JP2022106429A - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To generate a target trajectory of a vehicle more speedily and flexibly.SOLUTION: There is provided a vehicle control device that comprises: a recognition part which recognizes a circumferential state of a vehicle; a target trajectory candidate generation part which generates one or more target trajectory candidates as candidates for a target trajectory where the vehicle is to travel in future in a search region set on a side in a direction of traveling of the vehicle on the basis of, at least the circumferential state; a determination part which determines whether there is a target trajectory candidate meeting predetermined conditions among the one or more target trajectory candidates; and a driving control part which allows the vehicle to travel according to the target trajectory based upon a target trajectory candidate determined to meet the predetermined conditions when it is determined that there is the target trajectory candidate meeting the predetermined conditions, wherein the target trajectory candidate generation part which generates the one or more target trajectory candidates in a wider search region when it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidates meeting the predetermined conditions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle control devices, vehicle control methods, and programs.

Conventionally, there is known a technique of imposing a constraint on the traveling track of a vehicle and searching for an optimum traveling track within the constraint. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for searching a traveling track according to a cost calculated based on the speed of the own vehicle and a relative position with another vehicle. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of setting priorities for a plurality of driving behaviors in consideration of a determination result of a driving restriction scene and selecting a traveling track corresponding to the driving behavior having the highest priority. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-148545 JP-A-2017-154554

However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 requires a lot of time and a large amount of calculation to obtain a final solution based on the constraints. Further, since the technique described in Patent Document 2 does not perform conditioning according to the driving situation, it does not flexibly select the traveling track according to the situation such as cruising control and risk avoidance control.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of generating a target track of a vehicle more quickly and flexibly. Let it be one.

The vehicle control device according to the present invention has the following configuration.
(1): The vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention has the recognition unit for recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle and the search area set on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on at least the peripheral situation. Whether or not there is a target track candidate that satisfies a predetermined condition among the target track candidate generation unit that generates one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track that the vehicle will travel in the future and the one or more target track candidates. A determination unit for determining whether or not, and a driving control unit for traveling the vehicle according to a target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition when it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition. When it is determined that there is no target orbit candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the target orbit candidate generation unit generates one or more of the target orbit candidates in a wider search area.

(2): In the aspect of the above (1), the target trajectory candidate generation unit determines a future speed plan in association with the target trajectory candidate, and the predetermined condition includes a constraint on the speed plan, and the above. The determination unit relaxes the restrictions on the speed plan when the target trajectory candidate generation unit generates one or more target trajectory candidates within the wider search area.

(3): In the aspect of (1) or (2) above, a setting unit for setting the search area is further provided.
The setting unit sets a plurality of search areas having different widths, and when it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition in one search area, the setting unit sets a wider search area. It is the one to choose.

(4): In the aspect of the above (1) or (2), when the setting unit for setting the search area is further provided, and the setting unit determines that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the setting unit is provided. It resets a wider search area.

(5): In the embodiment (3) or (4), the setting unit has one or more target trajectories according to the scene of the vehicle determined based on the state information of the vehicle and the surrounding conditions. The size of the search area for generating candidates is first different.

(6): In any of the above aspects (1) to (5), when the target orbit candidate generation unit generates one or more target orbit candidates in a wider search area, one or more of the targets. It increases the number of orbital candidates generated or prolongs the time it takes to generate one or more of the target orbital candidates.

(7): In the vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, and within the search area set at least on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on the peripheral situation. Then, one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track on which the vehicle will travel in the future are generated, and it is determined whether or not there is a target track candidate that satisfies a predetermined condition among the one or more target track candidates. Then, when it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the vehicle is driven according to the target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition, and the target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition is determined. If it is determined that it does not exist, one or more target trajectory candidates are generated in a wider search area.

(8): The program according to another aspect of the present invention causes the processor of the vehicle control device to recognize the peripheral situation of the vehicle, and within the search area set at least on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on the peripheral situation. Then, one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track on which the vehicle will travel in the future are generated, and it is determined whether or not there is a target track candidate that satisfies a predetermined condition among the one or more target track candidates. When it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the vehicle is driven according to the target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition, and the target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition is determined. If it is determined that it does not exist, one or more target trajectory candidates are generated in a wider search area.

According to (1) to (8), the target track of the vehicle can be generated more quickly and flexibly.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device which concerns on embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control unit 120 and the 2nd control unit 160. It is a figure which shows an example of the compliance level and the search area set according to the state information of own vehicle M and the scene of the surrounding situation. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene which the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the search area of compliance level 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene where the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the search area of compliance level 2. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene where the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the search area of compliance level 3. It is a figure which shows an example of the predetermined condition for extracting a target trajectory. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene where the predetermined condition for extracting a target trajectory is applied. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of processing executed by the cooperation of the recognition unit 130 and the action plan generation unit 140.

Hereinafter, the vehicle control device, the vehicle control method, and the program according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 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 electric power generated by the generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the electric power generated by the secondary battery or the fuel cell.

The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, 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 operator 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 multiple communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, and 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 on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted (hereinafter referred to as the own vehicle M). When photographing the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rearview mirror, and the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the own vehicle M, 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 M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object to detect at least the position (distance and orientation) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and velocity of the object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The LIDAR 14 irradiates the periphery of the own vehicle M with light (or an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength close to that of light) and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 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 14 is attached to an arbitrary position on the own vehicle M.

The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14, and recognizes the position, type, speed, and the like of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic operation control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the automatic operation control device 100 as they are. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

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

The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the own vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys and the like.

The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the own vehicle M, 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 M, and the like. The information acquired by the vehicle sensor 40 is transmitted to the recognition unit 130 of the first control unit 120, which will be described later, as the state information of the own vehicle M.

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 the own vehicle M based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the own vehicle M 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, has a route from the position of the own vehicle M (or an arbitrary position input) specified by the GNSS receiver 51 to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 (hereinafter,). The route on the map) is determined with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which the 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 a plurality of blocks (for example, every 100 [m] 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 M can travel on a reasonable route to proceed to the branch destination.

The second map information 62 is more accurate map information 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 operator 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 operation control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. Each of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 is realized by executing a program (software) by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, some or all of these components are hardware (circuits) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It may be realized by the part; including circuitry), or 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 automatic operation control device 100, or a DVD, a CD-ROM, or the like can be attached and detached. 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. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of the "vehicle control device", and a combination of the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 is an example of the "driving control 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 a predetermined condition (there is a signal capable of pattern matching, a road marking, etc.), and both are executed. 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 M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. do. The position of the object is recognized as, for example, a position on absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of drive axis, etc.) of the own vehicle M 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 or 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 M is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 130 has a road marking line pattern (for example, an arrangement of a solid line and a broken line) obtained from the second map information 62 and a road marking line around the own vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. By comparing with the pattern of, 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 curb, the median strip, the guardrail, and the like. .. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be added. The recognition unit 130 also recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, tollhouses, and other road events.

When recognizing the traveling lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the own vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. The recognition unit 130 determines, for example, the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M with respect to the relative position of the own vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. And may be recognized as a posture. Instead, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the reference point of the own vehicle M 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 M with respect to the traveling lane. You may.

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 M automatically (driver) so as to be able to respond to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M. Generate a target track to run in the future (regardless of the operation of). The target trajectory includes, for example, a velocity element. For example, the target track is expressed as a sequence of points (track points) to be reached by the own vehicle M. The track point is a point to be reached by the own vehicle M for each predetermined mileage (for example, about several [m]) along the road, and separately, for a predetermined sampling time (for example, about 0 comma number [sec]). ) Target velocity and target acceleration are generated as part of the target trajectory. Further, the track point may be a position to be reached by the own vehicle M at the sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information of the target velocity and the target acceleration is expressed by the interval of the orbital points.

In generating the target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 generates one or more target trajectory candidates within a search area set according to at least the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M, and generates one or more target tracks. A target trajectory candidate satisfying a predetermined condition is extracted from the candidates and set as a target trajectory. In order to realize this function, the action plan generation unit 140 includes a search area setting unit 140A, a target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B, and a determination unit 140C, and details of these functions will be described later.

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

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 braking 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 M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for traveling the vehicle to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric 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 operator 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 operator 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, applies a force to 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 operator 80 to change the direction of the steering wheel.

[Specific operation of action plan generation unit 140]
Hereinafter, specific operations relating to the setting of the search area executed by the action plan generation unit 140, the generation of the target trajectory candidates, and the extraction of the target trajectory candidates satisfying the predetermined conditions will be described.

[Search area settings]
The search area setting unit 140A searches for a target trajectory in the traveling direction side of the vehicle according to the scene of the own vehicle M determined based on the state information of the own vehicle M recognized by the recognition unit 130 and the surrounding situation. Set the search area to be. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that three areas having different sizes are set as the search area, and the search area setting unit 140A sets the scene of the own vehicle M determined based on the state information of the own vehicle M and the surrounding situation. Select one search area accordingly. Each search area corresponds to each of 1 to 3 compliance levels, and the high compliance level represents the high driving risk, which is the risk of causing a problem in the driving of the vehicle. Therefore, a wider area is set in the search area with a higher compliance level, and it is possible to search for many target tracks, thereby reducing the driving risk. In the present embodiment, the search area is set according to the scene of the own vehicle M determined based on the state information of the own vehicle M and the surrounding situation, but at least the own vehicle is set based on the surrounding situation of the own vehicle M. It is also possible to determine the scene of M and set the search area.

When the search area setting unit 140A is further determined by the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B and the determination unit 140C, which will be described later, that the target trajectory does not exist in the search area of a certain compliance level, the search area setting unit 140A has a higher compliance level, that is, more. Set a large search area. Then, the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B and the determination unit 140C search for the target trajectory within the reset search area. As a result, it is possible to efficiently allocate computational resources as needed without always allocating a large amount of computational resources to the search for the target trajectory.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the compliance level and the search area set according to the state information of the own vehicle M and the situation of the surrounding situation. As shown in FIG. 3, when the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the own vehicle M is traveling at a predetermined speed (for example, 30 [km / h]) or more, the search area setting unit 140A complies with the search area. A level 1 search area, that is, a driving lane is set. This is because when the own vehicle M is traveling at a predetermined speed or higher, it is assumed that the own vehicle M is stably traveling on the own lane and the traveling risk is low. By setting the search area to the traveling lane, it is possible to realize comfortable driving for the occupant while reducing the calculation resources allocated to the search of the target trajectory.

On the other hand, when the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the own vehicle M executes the lane change, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area of compliance level 2, that is, the traveling lane and the adjacent lane as the search area. This is because when the own vehicle M executes a lane change, the traveling track naturally passes through both the traveling lane and the adjacent lane, and the lane change has a higher driving risk than the traveling in the own lane. This is because it is assumed to be in a state. By setting the search area to the traveling lane and the adjacent lane, it is possible to realize driving with a sense of security for the occupant while reducing the calculation resources allocated to the search of the target trajectory.

Further, the recognition unit 130 is in a situation where the own vehicle M is in an intersection, a curved road, a merging lane, a rough road (for example, a road surface having a large unevenness or a road surface where the lane has disappeared), or a contraction control, sudden braking, or a sharp turn. When it is recognized that the search area is located in, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area of compliance level 3, that is, the traveling lane, the adjacent lane, and the road shoulder as the search area. This is because when the own vehicle M is placed in the above situation, it is assumed that the traveling risk is high. By expanding the search area to the driving lane, the adjacent lane, and the shoulder of the road, it is possible to allocate a large amount of calculation resources in a situation where the driving risk is high and realize safe driving for the occupant.

[Generation of target trajectory candidates]
The target track candidate generation unit 140B generates one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track on which the own vehicle M will travel in the future within the search area set by the search area setting unit 140A. The target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B may generate the target trajectory discretely in the search region, or may continuously generate the target trajectory by using a method such as a gradient descent method. Here, the gradient descent method is a method in which the path drawn in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M is changed by the search width, and the path having the minimum value when substituted into the evaluation function is obtained as the target trajectory. In this method, the search width is multiplied by a random coefficient in order to prevent the calculated path from becoming a local solution of the evaluation function. When the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B searches for a target trajectory in a search area with a high compliance level (that is, a wide search area), the number of target trajectory candidates generated is increased, or the time for generating the target trajectory candidate is increased. Or extend it.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the search region of compliance level 1. In FIG. 4, L1 indicates the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, L2 indicates an adjacent lane, and S indicates a shoulder. In FIG. 4, the own vehicle M is traveling in the lane L1 at a predetermined speed or higher, and the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area (gray portion in the figure) in the lane L1. Therefore, the target track candidate generation unit 140B generates the target track candidate within the range of the lane L1. Since the generation of the target track candidate is limited to the inside of the lane L1, it is possible to realize driving with a sense of security for the occupant while reducing the calculation resource.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the search area of compliance level 2. In FIG. 5, the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the other vehicle M1 is parked on the traveling direction side of the own vehicle M, and the own vehicle M executes a lane change in order to avoid the other vehicle M1. That is, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area in the lane L1 and the adjacent lane L2. Therefore, the target track candidate generation unit 140B generates the target track candidate within the range of the lane L1 and the adjacent lane L2. Since the generation of the target track candidate is limited to the inside of the lane L1 and the adjacent lane L2, it is possible to realize driving with a sense of security for the occupant while reducing the calculation resource.

In the above description, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area to the lane L1 and the adjacent lane L2 in response to the recognition unit 130 recognizing the lane change by the own vehicle M. In the scene of FIG. 5, in addition to this, the target track candidate generation unit 140B and the determination unit 140C search according to the fact that the target track was not found in the search area of the lane L1, that is, the compliance level 1. The area setting unit 140A may set the search area in the lane L1 and the adjacent lane L2.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the search area of compliance level 3. In FIG. 6, the recognition unit 130 executes a lane change because the other vehicle M1 is parked on the traveling direction side of the own vehicle M and the other vehicle M2 is traveling in the adjacent lane L2 of the own vehicle M. It is not possible to recognize that the situation is such that sudden braking or sharp turning is performed. That is, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area in the traveling lane L1, the adjacent lane L2, and the road shoulder S. Therefore, the target track candidate generation unit 140B generates the target track candidate within the range of the lane L1, the adjacent lane L2, and the shoulder S. By expanding the search area to the traveling lane L1, the adjacent lane L2, and the road shoulder S, it is possible to allocate a large amount of calculation resources in a situation where the driving risk is high and realize safe driving for the occupant.

In the above description, the search area setting unit 140A is adjacent to the traveling lane L1 in the search area in response to the recognition unit 130 recognizing that the own vehicle M is in a situation of executing sudden braking or sharp turning. It is set in lane L2 and road shoulder S. In the scene of FIG. 6, instead, the target track candidate generation unit 140B and the determination unit 140C respond to the fact that the target track was not found in the lane L1 and the adjacent lane L2, that is, the search area of the compliance level 2. The search area setting unit 140A may set the search area in the traveling lane L1, the adjacent lane L2, and the road shoulder S.

[Extraction of target trajectory]
The determination unit 140C determines whether or not there is a target orbit candidate satisfying a predetermined condition among the target orbit candidates extracted by the target orbit candidate generation unit 140B. Here, the predetermined condition is set in each search area, and is a condition for finally extracting the target trajectory candidate as the target trajectory. In the present embodiment, the predetermined condition is a constraint on the speed plan (planned value regarding the speed and acceleration of the own vehicle M). Search areas with higher compliance levels have higher driving risk, so speed planning constraints are loosely set to reduce driving risk.

When the determination unit 140C determines that there is a target orbit candidate satisfying a predetermined condition among the target orbit candidates extracted by the target orbit candidate generation unit 140B, the determination unit 140C extracts the target orbit candidate as the target orbit, and the operation control unit extracts the target orbit candidate as the target orbit. , The own vehicle M is driven according to this target trajectory. On the other hand, when the determination unit 140C determines that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying a predetermined condition, the search area setting unit 140A sets a higher compliance level, that is, a wider search area, and within the reset search area. The target trajectory is searched for. When a plurality of target trajectory candidates satisfy the predetermined conditions, the determination unit 140C may, for example, randomly extract the target trajectory, or take the average of the obtained plurality of target trajectory candidates. , The target trajectory may be extracted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of predetermined conditions for extracting a target trajectory. In FIG. 7, as the maximum acceleration, 2 [m / s ² ] is set in the search area of compliance level 1, and 5 [m / s ² ] is set in the search area of compliance level 2. 10 [m / s ² ] is set in the search area of compliance level 3. This is because compliance level 1 is a mode that emphasizes occupant comfort, compliance level 2 is a mode that emphasizes occupant safety, and compliance level 3 is a mode that emphasizes occupant safety. be. The determination unit 140C determines whether or not there is a target trajectory candidate whose acceleration is equal to or less than the maximum acceleration among the target trajectory candidates extracted by the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B, and determines whether or not there is a target trajectory candidate whose acceleration is equal to or less than the maximum acceleration. If there is a candidate, the target trajectory candidate is extracted as the target trajectory.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which a predetermined condition for extracting a target trajectory is applied. In FIG. 8, the own vehicle M is traveling at a speed of 40 [km / h] in a state where the search area of compliance level 1 is applied, and the color of the traffic light TL on the traveling direction side has changed, so the remaining 50 m. Suppose that it is required to stop before the stop line TP. At this time, since the maximum acceleration of 2 [m / s ² ] is set in the search region of compliance level 1, none of the target trajectory candidates generated by the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B satisfies this condition. Therefore, when the determination unit 140C determines that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area to the compliance level 2. Since the maximum acceleration of 5 [m / s ² ] is set in the search region of compliance level 2, the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B can generate a target trajectory candidate that stops before the stop line TP.

In the above description, since it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition in the search area of compliance level 1, the search area is set to compliance level 2 and the target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition is generated. Has been done. In the scene of FIG. 8, instead, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area to compliance level 3 in response to the recognition unit 130 that the own vehicle M is in a situation of executing sudden braking. It may be set and the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B may generate a target trajectory candidate that stops before the stop line TP.

[Processing flow]
Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the flow of processing executed by the recognition unit 130 and the action plan generation unit 140 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow executed by the cooperation of the recognition unit 130 and the action plan generation unit 140. This process is repeatedly executed while the own vehicle M is traveling.

First, the recognition unit 130 determines the scene of the own vehicle M based on the peripheral information of the own vehicle M acquired from the object recognition device 16 and the state information of the own vehicle M acquired from the vehicle sensor 40 ( S100). Next, the search area setting unit 140A sets the search area according to the scene determined by the recognition unit 130 based on the table of FIG. 3 (S101). Next, the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate within the set search area (S102). Next, the determination unit 140C determines whether or not there is a target trajectory candidate satisfying a predetermined condition among the generated target trajectory candidates (S103). When it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying a predetermined condition, the determination unit 140C extracts the target track candidate as the target track, and the operation control unit drives the own vehicle M according to the target track (S104). End the process.

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying a predetermined condition, the determination unit 140C determines whether or not the compliance level of the current search area is the maximum (S105). When it is determined that the compliance level of the current search area is the maximum, the operation control unit makes an emergency stop of the own vehicle M and ends the process. On the other hand, when it is determined that the compliance level of the current search area is not the maximum, the search area setting unit 140A resets the search area in which the compliance level is raised by one (S107). Next, the search area setting unit 140A returns the process to S102, and the target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B generates a target trajectory candidate in the reset search area.

In the above description, predetermined conditions for extracting the target trajectory are also set in the search area having the maximum compliance level. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and it is not necessary to set predetermined conditions in the search area having the maximum compliance level. That is, at least one target trajectory is always extracted within the search area having the highest compliance level. In this case, in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the process of S106 becomes unnecessary.

Further, in the above description, a search area having three compliance levels is set in advance, and the search area setting unit 140A selects a corresponding search area according to the scene of the own vehicle M. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the search area may not be set in a specific number in advance. That is, when it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying a predetermined condition in a certain search area, the search area setting unit 140A may reset a wider search area regardless of selection. For example, when it is determined that there is no target track candidate in the own lane, the search area setting unit 140A expands the search area by a predetermined distance (for example, 3 m) with respect to the own lane. May be good.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the search area of the target trajectory is set according to the height of the traveling risk of the scene recognized by the recognition unit 130, and the search area is set narrow when the traveling risk is low. By doing so, the calculation resource is saved and the target trajectory is determined quickly, and when the driving risk is high, the search area is set wide to ensure the safety of the occupants by using a lot of calculation resources. As a result, the target track of the vehicle can be generated more quickly and flexibly.

The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.
A storage device that stores programs and
With a hardware processor,
When the hardware processor executes a program stored in the storage device,
Recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle,
At least within the search area set on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions, one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track on which the vehicle will travel in the future are generated.
It is determined whether or not there is a target orbital candidate satisfying a predetermined condition among one or more of the target orbital candidates.
When it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the vehicle is driven according to the target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.
When it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the target trajectory candidate generation unit generates one or more target trajectory candidates in a wider search area.
A vehicle control device that is configured to.

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.

10 Camera 12 Radar device 14 LIDAR
16 Object recognition device 100 Automatic operation control device 120 First control unit 130 Recognition unit 140 Action plan generation unit 140A Search area setting unit 140B Target trajectory candidate generation unit 140B
140C Judgment unit 160 Second control unit 162 Acquisition unit 164 Speed control unit 166 Steering control unit

Claims (8)

A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle and
A target track candidate generation unit that generates one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track that the vehicle will travel in the future, at least in a search area set on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions.
A determination unit for determining whether or not a target trajectory candidate satisfying a predetermined condition exists among one or more of the target trajectory candidates.
When it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, a driving control unit for traveling the vehicle according to the target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition is provided.
When it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the target trajectory candidate generation unit generates one or more target trajectory candidates in a wider search area.
Vehicle control device. The target trajectory candidate generation unit determines a future velocity plan in association with the target trajectory candidate, and determines a future velocity plan.
The predetermined conditions include constraints on speed planning.
When the target trajectory candidate generation unit generates one or more target trajectory candidates in the wider search area, the determination unit relaxes the restrictions on the speed planning.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. A setting unit for setting the search area is further provided.
The setting unit sets a plurality of search areas having different sizes, and sets a plurality of search areas.
When it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition in one search area, the setting unit selects a wider search area.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. A setting unit for setting the search area is further provided.
When it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the setting unit resets a wider search area.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. The setting unit first makes the size of the search area for generating one or more target track candidates different depending on the scene of the vehicle determined based on the state information of the vehicle and the surrounding situation.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3 or 4. When the target orbit candidate generation unit generates one or more target orbit candidates in a wider search area, the target orbit candidate generation unit increases the number of one or more target orbit candidates generated or generates one or more target orbit candidates. Extend the time to do
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The vehicle control device
Recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle,
At least within the search area set on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions, one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track on which the vehicle will travel in the future are generated.
It is determined whether or not there is a target orbital candidate satisfying a predetermined condition among one or more of the target orbital candidates.
When it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the vehicle is driven according to the target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.
When it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, one or more target trajectory candidates are generated in a wider search area.
Vehicle control method. For the processor of the vehicle control device
Recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle
At least within the search area set on the traveling direction side of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions, one or more target track candidates that are candidates for the target track on which the vehicle will travel in the future are generated.
It is made to judge whether or not there is a target orbit candidate satisfying a predetermined condition among one or more of the target orbit candidates.
When it is determined that there is a target track candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, the vehicle is driven according to the target track based on the target track candidate determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.
When it is determined that there is no target trajectory candidate satisfying the predetermined condition, one or more target trajectory candidates are generated in a wider search area.
program.

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