JP2021036238A - Automatic four wheeled vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a reflector capable of positively detecting existence of a peripheral vehicle in particular relative to an automatic drive vehicle, and a vehicle equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A reflector for reflecting a radar wave is provided. The reflector is arranged on a room mirror (28) of an automatic four wheeled vehicle, or in addition to this, the reflector is arranged at a front and rear of the vehicle. An arrangement location of the reflector arranged at the front of the vehicle is made to be a room mirror. In addition to this, a plurality of the reflectors are arranged on a front side and a rear side of the vehicle. In addition to any of the arrangement, the reflector reflects the radar wave from a bumper of the automatic drive vehicle aiming at an extent of a height of a roof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a self-driving vehicle provided with a reflector that reflects a radar wave transmitted from the self-driving vehicle and causes the self-driving vehicle to detect the presence of a peripheral vehicle.

Conventionally, there is known a driving support system that detects surrounding vehicles by radar waves and automatically drives the vehicles. In a vehicle equipped with a driving support system, a radar wave is transmitted from a radar device toward a peripheral vehicle, and the presence of the peripheral vehicle is detected from the radar wave reflected by the peripheral vehicle. As such a driving support system, a system that monitors the level of reflected waves from surrounding vehicles is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The driving support system of Patent Document 1 detects the presence of a two-wheeled vehicle having a narrow reflection area for radar waves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and poor sensitivity due to dirt on the radar antenna, depending on the level of the reflected waves.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-250793

By the way, it is known that in bad weather such as rain or fog, radar waves are absorbed or scattered in the atmosphere and the detection performance by the radar device deteriorates. However, in the driving support system described in Patent Document 1, the presence of a two-wheeled vehicle and poor sensitivity of the radar antenna are detected separately from the degree of decrease in the level of the reflected wave, but rain, fog, etc. in bad weather with respect to the radar wave are detected. Impact is not considered. Therefore, the radar wave transmitted from the radar device is greatly attenuated by rain, fog, etc., and the existence of peripheral vehicles may be overlooked in the autonomous driving vehicle, so that automatic driving may not be performed in consideration of the existence of the peripheral vehicle. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is basically applicable to all vehicles, but is provided with a reflector capable of satisfactorily detecting the presence of the vehicle, particularly for an autonomous driving vehicle. The purpose is to provide a vehicle.

The four-wheeled vehicle of the present invention is provided with a reflector that reflects radar waves, and the reflector is arranged in a rear-view mirror of the four-wheeled vehicle.

According to the present invention, by efficiently reflecting the radar wave transmitted from the autonomous driving vehicle, the autonomous driving vehicle can positively detect the vehicle in which the reflector is arranged.

It is explanatory drawing of the comparative example and the automatic operation system which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the reflector which concerns on this embodiment. It is a four-view view which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the wagon type four-wheeled vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a four-view view which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the sedan type four-wheeled vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a four-view view which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the truck type four-wheeled vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the scooter type motorcycle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the American type motorcycle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the naked type motorcycle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the naked type motorcycle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of the reflector with respect to the super sports type motorcycle which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the detection operation of the peripheral vehicle at the time of the lane change by the self-driving vehicle which concerns on this embodiment.

The automatic operation control will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a comparative example and an automatic driving system according to the present embodiment. 1A and 1B show an example of an automatic driving system according to a comparative example, and FIG. 1C shows an example of an automatic driving system according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the automatic driving control is mainly performed while driving on the highway, and the radar device 9 provided in the automatic driving vehicle 1 to the four-wheeled vehicle 2, the two-wheeled vehicle 3, etc. A radar wave is transmitted to a peripheral vehicle, and the radar device 9 receives a reflected wave from the vehicle body of the peripheral vehicle to detect the presence of the peripheral vehicle. However, as shown in FIG. 1A, even in the case of the four-wheeled vehicle 2 which is relatively easy to detect by the surrounding vehicles, the radar wave toward the four-wheeled vehicle 2 due to rain, fog, etc. in bad weather is also the four-wheeled vehicle 2. There is a problem that the radar wave reflected by the above is also attenuated and the detection performance of the radar device 9 is deteriorated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the peripheral vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle 3, the reflection area is narrow with respect to the radar wave from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the vehicle body shape has many curved surfaces, so that the reflected wave is easily reflected in multiple directions. Therefore, there is a possibility that the reflected wave cannot reach the automatic driving vehicle 1. Millimeter waves and laser waves are used as radar waves, and while these radar waves are reflected by metal parts, they have the property of not being reflected through resin parts and glass. Therefore, even if most of the radar waves can be reflected, the motorcycle 3 has a narrow reflection area, and the motorcycle 3 of the type that uses a lot of resin parts such as a scooter has the detection performance of the radar device 9. Was declining.

Further, for example, when the engine of the motorcycle 3 is a substantially horizontal type engine, the reflection area for radar waves from the front-rear direction of the vehicle is particularly narrow. Further, although the engine of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 is arranged between the front wheels and the rear wheels, the radar waves directed to the engine and the radar waves reflected by the engine are greatly attenuated by the rubber tires. For this reason, in a two-wheeled vehicle having a substantially horizontal engine and a road sports type two-wheeled vehicle having thick tires, the radar wave reflected by the engine is significantly attenuated, and the detection performance of the radar device 9 is further deteriorated. Further, the frame of the motorcycle 3 may often use a pipe material having a circular cross section, and it is difficult for such a pipe material to have a radar wave reflected in a specific direction.

Therefore, the present inventor pays attention to the point that the peripheral vehicle on the receiver side of the radar wave needs to positively appeal the existence of the own vehicle to the autonomous driving vehicle 1 on the sender side of the radar wave. The present invention has been reached. As shown in FIG. 1C, the gist of the present invention is to provide a reflector 10 on the vehicle on the receiving side of the radar wave, and the reflector 10 efficiently reflects the radar wave transmitted from the autonomous driving vehicle 1. As a result, even in bad weather or when the peripheral vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle, the radar wave can be positively sent back to the autonomous driving vehicle 1 to promote automatic driving in consideration of the existence of the peripheral vehicle.

Hereinafter, the reflector will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a reflector according to the present embodiment. 2A is a perspective view of the reflector, FIG. 2B is a front view of the reflector, and FIG. 2C is a side view of the reflector. The reflector shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and can be changed as appropriate. Further, in the reflector according to the present embodiment, a configuration in which millimeter waves and laser waves are mainly applied as radar waves will be described, but radio waves that can be used as radar waves may be applied.

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the reflector 10 reflects the radar wave transmitted from the autonomous driving vehicle 1 (see FIG. 1C) toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1, and is formed from a plurality of metal plates 13. The reflector main body 11 is housed in a transparent spherical cover 12. The reflector main body 11 is formed by joining a plurality of metal plates 13 of right-angled isosceles triangles so as to be orthogonal to each other and joining equal sides of the same length of the metal plates 13. Therefore, the reflector main body 11 has a shape in which eight triangular pyramid-shaped corner reflectors are combined, and a plurality of reflecting surfaces 14 recessed in a triangular pyramid shape are formed by three metal plates 13.

The spherical cover 12 is made of a material such as glass or resin so as to transmit radar waves, and covers and protects the periphery of the reflector main body 11. The apex portion of the reflector main body 11 is fixed to the inner surface of the spherical cover 12 with an adhesive or the like. The spherical cover 12 is provided with a bracket 17 (mounting portion) for mounting on the vehicle, and the reflector 10 is mounted on the vehicle by screwing it to the vehicle through a pair of mounting holes 18 of the bracket 17. At this time, the triangular pyramid-shaped reflecting surface 14 of the reflector main body 11 is directed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle so that the radar cross section (RCS) becomes large.

Further, one reflector 10 is arranged on each of the front side and the rear side of the vehicle so as to be detected by the autonomous driving vehicle 1 on the front side and the rear side. The reflector 10 configured in this way is attached to the vehicle so that the reflection direction of the radar wave is directed to the front-rear direction of the vehicle so as to efficiently reflect the radar wave toward the source of the radar wave. Further, the reflector 10 is composed of only a minimum number of members for reflecting radar waves on the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Therefore, the reflector 10 has been miniaturized and can be arranged at various positions in the vehicle.

Hereinafter, an example of arranging the reflector with respect to the vehicle will be described in detail. First, an example of arranging reflectors in a four-wheeled vehicle will be described for each of the three body types. FIG. 3 is a four-view view showing an example of arrangement of reflectors with respect to the wagon type four-wheeled vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a four-view view showing an example of arrangement of the reflector with respect to the sedan type four-wheeled vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a four-view view showing an example of arrangement of reflectors for a truck-type four-wheeled vehicle according to the present embodiment. In FIGS. 3 to 5, for convenience of explanation, candidates for the location of the reflector are indicated by circles.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the wagon type four-wheeled vehicle 20, the reflector 10 is arranged so as to overlap the contour of the vehicle in front view and rear view. Specifically, on the front side of the four-wheeled vehicle 20, the central position 21a of the bonnet 21, the central position 22a of the front grill 22, and the side position 23a of the license plate 24 on the front bumper 23 are effective locations for the reflector 10. .. When the reflector 10 is arranged at these arrangement locations, the radar wave transmitted from the front can be efficiently reflected on the front side of the vehicle body. When the reflector 10 is arranged on the bonnet 21, it is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged so as not to hinder the design of the vehicle and further to prevent air resistance.

Further, on the front side of the four-wheeled vehicle 20, since the headlight 25 and the front bumper 23 are made of a material that transmits radar waves, the inner position 25a of the headlight 25 and the back side position 23b of the front bumper 23 are also the reflector 10. This is a valid location. Since the reflector 10 is hidden by the headlight 25 and the front bumper 23, the design of the vehicle is not affected by the reflector 10. It is also possible to arrange the reflector 10 at the peripheral position 26a of the side mirror 26. As the peripheral position 26a of the side mirror 26, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the front surface of the housing of the side mirror 26 or in the housing.

Around the inside of the front window 27, the peripheral position 28a of the rearview mirror 28 and the upper surface position 29a of the instrument panel 29 are effective locations for the reflector 10. By arranging the reflector 10 in the vehicle, maintenance and inspection by the occupants can be facilitated. As the peripheral position 28a of the rearview mirror 28, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged in front of the rearview mirror 28 or between the front window 27 and the rearview mirror 28. By arranging the reflector 10 so as to overlap the rearview mirror 28 in the front view, the reflector 10 is not seen by the occupants, and the interior design is not affected by the reflector 10.

On the rear side of the four-wheeled vehicle 20, the peripheral position 31a of the rear door 31 and the lateral position 32a of the license plate 33 on the rear bumper 32 are effective locations for the reflector 10. When the reflector 10 is arranged at these arrangement locations, the radar wave transmitted from the rear can be efficiently reflected on the rear side of the vehicle body. Further, on the rear side of the four-wheeled vehicle 20, the inner position 34a of the rear combination lamp 34 and the back side position 32b of the rear bumper 32 formed of a material that transmits radar waves are also effective locations for the reflector 10. Since the reflector 10 is hidden by the rear combination lamp 34 and the rear bumper 32, the design of the vehicle is not affected by the reflector 10.

Around the inside of the rear window 35, the peripheral position 36a of the high mount stop lamp 36 is an effective place for arranging the reflector 10. As a result, the reflector 10 is arranged in the vehicle, so that maintenance and inspection by the occupants can be facilitated. As the peripheral position 36a of the high mount stop lamp 36, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged inside the high mount stop lamp 36 or between the rear window 35 and the high mount stop lamp 36. By arranging the reflector 10 so as to overlap the high mount stop lamp 36 in the front view, the reflector 10 is not seen by the occupants, and the interior design is not affected by the reflector 10.

Further, in the four-wheeled vehicle 20, many parts are covered with a steel plate, and the radar wave is reflected by the steel plate, but it is difficult to arrange the reflector 10 on the surface of the steel plate in terms of design and aerodynamics. Therefore, when the reflector 10 is arranged on the surface of the steel plate, the upper surface position 37a of the roof 37 is an effective arrangement candidate of the reflector 10. By arranging the reflector 10 on the roof 37, the reflector 10 does not easily interfere with the occupants and does not have a great influence on the vehicle in terms of design and aerodynamics.

By arranging the reflector 10 at an appropriate position of the four-wheeled vehicle 20 in this way, the radar wave transmitted from the autonomous driving vehicle 1 is efficiently reflected, and the radar wave is sent back to the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Can be done. Therefore, since the radar wave is reflected toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1 by the reflector 10 having a high reflection intensity, even if the radar wave is attenuated by the influence of fog, rain, etc., the presence of the vehicle with respect to the autonomous driving vehicle 1 is present. It is possible to positively detect it.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the sedan type four-wheeled vehicle 40, in addition to each arrangement location of the reflector 10 in the wagon type four-wheeled vehicle 20, the arrangement location of the reflector 10 is provided at the upper surface position 56a of the trim 56 behind the seat. Has been done. That is, on the front side of the four-wheeled vehicle 40, the central position 41a of the bonnet 41, the central position 42a of the front grill 42, the central position 43a of the front bumper 43, the inner position 45a of the headlight 45, the back side position 43b of the front bumper 43, and the side. The peripheral position 46a of the mirror 46, the peripheral position 47a of the room mirror 47, and the upper surface position 48a of the instrument panel 48 are effective locations for the reflector 10. When the outside air intake port for turbo is provided on the bonnet 41, the reflector 10 may be arranged at the outside air intake port.

On the rear side of the four-wheeled vehicle 40, the peripheral position 51a of the rear door 51, the lower position 52a of the license plate 53 on the rear bumper 52, the inner position 54a of the rear combination lamp 54, the peripheral position 55a of the high mount stop lamp 55, and the trim behind the seat. The upper surface position 56a of 56 is an effective arrangement position of the reflector 10. Further, the upper surface position 57a of the roof 57 of the four-wheeled vehicle 40 is also an effective placement candidate for the reflector 10. Even in the sedan type four-wheeled vehicle 40, the presence of the vehicle can be positively detected by the autonomous driving vehicle 1 by arranging the reflector 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, since the truck-type four-wheeled vehicle 60 has a loading platform 72 on the rear side, the number of effective arrangement locations of the reflector 10 is smaller than that of other body types. That is, in the four-wheeled vehicle 60, the central position 61a of the bonnet 61, the central position 62a of the front grill 62, the side position 63a of the license plate 64 on the front bumper 63, the inner position 65a of the headlamp 65, and the back side position of the front bumper 63. 63b, the peripheral position 66a of the side mirror 66, the peripheral position 67a of the room mirror 67, the upper surface position 68a of the instrument panel 68, and the upper surface position 69a of the roof 69 are effective placement locations of the reflector 10.

Further, on the rear side of the cabin 71 of the four-wheeled vehicle 60, the intermediate position 71a between the driver's seat and the passenger seat is also an effective place for arranging the reflector 10. Even in the truck-type four-wheeled vehicle 60, the presence of the vehicle can be positively detected by the autonomous driving vehicle 1 by arranging the reflector 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, in the four-wheeled vehicles 20, 40, 60, the reflector 10 may be arranged at any of the above-mentioned arrangement locations of the reflector 10, but the four-wheeled vehicles 20, 40, 60 It is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged at one position on each of the front side and the rear side of the above. Further, it is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged at the above-mentioned arrangement location, but it may be arranged so that at least a part of the reflector 10 overlaps the contour of the vehicle in front view and rear view.

Further, in the four-wheeled vehicles 20, 40, 60, the reflector 10 is arranged so that the radar wave reflected by the reflector 10 does not pass through the human body. Therefore, the radar wave reflected by the reflector 10 is not attenuated by the moisture of the human body or the like, and the radio wave level does not decrease. Further, the reflector 10 reflects radar waves from the bumpers of the autonomous driving vehicle 1 (see FIG. 1) on the front side and the rear side, aiming at the height range of the roof. In the autonomous driving vehicle 1, since the radar device 9 (see FIG. 1) is generally arranged in a height range from the bumper to the roof, it is easy for the autonomous driving vehicle 1 to detect the presence of the vehicle.

Next, an example of arranging reflectors in a two-wheeled vehicle will be described for each of the four types. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a reflector with respect to a scooter type motorcycle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a reflector with respect to an American type motorcycle according to the present embodiment. 8 and 9 are views showing an example of arrangement of a reflector with respect to a naked type motorcycle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a reflector with respect to a supersport type motorcycle according to the present embodiment. Note that, in FIGS. 6 to 10, for convenience of explanation, candidates for the location of the reflector are indicated by circles.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the scooter type two-wheeled vehicle 80, the reflector 10 is arranged in a range from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle body in the vehicle front-rear direction, and in a range inside the both ends of the steering wheel 81 in the vehicle width direction. When the reflector is arranged in this range, the handle 81 first comes into contact with the road surface when the motorcycle rolls over, so that the reflector 10 is prevented from being damaged by the impact during the rollover. Further, in the motorcycle 80, the reflector 10 is arranged above the lower ends of the front fender 82 and the rear fender 83. Therefore, the mud and sand wound up by the front wheels 84 and the rear wheels 85 are less likely to adhere to the reflector 10, and the reflection efficiency of the reflector 10 is prevented from being lowered by the mud and sand.

Specifically, on the front side of the motorcycle 80, the lower position 86a of the windshield 86, the front position 87a of the front cowl 87, the upper position 88a of the front leg shield 88, and the upper surface position 82a of the front fender 82 are effective for the reflector 10. This is the location. When the reflector 10 is arranged at these arrangement locations, the radar wave transmitted from the front can be efficiently reflected on the front side of the vehicle body. As the lower position 86a of the windshield 86, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged outside the windshield 86, or the reflector 10 may be arranged inside the windshield 86.

Since the front cowl 87 and the front leg shield 88 are made of a material that transmits radar waves, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the back surface of the front cowl 87 and the front leg shield 88. Further, since the headlamp 91 and the position lamp 92 are also formed of resin or the like on the front side of the motorcycle 80, the headlamp 91 and the inner positions 91a and 92a of the position lamp 92 are also effective locations for the reflector 10. Since the reflector 10 is hidden by the front cowl 87, the front leg shield 88, the headlamp 91, and the position lamp 92, the design of the vehicle is not affected by the reflector 10.

On the rear side of the motorcycle 80, the rear position 93a of the seat 93, the lower position 94a of the rear carrier 94, the rear position 95a of the rear cover 95, and the upper surface position 83a of the rear fender 83 are effective locations for the reflector 10. When the reflector 10 is arranged at these arrangement locations, the radar wave transmitted from the rear can be efficiently reflected on the rear side of the vehicle body. Further, since the rear cover 95 is made of a material that transmits radar waves, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the back surface of the rear cover 95. Further, the inner positions 97a and 98a of the tail lamp 97 and the rear combination lamp 98 are also effective locations for the reflector 10. Since the reflector 10 is hidden by the rear cover 95, the tail lamp 97, and the rear combination lamp 98, the design of the vehicle is not affected by the reflector 10.

Although the configuration in which the reflector 10 is arranged inside the both ends of the steering wheel 81 in the vehicle width direction is illustrated, the reflector 10 may be arranged at the surface position 99a of the rearview mirror 99 outside the both ends of the steering wheel 81. Since the arm of the rear-view mirror 99 has flexibility, even if the motorcycle 80 rolls over and an external force is applied to the rear-view mirror 99 from the road surface, the arm deforms and the rear-view mirror 99 escapes, causing damage to the reflector 10. Be prevented.

By arranging the reflector 10 at an appropriate position of the motorcycle 80 in this way, the radar wave transmitted from the autonomous driving vehicle 1 (see FIG. 1) is efficiently reflected, and the radar wave is reflected on the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Can be sent back. Therefore, even in the scouter type motorcycle 80 having a substantially horizontal type engine having a narrow reflection area, the radar wave is reflected toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1 by the reflector 10 having a high reflection intensity, so that the autonomous driving vehicle 1 can be used. On the other hand, it is possible to positively detect the presence of a vehicle. Further, since the reflector 10 is arranged above the front wheels 84 and the rear wheels 85, the radar wave is not attenuated by the tires of the front wheels 84 and the rear wheels 85.

As shown in FIG. 7, the American type motorcycle 100 has a range from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and a range inside the both ends of the steering wheel 101 in the vehicle width direction, similarly to the scooter type motorcycle 80. In the height direction, the reflector 10 is arranged in the upper range of the fender. Further, since the American type motorcycle 100 is not provided with the front cowl, the number of effective arrangement locations of the reflector 10 is smaller than that of the scooter type motorcycle 80. Specifically, on the front side of the motorcycle 100, the lower position 102a of the headlamp 102, the upper surface position 103a of the front fender 103, the front position 104a of the fuel tank 104, and the front position 105a of the upper part of the engine 105 are effective arrangements of the reflector 10. It is a place.

As the lower position 102a of the headlamp 102, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged between the pair of front forks 106. As the front position 104a of the fuel tank 104, for example, the reflectors 10 may be arranged on one of the left and right sides of the front of the fuel tank 104. As the front position 105a of the upper part of the engine 105, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the upper part of the down tube 107. When the reflector 10 is arranged at these arrangement locations, the radar wave transmitted from the front can be efficiently reflected on the front side of the vehicle body.

On the rear side of the motorcycle 100, the rear position 109a of the seat 109, the lower position 111a of the tail lamp 111, and the rear position 112a of the rear suspension 112 are effective locations for the reflector 10. When the reflector 10 is arranged at the rear position 112a of the tubular rear suspension 112, the outer diameter of the reflector 10 is made tubular so that the passenger's feet are taken into consideration and a sense of unity in design can be obtained. I have to. Further, the reflector 10 may be arranged at the surface position 108a of the rearview mirror 108 outside both ends of the handle 101. As described above, even in the American type motorcycle 100, by arranging the reflector 10, it is possible for the autonomous driving vehicle 1 to positively detect the existence of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 8, the naked type motorcycle 120, like the other types of motorcycle 80, has a range from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is inside the both ends of the steering wheel 121 in the vehicle width direction. The reflector 10 is arranged in the upper range of the fender in the range and height directions. Further, since the motorcycle 120 is not provided with the front cowl, the number of effective arrangement locations of the reflector 10 is smaller than that of the scooter type motorcycle 80. Specifically, on the front side of the motorcycle 120, the upper position 122a of the headlamp 122, the lower position 122b of the headlamp 122, and the position 123a between the front forks 123 are effective locations for the reflector 10.

On the rear side of the motorcycle 120, the lower position 125a of the tail lamp 125, the surface position 126a of the rear fender 126, and the rear position 127a of the rear suspension 127 are effective locations for the reflector 10. When the reflector 10 is arranged at the rear position 127a of the tubular rear suspension 127, the outer diameter shape of the reflector 10 is made tubular so that the passenger's feet are taken into consideration and a sense of unity in design can be obtained. I have to. Further, the reflector 10 may be arranged at the surface position 124a of the rearview mirror 124 on the outside of both ends of the handle 121. As described above, even in the naked type motorcycle 120, by arranging the reflector 10, it is possible for the autonomous driving vehicle 1 to positively detect the existence of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 9, the naked type motorcycle 130 with the half cowl 137 has a range from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle body in the vehicle front-rear direction and both ends of the steering wheel 131 in the vehicle width direction, like other types of motorcycles. The reflector 10 is arranged in a range inside the fender and in a range above the fender in the height direction. Specifically, on the front side of the motorcycle 130, the upper position 132a of the headlamp 132, the upper surface position 133a of the front fender 133, and the front position 134a of the upper part of the engine 134 are effective locations for the reflector 10.

As the front position 134a of the upper part of the engine 134, for example, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the upper part of the down tube 136. In this case, the reflector 10 is arranged between the half cowl 137 and the front fender 133 in the vertical direction and between the pair of front forks 138 in the vehicle width direction. Further, since the half cowl 137 is made of a material that transmits radar waves, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the back surface of the half cowl 137.

On the rear side of the motorcycle 130, the lower position 139a of the tail lamp 139 and the surface position 141a of the rear fender 141 are effective locations for the reflector 10. Further, the reflector 10 may be arranged at the surface position 135a of the rearview mirror 135 on the outside of both ends of the handle 131. As described above, even in the naked type motorcycle 130 with the half cowl 137, by arranging the reflector 10, it is possible for the autonomous driving vehicle 1 to positively detect the existence of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 10, the supersport type motorcycle 150, like the other types of motorcycles, has a range from the front end to the rear end of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and inside both ends of the steering wheel 151 in the vehicle width direction. The reflector 10 is arranged in the upper range of the fender in the range and height directions. Specifically, the inner position 152a of the headlamp 152 and the front position 153a of the radiator 153 are effective locations for the reflector 10. As the front position 153a of the radiator 153, the reflector 10 is arranged between the front cowl 155 and the front fender 156 so as to be positioned above the tire, for example.

On the rear side of the motorcycle 150, the rear position 157a of the rear frame cover 157 is an effective location for the reflector 10. Further, the reflector 10 may be arranged at the surface position 154a of the rearview mirror 154 on the outside of both ends of the handle 151. As described above, even in the super sports type motorcycle 150, by arranging the reflector 10, it is possible to positively detect the existence of the vehicle by the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Further, although the configuration in which the reflector 10 is arranged on the motorcycle 150 has been described, the reflector 10 may be provided at a predetermined position 162a of the helmet 162 of the driver 161. This makes it possible to satisfactorily reflect the radar wave toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1 without arranging the reflector 10 on the motorcycle 150.

Since the helmet 162 is made of a material that transmits radar waves such as resin, the reflector 10 may be arranged inside the helmet 162. Further, the reflector 10 may be arranged on the suit of the driver 161.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, in the two-wheeled vehicles 80, 100, 120, 130, 150, the reflector 10 may be arranged at any of the above-mentioned arrangement locations of the reflector 10, but the two-wheeled vehicles 80, 100, 120 It is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged at one position on each of the front side and the rear side of 130 and 150. The reflector 10 is preferably arranged at the above-mentioned arrangement location, but it may be arranged so that at least a part of the reflector 10 is in contact with the contour of the vehicle in front view and rear view. Further, it is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged on the vehicle width center line extending in the front-rear direction of the two-wheeled vehicles 80, 100, 120, 130 and 150. By positioning the reflector 10 at the center in the vehicle width direction, the weight balance of the vehicle body is evenly approached in the width direction, and steering stability is improved.

Further, it is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged at a fixed position that does not move with the steering operation. By arranging the reflector 10 at the fixed position, the reflection efficiency of the reflector 10 does not change due to the steering operation. Radar waves do not pass through the human body and aim at the height range of the roof from the bumper of the autonomous driving vehicle 1 (see FIG. 1) even at the locations where the reflectors 10 are arranged in the motorcycles 80, 100, 120, 130, and 150. It is preferable that the reflector 10 is arranged so as to reflect the radar wave.

With reference to FIG. 11, the influence of the autonomous driving vehicle on the peripheral vehicle provided with the reflector according to the present embodiment when the lane is changed will be described. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the automatic driving operation when the automatic driving vehicle changes lanes. The detection operation shown in FIG. 11 is only an example when changing lanes, and can also be applied when detecting surrounding vehicles in other situations. Further, FIG. 11A shows an example in which the two-wheeled vehicle is not provided with a reflector, and FIG. 11B shows an example in which the two-wheeled vehicle is provided with a reflector.

In the comparative example shown in the upper lane of FIG. 11A, the autonomous driving vehicle 1 is traveling in the traveling lane while keeping a predetermined distance between the front vehicle 4 and the rear vehicle 5, and several two-wheeled vehicles 3 are traveling in the overtaking lane. doing. The autonomous driving vehicle 1 automatically drives while detecting the front vehicle 4 and the rear vehicle 5 by receiving radar waves transmitted from the radar devices 9 in front of and behind the vehicle body and reflected from the front vehicle 4 and the rear vehicle 5. Is being carried out. At this time, since the reflector 10 is not arranged on the two-wheeled vehicle 3 and the two-wheeled vehicle 3 is traveling in the overtaking lane, it is difficult to detect the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 by the radar wave.

Then, since the distance between the self-driving vehicle 1 and the vehicle 4 in front has been reduced, as shown by the arrow, when the self-driving vehicle 1 changes lanes to the overtaking lane, between the two-wheeled vehicles 3 lined up in front and behind. The self-driving vehicle 1 will enter. In this way, the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 traveling in the overtaking lane may be overlooked by the autonomous driving vehicle 1 traveling in the traveling lane, and the autonomous driving vehicle 1 may perform an unreasonable lane change. Further, since the two-wheeled vehicle 3 in front of and behind the self-driving vehicle 1 after the lane change is not provided with the reflector 10, the self-driving vehicle 1 must continue to travel between the two-wheeled vehicle 3 which is difficult to detect by the radar wave. ..

On the other hand, in the present embodiment shown in the upper lane of FIG. 11B, the reflector 10 is arranged on the two-wheeled vehicle 3 traveling in the overtaking lane. Therefore, the radar wave from the radar device 9 of the autonomous driving vehicle 1 is reflected toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1 by the reflector 10 having a high reflection intensity of the motorcycle 3. By sending back a radar wave having a high radio wave intensity from the two-wheeled vehicle 3 to the self-driving vehicle 1, the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 can be easily detected by the self-driving vehicle 1. Therefore, even if the distance between the self-driving vehicle 1 and the vehicle in front 4 is reduced, the presence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 is not detected by the self-driving vehicle 1 and an unreasonable lane change is not performed.

Therefore, in the self-driving vehicle 1, the above-mentioned unreasonable lane change is prohibited, and after a sufficient inter-vehicle distance can be secured between the self-driving vehicle 1 and the two-wheeled vehicle 3 after the lane change, the arrow is displayed. Lane changes will be implemented as shown. Further, since the two-wheeled vehicle 3 in front of and behind the self-driving vehicle 1 after the lane change is provided with the reflector 10, the self-driving car 1 is allowed to continue safe driving while detecting the presence of the front and rear two-wheeled vehicles 3. Can be done.

Next, in the comparative example shown in the lower lane of FIG. 11A, the self-driving vehicle 1 is traveling in the traveling lane while keeping a predetermined distance between the front vehicle 4 and the rear vehicle 5, and is in front of and behind the front vehicle 4. A motorcycle 3 is running behind the vehicle 5. At this time, since the reflector 10 is not arranged on the two-wheeled vehicle 3 and the two-wheeled vehicle 3 is hidden behind the front vehicle 4 and the rear vehicle 5 from the self-driving vehicle 1, the radar wave transmitted from the self-driving vehicle 1. Then, it is difficult to detect the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3.

Then, since the distance between the self-driving vehicle 1 and the vehicle 4 in front has been reduced, as shown by the arrow, when the self-driving vehicle 1 changes lanes to the overtaking lane, the two-wheeled vehicle 3 behind also overtakes. Therefore, the self-driving vehicle 1 hinders the overtaking of the two-wheeled vehicle 3. In this way, the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 hidden in the shadow of the rear vehicle 5 may be overlooked, the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 may be detected by the self-driving vehicle 1, and an unreasonable lane change may be carried out.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment shown in the lower lane of FIG. 11B, the reflector 10 is arranged on the two-wheeled vehicle 3 in front of the front vehicle 4 and behind the rear vehicle 5. Therefore, the radar wave from the radar device 9 of the autonomous driving vehicle 1 is reflected toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1 by the reflector 10 having a high reflection intensity of the motorcycle 3. By sending back a radar wave having a high radio wave intensity from the two-wheeled vehicle 3 to the self-driving vehicle 1, the existence of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 can be easily detected by the self-driving vehicle 1. Therefore, the self-driving vehicle 1 detects the overtaking of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 hidden in the shadow of the rear vehicle 5, and the lane change is not forced.

Therefore, in the autonomous driving vehicle 1, the unreasonable lane change as described above is prohibited, and the lane change as shown by the arrow is carried out after the overtaking of the two-wheeled vehicle 3 is completed. Further, in the present embodiment, since one reflector 10 is arranged on the front side and one on the rear side of the vehicle, radar waves are reflected from one reflector 10 of one vehicle to the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Therefore, when the self-oscillation phenomenon of the radar wave is detected in the autonomous driving vehicle 1, the autonomous driving vehicle 1 can detect the existence of a group of a plurality of vehicles.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the radar wave transmitted from the running autonomous vehicle 1 toward the vehicle in front or behind is reflected in the front-rear direction by the reflection surface 14 of the reflector 10 of the vehicle. Is sent back to the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Therefore, even if the radar wave is attenuated by the influence of fog, rain, or the like, the radar wave is efficiently reflected by the reflector 10 toward the autonomous driving vehicle 1, so that the reflector 10 is arranged with respect to the autonomous driving vehicle 1. It is possible to positively detect the presence of a vehicle. Further, by arranging the reflector 10 on a two-wheeled vehicle that is difficult to detect, the two-wheeled vehicle can be satisfactorily detected by the autonomous driving vehicle. In this way, the vehicle on the receiver side of the radar wave positively appeals to the autonomous driving vehicle 1 on the sender side of the radar wave for the existence of the own vehicle, and the existence of the vehicle is notified to the autonomous driving vehicle 1. Considered automatic driving can be promoted.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified in various ways. In the above embodiment, the size and shape shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed within the range in which the effects of the present invention are exhibited. In addition, it can be appropriately modified and implemented as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the object of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the reflector 10 is arranged in the four-wheeled vehicle and the two-wheeled vehicle as a vehicle has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The reflector 10 may be arranged on a tricycle with two front or rear wheels. Further, the reflector 10 may be arranged on a bicycle that does not have a prime mover.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reflector main body 11 has a shape in which eight triangular pyramid-shaped corner reflectors are combined, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The reflector main body 11 may be configured in any way as long as it has a reflecting surface 14 that reflects radar waves. For example, the reflector main body 11 may be composed of a single triangular pyramidal corner reflector formed by orthogonally forming three right-angled isosceles triangles.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reflector main body 11 is accommodated in the spherical cover 12, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, when the reflector main body 11 is arranged in the lighting device, the spherical cover 12 may not be provided because the reflector main body 11 is protected by the cover of the lighting device.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reflector 10 is screwed to the vehicle via the bracket 17 as the mounting portion, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The mounting portion may be configured as long as the reflector 10 can be mounted on the vehicle so that the reflection direction of the radar wave is directed to the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reflectors 10 are arranged one by one on the front side and the rear side of the vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. A plurality of reflectors 10 may be arranged on the front side and the rear side of the vehicle, respectively.

Although the present invention has been described mainly for an autonomous driving vehicle, it is effective not only for an autonomous driving vehicle but also for a normal vehicle driven by a human being. In this case, since the other vehicle information to the driver is transmitted more accurately, it becomes easier for the driver to drive the vehicle as in the case of the autonomous driving vehicle.

As described above, the present invention has an effect that the presence of the vehicle can be satisfactorily detected by the autonomous driving vehicle, and is particularly useful for a two-wheeled vehicle which is difficult to be detected by radar waves.

1 Self-driving vehicle 2 Four-wheeled vehicle 3 Two-wheeled vehicle 9 Radar device 10 Reflector 11 Reflector body 14 Reflective surface 17 Bracket (mounting part)
20 Wagon type four-wheeled vehicle 23 Front bumper (bumper)
27 Front window 32 Rear bumper (bumper)
35 Rear window 37 Roof 40 Sedan type four-wheeled vehicle 43 Front bumper (bumper)
52 Rear bumper (bumper)
57 Roof 60 Truck type four-wheeled vehicle 63 Front bumper (bumper)
69 Roof 80 Scoot type motorcycle 82 Front fender (fender)
83 Rear fender (fender)
100 American type motorcycle 103 Front fender (fender)
120 Naked type motorcycle 126 Rear fender 130 Naked type motorcycle 133 Front fender (fender)
141 Rear fender (fender)
150 Super sports type motorcycle 156 Front fender (fender)

Claims (4)

A four-wheeled vehicle having a reflector that reflects radar waves, and the reflector is arranged in a rear-view mirror of the four-wheeled vehicle. A vehicle in which reflectors that reflect radar waves are placed at the front and rear of the vehicle.
The automobile four-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the reflector arranged at the front portion of the vehicle is arranged in the rear-view mirror. The motorcycle according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the reflectors are arranged on the front side and the rear side of the vehicle, respectively. The four-wheeled vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reflector reflects the radar wave aiming at a height range of the roof from the bumper of the autonomous driving vehicle.

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