JP2024034040A - Vehicle control system and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To improve the safety of automated vehicle driving.
A vehicle control system 1 is a vehicle control system for a vehicle V equipped with an automatic driving function. The vehicle control system 1 includes a management device 20 disposed at a location other than the vehicle V that manages automatic driving of the vehicle V, and a detection device mounted on the vehicle V that detects the boarding of the occupant P on the vehicle V. 10. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a determination unit 31 that determines whether or not the occupant P is riding in the vehicle V based on the detection result of the detection device 10. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a first command unit 24 disposed in the management device 20 and outputting a first command for decelerating or stopping the automatically traveling vehicle V. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a setting unit 23 that sets a travel route 50 for automatic travel according to the determination result of the determination unit 31.
[Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system and a vehicle control method.

The vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes a recognition section and a driving control section. The recognition unit recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle. The driving control section controls one or both of steering and acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition section. The driving control unit also determines whether or not there is an occupant in the vehicle, and determines whether the vehicle is occupied by an occupant or not. The road on which the vehicle is driven is different.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-158646

By the way, when a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function automatically travels within a predetermined facility premises, it can be operated in a manned state with a passenger inside the vehicle, or in an unmanned state without a passenger inside the vehicle. There were times when I had to run. Here, if the automatic driving of the vehicle is controlled in the same manner in the manned state and in the unmanned state, there is a risk that the safety of the automatic driving of the vehicle cannot be sufficiently ensured.

A vehicle control system according to the present disclosure is a vehicle control system for a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, and includes a management device that manages automatic driving of the vehicle, which is disposed at a location other than the vehicle, and a management device that manages automatic driving of the vehicle, and a mounted detection device that detects whether an occupant is boarding the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether or not the occupant is boarding the vehicle based on a detection result of the detection device; and the management device. a first command section configured to output a first command for decelerating or stopping the vehicle during automatic travel, and setting a travel route for the automatic travel according to a determination result of the determination section; A setting section.

In the vehicle control system, the setting unit sets the travel route to the first route in response to the judgment unit determining that the vehicle is in a manned state with the passenger on board, and sets the travel route to the first route when the passenger is on board. In response to the determination unit determining that the vehicle is in an unmanned state, the travel route is set to a second route, and the first route is a route between the current position of the vehicle and the target point of the vehicle. The second route is a route with the shortest travel time, and the second route does not include a restricted road on which the automatic driving in an unmanned state is restricted among the roads between the current position and the target point, and , the route may take the shortest travel time between the current position and the target point.

In the vehicle control system described above, the second route may be set along a road having a width wider than the width of the restricted road.

In the vehicle control system, the first speed limit of the vehicle when traveling on the first route may be higher than the second speed limit of the vehicle when traveling on the second route.

In the vehicle control system, the vehicle may be caused to travel back and forth along the travel route between the current position and the target point by the automatic travel.

The vehicle control system includes a second command unit disposed in the vehicle that outputs a second command for decelerating or stopping the vehicle during automatic travel; a travel control unit that decelerates or stops the vehicle in accordance with the input, and when the determination unit determines that the occupant is on board, the travel control unit executes the first command. Alternatively, the vehicle may be decelerated or stopped in response to input of the second command, and when the determination unit determines that the occupant is not on board, the vehicle may be decelerated or stopped in response to input of the first command. The vehicle may be decelerated or stopped.

A vehicle control method according to the present disclosure is a vehicle control method for a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, in which a management device for managing automatic driving of the vehicle, which is disposed at a location other than the vehicle, and a management device for managing automatic driving of the vehicle, a detection device mounted thereon that detects whether the occupant is boarding the vehicle, and determining whether or not the occupant is boarding the vehicle based on the detection result of the detection device; In response to a first command being output from a first command unit disposed in the vehicle, the automatically traveling vehicle is decelerated or stopped, and a determination result is obtained as to whether or not the vehicle is occupied by the occupant. The travel route for the automatic travel is set according to the above.

According to the present disclosure, the safety of automatic driving of a vehicle can be improved.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle and a management device to which a vehicle control system according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the vehicle control system according to the embodiment, and is a diagram showing a travel route that is set when it is determined that the vehicle is in a manned state. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the vehicle control system according to the embodiment, and is a diagram showing a travel route that is set when it is determined that the vehicle is in an unmanned state. It is an activity diagram showing an example of processing of the vehicle control system concerning an embodiment.

Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. Note that elements having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. FR and RR in the figure indicate the front and rear sides of the vehicle V in the longitudinal direction, respectively. LH indicates the left side of the vehicle V in the width direction. UP and DN indicate upper and lower sides in the vertical direction of the vehicle V, respectively.

The vehicle control system 1 and the vehicle control method according to the embodiment can be applied to control a vehicle V having an automatic driving function. The vehicle V illustrated in FIG. 1 is a towing vehicle configured by connecting a towing vehicle V1 with an automatic driving function and a towed vehicle V2 capable of loading cargo 2. Note that the vehicle V may be driven by driving operations such as steering and pedal operation by the occupant P without using the automatic driving function. The vehicle V is not limited to a tow vehicle, and may be, for example, a bus, a van, or the like.

Automated driving function is a system that allows the vehicle to automatically travel based on the surrounding circumstances of the vehicle, the condition of the vehicle, or other factors, regardless of the driver's steering, pedal operation, or other driving operations. This is a driving control function. Since the vehicle V has an automatic driving function, it is possible to perform automatic driving in which acceleration, deceleration, and steering are automatically performed without any operation by the occupant. Further, the automatic driving may include a case in which the vehicle V automatically accelerates, decelerates, and steers in a predetermined driving environment without any operation by the occupant.

The vehicle V can automatically travel regardless of whether or not the passenger P is on board. In the following description, a state in which a passenger P is on board the vehicle V will be referred to as a "manned state", and a state in which no passenger P is aboard the vehicle V will be referred to as an "unmanned state".

The vehicle V illustrated in FIG. 1 can automatically travel within the facility along a predetermined route. A road R on which a vehicle V can travel is arranged at a predetermined position within the facility premises. Moreover, buildings 3, sidewalks (not shown), etc. may be arranged or set around the road R (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Note that the location where the vehicle V can travel is not limited to the facility premises.

The vehicle V illustrated in the figure is equipped with a position estimation device 4 for estimating its own position. The position estimation device 4 may be, for example, a LiDAR 4a (Light Detection and Ranging) or a GNSS receiver 4b. The GNSS receiver 4b is a receiving device for performing positioning using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The self-position of the vehicle V may be estimated by applying, for example, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) to point cloud data obtained by LiDAR 4a. Further, the self-position may be estimated based on a signal received by the GNSS receiver 4b. By using the LiDAR 4a and the GNSS receiver 4b together, the self-position can be estimated more accurately regardless of whether the vehicle V exists indoors or outdoors. As described above, since the vehicle V is equipped with a device for estimating its own position, it can automatically travel along a predetermined travel route. Note that the method for estimating the self-position is not limited to this, and for example, odometry navigation, inertial navigation, etc. may be used. Further, as the position estimating device 4, a known sensor such as a stereo camera, an acceleration sensor, or a gyro sensor may be used as appropriate.

Note that in the illustrated example, the LiDAR 4a and the GNSS receiver 4b are disposed above the cabin of the vehicle V, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle V may include only one of the LiDAR 4a and the GNSS receiver 4b. The mounting position or mounting posture of the position estimation device 4 can be set as appropriate depending on the shape of the vehicle V, for example.

The vehicle V also includes a sensor 10 as a detection device that detects whether the occupant P is boarding the vehicle V. In the illustrated example, a seating sensor 10a or an in-vehicle camera 10b as the sensor 10 is mounted on the vehicle V. The seating sensor 10a is a device that detects the seating of the occupant P on the vehicle seat, and is arranged, for example, inside the seating portion of the seat, and detects a change in the load input to the seating portion as a change in resistance value. be able to. Note that the seat where the seating sensor 10a is placed is not particularly limited, and may be placed, for example, on a driver's seat, a passenger's seat, or any other seat.

The in-vehicle camera 10b is a device that can take pictures of the interior of the vehicle over time. By detecting the occupant P from the image taken by the in-vehicle camera 10b, boarding of the occupant P into the vehicle V can be detected. Note that a known method can be applied when detecting the occupant P from the image. For example, the occupant P may be detected from the image by applying object recognition using convolutional deep learning to the image. Note that a plurality of in-vehicle cameras 10b may be attached to the vehicle interior, and images taken by each of the plurality of in-vehicle cameras 10b may be combined. The mounting position or posture of the in-vehicle camera 10b can be set as appropriate depending on the shape of the vehicle V, for example.

In the vehicle control system 1, by using such a sensor 10, it is possible to detect whether the vehicle V is in a manned state or an unmanned state. Moreover, the sensor 10 can transmit a signal indicating that the vehicle is in a manned state or a signal indicating that it is in an unmanned state to a determining unit 31, which will be described later, according to the detection result.

Note that the occupant P is not limited to the driver of the vehicle V, and may be a person riding in a position other than the driver's seat, such as a passenger seat, for example. Further, the detection device only needs to be able to detect the presence of the occupant P in the vehicle, and its type is not particularly limited. For example, it may be either one of the seating sensor 10a or the in-vehicle camera 10b, or a known sensor such as a seatbelt sensor (not shown) that detects whether a seatbelt is attached or detached may be used as appropriate. Furthermore, an auxiliary sensor that assists in detecting whether the occupant P is boarding, such as a door sensor (not shown) that detects opening/closing of a door of the vehicle V, may be used in combination. Thereby, the detection result of the sensor 10 and the detection result of the auxiliary sensor can be combined, and boarding of the occupant P in the vehicle V can be detected more accurately. Further, for example, an input device (not shown) that detects boarding of the occupant P by a predetermined operation by the occupant P may be used as the detection device.

The vehicle V may be equipped with an exterior camera 6 as an exterior sensor. The exterior camera 6 is a device that can take pictures of the surroundings of the vehicle V over time. The external sensor is a device for detecting objects existing around the vehicle V, and may be, for example, a stereo camera, an infrared camera, an ultrasonic sonar, a millimeter wave radar, or LiDAR.

In the illustrated example, the area in front of the vehicle V is photographed by one external camera 6 disposed above the cabin of the vehicle V, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of cameras 6 outside the vehicle may be attached to the vehicle V so that the left, right, and rear regions of the vehicle V can be photographed. By combining the images taken by each person, images of the surroundings of the vehicle V can be generated over time. Further, the position or orientation of the camera outside the vehicle 6 can be appropriately set depending on the shape of the vehicle V, for example.

The vehicle V may be equipped with a communication device 7. The communication device 7 is a device that can communicate with a management device 20, which will be described later, and in the illustrated example, it is connected to a sensor 10, an external camera 6, and a controller 30, which will be described later. Therefore, data regarding the boarding of the occupant P acquired by the sensor 10 and data regarding information around the vehicle V acquired by the external camera 6 can be transmitted to the management device 20 by wireless communication via the communication device 7. can. Note that the data transmission/reception interval between the communication device 7 and the management device 20 does not need to be constant, and may be set as appropriate depending on, for example, processing load, communication load, etc. Further, the position estimation device 4 may be connected to the communication device 7. Thereby, the management device 20 can acquire the position of the vehicle V.

Next, an example of the configuration of the vehicle control system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

First, the management device 20 included in the vehicle control system 1 will be explained. As in the illustrated example, the vehicle control system 1 includes a management device 20 that manages the running of the vehicle V. The management device 20 is a device installed at a location other than the vehicle V, and may be installed, for example, in a control facility that monitors the situation of the vehicle V, the situation around the vehicle V, the situation inside the facility, and the like. A user U who is an administrator using the management device 20 can manage the vehicle V via the management device 20 . Note that the management device 20 may include a general-purpose microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, an input/output unit, and the like. A computer program containing predetermined rules or instructions for managing the running of the vehicle V is installed in the memory of the microcomputer. By executing the computer program, the microcomputer can manage the running of the vehicle V.

The management device 20 is configured to be able to perform wireless communication with the controller 30 via the communication device 7, and the management device 20 can receive output from the controller 30 or provide input to the controller 30. . Further, in the illustrated example, the management device 20 and the vehicle exterior camera 6 are wirelessly connected via the communication device 7, and the management device 20 can receive images of the surroundings of the vehicle V taken by the vehicle exterior camera 6. Note that in FIG. 2, the display of the communication device 7 is omitted.

The management device 20 may include a display unit 21 configured from, for example, a touch panel display. Thereby, an image of the surroundings of the vehicle V captured by the external camera 6 can be displayed on the display unit 21. Therefore, the user U can monitor the situation around the vehicle V via the management device 20. Note that the information displayed on the display unit 21 is not limited to this, and for example, the display unit 21 includes information regarding the traveling state of the vehicle V such as speed, acceleration, and steering angle, and information regarding the traveling plan of the vehicle V within the facility premises. etc. may be displayed. Note that the method by which the user U monitors the situation around the vehicle V is not limited to monitoring via the external camera 6 and the display unit 21. For example, the user U may monitor the vehicle V and its surroundings by directly observing the vehicle V and its surroundings.

The management device 20 may include an input section 22. The input unit 22 is configured to be able to perform predetermined operations on the management device 20. The operation is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an operation for inputting the current position of the vehicle V, an operation for causing the vehicle V to start automatic travel, or the like. Note that the input section 22 may be a switch set on the display surface of the display section 21, or may be a switch provided independently from the display section 21.

Further, the management device 20 illustrated in the figure includes a setting section 23. The setting unit 23 can set a travel plan for the vehicle V, and can also transmit the travel plan to a travel control unit 32 of a controller 30, which will be described later. The travel plan is information representing the conditions under which the vehicle V travels automatically, and a plurality of travel plans may be stored in the storage unit 25 comprised of a recording medium such as a memory or a hard disk. The travel plan includes a travel route 50 that is a route along which the vehicle V travels when automatically traveling. Furthermore, the setting unit 23 can set a travel plan for the vehicle V according to the determination result of the determination unit 31, which will be described later.

The travel route 50 may include a plurality of travel routes, such as a first route 50a and a second route 50b illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Further, the setting unit 23 can set a travel route 50 along which the vehicle V automatically travels, depending on the determination result of the determination unit 31. For example, in response to the determination unit 31 determining that the vehicle V is in a manned state, the travel route 50 is set to the first route 50a, and in response to the determination that the vehicle V is in an unmanned state, The driving route 50 may be set as the second route 50b.

The travel plan may include the speed of the vehicle V at each point on the travel route during automatic travel. Further, the travel plan may include values for controlling changes in the behavior of the vehicle V. A change in the behavior of the vehicle V is a change in the movement of the vehicle V while it is stopped or running, and is controlled by, for example, acceleration, deceleration, jerk, yaw rate, or the upper or lower limit of these values. Note that jerk is a value indicating a change in acceleration per unit time, and is also referred to as jerk or jerk. By transmitting such a travel plan to the travel control unit 32, the management device 20 can manage the automatic travel of the vehicle V.

Further, the management device 20 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a first command unit 24. The first command unit 24 can output a first command. The first command is a command for decelerating or stopping the automatically traveling vehicle V, and may be composed of a predetermined signal. That is, in the vehicle control system 1, by outputting the first command from the first command unit 24, the automatically traveling vehicle V can be decelerated or stopped. Further, in the illustrated example, the first command unit 24 can output the first command to the travel control unit 32. For example, the first command unit 24 may output the first command in response to the operation of the input unit 22 by the user U.

Next, the controller 30 will be explained. The controller 30 is a device that performs processing necessary to control the running of the vehicle V, and is mounted on the vehicle V. The controller 30 is a general-purpose microcomputer that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, an input/output unit, and the like. A computer program containing predetermined rules or instructions for controlling the running of the vehicle V is installed in the memory of the microcomputer. By executing the computer program, the microcomputer can control the running of the vehicle V.

The controller 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a determination section 31 and a travel control section 32. Further, the position estimation device 4 , the sensor 10 , the steering actuator 41 , the accelerator pedal actuator 42 , and the brake actuator 43 may be connected to the controller 30 . Further, the controller 30 is connected to the management device 20 via the communication device 7 (see FIG. 1).

The determining unit 31 determines whether the occupant P is riding in the vehicle V based on the detection result of the sensor 10. That is, when receiving a signal from the sensor 10 indicating that the vehicle V is manned, the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle V is occupied by the occupant P. Further, when receiving a signal from the sensor 10 indicating that the vehicle V is unmanned, the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle V is not occupied by the occupant P. The determination unit 31 can transmit the determination result to the management device 20. Note that the determination section 31 may be configured to be able to transmit the determination result to the travel control section 32.

The travel control unit 32 controls, for example, a steering actuator 41, an accelerator pedal actuator 42, a brake actuator 43, etc. so that the vehicle V automatically travels according to the travel plan acquired from the setting unit 23. Note that the method by which the travel control unit 32 controls automatic travel of the vehicle V is not limited to this. For example, if by-wire technology is used in the vehicle V, the travel control unit 32 may generate a signal for controlling automatic travel and transmit it to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) not shown. The ECU is a device that electrically controls the steering angle, speed, acceleration, deceleration, etc. of the vehicle V according to input control signals. Further, the by-wire technology may include, for example, a steering-by-wire technology, an accelerator-by-wire technology, a brake-by-wire technology, and the like. Thereby, the driving control unit 32 can electrically control automatic driving of the vehicle V via the ECU. Note that the travel control section 32 may also serve as the ECU. In that case, the travel control unit 32 uses by-wire technology to electrically control the steering angle, speed, acceleration, deceleration, etc. of the vehicle V so that the vehicle V automatically travels according to the travel plan acquired from the setting unit 23. May be controlled. In response to receiving the first command from the first command unit 24 of the management device 20, the travel control unit 32 may perform control to decelerate or stop the vehicle V. Note that the driving control unit 32 may acquire the determination result of whether or not the occupant P is on board the vehicle V from the determination unit 31, and may control the automatic driving of the vehicle V according to the determination result.

The controller 30 may include a second command section 33. The second command unit 33 can output a second command. The second command is a command for decelerating or stopping the automatically traveling vehicle V, and may be composed of a predetermined signal. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the second command section 33 can output the second command to the travel control section 32. Note that, for example, even if a stop switch (not shown) for emergency stopping the vehicle V is arranged in the vehicle interior, and the second command is output from the second command unit 33 in response to the stop switch being pressed. good. Further, the traveling control unit 32 may be configured to perform control to decelerate or stop the vehicle V upon receiving the second command. That is, the travel control unit 32 may be configured to decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command or the second command.

Next, an example of the operation of the vehicle control system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

3 and 4 schematically show an example of a travel route 50 of the vehicle V when transporting the cargo 2 within the facility premises. The driving route 50 represents a route taken by the vehicle V, which is stopped at a point P1 as a current position, and automatically travels to a point P6 as a target point. For example, a vehicle V loaded with cargo 2 comes out of the facility 3a and heads from point P1 to point P6. The vehicle V that has reached the point P6 enters the facility 3b and unloads the transported cargo 2. Therefore, in the illustrated example, the vehicle V is caused to automatically travel from point P1 to point P6. At this time, the vehicle control system 1 can control the vehicle V to automatically travel along a more suitable travel route 50 depending on whether the vehicle V is manned or unmanned.

Points P2 to P5 illustrated in the figure are branch points that exist on the travel route 50. On the first route 50a, the vehicle V automatically travels from point P1 to point P2, from point P2 to point P5, and from point P5 to point P6 (see FIG. 3). On the second route 50b, the vehicle V automatically travels in this order from point P1 to point P2, from point P2 to point P3, from point P3 to point P4, from point P4 to P5, and from point P5 to point P6 (see FIG. 4).

Among roads R, road R1 between points P1 and P2, road R2 between points P2 and P3, road R3 between points P3 and P4, and road R3 between points P4 and P5. The road R4 and the road R5 between points P5 and P6 are set to have a relatively wide road width W1. On the other hand, among the roads R, the road width of a road R6 between points P2 and P5 is set to a width W2 that is narrower than the width W1. Therefore, compared to the roads R1 to R5, the road R6 is more likely to have a blind spot from the vehicle V due to an object existing near the traveling vehicle V, and the road R6 is more likely to have an environment with poor visibility. On the other hand, roads R1 to R5 have better visibility than road R6, where blind spots from the vehicle V are less likely to occur. Therefore, roads R1 to R5 are safer for automatic driving than road R6. Furthermore, road R6 is set as a restricted road where automatic driving in an unmanned state is restricted.

A passenger P is on board the vehicle V illustrated in FIG. 3 . Therefore, the sensor 10 detects that the occupant P has boarded the vehicle V, and the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle V is manned. At this time, the setting unit 23 sets the travel route 50 for automatic travel of the vehicle V to the first route 50a. The vehicle V illustrated in FIG. 4 does not have an occupant P on board. Therefore, the sensor 10 does not detect that the occupant P is boarding the vehicle V, and the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle V is unmanned. At this time, the setting unit 23 sets the travel route 50 for automatic travel of the vehicle V to the second route 50b. In this way, the setting unit 23 sets the driving route 50 to the first route 50a when the determining unit 31 determines that the state is manned, and when the determining unit 31 determines that the state is unmanned. Accordingly, the driving route 50 may be set to the second route 50b.

Further, when the travel route 50 of the vehicle V is set to the first route 50a, the vehicle V may decelerate or stop in response to input of the first command or the second command. That is, the travel control unit 32 may be configured to decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command or the second command when the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle is in a manned state. good. Furthermore, when the traveling route 50 of the vehicle V is set to the second route 50b, the vehicle V may decelerate or stop in response to input of the first command. That is, when the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle is in an unmanned state, the travel control unit 32 may be configured to decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command.

The first route 50a is a route that takes the shortest travel time between the current position and the target point of the vehicle V. On the first route 50a, the vehicle V travels on a relatively narrow road R6, but since the vehicle V is manned, the safety of travel can be more reliably ensured. For example, even if another object appears in the vicinity of the vehicle V traveling on the road R6, the second command is output by the operation of the occupant P to decelerate or stop the vehicle V, thereby ensuring driving safety. be able to. Furthermore, since the first route 50a is determined so that the traveling time between the first route 50a and the target point is the shortest, the amount of cargo 2 transported by the vehicle V per unit time is improved. That is, the transport efficiency of the vehicle V can be improved.

The second route 50b is a route that does not include the restricted road R6 and has the shortest travel time between the current position and the target point. In the unmanned state, since no occupant P is on board the vehicle V, for example, if another object appears near the running vehicle V, the first command is output by the operation of the user U of the management device 20, By decelerating or stopping the vehicle V, the safety of automatic driving can be ensured. Here, on the second route 50b, the vehicle V does not travel on the road R6, but is set to travel on the wide roads R1 to R5. That is, the second route 50b may be set along a road having a width wider than the width of the restricted road R6. In other words, the second route 50b may be set along a road with better visibility from the vehicle V than the restricted road R6. As a result, the vehicle V travels in a safer environment. Therefore, even in automatic driving in an unmanned state, the driving safety of the vehicle V can be more reliably ensured. Furthermore, the second route 50b is determined so as to avoid traveling on the restricted road R6 during automatic driving in an unmanned state, and to minimize the travel time between the current position and the target point. Therefore, the transport efficiency of the vehicle V can be improved.

Note that the first route 50a and the second route 50b may be determined using an algorithm such as the Dijkstra method, the Bellman-Ford method, or the A ^* method based on a road map of the facility premises acquired in advance. For example, by determining the weight of each of roads R1 to R6 based on the travel time required to pass each of roads R1 to R6, and applying the algorithm, the travel time from point P1 to point P6 can be calculated. The route with the shortest value may be determined. Furthermore, when determining the second route 50b, by excluding the road R6 from the roads that can be traveled in advance, a route that does not pass through restricted roads and has the shortest travel time can be determined. Can be done. Note that for the weight of each of roads R1 to R6, a value obtained by dividing the travel distance on that road by the speed limit set for that road may be used. Thereby, the first route 50a and the second route 50b can be determined more easily.

The setting unit 23 may set the first speed limit of the vehicle V to be higher than the second speed limit. The first speed limit is the upper speed limit for automatic travel of the vehicle V in a manned state. The second speed limit is the upper speed limit for automatic travel of the vehicle V in an unmanned state. That is, the first speed limit of the vehicle V when automatically traveling on the first route 50a may be higher than the second speed limit of the vehicle V when automatically traveling on the second route 50b. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably improve the transport efficiency of the vehicle V by automatic driving in a manned state. Furthermore, since the second speed limit is lower than the first speed limit, the safety of automatic driving of the vehicle V in an unmanned state can be improved more reliably. Note that the values of the first speed limit and the second speed limit are not particularly limited, but for example, when the vehicle V automatically travels within the facility premises, the first speed limit may be between 20 km per hour and 60 km per hour. Often, the second speed limit may be between 20 km/h and 40 km/h.

Note that in the examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, routes for automatically traveling on partially different roads are set in the manned state and in the unmanned state, but the route is not limited to this. For example, a route for automatic travel in a manned state and a route for automatic travel in an unmanned state may be the same. Furthermore, routes for automatically traveling on completely different roads may be set depending on whether the vehicle is manned or unmanned.

In addition, in the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the case where the vehicle V automatically travels from point P1 to point P6 is taken as an example, but it is assumed that the vehicle V automatically travels back and forth between point P1 and point P6. May be controlled. That is, the travel control unit 32 may control the vehicle V to automatically travel back and forth between the current position P1 and the target point P6 along the travel route 50. In the illustrated example, on the return trip, point P6 is the current position, and point P1 is the target point. Thereby, when transporting the cargo 2 between points P1 and P6, for example, transport efficiency can be further improved.

Next, an example of the processing of the vehicle control system 1 will be further described with reference to the activity diagram of FIG. 5.

In the illustrated example, a passenger P boards the vehicle V in step S100. The location where the occupant P boards the vehicle V is not particularly limited, and for example, the passenger P may board the vehicle V while it is stopped at a point P1 within the facility (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Note that when the vehicle V is caused to travel automatically without the occupant P on board, step S100 is omitted.

In step S101, the user U inputs the current position of the stopped vehicle V and the target point into the management device 20. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the current position is point P1, and the target point is point P6. The input method is not particularly limited, and for example, the user U may select the current position of the vehicle V and the target point from predetermined candidates stored in the storage unit 25 in advance. Alternatively, for example, a map including a road R on which the vehicle V can travel may be displayed on the display unit 21, and an arbitrary point on the map may be set as the current position or a target point of the vehicle V by operation of the user U. . After that, the process advances to step S102.

In step S102, the management device 20 requests the controller 30 to detect the presence or absence of the occupant P in the vehicle V. Note that the request for detection may be automatically made as soon as the user U completes the input in S101. Furthermore, a detection request may be made in response to the user U performing a predetermined operation after the input in S101. After that, the process advances to step S103.

In step S103, the controller 30 detects the occupant P in the vehicle V using the sensor 10. The detection method is not particularly limited; for example, it may be performed by using at least one of the seating sensor 10a, the in-vehicle camera 10b, or the seat belt sensor, and auxiliary sensors may be used in combination. Good too. In the example shown in FIG. 5, an occupant P is boarding the vehicle V in step S100. Therefore, the sensor 10 detects the occupant P and transmits a signal indicating that the vehicle V is manned to the determination unit 31 of the controller 30. After that, the process proceeds to step S104. Note that when the occupant P is not on board the vehicle V, the sensor 10 transmits a signal indicating that the vehicle V is unmanned to the determination unit 31.

In step S104, the determining unit 31 determines whether the occupant P is present in the vehicle V based on the detection result of the sensor 10. In the illustrated example, the occupant P is detected in step S103. Therefore, in step S104, the determining unit 31 determines that the occupant P is riding in the vehicle V. After that, the process advances to step S105. Note that if the occupant P is not detected in step S103, the determination unit 31 determines that the occupant P is not on board the vehicle V in step S104.

In step S105, the determination unit 31 transmits the determination result in step S104 to the management device 20. At that time, information 60 indicating the presence or absence of a passenger is output to the management device 20. In the illustrated example, the determination unit 31 determines in step S104 that the vehicle V is occupied by the occupant P, so the information 60 is information indicating that the vehicle V is manned. After that, the process advances to step S106. Note that when the determining unit 31 determines in step S104 that the occupant P is not on board the vehicle V, the information 60 becomes information indicating that the vehicle V is in an unmanned state. Further, the information 60 may be transmitted to the travel control unit 32 of the controller 30 and used for controlling automatic travel of the vehicle V in step S111, which will be described later.

In step S106, the setting unit 23 of the management device 20 sets a travel plan for the vehicle V according to the determination result of the determination unit 31. In the illustrated example, in step S105, the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle V is in a manned state, and thus sets the manned travel plan, which is the travel plan when the vehicle V in the manned state travels automatically, as the travel plan of the vehicle V. . For example, the manned driving plan may be one in which the vehicle V automatically travels along the first route 50a (see FIG. 3). Note that when the determining unit 31 determines in step S105 that the vehicle V is unmanned, the unmanned traveling plan that is the traveling plan when the unmanned vehicle V automatically travels is set as the traveling plan of the vehicle V. The unmanned driving plan may be, for example, to cause the vehicle V to automatically travel along the second route 50b (see FIG. 4). In this way, the setting section 23 can set the traveling route 50 of the vehicle V according to the determination result of the determining section 31. Note that in the manned travel plan, the upper limit of the speed of the vehicle V may be set to the first speed limit. Further, in the unmanned driving plan, the upper limit value of the speed of the vehicle V may be set to the second speed limit.

In the illustrated example, the setting unit 23 refers to the driving plan candidates 61 stored in the storage unit 25 in advance, and selects a manned driving plan or an unmanned driving plan according to the determination by the determining unit 31 in step S105. The driving plan candidate 61 is a driving plan candidate for automatically driving the vehicle V, and includes, for example, a manned driving plan and an unmanned driving plan determined in advance for each combination of the current position and the target point of the vehicle V. It's okay to stay.

After step S106, the process proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the setting unit 23 transmits the travel plan 62 to the travel control unit 32. In the illustrated example, trip plan 62 is a manned trip plan. After that, the process advances to step S108. Note that if the setting unit 23 sets the unmanned driving plan as the driving plan for the vehicle V in step S106, the driving plan 62 transmitted in step S107 becomes the unmanned driving plan.

In step S108, the management device 20 displays information regarding the travel plan of the vehicle V on the display unit 21. For example, the display unit 21 may display the first route 50a along which the vehicle V automatically travels in the manned travel plan. Note that the method of displaying the travel plan on the display unit 21 is not particularly limited, and for example, the route on which the vehicle V is scheduled to automatically travel may be displayed superimposed on a map image corresponding to the facility premises. After that, the process advances to step S109. Note that the information regarding the travel plan displayed on the display unit 21 is not limited to the travel route 50 of the vehicle V, and includes, for example, the speed, acceleration, deceleration, jerk, steering angle, yaw rate, or The upper limit or lower limit of these values may be displayed.

In step S109, the user U instructs the vehicle V to start automatic travel. For example, the user U may instruct the start of automatic driving by performing a predetermined operation on the input unit 22 of the management device 20. After that, the process proceeds to step S110.

In step S110, the management device 20 instructs the controller 30 to start automatic driving of the vehicle V. After that, the process advances to step S111. Note that the management device 20 may instruct the controller 30 to start automatic driving without waiting for the user U's operation in step S109. In that case, step S109 may be omitted and the process of step S110 may be performed after step S108, or the process equivalent to step S109 may be included in step S101.

In step S111, the controller 30 causes the vehicle V to start automatically traveling. That is, the travel control section 32 starts the travel control of the vehicle V according to the travel plan 62 transmitted from the setting section 23 in step S107. Thereby, the manned vehicle V can automatically travel along the first route 50a, for example (see FIG. 3). At that time, the travel control unit 32 may decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command or the second command. Note that if the travel plan 62 transmitted in step S107 is an unmanned travel plan, the unmanned vehicle V can be automatically driven along, for example, the second route 50b (see FIG. 4). At that time, the travel control unit 32 may decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command.

Note that the driving control unit 32 may control the automatic driving of the vehicle V in accordance with the information 60 indicating the presence or absence of an occupant acquired from the determining unit 31. For example, the travel control unit 32 may control changes in behavior when the vehicle V automatically travels depending on the presence or absence of an occupant. At that time, changes in the behavior of the vehicle V can be controlled by controlling acceleration, deceleration, jerk, yaw rate, or the upper or lower limit values of these values. Further, the manned driving plan or unmanned driving plan set in step S106 may include information for controlling changes in the behavior of the vehicle V. In that case, the determination section 31 does not need to transmit the information 60 to the travel control section 32.

The vehicle control system 1 can further improve the safety of automatic driving or the transport efficiency by controlling changes in the behavior of the vehicle V during automatic driving. In one embodiment, the travel control unit 32 controls changes in the behavior of the vehicle V under the first condition in response to the determination by the determination unit 31 that the vehicle is in a manned state, and controls the change in behavior of the vehicle V under the first condition when the determination unit 31 determines that the vehicle is in an unmanned state. Depending on what has happened, changes in the behavior of the vehicle V may be controlled using the second condition. Here, the first condition and the second condition may be set such that a change in the behavior of the vehicle V under the first condition is smaller than a change in the behavior of the vehicle V under the second condition. For example, the value of at least one element among acceleration, deceleration, jerk, yaw rate, and the upper and lower limits of these values in the first condition is higher than the value of the element corresponding to the element in the second condition. It may be set to be smaller.

Thereby, changes in the behavior of the vehicle V during automatic driving in a manned state can be suppressed, and discomfort felt by the occupant P due to acceleration, deceleration, etc. of the vehicle V can be reduced. That is, the safety or comfort of automatic driving of the vehicle V in a manned state can be further improved. In addition, in automatic driving in an unmanned state, there is no need to reduce the discomfort felt by the occupant P, so a larger change in behavior can be tolerated. Therefore, the vehicle V can be controlled so that it can reach the target point from the current point in a shorter time. That is, the transport efficiency of the vehicle V in an unmanned state can be further improved.

In the above description, the vehicle control system 1 has been described by taking as an example a method in which the management device 20 stores the travel plan candidates 61 in advance and the management device 20 selects a travel plan depending on whether or not the occupant P is on board. It is not limited to this. For example, in step S106, the setting unit 23 may generate the first route 50a or the second route 50b without referring to the travel plan candidate 61 stored in advance. That is, the management device 20 may generate the travel plan 62 for the vehicle V according to the determination result of the determination unit 31. As a result, the user U can appropriately set a restricted road on which unmanned automatic driving is restricted depending on the situation within the facility, and the setting unit 23 can exclude the restricted road so that the unmanned vehicle V can travel automatically. It is possible to generate a route. That is, it is possible to generate a travel plan that more appropriately reflects the travel environment of the vehicle V.

In addition, in the above description, the setting unit 23 provided in the management device 20 sets the travel plan of the vehicle V according to the determination result of the determination unit 31 in step S106, and the travel plan is set by the travel control unit 32 in step S107. Although the plan 62 was transmitted, the transmission is not limited thereto. For example, the setting section 23 may be provided in the controller 30. Further, the controller 30 may be provided with a storage section (not shown) composed of a recording medium such as a memory or a hard disk, and the travel plan candidate 61 may be stored in the storage section. Thereby, the processing of step S106 and step S107 can be performed in the controller 30. Therefore, the amount of data transmitted and received between the management device 20 and the controller 30 can be reduced, and the processing load on the management device 20 can be suppressed.

Next, the effects of the vehicle control system 1 and the vehicle control method according to the embodiment will be explained.

(1) The vehicle control system 1 according to the embodiment is a vehicle control system for a vehicle V equipped with an automatic driving function. The vehicle control system 1 includes a management device 20 disposed at a location other than the vehicle V that manages automatic driving of the vehicle V, and a detection device mounted on the vehicle V that detects the boarding of the occupant P on the vehicle V. 10. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a determination unit 31 that determines whether or not the occupant P is riding in the vehicle V based on the detection result of the detection device 10. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a first command unit 24 disposed in the management device 20 and outputting a first command for decelerating or stopping the automatically traveling vehicle V. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a setting unit 23 that sets a travel route 50 for automatic travel according to the determination result of the determination unit 31.

According to the vehicle control system 1 according to the embodiment, the travel route 50 along which the vehicle V automatically travels can be set depending on whether or not the vehicle V is occupied by the occupant P. Therefore, for example, the travel route 50 when the vehicle V automatically transports the cargo 2 within the facility premises can be more appropriately set depending on the presence or absence of the occupant P. Thereby, it is possible to ensure the safety of running of the vehicle V and to improve the transport efficiency. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 1 can decelerate or stop the automatically traveling vehicle V based on a signal from the management device 20. Therefore, the safety of automatic driving of the vehicle V can be further improved.

(2) The setting unit 23 may set the travel route 50 to the first route 50a in response to the determination unit 31 determining that the vehicle is in a manned state with the occupant P on board. Further, the setting unit 23 may set the travel route 50 to the second route 50b in response to the determination unit 31 determining that the vehicle is in an unmanned state with no occupant P on board. The first route 50a may be a route that takes the shortest travel time between the current position P1 of the vehicle V and the target point P6 of the vehicle V. The second route 50b is a road R between the current position P1 and the target point P6, which does not include the restricted road R6 where automatic driving in an unmanned state is restricted, and between the current position P1 and the target point P6. It may be a route with the shortest travel time between the two.

Thereby, for the vehicle V in the manned state, the travel route 50 is set so that the travel time between the current position P1 and the target point P6 is the shortest. Furthermore, for the unmanned vehicle V, the travel route 50 is set so that the travel time between the current position P1 and the target point P6 is the shortest, and the vehicle V does not travel on the restricted road R6. Therefore, for example, the transport efficiency of the vehicle V transporting the cargo 2 within a facility can be more reliably improved, and the safety of automatic driving can be more reliably improved.

(3) The second route 50b may be set along the road R having a width W1 wider than the width W2 of the restricted road R6.

As a result, the vehicle V travels in a safer environment. Therefore, even in automatic driving in an unmanned state, the driving safety of the vehicle V can be more reliably ensured.

(4) The first speed limit of the vehicle V when traveling on the first route 50a may be higher than the second speed limit of the vehicle V when traveling on the second route 50b.

Thereby, it is possible to more reliably improve the transport efficiency of the vehicle V by automatic driving in a manned state. Furthermore, the safety of automatic driving of the vehicle V in an unmanned state can be improved more reliably.

(5) The vehicle control system 1 may cause the vehicle V to travel back and forth automatically along the travel route 50 between the current position P1 and the target point P6.

Thereby, the vehicle V can be moved back and forth between predetermined points. Therefore, for example, cargo 2 is loaded onto vehicle V in a facility located near point P1 within the facility premises, transported to point P6, cargo 2 is unloaded within a facility located near point P6, and then vehicle V is moved to point P6. It is possible to automatically travel toward P1. Therefore, the transport efficiency between predetermined points can be further improved.

(6) The vehicle control system 1 may include a second command section 33 disposed on the vehicle V that outputs a second command for decelerating or stopping the vehicle V during automatic travel. The vehicle control system 1 may also include a travel control unit 32 that decelerates or stops the vehicle V in response to input of the first command or the second command. When the determination unit 31 determines that the occupant P is on board, the travel control unit 32 may decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command or the second command. Further, when the determination unit 31 determines that the occupant P is not on board, the travel control unit 32 may decelerate or stop the vehicle V in response to input of the first command.

Thereby, in the manned state, the vehicle V can be decelerated or stopped according to a command from the first command section 24 or the second command section 33. That is, in the manned state, the occupant P can decelerate or stop the vehicle V depending on the situation around the vehicle V, for example, and control automatic travel. Further, in an unmanned state, the vehicle V can be decelerated or stopped according to a command from the first command unit 24. Therefore, the safety of automatic driving of the vehicle V can be improved more reliably.

(7) The vehicle control method according to the embodiment is a vehicle control method for a vehicle V equipped with an automatic driving function, and includes a management device 20 that is arranged at a location other than the vehicle V and manages automatic driving of the vehicle V. and a detection device 10 that is mounted on the vehicle V and detects the boarding of the occupant P on the vehicle V. In the vehicle control method, it is determined whether a passenger P is riding in the vehicle V based on the detection result of the detection device 10. Furthermore, in the vehicle control method, the automatically running vehicle V is decelerated or stopped in response to the first command being output from the first command unit 24 disposed in the management device 20 . Furthermore, in the vehicle control method, the travel route 50 for automatic travel is set in accordance with the determination result of whether or not the passenger P is on board the vehicle V.

According to the vehicle control method according to the embodiment, it is possible to set the travel route 50 along which the vehicle V automatically travels depending on whether or not the vehicle V is occupied by the occupant P. Therefore, for example, the travel route 50 when the vehicle V automatically transports the cargo 2 within the facility premises can be more appropriately set depending on the presence or absence of the occupant P. Thereby, it is possible to ensure the safety of running of the vehicle V and to improve the transport efficiency. Further, in this vehicle control method, the automatically running vehicle V can be decelerated or stopped by a signal from the management device 20. Therefore, the safety of automatic driving of the vehicle V can be further improved.

The present disclosure can contribute, for example, to Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promote innovation."

Although several embodiments have been described above, it is possible to modify or transform the embodiments based on the content disclosed above. All components of the embodiments described above and all features recited in the claims may be extracted individually and combined insofar as they do not contradict each other.

P Crew member P1 point (current position)
P6 point (target point)
R Road R6 Road (restricted road)
V Vehicle W1 Width W2 Width 1 Vehicle control system 10 Sensor (detection device)
20 Management device 23 Setting section 24 First command section 31 Determination section 32 Travel control section 33 Second command section 50 Travel route 50a First route 50b Second route

Claims (7)

A vehicle control system for a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function,
a management device for managing automatic driving of the vehicle, which is located at a location other than the vehicle;
a detection device mounted on the vehicle that detects the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle;
a determination unit that determines whether or not the occupant is riding in the vehicle based on the detection result of the detection device;
a first command unit disposed in the management device and configured to output a first command for decelerating or stopping the automatically traveling vehicle;
a setting unit that sets a travel route for the automatic travel according to a determination result of the determination unit;
A vehicle control system equipped with The setting unit sets the travel route to a first route in response to the judgment unit determining that the vehicle is in a manned state with the passenger on board, and sets the travel route to a first route when the vehicle is in an unmanned state with the passenger on board. setting the travel route to a second route in response to the determination by the determination unit;
The first route is a route with the shortest travel time between the current position of the vehicle and the target point of the vehicle,
The second route does not include restricted roads on which the automatic driving in an unmanned state is restricted among roads between the current position and the target point, and the second route does not include restricted roads between the current position and the target point. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the route has the shortest travel time. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein the second route is set along a road having a width wider than the width of the restricted road. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein a first speed limit of the vehicle when traveling on the first route is higher than a second speed limit of the vehicle when traveling on the second route. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is caused to reciprocate along the travel route between the current position and the target point by the automatic travel. a second command unit disposed in the vehicle that outputs a second command for decelerating or stopping the vehicle during automatic travel;
a travel control unit that decelerates or stops the vehicle in response to input of the first command or the second command;
Equipped with
When the determination unit determines that the occupant is on board, the traveling control unit decelerates or stops the vehicle in response to input of the first command or the second command, and The vehicle control according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is not on board, the vehicle is decelerated or stopped in response to input of the first command. system. A vehicle control method for a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, the method comprising:
a management device for managing automatic driving of the vehicle, which is located at a location other than the vehicle;
a detection device mounted on the vehicle that detects the boarding of a passenger in the vehicle;
Equipped with
Determining whether or not the occupant is boarding the vehicle based on the detection result of the detection device;
Decelerating or stopping the automatically traveling vehicle in response to a first command being output from a first command unit disposed in the management device;
setting a travel route for the automatic travel according to a determination result of whether or not the occupant is on board the vehicle;
Vehicle control method.

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