JP6838124B2 - Automatic operation control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic driving control system for a vehicle, and more particularly to an automatic driving control system capable of safely supporting automatic driving even in the event of an abnormality such as a sensor that supports automatic driving of the vehicle.

In the conventional automatic driving control system of a vehicle, automatic driving is continued when automatic driving is possible, but when it is determined that automatic driving is not possible, the passenger is notified to that effect.

For example, in Patent Document 1, the passenger is notified of whether or not automatic traveling is possible depending on whether or not automatic traveling such as the distance between vehicles is possible. Specifically, whether or not the ACC / ECU can execute automatic control (so-called ACC control) of the running state of the vehicle (that is, the running speed and the distance between the preceding vehicle) is determined around a plurality of types of vehicles. Judgment is made based on the judgment items such as the situation of the above, the history of dangerous driving operations, the mileage after the start of automatic control, and the judgment conditions set in advance for each judgment item. Then, when it is determined that the ACC control is feasible, a message indicating that fact is displayed on the display device, and when the driver inputs an ACC control start command via the ACC switch in response to this display, it is predetermined. The vehicle is controlled so as to be in the running state of.

Further, according to Patent Document 2, the notification level is changed according to the state of the driver. In this case, the automatic driving support device includes "a support control unit 11 that controls the automatic driving support of the vehicle, a support determination unit 12 that determines whether or not the automatic driving support can be continued, and the driver of the vehicle driving normally. The state determination unit 13 that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a ready state, the notification output unit 25 that gives a warning regarding automatic driving support according to the determination results by the support determination unit 12 and the state determination unit 13, and the automatic driving support are continued. If it is determined that the driver cannot drive normally and the driver cannot drive normally, it is determined that the automatic driving support can be continued and that the driver cannot drive normally. The notification control unit 15 "is provided with a warning level higher than that in the case where it is determined that the automatic driving support cannot be continued and the driver is in a state where the driver can drive normally.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-49888 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-32291

However, these technologies are premised on the driver being in a state where he / she can drive in any notification.

For this reason, even when driving at automation level 3 or higher as defined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Road Traffic Safety Bureau of the US Ministry of Transport, the above-mentioned automation level 3 or higher requires the driver to respond only in an emergency. Regardless, the passenger must remain operational.

This is because, for example, when the sensor is defective or the automatic driving of the automation level 3 or higher becomes impossible due to the change of the weather, the current system immediately returns the control of the vehicle to the passenger.

Similarly, in automation level 2 driving, if normal automatic driving becomes impossible, the control of the vehicle is immediately returned to the passenger, but the situational awareness of the passenger should be estimated without error. It is hard to say that the driving can be taken over safely because it cannot be done. For example, it may be difficult for humans to drive due to poor visibility due to bad weather. It is also assumed that the passenger may not be able to take over driving safely due to sudden illness.

In addition, deceleration and stopping can be considered as measures to be taken when automatic driving becomes impossible, but there are cases where the control is not safe, such as on highways, intersections, railroad crossings, and curves with poor visibility.

Therefore, even if it becomes difficult to continue the automatic driving during the automatic driving, it is necessary to take over the driving to the passenger with a margin according to the state of the passenger.

From the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic driving control system that enables safe driving continuation even when it is determined that automatic driving is difficult to continue due to a defective sensor.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, automatic driving of the vehicle is realized by combining a plurality of functions, and each function of the plurality of functions uses information from a plurality of sensors mounted on the vehicle. It is a realized automatic driving system, and among the sensors, the outside world sensor that detects the situation outside the vehicle is used to recognize the situation around the vehicle while driving and determine whether automatic driving is possible. The passenger can drive from the state of the occupant by using the unit, the operation control unit that controls the driving of the vehicle when automatic driving is possible, and the in-vehicle sensor that detects the internal condition of the vehicle among the sensors. The cause of determining that it is difficult to carry out the above-mentioned function of automatic driving when the state determination unit for determining whether or not the vehicle is difficult to drive automatically and it is difficult for the occupant to take over the driving is said to be the cause. When it is the first sensor that provides information to the function, the second sensor suitable for executing the control content to be performed according to the operating state at that time is selected as the alternative sensor, and the information of the second sensor is used. It has an estimated driving control unit that implements this function as an alternative and controls the driving of the vehicle, and continues automatic driving based on the control command of the estimated driving control unit until the passenger can take over the driving. It is characterized by doing.

Further, in the present invention, automatic driving of the vehicle is realized by combining a plurality of functions, and each function of the plurality of functions is realized by using information from a plurality of sensors mounted on the vehicle. This is a method in which, among the sensors, an outside world sensor that detects the situation outside the vehicle is used to recognize the situation around the vehicle while driving to determine whether automatic driving is possible, and automatic driving is possible. The vehicle is controlled to run, and among the sensors, the in-vehicle sensor that detects the internal condition of the vehicle is used to determine whether the occupant can drive from the state of the occupant. When it is difficult for a person to take over the driving, the cause of determining that it is difficult to perform the above-mentioned function of automatic driving is the first sensor that provides information to the function, and the driving at that time. A second sensor suitable for executing the control content to be performed depending on the state is selected as an alternative sensor, and the information of the second sensor is used to perform the function as an alternative, to control the running of the vehicle, and the passenger is driving. It is characterized in that automatic driving is continued based on a command of vehicle driving control until it becomes possible to take over.

Further, in the present invention, the automatic running of the vehicle is realized by combining a plurality of functions, and the function is an automatic driving method realized by using information from a plurality of sensors inside and outside the vehicle, and is outside the vehicle. The vehicle is automatically driven using the external sensor that detects the situation inside the vehicle, and it is determined whether the passenger can drive using the in-vehicle sensor that detects the situation inside the vehicle. When it is difficult for the passenger to take over the driving, the cause of determining that it is difficult to perform the above-mentioned function of automatic driving is the first sensor that provides information to the function, at that time. A second sensor suitable for executing the control content to be performed according to the driving state is selected as an alternative sensor, and the information of the second sensor is used to perform the function as an alternative, to control the running of the vehicle, and the passenger It is characterized in that the running control of the vehicle is continued by the alternative function until it becomes possible to take over the driving.

According to the above configuration, safe driving can be handed over to the passenger.

The block diagram which shows the function of an electronic control device. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the general automatic driving control system mounted on a vehicle. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the general automatic driving control system mounted on a vehicle. The figure which shows the configuration example of the sensor necessary for the automatic operation, and the various functions of the automatic operation by the combination of these. The figure which showed the performance of the sensor simplified.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a general automatic driving control system mounted on a vehicle. The automatic driving control system 10 of FIG. 2 is composed of an external sensor S1, an in-vehicle sensor S2, a communication device S3, an electronic control device 1, a drive device 2, an in-vehicle notification device 3, and the like mounted on the vehicle. Of these, the external sensor S1, the in-vehicle sensor S2, and the communication device S3 are various input devices for the electronic control device 1, and the drive device 2 and the in-vehicle notification device 3 are positioned as various output devices.

Of these, the outside world sensor S1 is a sensor that outputs observation information outside the vehicle, such as a camera, millimeter-wave radar, short-range infrared sensor, outside thermometer, outside photometer, speedometer, accelerometer, and equipment that measures the direction of travel. It is a general term for classes.

The in-vehicle sensor S2 is a general term for cameras and microphones that monitor passengers, heart rate monitors, thermometers, in-vehicle thermometers, and various sensors that measure the amount of operation of accelerators, brakes, and handles.

The communication device S3 is a general term for devices that acquire information from outside the vehicle. For example, a communication function such as a wireless LAN and a position information acquisition function such as GPS correspond to this. Further, as a method of vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication, communication by a camera of an external sensor, a tail light, a blinker, a traffic light, a street, or the like by high-frequency blinking is also an example of the communication device S3.

The electronic control device 1 performs calculations based on signals obtained from input devices (external world sensor S1, in-vehicle sensor S2, communication device S3), and outputs devices (drive device 2 and in-vehicle notification device 3) based on the results. It is a general term for devices that control the above. For example, it is an engine control unit (ECU) or a processing device of a navigation system having map information. The electronic control device 1 realizes functions such as white line detection and forward obstacle detection based on the information obtained from the outside world sensor S1, and realizes automatic operation by combining them. Note that one function is realized by information obtained from at least one or more of the sensors.

The drive device 2 is an actuator that operates based on a command signal given from the electronic control device 1. For example, a throttle actuator, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and the like.

The in-vehicle notification device 3 is a human-machine interface (HMI) that notifies driving. For example, speedometers, speedometers, speakers, displays, vibrators, lights, etc.

The present invention can be realized as software that operates on the electronic control device 1. The electronic control device 1 includes basic computer components such as a CPU (calculation unit) and a memory (storage unit) (not shown), and a signal input / output function to an input device and an output device. These may be realized by a plurality of electronic control devices. Further, it may be realized as a built-in function of an electronic control device, or a part of the functions may be realized as a built-in function of an input device or an output device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functions of the electronic control device 1. The functions of the electronic control device 1 according to the present invention are a situation determination unit 101 that inputs information from the external sensor S1 and an operation control unit that controls operation when automatic operation is possible based on the determination result of the situation determination unit 101. 103, a state determination unit 102 that determines the state of the occupant by inputting information from the in-vehicle sensor S2 when automatic driving is difficult, and an automatic state sensor S1 when the occupant cannot drive immediately. It is composed of an estimation operation control unit 104 that continues operation.

Reference numerals 105 and 106 are memory means for temporarily storing data, and the memory means 105 stores information determined by the state determination unit 102 and transfers the information to the memory means 106. In addition to the information of the memory means 105, the memory means 106 temporarily stores the information from the operation control unit 103 and the information from the estimated operation control unit 104, and sends the information to the external drive device 2 of the electronic control device 1. The information determined by the state determination unit 102 is sent to the in-vehicle notification device 3 and notified to the passengers by voice, image, vibration, or the like.

Hereinafter, the functions of each part will be described in detail. First, the situation determination unit 101 determines whether or not automatic operation is possible based on a plurality of sensor information obtained from the external sensor S1. For example, here, the external sensor S1 gives an example of a composite sensor consisting of a front view camera for maintaining a lane and a millimeter-wave radar for detecting obstacles in front, but the sensor used for automatic driving is this. It is not limited.

The situation determination unit 101 determines that automatic operation is possible by the output of the external sensor S1, and if possible, the operation control unit 103 outputs a normal control command based on the sensor information. When automatic driving is difficult, for example, when the white line cannot be detected by the camera due to poor visibility such as rain and the lane cannot be maintained, when an obstacle suddenly occurs at a short distance due to a falling object on the road, or due to a sensor failure. When the input from the sensor cannot be obtained, the situation determination unit 101 notifies the state determination unit 102 that automatic operation is difficult.

The state determination unit 102 determines whether the passenger can drive based on the information obtained from the in-vehicle sensor S2. For example, is the line of sight or the direction of the face visually observing the direction of travel, is the state continued for a certain period of time, is there no abnormality in body temperature or heart rate, is the accelerator pedal or brake pedal operated properly, and possesses the steering wheel? Judge whether the passenger can drive from the status information such as whether or not the vehicle is operating.

When the automatic driving is difficult and the passenger can drive, the state determination unit 102 cancels the automatic driving and continues the driving to the passenger. For example, an in-vehicle notification device 3 may be used to send an alert, and a switch installed on the steering wheel may be used to confirm that the passenger is driving. When the passenger determines that it is difficult to drive, or when the confirmation operation is not performed for a certain period of time, the estimated driving control unit 104 is notified.

The estimation driving control unit 104 realizes the automatic driving function when it is difficult for the passenger to drive and it is difficult to perform automatic driving by using the normal function carried by the first external sensor. The automatic operation is continued based on the signal of another type of second sensor that is not normally used.

FIG. 3 shows a process in the case where the communication device S3 is further provided in FIG. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, an example in which the second sensor is used instead of the first external sensor, which causes difficulty in continuing automatic driving, has been described, but the second sensor does not necessarily have to be an external sensor. There is no. If it can be used, it may be an in-vehicle sensor or information from the communication device S3. In a broad sense, as long as the information can be substituted, the distinction between the sensor and the communication device S3 does not matter. The information of the communication device S3 is also positioned as the information of the sensor.

In the case of FIG. 3, the information of the communication device S3 is sent to the estimation operation control unit 104 and used as a signal of a second sensor which is not normally used for realizing the automatic driving function. Specifically, by using other vehicle information obtained from the communication device S3 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, peripheral information by road-to-vehicle communication, position information by GPS, etc., a control command with less deviation from normal automatic driving is output. It becomes possible to do.

In short, when the external sensor S1 fails, the normal automatic driving function carried out by the external sensor S1 cannot be achieved. However, in the present invention, the automatic driving function is used by using the information from the alternative sensor. Is to be continuously implemented. The alternative sensor may be any of the external sensor S1, the in-vehicle sensor S2, and the communication device S3, or may be a combination of appropriate information. Further, when the outside world sensor S1 fails, the sensor abnormality is notified through the in-vehicle notification device 3 to encourage the occupant to awaken and switch to driving by the occupant, so that the occupant can drive in a relatively short time. However, in the present invention, further safe driving is ensured by continuing the automatic driving by the alternative sensor even for a relatively short time.

Hereinafter, an example of an original specific external world sensor that enables automatic driving and an automatic driving function executed by the sensor will be described. Further, after that, an example of an alternative sensor that enables alternative operation when the external sensor fails will be described.

First, automatic driving is realized by a combination of several automatic driving functions realized based on a signal from the external sensor S1. For example, the lane keeping function for keeping the lane is realized by the white line detection function by the front camera. For example, the brake control function for following running and collision avoidance is realized by the distance detection function with a forward object by a stereo camera or a millimeter wave radar. For example, the functions of changing lanes and turning left and right are realized by combining peripheral obstacle detection using a short-range sensor using infrared rays, lasers, and ultrasonic waves, and map information, destination information, and GPS information.

Since various automatic driving functions for automatic driving are realized by one or more external world sensors, automatic driving becomes difficult when the functions for automatic driving cannot be executed due to a defect of the external world sensor S1. Further, the failure of the external sensor S1 is not limited to a failure, but occurs suddenly due to unseasonable weather, dust on the road, dirt on the device, or the like.

The scene during automatic driving is divided into three cases of high-speed driving, low-speed driving, and start / stop, and the control required in each case will be described in more detail.

Here, high-speed driving means that the vehicle is traveling at a speed limit or less on a highway, a main trunk road, or a road with good visibility. Low-speed driving means low-speed or slow-moving in busy downtown areas, residential areas, narrow roads, when turning left or right at intersections, before and after pedestrian crossings, on railroad crossings, and high-speed IC entrances. If this is the case. When the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to make a call when the vehicle is stopped due to a stop instruction such as a signal, a railroad crossing, a stop sign, a pedestrian in front of the vehicle, or another obstacle, or when the stop instruction or obstacle is removed. This is the case when the vehicle is starting.

On the other hand, as the control performed when a problem occurs during automatic driving, speed maintenance, lane keeping, movement to the shoulder, gradual deceleration, rapid deceleration and the like can be raised. These operations are necessary, for example, when traveling on a highway at a speed of 100 m / h, crossing a railroad crossing, turning left or right, or the like, it is not always safe to stop decelerating.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of a sensor required for automatic driving and various functions of automatic driving by combining these sensors. Examples of sensors mounted on vehicles and used for automatic driving include monocular cameras, stereo cameras, infrared cameras, omnidirectional cameras, millimeter-wave radars (including quasi-millimeter waves), and laser radars shown in the vertical direction in FIG. , Night vision, ultrasonic waves, and rear (back) cameras are exemplified, and in a broader sense, maps & GPS and communication information (vehicles, road-to-vehicle communication, etc.) are also grasped as sensors.

Further, in the lateral direction in FIG. 4, an example of a functional configuration of automatic driving realized by a combination of these sensors is illustrated. For example, the function of configuration A is realized by a combination of a monocular camera, a millimeter wave radar (including quasi-millimeter wave), a laser radar, and an ultrasonic wave.

In the driving scene, control other than stopping is required during high-speed driving and low-speed driving. Therefore, in the following, control during high-speed running and low-speed running will be described.

Based on the signals from these sensors, the functions required for autonomous driving, such as detection of obstacles in the direction of travel and surrounding obstacles and maintenance of lanes, are realized. In addition, there are cases where functions such as a rear camera and a navigation system (map and GPS) are installed as driving support functions. The sensor configuration for automatic operation is not limited to FIG. In addition, since the information obtained changes depending on the installation position and angle, a plurality of sensors may be installed. For example, millimeter-wave radars are installed on the front and rear to measure the distance between vehicles, and a plurality of laser radars and ultrasonic sensors are installed on the outer circumference of the vehicle body to detect short-range objects. The configuration of the sensor used for automatic operation is not limited to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a simplified representation of the performance of each sensor. For example, a monocular camera is good at recognizing an object reflected in a camera, but is not good at distance measurement and is not very good at night. Millimeter-wave radar is useful for detection range, distance measurement, and nighttime operation, but it cannot identify people or vehicles. In autonomous driving, it is maintained by a combination of these sensor outputs.

The function required for autonomous driving is the combination of sensors that realize it. For example, lane keeping is performed by recognizing boundaries such as white lines and curbs with a monocular camera, a stereo camera, an omnidirectional camera, or the like. Obstacle detection is performed by measuring the distance to an object in the direction of travel with a stereo camera or millimeter-wave radar. In addition, a vehicle body control command is generated in combination with information such as a speed sensor and a device that recognizes the traveling direction.

Hereinafter, when the function required for automatic driving cannot be executed due to a malfunction of the external sensor that has a specific function, the estimated driving control unit 104 is based on the information obtained from other external sensors, communication devices, and electronic control units. Shows an example of outputting a control command.

For example, as shown in configuration A of FIG. 4, in a configuration in which an obstacle detection and object recognition in front of the vehicle are performed using a front camera (monocular camera) and a millimeter-wave radar, lane keeping can be performed by the front camera (monocular camera). When it disappears, it is necessary to separate the control to be performed depending on the time of high-speed driving, low-speed driving, and start / stop.

It is desirable to stop the vehicle promptly when traveling at low speed or when starting and stopping. In addition, if the current position is inside a railroad crossing or an intersection based on navigation information or the like, it is better to go through the railroad crossing or the intersection while decelerating if it is possible to go straight. If you are in the middle of turning left or right at an intersection, it is better to stop at the shoulder outside the intersection while slowing down using the GPS position information and the information from the short-distance sensor. This means that even if the external sensor fails, the control content to be performed differs depending on the operating state at that time. Therefore, a sensor having performance suitable for executing the control content should be selected as an alternative sensor. Means.

If the vehicle is traveling at high speed, for example, the image of the rear camera is used to detect the white line that has already passed, and the estimation control for maintaining the lane is performed from the position information. In the rear camera image, the white line is curved toward the edge of the image. The diagonal line is maintained using an external parameter that represents the camera installation angle and the current direction of travel calculated from the direction of the moving white line edge. Further, by using the curve information in the traveling direction for control from the current position by the map and GPS mounted on the navigation system, lane keeping can be performed more stably. It is also possible to keep the lane by following the vehicle in front, such as spot-billed ducks running using millimeter-wave radar. It is also possible to keep the lane using an around view image used for automatic parking.

As described above, it is possible to safely stop the vehicle by not performing sudden braking for defective functions during low-speed driving and when starting and stopping. Therefore, in the following example, high-speed driving will be described.

For example, when the millimeter-wave radar cannot detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance can be estimated from the license plate of the vehicle in front and the vehicle can be continued to drive. Further, if the mutual position information can be obtained by the inter-vehicle communication, it is possible to obtain the inter-vehicle distance by using the GPS position information. Further, if mutual sensor information can be shared by inter-vehicle communication, it is possible to detect an obstacle with the own vehicle by using the information of the rearward distance sensor of the vehicle in front. This is because the vehicle is behind the vehicle in front of it and its sensation does not change suddenly. Therefore, if the rear sensor of the vehicle in front is blocked in front of the vehicle, it is considered that an obstacle has occurred. Be done. Such control is effective even when one eye of the stereo camera breaks down.

Also, for example, when it becomes impossible to detect surrounding obstacles with a short-range sensor, it is possible to estimate the position of nearby vehicles and maintain driving based on past information obtained from the front camera, millimeter-wave radar, etc. Is. In addition, if vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible, if there is a vehicle in the vicinity of the own vehicle, it is possible to safely stop on the shoulder by sharing the position information and sensor information.

Further, for example, when the guardrail or curb cannot be detected by the short-distance sensor, the current position of the guardrail or curb can be estimated from the image captured by the front camera. For example, since the guardrail and curb are almost parallel to the central separation line, it is estimated from the position and road width of the central separation line. It is also possible to acquire the positions of guardrails and curbs by using the images used for the around view.

In addition, it is possible that some of the processes mentioned in the examples do not have sufficient processing capacity for the real-time processes required for automatic operation. In such a case, by lowering the sampling rate, the driver may gain time to take over.

Further, the following estimation control can be considered regardless of the failure status of the device. The following estimation control cannot be expected to have more general-purpose effects than using a dedicated sensor, but it is effective when there is a problem with the sensor that should be used originally when maintaining a lane, completing a right or left turn, or making a safe stop. Is.

For example, when traveling at low speed, a short-distance infrared sensor, an around-view image, and a navigation system are used to change lanes or stop on the shoulder. The current driving lane is estimated using the position information and the map information, and the final stop position is determined using the short-range infrared sensor and the around view image.

For example, by controlling the image acquisition of another vehicle and the combination of GPS information and map information by inter-vehicle communication with the vehicle in front, it is possible to change lanes and maintain driving from the observation of the position of the other vehicle and the own vehicle.

For example, when it is desired to decelerate due to a malfunction of the external sensor during high-speed driving, the degree of deceleration can be estimated from the image of the following vehicle moving to the rear camera. When there is no following vehicle at a short distance, the vehicle decelerates quickly, and when there is a following vehicle, the vehicle decelerates slowly. The distance to the following vehicle can be estimated from the size of a fixed-length object such as a license plate on the image. In addition, the determination can be made from the size of the non-road surface portion of the region that becomes the road surface on the image. It is conceivable that the more non-road surfaces there are, the closer the traveling vehicle is.

The estimation driving control unit 104 of FIGS. 1 and 3 is realized on the premise that the vehicle performing the automatic driving is in a running state and the automatic driving can be safely performed until immediately before. That is, control that starts running from a stopped state is not assumed. However, when the information from the outside world sensor is insufficient but control such as avoidance of emergency vehicles is required, it can be obtained by short-range infrared sensor, around view image, map information, GPS information, and inter-vehicle or road-to-vehicle communication. Depending on the surrounding conditions, it is possible to move to the shoulder or change lanes.

The estimated driving control unit 104 outputs a control command, and while the driving device keeps driving, the occupant is ready to drive by the alert by the speaker of the in-vehicle notification device, the vibration, and the warning by the light. You may awaken. At this time, the state determination unit 102 repeatedly determines the state of the driver until it is determined that the driver can take over the driving.

When the estimated driving control unit 104 outputs a control command, it is conceivable to send a warning to the outside of the vehicle. For example, unusual behavior such as blinkers, horns, and brake lights can be considered. The unusual behavior is, for example, blinking the blinkers and brake lamps alternately, turning on the blinkers all the time, honking the horn, and the like. It is also conceivable to notify the management center of peripheral vehicles and autonomous vehicles through a communication device that a problem has occurred.

For reporting a defective vehicle, for example, it is conceivable to communicate the defect occurrence function, the position before the failure occurrence, the current position, various external sensor information immediately before, and the like to the management center.

In addition, it is conceivable that the management center will provide information on where the vehicle can be safely stopped based on the report, and the vehicle will automatically drive toward that location. It is also conceivable that the management center will issue an order to automatically drive the own vehicle based on the information of the outside world sensor of the vehicle that made the report and the information of other vehicles and road sensors in the vicinity.

The map of the navigation system of the electronic control device is, for example, the speed limit of the road, the width of the road, the number of lanes, the type, color and texture of the road surface, the presence or absence of a median strip, the presence or absence of sidewalks, the location of manholes and construction sites, etc. You may have information and use it to realize various functions. Further, the road information may be provided to the vehicle by communication from the management center.

10: Automatic driving control system S1: External sensor S2: In-vehicle sensor S3: Communication device 1: Electronic control device 2: Drive device 3: In-vehicle notification device 101: Situation determination unit 103: Operation control unit 102: Status determination unit 104: Estimate Operation control units 105, 106: Memory means

Claims (17)

The automatic driving of the vehicle is realized by combining a plurality of functions, and each function of the plurality of functions is an automatic driving system realized by using information from a plurality of sensors mounted on the vehicle. ,
Among the sensors, a situation determination unit that recognizes the situation around the vehicle while driving by using an outside world sensor that detects the situation outside the vehicle and determines whether automatic driving is possible.
A driving control unit that controls the driving of the vehicle when automatic driving is possible,
Among the sensors, a state determination unit that determines whether the occupant can drive from the occupant's condition using an in-vehicle sensor that detects the internal condition of the vehicle, and a state determination unit.
When automatic driving is difficult and it is difficult for the passenger to take over the driving, the cause of determining that it is difficult to perform the above-mentioned function of automatic driving is the first cause of providing information to the function. When it is a sensor, a second sensor suitable for executing the control content to be performed according to the driving state at that time is selected as an alternative sensor, and the information of the second sensor is used to perform the function as an alternative, and the vehicle. It has an estimated driving control unit that controls the driving of the vehicle.
Until the passenger can take over the driving, the automatic driving is continued based on the control command of the estimated driving control unit, and the driving is continued.
The second sensor as the alternative sensor is selected based on the relationship between the failure sensor and the alternative sensor grasped in advance, and when the second sensor as the alternative sensor is used, the vehicle automatically travels . An automatic operation control system characterized by reducing the sampling rate of necessary processing. The automatic operation control system according to claim 1.
An automatic driving control system characterized in that the control content is changed according to the driving state of the vehicle, and the second sensor is changed and selected for each control content to control the running of the vehicle. The automatic operation control system according to claim 1 or 2.
The estimated driving control unit automatically controls using information possessed by the vehicle such as an outside world sensor, a rear camera, an around view camera, a short-range infrared sensor, a map, GPS position information, speed, and acceleration. Operation control system. The automatic operation control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The estimated driving control unit is an automatic driving control system characterized in that information obtained by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication is combined with information possessed by the vehicle to perform control. The automatic operation control system according to claim 4.
The information obtained by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication includes images of the surroundings of the vehicle taken by other than the vehicle, road congestion, road surface conditions, positions of the vehicle and other vehicles, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Automatic driving control characterized by the speed and acceleration of the vehicle being used, the location of the next right / left turn of the vehicle communicating between vehicles, the presence / absence of automatic driving of other vehicles, the location of right / left turns of other vehicles in the vicinity, etc. system. The automatic operation control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
It has an in-vehicle notification device for giving a warning to the passenger, and while the vehicle is automatically traveling based on the control command of the estimated driving control unit, the state determination unit determines the driver's operable state. An automatic driving control system that warns passengers by means of an in-vehicle notification device until the vehicle is ready for driving. The automatic driving of the vehicle is realized by combining a plurality of functions, and each function of the plurality of functions is an automatic driving method realized by using information from a plurality of sensors mounted on the vehicle. ,
Among the above sensors, an outside world sensor that detects the situation outside the vehicle is used to recognize the situation around the vehicle while driving and determine whether automatic driving is possible.
If automatic driving is possible, the vehicle will be controlled to drive.
Among the above sensors, an in-vehicle sensor that detects the situation inside the vehicle is used to determine whether the occupant can drive from the occupant's condition.
When automatic driving is difficult and it is difficult for the passenger to take over the driving, the cause of determining that it is difficult to perform the above-mentioned function of automatic driving is the first cause of providing information to the function. When it is a sensor, a second sensor suitable for executing the control content to be performed according to the operating state at that time is selected as an alternative sensor, and the information of the second sensor is used to perform the function as an alternative, and the vehicle. Control the driving of
Until the passenger can take over the driving, the vehicle will continue to drive automatically based on the vehicle's driving control command, and will continue to drive automatically.
The second sensor as the alternative sensor is selected based on the relationship between the failure sensor and the alternative sensor grasped in advance, and when the second sensor as the alternative sensor is used, the vehicle automatically travels . An automatic operation control method characterized in that the sampling rate of necessary processing is reduced. The automatic driving of the vehicle is realized by combining a plurality of functions, and the function is an automatic driving method realized by using information from a plurality of sensors inside and outside the vehicle.
The vehicle is automatically driven using an outside sensor that detects the situation outside the vehicle, and the inside sensor that detects the situation inside the vehicle is used to determine whether the passenger can drive.
When automatic driving is difficult and it is difficult for the passenger to take over the driving, the cause of determining that it is difficult to perform the above-mentioned function of automatic driving is the first cause of providing information to the function. When it is a sensor, a second sensor suitable for executing the control content to be performed according to the driving state at that time is selected as an alternative sensor, and the information of the second sensor is used to perform the function as an alternative, and the vehicle. Control the driving of
Until the passenger can take over the driving, the driving control of the vehicle is continued by the alternative function, and the vehicle is controlled.
The second sensor as the alternative sensor is selected based on the relationship between the failure sensor and the alternative sensor grasped in advance, and when the second sensor as the alternative sensor is used, the vehicle automatically travels . An automatic operation control method characterized in that the sampling rate of necessary processing is reduced. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When detecting obstacles in front of the vehicle with a millimeter-wave radar as the first sensor during high-speed driving, the front camera is used as the second sensor due to the abnormality, and the distance between the vehicles from the license plate of the vehicle in front reflected in the second sensor. An automatic operation control method characterized by estimating and continuing operation. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When detecting the inter-vehicle distance with a millimeter-wave radar as the first sensor during high-speed driving, GPS is used as the second sensor due to the abnormality, and the inter-vehicle distance is estimated using the GPS position information to continue driving. Automatic operation control method. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When obstacle detection is performed by a millimeter-wave radar as the first sensor during high-speed driving, if mutual sensor information can be shared as the second sensor by inter-vehicle communication due to the abnormality, the rearward distance sensor of the vehicle in front is used. An automatic driving control method characterized by detecting obstacles with the own vehicle and continuing driving. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When detecting surrounding obstacles with a short-range sensor as the first sensor during high-speed driving, a front camera or millimeter-wave radar is used as the second sensor due to the abnormality, and based on these past information, nearby vehicles An automatic driving control method characterized by estimating a position and maintaining running. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When detecting surrounding obstacles with a short-range sensor as the first sensor during high-speed driving, if inter-vehicle communication is possible as the second sensor due to the abnormality, if there is a vehicle near the own vehicle, its position information An automatic driving control method characterized by safely stopping on the shoulder of a road by sharing sensor information. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When detecting a guardrail or curb with a short-range sensor as the first sensor during high-speed driving, the position of the guardrail or curb is acquired by using the image used for the around view as the second sensor due to the abnormality. Automatic operation control method. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
When driving at low speed, a short-range infrared sensor, around-view image, and navigation system are used as the second sensor, and the current driving lane is estimated using the position information and map information of the navigation system, and the short-range infrared sensor, around-view image, and navigation system are used. An automatic driving control method characterized in that the final stop position is determined using. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
As the second sensor, lane change and running maintenance are performed from the observation of the position of the other vehicle and the own vehicle by controlling the image acquisition of the other vehicle and the combination of GPS information and map information by inter-vehicle communication with the vehicle in front. An automatic operation control method characterized by. The automatic operation control method according to claim 8.
An automatic driving control method characterized in that when it is desired to decelerate due to a malfunction of the first sensor during high-speed driving, the degree of deceleration is estimated from the image of the following vehicle moving to the rear camera as the second sensor.

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