JP2019069761A - Automatic driving control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To stop a part or all of control under automatic execution at a proper timing in a vehicle capable of automatically executing a part or all of various driving control necessary for traveling without requiring the operation of a driver.SOLUTION: An automatic driving control device mounted in a vehicle on one side face includes: a surrounding information acquisition section; a driving mode setting section; and an automatic control section. The driving mode setting section switches the driving mode of the vehicle to a basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is established when the driving mode of the vehicle is set to a high level automation mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

  This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201407 filed with the Japanese Patent Office on September 30, 2014, and the Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201407 The entire contents are incorporated by reference into this international application.

  The present disclosure allows some or all of the driver's various driving operations necessary for causing the vehicle to travel, such as various judgments and operations by the driver, to be automatically performed without requiring the driver's operation or the like. The present invention relates to an automatic operation control device capable of.

  Various techniques for realizing automatic driving of a vehicle have been proposed and partially put to practical use. Patent Document 1 below discloses an autonomous driving vehicle capable of autonomous driving and traveling according to a preset travel plan.

JP, 2012-59274, A

  One of the final goals of the autonomous driving technology is considered to be to set the destination and to allow the passenger to reach the destination without any involvement in traveling after that. However, the current situation is that the level of reliability that can be achieved has not been reached yet.

  Until automatic driving technology is established and its reliability reaches a high level, while adopting automatic driving technology, if necessary, part or all of the control being executed automatically is invalidated to the driver's operation It is desirable to be able to leave it.

  In one aspect of the present disclosure, in a vehicle capable of automatically performing part or all of various operation control necessary for traveling without requiring a driver's operation, part of the control being automatically performed or It is desirable to be able to stop everything at an appropriate time.

  One aspect of the present disclosure is an automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, and includes an ambient information acquiring unit, a driving mode setting unit, and an automatic control unit. The surrounding information acquisition unit acquires surrounding information of the vehicle. The ambient information is information indicating the state of the surroundings of the vehicle, and is information required to automatically execute at least one of the above-described plurality of types of driving operations without requiring a driver's operation. The drive mode setting unit sets the drive mode of the vehicle to either the advanced automation mode or the basic mode. The advanced automation mode is an operation mode in which a part or all of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for traveling a vehicle are automatically performed based on ambient information. The basic mode is an operating mode in which the type of driving operation to be performed automatically is less or zero than in the advanced automation mode. The automatic control unit executes a driving operation set to be automatically performed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit. Then, when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode, the operation mode setting unit switches the operation mode to the basic mode when the basic mode switching condition set in advance is satisfied.

  The automatic operation control device configured as described above has the advanced automation mode and the basic mode as the operation mode, and switches to the basic mode when the basic mode switching condition is satisfied during the advanced automation mode. The basic mode switching condition is a specific condition where it is necessary to switch the operation mode from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode, or it is desirable to switch. The number and contents of basic mode switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. In addition, when a plurality of basic mode switching conditions are set, switching to the basic mode may be performed when at least one of the plurality of basic mode switching conditions is satisfied, or all of the set basics are set. The mode may be switched to the basic mode when two or more specific numbers or all of the mode switching conditions are satisfied.

  By setting the basic mode switching condition appropriately, it is possible to switch from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode at an appropriate timing. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device of the above configuration, it is possible to automatically stop part or all of the driving operation being performed automatically in the advanced automation mode at an appropriate timing.

  When driving of the vehicle is performed in the basic mode, depending on the situation, it may be preferable to switch to the advanced automation mode and leave it to the automatic driving process. Therefore, when the operation mode is the basic mode, the operation mode setting unit may switch the operation mode to the advanced automation mode when the preset advanced automation switching condition is satisfied.

  The advanced automation switching condition is a specific condition where it is necessary or desirable to switch the operation mode from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode. The number and contents of the advanced automation switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. When a plurality of advanced automation switching conditions are set, if at least one of the plurality of advanced automation switching conditions is satisfied, switching to the advanced automation mode may be performed. It is also possible to switch to the advanced automation mode when two or more specific numbers or more or all of the advanced automation switching conditions are satisfied.

  According to the automatic operation control device configured as described above, it is possible to switch between the advanced automation mode and the basic mode at appropriate timing by appropriately setting the advanced automation switching condition.

  When the operation mode is the basic mode, the operation mode setting unit may maintain the basic mode if the establishment of the basic mode switching condition continues even if the advanced automation switching condition is satisfied.

  If the basic mode switching condition is satisfied, it is assumed that it is preferable to reduce the type of the driving operation to be automated and increase the specific gravity of the driving operation by the driver's own operation. Therefore, when both the advanced automation switching condition and the basic mode switching condition are satisfied, the driving operation of the driver is appropriately respected by giving priority to the basic mode and not switching to the advanced automation mode. Vehicle control can be realized.

FIG. 1A is a side view of a vehicle of the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the vehicle of the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the vehicle of embodiment. FIG. 3A is an explanatory view showing an automatic operation level in each operation mode, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory view showing that control contents at each automatic operation level may be arbitrarily set. It is an explanatory view for explaining an outline of automatic operation. It is a flowchart of main processing. It is a flowchart of the automatic driving | operation control processing in the main processing of FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an initial automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6; FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a normal-time automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6. It is an explanatory view for explaining an example which should be changed from basic automation mode to basic mode. 7 is a flowchart of basic mode switching confirmation processing in the automatic driving control processing of FIG. 6; It is a flowchart which shows the other Example of a basic mode switching confirmation process. It is a flowchart which shows the other Example of a basic mode switching confirmation process. It is a flowchart of basic mode preparation confirmation processing. It is a flowchart of control parameter setting processing.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
(1) Configuration of Vehicle 1 FIG. 1A shows a side view of the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B shows a top view of the vehicle 1. However, FIGS. 1A and 1B briefly illustrate the arrangement of the various cameras, radars, sensors, and the like in the vehicle 1 for the purpose of clearly indicating the arrangement.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is at least a first front camera 2, an indoor camera 3, a first rear camera 4, and a second front camera 5 as cameras for photographing the inside and the outside of the vehicle 1. , The second rear camera 6, the left side camera 7, and the right side camera 8. Each of the cameras 2 to 8 is a camera capable of capturing a color image and a moving image. Each of the cameras 2 to 8 may be a monocular camera, or may be a stereo camera capable of acquiring information in the depth direction by providing a plurality of lenses.

  The first front camera 2 is provided to face forward on the front end side of the ceiling of the vehicle cabin. The front of the vehicle 1 can be photographed in a wide range by the first front camera 2. The indoor camera 3 is provided on the front end side of the ceiling of the vehicle room so as to face the rear (vehicle room). At least the upper body of the driver (driver) in the vehicle compartment can be photographed by the indoor camera 3. The first rear camera 4 is provided to face the rear on the rear end side of the ceiling in the vehicle compartment. The first rear camera 4 can capture the rear of the vehicle 1 in a wide range.

  The second front camera 5 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 to face the front. The second front camera 5 can shoot the front of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The second rear camera 6 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 so as to face the rear. The second rear camera 6 can capture the rear of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The left side camera 7 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle 1 so as to face the left side. The left side camera 7 can capture the left side of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The right side camera 8 is provided to face the right side on the right side surface of the vehicle 1. The right side camera 8 can capture the right side of the vehicle 1 in a wide range.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 includes a front radar device 11, a rear radar device 12, a left side radar device 13, and a right side radar device 14. Each of the radar devices 11 to 14 is a millimeter wave radar in the present embodiment. As known, millimeter wave radar is based on the relationship between transmission waves and each reception wave and the relationship between each reception wave by transmitting millimeter wave radio waves and receiving the reflected waves by a plurality of reception antennas. The radar is capable of detecting target information related to targets around the vehicle 1. Target information that can be detected by each of the radar devices 11 to 14 includes the presence or absence of a target in the detection direction, the distance to the target, the direction of the target based on the vehicle 1, the moving speed of the target (for the vehicle 1 Relative speed).

  Specifically, the front radar device 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the front of the vehicle 1. The front radar device 11 can acquire target information on a target in front of the vehicle 1. The rear radar device 12 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and transmits / receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the rear of the vehicle 1. The rear radar device 12 can acquire target information on a target behind the vehicle 1. The left side radar device 13 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the left side of the vehicle 1. The left side radar device 13 can acquire target information on a target on the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the right side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 can acquire target information on a target on the right side of the vehicle 1.

  Moreover, the vehicle 1 is provided with the biometric sensor 21, the solar radiation sensor 22, and the rainfall sensor 23, as shown to FIG. 1A and 1B. A plurality of (two in the present embodiment) living body sensors 21 are provided on the steering wheel 20 operated by the driver for steering. The biometric sensor 21 can detect whether or not the driver is touching the handle 20, and can detect various types of biometric information such as the pulse and sweating state of the driver while the driver is touching the handle 20. The solar radiation sensor 22 is installed in the lower part of the front window 10 in front of the passenger compartment. The solar radiation sensor 22 can detect the amount of solar radiation on the vehicle 1 and hence the brightness around the vehicle 1. The rainfall sensor 23 is installed at an upper portion of the front window 10 on the vehicle interior side. The rainfall sensor 23 can detect the presence or absence of rainfall and the amount of rainfall.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the vehicle 1 is provided with four autonomous driving operation lamps 16. As described later, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment can switch the operation mode to either the advanced automation mode or the basic mode, and while the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode, each automatic operation operation lamp 16 lights up with a predetermined lighting pattern. The lighting state of each automatic driving operation lamp 16 is visible from the outside of the vehicle 1. Therefore, when the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode, it can be appealed that the vehicle or pedestrian who is traveling around the vehicle 1 is traveling in the advanced automation mode. Various lighting patterns of each automatic driving operation lamp 16 can be considered. For example, during the advanced automation mode, it may be constantly lit, or may be alternately switched on and off at a constant cycle.

(2) Electrical Configuration of Vehicle 1 The electrical configuration of the vehicle 1 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes an automatic driving control unit 30. The automatic driving control unit 30 mainly has a mode switching function and an automatic driving function. The mode switching function is a function to set the operation mode of the vehicle 1 to either the advanced automation mode or the basic mode. The automatic driving function is a function to execute the automatic driving according to the set automatic driving level of the driving mode (see FIG. 3A, details will be described later). The automatic driving control unit 30 appropriately switches the operation mode of the vehicle 1 according to various factors such as the traveling state of the vehicle 1, the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1, the state of the driver of the vehicle 1 and the like as described later.

  The types of automatic driving of vehicles include partially automatic driving and fully automatic driving. The partially automatic driving is a type of automatic driving in which a part of various driving operations of the driver necessary to drive the vehicle is automated. Here, the term “automation” means being executable without requiring the driver's operation or the like. The fully automatic driving is an automatic driving in a form in which traveling to the destination is entirely automated without requiring a driver's operation or the like to the set destination. Hereinafter, a parameter indicating the degree of the type and number of driving operations to be automated in the automatic driving is referred to as an automatic driving level. Fully automatic operation has higher automatic operation levels than partially automatic operation. In addition, there are various levels of partially automatic driving depending on the type and number of driving operations to be automated.

  The vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of not only a part of automatic driving but also a full automatic driving by the automatic driving control unit 30. The present embodiment is configured such that the driver can arbitrarily change the setting of the automatic driving level, that is, which operation of the various driving operations necessary for traveling is automated and which the driver performs.

  More specifically, in the present embodiment, automatic start / stop control, lane maintenance control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision suppression control as main automatic control functions for realizing fully automatic driving. , And there are seven types of parking control. The automatic driving control unit 30 can execute these seven types of automatic control functions, and can execute fully automatic driving by executing these seven types of automatic control functions.

  Conversely, partially automatic driving is realized by executing arbitrary six or less of the seven types of automatic control functions. In the present embodiment, which of the seven types of automatic control functions are to be executed in the advanced automation mode can be arbitrarily set.

The specific contents of the seven automatic control functions will be described in detail later.
The automatic operation level becomes higher as the number of functions to be executed among the seven types of automatic control functions increases. Specifically, the automatic operation level is level 0 when none of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed. The automatic operation level when n types of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed is level n. Therefore, in the operation mode of level 0, it is necessary for the driver to judge and operate the control operation corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions. On the other hand, the operation modes of level 1 to level 6 are operation modes in which a part of automatic operation is performed. The operation mode of level 7 is an operation mode in which the fully automatic operation is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the advanced automation mode is an operation mode in which automatic operation at an automatic operation level of level 1 or higher is performed. On the other hand, the basic mode is an operation mode in which the automatic operation level is relatively lower than the advanced automation mode. For example, when the advanced automation mode is level n, the basic mode can be set to any of level n-1 to level 0.

  In the present embodiment, the basic mode is described as the automatic operation level is set to level 0 for the sake of simplicity and clarity of the description. Level 0 is a level at which the driver needs to perform most of the various driving operations required for traveling without all the seven types of automatic control functions being executed.

  The automatic driving control unit 30 includes an arithmetic unit 30a and a memory 30b. The memory 30b specifically includes at least one of a ROM, a RAM, and various other storage media (eg, an EEPROM, a flash memory). Arithmetic unit 30 a implements various functions including the mode switching function and the automatic driving function described above by executing various programs stored in memory 30 b. The arithmetic unit 30a includes at least a CPU.

  Among various programs stored in the memory 30b, there are programs (so-called security software) capable of detecting unauthorized operation from outside, computer virus, unauthorized software, data, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “incorrect factor”) )It is included. Arithmetic unit 30a monitors the presence or absence of an illegal factor as needed by making this security software reside during activation. Then, when an illegal factor occurs, various illegal response processing is executed. The fraud handling processing also includes processing for forcibly setting the automatic operation level to level 0 so that the automatic control function is not activated at all. Besides, various specific contents of the fraud handling process can be considered. For example, a warning may be output to the driver by voice or the like, or the vehicle 1 may be forcibly decelerated or stopped. Further, the connection between the automatic driving control unit 30 and each of the communication units 31 to 35 may be physically cut off so that access from the outside to the automatic driving control unit 30 via wireless communication can not be performed.

  The cameras 2 to 8, the radar devices 11 to 14, the sensors 21 to 23, and the four autonomous driving operation lamps 16 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are connected to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The arithmetic unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 individually controls the operation of each of the cameras 2 to 8 and acquires the photographing result (image data) from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and stores the result in the memory 30b. Acquisition and storage of image data are repeated at predetermined time intervals.

  Arithmetic unit 30a can recognize various situations inside and outside the vehicle based on the image data of each of the cameras 2-8. For example, from the image data of the indoor camera 3, it is possible to recognize the line of sight of the driver, the state of eyes, a gesture, and the like. In addition, it is possible to detect from the image data of the first front camera 2 a state in which sunlight is incident toward the vehicle and the driver feels glare (so-called backlight). In addition, from the image data of the first front camera 2 and the second front camera 5, the front vehicle, the oncoming vehicle, the vehicle in the adjacent lane traveling diagonally forward, the lane marking, the pedestrian crossing, the pedestrian, the bicycle, etc. It is possible to jump out and recognize the approach of another vehicle to the intersection at an intersection, signs of traveling directions, traffic lights, contents such as a signboard, and other objects around the vehicle.

  Further, the arithmetic unit 30a of the automatic operation control unit 30 individually controls each of the radar devices 11 to 14, acquires the detection result of the target from each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and stores the detection result in the memory 30b. Acquisition and storage of detection results from each of the radar devices 11 to 14 are repeated at predetermined time intervals. Arithmetic unit 30a calculates and obtains the presence or absence of the target, the distance to the target, the direction of the target, the relative velocity of the target viewed from the vehicle 1, etc. based on the detection results of the radar devices 11-14. be able to.

  Further, the arithmetic unit 30 a of the automatic driving control unit 30 determines whether the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 based on the detection signal from the biological sensor 21. Also, while the driver is touching the handle 20 (more specifically, while touching the living body sensor 21), based on the detection signal from the living body sensor 21, the living body information such as the pulse and the sweating state of the driver is acquired. The calculation unit 30a can estimate the physical condition and mental state of the driver based on the acquired biological information.

  In addition, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 determines the brightness of the traveling environment based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22, and adjusts the brightness of the nighttime or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as "nighttime") It can be judged if there is any. Further, based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 23, the computing unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can determine the presence or absence of rainfall and the amount of rainfall.

  The vehicle 1 also includes a seating sensor 25 and a belt sensor 26 as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30, as shown in FIG. The seating sensor 25 is a sensor for detecting whether or not an occupant is seated in the seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one seating sensor 25 is shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of simplification of illustration, in practice, the seating sensor 25 is separately provided for each seat. Specifically, in the case of a vehicle 1 with a passenger capacity of N, seating sensors 25 are provided individually for each of N seats.

  The belt sensor 26 is a sensor for detecting whether or not the occupant wears a seat belt when the occupant is seated in the seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one belt sensor 26 is shown in FIG. 2 for simplification of the drawing, in practice, the belt sensor 26 is separately provided for each seat belt of each seat. Specifically, in the case of a vehicle 1 having a passenger capacity of N people, a seat belt is provided individually for each of N seats, and a belt sensor 26 is provided individually for each of these seat belts.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is connected to the automatic driving control unit 30 as shown in FIG. 2, the GPS communication unit 31, the inter-vehicle communication unit 32, the road-vehicle communication unit 33, the walk-to-car communication unit 34, LTE A communication unit 35 and a TV / radio reception unit 36 are provided.

  The GPS communication unit 31 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, and outputs information (GPS information) included in the received radio waves to the automatic driving control unit 30. The calculation unit 30 a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can calculate the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the information received by the GPS communication unit 31.

  The automatic driving control unit 30 also has a route guidance function which is one of various element functions for realizing the automatic driving function. The route guidance function calculates an appropriate route from the current position to the destination based on the current position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the GPS information and the destination set by the driver, and the vehicle 1 takes that route. Is a function of guiding and controlling the vehicle 1 so as to travel to the destination along. The contents of the guidance control of the vehicle 1 in the route guidance function differ depending on the level of automatic driving. For example, the guidance control when the automatic driving level is set to the level 7 of the fully automatic driving is for the automatic control function of a plurality of types (7 types as described above in this embodiment) for realizing the fully automatic driving. The route information necessary for the execution of the automatic control function (information on which direction the vehicle should travel to which route) is provided. Further, for example, when the automatic driving level is set to predetermined levels 1 to 6 (partial automatic driving) lower than the full automatic driving, guidance control includes partial automatic driving among a plurality of types of automatic control functions. Providing route information for necessary automatic control functions and providing guidance (for example, voice guidance) to the driver as needed.

  Map data and various other data necessary for the route guidance function are stored in the memory 30 b. Arithmetic unit 30 a implements a route guidance function (specifically, the above-described guidance control) by executing the program for the route guidance function stored in memory 30 b while referring to the various data. Arithmetic unit 30a can also recognize the road condition around vehicle 1 based on the route guidance function. Specifically, for example, the shape of the route from the current position to the destination, the vehicle width, and the like can also be recognized.

  The inter-vehicle communication unit 32 is a communication module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data to and from other vehicles than the host vehicle. The computing unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can acquire information (for example, traveling direction, traveling speed, position, and the like) of other surrounding vehicles via the inter-vehicle communication unit 32. Conversely, information of the vehicle 1 can be transmitted to other vehicles.

  The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is a communication module for receiving various information wirelessly transmitted from the road communication device 81 (see FIG. 4) provided on the road (ground side). Various information received by the road-vehicle communication unit 33 is input to the automatic driving control unit 30.

  The road communication device 81 is connected to a server (not shown), receives various information from the server, and wirelessly transmits the information to a predetermined area in the vicinity. In the server, various types of road traffic information such as various types of infrastructure information (for example, information on traffic signals, road regulation information, and the like) and presence information on other vehicles and pedestrians are collected. The server transmits the individual road information related to the on-the-road communication device 81 for each on-the-road communication device 81 based on the aggregated road traffic information. The individual road information is various road traffic information related to the traveling direction of the vehicle traveling in the communication area of the road communication device 81. Each road communication device 81 wirelessly transmits the individual road information transmitted from the server into a predetermined communication area.

  The computing unit 30 a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can acquire various road traffic information regarding the traveling road in the traveling direction via the road-vehicle communication unit 33. Information that can be acquired by the calculation unit 30a via the road-vehicle communication unit 33 includes dangerous sections (for example, sections where curves are continuous, sections where the road width is narrow, etc.), sections where construction is being performed, accident sites Section information related to various sections such as a constant section close to. The operation unit 30a can recognize the relative relationship between the section and the vehicle 1, such as whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in the section indicated by the section information, by linking the acquired section information and the route guidance function. .

  In addition, the camera 82 is mounted in each road communication device 81 illustrated in FIG. 4. Each camera 82 photographs the road side and transmits the photographed data to the server via the network. The server can acquire road traffic information around the camera from the shooting data transmitted from each camera 82.

  The inter-pedestrian communication unit 34 is a communication module for performing wireless communication with a communication terminal (for example, a mobile phone or a smartphone) possessed by a pedestrian on the ground side. Terminal position information transmitted from the communication terminal when the communication terminal carried by the pedestrian is configured to be capable of wirelessly transmitting terminal position information indicating the position of the communication terminal (that is, the position of the pedestrian) Can be received by the inter-pedestrian communication unit 34. The terminal position information received by the inter-walking unit communication unit 34 is input to the automatic driving control unit 30. The automatic driving control unit 30 may also notify the pedestrian of the position information and the like of the vehicle 1 by wirelessly transmitting various information such as the position information of the vehicle 1 from the inter-walking unit 34 to the communication terminal of the pedestrian. it can.

  The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can know the position and the movement of the pedestrian based on the terminal position information received through the inter-walking unit communication unit 34. Although the presence or absence and movement of a pedestrian can be detected also by each of the cameras and radar devices described above, the presence or absence of a pedestrian and jumping out of the pedestrian etc. can also be obtained from the information obtained via the inter-vehicle communication unit 34 Can be detected.

  The LTE communication unit 35 is a communication module for realizing wireless communication by LTE, which is a well-known mobile phone communication standard. The TV / radio reception unit 36 is a reception module for receiving radio waves of television broadcasting and radio broadcasting. Arithmetic unit 30a acquires various information necessary for the automatic driving of vehicle 1 or updates existing information (for example, update of map data) via LTE communication unit 35 (that is, by LTE wireless communication). be able to. In addition, it is not essential to perform such acquisition and update of various information by LTE radio | wireless communication, and you may make it carry out using other radio | wireless communication.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is a component connected to the automatic driving control unit 30. As shown in FIG. An operation unit 41, an automatic operation operation lamp 16, an automatic operation start switch 42, an automatic operation stop switch 43, an emergency stop switch 44, and a level setting operation unit 45 are provided. As described above, four automatic operation operating lamps 16 are provided in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the switch is also referred to as "SW".

  The display 37 is a display device for displaying various information including map information in the route guidance function. The display 37 has a touch panel function, and can perform various input operations by touching the display 37 (specifically, touching the touch panel) in accordance with the display content of the display 37.

  The HUD 38 is a display device capable of projecting various information in the vicinity of the front window 10. The microphone 39 acquires the voice of the driver and other occupants, and inputs the voice signal to the automatic driving control unit 30. The speaker 40 outputs voice based on various voice signals output from the automatic driving control unit 30.

  The blinker operation unit 41 has an operation lever operated by a driver to blink a blinker (not shown), and outputs a blinker operation signal indicating an operation state of the operation lever to the automatic driving control unit 30.

  The automatic driving start switch 42 is a switch for setting the vehicle 1 in the advanced automation mode. The driver of the vehicle 1 needs to press the automatic driving start switch 42 in order to set the vehicle 1 to the advanced automation mode and execute the automatic driving. The automatic operation stop SW 43 is a switch for forcibly switching the automatic operation level of the vehicle 1 to level 0 regardless of the set operation mode. The emergency stop SW 44 is a switch for forcibly stopping the vehicle 1. The level setting operation unit 45 is a user interface for receiving an operation of setting an automatic driving level (details will be described later) by the driver.

  When the driver recognizes that an unauthorized factor such as a computer virus or an unauthorized operation has occurred, the driver forcibly cancels the automatic operation by pressing the automatic operation stop SW 43, and the vehicle 1 is operated by the driver's own operation. It can be run.

  The automatic driving start switch 42, the automatic driving stop switch 43, and the emergency stop switch 44 are provided, for example, in the vicinity of the driver's seat in the vehicle compartment, at a position where the driver sitting in the driver's seat can operate during driving. However, the installation places of the respective SWs 42, 43, and 44 may be determined as appropriate, or the same SW may be provided at a plurality of places. For example, the emergency stop SW 44 may be provided in the vicinity of another seat (for example, a passenger seat) other than the driver's seat. By doing so, for example, when a problem occurs in the driver while driving and it becomes difficult for the driver to drive normally, the occupant sitting in the passenger seat operates the emergency stop SW 44. , The vehicle 1 can be urgently stopped.

  The vehicle 1 is also provided with an accelerator pedal 27a and a brake pedal 28a. The accelerator pedal 27a is depressed by the driver when the driver wants the vehicle 1 to travel. The brake pedal 28a is depressed by the driver when it is desired to decelerate or stop the vehicle 1 while the driver is traveling.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is connected to the automatic driving control unit 30 as a vehicle speed sensor 24, a traveling drive control unit 27, a brake control unit 28, a pedal sensor 28 b, and a steering. And a control unit 29.

  The pedal sensor 28b is a sensor for detecting whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a, and is provided on the surface of the brake pedal 28a which the driver's foot touches. The signal output from the pedal sensor 28b differs depending on whether the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a or not. The automatic driving control unit 30 is configured to be able to determine whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on the signal output from the pedal sensor 28b.

  The traveling drive control unit 27 includes an accelerator sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a. The traveling drive control unit 27 determines an engine or transmission (not shown) based on various information such as the depression amount of the accelerator pedal 27a detected by the accelerator sensor, the operation position of the shift lever (not shown), the vehicle speed, and the engine speed. Control the traveling of the vehicle 1. On the other hand, when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode (more specifically, when any of the above seven types of automatic control functions are executed), the automatic operation control unit 30 sets the automatic control function of the execution target. The control information necessary for realizing it is output to the traveling drive control unit 27. In this case, the traveling drive control unit 27 controls the engine and the transmission according to the control information from the automatic driving control unit 30, even if the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed. In addition, although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an engine as a drive source for driving | running | working, the automatic driving | operation control apparatus of this indication is applicable also to the vehicle provided with driving source for driving other than an engine. In that case, the traveling drive control unit 27 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of controlling the traveling drive source of the vehicle.

  The brake control unit 28 includes a brake sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a. The brake control unit 28 controls a brake device (not shown) based on the depression amount of the brake pedal 28 a detected by the brake sensor. On the other hand, when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode (specifically, when any of the seven types of automatic control functions described above are executed), the brake control unit 28 does not step on the brake pedal 28a. Also, according to the control information from the automatic driving control unit 30, the brake device is controlled.

  The steering control unit 29 mainly has two functions. One is a so-called electric power steering function. The electric power steering function is a function of assisting the operation of the steering wheel 20 by the driver with a motor. The other is an automatic steering function of automatically steering the steered wheels (for example, front wheels) of the vehicle 1 without requiring a driver's operation. The steering of the steered wheels is basically performed by the driver operating the steering wheel 20, but when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode (in detail, at least one of the seven types of automatic control functions described above) (If any other than automatic start / stop control and inter-vehicle distance control is executed), steering control unit 29 responds to control information from automatic operation control unit 30 even if the driver does not operate steering wheel 20. By controlling the motor, the steering of the steered wheels is automatically controlled.

(3) Description of Automatic Driving Function In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, the automatic driving control unit 30 can acquire and detect various information necessary to realize the above-described automatic driving function.

  As information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, first, there is information (vehicle information) such as the position and speed of the vehicle. The vehicle position can be obtained by calculation based on GPS information. The own vehicle speed can be obtained by calculation based on a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 24, a steering angle signal from a steering angle sensor (not shown), a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor (not shown) or the like. The vehicle speed can also be calculated from the rate of change of the vehicle position.

  Further, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also information on moving objects in the vicinity. Specifically, it is information on the relative position, distance, and speed with respect to the vehicle such as a forward vehicle, a backward vehicle, a side vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, a vehicle crossing an intersection at an approach destination, a pedestrian, or a bicycle.

  The information on the surrounding moving objects can be acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 8 or the detection result of each of the radar devices 11 to 14 or the like. Since various techniques for recognizing surrounding objects based on imaging data and detection results of a radar device have been proposed and put into practical use, the description thereof is omitted here.

  Information on surrounding moving objects can also be acquired by inter-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and inter-vehicle communication. For example, by performing communication between a surrounding vehicle and a vehicle, it is possible to recognize not only surrounding vehicles seen from the own vehicle but also positions and movements of surrounding vehicles present in a blind spot from the own vehicle and not directly visible. . In the road-vehicle communication, as described above, presence information of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians and the like can be acquired. In the inter-pedal communication, as described above, the position and the movement of the pedestrian can be known based on the terminal position information received through the inter-pedal communication unit 34.

  By using any one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and walking-to-vehicle communication, for example, acquiring oncoming vehicle information at the time of normal traveling (especially curve) or right turn to suppress frontal collision with oncoming vehicles, Acquisition of motorcycle information on the left side or rear to suppress motorcycle involvement at the time of left turn, acquisition of information on vehicles on the side (rear side) at the time of lane change, forward vehicle information for the purpose of collision avoidance Acquiring information, acquiring information on other vehicles traveling on the intersection side for the purpose of collision collision suppression at intersections, acquiring information on pedestrians etc. for collision suppression with pedestrians etc. Can.

  In addition, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also information on various road displays drawn directly on the road, such as lane markings (including parking markings), pedestrian crossings, and stop lines. The information on the road display includes the position and contents of the road display. The information on the road display can be acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 8. Since various techniques for recognizing on-road display from shooting data are proposed and put into practical use, the description thereof is omitted here.

  The information on the road display in the traveling direction can also be acquired by road-vehicle communication. In addition, although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is not provided, it is also possible to acquire the information regarding various road display using a laser radar.

  In addition, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, information related to traffic lights, crossings, signs (including signs), intersections, junctions / divisions, sidewalks, obstacles, dangerous areas, other ground structures, etc. Also referred to as “infrastructure related information”. The infrastructure related information includes the presence or absence of various objects described above, the information of the color in the case of a traffic signal, the operation state in the case of a level crossing, the display content in the case of a sign or a signboard, etc. . The infrastructure related information can also be recognized and acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 8 and can also be acquired by road-vehicle communication. Also, various types of infrastructure information can be acquired from the above-described route guidance function based on GPS information, map data, and the like.

  Further, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also regulatory information. For example, when travel restrictions due to construction, accidents, natural disasters, and the like are implemented in the traveling direction, the restriction information can be acquired by road-vehicle communication.

  Various types of information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, such as the information related to the surrounding moving object, the information related to the infrastructure, the information related to the road display, and the regulation information, correspond to an example of the surrounding information of the present disclosure.

  The automatic driving control unit 30 acquires the various information described above, and based on the information, controls the traveling drive control unit 27, the brake control unit 28, the steering control unit 29, and other necessary on-vehicle devices etc. Driving can be realized. Specifically, the seven types of automatic control functions described above can be performed. As described above, the seven types of automatic control functions in the present embodiment are automatic start / stop control, lane maintenance control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision suppression control, and parking control.

  The automatic start / stop control is control for automatically stopping the vehicle 1 when the condition to be stopped is satisfied during traveling, and automatically stopping the vehicle 1 when the condition to be stopped is canceled after the stop. is there. This control is performed using information on surrounding moving objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, infra-related information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, and regulation information, as well as the vehicle information.

  By this automatic start / stop control, for example, when the color of the traffic light is blue at an intersection etc., it is allowed to travel as it is and stopped if it is red or yellow. Control is performed to stop the vehicle when it is recognized, or to start it again after stopping it once it has not come down. In addition, it is automatically stopped also when an obstacle etc. are recognized ahead.

  Default values are set in advance for various control parameters required to execute automatic start / stop control, such as deceleration for automatic stop / automatic start / stop control and acceleration for automatic start / off. And stored in the memory 30b. However, those control parameters may be set and changed arbitrarily from the default values.

  The lane keeping control is a control configured to automatically steer the steered wheels so that the vehicle travels along the lane without departing from the lane markings. This control is performed in cooperation with the route guidance function using information on road displays (especially vehicle division lines) obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14 in addition to the vehicle information.

  The inter-vehicle distance control is a control method of performing speed control so as to follow the other vehicle while keeping the inter-vehicle distance with the other vehicle constant while the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the own vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance control also includes so-called cruise control. Specifically, when there is no other vehicle within a certain range (for example, within 100 m ahead) of the vehicle ahead, in other words, when the vehicle to be followed does not exist ahead of the vehicle, the vehicle travels at the set speed. . The inter-vehicle distance control is mainly performed using information on surrounding moving objects (particularly, forward vehicles) obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14 in addition to the vehicle information.

  Various parameters necessary for following the preceding vehicle, such as the following distance between the preceding vehicle and the upper limit of the own vehicle speed, used in the following distance control, are provided in advance. It is set. However, those control parameters may be set and changed arbitrarily. In inter-vehicle distance control, the vehicle speed, which is one of the control parameters used when no other vehicle is present within a predetermined range ahead of the host vehicle, is in principle set to the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. However, the vehicle speed in this case may be set arbitrarily. At that time, it may be set arbitrarily within the range not exceeding the legal speed.

  Lane change control detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane of the change destination when lane change (steering for lane change) becomes necessary, and other vehicles are detected according to the presence, position, speed, etc. of other vehicles. Control to automatically change the lane while controlling the driving force / braking force and steering so as not to collide with the vehicle. This control is obtained by the information on the surrounding moving object (in particular, the other vehicles in the adjacent lane) obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14 and the information on the vehicle division lines, as well as the vehicle information. Information of other vehicles (traveling vehicles in the adjacent lane) to be used.

  Control to turn left or right automatically turns right or left without colliding with an oncoming vehicle, a vehicle traveling on a crossroads, other vehicles around the host vehicle, pedestrians, etc. when a right turn or left turn is required. It is. This control includes information on surrounding moving objects obtained from each camera 2 to 8 and each radar sensor 11 to 14 as well as own vehicle information, information on other vehicles obtained through inter-vehicle communication, and pedestrians obtained through inter-vehicle communication This is done using information such as

  The collision prevention control is control for automatically steering or braking / stopping the vehicle so as not to collide with the obstacle, when the obstacle exists on the road in the vehicle traveling direction. It is performed using information on surrounding moving objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, infrastructure related information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, and regulation information.

  The parking control calculates a traveling locus to the target parking position when a specific target parking position (for example, in a parking section of a specific parking lot) is set as a destination, and drives the vehicle along the traveling locus. It is a control that controls the force / braking force and the steering to automatically park.

  The driver or the like can arbitrarily set which one of the seven types of control functions is to be executed, that is, the automatic driving level. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the automatic operation level can be arbitrarily set in both the advanced automation mode and the basic mode. However, for the basic mode, level 7 can not be set, and any of level 0 to level 6 can be set. On the other hand, in the advanced automation mode, level 0 can not be set, and any of level 1 to level 7 can be set. Furthermore, the level of the basic mode can be set within a range of levels lower than the level of the advanced automation mode. Conversely, the level of the advanced automation mode can be set within the range of levels higher than the level of the basic mode.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, control A (for example, lane keeping control) is executed at level 1. At level 2, control B (for example, inter-vehicle distance control) is executed in addition to control A. At level 3, control C (for example, automatic start / stop control) is executed in addition to control A and B. At level 4, in addition to the controls A, B and C, the control D (for example, collision suppression control) is executed. At level 5, control E (for example, lane change control) is executed in addition to the controls A, B, C, and D. At level 6, in addition to the controls A, B, C, D, E, a control F (for example, a left / right control) is executed. At level 7, in addition to the controls A, B, C, D, E, F, the control G (for example, parking control) is executed. That is, the higher the level, the more types of automatic control functions to be executed.

  Level setting for each operation mode is possible by operating the level setting operation unit 45 provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat for each operation mode. In the present embodiment, the automatic operation level in the basic mode is set to level 0 by default, and the automatic operation level in the advanced automation mode is set to level 7 by default. Then, the automatic driving level currently set can be arbitrarily set and changed for each driving mode. For example, when the basic mode is set to level 0, the advanced automation mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 1 to 7. Also, for example, when the basic mode is set to level 1, the advanced automation mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 2 to 7. Also, for example, when the advanced automation mode is set to level 4, the basic mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between level 0 and level 3.

  Note that which automatic control function is to be executed at which level is not limited to the content illustrated in FIG. 3A. For example, it is not essential that the number of automatic control functions to be executed increases by one each time the level goes up. The level at which which automatic control function is to be performed may be determined as appropriate. The seven types of automatic control functions described above are merely examples, and the number of automatic control functions and the specific content of each automatic control function may be determined as appropriate.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3B, the contents of control A to control G are shown as shown in FIG. The driver may be set arbitrarily.

  In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, the driving mode is normally set to the basic mode. On the other hand, when the automatic operation start switch 42 is pressed, the operation mode becomes the advanced automation mode under certain conditions. In addition, when it is set so that lane change control, right-left turn control, and parking control may be performed, you may set a destination (in the case of parking control, target parking position). Specifically, the route guidance function may be activated to input a destination via the touch panel. The automatic driving when the destination is set is basically performed along the route to the calculated destination while confirming the position of the host vehicle in cooperation with the route guidance function. .

  When the automatic operation level is set to the operation mode of level 1 or more, when the destination is not set, it is specifically how to execute the automatic control function applied in the current operation mode May be determined as appropriate. For example, when the operation mode is set such that the turn control function is executed, if the destination is not set, the turn control function is executed to run along the road in principle. It is also good. Then, when it is necessary to select the traveling direction, for example, as in the case of approaching a bifurcated branch point, the right / left turn control function may be executed to proceed in a predetermined direction, for example. If the destination is not set, the turn control function may be disabled. The parking control function may also be invalidated if the destination (specifically, the place to be parked) is not set.

  Various control examples in the advanced automation mode when the automatic operation level in the advanced automation mode is set to level 7 will be described using FIG. Each of the vehicles 61 to 67 shown in FIG. 4 has the same configuration as the vehicle 1 shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. A vehicle traveling in the communication area of the on-street communication device 81 can receive individual road information from the on-street communication device 81. At least four vehicles 61, 65, 66, and 67 among the vehicles in FIG. 4 can receive individual road information from at least two on-road communication devices 81a and 81b in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, it is possible to acquire information of the traffic signal 71 ahead, information of the oncoming vehicle 62, information of the pedestrian 76, and the like.

  In addition, at least the vehicle 63 can receive individual road information from at least the road communicator 81c in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, it is possible to obtain information such as the presence of the stop sign 73 (that is, that it should be stopped) and that the other vehicle 64 is approaching from the right side.

  In addition, at least the vehicle 64 can receive individual road information from at least the road communicator 81 d in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, information such as the fact that another vehicle 63 is approaching can be obtained from the left side.

  In addition, at least the vehicle 62 can receive individual road information from at least the road communicator 81e in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, the information of the traffic signal 72 ahead, the presence of the oncoming vehicle 61 trying to turn right, the presence of a pedestrian crossing in the left turn direction, the presence of a pedestrian 76 on the pedestrian crossing, etc. You can get it.

  In addition, each vehicle 61 to 66 can obtain various information from each camera 2 to 8 and each radar device 11 to 14 provided by itself, and also obtains various information by inter-vehicle communication or inter-vehicle communication. Can. For example, the vehicle 65 can detect the vehicle 67 in the front and the vehicle 66 in the right side by means of a camera or a radar device, so that the vehicle 65 travels while appropriately maintaining the distance between the vehicle 67 in front and If necessary, the lane change can be made at an appropriate timing while considering the positional relationship with the vehicle 66 on the right side. In addition, the vehicle 65 can also detect the jumping out of the pedestrian 77 by a camera or a radar device. The vehicle 65 can perform appropriate deceleration control so as not to collide with the pedestrian 77, while taking into consideration the distance to the vehicle 65 behind, when detecting the jumping-out of the pedestrian 77.

  In this manner, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 appropriately travels the vehicle to the destination by automatic driving while using various information such as various information obtained by the vehicle and various information obtained from the roadside. It can be done.

(4) Switching of operation mode When the automatic operation start SW 42 is pressed, the automatic operation control unit 30 always operates in the advanced automation mode until the automatic operation stop SW 43 is pressed (or until the destination is reached). Do not mean. When the automatic driving start switch 42 is pressed, the arithmetic unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 performs the main process shown in FIG. 5 to switch between the advanced automation mode and the basic mode. That is, the mode switching function is realized by the operation unit 30a executing the main process of FIG.

  When a start switch (for example, an ignition switch) (not shown) of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the calculation unit 30a reads and executes the program of the main processing of FIG. 5 from the memory 30b. When the main process of FIG. 5 is started, operation unit 30a sets the operation mode to the basic mode in S10, and executes the automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the basic mode. For example, when level 1 is set as the basic mode, the automatic control function of control A (see FIG. 3A) is executed. Execution of the automatic control function is performed based on the acquired various information while acquiring various information including the above-mentioned ambient information as necessary. When level 0 is set as the basic mode, all automatic control functions are not executed. The automatic control function set as the execution target in the basic mode is automatically performed, but other functions are basically left to the operation of the driver.

  In S15, it is determined whether the destination has been set. If the destination is not set yet (S15: NO), it is determined in S20 whether or not the setting of the destination has been input. When the setting input of the destination has not been performed (S20: NO), the process returns to S15. That is, the basic mode is continued until the destination is set.

  If the destination has been set (S15: YES), or if the setting input of the destination is made in S20 (S20: YES), it is determined in S25 whether the automatic driving activation SW 42 has been turned on. If the automatic operation start switch 42 is not turned on (S25: NO), the process returns to S15. If the automatic driving start switch 42 is turned on (S25: YES), the automatic driving control process is executed in S30. The automatic driving control process is a process of judging whether the driving mode can be switched from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode, and switching to the advanced automation mode if the switching is possible. The automatic driving control process also includes a process of switching to the basic mode when it is determined that the basic mode should be switched again after switching to the advanced automation mode. The details of the automatic driving control process of S30 are as shown in FIG.

  If it progresses to the automatic driving | operation control processing of FIG. 6, it will be judged by S110 whether the present driving | operation mode is advanced automation mode. If the advanced automation mode is already in progress (S110: YES), the process proceeds to S200. If it is not the advanced automation mode but the basic mode (S110: NO), the process proceeds to S120.

  In S120, it is determined whether the initial automatic switching confirmation process of S130 has already been executed. The initial automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether or not the operation mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode, and the start switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on It is an automatic switching confirmation process to be executed first after the process.

  After the start of the main processing, if the initial automatic switching confirmation processing has not been executed (S120: NO), the processing proceeds to S130 and the initial automatic switching confirmation processing is executed. If the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed after the start of the main process (S120: YES), it is determined in S140 whether the vehicle has run after the start. If the vehicle travels a little after the start regardless of the operation mode (S140: YES), the process proceeds to S150 and the normal-time automatic switching confirmation process is executed. If the vehicle has not run a little after activation (S140: NO), the process proceeds to S160. The normal-time automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether the operation mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode, and the initial automatic switching confirmation process is already executed. It is an automatic switching confirmation process performed when it is completed.

  As the automatic switching confirmation processing, it is not essential to divide the initial automatic switching confirmation processing and the normal automatic switching confirmation processing. Either one may be omitted and only the other may be executed when the negative determination is made in S110. Alternatively, both of them may be put together and one automatic switching confirmation process may be executed as one automatic switching confirmation process if the affirmative determination is made in S110.

  The details of the initial automatic switching confirmation process of S130 are as shown in FIG. If it progresses to the initial stage automatic switch confirmation processing of FIG. 7, the operation state of a driver will be confirmed by S310. In the present embodiment, when switching to the advanced automation mode immediately after startup, it is a requirement that the driver can operate the vehicle 1 normally. This is to enable smooth return to the basic mode when it is necessary to return to the basic mode after starting traveling in the advanced automation mode. In addition, it also has a meaning of suppressing that an unskilled person (for example, a child) for a driving operation or a person who should not operate the vehicle 1 run the vehicle 1 by automatic driving.

  The specific operation state to be confirmed in S310 may be determined as appropriate. For example, a first determination method of determining whether or not the steering wheel 20 is held and the brake pedal 28a is depressed may be used. Alternatively, a second determination method may be used in which the driver travels the vehicle 1 for a predetermined time (for example, several tens of seconds) and it is determined whether the driving operation during the travel is normal. Specifically, for example, whether the accelerator operation is smooth or the operation of the steering wheel 20 is smooth (whether the operation according to the shape of the travel route has been performed) or the lanes detected by various on-vehicle cameras and radar devices It may be determined whether the driving operation is normal or not based on whether the vehicle can travel without driving, or whether the driving according to the signals or signs detected by various on-vehicle cameras or radar devices has been performed.

Also, the method of determining whether the driver is seated at the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other determination methods.
In S320, based on the confirmation result in S310, it is determined whether or not switching to the advanced automation mode is possible. For example, when the first determination method is used in S310, if it is determined that the steering wheel 20 is held and the brake pedal 28a is depressed, it may be determined that switching to the advanced automation mode is possible. Good. At that time, it is also determined based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25 whether or not the driver is seated at the driver's seat, and when the driver is seated at the driver's seat, switching to the advanced automation mode is It may be determined that it is possible. Also, for example, when the second determination method is used in S310, if it is determined that the driving operation at the time of traveling is normal, it may be determined that switching to the advanced automation mode is possible. At that time, it is also determined based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25 whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat, and switching to the advanced automation mode when the driver is seated in the driver's seat It may be determined that is possible. It is an example of the basic mode switching condition that the operation state confirmed in S310 is determined to be switchable to the advanced automation mode in S320.

  In S330, based on the determination result in S320, it is determined whether switching to the advanced automation mode is possible. If it is determined in S320 that switching to the advanced automation mode is possible (S330: YES), the process proceeds to S335.

  In S335, it is determined whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt. This determination is made based on the detection signals from the seating sensor 25 and the belt sensor 26. Specifically, the determination in S335 may be, for example, a determination as to whether or not all the occupants are wearing the seat belt, for example, at least a specific seat (for example, the driver's seat). And the passenger seat) may be a determination as to whether the occupant of the particular seat is wearing a seat belt. If it is determined in S335 that all the occupants to be determined are wearing the seat belt (S335: YES), the process proceeds to S340.

  In S340, it is determined whether the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. The basic mode maintaining flag and various flags described later are both cleared as initial values at the start of the main processing.

  If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S340: YES), the advanced automation switching flag is set in S350. After the process of S350, the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). If it is determined in S330 that switching to the advanced automation mode can not be performed, the process proceeds to S360. Also, in S335, when there is an occupant not wearing a seat belt among the occupants to be determined (S335: NO), the process proceeds to S360. Also, when it is determined that the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (that is, set) in S340 (S340: NO), the process proceeds to S360. At S360, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared. After the process of S360, the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6).

  Next, the details of the normal time automatic switching confirmation process of S150 (FIG. 6) are as shown in FIG. In the normal-time automatic switching confirmation process of FIG. 8, it is determined in S410 whether a normal-time transition condition to the advanced automation mode is satisfied. A normal transition condition to the advanced automation mode may be variously considered, for example, the driver may be holding the steering wheel 20. Alternatively, for example, the vehicle 1 may be traveling at a legal speed and traveling straight ahead or a similar type of traveling (with a few bends) may be possible for a predetermined period of time. That is, the normal time transition condition may be set so that switching to the advanced automation mode can be performed in a stable state. In addition, as the normal-time transition condition, for example, the fact that the driver is seated at the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other conditions (for example, as a disjunction or conjunction with other conditions). The normal-time transition condition is an example of the advanced automation switching condition.

  If the normal time transition condition to the advanced automation mode is satisfied (S410: YES), it is determined in S480 whether the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. If the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (S480: NO), the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S470, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S480: YES), the advanced automation switching flag is set in S490, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6).

  If it is determined in S410 that the normal transition condition to the advanced automation mode is not satisfied (S410: NO), basically, the basic mode is prioritized and maintained. However, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat, the driver's condition is confirmed by the processing from S420 onwards, and the driver's condition is somehow abnormal (the driver may not be able to drive normally) In the case where a problem occurs, the advanced automation switching flag is set to switch to the advanced automation mode.

  That is, basically, switching from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode is performed after confirming that the driver and the vehicle 1 are in a stable state, but the driver normally operates the vehicle 1 If the vehicle can not be driven (or not), depending on the condition, it is rather necessary to forcibly switch to the advanced automation mode to properly drive the vehicle 1. Therefore, in S420 and later, the advanced automation switching flag is set when the driver can not drive the vehicle 1 normally.

  Specifically, if it is determined in S410 that the normal transition condition to the advanced automation mode is not satisfied (S410: NO), it is determined in S415 whether the driver is seated at the driver's seat. If the driver is not seated at the driver's seat (S415: NO), the normal time automatic switching confirmation process of FIG. 8 is ended, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). In this case, the operation mode is maintained in the basic mode. On the other hand, if the driver is seated at the driver's seat (S415: YES), the process proceeds to S420.

  In S420, it is determined whether the driver's gaze is facing forward. This determination may be made based on the image data captured by the indoor camera 3. As a case where the driver's line of sight does not face forward, for example, it is assumed that the driver is watching a television, operates a mobile phone or a smartphone, or is driving while watching.

  If the line of sight of the driver points forward (S420: YES), the process proceeds to S450. If the driver's line of sight does not point forward (S420: NO), it is determined in S430 whether the vehicle is at a stop. If the vehicle 1 is at rest (S430: YES), the process proceeds to S450. If the vehicle 1 is traveling (S430: NO), it is determined in S440 whether or not the state in which the driver's gaze is not facing forward has continued for a prescribed time. If the driver's line of sight does not face forward for a prescribed time (S440: NO), the process proceeds to S450. If the driver's line of sight does not face forward continues for a prescribed time (S440: YES), the process proceeds to S490, and the advanced automation switching flag is set.

  At S450, it is determined whether the eye condition of the driver is normal. Specifically, it is determined that the state is normal if it is not in or near the sleep state, and it is determined that it is abnormal if it is in or near the sleep state. This determination may be made based on the image data captured by the indoor camera 3.

  If the eye condition of the driver is normal (S450: YES), the process proceeds to S460. If the eye condition of the driver is abnormal (S450: NO), the process proceeds to S490, and the advanced automation switching flag is set.

  In S460, it is determined whether the driver's physical condition is normal. Specifically, the determination is made based on ecological information obtained from the biological sensor 21. For example, if the pulse is within the normal range and it is not abnormal sweating condition, it is determined that the physical condition is normal. Conversely, if the pulse exceeds the normal range or is in an abnormal sweating state, it is determined that the physical condition is abnormal.

  If the driver's physical condition is normal (S460: YES), the process proceeds to S470 and the advanced automation switching flag is cleared. If the driver's physical condition is abnormal (S460: NO), the process proceeds to S490 and the advanced automation switching flag is set. After the process of S470 and after the process of S490, the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). It should be noted that the condition of the driver is in the condition of affirmative determination in S440, in the condition of negative determination in S450, and in the condition of negative determination in S460. It is.

  In S160, it is determined whether the advanced automation switching flag is set. If the advanced automation switching flag is not set (cleared) (S160: NO), the process proceeds to S200. If the advanced automation switching flag is set (S160: YES), the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode in S170, and the automatic operation to the destination is started. More specifically, in S170, the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode, and an automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the advanced automation mode is executed. For example, when level 6 is set as the advanced automation mode, six types of automatic control functions (see FIG. 3A) of control AF are executed. Further, for example, when level 7 is set as the advanced automation mode, fully automatic operation is realized by executing all seven types of automatic control functions of control A to G. In addition, execution of an automatic control function is performed based on the various information acquired while acquiring various information including the above-mentioned ambient information as needed.

  In S180, notification that the automatic operation in the advanced automation mode has been started is performed. Specifically, the driver is notified by voice or the like that the mode has been switched to the advanced automation mode. This notification may be performed only when the mode is switched to the advanced automation mode, or may be performed appropriately (for example, repeatedly at predetermined time intervals) after the switch. Also, the notification method is not limited to voice. For example, notification may be made by various methods such as vibrating the steering wheel in a specific pattern, or displaying a specific display on an instrument panel in a car.

  In S185, an interruption travel disable notification is performed to cause the surroundings of the vehicle 1 to be recognized as not to be interrupted in front of the vehicle 1. The specific method of the interrupt travel disable notification may be determined as appropriate. For example, a lamp may be provided to notify that the vehicle has been interrupted and the lamp may be turned on. Further, for example, an image indicating that the user does not want to break in may be displayed on the side surface or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. Also, for example, a specific sound may be generated from a horn. The specific sound is, for example, a sound different from a normal sound generated when the driver himself presses the button for ringing. In addition, for example, it is made to notify outside of a vehicle using radio communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and walk-to-vehicle communication together with information of own vehicle (for example, position information, number information, etc.) May be

At S190, the four automatic operation operation lamps 16 are turned on. Thus, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the outside, it can be recognized that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the advanced automation mode. In addition, you may employ | adopt other methods other than turning on four automatic driving | operation operation lamps 16 as a method of alerting | reporting to the exterior that it is drive | working in advanced automation mode. For example, an image indicating that the vehicle is traveling in the advanced automation mode may be displayed on the side surface or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. Also, for example, setting of the advanced automation mode is performed outside the vehicle using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and walk-to-vehicle communication together with the information of the vehicle (for example, position information, number information, etc. You may make it alert | report.

  In S200, basic mode switching confirmation processing is executed. Details of the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 are as shown in FIG. The basic mode switching confirmation process of FIG. 10 determines whether the conditions for switching from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode are satisfied, and switches to the basic mode if the conditions are satisfied (detailedly, the advanced automation switching flag To clear).

  Prior to the description of the basic mode switching confirmation process of FIG. 10, an example of conditions to be switched to the basic mode in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A road 90 having a curve is illustrated in FIG. In the road 90, road construction is performed in a partial section, and in the vicinity of the point A, a signboard 91 indicating the start of the construction section is installed. In the vicinity of the point D, a signboard 92 indicating the end of the construction section is installed. The vehicle 1 is about to enter the point A.

  The vehicle 1 can recognize the contents of the signboards 91 and 92 from the photographing results of the front cameras 2 and 5 and detect that the construction section has been entered or the construction section has been withdrawn. In addition, also by acquiring the position information of the construction section from the road communication device 81, that the vehicle 1 is approaching the construction section start point, that the vehicle 1 has entered the construction section, the vehicle 1 has left the construction section Can be detected. Note that this work section (which may be included up to a section a predetermined distance before the construction section start point) corresponds to a specific travel area described later.

  Further, the section from the point B to the point C is a driving attention section with a narrow road width and many curves, and is a section in which safe driving should be kept in mind by lowering the vehicle speed. The vehicle 1 obtains the position information of the driving attention section from the road communication unit 81 to make the vehicle 1 approach the driving attention section start point, that the vehicle 1 has entered the driving attention section, or the vehicle 1 Can detect that the vehicle has left the driving attention zone, and the like. A traveling attention section from this point B to a point C (which may include a section a predetermined distance before the start of the traveling attention section) also corresponds to a specific traveling area described later.

  Further, an approximate midpoint between the point E and the point F is an accident site 95 where a traffic accident has occurred. The accident section from the point E to the point F centered on the accident site 95 is also a section to be traveled with caution by lowering the vehicle speed. The vehicle 1 obtains the position information of the accident section from the road communication device 81 to make the vehicle 1 approach the accident section start point, that the vehicle 1 has entered the accident section, or the vehicle 1 is in the accident section It is possible to detect that the user has left the terminal. The accident section up to the point E and the point F (which may also include a section a predetermined distance before the accident section start) also corresponds to a specific travel area described later.

  And in this embodiment, when vehicles 1 run the above-mentioned specific run area, it is made to change from basic automation mode to basic mode. The basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 (FIG. 6) for realizing this will be described using FIG.

  When the operation unit 30a shifts to the basic mode switching confirmation process of FIG. 10, in S510, the operation unit 30a determines whether the blinker operation unit 41 has operated the blinker in the right turn direction. When the blinker operation in the right turn direction is performed (S510: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and S210 (FIG. 6) to switch to the basic mode. move on. It is an example of the basic mode switching condition that the blinker operation in the right turn direction is performed.

  When it is determined in S510 that the blinker operation in the right turn direction is not performed (S510: NO), it is determined in S520 whether or not the specific traveling area as illustrated in FIG. 9 is traveling. If traveling in the specific traveling area (S520: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 to switch to the basic mode, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6) . Traveling in the specific traveling region is an example of the basic mode switching condition.

  If it is determined in S520 that the vehicle is not traveling in the specific travel area (S520: NO), it is determined in S530 whether or not the pedestrian's jumping out has been detected. This determination may be made based on the imaging results of the front cameras 2 and 5, the detection signal of the front radar device 11, the reception information of road-to-vehicle communication, and the reception information of inter-pedal communication. If the pedestrian's jumping out is detected (S530: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 to switch to the basic mode, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). In addition, it is an example of basic mode switching conditions that a pedestrian's jumping out is detected.

  In addition, when the pop-out of a pedestrian is detected, a voice warning is issued to alert the driver, or an image (a dummy pedestrian displaying a pop-up of the pedestrian from the roadside using the HUD 38) Image) may be displayed.

  If the pedestrian's jumping out is not detected in S530 (S530: NO), it is determined in S540 whether or not the outside of the vehicle is in a specific environment. The specific environment to be switched to the basic mode may be set as appropriate. In the present embodiment, the specific environment is at least a bad weather when there is a lot of rainfall, a night when the visibility is dark, and a state in which the driver feels dazzling due to backlighting.

  It can be judged based on the detection signal from the rain sensor 23 whether it is bad weather with a lot of rainfall. It can be determined based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22 whether it is night time or not. It can be determined from, for example, the imaging result of the first front camera 2 whether or not the driver feels glare upon incidence of backlight.

  If the outside of the vehicle is in the specific environment in S540 (S540: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 to switch to the basic mode, and the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560. Go to). If the outside of the vehicle is not in the specific environment (S540: NO), it is determined that there is no need to switch to the basic mode, the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared in S570, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). The fact that the outside of the vehicle is in the specific environment is an example of the basic mode switching condition.

  In S210, it is determined whether the advanced automation switching flag is cleared. If the advanced automation switching flag is cleared (S210: YES), the operation mode is switched to the basic mode in S220, and the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5). The specific processing content of S220 is basically the same as S10, the operation mode is set to the basic mode, and the automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the basic mode is executed. In S220, the four automatic operation operation lamps 16 are turned off. Thus, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the outside, it can be recognized that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the basic mode.

  When switching to the basic mode in S220, the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 may be appropriately reduced. In addition, when switching to the basic mode in S220, the driver may be notified of switching to the basic mode by various methods such as voice, vibration of the steering wheel, display on the instrument panel in the vehicle, and the like.

If the advanced automation switching flag is not cleared in S210 (S210: NO), the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5) while maintaining the advanced automation mode.
At S35, it is determined whether the automatic operation stop SW 43 has been turned on. If the automatic operation stop SW 43 is turned on (S35: YES), all the above flags (including the forced stop flag described later) are cleared in S40, the operation mode is set to the basic mode in S45, and the process returns to S15. . In S45, as in S10, the operation mode is set to the basic mode, and the automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the basic mode is executed.

  If the automatic operation stop SW 43 is not turned on (S35: NO), it is determined in S50 whether or not the destination has been reached. If the user has arrived at the destination (S50: YES), the destination setting is cleared in S55, and the process proceeds to S40 and thereafter. If it has not arrived at the destination (S50: NO), it is determined in S60 whether the emergency stop SW 44 is turned on or the forced stop flag is set. The forced stop flag is a flag set in each process of FIGS. 11 and 13 described later.

  If the emergency stop SW 44 is not turned on and the forced stop flag is not set (S60: NO), the process returns to S30. If the emergency stop SW 44 is turned on or the forcible stop flag is set (S60: YES), all the flags described above are cleared in S65 as in S40. Then, in S70, the forcible stop processing is executed to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, and the main processing is ended. After that, in order to execute the main process again, it is necessary to re-enter at least the start switch (for example, once turn off the ignition switch and turn on again). The forced stop process of S70 is a process of automatically stopping the vehicle 1 forcibly. It may be decided suitably about how to stop concretely. For example, the vehicle may be decelerated and stopped immediately on the road on which it is traveling. Further, for example, instead of stopping on a road, the vehicle may be automatically traveled to a place other than the road where the vehicle 1 can be stopped (for example, a parking lot near the vehicle).

(5) Effects of the Embodiment According to the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment described above, the operation mode includes the advanced automation mode and the basic mode, and during the advanced automation mode, transition to the basic mode should be performed (or If the condition is satisfied, the mode is switched to the basic mode. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode at an appropriate timing. Conversely, in the basic mode, if a condition to shift to (or shift to) the advanced automation mode is satisfied, the mode is switched to the advanced automation mode. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode at an appropriate timing.

  However, when the operation mode is the basic mode, even if it is possible to switch to the advanced automation mode (specifically, even if the advanced automation switching flag is set), the state in which the basic mode should be maintained continues. If the flag is set (specifically, the basic mode maintenance flag is set), the basic mode is maintained. Therefore, in a situation where the basic mode should be maintained, it is possible to realize appropriate vehicle control in which the driving operation of the driver is respected.

  The arithmetic unit 30a, S10 and S45 in FIG. 5, and S170 and S220 in FIG. 6 correspond to an example of an ambient information acquisition unit, an example of an operation mode setting unit, and an example of an automatic control unit. In FIG. 8, the processing that is positively determined at S410 and proceeds to S480, and is negatively determined at S480 and proceeds to S470 corresponds to an example of the operation mode setting unit.

[Other embodiments]
(1) As the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 of FIG. 6, various other contents can be adopted separately from the process shown in FIG. 10 or in addition to the process shown in FIG.

  For example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11 may be employed. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11, first, in step S610, the basic mode switching necessity determination is performed. This determination is a determination as to whether or not it is necessary to switch to the basic mode, and may be determined based on various criteria. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the specific traveling area or the outside of the vehicle is in the specific environment, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. Further, for example, when the occupant wearing the seat belt removes the seat belt, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. Also, for example, when another vehicle around the host vehicle shows a specific behavior with respect to the host vehicle, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode.

  This determination can be performed, for example, based on a captured image by each of the cameras 2 to 8 or a detection result of each of the radar devices 11 to 14 or the like. The specific behavior may be determined accordingly. For example, the fact that another vehicle has moved to the host vehicle may be taken as a specific behavior. In this case, a method of determining whether or not the width has been shifted may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that the width has been shifted when the distance from the host vehicle in the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) is within a prescribed distance. Further, for example, it may be determined that the width has been lowered when the rate of change in the distance to the host vehicle in the left-right direction is less than or equal to the negative prescribed rate of change.

  Also, for example, the fact that a vehicle traveling in the rear has rapidly approached the host vehicle may be taken as a specific behavior. In this case, a method of determining whether or not it has suddenly approached may be determined as appropriate. For example, as in the above-described method of determining the side-to-side movement, the determination may be made based on the distance to the rear vehicle or the rate of change of the distance.

  In S620, based on the determination result in S610, it is determined whether switching to the basic mode is necessary. If switching to the basic mode is unnecessary (S620: NO), the basic mode maintaining flag is cleared in S710, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If it is necessary to switch to the basic mode (S620: YES), it is determined in S630 whether or not the basic mode has already been set. If the basic mode is already set (S630: YES), the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If it is not yet in the basic mode (i.e., in the advanced automation mode) (S630: NO), in S640, the driver is given a voice, vibration in a specific pattern of the steering wheel, or a specific display on the instrument panel in the car. Informing the advance notice of switching to the basic mode using various methods such as letting it go.

  In S650, it is determined whether the driver has performed a prescribed operation in response to the notification in S640. As the prescribed operation, various operations may be employed such that it can be confirmed that the driver can cope with the operation in the basic mode. For example, it may be determined that the driver holds the handle 20 and looks forward to the prescribed action. Further, for example, it may be decided that the prescribed operation is to cause the driver to generate a specific sound, to cause the driver to make a specific gesture, or to cause the driver to operate a specific operation member (for example, a specific switch) in the vehicle. .

  If the driver performs the prescribed operation (S650: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S660, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S670, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). When the prescribed operation by the driver is not performed (S650: NO), in S680, whether or not the time out without starting the prescribed operation of the driver from the notification start in S640, that is, the state without the prescribed operation of the driver continued for a fixed time Determine if it is.

  If it has not timed out yet, it returns to S650. If timed out, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S690, the forced stop flag is set in S700, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). That is, even if the basic mode is to be switched, if the driver does not perform the prescribed operation for a certain period of time after the notification of S640, it is determined that the driver may have some abnormality. In order to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, a forced stop flag is set.

  Further, as the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 of FIG. 6, for example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 12 may be adopted. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 12, first, in S1010, it is determined whether inter-vehicle distance control is being executed among a plurality of types of automatic control functions. In the above embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, the inter-vehicle distance control is executed when the automatic driving level is level 2 or higher.

  When the inter-vehicle distance control is not executed (S1010: NO), the basic mode switching confirmation process is ended. If the inter-vehicle distance control is being executed (S1010: YES), the process proceeds to S1020.

  In S1020, it is determined whether there is an interruption of another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle. This determination can be made, for example, on the basis of images taken by the respective cameras 2 to 8 or detection results of the respective radar devices 11 to 14 or the like. The specific method of this determination may be determined as appropriate. For example, when another vehicle has entered in front of the own vehicle in the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, it may be determined that there is an interrupt. At that time, it may be determined that there is an interrupt, not only when the vehicle has just entered, but when the entering state continues for a prescribed time or more.

  If it is determined that there is no interruption of another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle (S1020: NO), the process proceeds to S1040. If it is determined that there is an interruption of another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle (S1020: YES), warning processing is performed in S1030, and the process proceeds to S1040. The warning process of S1030 is to urge caution (for example, the presence of the own vehicle behind the other vehicles, that the user does not want to make an interrupt, etc.) to the other vehicles that have cut in front of the own vehicle Processing. The specific content of this warning process may be determined as appropriate. For example, the same process as the interruption traveling unnoticeable in S185 of FIG. 6 may be performed.

  In S1040, it is determined based on the detection signal from the pedal sensor 28b whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a. If the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: YES), the process proceeds to S1060. If the driver's foot is not placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: NO), a warning process is performed in S1050, and the process proceeds to S1060.

  The alerting process of S1050 is a process for prompting the driver to place a foot on the brake pedal 28a. The specific content of this alerting process may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be prompted by voice, or may be prompted by vibrating a specific place in the car (for example, the seat, the steering wheel 20, etc.), or may be prompted by displaying caution information on the display 37 or the HUD 38. It is also good. If no foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a even after the alerting process is performed, a specific process may be executed. The specific process in this case may be, for example, a process of forcibly stopping the vehicle 1 or a process of switching the operation mode to the basic mode.

  In S1060, it is determined whether the brake pedal 28a has been depressed. If the brake pedal 28a is not depressed (S1060: NO), the process proceeds to S1080. If the brake pedal 28a is depressed (S1060: YES), a brake response process is performed in S1070, and the process proceeds to S1080.

  The specific content of the brake response process of S1070 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the inter-vehicle distance which is one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control may be changed to a value larger than the current value so that the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle becomes longer. In addition, when so-called cruise control is performed without another vehicle existing within a certain range ahead of the own vehicle, one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control so that the speed of the own vehicle decreases. One vehicle speed may be changed to a value lower than the current value.

  In S1080, it is determined whether the accelerator pedal 27a has been depressed. If the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed (S1080: NO), the process proceeds to S1100. When the accelerator pedal 27a is depressed (S1080: YES), an accelerator response process is performed in S1090, and the process proceeds to S1100.

  The specific content of the accelerator processing in S1090 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the inter-vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control, may be changed to a smaller value than the current value so that the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle becomes shorter. In addition, when so-called cruise control is performed without another vehicle existing within a certain range ahead of the own vehicle, one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control so that the speed of the own vehicle increases. One vehicle speed may be changed to a value higher than the current value.

  In S1100, it is automatically determined by an automatic control function including inter-vehicle distance control whether or not the sudden braking has been activated. It may decide suitably about what is judged to be a sudden brake. For example, when the deceleration of the vehicle 1 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, it may be determined that the sudden braking has been activated.

  If the sudden braking is not in operation at S1100 (S1100: NO), the process proceeds to S1140. At S1140, the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. If it is determined in S1100 that the sudden braking has been activated (S1100: YES), the process proceeds to S1110.

  In S1110, it is determined whether it is necessary to switch the operation mode from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode. This determination method may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode by judging that the sudden braking has been activated itself is the state to be switched to the basic mode. For example, whenever it is determined in S1100 that the sudden braking has been activated, the determined number is accumulated and stored, and it is necessary to switch to the basic mode when the accumulated value reaches a predetermined upper limit number. It may be determined that there is.

  If it is determined in S1110 that switching to the basic mode is not necessary (S1110: NO), the process proceeds to S1140. If it is determined in S1110 that switching to the basic mode is required (S1110: YES), the basic mode maintaining flag is set in S1120 to switch to the basic mode, and the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S1130.

  It should be noted that sudden braking is activated if, for example, some abnormality (for example, occurrence of an accident, an obstacle, etc.) has occurred in front of the vehicle and the driver himself / herself operates the operation while paying attention to the surroundings May be in a favorable situation. Also, for example, the possibility of an abnormality occurring in the automatic control function is also conceivable. Therefore, when the sudden braking is automatically activated (S1100: YES), the operation mode is switched to the basic mode by executing the processing of S1120 and S1130 on the condition that the positive determination is made in S1110. .

  (2) While traveling in the advanced automation mode, there may be situations where it should be returned to the basic mode. Therefore, it is preferable for the driver to be able to perform the driving operation whenever necessary, even while traveling in the advanced automation mode. Therefore, while running in the advanced automation mode, for example, by executing the basic mode preparation confirmation process shown in FIG. 13, it is confirmed whether or not the basic mode can be returned immediately by causing the driver to perform a simple operation periodically. You may do it.

  In the basic mode preparation confirmation process of FIG. 13, first, in S810, it is determined whether or not a confirmation timing (for example, a regular timing of an interval of several minutes, or a non-periodic timing determined in advance). If it is not the confirmation timing (S810: NO), this basic mode preparation confirmation processing is ended. If it is the confirmation timing (S810: YES), a confirmation operation is requested to the driver by voice or the like in S820. The confirmation operation requested here can be determined as appropriate, and may be, for example, the same operation as the specified operation of S650 in FIG.

  In S830, it is determined whether the confirmation operation by the driver has been performed. When the confirmation operation by the driver is performed (S 830: YES), it is determined that the driver can immediately return to the basic mode, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is ended. When the confirmation operation by the driver is not performed (S830: NO), in S840, a warning alert is added to the driver by voice or the like, and the request for the confirmation operation is continued.

  In S850, as in S830, it is determined whether the confirmation operation by the driver has been performed. When the confirmation operation by the driver is performed (S850: YES), it is determined that the driver can immediately return to the basic mode, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is ended. When the confirmation operation by the driver is not performed (S850: NO), the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S860 and the forcible stop flag is set in S870 in order to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, and the basic mode preparation confirmation is performed in S870. End the process. As soon as the forcible stop flag is set in S870, the process may proceed to the process of S70 (FIG. 5) to execute the forcible stop process.

  (3) The switching condition from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode may be determined as appropriate. When the condition to shift to basic mode (or shift may be established), whether to shift immediately or to check whether the driver can operate normally or not is also made. You may decide as appropriate.

  Conversely, the switching condition from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode may be determined appropriately. For example, when there is an incoming call or email to a mobile phone or smart phone possessed by the driver, the ringtone is detected and the advanced automation switching flag is automatically set to shift to the advanced automation mode You may do so.

  In addition, the vehicle 1 of the said embodiment is equipped with the LTE communication function, and it is also possible for the automatic driving | operation control part 30 to take on itself the function of a mobile telephone and mail transmission / reception. In that case, when there is an incoming call or mail via the LTE communication network, the advanced automation switching flag may be automatically set to shift to the advanced automation mode.

  (4) A part of the switching conditions from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode exemplified in the above embodiment may be used as the switching conditions from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode. Conversely, part of the switching conditions from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode exemplified in the above embodiment may be used as the switching conditions from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode.

  It is not always uniform about when to switch from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode and when to switch from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode. For example, when traveling on a narrow and curved road, depending on the accuracy and performance of automatic driving, it may be possible for the driver to drive smoothly and safely by driving by himself. On the other hand, for a driver who is not used to driving, it may be possible to drive smoothly by leaving it to automatic driving rather than driving by himself. Therefore, the switching conditions may be set in consideration of the driver's skill, the driver's preference for the operation mode (for example, which one of the advanced automation mode and the basic mode is desired to be prioritized), and various other circumstances.

  (5) In the above embodiment, after switching to the basic mode, the state to operate in the basic mode (the basic mode maintenance flag is set even if the state should shift to the advanced automation mode (may transition)) The basic mode is configured to continue as long as (1). On the other hand, when traveling in advanced automation mode has priority and transition to advanced automation mode has been made (or may be transferred), the state to operate in basic mode (basic mode maintenance flag is set) It is also possible to forcibly switch to the advanced automation mode even if the status is being continued.

  Also, after switching to the advanced automation mode with priority given to the advanced automation mode, while the state to operate in the advanced automation mode continues, the state should shift to the basic mode (may be transferred) Also, the advanced automation mode may be continued.

  (6) In the above embodiment, in order to set the vehicle 1 to the advanced automation mode and execute the automatic driving, it was necessary to press the automatic driving start switch 42, but pressing the automatic driving start switch 42 is not essential . The automatic driving start switch 42 may be omitted, and the automatic automation mode may be automatically switched to the advanced automation mode when the conditions to be switched (or switched) to the advanced automation mode are satisfied.

  (7) When switching from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode and switching to the basic mode, the automatic operation level is forcibly set to level 0 regardless of the automatic operation level set as the basic mode You may In that case, the level 0 may be maintained until a predetermined operation is performed by the driver, and switching to the automatic driving level set as the basic mode may be performed when the predetermined operation is performed by the driver.

  Also, when switching from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode and switching to the advanced automation mode, if the transition factor is a specific transition factor set in advance, the automatic operation level set as the advanced automation mode Regardless of the above, the automatic driving level may be forcedly set to level 7 to execute the fully automatic driving.

  (8) The number of occupants of the vehicle can be detected as needed based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25. Therefore, while traveling in the advanced automation mode, the number of occupants may be monitored, and predetermined processing may be performed when the occupants are changed. As predetermined processing, for example, it may be notified that the number of occupants has changed to the other occupants by voice output, image display, or the like. Also, for example, as a predetermined process, the operation mode may be switched to the basic mode. Also, for example, the vehicle 1 may be forcibly stopped as predetermined processing. Also, for example, the occupant of the vehicle is asked whether it is possible to continue traveling in the advanced automation mode, and if there is a response indicating that the traveling may be continued, the advanced automation mode should be continued and not continued. When there is a response, the basic mode may be switched to or forced to stop.

  The specific method for asking the occupants of the vehicle may decide as appropriate whether to continue traveling in the advanced automation mode. For example, you may ask by voice. Further, for example, a message may be displayed on the display 37 or the HUD 38 or the like to make an inquiry. Also, the method of responding to the question may be determined as appropriate. For example, the voice of the occupant input via the microphone 39 may be recognized, and the response content of the occupant may be determined based on the recognition result. Alternatively, for example, by displaying a button on the touch panel and pressing the button, it may be determined whether or not to continue.

  (9) The content of the driving operation of the driver may be learned, and the learning result may be reflected in the automatic control function. Specifically, after start-up, the automatic operation control unit 30 repeatedly executes the control parameter setting process shown in FIG. 14 in a predetermined cycle, so that various control parameters used in the automatic control function correspond to the operation operation of the driver. It may be updated appropriately.

  The control parameter setting process of FIG. 14 will be described. Upon starting the control parameter setting process of FIG. 14, the calculating unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 determines in S1310 whether or not the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode. If the advanced automation mode is not set, that is, if the basic mode is set (S1310: NO), learning processing is performed in S1320.

  The learning process of S1320 is a process of detecting the habit and preference of the driver from the content of the driver's own driving operation, and storing information (hereinafter referred to as "driving preference information") indicating the detected habit and preference in the memory 30b. is there.

  For example, the accelerator operation of the driver when starting the stopped vehicle 1 is detected, and it is judged whether the accelerator pedal 27a tends to be depressed slowly or relatively quickly, and the judgment result is It may be stored as one of preference information. Whether or not the accelerator is depressed slowly may be determined based on, for example, whether or not the rate of change in the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

  Also, for example, when the driver operates the blinker in front of the corner, the distance from the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of the operation to the corner is detected and the distance is stored as one of the driving preference information. Good.

  The type of driving preference information to be detected and stored in the learning process may be one or plural. Also, the specific content may be determined as appropriate. The examples of the two driving preference information described above are merely examples.

  If the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode in S1310 (S1310: YES), the process proceeds to S1330. In S1330, it is determined whether the driving preference information is reflected in the control parameter. More specifically, it is determined whether the processing of S1340 to S1350 has already been executed after the operation mode has been switched from the basic mode to the current advanced automation mode.

  If the driving preference information is already reflected in the control parameter, that is, if the processing of S1340 to S1350 has already been executed after switching to the advanced automation mode (S1330: YES), the control parameter setting processing is ended.

  If the driving preference information is not reflected in the control parameter, that is, if the processing of S1340 to S1350 has not been executed after switching to the advanced automation mode (S1330: NO), the process proceeds to S1340.

  In S1340, the driving preference information stored in the memory 30b is read by the learning process of S1320. In S1350, based on the driving preference information read in S1340, the control parameter of the automatic control function set as the execution target in the advanced automation mode is calculated. Then, the control parameter currently used is updated to the calculated control parameter.

  For example, when information regarding the operating speed of the accelerator pedal 27a is stored as driving preference information, and when there is a tendency to step on the accelerator pedal 27a slowly, at the time of start which is one of control parameters in automatic start / stop control As acceleration, a value lower than the default value is calculated and updated to the calculated value. Conversely, when the accelerator pedal 27a tends to be pressed quickly, a value higher than the default value is calculated as the acceleration at the start, and the calculated value is updated.

  Further, for example, when the distance from the position at which the blinker is operated to the turn is stored as the driving preference information, the distance from the position at which the blinker is operated to the turn, which is one of control parameters in turn control. A distance equal to or less than the stored distance is calculated, and updated to the calculated value.

  The driver may be able to select whether or not to execute the control parameter setting process of FIG. When the control parameter setting process is selected not to be performed, for example, a preset default value may be used as the control parameter. Further, the driver may be allowed to erase the driving preference information that has already been stored. Further, when the advanced automation mode is switched to the basic mode, each control parameter may be reset to a default value.

  (10) While the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode, the driver's expression, gesture, statement contents, etc. are detected, and based on the detection results, the driver for the automatic control function currently being executed automatically The degree of satisfaction may be determined. For example, image recognition processing may be performed on the face image of the driver captured by the camera, and if the driver has a bad expression, it may be determined that the user is dissatisfied with the current content of the automatic control function . On the contrary, when the driver has an expression that seems expressionless or moody, it may be determined that he is not dissatisfied with the content of the current automatic control function.

  Also, if the driver's statement content is recognized by voice recognition processing and a statement showing dissatisfaction with the current content of the automatic control function is determined, it is determined that the user is dissatisfied with the current content of the automatic control function. You may Conversely, if the user is not making a statement indicating dissatisfaction with the content of the current automatic control function, it may be determined that the user is not dissatisfied with the content of the current automatic control function.

If it is determined that the user is dissatisfied with the current contents of the automatic control function, the operation mode may be switched to the basic mode.
(11) In addition, the function possessed by one component in the above embodiment may be distributed as a plurality of components, or the function possessed by 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. Further, part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted as long as the problem can be solved. In addition, at least a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of the other above-described embodiment. In addition, all the aspects contained in the technical thought specified from the wording as described in a claim are an embodiment of this indication.

[Technical thought understood from the embodiment]
At least the following technical ideas can be understood from the various embodiments described above in detail.
Specifically, the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure configured as in the following (A) may be further configured as in the following (B) to (E).
(A) An automatic operation control device mounted on a vehicle,
An ambient information acquisition unit configured to acquire ambient information that is information about the vehicle;
An advanced automation mode in which part or all of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for traveling the vehicle is automatically performed based on the surrounding information, and the driving operation of the vehicle is performed automatically An operation mode setting unit configured to set one of a basic mode whose type is less than or higher than the advanced automation mode;
An automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation set to be automatically performed in the operation mode based on the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit;
Equipped with
The operation mode setting unit is configured to switch the operation mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode. ,
Automatic operation control device.
(B) In the above (A),
In order to notify the driver of the vehicle that the driving mode is switched to the basic mode when the basic mode switching condition set in advance is satisfied when the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode. An automatic driving control apparatus comprising: a switching notification unit configured to perform a specific notification of

According to the automatic driving control device configured as described above, the driver of the vehicle can recognize that when the driving mode is switched from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode. Therefore, the driver can operate the vehicle appropriately and travel even after switching to the basic mode.
(C) In the above (A) or (B),
If the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode, if the preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied, it is determined that the driver of the vehicle determines whether or not the prescribed operation is performed. Equipped with an operation judgment unit,
When the basic mode switching condition set in advance is satisfied when the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode, the driving mode setting unit causes the driver to perform the specified operation by the specified operation judging unit. Operating mode is switched to the basic mode when it is determined that
Automatic operation control device.

According to the automatic operation control device configured in this manner, the driver can switch to the basic mode after confirming whether the driver can actually cope with the operation in the basic mode, so even after switching to the basic mode The driver can properly drive the vehicle.
(D) In any one of the above (A) to (C),
A confirmation operation request unit configured to repeatedly perform a request for a specific confirmation operation to the driver of the vehicle at a specific timing while the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode;
A confirmation operation determination unit configured to determine whether the confirmation operation has been performed by the driver each time the confirmation operation request unit requests the confirmation operation;
A stop unit configured to stop the vehicle when the check operation determination unit does not determine that the check operation has been performed;
Automatic operation control device provided with.
(E) In any one of the above (A) to (D),
An automatic driving control apparatus, comprising: an outside-of-vehicle notification unit configured to notify the outside of the vehicle when the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode.

  1, 61 to 66: vehicle, 2: first front camera, 3: indoor camera, 4: first rear camera, 5: second front camera, 6: second rear camera, 7: left side camera, 8: right side 11: forward radar system, 12: rear radar system, 13: left side radar system, 14: right side radar system, 16: automatic operation lamp, 20: steering wheel, 21: biological sensor, 22: solar radiation sensor, 23: Rainfall sensor, 24: Vehicle speed sensor, 25: Seated sensor, 26: Belt sensor, 27: Traveling drive control unit, 28: Brake control unit, 29: Steering control unit, 30: Automatic operation control unit, 30a ... arithmetic unit, 30b ... memory, 31 ... GPS communication unit, 32 ... inter-vehicle communication unit, 33 ... road-to-vehicle communication unit, 34 ... walk-to-vehicle communication unit, 35 ... LTE communication unit, 36 ... TV · radio reception unit, 37 ... Di Play, 38: HUD, 39: microphone, 40: speaker, 41: blinker operating unit, 42: automatic operation start switch, 43: automatic operation stop switch, 44: emergency stop switch, 45: level setting operation unit, 71, 72 ... traffic light, 73 ... stop sign, 76, 77 ... pedestrian, 81 ... street communication device 82 ... camera, 90 ... road, 91, 92 ... signboard, 95 ... accident site.

Claims (3)

An automatic operation control device mounted on a vehicle,
An ambient information acquisition unit configured to acquire ambient information that is information about the vehicle;
An advanced automation mode in which part or all of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for traveling the vehicle is automatically performed based on the surrounding information, and the driving operation of the vehicle is performed automatically An operation mode setting unit configured to set one of a basic mode whose type is less than or higher than the advanced automation mode;
An automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation set to be automatically performed in the operation mode based on the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit;
Equipped with
The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether a passenger of the vehicle is wearing a seat belt.
When the driving mode setting unit determines that the occupant is not wearing the seat belt when the driving mode is set to the advanced automation mode, the driving mode setting unit determines that the driving mode is the basic operation mode. Configured to switch to the mode,
Automatic operation control device. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1, wherein
The operation mode setting unit is configured to determine whether an occupant of a specific seat wears the seat belt.
Automatic operation control device. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The operation mode setting unit detects a detection signal from a seating sensor for detecting whether or not the occupant is seated in the seat of the vehicle, and whether the occupant seated in the seat is wearing the seat belt It is configured to determine whether the occupant wears the seat belt based on a detection signal from a belt sensor for detecting whether the occupant is wearing the seat belt.
Automatic operation control device.

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