alarm with a higher intensity may be output than when the sensor fails, for example. Further, the alarm intensity may also be changed according to the kind of malfunctioning actuator. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility of a failure in the brake device 10, an alarm having a higher intensity than that of other actuators may be output. In addition, when the degree of the failure of the actuator can be detected, an alarm of an intensity corresponding to the degree may be output.

Further, in step S521, not only the alarm but also the content of the operation may be changed depending on the degree, number, and the like of the failure. For example, if there is a possibility of a failure in the brake device 10, the timing to start braking may be advanced, or the braking force may be increased. Although the above description has been given by taking as an example the case where the action to be mainly executed is braking, the same processing may be performed when the action is turning, lane changing, turning left or turning right, or the like. That is, if there is a possibility that a sensor or an actuator relating to an action to be executed may fail, the alarm may be set to an alarm different from a normal alarm. Alternatively, the content of the operation of the actuator that realizes this action may be different between normal times and failure times.

As described above, an action to be a candidate for the next action can be determined. Thereafter, an action is determined from the candidates. Therefore, first, the route selection unit 311 determines whether or not there are a plurality of action candidates, and if there is one, selects the candidate as the next action, and determines the route and speed information of the action. On the other hand, in the case where there are a plurality of candidates, one of them is selected. Therefore, the candidate action information of each action candidate is evaluated. Then, the candidate action with the highest evaluation is selected as the next action, and the route and speed information of the action are determined. The route information and the speed information created in this way are input to the travel control device (or the travel control unit), and the selected action is realized by controlling each operation unit according to the route and the speed. When the travel control device is configured by a plurality of ECUs, each ECU controls the actuator of each control target in accordance with the determined route and speed. When the action is braking, the brake device 10 is operated according to the setting to perform brake control. In addition, when the selected action is outputting an alarm, the alarm is output by voice, display, vibration, or the like.

Thus, the action during traveling is determined and realized. When the brake control is performed by the automatic driving, the states of the sensor and the operating unit are monitored, and if there is a possibility of a failure, the brake threshold value, which is an example of the operating condition, is changed so that the brake is more easily applied. Further, the alarm output by the driver is set to be changed to an alarm different from the normal alarm when there is a possibility of a malfunction. Further, when there is a possibility of a failure occurring, the content of the operation of the actuator is changed to a content different from the normal one. As a result, the driver is prevented from setting the converter unit for warning and alarm differently between the trouble time and the normal time. Further, by making the timing and content of the work different between the time of failure and the time of normal operation, safer automatic driving can be realized.

In the present embodiment, braking is performed based on a local map. However, the above embodiment can be similarly applied to a system that applies braking under operating conditions that include, for example, a case where TTC for a detected target and a local map are managed separately and the TTC becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Such a system is not driving assistance as it is automatic driving. That is, the invention according to the present embodiment is applicable not only to automatic driving but also to a driving support system.

Summary of the embodiments

The present embodiment described above is summarized as follows.

(1) A first aspect of the present embodiment relates to a vehicle control device including:

if at least a part of the travel control means, the periphery monitoring device, and the travel control means has failed, an operation change process is performed to change the operation condition or the degree of operation (step S505).

With this configuration, it is possible to perform control for appropriately changing the operating conditions or the degree of operation in consideration of safety at the time of failure.

(2) A second aspect of the present embodiment relates to a vehicle control device including:

According to this configuration, it is possible to perform control for appropriately changing the alarm in consideration of safety at the time of failure.

(3) The third aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device according to (1) or (2), characterized in that,

the periphery monitoring unit has a plurality of sensors (41, 42, 43),

at least one of the operation change process and the alarm change process determines the content of the change of the operation condition or the alarm based on the degree of failure of the plurality of sensors or the number of the plurality of sensors that have failed.

According to this configuration, the alarm can be changed in accordance with the degree of failure of the sensor or the like.

(4) A fourth aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device according to (1) or (2), characterized in that,

the travel control unit has a determination unit (309) and an operation unit (317) based on the result of the determination unit,

the travel control means determines the degree of change of the operation condition or the operation based on the degree of failure of the operation means.

According to this configuration, the degree of change of the operation condition or the operation can be changed in accordance with the degree of failure of the operation means, and the state can be appropriately reported to the driver.

(5) A fifth aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device described in (1), wherein,

the travel control means is capable of performing automatic braking of the own vehicle in a driving assistance state,

in the driving assistance state, when a failure occurs in the periphery monitoring device or the travel control unit, the operation change process and an alarm indicating that a failure has occurred are executed, and in a state other than the driving assistance state, an alarm indicating that a failure has occurred is output.

According to this configuration, the operation can be performed only in the case of automatic driving even when a failure occurs.

(6) A sixth aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device according to (2), characterized in that,

in the driving assistance state, when a failure occurs in the periphery monitoring device or the travel control unit, the warning change process and the output of a warning indicating that the failure has occurred are performed, and in a state other than the driving assistance state, the warning indicating that the failure has occurred is output.

(7) A seventh aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device according to (1) or (5), characterized in that,

the periphery monitoring means monitors at least an object in a traveling direction of the host vehicle,

the running control means sets as the operating condition a situation in which the target is likely to be reached within a prescribed time,

in the case where a failure occurs in a part of the periphery monitoring device or the travel control unit,

the predetermined time is set to a longer time by the job change processing.

According to this configuration, when there is a possibility of a failure, the threshold value for determining the possibility of the failure with respect to the target is set to a longer time, so that the driver can be alerted to a more appropriate situation.

(8) An eighth aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device according to (2) or (6), characterized in that,

the alarm change processing advances the alarm timing, increases the alarm intensity, or prolongs the alarm time.

According to this configuration, when there is a possibility of a malfunction, the timing of the warning is advanced and the intensity of the warning is increased, so that a warning more appropriate for the situation can be issued to the driver.

(9) A ninth aspect of the present embodiment is the vehicle control device described in (7), wherein,

by the operation change processing, the timing of the automatic braking is further advanced, or the strength of the automatic braking is improved.

According to this configuration, not only the alarm but also the timing of the automatic braking can be advanced to realize safer control.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus, characterized in that,

the vehicle control device includes:

running control means (20-29, 315, 317) for controlling running based on the output of the periphery monitoring means,

the travel control means outputs an alarm or performs at least one of automatic braking of the host vehicle when an operation condition based on a relative relationship between the target detected by the periphery monitoring means and the host vehicle is satisfied,

when at least a part of the travel control unit, the periphery monitoring unit, and the travel control unit has failed, an alarm change process is performed to change an alarm to an alarm different from an alarm in the case where no failure has occurred (step S521).

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

if at least a part of the travel control means, the periphery monitoring means, and the travel control means has failed, an operation change process is further performed to change the operation condition or the degree of operation (step S505).

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the periphery monitoring unit has a plurality of sensors (41, 42, 43),

the alarm change process determines the content of the change of the alarm based on the degree of failure of the plurality of sensors or the number of the plurality of sensors having failed.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2,

the periphery monitoring unit has a plurality of sensors (41, 42, 43),

the operation change process determines the operation condition or the degree of operation based on the degree of failure of the plurality of sensors or the number of the plurality of sensors having failed.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2,

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2,

in the driving assistance state, when the peripheral monitoring unit or the travel control unit has failed, the operation change process and the output of the warning indicating that the failure has occurred are performed, and in a state other than the driving assistance state, the warning indicating that the failure has occurred is output.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

in the driving assistance state, when the peripheral monitoring unit or the travel control unit has failed, the warning change process and the output of a warning indicating that the failure has occurred are performed, and in a state other than the driving assistance state, the warning indicating that the failure has occurred is output.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2 or 6,

in the case where a failure occurs in a part of the periphery monitoring unit or the travel control unit,

the predetermined time is set to a longer time by the job change processing.

9. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 or 7,

the alarm change processing advances the timing of the alarm, increases the intensity of the alarm, or extends the time of the alarm.

10. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8,