JP2022104430A - Recognition system for vehicle and recognition method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a recognition system for a vehicle and a recognition method that can prevent a vehicle control function from being restrained more than necessary due to attachment of dirt to a LIDAR.SOLUTION: A recognition system for a vehicle comprises: an on-vehicle LIDAR device that detects an object by using light or an electromagnetic wave similar to light, the on-vehicle LIDAR device including a dirt detection unit that calculates a dirt value indicating the degree of dirt on the device based on a result of detection of the object for each of sections obtained by dividing a detection range for the object into plurality; and a dirt determination device including a dirt determination unit that determines dirt to be removed is attached to the on-vehicle LIDAR device when a first condition in which a predetermined time or longer elapses from when the dirt value exceeds a predetermined threshold and a second condition in which the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the dirt value in the predetermined time is within a predetermined range are satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle recognition system and a recognition method.

In recent years, research has been conducted on the automatic control of vehicles. In the automatic control of a vehicle, the distance from the vehicle to an object around the vehicle is detected by using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) attached to the vehicle. LIDAR irradiates light (or an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength close to that of light), measures the scattered light, and measures the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. Therefore, if dirt adheres to the light irradiation portion or the light receiving portion of the scattered light, the measurement performance may deteriorate. In Patent Document 1, the distance information acquired for the nth time is described in order to reduce the influence on the measurement result when the light for distance measurement is reflected by a wiping device such as a wiper that wipes the dirt of the measuring instrument. Is described as a method of correcting the above using the distance information acquired other than the nth time.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-87703

However, in the prior art, even if the acquired distance information can be corrected, there is a possibility that it is not possible to recognize the degree of adhesion of dirt to the lidar. Therefore, there is a possibility that the control function of the vehicle may be suppressed more than necessary due to the adhesion of dirt to the LIDAR.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle recognition system and a recognition method capable of preventing the control function of a vehicle from being unnecessarily suppressed by adhesion of dirt to LIDAR. That is one of the purposes.

The vehicle recognition system and the recognition method according to the present invention have adopted the following configurations.
(1): The vehicle recognition system according to one aspect of the present invention is an in-vehicle rider device that detects an object using light or an electromagnetic wave close to light, and the degree of contamination of the own device based on the detection result of the object. An in-vehicle rider device including a stain detection unit that calculates a stain value indicating a stain value for each section in which the detection range of the object is divided into a plurality of sections, and a first unit in which a predetermined time or more has elapsed after the stain value exceeds a predetermined threshold value. When the condition and the second condition that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the dirt value in the predetermined time is within a predetermined range are satisfied, the dirt to be removed adheres to the in-vehicle rider device. It is provided with a dirt determination device including a dirt determination unit for determining whether or not the object is used.

(2): In the aspect of the above (1), the stain determination unit is removed by the in-vehicle rider device when the third condition is satisfied in addition to the first condition and the second condition. It is determined that the stain to be attached is attached, and the third condition is that the magnitude of the fluctuation of the stain value in the past determination time elapsed in the state where the stain value exceeds the threshold value is less than a predetermined ratio. That is.

(3): In the aspect of the above (2), the dirt determination unit is the traveling speed of the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle rider device in addition to the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. When the fourth condition that the predetermined time elapses without falling below the predetermined lower limit is satisfied, it is determined that the dirt to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle rider device.

(4): In any of the above aspects (1) to (3), when it is determined by the dirt determination unit that dirt to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle rider device, a notification to that effect is given. The notification unit is further provided.

(5): In any of the above aspects (1) to (4), the stain determination unit should be removed by the vehicle-mounted lidar device when the stain value becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value in all sections. It is determined that the state in which the dirt is attached has been restored to the state in which the dirt to be removed is not attached.

(6): In the recognition method according to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle-mounted lidar device that detects an object using light or an electromagnetic wave close to light has a stain value indicating the degree of contamination of the own device based on the detection result of the object. Is calculated for each section in which the detection range of the object is divided into a plurality of sections. When the second condition that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the dirt value is within a predetermined range is satisfied, it is determined that the dirt to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle rider device. ..

According to (1) to (6), the in-vehicle lidar device that detects an object using light or an electromagnetic wave close to light sets a dirt value indicating the degree of dirt of the own device based on the detection result of the object. The first condition in which the detection range of the above is calculated for each section divided into a plurality of sections, and the stain determination device elapses for a predetermined time or more after the stain value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and the maximum of the stain value in the predetermined time. When the second condition that the difference between the value and the minimum value is within a predetermined range is satisfied, it is determined whether or not the dirt to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle lidar device. It is possible to prevent the control function of the vehicle from being suppressed more than necessary due to the adhesion of dirt.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle system using the vehicle control device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control unit and the 2nd control unit which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection range of the lidar mounted on the own vehicle in the vehicle system of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection range of the lidar mounted on the own vehicle in the vehicle system of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the threshold value information in 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the vehicle system using the vehicle control device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the condition information in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the method which the dirt determination part manages a dirt flag in the object recognition apparatus of 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle recognition system and recognition method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1A using the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1A is mounted is, for example, a vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle, or a four-wheeled vehicle, and the drive source thereof is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates by using the power generated by the generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the discharge power of the secondary battery or the fuel cell.

The vehicle system 1A includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14A, an object recognition device 16A, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, and a vehicle sensor 40. , A navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driving controller 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and devices are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted or another configuration may be added.

The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary position of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as own vehicle) on which the vehicle system 1A is mounted. When photographing the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rear-view mirror, and the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the own vehicle, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves around the own vehicle, and also detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle. The radar device 12 may detect the position and velocity of the object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The LIDAR 14A irradiates the periphery of the own vehicle with light (or an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength close to that of light) and measures the scattered light. For example, LIDAR14A irradiates infrared light. The LIDAR 14A detects the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. The emitted light is, for example, a pulsed laser beam. The LIDAR 14A is attached to any part of the own vehicle. Further, the LIDAR14A in the present embodiment has a function of detecting dirt adhering to a light emitting part or a light receiving part (hereinafter referred to as "LIDAR dirt") in addition to the above-mentioned basic function (hereinafter referred to as "LIDAR function"). Have. In order to realize this function, the LIDAR 14A in the present embodiment includes a dirt detection unit 151. The dirt detection unit 151 detects LIDAR dirt based on the detection result of the distance (reflection point) by the LIDAR function and the intensity of the reflected light observed at the time of distance detection (hereinafter referred to as "reflection intensity"). Is. The reflection point is an example of a "detection point".

The dirt detection unit 151 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Further, the dirt detection unit 151 is hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) (circuit unit; including circuitry). It may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device including a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the LIDAR 14A, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM. The storage medium (non-transient storage medium) may be attached to the HDD or flash memory of the LIDAR 14A by being attached to the drive device. LIDAR14A is an example of an "in-vehicle rider device".

Specifically, the dirt detection unit 151 calculates an index value (hereinafter referred to as “dirt value”) indicating the degree of lidar dirt based on the detection result by the lidar function and the reflection intensity. The dirt value may be any value as long as it indicates the degree of lidar dirt, and may be calculated by any method. For example, the dirt detection unit 151 calculates the dirt value based on the number of reflection points in the vicinity of LIDAR14A, the distance to the reflection points, and the reflection intensity. The dirt detection unit 151 calculates the dirt value for each region in which the horizontal detection range of the LIDAR 14A is divided into a predetermined number. Hereinafter, each region in which the detection range is divided into a predetermined number is referred to as a section, and in the present embodiment, a case where the detection range of each LIDAR 14A is divided into 10 sections will be described. The dirt detection unit 151 outputs the calculated dirt value to the object recognition device 16A.

The object recognition device 16A performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14A, and recognizes the position, type, speed, and the like of the object. The object recognition device 16A outputs the recognition result to the automatic operation control device 100. Further, the object recognition device 16A in the present embodiment has a function of outputting a dirt flag for each LIDAR 14A in addition to the above-mentioned basic function (hereinafter referred to as “object recognition function”). The dirt flag is a flag indicating whether or not each lidar14A is in a state requiring removal of lidar dirt (hereinafter referred to as “dirt state”). In order to realize this function, for example, the object recognition device 16A includes a dirt determination unit 171A and stores threshold information 172. The stain determination unit 171A or the threshold value information 172 may be included in the LIDAR 14A.

The dirt determination unit 171A is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Further, the dirt determination unit 171A may be realized by hardware such as LSI, ASIC, FPGA, GPU (including circuit unit; circuitry), or may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device including a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the object recognition device 16A, or a removable storage such as a DVD or a CD-ROM. It is stored in a medium, and the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) may be attached to the drive device and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the object recognition device 16A. The object recognition device 16A is an example of a "dirt determination device".

Here, the threshold value information 172 is information used when determining whether or not each LIDAR 14A is in a dirty state, and is information indicating a threshold value of the dirt value. The stain determination unit 171A determines whether or not each LIDAR 14A is in a dirty state by comparing the stain value notified from the LIDAR 14A with the threshold value information 172. Hereinafter, this determination is referred to as "dirt determination". The dirt determination unit 171A updates the dirt flag according to the result of the dirt determination, and notifies the automatic operation control device 100 of the updated value of the dirt flag. For example, the dirt determination unit 171A sets a dirt flag (sets the value of the dirt flag to 1) when it is determined that the LIDAR14A is in a dirty state, and lowers the dirt flag when it is determined that the LIDAR14A is not in a dirty state (the dirt flag is set to 1). Set the value of the dirt flag to 0).

The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or a wireless base. Communicate with various server devices via the station.

The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the own vehicle and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys and the like. For example, the HMI 30 performs an operation of notifying that the LIDAR 14A is in a dirty state (hereinafter referred to as a “dirt notification operation”) according to an instruction from the automatic operation control device 100. For example, the HMI 30 performs operations such as displaying a message prompting the removal of lidar stains and outputting voice as a stain notification operation.

The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the own vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis, an orientation sensor that detects the direction of the own vehicle, and the like.

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a routing unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of its own vehicle based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the own vehicle may be specified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or wholly shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, is a route (hereinafter, a map) from the position of the own vehicle specified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The upper route) is determined with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which a road shape is expressed by a link indicating a road and a node connected by the link. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to MPU60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, the function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by an occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides the route into 100 [m] units with respect to the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the second map information 62. Determine the recommended lane for each block. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane to drive from the left. When a branch point exists on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the own vehicle can travel on a reasonable route to proceed to the branch destination.

The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of the lane, information on the boundary of the lane, and the like. Further, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address / zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

The driving controller 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a deformed steering wheel, a joystick, and other controls. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is attached to the operation controller 80, and the detection result is the automatic operation control device 100, or the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device. It is output to a part or all of 220.

The automatic driving control device 100 is a device that controls the automatic driving (including driving support) of the own vehicle. The automatic operation control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, and a notification control unit 180. The first control unit 120, the second control unit 160, and the notification control unit 180 are each realized by executing a program (software) by a hardware processor such as a CPU. Further, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as LSI, ASIC, FPGA, GPU (circuit unit; including circuitry), or realized by collaboration between software and hardware. May be done. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device including a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic operation control device 100, or may be detachable such as a DVD or a CD-ROM. It is stored in a storage medium, and may be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic operation control device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in the drive device. A combination of the HMI 30 and the notification control unit 180 is an example of the "notification unit".

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The first control unit 120, for example, realizes a function by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function by a model given in advance in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" is executed in parallel with the recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and the recognition based on predetermined conditions (there are signals that can be matched with patterns, road markings, etc.). It may be realized by scoring and comprehensively evaluating. This ensures the reliability of automated driving.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the own vehicle based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14A via the object recognition device 16A. .. The position of the object is recognized as, for example, a position on absolute coordinates with the representative point of the own vehicle (center of gravity, center of drive axis, etc.) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a represented area. The "state" of an object may include the object's acceleration, jerk, or "behavioral state" (eg, whether it is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

Further, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the lane (traveling lane) in which the own vehicle is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 130 has a pattern of road lane markings obtained from the second map information 62 (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and broken lines) and road lane markings around the own vehicle recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. By comparing with the pattern, the driving lane is recognized. The recognition unit 130 may recognize the traveling lane by recognizing not only the road marking line but also the running road boundary (road boundary) including the road marking line, the shoulder, the median strip, the guardrail, and the like. .. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by INS may be added. The recognition unit 130 also recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, tollhouses, and other road events.

When recognizing a traveling lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 sets the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle from the center of the lane and the angle formed with respect to the line connecting the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the own vehicle as the relative position and attitude of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane. You may recognize it. Instead, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the reference point of the own vehicle with respect to any side end portion (road division line or road boundary) of the traveling lane as the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane. May be good.

In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 travels in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and the own vehicle automatically (operates by the driver) so as to be able to respond to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle. Generate a target track to travel in the future (regardless of). The target trajectory contains, for example, a speed element. For example, a target track is expressed as an arrangement of points (track points) to be reached by the own vehicle in order. The track point is a point to be reached by the own vehicle for each predetermined mileage (for example, about several [m]) along the road, and separately, a predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 comma number [sec]). A target velocity and a target acceleration for each are generated as part of the target trajectory. Further, the track point may be a position to be reached by the own vehicle at the sampling time at a predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information of the target speed and the target acceleration is expressed by the interval of the orbital points.

The action plan generation unit 140 may set an event for automatic driving when generating a target trajectory. Autonomous driving events include constant speed driving events, low speed following driving events, lane change events, branching events, merging events, takeover events, and the like. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the activated event.

The second control unit 160 controls the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the own vehicle passes the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 on time. do.

The first control unit 120 or the second control unit 160 determines whether or not driving support or automatic driving is possible based on the judgment result of the dirt determination unit 171 and performs processing related to driving support or automatic driving based on the judgment result. It may be configured to determine execution, pause, stop, restart, end, and the like.

Returning to FIG. 2, the second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target trajectory (orbit point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling driving force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on the speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the degree of bending of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road in front of the own vehicle and feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

Returning to FIG. 1, the notification control unit 180 has a function of instructing the HMI 30 to perform a dirt notification operation according to the value of the dirt flag notified from the object recognition device 16A. For example, the notification control unit 180 instructs the HMI 30 to perform a dirt notification operation when 1 is notified as the value of the dirt flag, and when 0 is notified as the value of the dirt flag, the notification control unit 180 instructs the HMI 30. Do not instruct the dirt notification operation.

The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, a motor, a transmission, and the like, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The ECU controls the above configuration according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80.

The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80 so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a mechanism for transmitting the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the operation operator 80 to the cylinder via the master cylinder as a backup. The brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and is an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls the actuator according to the information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder. May be good.

The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, exerts a force on the rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80, and changes the direction of the steering wheel.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of the detection range of the LIDAR 14A mounted on the own vehicle M in the vehicle system 1A of the first embodiment. 3A and 3B show the detection ranges of a total of five LIDAR 14A provided in each of the front right portion, the front left portion, the rear center portion, the rear right portion, and the rear left portion of the own vehicle M. .. In FIG. 3A, LIDAR14A-FR represents the front right portion of LIDAR14A, and LIDAR14A-FL represents the front left portion of LIDAR. Further, in FIG. 3B, LIDAR14A-RR represents LIDAR in the rear right portion, LIDAR14A-RL represents LIDAR14A in the rear left portion, and LIDAR14A-RC represents LIDAR14A in the rear center portion. In the following, when FIGS. 3A and 3B are not distinguished, they may be collectively referred to as FIG.

In FIG. 3, the detection ranges DR-FR, DR-FL, DR-RR, DR-RL, and DR-RC are the front right part, the front left part, the rear right part, the rear left part, and the rear center part LIDAR14A, respectively. -Represents the detection range of FR, LIDAR14A-FL, LIDAR14A-RR, LIDAR14A-RL, LIDAR14A-RC.

As described above, in the vehicle system 1A of the present embodiment, the dirt value is calculated for each section in which the detection range of each LIDAR 14A is divided into 10. Specifically, the detection range DR-FR is divided into sections FR01 to FR10, the detection range DR-FL is divided into sections FL01 to FL10, the detection range DR-RR is divided into sections RR01 to RR10, and the detection range DR. -RL is divided into sections RL01 to RL10, and the detection range DR-RC is divided into sections RC01 to RC10.

By the way, in the automatic driving control of a vehicle, it is generally important to detect the distance directly in front of, directly behind, and diagonally rearward of the own vehicle M, and the distance detection in these directions has a relatively higher detection accuracy than other regions. Is required. Therefore, for the lidar14A used for detecting these directions, it is desirable that the lidar stain is removed while the degree of contamination is relatively light. Therefore, in the vehicle system 1A of the present embodiment, a threshold value for dirt determination is set for each section of the detection range. This makes it possible to detect local lidar stains and detect lidar stains in high priority sections at a relatively early stage.

The orientation of the detection range of each LIDAR 14A illustrated in FIG. 3, the number of sections constituting each detection range, and the like are examples, and may be changed to a mode different from that of FIG. 3 as necessary. Further, the number and the installation position of the LIDAR 14A installed in the own vehicle M may be changed to a mode different from that in FIG. For example, the detection range may be divided into 11 or more sections or 9 or less sections. Further, the detection range may be divided not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction, or may be divided only in the vertical direction. Further, for example, the plurality of LIDAR 14A may be provided so that their respective detection ranges are symmetrical or vertically symmetrical with respect to a predetermined axis (for example, the central axis of the vehicle or the traveling direction), or are asymmetrical. It may be provided as follows.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of threshold information 172 according to the first embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the threshold information 172 is stored in the object recognition device 16A as a table showing the correspondence between the section ID of each section and the threshold value of the stain value in the stain determination of each section. FIG. 4 shows an example of the threshold information 1722-FL about the LIDAR14A-FL installed in the front left part of the own vehicle M, and the threshold information 1722-FR about the LIDAR14A-FR installed in the front right part of the own vehicle M. An example is shown. Further, FIG. 4 shows an example of the threshold information 1722-RL for the LIDAR14A-RL installed in the rear left portion of the own vehicle M, and the threshold information 172 for the LIDAR14A-RC installed in the rear central portion of the own vehicle M. -An example of RC is shown, and an example of threshold information 1722-RR about LIDAR14A-RR installed in the rear right part of the own vehicle M is shown. In the example of FIG. 4, the value of the section ID corresponds to the section ID shown in FIG.

As described above, in the automatic driving control of the own vehicle M, it is important to detect the distance between the front front of the own vehicle M, the rear front, and the left and right diagonal rear. Therefore, in the example of the threshold value information 172-FL, the threshold value of the sections FL03 to FL06 corresponding to the front front of the own vehicle M is set to 50%, which is relatively lower than the other sections. Similarly, in the example of the threshold information 172-FR, the threshold value of the sections FR05 to FR08 corresponding to the front front of the own vehicle M is set to 50%, which is relatively low with respect to the other sections.

On the other hand, in the example of the threshold value information 172-RL shown in FIG. 4, the threshold value of the sections RL06 to RL08 corresponding to the diagonally left rear of the own vehicle M is set to 60%, which is relatively low with respect to the other sections. Similarly, in the example of the threshold information 172-RC shown in FIG. 4, the threshold value of the sections RC04 to RC07 corresponding to the rear front surface of the own vehicle M is set to 50%, which is relatively low with respect to the other sections. Similarly, in the example of the threshold value information 172-RR shown in FIG. 4, the threshold value of the sections RR03 to RR05 corresponding to the diagonally right rearward of the own vehicle M is set to 60%, which is relatively low with respect to the other sections. ..

As described above, among the plurality of sections, the same detection is performed in the sections corresponding to the front or the rear of the own vehicle M (for example, sections FL03 to FL06, FR05 to FR08, RC04 to RC07, RL06 to RL08, RR03 to RR05). Within the range, a lower threshold is set than in the other areas and the lateral section of the vehicle (eg, sections other than sections FL03-FL06, FR05-FR08, RC04-RC07, RL06-RL08, RR03-RR05). Is set to a higher threshold than the other areas.

In this case, in the automatic operation control device 100, the dirt determination unit 171A compares the dirt value (hereinafter referred to as “measured value”) notified for each section for each LIDAR 14A with the threshold value set in each section. When there is a section whose measured value is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the dirt determination unit 171A sets a dirt flag for the LIDAR 14A having the section within the detection range and notifies the automatic operation control device 100. In the automatic operation control device 100 that has received this notification, the notification control unit 180 instructs the HMI 30 to perform a dirt notification operation on the LIDAR 14A.

For example, in the example of FIG. 4, when 55% is measured as the dirt value in the section FL05, the dirt determination unit 171A has the section FOL05 in the detection range because the measured value is 50% or more of the threshold value of the section FL05. A dirt flag is set for LIDAR14A-FL and the automatic operation control device 100 is notified. Upon receiving this notification, the automatic operation control device 100 instructs the HMI 30 that the notification control unit 180 performs a dirt notification operation on the LIDAR 14A-FL.

In the vehicle system 1A of the first embodiment configured in this way, each LIDAR 14A mounted on the own vehicle calculates a dirt value for each section in which the detection range in the horizontal direction is divided into a predetermined number, and the automatic operation control device. 100 determines whether or not to perform the dirt notification operation for each LIDAR 14A based on the dirt value calculated for each section and the threshold value of the dirt value set in the corresponding section. With such a configuration, the vehicle system 1A of the embodiment can detect local lidar stains and can detect lidar stains at a timing according to the priority of each section. That is, according to the vehicle system 1A of the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the control function of the vehicle from being suppressed more than necessary due to the adhesion of dirt to the lidar.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1B using the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment. The vehicle system 1B is different from the vehicle system 1A of the first embodiment in that the LIDAR 14B is provided in place of the LIDAR 14A and the object recognition device 16B is provided in place of the object recognition device 16A. Further, the object recognition device 16B is different from the object recognition device 16A of the first embodiment in that the dirt determination unit 171B is provided instead of the dirt determination unit 171A and the condition information 173 is stored instead of the threshold value information 172. different. The other vehicle system 1B has the same configuration as the vehicle system 1A. Therefore, in FIG. 5, by assigning the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1, the description of those similar configurations will be omitted.

The dirt determination unit 171B manages the dirt flag based on the dirt value notified from the LIDAR 14A by the dirt determination unit 171A of the first embodiment, whereas the dirt flag is set based on the speed of the own vehicle in addition to the dirt value. It differs from the dirt determination unit 171A in that it is managed. Specifically, the stain determination unit 171B manages the stain flag based on the result of the stain determination based on the plurality of determination conditions defined by the condition information 173.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of condition information 173 in the second embodiment. For example, in the condition information 173, the names (condition names) of a plurality of determination conditions used for stain determination, the content of the determination condition (condition content), and the type of the determination condition (condition type) are registered in association with each other. To. For example, in the example of the condition information 173 of FIG. 6, the dirt threshold condition, the dirt fluctuation condition, and the vehicle speed condition are registered as the condition for setting the dirt flag (flag ON condition), and the dirt flag is lowered as the condition (flag OFF condition). , Recovery conditions are set. The details of each flag ON condition and the flag OFF condition are as follows. The vehicle speed condition may be omitted.

[Dirt threshold condition]
The dirt threshold condition is a condition for determining whether or not the amount of dirt attached to the lidar exceeds a certain amount. Generally, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed in a low temperature environment, water droplets on the surface of LIDAR14B may adhere for a short time like dew. Therefore, in such a situation, the dirt value may temporarily increase, and this state may be erroneously detected as a dirt state. Further, in the low-speed running state immediately after the vehicle starts, it is unlikely that water droplets due to rainfall will stay on the surface of the LIDAR 14B, and the dirt value basically does not exceed the threshold value. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the condition in which the determination result is true when a predetermined time (for example, 300 seconds) has elapsed without the stain value exceeding the threshold value and falling below the threshold value is defined as the stain value condition. Hereinafter, the predetermined time for determining the dirt threshold condition is referred to as a determination time.

[Dirt value fluctuation condition]
The stain value fluctuation condition is a condition for determining whether or not the lidar stain is a stain that needs to be wiped off. Specifically, in the dirt value fluctuation condition, the magnitude of the dirt value fluctuation in the past determination time (for example, 300 seconds) elapsed in a state where the dirt value exceeds the threshold value is less than a predetermined ratio (for example, the maximum value and the minimum value). It is a condition that the determination result is true when the difference between the values is less than 10%). This is an example of dirt that needs to be wiped off. When a mixture of oil and sand is attached to the surface of LIDAR14B, the amount of fluctuation of the dirt value may exceed 10% by the time the determination time elapses. This is because it was found that if the determination time is too long, it may not be possible to detect the dirt that needs to be wiped off. Further, since it usually takes about several minutes to stop the own vehicle in order to wipe off the RIDAR dirt, the determination time may be set to, for example, about 300 seconds.

[Vehicle speed conditions]
The vehicle speed condition is a condition for determining whether or not the own vehicle is traveling at a speed that promotes lidar contamination. In general, lidar stains can be promoted even when loading and unloading luggage when the vehicle is stopped, or when the vehicle is driving slowly at a close distance to an object (for example, traveling at a speed of 10 km / h or less). Conceivable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle speed of the own vehicle exceeds a predetermined upper limit (for example, 20 km / h) and then a predetermined time (for example, 8 seconds) elapses without falling below a predetermined lower limit (for example, 10 km / h). The condition for which the judgment result is true is the vehicle speed condition. It was found that when normal driving (for example, traveling at a speed of 20 km / h or more) is started from a state where the vehicle is stopped at a close distance to the object, the lidar stain is sufficiently removed by traveling for 8 seconds. It depends.

[Recovery conditions]
As described above, the recovery condition is a condition for determining whether or not the dirt flag raised when the flag ON condition is satisfied may be lowered. Therefore, the restoration condition needs to be a condition that can determine that the own vehicle is not in a dirty state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the condition that the determination result is true when the stain value is equal to or less than the threshold value (for example, 30%) in all the sections is set as the recovery condition. The threshold value in this case is to enable the dirt flag to be lowered even if scratches or stains that do not affect the detection performance remain on the surface of the LIDAR 14B, and to prevent the dirt flag from being turned on and off frequently. It should be designed in consideration of.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a method in which the dirt determination unit 171B manages the dirt flag in the object recognition device 16B of the second embodiment. Here, it is assumed that the dirt flag is managed for each LIDAR 14B, and the flow of the process for managing the dirt flag of one LIDAR 14B will be described. First, the dirt determination unit 171B determines whether or not the dirt values of all the sections satisfy the dirt value condition (step S101). Here, when it is determined that the stain values of all the sections satisfy the stain value condition, the stain determination unit 171B determines whether or not the stain values of all the sections satisfy the stain value fluctuation condition (step). S102). Here, when it is determined that the dirt values of all the sections satisfy the dirt value fluctuation condition, the dirt determination unit 171B determines whether or not the speed of the own vehicle satisfies the vehicle speed condition (step S104). Here, when it is determined that the speed of the own vehicle satisfies the vehicle speed condition, the dirt determination unit 171B sets the dirt flag (step S105).

On the other hand, in step S101, it is determined that the dirt value of any section does not satisfy the dirt value condition, or in step S102, it is determined that the dirt value of any section does not satisfy the dirt value fluctuation condition. If this is the case, or if it is determined in step S104 that the speed of the own vehicle does not satisfy the vehicle speed condition, the dirt determination unit 171B determines whether or not the restoration condition is satisfied (step S106). Here, when it is determined that the recovery condition is satisfied, the dirt determination unit 171B lowers the dirt flag (step S107) and returns the process to step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that the recovery condition is not satisfied, the dirt determination unit 171B returns the process to step S101 without lowering the dirt flag.

In the vehicle system 1B of the second embodiment configured as described above, the object recognition device 16B determines whether or not each LIDAR 14B is in a dirty state by a combination of a plurality of conditions including a condition related to the dirt value. A unit 171B is provided. By providing such a configuration, the vehicle system 1B of the embodiment can more accurately determine whether or not the LIDAR 14B is in a dirty state. That is, according to the vehicle system 1B of the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the control function of the own vehicle from being suppressed more than necessary by the lidar stain.

<Modification example>
The object recognition device 16A (or 16B, the same applies hereinafter) may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14A (or 14B, the same shall apply hereinafter) to the automatic operation control device 100 as they are. Further, in this case, the automatic operation control device 100 may be configured to include the dirt determination unit 171B instead of the object recognition device 16A and to hold the threshold value information (or condition information). Further, in this case, the object recognition device 16A may be omitted from the vehicle system 1A (or 1B, the same applies hereinafter).

In the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160, each functional unit such as the recognition unit 130, the action plan generation unit 140, the acquisition unit 162, the speed control unit 164, or the steering control unit 166 is the object recognition device 16A (or It may be configured to branch or change the process based on the value of the dirt flag notified from the LIDAR 14A via 16B). Similarly, the object recognition device 16 may be configured to branch or change the process based on the value of the dirt flag notified from the LIDAR 14A. For example, when the notified dirt flag indicates that one of the LIDAR 14A (or 14B) is in a dirty state, the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 perform an operation related to automatic driving of the own vehicle. It may be configured to be degenerate. Further, the automatic operation control device 100 may notify other devices such as the navigation device 50 and the MUP 60 of the notified dirt flag. In this case, the other device may be configured to branch or change the processing of its own device based on the value of the dirt flag.

The notification control unit 180 may cause a device other than the HMI 30 to perform a dirt notification operation, or may perform a dirt notification operation by itself. For example, the notification control unit 180 may send an e-mail to the user to be notified of the lidar stain, or may notify the terminal device used by the user of the message.

Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be added.

1A, 1B ... Vehicle system, 10 ... Camera, 12 ... Radar device, 14A, 14B ... LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), 151 ... Dirt detection unit, 152 ... Clutter detection unit, 16A, 16B ... Object recognition device, 171A, 171B ... Dirt determination unit, 172 ... Threshold information, 173 ... Condition information, 20 ... Communication device, 30 ... HMI (Human Machine Interface), 40 ... Vehicle sensor, 50 ... Navigation device, 51 ... GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) reception Machine, 52 ... Navi HMI, 53 ... Route determination unit, 54 ... First map information, 60 ... MPU (Map Positioning Unit), 61 ... Recommended lane determination unit, 62 ... Second map information, 80 ... Driving controller, 100 ... Automatic operation control device, 100-1 ... Communication controller, 100-2 ... CPU (Central Processing Unit), 100-3 ... RAM (Random Access Memory), 100-4 ... ROM (Read Only Memory), 100-5 ... Storage device, 100-5a ... Program, 100-6 ... Drive device, 120 ... First control unit, 130 ... Recognition unit, 140 ... Action plan generation unit, 160 ... Second control unit, 164 ... Speed control unit, 166 ... Steering control unit, 180 ... Notification control unit, 200 ... Travel drive force output device, 210 ... Brake device, 220 ... Steering device

Claims (6)

An in-vehicle rider device that detects an object using light or an electromagnetic wave close to light, and a section that divides the detection range of the object into a plurality of stain values indicating the degree of contamination of the own device based on the detection result of the object. An in-vehicle rider device equipped with a dirt detection unit that calculates each
The first condition in which a predetermined time or more elapses after the stain value exceeds a predetermined threshold value and the second condition in which the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the stain value in the predetermined time is within a predetermined range are satisfied. A dirt determination device provided with a dirt determination unit for determining whether or not dirt to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle rider device when the vehicle is filled.
A recognition system for vehicles equipped with. The dirt determination unit determines that dirt to be removed is attached to the vehicle-mounted rider device when the third condition is satisfied in addition to the first condition and the second condition.
The third condition is that the magnitude of the fluctuation of the stain value in the past determination time elapsed in the state where the stain value exceeds the threshold value is less than a predetermined ratio.
The vehicle recognition system according to claim 1. In addition to the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, the dirt determination unit has a predetermined time without the traveling speed of the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle rider device falling below a predetermined lower limit value. When the fourth condition to elapse is satisfied, it is determined that the dirt to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle rider device.
The vehicle recognition system according to claim 2. When it is determined by the dirt determination unit that dirt to be removed is attached to the vehicle-mounted rider device, a notification unit for notifying the fact is further provided.
The vehicle recognition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The stain determination unit has no stain to be removed from the state in which the stain to be removed is attached to the in-vehicle lidar device when the stain value becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value in all sections. Judge that the state has been restored,
The vehicle recognition system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. An in-vehicle rider device that detects an object using light or electromagnetic waves close to light
Based on the detection result of the object, the stain value indicating the degree of contamination of the own device is calculated for each section in which the detection range of the object is divided into a plurality of sections.
The dirt judgment device
The first condition in which a predetermined time or more elapses after the stain value exceeds a predetermined threshold value and the second condition in which the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the stain value in the predetermined time is within a predetermined range are satisfied. When it is filled, it is determined that the in-vehicle rider device has dirt to be removed.
Recognition method.

Images