JPWO2019167251A1 - Vehicle control devices, vehicle control systems, management devices, vehicle control methods, and programs - Google Patents

Abstract

Based on the recognition unit (130) that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle and the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction. When the determination unit (141) for determining whether or not the vehicle and the determination result of the determination unit indicate that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, the own vehicle is steered or steered based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. A vehicle control device including a elimination control unit (142, 160) that controls one or both of acceleration and deceleration, causes the own vehicle to travel in the direction opposite to the traveling direction, and controls to eliminate the deadlock state. ..

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, a management device, a vehicle control method, and a program.

In recent years, research has been conducted on the automatic control of moving objects. In connection with this, there is known a technique for eliminating a deadlock state in which a moving body cannot continue moving due to an obstacle blocking the course (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2010-79698

The conventional technology merely controls a moving body moving indoors and eliminates the deadlock state of the moving body, and is not supposed to eliminate the deadlock state of the vehicle in the outdoor traffic phase. ..

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program capable of eliminating a deadlock state of the own vehicle. ..

(1): A deadlock state in which the own vehicle cannot travel in the traveling direction based on the recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle and the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit. When the determination unit for determining the presence or absence and the determination result of the determination unit indicate that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, steering or acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle is performed based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. A vehicle control device including a elimination control unit that controls one or both of them, causes the own vehicle to travel in the direction opposite to the traveling direction, and controls to eliminate the deadlock state.

(2): In the vehicle control device of (1), when the cancellation control unit cancels the deadlock state, the front of the own vehicle is regarded as the rear and the rear of the own vehicle is regarded as the front, and the own vehicle travels. Let me.

(3): When the vehicle control device of (1) or (2) further includes a communication unit that communicates with another vehicle, and the cancellation control unit cannot eliminate the deadlock state by traveling the own vehicle. , Information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead is transmitted to the other vehicle by using the communication unit.

(4): When the vehicle control device of (1) to (3) further includes a communication unit that communicates with the management device, and the cancellation control unit cannot cancel the deadlock state by traveling the own vehicle. , Information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead is transmitted to the management device using the communication unit.

(5): The vehicle control devices (1) to (4) further include a communication unit that communicates with the management device, and the elimination control unit determines a distance at which the own vehicle is expected to travel in the opposite direction. When the distance is equal to or greater than the above distance, information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead is transmitted to the management device using the communication unit.

(6): The vehicle control device of (3) to (5) is a vehicle in which the other vehicle travels in the oncoming lane of the own vehicle.

(7): In any of the vehicle control devices (3) to (6), the elimination control unit transmits information on the traveling direction to the other vehicle by the communication unit.

(8): Based on the recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle and the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which the vehicle cannot travel in the traveling direction. When the determination unit for determining the presence or absence, the first communication unit for communicating with the management device, and the determination result of the determination unit indicate that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, the transportation target of the own vehicle is selected. A vehicle control device including a elimination control unit that transmits information for requesting another vehicle to transport instead to the management device using the first communication unit, and a vehicle that communicates with the vehicle control device. 2 When the requested information is received by the communication unit and the second communication unit, a selection unit that selects another vehicle for which the transportation target of the own vehicle is requested to be transported instead from another vehicle different from the own vehicle. A vehicle control system including a management device including a transmission unit that transmits the requested information to the other vehicle selected by the selection unit by the second communication unit.

(9): When the second communication unit that communicates with the vehicle control device mounted on the own vehicle and the information requesting that the transportation target of the own vehicle be transported instead are received by the second communication unit, the self The second information is applied to a selection unit that selects another vehicle that requests the transportation target of the own vehicle to be transported instead from another vehicle different from the vehicle, and the other vehicle selected by the selection unit. A management device including a transmission unit that transmits by a communication unit.

(10): The vehicle control computer mounted on the own vehicle having a recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle advances the own vehicle based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit. When it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a deadlock state in which the vehicle cannot travel in the direction and the determination result indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, the own vehicle is based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. A vehicle control method in which one or both of steering and acceleration / deceleration are controlled, the own vehicle is driven in the direction opposite to the traveling direction, and the deadlock state is eliminated.

(11): The own vehicle advances based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit on the vehicle control computer mounted on the own vehicle provided with the recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle. When it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a deadlock state in which the vehicle cannot travel in the direction and the determination result indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, the own vehicle is based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. A program in which one or both of steering and acceleration / deceleration are controlled, the own vehicle is driven in the direction opposite to the traveling direction, and control is performed to eliminate the deadlock state.

According to (1) to (11), the deadlock state of the own vehicle can be eliminated.

According to (2), the deadlock state can be eliminated without causing the own vehicle to make a turn or make a U-turn.

According to (3) to (4), when the own vehicle cannot eliminate the deadlock state, the transportation target can be transported by another vehicle instead of the own vehicle.

According to (5), it is possible to prevent the own vehicle from moving backward and obstructing the running of another vehicle as the deadlock state is eliminated.

According to (7), it is possible to reduce the time and effort required to transport the transportation target to another vehicle.

It is a block diagram of the vehicle control device of an embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control part and the 2nd control part of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene which performs the elimination driving control in the lane of two-way traffic. It is a figure which shows another example of the scene which performs the elimination driving control in the lane of two-way traffic. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene which performs elimination driving control in one lane on one side. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the vehicle control system of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the management apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the 1st control part and the 2nd control part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene which requests a substitute car in one lane on each side. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the automatic operation control device of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a series of processing by the management apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the scene where another vehicle running as a substitute vehicle of the own vehicle arrives in the vicinity of the own vehicle. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic operation control device of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the case where the left-hand traffic regulation is applied will be described, but when the right-hand traffic regulation is applied, the left and right sides may be read in reverse.

<First Embodiment>
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the vehicle control device 1 of the embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle control device 1 is mounted (hereinafter referred to as own vehicle M) is, for example, a vehicle such as two wheels, three wheels, or four wheels, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, or an electric motor. , Or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates by using the power generated by the generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the discharge power of the secondary battery or the fuel cell. In the present embodiment, the own vehicle M is a vehicle that is automatically driven.

The vehicle control device 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a finder 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, and a navigation device 50. , MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and devices are connected to each other by multiplex communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, and the like. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted or another configuration may be added.

The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle M. When photographing the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rearview mirror, and the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the own vehicle M, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves around the own vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by the object to at least detect the position (distance and orientation) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of the object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

The finder 14 is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The finder 14 irradiates the periphery of the own vehicle M with light and measures the scattered light. The finder 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time from light emission to light reception. The light to be irradiated is, for example, a pulsed laser beam. The finder 14 is attached to an arbitrary position of the own vehicle M.

The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14, and recognizes the position, type, speed, and the like of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic operation control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 to the automatic driving control device 100 as they are. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle control device 1.

The communication device 20 communicates with another vehicle existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle M by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or wirelessly. Communicates with various server devices via the base station. In this embodiment, the communication device 20 is an example of a "communication unit".

The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the own vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys and the like.

The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the own vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis, an orientation sensor that detects the direction of the own vehicle M, and the like.

The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a routing unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory.

The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the own vehicle M based on the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the own vehicle M may be specified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40.

The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or wholly shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30.

The route determination unit 53, for example, has a route from the position of the own vehicle M (or an arbitrary position input) specified by the GNSS receiver 51 to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 (hereinafter,). The route on the map) is determined with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which a road shape is expressed by a link indicating a road and a node connected by the link. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to MPU60.

The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, the function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by an occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds the second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides the route every 100 [m] with respect to the vehicle traveling direction), and refers to the second map information 62. Determine the recommended lane for each block. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane to drive from the left. When a branch point exists on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the own vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route to proceed to the branch destination.

The second map information 62 is more accurate map information than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of the lane, information on the boundary of the lane, information on the type of lane, and the like. Further, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address / zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

The driving controller 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a deformed steering wheel, a joystick, and other controls. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is attached to the operation operator 80, and the detection result is the automatic operation control device 100, or the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. It is output to some or all of them.

The automatic operation control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, and a storage unit 180. Each of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 is realized by, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components are hardware (circuits) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It may be realized by the part (including circuitry), or it may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in the storage unit 180 of the automatic operation control device 100 in advance, or is stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and the storage medium is mounted on the drive device. It may be installed in the storage unit 180.

The storage unit 180 is realized by, for example, an HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like. The storage unit 180 stores, for example, a program read and executed by the processor.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 of the first embodiment. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, a deadlock determination unit 141 and a elimination operation control unit 142. A combination of the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 is an example of the “operation control unit”.

The first control unit 120, for example, realizes a function by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and a function by a model given in advance in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" is executed in parallel with recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and recognition based on predetermined conditions (pattern matching signals, road markings, etc.), both of which are executed. It may be realized by scoring against and comprehensively evaluating. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

The recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding situation of the own vehicle M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the finder 14 via the object recognition device 16. Specifically, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other conditions of an object around the own vehicle M. The position of the object is recognized as, for example, a position on absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of drive axis, etc.) of the own vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a represented area. The "state" of an object may include acceleration or jerk of the object, or "behavioral state" (eg, whether or not it is changing lanes).

Further, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the lane (traveling lane) in which the own vehicle M is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 130 has a road marking line pattern (for example, an arrangement of a solid line and a broken line) obtained from the second map information 62 and a road marking line around the own vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. By comparing with the pattern of, the driving lane is recognized. The recognition unit 130 may recognize the traveling lane by recognizing not only the road marking line but also the running road boundary (road boundary) including the road marking line, the shoulder, the curb, the median strip, the guardrail, and the like. .. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be added. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes a stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a tollhouse, and other road events.

When recognizing the traveling lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the own vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 sets the angle formed by the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle M from the center of the lane and the center of the lane in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M with respect to the relative position of the own vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. It may be recognized as a posture. Instead of this, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of the reference point of the own vehicle M with respect to any side end portion (road division line or road boundary) of the traveling lane as the relative position of the own vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. You may.

Further, the recognition unit 130 may derive the recognition accuracy in the above recognition process and output it to the action plan generation unit 140 as the recognition accuracy information. For example, the recognition unit 130 generates recognition accuracy information based on the frequency with which the road lane marking can be recognized in a certain period of time.

In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 travels in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and the own vehicle M further executes automatic driving corresponding to the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M. Generate a target track to drive in the future. The target trajectory includes, for example, a velocity element. For example, the target track is expressed as a sequence of points (track points) to be reached by the own vehicle M. The track point is a point to be reached by the own vehicle M for each predetermined mileage (for example, about several [m]) along the road, and separately, a predetermined sampling time (for example, 0 comma number [sec]]. A target velocity and a target acceleration for each degree) are generated as part of the target trajectory. The functions of the deadlock determination unit 141 of the action plan generation unit 140 and the elimination operation control unit 142 will be described later.

The second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 or the elimination operation control unit 142 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling driving force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the degree of bending of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road in front of the own vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for traveling the vehicle to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and the like, and an ECU that controls them. The ECU controls the above configuration according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation operator 80.

The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits flood pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates flood pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80 so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include, as a backup, a mechanism for transmitting the oil pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the operation operator 80 to the cylinder via the master cylinder. The brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and is an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit the oil pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder. May be good.

The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to the rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation controller 80, and changes the direction of the steering wheel.

[Control to eliminate deadlock condition]
Hereinafter, the control for canceling the deadlock state of the own vehicle M will be described. The deadlock determination unit 141 determines whether or not the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state based on the situation around the own vehicle M recognized by the recognition unit 130. The deadlock state is a state in which the own vehicle M cannot travel in the moving direction. When the own vehicle M has previously received information from an external device indicating that a certain part of the own vehicle M in the moving direction is closed due to an accident, construction, etc., the own vehicle M should avoid the closed part. You can change the route on the map and drive in the direction of movement. However, if an accident, construction, or the like occurs immediately before the own vehicle M, the own vehicle M cannot avoid the closed portion. As a result, the own vehicle M may be in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the previous moving direction. The deadlock determination unit 141 determines, for example, whether or not there is a road closure due to an accident, construction, or the like in the moving direction immediately before the own vehicle M, and determines whether or not the own vehicle M is in a deadlock state. Immediately before means that the time immediately before the timing when the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state. For example, the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is in a deadlock state when the recognition unit 130 recognizes a pylon or the like used for clearly indicating a road closure in the moving direction immediately before the own vehicle M. The factors that prevent the own vehicle M from traveling in the moving direction are not limited to accidents and construction work, and may be other factors. In the following description, the case where the factor that the own vehicle M cannot travel in the moving direction is the construction will be described.

When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state, the elimination operation control unit 142 sets the deadlock state based on the situation around the own vehicle M recognized by the recognition unit 130. The operation control to be eliminated (hereinafter referred to as the elimination operation control) is performed. The elimination operation control unit 142, for example, causes the own vehicle M to travel in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the own vehicle M, and eliminates the deadlock state. Specifically, when the moving direction of the own vehicle M is forward, the elimination operation control unit 142 causes the own vehicle M to travel backward to eliminate the deadlock state. The rear includes left rear, rear, right rear and the like.

[Specific examples of elimination operation control]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which elimination driving control is performed in a two-way traffic lane. In the illustrated example, there is an intersection of a T-junction where the own lane L1 on which the own vehicle M travels and the lane L2 intersect. Each of the own lane L1 and the lane L2 is a two-way lane. The X direction is the moving direction of the own vehicle M, and the Y direction is the road width direction of the own lane L1. In the scene shown in FIG. 3, the movement direction of the own vehicle M is closed in the own lane L1, and the road width of the own lane L1 is such that the own vehicle M cannot make a U-turn. .. When the recognition unit 130 recognizes a pylon or the like used to clearly indicate a road closure as shown in the figure, the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the moving direction of the own vehicle M is the road closure, and the own vehicle M is in a deadlock state. Judged to be in. When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state, the elimination operation control unit 142 performs the elimination operation control. In the illustrated example, the elimination operation control unit 142 backs the own vehicle M to the left rear in the direction of the lane L2, and after entering (turning back) the lane L2 by a predetermined distance (for example, several [m]). , The dead lock state is eliminated by traveling (advancing) the own lane L1 in the direction opposite to the moving direction (minus X direction). The position where the own vehicle M is backed up by the elimination driving control and enters the rear by a predetermined distance may be a vacant lot adjacent to the own lane L1 instead of the lane L2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a situation in which elimination driving control is performed in a two-way traffic lane. In the scene shown in FIG. 4, the own lane L1 is a two-way lane, and the moving direction of the own vehicle M is closed. Further, the road width of the own lane L1 is such that the own vehicle M cannot make a U-turn. Unlike the scene shown in FIG. 3, the scene shown in FIG. 4 does not have a space (for example, the lane L2 shown in FIG. 3) in which the own vehicle M can be backed up and entered by a predetermined distance. In this case, the elimination operation control unit 142 moves the own vehicle M back, a position where the own vehicle M can enter by a predetermined distance, a position where the own vehicle M can make a U-turn, or a movement instead of the own vehicle M. The deadlock state is eliminated by moving the own vehicle M backward (backward) in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the own vehicle M to a position where the means can be used (for example, a bus stop, a station, etc.).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which elimination driving control is performed in one lane on each side. In the figure, m represents another vehicle, L1 represents the own lane, and L3 represents the oncoming lane adjacent to the own lane L1. Further, LM1 represents the lane marking on the left side of the moving direction of the own vehicle M among the two lane markings dividing the own lane L1, and LM2 represents the lane marking on the left side of the two lane markings dividing the own lane L1. It represents the lane marking on the right side with respect to the moving direction of the own vehicle M. Of the two lane markings that partition the oncoming lane L3, the LM 3 represents the lane marking on the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the oncoming lane L3. In the scene shown in FIG. 5, the own lane L1 and the oncoming lane L3 are closed in the moving direction of the own vehicle M. Further, in the scene shown in FIG. 5, there is a sufficient distance between the own vehicle M and another vehicle m traveling behind the own vehicle M (for example, the own vehicle M moves backward while moving to the oncoming lane L3). Even so, there is a distance that does not come into contact with other vehicles m). Since the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state, the elimination operation control unit 142 performs the elimination operation control.

In this case, the elimination operation control unit 142 reverses (backs) the own vehicle M, for example. When the other vehicle m moves backward in response to the own vehicle M moving backward, the elimination operation control unit 142 causes the own vehicle M to move backward as it is. The elimination operation control unit 142 indicates that the other vehicle m does not move backward in response to the own vehicle M moving backward, the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 is that there is no other vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane L3, or the oncoming lane. When another vehicle exists at a position where it does not come into contact even if L3 is moved backward, the own vehicle M is moved backward while moving to the oncoming lane L3, and the own vehicle M is moved backward to set the oncoming lane L3 as the moving direction of the own vehicle M. Eliminates the deadlock state by running in the opposite direction.

When the own vehicle M moves backward in the oncoming lane L3, the elimination operation control unit 142 replaces the front of the own vehicle M with the rear and the rear of the own vehicle M as the front in the subsequent driving, and travels in the oncoming lane L3 (forward). ). In this case, the own vehicle M is a vehicle capable of exchanging the functions of the light arranged at the rear and the light arranged at the front. Further, in this case, it is preferable that the own vehicle M is a vehicle capable of traveling at the same speed in the forward movement and the reverse movement. This vehicle is, for example, a vehicle operated by an in-wheel motor. Further, this vehicle is a vehicle that can realize a gear ratio for forward movement even when moving backward by mechanical action. For example, a vehicle having a transmission having a reverse rotation structure to which a forward gear structure can be applied for reverse movement for reverse movement at the time of deadlock, a vehicle having two systems of torque converters having different orientations, and the like may be used. As a result, the own vehicle M can be brought into a state substantially equivalent to making a U-turn.

Further, in the scenes shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, when the elimination operation control unit 142 has another vehicle behind the own vehicle M and the other vehicle is an automatically driven vehicle, the other vehicle The vehicle may communicate with each other to move the other vehicle backward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the own vehicle M in the same manner as the own vehicle M, and control to eliminate the dead lock state may be performed.

After the deadlock state of the own vehicle M is eliminated by the processing of the elimination operation control unit 142 described above, the route determination unit 53, for example, takes a route on the map traveling in the moving direction of the destination while avoiding the closed portion. Re-determine.

[Processing flow]
Hereinafter, the processing of the elimination operation control by the automatic operation control device 100 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a series of processes by the automatic operation control device 100 of the first embodiment. The processing of this flowchart is, for example, repeated at a predetermined cycle.

First, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the situation around the own vehicle M (step S100). Next, the deadlock determination unit 141 determines whether or not the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 (step S102). When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is not in the deadlock state, the automatic driving control device 100 ends the process. When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state, the elimination operation control unit 142 performs the elimination operation control to move the own vehicle M in the direction opposite to the moving direction, and performs deadlock. The state is resolved (step S104).

As described above, the vehicle control device 1 of the present embodiment is based on the recognition unit 130 that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle M and the situation around the own vehicle M recognized by the recognition unit 130. The determination results of the deadlock determination unit 141 that determines whether or not the vehicle M is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction and the deadlock determination unit 141 indicate that the own vehicle M is in a deadlock state. In this case, control for controlling one or both of steering or acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130, causing the own vehicle M to travel in the direction opposite to the moving direction, and eliminating the deadlock state. It is possible to eliminate the deadlock state of the own vehicle M by providing the elimination control unit (action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160).

<Second Embodiment>
[When the deadlock state cannot be resolved]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, a case where the deadlock state is eliminated by performing elimination operation control in which the own vehicle M travels in the direction opposite to the moving direction by the elimination operation control unit 142 has been described. In the second embodiment, a case where the deadlock state cannot be eliminated by the elimination operation control will be described. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle control system S of the second embodiment. The vehicle control system S is realized by one or more processors (computers). The vehicle control system S includes, for example, one or more vehicle control devices 1 (two in the illustrated example) and a management device 500. In the present embodiment, the vehicle control device 1 is mounted on the own vehicle M and the other vehicle m, respectively, and the own vehicle M and the other vehicle m are vehicles that are automatically driven.

The vehicle control device 1 and the management device 500 are connected to each other by a network NW, and communicate with each other via the network NW. The network NW includes, for example, a part or all of WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, a dedicated line, a wireless base station, a provider, and the like.

In the present embodiment, the deadlock determination unit 141 further determines whether or not the deadlock state can be eliminated by the elimination operation control after determining that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state. When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the deadlock state cannot be resolved by the own vehicle M (see FIGS. 10 and 11), the own vehicle M is loaded on the occupants on the own vehicle M or the own vehicle M. Information (hereinafter, request information) for requesting a substitute vehicle for transporting the baggage (hereinafter, transportation target) instead is transmitted to the management device 500 via the network NW. The request information includes, for example, information indicating the position of the own vehicle M, information indicating the moving direction and destination of the own vehicle M, information indicating the number of occupants boarding the own vehicle M, and being loaded on the own vehicle M. Information indicating the amount (size) of luggage is included.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management device 500 of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the management device 500 includes a communication device 510 and a control device 520. The communication device 510 has, for example, the same configuration as the communication device 20 described above, and communicates with the own vehicle M or another vehicle, or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station. The communication device 510 is an example of the “second communication unit”.

The control device 520 realizes each functional unit of the receiving unit 521, the selection unit 522, and the transmitting unit 523 by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). .. In addition, some or all of these components are hardware (circuits) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. It may be realized by the part (including circuitry), or it may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware.

The receiving unit 521 receives the request information transmitted from the own vehicle M via the network NW by the communication device 20. The selection unit 522 selects another vehicle to transport the transportation target instead, based on the request information received by the reception unit 521 and the usage status of the other vehicle existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle M that transmitted the request information. To do. Here, the management device 500 requests each vehicle (own vehicle M or another vehicle) to transmit usage status information indicating the usage status of each vehicle, for example, at all times or at predetermined time intervals. The usage status information includes information indicating the moving direction and destination of the vehicle, information indicating the number of occupants who can board the vehicle, and the amount (size) of luggage that can be loaded on the vehicle. Information etc. are included. The receiving unit 521 receives the usage status information transmitted in response to the request. The selection unit 522 selects another vehicle to be transported instead of the transportation target based on the usage status information received by the reception unit 521 and the request information. The selection unit 522 is, for example, another vehicle located closest to the position of the own vehicle M (or located within the example distance), and is another vehicle whose movement direction matches that of the own vehicle M, and the occupant is on board. Select another vehicle that is not on board, or another vehicle that can carry the transportation target even if the occupant is on board, as a substitute vehicle. The transmission unit 523 transmits the request information to the other vehicle selected by the selection unit 522. The other vehicle that has received the request information moves to the vicinity of the own vehicle M based on the request information.

FIG. 9 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 of the second embodiment. The first control unit 120 of the present embodiment includes an action plan generation unit 140a instead of the action plan generation unit 140. The action plan generation unit 140a includes a communication control unit 143 in addition to the deadlock determination unit 141 included in the action plan generation unit 140 and the elimination operation control unit 142.

When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M cannot eliminate the deadlock state by the elimination operation control, the communication control unit 143 transmits the request information to the management device 500 by the communication device 20. The state in which the deadlock state cannot be eliminated even if the elimination operation control is performed means, for example, a state in which the own vehicle M cannot be moved by the elimination operation control, or a deadlock even if the own vehicle M is moved by the elimination operation control. It is a state in which the state cannot be resolved. In the present embodiment, the communication device 20 is an example of the "first communication unit".

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which a substitute vehicle is requested in one lane on each side. The CH shown represents a median strip. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a vehicle traveling in the own lane L1 or the oncoming lane L3 cannot travel beyond the median strip CH. Further, in the scene shown in FIG. 10, the movement direction of the own vehicle M is closed in the own lane L1. Since it is determined that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state, the elimination operation control unit 142 performs the elimination operation control, but since the other vehicle m1 is stopped behind the own vehicle M, the own vehicle M is rearward. Can't drive. In this case, the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the deadlock state cannot be eliminated by the elimination operation control. When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the deadlock state cannot be resolved, the communication control unit 143 transmits the request information to the management device 500 by the communication device 20.

The management device 500 receives the request information from the own vehicle M and selects another vehicle (another vehicle m2 shown in the figure) to transport the transportation target instead. For example, the other vehicle m2 is traveling in the same lane (not shown) in the same direction as the own vehicle M, but is not traveling in the closed lane L1 and exists in the vicinity of the own vehicle M. It is a vehicle. The other vehicle m2 travels in the oncoming lane L3 based on the request information received from the management device 500, and moves to the vicinity of the own vehicle M. The other vehicle m2 travels in the moving direction of the other vehicle m2 after the occupant of the own vehicle M or the luggage of the own vehicle M is loaded, and travels in a direction that matches the moving direction of the own vehicle M.

[Processing flow]
Hereinafter, the processing of the elimination operation control by the automatic operation control device 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a series of processes by the automatic operation control device 100 of the second embodiment. The processing of this flowchart is, for example, repeated at a predetermined cycle. Further, since the processing of steps S100 to S102 is the same as the processing of the same step number in FIG. 6, the description thereof will be omitted.

When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the own vehicle M is in the deadlock state, the deadlock determination unit 141 determines whether or not the deadlock state can be eliminated by the elimination operation control (step S103). When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the deadlock state can be eliminated, the elimination operation control unit 142 performs elimination operation control to move the own vehicle M in the direction opposite to the moving direction to eliminate the deadlock state. (Step S104). When the deadlock determination unit 141 determines that the deadlock state cannot be resolved, the communication control unit 143 transmits the request information to the management device 500 by the communication device 20 and requests a substitute vehicle (step S106).

Hereinafter, the processing of the management device 500 will be described with reference to the flowchart. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a series of processes by the management device 500 of the second embodiment. The management device 500 waits until the request information is received from the own vehicle M (step S200). When the management device 500 receives the request information from the own vehicle M, the management device 500 selects another vehicle to transport the transportation target instead based on the request information and the usage status information received from the own vehicle M or another vehicle ( Step S202). The other vehicle is a vehicle whose movement direction matches that of the own vehicle M, and is a vehicle on which no occupant is on board or a vehicle on which a transportation target can be placed even if an occupant is on board. The management device 500 transmits the request information to the other selected vehicle (step S204).

Further, in the above description, the case where one other vehicle is selected as a substitute vehicle for the own vehicle M having the management device 500 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The management device 500 may select a plurality of other vehicles as substitutes for the own vehicle M, for example, based on the number of passengers on the own vehicle M and the size of the luggage. In this case, the occupants and luggage of the own vehicle M are divided into a plurality of other vehicles traveling as substitute vehicles.

Further, due to traffic congestion or the like, a plurality of vehicles (own vehicle M or another vehicle) may be in a deadlock state, and the plurality of vehicles may transmit request information to the management device 500. In this case, for example, the management device 500 may select a number of other vehicles (for example, one) smaller than the number of the plurality of vehicles for transmitting the request information as a substitute vehicle. Good. In this case, the occupants and luggage on board the plurality of vehicles for which the request information has been transmitted synergize with other vehicles traveling as substitute vehicles.

[About sharing information such as destinations]
Hereinafter, processing after the other vehicle m2 that transports the transportation target instead arrives in the vicinity of the own vehicle M will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which another vehicle m2 traveling as a substitute for the own vehicle M arrives in the vicinity of the own vehicle M. When the other vehicle m2 selected as a substitute vehicle by the management device 500 arrives in the vicinity of the own vehicle M, the occupant of the own vehicle M is boarded. Further, the other vehicle m2 is loaded with the luggage loaded on the own vehicle M by the occupant of the own vehicle M or the occupant of the own vehicle M. After the occupant of the own vehicle M or the luggage of the own vehicle M is loaded, the other vehicle m2 travels in a direction that is the movement direction of the other vehicle m2 and detours in a direction that matches the movement direction of the own vehicle M.

Here, the automatic driving control device 100 communicates with another vehicle m2 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and provides destination information indicating the destination of the own vehicle M, the arrival target time, the intended use of the own vehicle M, and the like. It is transmitted to another vehicle m2. Based on the destination information received from the own vehicle M, the other vehicle m2 moves to the destination of the own vehicle M by the arrival target time, or executes processing according to the planned usage. As a result, the automatic driving control device 100 can reduce the time and effort for the occupants of the own vehicle M and the other vehicle m2 to input the information shown in the destination information to the other vehicle m2.

The automatic driving control device 100 may be configured to transmit the destination information to the management device 500 via the network NW instead of transmitting the destination information to the other vehicle m2 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In this case, the management device 500 receives the request information and the destination information from the own vehicle M in the deadlock state, and transmits the request information and the destination information to the other vehicle m2 selected as the substitute vehicle. To do. Further, the automatic driving control device 100 may be configured to transmit the destination information to the terminal device owned by the occupant of the own vehicle M. This terminal device is, for example, a portable terminal device having at least a communication function and an information input / output function, such as a mobile phone such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). In this case, when the occupant of the own vehicle M gets on the other vehicle m2 traveling as a substitute vehicle, the terminal device transmits the destination information to the other vehicle m2. According to the above-described configuration, the automatic driving control device 100 can reduce the time and effort for the occupants of the own vehicle M and the other vehicle m2 to input the information shown in the destination information to the other vehicle m2.

[When sending request information directly to another vehicle]
In the above description, the case where the own vehicle M in the deadlock state transmits the request information to the management device 500 and the management device 500 transmits the request information to the other vehicle selected by the management device 500 has been described. , Not limited to this. The own vehicle M may be configured to transmit request information directly (for example, inter-vehicle communication, etc.) to other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle M, for example. In this case, the other vehicle that has received the request information is determined to travel as a substitute for the own vehicle M when the moving direction indicated in the request information matches the moving direction of the own vehicle, and is in the vicinity of the own vehicle M. Moving.

[Selection of substitute vehicle by autonomous decentralized system]
Further, in the above description, the case where the own vehicle M in the deadlock state transmits the request information to the management device 500 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each vehicle (own vehicle M or another vehicle) has a function of the management device 500, and a vehicle traveling as a substitute vehicle by an autonomous decentralized system via a network NW may be selected. In this case, for example, the own vehicle M in the deadlock state receives usage status information from another vehicle, and selects another vehicle to travel as a substitute for the own vehicle M based on the received usage status information. The own vehicle M transmits the request information to the selected other vehicle, and the other vehicle that has received the request information moves to the vicinity of the own vehicle M based on the request information. Instead of the configuration in which the own vehicle M in the deadlock state selects another vehicle, the other vehicle existing in the vicinity of the own vehicle M may select another vehicle traveling as a substitute vehicle.

[Hardware configuration]
The automatic operation control device 100 of the above-described embodiment is realized by, for example, a hardware configuration as shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic operation control device 100 of the embodiment.

In the automatic operation control device 100, the communication controller 100-1, the CPU 100-2, the RAM 100-3, the ROM 100-4, the secondary storage device 100-5 such as a flash memory or an HDD, and the drive device 100-6 have an internal bus or an internal bus. It is configured to be connected to each other by a dedicated communication line. A portable storage medium such as an optical disk is mounted on the drive device 100-6. The program 100-5a stored in the secondary storage device 100-5 is expanded into the RAM 100-3 by a DMA controller (not shown) or the like, and executed by the CPU 100-2 to execute the first control unit 120 and the second. The control unit 160 is realized. Further, the program referred to by the CPU 100-2 may be stored in the portable storage medium mounted on the drive device 100-6, or may be downloaded from another device via the network NW.

The above embodiment can be expressed as follows.
A storage device that stores information and
It comprises a hardware processor that executes a program stored in the storage device.
By executing the program, the hardware processor
A recognition unit that recognizes objects that exist around the vehicle
Based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction.
When the determination result indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, one or both of steering or acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle is controlled based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.
Control is performed to eliminate the deadlock state by traveling the own vehicle in the direction opposite to the traveling direction.
A vehicle control system that is configured to.

Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be added.

S ... Vehicle control system, 1 ... Vehicle control device, 10 ... Camera, 20, 510 ... Communication device, 100 ... Automatic driving control device, 120 ... First control unit, 130 ... Recognition unit, 140, 140a ... Action plan generation unit , 141 ... Dead lock determination unit, 142 ... Elimination operation control unit, 143 ... Communication control unit, 160 ... Second control unit, 162 ... Acquisition unit, 164 ... Speed control unit, 166 ... Steering control unit, 180 ... Storage unit, 200 ... Travel driving force output device, 210 ... Brake device, 220 ... Steering device, 500 ... Management device, 520 ... Control device, 521 ... Receiver unit, 522 ... Selection unit, 523 ... Transmission unit

Claims (11)

A recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the vehicle and
Based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, a determination unit for determining whether or not the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction, and a determination unit.
When the determination result of the determination unit indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, one or both of steering or acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle is controlled based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, and the advancement is performed. A elimination control unit that controls the elimination of the deadlock state by traveling the own vehicle in the opposite direction.
Vehicle control device. When canceling the deadlock state, the cancellation control unit replaces the front of the own vehicle with the rear and the rear of the own vehicle as the front to drive the own vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. It also has a communication unit that communicates with other vehicles.
When the deadlock state cannot be resolved by the traveling of the own vehicle, the cancellation control unit uses the communication unit to provide information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead. To send to the other vehicle,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. It also has a communication unit that communicates with the management device.
When the deadlock state cannot be resolved by the traveling of the own vehicle, the cancellation control unit uses the communication unit to provide information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead. To send to the management device,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. It also has a communication unit that communicates with the management device.
When the distance assumed that the own vehicle travels in the opposite direction is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance, the elimination control unit provides information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead. , Transmit to the management device using the communication unit,
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The other vehicle is a vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane of the own vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 3 to 5. The elimination control unit transmits information in the traveling direction to the other vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication using the communication unit.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 3 to 6. A recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the vehicle and
Based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, a determination unit for determining whether or not the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction, and a determination unit.
The first communication unit that communicates with the management device,
When the determination result of the determination unit indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, the first communication unit is provided with information for requesting another vehicle to transport the transportation target of the own vehicle instead. A elimination control unit that uses and transmits to the management device,
With vehicle control devices, including
A second communication unit that communicates with the vehicle control device,
When the requested information is received by the second communication unit, a selection unit that selects another vehicle for which the transportation target of the own vehicle is requested to be transported instead from another vehicle different from the own vehicle, and a selection unit.
A transmission unit that transmits the requested information to the other vehicle selected by the selection unit by the second communication unit, and
With management equipment including
Vehicle control system with. The second communication unit that communicates with the vehicle control device mounted on the own vehicle,
When the second communication unit receives information requesting that the transportation target of the own vehicle be transported instead, the other vehicle different from the own vehicle requests that the transportation target of the own vehicle be transported instead. A selection section for selecting a vehicle and
A transmission unit that transmits the requested information to the other vehicle selected by the selection unit by the second communication unit, and
Management device equipped with. A vehicle control computer mounted on the own vehicle equipped with a recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle
Based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction.
When the determination result indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, one or both of steering or acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle is controlled based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.
Control is performed to eliminate the deadlock state by traveling the own vehicle in the direction opposite to the traveling direction.
Vehicle control method. A vehicle control computer mounted on the own vehicle equipped with a recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the own vehicle.
Based on the situation around the own vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle is in a deadlock state in which it cannot travel in the traveling direction.
When the determination result indicates that the own vehicle is in the deadlock state, one or both of steering or acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle is controlled based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.
The own vehicle is driven in the direction opposite to the traveling direction, and control is performed to eliminate the deadlock state.
program.

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