KR20210097235A - Group driving system for self driving cars - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, a platooning control server makes autonomous vehicles with overlapping paths drive together and collectively controls the operation of the autonomous vehicles as a group, and thus a driving safety is secured and a traffic congestion is significantly eased. A platooning system of autonomous vehicles according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: at least one autonomous vehicle comprising an input unit which enters destination information, a control unit which extracts path information from the destination information, and a communication unit which transmits the path information; and a platooning control server which controls a plurality of autonomous vehicles with overlapping paths to drive together according to the path information transmitted from the communication unit.

Description

Group driving system for autonomous vehicles {GROUP DRIVING SYSTEM FOR SELF DRIVING CARS}

The present invention relates to a platoon driving system, and more particularly, to a platoon driving system of an autonomous vehicle.

An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that can drive automatically without human driving. Autonomous vehicles drive autonomously by recognizing their surroundings with radar, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), GPS, and cameras and specifying a destination. Unmanned vehicles that are already being put into practical use include unmanned vehicles that patrol preset routes operated by the Israeli military, and unmanned operation systems such as dump trucks operated in overseas mines and construction sites.

The first core technologies of these autonomous vehicles are the driverless vehicle system and the actual system. In addition to simulation in the laboratory, it is a technology that actually builds an unmanned vehicle system. It implements the accelerator, reducer, and steering device, which are driving devices, to suit unmanned operation, and enables control using the computer, software and hardware installed in the unmanned vehicle. do.

The second core technology is to receive and process visual information using vision and sensors. As the basis of autonomous driving for unmanned driving, it is a technology that accepts image information and extracts necessary information from this image. It uses not only CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras but also ultrasonic sensors and range filters to fuse information necessary for distance and driving, so that it can avoid obstacles and cope with unexpected situations through analysis and processing.

The third core technology is the integrated control system and operation monitoring fault diagnosis system technology. This technology establishes a driving monitoring system that monitors vehicle operation and gives appropriate commands according to changing situations, and provides appropriate information to the operator by diagnosing system failures by analyzing various situations occurring from individual processors and sensors. or to perform the function of notifying an alarm.

The fourth core technology is intelligent control and intelligent operation devices. This technology is an unmanned driving technique that generates control commands based on mathematical analysis using real vehicle models. Intelligent Forward Control is a system that maintains the distance from the vehicle in front or obstacles by adjusting the speed by itself without the driver operating the pedals based on radar guide technology. When the driver inputs the distance to the vehicle in front, the long-distance radar attached to the front of the vehicle detects the position of the vehicle in front, maintains a constant speed, decelerates, accelerates, and stops completely if necessary, which is useful in weather where visibility is difficult.

The fifth applied technology is the lane departure prevention system. This is a technology that notifies the driver of an unintentional departure situation by detecting the lane with a camera installed inside the vehicle.

The sixth application technology is the parking assist system. This is a system that helps the car park in reverse line by adjusting the steering system when the driver presses the brake pedal after searching for the assist button and inserts the reverse gear. Based on infrastructure as well as vehicle-mounted sensors, it automatically guides the vehicle from the departure point to the parking space, saving unnecessary time and energy when parking, thereby minimizing cost and environmental pollution.

The seventh application technology is the automatic parking system. This is a technology in which the driver stops the car in front of the parking lot, turns off the engine, gets off, and presses the remote control lock switch twice in succession. am.

The eighth application technology is a blind spot information guidance system. It is used to change lanes by checking obstacles and vehicles on both sides in complex road conditions, as sensors installed on both sides of the car determine whether there is another vehicle in the blind spot that is not visible through the side mirrors and warn the driver. .

The biggest advantage of driverless cars is that they help fuel efficiency by avoiding repeated stops by making the control device more even because the driving speed and traffic management data match. will be. In addition, it solves fatigue caused by long-term driving, can greatly reduce the risk of traffic accidents, and has the advantage of speeding up road traffic flow and reducing traffic congestion.

Recently, platooning of autonomous vehicles has been on the rise. The platooning refers to a method of grouping and controlling a large number of vehicles in an autonomous driving system. Accordingly, Prior Art Document 1 discloses a method for controlling platoon driving in which a leader vehicle and a follower vehicle traveling by receiving a control signal from a communicator of the leader vehicle run in a group. Furthermore, prior art document 1 regulates platooning from the viewpoint of communication between vehicles. However, for the smooth commercialization of platooning, it is necessary to prepare a separate system for controlling platooning of all vehicles.

[Prior art literature]

Korean Patent Publication No. 2019-0096864 (2019.08.20.)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a platooning system of an autonomous driving vehicle that allows each autonomous driving vehicle to run in a platoon through a platoon control server.

At least one autonomous driving system comprising an input unit for inputting destination information, a controller for extracting path information from destination information, and a communication unit for transmitting the path information, according to an aspect of the present invention vehicle; and a cluster control server configured to group and drive a plurality of autonomous vehicles having overlapping routes according to the route information transmitted by the communication unit.

In this case, the autonomous vehicle further includes an output unit disposed therein, and when a plurality of autonomous vehicles are driven in a cluster by the cluster control server, the output unit groups the exteriors of other autonomous vehicles to express the same It may include a group display module.

In addition, the autonomous vehicle further includes a sensing unit including a radar or a lidar, and the sensing unit performs peripheral autonomous driving when the autonomous driving vehicle is driven by subordinate to another autonomous driving vehicle by the swarm control server performing platoon driving. It can monitor the distance from the vehicle or the speed of nearby autonomous vehicles.

In addition, the output unit may include a regrouping display module for expressing the appearance of a vehicle that is regrouped and driven among the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles after the grouping is released differently from a vehicle in which the grouping is not released.

In addition, the output unit may include a merging point display module for displaying a merging point at which the autonomous driving vehicle, which was not driven in a cluster, will join a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles that are clustered and driven for the clustering.

In addition, the swarm control server is a path determination module that determines a possible path for platooning from path information transmitted by a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and equally controls the entire driving of a plurality of autonomous vehicles determined to be capable of platooning. Group operation module, group maintenance module that controls to regroup when at least one autonomous driving vehicle is released from the cluster when a set event occurs It may include at least one of a signal control module for controlling a signal, and a group entry module for finding a junction so that other vehicles other than the platoon join the platoon driving and controlling an interval or speed of autonomous vehicles around the junction.

According to the present invention, since the cluster control server clusters and drives autonomous vehicles with overlapping routes, and collectively controls their operation as a group, it significantly suppresses traffic congestion while securing driving stability.

In addition, in the present invention, driving is controlled in consideration of merging into platooning and departure from platooning and intuitively displayed on other vehicles, thereby securing a user's driving stability.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a swarm system of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating the sensing unit of FIG. 1 in more detail.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating the output unit of FIG. 1 in more detail.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating the cluster control server of FIG. 1 in more detail.
5 is a diagram illustrating a road condition to which a platoon driving system of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
6 is a diagram illustrating an interior of a vehicle to which a platoon driving system of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them with reference to the accompanying drawings. Since the present invention can have various changes and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms including an ordinal number, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

Hereinafter, the platoon driving system 1000 of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a swarm system of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a sensing unit in FIG. 1 in more detail, and FIG. 3 is an output unit in FIG. It is a configuration diagram showing in more detail, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the cluster control server in FIG. 1 in more detail.

Referring to the drawings, first, the platoon driving system 1000 of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention collectively refers to at least one autonomous driving vehicle 100 (in FIG. 1 , symbols 100_1 to 100_n for a plurality of vehicles). 100. Hereinafter, other configurations are also collectively referred to as representative symbols) and the cluster control server 200 .

The autonomous vehicle 100 for platoon driving includes an input unit 110 , a sensing unit 120 , an output unit 130 , a control unit 140 , and a communication unit 150 . The input unit 110 serves to input a destination of the autonomous vehicle. The destination is entered through text or voice, and the user confirms and confirms it.

The sensing unit 120 may include a radar 121 and a lidar 121 , and may further include a camera 123 . The radar 121 refers to a device capable of moving unmanned while performing a radar detection operation by mounting an antenna in an autonomous vehicle. The radar 121 is not limited to performing only a radar detection operation using the provided antenna, and such as a plurality of sensors or complex sensors capable of sensing the surrounding environment, such as the lidar 122 and the camera 123 . It can be implemented in the form The radar 121 senses the surrounding environment to generate surrounding sensing information, and based on the surrounding sensing information, determines the road, other vehicles, people, and inanimate objects that exist in the driving direction based on the surrounding sensing information.

The lidar 122 is a device that precisely draws a surrounding state by emitting a laser pulse, receiving the light reflected from the surrounding target object, and measuring the distance to the object. The lidar 122 emits a laser pulse to the ground surface and measures the return time by analyzing the spatial position of the reflection point to measure the topography, and the reflected return time is different depending on the structure. A difficult three-dimensional model can be obtained. The lidar 122 is composed of a laser, a scanner, a receiver, and a positioning system, and the wavelength of the laser is 600-1000 nm. The scanner is the part that allows you to quickly scan your surroundings to get information. The receiver is a part that detects the returning light, and the sensitivity of the receiver to the light is a major factor in determining the performance of the lidar. Essentially, the receiver detects photons and amplifies them. The positioning system performs a role of confirming the position coordinates and direction where the receiver is placed in order to implement a 3D image.

On the other hand, the sensing unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention performs the role of a general sensing unit before platoon driving, but the swarm control server 200 performs platoon driving so that the autonomous driving vehicle 100_1 moves to another autonomous driving vehicle ( 100_2 to 100_n), it is preferable from the viewpoint of data traffic to perform the detection required for the cluster by monitoring the distance from the neighboring autonomous vehicle or the speed of the neighboring autonomous vehicle when the vehicle is driven in a platoon. Of course, when the platooning is canceled, the above-described normal sensing role is performed. In addition, the sensing unit 120 necessarily includes the GPS 124 because it is necessary to utilize the location information of the vehicle for group driving.

The output unit 130 displays information related to platoon driving inside or outside the autonomous vehicle, including the group display module 131 , the regroup display module 132 , the junction display module 133 , and the withdrawal display module 134 . ), including any one of.

The group display module 131 groups the exteriors of other autonomous vehicles to be expressed in the same manner when a plurality of autonomous vehicles are driven in a cluster by the cluster control server 200 . For example, when the autonomous driving vehicle sees other group driving vehicles through a transparent display, etc., the grouped vehicles are all mapped to the same color so that it can be intuitively recognized that they are driven in groups.

The regrouping display module 132 expresses the appearance of a vehicle that is regrouped and driven among a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles after the clustering is released to be different from that of a vehicle in which the clustering is not released. That is, when driving in a platoon, the color of the vehicle driving in front is initially expressed in the same color as the entire vehicle in the platoon, so it can be seen that they are clustered. Thus, it is possible to quickly know the overall population change situation of other platoon driving vehicle passengers.

The junction display module 133 is displayed in an autonomous driving vehicle that has not been driven in a cluster. In the process of joining a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles that are clustered and driven for the purpose of clustering, the merging point between any vehicle and the vehicle during platooning is displayed. serves to indicate Accordingly, passengers who take part in the platoon driving late can predict the exact platoon merging point, which guarantees a high possibility of predicting driving.

The withdrawal display module 134 serves to display on the display of other vehicles that a part of the driving platoon vehicle will leave the platoon. Accordingly, the passengers of other vehicles can intuitively know that the change in the formation of the group is accompanied by the possibility of foreseeing the group's withdrawal.

The control unit 140 extracts route information from the destination information input by the input unit. This is because group driving is possible when route information is duplicated. This path information is transmitted to the group control server 200 through the communication unit 150 .

According to the route information transmitted by the cluster control server 200, the communication unit 150, the driving is controlled so that a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles 100_1 to 100_n with overlapping routes are clustered and driven. Meanwhile, it goes without saying that the role of the cluster control server 200 may be assisted by inter-vehicle communication in which the control unit 140 of each vehicle controls the communication unit 150 according to the detection of the sensing unit 120 .

The group control server 200 includes at least one of the path determination module 210 , the group operation module 220 , the group maintenance module 230 , the signal control module 240 , the group entry module 250 and the group exit module 260 . includes one

The route determination module 210 determines routes in which platooning is possible with each other based on route information transmitted by a plurality of autonomous vehicles. That is, the path determination module 210 determines whether the platoon driving is possible by determining the minimum distance set for platooning and the location of each autonomous vehicle.

The group operation module 220 performs a role of equally controlling all driving of a plurality of autonomous vehicles when it is determined that platooning is possible. That is, the group operation module 220 controls the driving so as to simultaneously start and stop the autonomous vehicles forming the group at the same time. Accordingly, the driving for controlling the vehicle interval may be omitted, thereby remarkably reducing the possibility of causing congestion. On the other hand, when a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles depart, the set speed reaching speed may be different depending on the displacement and performance of the most advanced vehicle and the rearmost vehicle, so the group operation module 220 is configured at the departure time of each vehicle. It would also be desirable to gradually grant a set margin to control a differential start or to control a differential stop.

The group maintenance module 230 serves to control the group to regroup when a set event occurs and at least one autonomous driving vehicle is released from the group. This is because, depending on the traffic situation, some of the platoon driving may frequently depart from the platoon. At this time, the aforementioned regroup display module 132 is a vehicle scheduled to regroup when it is regrouped after a brief departure from the platoon formation. , so that it is possible to quickly know the overall population change situation of other platoon driving vehicle passengers.

The signal control module 240 may control traffic signals around the group driving path so that all vehicles driven in a cluster can run or stop according to the same traffic signal. That is, the signal control module 240 is connected to the traffic control server 300, and sets the signal so that the whole passes or stops at the same time by changing the signal system by viewing the whole as one vehicle in order to secure the efficiency of platooning. This can further enhance the smoothness of traffic.

The group entry module 250 performs a role of finding a junction so that other vehicles other than the platoon join the platoon driving, and controlling the interval or speed of autonomous vehicles around the junction. This works together with displaying the junction between a vehicle and a vehicle during platooning while the merging point display module 133 joins a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles that are clustered for clustering. Accordingly, a passenger who later participates in the platoon driving can predict an accurate platoon merging point.

The group leaving module 260 serves to allow the destination to leave the group before entering another route from one vehicle of different platooning, and to control the interval and speed between vehicles involved in the withdrawal.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be described. 5 is a diagram illustrating a road condition to which the platoon driving system of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 6 is a vehicle to which the platoon driving system of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. A drawing illustrating the interior.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the route determination module 210 and the group operation module 220 described above control the autonomous driving vehicles 100_1 to 100_6 having the route matching to be operated by grouping them. At this time, the group maintenance module 230 allows the vehicles indicated by the reference numeral 100_3 to regroup even when the vehicles are separated from the group for a while. In addition, the group entry module 250 outputs to the vehicle 100_i attempting to enter the group that the junction between the vehicle 100_2 and the vehicle 100_3 is an alarm. In this case, the distance between the vehicle 100_2 and the vehicle 100_3 is controlled to become distant, and the vehicle 100_3 is controlled to be decelerated.

In addition, as in FIG. 6 , inside the autonomous driving vehicle, after entering a route, input whether or not to participate in the searched platoon driving is entered, and when participating in platoon driving, a vehicle driven in a group (the vehicle marked with GROUP or red in FIG. 6 ) is displayed. It is printed and displayed to enhance driving stability.

As described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the present specification and drawings, and although specific terms are used, these are only used in a general sense to easily explain the technical contents of the present invention and to help the understanding of the present invention. , it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains that other modifications based on the technical spirit of the present invention can be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

1000: swarm system of autonomous vehicle
100: autonomous vehicle
110 (110_1 to 110_n): input unit
120 (120_1 to 120_n): detection unit
121: radar
122: rider
123: camera
124: GPS
130 (130_1 to 130_n): output unit
131: group display module
132: re-cluster display module
133: junction display module
134: withdrawal indication module
140 (140_1 to 140_n): control unit
150 (150_1 to 150_n): communication unit
200: cluster control server
210: path determination module
220: group operation module
230: group maintenance module
240: signal control module
250: group entry module
260: group leave module
300: traffic control server

Claims (6)

In the swarm system of an autonomous vehicle,
An input unit for inputting destination information, a control unit for extracting path information from the destination information, and a communication unit for transmitting the path information;
At least one autonomous vehicle comprising a; and
and a cluster control server for grouping and driving a plurality of autonomous vehicles with overlapping routes according to the route information transmitted by the communication unit.
According to claim 1,
The autonomous driving vehicle further includes an output unit disposed therein, and when a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles are driven in a group by the cluster control server, the output unit groups the exteriors of other autonomous driving vehicles and displays the same group display A platoon driving system for an autonomous vehicle, comprising a module.
According to claim 1,
The autonomous vehicle may further include a sensing unit including a radar or a lidar, and the sensing unit may be connected to a neighboring autonomous driving vehicle when the autonomous driving vehicle is driven by subordinated to another autonomous driving vehicle by the swarm control server performing platoon driving. A platoon driving system for autonomous vehicles, characterized in that monitoring the interval of or the speed of surrounding autonomous vehicles.
3. The method of claim 2,
and the output unit includes a re-swarming display module for expressing the appearance of a vehicle that is re-grouped and driven from among a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles after the clustering is released differently from a vehicle in which the platooning is not released. driving system.
3. The method of claim 2,
and the output unit includes a merging point display module for displaying a merging point at which an autonomous driving vehicle, which has not been driven in a cluster, will join a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles that are clustered and driven for the platoon.
3. The method of claim 2,
The swarm control server includes a path determination module that determines a possible path for platooning based on path information transmitted by a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and a group operation that equally controls all driving of a plurality of autonomous vehicles determined to be capable of platooning. A module, a group maintenance module that controls to regroup when at least one autonomous driving vehicle is released from the cluster when a set event occurs, and a surrounding traffic signal so that all vehicles running in the cluster can drive or stop according to the same traffic signal An autonomous driving vehicle comprising at least one of a signal control module for controlling, and a group entry module for finding a junction so that other vehicles other than the platoon join the platoon driving and controlling the distance or speed of the autonomous driving vehicle around the junction platoon driving system.

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