WO2021006111A1

WO2021006111A1 - Vehicle control device

Info

Publication number: WO2021006111A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/025612
Authority: WO
Inventors: 沙良須田; 大司清宮; 幸夫麻生
Original assignee: 日立オートモティブシステムズ株式会社
Priority date: 2019-07-08
Filing date: 2020-06-30
Publication date: 2021-01-14
Also published as: JP7303304B2; JPWO2021006111A1

Abstract

When an obstacle is present on a path on which a vehicle is automatically traveling, the vehicle cannot continue to automatically travel. This vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle is provided with: a storage unit for storing information about a path and information about a travelable width set in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the path; and a control unit for controlling the vehicle to travel along the path, wherein the control unit updates the information about the path acquired from the storage unit on the basis of the travelable width.

Description

Vehicle control device

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that provides driving support.

In order to drive the vehicle automatically, not only environment detection but also route information and own vehicle position information are required. Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle control device that stores obstacles, signs, and positions of white lines with respect to the vehicle around the vehicle and improves the estimation accuracy of the vehicle position.

International release 2018/134863

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the route and the positions of the sign and the white line are memorized, and the positions are sequentially updated or integrated to improve the detection accuracy of the position of the own vehicle. However, if there is an obstacle on the route on which the vehicle is automatically traveling, the vehicle will collide with the obstacle.

A typical example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows. That is, it is a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, and has a storage unit that stores information on a route and information on a travelable width set in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route, and follows the route. A control unit that controls the automatic traveling of the vehicle is provided, and the control unit updates the route information acquired from the storage unit based on the travelable width.

According to the present invention, even when an obstacle exists on the route, it is possible to avoid a collision with the obstacle and continue automatic driving. Issues, configurations and effects other than those mentioned above will be clarified by the description of the following examples.

It is a figure which shows an example of the installation position of the sensor which the vehicle of Example 1 has. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection range of the sensor which the vehicle of Example 1 has. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection range of the sensor which the vehicle of Example 1 has. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure for realizing the automatic running of the vehicle of Example 1. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the travelable width setting process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the travelable width calculated by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the travelable width calculated by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect of the travelable width. It is a figure explaining the effect of the travelable width. It is a figure which shows the change of the travelable width at the time of automatic traveling of the vehicle of Example 1. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the avoidance processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display device of Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the landmark movement processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the landmark movement processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the landmark movement processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the landmark movement processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the landmark movement processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the running state of the vehicle which accompanies the landmark movement processing executed by the vehicle control device of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the update of the route information of Example 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the update of the route information of Example 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the update of the route information of Example 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the update of the route information of Example 1. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the control of the vehicle speed by the vehicle control device of Example 1 and the travelable width. It is a figure explaining the problem in the automatic running of a conventional vehicle. It is a figure explaining the problem in the automatic running of a conventional vehicle.

First, the outline of the present invention will be described based on the problems of the conventional automatic traveling of the vehicle.

17A and 17B are diagrams for explaining problems in the automatic traveling of a conventional vehicle. Here, the problem of the conventional automatic traveling of the vehicle will be described by taking as an example the case where the vehicle 1700 travels along the route 1710 to the target position 1701 which is the end point.

The vehicle 1700 shall automatically travel so that the center of the vehicle 1700 passes on the route 1710.

The map shown in FIG. 17A shows landmarks such as utility poles 1720, traffic lights 1721, signs 1723, and paints 1722, 1724, houses 1730, outer walls 1731 around houses 1730, vehicles 1702 in private land, and the like. The vehicle 100 stores the above-mentioned landmark information (landmark information) together with the information on the route 1710 (route information).

The route information and the landmark information may be generated from the result of manual driving or automatic driving, or may be generated by a system or device different from the vehicle 1700. For example, when the route information is generated by manual driving, the vehicle 1700 sequentially stores the landmarks on the road together with the coordinates of the road. Further, on private land, the vehicle 1700 stores landmarks such as the house 1730, the adjacent vehicle 1702, and the outer wall 1731.

In the case of the road condition as shown in FIG. 17A, the vehicle 1700 can automatically travel along the route 1710 to the target position 1701. In the case of the road condition as shown in FIG. 17B, since the obstacle 1750 exists within the range of the vehicle width 1740, the vehicle 1700 stops the automatic running in order to avoid the collision with the obstacle 1750, and the obstacle 1750 is stopped. Stop before. As described above, the conventional automatic driving technology has a problem that the convenience of the user is lacking.

In response to the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, the width in which the vehicle can travel in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route is stored as information indicating the range in which the route can be changed. Since the vehicle can grasp the range that can deviate from the original route, it is possible to change the route to avoid a collision with an obstacle. As a result, the vehicle can automatically travel to the target position.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not construed as being limited to the contents of the examples shown below. It is easily understood by those skilled in the art that a specific configuration thereof can be changed without departing from the idea or purpose of the present invention.

In the configurations of the invention described below, the same or similar configurations or functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

The notations such as "first", "second", and "third" in the present specification and the like are attached to identify the components, and do not necessarily limit the number or order.

The position, size, shape, range, etc. of each configuration shown in the drawings, etc. may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings and the like.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a sensor installation position of the vehicle 100 of the first embodiment. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing an example of the detection range of the sensor included in the vehicle 100 of the first embodiment.

The vehicle 100 has

image sensors

101A, 101B, 101C, 101D and

distance measuring sensors

102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, 102F, 102G, 102H, 102I, 102J as sensors for detecting the environment around the vehicle 100. , 102K, 102L.

In the following description, when the

image sensor

101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D are not distinguished, the image sensor 101 is described, and the

distance measurement sensors

102A, 102B, 102C, 102D, 102E, 102F, 102G, 102H, 102I, 102J, 102K. , 102L is not distinguished, it is described as a distance measuring sensor 102.

The image sensor 101 acquires an image showing a sign, a lane marking, an obstacle, or the like. The image sensor 101 is composed of, for example, a camera. The broken line in FIG. 2A shows the detection range of the image sensor 101. Although there is one image sensor in each of the front, side, and rear, there may be two or more in each direction. The image acquired by the image pickup sensor 101 can be displayed as, for example, a bird's-eye view image of the periphery of the vehicle 100 as viewed from a virtual viewpoint above the vehicle 100.

The distance measuring sensor 102 detects an object existing in the installation direction and calculates the distance from the vehicle 100 to the object. A short-distance distance measuring sensor 102, a medium-distance distance measuring sensor 102, and a long-distance distance measuring sensor 102 are set in the vehicle 100.

The short-distance distance measuring sensor 102 is composed of, for example, sonar. The short-distance distance measuring sensor 102 outputs ultrasonic waves around the vehicle 100 and calculates the distance between the vehicle 100 and the object based on the reflected waves. The dotted line in FIG. 2A shows the detection range of the short-range distance measuring sensor 102.

The medium-range ranging sensor 102 is composed of, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The medium-range distance measuring sensor 102 outputs a millimeter wave around the vehicle 100, and calculates the distance between the vehicle 100 and the object based on the reflected wave. In the first embodiment, two medium-range distance measuring sensors 102 are arranged in front of and behind the vehicle 100. The dotted fan shape in FIG. 2B indicates the detection range of the medium-range ranging sensor 102.

The long-distance ranging sensor 102 is composed of, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The long-distance distance measuring sensor 102 outputs a millimeter wave around the vehicle 100, and calculates the distance between the vehicle 100 and the object based on the reflected wave. In the first embodiment, one long-distance distance measuring sensor 102 is arranged in front of the vehicle 100. The fan shape of the broken line in FIG. 2B shows the detection range of the long-distance distance measuring sensor 102. The long-distance distance measuring sensor 102 may be composed of a stereo camera, a rider, or the like.

In the following description, the information transmitted by the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102 will be collectively referred to as environmental information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for realizing automatic traveling of the vehicle 100 of the first embodiment.

The vehicle 100 has a vehicle control device 300, an image sensor 101, a distance measuring sensor 102, an input switch 301, a wheel sensor 302, a position detector 303, a communication device 304, an actuator ECU 305, and a notification as a configuration for realizing automatic traveling. It has a mechanism 306.

The image sensor 101 inputs image data to the vehicle control device 300. The distance measuring sensor 102 inputs the distance measuring data to the vehicle control device 300.

The input switch 301 is a switch operated to input user operations such as a memory instruction of the surrounding environment and an instruction to start automatic driving of the vehicle 100. The input switch 301 may be realized as, for example, a dedicated mechanical switch provided around the driver's seat, or may be realized as an icon on a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

The wheel sensor 302 is attached to each wheel of the vehicle 100, and includes a wheel speed sensor that measures the rotation speed of the wheels and a controller that integrates the rotation speeds of the wheels measured by a plurality of wheel speed sensors to generate a vehicle speed signal. Including. The wheel sensor 302 inputs a vehicle speed signal to the vehicle control device 300.

The position detector 303 detects the position of the vehicle 100. The position detector 303 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. The GPS device receives the position information of the vehicle 100 by communicating with the GPS sanitary. The position detector 303 inputs the position information of the vehicle 100 to the vehicle control device 300. The information is used when determining whether or not automatic driving can be started.

The communication device 304 communicates with the outside. The communication device 304 inputs the received information to the vehicle control device 300.

The actuator ECU 305 controls the actuator. The actuator ECU is an example of an output destination of a command from the vehicle control device 300, and is not limited to this. For example, in mechanical elements and signal conversion devices such as an accelerator pedal that controls a driving force, a brake pedal and a parking brake that control a braking force, a steering wheel that controls the traveling direction of a vehicle, and a shift lever that controls the traveling direction of a vehicle. is there.

The notification mechanism 306 notifies the user of the information. The notification mechanism 306 includes a display device 320 and an audio output device 321.

The display device 320 notifies the information via the screen. The display device 320 of the first embodiment displays a bird's-eye view image generated from the image acquired by the image pickup sensor 101, information output from the vehicle control device 300, and the like. The display device 320 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display equipped with a touch panel function.

The voice output device 321 notifies the information via voice. For example, the voice output device 321 outputs voice guidance and warning sounds. The audio output device 321 is arranged at an appropriate position in the interior of the vehicle 100. The audio output device 321 is composed of, for example, a speaker.

The vehicle control device 300 provides information (road surface information) regarding the road surface paint type and position such as lane marking position, stop line position, and pedestrian crossing, and around the road such as signs, traffic lights, and features, via the communication device 304. Information about an existing object (object information) is acquired as road peripheral information around the vehicle 100. Further, the vehicle control device 300 can also acquire the information measured by the sensor installed in the road infrastructure and the road peripheral information acquired by another vehicle via the communication device 304. The vehicle control device 300 can update landmark information and the like based on the received information.

The vehicle control device 300 controls the entire vehicle 100. The vehicle control device 300 includes an environment detection unit 310, a vehicle position estimation unit 311, a travelable width calculation unit 312, a storage unit 313, an obstacle avoidance determination unit 314, a landmark determination unit 315, a route update processing unit 316, and a vehicle control unit. 317 and Display Command 318 are included.

The storage unit 313 stores information. The storage unit 313 of the first embodiment stores map information, route information for automatic driving, landmark information, and a travelable width described later. The route information is composed of a plurality of control points (coordinates). Further, the storage unit 313 of the first embodiment stores data transmitted from the image pickup sensor 101, the distance measuring sensor 102, the wheel sensor 302, the position detector 303, and the communication device 304.

The environment detection unit 310 determines the type of a mark or sign such as a lane marking and an object such as an obstacle based on the data or the like acquired from the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102, and the mark or object and the vehicle 100. Calculate the position and distance between and.

The vehicle position estimation unit 311 estimates the position of the vehicle 100 on the map based on the position of the mark or the object, the vehicle speed signal, and the like.

The travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the travelable width of the vehicle 100 with respect to the road as the travelable width based on the position of the mark or the object, the route information, and the like.

The obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 determines whether or not to update the route in order to avoid obstacles existing on the route.

The landmark determination unit 315 determines the detection difficulty level of the landmark used for estimating the position of the vehicle 100, and determines whether or not to update the route in order to reduce the detection difficulty level of the landmark.

The route update processing unit 316 updates the route when it is determined by the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 or the landmark determination unit 315 that the route needs to be updated.

The vehicle control unit 317 controls the vehicle 100. In automatic driving, the vehicle control unit 317 reads out the control points included in the route information, calculates the control value for the vehicle 100 to travel on the route defined by the control points, and transmits the control value to the actuator ECU 305. ..

The display command unit 318 transmits a command to the notification mechanism 306.

Next, the process executed by the vehicle control device 300 will be described. First, the process for setting the travelable width will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the travelable width setting process executed by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the travelable width calculated by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the effect of the travelable width. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a change in the travelable width of the vehicle 100 of the first embodiment during automatic traveling.

The vehicle control device 300 executes the travelable width setting process when the vehicle 100 reaches the control point or when an arbitrary event occurs, such as after moving in a lane. The vehicle control device 300 may periodically execute the travelable width setting process.

The vehicle control device 300 executes the travelable width setting process for each of the right side and the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the route.

The travelable width calculation unit 312 acquires environmental information from the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102 via the environment detection unit 310 (step S101).

In this embodiment, image data transmitted from the image sensor 101 is mainly used. If the image sensor 101 is out of order or there is no lane marking on the road, the data transmitted from the distance measuring sensor 102 may be used. Further, in case of failure of the distance measuring sensor 102, a sensor capable of detecting road edges, lane markings, gutters, and signs may be set in the vehicle 100.

Next, the travelable width calculation unit 312 starts loop processing (step S102). In the first embodiment, the processes from step S103 to step S109 are executed for each of the right side and the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the route. In the following description, the selected direction is also described as the target direction. In step S102, the travelable width calculation unit 312 selects either the right side or the left side.

Next, the travelable width calculation unit 312 determines whether or not there is a lane marking in the target direction of the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling (step S103).

If it is determined that there is no lane marking in the target direction of the road, the travelable width calculation unit 312 proceeds to step S106.

When it is determined that the lane marking exists in the target direction of the road, the travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the distance A from the control point to the lane marking (step S104). Specifically, the travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the distance from the control point to the lane marking in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route.

Next, the travelable width calculation unit 312 determines whether or not the distance A is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S105). The threshold is preset. This is a process for determining whether or not a safe distance can be maintained. When the distance A is equal to or less than the threshold value, the travelable width calculation unit 312 determines that the safe distance cannot be maintained.

When it is determined that the distance A is larger than the threshold value, the travelable width calculation unit 312 sets the distance A as the travelable width (step S109), and then proceeds to step S110. Specifically, the travelable width calculation unit 312 stores the travelable width in the storage unit 313 in association with the control points.

When it is determined that the distance A is equal to or less than the threshold value, the travelable width calculation unit 312 determines whether or not there is a sign or a gutter in the target direction of the road (step S106).

When it is determined that a sign or a gutter exists in the target direction of the road, the travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the distance B from the control point to the sign or the gutter (step S107). Specifically, the travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the distance from the control point to the sign or the gutter in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route.

The travelable width calculation unit 312 sets the distance B as the travelable width (step S109), and then proceeds to step S110. Specifically, the travelable width calculation unit 312 stores the travelable width in the storage unit 313 in association with the control points.

If it is determined in step S106 that there is no sign or gutter in the target direction of the road, the travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the distance C from the control point to the road edge (step S108). Specifically, the travelable width calculation unit 312 calculates the distance from the control point to the road edge in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route.

The travelable width calculation unit 312 sets the distance C as the travelable width (step S109), and then proceeds to step S110. Specifically, the travelable width calculation unit 312 stores the travelable width in the storage unit 313 in association with the control points.

The process from step S103 to step S108 is a process for calculating the maximum width of the road on which the vehicle 100 can move. The maximum width is calculated based on lane markings, signs, and road edges. By setting the travelable width based on the maximum width, the vehicle control device 300 can set the travel width for safely changing the route.

In step S110, the travelable width calculation unit 312 determines whether or not the travelable widths on the right side and the left side are set with respect to the traveling direction of the route (step S110).

When it is determined that the travelable width in either the right side or the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the route is not set, the travelable width calculation unit 312 returns to step S102 and executes the same process.

When it is determined that the travelable widths on the right side and the left side with respect to the traveling direction of the route are set, the travelable width calculation unit 312 ends the travelable width setting process.

In step S109, the travelable width calculation unit 312 may compare the previously calculated minimum value of the travelable width with the calculated distance, and set a smaller value as the travelable width. In this case, the travelable width is stored without being associated with the control point. That is, the travelable width stored in the storage unit 313 is one. In this way, the amount of storage area used can be reduced by storing the minimum width as the travelable width.

FIG. 5A shows the travelable width set with reference to the lane marking 501 of the road 500. As shown in FIG. 5A, the widths 520R-1 and 520L-1 representing the distance from the control point to the section line 501 can be set as the travelable width. Further, the width 520R-2 and 520L-2, which is obtained by adding the margin area 511 to half of the minimum vehicle width 510 required for the vehicle 100 to travel, can be set as the traveling width. When there are a plurality of lane markings, the travelable width can be set with reference to either the outer lane markings or the inner lane markings.

FIG. 5B shows the travelable width set with reference to the sign or gutter of the road 500. As shown in FIG. 5B, the width 520L-3 from the control point to the utility pole 530 and the width 520R-3 from the control point to the sign 531 are set as the travelable width.

By using the sign or gutter as a reference, it is possible to set the travelable width even on roads where there is no lane marking. Further, even when the lane marking exists, the travelable width for realizing the change of the route beyond the lane marking can be set by using the sign or the gutter as a reference.

It should be noted that a value obtained by subtracting a certain value from the width from the control point to the lane marking, the sign or the gutter can be set as the travelable width. As a result, the distance between the vehicle 100 and the obstacle can be controlled to be larger than a predetermined value even after the route is changed.

By setting the travelable widths on the right side and the left side of the traveling direction of the route, the vehicle 100 can grasp the deviation width when the route is changed in the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle exists.

When an obstacle exists on the road, the travelable width calculation unit 312 recognizes the obstacle as the road edge and sets the distance from the control point to the obstacle as the travelable width. However, if the obstacle is an obstacle such as a bus, a truck, or a taxi that may move from the road, the travelable width calculation unit 312 may not treat it as an obstacle.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the minimum distance is set as the travelable width, the change in the route becomes small, but even if the image sensor 101 and the distance measuring sensor 102 cannot detect the road shoulder and the curb around the vehicle 100, the road shoulder and the vehicle 100 are not detected. Obstacle 600 can be avoided without colliding with the curb. As a result, safe automatic driving of the vehicle 100 can be realized. Further, the storage capacity used can be reduced by fixing the travelable width. In the section from the target position of the route to a certain distance before, the minimum value may be fixed to a predetermined minimum value or the minimum travelable value calculated so far. As a result, since the travelable width setting processing process is not required in the section with many control points, it is possible to realize a quick route change in a narrow space.

As shown in FIG. 6B, by updating the travelable width in response to changes in road conditions, it is possible to flexibly change the route while keeping the distance between the vehicle 100 and the obstacle 600 above a certain level. ..

FIG. 7 shows the change in the traveling width when the vehicle is traveling. As shown in FIG. 7, the travelable width is stored in association with the control point. The dotted line range 700 represents the locus of the travelable width.

Note that the travelable width may be calculated at a point (change point) between the control points. As a result, a large travelable width can be set according to changes in the road environment. Further, when the travelable width is calculated between the control points, the minimum value may be stored in association with the control points.

When the vehicle 100 moves to the target position and then automatically travels again, the travelable width stored in the storage unit 313 may be used as it is. However, if the road environment is different from that at the time of the previous automatic driving, the travelable width setting process may be executed. As a result, the travelable width can be updated.

Next, we will explain how to update the route when avoiding obstacles. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of avoidance processing executed by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment. 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 9E, and 10 are diagrams showing a running state of the vehicle 100 due to the avoidance process executed by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of a screen displayed on the display device 320 of the first embodiment.

The vehicle control device 300 executes avoidance processing when an arbitrary event occurs, such as when the vehicle 100 reaches a control point or after moving in a lane. The vehicle control device 300 may periodically execute the avoidance process.

It is assumed that the safety width is stored in the storage unit 313. For example, a width obtained by adding a margin area 511 to half of the vehicle width 510 or half of the vehicle width 510 is set as the safety width. In FIG. 9A,

widths

900R and 900L are set as safety widths. The size of the

widths

900R and 900L is a. The safety margin can be set arbitrarily according to the system.

It is also possible to divide the travelable width into a vehicle width and a margin area and save it, and use the vehicle width as a safety width.

The obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 acquires environmental information from the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102 via the environment detection unit 310 (step S201).

Next, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 determines whether or not an obstacle exists within the safe range (step S202).

In FIG. 9A, since the obstacle 910 exists within the range of the safety width 900R, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 determines that the obstacle exists within the range of the safety width.

When it is determined that there is no obstacle in the safe area, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 ends the avoidance process.

When it is determined that an obstacle exists in the safe area, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 calculates the offset (step S203) and transmits the offset to the route update processing unit 316.

Here, an example of the offset calculation method will be described using FIG. 9A as an example. The obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 calculates the minimum value of the distance between the control point and the obstacle 910 in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route 150. The obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 calculates the value b obtained by subtracting the minimum value from the size of the safety width 900R as an offset. The offset calculation method described above is an example and is not limited to this.

The route update processing unit 316 determines whether or not the route can be updated (step S204).

Specifically, the route update processing unit 316 determines whether or not the route moved by the offset exists within the travelable width in the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle exists. If the above conditions are not satisfied, the route update processing unit 316 determines that the route cannot be updated.

When it is determined that the route cannot be updated, the route update processing unit 316 instructs the display command unit 318 to notify the stop of the vehicle 100 (step S210), and instructs the vehicle control unit 317 to stop the vehicle 100 (step). S211). At this time, the route update processing unit 316 notifies the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 of the failure of the route update. When the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 receives the notification, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 ends the avoidance process.

When it is determined that the route can be updated, the route update processing unit 316 updates the route (step S205). Specifically, the route update processing unit 316 transmits the offset to the vehicle control unit 317.

When the vehicle control unit 317 receives the offset, the vehicle control unit 317 updates the read control point based on the offset. The vehicle control unit 317 controls the vehicle 100 based on the updated control points.

As shown in FIG. 9B, updating the control point based on the offset is synonymous with updating from the dotted line path 150 to the solid line path 150. In this embodiment, the route can be updated without executing the process involving the regeneration of the route. Therefore, by reducing the processing load, the cost required for controlling the vehicle 100 can be reduced.

The vehicle control unit 317 calculates the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 travels along the updated route 150, and transmits it to the actuator ECU 305. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C, the vehicle 100 can avoid the obstacle 910.

The route update processing unit 316 instructs the display command unit 318 to notify the start of avoidance control (step S206). In addition, the route update processing unit 316 instructs the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 to monitor obstacles.

The obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 acquires environmental information from the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102 via the environment detection unit 310 (step S207).

The obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 has passed an obstacle (step S208).

When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not passed an obstacle, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 returns to step S207 and executes the same process.

When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has passed an obstacle, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 updates the route by transmitting an offset release instruction to the route update processing unit 316 (step S209). After that, the obstacle avoidance determination unit 314 ends the avoidance process. At this time, the route update processing unit 316 transmits an offset deletion instruction to the vehicle control unit 317.

When the vehicle control unit 317 receives the offset deletion instruction, the vehicle control unit 317 deletes the offset. The vehicle control unit 317 controls the vehicle 100 based on the control points before the update.

As shown in FIG. 9D, the update of the control point based on the deletion of the offset is synonymous with the update from the dotted line path 150 to the solid line path 150.

The vehicle control unit 317 calculates the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 travels along the updated route 150, and transmits it to the actuator ECU 305. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9E, the vehicle 100 returns to the thing and the route 150. After avoiding the obstacle 910, the vehicle 100 returns to the original route 150, so that the vehicle 100 can reach the target position.

The vehicle control device 300 returns the route 150 to the route 150 before the update when the obstacle passes, but the route 150 is not limited to this. When the vehicle 100 enters the premises, or when the vehicle 100 reaches the point where the original route 150 and the updated route 150 intersect, the vehicle control device 300 may return to the original route 150.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the

travelable widths

520R and 520L are set with reference to the

outer lane markings

1011R and 1011L, the vehicle 100 updates the route beyond the lane marking 1010 to obtain the obstacle 1000. Can be avoided. In this way, even when the traveling lane through which the route 150 passes is blocked, the vehicle 100 can continue the automatic traveling.

Here, a method of notifying information by the notifying mechanism 306 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B.

The notification mechanism 306 displays the screen 1100 or the screen 1110 on the display device 320, for example.

The screen 1100 is a screen for notifying the start of avoidance control. The screen 1110 is a screen for notifying the stop of the vehicle 100.

The screen 1100 and the screen 1110 include a message display field 1101, an

image display field

1102, 1103, and an end button 1104.

The message display field 1101 is a field for displaying a message. A message indicating that the avoidance control has been started is displayed in the message display field 1101 of the screen 1100, and a message indicating that the automatic driving is stopped is displayed in the message display field 1101 of the screen 1110. By notifying the suspension of automatic driving, it is possible to encourage the user to smoothly switch to manual driving.

The image display field 1102 is a field for displaying an image in front of the vehicle 100. The image display column 1103 is a column for displaying a bird's-eye view image above the vehicle 100. The end button 1104 is an operation button for instructing the display of the

screens

1100 and 1110.

Note that the screen 1100 may include an operation button instructing execution of avoidance control. In this way, safety can be enhanced by leaving the necessity of avoiding obstacles to the judgment of the user.

Next, we will explain how to update the route to detect landmarks.

When the driving environment changes, the ease of detecting landmarks from the route, that is, the difficulty of detection changes. Therefore, even if the landmark can be detected by the previous running of the vehicle 100, an event may occur in which the landmark cannot be detected under the current running environment. If the landmark cannot be detected, the accuracy of estimating the vehicle position will decrease, so it is necessary to change the route so that the landmark can be detected.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the landmark movement process executed by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment. 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, and 13E are diagrams showing a running state of the vehicle 100 due to the landmark movement process executed by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment.

The vehicle control device 300 executes the landmark movement process when the vehicle 100 reaches the control point or when an arbitrary event occurs, such as after moving the lane. The vehicle control device 300 may periodically execute the landmark movement process.

The landmark determination unit 315 acquires environmental information from the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102 via the environment detection unit 310 (step S301).

Next, the landmark determination unit 315 determines whether or not there is a landmark to be approached (step S302). For example, the following processing is executed.

The landmark determination unit 315 estimates the detection range of the sensor in the current driving environment. The landmark determination unit 315 determines whether or not there is a landmark not included in the detection range on the route. If there are landmarks that are not included in the detection range, the landmark determination unit 315 determines that there are landmarks that should be approached. The above-mentioned determination method is an example and is not limited to this.

In the example shown in FIG. 13A, there are

landmarks

1310 and 1311 that are not included in the detection range 1300. It is assumed that the importance is set for the landmark. The importance of landmarks is included in the landmark information.

If it is determined that there is no landmark to approach, the landmark determination unit 315 ends the landmark movement process.

When it is determined that there is a landmark to be approached, the landmark determination unit 315 calculates the offset (step S303) and transmits the offset to the route update processing unit 316. Here, an example of the offset calculation method will be described using FIG. 13A as an example.

When there are a plurality of landmarks to be approached, the landmark determination unit 315 selects the landmarks to be approached based on the importance. Specifically, the landmark with the highest importance is selected. In FIG. 13A, landmark 1311 is selected because the importance of landmark 1311 is higher than that of landmark 1310.

The landmark determination unit 315 calculates the minimum value of the distance between the control point and the landmark in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route 150. The landmark determination unit 315 calculates the value c obtained by subtracting the minimum value from the total value of the detection range 1300 and half the vehicle width as an offset.

The offset calculation method described above is an example and is not limited to this.

The route update processing unit 316 determines whether or not the route can be updated (step S304).

Specifically, the route update processing unit 316 determines whether or not the route moved by the offset in the direction in which the landmark 1311 exists exists within the travelable width. If the above conditions are not satisfied, the route update processing unit 316 determines that the route cannot be updated.

When it is determined that the route cannot be updated, the route update processing unit 316 instructs the display command unit 318 to notify the landmark of the failure to approach the landmark (step S310). At this time, the route update processing unit 316 notifies the landmark determination unit 315 of the failure of the route update. When the landmark determination unit 315 receives the notification, the landmark determination unit 315 ends the landmark movement process.

When it is determined that the route can be updated, the route update processing unit 316 updates the route (step S305). The process of step S305 is the same as the process of step S205.

As shown in FIG. 13B, the update of the control point based on the offset is synonymous with the update from the dotted line path 150 to the solid line path 150.

The vehicle control unit 317 calculates the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 travels along the updated route 150, and transmits it to the actuator ECU 305. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13C, the vehicle 100 can approach the landmark 1311 within a detectable range.

The route update processing unit 316 instructs the display command unit 318 to notify the start of approach control (step S306). Further, the route update processing unit 316 instructs the landmark determination unit 315 to monitor the landmark.

The landmark determination unit 315 acquires environmental information from the image pickup sensor 101 and the distance measurement sensor 102 via the environment detection unit 310 (step S307).

The landmark determination unit 315 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 has passed the landmark (step S308).

When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has not passed the landmark, the landmark determination unit 315 returns to step S307 and executes the same process.

When it is determined that the vehicle 100 has passed the landmark, the landmark determination unit 315 updates the route by transmitting an offset release instruction to the route update processing unit 316 (step S309). After that, the landmark determination unit 315 ends the landmark movement process. At this time, the route update processing unit 316 transmits an offset deletion instruction to the vehicle control unit 317.

As shown in FIG. 13D, updating the control point based on the deletion of the offset is synonymous with updating the path 150.

The vehicle control unit 317 calculates the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 travels along the updated route 150, and transmits it to the actuator ECU 305. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13E, the vehicle 100 returns to the thing and the route 150. After passing the landmark 1311, the vehicle 100 returns to the original route 150, so that the target position can be reached.

Next, updating the route information stored in the storage unit 313 will be described.

In order to update the route information, the travelable width calculation unit 312 stores the history data composed of the control points, the travelable width, and the calculated time in the storage unit 313 for a certain period of time.

The route update processing unit 316 divides the route into a plurality of sections and refers to the history data of the control points in each section. The route update processing unit 316 subtracts the travelable width at another time from the oldest travelable width for a certain control point. Further, the route update processing unit 316 calculates the average value of the calculated differences.

When the average value of the difference is negative and the same period continues for a certain period of time or longer, the route update processing unit 316 sets the control point of the route information stored in the storage unit 313 to the average value of the difference. Update to the corrected coordinates based on. Further, the route update processing unit 316 deletes the control points in the section when the travelable width of the section including the updated control points is the same.

If the average value of the difference is positive and the same period continues for a certain period of time or longer, the route update processing unit 316 adds a new control point.

Along with updating the control points, the travelable width managed in association with the control points may also be updated.

14A, 14B, 15A, and 15B are diagrams showing an example of updating the route information of the first embodiment. The range 700 indicates a locus of a travelable width that is set when the vehicle moves along the route 150.

As shown in FIG. 14A, when an obstacle 1400 exists on the road at the time of generating the route information, the route information includes a control point 151 set to avoid the obstacle 1400.

As shown in FIG. 14B, when the obstacle 1400 moves, the control point is updated so as to go straight in the section where the obstacle 1400 existed. Further, since the travelable width of the section including the updated control point is the same, the route update processing unit 316 deletes the updated control point from the route information. By updating the route information as described above, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary detours of the vehicle 100.

As shown in FIG. 15A, when the obstacle 1400 does not exist on the road at the time of generating the route information, the route information includes the control point 151 set so that the vehicle 100 goes straight.

As shown in FIG. 15B, when there is an obstacle 1500 on the road, the travelable width based on the obstacle 1500 is calculated. Therefore, the route update processing unit 316 adds a control point 151 so as to avoid the obstacle 1500. By updating the route information as described above, it is possible to reduce the update of the route due to the avoidance process.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the relationship between the vehicle speed control by the vehicle control device 300 of the first embodiment and the travelable width.

As shown in FIG. 16, the vehicle control unit 317 may change the vehicle speed according to the size of the travelable width. For example, the vehicle control unit 317 controls the vehicle 100 so as to reduce the vehicle speed as the travelable width on either the left or right side becomes smaller. As a result, safety and user's anxiety and resistance can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and includes various modifications. Further, for example, the above-described embodiment describes the configuration in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to the one including all the described configurations. Further, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

Further, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized by hardware by designing a part or all of them by, for example, an integrated circuit. The present invention can also be realized by a program code of software that realizes the functions of the examples. In this case, a storage medium in which the program code is recorded is provided to the computer, and the processor included in the computer reads the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the program code itself constitute the present invention. Examples of the storage medium for supplying such a program code include a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-R, and a magnetic tape. Non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, etc. are used.

Further, the program code that realizes the functions described in this embodiment can be implemented in a wide range of programs or script languages such as assembler, C / C ++, perl, Shell, PHP, Python, and Java (registered trademark).

Further, by distributing the program code of the software that realizes the function of the embodiment via the network, it is stored in a storage means such as a hard disk or memory of a computer or a storage medium such as a CD-RW or a CD-R. , The processor provided in the computer may read and execute the program code stored in the storage means or the storage medium.

In the above-described embodiment, the control lines and information lines indicate those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily indicate all the control lines and information lines in the product. All configurations may be interconnected.

100 Vehicle 101 Image sensor 102 Distance measurement sensor 150 Path 151 Control point 300 Vehicle control device 301 Input switch 302 Wheel sensor 303 Position detector 304 Communication device 305 Actuator ECU
306 Notification mechanism 310 Environment detection unit 311 Vehicle position estimation unit 312 Vehicle width calculation unit 313 Storage unit 314 Obstacle avoidance judgment unit 315 Landmark judgment unit 316 Route update processing unit 317 Vehicle control unit 318 Display control unit 320 Display device 321

Voice Output device

520L, 520R Travelable width

Claims

A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle
A storage unit that stores route information and travelable width information set in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route.
A control unit that controls the vehicle to automatically travel along the route is provided.
The vehicle control unit is a vehicle control device that updates information on the route acquired from the storage unit based on the travelable width.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1.
The control unit is characterized by updating information on a route acquired from the storage unit so that the control unit exists within a range determined by the route and the travelable width in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route. Vehicle control device.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2.
The vehicle is equipped with a sensor that measures values related to the environment around the vehicle.
A calculation unit that calculates the travelable width based on the width of the vehicle and the maximum width that the vehicle can move on the road on which the route is set, which is calculated based on the value acquired from the sensor. A vehicle control device characterized by being provided.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3.
The vehicle control device, wherein the maximum width is a distance from the route to a lane marking, a sign, an obstacle, or an edge of a road.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3.
The control unit
Based on the value obtained from the sensor, it is determined whether or not there is a risk of collision with an obstacle.
When it is determined that there is a risk of collision with the obstacle, the distance between the route and the obstacle in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the route is calculated.
A vehicle control device characterized by updating route information acquired from the storage unit so as to avoid the obstacle based on the distance.
The vehicle control device according to claim 5.
The control unit
Based on the value acquired from the sensor, it is determined whether or not the obstacle has passed.
A vehicle control device characterized in that when it is determined that the vehicle has passed the obstacle, the route information acquired from the storage unit is updated to the state before the update.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3.
The control unit
Determining whether the sensor can detect the target,
When it is determined that the sensor cannot detect the target object, the distance between the path and the target object in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the path is calculated.
A vehicle control device characterized in that information on a route acquired from the storage unit is updated so that the target object is included in the detection range of the sensor based on the distance.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2.
The control unit stores in the storage unit a fixed value or the minimum value of the travelable width calculated in a section different from the section as the travelable width of the section from the end point of the route to a certain distance before. A vehicle control device characterized by.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2.
The storage unit stores a history of updating the route based on the travelable width.
A vehicle control device characterized in that information on a route stored in the storage unit is updated based on the history.
The vehicle control device according to claim 2.
The control unit is a vehicle control device characterized in that the vehicle speed is controlled according to the magnitude of the travelable width.