JP2023153852A - Automatic-driving control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic-driving control device that can disable partially or entirely control being automatically performed, and instead, performs control according to operation of a driver, as required, as well as, that can stop partially or entirely the control being automatically performed, at appropriate timing.SOLUTION: In one aspect of the present invention, an automatic-driving control device provided to a vehicle comprises a peripheral-information acquisition unit, a driving-mode setting unit, and an automatic control unit. In the case when a driving mode of the vehicle is set to a high-automation mode, if preset basic-mode switching conditions are fulfilled, the driving-mode setting unit switches the driving mode of the vehicle to a basic mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Cross-reference of related applications

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201407 filed with the Japan Patent Office on September 30, 2014, and is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201407. The entire contents are incorporated by reference into this international application.

The present disclosure allows some or all of the driver's various driving actions necessary for driving the vehicle, such as various judgments and operations by the driver, to be performed automatically without requiring any operation by the driver. The present invention relates to an automatic driving control device that allows automatic operation.

Various technologies have been proposed to realize autonomous vehicle driving, and some have been put into practical use. Patent Document 1 listed below discloses an automatic driving vehicle that can travel automatically according to a preset travel plan.

JP2012-59274A

One of the ultimate goals of autonomous driving technology is considered to be to be able to simply set a destination and then reach the destination without any involvement of the driver in driving the vehicle. However, the current situation is that it has not yet reached a level of reliability high enough to realize this.

Until automated driving technology is established and its reliability reaches a high level, while using automated driving technology, some or all of the controls that are currently being executed automatically may be disabled and the driver's operations may be disabled as necessary. It is desirable to be able to delegate the task.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, in a vehicle that can automatically execute some or all of various driving controls necessary for driving without requiring operation by a driver, some or all of the controls that are being automatically executed are provided. It is desirable to be able to stop everything at an appropriate time.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an automatic driving control device installed in a vehicle, which includes a surrounding information acquisition section, a driving mode setting section, and an automatic control section. The surrounding information acquisition unit obtains surrounding information of the vehicle. The surrounding information is information indicating the state of the surroundings of the vehicle, and is information necessary to automatically execute at least one of the plurality of types of driving operations described above without requiring any operation by the driver. The driving mode setting section sets the driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The highly automated mode is a driving mode in which some or all of the multiple types of driving operations necessary for driving the vehicle are automatically executed based on surrounding information. The basic mode is a driving mode in which the number of types of driving operations to be automatically executed is less than that in the highly automated mode or zero. The automatic control section executes a driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting section. The driving mode setting unit switches the driving mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode.

The automatic operation control device configured in this manner has a highly automated mode and a basic mode as driving modes, and switches to the basic mode when a basic mode switching condition is satisfied during the highly automated mode. The basic mode switching condition is a specific condition under which it is necessary or desirable to switch the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. The number and contents of basic mode switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. In addition, if multiple basic mode switching conditions are set, the basic mode may be switched to when at least one of the plurality of basic mode switching conditions is satisfied, or all of the set basic mode switching conditions may be set. The mode may be switched to the basic mode when a specified number of two or more or all of the mode switching conditions are satisfied.

By appropriately setting the basic mode switching conditions, it is possible to switch from the highly automated mode to the basic mode at an appropriate timing. Therefore, according to the automatic driving control device having the above configuration, it is possible to stop part or all of the driving operation that is being automatically executed in the highly automated mode at an appropriate timing.

When the vehicle is being driven in the basic mode, depending on the situation, it may be preferable to switch to the highly automated mode and let the automatic driving process take over. Therefore, when the driving mode is the basic mode, the driving mode setting section may switch the driving mode to the high automation mode when a preset high automation switching condition is satisfied.

The highly automated switching condition is a specific condition under which it is necessary or desirable to switch the driving mode from the basic mode to the highly automated mode. The number and contents of advanced automation switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. Additionally, if multiple advanced automation switching conditions are set, the mode may be switched to advanced automation mode when at least one of the multiple advanced automation switching conditions is met, or all of the set The high automation mode may be switched to when two or more specific number or all of the high automation switching conditions are satisfied.

According to the automatic driving control device configured in this way, by appropriately setting the advanced automation switching conditions, it is possible to switch between the advanced automation mode and the basic mode at an appropriate timing.

The driving mode setting unit may maintain the basic mode if the basic mode switching condition continues to be satisfied even if the highly automated switching condition is satisfied when the driving mode is the basic mode.

The fact that the basic mode switching condition is satisfied suggests that the situation is such that it is preferable to reduce the types of driving actions to be automated and to increase the weight of driving actions performed by the driver himself. Therefore, if both the advanced automation switching condition and the basic mode switching condition are met, by giving priority to the basic mode and not switching to the advanced automation mode, appropriate driving operations that respect the driver's driving operations can be performed. Vehicle control can be realized.

FIG. 1A is a side view of the vehicle of the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the vehicle of the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram showing the automatic driving level of each driving mode, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing that the control contents at each automatic driving level may be set arbitrarily. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of automatic driving. It is a flowchart of main processing. 6 is a flowchart of automatic operation control processing in the main processing of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an initial automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a normal automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic operation control process of FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a case in which the advanced automation mode should be switched to the basic mode. 7 is a flowchart of basic mode switching confirmation processing in the automatic driving control processing of FIG. 6. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing another example of basic mode switching confirmation processing. 12 is a flowchart showing another example of basic mode switching confirmation processing. It is a flowchart of basic mode preparation confirmation processing. It is a flowchart of control parameter setting processing.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(1) Configuration of Vehicle 1 FIG. 1A shows a side view of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, and FIG. 1B shows a top view of the vehicle 1. However, FIGS. 1A and 1B simply illustrate the arrangement of various cameras, radars, sensors, etc. in the vehicle 1, mainly for the purpose of clarifying the arrangement thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 has at least a first front camera 2, an indoor camera 3, a first rear camera 4, and a second front camera 5 as cameras for photographing the inside and outside of the vehicle 1. , a second rear camera 6, a left side camera 7, and a right side camera 8. Each of the cameras 2 to 8 is a camera that can take color images and videos. Each of the cameras 2 to 8 may be a monocular camera, or may be a stereo camera that is equipped with a plurality of lenses and can also obtain information in the depth direction.

The first front camera 2 is provided on the front end side of the ceiling in the vehicle interior so as to face forward. This first front camera 2 can photograph the front of the vehicle 1 over a wide range. The indoor camera 3 is provided on the front end side of the ceiling in the vehicle interior so as to face rearward (into the vehicle interior). This indoor camera 3 can photograph at least the upper body of the driver inside the vehicle. The first rear camera 4 is provided on the rear end side of the ceiling in the vehicle interior so as to face rearward. This first rear camera 4 can photograph the rear of the vehicle 1 over a wide range.

The second front camera 5 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 so as to face forward. This second front camera 5 can photograph the front of the vehicle 1 over a wide range. The second rear camera 6 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 so as to face rearward. This second rear camera 6 can photograph the rear of the vehicle 1 over a wide range. The left side camera 7 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle 1 so as to face leftward. This left side camera 7 can photograph the left side of the vehicle 1 over a wide range. The right side camera 8 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 so as to face the right side. This right side camera 8 can photograph the right side of the vehicle 1 over a wide range.

The vehicle 1 also includes a front radar device 11, a rear radar device 12, a left radar device 13, and a right radar device 14, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Each radar device 11 to 14 is a millimeter wave radar in this embodiment. As is well known, millimeter wave radar transmits millimeter wave radio waves and receives the reflected waves using multiple receiving antennas. This radar is capable of detecting target object information regarding targets around the vehicle 1. Target information that can be detected by each radar device 11 to 14 includes the presence or absence of a target in the detection direction, the distance to the target, the direction of the target with respect to vehicle 1, and the moving speed of the target (relative to vehicle 1). relative velocity).

Specifically, the forward radar device 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to and from the front of the vehicle 1. With this forward radar device 11, target information regarding targets in front of the vehicle 1 can be acquired. The rear radar device 12 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the rear of the vehicle 1. This rear radar device 12 makes it possible to acquire target object information regarding targets behind the vehicle 1 . The left side radar device 13 is provided on the left side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the left side of the vehicle 1. This left side radar device 13 can acquire target object information regarding a target on the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the right side of the vehicle 1. This right side radar device 14 can acquire target object information regarding a target on the right side of the vehicle 1.

The vehicle 1 also includes a biological sensor 21, a solar radiation sensor 22, and a rainfall sensor 23, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. A plurality of biosensors 21 (two in this embodiment) are provided on the steering wheel 20 that the driver operates for steering. The biosensor 21 can detect whether or not the driver is touching the steering wheel 20, and can also detect various biometric information such as the driver's pulse and sweating state while the driver is touching the steering wheel 20. The solar radiation sensor 22 is installed at the lower part of the front window 10 at the front of the vehicle interior. This solar radiation sensor 22 is capable of detecting the amount of solar radiation on the vehicle 1 and, in turn, the brightness around the vehicle 1 . The rain sensor 23 is installed in the upper part of the front window 10 on the inside of the vehicle. This rain sensor 23 can detect the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rain.

In addition, the vehicle 1 is equipped with four automatic operation operation lamps 16, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. As will be described later, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is capable of switching the driving mode between the highly automated mode and the basic mode, and while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, each automated driving activation lamp 16 lights up in a predetermined lighting pattern. The lighting state of each automatic driving operation lamp 16 is visible from the outside of the vehicle 1. Therefore, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, it is possible to appeal to vehicles and pedestrians traveling around the vehicle 1 that the vehicle is traveling in the highly automated mode. Various lighting patterns can be considered for each automatic operation operation lamp 16. For example, the lamp may be turned on all the time during the high automation mode, or may be turned on and off at regular intervals.

(2) Electrical configuration of vehicle 1 The electrical configuration of vehicle 1 will be specifically explained using FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes an automatic driving control section 30. The automatic driving control unit 30 mainly has a mode switching function and an automatic driving function. The mode switching function is a function of setting the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to either the highly automated mode or the basic mode. The automatic driving function is a function that executes automatic driving according to the automatic driving level of the set driving mode (see FIG. 3A, details will be described later). The automatic driving control unit 30 appropriately switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 according to various factors such as the driving state of the vehicle 1, the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1, and the state of the driver of the vehicle 1, as will be described later.

Types of automated driving include partially automated driving and fully automated driving. Partially automated driving is a form of automated driving in which some of the various driving actions required by the driver to drive the vehicle are automated. Note that automation here means that it can be executed without requiring any operation by the driver. Fully automated driving is a form of automated driving in which all travel to a set destination is automated without requiring any driver operations. The parameter indicating the type and number of driving actions to be automated in automatic driving is hereinafter referred to as the automatic driving level. Fully automated driving is a higher level of automated driving than partially automated driving. Furthermore, there are various levels of partially automated driving depending on the type and number of driving operations to be automated.

The vehicle 1 of this embodiment is configured to be capable of not only partially automatic driving but also fully automatic driving using the automatic driving control unit 30. In this embodiment, the driver is configured to be able to arbitrarily change the setting of the automatic driving level, that is, which of the various driving operations necessary for driving are to be automated and which are to be performed by the driver.

More specifically, in this embodiment, the main automatic control functions for realizing fully automated driving include automatic start/stop control, lane keeping control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right/left turn control, and collision prevention control. , and seven types of parking control. The automatic operation control unit 30 can execute these seven types of automatic control functions, and can realize fully automatic operation by executing these seven types of automatic control functions.

On the other hand, by executing any six or less of the seven types of automatic control functions described above, partially automatic operation is realized. In this embodiment, it is possible to arbitrarily set which of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is to be executed in the advanced automation mode.

The specific contents of the seven types of automatic control functions will be explained in detail later.
The automatic driving level becomes higher as the number of functions executed among the seven types of automatic control functions increases. Specifically, the automatic driving level when none of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is executed is level 0. The automatic operation level when n types of the above seven types of automatic control functions are executed is level n. Therefore, in the level 0 driving mode, it is necessary for the driver himself to judge and operate the control operations corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions. On the other hand, the driving modes of levels 1 to 6 are driving modes in which partially automatic driving is performed. The level 7 driving mode is a driving mode in which fully automatic driving is performed.

In this embodiment, the highly automated mode is a driving mode in which automatic driving is performed at an automatic driving level of level 1 or higher. On the other hand, the basic mode is a driving mode in which the automatic driving level is relatively low compared to the highly automated mode. For example, when the advanced automation mode is level n, the basic mode can be set to any one of levels n-1 to level 0.

In this embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation and making it easier to understand, the basic mode will be explained assuming that the automatic driving level is set to level 0. Level 0 is a level in which all of the seven types of automatic control functions described above are not executed, and the driver is required to perform most of the various driving operations necessary for driving.

The automatic operation control section 30 includes a calculation section 30a and a memory 30b. Specifically, the memory 30b includes at least one of ROM, RAM, and other various storage media (eg, EEPROM, flash memory). The calculation unit 30a implements various functions including the mode switching function and automatic driving function described above by executing various programs stored in the memory 30b. The calculation unit 30a includes at least a CPU.

The various programs stored in the memory 30b include programs (so-called security software) that can detect unauthorized operations from outside, computer viruses, unauthorized software and data (hereinafter collectively referred to as "unauthorized factors"). )It is included. The arithmetic unit 30a monitors the presence or absence of fraudulent factors at any time by making this security software resident during startup. If a fraud factor occurs, various fraud handling processes are executed. The fraud response process also includes a process of forcibly setting the automatic driving level to level 0 and disabling any automatic control functions. In addition, various specific contents of the fraud handling process may be considered. For example, a warning may be outputted to the driver by voice or the like, or the vehicle 1 may be forcibly decelerated or stopped. Further, the connection between the automatic operation control section 30 and each of the communication sections 31 to 35 may be physically cut off, so that access to the automatic operation control section 30 from the outside via wireless communication may be disabled.

The automatic operation control unit 30 is connected to the cameras 2 to 8, the radar devices 11 to 14, the sensors 21 to 23, and the four automatic operation lamps 16 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 individually controls the operations of the cameras 2 to 8, and acquires the photographing results (image data) from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and stores them in the memory 30b. Acquisition and storage of image data is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals.

The calculation unit 30a can recognize various situations inside and outside the vehicle based on image data from each of the cameras 2 to 8. For example, from the image data of the indoor camera 3, it is possible to recognize the driver's line of sight, eye condition, gestures, etc. Further, from the image data of the first front camera 2, it is possible to detect a state in which sunlight is incident on the vehicle and the driver feels dazzled (so-called backlighting). In addition, from the image data of the first front camera 2 and the second front camera 5, it is possible to detect vehicles ahead, oncoming vehicles, vehicles in adjacent lanes driving diagonally ahead, lane markings, crosswalks, pedestrians, bicycles, etc. It is possible to recognize when the vehicle jumps out of the vehicle, when another vehicle enters the intersection, the contents of signs, traffic lights, and billboards in the direction of travel, and other objects around the vehicle.

Further, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic operation control unit 30 individually controls each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and acquires target detection results from each of the radar devices 11 to 14 and stores them in the memory 30b. Acquisition and storage of detection results from each radar device 11 to 14 is repeated at predetermined time intervals. The calculation unit 30a calculates and obtains the presence or absence of a target, the distance to the target, the direction of the target, the relative speed of the target as seen from the vehicle 1, etc. based on the detection results of each radar device 11 to 14. be able to.

Further, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 determines whether the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 based on the detection signal from the biosensor 21. Further, while the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 (specifically, while touching the biosensor 21), biometric information such as the driver's pulse and sweating state is acquired based on the detection signal from the biosensor 21. The calculation unit 30a can estimate the driver's physical condition and mental state based on the acquired biological information.

In addition, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 determines the brightness of the driving environment based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22, and determines the brightness of the driving environment at night or in a similar situation (hereinafter simply referred to as “night”). You can determine whether there is. Furthermore, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic operation control unit 30 can determine the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rainfall based on the detection signal from the rain sensor 23.

The vehicle 1 also includes a seating sensor 25 and a belt sensor 26 as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30, as shown in FIG. The seating sensor 25 is a sensor for detecting whether or not an occupant is sitting in the seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one seating sensor 25 is shown in FIG. 2 for simplification of illustration, in reality, it is provided individually for each seat. Specifically, in the case of a vehicle 1 with a passenger capacity of N people, seating sensors 25 are individually provided for each of the N seats.

The belt sensor 26 is a sensor for detecting whether or not the occupant is wearing a seat belt when the occupant is seated in the seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one belt sensor 26 is shown in FIG. 2 for simplification of illustration, in reality, it is individually provided for each seat belt of each seat. Specifically, in the case of a vehicle 1 with a passenger capacity of N people, seat belts are individually provided for each of the N seats, and a belt sensor 26 is individually provided for each seat belt.

In addition, the vehicle 1 includes, as shown in FIG. It includes a communication section 35 and a TV/radio reception section 36.

The GPS communication unit 31 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, and outputs information (GPS information) included in the received radio waves to the automatic operation control unit 30. The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can calculate the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the information received by the GPS communication unit 31.

The automatic driving control unit 30 also includes a route guidance function, which is one of various elemental functions for realizing the automatic driving function. The route guidance function calculates an appropriate route from the current position to the destination based on the current position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on GPS information and the destination set by the driver, and the vehicle 1 follows that route. This function guides and controls the vehicle 1 so that it travels along the route to the destination. The contents of the guidance control of the vehicle 1 in the route guidance function differ depending on the automatic driving level. For example, when the automatic driving level is set to fully automatic driving level 7, the guidance control is based on multiple types of automatic control functions (7 types in this embodiment as described above) to realize fully automatic driving. , the provision of route information (information regarding which direction and route the vehicle should travel) necessary to execute the automatic control function. For example, when the automatic driving level is set to a predetermined level 1 to 6 (partially automatic driving), which is lower than fully automatic driving, guidance control may be applied to partially automatic driving among multiple types of automatic control functions. This is to provide route information for necessary automatic control functions, and to provide driving route guidance (for example, voice guidance) to the driver as necessary.

Map data and other various data necessary for the route guidance function are stored in the memory 30b. The calculation unit 30a realizes the route guidance function (specifically, the above-mentioned guidance control) by executing the program for the route guidance function stored in the memory 30b while referring to the various data. The calculation unit 30a can also recognize the road conditions around the vehicle 1 based on the route guidance function. Specifically, for example, the shape and vehicle width of the route from the current location to the destination can also be recognized.

The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32 is a communication module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data to and from other vehicles other than the own vehicle. The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can obtain information (for example, traveling direction, traveling speed, position, etc.) of other surrounding vehicles via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32. Conversely, information about the own vehicle 1 can also be transmitted to other vehicles.

The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is a communication module for receiving various information wirelessly transmitted from a road communication device 81 (see FIG. 4) provided on the road (on the ground side). Various information received by the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is input to the automatic driving control unit 30.

The roadside communication device 81 is connected to a server (not shown), receives various information from the server, and wirelessly transmits the information within a predetermined surrounding area. The server aggregates various types of road traffic information, such as various infrastructure information (for example, traffic light information, road regulation information, etc.) and information on the presence of other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. The server transmits, for each on-road communication device 81, individual road information related to the on-road communication device 81 based on the aggregated road traffic information. The individual road information is various types of road traffic information regarding the traveling direction of a vehicle traveling within the communication area of the roadside communication device 81. Each road communication device 81 wirelessly transmits the individual road information transmitted from the server within a predetermined communication area.

The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can obtain various road traffic information regarding the traveling route in the traveling direction via the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33. Information that the calculation unit 30a can acquire via the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 includes dangerous sections (for example, sections with continuous curves, sections with narrow road widths, etc.), sections where construction is underway, and accident sites. Contains section information regarding various sections, such as certain sections near . By linking the acquired section information and the route guidance function, the calculation unit 30a can recognize the relative relationship between the section and the vehicle 1, such as whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in the section indicated by the section information. .

Note that a camera 82 is mounted on each roadside communication device 81 illustrated in FIG. 4 . Each camera 82 photographs the road side and transmits the photographed data to the server via the network. The server can obtain road traffic information around the camera from the photographic data transmitted from each camera 82.

The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is a communication module for performing wireless communication with a communication terminal (for example, a mobile phone or a smartphone) carried by a pedestrian on the ground side. Terminal location information transmitted from a communication terminal carried by a pedestrian when the communication terminal is configured to be able to wirelessly transmit terminal location information indicating the location of the communication terminal (i.e., the location of the pedestrian) The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 can receive the information. The terminal position information received by the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is input to the automatic driving control unit 30. Note that the automatic driving control unit 30 may also notify the pedestrian of the position information of the vehicle 1 and the like by wirelessly transmitting various information such as the position information of the vehicle 1 from the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 to the pedestrian's communication terminal. can.

The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 can know the position and movement of the pedestrian based on the terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34. The presence and movement of pedestrians can be detected by the cameras and radar devices described above, but in addition, information obtained through the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 can also be used to detect the presence or absence of pedestrians and the movement of pedestrians. can be detected.

The LTE communication unit 35 is a communication module for realizing wireless communication based on LTE, which is a well-known communication standard for mobile phones. The TV/radio receiving section 36 is a receiving module for receiving radio waves of television broadcasts and radio broadcasts. The calculation unit 30a acquires various information necessary for automatic driving of the vehicle 1 and updates existing information (for example, updates of map data) via the LTE communication unit 35 (that is, by LTE wireless communication). be able to. Note that it is not essential to obtain and update such various information using LTE wireless communication, and may be performed using other wireless communication.

The vehicle 1 also includes a display 37, a HUD (abbreviation for head-up display) 38, a microphone 39, a speaker 40, and a turn signal as shown in FIG. It includes an operation section 41, an automatic operation activation lamp 16, an automatic operation start switch 42, an automatic operation stop switch 43, an emergency stop switch 44, and a level setting operation section 45. As described above, four automatic operation operation lamps 16 are provided in this embodiment. Note that the switch will also be referred to as "SW" hereinafter.

The display 37 is a display device for displaying various information including map information in the route guidance function. The display 37 has a touch panel function, and various input operations can be performed by touching the display 37 (specifically, touching the touch panel) in accordance with the display contents of the display 37.

The HUD 38 is a display device that can project various information near the front window 10. The microphone 39 acquires the voices of the driver and other occupants, and inputs the voice signals to the automatic driving control unit 30. The speaker 40 outputs audio based on various audio signals output from the automatic driving control unit 30.

The blinker operation unit 41 has an operation lever operated by the driver to blink a blinker (not shown), and outputs a blinker operation signal indicating the operation state of the operation lever to the automatic driving control unit 30.

The automatic driving start SW 42 is a switch for setting the vehicle 1 to a highly automated mode. The driver of the vehicle 1 needs to press the automatic driving start SW 42 in order to set the vehicle 1 to the highly automated mode and execute automatic driving. The automatic operation stop SW 43 is a switch for forcibly switching the automatic operation level of the vehicle 1 to level 0 regardless of the set driving mode. The emergency stop SW44 is a switch for forcibly stopping the vehicle 1. The level setting operation unit 45 is a user interface for accepting operations by the driver to set an automatic driving level (details will be described later).

If the driver recognizes that a fraudulent factor such as a computer virus or unauthorized operation has occurred, the driver can forcefully cancel automatic driving by pressing the automatic driving stop SW43 and restart the vehicle 1 by the driver's own driving operation. It can be run.

The automatic operation start SW 42, the automatic operation stop SW 43, and the emergency stop SW 44 are provided, for example, in the vicinity of the driver's seat in the vehicle interior at a position where the driver sitting in the driver's seat can operate them while driving. However, the installation locations of these SWs 42, 43, and 44 may be determined as appropriate, or the same SW may be provided at multiple locations. For example, the emergency stop SW 44 may be provided near a seat other than the driver's seat (for example, a passenger seat). By doing so, for example, if something happens to the driver while driving and it becomes difficult for the driver to operate normally, the passenger sitting in the front passenger seat can operate the emergency stop SW44. , the vehicle 1 can be brought to an emergency stop.

The vehicle 1 is also provided with an accelerator pedal 27a and a brake pedal 28a. The accelerator pedal 27a is depressed by the driver when the driver wants the vehicle 1 to travel. The brake pedal 28a is depressed by the driver when the driver wants to decelerate or stop the vehicle 1 while it is running.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle speed sensor 24, a travel drive control section 27, a brake control section 28, a pedal sensor 28b, and a steering wheel sensor 28b as components connected to the automatic driving control section 30. A control section 29 is provided.

The pedal sensor 28b is a sensor for detecting whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a, and is provided on the surface of the brake pedal 28a that the driver's foot touches. The signal output from the pedal sensor 28b differs depending on whether the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a or not. The automatic driving control unit 30 is configured to be able to determine whether the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on a signal output from the pedal sensor 28b.

The travel drive control unit 27 includes an accelerator sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a. The travel drive control unit 27 controls the engine and transmission (not shown) based on various information such as the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a, the operation position of the shift lever (not shown), the vehicle speed, and the engine rotation speed detected by the accelerator sensor. The running of the vehicle 1 is controlled by controlling. On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to high automation mode (specifically, when any of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is executed), the automatic driving control unit 30 selects the automatic control function to be executed. Control information necessary for realizing this is output to the traveling drive control section 27. In this case, the traveling drive control section 27 controls the engine and the transmission according to the control information from the automatic operation control section 30 even if the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed. Although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes an engine as a drive source for running, the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure can also be applied to a vehicle equipped with a drive source for running other than the engine. In that case, the traveling drive control section 27 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of controlling the traveling drive source of the vehicle.

The brake control unit 28 includes a brake sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a. The brake control unit 28 controls a brake device (not shown) based on the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a detected by the brake sensor. On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when any of the seven automatic control functions described above is executed), the brake control unit 28 controls the brake pedal 28a when the brake pedal 28a is not depressed. The brake system also controls the brake device according to control information from the automatic driving control unit 30.

The steering control section 29 mainly has two functions. One is the so-called electric power steering function. The electric power steering function is a function that assists the driver in operating the steering wheel 20 using a motor. The other is an automatic steering function that automatically steers the steering wheels (for example, front wheels) of the vehicle 1 without requiring any operation by the driver. Steering of the steering wheels is basically performed by the driver operating the steering wheel 20, but when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, at least one of the seven types of automatic control functions described above When any of the automatic start/stop control and inter-vehicle distance control is executed), the steering control unit 29 responds to control information from the automatic driving control unit 30 even if the driver is not operating the steering wheel 20. The steering of the steered wheels is automatically controlled by controlling the motor.

(3) Description of automatic driving function In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the automatic driving control unit 30 can acquire and detect various information necessary for realizing the automatic driving function described above.

The first type of information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions is information such as the position and speed of the own vehicle (own vehicle information). The own vehicle position can be obtained by calculation based on GPS information. The own vehicle speed can be obtained by calculation based on a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 24, a steering angle signal from a steering angle sensor (not shown), a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor (not shown), and the like. Note that the vehicle speed can also be calculated from the rate of change in the vehicle position.

Additionally, information that can be used to realize automatic driving functions includes information about surrounding moving objects. Specifically, it is information regarding the relative positions, distances, and speeds of vehicles in front, vehicles behind, vehicles on the side, oncoming vehicles, vehicles crossing the intersection, pedestrians, bicycles, etc. relative to the own vehicle.

Information regarding these surrounding moving objects can be obtained based on photographic data from each of the cameras 2 to 8, detection results from each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and the like. Various techniques for recognizing surrounding objects based on photographic data and detection results of radar devices have been proposed and put into practical use, so their explanations will be omitted here.

Information regarding surrounding moving objects can also be obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. For example, by performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication with surrounding vehicles, it is possible to recognize not only the surrounding vehicles that can be seen from the own vehicle, but also the positions and movements of surrounding vehicles that are in blind spots and cannot be directly seen from the own vehicle. . In road-to-vehicle communication, as described above, presence information of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, etc. can be acquired. In the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, as described above, the position and movement of the pedestrian can be known based on the terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34.

Through one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, for example, information on oncoming vehicles can be acquired during normal driving (especially around curves) or when turning right in order to prevent head-on collisions with oncoming vehicles. It acquires information on motorcycles on the left side and rear in order to prevent motorcycles from getting involved when turning left, acquires information on vehicles on the side (rear and side) when changing lanes, and acquires information on vehicles in front to prevent rear-end collisions. information on other vehicles traveling on the side of the intersection to prevent head-to-head collisions at intersections, and information on pedestrians to prevent collisions with pedestrians, etc. I can do it.

Information that can be used to implement automated driving functions also includes information on various road markings drawn directly on the road, such as lane markings (including parking markings), crosswalks, and stop lines. The information regarding the road display includes the location and contents of the road display. Information regarding these road displays can be obtained based on the photographic data of each of the cameras 2 to 8. Since various techniques for recognizing road markings from photographic data have been proposed and put into practical use, their explanations will be omitted here.

Information regarding road markings in the direction of travel can also be obtained through road-to-vehicle communication. Note that although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment does not have one, it is also possible to acquire information regarding various road displays using a laser radar.

In addition, information that can be used to realize automatic driving functions includes information on traffic lights, railroad crossings, signs (including billboards), intersections, merging/diverging points, sidewalks, obstacles, dangerous areas, and other ground structures (hereinafter referred to as " (collectively referred to as "infrastructure-related information"). In addition to the presence and location of the various objects mentioned above, infrastructure-related information also includes information on the color of traffic lights, the operating status of railroad crossings, and the display content of signs and billboards. . Infrastructure related information can also be recognized and acquired based on the photographic data of each of the cameras 2 to 8, and can also be acquired through road-to-vehicle communication. Furthermore, various infrastructure information can be acquired from the route guidance function described above based on GPS information, map data, and the like.

Additionally, regulatory information is also available as information that can be used to realize automatic driving functions. For example, if there is a travel restriction in the direction of travel due to construction, an accident, a natural disaster, etc., the restriction information can be acquired through road-to-vehicle communication.

Various types of information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, such as the above-mentioned information on surrounding moving objects, infrastructure-related information, information on road displays, and regulation information, correspond to examples of surrounding information in the present disclosure.

The automatic driving control unit 30 obtains the various types of information described above, and controls the travel drive control unit 27, brake control unit 28, steering control unit 29, and other necessary in-vehicle devices based on the information. driving can be realized. Specifically, the seven types of automatic control functions described above can be executed. As described above, the seven types of automatic control functions in this embodiment are automatic start/stop control, lane keeping control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right/left turn control, collision prevention control, and parking control.

The automatic start/stop control is a control that automatically stops the vehicle 1 when a condition for stopping is met while driving, and automatically starts the vehicle 1 when the condition for stopping is canceled after stopping. be. This control is performed using information on surrounding moving objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and each radar sensor 11 to 14, infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained through road-to-vehicle communication, in addition to own vehicle information.

With this automatic start/stop control, for example, if the traffic light at an intersection is green, it will continue to run, but if it is red or yellow, it will stop, or it will recognize a railroad crossing ahead and detect that the barrier is down. If the vehicle is recognized, the vehicle is stopped, and if the barrier has not been lowered, the vehicle is stopped and then started again. It will also automatically stop if it recognizes an obstacle in front of it.

Default values are set in advance for various control parameters necessary to execute automatic start/stop control, such as deceleration when automatically stopping and acceleration when automatically starting. and stored in the memory 30b. However, the settings of these control parameters may be changed arbitrarily from the default values.

Lane maintenance control is a control configured to automatically steer the steered wheels so that the own vehicle travels along the lane without deviating from the lane markings. This control is performed in cooperation with the route guidance function using information on road markings (particularly vehicle markings) obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and each radar sensor 11 to 14 in addition to the own vehicle information.

Inter-vehicle distance control is a control method in which, when another vehicle is running in front of the vehicle, speed control is performed so that the vehicle follows the other vehicle while maintaining a constant distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle. Further, the inter-vehicle distance control also includes so-called cruise control. Specifically, if there is no other vehicle within a certain range in front of the vehicle (for example, within 100 meters in front of the vehicle), in other words, if there is no vehicle to be followed in front of the vehicle, the vehicle is driven at the set speed. . Inter-vehicle distance control is performed using information regarding surrounding moving objects (especially the vehicle in front) obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, in addition to the own vehicle information.

The various parameters necessary for driving while following the vehicle in front, such as the distance between the vehicle in front and the upper limit of the vehicle's own vehicle speed when driving while following the vehicle in front, which are used in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, are set in advance. It is set. However, the settings of these control parameters may be changed arbitrarily. In addition, in inter-vehicle distance control, the vehicle speed, which is one of the control parameters used when there is no other vehicle within a certain range in front of the vehicle, is, in principle, set to the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. However, the vehicle speed in this case may be set arbitrarily. At this time, the speed may be set arbitrarily within a range that does not exceed the legal speed.

Lane change control detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane to which you are changing lanes when a lane change (steering to change lanes) is required, and automatically detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane depending on the presence, location, speed, etc. of other vehicles. This control automatically changes lanes while controlling driving force, braking force, and steering to avoid collisions with other vehicles. This control is performed using information obtained from vehicle information, information about surrounding moving objects (especially other vehicles in adjacent lanes) obtained from each camera 2 to 8 and each radar sensor 11 to 14, information about vehicle markings, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. This is done using information on other vehicles (vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes).

Right/left turn control is a control that automatically turns right or left when a right or left turn is required, without colliding with oncoming vehicles, vehicles running at intersections, other vehicles around the vehicle, pedestrians, etc. It is. This control includes information on surrounding moving objects obtained from each camera 2 to 8 and each radar sensor 11 to 14, information on other vehicles obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and information on pedestrians obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication in addition to own vehicle information. This is done using information such as

Collision prevention control is a control that automatically steers, brakes, or stops the vehicle to avoid colliding with the obstacle when an obstacle is present on the road in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. This is performed using information regarding surrounding moving objects obtained from each camera 2 to 8 and each radar sensor 11 to 14, infrastructure related information and regulation information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, and the like.

Parking control calculates a driving trajectory to the target parking position when a specific target parking position (for example, within a parking lot of a specific parking lot) is set as a destination, and drives the vehicle along that driving trajectory. This is a control that automatically parks the vehicle by controlling force, braking force, and steering.

The vehicle is configured such that the driver or the like can arbitrarily set which of the seven types of control functions is to be executed, that is, the automatic driving level. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the automatic driving level can be set arbitrarily in both the advanced automation mode and the basic mode. However, in the basic mode, level 7 cannot be set, but any one of levels 0 to 6 can be set. On the other hand, regarding the advanced automation mode, level 0 cannot be set, but any one of levels 1 to 7 can be set. Additionally, the level of basic mode is configurable within a range of lower levels than the level of advanced automation mode. Conversely, the level of advanced automation mode can be set within a range of levels higher than the level of basic mode.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, control A (for example, lane keeping control) is executed at level 1. At level 2, control B (for example, inter-vehicle distance control) is executed in addition to control A. At level 3, control C (for example, automatic start/stop control) is executed in addition to controls A and B. At level 4, in addition to controls A, B, and C, control D (for example, collision prevention control) is executed. At level 5, in addition to controls A, B, C, and D, control E (for example, lane change control) is executed. At level 6, in addition to controls A, B, C, D, and E, control F (for example, right/left turn control) is executed. At level 7, in addition to controls A, B, C, D, E, and F, control G (for example, parking control) is executed. In other words, the higher the level, the more types of automatic control functions are executed, and at level 7, it becomes fully automatic operation.

Level setting for each driving mode is possible by operating a level setting operation section 45 provided near the driver's seat for each driving mode. In this embodiment, the automatic driving level in the basic mode is set to level 0 by default, and the automatic driving level in the advanced automation mode is set to level 7 by default. The currently set automatic driving level can be arbitrarily changed for each driving mode. For example, when the basic mode is set to level 0, the advanced automation mode can be set arbitrarily between levels 1 to 7. Further, for example, when the basic mode is set to level 1, the advanced automation mode can be set arbitrarily between levels 2 to 7. Further, for example, when the advanced automation mode is set to level 4, the basic mode can be set arbitrarily between levels 0 and 3.

Note that which automatic control function is executed at which level is not limited to the content illustrated in FIG. 3A. For example, it is not essential that the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases. Which automatic control function is to be executed at which level may be determined as appropriate. Furthermore, the above-mentioned seven types of automatic control functions are merely an example, and the number of automatic control functions and the specific content of each automatic control function may be determined as appropriate.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, assuming that the number of automatic control functions to be executed increases by one each time the level increases, the contents of control A to control G are as shown in FIG. 3B. may be set arbitrarily by the driver or the like.

In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the driving mode is normally set to the basic mode. On the other hand, when the automatic operation start SW 42 is pressed, the operation mode becomes the highly automated mode under certain conditions. Note that if lane change control, right/left turn control, and parking control are set to be executed, a destination (target parking position in the case of parking control) may be set. Specifically, the user may start up the route guidance function and input the destination via the touch panel. When a destination is set, automatic driving basically works with the route guidance function to confirm the vehicle's position and follow the calculated route to the destination. .

When the automatic driving level is set to a driving mode of level 1 or higher and no destination is set, how to specifically execute the automatic control function applied in the current driving mode. may be determined as appropriate. For example, if the driving mode is set so that the right/left turn control function is executed, but no destination is set, the right/left turn control function will be executed so that the vehicle will, in principle, drive along the road. Good too. If it becomes necessary to select the direction of travel, such as when the vehicle approaches a fork in the road, for example, a right/left turn control function may be executed so as to proceed in a predetermined direction. Further, if a destination is not set, the right/left turn control function may be disabled. The parking control function may also be disabled if a destination (specifically, a parking location) is not set.

Examples of various types of control in the highly automated mode when the automatic driving level of the highly automated mode is set to level 7 will be explained using FIG. 4. Each of the vehicles 61 to 67 shown in FIG. 4 has the same configuration as the vehicle 1 shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. A vehicle traveling within the communication area of the roadside communication device 81 can receive individual road information from the roadside communication device 81. At least four vehicles 61, 65, 66, and 67 among the vehicles in FIG. 4 can receive individual road information from at least two nearby road communication devices 81a and 81b. Specifically, information on the traffic light 71 ahead, information on the oncoming vehicle 62, information on the pedestrian 76, etc. can be acquired.

Furthermore, at least the vehicle 63 can receive individual road information from at least the nearby roadside communication device 81c. Specifically, information such as that there is a stop sign 73 (that is, that the vehicle should stop temporarily) and that another vehicle 64 is approaching from the right side can be obtained.

Further, at least the vehicle 64 can receive individual road information from at least the nearby road communication device 81d. Specifically, information such as that another vehicle 63 is approaching from the left side can be acquired.

Further, at least the vehicle 62 can receive individual road information from at least the nearby road communication device 81e. Specifically, information such as information on the traffic light 72 ahead, the presence of an oncoming vehicle 61 about to turn right, the presence of a crosswalk in the direction of the left turn, and the presence of a pedestrian 76 at the crosswalk are collected. Can be obtained.

In addition, each vehicle 61 to 66 can obtain various information from each camera 2 to 8 and each radar device 11 to 14 that it has, and can also obtain various information through vehicle-to-vehicle communication and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. I can do it. For example, the vehicle 65 can detect the vehicle 67 ahead or the vehicle 66 on the right side using a camera or radar device, and thereby can drive while maintaining an appropriate distance from the vehicle 67 ahead or change lanes. If necessary, it is possible to change lanes at an appropriate timing while taking into consideration the positional relationship with the vehicle 66 on the right side. Furthermore, the vehicle 65 can also detect when a pedestrian 77 runs out using a camera or a radar device. When the vehicle 65 detects that the pedestrian 77 runs out, the vehicle 65 can perform appropriate deceleration control so as not to collide with the pedestrian 77 while considering the distance to the vehicle 65 behind.

In this way, each vehicle 61 to 66 uses various information such as various information obtained from the own vehicle and various information obtained from the roadside to appropriately drive the own vehicle to the destination by automatic driving. can be done.

(4) Switching the driving mode When the automatic driving start SW 42 is pressed, the automatic driving control unit 30 does not necessarily operate in the highly automated mode until the automatic driving stop SW 43 is pressed (or until the destination is reached). Do not mean. When the automatic operation start SW 42 is pressed, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic operation control unit 30 performs the main processing shown in FIG. 5 to switch between the advanced automation mode and the basic mode. In other words, the mode switching function is realized by the calculation unit 30a executing the main processing shown in FIG.

When a starting switch (not shown, for example, an ignition switch) of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the calculation unit 30a reads and executes the main processing program shown in FIG. 5 from the memory 30b. When the calculation unit 30a starts the main process in FIG. 5, in S10 it sets the driving mode to the basic mode and executes an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode. For example, when level 1 is set as the basic mode, the automatic control function of control A (see FIG. 3A) is executed. The automatic control function is executed based on various types of information, including the above-mentioned surrounding information, which are acquired as necessary. Note that when level 0 is set as the basic mode, all automatic control functions are not executed. The automatic control functions set to be executed in the basic mode are executed automatically, but other functions are basically left to the driver's operation.

In S15, it is determined whether the destination has been set. If the destination has not been set yet (S15: NO), it is determined in S20 whether the destination setting has been input. If the destination setting has not been input (S20: NO), the process returns to S15. In other words, the basic mode continues until the destination is set.

If the destination has already been set (S15: YES), or if the destination setting has been input in S20 (S20: YES), it is determined in S25 whether the automatic driving start SW 42 has been turned on. If the automatic operation start SW 42 is not turned on (S25: NO), the process returns to S15. When the automatic operation start SW 42 is turned on (S25: YES), automatic operation control processing is executed at S30. The automatic driving control process is a process of determining whether the driving mode can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and if so, switching the driving mode to the highly automated mode. The automatic driving control process also includes a process of determining whether or not to switch to the basic mode again after switching to the highly automated mode, and switching to the basic mode if the switch should be made. Details of the automatic operation control process in S30 are as shown in FIG.

Proceeding to the automatic driving control process in FIG. 6, in S110 it is determined whether the current driving mode is the highly automated mode. If it is already in the advanced automation mode (S110: YES), the process advances to S200. If the mode is not the advanced automation mode but the basic mode (S110: NO), the process advances to S120.

In S120, it is determined whether the initial automatic switching confirmation process in S130 has already been executed. The initial automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and is performed when the starting switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on. This is the automatic switching confirmation process that is executed first after the

After starting the main process, if the initial automatic switching confirmation process has not yet been executed (S120:
(NO), the process advances to S130 to execute initial automatic switching confirmation processing. If the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed after starting the main process (S120: YES), it is determined in S140 whether or not running has been performed after startup. Regardless of the driving mode, if the vehicle has traveled at least a little after startup (S140: YES), the process advances to S150 to execute normal automatic switching confirmation processing. If the vehicle has not been driven at all after startup (S140: NO), the process advances to S160. The normal automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed. This is an automatic switching confirmation process that is executed when the switch has been completed.

Note that it is not essential to separate the automatic switching confirmation processing into the initial automatic switching confirmation processing and the normal automatic switching confirmation processing. Either one may be omitted and only the other may be executed when a negative determination is made in S110. Alternatively, both may be combined into one automatic switching confirmation process, and if an affirmative determination is made in S110, that one automatic switching confirmation process may be executed.

Details of the initial automatic switching confirmation process in S130 are as shown in FIG. Proceeding to the initial automatic switching confirmation process in FIG. 7, the driver's operating state is confirmed in S310. In this embodiment, when switching to the highly automated mode immediately after startup, it is required that the driver be able to operate the vehicle 1 normally. This is to enable smooth return to the basic mode if it becomes necessary to return to the basic mode after starting driving in the highly automated mode. It also serves to prevent a person who is inexperienced in driving operations (for example, a child) or a person who should not operate the vehicle 1 from automatically driving the vehicle 1 without permission.

The specific operation state to be checked in S310 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the first determination method of determining whether the driver is gripping the handle 20 and depressing the brake pedal 28a may be used. Alternatively, a second determination method may be used in which the driver drives the vehicle 1 for a certain period of time (for example, several tens of seconds) and determines whether the driving operation during the drive is normal. Specifically, for example, whether the accelerator operation is smooth, whether the operation of the steering wheel 20 is smooth (whether the operation is performed in accordance with the shape of the driving route), and whether the vehicle is swaying in relation to the lane detected by various in-vehicle cameras or radar devices. It may be determined whether the driving operation is normal or not based on whether the vehicle was able to travel without any problems or whether the vehicle was able to drive in accordance with traffic lights and signs detected by various on-vehicle cameras and radar devices.

Furthermore, the method of determining whether the driver is seated in the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other determination methods.
In S320, based on the confirmation result in S310, it is determined whether switching to the highly automated mode is possible. For example, when using the first determination method in S310, if it is determined that the driver is holding the steering wheel 20 and depressing the brake pedal 28a, it may be determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible. good. At this time, it is also determined whether the driver is seated in the driver's seat based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25, and if the driver is seated in the driver's seat, switching to the highly automated mode is performed. It may be determined that it is possible. For example, if the second determination method is used in S310 and it is determined that the driving operation during traveling is normal, it may be determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible. At that time, it is also determined whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25, and if the driver is seated in the driver's seat, switching to the highly automated mode is performed. It may be determined that this is possible. Note that the fact that the operating state confirmed in S310 is such that it is determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible in S320 is an example of a basic mode switching condition.

In S330, it is determined whether switching to the highly automated mode is possible based on the determination result in S320. If it is determined in S320 that switching to the highly automated mode is possible (S330: YES), the process advances to S335.

In S335, it is determined whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt. This determination is made based on detection signals from the seating sensor 25 and the belt sensor 26. Specifically, the determination in S335 may be, for example, a determination of whether or not all occupants are wearing seat belts, or may be, for example, a determination of whether or not all occupants are wearing seatbelts, or may be, for example, a determination of whether or not all occupants are wearing seat belts. The determination may also be made to determine whether or not the occupant of a particular seat is wearing a seat belt. If it is determined in S335 that all the occupants to be determined are wearing their seat belts (S335: YES), the process advances to S340.

In S340, it is determined whether the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. Note that the basic mode maintenance flag and various flags to be described later are both cleared as initial values at the start of main processing.

If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S340: YES), the advanced automation switching flag is set in S350. After the processing in S350, the process advances to S160 (FIG. 6). If it is determined in S330 that switching to the highly automated mode is not possible, the process advances to S360. Further, in S335, if there is an occupant who is not wearing a seatbelt among the occupants to be determined (S335: NO), the process proceeds to S360. Also, if it is determined in S340 that the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (that is, it is set) (S340: NO), the process proceeds to S360. In S360, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared. After the processing in S360, the process advances to S160 (FIG. 6).

Next, details of the normal automatic switching confirmation process in S150 (FIG. 6) are as shown in FIG. Proceeding to the normal automatic switching confirmation process in FIG. 8, it is determined in S410 whether the conditions for normal transition to the highly automated mode are satisfied. Various conditions for normal transition to the highly automated mode can be considered; for example, the driver may be holding the steering wheel 20. For example, it may be assumed that the vehicle 1 is traveling within the legal speed limit and is capable of driving straight ahead or in a similar manner (with fewer turns) for a certain period of time. In other words, normal transition conditions may be set so that the mode can be switched to the highly automated mode in a stable state. Further, as the normal transition condition, for example, the fact that the driver is seated in the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other conditions (for example, as a logical sum or logical product with other conditions). Note that this normal transition condition is an example of a highly automated switching condition.

If the normal transition condition to the advanced automation mode is satisfied (S410: YES), it is determined in S480 whether the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. If the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (S480: NO), the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S470, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S480: YES), the advanced automation switching flag is set in S490, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6).

If it is determined in S410 that the normal transition condition to the advanced automation mode is not satisfied (S410: NO), basically the basic mode is prioritized and maintained. However, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat, the driver's condition is checked by the process from S420 onward, and any abnormalities in the driver's condition (abnormalities that may prevent the driver from driving normally) If this occurs, an advanced automation switching flag is set to switch to advanced automation mode.

In other words, basically, the switch from basic mode to highly automated mode should be performed after confirming that the driver and vehicle 1 are in a stable state. If the vehicle 1 cannot (or does not) drive normally, depending on the condition, it may be necessary to forcibly switch to the highly automated mode and drive the vehicle 1 appropriately. Therefore, from S420 onward, if the driver is unable to drive the vehicle 1 normally, the highly automated switching flag is set.

Specifically, if it is determined in S410 that the normal transition condition to the highly automated mode is not satisfied (S410: NO), it is determined in S415 whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat. If the driver is not seated in the driver's seat (S415: NO), the normal automatic switching confirmation process of FIG. 8 is ended and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). In this case, the operating mode is maintained at the basic mode. On the other hand, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat (S415: YES), the process advances to S420.

In S420, it is determined whether the driver's line of sight is facing forward. This determination may be made based on image data captured by the indoor camera 3. Examples of cases in which the driver's line of sight is not directed forward are assumed to be when the driver is watching television, operating a mobile phone or smartphone, or driving distracted.

If the driver's line of sight is facing forward (S420: YES), the process advances to S450. If the driver's line of sight is not facing forward (S420: NO), it is determined in S430 whether the vehicle is stopped. If the vehicle 1 is stopped (S430: YES), the process advances to S450. If the vehicle 1 is running (S430: NO), it is determined in S440 whether or not the driver's line of sight is not facing forward for a specified period of time. If the driver's line of sight is not facing forward for a specified period of time (S440: NO), the process advances to S450. If the driver's line of sight does not face forward for a specified period of time (S440: YES), the process proceeds to S490 and sets the advanced automation switching flag.

In S450, it is determined whether the driver's eye condition is normal. Specifically, if the user is not in a dozing state or in a state close to it, it is determined to be normal, and if the user is in a dozing state or in a state close to it, it is determined to be abnormal. This determination may be made based on image data captured by the indoor camera 3.

If the driver's eye condition is normal (S450: YES), the process advances to S460. If the driver's eye condition is abnormal (S450: NO), the process advances to S490 and sets the advanced automation switching flag.

In S460, it is determined whether the driver's physical condition is normal. Specifically, the determination is made based on ecological information obtained from the biological sensor 21. For example, if the pulse rate is within the normal range and there is no abnormal sweating, it is determined that the physical condition is normal. On the other hand, if the pulse rate exceeds the normal range or the person is sweating abnormally, it is determined that the person's physical condition is abnormal.

If the driver's physical condition is normal (S460: YES), the process advances to S470 to clear the advanced automation switching flag. If the driver's physical condition is abnormal (S460: NO), the process advances to S490 and sets the advanced automation switching flag. After the processing in S470 and after the processing in S490, the process advances to S160 (FIG. 6). Note that the driver's state is in a state where an affirmative determination is made in S440, a state where a negative determination is made in S450, and a state where a negative determination is made in S460 are all examples of advanced automation switching conditions. It is.

In S160, it is determined whether the advanced automation switching flag is set. If the advanced automation switching flag is not set (cleared) (S160: NO), the process advances to S200. If the high automation switching flag is set (S160: YES), in S170, the driving mode is set to the high automation mode and automatic driving to the destination is started. More specifically, in S170, the driving mode is set to high automation mode, and an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the high automation mode is executed. For example, when level 6 is set as the advanced automation mode, six types of automatic control functions, controls A to F (see FIG. 3A) are executed. Further, for example, when level 7 is set as the advanced automation mode, complete automatic operation is realized by executing all seven types of automatic control functions of controls A to G. Note that the automatic control function is executed based on various types of information, including the above-mentioned surrounding information, which are acquired as necessary.

In S180, notification is made that automatic driving in the highly automated mode has started. Specifically, the driver is notified by voice etc. that the mode has been switched to highly automated mode. This notification may be performed only when switching to the highly automated mode, or may be performed as appropriate (for example, repeatedly at regular time intervals) even after switching. Furthermore, the notification method is not limited to voice. For example, the notification may be made by various methods such as vibrating the steering wheel in a specific pattern or displaying a specific display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

In S185, a notice is given to those around the vehicle 1 that it is not possible to cut into the vehicle 1 in order to make them aware that the vehicle 1 is not desired to cut into the front of the vehicle 1. The specific method of notifying the driver that the vehicle cannot run without interruption may be determined as appropriate. For example, a lamp may be provided and turned on to notify that the vehicle cannot interrupt the vehicle. Furthermore, for example, an image indicating that no intrusion is desired may be displayed on the side or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. Further, for example, a specific sound may be generated from a horn. The specific sound is, for example, a sound that is different from the normal sound that is generated when the driver himself presses a horn button. Also, for example, information about the vehicle that you do not want to be interrupted can be reported to the outside of the vehicle using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, etc. It's okay.

In S190, the four automatic operation operation lamps 16 are turned on. Thereby, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the outside, it can be recognized that the vehicle 1 is running in the highly automated mode. Note that other methods than lighting the four automatic operation operation lamps 16 may be employed as a method for notifying the outside that the vehicle is traveling in the highly automated mode. For example, an image indicating that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the highly automated mode may be displayed on the side or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. For example, information about the highly automated mode can be transmitted outside the vehicle using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, etc., along with information about the own vehicle (e.g., location information, license plate information, etc.). You may also make a notification.

In S200, basic mode switching confirmation processing is executed. Details of the basic mode switching confirmation process in S200 are as shown in FIG. The basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. clear) processing.

Prior to describing the basic mode switching confirmation process in FIG. 10, an example of conditions for switching to the basic mode in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 9, a road 90 having a curve is illustrated. Road construction is being carried out in some sections of the road 90, and a signboard 91 indicating the start of the construction section is installed near point A. Further, near point D, a signboard 92 is installed to indicate the end of the construction section. Vehicle 1 is about to enter point A.

The vehicle 1 can recognize the contents of the signboards 91 and 92 from the photographic results of the front cameras 2 and 5, and can detect that the vehicle has entered or exited the construction zone. Furthermore, by acquiring the location information of the construction zone from the roadside communication device 81, it can be confirmed that the vehicle 1 is approaching the starting point of the construction zone, that the vehicle 1 has entered the construction zone, and that the vehicle 1 has left the construction zone. It is possible to detect things such as Note that this construction section (which may include a section a predetermined distance before the start point of the construction section) corresponds to a specific travel area that will be described later.

Furthermore, the section from point B to point C is a cautionary driving section where the road width is narrow and there are many curves, and it is a section where the vehicle speed should be lowered to drive more safely. By acquiring the position information of this cautionary driving section from the roadside communication device 81, the vehicle 1 can detect that the vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the cautionary driving zone, that the vehicle 1 has entered the cautionary driving zone, or that the vehicle 1 is in the cautionary driving zone. It is possible to detect when the vehicle has left the caution zone. The cautionary driving section from point B to point C (which may also include a section a predetermined distance before the start of the cautionary driving section) also corresponds to a specific driving region, which will be described later.

Further, approximately halfway between point E and point F is an accident site 95 where a traffic accident has occurred. The accident section from point E to point F, centered on this accident site 95, is also a section in which the vehicle should be driven at a reduced speed and with caution. By acquiring the position information of this accident zone from the roadside communication device 81, the vehicle 1 can confirm that the vehicle 1 is approaching the accident zone start point, that the vehicle 1 has entered the accident zone, or that the vehicle 1 is in the accident zone. It is possible to detect that the object has fallen out of the system. The accident section from point E to point F (which may also include a section a predetermined distance before the start of the accident section) also corresponds to a specific driving area, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 travels in the above-mentioned specific travel area, the highly automated mode is switched to the basic mode. The basic mode switching confirmation process in S200 (FIG. 6) for realizing this will be explained using FIG. 10.

When proceeding to the basic mode switching confirmation process in FIG. 10, the calculation unit 30a determines in S510 whether or not the turn signal operation unit 41 has operated the turn signal in the right turn direction. If the turn signal is operated in the right turn direction (S510: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 in order to switch to the basic mode, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (Figure 6). move on. Note that operating the turn signal in the right turn direction is an example of the basic mode switching condition.

In S510, if the turn signal operation in the right turn direction is not performed (S510: NO), in S520 it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling within a specific travel area as illustrated in FIG. If the vehicle is traveling within the specific travel area (S520: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 in order to switch to the basic mode, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). . Note that the fact that the vehicle is traveling within a specific travel area is an example of the basic mode switching condition.

In S520, if the vehicle is not traveling within the specific travel area (S520: NO), in S530 it is determined whether or not a pedestrian running out is detected. This determination may be made based on the photographic results of the front cameras 2 and 5, the detection signal of the front radar device 11, the received information of road-to-vehicle communication, and the received information of pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. If a pedestrian running out is detected (S530: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 in order to switch to the basic mode, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that the detection of a pedestrian running out is an example of the basic mode switching condition.

In addition, when a pedestrian is detected running out from the road, an audio warning is issued to alert the driver, and an image (a dummy pedestrian images) may be displayed.

If no pedestrian is detected in S530 (S530: NO), it is determined in S540 whether or not the outside of the vehicle is in a specific environment. The specific environment in which to switch to the basic mode may be set as appropriate. In this embodiment, the specific environment is at least bad weather with a lot of rain, nighttime when visibility is dark, and a state where the driver feels dazzled due to backlight.

Whether or not there is bad weather with a lot of rain can be determined based on the detection signal from the rain sensor 23. Whether it is nighttime or not can be determined based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22. Whether or not the driver is experiencing glare due to backlight can be determined from, for example, the photographic results of the first front camera 2.

In S540, if the outside of the vehicle is in a specific environment (S540: YES), in order to switch to the basic mode, the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550, the high automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process is performed in S210 (Fig. 6 ). If the outside of the vehicle is not in a specific environment (S540: NO), it is determined that there is no need to switch to the basic mode, the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared in S570, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that the fact that the outside of the vehicle is in a specific environment is an example of the basic mode switching condition.

In S210, it is determined whether the advanced automation switching flag is cleared. If the advanced automation switching flag is cleared (S210: YES), the operation mode is switched to the basic mode in S220, and the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5). The specific processing content of S220 is basically the same as S10, and the driving mode is set to the basic mode, and an automatic control function is executed based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode. Further, in S220, the four automatic operation operation lamps 16 are turned off. Thereby, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from the outside, it can be recognized that the vehicle 1 is running in the basic mode.

Note that when switching to the basic mode in S220, the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 may be appropriately reduced. Further, when switching to the basic mode in S220, the driver may be notified of the switching to the basic mode by various methods such as voice, vibration of the steering wheel, display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle, etc.

If the advanced automation switching flag is not cleared in S210 (S210: NO), the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5) while maintaining the advanced automation mode.
In S35, it is determined whether the automatic operation stop SW43 has been turned on. If the automatic operation stop SW43 is turned on (S35: YES), all of the above flags (including the forced stop flag described later) are cleared in S40, the operation mode is set to the basic mode in S45, and the process returns to S15. . In S45, similarly to S10, the driving mode is set to the basic mode, and an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode is executed.

If the automatic operation stop SW 43 is not turned on (S35: NO), it is determined in S50 whether or not the destination has been reached. If the destination has been reached (S50: YES), the destination setting is cleared in S55, and the process proceeds to S40 and subsequent steps. If the destination has not been reached (S50: NO), it is determined in S60 whether the emergency stop SW 44 is turned on or the forced stop flag is set. Note that the forced stop flag is a flag that is set in each process of FIGS. 11 and 13, which will be described later.

If the emergency stop SW 44 is not turned on and the forced stop flag is not set (S60: NO), the process returns to S30. If the emergency stop SW 44 is turned on or the forced stop flag is set (S60: YES), in S65 all the flags described above are cleared as in S40. Then, in S70, a forced stop process is executed to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, and the main process ends. Thereafter, in order to execute the main process again next time, it is necessary at least to turn on the start switch again (for example, turn off the ignition switch and then turn it on again). Note that the forced stop process in S70 is a process that automatically forcibly stops the vehicle 1. You may decide how to specifically stop the vehicle as appropriate. For example, the vehicle may be decelerated and stopped immediately on the road it is traveling on. For example, instead of stopping the vehicle 1 on the road, the vehicle 1 may be automatically driven to a place other than the road where the vehicle 1 can be stopped (for example, a parking lot near the vehicle) and then stopped.

(5) Effects of the Embodiment According to the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment described above, it has a highly automated mode and a basic mode as driving modes, and during the highly automated mode, there is no need to shift to the basic mode (or even if the mode does not shift). If the conditions (good) are met, the mode switches to basic mode. Therefore, it becomes possible to switch from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode at an appropriate timing. On the other hand, if the conditions for shifting to the advanced automation mode (or allowing the transition to the advanced automation mode) are satisfied during the basic mode, the mode is switched to the advanced automation mode. Therefore, it becomes possible to switch from the basic mode to the highly automated mode at an appropriate timing.

However, when the driving mode is basic mode, even if it becomes possible to switch to advanced automation mode (specifically, even if the advanced automation switching flag is set), the state in which basic mode must be maintained continues. (specifically, the basic mode maintenance flag is set), the basic mode is maintained. Therefore, in situations where the basic mode should be maintained, it is possible to achieve appropriate vehicle control that respects the driver's driving operations.

Note that the calculation unit 30a, S10 and S45 in FIG. 5, and S170 and S220 in FIG. 6 correspond to an example of a surrounding information acquisition unit, an example of a driving mode setting unit, and an example of an automatic control unit. In FIG. 8, the process of proceeding to S480 after an affirmative determination is made in S410, and proceeding to S470 after a negative determination is made in S480 corresponds to an example of the driving mode setting section.

[Other embodiments]
(1) As the basic mode switching confirmation process in S200 of FIG. 6, various other contents can be adopted in addition to or separately from the process shown in FIG. 10.

For example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11 may be adopted. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11, first in S610, it is determined whether or not basic mode switching is necessary. This determination is a determination as to whether or not it is necessary to switch to the basic mode, and may be determined based on various criteria. For example, if the vehicle 1 is traveling within a specific driving area or if there is a specific environment outside the vehicle, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. Further, for example, if the occupant who was wearing a seatbelt removes the seatbelt, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. Further, for example, if other vehicles around the own vehicle exhibit specific behavior toward the own vehicle, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode.

This determination can be made based on, for example, images captured by each of the cameras 2 to 8, detection results by each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and the like. The specific behavior may be determined as appropriate. For example, the specific behavior may be that another vehicle approaches the own vehicle. In this case, the method for determining whether or not the width has been moved may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that the vehicle has moved closer when the distance from the own vehicle in the left-right direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) is within a specified distance. Alternatively, for example, it may be determined that the vehicle is moving closer when the rate of change in the distance from the own vehicle in the left-right direction becomes equal to or less than a predetermined negative rate of change.

Further, for example, the specific behavior may be that a vehicle running behind the vehicle suddenly approaches the host vehicle. In this case, the method for determining whether the vehicle is approaching rapidly may be determined as appropriate. For example, similar to the above-mentioned method for determining width closing, the determination may be made based on the distance to the vehicle behind or the rate of change in that distance.

In S620, it is determined whether switching to the basic mode is necessary based on the determination result in S610. If switching to the basic mode is not necessary (S620: NO), the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared in S710, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If it is necessary to switch to the basic mode (S620: YES), it is determined in S630 whether the basic mode has already been set. If the basic mode has already been set (S630: YES), the process advances to S210 (FIG. 6). If it is not yet in basic mode (that is, in advanced automation mode) (S630: NO), S640 instructs the driver to hear a voice, vibrate the steering wheel in a specific pattern, or display a specific display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle. A notice of switching to the basic mode is notified using various methods such as:

In S650, it is determined whether or not the driver has performed a prescribed action in response to the notification in S640. As the prescribed operation, various operations may be adopted that allow the driver to confirm that the vehicle is ready for driving in the basic mode. For example, the prescribed action may be for the driver to grasp the steering wheel 20 and look ahead. For example, the prescribed actions may include having the driver generate a specific sound, having the driver make a specific gesture, or having the driver operate a specific operating member (for example, a specific switch) inside the vehicle. .

If the driver performs the specified action (S650: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S660, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S670, and the process advances to S210 (FIG. 6). If the driver has not performed the prescribed action (S650: NO), in S680, it is determined whether or not a timeout has occurred without the driver's prescribed action since the start of the notification in S640, that is, whether the driver has not performed the prescribed action for a certain period of time. Decide whether or not.

If the timeout has not yet occurred, the process returns to S650. If the timeout occurs, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S690, the forced stop flag is set in S700, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). In other words, if the driver remains inactive for a certain period of time after S640 is reported, even though the state should be switched to basic mode, it is assumed that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the driver. In order to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, a forced stop flag is set.

Further, as the basic mode switching confirmation process in S200 in FIG. 6, for example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 12 may be adopted. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 12, first in S1010, it is determined whether inter-vehicle distance control is being executed among multiple types of automatic control functions. In the above embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, inter-vehicle distance control is executed when the automatic driving level is level 2 or higher.

If inter-vehicle distance control is not being executed (S1010: NO), the basic mode switching confirmation process ends. If inter-vehicle distance control is being executed (S1010: YES), the process advances to S1020.

In S1020, it is determined whether there is any other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle. This determination can be made based on, for example, images captured by each of the cameras 2 to 8, detection results by each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and the like. The specific method for making this determination may be determined as appropriate. For example, if another vehicle enters in front of the vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, it may be determined that there is an interruption. At this time, it may be determined that there is an interruption not only when the vehicle enters the vehicle, but also when the state of the vehicle's entrance continues for a predetermined period of time or more.

If it is determined that there is no other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle (S1020: NO), the process proceeds to S1040. If it is determined that another vehicle is cutting in front of the host vehicle (S1020: YES), a warning process is performed in S1030, and the process proceeds to S1040. The warning process in S1030 is to warn other vehicles that are cutting in front of your vehicle (for example, that your vehicle is behind other vehicles, that you do not want them to cut in, etc.) This is the process. The specific content of this warning process may be determined as appropriate. For example, the same process as the interruption travel notification in S185 of FIG. 6 may be performed.

In S1040, it is determined whether the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on the detection signal from the pedal sensor 28b. If the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: YES), the process advances to S1060. If the driver's foot is not placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: NO), a warning process is performed in S1050, and the process proceeds to S1060.

The attention calling process in S1050 is a process for prompting the driver to place his/her foot on the brake pedal 28a. The specific content of this attention-calling process may be determined as appropriate. For example, the prompt may be made by voice, by vibrating a specific location in the vehicle (for example, the seat, the steering wheel 20, etc.), or by displaying caution information on the display 37 or HUD 38. Good too. Note that if the driver does not put his or her foot on the brake pedal 28a even after performing the attention-getting process, a specific process may be executed. The specific process in this case may be, for example, a process of forcibly stopping the vehicle 1, or a process of switching the driving mode to the basic mode.

In S1060, it is determined whether the brake pedal 28a has been depressed. If the brake pedal 28a is not depressed (S1060: NO), the process advances to S1080. If the brake pedal 28a is depressed (S1060: YES), brake support processing is performed in S1070, and the process proceeds to S1080.

The specific content of the brake support process in S1070 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the inter-vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in inter-vehicle distance control, may be changed to a value larger than the current value so that the inter-vehicle distance with the vehicle in front becomes longer. In addition, if there are no other vehicles within a certain range in front of your vehicle and so-called cruise control is being performed, one of the control parameters used in inter-vehicle distance control will reduce the speed of your vehicle. The vehicle speed may be changed to a value lower than the current value.

In S1080, it is determined whether the accelerator pedal 27a has been depressed. If the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed (S1080: NO), the process advances to S1100. If the accelerator pedal 27a is depressed (S1080: YES), an accelerator response process is performed in S1090, and the process proceeds to S1100.

The specific contents of the accelerator response processing in S1090 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the inter-vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in inter-vehicle distance control, may be changed to a smaller value than the current value so that the inter-vehicle distance with the vehicle in front becomes shorter. In addition, if there are no other vehicles within a certain range in front of your vehicle and so-called cruise control is being performed, one of the control parameters used in inter-vehicle distance control will increase the speed of your vehicle.
The vehicle speed may be changed to a higher value than the current value.

In S1100, it is determined whether sudden braking has been automatically activated by automatic control functions including inter-vehicle distance control. What constitutes a sudden brake may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that sudden braking has been applied when the deceleration of the vehicle 1 exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

If the sudden brake is not activated in S1100 (S1100: NO), the process advances to S1140. In S1140, the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. If it is determined in S1100 that the sudden brake has been activated (S1100: YES), the process advances to S1110.

In S1110, it is determined whether it is necessary to switch the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. This judgment method may be determined as appropriate. For example, the actuation of the sudden brake itself may be determined to be a state in which switching to the basic mode is necessary, and it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. For example, each time it is determined that sudden braking has been applied in S1100, the number of times it has been determined is accumulated and stored, and when the cumulative value reaches a predetermined upper limit number of times, it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. It may be determined that there is.

If it is determined in S1110 that there is no need to switch to the basic mode (S1110: NO), the process advances to S1140. If it is determined in S1110 that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode (S1110: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S1120 in order to switch to the basic mode, and the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S1130.

The sudden activation of the brakes means, for example, that something abnormal has occurred in front of the vehicle (e.g. an accident, an obstacle, etc.) and the driver himself/herself is paying attention to his/her surroundings while operating the vehicle. It is possible that the situation is favorable. For example, it is also possible that an abnormality has occurred in the automatic control function. Therefore, when sudden braking is automatically activated (S1100: YES), the driving mode is switched to the basic mode by executing the processes of S1120 and S1130, provided that an affirmative determination is made in S1110. .

(2) While driving in highly automated mode, a situation may arise in which it is necessary to return to basic mode. Therefore, even if the vehicle is running in highly automated mode, it is preferable for the driver to be able to take control of the vehicle whenever necessary. Therefore, while driving in highly automated mode, for example, by executing the basic mode readiness confirmation process shown in Figure 13, we can check whether the driver is ready to return to basic mode immediately by having the driver perform simple actions periodically. You may also do so.

In the basic mode preparation confirmation process of FIG. 13, first, in S810, it is determined whether the confirmation timing (for example, regular timing at intervals of several minutes, or predetermined non-regular timing) is reached. If it is not the confirmation timing (S810: NO), this basic mode preparation confirmation process is ended. If it is the confirmation timing (S810: YES), in S820, the driver is requested to perform a confirmation operation by voice or the like. The confirmation operation required here can be determined as appropriate, and may be, for example, the same operation as the prescribed operation at S650 in FIG. 11.

In S830, it is determined whether the driver has performed a confirmation operation. If the driver performs the confirmation operation (S830: YES), it is determined that the driver is ready to return to the basic mode immediately, and this basic mode preparation confirmation process is ended. If the driver does not perform the confirmation operation (S830: NO), in S840, a warning is added to the driver by voice or the like to continue requesting the confirmation operation.

In S850, similarly to S830, it is determined whether or not the driver has performed a confirmation operation. If the driver performs the confirmation operation (S850: YES), it is determined that the driver is ready to return to the basic mode immediately, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is ended. If the confirmation action by the driver is not performed (S850: NO), in order to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, the advanced automation switching flag is cleared in S860, the forced stop flag is set in S870, and this basic mode preparation confirmation is performed. Finish the process. Note that once the forced stop flag is set in S870, the process may immediately proceed to S70 (FIG. 5) to execute the forced stop process.

(3) The conditions for switching from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode may be determined as appropriate. When the conditions for transitioning to basic mode (or allowing transition) are met, whether to force the transition immediately or to transition after confirming whether the driver is in a condition to drive normally. , may be determined as appropriate.

Conversely, the conditions for switching from the basic mode to the highly automated mode may also be determined as appropriate. For example, if a driver receives a call or email on their mobile phone or smartphone, the system will detect the ringtone and automatically set the advanced automation switch flag to switch to advanced automation mode. You can do it like this.

In addition, the vehicle 1 of the said embodiment is equipped with the LTE communication function, and the automatic driving control part 30 can also take charge of the function of a mobile phone and e-mail transmission/reception by itself. In that case, when a telephone call or email is received via the LTE communication network, the advanced automation switching flag may be automatically set to shift to the advanced automation mode.

(4) Some of the conditions for switching from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode illustrated in the above embodiments may be used as the conditions for switching from the basic mode to the advanced automation mode. Conversely, some of the conditions for switching from the basic mode to the highly automated mode illustrated in the above embodiments may be used as the conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode.

It is not necessarily uniformly determined in what cases the highly automated mode should be switched to the basic mode, and in what cases the basic mode should be switched to the highly automated mode. For example, when driving on a narrow road with many curves, depending on the accuracy and performance of automatic driving, it may be possible to travel more smoothly and safely if the driver operates the vehicle himself. On the other hand, for drivers who are inexperienced with driving, it may be easier to leave the car to automatic driving than to do the driving yourself. Therefore, the switching conditions may be set in consideration of the driver's skill, the driver's preferences regarding driving modes (for example, whether he would like to give priority to the highly automated mode or the basic mode), and other various circumstances.

(5) In the above embodiment, even if the state is such that it should (or may) shift to the advanced automation mode after switching to the basic mode, it should operate in the basic mode (the basic mode maintenance flag is not set). The configuration was such that the basic mode continued as long as the current state) continued. On the other hand, if driving in advanced automation mode is given priority and the state is such that it should (or may be) shifted to advanced automation mode, it is in a state where it should operate in basic mode (the basic mode maintenance flag is set). It may be possible to forcibly switch to the highly automated mode even if the current state) continues.

In addition, after switching to advanced automation mode with priority given to advanced automation mode, while the state in which it should operate in advanced automation mode continues, it will be in a state where it should (or may) shift to basic mode. However, the highly automated mode may continue.

(6) In the above embodiment, in order to set the vehicle 1 to the high automation mode and execute automatic driving, it was necessary to press the automatic driving start SW 42, but it is not essential to press the automatic driving start SW 42. . The automatic operation start SW 42 may be omitted, and the mode may be automatically switched to the highly automated mode when a condition for switching to the highly automated mode (or it may be switched) is established.

(7) When switching from advanced automation mode to basic mode when switching to basic mode, the automatic driving level will be forcibly set to level 0 regardless of the automatic driving level set as basic mode. You can also do this. In that case, level 0 may be maintained until a predetermined operation is performed by the driver, and when the predetermined operation is performed by the driver, the automatic driving level may be switched to the automatic driving level set as the basic mode.

In addition, when switching from basic mode to advanced automation mode and switching to advanced automation mode, if the transition factor is a specific transition factor set in advance, the automatic driving level set as advanced automation mode Regardless of this, the automatic driving level may be forcibly set to level 7 to execute fully automatic driving.

(8) The number of occupants in the vehicle can be detected at any time based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25. Therefore, while the vehicle is traveling in the highly automated mode, the number of occupants may be monitored, and if a change occurs in the number of occupants, predetermined processing may be performed. As the predetermined process, for example, other occupants may be notified of the change in the number of occupants by audio output, image display, or the like. Further, for example, as a predetermined process, the driving mode may be switched to the basic mode. Further, for example, the vehicle 1 may be forcibly stopped as the predetermined process. For example, if the occupant of the vehicle is asked whether it is okay to continue driving in the highly automated mode, and if the vehicle's occupant responds that it is okay to continue, the highly automated mode is allowed to continue, and a message indicating that it should not be continued is given. If there is a response, the mode may be switched to the basic mode or forced to stop.

A specific method for asking the vehicle occupant whether or not to continue driving in the highly automated mode may be determined as appropriate. For example, you may ask the question aloud. Alternatively, for example, the question may be asked by displaying a message on the display 37, HUD 38, or the like. Furthermore, the method of the occupant's response to the question may be determined as appropriate. For example, the occupant's voice input through the microphone 39 may be recognized, and the occupant's response may be determined based on the recognition result. Alternatively, for example, a button may be displayed on the touch panel and the user may press the button to determine whether or not to continue.

(9) The contents of the driver's driving operations may be learned, and the learning results may be reflected in the automatic control function. Specifically, after startup, the automatic driving control unit 30 repeatedly executes the control parameter setting process shown in FIG. It may be updated as appropriate.

The control parameter setting process shown in FIG. 14 will be explained. When the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 starts the control parameter setting process of FIG. 14, it determines in S1310 whether the driving mode is set to the high automation mode. If the advanced automation mode is not set, that is, if the basic mode is set (S1310: NO), learning processing is performed in S1320.

The learning process of S1320 is a process of detecting the driver's habits and preferences from the content of the driver's own driving operations and storing information indicating the detected habits and preferences (hereinafter referred to as "driving preference information") in the memory 30b. be.

For example, the driver's accelerator operation when starting the stopped vehicle 1 is detected, it is determined whether the driver tends to press the accelerator pedal 27a slowly or relatively quickly, and the result of this judgment is used in driving. It may be stored as one of the preference information. Whether or not the accelerator is depressed slowly may be determined based on, for example, whether the rate of change in the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

Furthermore, for example, when the driver operates the turn signal before a turn, the distance from the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of the operation to the turn may be detected and stored as one of the driving preference information. good.

The number of types of driving preference information detected and stored in the learning process may be one or more. Further, the specific contents may be determined as appropriate. The two examples of driving preference information described above are merely examples.

In S1310, if the driving mode is set to high automation mode (S1310: YES), the process advances to S1330. In S1330, it is determined whether the driving preference information is reflected in the control parameters. More specifically, it is determined whether the processes of S1340 to S1350 have already been executed after the driving mode was switched from the basic mode to the current highly automated mode.

If the driving preference information has already been reflected in the control parameters, that is, if the processes of S1340 to S1350 have already been executed after switching to the highly automated mode (S1330: YES), the control parameter setting process ends.

If the driving preference information has not yet been reflected in the control parameters, that is, if the processes of S1340 to S1350 have not yet been executed after switching to the highly automated mode (S1330: NO), the process advances to S1340.

In S1340, the driving preference information stored in the memory 30b through the learning process in S1320 is read. In S1350, control parameters of the automatic control function set to be executed in the advanced automation mode are calculated based on the driving preference information read in S1340. Then, the currently used control parameters are updated to the calculated control parameters.

For example, in a case where information regarding the operating speed of the accelerator pedal 27a is stored as driving preference information, if the user tends to press the accelerator pedal 27a slowly, it is assumed that A value lower than the default value is calculated as the acceleration, and updated to the calculated value. Conversely, if there is a tendency to press the accelerator pedal 27a quickly, a value higher than the default value is calculated as the acceleration at the time of starting, and updated to the calculated value.

For example, if the distance from the turn signal operating position to the turning corner is stored as driving preference information, the distance from the turn signal operating position to the turning corner, which is one of the control parameters in right/left turn control, is stored as driving preference information. A distance that is the same as or close to the stored distance is calculated and updated to the calculated value.

Note that the driver may be able to select whether or not to execute the control parameter setting process shown in FIG. 14. If the control parameter setting process is selected not to be executed, for example, a preset default value may be used as the control parameter. Further, the driver may be able to arbitrarily delete already stored driving preference information. Further, each control parameter may be reset to a default value when switching from the advanced automation mode to the basic mode.

(10) While the driving mode is set to high automation mode, the driver's facial expressions, gestures, and utterances are detected, and based on the detected results, the driver's The level of satisfaction may also be determined. For example, if an image of the driver's face taken by a camera is processed through image recognition and the driver looks displeased, it may be determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the current automatic control function. . Conversely, if the driver is expressionless or appears to be in a good mood, it may be determined that the driver is not dissatisfied with the current automatic control function.

In addition, the content of the driver's utterances is recognized through voice recognition processing, and if the driver makes a statement indicating dissatisfaction with the content of the current automatic control function, it is determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the content of the current automatic control function. You may. On the other hand, if the user has not made any statement indicating dissatisfaction with the current content of the automatic control function, it may be determined that the user is not dissatisfied with the current content of the automatic control function.

If it is determined that the user is dissatisfied with the current automatic control function, the operation mode may be switched to the basic mode.
(11) In addition, the function of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed as multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be replaced with a known configuration having a similar function. Further, a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted as long as the problem can be solved. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to, replaced with, etc. in the configuration of other embodiments. Note that all aspects included in the technical idea specified from the words in the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure.

[Technical thought understood from the embodiment]
From the various embodiments detailed above, at least the following technical ideas can be understood.
Specifically, the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure configured as shown in (A) below may be further configured as shown in (B) to (E) below.
(A) An automatic driving control device installed in a vehicle,
a surrounding information acquisition unit configured to obtain surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of the vehicle;
The driving mode of the vehicle may be a highly automated mode in which some or all of the plurality of driving operations required for the vehicle to travel are automatically executed based on the surrounding information, and a highly automated mode in which the driving operations are automatically executed. an operation mode setting unit configured to set the basic mode to one of a basic mode whose type is less than or zero than the highly automated mode;
an automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit;
Equipped with
The driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. ,
Automatic driving control device.
(B) In (A) above,
In order to notify the driver of the vehicle that the driving mode will be switched to the basic mode if a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. An automatic driving control device including a switching notification section configured to make a specific notification.

According to the automatic driving control device configured in this way, the driver of the vehicle can recognize when the driving mode is switched from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. Therefore, the driver can appropriately operate and drive the vehicle even after switching to the basic mode.
(C) In (A) or (B) above,
When the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode and a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied, a regulation configured to determine whether the driver of the vehicle is performing a prescribed operation. Equipped with a motion judgment section,
The driving mode setting section is configured to cause the driver to perform the prescribed operation by the specified operation determining section if a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when it is determined that the driving mode is
Automatic driving control device.

According to the automatic driving control device configured in this way, it is possible to switch to the basic mode after confirming whether the driver is actually capable of driving in the basic mode, so even after switching to the basic mode, , the driver can drive the vehicle appropriately.
(D) In any one of the above (A) to (C),
a confirmation operation requesting unit configured to repeatedly request a specific confirmation operation to the driver of the vehicle at a specific timing while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode;
a confirmation operation determination section configured to determine whether the confirmation operation has been performed by the driver each time the confirmation operation request section requests the confirmation operation;
a parking section configured to stop the vehicle when the confirmation operation determination section does not determine that the confirmation operation has been performed;
An automatic driving control device equipped with
(E) In any one of the above (A) to (D),
An automatic driving control device comprising: an external notification section configured to notify an outside of the vehicle when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode.

1, 61 to 66...Vehicle, 2...First front camera, 3...Indoor camera, 4...First rear camera, 5...Second front camera, 6...Second rear camera, 7...Left side camera, 8...Right side Front camera, 11...Front radar device, 12...Back radar device, 13...Left side radar device, 14...Right side radar device, 16...Automatic operation operation lamp, 20...Handle, 21...Biological sensor, 22...Solar radiation sensor, 23...Rainfall sensor, 24...Vehicle speed sensor, 25...Setting sensor, 26...Belt sensor, 27...Travel drive control section, 28...Brake control section, 29...Steering control section, 30...Automatic driving control section, 30a... Arithmetic unit, 30b... Memory, 31... GPS communication unit, 32... Vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, 33... Road-to-vehicle communication unit, 34... Pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit, 35... LTE communication unit, 36... TV/radio receiving unit, 37... Display, 38... HUD, 39... Microphone, 40... Speaker, 41... Turn signal operation section, 42... Automatic operation start switch, 43... Automatic operation stop switch, 44... Emergency stop switch, 45... Level setting operation section, 71 , 72...Traffic light, 73...Stop sign, 76, 77...Pedestrian, 81...Road communication device, 82...Camera, 90...Road, 91, 92...Signboard, 95...Accident site.

Claims (3)

An automatic driving control device installed in a vehicle,
a surrounding information acquisition unit configured to obtain surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of the vehicle;
The driving mode of the vehicle may be a highly automated mode in which some or all of the plurality of driving operations required for the vehicle to travel are automatically executed based on the surrounding information, and a highly automated mode in which the driving operations are automatically executed. an operation mode setting unit configured to set the basic mode to one of a basic mode whose type is less than or zero than the highly automated mode;
an automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit;
Equipped with
The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether an occupant of the vehicle is wearing a seat belt,
The driving mode setting section changes the driving mode to the basic mode when the driving mode setting section determines that the occupant is not wearing the seat belt when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. configured to switch to mode,
Automatic driving control device. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1,
The driving mode setting section is configured to determine whether or not an occupant in a particular seat is wearing the seat belt.
Automatic driving control device. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The driving mode setting unit receives a detection signal from a seating sensor for detecting whether or not the occupant is sitting in a seat of the vehicle, and whether the occupant sitting in the seat is wearing the seat belt. and a detection signal from a belt sensor for detecting whether or not the occupant is wearing the seat belt.
Automatic driving control device.

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