RU2774085C1 - Vehicle traffic control method and vehicle traffic control device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: traffic control methods.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a motion control method. The method for controlling the movement of a vehicle comprises setting a plurality of cancellation thresholds corresponding to respective motion scenes, wherein the cancellation thresholds are used to cancel autonomous steering control and switch to manual driver control, detecting a vehicle motion scene during autonomous steering, extracting a cancellation threshold , corresponding to the detected motion scene, from the plurality of set cancellation thresholds, and determining, based on the retrieved cancellation threshold, whether to cancel autonomous steering control and proceed to driver manual control. Autonomous steering control is canceled and shifts to manual control by the driver when the torque of the steering wheel controlled by the driver exceeds the standard cancellation threshold, the motion scene includes the first motion scene from the area under autonomous steering control, out of the area and the first threshold cancellation less than the standard cancellation threshold is set for the first motion scene.

EFFECT: timely transition from autonomous steering control to manual control is achieved in accordance with the vehicle driving scene.

6 cl, 8 dwg

Description

[Technical field]

[0001]

The present invention relates to a motion control method and a motion control apparatus for a vehicle, which include autonomous motion control.

[Prior Art]

[0002]

A lane keeping assist device is known which assists the steering to move in the lane and stops the assistance when the driver's steering amount is not less than a cancellation determination threshold. In this device, when the steering holding force of the driver to the steering wheel (this force indicates whether the driver is really firm or light on the steering wheel) is large, the cancellation detection threshold is changed to a large value, thereby improving both the cancellation ease and the performance. systems (Patent Document 1).

[Prior art document]

[Patent Document]

[0003]

[Patent Document 1] JP200909-214680A

[Summary of the Invention]

[Problems solved by the invention]

[0004]

However, according to the aforementioned prior art, the cancellation determination threshold is changed depending only on the magnitude of the steering wheel holding force for the steering wheel by the driver, and therefore the same control is performed regardless of the driving scene, such as the scene in which the transition from autonomous steering control of the system to manual control by the driver or to a scene in which the transition is undesirable. Thus, there is a problem in that it is not possible to respond to the transition request according to the vehicle driving scene.

[0005]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a motion control method and a motion control apparatus for a vehicle that are capable of responding to a request to change from autonomous steering to manual control according to the vehicle's driving scene.

[Troubleshooting Tools]

[0006]

The present invention solves the above problem by setting a plurality of cancel thresholds corresponding to respective motion scenes, extracting a cancel threshold corresponding to the detected motion scene, and determining, based on the retrieved cancel threshold, whether to cancel autonomous steering control and shift to driver manual control.

[Invention Effect]

[0007]

According to the present invention, a plurality of override thresholds are set according to respective driving scenes, and therefore it is possible to respond to a request to switch from autonomous steering control to manual steering according to the driving scene of the vehicle.

[Brief Description of Drawings]

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating part of the input device of FIG. one.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the state transition of the control device of FIG. one.

FIG. 4A is a plan view illustrating an example of a motion scene (road exit).

FIG. 4B is a top view illustrating another example of a motion scene (curved path).

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the cancellation threshold for each driving scene with respect to the steering torque stored in the control device of FIG. one.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart (Part 1) illustrating a motion control process of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart (Part 2) illustrating a motion control process of a motion control device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[Embodiment(s) of the present invention]

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a motion control device 1 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The motion control device 1 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment is an embodiment for carrying out the motion control method for a vehicle according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the motion control device 1 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment includes sensors 11, a location device 12 of the vehicle in question, a map database 13, an on-board equipment 14, a presentation device 15, an input device 16, a driving control device 17, and a device control 18. These devices are connected to each other, for example, via a controller network (CAN) or other on-board LAN for the mutual exchange of information.

[0010]

The sensors 11 detect the driving state of the vehicle in question. Examples of sensors 11 include, for example, a front camera that captures images in front of the vehicle in question, a rear camera that captures images behind the vehicle in question, a front radar that detects obstacles in front of the subject, a rear radar that detects obstacles behind the vehicle in question, side radars that detect obstacles existing on the right and left side of the vehicle in question, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle of the vehicle in question, a sensor that detects the direction of rotation of the steering wheel, a sensor that detects the steering torque applied to steering wheel, a touch sensor (capacity sensor) detecting whether the driver is holding the steering wheel or not, an on-board camera capturing images of the driver, etc. The sensors 11 can be represented by one of the above written different sensors or can also be configured as a combination of two or more sensors. The detection results of the sensors 11 are output to the control device 18 at predetermined time intervals.

[0011]

The device 12 for determining the position of the vehicle in question is composed of a GPS unit, a gyroscope, a vehicle speed sensor, and so on. The subject vehicle location device 12 detects radio waves transmitted from a plurality of communication satellites using the GPS unit to periodically obtain position information of the target vehicle (the subject vehicle), and detects the current position of the target vehicle based on the obtained position information of the target vehicle. means, the angle change information received from the gyro sensor, and the vehicle speed received from the vehicle speed sensor. The target vehicle location information determined by the subject vehicle location device 12 is output to the control device 18 at predetermined time intervals.

[0012]

The map database 13 is a memory that stores three-dimensional high-precision map information, including information about the location of various objects and specific points, and is available from the control device 18. The three-dimensional high-precision map information stored in the map database 13 is three-dimensional high-precision map information based on the shape of the road detected while driving on a real road using a data collection vehicle, and, in the three-dimensional high-precision map information, detailed and high-precision elements location information such as the curved route and the size of the curvature (e.g. curvature or radius of curvature), merge point and branch point of the road, toll point, location where lanes are reduced, and service/parking area are associated with map information as with 3D information.

[0013]

On-board equipment 14 includes various modules installed in the vehicle and is controlled by the driver. Examples of such on-board equipment include a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a navigation device, direction indicators, wipers, lights, a horn, and other special switches. When the driver controls the onboard equipment 14, information about his work is displayed on the control device 18.

[0014]

The presentation device 15 is represented by, for example, devices such as a display of a navigation device, a display embedded in a rearview mirror, a display embedded in a measuring unit, a head-up display projected onto a windshield, a speaker of an audio device, and a seat with embedded vibrating bodies. The presentation device 15 informs the driver with presentation information and lane change information to be described below under the control of the control device 18 .

[0015]

The input device 16 is, for example, a device such as a button switch or a touch pad located on the display screen, with which the driver can enter information manually, or a microphone, with which the driver can enter information by voice. In the present embodiment, the driver can control the input device 16, thereby inputting setting information in response to the presentation information that is presented by the presentation device 15. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a part of the input device 16 of the present embodiment, and is an example including a set of pushbutton switches disposed on a spoke part or the like of a steering wheel. The illustrated input device 16 includes pushbutton switches used in setting ON/OFF of the autonomous speed control function and the autonomous steering function of the control device 18, and the pushbutton switches include a main switch (MAIN SW) 161, a resume switch (RES+) / acceleration switch 162, set/coast switch (SET -) 163, cancel switch (CANCEL) 164, vehicle distance control (DISTANCE) switch 165, and lane change assist (L/C) switch 166.

[0016]

The main switch 161 is a switch for turning on/off the power supply of the system, which performs the function of autonomous speed control and the function of autonomous steering control of the control device 18. The resume/accelerate switch 162 is a switch for turning off the operation of the autonomous speed control function, and then resuming the autonomous speed control function at the set speed before the OFF state, to increase the set speed, and/or to follow the preceding vehicle to stop and then restart . The set/coast switch 163 is a switch for starting the autonomous speed control function at the driving speed and/or lowering the set speed. The cancel switch 164 is a switch for turning off the autonomous speed control function. The inter-vehicle distance control switch 165 is a switch for setting the distance between vehicles from the preceding vehicle, and, for example, a switch for selecting one of a plurality of setting steps such as short distance/medium distance/long distance. The lane change assist switch 166 is a switch for commanding (accepting) the start of a lane change when the control device 18 confirms the start of a lane change with the driver.

[0017]

Additionally or as an alternative to the set of pushbutton switches shown in FIG. 2, the turn signal switches or other on-board equipment 14 may also be used as the input device 16, and a configuration may be adopted in which the driver turns on the turn signal switch in response to a request from the control device 18 as to whether to perform a lane change automatically or autonomously, and enters consent or permission to change lanes. The installation information input by the input device 16 is output to the control device 18 .

[0018]

The driving control device 17 controls the movement of the subject vehicle. For example, when the subject vehicle travels at a constant set speed or travels to follow the preceding vehicle using the autonomous speed control function, the driving control device 17 controls the operation of the driving mechanism (including the operation of the internal combustion engine in the case of a motor vehicle or the operation of the electric motor for driving in the case of an electric vehicle, and also including torque distribution for an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for driving in the case of a hybrid vehicle) and a braking operation to achieve acceleration/deceleration and driving speed so that the speed of the vehicle in question becomes the set speed or, when there is a previous vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle in question and the preceding vehicle becomes a constant distance. Additionally or alternatively, when the autonomous steering control function is used to perform lane keeping control to detect the markers of the lane in which the subject vehicle is traveling (hereinafter also referred to as the lane of the subject vehicle) and control the driving position of the vehicle of the subject vehicle means in the direction of the width of the road, so that the vehicle in question is moving, for example, in the center of the lane of the vehicle in question, or when the lane change assistance function, the overtaking assistance function, or the route assistance function are used for the object, the vehicle to perform automatic lane change control, such as overtaking a preceding vehicle or changing direction, or when the right or left turn assist function is used Used to control traffic for turning right or left at an intersection, etc. the steering control of the considered vehicle is performed by controlling the operation of the steering gear in addition to the operation of the drive mechanism and the braking action to achieve acceleration/deceleration and travel speed. The driving control device 17 controls the movement of the vehicle in question in accordance with instructions from the control device 18, which will be described below. Any of the other known methods can also be used as the motion control method performed by the driving control device 17 .

[0019]

The control device 18 is composed of Read Only Memory (ROM) which stores programs for controlling the movement of the vehicle in question, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) which executes the programs stored in ROM, and Random Access Memory (RAM) which serves as an accessible storage device. A microprocessor (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like can be used as a replacement for or in addition to the CPU. as a working plan.

[0020]

The control device 18 executes programs stored in the ROM using the CPU, thereby providing a motion information collection function for obtaining information regarding the motion state of the subject vehicle, a motion scene detection function for determining the motion scene of the subject vehicle, and an autonomous motion control function for autonomous driving speed control and/or steering of the subject vehicle (the autonomous driving function includes an autonomous speed control function for autonomously controlling the speed of the subject vehicle and an autonomous steering function for autonomously controlling the steering of the subject vehicle).

[0021]

The driving information acquisition function of the control device 18 is a function used to obtain driving information regarding the driving state of the subject vehicle. For example, the control device 18 uses a motion information acquisition function to obtain, as motion information, image information of the external environment around the vehicle captured by the front camera and rear camera included in the sensors 11, and/or detection results by front radar, rear radar, and side radars. included in the sensors 11. Additionally or alternatively, the control device 18 uses a motion information acquisition function to obtain, as motion information, the vehicle speed information of the vehicle itself as determined by the vehicle speed sensor included in the sensors 11, and /or driver's face image information captured by the onboard camera included in the sensors 11.

[0022]

Additionally or alternatively, the control device 18 uses a traffic information collection function to obtain, as traffic information, current position information of the subject vehicle from the subject vehicle location device 12 . Additionally or alternatively, the control device 18 uses a traffic information collection function to obtain, as traffic information, information about the location of curved routes and the size of the curve (for example, curvature or radius of curvature), road confluence points, junction points, toll points. , locations where lanes are reduced, service areas (SA) / parking areas (PA), etc. from the map database 13. In addition, the control device 18 uses a motion information acquisition function to obtain, as motion information, driver operation information on the on-board equipment 14 from the on-board equipment 14.

[0023]

The driving scene determination function of the control device 18 is a function for referring to a table stored in the ROM of the control device 18 to determine the driving scene in which the vehicle in question is moving. In a table stored in the ROM of the control device 18, for example, a driving scene suitable for lane change or overtaking and its determination conditions are stored for each driving scene. The control device 18 uses a motion scene determination function to refer to a table stored in the ROM and determine whether the motion scene of the vehicle in question is a motion scene suitable for lane changing or overtaking, for example.

[0024]

For example, four conditions are assumed: "the preceding vehicle is ahead", "the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle is less than the set vehicle speed of the vehicle in question", "arrival of the preceding vehicle is within a predetermined time", and "shift direction lane change is not a lane change prohibition condition" are set as the determination conditions for "the overtaking scene of the preceding vehicle". In this case, the control device 18 uses the driving location function to determine whether the considered vehicle satisfies the above conditions, for example, based on the detection results of the front camera and/or the front radar included in the sensors 11, the vehicle speed of the considered vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the position information of the subject vehicle obtained by the subject vehicle position determining device 12, and when the above conditions are satisfied, determines that the subject vehicle is in the "preceding vehicle overtaking scene".

[0025]

The autonomous motion control function of the control device 18 is a function used to autonomously control the movement of the subject vehicle without depending on the actions of the driver, and includes an autonomous speed control function used to autonomously control the speed of the subject vehicle, and an autonomous steering control function. , used for autonomous steering control of the vehicle in question. The autonomous speed control function and the autonomous steering control function of the present embodiment will be described below.

[0026]

"Autonomous speed control function"

The autonomous speed control function is a function used when detecting the predecessor vehicle to move, to follow the predecessor vehicle when performing the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, so as to maintain the vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to the upper limit vehicle speed. vehicle speed set by the driver. The autonomous speed control function is also used when the absence of the preceding vehicle is detected to perform constant speed driving at the vehicle speed set by the driver. The former is also referred to as vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, and the latter is also referred to as constant speed control. The autonomous speed control function may include a function used when a lane speed limit is detected using a traffic information collection function to automatically adopt the speed limit sign speed as the vehicle's set speed.

[0027]

To activate the autonomous speed control function, the driver first operates the resume/accelerate switch 162 or the set/coast switch 163 of the input device 16 illustrated in FIG. 2 to enter the desired driving speed. For example, when the set/coast switch 163 is pressed when the vehicle in question is traveling at 70 km/h, the current traveling speed is set without any change, but if the speed desired by the driver is 80 km/h, resume The resume switch 162 / acceleration can be pressed several times to increase the set speed. On the contrary, if the speed desired by the driver is 60 km/h, the set/coast switch 163 can be pressed a plurality of times to decrease the set speed. The distance between vehicles required by the driver can be selected, for example, from a plurality of setting steps such as short distance/medium distance/long distance by operating the vehicle distance control switch 165 of the input device 16 illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0028]

In the constant speed control, the driving control device 17 controls the operation of the driving mechanism such as the motor and the brake while simultaneously returning the vehicle speed data received by the vehicle speed sensor to maintain the driving speed which is set by the driver. This constant speed control is performed using sensors 11 such as a forward radar that detects an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle to detect that there is no preceding vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle in its lane.

[0029]

In the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, the driving control device 17 controls the operation of the driving mechanism such as the motor and the brake, while returning the vehicle-to-vehicle distance data detected by the sensors 11 (front radar) to maintain the driver-set vehicle-to-vehicle distance with the upper speed limit set by the driver. This vehicle-to-vehicle distance control is performed using sensors 11 such as a forward radar that detects an obstacle ahead of the vehicle in question to detect that a vehicle is ahead of it in its lane and detect the distance between vehicles (in this case, the preceding vehicle is the vehicle directly in front of the vehicle in question). If the predecessor vehicle stops while the vehicle in question is moving under vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, the vehicle in question also stops following the predecessor vehicle, and if the predecessor vehicle starts moving within 30 seconds of the vehicle in question stopping, the vehicle in question also starts moving to re-follow the previous vehicle using the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control system. If the vehicle in question stops for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle in question does not start automatically or autonomously even when the predecessor vehicle starts, and after the predecessor vehicle starts, the vehicle in question starts moving to follow the predecessor vehicle again by controlling the distance between vehicles when the resume/acceleration switch 162 or the accelerator pedal is depressed.

[0030]

The autonomous speed control function of the present embodiment may include, in addition to the above-described constant speed control and vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, a curved path speed control function used to control the speed to be able to travel at a speed corresponding to the curve size. (e.g. curvature or radius of curvature of a curve) when driving on a curved path. This curved track speed control function is a curved track speed control function only when the autonomous speed control function is in operation. Whether a curved route ahead of the vehicle under consideration is detected such that, for example, when a destination is entered into the navigation device and a route to the destination is set, determination is made with reference to the map database 13 as to whether there is map data in the form of a curved route on route.

[0031]

"Autonomous Steering Control Function"

The autonomous steering control function is a function used to control the operation of the steering actuator, thereby performing steering control of the vehicle in question. This autonomous steering control function includes: a lane keeping function (lane width maintenance function) in which the steering is controlled to move near the center of the lane, for example, to assist the driver's steering; a lane change assist function in which, when the driver operates the pivot lever, the steering is controlled to assist the steering wheel operation required for lane change; an overtaking assist function in which, when a lower speed vehicle is detected in front, the display is used to confirm by the driver whether to perform an overtaking operation, and when the driver presses the receive switch, the overtaking assist steering is controlled; a route assistance function in which, when the driver enters a destination into a navigation device or the like and arrives at a lane change point required for driving on the route, the display is used to confirm to the driver whether or not to perform a lane change, and when the driver actuates the receive switch, the steering is controlled for lane change assistance; and other functions.

[0032]

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the transition between the states of each function installed in the control device 18. The system shown in the drawing means an autonomous motion control system implemented by the control device 18 . When the main switch 161 in FIG. 2 is turned on from the system OFF state shown in the figure, the system enters the standby state. From this standby state, the autonomous speed control is activated by turning on the set/coast switch 163 or the resume/boost switch 162 of FIG. 2. This makes it possible to start the above-described constant speed control or vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, and the driver can control the vehicle in question simply by operating the steering wheel without pressing the accelerator or brake.

[0033]

During the execution of autonomous speed control, when condition (1) in FIG. 3 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/manual mode. Examples of condition (1) include, but are not limited to, a condition where all of the following conditions are met: lane markers on both sides of the vehicle in question are detected; the driver holds the steering wheel; the vehicle is moving in the center of the lane; direction indicators do not work; wiper does not operate at high speed (HI); and when a high-precision map is provided, there is no checkpoint, exit, merge point, intersection, or point where lanes are reduced within about 200 m ahead. Manual mode refers to a mode in which autonomous steering does not work if the driver does not hold the steering wheel, while driverless mode refers to a mode in which autonomous steering operates even when the driver releases the steering wheel.

[0034]

During the execution of the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/manual mode, when condition (2) in FIG. 3 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/unassisted mode. Examples of condition (2) include, but are not limited to, a condition under which all of the following conditions are met: the vehicle in question is driving on a highway; the vehicle is moving on a road that is structurally separated from the oncoming lane; the vehicle is moving on a road for which a highly accurate map has been prepared; the vehicle is moving at a speed not exceeding the established one; GPS signals are effective; the driver holds the steering wheel; the driver looks ahead; within 800 m ahead there is no traffic gate, exit, merge point, intersection or point where the number of lanes decreases; no sharp turn 100R or less within 500m ahead; the vehicle does not move through a tunnel exceeding 500 m from the tunnel entrance; and the accelerator pedal is not depressed.

[0035]

On the contrary, during the execution of the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/driverless mode, when condition (3) in FIG. 3 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/manual mode. Examples of condition (3) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: the vehicle in question is driving on a road other than a highway; the vehicle is moving on a two-way street; the vehicle is driving on a road for which a high-precision map has not been prepared; the car is moving at a speed higher than the set; GPS signals are no longer received; the driver does not look ahead for 5 seconds after the forward look alarm is triggered; the driver monitor camera can no longer detect the driver; within 800 m ahead there is any of the road gates, ramps, merge points, intersections or points where the number of lanes decreases; when driving at a vehicle speed of less than about 40 km/h, there is a sharp turn of 100R or less within about 200 m ahead; when driving at a speed of about 40 km/h or more, there is a sharp turn of 170R or less ahead at a distance of about 200 m; the vehicle is moving through a tunnel exceeding 500 m from the tunnel entrance; the driver pressed the accelerator pedal while holding the steering wheel; and a proximity alarm has been triggered.

[0036]

During the execution of the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering/driverless mode, when the condition (4) in FIG. 3 is executed, autonomous steering control is terminated and changes to autonomous speed control. Examples of condition (4) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: lane markers on both sides of the vehicle in question are no longer detected for a certain period of time; the driver operated the steering wheel (so-called lock/intervention operation); and the windshield wiper was operating at high speed (HI). During the execution of the lane keeping mode in the autonomous steering/driverless mode, when condition (5) in FIG. 3 is executed, autonomous steering control and autonomous speed control stop and enter the standby state. Examples of condition (5) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: the driver has applied the brake; the driver has actuated the override switch 164 of FIG. 2; one or more doors of the vehicle in question are opened; the driver's seat belt has been released; the seat sensor has detected that the driver is no longer in the driver's seat; the selector lever has moved to a position other than "D" or "M"; the parking brake is applied; the anti-skid braking system of the vehicle is turned off; the anti-skid brake system has worked; snow mode enabled; the emergency brake has been activated; the stop state continues for about 3 minutes after the vehicle stops due to vehicle speed control; the front camera has detected poor visibility, such as being unable to properly recognize the subject due to dirt, backlight, rain/fog, etc.; forward radar detected shielding or radio interference; forward radar detected axle deviation; side radar detected shielding or radio interference; and side radar detected axle deviation.

[0037]

During the execution of autonomous steering/manual mode, when condition (6) in FIG. 3 is executed, autonomous steering control is terminated and changes to autonomous speed control. Examples of condition (6) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: lane markers on both sides of the vehicle in question are no longer detected; the driver has actuated the steering wheel (so-called lock/intervention operation); the driver turned on the direction indicators; windscreen wiper operated at high speed (HI); the vehicle arrived at the toll plaza while compiling a high-precision map; and the front camera has detected poor visibility, such as the inability to properly recognize the subject due to dirt, backlight, rain/fog, etc. During the autonomous steering/manual mode execution, when the condition (7) in FIG. 3 is executed, autonomous steering control and autonomous speed control stop and enter the standby state. Examples of condition (7) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: the driver has applied the brake; the driver has actuated the override switch 164 of FIG. 2; one or more doors of the vehicle in question are opened; the driver's seat belt has been released; the seat sensor has detected that the driver is no longer in the driver's seat; the selector lever has moved to a position other than "D" or "M"; the parking brake is applied; the anti-skid braking system of the vehicle is turned off; the anti-skid brake system has worked; snow mode enabled; the emergency brake has been activated; the stopped state continues for about 3 minutes after the vehicle stops due to the vehicle speed control; forward radar detected shielding or radio interference; and forward radar detected axle deviation.

[0038]

During the execution of autonomous speed control, when condition (8) in FIG. 3 is executed, the control enters the waiting state. Examples of condition (8) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: the driver has applied the brake; the driver has actuated the override switch 164 of FIG. 2; one or more doors of the vehicle in question are opened; the driver's seat belt has been released; the seat sensor has detected that the driver is no longer in the driver's seat; the selector lever has moved to a position other than "D" or "M"; the parking brake is applied; the anti-skid braking system of the vehicle is turned off; the anti-skid brake system has worked; snow mode enabled; the emergency brake has been activated; the stopped state continues for about 3 minutes after the vehicle stops due to the vehicle speed control; forward radar detected shielding or radio interference; and forward radar detected axle deviation.

[0039]

During the execution of the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/driverless mode, when condition (9) in FIG. 3 is executed, the mode enters the lane change mode of autonomous steering/manual mode. Examples of condition (9) include, but are not limited to, a condition where any of the following conditions is satisfied: when the system suggested a lane change, the driver pressed the lane change assist switch 166 of FIG. 2; and the driver turned on the turn signals.

[0040]

During the execution of the lane change mode of autonomous steering/manual mode, when condition (10) in FIG. 3 is executed, the mode enters the lane keeping mode of autonomous steering/manual mode. Examples of condition (10) include, but are not limited to, a condition under which any of the following conditions is met: the speed limit was exceeded before the start of the lane change (hereinafter abbreviated as LCP); the driver has pressed the accelerator pedal while holding the steering wheel until the LCP starts; The LCP can no longer be started within 10 seconds after the lane change assist switch 166 is pressed during a lane change suggestion when a slow moving vehicle is in front; The LCP can no longer be started and the vehicle has come too close to the junction point after pressing the lane change assist switch 166 during a lane change offer for en route; a lane change maneuver (hereinafter abbreviated as LCM) can no longer be initiated within 5 seconds after the LCP has been triggered; vehicle speed dropped below 50 km/h after LCP start and before LCM start; there is no more room in the adjacent lane to change lanes after working with the LCP and before starting the LCM; the driver performed a cancel operation before starting the LCM; track markers can no longer be detected before LCM starts; before starting the LCM, it was determined that there was no adjacent lane in the direction of the lane change, or that there would be no adjacent lane for a certain distance ahead; before launching the LCM, it was determined that there is a curve with a radius of curvature of 250 m or less ahead at a certain distance; before launching the LCM, it was determined that there is a section at a certain distance ahead in which the type of lane marking prohibits changing lanes to an adjacent lane; side radar detected shielding or radio interference prior to LCM launch; lateral radar detected axle deviation prior to LCM launch; manual alarm activated (This condition is set when one of the following conditions is met: the driver does not hold the steering wheel for approximately 2 seconds after the LCP is activated; the driver does not hold the steering wheel for approximately 2 seconds after the lane change assist switch 166 is pressed during lane change suggestion when a slow moving vehicle is in front, and the driver does not hold the steering wheel for about 2 seconds after the lane change assist switch 166 is pressed during lane change suggestion for en-route traffic); the driver turned off the direction indicators; and LCP has been completed.

[0041]

The system is turned off when the main switch 161 is turned off in any of autonomous steering/unassisted mode, autonomous steering/manual, autonomous speed control, and standby.

[0042]

During the execution of the autonomous steering control (manual or driverless mode) in the above state transition, when the condition that the driver operated the steering wheel in condition (4) or (6) is met, the autonomous steering control is disabled (cancelled) and changes to autonomous speed control using the driver's steering wheel. The detection of whether the driver has steered the steering wheel is performed by a torque sensor that detects the steering torque applied to the steering wheel, and when the detected steering torque exceeds a preset override threshold, a determination is made: made the driver steer wheel. The driver intervention operation for canceling autonomous steering control and shifting to manual driver control is not limited to a steering wheel rotation operation, and may also be an operation of an intervention button or the like.

[0043]

In the present embodiment, a plurality of cancellation thresholds are set in accordance with the respective motion scenes. That is, the cancel threshold is set to a relatively small value in the case of a motion scene in which a transition from autonomous steering control to driver manual control is desired, while the cancel threshold is set to a relatively large value in the case of a motion scene in which the transition is undesirable. For example, FIG. 4A is a plan view illustrating the main road 21 and the exit road 22 of the highway 2 having three lanes on each side, and it is assumed that the main road 21 represents an area for which 3D high-precision map information has been prepared, while the exit road 22 and following roads represent an area for which 3D high-precision map information has not been prepared. In this case, when the subject vehicle V moves from the driving state on the main road 21 to the exit road 22, the cancel condition that "lane markers on both sides of the subject vehicle are no longer detected" in the above condition (4) and (6) are satisfied, so autonomous steering control is canceled and transitions to driver manual control.

[0044]

It can be said that such a first driving scene for driving from inside the area subject to autonomous steering to outside the area is a driving scene in which it is desirable to change from autonomous steering to manual control by the driver as soon as possible. As shown in FIG. 5, therefore, the first cancellation threshold smaller than the standard cancellation threshold is set for the first motion scene such as the exit or exit from the carriageway of the illustrated highway. Through this setting, the driver can simply apply a small amount of steering torque to the steering wheel to cancel autonomous steering control and switch to manual steering. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the cancellation threshold for each driving scene with respect to the steering torque stored in the control device 18 . The standard override threshold refers to the minimum steering wheel torque value controlled by the driver, and this value is required to cancel autonomous steering control and transition to manual driver control. Thus, when the steering wheel torque controlled by the driver exceeds at least the standard override threshold, the autonomous steering control is canceled and shifts to the driver's manual control.

[0045]

FIG. 4B is a top view illustrating a highway including a curved route, and the vehicle V in question is about to turn right along the curved route 23. Compared with the case where the standard cancellation threshold is used to drive the straight route, when turning the curved route 23, the driver may want to drive a vehicle with their own driving feeling, and therefore it can be said that such a scene is a driving scene in which it is desirable to change from autonomous steering to driver manual control as soon as possible. As shown in FIG. 5, so a second override threshold smaller than the standard override threshold is set for the second driving scene along the curved path 23. However, note that if an error in the steering torque (the difference between the output value from the driving control device 17 and the actual value of the steering steering moment) is detected due to autonomous steering control, unintentional override will occur, so the second override threshold is set to a value greater than the first override threshold.

[0046]

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the case of S2, in which, when the subject vehicle V is to turn right along the curved path 23, the turning direction of the subject vehicle V and the steering wheel turning direction are opposite directions, the driver may not hold the steering wheel, so it is considered better to proceed. autonomous steering. That is, the third cancellation threshold in case S2, in which the subject vehicle's turning direction V and the steering wheel's turning direction are opposite directions, is set to a relatively larger value than the second cancellation threshold in case S1 in which the subject vehicle's turning direction V and the steering direction steering wheel turns are identical.

[0047]

Next, the motion control process according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6A and 6B. Fig. 6A and 6B are flowcharts illustrating a motion control process according to the present embodiment. The control device 18 executes the motion control process to be described later at predetermined time intervals. The following description will be made on the assumption that the control device 18 uses the autonomous traffic control function to perform autonomous speed control and autonomous steering control, and the subject vehicle is moving near an exit road or along a curved route while the lane keeping control is motion for position control when the subject vehicle travels in the width direction is performed such that the subject vehicle travels in the lane at a speed that is set by the driver.

[0048]

First, in step S1 of FIG. 6A, a determination is made as to whether the main switch 161 of the control device 18 is turned on, and when the main switch 161 is turned off, step S1 is repeated until the main switch 161 is turned on. When the main switch 161 is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2 in which it is determined whether the driving speed is set by the driver. If the running speed is not set, the process returns to step S1, from which steps S1 and S2 are repeated until the running speed is set. The driving speed setting is performed by the driver operating the resume/accelerate switch 162 or the set/coast switch 163 of the input device 16 illustrated in FIG. 2 to enter the desired driving speed.

[0049]

When the driving speed is set, autonomous speed control starts. In step S3, the front radar (of the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle is used to determine if there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle in its lane and when there is a preceding vehicle. vehicle, the process proceeds to step S4 in which the distance control between vehicles is performed, while when there is no preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S5 in which the constant speed control is performed. This allows the driver to drive the vehicle in question at the desired speed by simply operating the steering wheel without pressing the accelerator or brake.

[0050]

During the execution of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control in step S4 or the constant speed control in step S5, in step S6, a determination is made as to whether the above condition (1) for entering the lane keeping mode of the autonomous steering/manual mode is satisfied. When condition (1) is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S7, and when condition (1) is not satisfied, the process returns to step S1.

[0051]

In step S7, the forward radar (of the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle in front of the subject vehicle is used to determine whether there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle in its lane, and when there is a preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S8 , in which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control/lane keeping mode is executed, while in the absence of a preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S9 in which the constant speed control/lane keeping mode is executed. In this state, the execution process for the lane change assist function and/or the overtake assist function of step S10 is performed.

[0052]

During the execution of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control/lane keeping mode in step S8 or the constant speed control/lane keeping mode in step S9, the determination is made in the subsequent step S11 in FIG. 6B as to whether the above-described condition (2) is satisfied to enter the autonomous steering/unassisted steering mode. When condition (2) is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S12, and when condition (2) is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S12, in which the condition (2) of switching to the autonomous steering/unassisted steering mode is met, the front radar (of the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle in front of the subject vehicle is used to determine whether or not the vehicle in question is in front of the preceding vehicle is in its lane. When there is a predecessor vehicle, the process proceeds to step S13 in which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control/lane keeping mode/driverless mode is performed, while when there is no predecessor vehicle, the process proceeds to step S14 in which constant speed control/lane keeping mode/driverless mode is in progress.

[0053]

In step S15, a motion scene such as a ramp, road exit, or curvilinear route of a highway existing in front of the considered vehicle on its route is detected in the map database 13, a cancel threshold corresponding to the detected motion scene is retrieved, and a cancel threshold value is set. For example, when there is an exit or exit on a highway in front of the vehicle in question, the override threshold is set to the first override threshold. When there is a curved path and the turning direction of the vehicle in question and the direction of the steering wheel are the same, the override threshold is set to the second override threshold, while in the presence of a curved path and the turning direction, the considered vehicle and the direction of the steering wheel are opposite directions, the cancellation threshold is set to the third cancellation threshold.

[0054]

In step S16, it is determined whether the steering torque detected by the torque sensor exceeds the set cancellation threshold, and when the steering torque exceeds the set cancellation threshold, the process proceeds to step S23 in which the autonomous steering control is canceled and then the process returns. to step S1. When the steering torque does not exceed the set override threshold, the process proceeds to step S17. Then, in step S17, the front radar (of the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle in front of the subject vehicle is used to detect whether there is a preceding vehicle in front of the subject vehicle in its lane. When there is a predecessor vehicle, the process proceeds to step S18 in which vehicle-to-vehicle distance control/lane keeping mode/curve path speed control is performed, while when there is no predecessor vehicle, the process proceeds to step S19 in in which constant speed control/lane keeping mode/curve track speed control is performed. With this operation, when trying to drive on a steep curve at high speed, it is possible to drive at a speed corresponding to the size of the curved track even if the setting of the curved track speed control function is turned off.

[0055]

In step S20, the front radar (of the sensors 11) that detects an obstacle in front of the subject vehicle is used to detect whether there is a preceding vehicle in front of the subject vehicle in its lane. When there is a predecessor vehicle, the process proceeds to step S21, where a determination is made, as in step S6, as to whether condition (1) is met for switching to the autonomous steering/manual steering lane keeping mode. the mode is satisfied, and when condition (1) is met, the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, as in step S11, a determination is made as to whether the condition (2) for entering the autonomous steering mode/driverless mode is satisfied, and when condition (2) is satisfied, the process returns to step S12, from which the subsequent processes. On the other hand, when there is no preceding vehicle and neither condition (1) nor (2) is satisfied, the process returns to step S1 from which subsequent processes continue.

[0056]

As described above, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for the vehicle of the present embodiment, a plurality of cancellation thresholds corresponding to respective motion scenes are set. That is, the cancel threshold is set to a relatively small value in the case of a motion scene in which a transition from autonomous steering control to driver manual control is desired, while the cancel threshold is set to a relatively large value in the case of a motion scene in which the transition is undesirable, and therefore, it is possible to respond to the request to switch from autonomous steering control to manual control according to the driving scene of the vehicle.

[0057]

In addition, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for the vehicle of the present embodiment, the first motion scene for driving from inside the area subject to autonomous steering control out of the area, the first cancellation threshold is less than the standard cancellation threshold is set, and therefore it is possible to respond to a driving scene in which it is desirable to transition from autonomous steering control to driver manual control as soon as possible.

[0058]

In addition, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, the motion scene includes a second motion scene along a curved path, and a second cancellation threshold smaller than the standard cancellation threshold is set for the second motion scene; therefore, it is possible to respond to a driving scene in which it is desirable to change from autonomous steering control to driver manual control as soon as possible. However, note that if an error in the steering torque (difference between the output value from the driving control device 17 and the actual steering torque value) is detected due to autonomous steering control, unintentional cancellation will occur, so the second cancellation threshold is set to , exceeding the first cancellation threshold.

[0059]

In addition, according to the motion control device 1 and the motion control method for a vehicle of the present embodiment, in the second curved path driving scene, the cancellation threshold in the case of a motion scene in which the direction of rotation of the vehicle and the direction of rotation of the steering wheel controlled by the driver are opposite directions is set to a larger value than in the case of a motion scene in which the vehicle's turning direction and the steering wheel's turning direction are controlled by the driver in the same direction. With this setting, it is possible to respond to the request that the driver wants to drive the vehicle with their own driving feeling and in a situation where the driver does not hold the steering wheel.

[Description of tags]

[0060060]

1 Motion controller

11 Sensors

12 Device for determining the location of the vehicle in question

13 Cartographic database

14 Onboard equipment

15 Presentation device

16 Input device

161 Main switch

162 Resume/acceleration switch

163 Switch installation / coasting

164 Cancel switch

165 Switch control distance between vehicles

166 Lane change assist switch

17 Driving control device

18 Control unit

Claims (32)

1. A method for controlling the movement of a vehicle, including an autonomous steering control for autonomous steering control of a vehicle, the method for controlling the movement comprises: setting a plurality of override thresholds corresponding to respective driving scenes, the override thresholds being used to cancel autonomous steering control and transition to driver manual control; detecting a vehicle motion scene during autonomous steering; extracting a cancel threshold corresponding to the detected motion scene from a set of set cancel thresholds, and determining, based on the retrieved cancellation threshold, whether to cancel autonomous steering control and proceed to manual driver control, in which in the event that autonomous steering control is canceled and changes to manual control by the driver, when the steering wheel torque controlled by the driver exceeds the standard cancellation threshold, the motion scene includes a first motion scene from an area under autonomous steering control out of the area, and a first cancellation threshold smaller than the standard cancellation threshold is set for the first motion scene. 2. A method for controlling the movement of a vehicle, including an autonomous steering control for autonomous steering control of a vehicle, the method for controlling the movement comprises: setting a plurality of override thresholds corresponding to respective driving scenes, the override thresholds being used to cancel autonomous steering control and transition to driver manual control; detecting a vehicle motion scene during autonomous steering; extracting a cancel threshold corresponding to the detected motion scene from a set of set cancel thresholds, and determining, based on the retrieved cancellation threshold, whether to cancel autonomous steering control and proceed to manual driver control, in which in the event that autonomous steering control is canceled and changes to manual control by the driver, when the steering wheel torque controlled by the driver exceeds the standard cancellation threshold, the motion scene includes a second motion scene along a curved path, and a second cancellation threshold smaller than the standard cancellation threshold is set for the second motion scene. 3. A motion control method for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the motion scene includes a second motion scene along a curved path, and a second cancel threshold smaller than the standard cancel threshold and larger than the first cancel threshold is set for the second motion scene. 4. The method of controlling the movement of a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the motion scene includes a second motion scene along a curved path, and in the second driving scene, the cancellation threshold in the case of a driving scene in which the vehicle's turning direction and the driver's steering wheel's turning direction are opposite directions is set to a larger value than in the case of a driving scene in which the vehicle's turning direction and the turning direction are steering wheel, which is controlled by the driver, are identical directions. 5. The method of traffic control for the vehicle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, in which the motion scene is detected from the map data that has been previously stored. 6. A motion control device for a vehicle, including autonomous steering control for autonomous steering control of the vehicle, wherein the motion control device is configured such that when the steering wheel torque controlled by the driver exceeds a cancellation threshold, cancel the autonomous steering control and move to manual control by the driver, while the traffic control device works to: set a plurality of cancellation thresholds corresponding to respective motion scenes; detecting a driving scene of the vehicle while performing autonomous steering; extract a cancel threshold corresponding to the detected motion scene from the set of set cancel thresholds, and determine, based on the retrieved cancellation threshold, whether to cancel autonomous steering control and switch to manual driver control, wherein in the event that autonomous steering control is canceled and changes to manual control by the driver, when the steering wheel torque controlled by the driver exceeds the standard cancellation threshold, the motion scene includes a first motion scene from an area under autonomous steering control out of the area, and a first cancellation threshold smaller than the standard cancellation threshold is set for the first motion scene.

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