JP2016018238A - Vehicle driving mode control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately switch over drive modes in a case of finishing a remote drive mode in a manned vehicle.SOLUTION: In a remote drive mode for receiving a maneuvering command from outside of a vehicle and driving the vehicle on the basis of the maneuvering command, it is determined whether to finish the remote drive mode (step 120), one of an autonomous drive mode and a manual drive mode is selected on the basis of prior setting made by a vehicle passenger (step 105) before it is determined to finish the remote drive mode and the remote drive mode transitions to the selected drive mode (steps 140 to 190) if it is determined to finish the remote drive mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation mode control device for a vehicle.

  Patent Document 1 describes a technique of switching to stand-alone automatic driving when remote driving becomes difficult due to a communication delay or the like while an unmanned vehicle is traveling by remote drive (remote control; the same applies hereinafter).

JP 2011-150516 A

  In the above-mentioned patent document 1, since it is a technique for an unmanned vehicle, only automatic traveling is used as an alternative traveling mode when remote driving becomes difficult. However, according to the inventor's study, in manned vehicles, as an alternative driving mode when remote driving becomes difficult, not only automatic driving but also manual driving can be used.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for appropriately switching an operation mode when a remote drive is terminated in a manned vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is an operation mode control device for controlling an operation mode of a vehicle, wherein the operation command is received from outside the vehicle, and the vehicle is controlled based on the operation command. In the driving remote drive mode, an end determination means (120) for determining whether or not to end the remote drive mode, and the end determination means determines that the end of the remote drive mode is ended by the end determination means (120). An automatic driving mode in which the vehicle is automatically driven without being driven by a steering command from the vehicle and not by a driving operation of the vehicle occupant, and by a driving operation of the vehicle occupant not based on a steering command from the outside of the vehicle Either one of the manual operation mode in which the vehicle is operated, and the end determination means is the remote drive. An operation mode control device provided with transition means (140 to 190) for selecting based on a preset setting made based on the operation of the vehicle occupant before determining that the vehicle is to be terminated and shifting to the selected operation mode. is there.

  As described above, when it is determined that the remote drive mode is to be ended, whether to shift to the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode is selected based on the occupant's pre-setting, so that the operation mode is appropriately switched.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis in the said and the claim shows the correspondence of the term described in the claim, and the concrete thing etc. which illustrate the said term described in embodiment mentioned later. .

It is a lineblock diagram of in-vehicle system 1 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart of a mode selection process.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle system 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle, and includes a camera 10, a position detector 11, a display device 12, an operation unit 13, an audio output device 14, a map data acquisition device 15, traffic information. It has a receiver 16, a distance sensor 17 and a navigation control circuit 18.

  The camera 10 is an apparatus that repeatedly captures roads in front, side, and rear of a vehicle. The position detector 11 is a sensor that outputs a signal for specifying the current position of the vehicle, such as a GPS receiver, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor, to the navigation control circuit 18. The display device 12 is a device such as a liquid crystal display that displays characters and images on the driver under the control of the navigation control circuit 18. The operation unit 13 is a device that receives a driver's operation and outputs a signal corresponding to the received operation to the navigation control circuit 18. The audio output device 14 is a device that outputs audio for the driver in the vehicle to hear. The map data acquisition unit 15 is a device that acquires map data according to the control of the navigation control circuit 18 and outputs the map data to the navigation control circuit 18. The traffic information receiver 16 is a device that acquires traffic information (presence of traffic jams, traffic regulations, etc.) from outside the vehicle by wireless communication. For example, the traffic information receiver 16 can be realized by using a VICS (VICS is a registered trademark) receiver. It is. The distance sensor 17 is a device that measures an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and another vehicle in front of the host vehicle, such as a laser sensor or a sonar sensor.

  The navigation control circuit 18 is adapted to realize various processes for navigation. Specific navigation processing executed by the navigation control circuit 18 includes a known current position specifying process using the position detector 11, a known map display process using the map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit 15, There are known route search processing using map data, known route guidance processing using map data, and the like.

  The communication unit 21 is a wireless communication interface for realizing communication between the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 and the remote drive server 30. The automatic driving / remote control actuator 22 is an actuator for realizing each of steering, driving, and braking of the vehicle. For example, the actuator for realizing the steering is a motor that changes the steering angle of the steering handle, the actuator for realizing the driving is a motor that changes the accelerator opening, and the actuator for realizing the braking is And a motor for driving a pump for changing the brake fluid pressure.

  The automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 (corresponding to an example of the operation mode control device) is a control device for determining the operation mode of the vehicle and causing the vehicle to travel in the determined operation mode. This is realized by including a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, and the like. There are three operation modes realized by the automatic operation / remote control unit 23: a remote drive mode, an automatic operation mode, and a manual operation mode. The automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 is realized by switching these three modes exclusively.

  In the remote drive mode, a steering command is received via a communication unit 21 from a remote drive server 30 installed at a remote location outside the vehicle. Based on the received steering command, the automatic driving / remote steering control unit 23 performs the vehicle operation. Is an operation mode for automatically operating the.

  The automatic operation mode is an operation mode in which the automatic operation / remote operation control unit 23 automatically operates the vehicle without being based on an operation command from the outside of the vehicle and without depending on a driving operation of an occupant of the vehicle.

  The manual driving mode is a driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by a driving operation (steering handle operation, accelerator pedal operation, brake pedal operation, etc.) of a vehicle occupant without being based on a steering command from the outside of the vehicle. . In the manual operation mode, the automatic operation / remote control actuator 22 does not control the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23.

  The automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode both belong to the stand-alone mode because the vehicle is driven without being based on a steering command from the outside of the vehicle. Remote drive mode does not belong to stand-alone mode.

  The automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 can acquire information output from the devices 10 to 17 via the navigation control circuit 18.

  Here, the mode selection process executed by the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 to switch the operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. The automatic driving / remote control unit 23 starts executing the mode selection process when the main power of the vehicle is turned on. Here, turning on the main power of the vehicle corresponds to turning on the IG if the vehicle travels with the driving force of the internal combustion engine. The operation mode at the start of execution of the mode selection process is the manual operation mode.

  First, in step 100, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 stands by until a remote drive request is received from a vehicle occupant. Then, based on the fact that the vehicle occupant has operated the operation unit 13 by a predetermined method, it is determined that there has been a remote drive request, and the routine proceeds to step 105.

  In step 105, the driving skill of the occupant who is to be the driver of the vehicle in the manual driving mode is set. Specifically, when the occupant inputs a level suitable for his / her driving skill using the operation unit 13, the inputted level is recorded in a memory (for example, RAM or flash memory) as the level of the occupant's driving skill. The level of the driving skill of the present embodiment is expressed in five levels from 1 to 5, and becomes a larger value as the driving skill is higher.

  Note that the level of automatic driving realized by the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 or the like is recorded in advance in the nonvolatile memory of the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 (for example, before the vehicle is shipped). The level of the automatic operation of the present embodiment is expressed by five levels from 1 to 5, and becomes a larger value as the capability of the automatic operation is higher.

  In step 105, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 first reads the level of automatic driving from the nonvolatile memory and displays it on the display device 12, and then receives the input of the driving skill level by the occupant. .

  Subsequently, in step 110, route setting is performed. Specifically, a route setting request is output to the navigation control circuit 18. Receiving this route setting request, the navigation control circuit 18 executes the route search process described above. In the route search process, the destination is determined according to the user's destination setting operation with respect to the operation unit 13, and the optimal scheduled route to the destination is calculated using the map data. Then, the destination and the planned route are output to the automatic driving / remote control controller 23. The automatic operation / remote control unit 23 records the destination and the planned route in a memory (for example, a RAM or a flash memory).

  In step 115, the manual operation mode is shifted to the remote drive mode. Specifically, the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 transmits a remote drive request to the remote drive server 30 using the communication unit 21. Then, based on the fact that the remote drive server 30 has received the remote drive mode request from the automatic operation / remote control unit 23, the remote drive server 30 has made a remote drive mode request to the remote operator near the remote drive server 30. To be notified. Recognizing this notification, the remote operator arrives at a predetermined position for remote control and performs a preparation completion operation on the operation device (not shown) of the remote drive server 30. Then, the remote drive server 30 transmits a preparation completion notification to the automatic operation / remote control unit 23. The automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 receives the preparation completion notification via the communication unit 21. This completes the process of shifting to the remote drive mode.

  During the remote drive mode, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 performs communication and control for realizing the remote drive in parallel with the mode selection process of FIG. Specifically, the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 transmits the traveling state information periodically (for example, once every 100 milliseconds) to the remote drive server 30 via the communication unit 21. The travel status information includes the planned route, images taken forward, side and rear of the vehicle photographed by the camera 10, the current position and vehicle speed of the vehicle obtained by the position detector 11, and the traffic information received by the traffic information receiver 16. Information such as the inter-vehicle distance acquired by the distance sensor 17 is included.

  The remote drive server 30 that has received the traveling status information displays this information to the remote operator. The remote operator confirms this display while driving operation devices (not shown) such as a steering handle, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal provided in the remote drive server 30 so that the vehicle can safely travel along the planned route. ). The remote drive server 30 creates a steering command based on the operations performed on these driving operation devices and sequentially transmits them to the automatic driving / remote steering control unit 23. The created maneuvering command includes information such as the steering angle of the steering wheel, the accelerator opening, and the brake depression amount.

  Each time the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 receives the control command via the communication unit 21, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 controls the automatic operation / remote control actuator 22 in accordance with the contents of these control commands. Thus, automatic driving of the vehicle by the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 according to the contents of the steering command is realized. In this remote drive mode, the vehicle occupant does not need to operate the vehicle.

  Returning to the description of the mode selection process in FIG. After shifting to the remote drive mode in step 115, the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 proceeds to step 120, and determines whether or not the communication delay time in communication with the remote drive server 30 is equal to or shorter than a predetermined time. . That is, it is determined whether or not communication with the remote drive server 30 is being performed satisfactorily.

  The communication delay time is calculated as follows, for example. The automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 transmits an inquiry signal periodically (for example, once every 10 seconds) to the remote drive server 30 via the communication unit 21, and a predetermined time (for example, 500 milliseconds) from the transmission point. Therefore, it waits to receive a response signal for this inquiry signal from the remote drive server 30. When the remote drive server 30 receives an inquiry signal, it immediately returns a response signal. The automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 determines that the communication delay time is within the predetermined time when the response signal can be received from the remote drive server 30 before the predetermined time elapses. However, if the response signal has not been received from the remote drive server 30 before the predetermined time elapses, it is determined that the communication delay time exceeds the predetermined time. Even if communication between the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 and the remote drive server 30 is performed but the communication delay time is long, the communication line between the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 and the remote drive server 30 is disconnected. Even when the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 is, the automatic operation / remote control unit 23 determines that the communication delay time exceeds the predetermined time by the operation as described above. The situation where the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 determines that the communication delay time exceeds a predetermined time is a situation where remote driving is difficult.

  If it is determined that the communication delay time is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step 125 to determine whether or not the communication delay time tends to exceed. Specifically, based on the latest and past communication delay times, the transition of the communication delay time after the present is predicted, and as a result, the communication delay time falls within the reference time (for example, 5 minutes) from the current time. Whether or not the communication delay time tends to exceed is determined based on whether or not it exceeds. If it is determined that the communication delay time does not tend to exceed, the process returns to step 120. If it is determined that the communication delay time tends to exceed, the process proceeds to step 130.

  While the communication delay time is stable at a low value, the automatic operation / remote control unit 23 determines in step 120 that the communication delay time is not more than a predetermined time and in step 125 that the communication delay time does not tend to exceed. Therefore, the loop of steps 120 and 125 is repeated.

  However, even if the communication delay time is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time, in a situation where the communication delay time increases rapidly, it is determined in step 125 that the communication delay time tends to exceed, and the process proceeds to step 130.

  In step 130, it is determined whether or not the manual operation mode is to be shifted. Specifically, according to the prediction of the transition of the communication delay time performed in step 125, if the communication delay time actually exceeds the predetermined time at the excess prediction time point where the communication delay time exceeds the predetermined time, Determine whether to shift to manual operation mode or automatic operation mode.

  This determination is made based on the driving skill level set in step 105 and the automatic driving level recorded in advance. Further, for this determination, a road on the planned route of the vehicle at the time of excess prediction is predicted (for example, based on a predetermined average vehicle speed), and the driving difficulty level of the road at the time of excess prediction is specified. The road driving difficulty level is an amount that becomes so large that it is difficult to drive the road with a vehicle. In the present embodiment, the road driving difficulty level is expressed by, for example, five levels from 1 to 5.

  The driving difficulty level at the time of the excess prediction of the road may be determined based on map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit 15, for example. In this case, it is necessary for the map data to record in advance the driving difficulty of each road for each time zone.

  First, the case where the level of the driving skill set in step 105 is the same as or higher than the level of automatic driving will be described. In this case, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 compares the identified level of driving difficulty with the level of automatic driving. If the driving difficulty level is higher than the automatic driving level, it is determined that the driving mode is scheduled to be shifted to the manual driving mode, and the process proceeds to step 135. On the other hand, if the level of the driving difficulty is the same as or lower than the level of the occupant's automatic driving, it is determined that the driving mode is to be shifted to the automatic driving mode, and the process returns to step 120.

  Next, a case where the level of the driving skill set in step 105 is lower than the level of automatic driving will be described. In this case, in most cases, the level of automatic driving is 5 at the highest. This is because, as already explained in the explanation of the processing of step 105, the occupant looks at the level of automatic driving, compares his driving skill with the level of automatic driving, and inputs his driving skill level. It is. If the level of automatic driving is the highest level, the occupant is confident that his / her driving skill level is set to a value smaller than 5. However, if the level of automatic driving is not the highest level, the occupant is just in case. This is because it is considered that the level of his driving skill is equal to or higher than the level of automatic driving.

  In this case, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 compares the identified driving difficulty level with the occupant driving skill level identified in step 105. Then, if the level of driving difficulty is higher than the level of driving skill of the occupant, it is determined that the vehicle is going to shift to the automatic driving mode, and the process returns to step 120. On the other hand, if the level of the driving difficulty is the same as or lower than the level of the driving skill of the occupant, it is determined that the driving mode is to be shifted to the manual driving mode, and the process proceeds to step 135.

  In step 135, it is notified to the vehicle occupant by voice, for example, using the voice output device 14 that the shift to the manual operation mode is planned. Thus, when the possibility of shifting to the manual operation mode is high, it is possible to prompt the passenger to prepare early by notifying the passenger in advance. Following step 135, the process returns to step 120. Note that while the communication delay time is less than or equal to the predetermined time and the communication delay time tends to exceed, and steps 120, 125, 130, and 135 are repeated in this order, the manual operation mode The passengers are repeatedly informed that they are planning to shift to.

  In this way, if the remote drive can be maintained but the communication delay tends to increase, if it is expected that manual operation will be selected by pre-setting, notify the driver in advance and manually Prepare to switch to driving.

  If it is determined in step 120 that the communication delay time exceeds the predetermined time, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 proceeds to step 140. In step 140, whether to select the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode is determined based on the level of the driving skill set in step 105 and the level of automatic driving recorded in advance. For this determination, the driving difficulty level of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling is specified. This driving difficulty may be determined based on map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit 15, for example. In this case, it is necessary for the map data to record in advance the driving difficulty of each road for each time zone.

  First, the case where the level of the driving skill set in step 105 is the same as or higher than the level of automatic driving will be described. In this case, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 compares the identified level of driving difficulty with the level of automatic driving. If the driving difficulty level is higher than the automatic driving level, it is determined that the driving mode is to be shifted to the manual driving mode, and the process proceeds to step 145. On the other hand, if the level of the driving difficulty is the same as or lower than the level of the occupant's automatic driving, it is determined that the driving mode is to be shifted to the automatic driving mode, and the process returns to step 175.

  Next, a case where the level of the driving skill set in step 105 is lower than the level of automatic driving will be described. In this case, as already explained, in most cases, the level of automatic driving is 5 which is the highest.

  In this case, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 compares the identified driving difficulty level with the occupant driving skill level identified in step 105. If the driving difficulty level is higher than the driving skill level of the occupant, it is determined that the automatic driving mode is selected, and the process proceeds to step 175. On the other hand, if the level of driving difficulty is equal to or lower than the level of the driving skill of the occupant, it is determined that the manual driving mode is selected, and the process proceeds to step 145.

  As described above, when it is determined in step 120 that the remote drive mode is to be terminated, whether to shift to the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode is selected based on the occupant's advance setting, so that the operation mode is appropriately set. Switch.

  When it is determined that the manual operation mode is selected, in step 145, the automatic operation mode is temporarily shifted. That is, in this embodiment, even if the manual operation mode is selected, the remote drive mode is not directly shifted to the manual operation mode, but the remote drive mode is shifted to the manual operation mode through the automatic operation mode. ing.

  In this way, when communication between the remote drive server 30 and the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 becomes poor and remote driving becomes difficult, even if the occupant cannot quickly start manual driving, You can drive safely.

  The transition from the remote drive mode to the automatic operation mode is performed as follows. The automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 transmits a remote drive end notification to the remote drive server 30 using the communication unit 21. Then, based on the reception of the remote drive mode end notification from the automatic operation / remote control unit 23, the remote drive server 30 notifies the remote operator that there has been a remote drive mode end notification. Further, the remote drive server 30 ends the transmission of the operation command to the automatic operation / remote operation control unit 23. This completes the transition from the remote drive mode to the automatic operation mode.

During the automatic operation mode, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 performs control for realizing automatic operation in parallel with the mode selection processing of FIG. Specifically, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 performs the following operations (a) to (f). (A) Based on the output of the position detector 11, the current position of the vehicle and the traveling speed vector Is identified.
(B) Based on the output of the distance sensor 17, the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed with the vehicle or obstacle ahead of the host vehicle are detected.
(C) Based on the captured image of the camera 10, an instruction content (for example, a speed limit) indicated by a traffic sign (corresponding to an example of an object) ahead of the host vehicle and a white line on the road ahead of the host vehicle are detected.
(D) Based on the results detected in (a) to (c) above, the vehicle should not cross the white line along the road on the planned route except when it is necessary for a left or right turn, etc. The automatic driving / remote control actuator 22 is controlled to automatically drive, brake and steer the vehicle so as not to hit the vehicle and obstacles and to follow the instructions of the traffic signs.

  Returning to the description of the mode selection process in FIG. After shifting to the automatic operation mode in step 145, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 proceeds to step 150, and informs the vehicle occupant that manual operation will be started, for example, by voice using the voice output device 14. Notice.

  Subsequently, in step 155, it is determined whether or not a predetermined manual operation changeover switch (not shown) in the operation unit 13 has been operated. When the passenger thinks he is ready for manual operation, he operates the manual operation switch. If the manual operation changeover switch is not operated, the process proceeds to step 160, where it is determined whether or not an allowable time (for example, 30 seconds) has elapsed since the manual operation was notified in step 150. Return to step 155. That is, while the manual operation is notified in step 150 and the allowable time has not elapsed, steps 150 and 160 are repeated until the manual operation changeover switch is operated.

  In a normal case, the occupant finishes preparation for manual operation within the allowable time and operates the manual operation changeover switch. In that case, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 determines that the operation switch has been operated in step 155, proceeds to step 165, and shifts from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode.

  By shifting from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode, the automatic operation / remote operation control unit 23 controls the automatic operation / remote operation actuator 22 to stop driving the vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle is driven by the driving operation of the occupant. After step 165, the process returns to step 100 and waits for a remote drive request from the vehicle occupant while continuing the manual operation mode.

  If the allowable time has passed without the manual operation changeover switch being operated after notification of manual operation in step 150, the automatic operation / remote control unit 23 determines in step 160 that the allowable time has elapsed. The process proceeds to step 170.

  In step 170, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 moves the vehicle to a relatively safe space (for example, a road shoulder) by automatic driving, and stops the vehicle in the space. The position of the road shoulder is specified from the map data or the image taken by the camera 10. This is based on the idea that it is better to stop the vehicle once for safety because it is considered that the occupant cannot perform manual driving for some reason.

  In this way, if the driver (occupant) is not ready when switching to manual operation, it will temporarily switch to automatic operation and wait for the driver to be ready. Stop after guidance.

  Subsequent to step 170, the process proceeds to step 165, and as described above, the automatic operation mode is shifted to the manual operation mode, and then the process returns to step 100.

  If it is determined in step 140 that the automatic driving mode is selected, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 shifts directly from the remote drive mode to the automatic driving mode in step 175. The method for shifting from the remote drive mode to the automatic operation mode is the same as in step 145. The control of the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 for realizing the automatic operation mode is also as described above.

  Subsequently, in step 180, it is determined based on the signal output by the GPS receiver in the position detector 11 whether or not the current position of the vehicle is within a range where the signal can be received from the GPS satellite (GPS range). Alternatively, when the map data includes information on whether or not a signal can be received from a GPS satellite at each point, the current position of the vehicle is obtained from the GPS satellite by applying the current position to the information. You may determine whether it is in the range which can be received.

  Further, in step 180, a known method is used to determine whether or not a device used for automatic driving (camera 10, position detector 11, distance sensor 17, automatic driving / remote control actuator 22, automatic driving / remote control control unit 23, etc.) has failed. Judge with.

  Subsequently, in step 185, it is determined whether or not the automatic operation can be maintained based on the determination result in step 180. For example, it is determined that automatic driving can be maintained only when it is determined that the vehicle is in the GPS range and all devices used for automatic driving are free of trouble, and in other cases (one out of the GPS range is one However, in the case of failure, it may be determined that the automatic operation mode cannot be maintained, or may be determined based on other criteria.

  If it is determined that the automatic operation can be maintained, the process proceeds to step 190, and it is determined by the same method as step 120 whether or not the communication delay time in communication with the remote drive server 30 is equal to or less than a predetermined time. If the predetermined time is exceeded, that is, if remote drive is difficult, the process returns to step 180. In other words, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 maintains the automatic operation mode by repeating the loop of steps 180, 185, and 190 while the automatic operation can be maintained and the remote drive is difficult.

  However, if it is determined in step 190 that the communication delay time in communication with the remote drive server 30 is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time in the loop of steps 180, 185, 190, the process returns to step 115 to return to the remote drive mode.

  If it is determined in step 185 that the automatic operation cannot be maintained in the loop of steps 180, 185, 190, the process proceeds to step 150 in order to shift to the manual operation mode. Step 150 is as already described.

  In the present embodiment, the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 functions as an example of an end determination unit by executing Step 120, and functions as an example of a transition unit by executing Steps 140 to 190. Executing step 125 functions as an example of a prediction unit, and executing step 135 functions as an example of a notification unit.

(Other embodiments)
In addition, this invention is not limited to above-described embodiment, In the range described in the claim, it can change suitably. Further, the above embodiments are not irrelevant to each other, and can be combined as appropriate unless the combination is clearly impossible. In each of the above-described embodiments, it is needless to say that elements constituting the embodiment are not necessarily essential unless explicitly stated as essential and clearly considered essential in principle. Yes. Further, in each of the above embodiments, when numerical values such as the number, numerical value, quantity, range, etc. of the constituent elements of the embodiment are mentioned, it is clearly limited to a specific number when clearly indicated as essential and in principle. The number is not limited to the specific number except for the case. Further, in each of the above embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of the component, etc., the shape, unless otherwise specified and in principle limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. It is not limited to the positional relationship or the like. For example, the following modifications are allowed. In addition, the following modifications can select application and non-application to the said embodiment each independently. In other words, any combination of the following modifications can be applied to the above-described embodiment.

(Modification 1)
In the above embodiment, the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 sets the level of the driving skill in Step 105, and in Step 140, based on the comparison between the level of the driving skill and the level of the driving difficulty on the road. Or manual operation mode is selected.

  However, more simply, whether to select the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode in step 105 is set based on the occupant's operation, and in step 140, either the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode is selected according to this setting. You may come to decide. In this case, for example, it is set that the automatic driving / remote control control unit 23 selects the automatic driving mode in step 105 by performing an operation for the passenger to take a rest slowly. In this case, it is also determined in step 130 whether to shift to the automatic operation mode or to shift to the manual operation mode according to the setting in step 105.

(Modification 2)
In the embodiment and the first modification, the automatic driving / remote control unit 23 sets the driving skill level or the mode selection based on the operation of the vehicle occupant in Step 105 before shifting to the remote drive mode. Yes. However, this setting may be performed after transitioning to the remote drive mode in step 115 and before determining to end the remote drive mode in step 120.

(Modification 3)
In the above embodiment, when it is determined in step 140 that the manual operation mode is selected, the remote drive mode is shifted to the manual operation mode through the automatic operation mode. However, this is not necessarily the case. For example, if the occupant is sufficiently prepared for the driving operation (for example, if the occupant performs an operation indicating that the preparation is completed with respect to the operation unit 13 in response to the advance notification in step 135), If it is determined at 140 that the manual operation mode is selected, the process may proceed immediately to step 165. That is, the remote drive mode may be shifted directly to the manual operation mode.

  However, in this case as well, if it is detected that the driver is not ready after switching to manual operation, it will temporarily switch to automatic operation mode and wait for the driver to be ready. It may be stopped after guidance in a safe space. In this case, for example, when the driver does not perform a driving operation within 5 seconds after switching to manual driving, it may be determined that the driver is not ready after switching to manual driving.

(Modification 4)
In the above embodiment, the automatic operation / remote control control unit 23 determines whether or not it is scheduled to shift to the manual operation mode in step 130, but instead of or in addition to this, at the excess prediction time point. It may be determined whether or not it is predicted that the automatic operation cannot be switched.

  Whether or not it is predicted that it is not possible to switch to automatic driving at the time of excess prediction depends on whether or not the road on the planned route of the vehicle at the time of excess prediction is predicted and whether or not the road at the time of excess prediction is out of the GPS range It may be determined, or may be determined based on whether one of the devices used for automatic driving is currently out of order.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 In-vehicle system 18 Navigation control circuit 21 Communication part 22 Automatic operation / remote control actuator 23 Automatic operation / remote control control part (operation mode control apparatus)

Claims (5)

An operation mode control device for controlling an operation mode of a vehicle,
End determination means (120) for determining whether or not to end the remote drive mode in a remote drive mode in which a control command is received from outside the vehicle and the vehicle is driven based on the control command;
Based on the fact that the end determination means determines to end the remote drive mode, automatic driving that automatically drives the vehicle without being based on a maneuvering command from the outside of the vehicle and without depending on the driving operation of the occupant of the vehicle One of a mode and a manual operation mode in which the vehicle is driven by a driving operation of an occupant of the vehicle without using a steering command from the outside of the vehicle, and the end determination means is in the remote drive mode An operation mode control device comprising transition means (140 to 190) for selecting based on a preset setting made based on the operation of the vehicle occupant before determining to end the vehicle and shifting to the selected operation mode.   When the presetting is a setting for specifying a driving difficulty level, the transition means is configured to perform the automatic driving mode based on a comparison between the specified difficulty level and a driving difficulty level in an environment in which the vehicle is traveling. The operation mode control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the manual operation mode and the manual operation mode is selected.   When the manual operation mode is selected based on the presetting, the transition means first transitions from the remote drive mode to the automatic operation mode, and then the occupant performs a predetermined operation within an allowable time. The operation mode control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode control device shifts to the manual operation mode.   When the manual operation mode is selected based on the presetting, the transition means first transitions from the remote drive mode to the automatic operation mode, and then the occupant performs a predetermined operation within an allowable time. The operation mode control device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle is stopped in the automatic operation mode based on the absence of the operation mode. Prediction means (125) for predicting whether or not the end determination means ends the remote drive mode in the remote drive mode;
When the manual operation mode is selected based on the preset based on the prediction by the prediction unit predicting that the end determination unit ends the remote drive mode, the end determination unit determines the remote drive mode. The operation mode control according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising notification means (135) for notifying the occupant that the manual operation starts before determining that the operation is to be ended. apparatus.

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