JP2017004210A - Route setting device and automatic travel control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique that enables setting of a travel scheduled route in a traffic environment where it is impossible to set a travel scheduled route based on the boundary of a traffic lane.SOLUTION: The route setting device, which is equipped on a vehicle and sets a travel scheduled route of a vehicle, includes a first detection unit (S101), a second detection unit (S105), and route setting parts (S103, S109). The first detection unit detects a boundary of a traffic lane where a vehicle is travelling. The second detection unit detects a specific feature object as a detection target other than the boundary. The route setting parts set a travel scheduled route based on at least one of the boundary and the feature object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a route setting device that sets a planned travel route of a vehicle and an automatic travel control system that includes the route setting device.

  A vehicle that detects a situation in front by a detection device such as a camera device or a radar device is known (see Patent Document 1). The vehicle described in Patent Document 1 detects a forward situation using a telephoto camera. And this vehicle is a driving lane (ETC lane) corresponding to ETC (Electronic Toll Collection, registered trademark, the same shall apply hereinafter) that automatically collects tolls in the vicinity of the toll booth that collects tolls for toll roads based on the detected situation. ) Or guidance information (arrow) for guiding the vehicle to a traveling lane (general lane) that collects charges through a person is displayed on a display device mounted on the vehicle.

JP 2008-185523 A

  By the way, a technique for automating a part of driving operation (for example, steering operation) by a driver based on the situation in front of the vehicle is known. In such a technique, a lane line is detected as a boundary line of the travel lane, the center line of the detected left and right lane lines is set as the planned travel route, and the vehicle travels along the set planned travel route. It is conceivable to control the steering. However, for example, in places where there are no lane markings that divide into multiple driving lanes even though they have a width that allows multiple vehicles to run side by side, such as in the vicinity of a toll gate on a toll road, the planned driving route is appropriate. There was a problem that could not be set.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables a scheduled travel route to be set even in a travel environment where a planned travel route cannot be set based on a boundary line of a travel lane.

  One aspect of the present invention is a route setting device that is mounted on a vehicle and sets a planned travel route of the vehicle, and includes a first detection unit, a second detection unit, and a route setting unit. The first detection unit detects a boundary line of a traveling lane in which the vehicle is traveling. The second detection unit detects a predetermined feature that is a detection target other than the boundary line. The route setting unit sets a planned travel route based on at least one of the boundary line and the feature. According to such a configuration, the planned travel route can be set if a feature can be detected even in a travel environment in which the planned travel route cannot be set based on the boundary line of the travel lane.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a vehicle control system. It is a flowchart of a route setting process. It is a figure showing the condition where a driving planned route can be set based on a lane marking. It is a figure showing the condition where a driving planned route cannot be set based on a lane marking since there is no lane marking. It is a figure showing the condition where a driving planned route cannot be set based on a lane line since the lane line has deteriorated. It is a figure showing the example of the road marking drawn near the gate of an ETC lane. (A) is a figure showing the road marking drawn so that it might become perpendicular | vertical with respect to the direction where the gate of an ETC lane and a general lane is located in a line. (B) is a figure showing the road marking drawn so that it might become diagonal with respect to the direction where the gate of an ETC lane and a general lane is located in a line. It is a figure showing the picked-up image by an image sensor. It is a schematic diagram showing the bird's-eye view image produced | generated by carrying out bird's-eye conversion of the captured image by an image sensor. It is a figure showing the position of the center point in the lower side of the rectangular detection area | region detected based on the captured image by an image sensor. It is a figure showing the driving planned route | route which makes the center point in the lower side of a detection area | region the end point. It is a figure showing a series of scheduled driving | running routes set by repeating the setting of the planned driving | running route which makes the end point the center point in the lower side of a detection area. It is a figure showing the condition where there is no lane marking on a general road. It is a figure showing the condition where the lane marking in the general road has deteriorated. It is a figure showing the example of the road marking drawn on a general road. (A) is a figure showing the planned driving | running | working path | route set based on the road marking in the condition where the lane marking on a general road does not exist. (B) is a figure showing the planned driving | running | working path | route set based on the road marking in the condition where the lane marking in the general road has deteriorated. It is a figure showing the position of the point on the center line which passes the center of the horizontal direction of the label | marker of an ETC gate, and is on a road. It is a figure showing the driving planned route set based on the mark of an ETC gate.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Further, the reference numerals used in the description of the following embodiments are also used in the claims as appropriate, but this is used for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and limits the technical scope of the present invention. Not intended.

[1. Constitution]
A vehicle control system 11 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on the vehicle 1 and includes an image sensor 13, a millimeter wave radar 15, an automatic traveling system 17, a display 19, and a blinker lamp 21.

The image sensor 13 images the front of the vehicle 1 and outputs the captured image to the automatic travel system 17 (specifically, a route setting device 151 described later).
The millimeter wave radar 15 radiates a millimeter wave band radar wave within a predetermined area in front of the vehicle 1 and receives the reflected wave, thereby detecting the distance to an object existing in front of the vehicle 1. Further, the millimeter wave radar 15 outputs the detection result to the automatic traveling system 17 (specifically, a route setting device 151 described later).

  The automatic traveling system 17 realizes automatic control that automatically performs at least a part of the driving operation to be performed by the driver of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the vehicle 1 can travel in two types of travel modes (automatic travel mode and manual travel mode). The automatic travel mode is a travel mode in which the vehicle 1 is automatically traveled by performing travel control (steering control, accelerator control, and brake control) that substitutes for steering operation, accelerator operation, and brake operation by the driver. On the other hand, the manual travel mode is a travel mode in which such travel control is not performed and a steering operation, an accelerator operation, and a brake operation by a driver are required. The automatic travel system 17 includes a route setting device 151 and a control device 153 as devices for realizing the automatic travel mode.

  The route setting device 151 includes a well-known microcomputer centering on a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The route setting device 151 sets a planned travel route of the vehicle 1 in a route setting process (FIG. 2) to be described later based on an image captured by the image sensor 13. Here, the planned travel route is a route on which the vehicle 1 is scheduled to travel in the automatic travel mode (a route that is a target of steering control), and the vehicle 1 automatically travels along the planned travel route. In the present embodiment, the planned travel route is set based on a lane marking such as a white line drawn on the road surface in front of the vehicle 1 and a feature described later. How to set the scheduled travel route will be described in detail later. The route setting device 151 outputs the set scheduled travel route to the control device 153.

  The control device 153 includes a known microcomputer mainly including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The control device 153 controls an actuator that performs steering control among various actuators mounted on the vehicle 1 based on the inputted scheduled travel route. Further, the control device 153 obtains position information by a GPS receiver (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1 in addition to a captured image by the image sensor 13 and a detection result by the millimeter wave radar 15, and is mounted on the vehicle 1. Among the various actuators, the actuator for executing the accelerator control and the brake control is controlled. As a result, automatic control of the vehicle 1 is realized.

  The display 19 is disposed in the upper part of the instrument panel in front of the driver's seat, and displays various images according to the output from the route setting device 151. The display 19 displays a software switch for switching the driving mode (manual driving mode and automatic driving mode) of the vehicle 1.

  The blinker lamps 21 are a pair of left and right well-known lamps provided at the front and rear parts of the vehicle 1, respectively, and are configured so that the left and right lamps, which mean a hazard, can blink simultaneously. The blinker lamp 21 flashes as a hazard according to the output from the route setting device 151 to notify a person outside the vehicle 1.

[2. processing]
Next, route setting processing executed by the route setting device 151 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The route setting process is executed periodically (for example, every 100 ms) while the travel mode of the vehicle 1 is the automatic travel mode.

  First, the route setting device 151 detects a demarcation line (white line or the like) as a boundary line of a traveling lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling based on an image captured by the image sensor 13 in S101 (S represents a step). It is determined whether or not the planned travel route can be set based on the lane marking. The travel lane here is an area for guiding a vehicle and means a belt-like area having a width of about one vehicle, and does not necessarily have a dividing line as a boundary line. In S101, the route setting device 151 can detect a lane marking as a boundary line of the traveling lane, and the left and right lane markings are parallel (including substantially parallel; the same applies hereinafter) as in the situation illustrated in FIG. In some cases, it is determined that the planned travel route can be set based on the lane marking. Conversely, the route setting device 151 determines that the scheduled travel route cannot be set based on the lane lines when the lane lines cannot be detected or when the left and right lane lines are detected but they are not parallel. The case where the lane line cannot be detected includes, for example, the case where the lane line itself does not exist (see FIG. 4) or the case where it exists but is deteriorated (see FIG. 5).

  When it is determined that the planned travel route can be set based on the lane line (S101: YES), the route setting device 151 sets the planned travel route based on the lane line (S103). Here, the route setting device 151 sets the center line of the left and right lane markings as the planned travel route as shown in FIG. When executing the process of S103, the path setting device 151 proceeds to the process of S111 described later.

  On the other hand, when the route setting device 151 determines that the planned travel route cannot be set based on the lane marking (S101: NO), the route setting device 151 travels based on a predetermined feature that is a detection target other than the boundary line of the travel lane. It is determined whether the planned route can be set (S105). In the present embodiment, the route setting device 151 detects a specific road marking (hereinafter referred to as “specific road marking”) drawn on the road surface as a feature object.

  Here, the specific road marking is a road marking that is drawn on the road surface in units of traveling lanes among road markings, and that is visually recognized by a driver of a vehicle traveling in the traveling lane, and has characters or figures as components. . Such road markings include, for example, “stop” road markings, road markings indicating maximum speed, road markings indicating turnover prohibition, road markings indicating vehicle traffic classifications, roads indicating traffic classifications of specific types of vehicles Examples include a sign, a road sign indicating a dedicated traffic zone, and a road sign indicating a traveling direction. Conversely, examples of road markings that are not included in the specific road marking include road markings that are not drawn on the road surface in units of traveling lanes, specifically road markings on pedestrian crossings.

  The specific road marking includes road markings drawn near the gate (ETC gate) of the ETC lane as shown in FIGS. 6 (A) to 6 (D). FIG. 6A shows a road marking 61 including a character string 61 a “ETC only” and an arrow 61 b. FIG. 6B shows a road marking 63 of graphics that can be divided into a plurality of unit graphics (unit graphics 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d, etc.). The unit graphics 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d and the like are arranged in this order. The road marking 63 is alternately arranged in two colors. For example, the unit graphic 63a and the unit graphic 63c have the same color, and the unit graphic 63b and the unit graphic 63d have the same color. FIG. 6C shows a road sign 65 that is a combination of the road sign 61 shown in FIG. 6A and the road sign 63 shown in FIG. FIG. 6D shows a road sign 67 made up of characters “ETC”. These road markings 61, 63, 65, and 67 (for example, combination road marking 65) continue to the lanes of the ETC gates 71 and 73 as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. That is, it is drawn along the approach path to the ETC gates 71 and 73. Therefore, a smooth approach to the ETC gates 71 and 73 is possible by setting a scheduled travel route based on the road marking 65 by a method described later.

  In S105, the route setting device 151 determines that the planned travel route can be set based on the feature when the feature is detected in the captured image. In the present embodiment, the route setting device 151 detects a specific road marking that is a feature in the captured image as follows. That is, first, the route setting device 151 identifies a road area that is an area occupied by a road in the captured image. A road area is generated by using a moving stereo (SFM (Structure from Motion)) method to generate a three-dimensional image from a captured image that is a two-dimensional image and detecting a boundary portion that is a boundary between the road area and a three-dimensional object. Specified by Then, the route setting device 151 generates a bird's-eye image that is an image viewed from the sky by performing bird's-eye conversion on the identified road region. Thereby, when the front of the vehicle 1 is viewed from the driver's seat of the vehicle 1, there is a distortion of road markings such as characters and figures in the captured image that are wide in front and narrow in width toward the back. It can be modified to make it easier to detect road markings.

  Next, the route setting device 151 recognizes a portion of the specific road marking that is closest to the vehicle 1 when the specific road marking is present in the bird's-eye view image. When the specific road marking is a character string, the character closest to the vehicle 1 in the character string, the character “for” is recognized as the closest portion in the case of the road marking 61 in FIG. 6A described above. The In addition, when the specific road marking is a figure that can be divided into a plurality of unit graphics, the unit graphic that is closest to the vehicle 1 among the plurality of unit graphics, or the unit that is the road marking 63 in FIG. The figure 63a is recognized as the closest part.

  Next, the route setting device 151 detects a minimum rectangular area including the recognized portion of the specific road marking as a detection area. The direction of the detection area is determined based on the direction of the recognized portion of the specific road marking.

  The specific road marking detection process described above is performed as follows for the specific road marking near the ETC gate, for example. That is, first, the route setting device 151 generates a three-dimensional image from the captured image as shown in FIG. 8 by the SFM technique, and a boundary portion that is a boundary between the road region and the roadside fence that is a three-dimensional object. Is detected and the road area is specified. Then, the identified road area is subjected to bird's-eye conversion to generate a bird's-eye image shown in FIG. Although the vehicle 1 is not displayed in the actual bird's-eye view image, FIG. 9 shows the vehicle 1 for convenience of explanation. In the situation shown in FIG. 9, a road marking 93 is drawn near the ETC gate 91. The road marking 93 is formed from a character string 95 “ETC only”, an arrow 97, and a rectangular figure 99 alternately arranged in two colors. In other words, in an order closer to the vehicle 1, in other words, an ETC gate. A character string 95, an arrow 97, and a graphic 99 are drawn in order from 91.

  Next, the route setting device 151 recognizes the character “for” “for ETC only” that is the portion closest to the vehicle 1 in the road marking 93. Then, the route setting device 151 detects a minimum rectangular area including the recognized character as the detection area 93a.

  If it is determined in S105 that the planned travel route can be set based on the feature, that is, if the feature is detected (S105: YES), the route setting device 151 calculates the center point in the detection region ( S107). Here, the route setting device 151 calculates the midpoint of the lower side (side on the vehicle 1 side) of the rectangular detection region as the center point. For example, in the situation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the route setting device 151 calculates the midpoint of the lower side of the detection area 93a as the center point 93b. The center of the detection area 93a may be calculated as the center point.

  Subsequently, the route setting device 151 sets a planned travel route based on the feature (S109). Here, the route setting device 151 sets a planned travel route with the center point calculated in S107 as an end point. Note that the route setting device 151 may set a smooth planned travel route with the center point as the end point while taking into account the behavior of the vehicle 1 such as the steering and the presence or absence of other vehicles. For example, in the vicinity of the ETC gate 91 described above, the route setting device 151 sets a planned travel route as shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, the broken line 101 indicates the planned travel route set based on the lane marking 103, and the solid line 105 indicates the planned travel route set based on the road marking 93.

  The route setting device 151 repeats the setting of the planned travel route by repeating the processes of S107 and S109 described above. That is, when the vehicle 1 travels and the distance between the vehicle 1 and the target point calculated in S107 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the route setting device 151 detects a new detection area, calculates the center point, and travels. Set planned route. For example, in the situation shown in FIG. 12, the route setting device 151 first sets the scheduled travel route for the “use” characters for “ETC only” of the road marking 93 described above, and includes the vehicle 1 and the “use” characters. When the distance from the center point 93b of the detection area 93a is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the detection area is set for the character “exclusive” of “ETC exclusive” which is the next part, the target point is calculated, and the planned travel route is Set. And the scheduled driving | running | working path | route 121 is set by repeating such a process.

  When the route setting device 151 executes the process of S103 or S109 described above, the route setting device 151 evaluates the reliability of the set scheduled travel route (S111). The reliability referred to here represents the degree of reliability of the set planned travel route. In this embodiment, the reliability is a method when the planned travel route is set, in other words, the planned travel route. It is evaluated according to the type of detection target used when setting. Specifically, in the present embodiment, when the planned travel route is set based on the lane marking, the reliability is evaluated as “high”, and when the planned travel route is set based on the specific road marking. Is evaluated as having a low reliability.

  Next, the route setting device 151 changes the notification content to be notified by the display 19 according to the evaluated reliability (S113). Here, the route setting device 151 changes the color of the planned traveling route to be displayed on the display 19 in S115 described later according to the reliability. That is, when the route setting device 151 evaluates that the reliability of the set planned travel route is “high”, the color of the planned travel route to be displayed is set to, for example, red. On the other hand, when the reliability of the set planned travel route is evaluated as “low”, the route setting device 151 changes the color of the planned travel route to be displayed to, for example, blue.

  Subsequently, the route setting device 151 displays the set planned traveling route on the display 19 (S115). An image captured by the image sensor 13 is displayed on the display 19, and the set scheduled travel route is displayed over the captured image. The route setting device 151 ends the route setting process after executing the process of S115.

  On the other hand, when the route setting device 151 determines in S105 described above that the planned travel route cannot be set based on the feature, that is, the planned travel route cannot be set based on either the lane marking or the feature. When it determines (S105: NO), the process of S117 is performed. In S117, the route setting device 151 causes the display 19 to notify the driver that the driver is prompted to switch the travel mode of the vehicle 1 from the automatic travel mode to the manual travel mode, in other words, to prompt the manual operation. Specifically, the route setting device 151 causes the display 19 to display a captured image in which the planned travel route is not displayed. For this reason, once the process of S115 described above is performed and the planned travel route is displayed on the display 19, when the process of S117 is performed in the route setting process performed thereafter, it is displayed on the display 19. It looks like the planned travel route has disappeared from the image.

  The route setting device 151 waits for a predetermined time after executing the processing of S117, and then confirms the operation state of the software switch displayed on the display 19, and the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is changed from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode by the driver. It is determined whether or not it has been switched to (S119). When the route setting device 151 determines that the travel mode has not been switched to the manual travel mode (S119: NO), the route setting device 151 causes the control device 153 to make an emergency stop of the vehicle 1 while blinking the blinker lamp 21 as a hazard ( S121). Here, the control device 153 controls the steering of the vehicle 1 based on the image captured by the image sensor 13, the detection result by the millimeter wave radar 15, and the like, and controls the steering of the vehicle 1 to travel in the travel lane. To maintain. Then, the control device 153 controls the brake of the vehicle 1 to gradually decrease the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 to stop the vehicle 1 in an emergency. Thereafter, the route setting device 151 ends the route setting process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the travel mode has been switched to the manual travel mode (S119: YES), the control device 153 skips the processing of S121 described above (that is, the control device 153 does not perform the emergency stop of the vehicle 1). Then, the route setting process is terminated.

[3. effect]
According to the embodiment detailed above, the following effects can be obtained.
(3a) In the present embodiment, the route setting device 151 detects a lane marking as a boundary line of the traveling lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling (S101), and is a predetermined detection target other than the boundary line of the traveling lane. A specific road marking is detected as a feature (S105). Then, the route setting device 151 sets a planned travel route based on the detected lane marking or specific road marking (S103, S109). Therefore, even in a driving environment where it is not possible to set a scheduled travel route based on a lane marking, it is possible to set a planned travel route if a specific road marking can be detected.

  (3b) Since the specific road marking is a sign provided for each travel lane, the planned travel route corresponding to the travel lane is set by setting the planned travel route based on such specific road marking. Can do.

  (3c) In this embodiment, since the route setting device 151 displays the planned travel route on the display 19 mounted on the vehicle 1 (S115), the driver can visually recognize the planned travel route. In particular, as in the present embodiment, in the configuration in which the vehicle 1 automatically travels based on the set scheduled travel route, the driver 1 can be relieved because the vehicle 1 that travels automatically travels to where it travels. .

  (3d) In this embodiment, the planned travel route set by the route setting device 151 is used for automatic control of the vehicle 1, and the route setting device 151 determines whether or not the planned travel route can be set. (S101, S105). Moreover, when it determines with the route setting apparatus 151 not being in the condition which can set a driving planned route, it is made to alert | report to the display 19 mounted in the vehicle 1 (S117). Therefore, the driver can recognize that the route setting device 151 is in a situation where the planned travel route cannot be set.

  Further, when the route setting device 151 determines that the planned travel route is not settable, the route setting device 151 causes the display 19 to notify the driver that manual driving is urged (S117). As a result, the driver can switch the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to the manual driving mode, so that it is possible to prevent the automatic driving from continuing even though the planned driving route cannot be set, and to improve safety. .

  (3e) In the present embodiment, when the route setting device 151 determines that the scheduled travel route is not settable, the route setting device 151 causes the display 19 to notify that manual driving is urged, and within a predetermined time the vehicle 1 It is determined whether or not the travel mode has been switched to the manual travel mode (S119). If the route setting device 151 determines that the driving mode has not been switched, the route setting device 151 executes processing for emergency stopping the vehicle 1 while blinking the blinker lamp 21 as a hazard (S121). That is, the route setting device 151 causes the vehicle 1 to stop urgently while blinking the blinker lamp 21 as a hazard on the condition that it is determined that it is not possible to set the planned travel route. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the automatic travel from being continued even if it is not possible to set the planned travel route while alerting a person outside the vehicle 1 and to improve safety.

  (3f) In the present embodiment, the route setting device 151 evaluates the reliability of the set planned travel route (S111), and changes the notification content by the display 19 mounted on the vehicle 1 according to the evaluated reliability. (S113). Therefore, the driver can know the reliability of the set scheduled travel route, and can take measures such as switching the travel mode from the automatic travel mode to the manual travel mode based on the reliability.

[4. Contrast with the terms in the claims]
In the present embodiment, the image sensor 13 corresponds to an example of an imaging device, the automatic driving system 17 corresponds to an example of an automatic driving control system, the display 19 corresponds to an example of a display device and an in-vehicle notification device, and the winker lamp 21 Corresponds to an example of a vehicle outside notification device. S101 corresponds to an example of processing as the first detection unit, S105 corresponds to an example of processing as the second detection unit, and S103 and S109 correspond to an example of processing as the route setting unit. S115 corresponds to an example of processing as a display processing unit, and S101 and S105 correspond to an example of processing as a determination unit. S111 corresponds to an example of processing as a reliability evaluation unit, S113 corresponds to an example of processing as a notification change unit, S117 corresponds to an example of processing as a first notification processing unit, and S121 This corresponds to an example of processing as a stop processing unit.

[5. Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can take a various form, without being limited to the said embodiment.

  (5a) In the above embodiment, the situation where the planned travel route is set based on the specific road marking is exemplified when entering the ETC gate, but is not limited thereto. The scheduled travel route based on the specific road marking is, for example, when the vehicle 1 joins the main road of the toll road, when exiting the toll road from the general road, or when traveling on a branch area such as a junction of the toll road May be set.

  Further, the planned travel route based on the specific road marking may be set when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a general road. On ordinary roads, a “stop” road marking shown in FIG. 15A, a diamond-shaped road marking indicating that there is a pedestrian crossing or a bicycle crossing zone as shown in FIG. 15B, and FIG. 15C Specific road markings such as road markings representing the maximum speed as shown in FIG. Therefore, even when the lane marking itself does not exist (refer to FIG. 13) or exists but is deteriorated (refer to FIG. 14), the route setting process (FIG. 2) described above is executed, so that the specific road marking is performed. Based on this, it is possible to set the scheduled travel route as shown in FIGS. 16 (A) and 16 (B).

  (5b) In the above embodiment, the route setting device 151 detects a lane marking as a boundary line of the travel lane, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the travel lane has irregularities and a step is formed between the travel lane and the surrounding area, the route setting device 151 may detect the step as a boundary line of the travel lane. That is, the route setting device 151 only needs to be able to detect the one representing the boundary line of the travel lane.

  (5c) In the above embodiment, the display 19 is exemplified as the display device. However, the display device is not limited to this, and the display device may be, for example, a head-up display (HUD). In this case, the scheduled travel route may be displayed so as to be superimposed on the road that is visible from the driver's seat of the vehicle through the windshield.

  (5d) In the above embodiment, the display 19 is illustrated as an in-vehicle notification device. However, the display device 19 is not limited to this, and the in-vehicle notification device may be, for example, an in-vehicle speaker, an indicator, a HUD, or the like.

  (5e) In the above embodiment, the blinker lamp 21 is exemplified as the vehicle outside notification device, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when a communication device that performs inter-vehicle communication for informing an in-vehicle notification device mounted on an external vehicle is mounted on the vehicle, the out-of-vehicle notification device may be the communication device. In addition, when the vehicle includes a dedicated lamp that notifies the vehicle that the vehicle is running automatically, the vehicle outside notification device may be the dedicated lamp.

  (5f) In the above embodiment, the route setting device 151 determines that it is not possible to set the planned travel route, and that it is determined that the travel mode has not been switched to the manual travel mode within a predetermined time. As a result, a process for emergency stopping of the vehicle 1 was performed while the blinker lamp 21 serving as the vehicle outside notification device was notified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other conditions may be added, and switching to the manual travel mode may be replaced with other conditions. Moreover, it is good also as conditions only that it determined with it not being the situation which can set a driving planned route.

  (5g) In the above embodiment, the planned travel route is used in the automatic travel mode in which the steering control, the accelerator control, and the brake control are performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The planned travel route may be used in an automatic travel mode that is closer to, for example, fully automatic control (automatic control that automatically performs all driving operations that should be performed by the driver of the vehicle). Examples of such an automatic travel mode include, in addition to the above-described steering control and the like, control for automatically driving the vehicle according to a predetermined route to the destination, and automatic travel for performing brake control when a pedestrian is recognized. There are modes. Further, the planned travel route may be used in an automatic travel mode that has fewer control targets than the automatic travel mode of the above embodiment.

  (5h) In the above embodiment, when the route setting device 151 determines that the planned travel route cannot be set based on the lane line, the lane line cannot be detected. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the route setting device 151 specifies a place where the vehicle 1 is located by a GPS receiver, and a place where the specified place is registered in advance and a planned travel route cannot be set based only on a lane line (for example, a toll road charge) It may be determined that the planned travel route cannot be set based on the lane marking.

  (5i) In the above embodiment, the road area is specified using the SFM technique, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the road area may be specified by simply considering all areas below the horizontal line passing through the vanishing point in the captured image as the road area.

  (5j) In the above-described embodiment, the route setting device 151 recognizes characters and figures in the specific road marking. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the route setting device 151 recognizes the color pattern in the specific road marking. Good. The color pattern here means a color scheme having regularity. For example, for the road marking 63 alternately arranged in the two colors shown in FIG. 6B, the route setting device 151 may recognize a repeated two-color arrangement as a color pattern. The color pattern may be recognized by color threshold processing that is a known technique.

(5k) In the route setting process, in order to suppress erroneous detection, an area (hereinafter referred to as “route setting area”) in which a planned travel route is set based on the feature may be limited.
For example, the width of the driving environment around the vehicle is detected by the SFM method using a monocular camera mounted on the vehicle and the detection result by other sensors (millimeter wave radar, laser radar, etc.), and the route setting area is determined by the detected width. May be restricted. In this case, for example, if you want to limit the route setting area to the vicinity of the toll gate on the toll road, etc., the detected space is more than a certain size determined based on the size of the open driving environment near the toll gate Only in this case, the planned travel route may be set based on the specific road marking as the feature.

  In addition, for example, a location where the vehicle is located is specified by a GPS receiver mounted on the vehicle, and the planned travel route based on the feature is performed only when the specified location is a location registered in advance. Thus, the route setting area may be limited.

  (5l) In the above embodiment, the route setting device 151 sets the planned travel route based on the feature in a situation where the planned travel route cannot be set based on the lane marking. That is, the route setting device 151 sets the planned travel route based on either the lane marking or the feature. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the route setting device 151 may set the planned travel route based on the feature in a situation where the planned travel route can be set based on the lane marking, for example. In other words, the route setting device 151 may set the scheduled travel route based on both the lane marking and the feature.

  (5m) In the above embodiment, the specific road marking is exemplified as the feature. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the feature is common to the positional relationship between the feature and the traveling lane among the same type of feature. A feature having the above-mentioned law property, that is, a feature corresponding to the travel lane, can be identified. As such a feature, for example, a specific sign (hereinafter referred to as “specific sign”) positioned vertically above the road can be cited. As the specific sign, for example, an ETC gate sign at a toll road toll shown in FIG.

  The setting of the scheduled travel route based on the specific sign is performed as follows, for example. That is, first, the route setting device 151 detects a specific sign by an existing method. Examples of the existing method include a method of detecting by color in a captured image of the image sensor 13, a method of detecting by shape, a method of detecting by character recognition, and the like. Next, the route setting device 151 calculates a center line along the vertical direction passing through the center in the horizontal direction of the detected specific sign. Here, when the specific sign is rectangular, the center line is a line along the vertical direction passing through the midpoint of the upper side or the lower side of the specific sign. Then, the route setting device 151 calculates a point on the road that is a point on the calculated center line, and sets a planned travel route with the calculated point on the road as an end point.

  The setting of the planned travel route described above is performed as follows, for example, for the ETC gate sign. That is, first, the route setting device 151 detects the sign 171 shown in FIG. 17, and calculates a center line 171a along the vertical direction passing through the center of the detected sign 171 in the horizontal direction. Then, the route setting device 151 calculates a point 171b on the road which is a point on the calculated center line 171a, and as shown in FIG. 18, a planned travel route 181 having the calculated point 171b on the road as an end point. Set.

  (5n) In the above embodiment, the path setting device 151 detects the feature based on the image captured by the image sensor 13, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the path setting device 151 may detect the feature object based on the detection result of the millimeter wave radar 15 in place of the image captured by the image sensor 13 or together with the image captured by the image sensor 13. Here, in detecting the feature, the detection result by the millimeter wave radar 15 may be used as follows. That is, in the above embodiment, when detecting a three-dimensional object in order to identify a road area, in addition to the detection by the SFM method, the millimeter wave radar 15 also separately detects the three-dimensional object, and the detection accuracy of the three-dimensional object, and thus the road area. The detection result of the millimeter wave radar 15 may be used to improve detection. Further, when a sign is detected as a feature, the sign may be detected by the millimeter wave radar 15. In these examples, the millimeter wave radar 15 corresponds to an example of a distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring sensor is not limited to the millimeter wave radar 15, and may be a laser radar, a sonar, or the like, for example.

  (5o) In the above embodiment, the route setting device 151 urges manual driving when it is determined that the reliability of the set scheduled travel route is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference, for example, when it is evaluated as “low”. A notification to that effect may be given to an in-vehicle notification device (for example, the display 19). In this example, the process for informing the in-vehicle notification device that the manual driving is promoted corresponds to an example of the process as the second notification processing unit.

  (5p) In the above embodiment, the reliability is evaluated according to the type of detection target (division line or specific road marking) used when setting the planned travel route, but is not limited thereto. For example, in a configuration in which a plurality of types of detection targets are used when setting a planned travel route, the reliability may be evaluated according to the combination and number of detection targets used when setting the planned travel route. Specifically, for example, in the configuration in which the detection target is a lane line, a specific road sign, and a sign, the reliability is “high” when the planned travel route is set based on the lane line and the specific road sign. It may be evaluated as “medium” when it is set based on the specific road marking and the sign, and “low” when it is set based on the sign.

  (5q) The route setting device 151 may change the content of the automatic control according to the type, number, combination, and the like of the detection target used when setting the planned travel route. Specifically, for example, the route setting device 151 evaluates the reliability according to the type, number, combination, and the like of the detection target used when setting the planned travel route, and automatically controls according to the evaluated reliability. (For example, the upper limit of the traveling speed of the vehicle 1) may be changed. In this case, the route setting device 151 may evaluate the reliability higher when the planned travel route is set based on the lane marking than when the planned travel route is set based on the feature. Then, the route setting device 151 may increase the upper limit of the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 in the automatic traveling mode when the reliability is highly evaluated than when the reliability is evaluated low.

  (5r) The method of setting the scheduled travel route based on the lane markings or features may be different between day and night. For example, when a scheduled travel route is set based on a specific road sign as a feature, the detection range for detecting the specific road sign may be changed day and night. In this case, for example, a scheduled travel route is set based on a specific road marking within the “first distance” (for example, 100 m) ahead of the vehicle 1 during the daytime, and the first road ahead of the vehicle 1 at night. The planned travel route may be set based on a specific road marking within a “second distance” (for example, 50 m) that is shorter than the first distance.

  In addition, when a scheduled travel route is set as a characteristic object based on a specific sign, it may be difficult to detect the sign at night. Therefore, the planned travel route may not be set based on the specific sign at night.

  (5s) The functions of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed as a plurality of components, or the functions of a plurality of components may be integrated into one component. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be replaced with a known configuration having the same function. Moreover, you may abbreviate | omit a part of structure of the said embodiment. In addition, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of the other embodiment. In addition, all the aspects included in the technical idea specified only by the wording described in the claim are embodiment of this invention.

  (5t) In addition to the route setting device 151 described above, the present invention can be implemented in various forms including a system having the route setting device 151 as a constituent element, a program for causing a computer to function as the route setting device 151, a medium storing this program, and the like. It can also be realized.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle, 11 ... Vehicle control system, 13 ... Image sensor, 15 ... Millimeter wave radar, 17 ... Automatic travel system, 19 ... Display, 21 ... Blinker lamp, 151 ... Path setting device, 153 ... Control device.

Claims (11)

A route setting device (151) mounted on the vehicle (1) for setting a planned travel route of the vehicle,
A first detection unit (S101) for detecting a boundary line of a traveling lane in which the vehicle is traveling;
A second detection unit (S105) for detecting a predetermined feature that is a detection target other than the boundary line;
A route setting unit (S103, S109) for setting the planned travel route based on at least one of the boundary line and the feature;
A route setting device comprising: The route setting device according to claim 1,
The path setting device, wherein the characteristic object is a sign provided for each traveling lane. The route setting device according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle is equipped with at least one of an imaging device (13) that images the front of the vehicle and a distance measuring sensor (15) that detects a distance to an object that exists in front of the vehicle,
The second detection unit is a path setting device that detects the feature based on at least one of an image captured by the imaging device and a detection result by the distance measuring sensor. The route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:
The route setting device, wherein the feature is a road marking drawn on a road surface. The route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:
A route setting device further comprising a display processing unit (S115) for displaying the planned travel route on a display device (19) mounted on the vehicle. The route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein:
The scheduled travel route is used for automatic control that automatically performs at least a part of a driving operation to be performed by a driver of the vehicle,
A determination unit (S101, S105) for determining whether or not the route setting unit is capable of setting the planned travel route;
A first notification processing unit (S117) that causes the in-vehicle notification device (19) mounted on the vehicle to notify when the determination unit determines that the route setting unit is not in a situation where the planned travel route can be set. When,
The route setting device further comprising: The route setting device according to claim 6,
When the determination unit determines that the route setting unit is not in a state in which the planned travel route can be set, the first notification processing unit prompts the driver of the vehicle to manually drive the vehicle notification device. A route setting device that performs the notification. The route setting device according to claim 6 or 7,
On the condition that the determination unit determines that the route setting unit is not capable of setting the planned travel route, the vehicle outside notification device (21) for informing a person outside the vehicle is notified. A route setting device further comprising a stop processing unit (S121) that executes processing for stopping the vehicle in an emergency. The route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A reliability evaluation unit (S111) for evaluating the reliability of the planned travel route set by the route setting unit;
A notification changing unit (S113) for changing notification contents by a notification device mounted on the vehicle according to the reliability evaluated by the reliability evaluation unit;
The route setting device further comprising: The route setting device according to claim 9, wherein
The scheduled travel route is used for automatic control that automatically performs at least a part of a driving operation to be performed by a driver of the vehicle,
When the reliability evaluated by the reliability evaluation unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference in the state where the automatic control is performed, an in-vehicle notification device (19) mounted on the vehicle is notified to the driver of the vehicle. A route setting device, further comprising a second notification processing unit for informing that manual driving is promoted. A route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A control device (153) for causing the vehicle to perform automatic control for automatically performing at least a part of a driving operation to be performed by a driver of the vehicle based on the planned travel route;
An automatic travel control system (17) comprising: