JP2022036620A - Vehicle control device and vehicle control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the problem that a conventional driving lane recognition technique cannot recognize a driving lane in accordance with road situations such as a road surface situation and variable sections including a bus stop.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device according to the present invention comprises: a target determining part 100 that recognizes any of a plurality of targets respectively arranged on a road with arrangement intervals, on the basis of information obtained from an outside world recognition device 2; a relative distance obtaining part that obtains a relative distance between the recognized target and a position of a vehicle; a road information determining part 103 that determines whether a position at which the recognized target is arranged is in a variable section or not, on the basis of the obtained relative distance; a relative distance correcting part 104 that when the road information determining part 103 determines that the position is in the variable section, corrects the calculated relative distance; a trajectory creating part 105 that creates a relative trajectory, with respect to the corrected relative distance; and a target-route calculating part 106 that recognizes a driving lane of the vehicle, using the created relative trajectory.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to technologies related to automatic driving of vehicles and automatic driving support. Among them, in particular, it relates to a technology for recognizing a driving environment such as a driving lane and a road.

Currently, automatic driving technology and automatic driving support technology for vehicles are being developed. In these, traveling lanes are recognized using data and information input from sensors such as cameras and radars. Patent Document 1 has been proposed as one of the techniques.

Patent Document 1 describes a traveling lane recognition device that recognizes a plurality of types (white lines, road studs, post cones) of lane marks laid on a road by a camera mounted on a vehicle. In Patent Document 1, when the road surface condition is poor such as an old paved road where the lane mark is difficult to see due to faintness or dirt, or when there is snowfall where the lane mark cannot be recognized, the road surface pattern (for example, rut) is recognized and the vehicle travels. The lane is fixed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-123058

However, Patent Document 1 has a problem that the traveling lane cannot be recognized when there is no rut due to the road surface condition at the time of snowfall or when there are a plurality of ruts and the selection cannot be made. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the vehicle will travel away from the traveling lane or the road itself.

Further, in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle travels in a bus stop section, a parking lot section including a parking lot installed on the roadside, and a changing section such as a chain attachment / detachment section, an approach road to the bus stop is used as a traveling lane. There is a risk of misrecognition.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a more accurate traveling lane recognition technique suitable for various road conditions.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a plurality of targets installed on the road at intervals are used to detect a change section of the road, and the result is used to recognize a traveling lane. do. As a more specific aspect, the present invention is a vehicle control device connected to an outside world recognition device and recognizing a traveling lane of a vehicle, each having an installation interval based on the information obtained from the outside world recognition device. A target determination unit that recognizes one of a plurality of targets installed on the road, a relative distance acquisition unit that acquires the relative distance between the recognized target and the position of the vehicle, and the acquired relative distance. Based on the above, the road information determination unit that determines whether the recognized installation position of the target is a change section, and the relative distance calculated when the road information determination unit determines that the change section is present. A target route calculation for recognizing the traveling lane of the vehicle using the relative distance correction unit that corrects the It is a vehicle control device having a unit.

Further, as one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control system including the vehicle control device and a travel control device connected to the vehicle control device via a communication line is also included.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to perform more accurate lane recognition according to the actual situation of the road.

The schematic block diagram of the vehicle in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the control apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the control apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The whole flowchart of the lane recognition process in one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows an example of the calculation process of the installation interval of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar in one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows an example of the output processing of a control command in one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram of the bus stop section which is an example of the change section in one Example of this invention. The schematic diagram of the curve section in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 1) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 2) to (Equation 4) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 5) and (Equation 6) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 7) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 8) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 9) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 10) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 11) and (Equation 12) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 13) and (Equation 14) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 15) in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the mathematical formula (Equation 16) in one Example of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example of recognizing a traveling lane when a vehicle is traveling on a road including a bus stop section as a changing section will be described. In addition, at the end (shoulder) of the road on which the vehicle travels, a plurality of fixed line-of-sight guide columns (so-called snow poles) are continuously installed at intervals of installation along the extending direction of the road. ..

In this embodiment, the bus stop section is used as the change section, but the change section is not limited to this. The change section may be a section that shifts or branches laterally from the traveling lane in the lateral direction and in which a target such as a fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is installed at the end of the change section. That is, in the changing section, the target is offset from the traveling lane and is installed on the bus stop side, in other words, in the direction of branching (horizontal direction). Therefore, the change section includes a parking lot section, a chain attachment / detachment section, and the like.

Further, in this embodiment, the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is used as a target, but the present invention is not limited to this. Targets may be continuously installed at the end of the road (shoulder) along the extending direction of the road at intervals of installation from each other.

First, FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the vehicle 10 in this embodiment. The vehicle 10 travels by operating a prime mover such as an engine (not shown) and brakes 8-1 to 8-4 according to the operation of the driver. For this purpose, the driver operates the electric steering 7 and the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal (not shown).

Further, it is desirable that the vehicle 10 is provided with an autonomous driving or automatic driving support function. That is, driving or driving support is performed according to the calculation of the control device 1 that controls the behavior of the vehicle 10. This control device 1 can be realized by a so-called ECU (Electronic Control Unit, Engine Control Unit). The details of the control device 1 will be described later.

Further, the control device 1 is connected to other devices via the in-vehicle communication lines 6-1 to 6-9. First, the in-vehicle communication line 6-1 is connected to the lane keep control device 4-1. The lane keep control device 4-1 outputs a steering command for steering the front wheels to a steering device (not shown) in accordance with a control command from the control device 1. The lane keep control device 4-1 may have a function of outputting a steering command according to the operation of the electric steering 7. Further, the lane keep control device 4-1 notifies the control device 1 of the steering result according to the operation from the steering command or the electric steering 7. These in-vehicle communication lines 6-1 to 6-9 can be realized by CAN (Controller Area Network).

Further, the in-vehicle communication line 6-2 is connected to the outside world recognition device 2. The outside world recognition device 2 can be realized by a camera, a radar sensor, or the like, and recognizes an object or an obstacle. Recognition targets also include pedestrians and other vehicles. Then, the outside world recognition device 2 notifies the control device 1 of the recognized information. In this embodiment, the outside world recognition device 2 is described as one configuration, but a plurality of cameras, radar sensors, and the like may be prepared. Further, a plurality of cameras, radar sensors and the like may be prepared respectively. It is desirable that the outside world recognition device 2 be installed in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, that is, toward the front.

Further, the in-vehicle communication line 6-3 is connected to the vehicle body information acquisition device 5 that acquires vehicle body information indicating the traveling state and behavior of the vehicle 10. The vehicle body information acquisition device 5 notifies the control device 1 of vehicle body information such as the own vehicle position, posture, and acceleration status of the vehicle 10. In response to this, the control device 1 notifies the travel control devices such as the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2 of control commands such as sideslip prevention. In this embodiment, the vehicle body information acquisition device 5 is described as one configuration, but a plurality of vehicle body information acquisition devices 5 may be prepared according to vehicle body information such as own vehicle position detection and posture detection.

Further, the in-vehicle communication line 6-4 is connected to the notification device 3. The notification device 3 can be realized by a so-called in-vehicle device, that is, an in-vehicle infotainment device or a car navigation device. The notification device 3 receives the notification from the control device 1 and outputs the control command and the alert regarding the operation. The output of the notification device 3 includes the recognition result of the traveling lane. Further, the output form of the notification device 3 includes not only images and characters on the display screen but also sound output from the speaker.

Further, the in-vehicle communication line 6-5 is connected to the brake control device 4-2. The brake control device 4-2 is connected to each of the brakes 8-1 to 8-4 via the in-vehicle communication lines 6-6 to 6-9. Therefore, the brake control device 4-2 outputs a braking command to each of the brakes 8-1 to 8-4 in accordance with the control command from the control device 1. The brake control device 4-2 may have a function of outputting a control command according to the operation of the brake pedal. As a result, a braking force acts on each tire 9-1 to 9-4, and the vehicle 10 decelerates or stops.

Next, the configuration of the control device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. First, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the control device 1. As described above, the control device 1 receives inputs from the outside world recognition device 2 and the vehicle body information acquisition device 5. Further, the control device 1 outputs various information and commands to the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2 and the notification device 3.

Here, the control device 1 has each of the illustrated functional blocks and recognizes a traveling lane. Here, the outline of the processing executed in each functional block will be described, and the details will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8.

First, the target determination unit 100 recognizes the fixed line-of-sight guide column from the input data. The own vehicle position estimation unit 108 estimates the position of the vehicle 10. The relative distance acquisition unit 101 specifies the relative distance between the vehicle 10 and the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar. The installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the installation interval of the recognized fixed line-of-sight guide pillar.

Further, the road information determination unit 103 determines whether the recognized fixed line-of-sight guide column installation position is a change section of the road. As a result, the road information determination unit 103 can determine whether the vehicle 10 is traveling in the changing section or will be traveling in the changing section from now on. It should be noted that it may be determined whether the road is a curved section or a straight section. The curved section will be described with reference to FIG. Further, the straight line section is a section having a smaller curvature than the curved section or a section having a curvature smaller than a predetermined curvature. However, roads may be managed separately for changing sections and other sections.

Further, when the road information determination unit 103 determines that the section is a change, the relative distance correction unit 104 corrects the relative distance specified by the relative distance acquisition unit 101. Further, the locus creating unit 105 creates a relative distance locus represented by a set of relative distances to each fixed line-of-sight guide column. Here, it is desirable that the locus creating unit 105 performs approximation processing on a set of relative distances to create a relative distance locus.

Further, the target route calculation unit 106 recognizes the traveling lane by using the output of the locus creation unit 105. Then, the target route calculation unit 106 outputs the recognition result to the travel control device such as the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2, and the notification device 3.

Further, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines whether the vehicle 10 can travel in the travel lane which is the recognition result of the target route calculation unit 106. Further, it is desirable that the lane keep permission determination unit 107 specifies a control command for traveling in the traveling lane by using the recognition result of the target route calculation unit 106. Then, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 outputs the determination result and the control command as to whether or not the vehicle can travel to the travel control device such as the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2 and the notification device 3. Here, although the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a travel control device other than these may be provided in the vehicle 10. Further, the vehicle control system including the control device 1 and the travel control device connected by the in-vehicle communication lines 6-1 to 6-9 may be configured with a so-called zone type architecture. In this case, it is desirable that the control device 1 be an integrated control device (brain computer) that performs integrated processing.

Through the above processing, the vehicle 10 can automatically drive and support automatic driving via the travel control device. Further, even if the vehicle 10 is not provided with automatic driving or automatic driving support, the recognition result of the traveling lane can be presented to the driver via the notification device 3.

Next, a hardware configuration for implementing the functional configuration of the control device 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. The hardware of the control device 1 is composed of a storage medium 1001, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 1002, an input interface 1003, an output interface 1004, and a bus 1005. The storage medium 1001 stores various data and information handled by the control device 1. The MCU 1002 executes an operation for executing the functions of the above-mentioned functional blocks (100 to 108). Specifically, the MCU 1002 includes the CPU 1002-1 and the memory 1002-2, and the CPU 1002-1 executes various operations according to the program of the memory 1002-2. The MCU 1002 may be capable of executing various operations by using FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) technology.

Further, the input interface 1003 receives information from the traveling control device in addition to the outside world recognition device 2 and the vehicle body information acquisition device 5. Further, the output interface 1004 outputs information and commands to the notification device 3 and the travel control device. Then, the bus 1005 connects each configuration in the control device 1.

Next, the details of the processing of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. In the following, the main body of each process in the control device 1 will be described by each functional block shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an overall flowchart of the lane recognition process in this embodiment. In FIG. 4, each of the plurality of fixed line-of-sight guide columns is recognized, and the lane recognition process is periodically executed.

First, in step S1, the target determination unit 100 recognizes the fixed line-of-sight guide column. For this purpose, the target determination unit 100 receives the image data or the like acquired by the outside world recognition device 2. Then, the target target determination unit 100 receives input data such as image data and determines the target included in the input data. In this embodiment, the target determination unit 100 recognizes the fixed line-of-sight guide column as a target from the input data by using the image recognition technique.

Here, if the target target determination unit 100 does not recognize the fixed line-of-sight guide column (NO), the process proceeds to step S2. If the target determination unit 100 can recognize the fixed line-of-sight guide column (YES), the process proceeds to step S3. The case where the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is not recognized includes the case where the outside world recognition device 2 cannot acquire image data or the like for some reason.

Further, in step S1, the own vehicle position estimation unit 108 estimates the own vehicle position of the vehicle 10 based on the input data from the vehicle body information acquisition device 5. This vehicle body information acquisition device 5 can be realized by a so-called GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving device. In step S1, the own vehicle position estimation unit 108 proceeds to step S2 if the own vehicle position cannot be estimated, and proceeds to step S3 if it can be estimated. That is, in step S1, if either the recognition by the target determination unit 100 or the estimation of the vehicle body information acquisition device 5 cannot be performed, the process proceeds to step S2. Further, when both the recognition by the target determination unit 100 and the estimation of the vehicle body information acquisition device 5 can be performed, the process proceeds to step S3.

Next, in step S2, the target target determination unit 100 or the own vehicle position estimation unit 108 outputs that the traveling lane cannot be recognized. This output destination includes a travel control device and a notification device 3.

Further, in step S3, the relative distance acquisition unit 101 specifies the relative distance between the recognized fixed line-of-sight guide pillar and the own vehicle position of the vehicle 10. Here, the relative distance means that the distance between the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar and the vehicle 10 can be specified, and the unit and the specifying method are not limited. In this embodiment, the relative distance acquisition unit 101 specifies the relative distance as a distance (X (m)) with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle and a distance (Y (m)) with respect to the left-right direction of the vehicle. The front-rear direction of the vehicle indicates the traveling direction (direction) thereof, and the left-right direction indicates a lateral direction indicating a substantially right angle to the traveling direction.

Next, in step S4, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the installation interval of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillars that are periodically recognized. Here, it is desirable that the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the installation interval of the adjacent fixed line-of-sight guide columns. Further, the installation interval calculation unit 102 may calculate the interval of the fixed line-of-sight guide column recognized for each cycle in which the lane recognition process is executed. The installation interval calculation unit 102 may calculate the interval at predetermined intervals.

Here, an example of step S4, that is, the calculation process of the installation interval of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S41, the installation interval calculation unit 102 determines whether or not the relative distance addition condition of the fixed line-of-sight guide column is satisfied. That is, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the relative distances (X1, Y1) of the fixed line-of-sight guide columns before the cycle currently being processed, and holds them in the storage medium 1001 shown in FIG. Then, can the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculate a new relative distance (X2, Y2) from the relative distance (X1, Y1) of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar held, that is, the next fixed line-of-sight guide pillar can be calculated. Determine if you have recognized it. As a result, if YES, the process proceeds to step S42. If NO, the process proceeds to step S43.

Next, in step S42, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates a new relative distance (X2, Y2) from the above-mentioned relative distance (X1, Y1). Then, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the installation interval of the fixed line-of-sight guide column from the relative distance (X1, Y1) and the relative distance (X2, Y2). Here, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the installation interval between fixed line-of-sight guide columns that satisfy predetermined conditions such as adjacentness.

For this purpose, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the installation interval (S (m)) using, for example, (Equation 1) in FIG.

Then, the installation interval calculation unit 102 holds the calculated relative distances (X2, Y2) and the installation interval (S) in the storage medium 1001.

Further, in step S43, the installation interval calculation unit 102 determines the relative distance (X1, Y1) during holding and the installation interval calculated so far. Note that step S43 may be omitted, and if NO is determined in step S41, the process may proceed to step S44.

Next, in step S44, the installation interval calculation unit 102 updates the relative distance according to the movement / posture change of the vehicle 10. At this time, the installation interval calculation unit 102 inputs the movement / posture of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle body information acquisition device 5 via the own vehicle position estimation unit 108, and uses this.

Here, it is desirable that the installation interval calculation unit 102 updates the relative distance according to the following procedure. First, the installation interval calculation unit 102 calculates the movement amounts ΔX, ΔY and the control cycle posture change amount Δθ of the vehicle 10 by using (Equation 2) to (Equation 4) of FIG. Here, the reference of θ is 0 ° in any direction.

Next, the installation interval calculation unit 102 updates the information of each relative distance using the results of (Equation 2) to (Equation 4). Here, the installation interval calculation unit 102 uses (Equation 5) and (Equation 6) of FIG. 11 to update the vehicle according to the movement / posture change of the vehicle.

Next, in step S45, the installation interval calculation unit 102 updates in step S44 and determines whether the relative distance held in the storage medium 1001 satisfies the deletion condition. Specifically, the installation interval calculation unit 102 has traveled a predetermined distance after the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar corresponding to the relative distance has moved relatively to the rear of the vehicle 10 according to the travel of the vehicle 10. To judge. That is, the installation interval calculation unit 102 determines whether the vehicle 10 is traveling at a position separated by a predetermined distance or more in front of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar at the time of executing this process.

As a result, if the relative distance satisfies the deletion condition (YES), the process proceeds to step S46. If the relative distance does not meet the deletion condition (NO), the process ends.

It should be noted that steps S45 and S46 are performed in order to effectively utilize the resources of the storage medium 1001. That is, the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar located at the rear of the vehicle 10 needs to be used for lane recognition less than the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar located at the front. Therefore, the need to retain information that satisfies this condition is lower than that of information that satisfies this condition. Therefore, steps S45 and S46 may be omitted.

This completes the description of FIG. 5, returns to FIG. 4, and describes steps S5 and subsequent steps. First, in step S5, the road information determination unit 103 determines whether the recognized fixed line-of-sight guide column installation position is a change section of the road.

Here, the change section is a section in which the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is offset laterally from the traveling lane as shown in FIG. As an example of this change section, there is a bus stop section as described above. In the bus stop section, a fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is installed on the branch road leading to the bus stop. That is, the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is installed outside the traveling lane in which the vehicle 10 originally travels. Therefore, it is necessary to correct the installation position (relative distance) of the fixed line-of-sight guide column. In other words, it is necessary to make corrections so that the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is installed in the traveling lane.

However, the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is installed along the curve in the curved section of the road. Therefore, at first glance, it is recognized that the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is installed as if it is shifted from the traveling lane even in a curved section. Therefore, it is necessary to specify the change interval and execute the above correction. Therefore, in step S5, the road information determination unit 103 determines whether or not the section is a change. This correction is executed by the relative distance correction unit 104 in step S6 described later.

Hereinafter, an example of determining whether or not the interval is a change will be described. First, the road information determination unit 103 calculates the road change section threshold value (R (m)) in (Equation 7) of FIG. 12 using the installation interval (S (m)).

Next, the road information determination unit 103 determines the road at the calculated road change section threshold value (R (m)) and the relative distance (X _j ) of the newly found fixed guide pillar on the predicted route calculated in the previous cycle. Compare with curvature (κ _j ). As a result, it is determined whether the road curvature (κ _j ) changes sharply, that is, whether the condition shown in FIG. 13 (Equation 8) is satisfied.

Here, the road information determination unit 103 calculates the road curvature (κ _j ) by (Equation 9) in FIG.

As a result, if the condition shown in (Equation 8) is satisfied (YES), it is determined that the recognized fixed line-of-sight guide column is installed in the change section. This means that the vehicle 10 is traveling toward the changing section or is already traveling in the changing section. If the condition shown in (Equation 8) is not satisfied (NO), the process proceeds to step S7.

Here, in step S5, the road information determination unit 103 uses the road change section threshold value, which utilizes the fact that the installation interval of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar is shorter in the road change section than in other sections. It means that. This is shown in the schematic diagram of the bus stop section of FIG. In FIG. 7, the installation distance between the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (b) (c) and the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (c) (d) is shorter than the other installation distances. Therefore, the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (c) and (d) are installed in the changing section. The road information determination unit 103 determines whether the installation distance is shorter than the other sections. At this time, it is desirable that the road information determination unit 103 determines that the difference between the installation distances is short (or long) when the difference between the installation distances is a certain value or more in consideration of the installation error and the measurement error.

In step S5, the road information determination unit 103 uses the road change section threshold value, but the change section may be determined using map information such as a navigation system. In this case, the road information determination unit 103 uses the position information detected by the vehicle body information acquisition device 5. Further, the road information determination unit 103 may specify a sign indicating a bus stop in the image data taken by the camera of the outside world recognition device 2 by image processing, and use this to determine the change section.

Further, in step S5, the road information determination unit 103 may first distinguish the change section and the curved section from the straight section according to the installation position of the fixed line-of-sight guide column. As a result, when it is a change section or a curved section, the road information determination unit 103 may determine the change section.

Next, in step S6, the relative distance correction unit 104 corrects the relative distance in the lateral direction. This concept is shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the vehicle 10 is traveling in the traveling lane on the left side of the figure from the lower part to the upper part of the figure. A bus stop is installed in the center of the road in FIG. 7. That is, the road including the convex portion to the left in the figure is a change section which is a kind of change section.

Further, on this road, fixed line-of-sight guide columns (a) to (e) are installed in the traveling lane. Of these, fixed line-of-sight guide columns (c) and (d) are installed in the bus stop section. The positions on the ground in the directions indicated by the arrows of the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (a) to (e) are the installation positions (black circles and white circles in the figure). Here, the installation position of the fixed line-of-sight guide pillars (c) and (d) indicated by white circles in the figure is not the original traveling lane, but an area for the bus to get on and off passengers at the bus stop. Therefore, it is necessary to correct the installation position indicated by the white circle to the end of the traveling lane, that is, the position indicated by the black circle.

Here, in FIG. 7, the outside world recognition device 2 acquires input data such as image data for the range (scan range) indicated by the alternate long and short dash line. Therefore, in step S5, the road information determination unit 103 determines whether or not the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (b), (c), and (d) included in the scan range are change sections. As a result, the road information determination unit 103 determines that the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (c) and (d) are installed in the changing section. Even if the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar (e) is within the scan range, the installation distance between the fixed line-of-sight guide pillars (d) and (e) is the distance between the fixed line-of-sight guide pillars (b) and (c) in the bus stop section. It is longer than the installation distance between the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (c) and (d). Therefore, the road information determination unit 103 determines that even if the fixed line-of-sight guide column (e) enters the scan range, it is not a change section. As a result, it is not necessary to execute the correction process in step S6 for the installation position of the fixed line-of-sight guide column (e).

Then, the relative distance correction unit 104 corrects the relative distance correction unit 104 from the position of the white circle to the position of the black circle. The relative distance correction unit 104 performs this correction using, for example, (Equation 10) in FIG.

On the other hand, in the curved section, the above correction is not necessary. This will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of the curved section shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the curved section is a section having a curvature of a predetermined value or more. In FIG. 8, similarly to FIG. 7, the vehicle 10 is traveling in the traveling lane on the left side from the lower part to the upper part of the figure. And the road curves to the left in the figure. The fixed line-of-sight guide columns (f) to (i) are installed on the left side of the traveling lane. Here, the installation distances of the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (f) to (i) are substantially the same and are not short even when compared with other sections, so that the above-mentioned road change section threshold value is not satisfied. Therefore, the road information determination unit 103 determines that the fixed line-of-sight guide columns (f) to (i) are not change sections (NO) in step S5. As a result, the correction process in step S6 is omitted for the curved section shown in FIG.

Next, in step S7, the locus creating unit 105 creates a relative distance locus represented by a set of relative distances to each fixed line-of-sight guide column. Here, the locus creation unit 105 performs approximation processing using a cubic function according to (Equation 11) in FIG. 16 for the locus of the fixed line-of-sight guide column.

For each of the coefficients a, b, c, and d of (Equation 11), the locus creation unit 105 uses the least squares method using the solution of the simultaneous equations shown in (Equation 12) of FIG. calculate.

Next, in step S8, the target route calculation unit 106 recognizes the traveling lane using the created relative distance locus. More specifically, the target route calculation unit 106 specifies the lane width indicating the width of the traveling lane, the road curvature, and the estimated white line yaw angle as the traveling lane people.
Then, the target route calculation unit 106 can calculate the target traveling position by using these.

To this end, first, the target route calculation unit 106 calculates the road curvature and the estimated white line yaw angle by (Equation 13) and (Equation 14) in FIG. 17 using f (x) approximated by a polynomial function. .. Here, the estimated white line yaw angle is the yaw angle of the vehicle 10 with the white line estimated on the road on which the vehicle is traveling as a reference axis.

Then, the target route calculation unit 106 sets the lane width (L (m)) so as to go straight to the yaw angle of the white line. The target route calculation unit 106 can set the lane width of the traveling lane by using the map information and the image data taken by the camera of the outside world recognition device 2.

Next, the target route calculation unit 106 calculates the target traveling position (L'((m)) by using the lane width (L (m)) according to (Equation 15) in FIG.

Up to this point, in this embodiment, lane recognition has been performed using the left side of the road, that is, the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar on one side. However, it is also possible to perform lane recognition using fixed line-of-sight guide columns on both sides of the road. In this case, the processing up to step S7 is the same. However, the target route calculation unit 106 calculates the target traveling position according to (Equation 16) in FIG. In this case, the road width (W (m)) is used instead of the lane width.

Then, the target route calculation unit 106 outputs the lane width, the road curvature, the estimated white line yaw angle, and the target travel position to the travel control device such as the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2, and the notification device 3. do. Further, the target route calculation unit 106 also outputs these to the lane keep permission determination unit 107.

Next, in step S9, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines whether the vehicle 10 can travel in the travel lane by using the output from the target route calculation unit 106. For this purpose, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 compares the running conditions such as the speed and acceleration of the vehicle 10 acquired by the vehicle body information acquisition device 5 with the output from the target route calculation unit 106. Then, based on this comparison result, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines whether the lane keep permission state, that is, whether the vehicle can travel in the corresponding traveling lane. For example, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines that the traveling lane is out of the driving lane in the driving as it is.

Further, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 creates a control command according to the above-mentioned determination result based on the determination result. For example, when the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines that the speed is excessive, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 creates a deceleration command for the brake control device 4-2. Further, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 may create a steering command for the lane keep control device 4-1 according to the curvature of the traveling lane. Further, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 may create a control command for changing the torque distribution of the tires 9-1 to 9-4 for realizing so-called torque vectoring. Furthermore, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 may create a control command for preventing skidding.

Then, in step S10, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 outputs this determination result to a travel control device such as the lane keep control device 4-1 or the brake control device 4-2 or the notification device 3. The output of the lane keep permission determination unit 107 includes this determination result, the relative distance trajectory approximation result, the target traveling position, and the road curvature. As described above, the output from the lane keep permission determination unit 107 to the notification device 3 makes it possible to present the above information to the driver. In particular, when the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines that the lane keep permission state is not set, the notification device 3 can alert the driver by outputting an alert with a sound or an image. In this case, when the vehicle 10 is performing automatic driving, it is desirable to switch to the driver's driving according to the driver's operation.

Here, an example of step S10, that is, an example of the output processing of the control command will be described with reference to FIG. First, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines whether the lane keep permission state or not. As a result, if it is in the permitted state (YES), the process proceeds to step S102. If it is not in the permitted state, the process proceeds to step S104.

Next, in step S102, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 determines whether the target target determination unit 100 has recognized the next fixed line-of-sight guide column. That is, it is determined whether or not the next fixed line-of-sight guide column is recognized by the time the information held in the storage medium 1001 passes through the fixed line-of-sight guide column. As a result, if it is determined that the recognition is recognized (YES), the process proceeds to step S103. If it is determined that the recognition is not recognized, (NO) proceeds to step S104.

Next, in step S103, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 outputs to the travel control device such as the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2 and the notification device 3 that the lane keep is permitted to continue. do. In this case, when the vehicle 10 is automatically driving, the automatic driving is continued under the control of the traveling control device.

Further, in step S104, the lane keep permission determination unit 107 outputs to the travel control device such as the lane keep control device 4-1 and the brake control device 4-2 and the notification device 3 that the continuation of the lane keep is not permitted. .. In this case, as described above, the notification device 3 can alert the driver by outputting an alert with a sound or an image. Further, when the vehicle 10 is performing automatic driving, it is desirable to switch to the driver's driving according to the driver's operation.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by performing lane recognition using the fixed line-of-sight guide pillar, it is possible to perform more accurate lane recognition according to the actual situation of the track. In particular, lane recognition becomes possible even if the road rut cannot be recognized.

1 ... control device, 2 ... outside world recognition device, 3 ... notification device, 4-1 ... lane keep control device, 4-2 ... brake control device, 5 ... vehicle body information acquisition device, 101 ... relative distance acquisition unit, 102 ... installation Interval calculation unit, 103 ... Road information determination unit, 104 ... Relative distance correction unit, 105 ... Trajectory creation unit, 106 ... Target route calculation unit, 107 ... Lane keep permission determination unit, 108 ... Own vehicle position estimation unit

Claims (15)

In a vehicle control device that is connected to an outside world recognition device and recognizes the driving lane of the vehicle,
Based on the information obtained from the outside world recognition device, a target determination unit that recognizes one of a plurality of targets installed on the road at intervals of installation, and a target determination unit.
A relative distance acquisition unit that acquires the relative distance between the recognized target and the position of the vehicle, and
Based on the acquired relative distance, the road information determination unit that determines whether the recognized installation position of the target is a change section, and
When the road information determination unit determines that the section is a change, the relative distance correction unit that corrects the calculated relative distance and the relative distance correction unit
A locus creation unit that creates a relative locus for the corrected relative distance,
A vehicle control device having a target route calculation unit that recognizes a traveling lane of the vehicle using the created relative locus. In the vehicle control device according to claim 1,
Further, it has a relative distance calculation unit that calculates the installation interval between the recognized target and the target adjacent to the target from the relative distance.
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines whether or not the section is a change section by using the calculated installation interval. In the vehicle control device according to claim 2,
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control device that further determines whether or not the section is a change section by using the curvature of the road. In the vehicle control device according to claim 3,
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines whether or not the road changes section based on the difference between the curvature and the road change section threshold value based on the installation interval. In the vehicle control device according to claim 2,
The relative distance correction unit is a vehicle control device that corrects the calculated relative distance in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
Lane keep permission to determine whether the vehicle can maintain the running in the recognized running lane and output the result of the judgment to the running control device for controlling the running of the vehicle or the on-board unit of the vehicle. A vehicle control device having a determination unit. In the vehicle control device according to claim 2,
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines whether the road is a straight section, a curved section of the road, or a change section of the road. In the vehicle control device according to claim 7.
The target is installed at a shorter installation interval than the curved section and the straight section in the changing section.
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control device that determines whether the section is a change section or a curved section based on the installation interval. In a vehicle control system consisting of a vehicle control device connected to an outside world recognition device and recognizing a vehicle's travel lane, and a travel control device connected to the vehicle control device via a communication line.
The vehicle control device is
Based on the information obtained from the outside world recognition device, a target determination unit that recognizes one of a plurality of targets installed on the road at intervals of installation, and a target determination unit.
A relative distance acquisition unit that acquires the relative distance between the recognized target and the position of the vehicle, and
Based on the acquired relative distance, the road information determination unit that determines whether the recognized installation position of the target is a change section, and
When the road information determination unit determines that the section is a change, the relative distance correction unit that corrects the calculated relative distance and the relative distance correction unit
A locus creation unit that creates a relative locus for the corrected relative distance,
Using the created relative locus, a target route calculation unit that recognizes the traveling lane of the vehicle and
It has a lane keep permission determination unit that determines whether the vehicle can maintain the running in the recognized running lane.
The travel control device is a vehicle control system that controls the travel of the vehicle according to a determination result in the lane keep permission determination unit. In the vehicle control system according to claim 9,
The vehicle control device further has a relative distance calculation unit that calculates an installation interval between the recognized target and a target adjacent to the target from the relative distance.
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control system that determines whether or not the section is a change section by using the calculated installation interval. In the vehicle control system according to claim 10,
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control system that further determines whether or not the section is a change section by using the curvature of the road. In the vehicle control system according to claim 11,
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control system that determines whether or not the road changes section based on the difference between the curvature and the road change section threshold value based on the installation interval. In the vehicle control system according to claim 10,
The relative distance correction unit is a vehicle control system that corrects the calculated relative distance in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. In the vehicle control system according to claim 10,
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control system that determines whether the road is a straight section, a curved section of the road, or a change section of the road. In the vehicle control system according to claim 14,
The target is installed at a shorter installation interval than the curved section and the straight section in the changing section.
The road information determination unit is a vehicle control system that determines whether the section is a change section or a curved section based on the installation interval.

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