KR20230114780A - Autonomous vehicle lane change system for emergency vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a lane changing system for an autonomous vehicle that allows the emergency vehicle to move smoothly by changing a lane on a road on which the autonomous vehicle is traveling in an emergency situation, if necessary.
Accordingly, a lane change system for an autonomous vehicle for an emergency vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road in which lanes are divided and a server for transmitting a control signal to change the lane, the server comprising: In an emergency, it sends a control signal to the self-driving vehicle to escape from the set non-driving lane.

Description

Autonomous vehicle lane change system for emergency vehicle}

The present invention relates to a lane change system, and more particularly, to a lane change of an autonomous vehicle for an emergency vehicle that promotes rapid movement of an emergency vehicle by changing a lane on a road in an emergency by utilizing a communication function of the autonomous vehicle. It's about the system.

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.

Recently, research on how to drive in a specific situation using such an autonomous vehicle is being conducted. However, as in the prior art literature, it is still limited to driving control of the self-driving vehicle itself in a specific situation.

Korea Patent No. 10-2184598 (2020. 12. 3.), Driving Prediction and Safety Driving System Based on Judgment of Driver Emergency Situation of Autonomous Driving Vehicle}

The present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is an autonomous vehicle that changes the lane of the road on which the autonomous vehicle is traveling in an emergency, if necessary, so that the emergency vehicle moves smoothly. Provides a lane change system.

A lane change system for an autonomous vehicle for an emergency vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes an autonomous vehicle driving on a road in which lanes are divided, and a server for transmitting a control signal to change the lane, wherein the server includes an emergency vehicle. In the event of a situation, a control signal to escape from the set non-driving lane is sent to the self-driving vehicle.

At this time, the server may change the position of the center line on the side of the up-bound or down-bound lane where the driving impossible lane is generated.

In addition, the server may transmit a vehicle movement signal to a vehicle driving in a lane next to the driving disabled lane.

In addition, the server may control the number of vehicles transmitting the vehicle movement signal to decrease as the distance in the lateral direction from the driving disabled lane increases.

In addition, the self-driving vehicle may augment and output the non-driving lane inside the vehicle.

Since the present invention controls an autonomous vehicle for an emergency vehicle and changes a lane on a road, it is possible to effectively cope with congestion and the like.

1 is a configuration diagram of a lane change system of an autonomous vehicle for an emergency 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 is a configuration diagram showing the server in FIG. 1 in more detail.
7 to 12 are diagrams illustrating an operation of a lane change system of an autonomous vehicle for an emergency 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 lane change system for an autonomous vehicle for an emergency vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a configuration diagram of a lane change 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. A configuration diagram showing the sensing unit in more detail, FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the output unit in FIG. 2 in more detail, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the control unit in FIG. 2 in more detail, and FIG. It is a configuration diagram showing the server in in more detail.

Referring to the drawings, first, a lane change system 1000 for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an emergency vehicle 10, an autonomous vehicle 100, and a server 200. At this time, the self-driving vehicle 100 is composed of a plurality of self-driving vehicles 100_1 to 100_2 driving on roads in which lanes are divided. At this time, the emergency vehicle 10 may be either an autonomous vehicle or a manually driven vehicle.

In more detail, an autonomous vehicle may be composed of a vehicle traveling in an upward direction and a vehicle traveling in a downward direction. The server 200 transmits a control signal for changing a lane in which the self-driving vehicle currently travels according to the location of the emergency vehicle or traffic conditions on the road.

In FIG. 1 , vehicle 2 (100_2) and vehicle 5 (100_5) respectively receive control signals that move laterally as the emergency vehicle approaches. Meanwhile, it is preferable that the movement of the lane is not physically performed, but is performed through a display inside the autonomous vehicle and the vehicle itself is moved.

For this control, each 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.

The input unit 110 is a device that receives a user input for driving. In case of manual mode, the input unit 110 of the autonomous vehicle 100 may include a steering input device, an acceleration input device, and a brake input device. In addition, the input unit 110 serves to input the destination of the self-driving vehicle, and the control unit 140 controls driving or receives information from the server 200 according to the input destination and continuously sets a route.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 120 may include a radar 121 and a lidar 122, and may further include a camera 123. First, the radar 121 may generate information about 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 measures the position of the detected object, the distance to the detected object, and the relative speed. can be detected. In this case, the radar 121 may be disposed at an appropriate location outside the vehicle to detect an object located in front, rear or side of the vehicle.

The lidar 122 may generate information about 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 may detect objects around the autonomous vehicle 100. When implemented as a non-driving type, the lidar 122 may detect an object 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 an object located in the front, rear, or side of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the camera 123 may generate information about an object outside the self-driving vehicle 100 by using an image. At this time, the camera 123 may capture an image of a target outside the vehicle. 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 position information of an object, distance information to the object, relative speed information to the object, and motion information of the object by using various image processing algorithms.

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 basic information about motion, such as distance information to an object, relative speed information, and other people's hand gestures, based on disparity information from a stereo image obtained from a stereo camera. there is.

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.

Meanwhile, driving is generally controlled to avoid an object such as a vehicle in front detected by the radar 121, lidar 122, and camera 123, but in this embodiment, the server 200 is It is characterized by being able to send an emergency control signal to each self-driving vehicle according to the signal transmitted according to the traffic situation.

In addition, since the sensor 120 needs to utilize the location information of the emergency vehicle and the front self-driving vehicle, the GPS 124 is essentially further included. In this embodiment, since the server 200 needs to collect the location information of the emergency vehicle and drive the set route at the target speed according to the golden time, it is necessary to calculate the expected contact time with the front autonomous vehicle, so the location information of the front autonomous vehicle. is indispensably required

In addition, the GPS 124 may include at least one of a general GPS (Global Positioning System) and DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) 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 because passengers other than guardians 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 senses the passenger's heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, etc. to determine an emergency situation. At this time, the biometric information sensor 126 is operated periodically to detect passengers, and when the signal is maintained for a set time or more after detecting an abnormal signal, the communication unit 150 transmits biometric information to the server 200 to determine whether it is an emergency. do.

Meanwhile, the biometric information sensor 126 may additionally perform a function of preventing erroneous boarding by sensing fingerprint and iris information when entering and exiting a vehicle. Utilizing the biometric information sensor 126, the self-driving vehicle 100 can detect that a passenger has boarded or alighted.

The output unit 130 is disposed inside or outside the self-driving vehicle 100 to display a driving-related situation, and furthermore, to display any one of shape, shape, color, and text inside or outside the vehicle, so that the passengers and You can make it possible to provide predictability to others around you. The output unit 130 includes a traffic condition display module 131, a lane movement display module 132, a driving limit display module 133, and a moving target display module 134.

The traffic condition display module 131 outputs traffic flow conditions, such as occurrence of an emergency or traffic congestion, to the inside of the vehicle according to the information transmitted from the server 200 . At this time, it is preferable to configure the front glass of the vehicle as a transparent display and output the display.

For example, in case of an emergency or vehicle congestion, the traffic condition display module 131 displays lanes in red using an augmented reality technique, or displays a congestion situation by outputting a virtual line indicating a distance between vehicles with color. can do. In addition, the traffic condition display module 131 may augment and output the non-drivable lanes inside the vehicle.

The lane movement indication module 132 outputs a change in the current lane according to information transmitted from the server 200 . Likewise, it is preferable that the movement of the lane is output through an augmented reality technique. In particular, the lane movement indication module 132 may display whether the current lane should be moved to the side or whether the center line should be moved to either the right or left side.

The driving limit display module 133 displays the driving limit when the lane is moved or the center line is moved. That is, in order for the lane or center line to be moved, there is a case in which a vehicle on either the up-bound or down-bound line must not change lanes.

For example, when the center line is moved to the right, a vehicle originally traveling on the second lane on the right side of the center line must not drive on the first lane. Therefore, the driving limit display module 133 outputs a sign that prohibits driving on the first lane to a vehicle initially traveling on the second lane on the right side of the center line.

The moving target display module 134 displays a vehicle moving to another lane according to a lane change. At this time, for smooth movement, it is preferable that the number of vehicles whose vehicle movement is displayed decreases as the distance in the lateral direction from the non-driving lane increases.

Meanwhile, the controller 140 includes a drive control module 141 and an input/output control module 142. First, the driving control module 141 may be configured as a main ECU and controls the driving unit 160 of the self-driving vehicle 100 . In more detail, a driving limit signal is generated according to the lane movement signal transmitted from the server 200 and the position of each vehicle, or driving control is performed when the moving target vehicle displayed in the aforementioned moving target display module 134 is selected. can

In this case, 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 above-described output unit 130 to display traffic conditions, display of lane movement, display of driving restrictions, and display of moving objects.

The communication unit 150 may exchange a signal with at least one of the server 200 located outside the autonomous vehicle 100, another autonomous vehicle, and a user terminal (not shown).

Accordingly, 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 in order 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.

Meanwhile, the server 200 according to the present embodiment includes a traffic condition determination module 210 and a traffic condition control module 220.

The traffic situation determination module 210 serves to determine a road congestion situation or an emergency situation occurring on the road. Therefore, it is preferable that the traffic situation determination module 210 is formed in association with the traffic control center. In this case, when a road congestion situation or an emergency situation is determined, the traffic situation control module 220 may promote rapid movement of the vehicle by changing a lane change or a center line position within the corresponding region. On the other hand, it is preferable that the position of the center line is changed so as to move from a higher vehicle congestion level to a lower vehicle congestion level among the ascending and descending lines.

At this time, the traffic situation control module 220 transmits a control signal for escaping from the non-driving lane set in an emergency to the vehicle driving the lane. Furthermore, it is preferable that the traffic condition control module 220 transmits a vehicle movement signal also to a vehicle driving in a lane next to the non-driving lane. This is to prevent confusion when a vehicle is rapidly moved from a driving lane to an adjacent lane. In addition, in this case, it is more effective to prevent confusion by controlling the number of vehicles transmitting vehicle movement signals to decrease as the distance in the lateral direction from the non-driving lane increases.

In addition, the traffic condition control module 220 may change the position of the center line on the side where the non-driving lane is generated among the ascending line or the descending line. In this case, the traveling direction of the emergency vehicle is a case where the degree of vehicle congestion is greater than that of other directions. At this time, the traffic situation control module 220 transmits a vehicle movement signal to the autonomous vehicle, and the autonomous vehicle receiving the signal may move to a newly created lane according to the movement of the center line. In addition, among autonomous vehicles with a smaller degree of vehicle congestion, a vehicle that was driving on the first lane may be moved to the second lane.

However, when the entire self-driving vehicle on the widened side of the lane moves in the direction of the suddenly changed center line, confusion may increase. It is preferable to generate a movement signal so that the number of autonomous vehicles receiving the movement signal is reduced.

The operation of the present invention is exemplified below. 7 to 12 are diagrams illustrating an operation of a lane change system of an autonomous vehicle for an emergency vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 7 , an ambulance 119 is approaching during congestion. As shown in FIG. 8 , the information is output to the vehicle in front to guide the lane change in advance. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9 , forward acceleration driving guidance may be received to change the lane of another vehicle. According to this control, as shown in FIG. 10 , the non-running lane is completed and the emergency vehicle can be moved quickly.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, it will be possible to move the center line itself so that the path of the emergency vehicle can be secured more smoothly.

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: Lane change 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: server

Claims (5)

An autonomous vehicle driving on a road in which lanes are divided; and
a server that transmits a control signal to change the lane;
including,
The lane change system for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the server transmits to the autonomous vehicle a control signal capable of escaping from the set non-driving lane in an emergency.
According to claim 1,
The system for changing lanes of an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the server can change the position of the center line of the up-bound or down-bound lane on the side where the non-driving lane is generated.
According to claim 2,
The lane change system for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the server transmits a vehicle movement signal to a vehicle driving in a lane next to the driving disabled lane.
According to claim 3,
The system for changing lanes of an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the server controls the number of vehicles transmitting vehicle movement signals to decrease as the distance in the lateral direction from the driving disabled lane increases.
According to claim 1,
The system for changing lanes of an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the self-driving vehicle augments and outputs the driving disabled lane inside the vehicle.