KR20230033162A - Collision Prediction System for autonomous vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for predicting a collision of an autonomous driving vehicle, which enables an autonomous driving vehicle to intuitively predict collision possibility with the other vehicle to secure relief of a driver, and furthermore, controls a boarding vehicle and the other vehicle all at once to fundamentally remove the collision possibility. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the system for predicting a collision of an autonomous driving vehicle comprises: a detection unit detecting the other vehicles on a front side, a rear side, and a lateral side of the vehicle; a control unit determining the collision possibility with the other vehicle; and an output unit outputting a collision possibility sign in proportion to a size of the collision possibility.

Description

Collision Prediction System for autonomous vehicles}

The present invention relates to a collision prediction system, and more particularly, to a collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle.

Vehicles may be classified into internal combustion engine vehicles, external combustion engine vehicles, gas turbine vehicles, electric vehicles, and the like, depending on the type of prime mover used.

Autonomous vehicles are vehicles that can drive automatically without human intervention. Driverless cars drive autonomously by recognizing the surrounding environment with radar, LIDAR (light detection and ranging), GPS, and camera and designating a destination. Unmanned vehicles that are already in practical use include unmanned vehicles operated by the Israeli military that patrol preset routes and unmanned operation systems such as dump trucks that are operated at overseas mines or construction sites.

The first core technologies of these self-driving vehicles are the unmanned car system and the actual system. It is a technology that builds an unmanned car system in reality as well as simulation in the laboratory. It implements driving devices such as accelerators, decelerators, and steering devices to suit unmanned operation, and enables control using computers, software, and hardware installed in unmanned cars. do.

The second key technology is to receive and process visual information using vision and sensors. It is the basis of autonomous driving for unmanned operation, and it is a technology that accepts image information and extracts necessary information from the image. This uses not only a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera, but also sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and range filters to fuse information necessary for distance and driving, allowing obstacle avoidance and unexpected situations to be dealt with through analysis and processing.

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

The fourth key technology is intelligent control and intelligent driving devices. This technology generates control commands based on mathematical analysis using actual vehicle models as an unmanned driving technique. Intelligent forward control is a system based on radar guide technology that maintains the distance from the vehicle in front or obstacles by adjusting the speed on its own without the driver manipulating the pedals. When the driver inputs the distance to the vehicle in front, the long-range radar attached to the front of the vehicle detects the location of the vehicle in front, maintains a constant speed, decelerates or accelerates, and comes to a complete stop if necessary, which is useful in poor visibility weather.

The fifth applied technology is the lane departure prevention system. This is a technology in which a camera installed inside detects the lane and informs the driver of an unintended deviation situation.

The sixth applied technology is a parking assist system. When the driver searches for the assist button, puts the reverse gear in and presses the brake pedal, the car adjusts the steering to assist in parallel parking in reverse. It automatically guides the vehicle from the starting point to the parking space based on infrastructure as well as vehicle-mounted sensors to save unnecessary time and energy when parking, thereby minimizing cost and environmental pollution.

The seventh applied technology is an 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 a row. am.

The eighth applied technology is a blind spot information guidance system. Sensors mounted on both sides of the car determine if there is another vehicle in the blind spot that is not visible through the side mirror and warn the driver. .

The biggest advantage of autonomous driving is that driving speed and traffic management data match, so it helps fuel efficiency by avoiding repeated stops by adjusting the control device more evenly, and that it can be used by people who cannot drive, such as the elderly, children, and the disabled. will be. In addition, it has the advantage of solving fatigue caused by long-time driving, greatly reducing the risk of traffic accidents, speeding up traffic flow on the road and reducing traffic congestion.

However, in recent years, various problems are expected to occur due to the popularization of autonomous vehicles. In particular, autonomous vehicle driving control algorithms inevitably differ depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, when autonomous vehicles of different manufacturers drive very close to each other, users may feel anxious. In this case, a method for confirming and guaranteeing safety is required, but related research is still lacking.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2019-0070693 (2019. 06. 21.), Title of Invention: Autonomous driving device and its control method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AUTONOMOUS DRIVING OF VEHICLE}

The present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to intuitively predict the possibility of collision with another vehicle light in an autonomous vehicle to promote driver's relief, and furthermore, It is an object of the present invention to provide a collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle that fundamentally eliminates the possibility of a collision by controlling it collectively.

A collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes a sensing unit for detecting other vehicles in the front, rear, and side directions, a controller for determining the possibility of collision with the other vehicle, and and an output unit that outputs a collision possibility indicator.

At this time, the collision possibility indicator may be output on the other vehicle in an augmented output method or a top view method.

In addition, the collision possibility indicator may be output in the form of a spherical wave, and the size of the spherical wave may be output in proportion to an expected impact amount.

Also, the center of the spherical wave may vary according to the steering angle of the autonomous vehicle.

In addition, the collision prediction system of the autonomous vehicle may further include a server, and the server may control driving of the autonomous vehicle and the other vehicle together when the output of the collision possibility indicator continues for a set time or longer. .

Since the present invention intuitively detects the possibility of an autonomous vehicle colliding with another vehicle and outputs it in the form of a spherical wave according to the driving state, it guarantees predictability to the user.

In addition, the present invention has an effect of fundamentally blocking the possibility of collision because the server drives both vehicles together when a state in which there is a possibility of collision with another vehicle continues.

1 is a configuration diagram of a collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the self-driving vehicle in FIG. 1 in more detail.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the sensing unit in FIG. 2 in more detail.
4 is a configuration diagram showing the output unit in FIG. 2 in more detail.
5 is a configuration diagram showing the control unit in FIG. 2 in more detail.
6 to 8 are views illustrating the operation of a collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are given the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used together in consideration of ease of writing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinct from each other by themselves.

In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiment disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention , it should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first and second, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another element, it should be understood that no other element exists in the middle.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded.

Hereinafter, a crash prediction system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a configuration diagram of a collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the autonomous vehicle in FIG. 1 in more detail, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the detection in FIG. 2 A configuration diagram showing the unit in more detail, FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the output unit in FIG. 2 in more detail, and FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the control unit in FIG. 2 in more detail.

Referring to the drawings, first, the collision prediction system 1000 of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention communicates with another vehicle 10, an autonomous vehicle 100, which is a vehicle to be collided with, and them, and It includes a server 200 that performs route management and remote control. At this time, similarly, the other vehicle 10 may be an autonomous vehicle.

In this case, the autonomous vehicle 100 includes an input unit 110, a sensing unit 120, an output unit 130, a control unit 140, a communication unit 150, and a driving unit 160.

In this case, when the other vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle, both the autonomous vehicle 100 and the other vehicle 10 include an input unit 110, a detection unit 120, an output unit 130, and a control unit 140. , It consists of a communication unit 150 and a drive unit 160.

The input unit 110 is a device that receives a user input for driving. In the case of the manual mode, the input unit of the autonomous vehicle 100 may include a steering input device (not shown), an acceleration input device, and a brake input device. In addition, the input unit 110 serves to input the destination of the autonomous vehicle, receives information from the server 200 according to the input destination, and continuously sets a route.

The detector 120 may include a radar 121 and a lidar 122, and may further include a camera 123. In this embodiment, the speed and moving direction of another vehicle 10, which is a main object, are detected using the radar 121, lidar 122, and camera 123, and the possibility of collision during the driving process is determined by the control unit 140. to judge

First, the radar 121 may generate information about another vehicle 10 that is an object outside the self-driving vehicle 100 by using radio waves. The radar 121 may include an electromagnetic wave transmitter, an electromagnetic wave receiver, and at least one processor electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave transmitter and electromagnetic wave receiver, processing a received signal, and generating data about an object based on the processed signal. there is.

The radar 121 may be implemented in a pulse radar method or a continuous wave radar method in terms of radio wave emission principles. The radar 121 may be implemented in a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) method or a frequency shift keyong (FSK) method according to a signal waveform among continuous wave radar methods. The radar 121 detects an object based on a Time of Flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method through electromagnetic waves, and determines the location of the detected object, the distance to another vehicle that is the detected object, and Relative speed can be detected. Accordingly, the possibility of collision may be determined according to the relative speed and steering direction of the current self-driving vehicle. In this case, the radar 121 may be disposed at an appropriate location outside the vehicle to detect another vehicle 10, which is an object located in front, rear, or side of the vehicle.

Next, the lidar 122 may generate information about another vehicle 10 that is an object outside the self-driving vehicle 100 by using laser light. The LIDAR 122 is electrically connected to the light transmitter (not shown), the light receiver (not shown), and the light transmitter and the light receiver, processes the received signal, and generates data for an object based on the processed signal. It may include at least one processor that

The lidar 122 may be implemented in a Time of Flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method. The lidar 122 may be implemented as a driven or non-driven type. When implemented as a driven type, the lidar 122 is rotated by a motor and can detect other vehicles 10 around the autonomous vehicle 100. can When implemented as a non-driving type, the lidar 122 may detect another vehicle 10 located within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle by light steering. The autonomous vehicle 100 may include a plurality of non-driven lidars. The lidar 122 detects an object based on a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method using a laser light medium, and calculates the position of the detected object, the distance to the detected object, and the relative speed. can be detected. At this time, the lidar 122 may be disposed at an appropriate location outside the vehicle to detect another vehicle 10 located in the front, rear or side of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the camera 123 may generate information about an object such as another vehicle 10 outside the self-driving vehicle 100 by using an image. The camera 123 may include at least one lens, at least one image sensor, and at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor to process a received signal and to generate object data based on the processed signal. can

The camera 123 may be at least one of a mono camera, a stereo camera, and an AVM (Around View Monitoring) camera. The camera 123 may obtain location information of another vehicle, distance information with respect to an object, or relative speed information with an object by using various image processing algorithms. Accordingly, the control unit can calculate the possibility of collision.

For example, the camera 123 may obtain distance information and relative speed information with respect to the object based on a change in the size of the object over time in the obtained image. In addition, the camera 123 may obtain distance information and relative speed information with an object through a pinhole model, road profiling, and the like.

In addition, the camera 123 may obtain distance information and relative speed information with respect to another vehicle 10 based on disparity information in a stereo image obtained from a stereo camera. The camera 123 may be mounted in a position where a field of view (FOV) can be secured in the vehicle in order to photograph the outside of the vehicle.

The camera 123 may be disposed close to the front windshield inside the vehicle to obtain an image of the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, the camera 123 may be disposed around a front bumper or a radiator grill. The camera 123 may be disposed close to the rear glass inside the vehicle to obtain an image behind the vehicle. In this case, the camera 123 may be disposed around a rear bumper, a trunk, or a tailgate. The camera 123 may be disposed close to at least one of the side windows in the interior of the vehicle in order to acquire an image of the side of the vehicle. Alternatively, the camera 123 may be disposed around side mirrors, fenders, or doors.

In addition, since the sensing unit 120 needs to utilize the location information of the self-driving vehicle, the GPS 124 is essentially further included. The GPS 124 may include at least one of a general Global Positioning System (GPS) and a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to generate location data of the autonomous vehicle 100 . Location data of the self-driving vehicle 100 may be generated based on a signal generated by at least one of the GPS and DGPS.

In this case, the GPS 124 may correct the location data based on at least one of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and the camera 123 of the sensing unit 120 . Also, the GPS 124 may be referred to as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 120 may further include a microphone 125 so that the occupant, in addition to the guardian, may intervene in autonomous driving by voice or the like even if the occupant does not perform a steering operation. Furthermore, the biometric information sensor 126 not only senses the heart rate, blood pressure, and brain waves of passengers to prepare for emergencies, but additionally performs a function to prevent erroneous boarding by sensing fingerprint and iris information when entering and exiting the vehicle. can Utilizing the biometric information sensor 126, the self-driving vehicle 100 can detect that a passenger has boarded or alighted.

The radar 121, lidar 122, and camera 123 as described above detect the position of another vehicle, which is a main object, and the distance to the other vehicle 10, the speed of the other vehicle 10, and the other vehicle 10 ) is detected, and accordingly, the control unit 140 calculates the possibility of collision between the current vehicle 100 and another vehicle 10 .

On the other hand, the output unit 130 is composed of a general display module 131 and an impact range display module 132. The general display module 131 is normally disposed inside or outside the self-driving vehicle 100 to display a driving-related situation. Furthermore, any one of shape, shape, and color may be displayed on the outside of the vehicle to provide predictability to the owner of the vehicle and people around.

As described above, the impact range display module 132 serves to output related information when the possibility of collision with another vehicle is determined by the control unit 140. At this time, the impact range display module 132 outputs a large collision possibility indicator when the collision possibility is high, and outputs a small output in the opposite case.

In addition, the impact range display module 132 may output the collision possibility indicator as an augmented output method through a transparent display provided on the front and rear windows of the vehicle as an augmented output method. In this case, the collision possibility indicator can be output augmented on the other vehicle.

Alternatively, the impact range display module 132 may display the other vehicle 10 and the current vehicle 100 in a top view format using a separate display and output a collision possibility indicator thereon.

In more detail, the impact range display module 132 may output a collision possibility indicator in the form of a spherical wave. Here, the center of the spherical wave means the center where a collision can be initially induced. Also, in this case, the size (diameter) of the spherical wave is output in proportion to the size of the expected impulse. Accordingly, the magnitude of the spherical wave is continuously changed according to the speed change or the distance between vehicles.

Also, here, the center of the spherical wave varies according to the steering angle of the autonomous vehicle 100 . This is because the expected center of impact changes according to the rotation or movement of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the control unit 140 may be configured as a main ECU and controls driving and driving of the self-driving vehicle 100 . The control unit is composed of a drive control module 141 and an input/output control module 142 in more detail.

First of all, the drive control module 141 may include a power train drive control device, a chassis drive control device, a door/window drive control device, a safety device drive control device, a lamp drive control device, and an air conditioning drive control device. The power train driving control device may include a power source driving control device and a transmission driving control device. The chassis drive control device may include a steering drive control device, a brake drive control device, and a suspension drive control device. Meanwhile, the safety device driving control device may include a seat belt driving control device for controlling seat belts.

In addition, the drive control module 141 includes at least one electronic control device (eg, a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit)). In particular, the vehicle driving device may be controlled based on the received signal. For example, the driving control module 141 may control a power train, a steering device, and a brake device based on a signal received from the sensing unit 120 .

The input/output control module 142 controls the aforementioned output unit 130 to output a collision possibility indicator in the form of a spherical wave in a size proportional to the impact.

However, when the output of the collision possibility indicator continues for a set time period, user or occupant's anxiety is greatly intensified. Therefore, in this case, the server 200 inquires whether to control driving of the other vehicle 10 and the self-driving vehicle 100 integrally, and when permission is input through the input unit 110, the server 200 The driving of the self-driving vehicle and the other vehicle can be controlled together in the same way as group driving.

Alternatively, if the output of the collision possibility indicator continues for a set time, it is also desirable to control the driving of the other vehicle 10 and the autonomous vehicle 100 immediately and temporarily without waiting for the user's permission.

Meanwhile, the communication unit 150 may exchange signals with at least one of the server 200 located outside the self-driving vehicle 100, another vehicle 10, and a terminal. The communication unit 150 may include at least one of a transmission antenna, a reception antenna, a radio frequency (RF) circuit capable of implementing various communication protocols, and an RF element to perform communication.

For example, the communication device may exchange signals with an external device based on C-V2X (Cellular V2X) technology. In addition, the communication unit 150 transmits external devices and signals based on Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technology based on IEEE 802.11p PHY/MAC layer technology and IEEE 1609 Network/Transport layer technology or Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE) standard. can be exchanged.

Hereinafter, the operation of the collision prediction system according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. 6 to 8 are views illustrating the operation of a collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6 , an autonomous vehicle traveling while sensing another vehicle in front may output a collision possibility indicator by turning the front windshield red as shown in FIG. 7 when the possibility of collision is determined. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, a predictive collision range that may occur during driving is clearly recognized by outputting a collision possibility indicator that has a predetermined size and is changed in the form of a spherical wave.

As such, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to understand that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without changing its technical spirit or essential features.

In addition, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, they are only used in a general sense to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and help understanding of the present invention. It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that other modified examples based on the technical spirit of the present invention can be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

1000: Collision prediction system for autonomous vehicles
100: autonomous vehicle
110: input unit
120: sensing unit
130: output unit
140: control unit
150: communication department
160: driving unit
200: control server

Claims (5)

a sensing unit that detects other vehicles in front, rear, and side;
a control unit for determining a possibility of collision with the other vehicle; and
an output unit outputting a collision possibility indicator in proportion to the magnitude of the collision possibility;
Collision prediction system for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a.
According to claim 1,
The collision prediction system of an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the collision possibility indicator is output on the other vehicle in an augmented output method or output in a top view method.
According to claim 1,
The crash prediction system for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the collision possibility indicator is output in the form of a spherical wave, and the magnitude of the spherical wave is output in proportion to an expected impact amount.

According to claim 3,
The collision prediction system of the autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the center of the spherical wave varies according to the steering angle of the autonomous vehicle.
According to claim 1,
The collision prediction system of the autonomous vehicle further includes a server,
The collision prediction system of an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the server controls driving of the autonomous vehicle and the other vehicle together when the output of the collision possibility indicator continues for a set time or longer.

Images