CN110685514A - Vehicle and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a control technique related to locking/unlocking a door, which ensures both the safety of a driver and the convenience of getting off from a vehicle. The present invention relates to a vehicle, including: a door lock control unit that controls locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle; and a drive control unit that executes stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined travel continuation condition is not satisfied during travel of the vehicle, wherein the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on a manner of stopping the vehicle in the stop control when the stop control is executed.

Description

Vehicle and control method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle such as an autonomous vehicle and a control method.

Background

There has been proposed a stop control for decelerating and stopping a vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle. As one example, patent document 1 discloses a technique that, after such control is performed, can prevent the driver from accidentally moving outside the vehicle by invalidating the door opening operation or the like of the driver, and can open the door or the like from outside the vehicle for the need of a rescue activity.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2014-24368

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

When the vehicle is in a door-locked state during a stop, it is advantageous in terms of keeping the driver inside the vehicle for protection. On the other hand, if the doors of the vehicle are unlocked during the stop, it is advantageous in that the driver can smoothly escape from the outside of the vehicle or the driver can perform a rescue operation from the outside of the vehicle. Further, which of the locking and unlocking of the door is advantageous in terms of the safety of the driver differs depending on the condition of the vehicle.

The present invention aims to provide a control technique related to door locking/unlocking that ensures both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle.

Means for solving the problems

According to the present invention, for example, there is provided a vehicle including:

a door lock control unit that controls locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle; and

a drive control unit that executes a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined travel continuation condition is not satisfied during travel of the vehicle,

the vehicle is characterized in that it is provided with a vehicle,

the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on a manner of stopping of the vehicle in the stop control in a case where the stop control is executed.

Further, according to the present invention, for example, there is provided a control method of a vehicle,

the control method is characterized by comprising:

a driving control step of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step of controlling locking and unlocking of a door of the vehicle based on a manner of stopping of the vehicle in the stop control when the stop control is executed.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that can ensure both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle and a control system according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a vehicle and a control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a control system.

Fig. 4 (a) and 4 (B) are explanatory views showing examples of the travel control.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 11 (a) to 11 (D) are explanatory views showing examples of stop positions in the stop control.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 13 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment, and fig. 13 (B) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 14 (a) to 14 (C) are explanatory views showing examples of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 15 (a) and 15 (B) are explanatory views showing an example of a report concerning the state of the door lock.

Fig. 16 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment, and fig. 16 (B) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 17 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment, and fig. 17 (B) and 17 (C) are explanatory diagrams showing an example of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 18 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment, and fig. 18 (B) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 19 (a) and 19 (B) are flowcharts showing examples of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment, and fig. 19 (C) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 20 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment, and fig. 20 (B) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of door locking/unlocking.

Fig. 21 (a) and 21 (B) are explanatory views showing an example of suppression of unlocking.

Fig. 22 (a) and 22 (B) are flowcharts showing an example of processing executed in the control system according to the embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

V: a vehicle; 1: a vehicle control system; 1A: a control device; 1B: a control device; 20A: an ECU; 21A: an ECU; 21B: an ECU; 26B: an ECU; D1-D4: a vehicle door.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >

Fig. 1 to 3 are block diagrams of a vehicle V and a control system 1 thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 and 2 show an outline of the vehicle V in a plan view and a side view. As an example, the vehicle V is a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger car and has four doors D1 to D4. The vehicle V in the present embodiment has two seats in the front row and two seats in the rear row. The right seat of the front row is a driver seat, and the left seat is a passenger seat. The doors D1 and D3 are doors on the right side of the vehicle V, and the doors D2 and D4 are doors on the left side of the vehicle V.

When the doors D1 and D2 are distinguished between the driver seat side and the passenger seat side, the door D1 is the door on the right side of the driver seat, and the door D2 is the door on the passenger seat side. If the left seat of the front row is the driver seat and the right seat is the passenger seat, the door D2 is the left door of the driver seat and the door D1 is the door on the passenger seat side.

The control system 1 includes a control device 1A and a control device 1B. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a control device 1A, and fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device 1B. Fig. 3 mainly shows the configuration of a communication line and a power supply between the control device 1A and the control device 1B.

The control device 1A and the control device 1B overlap or make redundant a part of functions realized by the vehicle V. This can improve the reliability of the system. The control device 1A performs travel assist control for avoiding danger or the like in addition to normal operation control in automatic driving control or manual driving, for example. The control device 1B is mainly responsible for driving assistance control related to avoiding danger and the like. The driving assistance is sometimes referred to as driving assistance. By making the functions redundant and executing different control processes by the control device 1A and the control device 1B, it is possible to improve the reliability while dispersing the control processes.

The vehicle V of the present embodiment is a parallel hybrid vehicle, and fig. 2 schematically illustrates a configuration of a power plant 50 that outputs a driving force for rotating the driving wheels of the vehicle V. The power unit 50 has an internal combustion engine EG, a motor M, and an automatic transmission TM. The motor M can be used as a drive source for accelerating the vehicle V, and can also be used as a generator (regenerative braking) in the case of deceleration or the like.

< control device 1A >

The configuration of the control device 1A will be described with reference to fig. 1. The control device 1A includes an ECU group (control unit group) 2A. The ECU group 2A includes a plurality of ECUs 20A to 29A. Each ECU includes a processor typified by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), 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. The number of ECUs and the functions in charge can be appropriately designed, and can be further refined or integrated than in the present embodiment. Note that, in fig. 1 and 3, names of representative functions of the ECUs 20A to 29A are labeled. For example, the ECU20A is described as an "automatic driving ECU".

The ECU20A executes control relating to automated driving as running control of the vehicle V. In the automatic driving, at least one of driving (acceleration of the vehicle V by the power plant 50, etc.), steering, and braking of the vehicle V is automatically performed without depending on a driving operation by the driver. In the present embodiment, driving, steering, and braking are automatically performed.

The ECU21A is an environment recognition unit that recognizes the running environment of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 32A that detect the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V. The objects detected by the detection units 31A and 32A include other vehicles traveling around the vehicle V. The ECU21A generates target data as the surrounding environment information.

In the present embodiment, the detection unit 31A is an imaging device (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a camera 31A) that detects an object around the vehicle V by imaging. The camera 31A is attached to the roof front of the vehicle V and to the cabin inner side of the front window so as to be able to photograph the front of the vehicle V. By analyzing the image captured by the camera 31A, the outline of the target and the lane lines (white lines, etc.) on the road can be extracted.

In the present embodiment, the detection unit 32A is a LightDetection and Ranging (LIDAR: optical radar) that detects objects around the vehicle V with light (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an optical radar 32A), detects targets around the vehicle V, and measures a distance to the targets. In the present embodiment, five optical radars 32A are provided, one at each corner of the front portion of the vehicle V, one at the center of the rear portion, and one at each side of the rear portion. The number and arrangement of the optical radars 32A can be appropriately selected.

The ECU29A is a travel assist unit that executes control relating to travel assist (in other words, driving assist) as travel control of the vehicle V based on the detection result of the detection unit 31A.

The ECU22A is a steering control unit that controls the electric power steering device 41A. The electric power steering device 41A includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in accordance with a driving operation (steering operation) of the steering wheel ST by the driver. The electric power steering device 41A includes a motor that generates a driving force for assisting a steering operation or automatically steering front wheels, a sensor that detects a rotation amount of the motor, a torque sensor that detects a steering torque applied to a driver, and the like.

The ECU23A is a brake control unit that controls the hydraulic pressure device 42A. The braking operation of the brake pedal BP by the driver is converted into a hydraulic pressure at the brake master cylinder BM and transmitted to the hydraulic device 42A. The hydraulic device 42A is an actuator capable of controlling the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the brake devices (for example, disc brake devices) 51 provided on the respective four wheels based on the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the master cylinder BM, and the ECU23A controls the driving of the solenoid valves and the like provided in the hydraulic device 42A. In the present embodiment, the ECU23A and the hydraulic device 42A constitute an electric servo brake, and the ECU23A controls the distribution of the braking force by the four brake devices 51 and the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor M, for example.

The ECU24A is a stop maintaining control unit that controls the electric parking lock device 50a provided in the automatic transmission TM. The electric parking lock device 50a mainly includes a mechanism for locking an internal mechanism of the automatic transmission TM when the P range (parking range) is selected. If the internal mechanism of the automatic transmission TM is locked, the vehicle V can be mechanically kept stopped. An operation of the driver selecting the P range (e.g., a selection operation of a shift lever) is one of the stop maintaining operations. The ECU24A can control locking and unlocking by the electric parking lock device 50 a.

The ECU25A is an in-vehicle report control unit that controls the information output device 43A that reports information to the inside of the vehicle. The information output device 43A includes, for example, a display device such as a head-up display, and a voice output device. Further, a vibration device may also be included. The ECU25A causes the information output device 43A to output various information such as vehicle speed and outside air temperature, and information such as route guidance.

The ECU26A is a vehicle exterior notification control unit that controls an information output device 44A that reports information to the outside of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the information output device 44A is a hazard lamp (direction indicator), and the ECU26A can notify the traveling direction of the vehicle V to the outside of the vehicle by performing blinking control of the information output device 44A as the direction indicator, and can increase the attention of the outside of the vehicle to the vehicle V by performing blinking control of the information output device 44A as the hazard lamp.

The ECU27A is a drive control unit that controls the power unit 50. In the present embodiment, one ECU27A is assigned to the power plant 50, but one ECU may be assigned to each of the internal combustion engine EG, the motor M, and the automatic transmission TM. The ECU27A controls the output of the internal combustion engine EG and the motor M or switches the shift speed of the automatic transmission TM in accordance with, for example, the driver's driving operation detected by the operation detection sensor 34a provided on the accelerator pedal AP and the operation detection sensor 34b provided on the brake pedal BP, the vehicle speed, and the like. Further, the automatic transmission TM is provided with a rotation speed sensor 39 that detects the rotation speed of the output shaft of the automatic transmission TM as a sensor that detects the traveling state of the vehicle V. The vehicle speed of the vehicle V can be calculated based on the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39.

The ECU28A is a position recognition unit that recognizes the current position and the travel path of the vehicle V. The ECU28A controls the gyro sensor 33A, GPS, the sensor 28b, and the communication device 28c, and performs information processing of the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 33A detects a rotational motion of the vehicle V. The travel path of the vehicle V can be determined from the detection result of the gyro sensor 33A and the like. The GPS sensor 28b detects the current position of the vehicle V. The communication device 28c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires these pieces of information. The database 28a can store highly accurate map information, and the ECU28A can specify the position of the vehicle V on the lane more accurately based on the map information and the like.

The input device 45A is disposed in the vehicle so as to be operable by the driver, and receives an instruction and information input from the driver.

< control device 1B >

The configuration of the control device 1B will be described with reference to fig. 2. The control device 1B includes an ECU group (control unit group) 2B. The ECU group 2B includes a plurality of ECUs 21B to 28B. 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. The number of ECUs and the functions in charge can be appropriately designed, and can be further detailed or integrated than in the present embodiment. Note that, in fig. 2 and 3, names of representative functions of the ECUs 21B to 28B are labeled, as in the ECU group 2A.

The ECU21B is an environment recognition unit that recognizes the running environment of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the detection units 31B, 32B that detect the surrounding situation of the vehicle V, and is a running assist unit that executes control relating to running assist (in other words, driving assist) as running control of the vehicle V. The objects detected by the detection units 31B and 32B include other vehicles traveling around the vehicle V. The ECU21B generates target data as the surrounding environment information.

In the present embodiment, the ECU21B is configured to have the environment recognition function and the travel assist function, but it may be provided with separate ECUs for each function as the ECU21A and the ECU29A of the control device 1A. Conversely, the control device 1A may be configured such that the functions of the ECU21A and the ECU29A are realized by one ECU, as in the ECU 21B.

In the present embodiment, the detection unit 31B is an imaging device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a camera 31B.) that detects an object around the vehicle V by imaging. The camera 31B is attached to the roof front portion of the vehicle V and to the cabin inner side of the front window so as to be able to photograph the front of the vehicle V. By analyzing the image captured by the camera 31B, the contour of the target and the lane lines (white lines, etc.) on the road can be extracted. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 32B is a millimeter wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as a radar 32B) that detects objects around the vehicle V by radio waves, and detects a target around the vehicle V or measures a distance to the target. In the present embodiment, five radars 32B are provided, one at the center of the front portion of the vehicle V, one at each corner portion of the front portion, and one at each corner portion of the rear portion. The number and arrangement of the radars 32B can be appropriately selected.

The ECU22B is a steering control unit that controls the electric power steering device 41B. The electric power steering device 41B includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in accordance with a driving operation (steering operation) of the steering wheel ST by the driver. The electric power steering apparatus 41B includes a motor that generates a driving force for assisting a steering operation or automatically steering front wheels, a sensor that detects a rotation amount of the motor, a torque sensor that detects a steering torque applied to a driver, and the like. The steering angle sensor 37 is electrically connected to the ECU22B via a communication line L2 described below, and the electric power steering device 41B can be controlled based on the detection result of the steering angle sensor 37. The ECU22B can acquire the detection result of the sensor 36 that detects whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel ST, and can monitor the gripping state of the driver. That is, the sensor 36 is one of the detection means that detects the state of the passenger.

The ECU23B is a brake control unit that controls the hydraulic pressure device 42B. The braking operation of the brake pedal BP by the driver is converted into a hydraulic pressure at the brake master cylinder BM and transmitted to the hydraulic device 42B. The hydraulic device 42B is an actuator capable of controlling the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the brake devices 51 of the respective wheels based on the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the master cylinder BM, and the ECU23B performs drive control of the solenoid valves and the like provided in the hydraulic device 42B.

In the present embodiment, the wheel speed sensor 38, the Yaw Rate (Yaw Rate) sensor 33B, and the pressure sensor 35 that detects the pressure in the master cylinder BM, which are provided on each of the four wheels, are electrically connected to the ECU23B and the hydraulic device 42B, and the ABS function, the traction control function, and the attitude control function of the vehicle V are realized based on the detection results thereof. For example, the ECU23B adjusts the braking force of each wheel based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensors 38 provided for the four wheels, respectively, and suppresses the skid of each wheel. Further, the braking force of each wheel is adjusted based on the rotational angular velocity about the vertical axis of the vehicle V detected by the yaw rate sensor 33B, and a sudden attitude change of the vehicle V is suppressed.

The ECU23B also functions as a vehicle exterior notification control means for controlling the information output device 43B for reporting vehicle exterior information. In the present embodiment, the information output device 43B is a brake lamp, and the ECU23B can turn on the brake lamp in the case of braking or the like. This can increase the attention of the rear vehicle to the vehicle V.

The ECU24B is a stop maintaining control unit that controls an electric parking brake device (e.g., a drum brake) 52 provided at the rear wheels. The electric parking brake device 52 includes a mechanism for locking the rear wheels, and is capable of mechanically maintaining the vehicle V at a stop. The operation (for example, the selection operation of the parking lever) by which the driver selects the operation of the electric parking brake device 52 is one of the stop maintaining operations. The ECU24B can control locking and unlocking of the rear wheels by the electric parking brake device 52.

The ECU25B is an in-vehicle report control unit that controls an information output device 44B that reports information to the inside of the vehicle and a door indicator 25a provided on the inside of each of the doors D1 to D4. In the present embodiment, the information output device 44B includes a display device disposed on the instrument panel. ECU25B enables information output device 44B to output various information such as vehicle speed and fuel efficiency. The door indicator 25a is a belt-like light that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle V. In the present embodiment, the door indicator 25a reports the state of at least one of the doors D1 to D4 locked and unlocked to the driver. For example, when the door D1 is in the unlocked state, the door indicator 25a of the door D1 is illuminated green. When the door D2 is in the locked state, the door indicator 25a of the door D2 is illuminated red. This allows the driver to immediately recognize which door can be opened and closed and which door cannot be opened and closed. The information output device 44B can also report the locking and unlocking of the doors D1 to D4 as described above. For example, when the door D1 is in the unlocked state, the information output device 44B displays a message "the right door can be opened and closed" to give a notification. When the door D2 is in the locked state, the information output device 44B displays a message "the left door cannot be opened or closed" to notify. The message as described above may be reported by voice.

The ECU26B is a door lock control unit that controls the electric door lock device 26 a. The electric door lock devices 26a are provided in the doors D1 to D4, respectively, and can be operated independently. The ECU26B can control the operating state of the electric door lock device 26a to a door locked state in which the closed door is fixed to the vehicle body and cannot be opened or closed, and an unlocked state in which the closed door is not fixed to the vehicle body and can be opened or closed. The ECU26B is also electrically connected to the operation detection unit 26 b. The operation detection means 26b is, for example, a sensor or the like that detects a centralized door lock/unlock switch provided near the driver's seat and operable by the driver, and operations (door opening operations) of door handles on the indoor sides of the doors D1 to D4. When the driver performs a lock release instruction operation on an operation member to be detected by the operation detection unit 26b while the vehicle V is stopped and the operation detection unit 26b detects the operation, the ECU26B controls the electric door lock device 26a to be in the unlocked state. Further, the lock release instruction may be received by voice from the driver.

The ECU27B is a state recognition unit that recognizes the state of the passenger based on the detection result of the detection unit 27a that detects the state of the passenger. The identified object may be the entire passenger or only the driver himself. In the present embodiment, the detection means 27a is a camera (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 27a) for taking an image of the vehicle interior. Whether the driver is sound or not can be discriminated from the captured image of the camera 27 a. For example, whether or not the driver is performing the periphery monitoring of the vehicle V can be determined by recognizing the movement of the driver's sight line, and if it is determined that the driver is performing the periphery monitoring, it can be determined that the driver is sound. Alternatively, it is possible to recognize whether the driver is awake or unconscious by recognizing the pupils of the driver, and it is possible to recognize that the driver is sound when the driver is considered to be awake. Alternatively, whether or not the driver is performing the driving operation can be determined by recognizing the movement of the hands and feet of the driver, and when it is determined that the driver is performing the driving operation, it can be determined that the driver is sound.

Further, a biosensor may be employed as the detection unit 27a instead of the camera 27a or at the same time. Examples of the biosensor include a heart rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a body temperature sensor. The detection result of the biosensor as described above can be used as information for identifying whether or not the driver is healthy.

The ECU28B is a communication control unit provided with the communication device 28 a. The ECU28B can detect another vehicle traveling around the vehicle V by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. That is, the communication device 28a can be used as a means for detecting another vehicle.

The input device 45B is disposed in the vehicle interior so as to be operable by the driver and receives an instruction and information input from the driver.

< communication line >

An example of a communication line of the control system 1 for connecting ECUs to each other so as to enable communication will be described with reference to fig. 3. The control system 1 includes wired communication lines L1 to L7. The ECUs 20A to 27A and ECU29A of the control device 1A are connected to the communication line L1. Further, the ECU28A may be connected to the communication line L1.

The ECUs 21B to 28B of the controller 1B are connected to a communication line L2. Further, the ECU20A of the control device 1A is also connected to the communication line L2. A communication line L3 connects the ECU20A with the ECU21B, and a communication line L4 connects the ECU20A with the ECU 21A. The communication line L5 connects the ECU20A, the ECU21A, and the ECU 28A. The communication line L6 connects the ECU29A with the ECU 21A. The communication line L7 connects the ECU29A with the ECU 20A.

The protocols of the communication lines L1 to L7 may be the same or different, and may be different depending on the communication environment such as communication speed, communication volume, and durability. For example, the communication lines L3 and L4 may be Ethernet (registered trademark) in terms of communication speed. For example, the communication lines L1, L2, L5 to L7 may be CAN.

The control device 1A includes a gateway GW. The gateway GW relays a communication line L1 and a communication line L2. Therefore, for example, the ECU21B can output a control command to the ECU27A via the communication line L2, the gateway GW, and the communication line L1.

< Power supply >

The power supply of the control system 1 is explained with reference to fig. 3. The control system 1 includes a large-capacity battery 6, a power supply 7A, and a power supply 7B. The large-capacity battery 6 is a battery for driving the motor M and is a battery charged by the motor M.

The power supply 7A is a power supply for supplying electric power to the control device 1A, and includes a power supply circuit 71A and a battery 72A. The power supply circuit 71A is a circuit that supplies power of the large-capacity battery 6 to the control device 1A, and for example, steps down an output voltage (for example, 190V) of the large-capacity battery 6 to a reference voltage (for example, 12V). The battery 72A is, for example, a 12V lead battery. By providing the battery 72A, even when the power supply to the large-capacity battery 6 or the power supply circuit 71A is cut off or reduced, the power can be supplied to the control device 1A.

The power supply 7B is a power supply for supplying electric power to the control device 1B, and includes a power supply circuit 71B and a battery 72B. The power supply circuit 71B is a circuit similar to the power supply circuit 71A, and supplies the control device 1B with electric power of the large-capacity battery 6. The battery 72B is the same battery as the battery 72A, and is, for example, a 12V lead battery. By providing the battery 72B, even when the power supply to the large-capacity battery 6 or the power supply circuit 71B is cut off or reduced, the power can be supplied to the control device 1B.

< redundancy >

The sharing of the functions of the control device 1A and the control device 1B will be described. The reliability of the control system 1 can be improved by making the same function redundant. In addition, a part of the redundant functions are not overlapped with the completely same functions, but different functions are exerted. This suppresses an increase in cost due to redundancy of functions.

[ actuator system ]

Good direction of turning

The control device 1A has the electric power steering device 41A and the ECU22A that controls it. The control device 1B also includes an electric power steering device 41B and an ECU22B that controls the same.

Good braking

The control device 1A has the hydraulic device 42A and the ECU23A that controls it. The control device 1B has the hydraulic device 42B and the ECU23B that controls it. The above-described members can be applied to braking of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the brake mechanism of the control device 1A has a main function of distributing the braking force by the brake device 51 and the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor M, whereas the brake mechanism of the control device 1B has a main function of attitude control or the like. Both of them are common in braking, but they exhibit different functions.

Good quality stopping maintenance

The control device 1A has the electric parking lock device 50a and the ECU24A that controls it. The control device 1B has the electric parking brake device 52 and the ECU24B that controls it. The above-described members can be applied to maintain the vehicle V stopped. On the other hand, the electric parking lock device 50a is a device that functions when the P range of the automatic transmission TM is selected, and the electric parking brake device 52 is a device that locks the rear wheels. The two are common in maintaining the stop of the vehicle V, but they have different functions.

Good for in-vehicle report

The control device 1A has an information output device 43A and an ECU25A that controls it. The control device 1B has an information output device 44B, an indicator 25a, and an ECU25B that controls them. The above-described components can all be applied to reporting information to the driver. On the other hand, the information output device 43A is, for example, a head-up display, and the information output device 44B is a display device such as an instrument. The both are common in the point of in-vehicle reporting, but different display devices can be used.

Good external report

The control device 1A has an information output device 44A and an ECU26A that controls it. The control device 1B has an information output device 43B and an ECU23B that controls it. The above-described members can be applied to report information to the outside of the vehicle. On the other hand, the information output device 44A is a direction indicator (hazard lamp) and the information output device 43B is a brake lamp. The two functions are common in the point of external reporting, but they are different from each other.

Good at different points

The control device 1A has the ECU27A for controlling the power plant 50, whereas the control device 1B does not have an independent ECU for controlling the power plant 50. In the present embodiment, the control device 1A and the control device 1B can each independently perform steering, braking, and stop maintenance, and even when a performance reduction, a power supply interruption, or a communication interruption occurs in either the control device 1A or the control device 1B, it is possible to reduce the speed while suppressing lane departure and maintain the stopped state. As described above, the ECU21B can output a control command to the ECU27A via the communication line L2, the gateway GW, and the communication line L1, and the ECU21B can also control the power unit 50. The control device 1B does not include an independent ECU that controls the power plant 50, and thus can suppress an increase in cost.

The control device 1B includes the ECU26B that controls the door lock device 26a, whereas the control device 1A does not include the ECU 26B. However, the ECU26B may be provided in the control device 1A, or a control unit having the same function may be provided in the control device 1A. The ECUs 20A and 29A of the control device 1A can communicate with the ECU26B via the communication lines L1 and L2 to output a control command, or conversely can acquire information.

[ sensor system ]

Detection of good peripheral conditions

The control device 1A includes a detection unit 31A and a detection unit 32A. The control device 1B includes a detection unit 31B, a detection unit 32B, and a communication device 28 a. The above-described members can be applied to the detection of other vehicles and the recognition of the running environment of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the detection unit 32A is an optical radar, and the detection unit 32B is a radar. Optical radars are generally advantageous in the detection of shape. In addition, radars are generally cost-advantageous over optical radars. By using the sensors having different characteristics, it is possible to improve the target recognition performance and reduce the cost. The detection units 31A, 31B are both cameras, but cameras having different characteristics may be used. For example, one may be a camera with a higher resolution than the other. In addition, the viewing angles may be different from each other.

In comparison of the control device 1A and the control device 1B, the detection characteristics of the detection unit 31A and the detection unit 32A may be different from those of the detection unit 31B and the detection unit 32B. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 32A is an optical radar, and the detection performance of the edge of the target is generally higher than that of the radar (detection unit 32B). In addition, radar is generally superior to optical radar in relative speed detection accuracy and weather resistance.

Further, assuming that the camera 31A is a camera having a higher resolution than the camera 31B, the detection performance of the detection unit 31A and the detection unit 32A is higher than that of the detection unit 31B and the detection unit 32B. By combining a plurality of sensors having different detection characteristics and costs, a cost advantage may be obtained when the entire system is considered. Further, by combining sensors having different detection characteristics, it is possible to reduce missing detection and erroneous detection compared to the case where the same sensor is made redundant.

Good vehicle speed

The control device 1A has a rotation speed sensor 39. The control device 1B has a wheel speed sensor 38. The above-described members can be applied to detecting the vehicle speed. On the other hand, the rotation speed sensor 39 detects the rotation speed of the output shaft of the automatic transmission TM, and the wheel speed sensor 38 detects the rotation speed of the wheels. The two sensors are common in that they can detect the vehicle speed, but they are sensors whose detection targets are different from each other.

Good yaw rate

The control device 1A has a gyro sensor 33A. The control device 1B has a yaw rate sensor 33B. The above-described members can be applied to detecting an angular velocity about a vertical axis of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the gyro sensor 33A is applied to determine the traveling path of the vehicle V, and the yaw rate sensor 33B is applied to attitude control of the vehicle V and the like. The two sensors are common in that they can detect the angular velocity of the vehicle V, but are different from each other for the purpose of use.

Good steering angle and steering torque

The control device 1A has a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor of the electric power steering device 41A. The control device 1B has a steering angle sensor 37. The above members can be applied to detecting the steering angle of the front wheels. In the control device 1A, a sensor for detecting the rotation amount of the motor of the electric power steering device 41A is used without adding the steering angle sensor 37, and thus an increase in cost can be suppressed. However, the steering angle sensor 37 may be added and the steering angle sensor 37 may be provided in the control device 1A.

Further, since each of the electric power steering devices 41A and 41B includes a torque sensor, the steering torque can be recognized by each of the control devices 1A and 1B.

Good quality brake operation amount

The control device 1A has an operation detection sensor 34 b. The control device 1B has a pressure sensor 35. The above-described members can be applied to detection of the amount of brake operation by the driver. On the other hand, the operation detection sensor 34b is used to control the distribution of the braking force by the four brake devices 51 and the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor M, and the pressure sensor 35 is used to perform the attitude control and the like. The two sensors are common in detecting the amount of brake operation, but are different from each other for the purpose of use.

○ difference (detection of passenger state)

In the detection of the state of the passenger, the ECU22B of the control device 1B can acquire the detection result of the sensor 36 that detects whether the driver grips the steering wheel ST, and the control device 1B has the ECU27B that recognizes the state of the passenger based on the detection result of the detection unit 27a, whereas the control device 1A does not have the ECU22B and the ECU 27B. However, the control device 1A may be provided with the detection result of the sensor 36, the detection unit 27a and the ECU27B in the control device 1A, or the control device 1A may be provided with a configuration having the same function. ECU20A and ECU29A of control device 1A can communicate with ECU22B and ECU27B via communication lines L1 and L2 to output control commands, or conversely can acquire information.

[ Power supply ]

The control device 1A receives supply of electric power from the power supply 7A, and the control device 1B receives supply of electric power from the power supply 7B. Since power is supplied to either the control device 1A or the control device 1B even when the power supply of either the power source 7A or the power source 7B is cut off or reduced, the reliability of the control system 1 can be improved by more reliably securing the power source. When the power supply of power supply 7A is cut off or reduced, communication between the ECUs sandwiching gateway GW provided in control device 1A becomes difficult. However, in the control device 1B, the ECU21B can communicate with the ECUs 22B to 28B via the communication line L2.

[ redundancy in the control device 1A ]

The control device 1A includes the ECU20A that performs the automatic drive control and the ECU29A that performs the travel assist control, that is, includes two control units that perform the travel control.

< example of control function >

The control functions that can be executed in the control device 1A or the control device 1B include: travel-related functions related to control of driving, braking, and steering of the vehicle V; and a reporting function relating to reporting of information to the driver.

Examples of the travel-related function include lane keeping control, lane departure suppression control (off-road departure suppression control), lane change control, forward vehicle following control, collision-reduction braking control, and false start suppression control. The reporting functions include adjacent vehicle report control and preceding vehicle start report control.

The lane keeping control is one of the controls of the position of the vehicle with respect to the lane, and is a control of automatically (without depending on the driving operation of the driver) running the vehicle on the running track TJ set in the lane, as schematically shown in fig. 4 (a). The lane departure suppression control is one of the controls of the position of the vehicle with respect to the lane, and as schematically shown in fig. 4 (B), a white line or a center separation zone WL is detected and steering is automatically performed so that the vehicle does not exceed the line WL. As such, the functions of the lane departure suppression control and the lane maintenance control are different.

The lane change control is control for automatically moving the vehicle from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane. The preceding vehicle following control is control for automatically following another vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle. The collision reduction braking control is control for automatically braking and assisting in avoiding a collision when there is a high possibility of collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle. The false start suppression control is control for limiting acceleration of the vehicle when an acceleration operation by the driver reaches a predetermined amount or more in a stopped state of the vehicle, and suppresses a rapid start.

The adjacent vehicle report control is control for reporting to the driver the presence of another vehicle traveling on an adjacent lane adjacent to the traveling lane of the host vehicle, and reports the presence of another vehicle traveling to the side and behind the host vehicle, for example. The preceding vehicle start notification control is a control for notifying that the preceding vehicle has started when the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle are in a stopped state. These reports can be made by the above-described in-vehicle reporting apparatus (information output device 43A, information output device 44B).

The ECU20A, the ECU29A, and the ECU21B are able to share and execute these control functions. Which control function is assigned to which ECU can be appropriately selected.

< control example >

< mode switching >

A control example of the control system 1 will be explained. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the process of switching the driving mode executed by the ECU 20A.

In step S1, it is determined whether or not there is a switching operation of the driving mode from the driver. The driver can give an instruction to switch between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by operating the input device 45A, for example. The process proceeds to step S2 if there is a switching operation, and ends if there is no switching operation.

In step S2, it is determined whether or not the switching operation has instructed the automatic driving, and if the automatic driving has been instructed, the routine proceeds to step S3, and if the manual driving has been instructed, the routine proceeds to step S4. In step S3, the automatic driving mode is set, and the function limit is set. The setting of the function limit is described below. In step S4, the automatic driving control is started. In step S5, the manual driving mode is set, and the function restricted in step S3 is set to be resumed. In step S6, manual driving control is started.

In the manual driving control, driving, steering, and braking of the vehicle V are performed in accordance with the driving operation of the driver. At this time, the ECU29A can appropriately execute the driving assistance control in accordance with the detection result of the detection unit 31A. In addition, the ECU21B can appropriately execute the driving assistance control in accordance with the detection results of the detection units 31B, 32B.

In the automatic driving control, the ECU20A outputs control commands to the ECU22A, the ECU23A, and the ECU27A to control steering, braking, and driving of the vehicle V, and automatically drives the vehicle V without depending on the driving operation of the driver. ECU20A sets the traveling route of vehicle V, and refers to the position recognition result of ECU28A and the surrounding environment information (target detection result) to cause vehicle V to travel along the set traveling route.

Sharing examples of the ECUs 20A, 29A, and 21B relating to the control functions described above in the manual drive mode and the automatic drive mode will be described.

For example, in the manual drive mode, the ECU29A performs collision reduction braking control and false start suppression control based on the detection result of the detection unit 31A. The ECU21B performs lane departure suppression control, adjacent vehicle notification control, and preceding vehicle start notification control based on the detection results of the detection units 31B and 32B.

In the automatic driving mode, the ECU20A executes lane keeping control, lane change control, preceding vehicle following control, and collision reduction braking control. The ECU29A executes collision reduction braking control and false start suppression control. Safety can be improved by performing collision reduction braking control by ECU20A and ECU 29A.

If each control function performed in the manual driving mode is also performed in the automatic driving mode, similar functions may interfere with each other or meaningless functions may be executed. The restriction of the function in step S3 and the restoration of the function in step S5 described above are processes related to the restriction and restoration of the functions of the ECU29A and the ECU 21B. In this process, the ECU20A can transmit the function restriction instruction and the recovery instruction of the ECUs 29A and 21B, and the ECUs 29A and 21B comply with the instructions.

For example, if the lane keeping control is executed in the automatic driving mode and a reverse steering instruction is generated with the intervention of the lane departure suppression control when steering in a predetermined direction, the control may be disturbed. Therefore, it is preferable to restrict the lane departure suppression control when the lane keeping control is executed. Further, since the start is automated in the automatic driving mode, the necessity of performing the preceding vehicle start report control is low. Therefore, the control function as described above sets the function limit together with the setting of the automatic driving mode. This can improve the stability of the vehicle control.

On the other hand, the collision-reduction braking control and the false start suppression control function also in the automatic driving mode, and therefore contribute to improvement of safety. Therefore, even after the setting of the automatic driving mode, the control function as described above can be made to function without limitation.

The function restriction may disable the control function, or may be effective but have little effect. In addition, the restriction of the control function may be switched not depending on whether or not the automatic driving mode is used, but depending on the individual control content in the automatic driving mode. For example, in the case where a vehicle is lane-changed by lane change control, it is not meaningful to notify the driver of another vehicle in an adjacent lane because the system side analyzes the positional relationship with another vehicle in the adjacent lane and performs the lane change. Therefore, in the lane change control, the adjacent vehicle report control can be restricted.

< identification of target >

In the case where the vehicle V is caused to travel on the travel track TJ by the automatic driving control, the identification of the target becomes important. The detection result of the target can be generated and used by integrating the detection results of the detection units 31A and 32A, the detection results of the detection units 31B and 32B, and the information (vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication) acquired by the communication device 28 a. The target data can be generated/updated by integrating the target data generated/updated by the ECU21A and the target data generated/updated by the ECU21B by the ECU 20A. The target data includes, for example, an ID for marking a target, position information of the target, information of a moving speed of the target, information of a shape of the target, and classification of the target. By executing the automatic driving control with reference to the generated target data, it is possible to execute the control with higher reliability in recognition of the running environment.

< avoidance of Contention of control Instructions >

If the above-described sharing example and function limiting example relating to the sharing of the control function are adopted, for example, in the automatic drive mode, ECU29A and ECU20A execute collision reduction braking control, respectively. Thus, sometimes control instructions compete. For example, if the ECU29A transmits a control command to the ECU23A based on the detection result of the detection unit 31A and performs braking based on the operation of the hydraulic pressure device 42A, while the ECU20A transmits a control command to the ECU23A based on the target data D3 and performs braking based on the operation of the hydraulic pressure device 42A, the two may compete with each other. To avoid the contention, for example, it may be assumed that the ECU20A coordinates the control command of the contention. As a method of coordination, there is a method in which each ECU outputs a control command via ECU20A and ECU20A selects a competing control command. The same applies to ECU20A and ECU 21B. For control commands that may cause competition, the ECU21B does not directly send control commands to the corresponding ECU, but can avoid competition of control commands by selecting control commands that are sent via the ECU20A to be competed by the ECU20A, or the like.

< stop control >

When a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle V, the control system 1 executes stop control for automatically decelerating and stopping the vehicle V. The driving continuation condition means, for example, that there is no situation where it is difficult to continue driving or there is a low possibility of the situation falling into the situation, and specifically, for example, that there is no decrease in performance of the control system 1 or no decrease in the state of the driver. Examples of the performance degradation of the control system 1 include a case where the performance of the ECU20A, the ECU29A, and the ECU21B relating to the travel control or the travel assist of the vehicle V is degraded, a case where the power supply is cut off, and a case where the communication is cut off. Examples of the state degradation of the driver include a bad physical condition of the driver and a low consciousness. It is needless to say that stopping the vehicle V by a traffic regulation, such as stopping at an intersection while driving to a target point, is a part of driving, and does not satisfy the running continuation condition.

< example 1 of stop control

An example of the stop control that is started on the condition that the performance of the control system 1 is degraded will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of ECU20A and ECU29A, which are examples of the above. The stop control started on condition that the performance of the control system 1 is degraded can be periodically performed while the automatic driving mode is set.

The ECU20A and the ECU29A perform processing for confirming the communication state of each other (step S11, step S21). For example, one party outputs a response request to the other party, and determines whether or not there is a response. Alternatively, one party transmits information to the other party, and the other party determines whether the received information is predetermined information.

In step S12, the ECU29A determines whether or not the result of the process of step S11 is in a predetermined state. The predetermined state is, for example, a case where reception of a signal from ECU20A is confirmed, and the non-predetermined state is, for example, a case where reception of a signal from ECU20A is not confirmed. The case where the reception of the signal is confirmed is, for example, a case where the same signal as the predetermined information can be received. The case where reception of a signal is not confirmed refers to a case where the signal is not received, but is not an accurate signal (in the above example, information specified in advance) although the signal is received.

If the state is the predetermined state, it is determined that the ECU29A has not degraded the performance, and the process ends. If the state is not the predetermined state, the process proceeds to step S13, and the stop control is started. The ECU29A gives an instruction to the ECU25A to report, and causes the information output device 43A to output a state where the vehicle V decelerates and stops to report to the driver. In addition, the ECU29A instructs the report to the ECU26A and causes the information output device 44A to blink (hazard warning lamp) to prompt the attention of the following vehicle. After that, the ECU29A instructs braking to the ECU23A, and decelerates the vehicle V. In the case where the object is to stop the vehicle V on the same lane, steering may be instructed to the ECU22A so that the vehicle V does not deviate from the lane based on the detection result of the detection unit 31A (lane departure suppression control). In this case, even when the lane departure suppression control is restricted by the automatic driving mode, the ECU29A executes the above-described operation.

After the start of the stop control, the ECU29A requests the driver to switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving (take over) in step S14. The switching request is made, for example, by displaying the switching request on the information output device 43A. In step S15, it is determined whether the driver agrees with the switching request. The driver can indicate the intention of the consent through the input device 45A, for example. Or the intention of the driver can be expressed based on the result of detection of the driver's steering by the steering torque sensor.

If the driver agrees, the process proceeds to step S16, where the stop control is ended and the manual driving mode is set. By switching to the manual driving mode, each ECU of the control devices 1A and 1B controls the travel of the vehicle V in accordance with the driving operation by the driver. ECU29A may instruct each of ECUs 21A to 26A of control device 1A and each of ECUs 22B to 25B of control device 1B to ignore a control command from ECU 20A. Since the ECU20A may have a reduced performance, the ECU29A may output a message or the like to the information output device 43A to prompt the vehicle V to be sent to the maintenance plant.

The vehicle V is immediately stopped by the execution of the stop control without confirming the consent of the driver. In step S17, the ECU29A determines that the vehicle V is stopped based on the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39, and instructs the ECU24A to operate the electric parking lock device 50a and maintain the stop of the vehicle V if it is determined that the vehicle V is stopped.

Next, the processing of the ECU20A will be explained. In step S22, the ECU20A determines whether or not the result of the process of step S21 is in a predetermined state. Here, the predetermined state is also a case where, for example, the reception of a signal from the ECU29A is confirmed, and the non-predetermined state is a case where, for example, the reception of a signal from the ECU29A is not confirmed. The case where the reception of the signal is confirmed is, for example, a case where the same signal as the predetermined information can be received. The case where the reception of the signal is not confirmed includes not only the case where the signal cannot be received but also the case where the signal is not received but is not an accurate signal (in the above example, the predetermined information).

If the state is the predetermined state, it is determined that the ECU29A has not degraded the performance, and the process ends. If the state is not the predetermined state, the process proceeds to step S23, and the stop control is started. Even if the ECU29A is in performance degradation, the ECU20A can continue the automated driving control. However, if it is assumed that the performance of the ECU20A is degraded thereafter and there is a possibility that the performance of the ECU29A is degraded, the stop control is performed. The stop control here is the same as the stop control executed by the ECU29A in the present embodiment. The stop control executed by ECU29A and ECU20A may be different stop control. For example, the stop control executed by the ECU20A may be a slower deceleration than the ECU29A, or include a slow travel.

The stop control of the ECU20A in the present embodiment will be described. The ECU20A instructs the report to the ECU25A, and causes the information output device 43A to output the condition that the vehicle V decelerates and stops to report to the driver. In addition, the ECU20A instructs the report to the ECU26A and causes the information output device 44A to blink (hazard warning lamp) to prompt the attention of the following vehicle. After that, the ECU20A instructs braking to the ECU23A, and decelerates the vehicle V. In the case where the object is to stop the vehicle V on the same lane, steering may be instructed to the ECU22A based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 32A so that the vehicle V does not deviate from the lane (lane departure suppression control).

After the start of the stop control, the ECU20A requests the driver to switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving (take over) in step S24. The switching request is made, for example, by displaying the switching request on the information output device 43A. In step S25, it is determined whether the driver agrees with the switching request. The driver can indicate the intention of the consent through the input device 45A, for example. Or the intention of the driver can be expressed based on the result of detection of the driver's steering by the steering torque sensor.

If the driver agrees, the process proceeds to step S26, where the stop control is ended and the manual driving mode is set. By switching to the manual driving mode, each ECU of the control devices 1A and 1B controls the travel of the vehicle V in accordance with the driving operation by the driver. ECU20A may instruct each of ECUs 21A to 26A of control device 1A and each of ECUs 22B to 25B of control device 1B to ignore a control command from ECU 29A. Since the ECU29A may have degraded performance, the ECU20A may output a message or the like to the information output device 43A to prompt the vehicle V to be sent to the maintenance factory.

The vehicle V is immediately stopped by the execution of the stop control without confirming the consent of the driver. In step S27, the ECU20A determines that the vehicle V is stopped based on the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39, and instructs the ECU24A to activate the electric parking lock device 50a and maintain the stop of the vehicle V when the stop is determined.

Although the communication state confirmation process is performed in step S11 and step S21 in the present embodiment, the process may be performed by the ECU20A and the ECU29A in the communication process performed for vehicle control. As a method of determining whether or not the predetermined state is present, it may be determined that the predetermined state is not present when the checksum (checksum) is checked and a normal control signal cannot be received continuously a predetermined number of times. In addition, a determination method using a keep-alive counter (keep-alive counter) may be used.

< example 2 of stop control

Another example of the stop control that is started on the condition that the performance of the control system 1 is degraded will be described. ECU20A periodically determines whether or not the automated driving control can be continued in the automated driving mode, and may transmit an instruction to transition the control to ECU29A when it is determined that the continuation is difficult. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example thereof.

In step S31, the ECU20A performs a state confirmation process of the control device 1A. Here, the ECU20A performs self-check, for example. In step S32, it is determined whether it is difficult to continue the automatic driving control based on the processing result of step S31. If it is determined that the process is difficult to continue, the process proceeds to step S33, and if not, the process ends. In step S33, an instruction to transition control is output to the ECU 29A. At this time, when the control function is restricted, the recovery is set.

The ECU29A, which has received the instruction to transfer control from the ECU20A, starts the stop control in step S34. The processing from step S34 to step S38 is the same as the processing from step S13 to step S17 in fig. 6, and the processing relating to the stop control and the request for switching from the automatic drive to the manual drive is performed. The process is ended in this way. In the present embodiment, the ECU29A that receives the instruction to transfer control from the ECU20A starts the stop control, but the automated driving control including the acceleration control may be handed over for a certain period of time.

< example 3 of stop control >

Another example of the stop control that is started on the condition that the performance of the control system 1 is degraded will be described. Fig. 8 shows an example of processing of the ECUs 20A and 21B relating to the stop control of fig. 6. The processing in the same drawing is basically the same flow as the processing in fig. 6, and can be periodically performed while the automatic driving mode is set.

The ECU20A and the ECU21B perform processing for confirming the communication state of each other (step S41, step S51). For example, one party outputs a response request to the other party, and determines whether or not there is a response.

In step S42, the ECU21B determines whether or not the result of the process of step S41 is in a predetermined state. The predetermined state is, for example, a case where reception of a signal from ECU20A is confirmed, and the non-predetermined state is, for example, a case where reception of a signal from ECU20A is not confirmed. The case where the reception of the signal is confirmed is, for example, a case where the same signal as the predetermined information can be received. The case where reception of a signal is not confirmed refers to, for example, a case where the signal is not received, and the signal is not an accurate signal (in the above example, predetermined information) although the signal is received.

If the state is the predetermined state, it is determined that the performance of the ECU20A is not degraded, and the process ends. If the state is not the predetermined state, the process proceeds to step S43, and the stop control is started. The ECU21B instructs the report to the ECU24B, and causes the display device 44B to display the condition that the vehicle V decelerates and stops to report to the driver. In addition, the ECU21B instructs the ECU23B to report that the brake lamp 43B is lit or blinked to promote the attention of the following vehicle. Further, the light ECU26A may be instructed to report and operate the information output device 44A (flashing of the hazard warning light). Then, the ECU21B instructs the ECU23B to brake and decelerate the vehicle V. In the case where the object is to stop the vehicle V on the same lane, steering may be instructed to the ECU22B based on the detection results of the detection units 31B, 32B so that the vehicle V does not deviate from the lane (or the road marking) (lane departure suppression control).

After the start of the stop control, the ECU21B requests the driver to switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving (take over) in step S44. The switching request is made, for example, by displaying the switching request on the display device 44B. In step S45, it is determined whether the driver agrees with the switching request. The driver can indicate the intention of the consent through the input device 45B, for example. Or the intention of the driver can be expressed based on the result of detection of the driver's steering by the steering torque sensor.

If the driver agrees, the process proceeds to step S46, where the stop control is ended and the manual driving mode is set. The setting here may be, for example, a process in which ECU21B instructs each of ECUs 21A to 26A of control device 1A and each of ECUs 22B to 28B of control device 1B that the autonomous driving mode is completed, and ignores the control command from ECU 20A. Each ECU of control devices 1A and 1B controls the traveling of vehicle V in accordance with the driving operation by the driver. However, since the ECU20A may have a reduced performance, the ECU21B may display a message or the like on the display device 44B to prompt the vehicle V to be sent to the maintenance plant.

The vehicle V is immediately stopped by the execution of the stop control without confirming the consent of the driver. In step S47, the ECU21B determines that the vehicle V is stopped based on the detection result of the wheel speed sensor 38, and instructs the ECU24 to operate the electric parking brake device 52 and maintain the stop of the vehicle V when the determination is made that the vehicle V is stopped.

Next, the processing of the ECU20A will be explained. In step S52, the ECU20A determines whether or not the result of the process of step S51 is in a predetermined state. Here, the predetermined state is also a case where, for example, the reception of the signal from the ECU21B is confirmed, and the non-predetermined state is a case where, for example, the reception of the signal from the ECU21B is not confirmed. The case where the reception of the signal is confirmed is, for example, a case where the same signal as the predetermined information can be received. The case where reception of a signal is not confirmed refers to, for example, a case where the signal is not received, and the signal is not an accurate signal (in the above example, predetermined information) although the signal is received.

If the state is the predetermined state, it is determined that the ECU21B has not degraded the performance, and the process ends. If the state is not the predetermined state, the process proceeds to step S53, and the stop control is started. Even if the ECU21B is in performance degradation, the ECU20A can continue the automated driving control. However, if it is assumed that the performance of the ECU20A is degraded thereafter and there is a possibility that the performance of the ECU21B is degraded, the stop control is performed. In the present embodiment, the stop control here decelerates and stops the vehicle V, similarly to the stop control executed by the ECU 21B. However, the equipment used is different. The stop control executed by the ECU21B and the ECU20A may be different running control. For example, the stop control executed by the ECU20A may be a slower deceleration than the ECU21B, or include a slow travel.

The stop control of the ECU20A in the present embodiment will be described. ECU20A gives an instruction to ECU25A to report that information output device 43A outputs the state where vehicle V decelerates and stops to the driver. In addition, the ECU20A instructs the report to the ECU26A and causes the information output device 44A to blink (hazard warning lamp) to prompt the attention of the following vehicle. After that, the ECU20A instructs braking to the ECU23A, and decelerates the vehicle V. In the case where the object is to stop the vehicle V on the same lane, steering may be instructed to the ECU22A based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 32A so that the vehicle V does not deviate from the lane (lane departure suppression control).

After the start of the stop control, the ECU20A requests the driver to switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving (take over) in step S54. The switching request is made, for example, by displaying the switching request on the information output device 43A. In step S55, it is determined whether the driver agrees with the switching request. The driver can indicate the intention of the consent through the input device 45A, for example. Or the intention of the driver can be expressed based on the result of detection of the driver's steering by the steering torque sensor.

If the driver agrees, the process proceeds to step S57, where the stop control is ended and the manual driving mode is set. By switching to the manual driving mode, each ECU of the control devices 1A and 1B controls the travel of the vehicle V in accordance with the driving operation by the driver. ECU20A may instruct each of ECU21A to ECU26A of control device 1A, ECU29A, and ECU22B to ECU25B of control device 1B to ignore a control command from ECU 21B. Since the ECU21B may have degraded performance, the ECU20A may output a message or the like to the information output device 43A to prompt the vehicle V to be sent to the maintenance plant.

The vehicle V is immediately stopped by the execution of the stop control without confirming the consent of the driver. In step S56, the ECU20A determines that the vehicle V is stopped based on the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39, and instructs the ECU24A to operate the electric parking lock device 50a and maintain the stop of the vehicle V if it is determined that the vehicle V is stopped. As described above, both the control devices 1A and 1B can execute the stop control.

Although the communication state confirmation process is performed in step S41 and step S51 in the present embodiment, the process may be performed by the ECU20A and the ECU21B in the communication process performed for vehicle control. As a method of determining whether or not the predetermined state is present, it may be determined that the predetermined state is not present when the checksum (checksum) is checked and a normal control signal cannot be received continuously a predetermined number of times. In addition, a determination method using a keep-alive counter (keep-alive counter) may be used.

In the example of fig. 8, the ECU21B controls each device of the control apparatus 1B by the stop control started in step S43. Here, even when it is determined at step S42 that the state is the predetermined state, the device other than ECU20A of control device 1A may be able to operate without performance degradation or the like and may be used. Thus, the ECU21B may execute the stop control using at least any one of the detection units 31A, 32A, ECU21A to the ECU26A of the control apparatus 1A in the stop control of step S43. Likewise, by the stop control started in step S53, the ECU20A may also execute the stop control using at least any one of the detection units 31B, 32B, ECU22B to the ECU25B of the control device 1B.

< example 4 of stop control

Another example of the stop control that is started on the condition that the performance of the control system 1 is degraded will be described. ECU20A periodically determines whether or not the automated driving control can be continued in the automated driving mode, and may transmit an instruction to transition the control to ECU21B when it is determined that the automated driving control cannot be continued. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example thereof.

In step S61, the ECU20A performs a state confirmation process of the control device 1A. Here, for example, the process of confirming the state of each of the ECUs 21A to 29A of the control device 1A is performed by communication. In step S62, it is determined whether it is difficult to continue the automatic driving control based on the processing result of step S61. If it is determined that the process is difficult to continue, the process proceeds to step S63, and if not, the process ends. For example, when it is confirmed that the automatic driving control is in a failure state, such as when none of the ECUs responds, it is determined that it is difficult to continue. In step S63, an instruction to transition control is output to the ECU 21B. At this time, when the control function is restricted, the recovery is set.

The ECU21B, which has received the instruction to transfer control from the ECU20A, starts the stop control in step S64. The processing from step S64 to step S68 is the same as the processing from step S43 to step S47 in fig. 8, and the processing relating to the stop control and the request for switching from the automatic drive to the manual drive is performed. The process is ended in this way. In the present embodiment, the ECU21B that has received the instruction to transfer control from the ECU20A is assumed to start the stop control, but the automated driving control including the acceleration control may be handed over for a certain period of time.

< concrete example 5 of stop control >

An example of the stop control that is started on the condition that the state of the driver is reduced will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example thereof. The processing of the same map may be executed in the automatic driving mode or in the manual driving mode.

In step S71, the ECU27B performs the passenger status confirmation process. Here, the detection result of the detection unit 27a is acquired, and the state of the driver is analyzed. In step S72, it is discriminated whether the driver is sound or not based on the processing result of step S71. The process ends when the driver is sound, and proceeds to step S73 when the driver is not sound. The ECU20A is notified of the possibility of driver' S imminence in step S73.

The ECU20A that received the notification makes a response request to the driver in step S74. The response request is, for example, a request for a specific operation, a voice, or the like from the driver based on the display or the voice of the information output device 44A. In step S75, it is determined whether the driver responded to the response request of step S74. If there is a response, the process ends, and if there is no response, the stop control is started in step S76. The vehicle V is immediately stopped by the execution of the stop control. In step S77, the ECU29A determines that the vehicle V is stopped based on the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39, and instructs the ECU24A to operate the electric parking lock device 50a and maintain the stop of the vehicle V if it is determined that the vehicle V is stopped.

< stop position in stop control >

The parking position of the vehicle V under the stop control may be the same as the lane currently traveling, or may be another position. Fig. 11 (a) to 11 (C) are views showing examples of stop positions. In each drawing, L1 and L2 respectively indicate areas where the vehicle can continue to travel (lanes), and L0 indicates areas where the vehicle cannot continue to travel (shoulders and the like).

The example of (a) in fig. 11 is an example in which the stop control is started in the lane L2 currently traveling, and the stop of the vehicle V is completed in the lane L2. That is, the stop completion position is a position on the lane L2. The example of fig. 11 (B) is an example in which the stop control is started in the lane L2 currently traveling, and the vehicle V is stopped by changing the lane to the adjacent lane L1. That is, the stop completion position is a position on the lane L1. The example in fig. 11 (C) is an example in which the stop control is started in the lane L1 in which the vehicle is currently traveling, the lane change is made to the no-continuation-possible region L0, and the stop of the vehicle V is completed in the no-continuation-possible region L0. That is, the stop completion position is the no-continuation travel region L0.

The candidates for the position at which the vehicle V is stopped in the stop control can be derived from the map data and the like, and the position with the highest safety can be selected and determined. Fig. 11 (D) is a conceptual diagram thereof. When the stop control is started in the vehicle V traveling in the lane L1, the stop position candidates R0 to R2 are derived from the map data and the like. The stop position R0 is a position in the no-further travel region L0. The stop positions R1, R2 are positions on the lanes L1, L2, respectively. When a stop position is selected from the candidates for stop positions R0 to R2, it is possible to score each stop position (scoring) based on the surrounding traffic conditions, the presence or absence of a lane change, the degree of safety of the stop position, and the like, and select one of the candidates having a good score (score). Then, in the stop control, the selected stop position is set as a stop target position in the control, and the vehicle V is caused to travel to the stop target position.

< door lock control >

An example of the control of the electric door lock device 26a by the ECU26B will be described. In the present embodiment, different control is performed between the case where the stop control is started and the other case (referred to as a normal case). Fig. 12 shows an example of door lock control executed by the ECU26B in a normal state, and shows an example of control after the passenger boards the vehicle V.

< general control >

In step S81, it is determined whether or not the electric door lock device 26a of each of the doors D1 to D4 is being unlocked. For example, the ECU26B stores information indicating the state of the power door lock device 26a of each of the doors D1 to D4 in the storage device thereof, and can recognize the current state by updating the information. The process proceeds to step S82 when the electric door lock device 26a of each of the doors D1 to D4 is unlocked, and proceeds to step S85 when the electric door lock device is locked.

In step S82, the detection result of the operation detection unit 26b is acquired, and it is determined whether or not there is a door lock instruction (operation of the centralized door lock switch, etc.), and if there is a door lock instruction, the process proceeds to step S84, and if there is no door lock instruction, the process proceeds to step S83. At step S83, it is determined whether or not the vehicle V is traveling, and if so, the process proceeds to step S84, and if not, the process ends. Whether or not the vehicle is running can be determined from the detection results of the rotation speed sensor 39 or the wheel speed sensor 38, for example. In step S84, the electric door lock device 26a is driven to lock the doors D1 to D4. By the above-described processing, the doors D1 to D4 are locked during the traveling of the vehicle V.

In step S85, it is determined whether or not the vehicle V is stopped, and if the vehicle V is stopped, the process proceeds to step S86, and if the vehicle V is traveling, the process ends. Whether or not the vehicle is stopped can be determined from the detection results of the rotation speed sensor 39 or the wheel speed sensor 38, for example. In step S86, the detection result of the operation detection means 26b is acquired, and it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to release the lock, and if there is an instruction to release the lock, the process proceeds to step S88, and if there is no instruction to release the lock, the process proceeds to step S87. In step S87, it is determined whether or not the stop maintaining operation corresponding to the stop maintaining operation is performed, and if the stop maintaining operation is performed, the process proceeds to step S88, and if the stop maintaining operation is not performed, the process is ended. In step S88, all the doors D1 to D4 are unlocked or the door corresponding to the lock release instruction is unlocked.

< control at stop control >

Next, the door lock control in the case where the stop control is started will be described. When the vehicle V is in the door-locked state during the stop, it is advantageous in terms of keeping the driver inside the vehicle V for protection. When the doors of the vehicle V are in the unlocked state at the time of stopping, it is advantageous in that the driver smoothly escapes from the vehicle or in that the rescue action of the driver is performed from the outside of the vehicle. Further, the place where the vehicle V is stopped by the parking control may be a place on a lane or a place with high safety such as a shoulder. That is, which of the door locking and unlocking is advantageous in terms of the safety of the driver differs depending on the condition of the vehicle V. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the door lock control is performed according to the condition of the vehicle V at the time of the stop control.

When the parking control is started and the vehicle V is stopped, the unlocking (step S88) by the lock release instruction (step S86) and the stop maintaining operation (step S87) is basically suppressed as in the normal state shown in fig. 12. In particular, the unlocking by the stop maintaining operation (step S87) is not performed (step S88). This prevents the passenger from easily moving from the vehicle V to the lane when the vehicle stops.

< stop mode-based door lock control >

The door lock control based on the stop mode of the vehicle V in the parking control will be described. Examples of the stopping method include a stop completion position at which the vehicle V actually stops on a road surface (a traveling lane, an adjacent area, or the like) around the vehicle V, a stop target position in control, and a stop posture of the vehicle V actually stopped.

< door lock control based on stop completion position >

First, a stop completion position will be described as an example. Fig. 13 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock 26a by the ECU26B, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started.

In step S91, it is determined whether the vehicle V has stopped. Whether or not the vehicle has stopped can be determined by a notification from the ECU that is executing the stop control, or the detection results of the rotation speed sensor 39 and the wheel speed sensor 38. If it is determined that the vehicle V has stopped, the routine proceeds to step S92.

In step S92, the unlocked door is selected based on the stop mode, and in step S93, the electric door lock device 26a corresponding to the door selected in step S92 is driven to unlock the door. The lock is maintained for the doors that are not selected. Fig. 13 (B), 14 (a), and 14 (B) show examples of selecting an unlocked door based on a stop completion position as a stop mode. The information of the stop completion position can be acquired from the ECU that is performing the stop control, or from the ECU28A that is in charge of the position recognition.

Fig. 13 (B) shows an example in which the stop completion position of the vehicle V is a no-continue travel range L0 such as a shoulder. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face or are close to the traffic lane (lane) L1. The subsequent other vehicle is highly likely to travel to the lane L1, and it is not desirable for the driver to get off in the lane L1. The doors D1 and D3 therefore remain locked. The doors D2, D4 face, or are near, the no-further-travel region L0. The subsequent other vehicles are less likely to travel to the no-further-travel region L0 than the traffic lane. Thus, the doors D2, D4 are unlocked. The driver can open the door D2 and move the door outward, for example. In this way, when the peripheral road surface includes the continuous travel enabled area and the continuous travel disabled area, the door facing or approaching the continuous travel enabled area is locked, and the door facing or approaching the continuous travel disabled area is unlocked.

The example of (a) in fig. 14 is a traffic lane (lane) L1 in which the stop completion position of the vehicle V is adjacent to the no-continue travel region L0. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face the traffic lane (lane) L2. The subsequent other vehicle is highly likely to travel to the lane L2, and it is not desirable for the driver to get off in the lane L2. The doors D1 and D3 therefore remain locked. The doors D2, D4 face the no-further-travel region L0. The subsequent other vehicles are less likely to travel to the no-further-travel region L0 than the traffic lane. Thus, the doors D2, D4 are unlocked. The driver can open the door D2 and move the door outward, for example.

The example of (B) in fig. 14 is a traffic lane (lane) L2 in which the stop completion position of the vehicle V is not adjacent to the no-continuation capable travel region L0. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face the traffic lane (lane) L3. The subsequent other vehicle is highly likely to travel to the lane L3, and it is not desirable for the driver to get off in the lane L3. The doors D1 and D3 therefore remain locked. The doors D2 and D4 also face the traffic lane (lane) L1. The subsequent other vehicle is highly likely to travel to the lane L1, and it is not desirable for the driver to get off in the lane L1. The doors D1 and D3 also remain locked.

In this way, by controlling the holding and unlocking of the door lock at the stop completion position of the vehicle V, door lock control that ensures both safety of passengers and convenience of getting off from the vehicle V can be realized.

Fig. 14 (C) shows an example of control in which the stop completion position and the stop posture are taken into consideration. The information of the stop posture can be acquired from the ECU28A in charge of the position recognition, for example. An example of (C) in fig. 14 is a traffic lane (lane) L1 in which the stop completion position of the vehicle V is adjacent to the no-continue travel region L0. However, unlike the example of fig. 14 (a), the stop posture of the vehicle V is directed in a direction largely inclined with respect to the extending direction of the lane L1. When the driver gets off from any of the four doors D1 to D4, there is a high possibility that the driver gets off in the lane. Therefore, the lock of all the doors D1-D4 is maintained. By considering the stop posture in addition to the stop completion position of the vehicle V, it is possible to realize door lock control that further ensures both safety of the passenger and convenience of getting off from the vehicle V. In the example of fig. 14 (C), the locking of all the doors D1 to D4 is maintained, but the doors D1 and D3 may be unlocked. When getting off from the door D1 or the door D3, the safety is relatively high because the vehicle V gets off at the front side in the traveling direction.

Returning to (a) in fig. 13. The door state is reported to the driver in step S93. In the present embodiment, as described above, depending on the door, there is a possibility that both the locked door and the unlocked door are maintained. By reporting the door state of the door lock/unlock to the driver, driver confusion can be prevented.

Fig. 15 (a) and 15 (B) are diagrams showing report examples. Fig. 15 (a) shows an example of a report by the door indicator 25 a. In the example shown in the same figure, the door indicators 25a provided on the inside surfaces of the doors D1 and D3 emit light in red to notify that the doors D1 and D3 are in the door lock state. The door indicators 25a provided on the indoor surfaces of the doors D2 and D4 emit light in green, and thereby report that the doors D2 and D4 are in the unlocked state. The driver can visually recognize whether or not which door can be opened when escaping from the vehicle V.

Fig. 15 (B) shows an example in which a report is given by displaying a specific message on the display device 44B. In the example shown in the figure, the passenger side door D2 is notified of the unlocked state (the door D1 is the door locked state) by displaying a character "exit" together with a leftward arrow as a display for the driver seated in the driver's seat. In the above example, the driver can visually recognize which door can be opened or not when the driver escapes from the vehicle V.

The reporting of the door state may be a voice in addition to the display. The report of the door state may report only the door in the door locked state, or may report only the door in the unlocked state. As in the example of fig. 15 (a) and 15 (B), the process of reporting the door state may be a process of reporting to the driver when the locked state and the unlocked state are different between the driver side door D1 and the passenger side door D2, and a process of not reporting when the states are the same. When the door states are different, the driver can easily recognize the door states of the doors by performing the report.

Returning to (a) in fig. 13. In step S95, it is determined whether or not all of the doors D1 to D4 are locked. If all are locked, the process proceeds to step S96. Since it is difficult for the driver to escape from the vehicle if all the locked states are maintained, the unlocking is performed if a predetermined condition is satisfied in step S96. The unlocked doors may be all of the doors D1 to D4, or may be some of the doors that are estimated to be highly safe for the driver when the vehicle is getting off. The unlocking condition is, for example, a case where the passage of time (for example, 5 to 10 minutes) or the approach of an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or a police car is detected. The approach of the emergency vehicle can be determined based on the following results: the result of the environment recognition by the ECU21A based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 32A, the result of the environment recognition by the ECU21B based on the detection results of the detection units 31B, 32B, and the result of the vehicle-to-vehicle, road-to-vehicle communication by the ECU28B by the communication device 28 a.

< door lock control based on stop target position >

An example of the door lock control based on the stop target position as the stop mode will be described. The driver can escape from the vehicle V as soon as possible by unlocking the doors of the vehicle V before and after the stop of the vehicle V by the stop control based on the stop target position.

Fig. 16 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock apparatus 26a by the ECU26B, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started. A process different from the door lock control shown in fig. 13 (a) will be described. The processes of step S91 'and step S92' are performed instead of the processes of step S91 and step S92 of the door lock control shown in (a) in fig. 13.

In step S91 ', it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed of the vehicle V is equal to or less than a threshold value, and if the vehicle speed is equal to or less than the threshold value, the routine proceeds to step S92'. The threshold value is for example a number km/h. The vehicle speed can be determined from the detection results of the rotation speed sensor 39 and the wheel speed sensor 38, for example. In step S92 ', the unlocked door is selected based on the stop target position, and in step S93, the electric door lock device 26a corresponding to the door selected in step S92' is driven to unlock the door. The lock is maintained for the doors that are not selected. The information of the stop target position can be acquired from the ECU that is performing the stop control.

Fig. 16 (B) shows an example in which the unlocked door is selected based on the stop target position. In the example shown in the figure, the stop target position R of the vehicle V is set to the no-go zone L0 such as a shoulder, and is set before the vehicle V reaches the stop target position R. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face or approach the traffic lane (lane) L1. The subsequent other vehicle is highly likely to travel to the lane L1, and it is not desirable for the driver to get off in the lane L1. The doors D1 and D3 therefore remain locked. The doors D2, D4 face or approach the no-further-travel region L0. The subsequent other vehicles are less likely to travel to the no-further-travel region L0 than the traffic lane. Thus, the doors D2, D4 are unlocked. After the vehicle V stops, the driver can open the door D2 and move the door outward, for example. Since the doors D2, D4 are unlocked before the stop of the vehicle V, the driver can quickly escape the vehicle after the stop of the vehicle V.

< door lock control based on stop mode and driving environment >

The unlocked door may be selected based on the detection result of another vehicle traveling around the vehicle V in addition to the stop mode. This makes it possible to realize door lock control that further achieves both the safety of the passenger and the convenience of getting off the vehicle V.

Fig. 17 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock apparatus 26a by the ECU26B, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started. A process different from the door lock control shown in fig. 13 (a) will be described. The process of step S97 is executed instead of the process of step S92 of the door lock control shown in (a) in fig. 13.

In step S97, the unlocked door is selected based on the stop mode and the running environment indicating the detection result of the other vehicle, and in step S93, the electric door lock device 26a corresponding to the door selected in step S97 is driven to unlock the door. The lock is maintained for the doors that are not selected. The information of the running environment can be acquired from the target data.

Fig. 17 (B) shows an example in which the unlocked door is selected based on the stop completion position and the running environment. The example of (B) in fig. 17 is the same as the example of (a) in fig. 14, with the stop completion position of the vehicle V being the traffic lane (lane) L1 adjacent to the no-continue travel region L0. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face the traffic lane (lane) L2, and another vehicle V' travels on the lane L2. The doors D1 and D3 therefore remain locked. The doors D2, D4 face the no-further-travel region L0. The subsequent other vehicles are less likely to travel to the no-further-travel region L0 than the traffic lane. However, the vehicle V is in travel with another vehicle V' that is subsequent on the same lane L1. There is a possibility that the lane change to the portion L0 is performed in order to avoid the stopped vehicle V. Therefore, unlike the example of fig. 14 (a), the doors D2 and D4 also remain locked.

Fig. 17 (C) shows another example in which the unlocked door is selected based on the stop completion position and the running environment. The example of (C) in fig. 17 is an example in which the stop completion position of the vehicle V is a traffic lane (lane) L2 that is not adjacent to the no-continuation capable travel region L0, and is the same as the example of (B) in fig. 14. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face the traffic lane (lane) L3, and the doors D2 and D4 also face the traffic lane (lane) L1. However, no other vehicle is detected behind the vehicle V. Therefore, of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D2 and D4 that are close to the no-travel zone L0 are unlocked, and the doors D1 and D3 are kept locked. Although the stop completion position is shown as an example of the stop method in fig. 17 (B) and 17 (C), the stop posture may be considered, and the stop completion position may be replaced with the stop target position.

The detection result of the other vehicle and the selection of the unlocked door are predetermined as a lower vehicle safety criterion, and it can be determined that the unlocking is possible when the traveling condition of the other vehicle satisfies the criterion. As the exit safety criterion, as shown in fig. 17 (C) by way of example, a relatively simple criterion that no following vehicle is detected may be used, or the traveling condition of another vehicle may be quantified, and the exit safety criterion is a threshold value to be compared with the traveling condition after quantifying whether or not unlocking is permitted.

The parameters for digitizing the traveling conditions include, for example, the number of other vehicles traveling in the same lane and adjacent lanes, the distance between the vehicle V and the nearest other vehicle, and the vehicle speed of the nearest other vehicle. The numerical index of the driving situation can be expressed, for example, as:

the index is the number of other vehicles × coefficient 1+ the distance between vehicle V and the closest other vehicle × coefficient 2+ the vehicle speed of the closest other vehicle × coefficient 3.

The index may be calculated in units of lanes.

< door lock control based on stopping mode and driver's state >

The unlocked door may also be selected based on the stopping mode and also based on the state of the driver. When the driver is not healthy, the driver is left inside the vehicle V to be protected, and safety is improved. This makes it possible to realize door lock control that further achieves both the safety of the passenger and the convenience of getting off the vehicle V.

Fig. 18 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock 26a by the ECU26B, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started. A process different from the door lock control shown in fig. 13 (a) will be described. The process of step S98 is executed instead of the process of step S92 of the door lock control shown in (a) in fig. 13.

In step S98, the unlocked door is selected based on the stop mode and the state of the driver, and in step S93, the electric door lock device 26a corresponding to the door selected in step S98 is driven to unlock the door. The lock is maintained for the doors that are not selected. The information of the state of the driver can be acquired from the ECU 27B.

Fig. 18 (B) shows an example in which the unlocked door is selected based on the stop completion position and the state of the driver. The example of fig. 18 (B) is the same as the example of fig. 13 (B) in which the stop completion position of the vehicle V is the no-continue travel range L0 such as the shoulder. Of the four doors D1 to D4, the doors D1 and D3 face the traffic lane (lane) L1. The subsequent other vehicle is highly likely to travel to the lane L1, and it is not desirable for the driver to get off in the lane L1. The doors D1 and D3 therefore remain locked. The doors D2, D4 face the no-further-travel region L0. The subsequent other vehicles are less likely to travel to the no-further-travel region L0 than the traffic lane. However, the result of the determination of the state of the driver is not sound. After the driver gets off the vehicle in the no-go zone L0, it is also possible to go to the lane L1. Therefore, the doors D2 and D4 are not unlocked and the door locked state is maintained. In the example of fig. 18 (B), the stop completion position is shown as an example of the stop mode, but the stop posture may be considered, and the stop target position may be used instead of the stop completion position.

In this way, the safety of the driver can be improved by taking the state of the driver into consideration. In addition to the example of fig. 18 (B), as an example of the door lock control, when it is determined that the driver is not sound, the door lock state of all the doors is maintained, and when it is determined that the driver is sound, the unlocked door may be selected based on the parking mode.

When it is determined that the driver is not sound, but when there is a fellow passenger other than the driver, and it is determined that the fellow passenger is sound, the unlocked door may be selected based on the parking mode. In this case, the door adjacent to the driver's seat can be kept locked.

< example of deciding whether to unlock based on the driver's state >

In the example of fig. 13 (a), when the lock of all the doors D1 to D4 is maintained in step S95, the door is unlocked in step S96 when a predetermined condition is satisfied. However, the unlocking may be performed when the driver instructs to release the lock regardless of whether or not the lock of all the doors D1 to D4 is maintained. However, when the driver is not healthy, the lock release instruction may be erroneously performed, or the safety may be deteriorated when the driver gets off the vehicle. Therefore, when the driver has given an instruction to release the lock, whether or not to unlock the lock may be determined based on the state of the driver.

Fig. 19 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock 26a by the ECU26B, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started. A process different from the door lock control shown in fig. 13 (a) will be described. Like the processing to step S94 in the example of (a) in fig. 13, after the door state is reported in step S94, step S95 is omitted, and the processing of step S96' is performed. Fig. 19 (B) is a flowchart showing an example of the processing in step S96'.

In step S101, it is determined whether or not there is an unlock instruction from the driver, and if there is an unlock instruction, the process proceeds to step S102, and if there is no unlock instruction, the process proceeds to step S105. Information on the state of the driver is acquired from the ECU27B in step S102. In step S103, it is determined whether the driver is sound based on the information acquired in step S102, and the process proceeds to step S104 if the driver is sound, and proceeds to step S105 if the driver is not sound.

In step S104, the door is unlocked. The object to be unlocked may be the individual doors instructed in step S101, all of the doors D1 to D4, or doors with relatively high security at the time of getting-off selected on the system side, such as a shoulder-facing door. Fig. 19 (C) schematically shows a state in which the lock release instruction is issued by the driver while the lock of all the doors D1 to D4 is maintained. The door D2 is unlocked when the driver is sound, and the locking of all the doors D1 to D4 is continuously maintained when the driver is not sound.

Returning to fig. 19 (B), in step S105, other processing is performed. Here, for example, the same processing as step S96 in fig. 13 (a) (processing for unlocking by the passage of time or the arrival of an emergency vehicle when all doors are in the door locked state), the end processing of the processing in fig. 19 (B), and the like are performed.

In this way, the safety of the driver can be improved by taking the state of the driver into consideration. When a fellow passenger is present in addition to the driver, the fellow passenger may issue a lock release instruction, and when it is determined that the fellow passenger is sound, the door may be unlocked.

< second embodiment: door lock control based on reason for starting stop control

In the first embodiment, the door lock control is performed focusing on the manner of stopping the vehicle V at the time of the stop control, but the door lock control may be performed focusing on other elements. In the present embodiment, the door lock control after the start of the stop control is different depending on the content of the running continuation condition that is the cause of the start of the stop control (hereinafter, also referred to as the content of the non-establishment). Specifically, in the case where the stop control is started due to a decrease in the state of the driver (fig. 10), the unlocking of the door after the start of the stop control is suppressed more than in the case where the stop control is started due to a decrease in the performance of the control system 1 (fig. 6 to 9). This makes it possible to, for example, easily stay the driver with the lowered judgment capability inside the vehicle V and protect the driver.

Fig. 20 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock device 26a by the ECU26B in the present embodiment, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started.

In step S111, it is determined whether the vehicle V has stopped. Whether or not the vehicle has stopped can be determined by a notification from the ECU that is executing the stop control, or the detection results of the rotation speed sensor 39 and the wheel speed sensor 38. When it is determined that the vehicle V is stopped, the lock release instruction by the driver can be unlocked, and the process proceeds to step S112. In the present embodiment, the lock release instruction by the driver is received on condition that the vehicle V is stopped, but the vehicle speed of the vehicle V may be set to be equal to or lower than the threshold value. In this case, the threshold is, for example, several km/h.

In step S112, it is determined whether or not there is an unlock instruction from the driver, and if there is an unlock instruction, the process proceeds to step S113, and if there is no unlock instruction, the process proceeds to step S115. In step S113, the type of the content that is not established as the cause of the current start/stop control is checked. Information on the type of the content that is not established can be acquired from the ECU that starts the stop control. If the content of the dissatisfaction relates to a decrease in the state of the driver, the lock release instruction is invalidated and the process proceeds to step S115, whereas if the performance of the control system 1 decreases, the lock release instruction process is validated and the process proceeds to step S114.

In step S114, the door is unlocked. The object to be unlocked may be the individual doors instructed in step S112, all of the doors D1 to D4, or doors having relatively high safety when the vehicle is being left off, such as a shoulder-facing door, selected on the system side. Fig. 20 (B) is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the processing of step S112 to step S114.

The example shown in the same figure shows a case where the driver has given an instruction to release the lock while all the doors D1 to D4 are locked. When the stop control is started for the reason of the performance degradation of the control system 1, the door D2 is unlocked in response to the lock release instruction. On the other hand, when the stop control is started for the reason that the state of the driver is lowered, the lock release instruction is invalidated and the lock of all the doors D1 to D4 is maintained.

Return to (a) in fig. 20. In step S115, the door is unlocked when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The lock of all the doors D1-D4 is maintained until the condition is satisfied. The unlocking condition is a condition in which the approach of an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or a police car is detected. The approach of the emergency vehicle can be determined based on the following results: the result of the environment recognition by the ECU21A based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 32A, the result of the environment recognition by the ECU21B based on the detection results of the detection units 31B, 32B, and the result of the vehicle-to-vehicle, road-to-vehicle communication by the ECU28B by the communication device 28 a. The unlocked doors may be all doors D1-D4.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the stop control is started due to a reduction in the performance of the control system 1, the driver can easily escape from the vehicle V, while when the stop control is started due to a reduction in the state of the driver, the driver can be easily left in the vehicle V and protected.

The suppression of the unlocking of the door is not limited to the validation/invalidation of the lock release instruction as exemplified in fig. 20 (a). Fig. 21 (a) and 21 (B) show examples of whether or not the unlocking is suppressed.

Fig. 21 (a) shows an example of the door lock control in the case where the stop control is started for the reason of the performance degradation of the control system 1. When the vehicle V stops in the no-continue travel range L0 and the lane L1 adjacent to the no-continue travel range L0, the doors D2 and D4 facing the relatively safe portion L0 are unlocked with respect to the lock release instruction. The doors D1, D3 were kept locked.

Fig. 21 (B) shows an example of the door lock control in the case where the stop control is started for the reason of the decrease in the state of the driver, and shows an example of suppressing the unlocking with respect to the example of fig. 21 (a). When the vehicle V is stopped in the no-further-travel region L0, the doors D2 and D4 facing the relatively safe portion L0 are unlocked with respect to the lock release instruction, as in the example of fig. 21 (a). On the other hand, when the vehicle V is stopped in the lane L1 adjacent to the no-further-travel region L0, the doors D2 and D4 facing the portion L0 are not unlocked, and the lock is maintained (the lock is suppressed). This is to take into account the possibility that the driver steps on the lane L1 after getting off the vehicle.

Various methods are also conceivable for suppressing unlocking. For example, the unlocked doors D1-D4 may be restricted. Further, restrictions regarding the traveling state of another vehicle traveling around the vehicle V can be performed. For example, when the stop control is started for the reason that the state of the driver is reduced, the lock release instruction may be accepted as valid on the condition that the traffic volume of another vehicle is lower than the threshold value or that another vehicle is not present. In addition, temporal restrictions may be imposed. For example, when the stop control is started for the reason that the state of the driver is reduced, the lock release instruction may be accepted as being valid on the condition that a certain time has elapsed since the start of the stop of the vehicle V. Additionally, door status may also be reported.

< third embodiment: suppression time based timing door lock control

In the first embodiment, the door lock control is performed focusing on the manner of stopping the vehicle V at the time of the stop control, but the door lock control may be performed focusing on other elements. In the present embodiment, the suppression time is counted when the stop control is executed, and the unlocking of the door is suppressed until the suppression time elapses. By suppressing the unlocking in the transition period, the driver can take a stable action.

Fig. 22 (a) is a flowchart showing an example of the suppression time management process performed by the ECU 26B. In step S121, it is determined whether or not the timing of starting the counting of the suppression time has come, and if so, the process proceeds to step S122. In step S122, the counting of the suppression time is started, and the suppression flag indicating that the suppression time is in progress is set to ON. The suppression flag is information for updating ON/OFF using a specific storage area of the storage device of the ECU 26B. In step S123, it is determined whether or not the suppression time period after the start of the time counting in step S122 has elapsed, and if it has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S124. In step S124, the counting of the suppression time is ended, and the suppression flag is set to OFF.

The timing of starting the suppression time measurement is, for example, any of the start of stop control, the stop of the vehicle V by the stop control, and the completion of the maintenance operation of the stop of the vehicle V by the stop control. The suppression time can be set to a time sufficient for the driver to perform the periphery monitoring. For example a few minutes. The suppression time may be a fixed time or a variable time. In the case of the variable time, the length may be set based on at least one of the surrounding environment of the vehicle V, the state of the driver, the elapsed time from the start of the stop control to the stop of the vehicle, the state of the vehicle V, and the content of the dissatisfaction that causes the start of the stop control.

As the surrounding environment of the vehicle V, the traveling state of the surrounding vehicle based on the detection result of the other vehicle may be used. This information can be acquired from the ECU21A, the ECU21B, and the ECU 28B. For example, in the case where there are many nearby vehicles, in the case where the speed of the nearby vehicle is high, or in the case where the nearby vehicle approaches the vehicle V, the suppression time is set to be relatively long, so that the monitoring of the surroundings by the driver is more reliable.

The state of the driver may be a state of health of the driver. This information can be obtained from the ECU 27B. For example, when the driver is not healthy, the suppression time is set to be relatively longer than that in the healthy state, and the peripheral monitoring of the driver is more reliable.

The elapsed time from the start of the stop control to the stop of the vehicle V may be measured by the ECU26B, or may be measured by and acquired from an ECU that starts the stop control. For example, in the case where the elapsed time is short, the suppression time is set relatively long, thereby making the peripheral monitoring of the driver more reliable. Further, when the timing of the suppression time is started together with the start of the stop control, the length of the suppression time may vary depending on the stop timing of the vehicle V. For example, the suppression time is ended when the stop of the vehicle V has not been reached despite the elapse of a predetermined reference time of the suppression time.

The state of the vehicle V may be, for example, a performance state of a function of a part of the vehicle V. For example, in the case where there is a performance degradation in a part of the functions, the suppression time is set relatively short, so that the driver can quickly escape from the vehicle V.

The false content is set to be relatively short when the stop control is started for the reason of a decrease in the performance of the control system 1, and to be relatively long when the stop control is started for the reason of a decrease in the state of the driver, for example. The former enables the driver to quickly escape from the vehicle V, and the latter makes the peripheral monitoring of the driver more reliable.

Fig. 22 (B) is a flowchart showing an example of control of the electric door lock device 26a by the ECU26B in the present embodiment, and is an example of processing executed when the stop control is started.

In step S131, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed of the vehicle V is equal to or less than a threshold value, and if so, the process proceeds to step S132. The vehicle speed can be determined from the detection results of the rotation speed sensor 39 and the wheel speed sensor 38. In this case, the threshold is, for example, several km/h. Further, the vehicle V may be stopped.

In step S132, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to release the lock from the driver, and if there is an instruction to release the lock, the process proceeds to step S133. In step S133, it is determined whether or not the suppression flag is ON, and if ON, the lock release instruction is invalidated and the process is ended. If the suppression flag is OFF, the lock release instruction processing is enabled, and the process proceeds to step S134.

In step S134, the door is unlocked. The object to be unlocked may be the individual doors instructed in step S132, all of the doors D1 to D4, or doors having relatively high safety when the vehicle is being left off, such as a shoulder-facing door, selected on the system side.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the unlocking of the door is suppressed during the suppression time, so that it is possible to secure the time for the driver to monitor the surroundings and to avoid the driver getting off the vehicle in a state where the surroundings monitoring is insufficient. The suppression of the unlocking of the door is not limited to the validation/invalidation of the lock release instruction, and may be a case where the unlocking may be possible during the suppression, as in the case of the presence or absence of the suppression of the unlocking in fig. 21 (a) and 21 (B) described in the second embodiment.

< summary of the embodiments >

1. The vehicle (e.g. V) of the above embodiment,

it is provided with:

door lock control units (e.g., 1, 26B) that control locking and unlocking of doors (e.g., D1-D4) of a vehicle; and

a driving control means (for example, 1, 20A, 21B) for executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle,

in the case where the stop control is executed, the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on the manner of stop of the vehicle in the stop control (for example, fig. 13 to 19).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking according to the condition of the vehicle at the time of stop control.

2. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the stop manner includes at least a stop target position or a stop completion position of the vehicle in the stop control.

The vehicle door can be unlocked more quickly based on the stop target position, and the vehicle door can be selected to be unlocked more appropriately based on the stop completion position.

3. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the vehicle comprises a door at the driver seat side (for example, D1) and a door at the passenger seat side (for example, D2),

in the case where the peripheral road surface on which the vehicle travels at the time of the stop control includes a region where the vehicle can continue to travel (e.g., L1-L3) and a region where the vehicle cannot continue to travel (e.g., L0),

the door lock control unit sets the door facing or approaching the continuous travel capable region to be locked,

unlocking the door facing or approaching the no-go zone.

According to this embodiment, the safety of the driver when alighting from the vehicle can be improved.

4. The vehicle according to the above-described embodiment,

further comprises other vehicle detection means (for example, 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 28a) for detecting other vehicles traveling in the vicinity of the vehicle,

in the case where the stop control is executed, the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on the stop manner and the detection result of the other-vehicle detection unit (for example, fig. 17).

According to this embodiment, door lock control can be performed in consideration of the traveling state of another vehicle.

5. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the vehicle comprises a door at the driver seat side (for example, D1) and a door at the passenger seat side (for example, D2),

the door lock control unit unlocks at least a part of the doors when the traveling condition of the another vehicle based on the detection result of the another vehicle detection unit satisfies a predetermined exit safety criterion,

the door lock control means locks the driver's seat side door and the passenger's seat side door when the traveling condition of the other vehicle based on the detection result of the other vehicle detection means does not satisfy the departure safety criterion.

According to this embodiment, the safety of the driver when alighting from the vehicle can be improved.

6. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the vehicle further includes a reporting unit (e.g., 26a, 44B) that reports the state of at least one of the locked state and the unlocked state of the door to a driver.

According to this embodiment, the driver can easily recognize the door state.

7. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the vehicle comprises a door at the driver seat side (for example, D1) and a door at the passenger seat side (for example, D2),

the notification means performs a notification to the driver when the locked and unlocked states of the driver side door and the passenger side door are different from each other (for example, (a) in fig. 15 and (B) in fig. 15).

According to this embodiment, driver confusion can be avoided.

8. The vehicle according to the above-described embodiment,

and a state detection means (for example, 27a) for detecting the state of the driver,

in the case where the stop control is executed, the door lock control unit controls the locking and unlocking of the door based on the stop manner and the detection result of the state detection unit (e.g., (a) in fig. 18).

According to this embodiment, door lock control can be performed in consideration of the health state of the driver.

9. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the door lock control means controls locking and unlocking of the door based on the stop mode when it is determined that the driver is sound from the detection result,

the door lock control means sets the door to be locked when it is determined that the driver is not healthy from the detection result.

According to this embodiment, the safety of the driver can be improved.

10. The vehicle according to the above-described embodiment,

and a state detection means (for example, 27a) for detecting the state of the driver,

when a lock release instruction from the driver is given to the locked door, the door lock control means determines whether or not to unlock the door based on the detection result of the state detection means (for example, (B) in fig. 19).

According to this embodiment, the lock release instruction can be handled while taking the health state of the driver into consideration.

11. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the door lock control means unlocks the door in accordance with the lock release instruction when it is determined that the driver is sound based on the detection result,

the door lock control unit does not respond to the lock release instruction when it is determined that the driver is not healthy from the detection result.

According to this embodiment, the safety of the driver can be improved.

12. The vehicle (e.g. V) of the above embodiment,

it is provided with:

door lock control units (e.g., 1, 26B) that control locking and unlocking of doors (e.g., D1-D4) of a vehicle; and

a driving control means (for example, 1, 20A, 21B) for executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle,

the prescribed travel continuation condition includes a first condition relating to performance of the vehicle and a second condition relating to a state of a driver,

when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the second condition, the door lock control unit further suppresses the unlocking of the door after the start of the stop control, as compared to when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the first condition (for example, (a) in fig. 20).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, the safety of a driver with a poor health state can be improved.

13. The vehicle according to the above-described embodiment,

emergency vehicle detection means (for example, 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 28a) for detecting the approach of an emergency vehicle,

when the emergency vehicle detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle after the vehicle is stopped by the stop control, the door lock control unit sets the door to be unlocked (e.g., step S115).

According to this embodiment, the driver can be quickly alight at the time of arrival of the emergency vehicle.

14. The vehicle (e.g. V) of the above embodiment,

it is provided with:

door lock control units (e.g., 1, 26B) that control locking and unlocking of doors (e.g., D1-D4) of a vehicle; and

a driving control means (for example, 1, 20A, 21B) for executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle,

the door lock control means is capable of executing automatic release control for unlocking the door (e.g., step S87, step S88) when a stop maintaining operation for mechanically maintaining the stop of the vehicle is performed,

when the vehicle is stopped by the stop control, execution of the automatic cancellation control is further suppressed as compared with a case where the vehicle is stopped without the stop control.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, the automatic cancellation control can be suppressed during the parking control, and the safety of the driver can be improved.

15. The vehicle (e.g. V) of the above embodiment,

it is provided with:

door lock control units (e.g., 1, 26B) that control locking and unlocking of doors (e.g., D1-D4) of a vehicle; and

a driving control means (for example, 1, 20A, 21B) for executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle,

the suppression time is counted while the stop control is executed, and the door lock control unit suppresses unlocking of the door until the suppression time elapses (e.g., (a) in fig. 22, and (B) in fig. 22).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, the time for the driver to monitor the surroundings during parking control can be secured, and the safety can be improved.

16. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the timing of the suppression time is started from any one of start of the stop control, stop of the vehicle by the stop control, or operation of a mechanism for mechanically maintaining the stop of the vehicle after the stop of the vehicle by the stop control.

The time for the driver to monitor the surroundings can be easily and appropriately secured by the timing from the above timing.

17. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention,

the suppression time is a time whose length is set based on at least one of the surrounding environment of the vehicle, the state of the driver of the vehicle, the elapsed time from the start of the stop control to the stop of the vehicle, the state of the vehicle, and the content of the failure of the predetermined running continuation condition.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to sufficiently secure the time for the driver to monitor the surroundings in accordance with the situation during parking control.

18. The control method of the above-described embodiment,

a control method for a vehicle (for example, V), the control method comprising:

a driving control step (for example, fig. 6 to 10) of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step (e.g., fig. 13 to 19) of controlling locking and unlocking of a door of the vehicle based on a manner of stopping the vehicle in the stop control when the stop control is executed.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking according to the condition of the vehicle at the time of stop control.

19. The control method of the above-described embodiment,

a control method for a vehicle (for example, V), the control method comprising:

a driving control step (for example, fig. 6 to 10) of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step (e.g., (a) in fig. 20) of controlling locking and unlocking of a door of the vehicle in a case where the stop control is executed,

the prescribed travel continuation condition includes a first condition relating to performance of the vehicle and a second condition relating to a state of a driver,

in the door lock control step, when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the second condition, the unlocking of the door after the start of the stop control is suppressed more than when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the first condition.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, the safety of a driver with a poor health state can be improved.

20. The control method of the above-described embodiment,

a control method for a vehicle (for example, V), the control method comprising:

an automatic release control step (for example, step S87 and step S88) of unlocking a door of the vehicle when a stop maintaining operation for mechanically maintaining a stop of the vehicle is performed; and

a driving control step (for example, fig. 6 to 10) of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle,

when the vehicle is stopped by the stop control, the execution of the automatic cancellation control step is further suppressed as compared with a case where the vehicle is stopped without the stop control.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, the automatic cancellation control can be suppressed during the parking control, and the safety of the driver can be improved.

21. The control method of the above-described embodiment,

a control method for a vehicle (for example, V), the control method comprising:

a driving control step (for example, fig. 6 to 10) of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step (for example, (a) in fig. 22 and (B) in fig. 22) of counting a suppression time when the stop control is executed and suppressing unlocking of the door of the vehicle until the suppression time elapses.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a control technique relating to door locking/unlocking that is compatible with ensuring both the safety of the driver and the convenience of getting off the vehicle. In particular, the time for the driver to monitor the surroundings during parking control can be secured, and the safety can be improved.

Claims (21)

1. A vehicle is provided with:

a door lock control unit that controls locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle; and

a drive control unit that executes a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined travel continuation condition is not satisfied during travel of the vehicle,

the vehicle is characterized in that it is provided with a vehicle,

the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on a manner of stopping of the vehicle in the stop control in a case where the stop control is executed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1,

the stop manner includes at least a stop target position or a stop completion position of the vehicle in the stop control.

3. The vehicle of claim 1,

the vehicle includes a driver seat side door and a passenger seat side door,

in the case where the peripheral road surface on which the vehicle travels at the time of the stop control includes a continuous travel enabled region and a continuous travel disabled region,

the door lock control unit sets the door facing or approaching the continuous travel capable region to be locked,

unlocking the door facing or approaching the no-go zone.

4. The vehicle of claim 1,

the vehicle further includes another vehicle detection means for detecting another vehicle traveling around the vehicle,

in the case where the stop control is executed, the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on the stop manner and the detection result of the other-vehicle detection unit.

5. The vehicle of claim 4,

the vehicle includes a driver seat side door and a passenger seat side door,

the door lock control unit unlocks at least a part of the doors when the traveling condition of the another vehicle based on the detection result of the another vehicle detection unit satisfies a predetermined exit safety criterion,

the door lock control means locks the driver's seat side door and the passenger's seat side door when the traveling condition of the other vehicle based on the detection result of the other vehicle detection means does not satisfy the departure safety criterion.

6. The vehicle of claim 1,

the vehicle further includes a reporting unit that reports a state of at least one of the locked state and the unlocked state of the door to a driver.

7. The vehicle of claim 6,

the vehicle includes a driver seat side door and a passenger seat side door,

the notification means notifies the driver when the locked and unlocked states of the driver side door and the passenger side door are different from each other.

8. The vehicle of claim 1,

the vehicle further includes a state detection unit that detects a state of the driver,

in the case where the stop control is executed, the door lock control unit controls locking and unlocking of the door based on the stop manner and the detection result of the state detection unit.

9. The vehicle of claim 8,

the door lock control means controls locking and unlocking of the door based on the stop mode when it is determined that the driver is sound from the detection result,

and locking the door when the driver is determined to be not sound by the detection result.

10. The vehicle of claim 1,

the vehicle further includes a state detection unit that detects a state of the driver,

the door lock control means determines whether or not to unlock the door based on a detection result of the state detection means when a lock release instruction from a driver is given to the locked door.

11. The vehicle of claim 10,

the door lock control means unlocks the door in accordance with the lock release instruction when it is determined that the driver is sound based on the detection result,

the door lock control unit does not respond to the lock release instruction when it is determined that the driver is not healthy from the detection result.

12. A vehicle is provided with:

a door lock control unit that controls locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle; and

a drive control unit that executes a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined travel continuation condition is not satisfied during travel of the vehicle,

the vehicle is characterized in that it is provided with a vehicle,

the prescribed travel continuation condition includes a first condition relating to performance of the vehicle and a second condition relating to a state of a driver,

when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the second condition, the door lock control unit further suppresses the unlocking of the door after the start of the stop control, as compared to when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the first condition.

13. The vehicle of claim 12,

the vehicle further includes an emergency vehicle detection unit that detects the approach of an emergency vehicle,

the door lock control unit sets the door to be unlocked when the emergency vehicle detection unit detects the approach of the emergency vehicle after the vehicle is stopped by the stop control.

14. A vehicle is provided with:

a door lock control unit that controls locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle; and

a drive control unit that executes a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined travel continuation condition is not satisfied during travel of the vehicle,

the vehicle is characterized in that it is provided with a vehicle,

the door lock control means is capable of executing automatic release control for unlocking the door when a stop maintaining operation for mechanically maintaining a stop of the vehicle is performed,

when the vehicle is stopped by the stop control, execution of the automatic cancellation control is further suppressed as compared with a case where the vehicle is stopped without the stop control.

15. A vehicle is provided with:

a door lock control unit that controls locking and unlocking of a door of a vehicle; and

a drive control unit that executes a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined travel continuation condition is not satisfied during travel of the vehicle,

the vehicle is characterized in that it is provided with a vehicle,

the door lock control unit suppresses unlocking of the door until the suppression time elapses, while counting a suppression time in a case where the stop control is executed.

16. The vehicle of claim 15,

the timing of the suppression time is started from any one of start of the stop control, stop of the vehicle by the stop control, or operation of a mechanism for mechanically maintaining the stop of the vehicle after the stop of the vehicle by the stop control.

17. The vehicle of claim 15,

the suppression time is a time whose length is set based on at least one of the surrounding environment of the vehicle, the state of the driver of the vehicle, the elapsed time from the start of the stop control to the stop of the vehicle, the state of the vehicle, and the content of the failure of the predetermined running continuation condition.

18. A control method for a vehicle,

the control method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

a driving control step of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step of controlling locking and unlocking of a door of the vehicle based on a manner of stopping of the vehicle in the stop control when the stop control is executed.

19. A control method for a vehicle,

the control method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

a driving control step of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step of controlling locking and unlocking of a door of the vehicle in a case where the stop control is executed,

the prescribed travel continuation condition includes a first condition relating to performance of the vehicle and a second condition relating to a state of a driver,

in the door lock control step, when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the second condition, the unlocking of the door after the start of the stop control is suppressed more than when the stop control is started by the non-establishment of the first condition.

20. A control method for a vehicle,

the control method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

an automatic release control step of unlocking a door of the vehicle when a stop maintaining operation for mechanically maintaining a stop of the vehicle is performed; and

a driving control step of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle,

when the vehicle is stopped by the stop control, the execution of the automatic cancellation control step is further suppressed as compared with a case where the vehicle is stopped without the stop control.

21. A control method for a vehicle,

the control method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

a driving control step of executing a stop control for decelerating and stopping the vehicle when a predetermined running continuation condition is not satisfied during running of the vehicle; and

a door lock control step of counting a suppression time when the stop control is executed, and suppressing unlocking of a door of the vehicle until the suppression time elapses.

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