CN112262065A

CN112262065A - Vehicle control device

Info

Publication number: CN112262065A
Application number: CN201980038860.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 春元和贵
Original assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-13
Filing date: 2019-05-08
Publication date: 2021-01-22
Also published as: JPWO2019239747A1; WO2019239747A1

Abstract

Conventionally, when a vehicle having a long length such as a trailer is used as an oncoming vehicle, there has been a problem that it is considered that the vehicle can be met although the vehicle cannot be met originally. The present invention is a diagram showing a specific example of the generation of a car-crossing area by a car-crossing control unit (12). A vehicle crossing control unit (12) generates a vehicle crossing area (144) and an opposite vehicle crossing area (145) from the vehicle widths and the vehicle lengths of a host vehicle (147) and an opposite vehicle (148). The positions where the searched and generated vehicle-crossing areas do not overlap each other are set as vehicle-crossing positions. The meeting position is also a candidate for the rear of the own vehicle. The combination of overlapping areas of vehicles, and the overlapping area of non-travel areas (152) such as people, obstacles (151), and ditches are set as a vehicle non-travel area (149) and an opposite vehicle non-travel area (150).

Description

Vehicle control device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background

In recent years, due to the increase of elderly drivers and the like, the importance of safe driving of vehicles has increased, and vehicles having a driving assistance system such as an emergency automatic brake system have rapidly become widespread. In addition, development of a driving assistance system and realization of an automatic driving system of a vehicle are active in the industry.

Patent document 1 describes the following: when traveling on a narrow road, the vehicle recognizes the road width, obstacles, etc., determines whether the vehicle is a road width that can actually travel, based on the vehicle body width of the vehicle, and assists vehicle crossing.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2005-326963

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the device described in patent document 1, it is determined whether or not the vehicle can pass and the vehicle-crossing with the oncoming vehicle is attempted based on the width of the own vehicle, but in the case where the oncoming vehicle is a vehicle having a long vehicle length such as a trailer, there is a problem that the vehicle-crossing is not possible but is considered possible.

Means for solving the problems

A vehicle control device according to the present invention includes a control unit that controls a host vehicle in accordance with external information, and is configured to transition to a vehicle-crossing mode when an oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle are present in the same lane and a road width is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and includes: a vehicle-crossing region generation unit that generates the vehicle-crossing region for the vehicle from a vehicle width and a vehicle length of the vehicle in the vehicle-crossing mode; an oncoming vehicle area generation unit that generates an oncoming vehicle area from a vehicle width and a vehicle length of an oncoming vehicle in the meeting mode; and a search unit that searches for a position at which the vehicle crossing area for the host vehicle does not contact the vehicle crossing area for the oncoming vehicle from a road around the host vehicle.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to safely meet a vehicle without being affected by the vehicle length of the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle control device.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of the navigation system.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the generation of the car-crossing region.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a vehicle crossing with a large-sized vehicle at a narrow portion.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of a vehicle crossing with a large-sized vehicle on a curve.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle-crossing control unit.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the vehicle-crossing determination process by the vehicle-crossing control unit.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the vehicle-crossing position search processing by the vehicle-crossing control unit.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a vehicle-crossing process performed by the vehicle-crossing control unit.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle control device 10. The vehicle control device 10 mounted on a vehicle includes an external recognition sensor 11, a vehicle-meeting control unit 12, a vehicle control unit 13, and a navigation system 14.

The external recognition sensor 11 is configured by an in-vehicle camera, sonar, or the like disposed around the vehicle, and outputs information on the travel path of the recognized oncoming vehicle, person, obstacle, or the like to the vehicle-crossing control unit 12.

The vehicle-crossing control unit 12 generates information such as a determination of transition to the "vehicle-crossing mode" and a vehicle-crossing area and an arrival route based on information from the external recognition sensor 11 and the navigation system 14, and controls vehicle-crossing driving. That is, the vehicle-crossing controller 12 outputs commands such as a steering angle, braking, and driving to the vehicle controller 13 to control the automatic vehicle-crossing operation. Information such as the shift to the "meeting mode" and the position of the meeting area is fed back to the navigation system 14.

The vehicle-crossing control unit 12 includes a memory and a CPU, which are not shown, stores a program shown in flowcharts of fig. 6 to 9 described later and vehicle information in the memory, and the CPU reads the program and executes processing. Further, all or a part of the processing may be implemented by a hard logic circuit. Further, the program may be provided in the form of a computer program product that can be read by a computer in various forms such as a recording medium, a data signal (carrier wave), and the like.

The vehicle control unit 13 drives the engine or the motor in response to a command such as a steering angle, braking, or driving to transmit a driving force to the wheels, thereby moving or stopping the vehicle. Further, the motion of the vehicle accompanying the travel or stop of the vehicle is fed back to the vehicle-crossing control unit 12.

Fig. 2 is a display example of the navigation system 14 in the "meeting mode". The navigation system 14 has a display for displaying map information and a video image 141 of the external recognition sensor 11. Then, when the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 has shifted to the "vehicle-crossing mode", information 143 indicating that the vehicle-crossing mode is in the vehicle-crossing mode is displayed. In the vehicle-crossing mode, the vehicle crossing area 144 and the oncoming vehicle crossing area 145 generated by the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 are additionally displayed in the image 141 on the left portion of the display. In the meeting mode, the overhead enlarged image 142 of the portion of the display device near the host vehicle 147 and the oncoming vehicle 148 is displayed on the right portion of the display device. At least the vehicle crossing area 144 generated by the crossing control unit 12 may be displayed on the display. This enables the driver to recognize the position where the vehicle 147 moves accurately when meeting the oncoming vehicle, thereby eliminating the anxiety when meeting. Further, when the oncoming vehicle meeting area 145 is displayed on the display, it is possible to predict the movement of the oncoming vehicle, and thus eliminate uneasiness when meeting. Further, the subject vehicle meeting area 144 and the oncoming vehicle meeting area 145 are respectively recognized and displayed on the display in such a manner that the driver can visually distinguish them.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the generation of the car-crossing region by the car-crossing control unit 12. The vehicle-crossing control unit 12 generates the vehicle-crossing area 144 and the oncoming vehicle-crossing area 145 from the vehicle widths and the vehicle lengths of the host vehicle 147 and the oncoming vehicle 148. The positions where the searched and generated vehicle-crossing areas do not overlap each other are set as vehicle-crossing positions. The meeting position is also a candidate for the rear of the own vehicle. In addition, a combination of overlapping vehicle-meeting areas, and a vehicle-meeting area overlapping a person, an obstacle 151, and a non-travel-capable area 152 such as a gutter are set as the host vehicle non-vehicle-meeting area 149 and the oncoming vehicle non-vehicle-meeting area 150.

Fig. 4 is a specific example of the generation of a vehicle-crossing area when the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 crosses a large vehicle such as a trailer in a narrow area. When there are a plurality of

escape points

154, 155 on a narrow road, the vehicle crossing control unit 12 angles the area during the vehicle crossing position search to determine whether the host vehicle crossing area 144 and the oncoming vehicle crossing area 145 can actually escape to the

escape points

154, 155. In the example of fig. 4, the vehicle-meeting area where the oncoming vehicle 148 enters the evacuation point 154 becomes the oncoming vehicle non-vehicle-meeting area 150. When the vehicle can not meet at the front as shown in fig. 4, the vehicle meeting position such as the retreat region 155 at the rear of the vehicle is searched to set the vehicle meeting region 144.

Fig. 5 is a specific example of the generation of a vehicle-crossing area when the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 crosses a large vehicle at a curve. In the case of a curve where the field of view of vehicles is good, if the vehicles are ordinary vehicles, the vehicles can be directly met on the curve, and in the case where the oncoming vehicle 148 of the own vehicle 147 is a large vehicle such as a trailer as shown in fig. 5, the non-travelable region 153 is generated due to the clearance at the time of passing a curve, and the vehicles cannot be met. In the example shown in fig. 5, the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 sets the own-vehicle non-vehicle-crossing region 149 and the oncoming-vehicle non-vehicle-crossing region 150 for a vehicle crossing that enters a curve. Thus, the subject vehicle meeting area 144 and the oncoming vehicle meeting area 145 are set with the current position of the subject vehicle before entering the curve set as the meeting position.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle-crossing control unit 12.

In the process S601, the own vehicle is automatically driven. In the next process S602, the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 performs a process of determining whether or not to switch to the vehicle-crossing mode. If it is determined in step S602 that the vehicle can easily meet, for example, the road width is sufficient, the process proceeds to step S603, and ordinary automatic driving is continued. If it is determined in step S602 that the vehicle-crossing is difficult, the process proceeds to "vehicle-crossing mode", and the process proceeds to vehicle-crossing position search processing in step S604, and automatic vehicle-crossing driving is started. The details of the vehicle-meeting determination processing of the processing S602 will be described later with reference to fig. 7.

If the vehicle-crossing area can be generated and the vehicle-crossing position can be set in step S604, the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 proceeds to the vehicle-crossing process in step S605. If the meeting position cannot be set, the process proceeds to step S606 to switch to manual driving. The process of combining the process S604 and the process S605 is referred to as a "meeting mode". The details of the meeting position search processing in the processing S604 will be described later with reference to fig. 8.

In step S605, the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 controls the host vehicle to the vehicle-crossing position set in step S604 to perform vehicle crossing with the oncoming vehicle, and returns to the automatic driving in step S603. The details of the vehicle-meeting process of the process S605 will be described later with reference to fig. 9.

(meeting judgment processing)

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the meeting determination process which is a detail of the process S602.

In step S701, the vehicle-crossing control unit 12 acquires information of the oncoming vehicle identified by the external recognition sensor 11. Specifically, the position of the oncoming vehicle, the vehicle width, the vehicle length, the display of the winkers, and the license plate information are acquired.

In the process S702, it is determined whether or not the oncoming vehicle is present in the same lane as the own vehicle, based on the information acquired in the process S701. Specifically, it is determined whether or not there is a white line/center line between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, and whether or not the recognized left-end coordinate of the oncoming vehicle is within the white-line coordinate range of the host vehicle travel lane. If the vehicle does not exist in the same lane, it is determined that the vehicle-crossing is not necessary, and the process proceeds to processing S603 shown in fig. 6 to continue the automated driving. If the oncoming vehicle is present in the same lane, the process proceeds to step S703.

In step S703, the road width is acquired from the external world recognition sensor 11, and it is determined whether the road width is narrow or not.

Specifically, if "width within white line < own vehicle width + opposing vehicle width + offset" is satisfied, it is determined that the road width is narrow. Further, even when the white line cannot be recognized, it is determined that the road width is narrow. If the road width is wide, it is determined that vehicle-crossing is not necessary, and the process proceeds to processing S603 shown in fig. 6 to continue the automatic driving. If the road width is narrow, the process proceeds to step S604 shown in fig. 6, and the vehicle-crossing mode is switched to. After the mode transition, either creep or speed limit is implemented. Further, when the external recognition sensor 11 fails, the mode transition is not made but the state is shifted to the safe state.

(processing for searching vehicle-meeting position)

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the meeting location search process, which is a detail of the process S604.

In step S801, the vehicle crossing control unit 12 generates a vehicle crossing area for searching for a crossing position. Specifically, the vehicle-crossing area is generated by acquiring the vehicle width and the vehicle length from the vehicle information stored in advance in the memory of the vehicle-crossing control unit 12.

The vehicle-crossing control unit 12 generates an oncoming vehicle crossing area for searching for a crossing position in step S802. Specifically, the vehicle-crossing region is generated from the opposing vehicle width and the vehicle length acquired in the processing S701 in fig. 7. In the case where the opposing vehicle width and the vehicle length acquired in the processing S701 in fig. 7 are inaccurate, for example, in the case where the acquired opposing vehicle length is equal to or less than the vehicle width, the vehicle crossing control unit 12 performs vehicle type matching with the image of the vehicle stored in advance based on the image of the opposing vehicle acquired from the vehicle-mounted camera disposed as the external world recognition sensor 11. Then, the size information (vehicle width and vehicle length) of the vehicle whose images match is acquired from a pre-stored database. Or recognizing the license plate of the opposite vehicle shot by the vehicle-mounted camera, and acquiring the size information of the vehicle corresponding to the recognized license plate from a pre-stored database. Then, an oncoming vehicle crossing area of a size based on the acquired size information is generated.

In step S803, the vehicle crossing control unit 12 searches for a position where the vehicle crossing regions generated in step S801 and step S802 do not overlap each other, and sets the position as a vehicle crossing position. Specifically, a contact point with the oncoming vehicle is calculated from the relative speed with the oncoming vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance, and the vehicle-crossing position is successively searched for in the direction of the subject vehicle using the contact point as a starting point, and the vehicle-crossing position is set when "x coordinate at right end of vehicle-crossing area < x coordinate at left end of vehicle-crossing area of the subject vehicle" is satisfied. The meeting position is also a candidate for the rear of the own vehicle. In addition, as the vehicle-meeting position, the position of contact with the obstacle is excluded.

In step S804, it is determined whether or not the vehicle-crossing position is set. If the setting is made, the process proceeds to the vehicle-crossing process in step S605 shown in fig. 6. If the vehicle-crossing position cannot be set in step S804, it is determined that automatic vehicle crossing is not possible, and the process proceeds to the manual driving in step S606 shown in fig. 6. Specifically, the driver is notified of the fact that the vehicle cannot be automatically met through the navigation system 14 by display, voice, or the like, and the vehicle is switched to manual driving according to the determination of the driver.

(vehicle meeting treatment)

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the vehicle-crossing process which is the detail of the process S605.

The vehicle-crossing control unit 12 determines in step S901 whether the oncoming vehicle to be crossed has stopped in front of the vehicle-crossing position. Specifically, it is determined whether the oncoming vehicle has stopped, based on the position of the oncoming vehicle acquired by the external world recognition sensor 11. If the stop has been made, the process proceeds to step S902. If the oncoming vehicle is still traveling, the process proceeds to processing S904.

In step S902, it is determined whether or not a vehicle can be met on the side of the stopped oncoming vehicle. Specifically, the oncoming vehicle position is set as the oncoming vehicle meeting area, and it is determined whether the subject vehicle meeting area can be set on the side of the oncoming vehicle that has stopped.

If the setting is possible, the process proceeds to step S903, where the meeting position is reset on the side surface of the stopped oncoming vehicle. If the setting is impossible, the host vehicle is moved to the vehicle-crossing position set in the processing S803.

In step S904, it is determined whether the oncoming vehicle is turning left or right. Specifically, the left-right turn of the oncoming vehicle is determined from the display of the winker of the oncoming vehicle identified in the process S701. If the oncoming vehicle is about to turn left or right, the process proceeds to step S905, and the vehicle is stopped at the current position until the left or right turn of the oncoming vehicle is completed. When the oncoming vehicle is traveling straight ahead, the process proceeds to step S906, and the subject vehicle is moved to the vehicle-crossing position set in step S803.

In processing S907, it is monitored whether the oncoming vehicle has reached the oncoming vehicle crossing area. Specifically, it is determined whether the oncoming vehicle has reached the oncoming vehicle meeting area before the own vehicle reaches the own vehicle meeting area.

If the vehicle has not arrived yet, the process proceeds to step S908, where the vehicle is stopped in the vehicle crossing area and monitoring is continued. If the oncoming vehicle has reached the meeting area, the process proceeds to step S909.

In step S909, it is determined whether or not the distance between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and is more than a margin. If there is a margin, the process proceeds to step S910 to perform a slow vehicle-meeting, and waits for the completion of the vehicle-meeting in step S911. If there is no margin in the processing S909, the process proceeds to a processing S912, and it is determined whether or not the oncoming vehicle has stopped. If the oncoming vehicle has stopped, the process proceeds to step S910. In the case where the oncoming vehicle is still traveling, the process proceeds to process S913, the own vehicle continues to stop until the oncoming vehicle completes the meeting, and waits for the completion of the meeting in process S911.

The condition regarded as the completion of the vehicle-meeting in the processing S911 is regarded as the completion of the vehicle-meeting in accordance with a case where the subject vehicle or the oncoming vehicle has passed through the vehicle-meeting area in the respective traveling directions. After the vehicle-meeting is completed in the processing S911, the process proceeds to a processing S914.

In step S914, the vehicle is moved to a position where the automatic driving can be performed normally after the vehicle-meeting. Specifically, the host vehicle is moved to a position where the host vehicle can be automatically driven away from the vehicle crossing area. In this case, for example, if there is an obstacle on the front side of the parking position in the vehicle crossing area, the vehicle returns to the crossing process start position so as to avoid the obstacle according to the previously stored movement route to the crossing position. The process proceeds to recovery post-processing S603, and shifts to usual automatic driving.

In the above description of the embodiment, the automatic vehicle-meeting driving in the vehicle-meeting mode is switched from the automatic driving or the automatic vehicle-meeting driving is switched from the automatic driving to the automatic driving, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the manual driving may be switched to the automatic vehicle-meeting driving or the automatic vehicle-meeting driving may be switched to the manual driving.

According to the embodiment described above, the following operational effects are obtained.

(1) The vehicle control device 10 includes a vehicle-crossing control unit 12 that controls the host vehicle based on the outside world information from the outside world recognition sensor 11. The vehicle crossing control unit 12 shifts to a vehicle crossing mode (S604) when the oncoming vehicle and the own vehicle are present in the same lane (S702: yes) and the road width is equal to or less than a predetermined value (S703: yes), and includes: a vehicle-crossing region generation unit that generates a vehicle-crossing region for the vehicle from the vehicle width and the vehicle length of the vehicle in the vehicle-crossing mode (S801); an oncoming vehicle area generation unit that generates an oncoming vehicle intersection area from the vehicle width and the vehicle length of the oncoming vehicle in the intersection mode (S802); and a search means for searching for a position at which the vehicle crossing area for the host vehicle does not contact the vehicle crossing area for the oncoming vehicle from a road around the host vehicle (S803). This makes it possible to safely meet the vehicle without being affected by the vehicle length of the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other embodiments contemplated within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as the features of the present invention are not damaged.

Description of the symbols

10 … vehicle control device, 11 … external identification sensor, 12 … meeting control part, 13 … vehicle control part and 14 … navigation system.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device including a control unit for controlling a host vehicle in accordance with external information,

the vehicle crossing control method is characterized by switching to a vehicle crossing mode when an oncoming vehicle and the own vehicle are present in the same lane and a road width is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and includes:

a vehicle-crossing region generation unit that generates a vehicle-crossing region for the vehicle from a vehicle width and a vehicle length of the vehicle in the vehicle-crossing mode;

an oncoming vehicle area generation unit that generates an oncoming vehicle area from a vehicle width and a vehicle length of an oncoming vehicle in the meeting mode; and

and a search unit that searches for a meeting location at which the vehicle meeting area for the host vehicle does not contact the vehicle meeting area for the oncoming vehicle from a road around the host vehicle.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

the search means controls the host vehicle to stop at the vehicle crossing area for the host vehicle when searching for the vehicle crossing position, and switches to manual driving or notifies the driver when the search means fails to search for the vehicle crossing position.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

the vehicle-crossing area generation means acquires the vehicle width and the vehicle length of the vehicle from vehicle information stored in advance, and generates the vehicle-crossing area for the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

the oncoming vehicle area generation unit generates the oncoming vehicle crossing area based on the vehicle width and the vehicle length of the oncoming vehicle acquired from the vehicle-mounted camera.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

the oncoming vehicle area generation unit generates the oncoming vehicle meeting area based on size information of the vehicle acquired based on the license plate captured by the vehicle-mounted camera.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

the oncoming vehicle area generation unit generates the oncoming vehicle meeting area based on size information of the vehicle acquired by vehicle type matching based on an image of the oncoming vehicle captured by the on-vehicle camera.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

the control unit starts the creep of the host vehicle when the oncoming vehicle and the host vehicle have reached the meeting area and there is a margin in the distance between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, respectively.

8. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

when the oncoming vehicle and the own vehicle have reached the vehicle-crossing area and there is no margin in the distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, respectively, the control unit continues the stop of the own vehicle and waits for the passage of the oncoming vehicle while the oncoming vehicle is still traveling.

9. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

and a display unit that displays the vehicle crossing area generated by the vehicle crossing area generation unit.

10. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 9,

the display unit displays the oncoming vehicle crossing region generated in the oncoming vehicle region generation unit.

11. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 10,

the display unit identifies and displays the vehicle crossing area for the subject vehicle and the vehicle crossing area for the oncoming vehicle.