JP7089829B2 - Vehicle control unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle so as to stop at a predetermined destination by automatic traveling is known. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for determining whether or not a vehicle has arrived at a destination if the vehicle is within a certain distance from the destination.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-030864

However, in the past, when an obstacle such as another vehicle existed at the initial destination and the vehicle could not be stopped, the actual situation was that sufficient measures were not made as to what point the vehicle should be stopped at. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technique capable of arriving at a stop point when the vehicle cannot stop at the original destination.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized as the following forms.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control device (100) that executes automatic driving of a vehicle. This vehicle control device; has an automatic driving control unit (210) that controls the traveling of the vehicle toward a predetermined initial destination; and a peripheral environment information acquisition unit (112) that acquires the surrounding environment information of the vehicle. It is provided with a stop determination unit (114) for determining whether or not the vehicle can stop at the initial destination using the surrounding environment information; and a destination update unit (116) for updating the initial destination. When the stop determination unit determines that the vehicle cannot stop at the initial destination, the destination updating unit stops the vehicle at the initial destination in an area including the initial destination using the surrounding environment information. It is updated to the renewal destination which is a possible stopable point and is a stopnable point where the passenger of the vehicle can easily enter the sidewalk than other stopable points .

According to this form of the vehicle control device, when it is determined that the vehicle cannot stop at the initial destination, the initial destination is updated to the updated destination which is a stoptable point, so that the vehicle cannot stop at the initial destination. , You can reach the renewal destination where you can stop.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of the structure of the vehicle control device. It is a flowchart which showed an example of the destination correction processing. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state which updated the initial destination. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the state which updated the initial destination. It is a flowchart which showed an example of the destination correction processing in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which showed an example of the notification content of the notification part.

A. First Embodiment:
The vehicle control device 100 shown in FIG. 1 executes automatic driving of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the vehicle control device 100 includes a control unit 110, a peripheral recognition camera 122, a peripheral object sensor 124, a vehicle position sensor 126, a road information storage unit 130, a notification unit 140, and an input unit 150. , Communication unit 200, automatic operation control unit 210, driving force control ECU 220 (Electronic Control Unit), braking force control ECU 230, steering control ECU 240, and in-vehicle network 250. The control unit 110, the communication unit 200, the automatic operation control unit 210, the driving force control ECU 220, the braking force control ECU 230, and the steering control ECU 240 are connected via the vehicle-mounted network 250.

The control unit 110 includes a peripheral environment information acquisition unit 112, a stop determination unit 114, and a destination update unit 116. The control unit 110 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a microcomputer composed of RAM, a ROM, and the like, and the microcomputer executes a pre-installed program to realize the functions of each of these units. However, some or all of the functions of each of these parts may be realized by a hardware circuit.

The peripheral environment information acquisition unit 112 acquires peripheral environment information, which is information about the peripheral environment of the vehicle 10, by using the detection signal of the peripheral recognition camera 122 and the peripheral object sensor 124 and the signal received via the communication unit 200. The vehicle stop determination unit 114 determines whether or not the vehicle can stop at the initial destination, which is the destination set by the passenger, by using the peripheral environment information acquired by the peripheral environment information acquisition unit 112. When the vehicle 10 cannot stop at the initial destination, the destination updating unit 116 can stop the vehicle 10 in the area including the initial destination by using the surrounding environment information acquired by the peripheral environment information acquisition unit 112 for the initial destination. Update to the updated destination, which is a stoptable point. In the present embodiment, the initial destination and the renewal destination are collectively referred to as a "destination".

The peripheral recognition camera 122 captures the surroundings of the vehicle 10 and acquires an image.

The peripheral object sensor 124 detects the situation around the vehicle 10. Examples of the peripheral object sensor 124 include an object sensor using a reflected wave such as a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor.

The vehicle position sensor 126 detects the vehicle position of the current vehicle 10. Examples of the vehicle position sensor 126 include a global navigation satellite system (Global Navigation Satellite System (s) (GNSS)) and a gyro sensor.

The road information storage unit 130 stores detailed road information and the like regarding the road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel. The road information includes, for example, information such as the number of lanes, the lane width, the center coordinates of each lane, the curve curvature, the stop line position, the traffic light position, and the guardrail position.

The notification unit 140 notifies the passenger of the vehicle 10 when updating the initial destination. The notification unit 140 can be realized by using, for example, a lamp such as an LED, a display device for displaying characters or pictures such as a car navigation system, or a voice device such as a speaker. In the present embodiment, the notification unit 140 is a car navigation display.

When the input unit 150 inquires the passenger whether to update the initial destination by the notification unit 140, the input unit 150 accepts the input by the passenger. In the present embodiment, the input unit 150 receives an input from a button on a display provided with a touch sensor.

The communication unit 200 transmits the stop position to another vehicle and receives the stop position from the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication or the like. Further, the communication unit 200 may acquire the position of the bus stop stored in the external server and the departure / arrival time corresponding to the position.

The automatic driving control unit 210 controls the driving force control ECU 220, the braking force control ECU 230, and the steering control ECU 240 to realize the automatic driving function.

The driving force control ECU 220 is an electronic control device that controls an actuator that generates a driving force of a vehicle such as a motor. The driving force control ECU 220 controls the power source according to the required driving force calculated by the automatic operation control unit 210.

The braking force control ECU 230 is an electronic control device that controls a brake actuator that generates a braking force of the vehicle. The braking force control ECU 230 controls the brake actuator according to the required braking force calculated by the automatic operation control unit 210.

The steering control ECU 240 is an electronic control device that controls a motor that generates steering torque of the vehicle. The steering control ECU 240 steers by controlling the motor according to the required steering angle calculated by the automatic operation control unit 210.

The destination correction process shown in FIG. 2 is a series of processes for determining whether or not the vehicle can be stopped at the destination and updating the destination when it is determined that the vehicle cannot be stopped. This process is a process that is repeatedly executed by the control unit during the operation of the vehicle control device 100. It is assumed that the initial destination is set at the start of this process.

As shown in FIG. 3, the own vehicle VL1 is traveling toward the initial destination P1. When it is determined that the other vehicle VL2, which is an obstacle, is stopped at the initial destination P1 and the own vehicle VL1 cannot stop at the initial destination P1, the destination is updated to the updated destination P2. The update destination P2 is a point where the own vehicle VL1 and the other vehicle VL2 are separated by a distance L1.

First, the peripheral environment information acquisition unit 112 acquires the peripheral environment information of the vehicle in step S100 (FIG. 2). Next, in step S110, the stop determination unit 114 determines whether or not the own vehicle VL1 can stop at the initial destination P1 by using the surrounding environment information acquired in step S100. More specifically, for example, it is determined whether or not there is an obstacle in the vicinity of the initial destination P1 and whether or not the bus is scheduled to stop in the vicinity of the initial destination P1. If the vehicle can be stopped, the control unit 110 proceeds to step S140 and determines whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the initial destination P1. On the other hand, if the vehicle cannot be stopped, the destination updating unit 116 proceeds to step S120 and searches for a stoptable point in the area around the initial destination P1. The area for searching for a stoptable point is preferably an area within a predetermined distance from the initial destination P1. This "distance" may be a straight line distance on a map, or may be a mileage when following a travelable route. If the other vehicle VL2 exists at the initial destination P1 and the surrounding environment information acquisition unit 112 detects the blinking of the blinker only on the road side of the other vehicle VL2, the stop determination unit 114 is the initial destination. It may be determined that the vehicle can be stopped at P1.

Subsequently, the destination updating unit 116 updates the stoptable point searched in step S120 as the updating destination P2 in step S130. For example, when an obstacle such as another vehicle VL2 exists in the vicinity of the initial destination P1, the destination updating unit 116 moves forward and avoids the obstacle when the own vehicle VL1 restarts. The vehicle is updated to the update destination P2, which is a stoptable point behind the object at a predetermined distance L1. This distance L1 can be obtained experimentally in advance. As shown in FIG. 4, when an obstacle such as another vehicle VL2 exists in the vicinity of the initial destination P1, and before the own vehicle VL1 completely stops at the renewal destination P2, the renewal destination P2 When it is detected that the other vehicle VL3 is supposed to stop behind, the update destination P2 is set to a point L2 away from the other vehicle VL2 by a distance L2 smaller than the distance L1. The situation in which it is presumed that the other vehicle VL3 stops behind the update destination P2 is, for example, that the other vehicle VL3 is approaching behind the own vehicle VL1 while decelerating, and the winker on the sidewalk side of the other vehicle VL3. It is a blinking situation. Further, the destination updating unit 116 uses the information from the road information storage unit 130 as the updating destination P2 to update the vehicle to a stoptable point such as a break in the guardrail so that the passenger can immediately enter the sidewalk. Is preferable. As a result, safety can be ensured when the passenger gets off.

Finally, in step S140, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the update destination P2. If the destination has not arrived, the process returns to step S100. That is, the processes of steps S100 to S140 are repeated until the destination is reached. On the other hand, when it arrives at the destination, the destination correction process is terminated.

According to the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment described above, when the stop determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle cannot stop at the initial destination P1, the destination update unit 116 updates the initial destination P1 as a stoptable point. Since the vehicle is updated to the ground P2, it is possible to arrive at the update destination where the vehicle 10 can stop.

B. Second embodiment:
The destination correction process of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is different from the first embodiment in that the passenger of the vehicle is made to input whether or not to update the initial destination P1, and the other steps are the first implementation. It is the same as the form. Since the configuration of the vehicle control device of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the vehicle control device of the first embodiment, the description of the configuration of the vehicle control device will be omitted.

In the first embodiment described above, in step S120, the destination updating unit 116 searches for a stoptable point, and then in step S130, the destination updating unit 116 updates the destination. As shown in FIG. 6, in the second embodiment, the control unit 110 notifies the passenger of the own vehicle of the distance to the initial destination P1 and the position of the updated destination P2 in the step S123 following the step S120. At the same time, buttons b1 and b2 that can input whether or not to update the destination are displayed. The update destination P2 may be selected from a plurality of stoptable points searched in step S120.

Subsequently, the destination update unit 116 determines in step S125 whether or not the passenger has input to the input unit 150 to approve the update of the destination. When there is an input for approving the update of the destination, the destination update unit 116 updates the destination in step S130. On the other hand, if there is no input for approving the update of the destination, the process proceeds to step S140. That is, the initial destination P1 is not updated to the update destination P2.

According to the vehicle control device 100 of the present embodiment described above, the passenger of the vehicle can input whether or not to update the initial destination P1.

C. Other embodiments:
In the above embodiment, in step S130, the destination update unit 116 provides a route from the update destination P2 to the initial destination P1 to a communication terminal device such as a smartphone owned by the passenger of the own vehicle via the communication unit 200. The indicated map data may be transmitted.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be realized with various configurations within a range not deviating from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the column of the outline of the invention are for solving the above-mentioned problems or for achieving a part or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, it is possible to replace or combine them as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

10 Vehicles, 100 Vehicle Control Units, 110 Control Units, 112 Surrounding Environment Information Acquisition Units, 114 Stop Determination Units, 116 Destination Update Units, 122 Peripheral Recognition Cameras, 124 Peripheral Object Sensors, 126 Vehicle Position Sensors, 130 Road Information Storage Units , 140 notification unit, 150 input unit, 200 communication unit, 210 automatic operation control unit, 220 driving force control ECU, 230 braking force control ECU, 240 steering control ECU, 250 in-vehicle network

Claims (6)

A vehicle control device (100) that executes automatic driving of a vehicle (10).
An automated driving control unit (210) that controls the running of the vehicle toward a predetermined initial destination, a peripheral environment information acquisition unit (112) that acquires peripheral environment information of the vehicle, and
A stop determination unit (114) that determines whether or not the vehicle can stop at the initial destination using the surrounding environment information, and
A destination updating unit (116) for updating the initial destination is provided.
When the stop determination unit determines that the vehicle cannot stop at the initial destination, the destination updating unit stops the vehicle at the initial destination in an area including the initial destination using the surrounding environment information. A vehicle control device that updates to an update destination that is a possible stopable point and is a stoptable point where the passenger of the vehicle can easily enter the sidewalk than other stopable points . The vehicle control device according to claim 1.
The stop determination unit stops at the initial destination when another vehicle exists at the initial destination and the peripheral environment information acquisition unit detects blinking of the winker only on the road side of the other vehicle. A vehicle control device that determines that it is possible. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.
The destination renewal unit is predetermined from the obstacle so that when an obstacle exists in the vicinity of the initial destination, the vehicle can move forward and avoid the obstacle when the vehicle restarts. A vehicle control device that updates to the renewal destination, which is a stoptable point behind the distance. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.
The destination renewal unit detects a situation in which the surrounding environment information acquisition unit presumes that another vehicle stops behind the vehicle at the renewal destination before the vehicle completely stops at the renewal destination. A vehicle control device that makes the distance smaller than when the other vehicle does not stop behind the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and further.
A notification unit (140) that notifies the passenger of the vehicle to update the initial destination to the update destination, and the notification unit (140).
It is equipped with an input unit (150) that accepts input by the passenger.
The destination updating unit is a vehicle control device that updates the initial destination when the passenger selects to update the initial destination from the input unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.
The notification unit notifies the passenger of a plurality of the stoptable points.
The destination updating unit is a vehicle control device that updates the updated destination to a stoptable point selected by the passenger from the input unit.

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