WO2019003294A1

WO2019003294A1 - Vehicle control device

Info

Publication number: WO2019003294A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/023539
Authority: WO
Inventors: 繁弘本田; 浩誠霧生; 峰史廣瀬
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社
Priority date: 2017-06-27
Filing date: 2017-06-27
Publication date: 2019-01-03
Also published as: JP6911116B2; JPWO2019003294A1; CN110546698A

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle control device that determines whether a prescribed traveling environment such as a low-friction test road is present on a planned traveling route when autonomous driving is started, and also determines whether the prescribed traveling environment is present on a current traveling route or the planned traveling route during the autonomous driving. When the prescribed traveling environment is present, the vehicle control device notifies the driver of the presence. When the driver instructs setting of the autonomous driving in response to the notification, the autonomous driving is newly set in a case where the autonomous driving has not yet been started, and the autonomous driving is continued in a case where the vehicle is traveling by the autonomous driving. When the driver does not instruct setting of the autonomous driving, manual driving takes over or lower-level autonomous driving is set.

Description

Vehicle control device

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device for autonomous driving.

Automatic driving of the vehicle contributes to reducing the burden on the driver. However, traveling by automatic driving may be difficult, or manual driving may be more suitable. Patent Document 1 discloses an automatically driven vehicle which extracts a non-operation point of automatic driving in a searched route, calculates a degree of continuation of the automatic driving, and selects a route to be traveled from the searched route based on the calculated degree of continuity. A navigation device is described. In addition, it is described that the inoperative points include, for example, a sharp curve, an intersection, a junction, a branch, a lane decrease, a lane increase, and a sudden cant.

JP, 2017-026562, A

The inactive point described in Patent Document 1 is, as its name suggests, a point that can be statically determined from, for example, the state of the road included in the map information. However, the appropriateness of traveling by automatic driving also depends on the traveling environment which changes in a short time, such as weather conditions. Therefore, even when traveling on the same route, for example, there are cases where automatic driving can be started without problems and continued depending on the driving environment that changes due to weather conditions etc. The possibility of takeover to manual driving It may be desirable to alert the driver about

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control apparatus that determines the traveling environment in the traveling route of a vehicle and calls the driver's attention about the start or continuation of automatic driving. I assume.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control apparatus for controlling the traveling of a vehicle, comprising:
Environment specifying means for specifying a traveling environment of the vehicle;
A control unit configured to control the traveling of the vehicle according to the traveling environment specified by the environment specifying unit when the automatic driving mode is set;
And output means for notifying the driver,
The control means determines whether the traveling environment is a predetermined traveling environment, and when it is determined that the predetermined traveling environment is determined, the output means outputs a notification of the result of the determination. It is characterized by

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device capable of judging the traveling environment in the traveling route of the vehicle and alerting the driver of the start or continuation of the automatic driving.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the attached drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The accompanying drawings are included in the specification, constitute a part thereof, show embodiments of the present invention, and are used together with the description to explain the principle of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a vehicle system. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of presetting of the automatic operation mode. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of presetting of the automatic operation mode. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of determining the traveling environment while traveling. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a procedure of setting an automatic driving mode while traveling. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure of setting the automatic operation mode while traveling.

First Embodiment
Configuration of Control Device for Vehicle FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, which controls a vehicle 1. In FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is schematically shown in a plan view and a side view. The vehicle 1 is a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger car as an example.

The control device of FIG. 1 includes a control unit 2. The control unit 2 includes a plurality of ECUs 20 to 29 communicably connected by an in-vehicle network. Each ECU includes a processor represented by a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, and the like. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like.

The functions and the like that each of the ECUs 20 to 29 takes charge of will be described below. The number of ECUs and the functions to be in charge can be appropriately designed, and can be subdivided or integrated as compared with the present embodiment.

The ECU 20 executes control related to automatic driving of the vehicle 1. In automatic driving, at least one of steering of the vehicle 1 and acceleration / deceleration is automatically controlled.

The ECU 21 controls the electric power steering device 3. The electric power steering apparatus 3 includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in response to a driver's driving operation (steering operation) on the steering wheel 31. Further, the electric power steering device 3 includes a motor for assisting a steering operation or a driving force for automatically steering the front wheels, a sensor for detecting a steering angle, and the like. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is automatic driving, the ECU 21 automatically controls the electric power steering device 3 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

The ECUs 22 and 23 perform control of detection units 41 to 43 for detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle and perform information processing of detection results. The detection unit 41 is a camera for capturing an image in front of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 41), and in the case of the present embodiment, two are provided on the roof front of the vehicle 1. By analyzing the image captured by the camera 41, it is possible to extract the contour of the target and extract the lane line (white line etc.) on the road.

The detection unit 42 is a lidar (laser radar) (hereinafter, may be referred to as a lidar 42), detects a target around the vehicle 1, or measures the distance to the target. In the case of the present embodiment, five lidars 42 are provided, one at each of the front corners of the vehicle 1, one at the center of the rear, and one at each side of the rear. The detection unit 43 is a millimeter wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as a radar 43), detects a target around the vehicle 1, and measures the distance to the target. In the case of the present embodiment, five radars 43 are provided, one at the center of the front of the vehicle 1, one at each of the front corners, and one at each of the rear corners.

The ECU 22 performs control of one camera 41 and each lidar 42 and information processing of detection results. The ECU 23 controls the other camera 41 and each radar 43 and performs information processing of detection results. The reliability of the detection results can be improved by providing two sets of devices for detecting the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and by providing different types of detection units such as cameras, lidars and radars, analysis of the environment around the vehicle Can be done in many ways. These

detection units

41, 42, 43 may be referred to as sensors outside the vehicle (external sensors). In addition, the outside sensor may include other sensors such as an outside air temperature sensor for specifying other outside environment. Also about the detection result of the sensor, it may be processed by ECU22 or ECU23. The detection result by the external sensor can be used by another ECU, for example, the ECU 20 or the like, to specify a traveling environment.

The ECU 24 controls the gyro sensor 5, the GPS sensor 24b, and the communication device 24c, and performs information processing of a detection result or a communication result. The gyro sensor 5 detects the rotational motion of the vehicle 1, for example, the angular velocity around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 1, or in addition to that, the angular velocity around the vertical and horizontal axes. The ECU 24 can also acquire the yaw rate (yaw angular velocity) of the vehicle 1 from the detection result of the gyro sensor 5. The course of the vehicle 1 can be determined from the detection result of the gyro sensor 5, the wheel speed, and the like. The GPS sensor 24 b detects the current position of the vehicle 1. The communication device 24 c performs wireless communication with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires such information. Furthermore, external information such as weather information and road surface information related to the road surface condition can be acquired via the communication device 24c. The weather information and the road surface information are not only information on the vicinity of the current position of the vehicle, but when a travel route is set, it is also possible to acquire information on an area along the route. The ECU 24 can access a database 24a of map information built in a storage device, and the ECU 24 performs a route search from a current location to a destination. In addition to this, the ECU 24 may process output signals of an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in the left and right and front and back directions (or further in the vertical direction) of the vehicle 1 and an angular acceleration sensor around those axes. These sensors may be provided in the same sensor unit as the gyro sensor 5. These sensors, the wheel speed sensor 7c described later, and the like are sensors inside the vehicle that detect the state of the vehicle 1 itself, and are also generically referred to as internal sensors. Further, the yaw rate and acceleration obtained from these sensors are handed over to another ECU, for example, the ECU 20 via a bus, and can be used to specify a traveling environment.

The ECU 25 includes a communication device 25a for inter-vehicle communication. The communication device 25a performs wireless communication with other vehicles in the vicinity to exchange information between the vehicles. The communication device 25a can also be used to acquire the above-described external information.

The ECU 26 controls the power plant 6. The power plant 6 is a mechanism that outputs a driving force for rotating the drive wheels of the vehicle 1 and includes, for example, an engine and a transmission. The ECU 26 controls the output of the engine in response to the driver's driving operation (accelerator operation or acceleration operation) detected by the operation detection sensor 7a provided on the accelerator pedal 7A, for example, or the vehicle speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 7c. The transmission gear is switched based on information such as When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is automatic driving, the ECU 26 automatically controls the power plant 6 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1. As described above, the wheel speed (or information obtained from other detection signals) obtained from the signal of the wheel speed sensor 7a may be used for specific processing of the traveling environment by another ECU such as the ECU 20. .

The ECU 27 controls a lamp (headlight, taillight, etc.) including the direction indicator 8 (turner). In the example of FIG. 1, the turn indicator 8 is provided at the front, the door mirror and the rear of the vehicle 1.

The ECU 28 controls the input / output device 9. The input / output device 9 outputs information to the driver and accepts input of information from the driver. The voice output device 91 reports information to the driver by voice. The display device 92 notifies the driver of the information by displaying an image. The display device 92 is disposed, for example, on the surface of the driver's seat, and constitutes an instrument panel or the like. In addition, although an audio | voice and a display were illustrated here, you may alert | report information by a vibration or light. Further, information may be notified by combining a plurality of voice, display, vibration, or light. Furthermore, depending on the level of information to be notified (for example, the degree of urgency), the combination may be different or the notification mode may be different.

The input device 93 is disposed at a position where the driver can operate, and is a switch group or a touch panel that gives an instruction to the vehicle 1, but a voice input device may also be included.

The ECU 29 controls the brake device 10 and a parking brake (not shown). The brake device 10 is, for example, a disc brake device, and is provided on each wheel of the vehicle 1 and decelerates or stops the vehicle 1 by adding resistance to the rotation of the wheel. The ECU 29 controls the operation of the brake device 10 in response to the driver's driving operation (brake operation) detected by the operation detection sensor 7b provided on the brake pedal 7B, for example. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is automatic driving, the ECU 29 automatically controls the brake device 10 in response to an instruction from the ECU 20 to control the deceleration and stop of the vehicle 1. The brake device 10 and the parking brake can also be operated to maintain the vehicle 1 in the stopped state. In addition, when the transmission of the power plant 6 is provided with a parking lock mechanism, it can be operated to maintain the vehicle 1 in the stopped state.

Example of Automatic Driving Setting Procedure Control related to the automatic driving of the vehicle 1 executed by the ECU 20 will be described. When the driver instructs the destination and the automatic driving, the ECU 20 automatically controls the traveling of the vehicle 1 toward the destination according to the guidance route searched by the ECU 24. In the present embodiment, the ECU 20 executes a process according to the procedure of FIG. 2 before starting traveling by automatic driving. In this way, the traveling environment of the guidance route, that is, the planned traveling route is specified, and if there is a predetermined traveling environment during the travel, the driver is informed of that and prompts to decide whether to start the automatic driving. Then, the automatic driving is started according to the determination input by the driver, or the automatic driving is canceled and the manual driving is performed.

In addition, automatic driving said in the following description is a technology which automates all or at least one of driving, braking, and steering, and is different from so-called driving support such as an antilock brake and a skid prevention function. Driving support is provided even when automatic driving is not performed.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control procedure implemented by executing a program stored in the memory of the ECU 20, for example. This procedure is executed, for example, when the driver gets into the vehicle 1 and turns on the start switch, and then the automatic driving is set by default or when the driver sets the automatic driving by manual operation.

First, the driver receives an input of a destination set using the input / output device (also referred to as an operation unit) 9 (S200). When the destination is set, a travel route (or a travel) to the set destination is determined with reference to the current position and the map information (S202). Next, a message or image prompting the user to confirm the travel route is displayed on the input / output device 9 (S204), and it is determined whether to re-search the travel route based on the driver's input thereto. (S206). If the re-searching is selected, the process returns to step S202 to re-search the traveling route. Alternatively, instead of executing steps S202 to S206 in a loop, a plurality of route candidates may be searched for in step S202, and the driver may select among the candidates. At this time, the driver may be made to select an option such as using a transit point or an expressway.

When the travel route is determined definitively, external information such as weather information and road information, which is the basis of the travel environment for the travel route, is collected using the communication device 24c (S208). Weather information and road information are identified, for example, in geographical units. For example, the map is divided in advance into predetermined geographical units, and the server stores and manages weather information and road information for each of the geographical units. Then, the ECU 20 requests external information, such as weather information and road information, from the server for the geographical unit including the determined travel route.

Furthermore, the ECU 20 acquires external environment information indicating the current external condition of the vehicle, and vehicle state information (S210). External environment information is acquired to determine the possibility that the driving environment affects the automatic driving. The traveling environment that affects automatic driving includes, for example, road surface conditions such as a road surface with a low coefficient of friction (also referred to as a low μ road), and visibility limitations due to weather conditions. For this reason, the external environment information acquired in step S210 includes information acquired by the external sensor, for example, the outside air temperature acquired by the external air temperature sensor, the visibility specified from the distance to the target acquired by the rider 42, etc. Be However, when the vehicle is parked, for example, the visibility specified by rider 42 may not be due to weather conditions, so in step S210, external environment information based on camera 41 or rider 42 is not acquired. It is good. In step S210, vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle may be acquired by the inside sensor. The state information of the vehicle includes, for example, a yaw rate, a lateral acceleration, a wheel speed, a throttle opening degree, a brake depression force, and the like.

Next, the traveling environment is specified for the traveling route from the current location to the destination (referred to as a planned traveling route) (S212). The travel environment to be identified includes the road surface condition and visibility as described above. In step S212, the road surface state is predicted for each of the above-described geographical units through which the planned traveling route passes, based on, for example, the weather information and the road information on the planned traveling route acquired in step S208. The predicted road surface condition may be stored in association with the geographical position. For example, information on a frozen road surface or a snowy road may be obtained directly from weather information or road information, or may be predicted from air temperature or weather. For example, a road whose temperature is included in an area below the freezing point can be predicted as a frozen road surface, and a general road in an area where there is snowfall more than a predetermined amount can be predicted as snow coverage. In addition, it is possible to predict that the visibility is limited in the area where the weather information is fog or snowfall or snowfall more than a predetermined amount and the wind speed is more than a predetermined value. In addition, under weather conditions where there is no rainfall or snowfall over the entire planned travel route, and no fog generation, there is no travel environment that affects automatic driving anywhere on the travel route, and the road surface condition, that is, the travel environment. Can be expected to be good.

In addition, when the vehicle is traveling or being stopped outdoors, the traveling environment including the road surface condition can be specified based on, for example, external environment information acquired by the outside sensor and vehicle condition information acquired by the inside sensor. For example, if the entire road surface is white by image recognition of an image taken by the camera 41, it can be determined that the road is a snowy road. If the temperature below freezing (or the temperature below freezing and below a predetermined temperature) is detected as the current outside temperature by the outside air temperature sensor, it may be determined that the road surface is frozen. Further, for example, when a ghost is detected by the rider 42 or by both the rider 42 and the radar 43, the ghost can be estimated to be the winding up of snow due to traveling on a snowy road, and also in this case it can be determined as a snowy road surface. Further, for example, if a slip or skid of a wheel is detected from the wheel speed or the like by an internal sensor, the friction coefficient of the road surface can be estimated together with the throttle opening degree at which the slip occurs and the brake depression force at which the skid occurs. Further, for example, the yaw rate and the lateral acceleration can be detected by a sensor, and the lateral rate can be detected by comparing the yaw rate and the lateral acceleration obtained from the velocity and the steering angle of the vehicle. Then, for example, the degree of the coefficient of friction of the road surface can be estimated from the speed at which the side slip occurs and the steering angle. If the estimated friction coefficient of the road surface is smaller than a predetermined threshold, it can be determined that the current road surface is a low friction coefficient (low μ road).

Therefore, it is determined whether the traveling environment in the planned traveling route identified in step S212 includes a predetermined traveling environment that is considered to affect automatic driving, as in the example described above (S214). As described above, the predetermined traveling environment is a traveling environment that can affect automatic driving, and in addition to low μ roads such as frozen roads and snow roads, for example, visibility of external sensors such as snow blowing and fog becomes short. You may include the situation. When it is determined that a predetermined traveling environment is included, a message prompting the driver to input whether or not to re-search the traveling route is displayed by the input / output device 9, and the input thereto is the traveling route. It is determined whether or not it is a re-search of (S216). If a re-search is instructed, the process branches to step S202.

On the other hand, when the re-searching of the traveling route is not selected, the input / output device 9 allows the driver to have a predetermined traveling environment on the planned traveling route, that is, affect the automatic driving. Report that there is a sex (S218). This notification may include, in addition to a message simply indicating the possibility, a message that allows the driver to select whether or not to perform the automatic driving. Here, after the output of the notification, a predetermined time is set in the timer possessed by the ECU 20, measurement thereof is started (S222), and input by the driver for the message is awaited.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S214 that there is no predetermined traveling environment on the planned traveling route, the automatic driving mode is set (S220). In this embodiment, there are two levels in the automatic operation mode. Level 3 (second level) achieves the highest level automatic operation. For example, the driver does not have to operate at all for driving, steering, or braking, and furthermore, it is not necessary to prepare for takeover to manual operation (hands off-eye off). Level 2 (first level) realizes lower level automatic operation than level 3. For example, the driver does not have to operate for driving, steering, or braking, but must monitor messages from the vehicle, for example, and be prepared for takeover from automatic driving to manual driving (hands off-eyes on). When the automatic driving mode is set, the control of the automatic driving is started, and the vehicle 1 travels by the automatic driving according to the set planned traveling route. Level 1 of automatic driving is, for example, automatic driving more limited than level 2, such as follow-up driving on a freeway.

If it is determined in step S214 that there is a predetermined traveling environment on the planned traveling route, the process may branch to step S218 without executing the route search again in step S216.

Now, when it is informed that there is a predetermined traveling environment in step S218 of FIG. 2, the procedure of FIG. 3 is executed by the ECU 20 when there is an input thereto or the timer set in step S222 expires. If the driver has not entered a response to the notification and the predetermined time has expired, the automatic driving mode of the selected level is set. This is because the driver who has left without responding to the notification from the vehicle 1 may not be aware of the notification and may expect traveling in the automatic driving mode. In this embodiment, a level is provided for the automatic operation, so if the predetermined time has expired, the level of the automatic operation is first set to a high level (for example, the highest level that can be set such as level 3) or a low level For example, it is determined whether the level is a lower level such as level 2) (S302). This determination may require the driver to have an input for selecting a level, for example, and may make a determination based on that, or may be determined based on a preset reference. If it is determined that the level to be set is not the highest level, the level 2 automatic operation mode is set (S304). On the other hand, if it is determined that the level is the highest level, the level 3 automatic operation mode is set (S306). The automatic operation level to be set may be limited by the amount of rainfall or snowfall or visibility. For example, based on the weather information etc. acquired from the server, if it is a predetermined amount of rainfall (the amount of rainfall of XX mm or more), dropping the highest level of automatic operation that can be set from level 3 to level 2 When entering, the maximum level may be set to level 2 or the like. Thus, the level of automatic operation to be set may be limited according to the environment.

When the driver inputs a response to the notification, it is determined whether to set the automatic driving mode based on the input (S300). If there is an input indicating that the automatic operation mode is not set, the process is ended without setting the automatic operation mode (ie, in the manual operation). In this case, driving of the vehicle is performed by the driver after this. On the other hand, when an input indicating that the automatic operation mode is to be set is input, the process branches to step S302. The rest is as described above. However, when the level of automatic driving is input as a response to the notification, step S304 or step S306 may be executed according to the designated level to set the automatic driving mode.

In this way, if the planned travel route to the destination set before the start of travel includes a portion of the predetermined travel environment, that is, before the start of travel by automatic driving (that is, in advance), To the driver. Then, the driver provides an opportunity to indicate the intention, and sets the automatic driving mode according to the intention.

In the above procedure, the driver is notified that there is a predetermined traveling environment regardless of where the predetermined traveling environment appears on the planned traveling route. However, it is possible that the corresponding place is far from the present position. Therefore, when the corresponding place is separated by a predetermined distance or more from the current position, the information of the place and the fact that there is a predetermined traveling environment are stored, and the automatic driving mode is set once to start traveling. You may Then, when the position of a certain distance (or time) is reached to the corresponding place, the driver may be informed that there is a place of a predetermined traveling environment. Also in this case, the process for the notification is as described above.

In addition, without setting the level in the automatic operation mode, it may be switched whether to set the automatic operation mode or not. In this case, when the predetermined time in FIG. 3 has expired or when there is an input for setting the automatic operation mode, the automatic operation mode may be set.

● Control procedure at the time of automatic driving As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it is determined whether the current traveling environment is a predetermined traveling environment or not while the traveling environment is determined in advance while the traveling by automatic driving is performed. On a continuous basis. Thus, even when the predetermined traveling environment can not be predicted in advance, it can be determined that the predetermined traveling environment is actually present. The procedure is shown in FIG. The procedure of FIG. 4 is also executed by the ECU 20. The procedure of FIG. 4 is executed periodically or periodically, for example, while traveling in automatic driving. Alternatively, it may be executed each time the vehicle travels a predetermined distance. The repetition cycle may be variable according to the setting or may be fixed in advance. The cycle may not be as frequent as, for example, one minute, five minutes, or ten minutes. Also, in the case of repeating for each predetermined travel distance, the repetition cycle may be relatively low, for example, 1 km, 5 km, 10 km, and so on. Alternatively, depending on the weather conditions, for example, it may be performed more frequently if there is rainfall or snowfall, and less frequently if it is sunny.

In FIG. 4, while the vehicle is traveling, external environment information is acquired from an external sensor (S400). In addition to the external environment information, the communication device 24c may be used to acquire the external information. In this case, the external information to be acquired may be, for example, weather information or road information of an area including the current position. Then, the current traveling environment is specified based on the acquired external environment information (and also the external information, if any) (S402). Then, it is determined whether the traveling environment at the current location corresponds to a predetermined traveling environment (S404). The predetermined travel environment may be the same as described for FIG. If it is determined that it corresponds, the driver is notified of the possibility of affecting automatic driving (S406), measurement of a predetermined time is started using a timer (S408), and input by the driver is awaited.

In step S400, external information such as weather information and road information acquired via the communication device 24c may be acquired for the planned traveling route that will travel in the future, as in FIG. In this case, based on the acquired external information, it may be determined whether or not it is a predetermined traveling environment. This is as described in FIG. However, in this case, the external information to be acquired may be, for example, related to the area scheduled to travel after a predetermined time from the present time, and based on it, the predicted travel environment after the predetermined time may be specified. By doing this, it is possible to identify not only the current traveling environment but also the near future traveling environment while traveling by the automatic driving, and it is possible to determine whether it is a predetermined traveling environment.

FIG. 5 shows a processing procedure by the ECU 20 when there is an input by the driver or when a predetermined time has elapsed. First, it is determined whether the input is an input for continuing the automatic driving (S520). If it is determined that the input is to continue, the process ends without performing anything.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the input is not to continue the automatic driving, the current level of the automatic driving is determined (S522). If the current level is a high level (for example, level 3), the level of the automatic driving is transitioned to a low level (for example, level 2) (S524). At this time, it is desirable to notify the driver to lower the level of the automatic driving. If it is determined in step S522 that the current level is a low level (for example, level 2), the automatic operation mode is ended, and the mode is switched to the manual operation mode (S526). This is a so-called takeover, and it is desirable to notify the driver of the takeover and to request an input for confirmation of the takeover.

In this manner, when the automatic operation mode is continued, the automatic operation is continued as it is, but otherwise, the level of the automatic operation is controlled to be lowered. If a predetermined time has elapsed without a response to the notification performed in step S408, the processing ends without performing any particular processing assuming that continuation of the automatic driving is selected. However, in this case, there is also a possibility that the driver has not noticed the notification, so that notification to continue the automatic driving may be further performed. In addition, although it is described in FIG. 5 that there are two levels of automatic operation levels, if there are three or more levels, manual operation will be taken over if the current level is at the lowest level, and levels will be lowered at higher levels. You may control as follows.

In addition, when it determines with the present driving | running | working environment corresponding to predetermined driving | running | working environment by step S404 of FIG. 4, you may change the level of an automatic driving | operation immediately. In this case, for example, immediately after step S406 in FIG. 4, it is determined that the weather and the surrounding traveling environment have changed significantly. And if applicable, the process branches to step S522 in FIG. 5 without executing step S408. By doing this, it is possible to quickly follow sudden changes in the traveling environment. Although it may be determined based on weather information, for example, it may be determined based on external environment information detected by an external sensor such as the camera 41, the radar 42, or the rider 43, although it may be determined that the weather or the surrounding traveling environment has significantly changed. It is good and you may judge it comprehensively from those information. When based on the external environment detected by the external sensor, the traveling environment is not classified into two values such as a predetermined traveling environment and other traveling environments, and evaluated in at least three or more stages. For example, when the stages are “good running environment”, “intermediate running environment”, and “predetermined running environment”, the time when the “good running environment” transitions to the “intermediate running environment”, The time difference with the time of transition from the "intermediate traveling environment" to the "predetermined traveling environment" is determined. If this time difference is smaller than a predetermined value, it may be judged as an abrupt change.

FIG. 6 also shows another example of the processing procedure by the ECU 20 when there is an input by the driver or when a predetermined time has elapsed. However, in FIG. 6, regardless of the level of automatic operation, either automatic operation is continued or take-over to manual operation is performed. First, it is determined whether the input is an input to continue automatic driving (S500). If it is determined that the input is to continue, the process ends without performing anything. On the other hand, when it is determined that the input is not for continuing the automatic operation, the automatic operation mode is ended, and the mode is switched to the manual operation mode (S502). Also in this case, it is desirable that notification of takeover to the driver and request for confirmation of takeover be performed. If a predetermined time has elapsed without a response to the notification performed in step S408, the processing ends without performing any particular processing assuming that continuation of the automatic driving is selected. However, in this case, there is also a possibility that the driver has not noticed the notification, so that notification to continue the automatic driving may be further performed. In this way, when the automatic operation mode is continued, the automatic operation is continued as it is, but otherwise the automatic operation is canceled.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to determine that there is a predetermined traveling environment on the planned traveling route by the above configuration and procedure, and when it is determined that there is a predetermined traveling environment, the driver is notified beforehand Can be notified. And the opportunity for a driver to determine the driving mode according to the information can be provided. Furthermore, it is possible to determine that the vehicle is in a predetermined traveling environment while traveling, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in a predetermined traveling environment, it is possible to notify the driver of the fact. And the opportunity for a driver to determine the driving mode according to the information can be provided.

Summary of the Embodiments The embodiments described above are summarized as follows.
(1) A first aspect of the present embodiment is a vehicle control device for controlling the traveling of a vehicle,
Environment specifying means for specifying a traveling environment of the vehicle;
A control unit configured to control the traveling of the vehicle according to the traveling environment specified by the environment specifying unit when the automatic driving mode is set;
And output means for notifying the driver,
The control means determines whether the traveling environment is a predetermined traveling environment, and when it is determined that the predetermined traveling environment is determined, the output means outputs a notification of the result of the determination. It is characterized by
With this configuration, it can be determined that the traveling environment is a predetermined traveling environment, and the driver can be notified of the result of the determination.

(2) In the second aspect of the present embodiment, in addition to the first aspect, the traveling environment includes the state of the vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection means and the outside of the vehicle detected by the external detection means State and / or external information obtained via communication means,
The environment identification means determines that the predetermined traveling environment is based on at least one of a state of the vehicle included in the traveling environment, a state outside the vehicle, and the external information. It is characterized by
With this configuration, it is possible to determine that the vehicle is in the predetermined traveling environment based on at least one of the state of the vehicle and the external information.

(3) In addition to the first aspect or the second aspect, the third aspect of the present embodiment further includes input means for receiving an input by the driver,
The control means outputs, as the notification, an inquiry as to whether or not to set the automatic operation mode, and an input according to the notification is not made within a predetermined time after the output of the notification, or When an instruction to set an automatic operation mode is input, the automatic operation mode is set.
With this configuration, when there is no input for a predetermined time in response to notification that the traveling environment is a predetermined traveling environment, or when an instruction to set an automatic operation mode is input, the automatic operation mode can be set.

(4) In addition to the third aspect, in the fourth aspect of the present embodiment, setting the automatic operation mode newly sets the automatic operation mode when the automatic operation mode is not set. And continuing the automatic operation mode when the automatic operation mode is already set.
According to this configuration, the determination of the predetermined traveling environment can be performed before the automatic driving mode is set, or can be performed during traveling in the automatic driving mode.

(5) In addition to the first to fourth aspects, the fifth aspect of the present embodiment is characterized in that the automatic operation mode has a first level and a degree of driver's intervention lower than the first level. Including two levels,
When the control means determines that the traveling environment is the predetermined traveling environment while controlling the traveling of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode of the second level, the control means is used as an input for the notification. The automatic operation mode is transitioned to the first level based on that.
With this configuration, automatic driving can be performed at a lower level in a predetermined traveling environment.

(6) In addition to the second aspect, the sixth aspect of the present embodiment further includes setting means for setting a traveling route in advance,
When the traveling route is set in advance, the control device acquires the external information on the traveling route set via the communication unit, and the traveling environment in the traveling route is the predetermined. It is characterized by judging whether it is a driving environment.
With this configuration, when the travel route is set in advance, it can be determined whether or not there is a predetermined travel environment in the travel route set based on the information obtained by communication.

(7) In addition to the sixth aspect, in the seventh aspect of the present embodiment, the control device sets the automatic driving mode to set the automatic operation mode when the travel route is set in advance. Before starting travel control, it is determined whether or not the travel environment on the travel route is the predetermined travel environment, and notification according to the result of the determination is performed.
With this configuration, it is possible to set a traveling route prior to traveling, and to determine in advance whether there is a predetermined traveling environment in the set traveling route.

Note that the level of automatic driving determines the maximum vehicle speed permitted at that level and the user-set vehicle speed. Therefore, according to the control of the automatic driving of the present embodiment, by detecting the change of the traveling environment, the maximum vehicle speed permitted at each level is limited, or the user-set vehicle speed is reduced.

Also, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the current level of automatic driving changes from the highest level (for example, level 3) to the lower level (for example, level 2). However, for example, within one level, sub-levels relating to a specific function may be transitioned. For example, in Level 2, a transition may be made from a hands-off mode in which the driver holds the steering wheel off while maintaining the lane to a hands-on mode in which the driver holds the lane while holding the steering wheel.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the following claims are attached to disclose the scope of the present invention.

5 Gyro sensor, 9 input / output device, 20-29 ECU, 24c communication device, 41 camera, 42 lidar

Claims

A vehicle control device for controlling the traveling of a vehicle, wherein
Environment specifying means for specifying a traveling environment of the vehicle;
A control unit configured to control the traveling of the vehicle according to the traveling environment specified by the environment specifying unit when the automatic driving mode is set;
And output means for notifying the driver,
The control means determines whether the traveling environment is a predetermined traveling environment, and when it is determined that the predetermined traveling environment is determined, the output means outputs a notification of the result of the determination. A vehicle control device characterized in that.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein
The traveling environment includes at least one of a state of the vehicle detected by a vehicle state detection unit, an external state of the vehicle detected by an external detection unit, and external information acquired via a communication unit.
The environment identification means determines that the predetermined traveling environment is based on at least one of a state of the vehicle included in the traveling environment, a state outside the vehicle, and the external information. A vehicle control device characterized by
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
It further comprises input means for receiving driver's input,
The control means outputs, as the notification, an inquiry as to whether or not to set the automatic operation mode, and an input according to the notification is not made within a predetermined time after the output of the notification, or A vehicle control apparatus characterized by setting the automatic operation mode when an instruction to set the automatic operation mode is input.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3,
Setting the automatic operation mode newly sets the automatic operation mode when the automatic operation mode is not set, and continues the automatic operation mode when the automatic operation mode is already set. And a vehicle control device.
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The automatic driving mode includes a first level and a second level in which the degree of driver's intervention is lower than the first level,
When the control means determines that the traveling environment is the predetermined traveling environment while controlling the traveling of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode of the second level, the control means is used as an input for the notification. The vehicle control apparatus, wherein the automatic driving mode is transitioned to the first level based on the control.
A vehicle control apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 or claim 3 which cites claim 2, wherein
It further comprises setting means for setting a traveling route in advance.
When the traveling route is set in advance, the control device acquires the external information on the traveling route set via the communication unit, and the traveling environment in the traveling route is the predetermined. A vehicle control apparatus characterized by determining whether or not it is a traveling environment.
The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein
When the traveling route is set in advance, the control device sets the automatic driving mode and starts traveling control of the vehicle, and the traveling environment in the traveling route is the predetermined traveling environment. It is determined whether or not the vehicle control apparatus performs notification according to the result of the determination.