JP2021014239A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device achieving compliance of an indicator speed while performing an automatic operation high in automation level as much as possible.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device is characterized in that the device has: an environment recognition part capable of recognizing a limiting speed regarding a present track; a travel control part controlling a travel based on the limiting speed recognized by the environment recognition part; and a state change part changing a control state by the above travel control part when the change condition of a prescribed control state is established, and the prescribed control state is changed on the basis of a comparison result of a recognition reliability of the limiting speed by the environment recognition part and a prescribed reliability threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a vehicle control device for automatically driving a vehicle.

In autonomous driving of vehicles such as four-wheeled vehicles, sensors monitor a specific direction or all directions of the vehicle, and the driver's condition and the running condition of the vehicle are monitored, and an appropriate route is used according to the monitoring results. And control the automatic driving of the vehicle at an appropriate speed. In such automatic driving, a vehicle control device (also referred to as an automatic driving system) that controls automatic driving needs to recognize, for example, a road sign and drive according to the road sign.

If it is a fixed road sign, by incorporating the limit indicated by the sign, for example, the upper limit speed (or the sign speed), etc. into the detailed map information, the sign on the running road can be recognized from the map information. You can also. However, there are electric sign-type signs that realize variable display depending on the weather and road conditions, such as speed regulation of highways. It is difficult to reflect such a variable sign in map information in real time, and for example, a technique for recognizing a sign speed from an image taken by an in-vehicle camera has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Then, in Patent Document 1, the degree of acceleration / deceleration is limited according to the reliability of the recognized labeling speed.

Japanese Patent No. 6459926

The marking speed is a speed to be observed, and especially in a controlled state (that is, automatic driving level) that does not require peripheral monitoring of the driver, automatic driving according to an unreliable marking speed may exceed the speed limit. It could be. On the other hand, as long as automatic driving is selected, automatic driving in a controlled state with a high level of automation is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above embodiment, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that realizes compliance with a marking speed while performing automatic driving with a high level of automation as much as possible.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, an environment recognition means capable of recognizing a speed limit related to the current roadway,
A travel control means that performs travel control based on the speed limit recognized by the environment recognition means, and
It has a state changing means for changing the control state by the traveling control means when a predetermined control state changing condition is satisfied.
Provided is a vehicle control device characterized in that the condition for changing the predetermined control state is based on the result of comparison between the recognition reliability of the speed limit by the environment recognition means and the predetermined reliability threshold value. To.

According to the present invention
be able to.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle system of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the vehicle control system (control unit). FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure for setting the speed limit. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a procedure for changing the control state of automatic driving according to the recognition reliability of the speed limit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a procedure for estimating the speed limit and setting the recognition reliability.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same or similar configuration will be given the same reference number, and duplicate description will be omitted.

[First Embodiment]
● Outline of autonomous driving First, an outline of an example of autonomous driving will be explained. In autonomous driving, the driver generally sets a destination from a navigation system mounted on the vehicle and determines a route to the destination by a server or a navigation system before driving. When the vehicle is started, the vehicle control device (or operation control device) composed of the ECU or the like of the vehicle drives the vehicle to the destination along the route. During that time, appropriate actions are determined in a timely manner according to the external environment such as routes and road conditions, and the state of the driver (or sometimes called the driver), and for those actions, for example, drive control and steering control. , Braking control, etc. to drive the vehicle. These controls are sometimes collectively called running control.

Autonomous driving has several control states (also called levels of autonomous driving control states or simply states) depending on the automation rate (or the amount of tasks required of the driver). In general, the higher the level of automated driving control state, and therefore the higher the level of automation, the less tasks (ie, loads) the driver is required to do. For example, in the highest control state (second control state, also referred to as level 3) in this example, the driver may pay attention to something other than driving. This is performed in a less complicated environment, for example, when following a vehicle in front due to a traffic jam on a highway, but in the present embodiment, it is also applied to cruising on a highway with few obstacles. Further, in the lower first control state (also referred to as level 2), the driver does not have to hold the steering wheel, but it is necessary to pay attention to the surrounding conditions and the like. This first control state may also be applied to the case of cruising on a highway or the like. It should be noted that the driver's attention to the surroundings can be detected by the driver state detection camera 41a (see FIG. 1), and the holding of the steering wheel can be detected by the capacitance type steering wheel grip sensor (not shown). The driver state detection camera 41a may, for example, recognize the driver's eyes and determine the viewing direction, but simply recognize the face and the direction in which the face is facing is the direction in which the driver is viewing. May be presumed.

Further, in the lower control state (sometimes called level 1 or the like), the driver does not have to operate the steering wheel or the throttle, but the driving control is handed over from the vehicle to the driver (also called takeover or driving change). It is necessary to hold the steering wheel in preparation for) and pay attention to the driving environment. Further, the lower control state (sometimes called level 0 or the like) is manual operation, but includes automated driving support. In this embodiment, the second control state and the first control state will be described.

When the automatic driving control state (or automation level) is switched, the vehicle notifies the driver by voice, display, vibration, or the like. For example, when the automatic driving is switched from the first control state to the second control state described above, the driver is notified that it is not necessary to monitor the surroundings. In the opposite case, the driver is notified to monitor the surrounding area. This notification is repeatedly issued, for example, until the driver state detection camera 41a detects that the driver has started external monitoring. Then, for example, if the steering wheel is not gripped within the time limit or by the limit point of switching the automatic driving control state, an operation such as stopping the vehicle at a safe place may be performed. The same applies to switching from the first control state to the second control state, but since the driver's peripheral monitoring obligation is released in the second control state, a message to that effect is notified to the driver.

● Configuration of Vehicle Control Device FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and controls vehicle 1. In FIG. 1, the outline of the vehicle 1 is shown in a plan view and a side view. Vehicle 1 is, for example, a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger car.

The control device of FIG. 1 includes a control unit 2. The control unit 2 includes a plurality of ECUs 20 to 29 that are communicably connected by an in-vehicle network. Each ECU includes a processor typified by a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like.

Hereinafter, the functions and the like that each ECU 20 to 29 is in charge of will be described. The number of ECUs and the functions in charge can be appropriately designed for the vehicle 1, and can be subdivided or integrated from the present embodiment.

The ECU 20 executes control related to the automatic driving of the vehicle 1. In automatic driving, at least one of steering of the vehicle 1 and acceleration / deceleration is automatically controlled. In the control example described later, both steering and acceleration / deceleration are automatically controlled.

The ECU 21 is a steering ECU that controls the steering device 3. The steering device 3 includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in response to a driver's driving operation (steering operation) with respect to the steering wheel (also referred to as a steering wheel) 31. Further, the steering device 3 is an electric power steering device, and includes a motor that assists the steering operation or exerts a driving force for automatically steering the front wheels, a sensor that detects the steering angle, and the like. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is automatic driving, the ECU 21 automatically controls the steering device 3 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

The ECUs 22 and 23 control the detection units 41 to 43 for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle and process the detection results. The surrounding situation is also called the surrounding state or the external environment, and the information obtained by detecting them is called the surrounding situation information, the surrounding state information, or the external environment information. Further, the detection unit for these ambient states and the ECU that controls the detection unit are collectively referred to as a peripheral monitoring device or a peripheral monitoring unit. The detection unit 41 is a camera that photographs the front of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 41), and in the case of the present embodiment, two detection units 41 are provided in the interior of the vehicle 1. By analyzing the image taken by the camera 41, it is possible to extract the outline of the target and the lane marking line (white line or the like) on the road. The detection unit 41a is a camera for detecting the state of the driver (hereinafter, may be referred to as a driver state detection camera 41a), is installed so as to capture the facial expression of the driver, and is not shown. Is connected to an ECU that processes the image data. Further, as a sensor for detecting the driver state, there is a steering wheel grip sensor (not shown). This makes it possible to detect whether or not the driver is holding the steering wheel. The driver state detection camera 41a and the steering wheel grip sensor 210I are also referred to as a driver state detection unit.

The detection unit 42 is a lidar (LiDAR: Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) (hereinafter, may be referred to as a lidar 42), and can detect a target around the vehicle 1 or a target. Measure the distance to. In the case of the present embodiment, five riders 42 are provided, one at each corner of the front portion of the vehicle 1, one at the center of the rear portion, and one at each side of the rear portion. The detection unit 43 is a millimeter-wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as a radar 43), detects a target around the vehicle 1, and measures a distance from the target. In the case of the present embodiment, five radars 43 are provided, one in the center of the front portion of the vehicle 1, one in each corner of the front portion, and one in each corner of the rear portion.

The ECU 22 controls one of the cameras 41 and each rider 42, and processes information on the detection result. The ECU 23 controls the other camera 41 and each radar 43, and processes information on the detection result. By equipping two sets of devices that detect the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, the reliability of the detection results can be improved, and by equipping different types of detection units such as cameras, riders, and radars, the surrounding environment of the vehicle (surroundings) It is also called a state.) It is possible to perform multifaceted analysis.

The ECU 24 controls the gyro sensor 5, the GPS sensor 24b, and the communication device 24c, and processes the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 5 detects the rotational movement of the vehicle 1. The course of the vehicle 1 can be determined based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 5, the wheel speed, and the like. The GPS sensor 24b detects the current position of the vehicle 1. The communication device 24c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires such information. The ECU 24 can access the map information database 24a built in the storage device, and the ECU 24 searches for a route from the current location to the destination.

The ECU 25 includes a communication device 25a for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication device 25a wirelessly communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity and exchanges information between the vehicles.

The ECU 26 controls the power plant (that is, the traveling driving force output device) 6. The power plant 6 is a mechanism that outputs a driving force for rotating the driving wheels of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, an engine and a transmission. The ECU 26 controls the engine output in response to the driver's driving operation (accelerator operation or acceleration operation) detected by the operation detection sensor (that is, the accelerator opening sensor) 7a provided on the accelerator pedal 7A, or the vehicle speed. The shift stage of the transmission is switched based on the information such as the vehicle speed detected by the sensor 7c. When the operating state of the vehicle 1 is automatic operation, the ECU 26 automatically controls the power plant 6 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1. The acceleration in each direction detected by the gyro sensor 5, the angular acceleration around the angular axis, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 7c, etc. are information indicating the traveling state of the vehicle, and these sensors are collectively monitored for the traveling state. Also called a department. Further, the operation detection sensor 7a of the accelerator pedal 7A and the operation detection sensor (that is, the brake pedal force sensor) 7b of the brake pedal 7B described later may be included in the running state monitoring unit, but in this example, these are the operation states for other devices. It will be called an operation state detection unit together with a non-illustrated knowledge unit that detects.

The ECU 27 controls a light device (head light, tail light, etc.) including the direction indicator 8. In the case of the example of FIG. 1, the direction indicator 8 is provided at the front portion, the door mirror, and the rear portion of the vehicle 1.

The ECU 28 controls the input / output device 9. The input / output device 9 outputs information to the driver and accepts input of information from the driver. The voice output device 91 notifies the driver of information by voice. The display device 92 notifies the driver of information by displaying an image. The display device 92 is arranged on the surface of the driver's seat, for example, and constitutes an instrument panel or the like. In addition, although voice and display are illustrated here, information may be notified by vibration or light. In addition, information may be transmitted by combining a plurality of voices, displays, vibrations, and lights. Further, the combination may be different or the notification mode may be different depending on the control state (for example, urgency) of the information to be notified. The input device 93 is a group of switches that are arranged at a position that can be operated by the driver and give instructions to the vehicle 1, but a voice input device may also be included. The input device 93 is also provided with a cancel switch for manually lowering the level of the automatic operation control state. It is also equipped with an automatic operation changeover switch for switching from manual operation to automatic operation. A driver who wants to lower the level of the automatic driving control state can lower the level by operating the cancel switch.

The ECU 29 controls the braking device 10 and the parking brake (not shown). The brake device 10 is, for example, a disc brake device, which is provided on each wheel of the vehicle 1 and decelerates or stops the vehicle 1 by applying resistance to the rotation of the wheels. The ECU 29 controls the operation of the brake device 10 in response to the driver's driving operation (brake operation) detected by the operation detection sensor 7b provided on the brake pedal 7B, for example. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is automatic driving, the ECU 29 automatically controls the brake device 10 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control deceleration and stop of the vehicle 1. The braking device 10 and the parking brake can also be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1. Further, when the transmission of the power plant 6 is provided with a parking lock mechanism, this can be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1.

-Vehicle control system Fig. 2 shows the functional configuration of the control unit 2 in this embodiment. The control unit 2 is also called a vehicle control system, and realizes each functional block shown in FIG. 2 by executing a program by each ECU including the ECU 20. In FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a detection device DD including a camera 41, a rider 42, a radar 43, a navigation device 50, communication devices 24b, 24c, 25a, a gyro sensor 5, a handle grip sensor, and a driver state detection. A switch including a vehicle sensor 60 including a camera 41a, an accelerator pedal 7A, an accelerator opening sensor 7a, a brake pedal 7B, a brake depression sensor 7b, a display device 92, a speaker 91, and an automatic operation changeover switch. The 93, the vehicle control system 2, the traveling driving force output device 6, the steering device 3, and the braking device 220 are mounted. These devices and devices are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like.

The navigation device 50 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, map information (navigation map), a touch panel display device that functions as a user interface, a speaker, a microphone, and the like. The navigation device 50 identifies the position of the own vehicle 1 by the GNSS receiver and derives a route from the position to the destination specified by the user. The route derived by the navigation device 50 is provided to the target lane determination unit 110 of the vehicle control system 2. The configuration for specifying the position of the own vehicle 1 may be provided independently of the navigation device 50.

The communication devices 24b, 24c, 25a perform wireless communication using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like. Through these communication devices, the vehicle control system can acquire, for example, information on the currently traveling road, such as information on a speed limit (including an upper limit speed and acceleration / deceleration rage).

The vehicle sensor 60 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis, an orientation sensor that detects the direction of the own vehicle 1, and the like. All or part of these are realized by the gyro sensor 5. Further, a steering wheel grip sensor (not shown) and a driver state detection camera 41a may be included in the vehicle sensor 60.

The accelerator pedal 7A is an operator for receiving an acceleration instruction (or a deceleration instruction by a return operation) by the driver. The accelerator opening sensor 7a detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 7A and outputs an accelerator opening signal indicating the amount of depression to the vehicle control system 2. Instead of outputting to the vehicle control system 2, it may be output directly to the traveling driving force output device 6, the steering device 3, or the brake device 220. The same applies to the configurations of other operation operation systems described below.

The brake pedal 7B is an operator for receiving a deceleration instruction by the driver. The brake step sensor 7b detects the stepping amount (or stepping force) of the brake pedal 7B, and outputs a brake signal indicating the detection result to the vehicle control system 2.

The display device 92 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device that is attached to each part of the instrument panel, an arbitrary position facing the passenger seat or the rear seat, and the like. Further, the display device 92 may be a HUD (Head Up Display) that projects an image on a front windshield or other windows. The speaker 91 outputs sound.

The traveling driving force output device 6 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for traveling the vehicle to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 6 includes, for example, an engine, a transmission, and an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the engine. The traveling driving force output device 6 may be an electric motor or a hybrid engine in which an internal combustion engine and an electric motor are combined.

The brake device 220 is, for example, an electric servobrake device including a brake caliper, a cylinder for transmitting hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor for generating flood pressure in the cylinder, and a braking control unit. The braking control unit of the electric servo brake device controls the electric motor according to the information input from the traveling control unit 160 so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. Further, the braking device 220 may include a regenerative brake by a traveling motor that can be included in the traveling driving force output device 6.

Further, the vehicle control system 2 includes, for example, a target lane determination unit 110, an automatic driving control unit 120, a travel control unit 160, an HMI (human machine interface) control unit 170, and a storage unit 180. The automatic driving control unit 120 includes, for example, an automatic driving state control unit 130, a vehicle position recognition unit 140, an outside world recognition unit 142, an action plan generation unit 144, a track generation unit 146, and a switching control unit 150. Be prepared. A part or all of the target lane determination unit 110, each unit of the automatic driving control unit 120, the travel control unit 160, and the HMI control unit 170 are realized by the processor executing a program (software). Further, a part or all of these may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

The storage unit 180 stores, for example, information such as high-precision map information 182 including information on the center of the lane or information on the boundary of the lane, target lane information 184, and action plan information 186. The target lane determination unit 110 divides the route provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides the route every 100 [m] with respect to the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the high-precision map information 182 for each block. Determine the target lane. The target lane determination unit 110 determines, for example, which lane from the left to drive. The target lane determination unit 110 determines the target lane so that the own vehicle 1 can travel on a reasonable travel route to proceed to the branch destination, for example, when there is a branch point or a merging point on the route. .. The target lane determined by the target lane determination unit 110 is stored in the storage unit 180 as the target lane information 184. The high-precision map information 182 may be a map around the moving position, and the map information of the new position may be acquired by the communication device 24c or the like as the vehicle moves.

The automatic operation state control unit 130 determines a control state (also referred to as an automatic operation state) of the automatic operation executed by the automatic operation control unit 120. The automatic operation control state in the present embodiment includes the first and second control states as described first. The following is just an example, and the number of control states for automatic operation may be arbitrarily determined.

● Transition of automatic operation control state In this embodiment, the automatic operation control state has level 0, level 1, level 2 (first control state), and level 3 (second control state), and the automation rate increases in this order. .. The automatic driving control state transitions to the first control state, for example, if an instruction for automatic driving is received before driving and the external environment at that time is a predetermined environment (for example, while driving on a highway). Alternatively, if it is detected that the external environment is the predetermined environment described above during automatic operation in the second control state, the state automatically transitions to the first control state. There may be a state transition between the first control state and the lower control state, but the description thereof will be omitted here. In the first control state, in addition to maintaining the lane, a function of changing the speed according to a target such as a surrounding vehicle is also provided. The speed of the vehicle may be limited to the speed set by the driver or less than or equal to the speed limit. When the condition for maintaining the first control state is lost, the control unit 2 changes the automatic operation control state to a lower control state. In the first control state, the driver does not have to hold the steering wheel (this is called hands-off), but the driver is obliged to monitor the surroundings. Therefore, in the first control state, the driver state detection camera 41a monitors whether the driver is monitoring the outside, and if this is not done, a warning is output, for example.

The second control state is an automatic operation control state immediately above the first control state. The transition to the second control state can be made from the first control state, and the first control state is skipped and the transition from the control state below it is not performed. Further, the transition to the second control state is not performed by the instruction of the driver as a trigger, and the transition is performed when it is determined that a certain condition is satisfied by the automatic control by the control unit 2. For example, during automatic driving on an expressway in the first control state, if there is no lane change due to a general road or a junction, the first control state can be switched to the second control state. The determination in this case is made based on the map information, the current position, and the like. In the second control state, the driver does not need to grip the steering wheel or monitor the surroundings. However, there can always be situations where the driver has to take over the driving. Therefore, in order to determine whether the driver can take over the driving normally, for example, the presence of the driver's line of sight within a defined range (for example, the display part of the navigation or meter) is constantly monitored and detected during automatic driving. ing. The monitoring of the driver's condition may be performed during manual operation. The transition between the first control state and the second control state can occur not only by the above-mentioned situation but also by a procedure as shown in FIG. 4, for example, which is characteristic of the present embodiment.

The automatic driving state control unit 130 controls automatic driving based on the driver's operation for each of the configurations of the driving operation system, the event determined by the action plan generation unit 144, the traveling mode determined by the track generation unit 146, and the like. The state is determined and the state is changed to the control state according to the external environment. The automatic operation control state is notified to the HMI control unit 170.

The own vehicle position recognition unit 140 of the automatic driving control unit 120 has high-precision map information 182 stored in the storage unit 180 and information input from the rider 42, the radar 43, the camera 41, the navigation device 50, or the vehicle sensor 60. Based on the above, the lane in which the own vehicle 1 is traveling (traveling lane) and the relative position (or the current traveling line) of the own vehicle 1 with respect to the traveling lane are recognized.

The own vehicle position recognition unit 140 is, for example, a pattern of a road marking line recognized from the high-precision map information 182 (for example, an arrangement of a solid line and a broken line) and a periphery of the own vehicle 1 recognized from an image captured by the camera 41. By comparing with the pattern of the road lane marking, the driving lane is recognized. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle 1 acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the inertial guidance system, if any, may be added. The travel control unit 160 controls the travel driving force output device 6, the steering device 3, and the brake device 220 so that the own vehicle 1 passes through the track generated by the track generation unit 146 on time. The HMI control unit 170 causes the display device 92 to display images and images, and the speaker 91 to output audio. For example, the travel control unit 160 determines a steering steering angle (system steering angle) for automatic driving according to the action plan information 186, inputs it to the steering device 3, and performs steering control. It should be noted that the fact that the traveling lane is curved can be recognized by, for example, the high-precision map information 182 or the external world recognition unit 142 described later.

The outside world recognition unit 142 recognizes the position of a target such as a peripheral vehicle and the state such as speed and acceleration based on the information input from the camera 41, the rider 42, the radar 43, and the like. Further, the outside world recognition unit 142 may recognize the positions of guardrails, utility poles, parked vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects in addition to peripheral vehicles. Further, in the present embodiment, the traffic sign on the side of the road included in the captured image is recognized. The recognized road sign is referred to for autonomous driving control. In this example, in particular, the speed sign of the electric bulletin board method is recognized, and the speed limit displayed there is specified. The action plan generation unit 144 creates a heartbeat plan so as not to exceed the speed limit, and the travel control unit 160 controls the travel accordingly.

The action plan generation unit 144 sets the start point of the automatic driving and / or the destination of the automatic driving. The starting point of the automatic driving may be the current position of the own vehicle 1 or a point where an operation for instructing the automatic driving is performed. The action plan generation unit 144 generates an action plan in the section between the starting point and the destination of the automatic driving. Not limited to this, the action plan generation unit 144 may generate an action plan for any section.

An action plan consists of, for example, a plurality of events that are executed sequentially. The events include, for example, a deceleration event for decelerating the own vehicle 1, an acceleration event for accelerating the own vehicle 1, a lane keeping event for driving the own vehicle 1 so as not to deviate from the driving lane, and a lane change event for changing the driving lane. , An overtaking event that causes the own vehicle 1 to overtake the preceding vehicle, a branch event that causes the own vehicle 1 to change to the desired lane at the branch point, or to drive the own vehicle 1 so as not to deviate from the current driving lane, to join the main lane. This includes a merging event in which the own vehicle 1 is accelerated / decelerated in the merging lane to change the traveling lane, a handover event in which the automatic driving control state is changed to the manual driving control state at the scheduled end point of the automatic driving, and the like. The action plan generation unit 144 sets a lane change event, a branch event, or a merging event at a place where the target lane determined by the target lane determination unit 110 is switched. The information indicating the action plan generated by the action plan generation unit 144 is stored in the storage unit 180 as the action plan information 186.

● Setting the target running position The track generating unit 146 determines the position of the target point in the lane, that is, the target running position (or the target position), and eventually the track (target track or target line) connecting the continuous target running positions. Alternatively, it is also called a target driving line), and the target traveling position is set by storing it as a part of the action plan information 186. The switching control unit 150 switches between the automatic operation control state and the manual operation control state based on the signal input from the automatic operation changeover switch 93.

● Speed limit setting The automatic driving of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the configuration described above. The procedure for setting the speed limit in automatic driving will be described. The speed limit includes the lower limit and the upper limit, but in this example, the upper limit speed is targeted. Further, it is assumed that the vehicle is traveling on a highway, for example. When the vehicle is automatically driven, it is controlled to travel at a speed that does not exceed the set speed limit. FIG. 3 shows the procedure for setting the speed limit. This process is executed by, for example, the ECU 20, but functionally, it is executed by the automatic operation state control unit 130. The procedure of FIG. 3 is executed, for example, when the speed sign is recognized by the outside world recognition unit 142, or at predetermined intervals after the last execution. This interval may meet, for example, the interval at which the sign is installed at a time interval converted into time based on the traveling speed.

In FIG. 3, the speed information (sign information) of the sign recognized from the image is acquired (S301). In general, it is possible to acquire sign information other than speed, but here we pay particular attention to the speed limit. Next, the sign information is acquired from the high-precision map information 182 based on the current position recognized by GPS or the like (S303). further. The sign information transmitted from an external server or the like is acquired via road-to-vehicle communication using a communication device 24c or the like (S305). However, in S301 to S305, even if acquisition is performed, acquisition may fail. For example, when FIG. 3 is executed at predetermined intervals from the last execution, the sign may not be recognized from the image, and the map information may not include the sign information. In addition, the sign information is not always provided from the outside.

Therefore, it is determined whether all the indicator information (that is, the speed limit) has been successfully acquired by S301 to S305, that is, whether all the indicator information has been acquired from the three information sources in S301 to S305 (S307). When the information can be obtained from all three information sources, it is determined whether the indicator information obtained from all three sources matches (S309). If the indicator information cannot be obtained from at least one of the sources, it is determined in S309 that they do not match.

When it is determined in S309 that all three indicator information match, the highest value is set as the recognition reliability (S311). Next, the matching sign information, that is, the speed is set as the speed limit (S313). In S311 for example, a value 4 is set as the maximum value of reliability.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S309 that there is something that does not match, or if the indicator information cannot be acquired from the three sources, it is determined whether the indicator information acquired from the two sources matches (S315). If it is determined that they match, the value next to the highest value is set as the recognition reliability (S317). Next, the matching sign information, that is, the speed is set as the speed limit (S313). In S317, for example, the value 3 may be set as the recognition reliability next to the maximum recognition reliability value 4.

On the other hand, when it is determined in S315 that they do not match, the speed indicated by the sign information determined according to a predetermined standard is set as the speed limit (S319). At this time, the predetermined criterion may be, for example, a priority assigned in advance for each source. For example, the highest priority sign information is the sign information obtained from the image, and the lowest priority sign information is the sign information obtained from the map information. [YT (Male 1] [O02052] This is because the driving restrictions shown to the driver are indicated by signs, and the signs indicated by the map are considered to be inflexible in real time. [YT (male 3] [O02054] Specifically, in the sign shown by the map, the speed sign is updated or changed when the road shape changes due to road construction, etc., and the response to the variable road sign, etc. Of course, this is only an example. Alternatively, in step S319, the priority may be dynamically determined based on the information freshness. For example, the camera may be used rather than the sign information acquired by communication. If the acquired sign information is newer, the sign information acquired by the camera is prioritized, and if the acquired sign information is newer, that is prioritized. Therefore, for example, the sign information acquired in S301 to S305 is acquired. A time stamp may be attached at a time point, and the information having the latest time stamp may be determined to be the sign information with the highest information freshness and selected, or in S313, the information continuously acquired at that time. If there is, it may be prioritized. Continuously acquired may mean, for example, that the acquired indicator information does not change. Therefore, in this case, a newly acquired indicator for each source. The information is compared with the currently held sign information, and if they match, it is continued, so priority is given. For example, in the past multiple acquisition opportunities, the acquired sign information is saved in chronological order. When the new sign information is acquired, if the same sign information including the latest sign information is continuously acquired a predetermined number of times, it may be determined that the sign is continuous. If there are a plurality of continuing sources, one indicator information may be determined based on the priority as described above.

After step S319, the recognition reliability is set according to the source of the adopted sign information (S321). In this example, the upper limit of the recognition reliability set here is a recognition reliability lower than the recognition reliability set in S317. For example, if 3 is set as the recognition reliability in S317, the upper limit is set to 2, for example. This upper limit value may be set as the reliability, but a criterion corresponding to a criterion for determining the source of the indicator information in S319, for example, a priority may be determined. That is, if the upper limit speed is set based on the sign information obtained from the source with the highest priority, the recognition reliability is set to 2, and if the upper limit speed is set based on the sign information obtained from other sources, the recognition reliability is set to 2. The recognition reliability may be set to 1. If it is based on a time stamp, it may correspond to the freshness of the information. That is, the higher the information freshness, the higher the recognition reliability is set. Further, when the upper limit speed is set based on the continuity, it can be estimated that the recognition reliability is high, so the upper limit value of 2 may be set as the recognition reliability. When all the sign information acquired from a plurality of sources do not match, for example, the average of the speeds indicated by the acquired sign information may be set as the upper limit speed. Alternatively, if the difference between the maximum speed limit and the minimum speed limit among the plurality of speed limits indicated by the acquired sign information exceeds a predetermined value, the sign information is displayed on the display device in step S319. The speed indicated in may be displayed and the driver may be asked to confirm. In that case, for example, the speed selected by the driver may be set as the speed limit.

When it is determined in S307 [YT (male 5] [O02056] that the indicator information could not be acquired from the three sources, it is determined whether the indicator information could be acquired from the two sources (S323). It was determined that the indicator information could be acquired from the two sources. In this case, the process branches to step S315. The procedure described above is followed. On the other hand, if it is determined in S323 that the indicator information could not be acquired from the two sources, it is determined whether the indicator information could be acquired from one source (S325). ). If it is determined that the acquisition has been obtained, the current recognition reliability is lowered by one step (S327). For example, if it is currently 4, 1 is subtracted to be 3. After that, the driver is given an opportunity to set the speed limit (S327). S329). In this case, the driver may be made to confirm the speed indicated in the acquired sign information as the speed limit, or the driver may be made to adjust, for example, based on the speed. The adjustment is, for example, an up button. The speed limit may be adjusted in units of 10 km / h according to the operation by operating the lower button and the lower button. In this way, it is determined whether the speed limit is set by the driver (S331), and if it is set, the processing is performed. If the above is not completed, the current recognition reliability is lowered by two steps (S333). On the other hand, if no S325de indicator information can be acquired, the current recognition reliability is lowered by two steps (S333). ). As described above, the speed limit is set based on the acquired sign information, and the recognition reliability of the sign information is based on the number of sources for which the sign information can be obtained, the basis for determining the sign information, and the like. And set.

Here, the recognition reliability is a value that serves as a reference for switching the control state, as will be described later in FIG. In the present embodiment, the control states include a second control state (for example, level 3) that does not require peripheral monitoring by the driver and a first control state (for example, level 2) that requires at least peripheral monitoring by the driver. Including. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the recognition priority is set to any one of the four stages. Then, if the current recognition reliability is equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold, the automatic operation is performed in the second control state, and if the current recognition reliability is less than the first reliability threshold, the automatic operation is performed in the first control state. .. For example, if the first reliability threshold is set to 3 and the second reliability threshold is set to 4, if the current marker reliability is 4, the level is 3 and if the label reliability is 2, the level is 2. Can be operated automatically. If the current marker reliability is 3, the current control state is maintained. As described above, the first reliability threshold value is a threshold value for performing automatic operation in the first control state even if the current control state is the second control state. The second reliability threshold is a threshold for performing automatic operation in the second control state even if the current control state is the first (or lower) control state. As in the above example, the recognition reliability may have the number of steps in consideration of these two reliability thresholds. Of course, the above example is an example, and other values can be set as the marker reliability and the threshold value. However, the number of steps of recognition reliability can also be interpreted as indicating how long the last acquired indicator information is trusted when the indicator information cannot be acquired. The greater the number of steps between the highest reliability and the reliability threshold and the number of steps between the two reliability thresholds, the longer the period of trusting the last acquired marker information. Therefore, the number of steps and the reliability threshold value may be determined according to how long the period is desired. The initial setting value of the reliability may be, for example, 0 (no reliability). In the present embodiment, as an example, the maximum value of the recognition reliability is set to 4, the first reliability threshold is set to 3, and the second reliability threshold is set to 4. By doing so, the reliability above the second reliability threshold is one level (4 only), and the reliability lower than the second reliability threshold and above the first reliability threshold is also one level (3 only). It becomes.

Set the speed limit based on the sign information obtained by the above procedure. At the same time, the reliability (recognition reliability) of the speed limit currently set is set. [YT (male 7] [O02058]
Next, the procedure for changing the automatic operation control state will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is also executed by the ECU 20 and functionally executed by the automatic operation state control unit 142. Further, the execution may be executed at predetermined time intervals. The procedure of FIG. 4 is a part of the control state change process, and the control state may be changed due to other factors, but this is omitted.

First, it is determined whether the current control state is the second control state (for example, level 3) (S401). The second control state is a control state for performing automatic driving that does not require monitoring by the driver. If it is determined that the second control state is present, it is determined whether the current recognition reliability is lower than the first reliability threshold value (S403). If it is low, it is determined whether the driver (driver) is monitoring the surroundings in order to change the control state to the first control state, for example, from the image of the driver monitoring camera 41a (S405). In the first control state, the automatic driving system mainly controls the driving of the vehicle, but the driver needs to monitor the surroundings, and the driver can change the driving at any time. When it is determined that the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the automatic driving control state is changed to the first control state (for example, level 2) (S407). In FIG. 4, the driver waits until the driver monitors the surroundings. During this time, the driver may be alerted, and after a certain period of time, the driver may make an emergency stop on the shoulder of the road. If it is determined in step S403 that the recognition reliability is equal to or higher than the first reliability threshold, the process ends without changing the control state.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S401 that the current control state is not the second control state, it is determined whether it is the first control state (S409). If it is determined that it is in the first control state, it is determined whether the current recognition reliability is equal to or greater than the second reliability threshold (S411). If it is equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold value, the control state is changed to the second control state (S413). The second control state is a state in which the automatic driving system mainly controls the driving of the vehicle and requires the driver to monitor the surroundings. If it is determined in step S403 that the recognition reliability is less than the first reliability threshold, the process ends without changing the control state. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S409 that the current control state is neither the first control state nor the second control state, the current recognition in the control state (that control level, for example, the third control state). The control state is changed according to the reliability (S415). In this example, nothing is required in step S415. [YT (male 9] [O020510] Automatic operation is controlled according to the control state set in this way.

With the above procedure, the control state is set according to the recognition reliability of the speed limit. What should be noted here is that there is hysteresis in the change in the automatic operation control state. That is, the transition from the first control state to the second control state does not occur unless the recognition reliability is equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold. However, once the state shifts to the second control state, even if the recognition reliability falls below the second reliability threshold, the control state is maintained as long as it does not fall below the first reliability threshold. On the contrary, the transition from the second control state to the first control state does not occur unless the recognition reliability is lower than the first reliability threshold. However, once the state shifts to the first control state, even if the recognition reliability becomes equal to or higher than the first reliability threshold, the control state is maintained as long as the recognition reliability does not exceed the second reliability threshold. It can also be said that the change of the control state according to the procedure of FIG. 4 switches the person in charge of driving between the automatic driving system (second control state) and the driver (first control state). Therefore, paying attention to this point, this can be called a driving change, but in this context, this does not mean a takeover.

According to the configuration and control described above, in the present embodiment, the sign information, for example, the speed limit is recognized and set, and the automatic operation is performed within the range of the speed limit. In the above example, the upper limit speed is shown, but the same applies to the lower limit. Then, the reliability corresponding to the set speed limit is set, and the control state of the automatic operation is changed according to the reliability. As a result, for example, when a speed limit with low reliability is set, the driver is obliged to monitor and the speed can be limited at the driver's discretion. For example, the driving speed can be specified by the driver by performing an operation for lowering or increasing the running speed during automatic driving. On the other hand, by managing the reliability step by step, it is possible to maintain a controlled state in which the driver is not obliged to monitor the surroundings.

[Modification example]
In the above example, although there is a difference in the presence or absence of monitoring by the driver, an example in which automatic driving is maintained is shown. On the other hand, for example, when the recognition reliability becomes 0, the automatic operation control state may be set even lower. In this case, for example, the control state may be set so that the driver holds the steering wheel. In addition, the driver may take over (change of driving). After the driving change, both steering control and speed control are left to the driver, and the automatic driving system will provide limited driving support. By doing so, when the reliability is low, the driver can thoroughly drive the vehicle.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5 shows an example of the second embodiment. The procedure of FIG. 5 is a process executed after step S333, for example, when it is determined in step S325 of FIG. 3 that no sign information could be acquired. In the first embodiment, in these cases the recognition reliability is reduced by two steps and the speed limit is unchanged. On the other hand, in FIG. 5, in such a case, the speed limit is newly estimated or the recognition trust is reset.

First, a vehicle traveling in the same direction is identified from the image taken by the camera 41 (S501). Then, the determination property of the specified vehicle is evaluated (S503). This evaluation may be based on, for example, the vehicle type. It is highly probable that commercial transport vehicles such as heavy-duty trucks are running stably, so if the recognized vehicle includes a large truck, it is judged to be a vehicle with high running stability. You can. In this way, a value indicating stability is determined in advance for each vehicle type, and a value corresponding to each recognized vehicle type is set as a value indicating stability. For example, in Japan, paying attention to the registration number of the vehicle, if the type is 1 and it is for business use (green), it can be determined that the truck is for business use. Further, the speed limit currently set may be compared with the speed of the vehicle, and the smaller the difference, the more stable the vehicle may be determined. Stability is evaluated numerically, for example. Therefore, for example, the difference may be subtracted from the maximum value of a predetermined stability, and that value may be set as the stability.

When the stability is evaluated, it is determined whether there is a vehicle whose value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (S505), and when it is determined that the value is present, the vehicle with the highest stability is specified (S507). Then, the speed of the selected vehicle is set as the speed limit (S509). Alternatively, the speed limit may be set by subtracting a certain value from the speed. Further, in addition to setting the speed limit, or instead, traveling control may be performed to follow the specified vehicle. In this case, the recognition reliability does not have to be changed. Alternatively, a predetermined recognition reliability may be set for the new speed limit.

When it is determined in S505 that there is no corresponding vehicle, the speed regulation according to the state of the own vehicle and the surrounding environment is specified (S511). Then, it is determined whether or not the speed limit due to the speed regulation matches the currently set speed limit (S513). If they match, the current speed limit is considered to be reliable, and the recognition reliability is set to be equal to or higher than the first reliability threshold (S515). As a result, the automatic driving control state is changed to the second control state, and automatic driving without the obligation of monitoring by the driver is performed. On the other hand, if the two speed limits do not match, the process ends as it is.

Here, an example of speed regulation in step S511 will be described. For example, on expressways, speed regulation is usually performed according to weather conditions and the like. The speed regulation is regular and can be estimated based on the situation. For example, the table below.

Fog / smoke visibility less than 200m 80km / h (non-face-to-face)
Fog / smoke visibility less than 150m 50km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face)
Fog / smoke visibility less than 70m Closed Partial freezing 80km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face)
Freezing in long sections 50km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face)
Snow cover 80km / h due to snowfall (non-face-to-face)
Visibility 100-200m 50km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face) due to snowstorm, etc.
Visibility less than 100 due to snowstorm, etc. Instant wind speed 10-15m 80km / h (non-face-to-face)
Instantaneous wind speed 15-20m 50km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face)
Instantaneous wind speed of 20 m or more Closed to traffic Around 20 mm of rainfall 80 km / h (non-face-to-face)
Around 30 mm of rainfall 50 km / h (non-face-to-face), 50 km / h (face-to-face)
Poor visibility due to heavy rain Traffic closure Earthquake with seismic intensity 3 80km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face)
Earthquake occurrence of seismic intensity 4 50km / h (non-face-to-face), 50km / h (face-to-face)
An earthquake with a seismic intensity of less than 5 is closed.

In this way, speed regulation is implemented according to the degree of poor visibility, freezing / snowfall, wind, rainfall, earthquake, etc. Therefore, by recognizing each situation, the corresponding speed regulation can be estimated. Situation recognition is as follows: camera image for poor visibility, image and outside temperature for freezing and snow, image and electronic stability control for wind, image and wiper operation for rainfall, earthquake accelerometer and image, etc. Can be recognized based on.

In this way, the speed limit and its reliability can be estimated from the external situation. As a result, even in a situation where automatic operation is performed under a low-reliability speed limit setting, a more reliable speed limit can be set, or the reliability of the set speed limit can be set. It can be raised. As a result, it is possible to utilize automatic operation with a higher level of automation.

● Summary of Embodiments The following is a summary of the present embodiments described above.

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, an environment recognition means capable of recognizing a speed limit related to the current roadway and an environment recognition means.
A travel control means that performs travel control based on the speed limit recognized by the environment recognition means, and
It has a state changing means for changing the control state by the traveling control means when a predetermined control state changing condition is satisfied.
Provided is a vehicle control device characterized in that the condition for changing the predetermined control state is based on the result of comparison between the recognition reliability of the speed limit by the environment recognition means and the predetermined reliability threshold value. To.
As a result, when the recognition reliability of the acquired speed limit is lowered, it is possible to prevent the speed from being exceeded due to the system responsibility by performing the control state of the automatic operation.

(2) According to the second aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device of (1).
The environment recognition means
A first recognition means that recognizes the speed limit based on an image acquired by the image acquisition means, and
A second recognition means for recognizing the speed limit based on map information,
Including a third recognition means for recognizing the speed limit based on communication with the outside,
When the same speed limit is recognized by a plurality of recognition means among the first recognition means to the third recognition means, a higher recognition reliability is set as compared with the case where the same speed limit is not recognized. A vehicle control device characterized by the above is provided.
This makes it possible to maintain high reliability by providing a redundant configuration in which the speed limit is acquired from a plurality of sources.

(3) According to the third aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to (1) or (2).
Provided is a vehicle control device characterized in that the recognition reliability is updated lower every time a predetermined period elapses after being recognized by the environment recognition means.
As a result, it is possible to suppress the reliable use of old information for a long period of time by lowering the reliability with the passage of time.

(4) According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (3).
The travel control means performs travel control in at least one of a first control state and a second control state having a higher automation rate than the first control state.
When the recognition reliability is lower than the first reliability threshold value, the traveling control is performed in the first control state.
Vehicle control characterized in that the traveling control is performed in the second control state when the recognition reliability is equal to or higher than a second reliability threshold having a higher reliability than the first reliability threshold. Equipment is provided.
As a result, when providing high support, a stable transition is possible by setting a high threshold value.

(5) According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (4).
When the recognition reliability is lower than the reliability threshold value, the vehicle occupant is urged to determine the speed limit and the speed limit is determined.
The travel control means is provided with a vehicle control device characterized in that travel control is performed based on the speed limit determined by the occupant.
As a result, it is possible to maintain a high automation state with a small burden by assisting the user.

(6) According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to (5).
Provided is a vehicle control device characterized in that when the speed limit is determined by the occupant, the recognition reliability is set to the second reliability threshold.
This makes it possible to maintain the automation rate based on the confirmation result by the user when the reliability is low.

(7) According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (6).
A means for specifying the traveling speed of another vehicle traveling in the vicinity, identifying a stable vehicle from the other vehicles, and setting the speed limit based on the traveling speed of the specified stable other vehicle. A vehicle control device is provided, which further comprises.
As a result, a highly reliable speed limit can be set based on the running state of another vehicle.

(8) According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to (7).
The travel control means is provided with a vehicle control device characterized by performing travel control so as to follow the specified stable other vehicle.
As a result, it is possible to follow other stable vehicles and comply with the speed limit.

(9) According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (8).
The environment recognition means recognizes the environment around the own vehicle, identifies the applicable speed regulation, and if the difference between the speed according to the specified speed regulation and the speed limit does not exceed a predetermined value, the recognition reliability. Is provided for a vehicle control device, which is characterized in that the speed is set to be equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold.
This makes it possible to estimate the speed regulation associated with the surrounding conditions and improve the reliability of the speed limit.

(10) According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to (9).
The environment around the own vehicle includes any one of visibility, snow cover, rainfall, wind, and earthquake, and the speed according to the speed regulation is specified corresponding to the specified environment. A vehicle control device characterized by the above is provided.
This makes it possible to estimate the speed regulation associated with the surrounding conditions detected by the own vehicle and improve the reliability of the speed limit.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention.

2 Control unit, 130 Automatic operation state control unit, 160 Travel control unit

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device that realizes compliance with a sign speed while performing automatic driving with a high level of automation as much as possible .

The outside world recognition unit 142 recognizes the position of a target such as a peripheral vehicle and the state such as speed and acceleration based on the information input from the camera 41, the rider 42, the radar 43, and the like. Further, the outside world recognition unit 142 may recognize the positions of guardrails, utility poles, parked vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects in addition to peripheral vehicles. Further, in the present embodiment, the traffic sign on the side of the road included in the captured image is recognized. The recognized road sign is referred to for autonomous driving control. In this example, in particular, the speed sign of the electric bulletin board method is recognized, and the speed limit displayed there is specified. The action plan generation unit 144 creates an action plan so as not to exceed the speed limit, and the travel control unit 160 controls the travel accordingly.

After step S319, the recognition reliability is set according to the source of the adopted sign information (S321). In this example, the upper limit of the recognition reliability set here is a recognition reliability lower than the recognition reliability set in S317. For example, if 3 is set as the recognition reliability in S317, the upper limit is set to 2, for example. This upper limit value may be set as the reliability, but a criterion corresponding to a criterion for determining the source of the indicator information in S319, for example, a priority may be determined. That is, if the upper limit speed is set based on the sign information obtained from the source with the highest priority, the recognition reliability is set to 2, and if the upper limit speed is set based on the sign information obtained from other sources, the recognition reliability is set to 2. The recognition reliability may be set to 1. If it is based on a time stamp, it may correspond to the freshness of the information. That is, the higher the information freshness, the higher the recognition reliability is set. Further, when the upper limit speed is set based on the continuity, it can be estimated that the recognition reliability is high, so the upper limit value of 2 may be set as the recognition reliability. Note that when the acquired indicator information from multiple sources were all mismatch, for example, may be set the average of the indicated by the acquired labeling index information rate as the upper limit speed. Alternatively, if the difference between the maximum speed limit and the minimum speed limit among the plurality of speed limits indicated by the acquired sign information exceeds a predetermined value, the sign information is displayed on the display device in step S319. The speed indicated in may be displayed and the driver may be asked to confirm. In that case, for example, the speed selected by the driver may be set as the speed limit.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S401 that the current control state is not the second control state, it is determined whether it is the first control state (S409). If it is determined that it is in the first control state, it is determined whether the current recognition reliability is equal to or greater than the second reliability threshold (S411). If it is equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold value, the control state is changed to the second control state (S413). The second control state is a state in which the automatic driving system mainly controls the driving of the vehicle and requires the driver to monitor the surroundings. If it is determined in step S403 that the recognition reliability is equal to or higher than the first reliability threshold, the process ends without changing the control state. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S409 that the current control state is neither the first control state nor the second control state, the current recognition in the control state (that control level, for example, the third control state). The control state is changed according to the reliability (S415). In this example, nothing is required in step S415. [YT (male 9] [O020510] Automatic operation is controlled according to the control state set in this way.

First, a vehicle traveling in the same direction is identified from the image taken by the camera 41 (S501). And to evaluate the stability of the specified vehicle (S503). This evaluation may be based on, for example, the vehicle type. It is highly probable that commercial transport vehicles such as heavy-duty trucks are running stably, so if the recognized vehicle includes a large truck, it is judged to be a vehicle with high running stability. You can. In this way, a value indicating stability is determined in advance for each vehicle type, and a value corresponding to each recognized vehicle type is set as a value indicating stability. For example, in Japan, paying attention to the registration number of the vehicle, if the type is 1 and it is for business use (green), it can be determined that the truck is for business use. Further, the speed limit currently set may be compared with the speed of the vehicle, and the smaller the difference, the more stable the vehicle may be determined. Stability is evaluated numerically, for example. Therefore, for example, the difference may be subtracted from the maximum value of a predetermined stability, and that value may be set as the stability.

When it is determined in S505 that there is no corresponding vehicle, the speed regulation according to the state of the own vehicle and the surrounding environment is specified (S511). Then, it is determined whether or not the speed limit due to the speed regulation matches the currently set speed limit (S513). If they match, the current speed limit is assumed to be reliable, and the recognition reliability is set to be equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold (S515). As a result, the automatic driving control state is changed to the second control state, and automatic driving without the obligation of monitoring by the driver is performed. On the other hand, if the two speed limits do not match, the process ends as it is.

Claims (10)

An environmental recognition means that can recognize the speed limit for the current road,
A travel control means that performs travel control based on the speed limit recognized by the environment recognition means, and
It has a state changing means for changing the control state by the traveling control means when a predetermined control state changing condition is satisfied.
The vehicle control device is characterized in that the condition for changing the predetermined control state is based on the result of comparison between the recognition reliability of the speed limit by the environment recognition means and the predetermined reliability threshold value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.
The environment recognition means
A first recognition means that recognizes the speed limit based on an image acquired by the image acquisition means, and
A second recognition means for recognizing the speed limit based on map information,
Including a third recognition means for recognizing the speed limit based on communication with the outside,
When the same speed limit is recognized by a plurality of recognition means among the first recognition means to the third recognition means, a higher recognition reliability is set as compared with the case where the same speed limit is not recognized. A vehicle control device characterized by the fact that. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.
The vehicle control device is characterized in that the recognition reliability is updated lower every time a predetermined period elapses after being recognized by the environment recognition means. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The travel control means performs travel control in at least one of a first control state and a second control state having a higher automation rate than the first control state.
When the recognition reliability is lower than the first reliability threshold value, the traveling control is performed in the first control state.
Vehicle control characterized in that the traveling control is performed in the second control state when the recognition reliability is equal to or higher than a second reliability threshold having a higher reliability than the first reliability threshold. apparatus. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
When the recognition reliability is lower than the reliability threshold value, the vehicle occupant is urged to determine the speed limit and the speed limit is determined.
The travel control means is a vehicle control device that performs travel control based on the speed limit determined by the occupant. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.
A vehicle control device characterized in that when the speed limit is determined by the occupant, the recognition reliability is set to the second reliability threshold value. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A means for specifying the traveling speed of another vehicle traveling in the vicinity, identifying a stable vehicle from the other vehicles, and setting the speed limit based on the traveling speed of the specified stable other vehicle. A vehicle control device characterized by further having and. The vehicle control device according to claim 7.
The travel control means is a vehicle control device that controls travel so as to follow the specified stable other vehicle. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The environment recognition means recognizes the environment around the own vehicle, identifies the applicable speed regulation, and if the difference between the speed according to the specified speed regulation and the speed limit does not exceed a predetermined value, the recognition reliability. Is set to be equal to or higher than the second reliability threshold. The vehicle control device according to claim 9.
The environment around the own vehicle includes any one of visibility, snow cover, rainfall, wind, and earthquake, and the speed according to the speed regulation is specified corresponding to the specified environment. A vehicle control device characterized in that.

Images