JP6411956B2 - Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method.

Conventionally, in an automatic travel guidance device that combines a navigation control unit and an automatic travel control unit, the position on the road on which the vehicle is traveling is determined based on the sensed road conditions in the traveling direction of the vehicle There has been proposed an automatic travel guidance device that corrects the current position so that the current position of the host vehicle is at the location of the road map information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Since the above apparatus does not use detailed road map information including information such as lanes, there is a case where the vehicle cannot be appropriately automatically controlled. On the other hand, it is proposed that a plan for automatic traveling is created based on a route determined using road map information and a planned traveling locus determined using detailed road map information ( For example, see Patent Document 2).

JP-A-8-287395 JP 2006-266865 A

However, in the conventional technology, no consideration has been given to the difference in information freshness between road map information that does not include detailed information and road map information that includes detailed information. For this reason, accurate automatic operation may not be performed.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent inaccurate automatic driving in consideration of information freshness.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, drive control is performed based on the travel route of the vehicle determined based on the first map (126) and the second map (136) including more detailed information than the first map. Comparing the freshness of information on the first map with the freshness of information on the second map, and an action plan generator (130) that generates an action plan for automatic driving that performs at least a part of braking control or steering control. The vehicle control device (100) includes a determination unit (140) that determines whether the automatic driving can be performed based on the comparison result.

  Invention of Claim 2 is the vehicle control apparatus of Claim 1, Comprising: When the information freshness of the said 1st map and the information freshness of the said 2nd map correspond, the said determination part performs the said automatic driving | operation. If it is determined that the information freshness of the first map does not match the information freshness of the second map, it is determined that the automatic driving cannot be performed.

  Invention of Claim 3 is the vehicle control apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2, Comprising: The said 1st map contains the information of the link which connects a node and the said node, The said 2nd map is a lane At least information indicating the boundary of the vehicle or information indicating the center of the lane.

  Invention of Claim 4 is a vehicle control apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3, Comprising: The said determination part is the said automatic driving | operation between the said 1st map and the said 2nd map. If the information freshness of the item related to the target that does not affect the target does not match and the information freshness of the item other than the information related to the target matches, it is determined that the automatic driving can be performed.

  Invention of Claim 5 is a vehicle control apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4, Comprising: The said 1st map and the said 2nd map are the division | segmentation area | regions divided | segmented for every predetermined area | region. Each of the divided areas is associated with an information freshness, and the determination unit includes the information freshness of the divided area of the first map corresponding to the travel route and the corresponding to the travel route. The information freshness of the divided area of the second map is compared.

  Invention of Claim 6 is a vehicle control apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1-5, Comprising: Information which can recognize the result of the determination determined by the said determination part is a display apparatus (58). The display control unit (120, 124) to be displayed is further provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the computer controls driving and braking based on the travel route of the vehicle determined based on the first map and the second map including more detailed information than the first map. Or generating an automatic driving action plan for performing at least a part of the steering control, comparing the information freshness of the first map with the information freshness of the second map, and based on the result of the comparison, This is a vehicle control method for determining whether or not automatic driving can be performed.

  According to invention of Claim 1, 2, 3 and 7, a determination part compares the information freshness of the said 1st map with the information freshness of the said 2nd map, and based on the comparison result, the said automatic driving | operation is carried out. By determining whether or not it can be carried out, it is possible to prevent incorrect automatic operation.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the determination unit does not match information freshness of items relating to a target that does not affect the automatic driving between the first map and the second map, and the target When information freshness related to items other than information matches, it is determined that the automatic driving can be performed, thereby suppressing the determination that the automatic driving cannot be performed even though the automatic driving can actually be performed. Can do.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the first map and the second map are a set of divided areas divided into predetermined areas, and information freshness is associated with each of the divided areas. The determination unit compares the information freshness of the divided area of the first map corresponding to the travel route with the information freshness of the divided area of the second map corresponding to the travel route, so that the host vehicle Even if the information freshness of the first map and the second map other than the route on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel is different, it is possible to prevent inaccurate automatic driving and improve user convenience. Can be made.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the display control unit displays the determination result determined by the determination unit on the display device, so that the user can visually recognize the section where the automatic driving can be performed and the section where the user cannot perform the automatic driving. Therefore, the convenience of the user can be improved.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the component of the vehicle (own vehicle) by which the vehicle control apparatus 100 is mounted. It is a figure which shows a mode that the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to a driving lane is recognized by the own vehicle position recognition part. It is a figure which shows an example of the road node table 127. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the road link table. It is a figure which shows an example of the lane node table. It is a figure which shows an example of a lane link table. It is a figure which shows an example of the action plan produced | generated about a certain area. It is a list of the version correspondence table 139. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the vehicle control device 100. It is a figure for demonstrating the mesh area | region contained in a driving | running route. It is a figure which shows an example which compared the update information of the navigation map 126, and the update information of the high precision map 136. FIG. It is a figure which shows another example which compared the update information of the navigation map 126, and the update information of the high precision map 136. FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode that the road shape derived | led-out based on the navigation map 126 and the road shape derived | led-out based on the high precision map 136 are compared. It is an example of image IM which shows the area which can implement the automatic driving | operation displayed on the display apparatus of the information input / output part 58, and the area which cannot implement an automatic driving | operation. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system including a vehicle control device 100A and a server device 220. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing components of a vehicle (own vehicle) on which the vehicle control device 100 is mounted. The vehicle includes, for example, a communication unit 32, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) unit 34, a finder 40, a camera 42, a radar device 44, a vehicle sensor 46, a travel driving force output device 50, a steering wheel. The device 52, the brake device 54, the changeover switch 56, the information input / output unit 58, the operation device 60, the operation detection sensor 62, and the vehicle control device 100 are mounted.

  The communication unit 32 is a communication interface for communicating with a base station constituting a mobile phone network, a Wi-Fi access point, and a communication unit of another vehicle. The communication unit 32 receives a broadcast wave transmitted from a broadcast station. The GNSS unit 34 receives a navigation message in which satellite orbit information (ephemeris and almanac), clock correction values, ionospheric correction coefficients, and the like are superimposed from a plurality of satellites constituting the GNSS (global positioning system). . The GNSS unit 34 extracts satellite orbit information and a clock correction value from the received navigation message, and identifies the position of the host vehicle based on the extracted information. GNSS is a positioning system such as GPS, GLONASS, or Galileo.

  The finder 40 is, for example, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that measures the scattered light with respect to the irradiation light and measures the distance to the target. For example, the finder 40 is attached to a plurality of locations of the host vehicle. The finder 40 is attached to, for example, the front grille, the side surface of the vehicle body, the interior of the headlight, the interior of the taillight, the vicinity of the sidelight, the door mirror, the trunk lid, and the like. These finders 40 have a detection range of about 150 degrees in the horizontal direction, for example. The finder 40 is attached to a roof or the like. The finder 40 has a detection range of 360 degrees in the horizontal direction, for example.

  The camera 42 is a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 42 is attached to, for example, the upper part of the front windshield or the rear surface of the rearview mirror. For example, the camera 42 repeatedly images the front of the host vehicle at a predetermined cycle.

  The radar device 44 is attached to, for example, the back side of the emblem of the own vehicle, the bumper, the periphery of the front grill, and the like, and radiates electromagnetic waves in a frequency band such as millimeter waves in front of the own vehicle. In addition to the radar device 44, an ultrasonic sensor or the like may be mounted on the vehicle.

  The vehicle sensor 46 includes, for example, a triaxial acceleration sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and the like. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration generated in the host vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor includes a wheel speed sensor attached to each wheel and a controller that integrates these detection results. The yaw rate sensor detects a rotation angle around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle. The vehicle sensor 46 outputs the detected value to the vehicle control device 100.

  The travel driving force output device 50, the steering device 52, and the brake device 54 are controlled by the travel control unit 150 of the vehicle control device 100. The travel control unit 150 includes a manual operation mode in which the driver manually operates and an automatic operation mode in which the driver does not perform an operation (or the operation amount is smaller or the operation frequency is lower than the manual operation mode). Switch and control. This switching is executed by the operation of the selector switch 56 by the driver. In the automatic driving mode, the traveling control unit 150 determines the traveling driving force output device 50 based on the traveling route determined by the navigation unit 120, the behavior plan generated by the behavior planning unit 130, and the determination result of the determination unit 140. The steering device 52 and the brake device 54 are controlled to perform automatic driving.

  The traveling driving force output device 50 includes, for example, one or both of an engine and a traveling motor. When the travel driving force output device 50 has only an engine, an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the engine adjusts the throttle opening, the shift stage, and the like according to information input from the travel control unit 150. The driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle is controlled. When the travel driving force output device 50 has only the travel motor, the motor ECU that drives the travel motor adjusts the duty ratio of the PWM signal applied to the travel motor, so that the travel drive force for traveling the vehicle is achieved. To control. When the driving force output device 50 includes both, the engine ECU and the motor ECU both control the driving force in cooperation.

  The steering device 52 includes, for example, an electric motor that can change the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to a rack and pinion mechanism, a steering torque sensor, a steering angle sensor that detects a steering steering angle (or an actual steering angle), and the like. . The steering device 52 drives the electric motor in a desired direction and magnitude (torque) according to information input from the travel control unit 150.

  The brake device 54 includes a master cylinder to which a brake operation performed on the brake pedal is transmitted as hydraulic pressure, a reservoir tank that stores brake fluid, a brake actuator that adjusts a braking force output to each wheel, and the like. The control unit of the brake device 54 controls the pressure generated by the master cylinder according to the information input from the travel control unit 150 so that a brake torque of a desired magnitude is output to each wheel, and the brake actuator, etc. To control. The brake device 54 is not limited to the electronically controlled brake device that operates by the hydraulic pressure described above, but may be an electronically controlled brake device that operates by an electric actuator.

  The information input / output unit 58 is configured, for example, by superimposing a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device and an input unit capable of detecting the touch position of the operator by a coordinate detection mechanism. It is a touch panel type display device. The information input / output unit 58 outputs a signal indicating the position (coordinates) of the user's touch operation to the vehicle control device 100. The information input / output unit 58 displays the travel route to the destination, the required time, and the like on an image corresponding to the map information stored in the vehicle control device 100 based on an instruction from the vehicle control device 100.

  The operation device 60 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a steering wheel, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and the like. The operation device 60 is provided with an operation detection sensor 62 that detects the presence / absence and amount of operation by the driver. The operation detection sensor 62 includes, for example, an accelerator opening sensor, a steering torque sensor, a brake sensor, a shift position sensor, and the like. The operation detection sensor 62 outputs the accelerator opening, the steering torque, the brake depression amount, the shift position, and the like as detection results to the travel control unit 150. Instead of this, the detection result of the operation detection sensor 62 may be directly output to the travel driving force output device 50, the steering device 52, or the brake device 54.

  The vehicle control device 100 includes a recognition unit 110, a navigation unit 120, an action plan unit 130, a determination unit 140, a travel control unit 150, and a control switching unit 160. Among these functional units, the recognition unit 110, the navigation unit 120, the action planning unit 130, the determination unit 140, the travel control unit 150, and the control switching unit 160 are, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) included in the vehicle control device 100. Is a software function unit that functions by executing a program stored in a program memory. In addition, the recognition unit 110, the navigation unit 120, the action plan unit 130, the determination unit 140, the travel control unit 150, and the control switching unit 160 are hardware functions such as LSI (Large Scale Integration) and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Part. In addition, the navigation unit 120 may be realized by a processor separate from other functional units of the vehicle control device 100. That is, the navigation unit 120 may not be included in the vehicle control device 100. In this case, the navigation part 120 may be implement | achieved by one function of terminal devices, such as a smart phone and a tablet terminal which a user holds. Information is transmitted and received between the terminal device and the vehicle control device 100 by radio or communication.

  The recognition unit 110 includes an external environment recognition unit 112 and a host vehicle position recognition unit 114. The external recognition unit 112 recognizes the position of an object such as a surrounding vehicle and the state such as the speed based on the outputs of the finder 40, the camera 42, the radar device 44, the vehicle sensor 46, and the like. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or corner of the object, or may be represented by a region expressed by the contour of the object. The “state” of the object may include, when the object is a surrounding vehicle, acceleration of the surrounding vehicle, whether or not the lane is changed (or whether or not it is going to be changed). In this case, the external environment recognition unit 112 recognizes whether or not the lane is changed (or whether or not it is going to be changed) based on the history of the position of the surrounding vehicle, the operating state of the direction indicator, and the like. The outside recognition unit 112 may recognize the positions of guardrails, utility poles, parked vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects in addition to surrounding vehicles. Moreover, the external environment recognition unit 112 may further recognize the state of the surrounding vehicle such as the position and speed by communicating with the surrounding vehicle.

  The own vehicle position recognition unit 114 includes map information (navigation map 126, high-accuracy map 136) stored in the vehicle control device 100, a navigation unit 120, a GPNSS unit 34, a finder 40, a camera 42, a radar device 44, or Based on the information input from the vehicle sensor 46, the lane in which the vehicle is traveling (the traveling lane) and the relative position of the host vehicle with respect to the traveling lane are recognized. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating how the vehicle position recognition unit 114 recognizes the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane. The own vehicle position recognition unit 114 is, for example, an angle formed with respect to a line connecting the running lane center CL of the reference point (for example, the center of gravity) of the own vehicle M and the running lane center CL behind the own vehicle M. θ is recognized as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. Instead of this, the host vehicle position recognition unit 114 recognizes the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to any side end portion of the travel lane L1 as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the travel lane. Also good.

  The navigation unit 120 includes a route search unit 122, a vehicle guidance unit 124, and a navigation side storage unit 125. The route search unit 122 refers to a navigation map (first map) 126 stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125 and travels from the current position of the host vehicle M to a destination input by a user such as a driver. Is derived. The route search unit 122 may derive a route in consideration of road information such as traffic jam information. Further, the search for the travel route may be supplemented with information from an external device with which the communication unit 32 communicates.

  At least in the manual operation mode, the vehicle guidance unit 124 presents information for presenting the travel route to the destination, the required time, and the like to the user with images and sounds based on the travel route derived by the route search unit 122. The data is output to the information input / output unit 58.

  The navigation-side storage unit 125 is realized by a readable / writable nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The navigation side storage unit 125 stores a navigation map 126. The navigation map 126 is composed of road layers. The road layer includes a road node table 127, a road link table 128, POI (Point Of Interest; point information (coordinate points) of targets such as various facilities), information on POI, link cost, and the like. Examples of POI facilities include signals, signs, buildings, signboards, and the like. The POI information includes the contents of the sign, the name of the building, and the like. Buildings and signs are targets that do not affect automated driving. The link cost is information indicating the shortest travel route from a certain point to a certain point. The navigation map 126 is associated with version information indicating information freshness (see FIG. 8 described later). The version information of the navigation map 126 is stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125 as an indication of the update status each time the navigation map 126 is updated. In the present embodiment, the coordinate points are, for example, latitude and longitude.

  The road node table 127 is a list of information defining road nodes that are reference points on the road reference line along the road. The road reference line is, for example, the center line of the road. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the road node table 127. In the road node table 127, coordinate points, the number of connected road links, and connected road link IDs are stored in association with a plurality of road node IDs.

  The road link table 128 is a list of information indicating road section modes between a plurality of road nodes. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the road link table 128. In the road link table 128, for a plurality of road link IDs, a road node ID (start road node ID) connected as the start point of the road link, a road node ID (end road node ID) connected as the end point of the road link ), Road width information, and the number of lanes are stored in association with each other.

  The action plan unit 130 includes an action plan generation unit 132 and an action plan side storage unit 135. The action plan generation unit 132 detects the detection results of the finder 40, the camera 42, the radar device 44, and the vehicle sensor 46, the travel route determined by the navigation unit 120, the map information stored in the action plan side storage unit 135, and the determination. Based on the determination result determined by the unit 140, an action plan is generated. The action plan defines the traveling direction, speed, position, etc. of the host vehicle M for realizing automatic driving. The action plan includes, for example, requested lane information and target feature information. The requested lane information is information indicating the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling. The target feature information is a target place determined by the navigation unit 120.

  The action plan side storage unit 135 stores a high-accuracy map 136 (second map), a road lane correspondence table, and a version correspondence table 139. Further, the action plan side storage unit 135 stores the travel route determined by the route search unit 122, the traffic information acquired by the communication unit 32, and the position of the host vehicle M specified by the GNSS unit 34. ing.

  The high-precision map 136 is a map that includes more detailed information than the navigation map 126. The high-precision map 136 is referred to when the action plan generation unit 132 generates an action plan. The high accuracy map 136 includes a lane layer and a target layer. The high-accuracy map 136 is associated with version information indicating the freshness of information (see FIG. 8 described later). The version information of the high-accuracy map 136 is stored in the action plan side storage unit 135 as an indication of the update status each time the high-accuracy map 136 is updated.

  The lane layer includes a lane node table 137 and a lane link table 138. The lane node table 137 is a list of information defining lane nodes that are reference points on the lane reference line. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the lane node table 137. The lane reference line is, for example, a center line between lanes. In the lane node table 137, coordinate points, the number of connected lane links, and the connected lane link ID are stored in association with a plurality of lane node IDs.

  The lane link table 138 is a list showing information on lane section modes among a plurality of lane nodes. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the lane link table 138. The lane link table 138 includes, for a plurality of lane link IDs, a lane node ID (start point lane node ID) connected as the start point of the lane link, and a lane node ID (end point lane node ID) connected as the end point of the lane link. , The lane number indicating the number of the lane from the left in the direction of travel of the lane, the lane type, the lane width information, and the line types of the left and right lanes in the direction of travel of the lane A line type (right line type, left line type), traffic regulation information indicating the traffic regulation status in the lane, and a coordinate point sequence of the shape of the lane reference line of the lane section indicated by the lane link are stored in association with each other. . Further, the lane link table 138 may store information (curvature and the like) for describing the lane shape when the lane shape is special.

  The target layer has a target table. The target table is a list of information indicating targets existing on the road. The target existing on the road in the target layer is, for example, a signboard, a building, a signal, a pole, a power pole, or the like. In the target table, a plurality of target IDs are stored in association with a target name, a coordinate point sequence indicating the contour of the target, and a lane node ID where the target exists.

  The road lane correspondence table is a list of lane nodes or lane links corresponding to road nodes or road links. For example, the road lane correspondence table stores information indicating lane link IDs and lane link IDs in the vicinity of road nodes.

  Based on such map information, the action plan generation unit 132 generates an action plan in a predetermined section. The predetermined section is, for example, a section that passes through a toll road such as an expressway among travel routes derived by the navigation unit 120. In addition, not only this but the action plan production | generation part 132 may produce | generate an action plan about arbitrary sections.

  The action plan is composed of, for example, a plurality of events that are sequentially executed. Examples of the event include a deceleration event for decelerating the host vehicle M, an acceleration event for accelerating the host vehicle M, a lane keeping event for driving the host vehicle M so as not to depart from the traveling lane, and a lane change event for changing the traveling lane In the overtaking event in which the own vehicle M overtakes the preceding vehicle, in the branch event in which the own vehicle M is changed so as not to deviate from the current driving lane at the branch point, or in the lane junction point A merging event or the like that accelerates or decelerates M and changes the traveling lane is included. For example, when a junction (branch point) exists on a toll road (for example, an expressway), the vehicle control device 100 changes the lane so that the host vehicle M travels in the direction of the destination in the automatic driving mode. Need to maintain lanes. Accordingly, when the action plan generation unit 132 refers to the high-accuracy map 136 and finds that a junction exists on the travel route, the action plan generation unit 132 determines the position (coordinates) of the junction from the current position (coordinates) of the host vehicle M. In the meantime, a lane change event for changing the lane to a desired lane that can proceed in the direction of the destination is set.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an action plan generated for a certain section. As shown in the figure, the action plan generation unit 132 classifies scenes that occur when the vehicle travels according to the travel route to the destination, and generates an action plan so that an event corresponding to each scene is executed. In addition, the action plan production | generation part 132 may change an action plan dynamically according to the condition change of the own vehicle M. FIG.

  The traveling control unit 150 sets the control mode to the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode under the control of the control switching unit 160, and controls the control target according to the set control mode. The travel control unit 150 reads the action plan generated by the action plan generation unit 132 in the automatic driving mode, and controls the control target based on the event included in the read action plan. For example, when the event included in the action plan is a lane change event, the travel control unit 150 refers to the lane width included in the high-accuracy map 136 and the control amount (for example, torque) of the electric motor in the steering device 52. And an engine control amount (for example, engine throttle opening, shift stage, etc.) in the driving force output device 50 is determined. The travel control unit 150 outputs information indicating the control amount determined for each event to the corresponding control target. Thereby, each device to be controlled can control its own device according to the information indicating the control amount input from the travel control unit 150. In addition, the traveling control unit 150 appropriately adjusts the determined control amount based on the detection result of the vehicle sensor 46.

  In addition, the traveling control unit 150 controls a control target based on an operation detection signal output from the operation device 60 in the manual operation mode. For example, when an operation detection signal indicating the amount of operation of the brake pedal is output from the operation device 62, the travel control unit 150 outputs the operation detection signal output from the operation device 60 to the brake device 54 as it is. The same applies to the case where an operation detection signal indicating the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the steering wheel, or the shift lever is output from the operation device 60.

  Based on the action plan generated by the action plan generation unit 132, the control switching unit 160 changes the control mode of the host vehicle M by the travel control unit 150 from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode, or from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode. Switch to. Further, the control switching unit 160 automatically changes the control mode of the host vehicle M by the travel control unit 150 from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode, or from the manual operation mode based on the control mode designation signal input from the changeover switch 56. Switch to operation mode. That is, the control mode of the traveling control unit 150 can be arbitrarily changed during traveling or stopping by an operation of a driver or the like.

  Further, the control switching unit 160 switches the control mode of the host vehicle M by the travel control unit 150 from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode based on the operation detection signal input from the operation device 60. For example, when the operation amount included in the operation detection signal exceeds a threshold value, that is, when the operation device 80 receives an operation with an operation amount exceeding the threshold value by a driver or the like, the control switching unit 160 controls the travel control unit 150. Switch the mode from automatic operation mode to manual operation mode. For example, when the host vehicle M is automatically traveling by the traveling control unit 150 set to the automatic driving mode, the driver operates the steering hole and the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal with an operation amount exceeding a threshold value. The control switching unit 160 switches the control mode of the travel control unit 150 from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode. In response to this, the travel control unit 150 outputs the operation detection signal received from the operation device 80 to the travel drive force output device 50, the steering device 52, and / or the brake device 54. As a result, the vehicle control device 100 allows the driver or the like to jump out of the roadway or when the vehicle in front of the vehicle suddenly stops without the operation of the changeover switch 56 being performed by the driver. You can immediately switch to manual operation mode. As a result, the vehicle control device 100 can cope with an emergency operation by the driver, and can improve safety during traveling.

  By the way, when the information freshness of the navigation map 126 and the high-precision map 136 do not match, the action plan itself may be inappropriate. This is because the action plan is generated based on the travel route based on the navigation map 126 and the lane information based on the high-precision map 136, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the vehicle control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment compares the information freshness of the navigation map 126 with the information freshness of the high-precision map 136, and determines whether the host vehicle M can perform automatic driving based on the comparison result. judge. Thus, the vehicle control device 100 can prevent inaccurate automatic driving.

  The version correspondence table 139 is a list of correspondence relationships between version information that is information freshness of the high-precision map 136 and version information that is information freshness of the navigation map 126. This version correspondence table 139 is transmitted from, for example, another device (server device), and is stored in the action plan side storage unit 135 by the vehicle control device 100.

  FIG. 8 is a list of the version correspondence table 139. The version correspondence table 139 is a diagram showing a correspondence relationship between version information that is information freshness of the navigation map 126 and version information that is information freshness of the high-precision map 136. The information freshness is defined for each mesh region obtained by dividing the target region with a reference size. One version information of the version information of the navigation map 126 or the version information of the high-precision map 136 is associated with one or more version information of the other. The associated version information indicates that the information freshness matches. As illustrated, for example, in the mesh area “M1”, the version information “1” and “2” of the high-precision map 136 are associated with the version information “1” of the navigation map 126. In this case, the information freshness of the map version information “1” and the version information “1” and “2” of the high-precision map 136 match each other.

  The determination unit 140 compares the information freshness of the navigation map 126 stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125 with the information freshness of the high-precision map 136 stored in the action plan-side storage unit 135, and based on the comparison result, It is determined whether or not automatic operation can be performed. The determination unit 140 outputs the determination result to the navigation unit 120, the action plan unit 130, and the travel control unit 150. The control switching unit 160 causes the travel control unit 150 to switch between the manual operation mode and the automatic operation mode based on the operation of the changeover switch 56 by the driver.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the vehicle control device 100. First, the route search unit 122 of the navigation unit 120 sets the destination of the host vehicle M based on the information input to the information input / output unit 58 by the user (step S100). Next, the route search unit 122 searches for a travel route to the destination set in step S100, and determines an optimal travel route from the searched travel route (step S102).

  Next, the determination unit 140 divides the travel route determined in step S102 into mesh regions (step S104). Next, the determination unit 140 selects one mesh area from the mesh areas divided in step S104 (step S106).

  Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether or not the information freshness of the navigation map 126 corresponding to the mesh area selected in step S106 matches the information freshness of the high-precision map 136 corresponding to the mesh area selected in step S106. Is determined (step S108). The determination unit 140 refers to the version correspondence table 139 to determine whether or not the information freshness of the mesh area of the navigation map 126 matches the information freshness of the mesh area of the high-precision map 136.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining mesh regions included in the travel route. M1 to M9 shown in the figure indicate mesh areas. It is assumed that the travel route determined by the route search unit 122 starts from “START” in the mesh region M1, starts through the mesh region M2, and ends in “DESTINATION” in the mesh region M5. At this time, the determination unit 140 determines whether the information freshness of the mesh areas M1, M2, and M5 of the navigation map 126 matches the information freshness of the mesh areas M1, M2, and M5 of the high-precision map 136. judge. The navigation map storage unit 125 or the action plan side storage unit 135 may include a conversion table or the like when the mesh area of the navigation map 126 does not correspond to the mesh area of the high-precision map 136.

  If the information freshness of the navigation map 126 corresponding to the mesh area selected in step S106 matches the information freshness of the high-precision map 136 corresponding to the mesh area selected in step S106, the determination unit 140 determines in step S102. The mesh region including the travel route thus set is set as the automatic operation permission region (step S110).

  If the information freshness of the navigation map 126 corresponding to the mesh area selected in step S106 does not match the information freshness of the high-precision map 136 corresponding to the mesh area selected in step S106, the determination unit 140 determines in step S102. It is determined whether or not the information freshness about items other than the information about the target that does not affect the automatic driving matches between the mesh area of the navigation map 126 corresponding to the travel route and the mesh area of the high-precision map 136. (Step S112).

  Here, a specific example of the determination in step S110 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which the update information of the navigation map 126 is compared with the update information of the high-precision map 136. In the example of FIG. 11, the version “1” of the navigation map 126 is the version “1” of the high-precision map 136, the version “2” of the navigation map 126 is the version “2” of the high-precision map 136, and In the following description, it is assumed that version “3” corresponds to version “3” of high-precision map 136 on a one-to-one basis. In the example of FIG. 10, it can be seen that the navigation map 126 updated to version “3” has a newer information freshness than the high-precision map 136.

  The new parts of the navigation map 126 compared to the high-precision map 136 are update information corresponding to the version “2” and update information corresponding to the version “3”. The update information corresponding to the version “2” is the building C and the signboard F, which are targets that do not affect the automatic driving. Therefore, if the only difference is a target that does not affect the automatic driving, the determination unit 140 may provide information on the target that does not affect the automatic driving between the mesh area of the navigation map 126 and the mesh area of the high-precision map 136. It is determined that the information freshness for items other than the items matches. Even when a target such as a building or a signboard is added, deleted, or changed, there is no change in the structure of the road, the lane, etc., so that the action plan unit 130 does not affect the action plan generation. It is.

  However, the update information corresponding to the version “3” is a signal H that is a target affecting automatic driving. The update information includes road nodes and road links that affect automatic driving. In this case, the determination unit 140 determines that the information freshness regarding items other than the information regarding the target that does not affect the automatic driving does not match between the mesh area of the navigation map 126 and the mesh area of the high-precision map 136. The action plan unit 130 that generates an action plan with reference to the high-accuracy map 136 cannot generate an action plan in the first place or is inappropriate if there is no actual signal or road information in the high-precision map 136. This is because an action plan may be generated.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example in which the update information of the navigation map 126 is compared with the update information of the high-precision map 136. In the example of FIG. 12, the version “1” of the navigation map 126 is changed to the version “1” of the high-precision map 136, the version “2” of the navigation map 126 is changed to the version “2” of the high-precision map 136, and In the following description, it is assumed that version “3” corresponds to version “3” of high-precision map 136 on a one-to-one basis. In the example of FIG. 12, it can be seen that the high-accuracy map 136 updated to version “3” has a newer information freshness than the navigation map 126.

  The new parts of the high-precision map 136 compared to the navigation map 126 are update information corresponding to the version “2” and update information corresponding to the version “3”. The update information corresponding to the version “2” is the building C and the signboard F, which are targets that do not affect the automatic driving. Therefore, if the only difference is a target that does not affect the automatic driving, the determination unit 140 may provide information on the target that does not affect the automatic driving between the mesh area of the navigation map 126 and the mesh area of the high-precision map 136. It is determined that the information freshness for items other than the items matches. This is because even when a target such as a building or a signboard is added, deleted, or changed, it does not affect the case where the action planning unit 130 generates an action plan. Moreover, it is because there is no trouble in the navigation part 120 searching for a driving route.

  However, the update information corresponding to the version “3” is a signal H that is a target affecting automatic driving. The update information includes road nodes and road links that affect automatic driving. In this case, the determination unit 140 determines that the information freshness regarding items other than the information regarding the target that does not affect the automatic driving does not match between the mesh area of the navigation map 126 and the mesh area of the high-precision map 136. The navigation unit 120 includes a newly installed signal, a newly provided road and a lane (including a junction point to the road) when there is no actual signal or information on a road, a lane, or the like in the navigation map 126. ) To determine the travel route without considering. In this case, when automatic driving is performed, the host vehicle M is stopped even though no signal or road is displayed on the image of the navigation map 126 displayed on the display device of the information input / output unit 58. Or while driving. As a result, the driver may feel uncomfortable.

  Note that the determination unit 140 matches the information freshness of the navigation map 126 and the high accuracy map 136 based on the comparison of the road shapes derived from the navigation map 126 and the high accuracy map 136 regardless of the version information. It may be determined whether or not to do so. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the road shape derived based on the navigation map 126 is compared with the road shape derived based on the high-precision map 136. In the figure, R is a road shape derived based on the navigation map 126, and represents a road shape derived based on the coordinate points of the road nodes 1A to 4A and the widths of the road links 1a to 3a. In the figure, R1 is a road shape derived based on the high-accuracy map 136, and represents a road shape derived based on the coordinate points of the lane nodes 1Z to 12Z and the widths of the lane links 1z to 9z.

  The determination unit 140 may compare the road shape R with the road shape R1 and determine whether the information freshness of the navigation map 126 and the high-precision map 136 match based on the comparison result. In this case, for example, when the road shape R and the road shape R1 are superimposed, the determination unit 140 determines whether the difference in the direction and size of the road shape is within the reference value. The determination unit 140 determines that the information freshness of the corresponding road in the navigation map 126 and the high-precision map 136 matches when the difference in the direction and size of the road shape is within the reference value. When the difference in the direction and size of the road shape exceeds the reference value, the determination unit 140 determines that the information freshness of the corresponding road in the navigation map 126 and the high-precision map 136 does not match.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. In step S112, when the information freshness regarding items other than the information regarding the target that does not affect the automatic driving matches between the mesh area of the navigation map 126 and the mesh area of the high-precision map 136, the determination unit 140 determines whether Proceed to processing. When the information freshness regarding items other than the information regarding the target that does not affect the automatic driving does not match between the area of the navigation map 126 and the area of the high-precision map 136 in step S112, the determination unit 140 is determined in step S102. The mesh region including the travel route is set as a non-permitted region for automatic driving (step S114).

  Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether or not the determination for setting all the mesh regions including the travel route determined in step S102 as the automatic operation permission region or the non-permission region has been performed (step S116). . If the determination is not made for all mesh regions, the process returns to step S106. When the determination is made for all the mesh areas, the action plan generation unit 132 generates an action plan for the automatic driving permission area set in step S110 (step S118). This is the end of this flowchart.

  When it is determined whether or not the information freshness of the navigation map 126 matches the information freshness of the high-precision map 136 for each mesh area, the vehicle control device 100 performs on / off control of the automatic driving mode based on the determination result. .

  According to the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment described above, the determination unit 140 has a high accuracy including the travel route of the host vehicle M determined based on the navigation map 126 and more detailed information than the navigation map 126. Compared with the map 136, based on the comparison result, it is determined whether or not automatic driving for performing at least part of drive control, braking control, or steering control can be performed, and the information freshness is taken into consideration, Inaccurate automatic driving can be prevented.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, the vehicle control apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle control device 100 of the second embodiment performs the same processing as that of the first embodiment, and the navigation unit 120 performs automatic driving on the display device of the information input / output unit 58 based on the determination result of the determination unit 140. The section which can be implemented and the section which cannot be implemented are displayed to the driver so as to be visible. Below, it demonstrates centering on the difference which concerns.

  The determination unit 140 determines, for each mesh region in the navigation map 126 and the high-precision map 136, a mesh region in which automatic driving can be performed and a mesh region in which automatic driving cannot be performed. Based on the determination result of the determination unit 140, the vehicle guidance unit 124 of the navigation unit 120 determines a travel route included in a mesh region where automatic driving can be performed and a travel route included in a mesh region where automatic driving cannot be performed. . The vehicle guiding unit 124 displays the sections in which the automatic driving can be performed and the sections in which the automatic driving cannot be performed on the map displayed on the display device of the information input / output unit 58 so as to be visible.

  FIG. 14 is an example of an image IM showing a section where automatic driving can be performed and a section where automatic driving cannot be performed, which are displayed on the display device of the information input / output unit 58. In the figure, sections SEC1 to SEC3 indicate the travel routes determined by the route search unit 122. In the figure, SEC1 and SEC3 indicated by solid arrows indicate sections where automatic driving can be performed, and SEC2 indicated by broken arrows indicate sections where automatic driving cannot be performed.

  The determination unit 140 determines the information freshness of the mesh area (M1 and M3 in the figure) including the sections SEC1 and SEC3 of the navigation map 126 and the mesh area (M1 and M3 in the figure) including the sections SEC1 and SEC3 of the high-precision map 136. It is assumed that the information freshness of) matches. Further, the determination unit 140 determines the information freshness of the mesh area (M2 in the figure) including the section SEC2 of the navigation map 126 and the information freshness of the mesh area (M2 in the figure) including the section SEC2 of the high-precision map 136. Assume that it does not match. At this time, based on the determination result of the determination unit 140, the vehicle guidance unit 124 displays an image indicating that the sections SEC1 and SEC3 (mesh regions M1 and M3) are sections where automatic driving can be performed, the information input / output unit 58 Display on the display device. Further, based on the determination result of the determination unit 140, the vehicle guidance unit 124 displays an image indicating that the section SEC2 (mesh region M2) is a section where automatic driving cannot be performed on the display device of the information input / output unit 58. Let

  Further, the vehicle guidance unit 124 causes the information input / output unit 58 to display an operation GUI (Graphical User Interface) switch based on the determination result of the determination unit 140. The vehicle guidance unit 124 causes the information input / output unit 58 to display a GUI switch for selectively inputting whether to turn on or off the automatic driving mode for a section where automatic driving can be performed. The vehicle guidance unit 124 includes, for example, GUI switches G1 and G3 for selectively inputting whether to turn on or off the automatic driving mode for the sections SEC1 and SEC3 in which automatic driving can be performed, respectively. To display. Section SEC2 is a section in which automatic operation is not possible. The vehicle guide unit 124 automatically sets the automatic operation mode to OFF for the GUI switch G2 corresponding to the section SEC2.

  According to the vehicle control device 100 of the second embodiment described above, the vehicle guidance unit 124 indicates a section where automatic driving can be performed or a section where automatic driving cannot be performed based on the determination result of the determination unit 140. By displaying the image on the display device of the information input / output unit 58, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and convenience for the user can be improved.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a vehicle control device 100A according to a modification of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the third embodiment, the route search unit 122 of the navigation unit 120 is omitted, and the vehicle control device 100A transmits the current position and the destination to the server device 220 and receives the travel route generated by the server device 220. . Hereinafter, this difference will be mainly described.

  FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system including the vehicle control device 100 </ b> A and the server device 220. The vehicle control system includes a base station 210, a server device 220, and a vehicle control device 100A mounted on the host vehicle M. Between the base station 210 and the vehicle control device 100A, wireless communication using, for example, a mobile phone network or a Wi-Fi network is performed.

  Communication between the base station 210 and the server apparatus 220 is performed via the network NW. The network NW includes, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, a public line, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and the like.

  The server device 220 includes a server side communication unit 222, a server side route search unit 224, and a server side storage unit 226. The server side communication unit 222 includes, for example, a network card for connecting to the network NW. The server-side communication unit 222 acquires road information such as road conditions and weather detected by sensors installed on the road. The server side communication unit 222 transmits the information acquired by the server side communication unit 222, the information stored in the server side route search unit 224, or the travel route derived by the server side route search unit 224 to the host vehicle M. .

  For example, the server-side route search unit 224 transmits information stored in the server-side storage unit 226 to the host vehicle M periodically or in response to a request from the host vehicle M. The server-side route search unit 224 analyzes the navigation map (first map) 227 stored in the server-side storage unit 226, road information, and the like so that the host vehicle M can reach the destination. Is derived. The server side route search unit 224 transmits to the host vehicle M version information of the navigation map 227 used to derive the travel route and the travel route derived using the server side communication unit 222.

  The server-side storage unit 226 stores the navigation map 227, the version information of the navigation map 227, road information acquired through the server-side communication unit 222, and the like. The navigation map 227 is a map composed of road layers in the same way as the navigation map 126. In the present embodiment, the navigation map 227 stored in the server-side storage unit 226 is assumed to be the latest version.

  The vehicle guidance unit 124 of the vehicle control device 100A refers to the navigation map 126 stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125, and based on the travel route derived by the server device 220, the travel route to the destination, the required time, etc. Is output to the information input / output unit 58.

  The determination unit 140 first determines whether the version of the navigation map 126 stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125 matches the version of the navigation map 227 stored in the server-side storage unit 226. If the version of the navigation map 126 stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125 and the version of the navigation map 227 stored in the server-side storage unit 226 do not match, the determination unit 140 stores the latest version in the server device 220, and A request is made to transmit to the vehicle control device 100A a navigation map 227 of an area including the travel route derived by the server side route search unit 224. The vehicle control device 100A acquires the latest version of the navigation map 227 transmitted from the server device 220.

  Next, as in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, the determination unit 140 determines the version of the navigation map 126 stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125 and the high-precision map 136 stored in the action plan-side storage unit 135. Are compared with each other, and it is determined whether or not automatic operation can be performed based on the comparison result. The determination unit 140 outputs the determination result to the navigation unit 120, the action plan unit 130, and the travel control unit 150. The subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

  Instead of such processing, the determination unit 140 may compare the version of the navigation map 227 stored in the server-side storage unit 226 with the version of the high-precision map 136 stored in the action plan-side storage unit 135. Good.

  The vehicle control device 100A of the third embodiment described above acquires the travel route to the destination derived by the server side route search unit 224 of the server device 220, and guides the host vehicle M based on the acquired travel route. Therefore, the processing load on the vehicle control device 100A can be reduced. In addition, the vehicle control device 100 </ b> A can acquire the latest version of the navigation map 227 from the server device 220 when the latest version of the navigation map 126 is not stored in the navigation-side storage unit 125. This can increase the frequency with which the information freshness of the navigation map 126 (or 227) matches the information freshness of the high-accuracy map 136 stored in the action plan storage unit 135, so that automatic driving can be performed. The degree to which it can be done can be increased.

  As mentioned above, although the form for implementing this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, this invention is not limited to such embodiment at all, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, various deformation | transformation and substitution Can be added.

58. Information input / output unit, 120 Navigation unit, 122 Route search unit, 124 Vehicle guidance unit, 125 Navigation side storage unit, 126 Navigation map, 127 Road node table, 128 Road link table, 130 Action plan part 132 ... Action plan generation part 135 135 Action plan side storage part 136 ... High-precision map 137 ... Lane node table 138 ... Lane link table 140 ... Judgment part 150 ... Traveling drive control part

Claims (7)

At least a part of drive control, braking control, or steering control is performed based on the travel route of the vehicle determined based on the first map and the second map including more detailed information than the first map. An action plan generator for generating an action plan for autonomous driving;
A determination unit that compares the information freshness of the first map with the information freshness of the second map, and determines whether the automatic driving can be performed based on a comparison result;
A vehicle control device comprising: The determination unit determines that the automatic driving can be performed when the information freshness of the first map matches the information freshness of the second map, and the information freshness of the first map and the information of the second map are determined. When the freshness does not match, it is determined that the automatic driving cannot be performed.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The first map includes information on nodes and links connecting the nodes;
The second map includes at least information indicating a lane boundary or information indicating a center of the lane.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. The determination unit does not match the information freshness of the item related to the target that does not affect the automatic driving between the first map and the second map, and matches the information freshness related to the item other than the information related to the target. If it is determined that the automatic operation can be performed,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The first map and the second map are a set of divided regions divided for each predetermined region, and information freshness is associated with each of the divided regions,
The determination unit compares the information freshness of the divided area of the first map corresponding to the travel route with the information freshness of the divided area of the second map corresponding to the travel route;
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A display control unit that causes the display device to display information capable of recognizing the determination result determined by the determination unit;
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Computer
At least a part of drive control, braking control, or steering control is performed based on the travel route of the vehicle determined based on the first map and the second map including more detailed information than the first map. Generate an automated driving action plan,
Comparing the information freshness of the first map with the information freshness of the second map, and determining whether the automatic driving can be performed based on the result of the comparison;
Vehicle control method.

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