JP7461756B2 - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Description

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

A vehicle control device is known that improves the ride comfort of a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode by detecting the movements of occupants in the vehicle cabin and determining control amounts such as vehicle acceleration in response to the movements of the occupants (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-264681

In the vehicle control device described above, the amount of control of the vehicle is determined based on the detected movement of the occupant. However, the movement of the occupant while the vehicle is traveling is not limited to the movement of the vehicle, but is also influenced by the condition and body type of the occupant in the vehicle cabin, and therefore the detected movement of the occupant is not necessarily linked to the movement of the vehicle. Therefore, if the amount of control of the vehicle is determined based on the movement of the occupant that is not linked to the movement of the vehicle, there is a risk that the ride comfort of the vehicle will not be improved.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can improve the ride comfort of a vehicle.

A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires occupant motion information, which is information related to the motion of one or more occupants in the vehicle cabin, and vehicle motion information, which is information related to the motion of the vehicle; a generation unit that generates a model that estimates the motion of the occupant according to the motion of the vehicle in the second stage based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit in the first stage, by inputting the vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit in the second stage that is a stage subsequent to the first stage; a calculation unit that calculates a control amount of the vehicle so as to reduce the amount of motion of the occupant based on the estimation result of the model generated by the generation unit; and a control unit that controls the vehicle based on the control amount calculated by the calculation unit.

In addition, a vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first step of acquiring occupant motion information, which is information related to the motion of one or more occupants in the vehicle cabin, and vehicle motion information, which is information related to the motion of the vehicle; a second step of acquiring vehicle motion information after the first step; a third step of generating a model that estimates the motion of the occupant according to the motion of the vehicle in the second step based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information acquired in the first step by inputting the vehicle motion information acquired in the second step; a fourth step of calculating a control amount for the vehicle so as to reduce the amount of motion of the occupant based on the estimation result of the model generated in the third step; and a fifth step of controlling the vehicle based on the control amount calculated in the fourth step.

In these devices and methods, a process is performed to generate a model that estimates the movements of an occupant in the vehicle cabin based on the occupant movement information and vehicle movement information in the first stage or first step, and a process is performed to calculate a vehicle control amount so as to reduce the amount of occupant movement based on the estimation result of the model to which the vehicle movement information is input in the second stage or second step. As a result, the vehicle control amount is calculated based on the occupant movement linked to the vehicle movement, making it possible to control the vehicle to appropriately reduce the amount of occupant movement. As described above, these devices and methods can improve the ride comfort of the vehicle.

In the above vehicle control device, the acquisition unit acquires occupant motion information related to the motions of multiple occupants, the generation unit generates a model that estimates the motion of each of the two or more occupants based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information of at least two or more occupants among the occupant motion information related to the motions of the multiple occupants acquired by the acquisition unit, and the calculation unit may calculate a control amount so as to reduce the amount of motion of at least one of the two or more occupants based on the estimation result of the model that estimates the motion of each of the two or more occupants generated by the generation unit.

In addition, in the above vehicle control method, in a first step, occupant motion information relating to the motions of multiple occupants is acquired, and in a third step, a model that estimates the motions of each of the two or more occupants is generated based on the occupant motion information of at least two or more occupants and vehicle motion information among the occupant motion information relating to the motions of the multiple occupants acquired in the first step, and in a fourth step, a control amount is calculated so as to reduce the amount of motion of at least one of the two or more occupants based on the estimation result of the model that estimates the motions of each of the two or more occupants generated in the third step.

For example, inside the cabin of a vehicle such as a route bus, passengers may be in various positions, such as sitting or standing. With these devices and methods, the vehicle control amount is calculated based on a model that reflects the passengers' positions, making it possible to improve the ride comfort of the vehicle for each of the multiple passengers.

In the vehicle control device, the calculation unit may calculate the control amount so that the sum of the movement amounts of two or more occupants is minimized.

In addition, in the above vehicle control method, in the fourth step, the control amount may be calculated so that the sum of the movement amounts of two or more occupants is minimized.

With these devices and methods, the vehicle control amount is calculated so as to reduce the sum of the movement amounts of each occupant who is the subject of model generation, so that the ride comfort of the vehicle can be improved for multiple occupants, even in vehicles with multiple occupants of various types.

In the vehicle control device, the calculation unit may calculate the control amount so that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of two or more occupants is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold.

In addition, in the above vehicle control method, in the fourth step, the control amount may be calculated so that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of two or more occupants is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold value.

With these devices and methods, it is possible to ensure a certain level of ride comfort in a vehicle carrying multiple occupants of various types, regardless of the driving conditions.

In the above vehicle control device, the generation unit may generate a model that estimates the movements of each of all occupants for which occupant movement information has been acquired, based on all of the occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants acquired by the acquisition unit and the vehicle movement information.

In addition, in the above vehicle control method, in a third step, a model may be generated that estimates the movements of each of all occupants for which occupant movement information has been obtained, based on all of the occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants obtained in the first step and the vehicle movement information.

These devices and methods can improve the ride comfort of the vehicle for all passengers inside the vehicle.

The vehicle control device may further include a selection unit that calculates the movement amounts of multiple occupants based on occupant movement information related to the movements of the multiple occupants acquired by the acquisition unit in the first stage when the number of occupants in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold, and selects a target occupant who is an occupant with the maximum movement amount in each of multiple areas divided into the vehicle cabin, and the generation unit may generate a model that estimates the movement of each of the target occupants selected by the selection unit in each of the multiple areas.

The vehicle control method may further include a sixth step, prior to the third step, of calculating the movement amounts of multiple occupants based on occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants acquired in the first step when the number of occupants in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold, and selecting a target occupant who is an occupant with the maximum movement amount in each of multiple areas into which the vehicle cabin is divided, and in the third step, a model may be generated to estimate the movement of each of the target occupants selected in the sixth step in each of the multiple areas.

For example, when a vehicle has many occupants, it may be difficult to control the vehicle based on a model that estimates the actions of the many occupants. Therefore, it is possible to calculate the amount of control of the vehicle based on the actions of some of the occupants in the vehicle cabin. However, for example, the actions of the occupants in the front and rear of the vehicle differ in response to the action of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the vehicle is controlled based on the amount of control of the vehicle calculated based on the actions of the few occupants, it may not be possible to improve the ride comfort of the vehicle for the other occupants in the vehicle cabin. In contrast, according to the device and method of the present invention, the amount of control of the vehicle is calculated based on a model of a target occupant who has the maximum amount of movement in each area, so that even in a vehicle with many occupants, the ride comfort of the vehicle can be improved for each of the many occupants regardless of their position in the vehicle cabin.

The present invention provides a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can improve the ride comfort of a vehicle.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage scene of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state equation related to an occupant model. 5 is a flowchart showing an occupant model calculation process according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle control process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage scene of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by an ECU in a second embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.
[First embodiment]

The vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment is a system that calculates the control amount of the vehicle M so as to reduce the amount of movement of the occupant P who is in the vehicle M. The vehicle M is, for example, a route bus on which one or more occupants P ride. The amount of movement of the occupant P is the amount of movement, the amount of rotation, and the speed of these. FIG. 2 is a diagram that shows an example of a usage scene of the vehicle control system 1 according to the first embodiment. In the interior of the vehicle M, an aisle through which the occupants P move and a plurality of seats for the plurality of occupants P to sit are arranged. In the following, in this embodiment, the operation of the vehicle control system 1 when a plurality of occupants P of various types, from children to the elderly, regardless of gender, age, etc., are in the vehicle interior will be described, but the operation of the vehicle control system 1 is executed in the same way even when only one occupant P is in the vehicle interior.

In the vehicle control system 1, the ECU 10 (vehicle control device) grasps the movements of each of the multiple occupants P and the movement of the vehicle M, estimates the movements of each of the multiple occupants P linked to the movement of the vehicle M, and controls the vehicle M so as to reduce the amount of movement of the multiple occupants P.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control system 1 includes an ECU 10 (vehicle control device), a plurality of cameras 20, an internal sensor 30, and an actuator 40. Each component of the vehicle control system 1 is mounted on the vehicle M.

The ECU 10 calculates the control amount of the vehicle M so as to reduce the amount of movement of multiple occupants P in the vehicle cabin. The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU [Central Processing Unit], a ROM [Read Only Memory], a RAM [Random Access Memory], and a CAN [Controller Area Network] communication circuit. The ECU 10 loads programs stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes the programs loaded into the RAM with the CPU to realize various functions. The ECU 10 may be composed of multiple electronic control units. Multiple cameras 20, internal sensors 30, and actuators 40 are connected to the ECU 10 via the CAN communication circuit.

The multiple cameras 20 capture images of multiple occupants P in the vehicle M. As shown in FIG. 2, the multiple cameras 20 are arranged in the vehicle cabin so that the position and posture of each of the multiple occupants P can be captured by any of the cameras 20 regardless of where the multiple occupants P are located in the vehicle cabin. The multiple cameras 20 are provided, for example, at an upper part of the vehicle cabin with a space between each other. Each camera 20 inputs image information captured at a predetermined cycle to the ECU 10.

The internal sensor 30 detects various information related to the driving conditions of the vehicle M. The internal sensor 30 includes at least a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, an acceleration/deceleration sensor that detects the acceleration/deceleration, and a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle. The internal sensor 30 inputs the detection values of each sensor to the ECU 10 as detection value information.

The actuator 40 is a device that executes driving control of the vehicle M. The actuator 40 includes at least an engine actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator. The engine actuator controls the amount of air supplied to the engine (throttle opening) in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, thereby controlling the driving force of the vehicle M. If the vehicle M is a hybrid vehicle (hybrid bus), in addition to the amount of air supplied to the engine, a control signal from the ECU 10 is input to a motor as a power source to control the driving force. If the vehicle M is an electric vehicle (electric bus), a control signal from the ECU 10 is input to a motor as a power source to control the driving force. The brake actuator controls a brake system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, and controls the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle M. A hydraulic brake system can be used as the brake system. The steering actuator controls the drive of an assist motor that controls the steering torque of the electric power steering system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. As a result, the steering actuator controls the steering torque of the vehicle M.

Next, the functional configuration of the ECU 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The ECU 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a generation unit 12, a calculation unit 13, a control unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

The acquisition unit 11 acquires occupant operation information, which is information related to the operations of multiple occupants P in the vehicle cabin, and vehicle operation information, which is information related to the operation of the vehicle M. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 acquires occupant operation information of all occupants P present in the vehicle cabin. In this embodiment, the occupant operation information is image information in which the positions and postures of each of the multiple occupants P are captured by the multiple cameras 20. In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle operation information is steering angle information and speed information of the vehicle M among the detection value information acquired by the internal sensor 30. The acquisition unit 11 acquires occupant operation information and vehicle operation information in the first stage. The first stage is, for example, one or more timings during a period in which the running state of the vehicle M is stable, such as several tens of seconds after the vehicle M departs after multiple occupants P get on the vehicle M stopped at a bus stop, bus terminal, etc. When the first stage is one timing, the acquisition unit 11 acquires only the occupant operation information and vehicle operation information acquired at one timing. If the first stage includes a plurality of timings, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the occupant motion information and the vehicle motion information acquired at each of the plurality of timings. The acquisition unit 11 also acquires the vehicle motion information, for example, at a predetermined cycle, in a second stage that is a stage subsequent to the first stage. The second stage is a stage subsequent to the first stage and a stage after an occupant model (details of which will be described later) is generated by the generation unit 12. Specifically, the second stage is, for example, immediately after the occupant model is generated.

The generation unit 12 generates an occupant model (model) based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the first stage. The occupant model is a model that estimates the motion of an occupant P corresponding to the motion of the vehicle M in the second stage by inputting the vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the second stage. In this embodiment, the generation unit 12 generates an occupant model that estimates the motion of each of all occupants P for which occupant motion information has been acquired (i.e., all occupants P present in the vehicle cabin) based on all of the occupant motion information relating to the motions of multiple occupants P acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and the vehicle motion information.

Here, a method for generating an occupant model by the generation unit 12 will be described in detail. First, the generation unit 12 recognizes the position and posture of each of the multiple occupants P, for example, using a machine learning method such as a neural network, based on image information (occupant operation information) in which the position and posture of each of the multiple occupants P is captured by the multiple cameras 20. The generation unit 12 generates an occupant model based on the recognized position and posture of each occupant P, as well as steering angle information and speed information (vehicle operation information) of the vehicle M. In this way, the occupant model is generated taking into consideration the track record of the operation (behavior) of the occupant P relative to the operation (behavior) of the vehicle. When occupant operation information and vehicle operation information at multiple timings are acquired in the first stage, the generation unit 12 may generate the occupant model, for example, taking into consideration a change in the occupant operation information corresponding to a change in the vehicle operation information. Furthermore, when only occupant operation information and vehicle operation information at one timing are acquired in the first stage, the generation unit 12 may generate the occupant model, for example, taking into consideration a difference between a reference posture and a posture recognized from the occupant operation information (occupant operation information corresponding to the vehicle operation information).

The occupant model is constituted by the physical models of the following equations (1) and (2).
[X]' = A [X] + Bu... (1)
[Y] = C[X] ... (2)

The above formula (1) is a state equation that represents the state of the operation of the vehicle M and the state of the operation of each of the multiple occupants P, and the above formula (2) is an output equation of the above formula (1). In the above formula (1), [X] represents a term for the vehicle state quantity, which is a six-dimensional vector quantity consisting of six state variables, and a term for the occupant state quantity, which is a ten-dimensional vector quantity consisting of ten state variables. A and B represent determinants whose elements are functions, coefficients, etc. u represents an input to the occupant model (i.e., vehicle operation information). A, B, and u will be described in detail later. The symbol "'" of [X]' represents the time differential of [X]. In the above formula (2), [Y] represents a vector quantity that represents the output from the occupant model (i.e., the estimated result of the model). C is a determinant whose elements are functions, coefficients, etc., and is a unit matrix in this embodiment. The generation unit 12 determines parameters A and B (values of coefficients, etc.) for each of the multiple occupants P based on the occupant operation information and vehicle operation information in the first stage. The "generating a riding model" of the generating unit 12 means determining the parameters A and B for each of the multiple occupants P. The calculating unit 13, which will be described later, derives a 10-dimensional occupant state quantity term [X] for each occupant P so as to satisfy the above formula (1) using u, which is the vehicle operation information in the second stage, as input, derives [Y], which is the estimated result of the occupant model, based on the above formula (2), and calculates the control amount of the vehicle M so as to reduce the operation amount of each occupant P (details will be described later).

The six state variables representing the vehicle state quantities in [X] are variables related to the operation of the vehicle M, which represent the position, attitude and changes therein, and consist of Xg, Yg, Ψ, Vx, Vy, and _ωΨ . As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle M can be approximated as a rigid body model. If the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle M is the X axis, the axis in the lateral direction of the vehicle M is the Y axis, and the axis in the vertical direction of the vehicle M is the Z axis, and the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are mutually orthogonal and pass through the center of gravity of the vehicle M, then Xg is the momentum of the vehicle M in the X axis direction. Furthermore, Yg is the momentum of the vehicle M in the Y axis direction, and Ψ is the rotation angle of the vehicle M around the Z axis (in other words, the attitude angle of the vehicle M). Furthermore, Vx is the velocity of Xg, Vy is the velocity of Yg, and _ωΨ is the angular velocity of Ψ.

The ten state variables in [X] expressing the occupant state quantities are variables related to the position, posture, and movement of the occupant P expressing the changes therein, and are composed of xg, yg, ψ, φ, θ, vx, vy, ω _ψ , ω _φ , and ω _θ . As shown in FIG. 4, the movement of the occupant P, which changes in response to the movement of the vehicle M, can be roughly divided into the movement of the lower body PB and the movement of the upper body PU. That is, the lower body PB of the occupant P is likely to move in the front-rear and left-right directions of the occupant P in response to the movement of the vehicle M. On the other hand, the lower end portion of the upper body PU of the occupant P is fixed to the lower body PB, but the head is easy to move, so that the upper body PU is likely to rotate in the front-rear and left-right directions of the occupant P and to twist around an axis along the up-down direction of the upper body PU.

By focusing on the movement of the occupant P in response to the movement of the vehicle M, the lower body PB of the occupant P can be approximated as a rigid body model, and the upper body PU of the occupant P can be approximated as an inverted pendulum model with the center of the lower end of the upper body PU as the fulcrum L and the head as the weight. If the axis in the front-rear direction of the occupant P centered on the center of gravity of the occupant P is the x-axis, the axis in the left-right direction of the occupant P perpendicular to the x-axis is the y-axis, and the axis perpendicular to the x-axis and y-axis is the z-axis, it can be assumed that the rigid body model corresponding to the lower body PB of the occupant P moves in the front-rear direction (x-axis) and the left-right direction (y-axis). The above-mentioned xg is the momentum of the occupant P in the x-axis direction, and yg is the momentum of the occupant P in the y-axis direction. Also, vx is the velocity of xg, and vy is the velocity of yg.

As described above, when the vehicle M and the lower body PB of the occupant P are approximated as a rigid body model and the upper body PU of the occupant P is approximated as an inverted pendulum model, the physical relationship between each state variable in the vehicle state quantity and each state variable in the occupant state quantity for each of the multiple occupants P is expressed by an equation expressing the geometric positional relationship and a first-order differential equation, and the state equation of the above formula (1) and the output equation of the above formula (2) can be obtained.

Here, the state equation constituting the occupant model will be described in detail using a concrete example. The equation shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a state equation (the above formula (1)) in which the variables A, [X], B, and u are specifically expressed. A is a determinant whose elements are functions, coefficients, etc. related to each state variable of the vehicle state quantity and each state variable of the occupant state quantity of each of the multiple occupants P.

In [X], six state variables (Xg, Yg, Ψ, Vx, Vy, _ωΨ ) of the vehicle M are defined as the first term, followed by ten state variables (xg, yg, ψ, φ, θ, vx, vy, ωψ, _ωφ , _ωθ ) of the first occupant P recognized in the vehicle cabin, followed by ten state variables (xg, yg, ψ, φ, θ, vx, vy, _ωψ , _{ωφ , ωθ} ) of the second occupant P, and so on, arranging the state variables of the vehicle M and the state variables of all occupants P in the vehicle cabin. Each state variable in [X] is calculated by the calculation unit 13, which will be described later.

B is a determinant whose elements are functions, coefficients, etc. related to the state variables of vehicle M. u is two state variables (F, δ) of vehicle M. F is the torque of the accelerator, brake, etc. of vehicle M, and δ is the steering angle of vehicle M. Each state variable of u is calculated by the calculation unit 13, which will be described later.

The generation unit 12 generates an occupant model configured by the physical models of the above-described formula (1) and formula (2). Specifically, the generation unit 12 determines parameters A and B of the above formula (1) for each of the multiple occupants P. Specifically, the generation unit 12 calculates each variable including τ and K1 to K5 in A for each of the multiple occupants P based on the vehicle operation information and occupant operation information in the first stage. In addition, the generation unit 12 calculates each variable including variables m and c in B based on the vehicle operation information in the first stage. m is the weight of the vehicle M, and c is a constant for converting the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle M into the angular velocity _ωΨ of the vehicle M.

The six state variables (Xg, Yg, Ψ, Vx, Vy, _ωΨ ) of the vehicle M are calculated by the calculation unit 13 described later based on the vehicle operation information in the second stage. In addition, the ten state variables of each of the multiple occupants P are calculated by the calculation unit 13 described later based on the vehicle operation information in the second stage so as to satisfy the above equation (1) of the occupant model generated by the generation unit 12. The generation unit 12 stores the generated occupant model in the memory unit 15. The memory unit 15 stores the occupant model generated by the generation unit 12.

The calculation unit 13 calculates the control amount of the vehicle M so as to reduce the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P, based on the estimation result of the occupant model generated by the generation unit 12. The estimation result of the occupant model is the state variables of each of the multiple occupants P according to the movement of the vehicle M in the second stage. The calculation unit 13 calculates six state variables (Xg, Yg, Ψ, Vx, Vy, _ωΨ ) of the vehicle M, based on the vehicle movement information in the second stage.

Here, a method of obtaining the estimation result will be described. First, when the acquisition unit 11 obtains the vehicle operation information in the second stage, the calculation unit 13 calculates the input variables (F, δ) of the vehicle M based on the vehicle operation information, and inputs the state variables to u in the above formula (1) of the occupant model. The calculation unit 13 also calculates state variables (Xg, Yg, Ψ, Vx, Vy, _ωΨ ) of the vehicle M based on the vehicle operation information, and inputs the state variables to the state variable terms of the vehicle M among the terms of [X] in the above formula (1) of the occupant model. Then, the calculation unit 13 estimates and calculates the values of the state variables of each of the multiple occupants P so as to satisfy the above formula (1) (so that each data is most consistent with each other). By performing such an estimation calculation on the occupant model, it is possible to obtain 10 state variables of each of the multiple occupants P, which are the estimation results.

The calculation unit 13 estimates the amount of movement of each of the multiple occupants P based on each state variable that is the estimated result. In this embodiment, the amount of movement of each of the multiple occupants P is the amount of movement, amount of rotation, and their speed of the occupant, which are represented by the values of each state variable. The amount of movement of each of the multiple occupants P may be an index value or the like calculated based on the values of the 10 state variables.

The calculation unit 13 then calculates the control amount of the vehicle M so that the total movement amount, which is the sum of the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P, is minimized, for example. Furthermore, the calculation unit 13 may calculate the control amount so that the maximum movement amount of the multiple occupants P is lower than a predetermined movement threshold. In this case, the calculation unit 13 may input the control amount to the control unit 14 described later only when the maximum movement amount is lower than the movement threshold. The movement threshold is, for example, a predetermined value, and is an allowable limit value of the movement amount that does not make the occupant in the vehicle cabin feel uncomfortable. If the calculation unit 13 determines that the maximum movement amount of the multiple occupants P is not lower than the movement threshold, it recalculates the control amount of the vehicle M so that the total movement amount is minimized. The total movement amount here is a movement amount different from the already calculated total movement amount. In this embodiment, the control amount of the vehicle M is the speed and steering angle of the vehicle M. The calculation unit 13 repeats the calculation of the control amount of the vehicle M until the above-mentioned maximum movement amount is lower than the movement threshold.

The control unit 14 controls the vehicle M based on the control amount calculated by the calculation unit 13. Specifically, for example, the control unit 14 controls the speed and steering angle of the vehicle M by controlling the engine actuator, the brake actuator, and the steering actuator of the actuator 40 based on the calculated control amount.

Next, the occupant model generation process executed by the ECU 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to this embodiment. The occupant model generation process is a process executed by the ECU 10 when the traveling condition of the vehicle M becomes stable, for example, after multiple occupants P get on the vehicle M stopped at a bus stop, bus terminal, etc., and the vehicle M departs, several tens of seconds later, etc.

First, in S11, the ECU 10 acquires image information (occupant movement information) in which the positions and postures of the multiple occupants P are captured by the multiple cameras 20, and in S12, acquires steering angle information and speed information (vehicle movement information) of the vehicle M (first step). The processes of S11 and S12 may be performed at the same timing. In addition, the processes of S11 and S12 may be performed only once or multiple times within a predetermined period. Next, in S13, the ECU 10 generates an occupant model based on the occupant movement information acquired in S11 and the vehicle movement information acquired in S12 (third step). The occupant model is a physical model composed of the state equation of the above formula (1) and the output equation of the above formula (2). In this embodiment, the ECU 10 generates a model that estimates the movements of all occupants P in the vehicle cabin. Next, in S14, the ECU 10 stores the occupant model generated in S13. This completes the occupant model generation process.

Next, the vehicle control process executed by the ECU 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the vehicle control method according to this embodiment. The vehicle control process is a process executed by the ECU 10 after the occupant model generation process, and is executed, for example, immediately after the occupant model generation process is completed.

First, in S21, the ECU 10 acquires vehicle operation information (second step). Next, in S22, the ECU 10 estimates the amount of operation of each of the multiple occupants P based on the estimation result of the occupant model generated in S13, and calculates the amount of control of the vehicle M so as to reduce the amount of operation of the multiple occupants P in S23 (fourth step). Specifically, in S22, the ECU 10 calculates state variables (Xg, Yg, Ψ, Vx, Vy, _ωΨ ) and input variables (F, δ) of the operation of the vehicle M based on the vehicle operation information acquired in S21, inputs the state variables of the operation of the vehicle M to the term of the state variables of the vehicle M in [X] of the above formula (1) of the occupant model generated in S13, and inputs the input variables of the operation of the vehicle M to u. Next, ECU 10 estimates the movement amounts of each of the multiple occupants P in response to the movement of the vehicle M in S21 by estimating and calculating the state variables (xg, yg, ψ, φ, θ, vx, vy, ω _ψ , ω _φ , ω _θ ) of each of the multiple occupants P so that the data are most consistent with each other.

Next, in S23, the ECU 10 calculates the control amount of the vehicle M so that the total movement amount, which is the sum of the movement amounts of each of the multiple occupants P, is minimized. In this embodiment, the control amount of the vehicle M is the speed and steering angle of the vehicle M. Next, in S24, the ECU 10 determines whether the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of each of the multiple occupants P is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold. If the ECU 10 determines that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P is lower than the movement amount threshold (S24: YES), in S25, the ECU 10 controls the vehicle M based on the control amount calculated in S23. Specifically, the ECU 10 controls the speed and steering angle of the vehicle M by controlling the engine actuator, brake actuator, and steering actuator of the actuator 40 based on the calculated control amount.

On the other hand, if the ECU 10 determines that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P is not lower than the movement amount threshold (S24: NO), in S26, it recalculates the control amount of the vehicle M that minimizes the sum of the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P, and returns to the processing of S24.

Next, in S27, the ECU 10 determines whether the vehicle M has stopped. Here, "the vehicle M has stopped" means that the speed of the vehicle M has become zero. If the ECU 10 determines that the vehicle M has stopped (S27: YES), the ECU 10 ends the vehicle control process. On the other hand, if the ECU 10 determines that the vehicle M has not stopped, the process returns to S21.

The ECU 10 according to the first embodiment is a vehicle control device that includes an acquisition unit 11 that acquires occupant motion information, which is information related to the motion of one or more occupants P in the vehicle cabin, and vehicle motion information, which is information related to the motion of the vehicle M; a generation unit 12 that generates a model that estimates the motion of the occupant P according to the motion of the vehicle M in the second stage based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the first stage, by inputting the vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the second stage, which is a stage subsequent to the first stage; a calculation unit 13 that calculates a control amount of the vehicle M so as to reduce the motion amount of the occupant P based on the estimation result of the model generated by the generation unit 12; and a control unit 14 that controls the vehicle M based on the control amount calculated by the calculation unit 13.

The vehicle control method according to the first embodiment includes a first step of acquiring occupant motion information, which is information related to the motion of one or more occupants P in the vehicle cabin, and vehicle motion information, which is information related to the motion of the vehicle M; a second step of acquiring vehicle motion information after the first step; a third step of generating a model that estimates the motion of the occupant P according to the motion of the vehicle M in the second step based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information acquired in the first step, by inputting the vehicle motion information acquired in the second step; a fourth step of calculating a control amount for the vehicle M so as to reduce the motion amount of the occupant P based on the estimation result of the model generated in the third step; and a fifth step of controlling the vehicle M based on the control amount calculated in the fourth step.

In these devices and methods according to the first embodiment, a process is performed to generate an occupant model that estimates the movement of occupant P in the vehicle cabin based on occupant movement information and vehicle movement information in the first stage or first step, and a process is performed to calculate a control amount for vehicle M so as to reduce the movement amount of occupant P based on the estimation result of the occupant model to which vehicle movement information is input in the second stage or second step. As a result, the control amount for vehicle M is calculated based on the movement of occupant P linked to the movement of vehicle M, so that vehicle M can be controlled to appropriately reduce the movement amount of occupant P. Therefore, according to these devices and methods according to the first embodiment, it is possible to improve the ride comfort of vehicle M.

In the above vehicle control device, the acquisition unit 11 acquires occupant motion information related to the motions of multiple occupants P, the generation unit 12 generates an occupant model that estimates the motions of each of the two or more occupants P based on the occupant motion information and vehicle motion information of at least two or more occupants P among the occupant motion information related to the motions of the multiple occupants P acquired by the acquisition unit 11, and the calculation unit 13 calculates a control amount so as to reduce the amount of motion of at least one of the two or more occupants P based on the estimation result of the occupant model that estimates the motion of each of the two or more occupants P generated by the generation unit 12.

In addition, in the above vehicle control method, in the first step, occupant motion information relating to the motions of multiple occupants P is acquired, and in the third step, an occupant model that estimates the motion of each of the two or more occupants P is generated based on the occupant motion information of at least two or more occupants P and vehicle motion information among the occupant motion information relating to the motions of the multiple occupants P acquired in the first step, and in the fourth step, a control amount is calculated so as to reduce the motion amount of at least one of the two or more occupants P based on the estimation result of the occupant model that estimates the motion of each of the two or more occupants P generated in the third step.

For example, in the cabin of a vehicle M, such as a route bus, occupants P may be in various positions, such as sitting or standing. According to these devices and methods, the control amount of the vehicle M is calculated based on an occupant model that is generated by reflecting the posture of the occupant P, so that the ride comfort of the vehicle M can be improved for each of the multiple occupants P.

In the vehicle control device, the calculation unit 13 calculates the control amount so that the sum of the movement amounts of two or more occupants P is minimized.

In addition, in the fourth step of the vehicle control method, the control amount is calculated so that the sum of the movement amounts of two or more occupants P is minimized.

With these devices and methods, the control amount of the vehicle M is calculated so as to reduce the sum of the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P, so that the ride comfort of the vehicle M can be improved for the multiple occupants P even in the case of the vehicle M being a route bus carrying multiple occupants P under various conditions.

In the above vehicle control device, the calculation unit 13 calculates the control amount so that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of two or more occupants P is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold value.

In addition, in the fourth step of the vehicle control method, the control amount is calculated so that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of two or more occupants P is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold.

With these devices and methods, it is possible to ensure a certain level of ride comfort in vehicle M, for example a route bus carrying many passengers P under various conditions, regardless of the driving state of vehicle M.

In the above vehicle control device, the generation unit 12 generates an occupant model that estimates the movements of all occupants P for which occupant movement information has been acquired, based on all of the occupant movement information relating to the movements of multiple occupants P acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and the vehicle movement information.

In the third step of the vehicle control method, an occupant model is generated that estimates the movements of all occupants P for which occupant movement information has been acquired, based on all of the occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants P acquired in the first step and the vehicle movement information.

These devices and methods can improve the ride comfort of the vehicle M for all occupants P in the vehicle cabin.
[Second embodiment]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of a usage scene of the vehicle control system 1 according to the second embodiment. There are many occupants P in the cabin of the vehicle M. In such a case, it may be difficult to generate an occupant model that estimates the movements of each of the multiple occupants P and calculate the control amount of the vehicle M so that the movements of the multiple occupants P are reduced based on the estimation results of the occupant model. Therefore, the vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment selects a specific occupant P from the multiple occupants P when multiple occupants P are riding on the vehicle M, which is a route bus, and calculates the control amount of the vehicle M based on the estimation results of the occupant model that estimates the movements of the specific occupant P.

As shown in FIG. 9, the ECU 10 further includes a selection unit 16. When the number of occupants P in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold, the selection unit 16 calculates the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P based on the occupant movement information related to the movements of the multiple occupants P acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the first stage, and selects a target occupant Pt having the maximum movement amount in each of the multiple areas R into which the vehicle cabin is divided.

Now, a method for selecting the target occupant Pt will be described. First, the selection unit 16 estimates the number of occupants P present in the vehicle cabin based on the occupant movement information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the first stage. Then, the selection unit 16 determines whether the estimated number of occupants P is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold. The occupant number threshold is set, for example, to the allowable maximum number of occupants P for which the control amount of the vehicle M can be calculated so as to reduce the movement amount of multiple occupants P based on the estimation result of the occupant model.

When the selection unit 16 determines that the number of occupants P is higher than the occupant number threshold, the selection unit 16 selects a target occupant Pt in each area R. First, the selection unit 16 calculates the movement amounts of multiple occupants P (e.g., the movement amounts of all occupants P) based on the occupant movement amounts acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the first stage. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the selection unit 16 recognizes the interior of the vehicle M as multiple areas R. In this embodiment, the multiple areas R are, for example, preset virtual regions into which the interior of the vehicle is divided, and in this embodiment, the virtual regions are six equal regions into which the interior of the vehicle is divided. The selection unit 16 estimates the occupant P who has the largest movement amount among the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P in each area R, and selects the occupant P as the target occupant Pt.

When the target occupant Pt is selected by the selection unit 16, the generation unit 12 generates a target occupant model (model), which is an occupant model that estimates the movement of each of the target occupants Pt selected by the selection unit 16 in each area R. The calculation unit 13 calculates the control amount of the vehicle M from the movement amount of each of the target occupants Pt estimated based on the target occupant model so that, for example, the total movement amount is minimized. Then, for example, when the maximum movement amount of each of the target occupants Pt is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold, the calculation unit 13 inputs the control amount to the control unit 14 described later. On the other hand, when the calculation unit 13 determines that the maximum movement amount of each of the target occupants Pt is not lower than the predetermined movement amount threshold, it recalculates the control amount of the vehicle M that minimizes the total movement amount. Note that, when the selection unit 16 determines that the number of occupants P is not higher than the occupant number threshold, it does not select the target occupant Pt.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, the target occupant model generation process executed by the ECU 10 of the second embodiment will be described. The processes of S31 and S32 are similar to those of S11 and S12. In S33, the ECU 10 determines whether the number of occupants P in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold. If the ECU 10 determines that the number of occupants P in the vehicle cabin is higher than the occupant number threshold (S33: YES), in S34, it selects a target occupant Pt in each area R (sixth step).

Next, in S35, the ECU 10 generates a target occupant model that estimates the movement of each target occupant Pt selected in S34 for each area R. Next, in S36, the ECU 10 stores the target occupant model generated in S35 in the memory unit 15. This completes the target occupant model generation process.

If the ECU 10 determines that the number of occupants P in the vehicle cabin is not higher than the occupant number threshold (S33: NO), it executes normal processing in S37. The normal processing here means the processing equivalent to S13 to S14.

Next, we will explain the effects of this embodiment.

The ECU 10 according to the second embodiment is a vehicle control device that, when the number of occupants P in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold, further includes a selection unit 16 that calculates the movement amounts of multiple occupants P based on occupant movement information relating to the movements of multiple occupants P acquired by the acquisition unit 11 in the first stage, and selects a target occupant Pt, who is an occupant P with the maximum movement amount, in each of multiple areas R into which the vehicle cabin is divided, and a generation unit 12 generates an occupant model that estimates the movement of each of the target occupants Pt selected by the selection unit 16 in each of the multiple areas R.

In addition, the vehicle control method according to the second embodiment further includes a sixth step, prior to the third step, in which, if the number of occupants P in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold, the movement amounts of the multiple occupants P are calculated based on occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants P acquired in the first step, and a target occupant Pt is selected, who is the occupant P with the maximum movement amount, in each of the multiple areas R into which the vehicle cabin is divided. In the third step, an occupant model is generated in each of the multiple areas R to estimate the movement of each of the target occupants Pt selected in the sixth step.

For example, when many occupants P are aboard a vehicle M such as a route bus during a crowded time, it may be difficult to control the vehicle M based on an occupant model that estimates the actions of many occupants P. Therefore, it is possible to calculate the control amount of the vehicle M based on the actions of some of the occupants P in the vehicle cabin, but for example, the actions of the occupants P in response to the actions of the vehicle M differ between the front and rear of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the vehicle M is controlled based on the control amount of the vehicle M calculated based on the actions of the some of the occupants P, it may not be possible to improve the ride comfort of the vehicle M for the other occupants P in the vehicle cabin. In contrast, according to these devices and methods, the control amount of the vehicle M is calculated based on the target occupant model of the target occupant Pt who has the maximum amount of movement in each area R, so that even in a vehicle M with many occupants P aboard, the ride comfort of the vehicle M can be improved for each of the many occupants P regardless of their position in the vehicle cabin.
[Modification]

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the vehicle M is not limited to a route bus, but may be other types of large buses, ordinary passenger cars, etc. Furthermore, the target of the above-described vehicle control device and vehicle control method is not limited to all passengers in the cabin of the vehicle M, but may be, for example, multiple occupants P who satisfy a predetermined condition, or, for example, if there is only one occupant in the cabin, the target may be that one occupant P.

The occupant operation information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is not limited to information acquired from multiple cameras 20, and may be acquired, for example, from a single camera 20. The occupant operation information may be information acquired from other sensors, such as a motion sensor installed in the vehicle cabin, or may be information acquired from a combination of multiple types of sensors. The vehicle operation information may be other information, such as acceleration information of the vehicle M.

The timing of the first stage and the occupant model generation process is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The timing of the first stage and the occupant model generation process may be, for example, immediately after the stopped vehicle M starts moving, that is, when the speed of the vehicle M changes from zero, or may be, for example, a timing input and set by the driver of the vehicle M to the ECU 10 via an input unit or the like of the vehicle control system 1. The timing of the second stage and the vehicle control process is also not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The timing of the second stage and the vehicle control process may be, for example, a timing when the internal sensor 30 or the like detects that the vehicle M is traveling on a road where the amount of movement of the occupant P is likely to be large, such as when the vehicle M passes through a road with many curves, or may be, for example, a timing input and set by the driver of the vehicle M to the ECU 10 via an input unit or the like of the vehicle control system 1.

Furthermore, the occupant model is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the state equation constituting the occupant model, the entire body of the occupant P may be approximated as a rigid body model, and only xg, yg, vx, and vy may be the state variables of the movement of the occupant P.

10...ECU (vehicle control device), 11...acquisition unit, 12...generation unit, 13...calculation unit, 14...control unit, 16...selection unit, M...vehicle, P...occupant, Pt...target occupant, R...area.

Claims (8)

an acquisition unit that acquires occupant operation information, which is information related to the operation of one or more occupants in the vehicle cabin, and vehicle operation information, which is information related to the operation of the vehicle;
a generation unit that generates a model for estimating a motion of the occupant in accordance with a motion of the vehicle in a second stage, which is a stage subsequent to the first stage, based on the occupant motion information and the vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit in a first stage, by inputting the vehicle motion information acquired by the acquisition unit in the second stage;
a calculation unit that calculates a control amount of the vehicle so as to reduce a movement amount of the occupant based on an estimation result of the model generated by the generation unit;
a control unit that controls the vehicle based on the control amount calculated by the calculation unit ,
The acquisition unit acquires the occupant movement information related to a plurality of movements of the occupant,
the generation unit generates the model for estimating a motion of each of the two or more occupants based on the occupant motion information of at least two or more of the occupants and the vehicle motion information among the occupant motion information related to the motions of the plurality of occupants acquired by the acquisition unit,
the calculation unit calculates the control amount based on an estimation result of the model that estimates a movement of each of the two or more occupants generated by the generation unit, so as to reduce an amount of movement of at least one of the two or more occupants;
a selection unit that, when the number of the occupants in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold, calculates amounts of movement of the multiple occupants based on the occupant movement information related to the movements of the multiple occupants acquired by the acquisition unit in the first stage, and selects a target occupant who is the occupant having the maximum amount of movement in each of multiple areas into which the vehicle cabin is divided,
The generation unit generates the model that estimates the movement of each of the target occupants selected by the selection unit in each of the multiple areas. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the control amount so that a sum of the amounts of the movements of the two or more occupants is minimized. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the control amount such that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of the two or more occupants is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold value. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the generation unit generates the model to estimate the movements of each of all occupants for which the occupant movement information has been acquired, based on all of the occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants acquired by the acquisition unit and the vehicle movement information. A first step of acquiring occupant operation information, which is information related to an operation of one or more occupants in a vehicle cabin, and vehicle operation information, which is information related to an operation of a vehicle;
a second step of acquiring the vehicle operation information after the first step;
a third step of generating a model for estimating a motion of the occupant in response to the motion of the vehicle in the second step based on the occupant motion information and the vehicle motion information acquired in the first step and receiving the vehicle motion information acquired in the second step;
a fourth step of calculating a control amount of the vehicle based on an estimation result of the model generated in the third step so as to reduce a movement amount of the occupant;
and a fifth step of controlling the vehicle based on the control amount calculated in the fourth step ,
In the first step, the occupant motion information relating to a plurality of motions of the occupant is acquired,
In the third step, the model is generated based on the occupant movement information and the vehicle movement information of at least two or more of the occupants among the occupant movement information related to the movements of the plurality of occupants acquired in the first step, the model being configured to estimate the movements of each of the two or more occupants;
In the fourth step, the control amount is calculated based on an estimation result of the model for estimating the movement of each of the two or more occupants generated in the third step, so that a movement amount of at least one of the two or more occupants is reduced;
a sixth step of calculating amounts of movement of the plurality of occupants based on the occupant movement information relating to the movements of the plurality of occupants acquired in the first step when the number of the occupants in the vehicle cabin is higher than a predetermined occupant number threshold before the third step, and selecting a target occupant who is the occupant having the maximum amount of movement in each of a plurality of areas into which the vehicle cabin is divided,
A vehicle control method, wherein in the third step, the model is generated for estimating the movement of each of the target occupants selected in the sixth step in each of the plurality of areas . 6. The vehicle control method according to claim 5 , wherein in said fourth step, said control amount is calculated so that a sum of said amounts of movement of said two or more occupants is minimized. 7. The vehicle control method according to claim 5 , wherein in the fourth step, the control amount is calculated such that the maximum movement amount among the movement amounts of the two or more occupants is lower than a predetermined movement amount threshold value. The vehicle control method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein in the third step, the model is generated to estimate the movements of each of all occupants for which the occupant movement information has been obtained, based on all of the occupant movement information relating to the movements of the multiple occupants obtained in the first step and the vehicle movement information.

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