WO2018179910A1 - Automatic drive control device - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic drive control device (36) comprises: an automatic drive control unit (360); and a tire condition determination unit (361). The automatic drive control unit (360) executes automatic drive control of a vehicle. The tire condition determination unit (361) determines whether the condition of a tire is suited to automatic driving. The automatic drive control unit (360) limits the automatic drive control if it is determined that the tire condition is not suited to automatic driving on the basis of the determination results of the tire condition determination unit (361).

Description

Automatic operation control device Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-064991 filed on Mar. 29, 2017, and claims the benefit of its priority. Which is incorporated herein by reference.

This disclosure relates to an automatic operation control device.

Conventionally, there is a vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1. The vehicle control device described in Patent Literature 1 includes a vehicle control device and a brain activity sensor. The brain activity sensor detects an activated part inside the brain of the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle control device determines whether or not the driver's anxiety level exceeds a threshold value using the detection result of the brain activity sensor before switching the driving mode of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving. When it is determined that the driver's degree of anxiety does not exceed a predetermined value, the vehicle control device switches the driving mode from manual driving to automatic driving. When the driver's anxiety level exceeds a predetermined value, the vehicle control device controls the vehicle to respond to the fact that the driver's anxiety level is high.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-64773

In vehicles equipped with an automatic driving function, including vehicles described in Patent Document 1, automatic driving control is performed on the assumption that the vehicle is in a state suitable for automatic driving. For example, if the tire air pressure or the like deviates from a predetermined condition assumed in the automatic driving control, that is, if it is not in a state suitable for automatic driving, it is difficult to continue appropriate automatic driving control.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic driving control device capable of more appropriately maintaining vehicle driving when a tire is not in a state suitable for automatic driving in a vehicle capable of automatic driving.

The automatic driving control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an automatic driving control unit and a tire condition determination unit. The automatic driving control unit executes automatic driving control of the vehicle. The tire condition determination unit determines whether or not the condition of the tire is suitable for automatic driving. The automatic driving control unit limits the automatic driving control when it is determined that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving based on the determination result of the tire state determining unit.

According to this configuration, when the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving, automatic driving control is limited. Therefore, the vehicle automatic driving control is performed even though the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving. However, it is possible to prevent the tire from being executed in the same manner as when the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving, and it is possible to maintain the vehicle traveling more appropriately.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle system of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a graph showing an example of a change with time of the radius of the tire in the vehicle system of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an example of a change with time of the radius of the tire in the vehicle system of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a chart illustrating an example of a restriction pattern of functions of automatic driving control by the automatic driving ECU according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating an example of a change over time in the traveling speed of the vehicle in the vehicle system according to the fourth modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating an example of a change over time in the traveling speed of the vehicle in the vehicle system according to the fourth modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processes executed by the automatic operation ECU according to the fifth embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an automatic operation control device will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate the understanding of the description, the same constituent elements in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.
<First Embodiment>
First, a first embodiment of the automatic operation control device will be described. First, a schematic configuration of a vehicle system in which the automatic driving control device of the first embodiment is mounted will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, a power system 20, an automatic driving system 30, an electric power steering device 60, and an electronically controlled brake system 70 are mounted on the vehicle system 10.
The power system 20 is a part that comprehensively manages the power of the vehicle. The power system 20 includes an engine 21, a rotation sensor 22, and an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 23.

The engine 21 is an internal combustion engine that generates power for the vehicle to travel.
The rotation sensor 22 detects the rotation speed of the crankshaft that is the output shaft of the engine 21 and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected rotation speed.

The engine ECU 23 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU, a memory and the like. The engine ECU 23 is a part that comprehensively controls the engine 21.
Specifically, the engine ECU 23 performs so-called engine start control that starts the engine 21 when detecting an engine start operation by the driver. Further, the engine ECU 23 calculates information on the engine rotation speed Ns based on the output signal of the rotation sensor 22. The engine ECU 23 controls the driving of the engine 21 based on the engine speed Ns, the engine coolant temperature, the accelerator pedal depression amount, the intake air amount, and the like.

The electric power steering device 60 executes assist control for assisting the driver's steering by applying an assist torque corresponding to the steering torque applied to the steering wheel of the vehicle to the steering wheel.

The electronically controlled brake system 70 is a so-called antilock brake that optimally distributes the braking force applied to each wheel according to the rotational speed and turning state of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle when the driver depresses the brake pedal. Execute control etc.

The automatic driving system 30 is a part that performs overall automatic driving control of the vehicle. The automatic driving system 30 includes a camera 31, a laser device 32, a radar device 33, an operating device 34, and an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 36. In the present embodiment, the automatic driving ECU 36 corresponds to an automatic driving control device.

The camera 31 captures a predetermined range set around the vehicle, such as a predetermined range in front of the vehicle and a predetermined range in the rear of the vehicle, and outputs the captured image data. The laser device 32 is, for example, a laser radar device. The radar device 33 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar device. The laser device 32 and the radar device 33 detect an object existing in the search range set around the vehicle and output a signal corresponding to the detected position of the object. The operating device 34 is a part operated by the driver of the vehicle. The operation device 34 includes an operation switch or the like that is operated when starting or stopping automatic driving.

The automatic operation ECU 36 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The automatic driving ECU 36 is a part that executes automatic driving control of the vehicle by controlling the automatic driving device 80 of the vehicle. The automatic driving device 80 includes a power system device, a braking system device, and a steering system device. The power system device is, for example, the engine 21 or the transmission. The brake system device is, for example, an electronically controlled brake system 70 or a brake device. The steering system device is, for example, the electric power steering device 60. In the present embodiment, the automatic driving ECU 36 corresponds to an automatic driving control device.

The engine ECU 23 and the automatic operation ECU 36 are connected to each other via a vehicle-mounted network 50 so as to communicate with each other. Therefore, the engine ECU 23 and the automatic operation ECU 36 can exchange information with each other and instruct operations.
For example, the automatic operation ECU 36 can acquire information on various state quantities of the engine 21 by communicating with the engine ECU 23. Further, the automatic operation ECU 36 can automatically control the rotational speed of the engine 21 by instructing the engine ECU 23 to operate the engine 21 in the automatic operation control.

The automatic operation ECU 36 includes an automatic operation control unit 360 and a tire state determination unit 361.
The automatic driving control unit 360 is a part that executes automatic driving control of the vehicle. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 360 starts the automatic driving control when detecting that the driving operation is started by the driver based on the output signal of the operating device 34. The automatic driving control unit 360 of the present embodiment includes a vehicle power system including the engine 21 and a transmission, a vehicle braking system including an electronically controlled brake system 70 and a brake device, and the electric power steering device 60 as automatic driving control. Automatically control the steering system of the vehicle including the above.

For example, the automatic operation control unit 360 detects a lane boundary line in front of the vehicle, a vehicle ahead, an obstacle that obstructs the traveling of the vehicle, based on the image data of the camera 31. The automatic operation control unit 360 detects a vehicle ahead, an obstacle, and the like based on the output signals of the laser device 32 and the radar device 33. The automatic operation control unit 360 sets the target travel line of the vehicle based on the detected information such as the lane boundary line ahead of the vehicle, the preceding vehicle, and an obstacle, and sets the target steering angle according to the target travel line. Calculate. The automatic operation control unit 360 outputs the calculated target steering angle to the electric power steering device 60, thereby causing the electric power steering device 60 to execute automatic steering control based on the target steering angle. The automatic steering control is a control in which the steering angle of the vehicle is automatically changed by applying a torque to the steering shaft without depending on the steering wheel of the driver. Thereby, since the steering angle of the vehicle changes according to the target operating angle, the vehicle automatically travels along the target travel line.

In addition, the automatic operation control unit 360 determines whether or not the vehicle may come into contact with the preceding vehicle or the obstacle based on the position of the preceding vehicle or the obstacle. The electronic brake system 70 is caused to execute automatic brake control. The automatic brake control is a control that automatically applies a braking force to each wheel of the vehicle without depending on the driver's depression operation of the brake pedal. This makes it possible to avoid vehicle contact during automatic driving control.

The tire condition determination unit 361 detects the condition of the vehicle tire and determines whether or not the condition of the tire is suitable for automatic driving based on the detected condition of the tire. Specifically, the tire state determination unit 361 estimates the amount of tire wear based on the deviation Δr between the ideal radius r1 of the tire and the average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire. The ideal radius r1 of the tire is determined in advance by a manufacturer or the like and is stored in the memory of the automatic operation ECU 36. Further, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates the actual radius r2 of the tire by using, for example, the following formula f1.

“RG” is a reduction ratio from the installation location of the rotation sensor 22 to the drive shaft of the vehicle. That is, in the present embodiment, since the rotation sensor 22 is installed on the crankshaft of the engine 21, the reduction ratio RG corresponds to the reduction ratio from the crankshaft to the drive shaft. “V2” indicates the actual traveling speed of the vehicle. The unit of the speed V2 is “km / h”. “Ns” indicates the engine rotation speed Ns detected by the rotation sensor 22, in other words, the rotation speed of the crankshaft. The unit of the engine rotation speed Ns is “rpm”.

Incidentally, the traveling speed of the vehicle can be calculated based on, for example, the rotational speed of the drive shaft and the ideal radius r1 of the tire. However, when such a calculation method is used, since the influence of tire wear is not taken into consideration, when the tire wears, the deviation between the ideal radius of the tire used for the calculation and the actual radius of the tire is large. Thus, it is difficult to detect the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle. Therefore, a means for detecting the actual running speed V2 that is not affected by tire wear is required.

Therefore, the tire condition determination unit 361 of the present embodiment calculates the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle using the camera 31 and the like. Specifically, the tire condition determination unit 361 periodically acquires image data in front of the vehicle with the camera 31, and based on the correspondence relationship between the feature points between the continuous image data, the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle. Is calculated. Note that the tire condition determination unit 361 is not limited to the camera 31 and periodically detects an object in front of the vehicle using, for example, the laser device 32 or the radar device 33, and based on a correspondence relationship between successive positions of the detected object. The actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle may be calculated.

The tire state determination unit 361 sequentially calculates the actual radius r2 of the tire at a predetermined cycle, for example, as shown in FIG. The actual radius r2 of the tire that is sequentially calculated is likely to fluctuate due to the influence of the traveling speed of the vehicle, the road surface condition, and the like. That is, an error is likely to occur in the actual radius r2 of the tire that is sequentially calculated. Therefore, for example, assuming that the current time is “t11”, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates the average value r2a of the actual tire radius calculated during the period from the current time t11 to the time t10 before the predetermined time T1. Is calculated. The average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire deviates from the ideal radius r1 of the tire as the tire wears. That is, the tendency of “r1> r2a” becomes stronger as the tire wears.

Using this, the tire condition determination unit 361 estimates the amount of tire wear from the ideal radius r1 of the tire and the average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire. Specifically, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates a deviation Δr (= r1−r2a) between the ideal radius r1 of the tire and the average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire. This deviation Δr has a correlation with the amount of tire wear. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the tire condition determination unit 361 determines the tire condition based on the deviation Δr being less than the predetermined value rth, that is, based on the tire wear amount being less than the predetermined value. Is determined to be suitable for automatic driving. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the tire condition determination unit 361 determines the condition of the tire based on the deviation Δr being equal to or greater than a predetermined value rth, that is, based on the tire wear amount being equal to or greater than the predetermined value. Is not in a state suitable for automatic driving.

The automatic driving ECU 36 restricts the automatic driving control based on the determination result of the tire condition determining unit 361. Next, with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a procedure of processing executed by the automatic operation ECU 36 will be specifically described. FIG. 4 is a process that is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the automatic driving ECU 36 when the vehicle is operated by manual driving.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the vehicle is operated manually, first, the tire state determination unit 361 determines whether the tire state is suitable for automatic driving as the process of step S10. Determine whether. Subsequently, the automatic operation control unit 360 determines whether or not an operation for starting automatic operation has been performed on the controller device 34 as the process of step S11. If the automatic operation control unit 360 makes a negative determination in the process of step S11, that is, if the start operation of the automatic operation is not performed on the controller device 34, the series of processes is temporarily ended.

When an affirmative determination is made in step S11, that is, when an operation for starting automatic driving is performed on the controller device 34, the automatic driving control unit 360 performs a tire state determination unit 361 as processing in step S12. Based on the determination result, it is determined whether the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving. If the determination result in step S12 is affirmative, that is, if the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving control unit 360 starts automatic driving control as processing in step S13. In this case, automatic driving control of the vehicle is executed as usual.

The automatic driving control unit 360 restricts the automatic driving control as the processing of step S14 when a negative determination is made in the processing of step S12, that is, when the state of the tire is not suitable for automatic driving. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 360 restricts at least one of a power function, a braking function, and a steering function in the automatic driving device 80. The power function indicates a function related to the power system of the vehicle such as the engine 21 or the transmission. The braking function indicates a function related to a braking system of the vehicle such as a brake device or an electronically controlled brake system 70. The steering function indicates a function related to the steering system of the vehicle such as the electric power steering device 60.

More specifically, the automatic operation control unit 360 executes any one of the patterns P1 to P7 shown in FIG. “No restriction” shown in FIG. 6 means that the automatic driving device 80 corresponding to the corresponding function is executed without restriction. “With restriction” shown in FIG. 6 means that a part of the automatic driving device 80 corresponding to the corresponding function is restricted or the automatic driving device 80 corresponding to the corresponding function is stopped. For example, in the pattern P5, the power function is “restricted”. As an example, the engine 21 and the transmission can be automatically controlled with the upper limit speed set for the vehicle traveling speed. Alternatively, automatic control of the engine 21 and the transmission is prohibited, that is, it is possible to switch to manual operation by the driver.

In the pattern P7 shown in FIG. 6, all of the power function, the braking function, and the steering function are “restricted”. In this pattern P7, all functions of the automatic driving device 80 may be prohibited by prohibiting all of the power function, the braking function, and the steering function in the automatic driving device 80. In the pattern P7, for example, the braking function and the steering function in the automatic driving device 80 may be prohibited, and the power function may be limited. As an example, the braking function and the steering function are switched to manual operation by the driver, and the engine 21 and the transmission are automatically controlled after an upper limit speed is set for the traveling speed of the vehicle.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of a procedure of processing that is repeatedly executed by the automatic operation ECU 36 at a predetermined cycle when the vehicle is controlled automatically.
As shown in FIG. 5, the tire condition determination unit 361 first determines whether or not the condition of the tire is suitable for automatic driving as the process of step S20. Subsequently, the automatic driving control unit 360 determines whether or not the tire state is suitable for automatic driving based on the determination result of the tire state determining unit 361 as the process of step S21. When the automatic operation control unit 360 makes an affirmative determination in the process of step S21, the series of processes is temporarily terminated. That is, in this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 executes the automatic operation control as usual.

If the automatic operation control unit 360 makes a negative determination in step S21, the automatic operation control unit 360 performs an authority transfer process to manual operation as the process in step S22. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 360 prompts the driver to switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving based on the display on the display device, the sound emitted from the speaker device, and the like, and the driver is prepared for the manual operation. When completed, switch from automatic operation control to manual operation control. Note that the automatic operation control unit 360 may limit the automatic operation control as the process of step S22. As a method for limiting the automatic operation control, a method similar to the processing in step S14 shown in FIG. 4 can be used.

According to the automatic operation ECU 36 of the present embodiment described above, the operations and effects shown in the following (1) to (6) can be obtained.
(1) The automatic driving control unit 360 limits the automatic driving control when it is determined that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving based on the determination result of the tire state determining unit 361. As a result, it is possible to avoid the automatic driving control of the vehicle being executed as usual even though the tire state is not suitable for the automatic driving. As a result, it becomes difficult to cause a situation that hinders the automatic driving of the vehicle due to the state of the tire that is not suitable for the automatic driving, and thus it is possible to maintain the vehicle traveling more appropriately.

(2) The tire condition determination unit 361 detects the amount of tire wear based on the deviation Δr between the ideal radius r1 of the tire and the average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire. The tire state determination unit 361 then determines that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation Δr being equal to or greater than the predetermined value rth, that is, based on the tire wear amount being greater than or equal to the predetermined amount. Is determined. Thereby, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.

(3) The automatic driving control unit 360 determines whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving before the automatic driving control is started. Thereby, it is possible to avoid a situation in which automatic driving control is started even though the tire is not in a state suitable for automatic driving.
(4) The automatic driving control unit 360 determines whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving during the period in which the automatic driving control is executed. As a result, when the state of the tire becomes unsuitable for automatic driving during execution of automatic driving control, processing that reflects the situation, specifically, authority transfer processing to manual driving or automatic driving control Restrictions are possible.

(5) As shown in the patterns P1 to P7 in FIG. 6, the automatic operation control unit 360 restricts a part of the function of the automatic operation control as the restriction of the automatic operation control. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 360 restricts at least one of a vehicle power function, a vehicle braking function, and a vehicle steering function. Thereby, since the automatic driving control is partially executed, the convenience of the driver can be ensured.

(6) As shown in the pattern P7 in FIG. 6, the automatic operation control unit 360 prohibits all functions of the automatic operation control as a limitation of the automatic operation control. Accordingly, since the vehicle is not automatically driven in a situation where the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving, it becomes easier to ensure more appropriate vehicle travel.

(First modification)
Next, a first modification of the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be described.
When the vehicle is traveling at a low speed, an error in the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle calculated using the camera 31 or the like increases.

Therefore, the tire condition determination unit 361 of the present modification defines conditions such as the average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle in the traveling section used for the determination. For example, the tire condition determination unit 361 calculates the actual radius r2 of the tire using the expression f1 on the condition that the average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed.

Alternatively, the tire state determination unit 361 may correct the deviation Δr by multiplying the deviation Δr by a coefficient. The coefficient is a value that changes according to the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle. The relationship between the coefficient and the speed V2 is obtained in advance through experiments or the like, and a map indicating the relationship is stored in the memory of the automatic operation ECU 36. The tire condition determination unit 361 calculates a coefficient from the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle based on the map stored in the memory.

According to such a configuration, the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle can be calculated with higher accuracy. As a result, it is more accurately determined whether or not the tire state is suitable for automatic driving. It becomes possible to judge.
In addition, when the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the ideal traveling speed V1 of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, that is, in a roller test at a maintenance site, a snowy road, a muddy road, etc. If the possibility of wheel spin is high, this is not included in the calculation for tire deterioration determination. The predetermined value set for the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle is set to almost zero. The ideal traveling speed V1 of the vehicle can be obtained from, for example, the rotational speed of the axle and the ideal radius of the tire.
Alternatively, in the on-roller test, processing that does not include this in the tire deterioration determination calculation may be performed by authentication with an external communication device.

(Second modification)
Next, a second modification of the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be described.
A situation in which an error in the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle increases due to environmental factors such as a road surface condition and an outside temperature. Therefore, the coefficient multiplied by the deviation Δr may be changed according to the road surface condition and the outside air temperature.

Specifically, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 10 further includes a rain sensor 37 and an outside air temperature sensor 38. The rain sensor 37 detects the amount of raindrops adhering to the window glass of the vehicle and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected amount of raindrops. The outside air temperature sensor 38 detects the outside air temperature, which is the temperature of the air outside the passenger compartment, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected outside air temperature. The tire state determination unit 361 calculates a coefficient based on the raindrop amount detected by the rain sensor 37 or the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 38. The relationship between the coefficient and the amount of raindrops, or the relationship between the coefficient and the outside air temperature is obtained in advance by experiments or the like, and a map indicating the relationship is stored in the memory of the automatic operation ECU 36. For example, when the amount of raindrops exceeds a predetermined amount, the road surface becomes wet, and the vehicle is likely to slip. In such a situation, since the actual radius r2 of the tire is estimated to be smaller, the coefficient is set to a value larger than “1”. The tire condition determination unit 361 calculates a coefficient from the raindrop amount or the outside air temperature based on the map stored in the memory.

The tire state determination unit 361 determines whether or not the calculation error of the actual radius r2 of the tire is small based on the raindrop amount or the outside temperature, and the calculation error of the actual radius r2 of the tire is small. Only in this case, the actual radius r2 of the tire may be calculated using the formula f1.
According to such a configuration, the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle can be calculated with higher accuracy. As a result, it is more accurately determined whether or not the tire state is suitable for automatic driving. It becomes possible to judge.

(Third Modification)
Next, a third modification of the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be described.
The tire condition determination unit 361 of the present modification calculates an average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire when the tire is replaced. Specifically, the operation device 34 is provided with a switch or the like that is operated when the tire is changed. The tire condition determination unit 361 detects the tire replacement time based on the operation information of the switch and the like. The tire state determination unit 361 calculates the actual radius r2 of the tire at a predetermined period during a period until a predetermined time elapses from the time when the replacement of the tire is detected or the vehicle travels a predetermined distance. Then, the tire condition determination unit 361 stores the calculated average value r2a of the actual tire radius in the memory as the ideal tire radius r1.

Even with such a configuration, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.
(Fourth modification)
Next, a fourth modification of the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be described.

The tire state determination unit 361 of the present modification example is in a state where the tire state is suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation ΔV between the ideal traveling speed V1 of the vehicle and the average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle. It is determined whether or not there is. Specifically, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates an ideal traveling speed V1 of the vehicle based on the following formula f2.

In addition, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle using the camera 31 and the like. Specifically, the tire condition determination unit 361 periodically acquires image data in front of the vehicle with the camera 31, and based on the correspondence relationship between the feature points between the continuous image data, the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle. Is calculated. Note that the tire condition determination unit 361 is not limited to the camera 31 and periodically detects an object in front of the vehicle using, for example, the laser device 32 or the radar device 33, and based on a correspondence relationship between successive positions of the detected object. The actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle may be calculated.

The tire state determination unit 361 sequentially calculates the ideal traveling speed V1 of the vehicle and the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle in a predetermined cycle, for example, as shown in FIG. For example, assuming that the current time is “t11”, the tire state determination unit 361 has an average value V1a of the ideal traveling speed of the vehicle in a period from the current time t11 to a time t10 before the predetermined time T1. And the average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle is calculated. The average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle deviates from the average value V1a of the ideal traveling speed of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 8 as the tire wears. That is, as the tire wears, the tendency of “V1a> V2a” becomes stronger.

The tire condition determination unit 361 calculates a deviation ΔV (= V1a−V2a) between the average value V1a of the ideal traveling speed of the vehicle and the average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle. This deviation ΔV is a value correlated with the amount of tire wear. The tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation ΔV being less than the predetermined value Vth, that is, based on the tire wear amount being less than the predetermined amount. judge. Further, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation ΔV being equal to or greater than the predetermined value Vth, that is, based on the tire wear amount being greater than or equal to the predetermined amount. Is determined.

The tire condition determination unit 361 may perform processing according to the first to third modifications. That is, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates an average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle at the time of tire replacement, and uses the calculated average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle as an ideal traveling speed of the vehicle. May be used as the average value V1a. Further, the tire condition determination unit 361 may limit the calculation of the actual radius r2 of the tire based on the average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle in the traveling section used for the determination, and the deviation ΔV may be calculated. It may be corrected. Alternatively, the tire state determination unit 361 may limit the calculation of the actual radius r2 of the tire based on the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 37 and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 38, The deviation ΔV may be corrected.

Even with such a configuration, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.
(5th modification)
Next, a fifth modification of the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be described.

The tire state determination unit 361 of the present modified example is a state in which the tire state is suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation between the ideal travel distance d1 of the vehicle and the average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle. It is determined whether or not. Specifically, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates an ideal travel distance d1 of the vehicle based on the following formula f3.

“V1” is an ideal traveling speed of the vehicle calculated by the equation f2.
Further, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates the actual travel distance d2 of the vehicle based on the following formula f4.

“V2” is an actual travel distance d2 of the vehicle calculated using the camera 31 or the like.
The tire state determination unit 361 sequentially calculates the ideal travel distance d1 of the vehicle and the actual travel distance d2 of the vehicle at a predetermined cycle. Then, for example, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates an average value d1a of the ideal travel distance of the vehicle and an average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle in a period from the current time to a time before a predetermined time. The average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle deviates from the average value d1a of the ideal travel distance of the vehicle as the tire wears. That is, the tendency of “d1a> d2a” increases as the tire wears.

The tire condition determination unit 361 calculates a deviation Δd (= d1a−d2a) between the average value d1a of the ideal travel distance of the vehicle and the average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle. This deviation Δd has a correlation with the amount of tire wear. The tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation Δd being less than a predetermined value, that is, based on the amount of wear of the tire being less than the predetermined amount. To do. In addition, the tire condition determination unit 361 determines that the tire condition is not suitable for automatic driving based on the deviation Δd being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, that is, based on the tire wear amount being equal to or greater than the predetermined value. judge.

The tire condition determination unit 361 may perform processing according to the first to third modifications. That is, the tire state determination unit 361 calculates the average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle at the time of replacing the tire, and uses the calculated average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle as the ideal travel distance of the vehicle. May be used as the average value d1a. Further, the tire condition determination unit 361 may limit the calculation of the actual radius r2 of the tire based on the average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle in the travel section used for the determination, and the deviation Δd may be calculated. It may be corrected. Alternatively, the tire state determination unit 361 may limit the calculation of the actual radius r2 of the tire based on the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 37 and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 38, The deviation Δd may be corrected.

Even with such a configuration, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.
(Sixth Modification)
Next, a sixth modification of the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be described.

For example, there is a possibility that the ideal radius r1 of the tire changes due to inch-up or the like when the tire is replaced. Therefore, the automatic operation ECU 36 of the present modification corrects the ideal radius r1 of the tire by multiplying the ideal radius r1 of the tire by a coefficient.
Specifically, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 10 further includes an authentication device 39. The authentication device 39 is a device for acquiring information such as a tire diameter φa and a tire type by reading authentication information provided on the tire or the wheel. The authentication information is, for example, a barcode. Information read by the authentication device 39 is transmitted to the automatic driving ECU 36. The automatic driving ECU 36 acquires information such as the tire diameter φa based on the information transmitted from the authentication device 39. The automatic operation ECU 36 calculates a coefficient by dividing the reference value φb of the tire radius by the tire diameter φa.

With such a configuration, since the ideal radius r1 of the tire can be calculated with higher accuracy, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving. Can do.
Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the automatic operation ECU 36 will be described. Hereinafter, the difference from the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown by a broken line in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 10 of this embodiment further includes an air pressure sensor 40. The air pressure sensor 40 detects the air pressure Pt of each tire of the vehicle and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected air pressure Pt to the automatic operation ECU 36. Based on the tire pressure Pt detected by the air pressure sensor 40, the automatic driving ECU 36 determines whether the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.

Specifically, when the vehicle is operated by manual driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 9 at a predetermined cycle instead of the process shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, when the automatic driving ECU 36 makes a positive determination in the process of step S <b> 11, that is, when an operation for starting automatic driving is performed on the operating device 34, the tire condition determining unit 361 In the process of S30, it is determined whether or not the air pressure Pt of all tires satisfies the relationship “Pt1 ≦ Pt ≦ Pt2”. The predetermined values Pt1 and Pt2 are preset values and are stored in the memory of the automatic operation ECU 36.

If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in step S30, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is suitable for automatic driving. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 starts automatic operation control as the process of step S13.
If a negative determination is made in step S30, the tire condition determination unit 361 determines that the tire condition is not suitable for automatic driving. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 restricts automatic operation control as the process of step S14.

When the vehicle is operated by automatic driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 10 at a predetermined cycle instead of the process shown in FIG. In the process shown in FIG. 10, first, the tire state determination unit 361 determines whether or not the air pressure Pt of all tires satisfies the relationship “Pt1 ≦ Pt ≦ Pt2” as the process of step S40. If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in step S40, that is, if the tire state is suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 once ends a series of processing.

If the tire state determination unit 361 makes a negative determination in step S40, that is, if the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving control unit 360 proceeds to manual driving as processing in step S22. The authority transfer process or automatic operation control is restricted.
According to the automatic operation ECU 36 of the present embodiment described above, in addition to the operations and effects (1), (3) to (6) according to the first embodiment, the operations and effects shown in the following (7) are obtained. be able to.

(7) The tire condition determination unit 361 detects the tire pressure Pt and determines that the tire condition is not suitable for automatic driving based on the tire pressure Pt being out of a predetermined range. Thereby, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the automatic operation ECU 36 will be described. Hereinafter, the difference from the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be mainly described.
The operation device 34 according to the present embodiment is provided with a switch or the like that is operated when the tire is changed. Based on the switch operation information, the automatic operation ECU 36 detects the tire replacement time and determines the detected replacement time as the tire use start time. The automatic driving ECU 36 determines whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving based on the elapsed time from the tire use start timing.

Specifically, when the vehicle is operated by manual driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 11 at a predetermined cycle instead of the process shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the tire condition determination unit 361 first determines whether or not the use of the tire has been started as the process of step S50. When the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in the process of step S50, that is, when the use of the tire is started, the measurement time Tm is reset as the process of step S51.

The tire state determination unit 361 performs the process of step S51, and then performs the count process of the measurement time Tm as the process of step S52. Further, the tire state determination unit 361 performs the counting process of the measurement time Tm as the process of step S52 even when a negative determination is made in the process of step S50, that is, when the tire is being used. That is, the measurement time Tm corresponds to the elapsed time from the time when the use of the tire is started.

The automatic operation control unit 360 determines whether or not an automatic operation start operation has been performed as a process of step S11 following step S52. When the automatic driving control unit 360 makes an affirmative determination in the process of step S11, that is, when an automatic driving start operation is performed, the tire state determination unit 361 sets a predetermined measurement time Tm as the process of step S53. It is determined whether or not the time Tth or less.

If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in step S53, that is, if the measurement time Tm is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time Tth, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is suitable for automatic driving. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 starts automatic operation control as the process of step S13.

If the tire state determination unit 361 makes a negative determination in the process of step S53, that is, if the measurement time Tm exceeds the predetermined time Tth, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 restricts automatic operation control as the process of step S14.

When the vehicle is operated by automatic driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 12 at a predetermined period instead of the process shown in FIG. In the process shown in FIG. 12, first, the tire state determination unit 361 performs the counting process of the measurement time Tm as the process of step S60, and as the process of step S61, is the measurement time Tm equal to or less than the predetermined time Tth? Judge whether or not. If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in step S61, that is, if the tire state is suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 once ends a series of processing.

If the tire condition determination unit 361 makes a negative determination in step S61, that is, if the tire condition is not suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving control unit 360 proceeds to manual driving as processing in step S22. The authority transfer process or automatic operation control is restricted.
According to the automatic operation ECU 36 of the present embodiment described above, in addition to the operations and effects of (1), (3) to (6) according to the first embodiment, the operations and effects shown in the following (8) are obtained. be able to.

(8) The tire condition determination unit 361 determines that the condition of the tire is not suitable for automatic driving based on the fact that the predetermined time Tth has elapsed from the tire use start timing. Thereby, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.
<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the automatic operation ECU 36 will be described. Hereinafter, the difference from the automatic operation ECU 36 of the third embodiment will be mainly described.

The automatic driving ECU 36 of the present embodiment determines whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving based on the travel distance of the vehicle from the tire use start time.
Specifically, when the vehicle is operated by manual driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 13 at a predetermined period instead of the process shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, when the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in the process of step S50, that is, when the use of the tire is started, the measurement distance dm is reset as the process of step S70. To do.

When the process of step S70 is executed, the tire state determination unit 361 performs a count process of the measurement distance dm as the process of step S71. The counting process of the measurement distance dm is performed using, for example, the expression f3 of the fifth modification example of the first embodiment. In addition, the tire state determination unit 361 performs the measurement distance dm counting process as the process of step S71 even when a negative determination is made in the process of step S50, that is, when the tire is being used. That is, the measurement distance dm corresponds to the travel distance of the vehicle from the time when the use of the tire is started.

The automatic operation control unit 360 determines whether or not an automatic operation start operation has been performed as a process of step S11 following step S71. When the automatic driving control unit 360 makes an affirmative determination in the process of step S11, that is, when an automatic driving start operation is performed, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the measurement distance dm is a predetermined value as the process of step S72. It is determined whether or not the distance is less than dth.

If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in step S72, that is, if the measurement distance dm is equal to or less than the predetermined distance dth, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is suitable for automatic driving. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 starts automatic operation control as the process of step S13.

The tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving when a negative determination is made in step S72, that is, when the measurement distance dm exceeds the predetermined distance dth. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 restricts automatic operation control as the process of step S14.

When the vehicle is operated by automatic driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 14 at a predetermined period instead of the process shown in FIG. In the process illustrated in FIG. 14, first, the tire state determination unit 361 performs a count process of the measurement time Tm as a process of step S80, and as a process of step S81, is the measurement distance dm equal to or less than a predetermined distance dth? Judge whether or not. If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in step S81, that is, if the tire state is suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving ECU 36 once ends a series of processing.

If the tire condition determination unit 361 makes a negative determination in step S81, that is, if the tire condition is not suitable for automatic driving, the automatic driving control unit 360 proceeds to manual driving as processing in step S22. The authority transfer process or automatic operation control is restricted.
According to the automatic operation ECU 36 of the present embodiment described above, the following actions and effects shown in (9) can be obtained as actions and effects in place of (8) according to the third embodiment.

(9) The tire condition determination unit 361 determines that the condition of the tire is not suitable for automatic driving based on the fact that the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance dth from the start of tire use. Thereby, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a fifth embodiment of the automatic operation ECU 36 will be described. Hereinafter, the difference from the automatic operation ECU 36 of the first embodiment will be mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 15, the tire condition determination unit 361 of the present embodiment first determines whether or not a tire has been replaced based on switch operation information of the operation device 34 as a process of step S90. . If the tire state determination unit 361 makes an affirmative determination in the process of step S90, that is, if a tire is replaced, the tire condition determination unit 361 performs tire authentication as the process of step S91. Specifically, the tire condition determination unit 361 acquires information such as the type of tire through the authentication device 39 illustrated in FIG. 1, and authenticates whether the acquired tire type is a predetermined type of tire. I do. The predetermined type of tire is a tire that has been certified for an autonomous vehicle, such as a run-flat tire.

The automatic operation control unit 360 determines whether or not an automatic operation start operation has been performed as a process of step S11 following step S91. If the automatic driving control unit 360 makes an affirmative determination in step S11, that is, if an automatic driving start operation is performed, the tire state determination unit 361 is mounted on the vehicle as the processing in step S92. It is determined whether or not the type of tire being used is a tire for automatic driving. For example, when the type of tire authenticated in the process of step S91 is a run-flat tire, the tire state determination unit 361 determines that the type of tire mounted on the vehicle is a tire for automatic driving. That is, the tire condition determination unit 361 determines that the condition of the tire is suitable for automatic driving. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 starts automatic operation control as the process of step S13.

If the tire state determination unit 361 makes a negative determination in the process of step S92, that is, if the type of tire mounted on the vehicle is not an automatic driving tire, the tire state is suitable for automatic driving. It is determined that it is not. In this case, the automatic operation control unit 360 restricts automatic operation control as the process of step S14.

According to the automatic operation ECU 36 of the present embodiment described above, in addition to the actions and effects shown in (1), (5), and (6) according to the first embodiment, the actions and effects shown in the following (10). Can be obtained.
(10) The tire state determination unit 361 determines that the tire state is not suitable for automatic driving based on the fact that the tire type is not the predetermined tire type. The predetermined tire type is a tire that has been certified for an autonomous driving vehicle, such as a run-flat tire. Thereby, it can be easily determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.

<Other embodiments>
In addition, each embodiment can also be implemented with the following forms.
The tire state determination unit 361 of the first embodiment may use a ratio between the ideal radius r1 of the tire and the average value r2a of the actual radius of the tire instead of the deviation Δr. Similarly, the tire condition determination unit 361 of the fourth modification example of the first embodiment replaces the deviation ΔV with an average value V1a of the ideal traveling speed of the vehicle and an average value V2a of the actual traveling speed of the vehicle. The ratio may be used. Further, the tire condition determination unit 361 of the fifth modification of the first embodiment replaces the deviation Δd with an average value d1a of the ideal travel distance of the vehicle and an average value d2a of the actual travel distance of the vehicle. A ratio may be used.

-In automatic operation ECU36 of 2nd Embodiment, you may change the detection method of the air pressure Pt of each tire suitably. For example, it may be detected that the air pressure Pt of each tire is not suitable for automatic driving using a method described in “US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0327535”. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the tire radius calculated from the tire air pressure detected by the air pressure sensor 40 in the tire state determination unit 361, the wheel speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 41, The position information detected by the GPS 42 is compared with the tire radius calculated by inputting the inertia information such as acceleration detected by the inertia sensor 43 into a predetermined physical model. It may be determined whether the air pressure is suitable for automatic operation.
The tire condition determination unit 361 of the third and fourth embodiments may use the tire manufacturing time instead of the tire use starting time. In this case, the tire condition determination unit 361 acquires the tire manufacturing time based on the tire information acquired by the authentication device 39 shown in FIG.

· The position of the rotation sensor 22 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the rotation sensor 22 may detect the rotation speed of the drive shaft of the vehicle. Further, the value of the reduction ratio RG may be changed as appropriate according to the installation location of the rotation sensor 22. Further, the tire condition determination unit 361 may estimate the amount of tire wear by comparing the actual rotation speed detected by the rotation sensor 22 with its ideal value.

The tire condition determination unit 361 acquires time-dependent position information of the vehicle using GPS or the like, and based on the acquired time-dependent position information of the vehicle, the actual traveling speed V2 of the vehicle or the actual traveling of the vehicle The distance d2 may be detected. The tire condition determination unit 361 may calculate the actual tire radius r2 using the equation f1 from the actual vehicle traveling speed V2 detected using GPS or the like.

The means and / or functions provided by the automatic operation ECU 36 can be provided by software stored in a substantial memory and a computer that executes the software, only software, only hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, when the autonomous driving ECU 36 is provided by an electronic circuit which is hardware, it can be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits or an analog circuit.

・ This disclosure is not limited to the above specific examples. Any of the above specific examples that are appropriately modified by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the features of the present disclosure. Each element included in each of the specific examples described above, and the arrangement, conditions, shape, and the like thereof are not limited to those illustrated, and can be appropriately changed. Each element included in each of the specific examples described above can be appropriately combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

Claims (13)

1. An automatic driving control unit (360) for executing automatic driving control of the vehicle;
   A tire condition determination unit (361) that determines whether or not the condition of the tire is suitable for automatic driving,
   The automatic operation control unit is
   An automatic driving control device that restricts the automatic driving control when it is determined that the state of the tire is not suitable for automatic driving based on the determination result of the tire condition determining unit.
2. The tire condition determination unit
   The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the tire is determined not to be in a state suitable for automatic driving based on a wear amount of the tire being a predetermined amount or more.
3. The tire condition determination unit
   The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the tire is not in a state suitable for automatic driving based on the fact that the tire air pressure is out of a predetermined range.
4. The tire condition determination unit
   Based on the fact that a predetermined time has elapsed from the manufacturing time of the tire or that a predetermined time has elapsed since the use start time of the tire, it is determined that the state of the tire is not suitable for automatic driving. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1.
5. The tire condition determination unit
   Based on the fact that the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance since the manufacture of the tire, or that the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance since the start of use of the tire, the condition of the tire is suitable for automatic driving. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic operation control device is determined to be not in a state in which the vehicle is not in a state.
6. The tire condition determination unit
   The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the tire state is determined not to be a state suitable for automatic driving based on the tire type not being a predetermined tire type.
7. The automatic driving control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined tire type is a tire that has been certified for an autonomous driving vehicle.
8. The automatic operation control device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined tire type is a run-flat tire.
9. The automatic operation control unit is
   The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein before starting the automatic driving control, it is determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving.
10. The automatic operation control unit is
    The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein it is determined whether or not the tire is in a state suitable for automatic driving during a period of executing the automatic driving control.
11. The automatic operation control unit is
    The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a part of the function of the automatic driving control is limited as the limitation of the automatic driving control.
12. The automatic operation control unit is
    The automatic driving control device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of a power function of the vehicle, a braking function of the vehicle, and a steering function of the vehicle is limited as the limitation of the automatic driving control.
13. The automatic operation control unit is
    The automatic operation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the automatic operation control is prohibited as a limitation of the automatic operation control.

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