JP7347238B2 - Vehicle travel control device - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed herein belongs to the technical field related to vehicle travel control devices.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a travel control device for stopping a vehicle in the safest possible place when a driver becomes unwell or an abnormality occurs in a control device of the vehicle.

For example, Patent Document 1 includes an emergency stop unit that stops the vehicle without the driver's brake operation, and stops the vehicle when a driver condition detection unit detects a deterioration in the driver's condition. A vehicle control device that stops a vehicle while changing the steering angle of the vehicle according to the environment around the position where the vehicle is stopped is disclosed.

Patent No. 5569602

However, since surrounding traffic conditions are constantly changing, it may be difficult to drive the vehicle in the selected driving pattern or to stop the vehicle at a set position.

The technology disclosed herein has been developed in view of the above, and aims to improve safety when stopping a vehicle in an emergency.

In order to solve the above problem, the technology disclosed herein generates a target route to a target position based on the external environment information acquired by an information acquisition unit installed in the vehicle, and follows the target route. A driving control device is provided with a control unit that controls the vehicle as shown in FIG. When the vehicle is traveling in a second travel lane that is farther from the road shoulder area than the travel lane, when automatically stopping the vehicle, searching for a stopping position at which the vehicle is to be stopped based on the road shoulder area information; a step of setting a target position and generating an evacuation route to the stop position as the target route; a step of decelerating the vehicle speed to a predetermined speed or less; changing lanes of the vehicle to a free space in the first travel lane; driving the vehicle in the first travel lane at a speed equal to or lower than the predetermined speed; and causing the vehicle to enter the stopping position from the first travel lane. There is a step in which a collision risk of colliding with an obstacle on the road is calculated based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and the collision risk is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. In this case, the process is canceled and the stopping position is set for executing the operation after the canceled process.

In this way, by canceling a process where the risk of colliding with an obstacle on the road exceeds a predetermined level and setting a stopping position for performing operations after the canceled process, the vehicle heads to the once set emergency stopping position. The evacuation route can be switched to a stopping position and an evacuation route that allow a safe emergency stop before the risk of collision becomes apparent due to subsequent changes in traffic flow.

When a physical condition abnormality of the driver of the vehicle is detected, the control section sets a limit on at least one of the elapsed time or the mileage since the physical condition abnormality is detected according to the physical condition abnormality, and the control section is configured to set a limit on at least one of the elapsed time or the mileage since the physical condition abnormality was detected, and to set a limit on at least one of the elapsed time or the mileage since the physical condition abnormality was detected, The parking position may be set in the vehicle.

This makes it possible to avoid situations where it takes an unexpected amount of time to automatically stop or where the vehicle is unable to stop.

Based on the road shoulder area information, the control unit extracts an area where each of the width and length of the road shoulder area is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value as a stopable area, and when there is a plurality of stopable areas, A priority level may be set according to the size of the stopable area, and the stopable area with the higher priority may be set as the stop position.

This allows the vehicle to travel to the safest stopping place under predetermined constraints. Furthermore, if it is determined that the vehicle cannot reach the safe place, the target stopping position can be changed by sequentially searching for safe places.

As explained above, according to the technology disclosed herein, it is possible to improve safety when stopping a vehicle in an emergency.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an exemplary cruise control device. It is a flowchart which shows the setting operation of an emergency stop position. It is a flowchart which shows the analysis process of a road shoulder area. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of a parking position setting process. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of a control part at the time of an emergency stop of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of a deceleration process. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of a lane change process. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of a 1st driving lane driving process and a stopping process. It is a figure for explaining analysis processing of a road shoulder area. It is a figure for explaining setting processing of an emergency stop position. It is a schematic diagram showing a driving scene of a vehicle, and shows an example of a scene where the vehicle can be stopped at a first candidate stopping position. An example of an analysis list created in the driving scene of FIG. 6 is shown. An example of an analysis list created in the driving scene of FIG. 8 is shown. An example of an analysis list created in the driving scene of FIG. 9 is shown. An example of an analysis list created in the driving scene of FIG. 10 is shown. It is a schematic diagram showing a driving scene of a vehicle, and shows an example of a scene where the vehicle cannot be stopped at the first candidate stopping position. It is a schematic diagram showing a driving scene of a vehicle, and shows another example of a scene where the vehicle cannot stop at the first candidate stopping position. It is a schematic diagram showing a driving scene of a vehicle, and shows an example of a scene where it is impossible to stop at the first and second candidate stopping positions. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the emergency stop position in FIG. 10A.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the forward traveling side of a vehicle (in this embodiment, an automobile) is simply referred to as the front side, and the backward traveling side is simply referred to as the rear side. Also, when looking from the rear to the front, the left side is called the left side, and the opposite is called the right side. In addition, the following description will be made assuming that the vehicle travels in an area where traffic is on the left.

(vehicle control system)
FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 is provided in a vehicle (specifically, a four-wheeled motor vehicle). The vehicle can be switched between manual driving, assisted driving, and automatic driving. Manual driving is driving in response to the driver's operations (for example, accelerator operation). Assisted driving is driving in which the vehicle supports the driver's operations. Autonomous driving is driving without driver input. The vehicle control system 1 controls the vehicle in assisted driving and automatic driving. Specifically, the vehicle control system 1 controls the operation (especially driving) of the vehicle by controlling an actuator 40 provided in the vehicle.

The vehicle control system 1 includes an information acquisition section 30 and a vehicle control device 10. In the following description, the vehicle provided with the vehicle control system 1 will be referred to as "own vehicle H", and other vehicles existing around the own vehicle H will be referred to as "other vehicles J".

[Actuator]
The actuator 40 includes a drive system actuator, a steering system actuator, a brake system actuator, and the like. Examples of drive system actuators include an engine E, a transmission T, and a motor. A brake B is an example of a brake system actuator. An example of a steering system actuator is a steering wheel S.

[Information acquisition department]
The information acquisition unit 30 acquires various information used to control the vehicle. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 30 includes information on obstacles on the road and environmental information outside the vehicle (external environment information) for generating a target route to a target position that is a driving target of the vehicle. . In this example, the information acquisition section 30 includes a plurality of cameras 31, a plurality of radars 32, a position sensor 33, a vehicle condition sensor 34, an occupant condition sensor 35, an external communication section 36, and a driving operation sensor 37. including.

<camera>
The plurality of cameras 31 have mutually similar configurations. A plurality of cameras 31 are provided on the vehicle so as to surround the vehicle. The plurality of cameras 31 acquire image data indicating the environment outside the vehicle by capturing images of the environment surrounding the vehicle (including road obstacles; hereinafter referred to as the environment outside the vehicle). Image data obtained by each of the plurality of cameras 31 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10. The image data captured by the camera 31 is an example of external environment information.

In this example, the plurality of cameras 31 are monocular cameras with wide-angle lenses. For example, the camera 31 is configured using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor). Note that the camera 31 may be a monocular camera with a narrow-angle lens, or may be a stereo camera with a wide-angle lens or a narrow-angle lens.

<Radar>
The plurality of radars 32 have mutually similar configurations. The plurality of radars 32 are provided in the vehicle so as to surround the vehicle. The plurality of radars 32 detect the environment outside the vehicle. Specifically, the radar 32 detects the environment outside the vehicle by transmitting radio waves toward the environment outside the vehicle and receiving reflected waves from the environment outside the vehicle. The detection results of the plurality of radars 32 are transmitted to the vehicle control device 10.

For example, the radar 32 may be a millimeter wave radar that transmits millimeter waves, a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) that transmits laser light, or an infrared radar that transmits infrared light. Alternatively, it may be an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves. The detection result of the radar 32 is an example of external environment information.

<Position sensor>
The position sensor 33 detects the position (for example, latitude and longitude) of the vehicle. For example, the position sensor 33 receives GPS information from the global positioning system and detects the position of the vehicle based on the GPS information. Information (vehicle position) obtained by the position sensor 33 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10. The position of the vehicle detected by the position sensor 33 is an example of external environment information.

<Vehicle condition sensor>
The vehicle condition sensor 34 detects the condition of the vehicle (for example, speed, acceleration, yaw rate, etc.). For example, the vehicle condition sensor 34 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle, a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate of the vehicle, and the like. Information (vehicle status) obtained by the vehicle status sensor 34 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10.

<Occupant status sensor>
The occupant condition sensor 35 detects the condition of the driver who drives the vehicle (for example, the driver's physical behavior and biological information). Information (driver's condition) obtained by the occupant condition sensor 35 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10. Although not shown, the occupant condition sensor 35 includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera, a biological information sensor, and the like. The in-vehicle camera is installed inside the vehicle. The in-vehicle camera acquires image data including the driver's eyeballs by capturing an image of a region including the driver's eyeballs. Image data obtained by the in-vehicle camera is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10. For example, the in-vehicle camera is placed in front of the driver, and the imaging range is set so that the driver's eyes are within the imaging range. Note that the in-vehicle camera may be provided in goggles (not shown) worn by the driver. The biological information sensor detects the driver's biological information (for example, sweating, heart rate, blood flow, skin temperature, etc.).

<External communication department>
The external communication unit 36 receives information through an external network (for example, the Internet) provided outside the vehicle. For example, the external communication unit 36 receives communication information from other vehicles J located around the vehicle, car navigation data from a navigation system (not shown), traffic information, high-precision map information, and the like. Information obtained by the external communication unit 36 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10. Information such as traffic information and high-precision map information acquired from the outside network by the outside communication unit 36 is an example of outside environment information.

<Driving operation sensor>
The driving operation sensor 37 detects a driving operation applied to the vehicle. For example, the driving operation sensor 37 includes an accelerator opening sensor, a steering angle sensor, a brake oil pressure sensor, and the like. The accelerator opening sensor detects the amount of operation of the accelerator of the vehicle. The steering angle sensor detects the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle. The brake oil pressure sensor detects the amount of brake operation of the vehicle. Information (vehicle driving operation) obtained by the driving operation sensor 37 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 10.

[Vehicle control device]
Vehicle control device 10 includes a control section 100 and a storage section 20. The vehicle control device 10 is electrically connected to the actuator 40 and each section of the vehicle control system 1 (in this example, the information acquisition section 30, etc.). Then, the vehicle control device 10 controls the actuator 40 and each part of the vehicle control system 1 based on information obtained by each part of the vehicle control system 1.

In assisted driving or automatic driving, the vehicle control device 10 determines a target route along which the vehicle should travel, and controls the operation of the actuator 40 so that the vehicle follows the target route. For example, the vehicle control device 10 includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs). The electronic control unit may be composed of a single IC (Integrated Circuit) or may be composed of a plurality of ICs. Additionally, an IC may include a single core or die, or multiple cooperating cores or dies. The core or die may be configured of, for example, a CPU (processor) and a memory that stores information such as programs for operating the CPU and processing results by the CPU. The memory is an example of the storage unit 20. The storage unit 20 will be specifically explained later.

[Control unit]
The vehicle control device 10 includes a control section 100. The control unit 100 controls the operation of the actuator 40 based on various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 30.

In this example, the control unit 100 monitors the driver's physical condition. Then, the control unit 100 performs normal driving control until the driver's physical condition abnormality is detected, and when the driver's physical condition abnormality is detected, the control unit 100 stops the normal driving control and starts the evacuation driving control. In normal travel control, the control unit 100 selects a target route from among a plurality of route candidates and controls the operation of the actuator 40 so that the vehicle travels on the target route. In the evacuation travel control, the control unit 100 generates an evacuation route for evacuating the vehicle toward an emergency stop position set in the road shoulder area R, and controls the operation of the actuator 40 so that the vehicle travels on the evacuation route. . In the evacuation drive control, the control unit 100 causes the vehicle to run without the driver's operation. That is, the evacuation travel control is the above-mentioned automatic operation. Note that the above-mentioned physical condition abnormality refers to a state in which the driving function of the driver is deteriorated due to a disease, and a state in which it is difficult for the driver to continue driving the vehicle. Examples of such physical abnormalities include brain diseases such as stroke, heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, epilepsy, and hypoglycemia. Here, the road shoulder area R in the present disclosure refers to an area where vehicles are allowed to stop, among belt-shaped roads provided near the road edge along the vehicle travel path, such as road shoulders and roadside belts. shall be taken as a thing. In addition, in the road shoulder area R, a parking area for vehicles is provided by widening a part of the road so that vehicles can park near the edge of the road (see, for example, the shaded area R11 in FIG. 4). )including.

The control unit 100 includes an external environment recognition unit 111 , a driving operation recognition unit 112 , a vehicle behavior estimation unit 113 , an occupant state estimation unit 114 , a travel control unit 115 , and an emergency stop control unit 130 .

<Vehicle external environment recognition unit>
The vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 recognizes the vehicle based on the outputs of the plurality of cameras 31 , the outputs of the plurality of radars 32 , the outputs of the position sensor 33 , the outputs of the vehicle exterior communication unit 36 , and the outputs of the vehicle behavior estimation unit 113 . Recognize the external environment. The vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 is an example of vehicle exterior environment recognition means.

For example, the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 generates vehicle exterior environment information indicating the vehicle exterior environment from the above output using a learning model generated by deep learning. Deep learning uses a multilayer neural network (Deep Neural Network). An example of a multilayer neural network is a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network).

Specifically, the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 performs image processing on the image obtained by the camera 31 to generate two-dimensional map data representing an area in which the vehicle can move, such as a driving path. Furthermore, the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 acquires object information, which is information regarding objects existing around the vehicle, based on the detection results of the radar 32. Based on the object information, the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 recognizes road obstacles that may become obstacles in the process of driving and stopping the vehicle, among objects existing around the vehicle. Examples of objects include a moving object that displaces over time and a stationary object that does not displace over time. Examples of moving objects include four-wheeled motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Examples of stationary objects include signs, street trees, median strips, center poles, and buildings. Further, the object information includes the position coordinates of the object, the speed of the object, and the like. Note that the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 may acquire object information based on an image obtained by the camera 31 in addition to or in place of the detection result of the radar 32. Then, the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111 generates integrated map data (three-dimensional map data) representing the vehicle exterior environment by integrating the two-dimensional map data and the object information. Two-dimensional map data, object information, and integrated map data are examples of external environment information.

<Driving operation recognition unit>
The driving operation recognition unit 112 recognizes the driving operation applied to the vehicle based on the output of the driving operation sensor 37. For example, the driving operation recognition unit 112 generates data indicating a driving operation applied to the vehicle from the output of the driving operation sensor 37 using a learning model generated by deep learning.

<Vehicle behavior estimation section>
The vehicle behavior estimation unit 113 estimates vehicle behavior (for example, speed, acceleration, yaw rate, etc.) based on the output of the vehicle state sensor 34. For example, the vehicle behavior estimation unit 113 generates data indicating the behavior of the vehicle from the output of the vehicle state sensor 34 using a learning model generated by deep learning.

For example, the learning model used in the vehicle behavior estimation unit 113 is a six-axis vehicle model. The 6-axis vehicle model models the acceleration in the 3-axis directions of "front and back," "left and right," and "up and down" of a moving vehicle, and the angular velocity in the three-axis directions of "pitch," "roll," and "yaw." . In other words, the 6-axis vehicle model captures vehicle movement not only on the classical plane of vehicle dynamics engineering (only the vehicle's longitudinal and lateral movements (X-Y movement) and yaw movement (Z-axis)), but also on the 4-axis model. Numerical values that reproduce the behavior of a vehicle using a total of six axes: pitching (Y-axis) and roll (X-axis) motion of the vehicle body, which rides on two wheels via suspension, and Z-axis movement (vertical movement of the vehicle body). It's a model.

<Occupant state estimation unit>
The occupant condition estimation unit 114 estimates the driver's condition (for example, the driver's health condition, emotion, posture, etc.) based on the output of the occupant condition sensor 35. For example, the occupant condition estimation unit 114 generates data indicating the driver's behavior from the output of the occupant condition sensor 35 using a learning model generated by deep learning. In this example, the occupant condition estimating unit 114 detects an abnormal physical condition of the driver.

<Traveling control section>
The driving control unit 115 controls the actuator 40 based on the output of the vehicle external environment recognition unit 111, the output of the driving operation recognition unit 112, the output of the vehicle behavior estimation unit 113, and the output of the occupant state estimation unit 114. . In this example, the travel control section 115 includes a route generation section 116 , a route determination section 117 , a vehicle motion determination section 118 , an actuator control section 119 , and a rule base control section 120 .

《Route generation part》
The route generation unit 116 generates one or more candidate routes for driving the vehicle to a target position that is a driving target of the vehicle, based on the output of the vehicle external environment recognition unit 111. A candidate route is a route on which a vehicle can travel, and is a candidate for a target route. The candidate route includes, for example, a driving route that avoids road obstacles recognized by the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111.

For example, the route generation unit 116 generates a candidate route using a state lattice method. Although specific illustrations are omitted, the route generation unit 116 sets a grid area consisting of a large number of grid points on the traveling road recognized by the vehicle external environment recognition unit 111, and creates a grid area consisting of a large number of grid points in the direction of travel of the vehicle. A large number of travel routes can be set by sequentially connecting the following. The route generation unit 116 also assigns a route cost to each of the plurality of travel routes. For example, as the safety of a vehicle on a travel route increases, the route cost assigned to that travel route decreases. The route generation unit 116 then selects one or more travel routes as candidate routes from the plurality of travel routes based on the route cost assigned to each of the plurality of travel routes.

Here, the target position includes a final target position that indicates the final destination of the vehicle, and an intermediate position that is appropriately set between the final target position and the current vehicle position in the process of driving the vehicle to the final target position. target position. The intermediate target position is, for example, a target position indicating the destination of the vehicle at the end of the grid area described above, and is updated as appropriate during the traveling process.

In addition, in evacuation driving control in an emergency such as when an abnormality in the driver's physical condition is detected, the route generation unit 116 searches for a stop position at which the vehicle is to be stopped in an emergency, sets it as a target position, and drives the vehicle to the stop position. Generate an evacuation route. A specific example of the evacuation route generation method will be described later.

《Route determining section》
The route determination unit 117 performs evacuation control with the route generation unit 116 and the rule-based control unit 120 based on at least one of the output of the vehicle external environment recognition unit 111, the output of the driving operation recognition unit 112, and the output of the occupant state estimation unit 114. A candidate route to be the target route is selected from among one or more candidate routes generated by each of the sections 130 and 130. For example, the route determining unit 117 selects the candidate route that the driver feels most comfortable among the plurality of candidate routes when the driver is in a normal state (normal driving state).

For example, in driving control in a normal driving state (normal driving control), the route determining unit 117 preferentially selects the candidate route generated by the route generating unit 116 over the candidate route generated by the rule-based control unit 120 as the target route. Select as. In addition, in normal driving control, if the candidate route generated by the route generation unit 116 deviates significantly from the candidate route generated by the rule-based control unit 120, the route determination unit 117 uses the rule-based control unit 120 to The generated candidate route may be selected as the target route. For example, if the travel route generated by the route generation unit 116 does not pass through the free space searched by the rule-based control unit 120, the route determination unit 117 determines that the candidate route generated by the route generation unit 116 is controlled by the rule-based control unit 116. It may be determined that the route deviates significantly from the candidate route generated by the unit 120. Here, the free space is an area where there are no obstacles among the driving path and road shoulder area included in the environment outside the vehicle. Obstacles include dynamic obstacles and static obstacles. Examples of dynamic obstacles include other vehicles, pedestrians, and the like. Examples of static obstacles include median strips, center poles, etc. Note that in the following explanation, the free space of the travel path may be referred to as "travel path free space."

Further, in evacuation travel control in an emergency such as when an abnormality in the driver's physical condition is detected, the route determining unit 117 selects the evacuation route generated by the route generating unit 116 as the target route.

《Vehicle motion determination section》
Vehicle motion determination section 118 determines a target motion based on the candidate route selected as the target route by route determination section 117 . This target motion is the motion of the vehicle required to follow the target route and travel. In this example, the vehicle motion determination unit 118 derives a target driving force, a target braking force, and a target steering amount, which are the driving force, braking force, and steering amount for achieving the target motion, respectively. For example, the vehicle motion determination unit 118 calculates the movement of the vehicle along the target route based on the six-axis vehicle model, and determines the target movement based on the calculation result.

《Actuator control section》
Actuator control section 119 controls actuator 40 based on the target motion determined by vehicle motion determination section 118 . In this example, the actuator control section 119 includes a PT control section 119a, a brake control section 119b, and a steering control section 119c. The PT control unit 119a transmits a drive command value indicating the target driving force to the actuator of the drive system. The brake control unit 119b transmits a braking command value indicating a target braking force to the actuator of the braking system. The steering control unit 119c transmits a steering command value indicating a target steering amount to the actuator of the steering system.

<Rule-based control section>
The rule-based control unit 120 performs processing using an algorithm based on predetermined rules instead of a learning model generated by deep learning.

Specifically, the rule-based control unit 120 recognizes the environment outside the vehicle based on the output of the information acquisition unit 30, and searches for a free space on the road based on the environment outside the vehicle. For example, the rule-based control unit 120 searches for a free space on the road based on a preset search rule. The search rule may include a rule that sets a predetermined range (for example, a range of several meters) centered on the object as an unavoidable range. Furthermore, when the object is a moving object, the rule-based control unit 120 may be configured to search for a free space on the travel path by considering the moving speed of the moving object.

Then, the rule-based control unit 120 generates a candidate route that passes through the travel road free space (that is, a candidate route that avoids obstacles). The candidate route generated by the rule-based control unit 120 (that is, the candidate route passing through the free space) is used in the route determination unit 117 of the travel control unit 115.

<Emergency stop control section>
The emergency stop control unit 130 causes the vehicle to automatically travel to an emergency stop position without the driver's operation in an emergency (for example, when an abnormality of the driver is detected by the occupant condition estimation unit 114). Control is performed to make an emergency stop at the stop position. Specifically, the emergency stop control section 130 includes a stop position determination section 131, a stop route generation section 132, and a risk calculation section 133.

In addition, when an abnormality of the driver is detected, the emergency stop control unit 130 is configured to stop the emergency stop control unit 130 regardless of whether the previous driving mode is manual driving mode, assisted driving mode, or automatic driving mode. Operates automatically.

2A to 2C and FIGS. 3A to 3D are flowcharts showing an example of processing by the emergency stop control unit 130, and the functions of each component of the emergency stop control unit 130 will be explained with reference to these drawings. . For convenience of explanation, FIGS. 2A to 2C may be collectively referred to as FIG. 2, and FIGS. 3A to 3D may be collectively referred to as FIG. 3.

《Stopping position determination section》
When an abnormality of the driver is detected by the occupant condition estimating unit 114, the stop position determination unit 131 analyzes the road shoulder area and sets an emergency stop position based on the analysis result of the road shoulder area. The emergency stop position is an example of the aforementioned final target position.

The emergency stop control shown in FIG. 2 operates when an abnormality of the driver is detected. That is, until an abnormality of the driver is detected, the system enters a standby state in step S11 of FIG. 2A.

In FIG. 2A, when an abnormality of the driver is detected, a YES determination is made in step S11. In the next steps S13 and S14, T is the elapsed time since the driver's abnormality was detected, and the time point when the driver's abnormality was detected is set to T=0. Then, in the first operation after the driver abnormality is detected, a YES determination is made in steps S13 and S14, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S15.

In step S15, the parking position determination unit 131 sets a detection candidate area for detecting an evacuation space. Specifically, the parking position determining unit 131 sets a starting point Ps and an ending point Pe of a detection candidate area for detecting an evacuation space.

Although the method of setting the starting point Ps is not particularly limited, for example, the stop position determining unit 131 sets a point where the vehicle H can be decelerated to a predetermined speed or less as the starting point Ps. More specifically, the starting point Ps is, for example, after the driver's physical condition is detected, the vehicle H is decelerated to a predetermined speed or less (e.g., 10 km/h), and the vehicle H is kept at that speed for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 km/h). It is set as the destination point when traveling (seconds).

FIG. 4 shows an example of setting the starting point Ps and the ending point Pe. Specifically, in FIG. 4, the driver's abnormality is detected at the position H1 of the vehicle H shown by the solid line, deceleration is started at the location H2, and the vehicle decelerates to the above-mentioned predetermined speed at the location H3. An example is shown in which the starting point Ps is set to a location H3 when a run for a predetermined time is predicted. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the explanation of the passage of time, the symbols 1, 2, 3, etc. indicating the order of passage of time are attached after the symbol H of the own vehicle, and the positions H1, H2, H2, etc. This will be explained as H3... That is, the positions H1, H2, H3, . . . indicate how the position of the host vehicle H changes over time. The same applies to other vehicles J. Similarly, in other drawings, numbers may be added after the vehicle symbols H and J to indicate the transition state of the vehicle position over time.

Although the method of setting the end point Pe is not particularly limited, it is set, for example, to a point that the vehicle reaches when traveling at a predetermined vehicle speed (for example, 10 km/h) for a predetermined time from the start point Ps. The method of setting the predetermined time is not particularly limited, but may be set according to the driving scene, for example. Specifically, the end point Pe is set as a point where the vehicle has traveled for 60 seconds from the starting point Ps on a general road, and a point where the vehicle has traveled for 180 seconds from the starting point Ps on an expressway. Further, the end point Pe may have a margin with respect to the actual time limit.

In this way, by determining the end point Pe of the detection candidate area, it is possible to determine the position at which the vehicle should stop, thereby avoiding situations where it takes an unexpected amount of time to automatically stop or where it is difficult to stop. I can do it. Note that the method of determining the end point Pe by the parking position determination unit 131 is not particularly limited. For example, the distance (travel time) to the end point Pe may be a fixed value, or the value may be changed depending on the state, severity, or urgency of the driver's physical condition.

In step S15, when the stop position determination unit 131 finishes setting the starting point Ps and the ending point Pe, in the next step S16, it is determined whether or not static evaluation, which will be described later, has been completed. Here, since the emergency stop position has not been set, the determination is NO, and the control flow proceeds to analysis of the road shoulder area (step S20).

-Analysis of road shoulder area-
FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating an example of the road shoulder region analysis step S20. In this embodiment, the analysis list L1 in FIG. 5 is created based on the driving scene in FIG. 4 as the analysis result of the road shoulder area based on the flow in FIG. 2B, and the analysis list L1 in FIG. 5 is created based on the driving scene in FIG. An example in which analysis list L2 of 7A is created will be described.

In addition, in FIG. 6, illustration of a road shoulder area with a width evaluation value of C, which will be described later, is omitted, but as in FIG. It is assumed that a road shoulder area R (width evaluation values A to C) is provided. The same applies to FIGS. 8, 10A, 11, and 12, which will be described later. In addition, in the following description, if the analysis list L1 in FIG. 5 and the analysis list L2 in FIG. 7 are not to be distinguished, they will simply be referred to as analysis list L.

In step S21, the stop position determination unit 131 acquires road information of the detection candidate area (between point Ps and point Pe). Road information includes information about the driving route, information for calculating the width of the road shoulder area, and information that is a traffic restriction when driving or stopping a vehicle, such as traffic regulation information and road structure information ( (hereinafter referred to as traffic restriction information). The road information is acquired from an external network or GPS via the external communication unit 36, for example.

In step S22, the width of the road shoulder area is calculated. The specific calculation method is not particularly limited; Then, the width of the road shoulder area R is calculated. More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the stop position determination unit 131 determines n locations at predetermined intervals between the starting point Ps and the ending point Pe at the center of the first travel lane in the high-precision map information. Plot the points P ₁ to P _n (n is an integer of 2 or more), draw the normal line from each point P ₁ to P _n to the road edge to find the distance, and calculate the driving lane from the length of each normal line. Subtract 1/2 of the width to obtain the width of the road shoulder area. Note that if the high-precision map information includes information on the width of the road shoulder area, step S22 may be omitted and that information may be used. In other words, the width of the road shoulder area is, for example, the width from the curb to the white line on the road shoulder side of the first travel lane.

In step S22, information about the presence or absence of a road shoulder area and the type of white line between the road shoulder area and the driving path is acquired and reflected in the analysis list L. In the example of FIG. 5, for each point P _x (Ps<P _x <Pe), "1" is set when there is a road shoulder area, and "0" is set when there is no road shoulder area. Furthermore, if there is one white line, that is, in a road shoulder area where a vehicle can be parked or stopped, "1" is set, and if there is any other white line, "0" is set. Further, "-" is set for locations where there is no white line dividing the road shoulder area. The same applies to FIG. 7A.

In step S23, an evaluation of the width of the road shoulder area (hereinafter also referred to as road shoulder width evaluation) is performed. The examples in FIGS. 5 and 7A show examples in which each point _Px is evaluated in three stages (A, B, C) depending on the width of the road shoulder area. Evaluation A means that the width of the road shoulder area is "overall width of the vehicle + 0.5 m", evaluation B means that the width of the road shoulder area is "less than the total width of the vehicle + 0.5 m", and evaluation B means that the width of the road shoulder area is "overall width of the vehicle + 0.5 m". less than the full width of the For example, vehicle information regarding the own vehicle is applied to the total width of the vehicle. Furthermore, the evaluation of the road shoulder area may take into consideration the presence or absence of the road shoulder area and the type of white line. For example, as shown in the columns of points P _n-2 to P _n in Fig. 5, if "0" is set for the presence or absence of a road shoulder area, or "0" is set for the type of white line, the road shoulder As the region evaluation, an evaluation value (for example, "0") indicating that the point is an inappropriate stop position for the vehicle may be set.

In step S24, traffic restriction information such as traffic restriction information and road structure information is reflected in the analysis list. Traffic regulation information includes, for example, distance to an intersection, distance to a crosswalk/vehicle crossing zone, distance to a diversion/merging road, distance to a railroad crossing, distance to a bus stop, and road signs/road surfaces prohibiting parking. This includes information such as presence or absence of signs and distance from safety zones. The road structure information includes, for example, information such as the amount of gradient of the road, the inside/outside of a tunnel, and the inside/outside of a track bed.

More specifically, for example, in step S24, whether or not it can be set as an emergency stop position (emergency stop space) is reflected in the analysis list L. For example, in the analysis list L, for each point _Px , "1" is set if it can be set as an emergency stop position, and "0" is set if it cannot be set. In the example in Figure 5, if the distance to the intersection is 5 m or more, "1" is set as the position where the emergency stop position can be set, and if the distance to the intersection is less than 5 m, the emergency stop position is set. "0" is set as a position that cannot be set. Further, the distance to the crosswalk is also set in the same way.

In step S25, road shoulder evaluation is performed during execution of this control process. Although the method of road shoulder evaluation is not particularly limited, for example, as road shoulder evaluation, an evaluation based on a combination of static evaluation based on the above-mentioned road information and dynamic evaluation is performed. The dynamic evaluation is, for example, an evaluation based on the external environment information acquired from the information acquisition unit 30 at that time when an abnormality of the driver is detected, and is an evaluation regarding semi-dynamic obstacles (hereinafter referred to as semi-dynamic evaluation). (hereinafter referred to as moving object evaluation) and evaluation regarding dynamic obstacles (hereinafter referred to as moving object evaluation).

In semi-moving object evaluation, road obstacles such as parked vehicles with their engines turned off, road obstacles that have stopped moving, temporary road obstacles such as construction fences and signboards, and road obstacles such as utility poles are evaluated. An evaluation will be carried out. In other words, the quasi-dynamic obstacles that are the evaluation targets of the quasi-moving object evaluation include road obstacles that are not reflected in the road information and are stationary objects at the time when they are acquired from the information acquisition unit 30 or at a time before or after that time. This includes things that are. In the quasi-moving object evaluation, "1" is set if there is no road obstacle on the above-mentioned normal line between the travel route of the host vehicle H and the road shoulder area, and "0" is set if there is a road obstacle. Ru. For example, if a utility pole is standing at position C in FIG. 4 and there are no other obstacles on the road, "0" is set at point P4 in analysis list L1 in FIG. Note that if an evacuation route toward the stopping position is not set, for example, the above-mentioned road obstacles on the normal line are evaluated between the travel route and the road shoulder area when the vehicle goes straight on the current travel route. .

In the moving object evaluation, we identify "moving road obstacles or road obstacles that are likely to move in the near future," such as pedestrians, moving vehicles, and vehicles temporarily stopped on the road due to waiting at traffic lights. (collectively referred to as dynamic obstacles). In the moving object evaluation, "1" is set if there is no road obstacle on the above-mentioned normal line between the travel route of the own vehicle H (same as in the case of quasi-moving object evaluation) and the road shoulder area, and if there is an obstacle on the road. "0" is set in this case. In addition, in the moving object evaluation, since there is a possibility that an obstacle on the road moves forward or backward, in addition to the point P where the road obstacle is located, "0" is set to several points P in front and behind. . It should be noted that there is no particular limitation on how many points P in the front and rear are set to "0"; for example, it may be set to a fixed amount, or it may be determined based on the type of road obstacle or the environment outside the vehicle from the information acquisition unit 30. The setting may be based on the moving speed of the road obstacle estimated based on the information.

In road shoulder evaluation, for example, an evaluation value is calculated based on the result of multiplying both static evaluation and dynamic evaluation. For example, if even one item is set to "0" for which "1" and "0" are set, the evaluation value for that point P will be "0". For example, in the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, point _P1 has an evaluation value of "C" in the road shoulder width evaluation, and all other evaluation items are "1", so the evaluation value of the road shoulder evaluation is "C" is set. On the other hand, for points P ₂ to P ₄ , the evaluation value of the road shoulder width evaluation is "C", but the evaluation value of the moving object evaluation is "0", so "0" is set as the evaluation value of the road shoulder evaluation. . In this way, road shoulder evaluation is performed for all points P _x , and the road shoulder width evaluation value "A to C" or "0" is set as the evaluation value. When the road shoulder evaluation for all points _P move on.

Static evaluation of the analysis list L is performed only when the starting points Ps and Pe are first set. On the other hand, the dynamic evaluation is updated at any time or at predetermined intervals during the vehicle's travel process. The dynamic evaluation is updated, for example, in step S19 of FIG. 2A, which will be described later.

-Stopping position setting process-
In FIG. 2C, a search and setting of an emergency stop position is performed as a stop position setting step based on the analysis list L generated in the road shoulder area analysis step S20.

In step S31, the above-mentioned analysis list L is read out from the storage unit 20, and the analysis list L is used to extract an area where the vehicle can be stopped in an emergency (hereinafter referred to as a stoppable area). Specifically, as a stopable area, for example, among the areas with evaluation values A to C in the analysis list, the width of the road shoulder area is equal to or greater than a predetermined width, and the area having the predetermined width or more is continuous over a predetermined distance. area is set. For example, the above predetermined width may be limited to areas with evaluation values A and B, or the above predetermined width may include all areas with evaluation values A to C.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is assumed that areas with evaluation values of A and B are set as stoppable areas. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, in step S31, a stoppable region R11 is extracted. In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, the stoppable area includes all areas with evaluation values A to C. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, in step S31, stoppable regions R21 to R25 are extracted. Note that in FIGS. 4 and 6, RN indicates a restricted area with traffic restrictions.

In step S32, it is determined whether there is a stoppable area between the current position of the own vehicle H (starting point Ps if the current position is before the starting point Ps) and the ending point Pe. In the example of FIG. 4, since the stoppable region R11 has been extracted, a YES determination is made in step S32, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S33. In the example of FIG. 6 as well, since the stoppable regions R21 to R25 have been extracted, the control flow proceeds to the next step S33, similarly to FIG. 4.

In step S33, it is determined whether there are multiple stoppable areas. As in the example of FIG. 4, when there is only one stoppable area, the emergency stop position is set within the stoppable area R11 (step S36), and the emergency stop position setting process ends. On the other hand, as in the example of FIG. 6, if there are multiple stoppable areas, the control flow advances to the next step S35.

In step S35, it is determined whether an emergency stop position can be set based on the priority. In the example of FIG. 6, the evaluation values are set as A, B, and C in descending order of the width of the road shoulder area, so that the priority is set in the order of the evaluation values A, B, and C. Then, in the example of FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 7A, there are two stoppable regions of evaluation value A, R22 and R24, so a NO determination is made in step S35, and the control flow proceeds to step S38. In step S38, an emergency stop position is set within the stoppable region R22, which is the closest region where stopping is possible at the time of execution of this control process within the same priority (evaluation value A). When the setting of the emergency stop position is completed, the setting process in FIG. 2C, that is, the process in step S30 in FIG. 2A ends.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S35 is YES, that is, if it is possible to set the emergency stop position based on the priority, the emergency stop position will be placed in the area with the highest priority among the areas where parking is possible. The position is set.

Note that when the stoppable area is sufficiently longer than the length of the own vehicle H, there is no particular limitation on where in the stoppable area the emergency stop position is set. For example, the position on the near side of the stoppable area is set as the emergency stop position. When the setting of the emergency stop position is completed, the setting process in FIG. 2C, that is, the process in step S30 in FIG. 2A ends.

In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the step of setting an emergency stop position by the above-mentioned stop position determination unit 131 will be referred to as a "stop position setting step."

《Stopping route generation section》
The stop route generation unit 132 generates an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set by the stop position determination unit 131. Specifically, the stop route generation unit 132 executes the same process as the route generation by the route generation unit 116. Specifically, the stop route generation unit 132 generates a plurality of candidate routes based on the output of the vehicle exterior environment recognition unit 111. The stop route generation unit 132 also selects a safe and shortest travel route from among the plurality of travel routes to the emergency stop position, based on the route cost assigned to each of the plurality of travel routes. Select it as an evacuation route (hereinafter simply referred to as an evacuation route). Note that the stop route generation unit 132 may generate the evacuation route based on the same processing as the rule-based control unit 120 in order to further ensure safety. Stop route generation section 132 transmits the selected evacuation route to vehicle movement determination section 118.

《Risk Calculation Department》
Based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit 30, the risk calculation unit 133 determines whether the vehicle H Calculate the risk of collision with road obstacles. The road obstacles considered by the risk calculation unit 133 include moving objects (e.g., four-wheeled motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.) and stationary objects (temporarily installed objects for construction, etc.), and parking objects. vehicles, etc.). The collision risk calculated by the risk calculation unit 133 is transmitted to the parking position determination unit. Here, among the travel roads heading in the same direction, the travel lane adjacent to the road shoulder area R is referred to as a first travel lane. Further, when there is a travel lane adjacent to the first travel lane and further away from the road shoulder area R than the first travel lane, that travel lane is referred to as a second travel lane. Further, when there is a travel lane adjacent to the second travel lane and further away from the road shoulder area R than the second travel lane, that travel lane is referred to as a third travel lane. That is, the travel road has travel lanes arranged in this order from the road shoulder area: a first travel lane, a second travel lane, and a third travel lane. Note that the driving lane may be one of the first driving lanes, or there may be four or more driving lanes in the same direction.

[Evacuation driving control]
Next, the evacuation travel control will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, to give an overview of the evacuation drive control, in the evacuation drive control, in addition to the above-mentioned stop position setting process, an evacuation route generation process, a deceleration process, a lane change process, a first lane driving process, and a stop process are executed. be done. The evacuation route generation step is a step of generating an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set in the stop position setting step. The deceleration step is a step in which the vehicle speed of the host vehicle H is decelerated to a predetermined speed or less. In the lane change process, when there are multiple driving lanes (in the same direction), when the own vehicle H is traveling in a lane other than the first driving lane, based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit 30, This is a process of changing lanes of the vehicle toward the first driving lane. The first travel lane traveling step is a step in which the host vehicle H travels at a predetermined speed or less in the first travel lane. The stopping process is a process of causing the vehicle to enter the stoppable area from the first driving lane and stopping the own vehicle H at the emergency stopping position.

In the evacuation driving control, the flowcharts in FIGS. 2 and 3 are repeatedly executed until the host vehicle H stops at the emergency stop position. In addition, in the above-mentioned <<stop position determination section>>, since the operation up to step S30 in FIG. 2A has been explained, the subsequent operation will be explained here.

《Evacuation driving control (1)》
In the following description, it will be assumed that a driver abnormality is detected while the own vehicle H is traveling through the driving scene shown in FIG. 6 . That is, it is assumed that at the start of the control flow in FIG. 3A, a start point Ps and an end point Pe are set at the positions shown in FIG. 6, and the analysis list L2 in FIG. 7A is created. Further, it is assumed that R21 to R25 (see FIG. 6) are extracted as the stoppable region, and the emergency stop position is set within the stoppable region R22.

In FIG. 2A, when the process of step S30, that is, the stop position setting step by the stop position determination unit 131 is completed, the control flow advances to step S41 of FIG. 3A.

In step S41, the emergency stop control unit 130 checks whether a stop position has been set. The stopping position can be set either when a new emergency stopping position is set or when the emergency stopping position is changed (reset) while driving towards the emergency stopping position, which will be detailed later. is included. Since the emergency stop position has been set in step S30 of FIG. 2, a YES determination is made in step S41, and the control flow proceeds to step S42.

-Evacuation route generation process-
In step S42, an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set by the stop position determination unit 131 is generated. Specifically, in the evacuation route generation step, the stop route generation unit 132 generates an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set by the stop position determination unit 131. The generation of the evacuation route was explained in the above <<Stop route generation unit>>, so the explanation thereof will be omitted here.

In the next step S43, the emergency stop control unit 130 checks whether the own vehicle H has decelerated to a predetermined speed set in advance. As described above, the vehicle behavior estimation unit 113 estimates the vehicle speed based on the output of the vehicle state sensor 34 (for example, a vehicle speed sensor). Therefore, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines whether the own vehicle H is decelerated to a predetermined speed (for example, 10 km/h) based on the vehicle speed information of the own vehicle H estimated by the vehicle behavior estimation unit 113, for example. confirm.

For example, if the speed cannot be decelerated to the predetermined speed, the determination in step S43 is NO, and the control flow proceeds to the "deceleration step" in step S60. The example in FIG. 6 corresponds to a case where the host vehicle H is traveling between H1 and H2.

-Deceleration process-
FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing processing operations regarding the deceleration process.

In the deceleration step, first, in step S61, the notification device D is used to notify that the vehicle H is to be brought to an emergency stop. The notification device D includes an optical notification device that visually notifies the emergency stop using light, such as a hazard lamp, and an audio notification device that uses sound or audio, such as a horn or speaker, to notify the emergency stop. Specifically, for example, the emergency stop control unit 130 causes the own vehicle H to enter an emergency stop operation (deceleration operation) to other surrounding vehicles J, etc. by emitting a sound with a horn and flashing a hazard lamp. Notify. In addition, in step S61, it is also possible to notify that the host vehicle H is to make an emergency stop using either a light notification device or an audible notification device.

In addition, in parallel with the processing in step S61, in step S62, the risk calculation unit 133 executes the deceleration process and calculates the collision risk in the subsequent process based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit. do. For example, the risk calculation unit 133 grasps information on the position and speed of another vehicle J running behind or diagonally behind the own vehicle based on the output of the camera 31 or the radar 32, and when the own vehicle decelerates, The risk of another vehicle J colliding with the own vehicle H is calculated.

In the next step S63, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines whether the collision risk calculated by the risk calculation unit 133 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The collision risk evaluation method is not particularly limited, but for example, (1) a position score according to the position of the other vehicle J and a speed score according to the speed are set, and when the integrated value is equal to or higher than a predetermined collision score, The collision risk may be determined based on whether or not the vehicle is present, or (2) the collision risk may be determined by performing a driving simulation within the emergency stop control unit 130 using a vehicle model or the like.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when no other vehicle J is running around, the collision risk is less than a predetermined value (NO determination in step S62), and the emergency stop control unit 130 starts deceleration control (step S64). ). The specific deceleration control method is not particularly limited, but for example, the emergency stop control unit 130 transmits a deceleration instruction signal to the vehicle motion determination unit 118 instructing it to decelerate toward a predetermined speed. do. Upon receiving the deceleration control signal, the vehicle motion determining unit 118 controls each actuator via the actuator control unit 119 to decelerate the host vehicle H. If the deceleration process is completed within the predetermined time, a YES determination is made in the next step S65, and the emergency stop control unit 130 ends the deceleration process. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the deceleration process of the host vehicle H ends at the position H2, and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle H becomes equal to or less than the predetermined speed. When the deceleration process ends, the control flow proceeds to step S44 in FIG. 3A.

Although not shown, in step S63, even after the emergency stop control unit 130 starts deceleration control, the risk calculation unit 133 repeatedly calculates the risk, and if there is a risk of collision greater than a predetermined value, an interruption is performed. The process may temporarily stop the deceleration control, return to step S63, and proceed to a YES determination (step S68). The control in step S68 will be explained later.

Returning to FIG. 3A, in step S44, the emergency stop control unit 130 checks whether the vehicle is traveling in the first travel lane. The emergency stop control unit 130 confirms the driving lane of the own vehicle based on, for example, the position information of the vehicle detected by the position sensor 33 and the image data of the outside of the vehicle captured by the camera 31. If the own vehicle H is traveling at the position H2 in FIG. 6, a NO determination is made in step S44, and the process proceeds to the next step S45. In step S45, it is checked whether the lane change operation has been completed, so the determination is NO here as well, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S70, ``lane change process.''

-Lane change process-
FIG. 3C is a flowchart showing the processing operation of a lane change (also referred to as lane change) process.

First, in step S71, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the collision risk in executing the lane change process and in the subsequent process based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit. For example, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the positions of road obstacles (for example, other vehicles J) in front of the own vehicle, diagonally in front of the road shoulder, diagonally behind the road shoulder, and behind the vehicle based on the outputs of the camera 31 and the radar 32. The system calculates the risk of colliding with another vehicle J if the own vehicle changes lanes to the roadside lane.

In the next step S72, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines whether the collision risk calculated by the risk calculation unit 133 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The collision risk evaluation method is not particularly limited, but for example, a method similar to the above-mentioned "deceleration step" can be applied.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when no other vehicle J is running around, the collision risk is less than a predetermined value (NO determination in step S72), and the emergency stop control unit 130 starts lane change control (step S72). S73). Although the specific method of lane change control is not particularly limited, for example, the emergency stop control unit 130 may stop the flashing of the hazard lamps, turn on the direction indicator (not shown) on the side of the road shoulder area, and A lane change instruction signal is transmitted to the motion determining unit 118 to instruct the movement determination unit 118 to change lanes toward the road shoulder area side driving lane. Upon receiving the lane change instruction signal, the vehicle motion determining unit 118 controls each actuator via the actuator control unit 119 to cause the host vehicle H to change lanes. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the lane change process ends when the host vehicle H is at position H4, and the host vehicle H starts traveling in the first travel lane at a vehicle speed below a predetermined speed. When the lane change process is completed, the control flow proceeds to step S80 in FIG. 3A.

-First lane driving process, stopping process-
FIG. 3D is a flowchart illustrating the processing operations of the first lane driving process and the stopping process.

First, in step S81 and step S82, the emergency stop control unit 130 moves the own vehicle H to a predetermined position in the first driving lane while flashing the hazard lamp, for example, until the stoppable area R22 is recognized by the camera 31. The vehicle is driven at a speed below (for example, 10 km/h).

When the stoppable region R22 (emergency stop position) is recognized by the information acquisition unit 30 (for example, the camera 31 or the radar 32), a YES determination is made in step S81, and the control flow proceeds to step S84.

In step S84, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the collision risk in the stoppable area R22 (emergency stop position) recognized by the information acquisition unit 30 (for example, the camera 31 or the radar 32). For example, the risk calculation unit 133 checks the presence or absence of road obstacles (for example, other stopped vehicles J) in the stoppable area R22 (emergency stop position) based on the output of the camera 31 or the radar 32. Calculate the risk of colliding with an obstacle.

In step S85, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines whether or not the stopable area R22 is a free space based on the outputs of the camera 31 and the radar 32. In other words, if the vehicle enters the stopable area R22, it collides with a road obstacle. Check whether there is a risk of doing so. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that when the host vehicle H has traveled to the position H5, it has been recognized that the stop area R22 is a free space. Then, the determination in step S85 is NO, and the emergency stop control unit 130 causes the own vehicle H to travel to the front of the stoppable region R22 as a first travel lane traveling process (step S86). Although not shown in the drawings, in the first lane driving step, the first lane driving step is also based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition section, similar to the aforementioned "deceleration step" and "lane change step". The collision risk during the lane driving process and the subsequent stopping process may be calculated. Then, when the emergency stop control unit 130 determines that the collision risk is greater than a predetermined value, the emergency stop control unit 130 may execute control according to the situation, such as stopping the vehicle on the spot.

In the next step S91, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the collision risk in the first driving lane driving process and/or the stopping process based on the vehicle external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit. For example, based on the output of the camera 31 and the radar 32, the risk calculation unit 133 detects obstacles on the road (for example, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.) in front of the own vehicle, diagonally in front of the road shoulder, diagonally behind the road shoulder, and behind the vehicle. The system calculates the risk of colliding with road obstacles when the vehicle travels in the first driving lane or enters the stop area R22.

In the next step S92, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines whether the collision risk calculated by the risk calculation unit 133 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The collision risk evaluation method is not particularly limited, but for example, a method similar to the above-mentioned "deceleration step" can be applied.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if there are no road obstacles around and the stoppable region R22 is a free space, the collision risk is less than a predetermined value (NO in step S92), and the emergency stop control unit 130 controls the stoppable region R22. Approaching R22 and stopping control to the emergency stopping position are started (step S93). Although the specific method of stop control is not particularly limited, for example, the emergency stop control unit 130 may stop the flashing of the hazard lamps, turn on the direction indicator (not shown) on the road shoulder area, and control the vehicle movement. A stop instruction signal is transmitted to the determining unit 118 instructing it to enter the stopperable region R22 and stop. When the vehicle motion determination unit 118 receives the stop instruction signal, it controls each actuator via the actuator control unit 119 to cause the own vehicle H to enter the stoppable region R22 and stop at the emergency stop position. When the host vehicle H finishes stopping at the emergency stop position, the evacuation drive control ends.

《Evacuation driving control (2)》
In the following description, it will be assumed that a driver abnormality is detected while the host vehicle H is traveling through the driving scene shown in FIG. 8 . Note that, as in the case of the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (1)>>, at the start of the control flow in FIG. 3A, the start point Ps and the end point Pe are set at the positions shown in FIG. 8, and the analysis list L2 in FIG. 7A is It is assumed that it has been created. Furthermore, when the own vehicle H is traveling at the position H1, the other vehicle Ja parked in the stoppable area R22 cannot be recognized, and it is not until the own vehicle H reaches the position H5 that the other vehicle Ja stops. It is assumed that Ja can be recognized.

Here, the explanation will focus on the differences from the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (1)>>, and the explanation of operations common to <<Evacuation Travel Control (1)>> may be omitted. For example, the operation until the host vehicle H reaches the position H5, that is, the operation before step S80 in FIG. 3A, is common to the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (1)>>. Therefore, here, the operation from the point where the host vehicle H travels to the position H5 and the control process shown in FIG. 3D is started will be described.

-First lane driving process, stopping process-
In the example of FIG. 8, when the stoppable area R22 is recognized (YES in step S81), since another vehicle Ja is parked in the stoppable area R22, YES is determined in step S85. That is, when the emergency stop control unit 130 enters the stoppable region R22, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines that the risk of collision with another vehicle Ja is greater than a predetermined value, cancels the first travel lane traveling process midway, and resets the stop position. Execute. Specifically, the emergency stop control unit 130 interrupts the control process in FIG. 3D, and the control flow returns to step S13 in FIG. 2A.

-Stopping position setting process-
In FIG. 2A, since the host vehicle H is traveling at position H5 (see FIG. 8), the determination in step S13 is YES, and the determination in step S15 is NO. Furthermore, since the emergency stop position has already been executed in the first flow, a YES determination is made in step S16, and the control flow proceeds to step S26.

In step S26, the evaluation value (semi-dynamic obstacle and dynamic obstacle items) related to the dynamic evaluation of the analysis list L at the point _P The evaluation value (the rightmost column in FIG. 7A) is updated. FIG. 7B shows the updated analysis list L2. In FIG. 7B, "0" is set as the evaluation result of the quasi-dynamic obstacle for the region R22. As a result, "0" is set as the evaluation value of the road shoulder evaluation in the region R22. It is assumed that the evaluation values of the stoppable regions R23 to R25 and the restricted region RN remain unchanged.

In this way, the static evaluation of the analysis list L is executed only when the starting points Ps and Pe are initially set, and when the process is canceled midway through, only the evaluation values related to the dynamic evaluation are updated. That's what I do. As a result, calculation time can be significantly reduced when a process is canceled during the traveling process.

When the analysis list is updated in step S26, in the next step S30 (see FIG. 2C), an emergency stop position is searched and set. Note that the processing of each control process is the same as that described above, so the following description will focus on the processing results.

In step S31 of FIG. 2C, R23 to R25 are extracted as stoppable areas. As described above, since "0" is set as the evaluation value of the road shoulder evaluation in the region R22, it is not extracted as a stopable region.

Steps S32 and S33 result in a YES determination since the stoppable regions R23 to R25 have been extracted.

In step S35, as shown in FIG. 7B, since the stop area with priority A is R24, it is possible to set an emergency stop position based on the priority. Therefore, a YES determination is made in step S35, and the next emergency stop position is set within the stoppable region R24. When the setting process in FIG. 2C ends, the process in step S30 in FIG. 2A ends, and the control flow proceeds to FIG. 3A.

Since the emergency stop position has been set in step S30 of FIG. 2, a YES determination is made in step S41 of FIG. 3A, and the control flow proceeds to the evacuation route generation step of step S42.

-Evacuation route generation process-
In step S42, the stop route generation unit 132 generates an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set within the stoppable region R24.

-Deceleration process-
Since the host vehicle H has already been decelerated to a predetermined speed or less, a YES determination is made in step S43, the deceleration step is not executed here, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S44.

-Lane change process-
Since the own vehicle H is already traveling in the first travel lane, a YES determination is made in step S44, the lane change process is not executed here, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S80.

-First lane driving process, stopping process-
In steps S81 and S82, the emergency stop control unit 130 moves the host vehicle H at a predetermined speed ( For example, the vehicle is driven at a speed of 10 km/h or less.

When the stoppable region R22 (emergency stop position) is recognized by the information acquisition unit 30 (for example, the camera 31 or the radar 32), a YES determination is made in step S81, and the control flow proceeds to step S84.

At this point, it is assumed that the host vehicle is traveling at position H8. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 8, it is assumed that when the host vehicle H has traveled to position H8, it has been recognized that the stop area R24 is a free space.

Then, in step S84, a NO determination is made in step S85, and the emergency stop control unit 130 causes the own vehicle H to travel to the front of the stoppable region R24 as a first travel lane traveling step (step S86).

Then, in step S91, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the collision risk, and in step S92, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines whether the collision risk is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

In the example of FIG. 8, the stopperable region R24 is a free space, so the determination in step S92 is NO. Then, the emergency stop control unit 130 starts control for entering the stoppable region R24 and stopping at the emergency stop position, and when the host vehicle H finishes stopping at the emergency stop position, the evacuation drive control ends.

《Evacuation driving control (3)》
In the following description, it will be assumed that a driver abnormality is detected while the own vehicle H is traveling through the driving scene shown in FIG. 9 . Note that, as in the case of <Evacuation Travel Control (2)> described above, at the start of the control flow in FIG. 3A, the start point Ps and the end point Pe are set at the positions shown in FIG. 9, and the analysis list L2 in FIG. 7A is It is assumed that it has been created.

Here, the explanation will focus on the differences from the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (2)>>, and the explanation of operations common to <<Evacuation Travel Control (2)>> may be omitted. Note that in FIG. 9, the position H1 of the own vehicle H corresponds to the position H2 in FIG. That is, here, the deceleration step of step S60 in FIG. 3A has been completed, and the operation from step S44 in FIG. 3A will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, at the time of position H2, the own vehicle is traveling in the third driving lane, and another vehicle J that is faster than the own vehicle H is approaching from behind in the second lane. shall be.

In step S44 of FIG. 3A, since the host vehicle H (position H2) is traveling in the third lane, a NO determination is made in step S44, and the control flow proceeds to the lane change step of step S70.

-Lane change process-
In step S71, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the risk of collision with another vehicle J based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit at the position H1. Here, it is assumed that the calculation result is that the other vehicle J is approaching at a faster speed than the own vehicle, and that the collision risk (collision score) with the other vehicle J is greater than a predetermined value. Then, a YES determination is made in the next step S72, and the control flow proceeds to step S76.

In step S76, the vehicle continues to travel in the lane it was traveling in without changing lanes, and the control flow advances to the next step S77.

In step S77, it is confirmed whether the host vehicle H has passed the re-search reference position. The re-search reference position is a position that is set based on the position in the travel lane at which each step needs to be completed when the vehicle is stopped at an emergency stop position. The method for setting the re-search reference position is not particularly limited, but examples include (1) preparing a table based on the position and speed of the own vehicle and setting it based on that table; (2) internally setting the vehicle model, etc. A method such as performing calculations using the above method can be applied. In the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10A, it is assumed that the re-search reference position for the stoppable region R22 is set to be re-searched when the own vehicle H crosses a region with thin dot hatching. Similarly, it is assumed that the re-search reference position for the stoppable region R24 is set to be re-searched when the own vehicle H crosses a dark dot-hatched region. Then, a NO determination is made in step S77, and the control flow returns to step S71. After that, it is assumed that the own vehicle H has traveled to position H2 and the other vehicle J has traveled to position J2.

In step S71, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the risk of collision with another vehicle J based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit at the position H2. As shown in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the calculation result shows that the collision risk (collision score) with another vehicle J (position J2) is equal to or higher than a predetermined value even at position H2. Then, in the control flow, a YES determination is made in step S72. It is assumed that the own vehicle H has traveled to position H3 and the other vehicle J has traveled to position J3 at step S74. That is, assume that the own vehicle H crosses over an area with light dot hatching and enters an area beyond that with dark dot hatching.

Then, a YES determination is made in step S77, the lane change process is canceled midway, and the parking position is reset. Specifically, the emergency stop control unit 130 interrupts the control process in FIG. 3C, and the control flow returns to step S13 in FIG. 2A.

-Stopping position setting process-
In FIG. 2A, since the host vehicle H is traveling at position H3 (see FIG. 9), the determination in step S13 is YES, and the determination in step S15 is NO. Furthermore, since the emergency stop position has already been executed in the first flow, a YES determination is made in step S16, and the control flow proceeds to step S26.

In step S26, the evaluation value related to the dynamic evaluation of the analysis list L at a point _Px that is ahead of the current position of the host vehicle H is updated. FIG. 7C shows the updated analysis list L2. In FIG. 7C, the stop area R22 is located ahead of the own vehicle, but is not subject to evaluation (enter "-"), and other evaluations are assumed to be the same as in FIG. 7B. .

In the next step S30 (see FIG. 2C), a search and setting of an emergency stop position is performed. The process for setting the emergency stop position here is the same as the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (2)>>, and the next emergency stop position is set within the stoppable region R24.

-Evacuation route generation process-
In step S42, the stop route generation unit 132 generates an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set within the stoppable region R24.

-Deceleration process-
Since the host vehicle H has already been decelerated to a predetermined speed or less, a YES determination is made in step S43, the deceleration step is not executed here, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S44.

-Lane change process-
In step S71 of FIG. 3C, the risk calculation unit 133 calculates the risk of collision with another vehicle J based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit at position H3. Here, it is assumed that the other vehicle J (position J3) is traveling diagonally in front of the own vehicle H (position H2) at a faster speed than the own vehicle H. Therefore, it is assumed that the calculation result shows that the collision risk (collision score) is less than a predetermined value at position H3.

Then, a NO determination is made in step S72, and the emergency stop control unit 130 causes the own vehicle to change lanes from the third travel lane to the second travel lane (see position H4 to position H5 in FIG. 9). When the lane change to the second travel lane is completed, the lane change process of FIG. 3C is once completed. Thereafter, the control flow returns to step S44 in FIG. 3A, where the determination is NO, and again in step S70, a lane change process from the second driving lane to the first driving lane is executed (see position H6 to position H7 in FIG. 9). ).

-First lane driving process, stopping process-
The emergency stop in the stoppable region R24 is the same as the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (2)>>, and the explanation will be omitted here. When the host vehicle H finishes stopping at the emergency stop position (within the stop area R24), the evacuation drive control ends.

《Evacuation driving control (4)》
In the following description, it will be assumed that a driver abnormality is detected while the own vehicle H is traveling in the driving scene shown in FIG. 10A. Note that, as in the case of <<Evacuation Travel Control (3)>> described above, at the start of the control flow in FIG. 3A, the start point Ps and the end point Pe are set at the positions shown in FIG. 10A, and the analysis list L2 in FIG. 7A is It is assumed that it has been created.

Here, the explanation will focus on the differences from the above-mentioned <<Evacuation Travel Control (3)>>, and the explanation of operations common to <<Evacuation Travel Control (3)>> may be omitted. For example, the operations until the own vehicle H reaches the position H7, that is, the operations until the start of the "first driving lane driving process, stopping process" are the same as the above-mentioned <Evacuation driving control (1)> It is. Therefore, here, the operation from the point where the host vehicle H travels to the position H7 and the control process shown in FIG. 3D is started will be described. Note that when the host vehicle H is traveling at position H6, the other vehicle Jb that is parked in the stoppable area R24 cannot be recognized, and it is not until the host vehicle H reaches position H7 that the other vehicle Jb is recognized. It is assumed that this has been recognized.

-First lane driving process, stopping process-
In the example of FIG. 10A, when the own vehicle H comes to the position H7, the stop area R24 is recognized, that is, YES is determined in step S81. Since the other vehicle Jb is parked in the stoppable area R24, a YES determination is made in step S85. That is, when the emergency stop control unit 130 enters the stoppable region R24, the emergency stop control unit 130 determines that the risk of collision with another vehicle Ja is greater than a predetermined value, cancels the first travel lane traveling process midway, and resets the stop position. Execute. Specifically, the emergency stop control unit 130 interrupts the control process in FIG. 3D, and the control flow returns to step S13 in FIG. 2A.

-Stopping position setting process-
In FIG. 2A, since the own vehicle H is traveling at the position H, a YES determination is made in step S13, and a NO determination is made in step S15. Furthermore, since the emergency stop position has already been executed in the first flow, a YES determination is made in step S16, and the control flow proceeds to step S26.

In step S26, the evaluation value related to the dynamic evaluation of the analysis list L at a point _Px that is ahead of the current position of the host vehicle H is updated. FIG. 7D shows the updated analysis list L2. In FIG. 7D, "0" is set as the evaluation result of the quasi-dynamic obstacle for the region R24. As a result, "0" is set as the evaluation value of the road shoulder evaluation in the region R24. It is assumed that the evaluation values of the stoppable region R25 and the restricted region RN remain unchanged.

In the next step S30 (see FIG. 2C), a search and setting of an emergency stop position is performed.

In step S31 of FIG. 2C, only R25 is extracted as the stoppable area. As described above, since "0" is set as the evaluation value of the road shoulder evaluation in the region R24, it is not extracted as a stopable region.

Since only the stoppable region R25 has been extracted, the determination in step S32 is YES, and the determination in step S33 is NO. Then, in the next step S36, the emergency stop position is set within the stoppable region R25, and the stop position setting step is completed.

-Evacuation route generation process-
In step S42, the stop route generation unit 132 generates an evacuation route to the emergency stop position set within the stoppable region R25.

-Deceleration process-
Since the host vehicle H has already been decelerated to a predetermined speed or less, a YES determination is made in step S43, the deceleration step is not executed here, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S44.

-Lane change process-
Since the own vehicle H is already traveling in the first travel lane, a YES determination is made in step S44, the lane change process is not executed here, and the control flow proceeds to the next step S80.

-First lane driving process, stopping process-
The emergency stop in the stoppable area R25 is substantially the same as the stop in the stoppable area R24 in <Evacuation Driving Control (3)> described above, and the explanation will be omitted here. As shown in FIG. 10B, when the host vehicle H finishes stopping at the emergency stop position (within the stop area R25), the evacuation drive control ends.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 100 of the vehicle control device 10 determines the stop position at which the vehicle is to be stopped based on the information of the road shoulder area R stored in the storage unit 20 when making an emergency stop of the vehicle. a stop position setting step for setting a stop position; an evacuation route generation step for generating an evacuation route to the stop position; a deceleration step for decelerating the vehicle speed to a predetermined speed or less; a lane change step in which the vehicle changes lanes to a free space in a first travel lane; a first travel lane traveling step in which the vehicle travels at a speed below the predetermined speed in the first travel lane; The vehicle is configured to perform a stopping step of causing the vehicle to enter and stop. Then, the control unit 100 calculates a collision risk of colliding with an obstacle on the road based on the vehicle external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and if there is a process in which the collision risk is higher than a predetermined value, the control unit 100 calculates the collision risk of colliding with an obstacle on the road. The stopping position is set for canceling the process and executing the operation after the canceled process.

In this way, by canceling a process where the risk of colliding with an obstacle on the road exceeds a predetermined level and setting a stopping position for performing operations after the canceled process, the vehicle heads to the once set emergency stopping position. The evacuation route can be switched to a stopping position and an evacuation route that allow a safe emergency stop before the risk of collision becomes apparent due to subsequent changes in traffic flow.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and all modifications and changes that come within the range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

The technology disclosed herein includes a travel control unit that generates a target route to a target position based on vehicle exterior environment information recognized by vehicle exterior environment recognition means and controls the vehicle to follow the target route. , which is useful as a vehicle travel control device.

10 Vehicle control device (driving control device)
100 Control unit 20 Storage unit 30 Information acquisition unit R Roadside area

Claims (4)

A control unit that generates a target route to a target position based on external environment information acquired by an information acquisition unit installed in the vehicle and controls the vehicle to follow the target route, and road shoulder area information. and a storage section in which road information is stored ,
The control unit automatically stops the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in a second travel lane that is farther from the road shoulder area than the first travel lane adjacent to the road shoulder area.
a road shoulder evaluation step of performing a static evaluation based on the road information and a dynamic evaluation based on the vehicle external environment information on the road shoulder area to obtain the road shoulder area information;
searching for a stop position at which the vehicle is to be stopped based on the road shoulder area information, setting it as the target position, and generating an evacuation route to the stop position as the target route;
Decreasing the vehicle speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed or less;
changing lanes of the vehicle from the second travel lane to a free space of the first travel lane based on the vehicle exterior environment information;
running the vehicle at the predetermined speed or less in the first running lane, and causing the vehicle to enter and stop at the stopping position from the first running lane;
In each step, the risk of collision with an obstacle on the road is calculated based on the external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and if there is a step in which the risk of collision is greater than a predetermined value, the step is executed. The stop is canceled, and only the evaluation value related to the dynamic evaluation is updated without updating the evaluation value of the static evaluation in the road shoulder evaluation step, and the operation after the canceled step is executed. A vehicle travel control device characterized by setting a position. A control unit that generates a target route to a target position based on external environment information acquired by an information acquisition unit installed in the vehicle and controls the vehicle to follow the target route, and road shoulder area information. and a storage section in which road information is stored,
When the control unit automatically stops the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in a first travel lane adjacent to a road shoulder area,
a road shoulder evaluation step of performing a static evaluation based on the road information and a dynamic evaluation based on the vehicle external environment information on the road shoulder area to obtain the road shoulder area information;
searching for a stop position at which the vehicle is to be stopped based on the road shoulder area information, setting it as the target position, and generating an evacuation route to the stop position as the target route;
Decreasing the vehicle speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed or less;
Based on the vehicle exterior environment information, driving the vehicle to the stopping position, entering the vehicle from the first driving lane to the stopping position, and stopping the vehicle;
In each of the steps, a collision risk of colliding with an obstacle on the road is calculated based on the vehicle external environment information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and if there is a step in which the collision risk is higher than a predetermined value, the step is calculated. of the road shoulder evaluation process, without updating the evaluation value of the static evaluation, only the evaluation value related to the dynamic evaluation is updated, and the stop is performed to execute the operation after the canceled process. A vehicle travel control device characterized by setting a position. The travel control device according to claim 1 or 2,
When a physical condition abnormality of the driver of the vehicle is detected, the control section sets a limit on at least one of the elapsed time or the mileage since the physical condition abnormality is detected according to the physical condition abnormality, and the control section is configured to set a limit on at least one of the elapsed time or the mileage since the physical condition abnormality was detected, and to set a limit on at least one of the elapsed time or the mileage since the physical condition abnormality was detected, A travel control device for a vehicle, characterized in that the vehicle travel control device sets the stop position in the vehicle. The travel control device according to claim 3,
The control unit extracts, based on the road shoulder area information, an area in which the width and length of the road shoulder area are each equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value as a stopable area;
A vehicle running control device characterized in that, when there are a plurality of stopable areas, a priority is set according to the size of the stopable areas, and a stopable area with a high priority is set as the stop position. .

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