JPH10334391A - Vehicle traveling controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle traveling controller with which the occurrence of traffic jam can be prevented as planned and efficiency to utilize energy (fuel) can be improved. SOLUTION: When a vehicle traveling controller 10 possesses the place of departure and the destination from an on-vehicle device 12, a traveling plan calculating part 36 calculates the departure timing, traveling route and traveling speed of vehicle loading the on-vehicle device 12 so as not to be inferred with another traffic factor in a block area including the place of departure and a block area including the destination, and the traveling plan is presented to the on-vehicle device 12. At such a time, a control tower 28 including the vehicle traveling control part 10 respectively manages vehicles in the block areas under its own control and prepares the traveling plan so that a vehicle can be continuously traveled without performing any extreme deceleration or stop to become a factor caused by the other traffic factor when traveling is once started.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control device and, more particularly, to a vehicle travel control device capable of efficiently moving a vehicle when traveling from a departure point to a destination included in a road network. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the recent development of the automobile society, traffic congestion on roads has rapidly increased, and it is desired to eliminate the traffic congestion.

[0003] For example, when a road facility is used, the number of passing vehicles, the average speed of vehicles, and the like are detected on an arterial road or an expressway to determine whether or not a road in a predetermined section is congested. Calculate how much time is required to pass through the section and notify the driver to bypass traffic jams, or open or close the approach based on the recognized traffic situation A traffic monitoring system for monitoring and controlling the running state of a vehicle while alleviating traffic congestion or the like has been introduced.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-249591 discloses a route guidance device which indicates which of a ring road and an outer road can be used to reach a destination in a short time. Is disclosed.
According to this device, a time required to pass a predetermined section is detected, and based on the detection result, a position on a ring road that can be reached from an arbitrary approach road in a predetermined time is presented to a driver. A route with less congestion is selected, and an increase in congestion is prevented by preventing selection of a route with congestion.

[0005] On the other hand, in the case where each vehicle responds, a device that obtains traffic information and the position of the vehicle from the outside, searches for a road with little or no congestion by a navigation device or the like, and guides the driver is also in practical use. In addition, traffic congestion is mitigated by guiding vehicles to non-congested areas.

[0006]

However, in the conventional method, there is a problem that the occurrence of traffic congestion cannot be prevented only by reducing the generated traffic congestion. In addition, conventional traffic congestion mitigation is mainly performed by using another route, so that energy (fuel) is consumed by traveling on an extra route, and stop and start operations are frequently repeated because of being forced to travel on a residential area or a narrow road. Therefore, there is a problem that energy efficiency (fuel efficiency) is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a vehicle capable of systematically preventing the occurrence of traffic congestion and improving the energy (fuel) utilization efficiency. It is an object to provide a travel control device.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a vehicle traveling control device for controlling traveling of a plurality of vehicles passing through a road network. Starting position recognizing means for recognizing the starting position of each vehicle, target position recognizing means for recognizing the target position of the movement of the vehicle, and starting the traveling based on the starting position and the destination position of the traveling start vehicle. Travel plan calculation means for calculating a departure timing, a travel route, and a travel speed at which the vehicle can reach the destination position without interference with other traffic elements; and a travel instruction for a plurality of vehicles in a road network based on the travel plan. Driving instruction means for performing the operation.

Here, the condition that the starting vehicle can reach the target position without interfering with other traffic elements means that the starting vehicle does not extremely decelerate or stop due to the presence of other vehicles or pedestrians. To reach the destination position.

[0010] According to this configuration, the departure timing, the traveling route, and the traveling speed of the vehicle in the road network are individually controlled so as not to interfere with other traffic elements. Driving can be continued without extreme deceleration or stopping caused by traffic, so that the occurrence of traffic congestion itself can be prevented systematically, and the energy use efficiency of the vehicle can be reduced because unnecessary deceleration or acceleration is not required. Can be improved.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the above-mentioned apparatus, wherein the travel plan calculating means includes a travel permission vector for permitting a vehicle to travel in a predetermined direction on the road network for a predetermined time. And a changing means for changing the direction of the travel permission vector at a predetermined cycle, wherein the travel plan calculation means calculates a travel plan based on the direction of the travel permission vector. And

Here, the traveling permission vector indicates, for example, a traveling direction on a single road or an intersection,
This is an amount that allows a predetermined number of vehicles to travel.

According to this configuration, the traveling plan is created on the basis of the traveling permission vector, so that the traveling vehicle does not need to undergo unnecessary deceleration and stop without unnecessary interference with other traffic elements. It is possible to easily create a traveling plan that does not require the vehicle, and to smoothly change the direction of the traveling permission vector to smoothly guide the vehicle in an arbitrary direction.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the above-mentioned apparatus, wherein the travel plan calculating means further comprises a pedestrian traffic signal for crossing a road according to the presence or absence of a travel permission vector on a road network. Characterized by including signal control means for controlling

According to this configuration, the pedestrian is allowed to cross the road at a timing when the running permission vector does not exist on the road network, so that the running vehicle is extremely decelerated or stopped by the pedestrian crossing the road. As a result, the energy use efficiency of the vehicle can be improved, and the occurrence of traffic congestion can be systematically prevented.

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, the configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, in the device, the vehicle is an automatic driving vehicle controlled based on the travel plan.

Here, the self-driving vehicle is, for example, a trackless vehicle that can travel to a destination while recognizing an environment outside the vehicle, or a vehicle that travels on a track like a train and goes around a predetermined getting on / off place. It is.

According to this configuration, individual vehicles can be made public, and an increase in the number of vehicles, which is one of the causes of traffic congestion, can be suppressed.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the configuration of the present invention, in the above-mentioned device, the road network includes a plurality of block areas including branch roads, a main road connecting the block areas, Wherein the travel plan calculation means manages vehicles for each of the block areas.

Here, the branch road is, for example, a road which can be run at a low speed provided in an urban area or a predetermined area, and the block area is a living area which can travel by the branch road. The main road is a road connecting the block areas, and is, for example, a high-speed road.

According to this configuration, even when the traveling start vehicle moves in the wide area, the departure timing, the traveling route, and the traveling speed are individually managed for each block area so as not to interfere with other traffic elements. Once the vehicle starts running, it can continue running without deceleration or stopping caused by other traffic. As a result, the occurrence of traffic congestion itself can be prevented systematically, and the energy use efficiency of the vehicle can be improved since unnecessary deceleration and acceleration are not required.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned apparatus, when the roads of the road network intersect to form a grid road, one road and the other road of the grid portion are connected to each other. Is a ratio of the set traveling speed of each road.

According to this configuration, the timing of the merging and branching of the own vehicle at the intersection can be adjusted to the timing of the other vehicle, so that a smooth traffic flow can be created without causing congestion.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the configuration of the present invention, in the above-mentioned apparatus, the travel plan calculation means performs the travel plan by giving priority to keeping the speed of the traveling vehicle moving. It is characterized in that it is created.

According to this configuration, the vehicle does not need to perform unnecessary acceleration and deceleration, and the occurrence of traffic congestion itself can be prevented systematically, and the energy use efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle traveling control device 10 of the present embodiment and vehicle-mounted devices 12 and 14 mounted on a vehicle (not shown) to be controlled. FIG. 2 shows an urban structure 1 including a plurality of block areas 16 to which the vehicle travel control device 10 of the present embodiment can be applied.
8 is shown as an example. Further, FIG.
3 shows details of the block area 16.
As shown in FIG. 2, the block areas 16 form an arbitrary number of groups, and each block area 16 is connected by a highway 20 capable of running at high speed. The main road 20 is, for example, an expressway or a national road. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the block areas 16 arranged in a circular shape are combined with those arranged in a straight line. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, each block area 16 is configured by small blocks 24 divided inside by a plurality of branch roads 22. The branch roads 22 are, for example, low-speed running roads arranged in a grid. The vehicle to be controlled according to the present embodiment moves between the small blocks 24. The movement of the vehicle may be performed within the same block area 16 or between two separate block areas 16.

As shown in FIG. 4, the small block 24 forms a use space 24a such as an office or a house in the center,
A sidewalk 24b is formed therearound, and a stop belt 24c around which the vehicle 26 arrives and departs from the small block 24 is formed. Vehicle 26a that arrives and departs from small block 24
Allows the user to get on or off the vehicle by entering the stop zone 24c from the branch road 22. A pedestrian crossing 24d is formed between the adjacent small blocks 24, and a pedestrian can move between the small blocks 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the entrance to the block area 16 from the main road 20 connecting the block areas 16 is connected to the main road 20 and the branch road 22.
A deceleration lane 20a for matching the traveling speed with the vehicle speed is provided. Similarly, an acceleration lane 20b is provided at an exit from the block area 16. That is,
A trunk road 20 is provided around the block area 16 including the branch road 22, and the vehicle 26 can move between different block areas 16 via the trunk road 20.

The characteristic feature of this embodiment is that, for each of the block areas 16, the departure timing, the traveling route and the traveling speed of all the vehicles in the block area 16 are collectively managed, and A vehicle traveling control device that performs control to reach a target position without interfering with other traffic is being disposed.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the case of this embodiment, at least one control tower 28 is disposed in each area block 16, and the vehicle traveling control device 10 is disposed in the control tower. In the case of FIG. 3, the block area 16
Although the control tower 28 is provided at the entrance of the main road 20 connected to the station, the position is arbitrary, and the control operation may be performed by a plurality of control towers.

The vehicle traveling control device 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the control device 10) disposed in the control tower 28 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the first communication device 30 for communicating with a vehicle to be controlled (controlled) and another control tower (control tower 28A in another block area or another control tower in the same block area) It has a second communication device 32 for performing communication.
Further, the control device 10 has a departure point / destination recognition unit 34 that obtains the departure point and the destination of movement of the vehicle from the vehicle via the first communication device 30. The departure / destination recognition unit 34 identifies whether the recognized destination is within its own block area or another block area, and determines that the destination is within its own block area, that is, the vehicle movement is within the block area. In this case, the departure point and the destination of the vehicle to be controlled are supplied to the travel plan calculation unit 36 that calculates the departure timing, the travel route, and the travel speed of the vehicle. The travel plan calculation unit 36 stores a schedule database (D / D) storing travel schedules of vehicles in the block area.
B) Departure timing at which the vehicle can reach the target position without causing interference with other traffic elements, specifically, deceleration, stop, or acceleration due to the presence of other vehicles or pedestrians, with reference to 38). And the travel route and travel speed are calculated, and the travel schedule is updated. At the same time, the driving instruction unit 4
The calculation result is supplied to 0, and the departure timing, the travel route, and the travel speed are transmitted to the corresponding vehicle that has transmitted the departure place and the destination via the first communication device 30.

On the other hand, if the destination recognized by the departure / destination recognition unit 34 is in another block area, the second
Information on the departure place and the destination of the vehicle to be controlled is transmitted via the communication device 32 to the control tower 28 in the block area where the destination exists.
Send to A. A vehicle traveling control device having the same configuration as the control device 10 is arranged in the control tower 28A that has received the transmission,
It is determined whether the vehicle can be accepted from another block area in the relevant block area, and the vehicle is returned to the control tower 28 which has inquired about the admission via the second communication means 32. The travel plan calculation unit 36 of the control tower 28 that has received the return calculates the departure timing, the travel route, and the travel speed in the same manner as described above, and updates the travel schedule. At the same time, the calculation result is supplied to the travel instructing section 40 and the first communication device 3
The departure timing, the travel route, and the travel speed are transmitted to the corresponding vehicle that has transmitted the departure place and the destination via the “0”. In FIG. 1, for simplification of the drawing, the configuration of the control unit 10a of the control tower 28A in another block area is partially omitted and shown as a scheduler.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the on-vehicle devices 12, 14 mounted on the vehicle to be controlled. The in-vehicle device 12 is an example using a navigation device. When a user inputs a destination of movement from a destination input unit 42, the control device 10 described above is transmitted via the in-vehicle communication device 44.
The destination is transmitted to the first communication device 30. At this time, the destination may be input, for example, by pointing to a point on a map displayed on an in-vehicle display, or by inputting a specific name using a keyboard or the like. Similarly, a departure place is input from the departure place input unit 46. This departure point is also transmitted to the first communication device 30 of the control device 10 via the on-vehicle communication device 44 in the same manner as the destination. In addition,
Since the departure point is the current position of the vehicle, the absolute position of the vehicle is detected using a GPS satellite or the like, and the information is directly transmitted to the first communication device 30 of the control device 10 via the on-vehicle communication device 44. May be sent.

When the control device 10 obtains the departure place and the destination of the vehicle, it calculates the travel plan as described above, and transmits the travel plan from the first communication device 30 to the on-vehicle communication device 44. The in-vehicle device 12 displays the travel plan on the navigation display unit 48, and presents the departure timing, the travel route, and the travel speed to the user.

On the other hand, the on-vehicle device 14 is an example applied to an autonomous driving vehicle. For example, the on-vehicle device can travel to a destination while recognizing the environment outside the vehicle, or travel on a track like a train to a predetermined position. It is mounted on vehicles that go around the boarding place. In the case of the in-vehicle device 14, the destination and the departure place are determined from the in-vehicle communication device 44 to the first communication device 30 of the control device 10 similarly to the in-vehicle device 12.
Sent to. When the in-vehicle communication device 44 receives the travel plan via the first communication device 30, the information is supplied to the automatic driving controller 50, and the vehicle is automatically driven.

Next, the process of calculating the travel plan of the vehicle will be described using a specific example. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the user moves from the own block area to another block area, and as shown in FIG. 5B, the user moves from another block area to his own block area. 5 and the case of moving within its own block area as shown in FIG. 5 (c).

The travel plan calculation unit 36 (see FIG. 1)
In its interior, there is provided a vector setting means for setting a travel permission vector 52 for permitting a predetermined number of vehicles to travel in a predetermined direction for a predetermined time on a road network as indicated by an arrow (→) in FIG. I have. The travel permission vector 52 indicates the permission of the vehicle to go straight and the right or left turn at the intersection of the branch road 22, and the range and timing at which the vehicle can exist. That is, the vehicle can travel only at the timing when the travel permission vector 52 exists. Further, the travel plan calculation unit 36 has a change unit that periodically changes the direction of the travel permission vector 52 as shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the direction and the existing position of the travel permission vector 52 are sequentially changed at four types of timings, timing 1 to timing 4. In addition, when cruising on the branch road 22, a reference speed (for example, 10 km / h) is presented, and when traveling on the branch road 22 at the reference speed, it takes 30 seconds to pass one side of one small block 24. In such a case, each of the change periods from the timing 1 to the timing 4 is 3
0 seconds. If the length of one side of the small block 24 is different, the change cycle is determined according to the minimum length. Therefore, by creating a travel plan based on the travel permission vector 52, unnecessary deceleration and stop of the traveling vehicle can be easily prevented. Also, by periodically changing the direction of the travel permission vector 52,
The vehicle can be guided smoothly in any direction.

Returning to FIGS. 5A to 5C, the processing operation of the travel plan calculating means for each destination of the vehicle will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. First, FIG.
A case where the user moves from his own block area 16 to another block area 16 based on (b) is shown. In the case of the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 1 equipped with the navigation device
A description will be given by taking the traveling control of No. 2 as an example. First, the in-vehicle device 1
2 is a departure place (own vehicle position) 54 via the onboard communication device 44
And the destination 56 of the movement is transmitted as departure data to the control device 10 of the control tower 28 in the block area 16 where the vehicle is located. This transmission timing may be performed by the vehicle user immediately before the desired departure time, or the departure data including the desired departure time may be transmitted in advance, for example, one hour before. When the control unit 10 receives the departure data (S100), the departure / destination recognition unit 34 sets the destination 5
It is determined whether or not 6 exists within its own block area (S101).

When the vehicle moves out of its own block area 16 and moves to another block area 16 as shown in FIG. 5A, the travel plan calculation unit 36 acquires the information, and the travel plan calculation unit 36 The estimated arrival time at which the vehicle arrives at the entrance of the block area including the destination 56 (the deceleration lane 20a; see FIG. 3) is calculated (S102). The moving route in the block area is arbitrary. For example, in the case of FIG. 5A, when the upward direction is north, a method of moving westward and then northward, and a method of moving northward first and then moving westward and exiting ( There is a method of heading to the acceleration lane 20b). In the former case, timing 3 in FIG.
If you start moving at timing 3 → 4 → 1 → 2 → 3 ・
The vehicle can be guided to the exit by crossing the travel permission vector 52 in this order. At this time, the travel plan calculation unit 36 can acquire the timing of receiving the departure data or the departure waiting time from the desired departure time to the timing 3. Further, the necessary time required to reach the exit can be calculated based on the route, distance, and traveling speed (for example, 10 km / h) from the departure point 54 to the exit. further,
Speed in acceleration lane 20b, length of acceleration lane 20b,
From the distance to another block area where the destination 56 exists and the traveling speed (for example, 100 km / h), the required time for moving from the block area including the starting point 54 to the block area including the destination 56 can be calculated. . Accordingly, the travel plan calculation unit 36 can calculate the estimated arrival time at the entrance of the target block area.

Subsequently, the traveling plan calculation unit 36 communicates the estimated arrival time to the control tower 28A in the block area including the destination 56 via the second communication device 32 (S103). At the control tower 28A, it is determined whether or not the vehicle can be accepted at the received estimated time of arrival, and the result is transmitted to the travel instructing unit 4.
0 and the second communication device 32 to return the second communication device 32 of the control unit 10. Then, the travel plan calculation unit 36 of the control unit 10 recognizes whether entry of the target block area is permitted at the estimated arrival time (S104). That is, the travel plan calculation unit included in the control tower 28A is a deceleration lane 20a which is an entrance of its own block area (see FIG. 3).
Then, it is determined with reference to the schedule D / B 38 whether or not another vehicle enters at the estimated arrival time in the same time zone and exceeds the allowable amount of the deceleration lane 20a. If there is enough allowance in the same time zone, the vehicle can enter the deceleration lane 20a. Then, the vehicle can enter the block area by going straight or turning left at the end portion of the deceleration lane 20a. That is, since the control tower 28A recognizes when the vehicle can be received (acceptable timing), the traveling plan calculation unit of the control tower 28A determines the time at which the vehicle can be received together with the result of the admission. In this case, whether the vehicle can be accepted is transmitted to the control unit 10.

In (S104), when entry into the destination block area is not permitted at the estimated arrival time, the travel plan calculation unit 36 recognizes the receivable timing received from the control tower 28A (S105). Then, a departure timing that can reach the acceptable timing is selected (S
106). In other words, the vehicle can depart at the same timing (timing 3 in the present embodiment) after the timing used when the estimated arrival time is calculated for the first time. A time coincident with the timing 3, that is, a departure timing is selected.

Also, in (S104), when entry into the target block area is permitted at the estimated arrival time, the travel plan calculation unit 36 determines the departure timing used for calculating the estimated arrival time (in the present embodiment, the timing). It is determined whether or not 3) has been reached (S107). Then, at a predetermined timing, the traveling instruction unit 40 of the control device 10
Transmits a departure instruction command to the in-vehicle device 12 via the first communication device 30 (S108). On the other hand, when the departure timing has not come, the travel instructing unit 40 transmits the fact that the vehicle is in the departure standby state to the in-vehicle device 12 via the first communication device 30 (S1).
09), wait for the departure timing. When indicating the waiting for departure, the departure permission time may be presented together. Further, the departure permission time may be presented to the in-vehicle device 12 when the entrance permission is issued in (S104).

Next, a method of moving the vehicle in the block area 16 will be described. For example, a vehicle for which departure has been permitted at timing 3 in FIG. 6 departs at a predetermined departure timing, but this departure moves to the exit because the vehicle goes from its own block area 16 to another block area 16. In this case, a departure instruction is issued at a timing at which the vehicle merges with the end of the flow of the vehicle existing in the travel permission vector 52 at the timing 3. Lattice block area 16
The route change is performed when the vehicle crosses from a certain travel permission vector 52 to a travel permission vector 52 having a different direction. Therefore, it is performed at the timing when the traveling permission vectors 52 having different directions are in contact with each other (timing 2 and timing 4 in FIG. 6). In order to smoothly carry out the transition between the vectors, when the route is changed, the vehicle is sequentially moved from the vehicle located at the head of the vehicle group existing in the vector to the traveling permission vector 52 having a different direction. Here, since it is not necessary to turn to the outermost periphery of the block area 16 in order to head toward the exit of the block area 16, vehicles moving to other block areas 16 may join the tail end of the vehicle group from the beginning. Become. Since the control unit 10 recognizes all the movements of the vehicle in its own block area 16, it can accurately recognize the tail of the vehicle at the timing 3 and can issue a departure instruction.

As shown in FIG. 5B, entry into the block area 16 including the destination 56 is permitted, and
The traveling control of the vehicle that has completed entry into a is transferred to the control unit of the control tower 28A in the block area 16 including the destination 56. The control unit that has taken over the control of the vehicle determines whether to go straight or turn left in accordance with the timing at which the vehicle enters the branch road 22 in its own block area 16. In other words, when the timing of entering the branch road 22 is timings 1 and 2, a straight ahead is instructed, and when the timing is timings 3 and 4, a left turn is instructed. Thereafter, the vehicle is guided to the destination 56 in accordance with the timings 1 to 4 shown in FIG.

If the next departure timing is selected in (S106), it is determined in (S107) whether or not the selected departure timing has come, and a departure instruction (S
108) or a departure standby instruction (S109) is issued.
If entry is not permitted at the estimated arrival time initially calculated in (S104), the timing can be adjusted to the entry possible time by accelerating or decelerating the traveling speed while traveling on a highway or the like. It is desirable to give priority to maintaining a constant speed during traveling and to select a departure timing. In this way, by keeping the traveling speed constant, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of traffic congestion itself and to improve the energy use efficiency of the vehicle.

On the other hand, in (S101) of FIG.
As shown in (c), when the departure place 54 and the destination 56 of the vehicle are in the same block area 16, that is, when the vehicle is moving within the own block area 16, departure at timing 1 shown in FIG. For example, it is possible to join the head of the travel permission vector 52. As described above, in order to sequentially move from the vehicle located at the head to the traveling permission vector 52 having a different direction, the vehicle that turns first needs to join the head of the vehicle group. The vehicle that has moved to the travel permission vector 52 having a different direction will sequentially join the tail of the travel permission vector at the destination. Therefore, when a vehicle that changes the route before the vehicle is present in the group of vehicles to be merged when the vehicle departs from the departure place, the vehicle that bends later merges behind the vehicle that bends first. Will be.

For example, assuming that the upward direction in FIG. 5C is north, when the vehicle moves from the starting point 54 to the destination 56,
Examples of simple travel routes include a route going west and then going south, and a route going first and going west. In the former case,
At timing 1 in FIG. 6, the vehicle starts at the head of the westward group, turns left at timing 4, and joins from the head of the westward group to the end of the southern group. In the latter case, if the user departs at the beginning of the southern group at timing 1 and turns right at timing 2 to merge from the beginning of the southern group to the end of the westward group, it is possible to move smoothly within the block area. it can.

In the block area 16, there are a large number of use spaces 24a (see FIG. 4), and there is also pedestrian traffic.
As described above, the block area 16 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 and the like for pedestrians crossing the branch road 22 shows an example in which small blocks 24 of the same shape are regularly arranged. In an actual urban structure, there are various restrictions, and the size and shape of the block area and the small blocks constituting the block area are various. FIG. 8 shows a block area 60 composed of small blocks 58a, b, c, d, e,... Having different shapes and sizes. The small block 5
8a, 58b, etc., like the small block 24 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, include a use space, a sidewalk, a stop zone, a pedestrian crossing, and the like, and a running permission vector can be set as shown in FIG. Yes, the direction of the travel permission vector is changed at a predetermined cycle as in FIG. The change cycle of the direction of the traveling permission vector is set such that a minimum side of the small blocks 58a, 58b and the like is a basic unit, and the basic unit is a predetermined speed (for example,
10 km / h). For example, if 30 seconds are required to pass through the basic unit, the change cycle is also 30 seconds. In addition, the length of the travel permission vector is unified with the length of the travel permission vector that can exist in the basic unit. Further, in each small block, the speed of a vehicle passing through a section whose one side length is an integral multiple of the basic unit is constant (for example, 10 km / h), but the vehicle passes through a section that is not an integral multiple of the basic unit. In such a case, speed adjustment is appropriately performed, and control is performed so that the merging with traffic from other directions at the next intersection coincides. Even in such an urban structure, the departure timing of the vehicle and the like are determined according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, and the control unit of the control tower issues a departure timing instruction to each vehicle together with the traveling route and traveling speed. Further, the control of the traffic signal for the pedestrian crossing existing in the block area is performed in the same manner as in the above-described example.

FIGS. 10A to 10C show a case where roads having different reference traveling speeds intersect, for example, a plane intersection area 66 where a highway 62 and a general road 64 intersect in a plane. The configuration is shown. The plane intersection area 66 is formed in a grid shape in which the general road 64 intersects the highway 62 at a substantially right angle. The aspect ratio of the grid is set to the speed ratio between the highway 62 and the general road 64. For example, when the aspect ratio of the length of the grid portion formed by the highway 62 and the general road 64 is 5: 1, the set traveling speed of the highway 62 is 100 km / h, and the set traveling speed of the general road 64 is 20 km. FIGS. 10A to 10C show a case where roads having different reference traveling speeds intersect, for example, the highway 62.
Intersection area 66 where the road and general road 64 intersect on a plane
Is shown in the case where is present. The plane intersection area 66 is formed in a grid shape in which the general road 64 intersects the highway 62 at a substantially right angle. The aspect ratio of the grid is set to the speed ratio between the highway 62 and the general road 64. For example, when the aspect ratio of the length of the grid portion formed by the highway 62 and the general road 64 is 5: 1, the installation traveling speed of the highway 62 is 100 km / h, and the set traveling speed of the general road 64 is 20 km. / H.

FIG. 10 (b) shows the flow of traffic, in which the flow indicated by the thick arrow indicates that the flow is 1 km from the road of 20 km / h.
In the flow of traffic when moving to a road of 00 km / h, the flow indicated by a thin arrow is 20 km from a road of 100 km / h.
/ H is the flow of traffic when moving to the road.

FIG. 10C shows the timing of the travel permission vector shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 and the like.

In the embodiment described above, the example in which the switching of the travel permission vector is performed by four timing patterns has been described. However, the number of timing patterns is arbitrary.
Patter.

As described above, by matching the aspect ratio of the grids constituting the plane intersection area 66 with the speed ratio of the intersecting roads, even when the driving permission vector is sequentially switched, the movement of the vehicle between the respective grids is determined. Timing is synchronized, and smooth running control can be performed.

In the embodiment described above, the example in which the switching of the traveling permission vector is performed by four timing patterns has been described. However, the number of timing patterns is arbitrary.
By increasing the number of patterns, it is possible to perform efficient traveling control with less waiting time.

Further, in the present embodiment, the traveling control of the vehicle having the navigation device has been described as an example. However, the same effect can be obtained in a track vehicle or a trackless vehicle capable of automatic traveling, and the present invention can be applied to a public vehicle. By applying the form, the user can call and use a desired vehicle according to the purpose, and after arriving at the destination, another user can use the vehicle. Further, when the present embodiment is applied to an automatic traveling vehicle, an efficient transportation system can be easily constructed by intensively moving empty vehicles to an area where the number of vehicles is small or an area where the frequency of use is high. In addition, since the user can recognize the departure possible time in advance, the user can use the vehicle for an effective time.

[0057]

According to the present invention, the departure timing, the traveling route, and the traveling speed of a vehicle in the road network are individually managed so as not to interfere with other traffic elements. Since traveling can be continued without extreme deceleration or stop caused by the vehicle, the occurrence of traffic congestion itself can be systematically prevented. In addition, since unnecessary deceleration or acceleration is not required, the energy use efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a vehicle traveling control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an urban structure to which the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating block areas constituting a city structure to which the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a structure of a small block forming a block area to which the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a movement example when the vehicle travels from a departure place to a destination under the control of the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the existence timing of a travel permission vector under the control of the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating control of the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another city structure to which the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the existence timing of a traveling permission vector applied to the city structure shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a plane intersection area to which the vehicle travel control device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 vehicle traveling control device, 12, 14 vehicle-mounted device, 28
Control tower, 30 first communication device, 32 second communication device, 34
Departure / destination recognition unit, 36 Driving plan calculation unit, 38
Schedule database, 40 driving instruction section, 42
Destination input section, 44 on-board communication device, 46 departure point input section, 48 navigation display section, 50 automatic operation controller.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle travel control device for controlling travel of a plurality of vehicles traveling on a road network, comprising: a start position recognition means for recognizing a start position of each vehicle in a road network; A target position recognizing means for recognizing a position, based on the departure position and the target position of the traveling start vehicle,
Travel plan calculation means for calculating a departure timing, a travel route, and a travel speed at which the travel start vehicle can reach the destination position without interference with other traffic elements, and a plurality of vehicles in a road network based on the travel plan. A vehicle travel control device, comprising: travel instruction means for issuing a travel instruction. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travel plan calculation means comprises: a vector setting means for setting a travel permission vector for permitting the vehicle to travel in a predetermined direction on the road network for a predetermined time; And a changing means for changing a direction of the vector at a predetermined cycle, wherein the travel plan calculating means calculates a travel plan based on the direction of the travel permission vector. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said travel plan calculation means includes signal control means for controlling a road-crossing pedestrian traffic light according to the presence or absence of a travel permission vector on a road network. Characteristic vehicle travel control device. 4. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an automatic driving vehicle controlled based on the travel plan. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the road network includes: a plurality of block areas including branch roads; and a main road connecting the block areas. The means manages the vehicle for each of the block areas. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first or second means is selected.
In the device described above, when the roads of the road network intersect to form a grid road, the length ratio between one road and the other road in the grid portion is a ratio of the set traveling speed of each road. Vehicle travel control device. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travel plan calculation means creates the travel plan with priority given to the fact that the speed of the traveling vehicle is constant. Vehicle travel control device.