Autonomous vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides an autonomously drivable vehicle that, while suppressing power consumption of an autonomous driving display lamp, appropriately notifies a person located around the vehicle of the situation when starting from a stopped state. The autonomously drivable vehicle (1) includes an autonomous driving display lamp (10) that can be lit during autonomous driving, and a control unit (24) that controls the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp (10). The autonomous driving display lamp 10 includes a right display lamp (11, 12) and a left display lamp (13, 14) whose lighting states can be independently controlled on the left and right of the vehicle (1). When the vehicle (1) starts from a stopped state by autonomous driving, the control unit (24) causes the lighting states of the right display lamp (11, 12) and the left display lamp (13, 14), which are the autonomous driving display lamp (10) and are extinguished during parking, to change in the same manner on the left and right so as to indicate the starting direction to the front and rear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. Background Art

[0002] In vehicles, research and development of autonomous driving to automate vehicle driving is underway.

[0003] It is expected that in the future, when setting a destination, for example, a vehicle can travel to the destination by automatic control and stop at the destination.

[0004] In such a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, it is considered to seek to travel to the destination without accidents by appropriately selecting the driving route, confirming the safety of the forward route, and performing hazard avoidance control.

[0005] However, even if such control for safe driving can be executed, 100% safety cannot necessarily be guaranteed. The driving control of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving alone may be limited in terms of the safety that can be ensured.

[0006] Therefore, in such a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, it is considered to turn on an autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that can be recognized from outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in autonomous driving (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

[0007] By turning on the autonomous driving display lamp when the vehicle capable of autonomous driving is in autonomous driving, the occupants of other vehicles on the road or lane where the vehicle capable of autonomous driving is traveling and / or pedestrians in the vicinity can recognize that the vehicle is in autonomous driving and can prepare corresponding actions and / or take prior countermeasures. Thus, it is considered that in the environment where a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is traveling, for improving safety, the control of the vehicle alone is limited, and the assistance of pedestrians and / or other vehicles is essential.

[0008] Prior Art Documents

[0009] Patent Documents

[0010] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018 - 032433

[0011] Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019 - 064471 Summary of the Invention

[0012] Technical Problem

[0013] However, for a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, when the autonomous driving display light is continuously lit during such autonomous driving, the power consumption of the autonomous driving display light becomes a problem. In order to suppress the power consumption of the autonomous driving display light, it is considered to turn off the autonomous driving display light when the vehicle in autonomous driving stops by the roadside, for example.

[0014] However, if the autonomous driving display light is turned off during parking in this way, the following problems will occur, for example.

[0015] For example, in autonomous driving where the autonomous driving display light is turned off and the vehicle is parked, if the vehicle suddenly starts urgently due to, for example, a passenger getting in the car, pedestrians and / or passengers of other vehicles around it will be startled because they think the stopped vehicle has suddenly started urgently. It is difficult for people around to appropriately respond to the actions of the vehicle that has started urgently. In particular, it is difficult for people around to make eye contact with the driver in the vehicle in autonomous driving and judge the traveling direction of the vehicle that is about to start through autonomous driving. If a driver or the like who wants to start the vehicle by himself / herself gets in the car, although the driver can convey the meaning of about to start now to the people in the starting direction by making eye contact with pedestrians who want to cross in front of the vehicle when confirming the surroundings before starting, there is a high possibility that there is no such passenger in a vehicle starting through autonomous driving.

[0016] Therefore, in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, it is desired to appropriately notify people around the vehicle of the intention to start when starting from a parked state while suppressing the power consumption of the autonomous driving display light.

[0017] Technical solution

[0018] The vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to the present invention has: an autonomous driving display light that can be lit in a manner that can be recognized from outside the vehicle during autonomous driving in a vehicle capable of traveling through autonomous driving; and a control unit that controls the lighting state of the autonomous driving display light. The autonomous driving display light has a right display light and a left display light that can independently control the lighting state on the left and right of the vehicle. When the vehicle starts from a parked state through autonomous driving, the control unit changes the lighting states of the right display light and the left display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, turned off during parking, in the same way on the left and right to indicate the starting direction to the front and back.

[0019] Preferably, a plurality of display lights constituting the autonomous driving display light can be provided along the outer peripheral surface of the vehicle.

[0020] Preferably, each display light constituting the autonomous driving display light can control the lighting for each of a plurality of lighting intervals divided in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] Preferably, the autonomous driving display lights can serve as the right display lights and the left display lights and include a right front display light, a right rear display light, a left front display light, and a left rear display light.

[0022] Preferably, when the vehicle starts moving forward from a parked state through autonomous driving, the control unit can cause the right front display light and the left front display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and cause the right rear display light and the left rear display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that becomes the same state as when the vehicle is in autonomous driving. When the vehicle starts moving backward from a parked state through autonomous driving, the control unit can cause the right rear display light and the left rear display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and cause the right front display light and the left front display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that becomes the same state as when the vehicle is in autonomous driving.

[0023] Preferably, when the vehicle starts moving forward from a parked state through autonomous driving, the control unit can cause the right front display light and the left front display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and cause the right rear display light and the left rear display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that changes from the center of the vehicle toward both sides. When the vehicle starts moving backward from a parked state through autonomous driving, the control unit can cause the right rear display light and the left rear display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and cause the right front display light and the left front display light, which are the autonomous driving display lights, to be lit in a manner that changes from the center of the vehicle toward both sides.

[0024] Preferably, if the vehicle that starts through autonomous driving enters the normal driving state based on autonomous driving, the control unit can switch all the display lights that make up the autonomous driving display lights from the lit state at startup to the lit state during autonomous driving.

[0025] Preferably, if the vehicle speed of the vehicle becomes equal to or higher than a threshold value, or the elapsed time after the vehicle starts becomes equal to or higher than a threshold value, or the vehicle enters a state of driving along a lane, or the turn signal provided on the vehicle is turned off, the control unit can determine that the vehicle that starts through autonomous driving has entered the normal driving state based on autonomous driving.

[0026] Preferably, the self-driving vehicle may have a memory that stores a plurality of lighting patterns in a plurality of starting directions, as the lighting patterns for controlling the lighting of the self-driving display lights when the vehicle starts through self-driving. When the vehicle starts self-driving, the control unit may select one of the lighting patterns from the memory based on the starting direction of the vehicle using self-driving. After controlling the lighting state of the self-driving display lights lit during self-driving using the selected lighting pattern, the control starts to control the vehicle to start from a parked state through self-driving.

[0027] Technical effects

[0028] In the present invention, the self-driving display lights have a right display light and a left display light that can independently control the lighting state on the left and right of the vehicle. For example, there are a right front display light, a right rear display light, a left front display light, and a left rear display light as the self-driving display lights. And when the vehicle starts from a parked state through self-driving, the control unit makes the lighting states of the right display light and the left display light, which are the self-driving display lights that are extinguished during parking, change in the same way on the left and right, thereby indicating the starting direction of the front and rear. For example, if each of the display lights at the four corners constituting these self-driving display lights can control the lighting of a plurality of lighting sections divided in the vehicle width direction, then in a set of display lights on the left and right at the front or rear of the vehicle, the lighting states of the plurality of lighting sections are made to flash in a manner of flowing lit or extinguished in the opposite direction to the center of the vehicle, or in each display light, the plurality of lighting sections are lit in a manner of sequentially lighting or extinguishing and making the display range change in length in the opposite direction to the center of the vehicle, so that for each of the front and rear groups, the lighting states of the plurality of display lights can change in the same way on the left and right to indicate the starting direction to the front and rear.

[0029] Thus, when a self-driving vehicle that is parked with the self-driving display lights extinguished wants to start, people around the vehicle can recognize that the right display light and the left display light, which are the self-driving display lights set on the left and right of the vehicle, change from the extinguished state during parking. People around the vehicle can confirm that a self-driving vehicle that is parked with the self-driving display lights extinguished wants to start through self-driving.

[0030] Moreover, in the present invention, the lighting states of the right display lamp and the left display lamp, which are the automatic driving display lamps lit during automatic driving, do not simply light up, but change in the same way on the left and right in a manner indicating the start direction forward and backward. By making the lighting states of the right display lamp and the left display lamp, which are the automatic driving display lamps, change in this way, people around the vehicle can grasp through observation in which direction, forward or backward, among the directions of the lighting change the vehicle capable of automatic driving intends to start.

[0031] As a result, when a vehicle capable of automatic driving that has turned off the automatic driving display lamp and is parked starts, people around the vehicle can grasp the start direction and can respond well to the start.

[0032] Thus, in the present invention, while suppressing the power consumption of the automatic driving display lamp, when starting from a parked state, not only can it start simply, but it can also appropriately notify people around the vehicle of the start direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram of an automobile capable of automatic driving according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 an explanatory diagram of the control system of the automobile.

[0035] Figure 3 It is Figure 1 an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the automatic driving display lamps in the automobile.

[0036] Figure 4 It is Figure 3 an explanatory diagram of the structure of the automatic driving display lamp.

[0037] Figure 5 It is Figure 2 an explanatory diagram of the lighting pattern table of the automatic driving display lamp stored in the memory.

[0038] Figure 6 It is Figure 2 a flowchart of the control of the automobile during automatic driving executed by the automatic driving / driving assistance ECU.

[0039] FIG. 7 is Figure 5 an explanatory diagram of an example of the lighting state of the automatic driving display lamp corresponding to the start direction based on the lighting pattern table.

[0040] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement, lighting state, and lighting pattern table of the automatic driving display lamp of an automobile capable of automatic driving according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Symbol Explanation

[0042] 1…Automobile (vehicle), 10…Autopilot display light, 11…Right front display light, 12…Right rear display light, 13…Left front display light, 14…Left rear display light, 18…Light-emitting unit, 24…Autopilot / Driving assistance ECU, 60…Memory, 61…Lighting pattern table, 71…Headlight, 72…Turn signal, 73…Brake light, 74…Reverse light Detailed Implementation Manner

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0044] [First Embodiment]

[0045] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram of an automobile 1 capable of autonomous driving according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In Figure 1 an automobile 1 that can switch between autonomous driving and manual driving and travel is shown.

[0047] In Figure 1 (A), the automobile 1 is parked near the roadside of the lane, for example, waiting for the occupant 5 to get in the car. In the lane, other automobiles 6 are traveling. In addition, there are pedestrians 7 moving on the roadside and pedestrians 7 crossing the lane around the automobile 1. For example, if the occupant 5 gets in the car, the automobile 1 capable of autonomous driving starts towards the lane and merges into the lane, and travels in the lane to the destination of the occupant 5 through autonomous driving.

[0048] In Figure 1 (B), the automobile 1 is parked in a parking space for parking, for example, beside the lane. Other automobiles 6 are parked in the parking lot. In the lane, other automobiles 6 are traveling. In addition, there are pedestrians 7 moving on the road around the automobile 1. For example, if the occupant 5 gets in the car, the automobile 1 capable of autonomous driving starts from the parking space towards the lane and travels in the lane to the destination of the occupant 5 through autonomous driving.

[0049] Considering such an automobile 1 capable of autonomous driving, by performing appropriate selection of the driving route, confirmation of the safety of the forward route, and avoidance control of dangers, it is intended to travel to the destination without accidents or the like.

[0050] However, even if such control for safe driving can be executed, 100% safety may not necessarily be guaranteed. Just relying on the driving control of the vehicle 1 capable of autonomous driving may be limited in terms of the safety that can be ensured.

[0051] Therefore, in such a vehicle 1 capable of autonomous driving, it is considered to turn on an autonomous driving display lamp 10 in a manner that can be recognized from outside the vehicle when the vehicle is in autonomous driving.

[0052] By turning on the autonomous driving display lamp 10 when the vehicle 1 capable of autonomous driving is in autonomous driving, people around the vehicle 1 in autonomous driving can understand that the vehicle 1 is traveling through autonomous driving. People around can respond to the actions of the vehicle 1 traveling through autonomous driving.

[0053] However, if the autonomous driving display lamp 10 is continuously turned on during autonomous driving, the power available in the vehicle 1 capable of autonomous driving is continuously consumed due to the lighting of the autonomous driving display lamp 10. Therefore, it is considered to turn off the autonomous driving display lamp 10 when, for example, the vehicle 1 in autonomous driving stops at the roadside or the like. However, if the autonomous driving display lamp 10 is turned off during the parking process in this way, the following problems will occur, for example.

[0054] For example, in the autonomous driving where the autonomous driving display lamp 10 is turned off and the vehicle is parked, if the vehicle 1 suddenly starts urgently due to, for example, the boarding of the occupant 5, pedestrians 7 and / or occupants of other vehicles 6 around it will be startled because they think the vehicle 1 that was originally stopped has suddenly started urgently. It is difficult for people around to appropriately respond to the actions of the vehicle 1 that has started urgently. In particular, it is difficult for people around to make eye contact with the driver or the like in the vehicle 1 in autonomous driving to judge the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 that wants to start through autonomous driving. If the driver or the like who wants to start the vehicle 1 by themselves boards the vehicle, although the driver can convey the meaning of starting soon to the people in the starting direction by, for example, making eye contact with the pedestrian 7 who will walk in front of the vehicle 1 during the peripheral confirmation before starting, it is very likely that there is no such occupant 5 in the vehicle 1 that starts through autonomous driving.

[0055] Thus, in the vehicle 1 capable of autonomous driving, it is desired to notify moving objects such as people around the vehicle 1 of the situation of starting from the parked state when starting from the parked state.

[0056] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the control system 20 of the vehicle 1. In Figure 2In this case, the multiple control devices that make up the control system 20 of the vehicle 1 are represented by separately installed control ECUs (Electronic Control Units). In addition to the control ECUs, the control devices may also have, for example, a storage component that stores control programs and data, an input / output port connected to the controlled object or its state detection device, a timer that measures time and / or the moment, and an internal bus that connects these components.

[0057] Specifically, Figure 2 The control ECUs shown are, for example, a drive ECU 21, a steering ECU 22, a brake ECU 23, an autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24, a driving operation ECU 25, a detection ECU 26, an external communication ECU 27, a UI operation ECU 28, a lamp ECU 29, and an alarm ECU 30. The control system 20 of the vehicle 1 may include other control ECUs not shown.

[0058] The multiple control ECUs are connected to a vehicle network 36 such as, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) and / or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) used in the vehicle 1. The vehicle network 36 may consist of multiple bus cables 37 capable of connecting multiple control ECUs and a central gateway (CGW) 38 as a relay device that connects the multiple bus cables 37. Different IDs are assigned to the multiple control ECUs as identification information. The control ECUs basically periodically output notification data to other control ECUs. The ID of the control ECU that is the output source and the ID of the control ECU that is the output destination are attached to the notification data. Other control ECUs monitor the bus cable 37 and, when the ID of the output destination is, for example, their own ID, acquire the notification data and execute processing based on the notification data. The central gateway 38 monitors each of the multiple connected bus cables 37 and, if it detects a control ECU connected to the bus cable 37 that is different from the control ECU that is the output source, outputs notification data to that bus cable 37. Through the relay processing of such a central gateway 38, the multiple control ECUs can input and output notification data between themselves and other control ECUs connected to a bus cable 37 different from the bus cable 37 to which each of the multiple control ECUs is connected.

[0059] The external communication ECU 27 wirelessly communicates with, for example, a communication base station 101 existing outside the vehicle 1 and a communication device of another vehicle 6. The communication base station 101 can be, for example, a base station of an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) communication network or a base station of a carrier communication network. The base station of the carrier communication network can communicate not only with the communication device of another vehicle 6 but also with the mobile device 102 held by the occupant 5. The external communication ECU 27 can be provided in the vehicle 1 by being divided into multiple types according to the type of the directly communicating object. Further, the communication base station 101, the communication device of another vehicle 6, and the mobile device 102 together with the server device 103 constitute a traffic system 100. The external communication ECU 27 wirelessly communicates directly with the communication base station 101 or the communication device of another vehicle 6, thereby transmitting and receiving communication data between it and the server device 103, another vehicle 6, or the mobile device 102.

[0060] In the UI operation ECU 28, as a user interface device with the occupant 5, for example, a display device 31 and an operation device 32 are connected. The display device 31 can be, for example, a liquid crystal device or an image projection device. The operation device 32 can be, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, and a non-contact operation detection device. The display device 31 and the operation device 32 can be arranged on, for example, the inner surface of the compartment in which the occupant 5 is seated. The UI operation ECU 28 acquires notification data from the vehicle network 36 and displays it on the display device 31. The UI operation ECU 28 outputs an operation input to the operation device 32 to the vehicle network 36. Further, the UI operation ECU 28 can execute processing based on the operation input and include the processing result in the notification data. For example, the UI operation ECU 28 can display a navigation screen for setting a destination or the like on the display device 31, search for a route to the destination selected by the operation input, and include the route data in the notification data. In the route data, attribute information such as, for example, lanes of the road used in the movement from the current position to the destination can be included.

[0061] In the driving operation ECU 25, as operation components for the occupant 5 to control the running of the vehicle 1, for example, a steering wheel 41, a brake pedal 42, an accelerator pedal 43, a shift lever 44, etc. are connected. When an operation component is operated, the driving operation ECU 25 outputs notification data including the presence or absence of the operation, the operation amount, etc. to the vehicle network 36. Further, the driving operation ECU 25 can execute processing for the operation of the operation component and include the processing result in the notification data. For example, when the accelerator pedal 43 is operated in a situation where there is another moving body and / or solid object in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the driving operation ECU 25 can determine the abnormal operation and include the determination result in the notification data.

[0062] In the detection ECU 26, which is a detection component for detecting the driving state of the vehicle 1, there are connected, for example, a speed sensor 51 for detecting the speed of the vehicle 1, an acceleration sensor 52 for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle 1, a surrounding camera 53 such as a stereo camera or a 360-degree camera for photographing the surroundings outside the vehicle 1, and a GPS receiver 54 for detecting the position of the vehicle 1. The detection ECU 26 acquires detection information from the detection components and outputs notification data including the detection information to the vehicle network 36. In addition, the detection ECU 26 can execute processing based on the detection information and include the processing result in the notification data. For example, when the acceleration sensor 52 detects an acceleration exceeding the collision detection threshold, the detection ECU 26 determines collision detection and includes the collision detection result in the notification data. The detection ECU 26 can extract moving objects such as pedestrians 7 and / or other vehicles 6 existing around the host vehicle from the images of the surrounding camera 53, determine the type and / or attributes of the moving objects, and estimate the relative direction, relative distance, and moving direction of the moving objects based on the position and / or size and / or change of the moving objects in the images. The information of the moving objects including these estimation results is included in the notification data and output to the vehicle network 36.

[0063] A memory 60 is connected to the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24. The memory 60 stores programs, set values, and the like. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 reads a program from the memory 60 and executes it. Thus, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can function as a control unit.

[0064] For example, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 acquires notification data from the vehicle network 36 and switches the driving of the vehicle 1 between autonomous driving and manual driving.

[0065] In addition, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 acquires notification data from the vehicle network 36, executes control for autonomous driving or driving assistance of the vehicle 1, generates driving control data, and outputs it to the drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the brake ECU 23. The drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the brake ECU 23 control the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the input driving control data.

[0066] When the vehicle 1 is in autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 functions as a driving control unit, acquires notification data from the vehicle network 36, and explores or acquires a route to the destination.

[0067] The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 obtains notification data from the vehicle network 36, determines whether there is an abnormality or danger in the vehicle 1. When there is no abnormality or danger in the vehicle 1, it generates driving control data for the forward route of moving along the route and outputs it as notification data. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the position information of the own vehicle such as the GPS receiver 54 in such a manner that it moves along its moving route until it reaches the destination until it stops at a parking lot or the like at the destination. When there is an abnormality or danger to the vehicle 1, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 generates driving control data in a manner to avoid the abnormality or danger and outputs it as notification data.

[0068] When assisting in the driving of the vehicle 1, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 obtains notification data of the operation input from the UI operation ECU 28 through the vehicle network 36, generates driving control data after the operation based on the operation input, and outputs it as notification data. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 according to the driving operation of the occupant 5. When there is an abnormality or danger to the vehicle 1, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 generates driving control data in a manner to avoid the abnormality or danger and outputs it as notification data.

[0069] The lamp ECU 29 is connected to a headlamp 71 provided at the front of the vehicle 1, a turn signal lamp 72 as a direction indicator provided on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle 1, a brake lamp 73 provided at the rear of the vehicle 1, a reverse lamp 74 as a reverse lamp provided at the rear of the vehicle 1, and an autonomous driving display lamp 10. The headlamp 71, the turn signal lamp 72, the brake lamp 73, and the reverse lamp 74 are other lamps provided on the vehicle 1 separately from the autonomous driving display lamp 10.

[0070] The lamp ECU 29 obtains notification data for controlling the lamps from the vehicle network 36 and controls the lighting states of the headlamp 71, the turn signal lamp 72, the brake lamp 73, the reverse lamp 74, and the autonomous driving display lamp 10 according to it. The lamp ECU 29 lights the autonomous driving display lamp 10 in a manner to be recognized from the outside of the vehicle 1 during autonomous driving based on an instruction from the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 when, for example, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 is controlling the driving of the vehicle 1 through autonomous driving. Thus, for example, people around the vehicle 1 can grasp that the vehicle 1 is in autonomous driving by recognizing the lit autonomous driving display lamp 10. In addition, it can respond to the driving of the vehicle 1 during autonomous driving.

[0071] An external speaker 81 is connected to the alarm ECU 30. The alarm ECU 30 obtains notification data for alarm output from the vehicle network 36 and outputs an alarm sound using the external speaker 81 according to the notification data.

[0072] Figure 3 is Figure 1 Explanatory drawing of the configuration of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 in the vehicle 1

[0073] Figure 3 (A) of Figure 1 Top view of the vehicle 1 Figure 3 (B) of Figure 3 is the left view of the vehicle 1 Figure 3 (C) of

[0074] In Figure 3 the vehicle 1, as the autonomous driving display lamp 10, there are a right front display lamp 11, a right rear display lamp 12, a left front display lamp 13, and a left rear display lamp 14. The right front display lamp 11 and the right rear display lamp 12 are right display lamps arranged on the right side closer to the center of the vehicle 1. The left front display lamp 13 and the left rear display lamp 14 are left display lamps arranged on the left side closer to the center of the vehicle 1. The right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 that constitute the autonomous driving display lamp 10 only need to be able to be lit in the same color, for example, turquoise blue

[0075] The right front display lamp 11 is arranged at the right front corner of the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the vehicle 1. The left front display lamp 13 is arranged at the left front corner of the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the vehicle 1. The right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13 are adjacent to each other at the center of the front surface of the vehicle 1. The headlamp 71 and the turn signal lamp 72 are arranged adjacent to the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13

[0076] The right rear display lamp 12 is arranged at the right rear corner of the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the vehicle 1. The left rear display lamp 14 is arranged at the left rear corner of the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the vehicle 1. The right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14 are adjacent to each other at the center of the rear surface of the vehicle 1. The reverse lamp 74, the brake lamp 73, and the turn signal lamp 72 are arranged adjacent to the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14

[0077] Thus, the multiple display lamps 11 to 14 that constitute the autonomous driving display lamp 10 are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the vehicle 1. In the vehicle 1 that can travel through autonomous driving, the autonomous driving display lamp 10 is arranged in such a way that it can be recognized from the outside of the vehicle 1 almost entirely around

[0078] Moreover, the right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 can independently control the lighting state in the front, rear, left, and right directions of the vehicle 1

[0079] It should be noted that the right front display lamp 11 and the right rear display lamp 12 can be adjacent to each other at the center of the right side surface of the vehicle 1. The left front display lamp 13 and the left rear display lamp 14 can be adjacent to each other at the center of the left side surface of the vehicle 1.

[0080] Figure 4 is Figure 3 an explanatory diagram of the structure of the autonomous driving display lamp 10.

[0081] In Figure 4 the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13 are illustrated. It should be noted that the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14 also have the same structure.

[0082] The right front display lamp 11 has a structure in which a plurality of light-emitting units 18 are arranged along the extending direction on the front surface of the vehicle 1. The plurality of light-emitting units 18 of the right front display lamp 11 are arranged in a row from the right front corner to the center of the vehicle 1 and are juxtaposed in the vehicle width direction which is the left-right direction of the vehicle 1.

[0083] The left front display lamp 13 has a structure in which a plurality of light-emitting units 18 are arranged along the extending direction on the front surface of the vehicle 1. The plurality of light-emitting units 18 of the left front display lamp 13 are arranged in a row from the left front corner to the center of the vehicle 1 and are juxtaposed in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1.

[0084] The light-emitting unit 18 has a light-emitting element 19 such as an LED. In addition, for example, the light-emitting unit 18 may also have a light guide path for guiding light from a common light source.

[0085] Thus, the right front display lamp 11, the left front display lamp 13, the right rear display lamp 12, and the left rear display lamp 14 formed by juxtaposing a plurality of light-emitting units 18 in the vehicle width direction can independently control the lighting of each light-emitting unit 18. Lighting control can be performed for each lighting section determined by the width of the light-emitting unit 18. For example, it is possible to light or extinguish the light-emitting units 18 from the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 to the central light-emitting unit 18 in sequence, or it is possible to light or extinguish the light-emitting units 18 from the left and right sides to the central light-emitting unit 18 in sequence. Thus, the display lamps 11 to 14 can blink in a flowing manner of lighting or extinguishing, or can be lit in a manner in which the display range changes in length in the vehicle width direction.

[0086] In addition, for example, each display lamp may include a light source extending along each display lamp and a plurality of movable switches for each lighting section. In this case, it is also possible to control the opening and closing of the plurality of switches for each lighting section.

[0087] Figure 5 is Figure 2 an explanatory diagram of the lighting pattern table 61 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 stored in the memory 60.

[0088] The lighting states of the right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 are each controlled according to the lighting pattern table 61.

[0089] Figure 5 The lighting pattern table 61 has data of a plurality of lighting patterns for each row. The data of each lighting pattern is selected according to the driving state when the vehicle 1 travels through autonomous driving, and is used for the lighting control of the autonomous driving display lamp 10.

[0090] Figure 5 The data of the lighting pattern of the first row is used when the vehicle 1 starts forward through autonomous driving. When the vehicle 1 starts forward through autonomous driving, the left front display lamp 13 is controlled to a right flashing lighting state in which the light emitting units 18 are sequentially lit from the leftmost light emitting unit 18 to the rightmost light emitting unit 18. The right front display lamp 11 is controlled to a left flashing lighting state in which the light emitting units 18 are sequentially lit from the rightmost light emitting unit 18 to the leftmost light emitting unit 18. The left rear display lamp 14 is controlled to an all-on lighting state in which all the light emitting units 18 are continuously lit. The right rear display lamp 12 is controlled to an all-on lighting state in which all the light emitting units 18 are continuously lit.

[0091] Figure 5 The data of the lighting pattern of the second row is used when the vehicle 1 starts backward through autonomous driving. When the vehicle 1 starts backward through autonomous driving, the left front display lamp 13 is controlled to an all-on lighting state in which all the light emitting units 18 are continuously lit. The right front display lamp 11 is controlled to an all-on lighting state in which all the light emitting units 18 are continuously lit. The left rear display lamp 14 is controlled to a right flashing lighting state in which the light emitting units 18 are sequentially lit from the leftmost light emitting unit 18 to the rightmost light emitting unit 18. The right rear display lamp 12 is controlled to a left flashing lighting state in which the light emitting units 18 are sequentially lit from the rightmost light emitting unit 18 to the leftmost light emitting unit 18.

[0092] Thus, Figure 5 The lighting pattern table 61 has a plurality of lighting patterns for a plurality of starting directions. There are two lighting patterns for the front and rear. These plurality of lighting patterns for each starting direction are selected and used in the automatic start mode when the parked vehicle 1 starts. The two lighting patterns for the front and rear are in a mode in which the lighting states of the plurality of display lamps 11 to 14 that are extinguished during parking as the autonomous driving display lamp 10 change in the same way on the left and right to indicate the starting directions to the front and rear when the vehicle 1 starts from the parked state through autonomous driving.

[0093] In addition, Figure 5The data of the lighting pattern in the third row is used in the automatic route driving mode in which the vehicle 1 has finished starting and is driving along the route. When the vehicle 1 is driving along the route, the right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 are all controlled to continuously light all the light emitting units 18 in a continuously lit state.

[0094] Figure 6 is Figure 2 The flowchart of the control of the vehicle 1 in autonomous driving executed by the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24.

[0095] The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 repeatedly executes Figure 6 the process.

[0096] The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24, through Figure 6 the process, controls the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 while controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle 1 capable of autonomous driving.

[0097] In step ST1, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 obtains information for control from the control ECUs of each part of the vehicle 1 shown in Figure 2 through the vehicle network 36.

[0098] In step ST2, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines whether to start the autonomous driving of vehicle 1. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines, for example, whether vehicle 1 is set to travel under autonomous driving. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines that vehicle 1 is set to travel based on autonomous driving, for example, when it obtains the setting data of autonomous driving set by the user from the UI operation ECU 28. In addition, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can determine whether vehicle 1 can start through autonomous driving or whether it is in a started state. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can determine that the occupant 5 has boarded vehicle 1 based on the detection of the buckling of the seat belt (not shown), the in-vehicle camera, and the door opening / closing sensor. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can determine that vehicle 1 is in a started state when it obtains the destination and / or route of autonomous driving through the UI operation ECU 28. In addition, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can determine that vehicle 1 is in a started state based on the operation of the start button (not shown) of the UI operation ECU 28. In addition to this, for example, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can determine whether vehicle 1 is in a state where it can travel through autonomous driving based on the remaining power of the driving battery (not shown), etc. Through these determinations, when vehicle 1 is required to start traveling under autonomous driving and can travel under autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines to start the autonomous driving of vehicle 1 and advances the process to step ST3. In the case where a certain determination result is not suitable for starting autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 repeats this determination process until all the determination results are suitable for starting autonomous driving.

[0099] In step ST3, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines whether vehicle 1 is parked. When vehicle 1 has already started traveling through autonomous driving at the processing time of step ST3, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines that vehicle 1 is not parked and advances the process to step ST13. When vehicle 1 is parked without starting to travel through autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines that vehicle 1 is parked and advances the process to step ST4.

[0100] In step ST4, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 starts the control of autonomous driving based on the automatic start mode.

[0101] In step ST5, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 generates a forward route for merging onto the route traveled by autonomous driving. For example, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 obtains the current position from the GPS receiver 54. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 obtains information on the route traveled by autonomous driving from the UI operation ECU 28 or the external communication ECU 27. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 generates a route merging forward route for merging from the current position onto the route, for example, a route merging forward route for traveling from the current position to the starting point of the route. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can give an instruction in such a way that the UI operation ECU 28 or the external communication ECU 27 performs these processes. If the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 generates a route merging forward route, the starting direction for starting along this forward route is determined.

[0102] In step ST6, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 uses the starting forward route of autonomous driving determined in step ST5 to select one lighting pattern from the lighting pattern table 61 stored in the memory 60. Figure 5 For example, when the vehicle 1 in a parked state starts forward by autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 selects the lighting pattern of the first row of Figure 5 . When the vehicle 1 in a parked state starts backward by autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 selects the lighting pattern of the second row of Figure 5 . These lighting patterns of the first row and the second row are lighting patterns with lighting states different from the lighting pattern during autonomous driving of the third row. When the vehicle 1 starts to travel by autonomous driving, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 selects one lighting pattern from the memory 60 based on the starting direction of autonomous driving.

[0103] In step ST7, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 outputs an instruction to light the selected lighting pattern to the lamp ECU 29 via the vehicle network 36. Thereby, the lamp ECU 29 controls the lighting states of the right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14, which are the autonomous driving display lamps 10, according to the lighting pattern table 61. The right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 start to light using the selected lighting pattern.

[0104] In step ST8, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 performs start preparation processing for vehicle 1. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 starts control ECUs for the running of vehicle 1, such as the drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the brake ECU 23, and starts supplying power to respective parts for the running of vehicle 1 controlled by the drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the brake ECU 23, such as supplying power to a drive motor (not shown) and a transmission. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 switches the settings of respective parts of vehicle 1, for example, switches the setting of the transmission gear to a setting for starting to run by autonomous driving. Thereby, vehicle 1 becomes a state capable of starting to run by autonomous driving.

[0105] In step ST9, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 acquires information on the surroundings of vehicle 1 while parked. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 acquires, for example, an image of the surroundings of vehicle 1 while parked taken by the surrounding camera 53 and / or information on moving objects in the surroundings recognized based on the image. Among the moving objects in the surroundings, there are people walking near vehicle 1 and other vehicles 6 running on the lane near vehicle 1.

[0106] In step ST10, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines whether vehicle 1 is in a state capable of starting by autonomous driving control. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines that vehicle 1 is in a state capable of starting, for example, when it can be anticipated that the start preparation processing of vehicle 1 in step ST8 is completed and the forward route of vehicle 1 merging along the route around vehicle 1 will not overlap with the forward routes of surrounding moving objects, and makes the process proceed to step ST11. When vehicle 1 is not in a state capable of starting, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 makes the process return to step ST8. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 repeats the processing from step ST8 to step ST10 until it can be determined that vehicle 1 is in a state capable of starting. During this period, the right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 continue to be lit by the selected lighting pattern.

[0107] In step ST11, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 starts control to start vehicle 1 from the parked state by autonomous driving. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 performs driving control based on autonomous driving in such a manner that the parked vehicle 1 runs along the route merging forward route. Thereby, after lighting the autonomous driving display lamp 10, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 starts vehicle 1 from the parked state by autonomous driving.

[0108] In addition, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 outputs an instruction to switch the lighting state of other lights except for the autonomous driving display lamp 10 according to the control content during the start-up of the vehicle 1. For example, when braking and decelerating, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 outputs an instruction to turn on the brake lamp 73 to the lamp ECU 29. Thereby, the brake lamp 73 is turned on during braking. In addition, when reversing, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 outputs an instruction to turn on the reverse lamp 74 to the lamp ECU 29. Thereby, the reverse lamp 74 is turned on during reversing. In addition, when steering, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 outputs an instruction to turn on the turn signal lamp 72 to the lamp ECU 29. Thereby, the turn signal lamp 72 on the steering side is turned on during steering. Thus, after starting to turn on the autonomous driving display lamp 10, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 controls the lighting of other lights except for the autonomous driving display lamp 10. Before the lighting of other lights, almost only the autonomous driving display lamp 10 is lit.

[0109] In step ST12, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines whether to end the autonomous driving in the automatic start mode. Considering that the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24, for example, when the driving control on the route merging forward route ends, when the vehicle speed detected by the speed sensor 51 exceeds the threshold, when the elapsed time after the vehicle 1 starts is above the threshold, when the vehicle 1 starts driving along the lane of the route, and when the turn signal lamp 72 that was lit at startup is extinguished, the vehicle 1 can perform normal driving based on autonomous driving. In these cases, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines that the autonomous driving in the automatic start mode has ended and makes the process enter step ST13. When it is not determined that the autonomous driving in the automatic start mode has ended, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 returns the process to step ST9. In this case, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 repeatedly executes the driving control under the autonomous driving on the route merging forward route from step ST9 to step ST12 until it is determined that the autonomous driving in the automatic start mode has ended.

[0110] In step ST13, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 starts the control of the autonomous driving based on the automatic route driving mode. The driving mode of the vehicle 1 that has already started is switched from the automatic start mode to the automatic route driving mode.

[0111] In step ST14, the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 selects the lighting pattern in the automatic route driving mode from the lighting pattern table 61 stored in the memory 60 and instructs the lamp ECU 29 to start lighting this lighting pattern. The autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 selects Figure 5The automatic driving lighting pattern of the third row. In this case, the lamp ECU 29 switches all the lighting states of the plurality of display lamps 11 to 14. The right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 are all continuously lit. All the display lamps 11 to 14 constituting the automatic driving display lamp 10 are switched from the lighting state at startup to the original lighting state during driving based on automatic driving.

[0112] In step ST15, the automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 performs automatic driving control based on the route to the destination. The automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 can repeat, for example, determining the next forward route that is a short distance from the current position based on the route, and thus control the driving on this forward route.

[0113] In step ST16, the automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines whether to end the automatic driving. The automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 determines that the automatic driving is ended, for example, when reaching the destination which is the terminal of the route, when the vehicle 1 has stopped at or near the destination for a certain period of time, or when the vehicle 1 has stopped at or near the destination and the occupants have gotten out of the vehicle, and makes the process enter step ST17. In other cases, the automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 returns the process to step ST15. Thus, the vehicle 1 travels along the lane of the route and moves until it reaches the destination and stops.

[0114] In step ST17, the automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 causes the vehicle 1 that has stopped at or near the destination to perform the final parking control. The automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 causes the vehicle 1 to move to, for example, an empty parking space for parking by automatic driving and stop. The automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 stops supplying power to the control ECUs such as the drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the brake ECU 23 for the driving of the vehicle 1, and stops supplying power to each part for the driving of the vehicle 1. Thus, the vehicle 1 is in a completely stopped state where it cannot immediately start driving by automatic driving.

[0115] In step ST18, the automatic driving / driving assistance ECU 24 instructs the lamp ECU 29 to turn off. The lamp ECU 29 turns off all the plurality of display lamps 11 to 14.

[0116] The right front display lamp 11, the right rear display lamp 12, the left front display lamp 13, and the left rear display lamp 14 are all turned off.

[0117] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the lighting state of the automatic driving display lamp 10 corresponding to the startup direction based on Figure 5 the lighting pattern table 61.

[0118] Figure 7Ais based on Figure 5 the lighting state of the automatic driving display lamp 10 when starting forward, which is based on the lighting pattern of the first line

[0119] In this case, the lighting states of the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13 of the automatic driving display lamp 10 light up in a way that changes from both sides of the vehicle 1 towards the center. When the vehicle 1 starts from a parked state through automatic driving, the lighting states of the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13 of the automatic driving display lamp 10 that are extinguished during parking flash and change in the same way on the left and right in a manner that the lighting interval flows from both the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 towards the center, thereby indicating the starting direction towards the front side. Thus, the solid pedestrian 7 located in front of the vehicle 1 can not only intuitively grasp that the vehicle 1 wants to start through automatic driving based on the lighting states of the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13, but also intuitively grasp that the vehicle 1 wants to start in the direction towards himself / herself

[0120] In addition, the lighting states of the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14 of the automatic driving display lamp 10 remain lit continuously, just as when the vehicle 1 is in a state of traveling based on automatic driving

[0121] Thus, the dashed pedestrian 7 located behind the vehicle 1 can intuitively grasp that the vehicle 1 wants to start through automatic driving based on the continuous lighting states of the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14 of the automatic driving display lamp 10 at the rear of the vehicle 1. In addition, the dashed pedestrian 7 located behind the vehicle 1 can also grasp that the vehicle 1 wants to start through automatic driving in the direction opposite to himself / herself when having the knowledge that the automatic driving display lamp 10 of the vehicle 1 that wants to start through automatic driving remains lit on the side opposite to the starting direction

[0122] Figure 7B is based on Figure 5 the lighting state of the automatic driving display lamp 10 when starting backward, which is based on the lighting pattern of the second line

[0123] In this case, the lighting states of the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14 of the automatic driving display lamp 10 light up in a way that changes from both sides of the vehicle 1 towards the center. When the vehicle 1 starts from a parked state through automatic driving, the lighting states of the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14 of the automatic driving display lamp 10 that are extinguished during parking flash and change in the same way on the left and right in a manner that the lighting interval flows from both the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 towards the center, to indicate the starting direction towards the rear side. Thus, the solid pedestrian 7 located behind the vehicle 1 can not only intuitively grasp that the vehicle 1 wants to start through automatic driving based on the lighting states of the right rear display lamp 12 and the left rear display lamp 14, but also intuitively grasp that the vehicle 1 wants to start in the direction towards himself / herself

[0124] In addition, the lighting states of the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 are continuously lit in the same manner as when the vehicle 1 is traveling based on autonomous driving.

[0125] Accordingly, the pedestrian 7 on the dotted line in front of the vehicle 1 can intuitively understand that the vehicle 1 intends to start via autonomous driving based on the continuous lighting states of the right front display lamp 11 and the left front display lamp 13 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 at the front of the vehicle 1. In addition, when the pedestrian 7 on the dotted line in front of the vehicle 1 has the knowledge that the vehicle 1 intending to start via autonomous driving continuously lights the autonomous driving display lamp 10 on the side opposite to the starting direction, the pedestrian 7 can also understand that the vehicle 1 intends to start in the direction opposite to himself / herself via autonomous driving.

[0126] Accordingly, when the vehicle 1 that is parked starts via autonomous driving with the autonomous driving display lamp 10 turned off, by setting the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 to a state different from the normal lighting state and starting the lighting, people around, such as the pedestrian 7 and / or the occupants of other vehicles 6, can understand that the parked vehicle 1 intends to start via autonomous driving. In addition, it is possible to respond to this start.

[0127] In addition, by lighting the autonomous driving display lamp 10 in a lighting pattern corresponding to the starting direction of the parked vehicle 1 to indicate its starting direction, people around who recognize this lighting can understand the starting direction in the autonomous driving in which the parked vehicle 1 intends to start via autonomous driving. In addition, it is possible to respond to this start.

[0128] As described above, in the present embodiment, as the autonomous driving display lamp 10, there are provided a right front display lamp 11, a right rear display lamp 12, a left front display lamp 13, and a left rear display lamp 14 that can independently control the lighting state on the left and right of the vehicle 1. The right front display lamp 11 and the right rear display lamp 12 are right display lamps. The left front display lamp 13 and the left rear display lamp 14 are left display lamps.

[0129] Also, when the vehicle 1 starts from a stopped state by autonomous driving by the autonomous driving / driving assistance ECU 24 as the control unit, the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 that is extinguished during parking changes in the same way on the left and right to indicate the start direction forward and backward. Thus, the autonomous driving display lamp 10 can display the start direction forward and backward. For example, as in this embodiment, if the display lamps 11 to 14 at the four corners constituting the autonomous driving display lamp 10 can perform lighting control for each of a plurality of lighting sections divided in the vehicle width direction, then in a set of display lamps on the left and right before or after the vehicle 1, by making the lighting states of the plurality of lighting sections flash in a manner of flowing on and off in the direction opposite to the center of the vehicle 1, or in each display lamp, by making the plurality of lighting sections light up or go out in sequence so that the display range changes in length in the direction opposite to the center of the vehicle 1, the lighting states of the plurality of display lamps 11 to 14 are changed in the same way on the left and right for the front and rear groups to indicate the start direction forward and backward.

[0130] Thus, when the drivable vehicle 1 that is parked with the autonomous driving display lamp 10 extinguished wants to start, a person around the vehicle 1 can recognize that the right display lamp and the left display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp 10 provided on the left and right of the vehicle 1 change from the extinguished state during parking. A person around the vehicle 1 can confirm that the drivable vehicle 1 that is parked with the autonomous driving display lamp 10 extinguished wants to start by autonomous driving.

[0131] Moreover, in this embodiment, the lighting states of the right display lamp and the left display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp 10 that are lit during autonomous driving do not simply light up, but change in the same way on the left and right to indicate the start direction forward and backward. By making the lighting states of the right display lamp and the left display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp 10 change in this way, a person around the vehicle 1 can grasp by observation in which direction, forward or backward, the drivable vehicle 1 wants to start in the direction of the lighting change.

[0132] As a result, when the drivable vehicle 1 that is parked with the autonomous driving display lamp 10 extinguished starts, a person around the vehicle 1 can grasp the start direction and can respond well to the start.

[0133] Moreover, in the present embodiment, the lighting state of lights other than the autonomous driving display lamp 10, such as the turn signal lamp 72, is not changed, but the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 itself that is lit during autonomous driving is changed. Thereby, in the vehicle 1 started by autonomous driving, it is possible to suppress a situation where, for example, the autonomous driving display lamp 10 and other adjacent lamps are simultaneously controlled to be lit, which may cause the colors of these multiple lamps to be mixed together. It is possible to prevent a situation where it is difficult to identify the emission color of the autonomous driving display lamp 10. For example, when the multiple display lamps 11 to 14 constituting the autonomous driving display lamp 10 are provided along the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the vehicle 1, the brake lamp 73, the turn signal lamp 72, the reverse lamp 74, and the headlamp 71 may be arranged near the autonomous driving display lamp 10. If the autonomous driving display lamp 10 and the brake lamp 73 are lit simultaneously, these colors are mixed together and are not easily distinguishable. It should be noted that it is considered that when other lamps are lit after the autonomous driving display lamp 10 starts to be lit, the emission color of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 can be temporarily recognized, so that it is possible to suppress the emission color of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 from being difficult to identify.

[0134] [Second Embodiment]

[0135] Next, the autonomous driving vehicle 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the differences from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described. The constituent elements that are the same as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0136] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement, lighting state, and lighting pattern table 61 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0137] As Figure 8 shown in (A) of, the right front display lamp 11 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 extends rearward from the right front corner of the vehicle 1. The right front display lamp 11 extends from the front surface of the vehicle 1 to the right side surface. And a plurality of light emitting units 18 are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction on the right side surface of the vehicle 1.

[0138] The left front display lamp 13 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 extends rearward from the left front corner of the vehicle 1. The left front display lamp 13 extends from the front surface of the vehicle 1 to the left side surface. And a plurality of light emitting units 18 are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction on the left side surface of the vehicle 1.

[0139] The right rear display lamp 12 of the autonomous driving display lamp 10 extends forward from the right rear corner of the vehicle 1. The right rear display lamp 12 extends from the rear surface of the vehicle 1 to the right side surface. And a plurality of light emitting units 18 are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction on the right side surface of the vehicle 1.

[0140] The left rear display light 14 of the autonomous driving display light 10 extends forward from the left rear corner of the vehicle 1. The left rear display light 14 extends from the rear surface of the vehicle 1 to the left side surface. And a plurality of light emitting units 18 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the left side surface of the vehicle 1.

[0141] Accordingly, the right front display light 11, the left front display light 13, the right rear display light 12, and the left rear display light 14 are arranged to detour from the front surface or the rear surface of the vehicle 1 to the left and right side surfaces. The right front display light 11 and the right rear display light 12 can be recognized from the right side of the vehicle 1. The left front display light 13 and the left rear display light 14 can be recognized from the left side of the vehicle 1.

[0142] Figure 8 (B) is a diagram for explaining the lighting pattern table 61 of the autonomous driving display light 10 stored in Figure 2 the memory 60.

[0143] The lighting states of the right front display light 11, the right rear display light 12, the left front display light 13, and the left rear display light 14 are controlled according to the lighting pattern table 61.

[0144] Figure 8 The data of the lighting pattern in the first row of (B) is used when the vehicle 1 starts forward by autonomous driving. The lighting state of the left rear display light 14 and the lighting state of the right rear display light 12 are Figure 5 different. The left rear display light 14 is controlled to a lighting state of flashing left. The right rear display light 12 is controlled to a lighting state of flashing right. Since the left rear display light 14 and the right rear display light 12 are arranged in a way that detours from the rear surface of the vehicle 1 to the left and right side surfaces, in these lighting states, they can be recognized in a way of being lit sequentially forward. As Figure 8 shown in (A), the left rear display light 14 and the right rear display light 12 become a lighting state that changes from the center of the vehicle 1 to the side surfaces, and become a lighting state of flashing forward.

[0145] Figure 8 The data of the lighting pattern in the second row of (B) is used when the vehicle 1 starts backward by autonomous driving. The lighting state of the left front display light 13 and the lighting state of the right front display light 11 are Figure 5 different. The left front display light 13 is controlled to a lighting state of flashing left. The right front display light 11 is controlled to a lighting state of flashing right. Since the left front display light 13 and the right front display light 11 are arranged in a way that detours from the front surface of the vehicle 1 to the left and right side surfaces, in these lighting states, they can be recognized in a way of being lit sequentially backward. The left front display light 13 and the right front display light 11 become a lighting state that changes from the center of the vehicle 1 to the side surfaces, and become a lighting state of flashing backward.

[0146] By controlling the lighting state as such, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be achieved. Moreover, as shown in (A) of Figure 8 , a person located behind and / or around the left and right sides of the vehicle 1 can grasp, by observation, in which direction, forward or backward, the autonomously drivable vehicle 1 intends to start as a change in lighting.

[0147] Although the above embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle capable of autonomous driving, characterized in that, comprising: an autonomous driving display lamp that can be lit in a manner recognizable from outside the vehicle during autonomous driving in a vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving; and a control unit that controls the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp, the autonomous driving display lamp has a right front display lamp, a right rear display lamp, a left front display lamp, and a left rear display lamp as right display lamps and left display lamps that can independently control the lighting state on the left and right of the vehicle, and the right front display lamp, the right rear display lamp, the left front display lamp, and the left rear display lamp can perform lighting control for each of a plurality of lighting intervals divided in the vehicle width direction, when the vehicle starts moving forward from a stopped state by autonomous driving, the control unit lights the lighting states of the right front display lamp and the left front display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and lights the lighting states of the right rear display lamp and the left rear display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that becomes the same state as when the vehicle is traveling based on autonomous driving, when the vehicle starts moving backward from a stopped state by autonomous driving, the control unit lights the lighting states of the right rear display lamp and the left rear display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and lights the lighting states of the right front display lamp and the left front display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that becomes the same state as when the vehicle is traveling based on autonomous driving.

2. An autonomous vehicle, characterized in that, comprising: an autonomous driving display lamp that can be lit in a manner recognizable from outside the vehicle during autonomous driving in a vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving; and a control unit that controls the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp, the autonomous driving display lamp has a right front display lamp, a right rear display lamp, a left front display lamp, and a left rear display lamp as right display lamps and left display lamps that can independently control the lighting state on the left and right of the vehicle, and the right front display lamp, the right rear display lamp, the left front display lamp, and the left rear display lamp can perform lighting control for each of a plurality of lighting intervals divided in the vehicle width direction, when the vehicle starts moving forward from a stopped state by autonomous driving, the control unit lights the lighting states of the right front display lamp and the left front display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that changes from both sides of the vehicle toward the center, and lights the lighting states of the right rear display lamp and the left rear display lamp as the autonomous driving display lamp in a manner that changes from the center of the vehicle toward both sides. When the vehicle starts backward from a parked state by autonomous driving, the control unit causes the right rear display lamp and the left rear display lamp, which are the autonomous driving display lamps, to be lit in a manner that changes from the two sides of the vehicle toward the center, and causes the right front display lamp and the left front display lamp, which are the autonomous driving display lamps, to be lit in a manner that changes from the center of the vehicle toward the two sides.

3. The vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to claim 1, wherein A plurality of display lamps constituting the autonomous driving display lamp are provided along the outer peripheral surface of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein If the vehicle started by autonomous driving becomes a normal driving state based on autonomous driving, the control unit switches all the display lamps constituting the autonomous driving display lamp from the lit state at startup to the lit state during driving based on autonomous driving.

5. The vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to claim 4, wherein If the vehicle speed of the vehicle becomes equal to or higher than a threshold value, or the elapsed time after the vehicle starts starts becomes equal to or higher than a threshold value, or the vehicle becomes a state of traveling along a lane, or the turn signal provided on the vehicle is turned off, the control unit determines that the vehicle started by autonomous driving has become a normal driving state based on autonomous driving.

6. The vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The vehicle capable of autonomous driving has a memory that stores a plurality of lighting patterns in a plurality of starting directions as the lighting patterns of the autonomous driving display lamp for lighting control of the autonomous driving display lamp when the vehicle starts by autonomous driving, When the vehicle starts autonomous driving, the control unit selects one of the lighting patterns from the memory based on the starting direction of the vehicle using autonomous driving, After controlling the lighting state of the autonomous driving display lamp lit during autonomous driving using the selected lighting pattern, the control unit starts controlling the vehicle to start from a parked state by autonomous driving.

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