KR20240074276A - Module and method for determining the path of autonomous vehicles in the area of occurrence of unexpected situations - Google Patents

Abstract

The autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module according to this embodiment includes an emergency situation determination module that determines whether an unexpected situation has occurred on the road; a control zone determination module that defines a control zone of the road where the unexpected situation occurred and determines a traffic flow in the control zone; a passage decision module that determines whether the road where the unexpected situation occurred is passable; a path coordination information module that determines whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone; and a traffic information transmission module that provides traffic information to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone.

Description

Module and method for determining the path of autonomous vehicles in the area of occurrence of unexpected situations}

The present invention relates to a module and method for determining the travel route of an autonomous vehicle in an area where an unexpected situation occurs. More specifically, it provides control information for determining the direction of travel of each autonomous vehicle from an infrastructure perspective, and provides mixed flow traffic for an area where an unexpected situation occurs. It relates to a module and method for determining autonomous vehicle traffic routes in areas where unexpected situations occur for efficient traffic distribution.

In general, automatic driving devices that are built into various driving means and perform automatic driving through driving position detection are mainly applied to ships, aircraft, etc. Recently, automatic driving devices have been applied to vehicles driving on the road, monitoring and informing the user of various information such as driving path and road congestion, or autonomous driving devices drive the vehicle or control the driving state on their own.

However, automatic driving devices have not yet been commercialized. In the case of high-speed moving objects such as vehicles, each emergency function recognizes the driving environment (e.g., recognition of surrounding vehicles, obstacle detection, etc.) in real time and notifies the driver, or judges the driving environment in real time and responds to it on its own. must be performed, and for this purpose, a device that can share and process large amounts of data in real time between infrastructure and vehicles is needed.

The technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide control information for determining the direction of travel of each autonomous vehicle from an infrastructure perspective, and to provide autonomous vehicles in the area where an unexpected situation occurs for efficient distribution of mixed flow traffic in the area where an unexpected situation occurs. It provides a travel route judgment module and method.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module according to this embodiment includes an emergency situation determination module that determines whether an unexpected situation has occurred on the road; a control zone determination module that defines a control zone of the road where the unexpected situation occurred and determines a traffic flow in the control zone; a passage decision module that determines whether the road where the unexpected situation occurred is passable; a path coordination information module that determines whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone; and a traffic information transmission module that provides traffic information to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone.

It may include a traffic information reception module that receives modified traffic information from a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone.

The passage permission determination module may generate passage information when a passable passageway exists on the road where the unexpected situation occurred.

The path coordination information module may determine whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway and generate path coordination information between the vehicles. The passage information provided by the passage information transmission module may be used in the area of the road where the unexpected situation occurred. It may include geofence information, route information of the surrounding vehicles, and traffic guidance lane information.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the method for determining a travel route for an autonomous vehicle according to this embodiment includes the steps of determining whether an unexpected situation occurs on the road; defining a control zone on a road where the unexpected situation occurs and determining a traffic flow in the control zone; determining whether the road where the unexpected situation occurred is passable; Determining whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone; and providing traffic information to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone.

It may include receiving modified traffic information from a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone.

The step of determining whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone may determine whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway and generate path coordination information between the vehicles.

The traffic information provided in the step of providing traffic information to a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone may include geofence information of the area of the road where the unexpected situation occurred, route information of the surrounding vehicles, and traffic guidance lane information. there is.

According to these embodiments, it is possible to support efficient passage of multiple autonomous vehicles on the road by providing information applicable to autonomous vehicles that is more detailed than existing simple information.

In addition, from an infrastructure perspective, it is possible to efficiently distribute mixed flow traffic to unexpected areas by providing control information for determining the direction of travel of each autonomous vehicle and minimize the possibility of traffic congestion.

In addition, in order to avoid unexpected areas and alleviate traffic congestion when an unexpected situation occurs in a mixed-flow autonomous traffic environment, efficient passage plans for autonomous vehicles are provided based on infrastructure in the event of an unexpected situation, and traffic coordination for autonomous vehicles in mixed traffic flow is provided. can do.

1 to 3 are block diagrams of an autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module according to this embodiment.
4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module according to this embodiment.
Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts of a method for determining a travel route for an autonomous vehicle according to this embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

However, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to some of the described embodiments, but may be implemented in various different forms, and as long as it is within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, one or more of the components may be optionally used between the embodiments. It can be used by combining or replacing.

In addition, terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this embodiment have meanings that can be generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this embodiment belongs, unless specifically defined and described. The meaning of commonly used terms, such as terms defined in a dictionary, can be interpreted by considering the contextual meaning of the related technology.

Additionally, the terms used in this embodiment are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

In this specification, the singular may also include the plural unless specifically stated in the phrase, and when described as "at least one (or more than one) of A and B and C", it is combined with A, B, and C. It can contain one or more of all possible combinations.

Additionally, in describing the components of this embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and are not limited to the essence, sequence, or order of the component.

And, when a component is described as being 'connected', 'coupled', or 'connected' to another component, that component is directly 'connected', 'coupled', or 'connected' to that other component. In addition to cases, it may also include cases where the component is 'connected', 'coupled', or 'connected' by another component between that component and that other component.

Additionally, when described as being formed or disposed “on top” or “bottom” of each component, “top” or “bottom” means that the two components are directly adjacent to each other. This includes not only cases of contact, but also cases where one or more other components are formed or disposed between two components. In addition, when expressed as “top” or “bottom,” the meaning of not only the upward direction but also the downward direction can be included based on one component.

When an unexpected situation (vehicle accident, road construction, etc.) occurs on the road, the range of autonomous vehicles in a mixed traffic environment that can recognize and make decisions in compliance with traffic laws is limited. In particular, it is difficult to respond to changes in travel methods, such as lane closures, in the event of an unexpected situation in a crowded situation with a mixture of regular vehicles and self-driving vehicles.

In these situations, congestion may occur due to increased traffic volume and congestion. To resolve this, the edge infrastructure, which performs the role of traffic control, determines the traffic situation of vehicles around the emergency situation area and ensures that each autonomous vehicle is assigned to the emergency area. A method of determining the direction of travel is needed to efficiently travel through the area.

Existing infrastructure technology (C-ITS) provides autonomous vehicles with simple information such as collision risk information and location information of surrounding vehicles to vehicles on the road, and autonomous vehicles plan their driving routes by referring to this. Existing infrastructure technology provided simple information such as congestion ahead and accidents, so information on lanes and traffic coordination for autonomous vehicles was insufficient in congested road situations. In other words, in irregular traffic situations where a specific lane is closed due to an unexpected situation, regular vehicles and autonomous vehicles are mixed, so it is necessary to control the traffic situation in the infrastructure and provide traffic guidance information to autonomous vehicles approaching the unexpected area. there is.

The present invention can provide efficient traffic support to multiple autonomous vehicles on the road by providing information applicable to autonomous vehicles that is more detailed than existing simple information. From an infrastructure perspective, it is possible to efficiently distribute mixed flow traffic to unexpected areas by providing control information to determine the traffic direction of each autonomous vehicle, thereby minimizing the possibility of traffic congestion. In particular, when an unexpected situation (traffic accident, road construction, etc.) occurs in a driving environment where autonomous vehicles and regular vehicles are mixed, the autonomous vehicle cannot make its own judgment and control, and an infrastructure server is installed to perform continuous autonomous driving in such situations. Remote autonomous driving support is required through provision of route information, etc. The infrastructure server comprehensively collects the predicted route information of regular vehicles and the planned route information of autonomous vehicles to determine the optimal traffic route information, and then provides the optimal route information to each autonomous vehicle.

Figures 1 to 3 are block diagrams of the autonomous vehicle travel path determination module according to this embodiment, and Figures 4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the autonomous vehicle travel path determination module according to this embodiment.

The autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module 10 according to this implementation includes an emergency situation judgment module 11, a control zone judgment module 12, a passage decision module 13, a route coordination information module 14, and traffic information. It may include a transmission module 15 and a traffic information reception module 16.

The autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module 10 may be configured to communicate with an infrastructure server. The autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module 10 may be included in an infrastructure server. An infrastructure server may refer to a server that collects traffic information through sensors installed in road traffic facilities and provides the collected traffic information to autonomous vehicles. The infrastructure server can collect traffic information for a certain road section. Traffic information may include whether an accident has occurred, vehicle congestion, traffic volume, etc.

The infrastructure server may be referred to as a base station. The base station consists of a communication unit and a processing unit, and may include one or more memories. The base station can transmit and receive data through V2X communication with the vehicle's communication module. The base station may be a base station capable of V2X communication, a roadside base station located at an intersection that communicates with vehicles through a Road Side Unit (RSU), or a mobile communication base station (eNB). When a communication module installed in a vehicle communicates with a roadside base station, it is V2I communication, and when a communication module installed in a vehicle communicates with a mobile communication base station, V2N communication can be performed.

The autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module 10 may communicate with the vehicle 20, and the vehicle 20 may include an autonomous vehicle 21 and a general car 22. The autonomous vehicle 21 can share information recognized by the infrastructure server or surrounding vehicles in order to recognize all surrounding vehicles and traffic conditions, thereby enabling smooth autonomous driving. The autonomous vehicle 21 can communicate with surrounding vehicles and infrastructure servers, including a communication module.

The unexpected situation determination module 11 can determine whether an unexpected situation has occurred on the road.

Specifically, the unexpected situation determination module 11 may receive road information from a road base station and determine whether an unexpected situation has occurred on the road. The unexpected situation determination module 11 receives information about whether a vehicle accident has occurred, information about whether or not a road is under construction, and information about traffic congestion due to vehicle overcrowding from a base station on the road, and can determine whether an unexpected situation has occurred on the road. . ‘Unexpected situation’ may mean a case where vehicle traffic flow is not smooth. For example, an 'unexpected situation' may mean a case where at least one of the traffic flow speed, traffic density, and vehicle traffic rate within the road area detected by the base station is detected to be below a preset threshold.

If the autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module 10 determines that an unexpected situation has not occurred on the road in the unexpected situation determination module 11, it may not take any further action and continues until an unexpected situation occurs on the road. Detection can be performed with If the emergency situation determination module 11 determines that an unexpected situation has occurred on the road, the control zone determination module 12 may then operate.

The control zone determination module 12 can define the control zone of the road where an unexpected situation occurred and determine the traffic flow in the control zone.

Specifically, the control zone may refer to an area that can be stably recognized by a road base station. The control zone may refer to an area where traffic support information can be provided based on the emergency situation geofence where an unexpected situation occurs. A control zone may refer to a limited area that judges traffic conditions and provides traffic information to autonomous vehicles to control traffic on roads where unexpected situations occur. The control zone may be an area that takes into account the traffic path of vehicles flowing into the area where an unexpected situation occurred. For example, if an unexpected situation occurs in an area adjacent to an intersection lane, the control zone can be defined as an area including the entire intersection.

The control zone determination module 12 can determine the traffic flow for vehicles within the control zone. Additionally, the control zone determination module 12 can judge the traffic flow for vehicles within the control zone and determine a smooth direction of traffic. Traffic flow can refer to traffic flow speed, traffic density, and vehicle travel rate. The control zone determination module 12 can determine the traffic flow speed through Equation 1 below. The control zone determination module 12 can determine traffic density through Equation 2 below. The control zone determination module 12 can determine the vehicle traffic rate through Equation 3 below.

<Equation 1>

( :Traffic flow speed, : Number of vehicles, :speed)

<Equation 2>

( : traffic density, : Number of vehicles, :Length of reference lane, : Average occupied lane length per unit vehicle, : Traffic volume measurement time)

<Equation 3>

( : Vehicle traffic rate, : Number of passing vehicles, : Traffic volume measurement time, : average traffic volume per unit time at fixed point)

The passage decision module 13 can determine whether the road where an unexpected situation occurred is passable.

Specifically, the passage decision module 13 can determine whether the vehicle within the control zone is capable of passing. When the passage decision module 13 determines that passage on the road where an unexpected situation occurred is impossible, it may transmit route detour information to surrounding vehicles. When the passage decision module 13 determines that passage is possible on a road where an unexpected situation has occurred, it can generate information on a possible passage route. For example, if an unexpected situation occurs in the first and second lanes of a three-lane road, the passage information can be generated as '3rd lane'.

The determination of whether or not a road is passable can be made after recognizing the road passage and based on the presence or absence of traffic flow in the recognized passage. Alternatively, the determination of whether or not a road is passable can be made through zone setting by a controller who sets a control zone due to an accident or road construction, or through zone setting through color cones. This is merely an example and is not particularly limited thereto.

The path coordination information module 14 can determine whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone.

Specifically, the path coordination information module 14 determines whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway, and coordinates the paths between vehicles to provide path information ( ) can be created. Coordinated route information ( )Is This may include coordinate information, which is spatial information of the vehicle, and time information of the vehicle. The path coordination information module 14 can perform lane change lane calculation according to the order of vehicles entering the control zone.

The traffic information transmission module 15 provides traffic information (traffic information) to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone. ) can be provided.

More specifically, the traffic information transmission module 15 transmits unexpected area geofence information (Geofence information) to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone. ), route information of surrounding vehicles ( ), traffic guidance lane information ( ) can be provided. The traffic information provided by the traffic information transmission module 15 can be referenced by the autonomous vehicle 21 and used to drive through its own route plan. The autonomous vehicle 21 has pre-planned route driving information and can change the driving route based on the traffic information provided by the traffic information transmission module 15. Afterwards, the autonomous vehicle 21 can feed back the changed route information to the traffic information receiving module 16. Through this, the autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module 10 can configure a closed loop that receives changed route information from the autonomous vehicle 21 and re-determines the traffic environment.

The traffic information transmission module 15 provides traffic information to the vehicle once, allowing a change to another lane when the judgment criteria (traffic flow, traffic density, etc.) between the two lanes in the accident area exceeds the threshold (Delta Threshold). can be provided. Here, if there is no threshold standard and the traffic flow between both lanes is similar, lane change traffic information may be generated too frequently.

The traffic information receiving module 16 can receive traffic information from a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone. The traffic information receiving module 16 can receive traffic information from a vehicle entering the control zone. Additionally, if traffic information is provided to a vehicle entering the control zone and the vehicle's travel route is modified, the traffic information receiving module 16 may receive the modified traffic information.

Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts of a method for determining a travel route for an autonomous vehicle according to this embodiment. Below, a method for determining an autonomous vehicle traffic path according to this embodiment will be described. The detailed description of each step of the autonomous vehicle travel path determination method corresponds to the detailed description of the autonomous vehicle travel path determination method according to the present embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted below.

In determining the autonomous vehicle travel route, determine whether an unexpected situation occurs on the road in step S11, define the control zone of the road where the unexpected situation occurred in step S12, determine the traffic flow in the control zone, and determine the unexpected situation in step S13. It is determined whether the road on which the occurrence occurred is passable, and in step S14, it is determined whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone. In step S15, traffic information is provided to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone. After step S15, modified traffic information is received from the vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone in step S16.

Those skilled in the art related to this embodiment will understand that the above-described substrate can be implemented in a modified form without departing from its essential characteristics. Therefore, the disclosed methods should be considered from an explanatory rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

10: Traffic route judgment module 11: Emergency situation judgment module
12: Control zone judgment module 13: Pass permission judgment module
14: Path coordination information module 15: Traffic information transmission module
16: Traffic information reception module 20: Vehicle
21: Self-driving vehicle 22: Regular car

Claims (9)

An unexpected situation determination module that determines whether an unexpected situation has occurred on the road;
a control zone determination module that defines a control zone of the road where the unexpected situation occurred and determines a traffic flow in the control zone;
a passage decision module that determines whether the road where the unexpected situation occurred is passable;
a path coordination information module that determines whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone; and
An autonomous vehicle traffic path determination module including a traffic information transmission module that provides traffic information to vehicles scheduled to enter the control zone. According to paragraph 1,
An autonomous vehicle travel route determination module including a traffic information reception module that receives modified traffic information from a vehicle entering the control zone. According to paragraph 1,
The passage permission determination module is an autonomous vehicle travel path determination module that generates passage information when a passable passage exists on the road where the unexpected situation occurs. According to paragraph 1,
The path coordination information module is an autonomous vehicle travel path determination module that determines whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway and generates path coordination information between the vehicles. According to clause 4,
The traffic information provided by the traffic information transmission module includes geofence information of the area of the road where the unexpected situation occurred, route information of the surrounding vehicles, and traffic guidance lane information. A step of determining whether an unexpected situation occurs on the road;
defining a control zone on a road where the unexpected situation occurs and determining a traffic flow in the control zone;
determining whether the road where the unexpected situation occurred is passable;
determining whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone; and
A method of determining a travel route for an autonomous vehicle, including providing traffic information to a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone. According to clause 6,
A method of determining a travel route for an autonomous vehicle, including receiving modified traffic information from a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone. According to clause 6,
The step of determining whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway of the control zone is
A method of determining a travel route for an autonomous vehicle that determines whether there is a space-time path conflict between vehicles in the passageway and generates route coordination information between the vehicles. According to clause 4,
The traffic information provided in the step of providing traffic information to a vehicle scheduled to enter the control zone is autonomous, including geofence information of the area of the road where the unexpected situation occurred, route information of the surrounding vehicles, and traffic guidance lane information. How to determine vehicle traffic path.

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