JP2022015208A - Route checker - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a route checker that can respond to a situation in which a dangerous state could not be eliminated if an own vehicle did not move voluntarily.SOLUTION: According to a vehicle controller 21, when a driving with a safe distance cannot be secured if a generated driving plan is executed, the generated driving plan is controlled so that the execution of the plan is inhibited by a determination unit 282. Therefore, the safe distance can be secured. In addition, the determination unit 282 outputs pieces of determination information including the determination results of the determination unit 282 to setting devices other than a drive control ECU 31. This enables the setting devices, to which the determination information is given, to recognize the determination results through the determination information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The disclosure in this specification relates to a route confirmation device for determining the safety of a travel plan generated for autonomous driving.

Patent Document 1 describes that in automatic driving, a safety distance that serves as a reference for evaluating safety is calculated, and a minimum safety distance is maintained between other vehicles and pedestrians. There is.

International Publication No. 2018/115963

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, in order to secure a safe distance, the safety of the generated travel plan is evaluated, and if the safe distance cannot be secured, the execution of the travel plan is stopped. Therefore, there is a problem that it is not possible to deal with the situation where the dangerous state cannot be resolved unless one moves. For example, in the case of a misplaced situation on a narrow road without lane breaks, the execution of the driving plan will continue to be stopped, so the own vehicle will not be able to move, and the other vehicle also expects this to move, so it can not be solved. There is.

Therefore, the purpose of disclosure is made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a route confirmation device capable of coping with a situation in which the dangerous state cannot be resolved unless the user moves by himself / herself.

The present disclosure employs the following technical means to achieve the above-mentioned objectives.

The route confirmation device disclosed here includes a route generation unit (27) that generates a travel plan for driving the own vehicle by automatic driving, and a travel control unit (31) that controls the travel of the vehicle according to the generated travel plan. ), Which is a route confirmation device (28) used for a vehicle equipped with the above.
When the generated driving plan is executed with the safety distance setting unit (281) that sets the minimum safety distance that the vehicle should keep between the vehicle and the obstacle in order to avoid the proximity of the vehicle to the obstacle. It includes a judgment unit (282) that determines whether or not the vehicle can drive with the set safe distance, and prohibits the execution of the generated driving plan when the vehicle cannot drive with the safe distance.
The judgment unit is a route confirmation device that outputs judgment information including the judgment result of the judgment unit to a preset setting device.

According to such a route confirmation device, when the generated travel plan cannot be executed while ensuring a safe distance, the determination unit controls the execution of the generated travel plan to be prohibited. Therefore, a safe distance can be secured. Further, the judgment unit outputs the judgment information including the judgment result of the judgment unit to the preset setting device. The setting device to which the judgment information is given can recognize the judgment result by using the judgment information. For example, if the notification device that notifies the user of information is a setting device, judgment information is output to the notification device. This allows the user to recognize the reason for not executing the driving plan, such as in the case of a crossing situation on a narrow road without lane breaks. Further, for example, when the setting device is a route generation unit, judgment information is output to the route generation unit. As a result, the route generation unit can recognize the reason why the driving plan is not executed, such as in the case of a misplaced road on a narrow road without a lane break, so that it can be used as reference information for generating a different driving plan. Therefore, it is possible to deal with a situation in which the dangerous state cannot be resolved unless the vehicle moves by itself while ensuring a safe distance during vehicle driving control by the traveling control unit.

The reference numerals in parentheses of the above-mentioned means are examples showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later.

The block diagram which shows the vehicle system 20 of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of a safety distance 42. The control block diagram of the vehicle control device 21. The figure explaining the deadlock state. The flowchart which shows the process of the route generation unit 27 and the route confirmation unit 28. The flowchart which shows the other processing of the route generation unit 27 and the route confirmation unit 28. The flowchart which shows the process of the route generation part 27. The control block diagram of the vehicle control device 21 of the 2nd embodiment. The figure explaining the steady deadlock state. The figure explaining the periodic deadlock state. A graph illustrating a steady deadlock condition. A graph illustrating a periodic deadlock condition. The flowchart explaining the process of the deadlock detection unit 45. The flowchart which shows the process of the route generation part 27.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure with reference to the drawings will be described using a plurality of embodiments. In each embodiment, the same reference numeral may be added to the portion corresponding to the matter described in the preceding embodiment, or one character may be added to the preceding reference code to omit the duplicated explanation. When a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those in the previously described embodiment. Not only the combinations of the parts specifically described in each embodiment, but also the combinations of the embodiments can be partially combined as long as the combination does not cause any trouble.

(First Embodiment)
The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The vehicle system 20 shown in FIG. 1 is used in an autonomous driving vehicle capable of autonomous driving. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 20 includes a vehicle control device 21, a traveling control electronic control unit (Electronic Control Unit: abbreviated as ECU) 31, a locator 33, a map database 34, a peripheral monitoring sensor 35, a communication module 37, and a vehicle. It includes a status sensor 38, a manual operation unit 32, and an operation switching unit 30. The vehicle 40 using the vehicle system 20 is not necessarily limited to an automobile, but the case where the vehicle 40 is used for an automobile will be described below as an example.

First, the self-driving vehicle 40 will be described. The self-driving vehicle 40 may be any vehicle capable of self-driving as described above. As the automation level, which is the degree of automatic operation, there may be a plurality of levels as defined by SAE, for example. The automation level is divided into the following levels in the definition of SAE, for example.

Level 0 is the level at which the driver performs all driving tasks without the intervention of the system. Driving tasks are, for example, steering and acceleration / deceleration. Level 0 corresponds to manual operation using the so-called manual operation unit 32. Level 1 is the level at which the system supports either steering or acceleration / deceleration. Level 2 is the level at which the system supports both steering and acceleration / deceleration. Level 1 and level 2 correspond to so-called driving support.

Level 3 is a level at which the system can perform all driving tasks in a specific place such as a highway, and the driver performs a driving operation in an emergency. At level 3, the driver is required to be able to respond promptly when there is a request for a driver change from the system. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional automatic driving. Level 4 is a level at which the system can perform all driving tasks except under specific circumstances such as unresponsive roads and extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to so-called highly automatic driving. Level 5 is the level at which the system can perform all driving tasks in any environment. Level 5 corresponds to so-called fully automatic operation. Levels 3 to 5 correspond to so-called automatic driving.

The autonomous driving vehicle 40 of the present embodiment may be, for example, an autonomous driving vehicle having an automation level of level 3 or an autonomous driving vehicle having an automation level of level 4 or higher. Also, the automation level may be switchable. In this embodiment, it is possible to switch between automatic operation of automation level 3 or higher and manual operation of level 0.

Next, the configuration of each part will be described. The locator 33 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The locator 33 sequentially positions the vehicle position of its own vehicle by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver and the measurement result of the inertial sensor. The vehicle position shall be represented by, for example, the coordinates of latitude and longitude. For the positioning of the vehicle position, the mileage obtained from the signals sequentially output from the vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle 40 may be used.

The map database 34 is a non-volatile memory and stores map data such as link data, node data, road shape, and structures. The link data is composed of data such as a link ID that identifies the link, a link length that indicates the length of the link, a link direction, a link travel time, a link shape, node coordinates between the start and end of the link, and road attributes. Ru. As an example, the link shape may consist of a coordinate sequence indicating the coordinate positions of the shape interpolation points representing both ends of the link and the shape between them. Road attributes include road name, road type, road width, lane number information indicating the number of lanes, speed regulation value, and the like. The node data is composed of node ID with a unique number for each node on the map, node coordinates, node name, node type, connection link ID in which the link ID of the link connected to the node is described, and the like. Node. The link data may be subdivided into lanes, that is, lanes, in addition to road sections.

From the lane number information and / or the road type, it may be possible to determine whether the road section, that is, the link corresponds to a plurality of lanes on one side, one lane on one side, a two-way road without a center line, or the like. Two-way roads without a central line do not include one-way roads. The center line can also be rephrased as the center line. The term "two-way road without a center line" as used herein means a two-way road without a center line among general roads excluding expressways and motorways.

The map data may also include a three-dimensional map consisting of point clouds of road shapes and feature points of structures. When a three-dimensional map consisting of a point cloud of road shapes and feature points of a structure is used as map data, the locator 33 uses the three-dimensional map and feature points of the road shape and structure without using a GNSS receiver. The position of the own vehicle may be specified by using the detection result of the peripheral monitoring sensor 35 such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) for detecting the point cloud or the peripheral monitoring camera. The three-dimensional map may be generated based on the captured image by REM (Road Experience Management).

The peripheral monitoring sensor 35 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the periphery of the own vehicle. As an example, the peripheral monitoring sensor 35 is a own vehicle such as a pedestrian, an animal other than a human being, a moving moving object such as a vehicle other than the own vehicle, and a stationary stationary object such as a guardrail, a curb, a tree, or a falling object on the road. Detect surrounding objects. In addition, it also detects road markings such as driving lane markings around the vehicle. Peripheral monitoring sensors 35 include, for example, peripheral monitoring cameras that capture a predetermined range around the vehicle, millimeter wave radars that transmit exploration waves to a predetermined range around the vehicle, sonar, and range-finding sensors such as LIDAR.

The vehicle state sensor 38 is a group of sensors for detecting various states of the own vehicle. The vehicle state sensor 38 includes a vehicle speed sensor, a steering sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and the like. The vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed of the own vehicle. The steering sensor detects the steering angle of the own vehicle. The acceleration sensor detects accelerations such as front-rear acceleration and lateral acceleration of the own vehicle. The accelerometer may also detect deceleration, which is an acceleration in the negative direction. The yaw rate sensor detects the angular velocity of the own vehicle.

The communication module 37 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which is information transmission / reception, via wireless communication with the communication module 37 of the vehicle system 20 mounted on the peripheral vehicles of the own vehicle. Further, the communication module 37 may perform road-to-vehicle communication, which is the transmission / reception of information, via wireless communication with the roadside unit installed on the roadside. In this case, the communication module 37 may receive information on the peripheral vehicle transmitted from the communication module 37 of the vehicle system 20 mounted on the peripheral vehicle of the own vehicle via the roadside unit.

Further, the communication module 37 may perform wide-area communication, which is transmission / reception of information, via wireless communication with a center outside the own vehicle. When vehicles send and receive information via the center by wide area communication, by transmitting and receiving information including the vehicle position, the vehicle 40 within a certain range can be connected to each other at the center based on this vehicle position. It may be adjusted so that information can be sent and received. Hereinafter, the case where the communication module 37 receives information on vehicles around the own vehicle by at least one of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and wide area communication will be described as an example.

In addition, the communication module 37 may receive the map data distributed from the external server that distributes the map data by, for example, wide area communication, and store the map data in the map database 34. In this case, the map database 34 may be used as a volatile memory, and the communication module 37 may be configured to sequentially acquire map data of an area corresponding to the position of the own vehicle.

The manual operation unit 32 is a part operated by the driver to drive the own vehicle, and includes a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal. The manual operation unit 32 outputs the operation amount operated by the driver to the operation switching unit 30. The operation amount is an accelerator operation amount, a brake operation amount, and a steering operation amount. In the case of the automatic driving mode, the vehicle control device 21 outputs an instruction value for executing the automatic driving.

The operation switching unit 30 switches the operation mode between the automatic operation mode in which the automatic operation is performed and the manual operation mode in which the manual operation is performed. In other words, the driving switching unit 30 switches whether the authority to drive and operate the own vehicle 40 is the vehicle control device 21 or the driver. When the vehicle control device 21 has the authority to drive and operate the own vehicle 40, the operation switching unit 30 transmits the instruction value output from the vehicle control device 21 to the travel control ECU 31. When the driver has the authority to operate the own vehicle 40, the operation switching unit 30 transmits the operation amount to the travel control ECU 31.

The operation switching unit 30 switches the operation mode to the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode according to the mode switching request. There are two types of mode switching requests: a manual operation mode switching request for changing the operation mode from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode, and an automatic operation mode switching request for changing the operation mode from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode. The mode switching request is generated, for example, by the driver's switch operation, and is input to the operation switching unit 30. Further, the mode switching request is generated by the judgment of the vehicle control device 21, for example, and is input to the operation switching unit 30. The operation switching unit 30 switches the operation mode in response to the mode switching request.

The travel control ECU 31 is a travel control unit and is an electronic control device that controls travel of the own vehicle 40. Examples of the traveling control include acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control. The travel control ECU 31 includes a steering ECU that performs steering control, a power unit control ECU that performs acceleration / deceleration control, a brake ECU, and the like. The travel control ECU 31 performs travel control by outputting control signals to each travel control device such as an electronically controlled throttle, a brake actuator, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor mounted on the own vehicle.

The vehicle control device 21 includes, for example, a processor, a memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these, and executes a process related to automatic driving by executing a control program stored in the memory. The memory referred to here is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that stores programs and data that can be read by a computer non-transitoryly. Further, the non-transitional substantive storage medium is realized by a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

Subsequently, the schematic configuration of the vehicle control device 21 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 21 includes a vehicle position acquisition unit 19, a sensing information acquisition unit 22, a map data acquisition unit 23, a communication information acquisition unit 24, a driving environment acquisition unit 25, and an automatic driving unit 26. It is provided as a functional block. It should be noted that a part or all of the functions executed by the vehicle control device 21 may be configured in terms of hardware by one or a plurality of ICs or the like. Further, a part or all of the functional blocks included in the vehicle control device 21 may be realized by executing software by a processor and a combination of hardware members. The vehicle control device 21 corresponds to an in-vehicle device.

The own vehicle position acquisition unit 19 acquires the vehicle position of the own vehicle to be sequentially positioned by the locator 33. The sensing information acquisition unit 22 acquires the sensing information which is the detection result sequentially detected by the peripheral monitoring sensor 35. Further, the sensing information acquisition unit 22 acquires vehicle state information which is a detection result sequentially detected by the vehicle state sensor 38.

The map data acquisition unit 23 acquires the map data stored in the map database 34. The map data acquisition unit 23 may acquire map data around the own vehicle according to the vehicle position of the own vehicle acquired by the own vehicle position acquisition unit 19. It is preferable that the map data acquisition unit 23 acquires map data for a range wider than the detection range of the peripheral monitoring sensor 35.

The communication information acquisition unit 24 acquires information on vehicles around the own vehicle using the communication module 37. Examples of the peripheral vehicle information include peripheral vehicle identification information, speed information, acceleration information, yaw rate information, position information, and the like. The identification information is information for identifying an individual vehicle. The identification information may include, for example, classification information indicating a predetermined classification such as a vehicle type and a vehicle class to which the own vehicle corresponds.

The driving environment acquisition unit 25 acquires the driving environment of the own vehicle and generates a virtual space simulating the driving environment acquired by the automatic driving unit 26. Specifically, the driving environment acquisition unit 25 acquires the vehicle position of the own vehicle acquired by the own vehicle position acquisition unit 19, the sensing information and vehicle state information acquired by the sensing information acquisition unit 22, and the map data acquisition unit 23. The traveling environment of the own vehicle is recognized from the map data, the information of the surrounding vehicles acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 24, and the like. As an example, the driving environment acquisition unit 25 recognizes the position, shape, moving state, etc. of objects around the vehicle, the position of road markings around the vehicle, etc., using these information. , Generate a virtual space that reproduces the actual driving environment.

From the sensing information acquired by the sensing information acquisition unit 22, the driving environment acquisition unit 25 also recognizes the distance to the peripheral object of the own vehicle, the relative speed of the peripheral object with respect to the own vehicle, the shape and size of the peripheral object, and the like as the driving environment. It should be. Further, the traveling environment acquisition unit 25 may be configured to recognize the traveling environment by using the information of the peripheral vehicle when the communication information acquisition unit 24 can acquire the information of the peripheral vehicle. For example, the position, speed, acceleration, yaw rate, etc. of the peripheral vehicle may be recognized from the information such as the position, speed, acceleration, and yaw rate of the peripheral vehicle. Further, the performance information such as the maximum deceleration and the maximum acceleration of the peripheral vehicle may be recognized from the identification information of the peripheral vehicle. As an example, by storing the correspondence between the identification information and the performance information in the non-volatile memory of the vehicle control device 21 in advance, the performance information may be recognized from the identification information with reference to this correspondence. .. The above-mentioned classification information may be used as the identification information.

It is preferable that the traveling environment acquisition unit 25 distinguishes and recognizes whether the peripheral object detected by the peripheral monitoring sensor 35 is a moving object or a stationary object. It is also preferable to distinguish and recognize the types of peripheral objects. As for the types of peripheral objects, for example, the types may be distinguished and recognized by performing pattern matching on the images captured by the peripheral surveillance camera. As for the type, for example, a structure such as a guardrail, a falling object on the road, a pedestrian, a bicycle, a motorcycle, an automobile, or the like may be recognized separately. When the peripheral object is an automobile, the type of the peripheral object may be a vehicle class, a vehicle type, or the like. Whether the peripheral object is a moving object or a stationary object may be recognized according to the type of the peripheral object. For example, if the type of peripheral object is a structure or a falling object on the road, it may be recognized as a stationary object. If the type of peripheral object is a pedestrian, a bicycle, a motorcycle, or a car, it may be recognized as a moving object. An object that is unlikely to move immediately, such as a parked vehicle, may be recognized as a stationary object. The parked vehicle may be recognized from the fact that it is stopped and it can be recognized by image recognition that the brake lamp is not lit.

The automatic driving unit 26 performs processing related to the proxy of the driving operation by the driver. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic driving unit 26 includes a route generation unit 27, a route confirmation unit 28, and an automatic driving function unit 29 as sub-functional blocks.

The route generation unit 27 generates a travel plan for driving the own vehicle by automatic driving using the travel environment acquired by the travel environment acquisition unit 25. For example, as a medium- to long-term driving plan, a route search process is performed to generate a recommended route from the position of the own vehicle to the destination. In addition, as a short-term driving plan for driving according to the medium- to long-term driving plan, a driving plan for changing lanes, a driving plan for driving in the center of the lane, a driving plan for following the preceding vehicle, and a driving plan for avoiding obstacles. Etc. are generated.

For example, the route generation unit 27 may generate a route that is a certain distance or the center from the recognized travel lane marking as a travel plan, or generate a route that follows the recognized behavior of the preceding vehicle or the travel locus as a travel plan. good. Further, the route generation unit 27 may generate a route for changing the lane of the own vehicle to an empty area of the adjacent lane in the same traveling direction as a traveling plan. The route generation unit 27 may generate a route for avoiding an obstacle and maintaining the traveling as a traveling plan, or generate a deceleration for stopping in front of the obstacle as a traveling plan. The route generation unit 27 may be configured to generate a travel plan that is determined to be optimal by machine learning or the like. The route generation unit 27 calculates, for example, one or more routes as a short-term travel plan. For example, the route generation unit 27 may be configured to include acceleration / deceleration information for speed adjustment on the calculated route as a short-term travel plan.

As an example, when the forward obstacle recognized by the driving environment acquisition unit 25 is a traveling obstruction that hinders the traveling of the own vehicle, the route generation unit 27 evaluates the safety by the route confirmation unit 28, which will be described later, while evaluating the safety. A driving plan may be generated according to the situation. In the following, the description will be continued by taking as an example the case where a running obstacle is recognized and specified. The traveling obstruction may be a falling object on the road in the traveling lane of the own vehicle, a parked vehicle, or a preceding vehicle in the traveling lane of the own vehicle. The preceding vehicle corresponding to the traveling obstruction may be a preceding vehicle or the like whose average vehicle speed is significantly lower than the speed regulation value of the traveling road even though the road is not congested. On narrow roads, it is often necessary to drive slowly, so it is preferable to have a configuration in which the preceding vehicle does not interfere with driving. In the following, when the driving path of the own vehicle corresponds to a two-way road without a center line, a moving object such as a preceding vehicle is not specified as a traveling obstacle, and a stationary object such as a parked vehicle is specified as a traveling obstacle. I will explain it as something to do.

For example, when the travel environment acquisition unit 25 recognizes and identifies a travel obstruction, the route generation unit 27 performs processing according to the travel path of the own vehicle. For example, when the travel path of the own vehicle corresponds to a two-way road without a center line, the route generation unit 27 secures a distance in the left-right direction equal to or more than a threshold value with the travel obstruction, and the own vehicle It suffices to determine whether or not the vehicle can travel in the driving lane. The threshold value referred to here may be a lower limit value that can be set as a safety distance described later. The lower limit value may be, for example, a value of a safety distance set when traveling while keeping the speed of the own vehicle to a minimum. In other words, the route generation unit 27 secures a safe distance in the left-right direction between the vehicle and the traveling obstruction, and determines whether or not the vehicle can travel in the traveling lane of the own vehicle. The threshold value may be a fixed value set in advance, or may be a value that changes according to the behavior of the moving body when the traveling obstructor is a moving body.

As an example, in the route generation unit 27, the width of the portion of the lane width of the own vehicle that is not blocked by the traveling obstruction is larger than the value obtained by adding the above-mentioned threshold value to the vehicle width of the own vehicle. In this case, it may be determined that the vehicle can travel in the driving lane of the own vehicle by securing a safe distance in the left-right direction from the traveling obstruction. If it is determined that a safe distance in the left-right direction can be secured between the vehicle and the vehicle in the driving lane of the vehicle, the vehicle can maintain the vehicle's lane and avoid the oncoming vehicle. You just have to generate a driving plan that passes by the side.

On the other hand, when the width of the portion of the lane width of the own vehicle that is not blocked by the traveling obstruction is equal to or less than the value obtained by adding the above-mentioned threshold value to the vehicle width of the own vehicle, the vehicle is referred to as a traveling obstruction. It suffices to secure a safe distance in the left-right direction in between and determine that the vehicle cannot travel in the driving lane of the vehicle. As for the value of the vehicle width of the own vehicle, the value stored in advance in the non-volatile memory of the vehicle control device 21 may be used. The lane width of the traveling lane may be specified from the map data acquired by the map data acquisition unit 23. If it is determined that the vehicle cannot travel in the driving lane of the own vehicle by securing a safe distance in the left-right direction from the traveling obstruction, a traveling plan for stopping may be generated. This is because when the vehicle's driving path corresponds to a two-way road without a center line, it is judged that the vehicle cannot drive in the vehicle's driving lane by ensuring a safe distance in the left-right direction between the vehicle and the vehicle. This is because it is not possible to pass. In this case, for example, the vehicle control device 21 may be configured to switch from automatic driving to manual driving. In addition, when switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation, the configuration may be such that the manual operation is started after the notification requesting the change of operation is given in advance.

When the travel path of the own vehicle corresponds to a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, the route generation unit 27 may generate a travel plan for changing the lane to an adjacent lane in the same direction as the travel lane of the own vehicle. When the travel path of the own vehicle corresponds to a road with one lane on each side, the route generation unit 27 secures a distance in the left-right direction equal to or more than the threshold value with the travel obstruction in the same manner as described above. , It is sufficient to judge whether or not the vehicle can travel in the driving lane of the own vehicle. If it is determined that a safe distance in the left-right direction can be secured between the vehicle and the vehicle in the driving lane, the vehicle passes by the side of the vehicle while maintaining the vehicle's driving lane. All you have to do is generate a driving plan. On the other hand, the route generation unit 27 secures a safe distance in the left-right direction between the vehicle and the vehicle in the case where the vehicle's travel path corresponds to a road with one lane on each side, and keeps the vehicle in the vehicle's lane. If it is determined that the vehicle cannot be driven, it is sufficient to generate a driving plan that goes beyond the driving lane of the own vehicle and passes by the side of the driving obstacle while avoiding the oncoming vehicle.

The route confirmation unit 28 evaluates the safety of the travel plan generated by the route generation unit 27. As an example, in order to facilitate the evaluation of the safety of the driving plan, the route confirmation unit 28 may evaluate the safety of the driving plan by using a mathematical formula model that formulates the concept of safe driving. .. The route confirmation unit 28 serves as a reference for evaluating the safety between objects, in which the distance between objects, which is the distance between the vehicle and surrounding objects, is calculated by a preset mathematical formula model. Safety may be evaluated based on whether or not the distance is greater than or equal to the safety distance. As an example, the distance between the objects may be the distance in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the own vehicle.

The official mathematical model does not guarantee that the accident will not occur completely, and if the distance is less than the safe distance, the person responsible for the accident will be responsible for the accident as long as appropriate actions are taken to avoid the collision. It is to guarantee that it will not be. As an example of the appropriate action for collision avoidance here, braking with a rational force can be mentioned. Braking with a reasonable force includes, for example, braking at the maximum deceleration possible for the own vehicle. The safe distance calculated by the mathematical formula model can be rephrased as the minimum distance that the vehicle should have between the vehicle and the obstacle in order to avoid the proximity of the vehicle to the obstacle.

The route confirmation unit 28 includes a safety distance setting unit 281 and a determination unit 282 as sub-functional blocks. The safety distance setting unit 281 calculates the safety distance using the mathematical formula model described above, and sets the calculated safety distance as the safety distance. The safety distance setting unit 281 shall calculate and set the safety distance using at least the information on the behavior of the vehicle 40. As the mathematical formula model, the safety distance setting unit 281 may use, for example, an RSS (Responsibility Sensitive Safety) model.

The safety distance setting unit 281 sets a safety distance 42 that the vehicle should leave at least between the obstacle 41 and the obstacle 41 in order to avoid the proximity of the vehicle to the obstacle 41. The safety distance setting unit 281 sets, for example, a safety distance 42 in the front and left-right directions of the own vehicle. As a reference, the safety distance setting unit 281 may calculate, for example, the distance at which the vehicle can stop in the shortest time as the safety distance 42 from the information on the behavior of the vehicle in front of the vehicle. .. As a specific example, from the speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time of the own vehicle, the own vehicle can travel forward at the maximum acceleration between the current vehicle speed and the response time, and then decelerate and stop at the maximum deceleration. The distance may be calculated as the safety distance 42 ahead. The speed, maximum acceleration, and maximum deceleration of the own vehicle here are for the front-rear direction of the own vehicle. The response time here may be the time from the instruction of the operation to the braking device to the start of the operation when the own vehicle is stopped by the automatic driving. As an example, the maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time of the own vehicle may be specified by storing them in the non-volatile memory of the vehicle control device 21 in advance. Even when the safety distance setting unit 281 does not recognize a moving object but recognizes a stationary object in front of the own vehicle, the safety distance setting unit 42 may set the safety distance 42 in front of the vehicle as a reference.

When the safety distance setting unit 281 recognizes a moving object in front of the own vehicle, the safety distance setting unit 281 can stop without contacting the own vehicle and the forward moving object from the information on the behavior of the own vehicle and the forward moving object. The distance may be calculated as the safety distance 42 ahead. Here, the case where the moving body is an automobile will be described as an example. Examples of the forward moving body include a preceding vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, and the like. As a specific example, when the moving direction of the own vehicle and the forward moving body is opposite, the own vehicle and the forward moving body are obtained from the speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time of the own vehicle and the forward moving body. The distance between the current speed and the response time after traveling in front of each other at the maximum acceleration, then decelerating at the maximum deceleration and stopping without contacting each other may be calculated as the safety distance 42 ahead. On the other hand, when the moving direction between the own vehicle and the forward moving body is forward, the forward moving body decelerates from the current speed at the maximum deceleration, whereas the own vehicle is between the current speed and the response time. The distance that can be stopped without contacting each other by decelerating at the maximum deceleration after traveling forward at the maximum acceleration may be calculated as the safe distance 42 ahead.

If the speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time of the moving body can be acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 24, the information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 24 may be used by the safety distance setting unit 281. .. Further, as the information that can be recognized by the driving environment acquisition unit 25, the information recognized by the driving environment acquisition unit 25 may be used. In addition, for the maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time of the moving body, the general vehicle values are stored in advance in the non-volatile memory of the vehicle control device 21, so that the general vehicle values can be obtained. It may be configured to be used by the safety distance setting unit 281.

Further, when the safety distance setting unit 281 recognizes the moving object behind the own vehicle, the safety distance setting unit 281 does not contact the own vehicle and the rear moving object from the information on the behavior of the own vehicle and the rear moving object. The distance that can be stopped may be calculated as the rear safety distance 42. Examples of the rear moving body include a following vehicle and a rear side vehicle in an adjacent lane behind the own vehicle. The safety distance setting unit 281 may set the safety distance 42 behind the own vehicle by estimating the safety distance 42 for the rear moving body in the same manner as calculating the safety distance 42 in front, for example.

As a reference, the safety distance setting unit 281 determines the distance that the vehicle moves in the left-right direction from the behavior information of the vehicle in the left-right direction until the speed in the left-right direction can be reduced to 0 at the shortest. It may be calculated as. For example, from the left-right speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time of the vehicle, the vehicle moves left-right with maximum acceleration between the current left-right speed and response time, and then with maximum deceleration. The distance that the vehicle moves in the left-right direction until the vehicle decelerates and the speed in the left-right direction becomes 0 may be calculated as the safety distance 42 in the left-right direction. The response time here may be the time from the instruction of the operation to the steering device to the start of the operation when the own vehicle is steered by automatic driving. The safety distance setting unit 281 may set the safety distance 42 in the left-right direction as a reference even when the moving object is not recognized in the left-right direction of the own vehicle but the stationary object is recognized.

When the safety distance setting unit 281 recognizes the moving object in the left-right direction of the own vehicle, the safety distance setting unit 281 determines the direction in which the moving object exists from the information on the behavior of the own vehicle and the moving object. The distance that the two move in the left-right direction until the speeds in the left-right direction can be reduced to 0 without contacting each other may be calculated as the safety distance 42 in that direction. As a specific example, from the speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and response time between the own vehicle and the moving object, the own vehicle and the moving object each traveled in the left-right direction at the maximum acceleration between the current speed and the response time. After that, the distance that can be decelerated at the maximum deceleration and stopped without contacting each other may be calculated as the safety distance 42 in the left-right direction.

The determination unit 282 determines whether or not the vehicle can travel while securing the set safety distance 42 when the generated travel plan is executed. The determination unit 282 controls the generated travel plan so that the travel control ECU 31 does not execute the generated travel plan when the vehicle cannot travel while securing the safety distance 42. When the determination unit 282 cannot drive while securing the safe distance 42, the determination unit 282 deletes the generated driving plan without transmitting it to the automatic driving function unit 29.

In other words, the determination unit 282 evaluates that the travel plan generated by the route generation unit 27 is safe when the distance between the objects is the safety distance 42 or more set by the safety distance setting unit 281. On the other hand, the determination unit 282 evaluates that the travel plan generated by the route generation unit 27 is not safe when the distance between the objects is less than the safety distance 42. The determination unit 282 outputs the travel plan to the automatic driving function unit 29 based on the evaluation that there is safety. On the other hand, the determination unit 282 does not output the driving plan evaluated as having no safety to the automatic driving function unit 29. The determination unit 282 may select a route that more satisfies the safety distance 42 when a plurality of travel plans are generated by the route generation unit 27.

The automatic driving function unit 29 causes the driving control ECU 31 to automatically accelerate / decelerate and / or steer the vehicle according to the driving plan output from the route confirmation unit 28, so that the driver can act for the driving operation, that is, It suffices to perform automatic operation. The automatic driving function unit 29 causes the route confirmation unit 28 to perform automatic driving according to a traveling plan evaluated to be used for automatic driving. If the driving plan is traveling on a route, automatic driving will be performed along this route. If the driving plan is to stop or decelerate, stop or decelerate automatically. The automatic driving function unit 29 causes the automatic driving according to the traveling plan output from the route confirmation unit 28, so that the automatic driving is performed while avoiding the proximity of the own vehicle and the surrounding objects.

Next, more specific control of the route generation unit 27 and the route confirmation unit 28 will be described. FIG. 3 shows a part of the control flow diagram of the vehicle control device 21. The route generation unit 27 communicates with the route confirmation unit 28 in both directions. As shown in FIG. 3, the route generation unit 27 receives the information output by the route confirmation unit 28, and creates a travel plan together with the information output from the travel environment acquisition unit 25.

The determination unit 282 outputs determination information including the determination result of the determination unit 282 to a device other than the travel control ECU 31. Specifically, the determination unit 282 outputs the determination information to the route generation unit 27. For example, when the travel plan is not executed, the determination unit 282 outputs the execution plan that was not executed to the route generation unit 27.

The route generation unit 27 generates a travel plan using the information output by the travel environment acquisition unit 25 and the determination information output by the determination unit 282. The route generation unit 27 modifies the travel plan according to the safety distance 42 set by the safety distance setting unit 281 so that it is evaluated as having safety.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in a misplaced situation on a narrow road without a lane break, the other vehicle 43 may be within the safe distance 42. In this case, since the other vehicle 43 also expects to move, the situation cannot be solved as it is.

The travel plan generated by the route generation unit 27 cannot always secure the safety distance 42 even in the case of a travel plan that moves so as to pass through the left side, for example. Therefore, the determination unit 282 does not execute the travel plan that moves so that the generated left side comes out, assuming that the vehicle cannot travel while securing the safety distance 42. If the travel plan is not executed as it is, the route generation unit 27 continues to be rejected by the determination unit 282, resulting in a state in which the stopped state cannot be escaped, that is, a so-called deadlock state.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 282 controls to feed back the determination result to the route generation unit 27. The route generation unit 27 generates, for example, a route that temporarily backs up and passes through the armpit based on the feedback judgment information.

Next, the processing of the vehicle control device 21 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 to 7. Each flowchart is a process that is repeatedly executed in a short time when the vehicle control device 21 is in the power-on state. For example, these processes are repeatedly executed at the same time as or shorter than the safety judgment cycle of the judgment unit 282.

When the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is started, in step S1, the route generation unit 27 generates a travel plan based on the information output from the travel environment acquisition unit 25 and the determination unit 282, and moves to step S2. In step S2, the safety distance setting unit 281 sets the safety distance 42 in the generated travel plan, and proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the determination unit 282 determines whether or not the travel plan can be executed while securing the safety distance 42, and if it can be executed, it proceeds to step S4, and if it cannot be executed, it proceeds to step S5.

In step S4, since the driving plan can be executed while securing the safe distance 42, the driving plan is output to the automatic driving function unit 29, and this flow is terminated. In step S5, since the safe distance 42 cannot be secured, the judgment information including the travel plan for which execution is prohibited is fed back to the route generation unit 27, and this flow ends.

When the safety distance 42 cannot be secured in this way, the determination information is fed back to the route generation unit 27, and is prompted to generate another travel plan.

Next, when the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is started, in step S21, the route generation unit 27 generates a travel plan based on the information output from the travel environment acquisition unit 25 and the determination unit 282, and in step S22. Move. In step S22, the safety distance setting unit 281 sets the safety distance 42 in the generated travel plan, and proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, the determination unit 282 determines whether or not the travel plan can be executed while securing the safety distance 42, and if it can be executed, the process proceeds to step S24, and if it cannot be executed, the process proceeds to step S25. In step S24, since the driving plan can be executed while securing the safe distance 42, the driving plan is output to the automatic driving function unit 29, and this flow is terminated.

Since the safety distance 42 cannot be secured in step S25, the safety distance setting unit 281 calculates a safe upper limit control value from the current driving condition, and proceeds to step S26. The upper limit control value is an upper limit value of the control range in which the vehicle can travel while securing the safe distance 42. In step S25, the calculated upper limit control value and the judgment information including the travel plan prohibiting execution are fed back to the route generation unit 27, and this flow ends.

The determination unit 282 determines that the criterion for determining the driving plan as safe is that, for example, when the own vehicle 40 accelerates at a [m / s ^ 2] for ρ seconds, the inter-vehicle distance does not fall below the safe distance 42. You can do it. Therefore, since the acceleration at which the safety distance 42 becomes equal to the current inter-vehicle distance is the upper limit control value, the route generation unit 27 sets a driving plan that satisfies the constraint range that is equal to or less than the upper limit control value fed back from the safety distance setting unit 281. Just think about it.

When the safe distance 42 cannot be secured in this way, not only the prohibited traveling plan but also the upper limit control value may be fed back to the route generation unit 27. As a result, it is possible to generate a traveling plan having a speed pattern that does not conflict with the safety standards of the route generation unit 27 and the determination unit 282.

Next, when the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is started, in step S31, the route generation unit 27 determines whether or not the upper limit control value has been acquired, and if so, proceeds to step S32 to acquire the upper limit control value. If not, this flow ends.

In step S32, the route generation unit 27 determines whether or not the travel plan can be generated by using the acquired upper limit control value, and if it can be generated, it moves to step S33, and if it cannot be generated, it goes to step S34. Move.

Since the travel plan can be generated in step S33, the route generation unit 27 generates a travel plan using the acquired upper limit control value, and ends this flow. Since the travel plan cannot be generated in step S34, the route generation unit 27 outputs a manual operation mode switching request for switching to the manual operation mode to the operation switching unit 30, and ends this flow.

If a driving plan that satisfies the input control value calculated in FIG. 6 cannot be created in this way, the process shifts to manual control. This can prevent the deadlock state from continuing.

As described above, according to the vehicle control device 21 of the present embodiment, it is determined to prohibit the execution of the generated driving plan when the safe distance 42 cannot be secured and the driving cannot be performed when the generated driving plan is executed. It is controlled by unit 282. Therefore, the safety distance 42 can be secured. Further, the determination unit 282 outputs the determination information including the determination result of the determination unit 282 to a setting device other than the travel control ECU 31. The setting device to which the judgment information is given can recognize the judgment result by using the judgment information. For example, when the judgment information is output to a display device that can be recognized by the user, it is possible to recognize the reason why the driving plan is not executed, such as in the case of a misplaced situation on a narrow road without a lane break. Further, when the judgment information is output to the route generation unit 27, for example, the route generation unit 27 can recognize the reason why the traveling plan is not executed, such as in the case of a misplaced situation on a narrow road without a lane break, so that it is different. It can be used as reference information for generating a driving plan. As a result, while ensuring a safe distance 42 during automatic driving control, it is possible to cope with a situation in which the dangerous state cannot be resolved unless the vehicle moves by itself.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the execution of the travel plan is prohibited, the determination unit 282 outputs the prohibited travel plan to the route generation unit 27. As a result, the route generation unit 27 can recognize the travel plan that cannot be executed, and can prevent the route generation unit 27 from generating the same travel plan. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a deadlock state caused by generating the same driving plan.

In the configuration of the judgment unit of the prior art, the role of the judgment unit is to select the travel plan and determine the stop, so why the route generation unit in the previous stage stopped in the latter stage, and whether the cause of the stop is the determination unit or the travel control ECU. I can't judge. Therefore, the route generation unit of the prior art creates a deadlock state in which the same travel plan is presented to the judgment unit and is continuously rejected. In this case, the movement of the vehicle converges to the stopped state. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the determination can be solved by the determination unit 282 feeding back the determination information to the route generation unit 27.

Further, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 282 calculates the upper limit of the control value regarding the vehicle speed that can secure the set safety distance 42 when the vehicle cannot travel while securing the set safety distance 42, and includes the control value. The determination information is output to the route generation unit 27. The control value related to the vehicle speed is, for example, information related to the vehicle speed and the acceleration. The determination unit 282 calculates the upper limit of the vehicle speed and acceleration that can secure the safe distance 42 as the upper limit control value, and the route generation unit 27 generates a travel plan so as to satisfy the upper limit control value. As a result, it is possible to generate a traveling plan that satisfies the requirements of the determination unit 282.

Further, in the present embodiment, the route generation unit 27 controls the operation switching unit 30 so as to switch to the manual operation mode when it is impossible to generate a travel plan that does not exceed the upper limit of the control value. As a result, if the deadlock state is not resolved by the driving plan, it is possible to urge the driver to cancel the deadlock state. Therefore, convenience can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 14. The present embodiment is characterized in that the destination of feedback from the route confirmation unit 28 is the deadlock detection unit 45. The deadlock detection unit 45 is provided in the automatic operation unit 26 as a sub-functional block. The deadlock detection unit 45 determines whether or not the current situation is in the deadlock state based on the determination information output by the route confirmation unit 28, and outputs the determination result to the route generation unit 27. The deadlock detection unit 45 functions as a detection unit.

In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the judgment information output by the route confirmation unit 28 includes information that the travel plan was not implemented due to the stop judgment, but it occurs periodically whether this is a temporary stop judgment. It is unclear whether it is a stop decision. In some cases, the determination unit 282 makes a stop determination due to momentary noise or the like. Therefore, by analyzing the contents of the judgment information in chronological order, it is possible to judge whether or not the deadlock state is really present and what kind of deadlock state it is. Therefore, the present embodiment includes a deadlock detection unit 45 that detects what kind of deadlock state it is.

The deadlock detection unit 45 detects the deadlock state, and further determines whether the deadlock state is a steady deadlock state or a periodic deadlock state. The steady deadlock state is a state in which the determination unit 282 cannot escape from the stop determination and cannot move. The steady deadlock state can occur in a situation where the determination unit 282 rejects the travel plan generated by the route generation unit 27 and stops. An example of this steady deadlock state is the situation shown in FIG. 4 in the above-mentioned first embodiment. That is, the travel plan generated by the route generation unit 27 is continuously rejected because the determination unit 282 cannot secure the safety distance 42.

The periodic deadlock state is a situation in which the deadlock state not only converges to the stopped state but also becomes a stalemate state in which the stop and movement are repeated. The periodic deadlock state is also called the live rock state. An example of this periodic deadlock state is the situation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Specifically, in FIG. 9, in a passing situation on a narrow road, the stop determination is canceled because the oncoming vehicle 43 has retracted behind after the stop determination of the determination unit 282. Then, when the own vehicle moves forward according to the traveling plan, the situation shown in FIG. 9 is reached again, and the judgment unit 282 determines to stop, so that the matchmaking situation cannot be resolved.

Further, in FIG. 10, in a passing situation on a narrow road, the stop determination is canceled because the own vehicle has retracted to the rear after the stop determination of the determination unit 282. Then, when the own vehicle moves forward again according to the traveling plan, the situation shown in FIG. 10 is reached again, and the judgment unit 282 determines to stop, so that the matchmaking situation is not resolved.

The deadlock detection unit 45 acquires judgment information from the judgment unit 282, analyzes changes in the judgment information in time series, and if the prohibition control prohibiting the execution of the traveling plan is repeated in a short time, the cycle Judged as a deadlock state. The graph shown in FIG. 11 is a waveform in a steady deadlock state, and the graph shown in FIG. 12 is a waveform in a periodic deadlock state. The vertical axis indicates whether the travel plan was approved or rejected by the judgment unit 282, and the value is set to 1 in the case of approval and 0 in the case of rejection. The horizontal axis is the passage of time.

As shown in FIG. 8, the deadlock detection unit 45 further includes a stationary detector 46 and a periodic detector 47 as functional blocks. The steady detector 46 detects whether or not it is in a steady deadlock state. The periodic detector 47 detects whether or not it is in a periodic deadlock state.

As shown in FIG. 11, the stationary detector 46 obtains a moving average on the vertical axis to determine whether or not it is in a steady deadlock state. The moving average is the rejection rate of the judgment result of the judgment unit 282 for Ns seconds. If this moving average is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value pd [%], it is determined that the state is a steady deadlock state. By using the moving average, it is possible to eliminate the situation where the approval state is reached only for a moment due to sain noise or the like.

In this embodiment, a moving average is used, but the moving average is not limited to the moving average. For example, the time of rejection, that is, the time of 0, may be used to determine whether a steady deadlock state is present. Further, it may be a filtering method having a low-pass property such as exponential smoothing instead of a moving average.

As shown in FIG. 12, the periodic detector 47 obtains a moving average between Nl longer than the Ns seconds of FIG. 11 and determines whether or not it is in a periodic deadlock state. As a result, the so-called Sennichite state, in which the stop determination by the determination unit 282 is periodically repeated, is avoided. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the generated driving plan is in a periodic deadlock state by looking at the frequency of rejection. Other determination methods, such as a frequency analysis method such as a fast Fourier transform and a pattern recognition method using machine learning, may be used to determine whether or not a periodic deadlock state is present.

Next, the processing of the vehicle control device 21 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 13 and 14. Each flowchart is a process that is repeatedly executed in a short time when the vehicle control device 21 is in the power-on state.

When the flowchart shown in FIG. 13 is started, in step S41, the deadlock detection unit 45 determines whether or not the determination information has been acquired, and if the determination information is acquired, the process proceeds to step S42 to acquire the determination information. If not, this flow ends.

In step S42, the deadlock detection unit 45 analyzes the acquired determination information and proceeds to step S42. The deadlock detection unit 45 analyzes the determination information by using the stationary detector 46 and the periodic detector 47.

In step S43, the deadlock detection unit 45 determines whether or not it is in a periodic deadlock state, proceeds to step S44 if it is in a periodic deadlock state, and performs this flow if it is not in a periodic deadlock state. finish.

In step S44, since it is in a periodic deadlock state, the repeat information is controlled to be output to the route generation unit 27, and this flow is terminated. In such a periodic deadlock state, repeat information is output to the route generation unit 27.

Next, when the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is started, the route generation unit 27 determines whether or not the repeat information has been acquired, and if the repeat information has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S52, and the repeat information has not been acquired. Ends this flow.

In step S52, the route generation unit 27 determines whether or not the travel plan can be generated by using the acquired repeat information, and if it can be generated, it proceeds to step S53, and if it cannot be generated, it proceeds to step S54. .. In other words, in step S52, it is determined whether or not a traveling plan capable of eliminating the periodic deadlock state can be generated.

Since the travel plan can be generated in step S53, the route generation unit 27 generates the travel plan in consideration of the acquired repeat information, and ends this flow. Since the travel plan cannot be generated in step S54, the route generation unit 27 outputs a manual operation mode switching request for switching to the manual operation mode to the operation switching unit 30, and ends this flow.

In the case of the periodic deadlock state as described above, if a driving plan for eliminating the periodic deadlock state cannot be created, the operation shifts to manual control. This can prevent the periodic deadlock state from continuing.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the judgment information is acquired from the judgment unit 282, the change in the judgment information in the time series is analyzed, and the stop control without executing the traveling plan is repeated in a short time, the route is taken. Repeat information indicating that the process is repeated in a short time is output to the generation unit 27. The route generation unit 27 further uses the repeat information to generate a travel plan. This makes it possible to prevent the generation of a running plan in which the periodic deadlock state continues.

Then, the route generation unit 27 controls the operation switching unit 30 so as to switch to the manual operation mode when the travel plan cannot be generated. As a result, when the periodic deadlock state is not eliminated by the traveling plan, it is possible to urge the driver to eliminate the deadlock state. Therefore, convenience can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the stationary detector 46 and the periodic detector 47 are connected in series, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The stationary detector 46 and the periodic detector 47 may be arranged in parallel and output from the route confirmation unit 28 at the same time.

(Other embodiments)
Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

The structure of the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of these descriptions. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the scope of claims.

In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the route confirmation device is realized as a route confirmation unit 28, which is one of the functional blocks of the automatic operation unit 26, but is not limited to such a configuration. The route confirmation device may be realized by a control device different from the automatic operation unit 26.

In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the configuration in which the default safety distance 42 is calculated by a mathematical formula model is shown, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the default safety distance 42 may be calculated by a model other than the mathematical formula model. For example, the safety distance setting unit 281 may calculate the safety distance 42 by using the information on the behavior of the own vehicle and the moving body around the own vehicle by another index such as TTC (Time To Collision).

The functions realized by the vehicle control device 21 in the first embodiment described above may be realized by hardware and software different from those described above, or a combination thereof. The vehicle control device 21 may communicate with, for example, another control device, and the other control device may execute a part or all of the processing. When the vehicle control device 21 is realized by an electronic circuit, it can be realized by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

19 ... Vehicle position acquisition unit 20 ... Vehicle system 21 ... Vehicle control device 22 ... Sensing information acquisition unit 23 ... Map data acquisition unit 24 ... Communication information acquisition unit 25 ... Driving environment acquisition unit 26 ... Automatic driving unit 27 ... Route generation Part 28 ... Route confirmation part 29 ... Automatic operation function part 30 ... Operation switching part 31 ... Driving control ECU 32 ... Manual operation part 33 ... Locator 34 ... Map database 35 ... Peripheral monitoring sensor 37 ... Communication module 38 ... Vehicle status sensor 40 ... Vehicle 41 ... Obstacle 42 ... Safe distance 43 ... Opponent vehicle 45 ... Deadlock detection unit (detection unit) 46 ... Steady detector 47 ... Periodic detector 281 ... Safety distance setting unit 282 ... Judgment unit

Claims (7)

Used for vehicles equipped with a route generation unit (27) that generates a travel plan for driving the own vehicle by automatic driving, and a travel control unit (31) that controls the travel of the vehicle according to the generated travel plan. It is a route confirmation device (28) to be used.
A safety distance setting unit (281) that sets the minimum safety distance that the vehicle should keep between the vehicle and the obstacle in order to avoid the proximity of the vehicle to the obstacle.
When the generated driving plan is executed, it is determined whether or not the vehicle can drive while securing the set safety distance, and if the driving cannot be performed while securing the safe distance, the generated driving plan of the generated driving plan is executed. Including the judgment unit (282) that prohibits execution,
The judgment unit is a route confirmation device that outputs judgment information including the judgment result of the judgment unit to a preset setting device. The setting device is the route generation unit, and is
The route confirmation device according to claim 1, wherein the route generation unit further uses the determination information to generate the travel plan. The route confirmation device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit outputs the prohibited travel plan to the route generation unit when the execution of the travel plan is prohibited. When the determination unit cannot drive while securing the set safety distance, the determination unit calculates an upper limit of a control value relating to a vehicle speed capable of securing the set safety distance, and obtains the determination information including the control value. The route confirmation device according to claim 2 or 3, which outputs to a route generation unit. When the judgment information is acquired from the judgment unit, the time-series change of the judgment information is analyzed, and the prohibition control for prohibiting the execution of the travel plan is repeated, the judgment information is repeated by the route generation unit. It further includes a detection unit (45) that outputs repeat information indicating that the device is running.
The route confirmation device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the route generation unit further uses the repeat information to generate the travel plan. It is used for vehicles further equipped with a driving switching unit (30) for switching the driving mode between the automatic driving mode in which automatic driving is performed and the manual driving mode in which manual driving is performed.
The route confirmation device according to claim 4, wherein the route generation unit controls the operation switching unit so as to switch to the manual operation mode when it is impossible to generate a travel plan that does not exceed the upper limit of the control value. It is used for vehicles further equipped with a driving switching unit (30) for switching the driving mode between the automatic driving mode in which automatic driving is performed and the manual driving mode in which manual driving is performed.
The route confirmation device according to claim 5, wherein the route generation unit controls the operation switching unit so as to switch to the manual operation mode when the repeat information is acquired.

Images