Apparatus and method for controlling travel of a vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to a device and a method for controlling driving of a vehicle. The device comprises a sensor configured to acquire driving environment information and vehicle driving information; and a controller configured to, when a lane change is required while an emergency signal light is flashing, calculate a collision time with a rear vehicle based on the driving environment information, and control flashing of the emergency signal light or a turn signal light based on the collision time and the vehicle driving information when the lane change is performed.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0097468, filed on August 4, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to apparatus and methods for controlling the movement of a vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] In the autonomous driving mode of autonomous vehicles, there are situations where lane changes need to be performed while the emergency lights are flashing. For example, in the minimum risk maneuver (MRM) stage of Level 3 autonomous driving, the emergency lights must flash, and a strategy can be established to decelerate and stop in the driving lane or change lanes to the shoulder and stop. Therefore, when it is necessary to change lanes while the emergency lights are flashing, the control of flashing both the emergency lights and the turn signals must be executed according to the situation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling the movement of a vehicle, which is capable of appropriately controlling emergency lights and turn signals as needed during autonomous driving.

[0005] The technical problems solved by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling the driving of a vehicle includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor acquires driving environment information and vehicle driving information. When it is necessary to change lanes while flashing emergency lights, the controller calculates the collision time with a vehicle behind based on the driving environment information. When changing lanes, the controller controls the flashing of emergency lights or turn signals based on the collision time and vehicle driving information.

[0007] The state that requires lane changing while flashing emergency lights can include the Minimal Risk Management (MRM) state.

[0008] When the controller determines that the collision time is less than the first time, the controller can control the vehicle to reduce or increase its speed while flashing the emergency lights in the driving lane.

[0009] When the controller determines that the collision time exceeds a second time, the controller can control the lane change while flashing the emergency lights, where the second time is greater than the first time.

[0010] When the collision time is greater than or equal to the first time and less than or equal to the second time, the controller can control the emergency lights to stop flashing and perform a lane change while the turn signals are flashing.

[0011] The controller can determine whether the progress of the lane change exceeds a threshold. When the progress of the lane change exceeds the threshold, it can control the turn indicator to stop flashing and perform a lane change while flashing the hazard lights.

[0012] When the controller determines that the progress of the lane change does not exceed a threshold, the controller can determine whether the collision time exceeds a third time, which is greater than the second time.

[0013] When the controller determines that the collision time exceeds the third time, the controller can control the turn indicator lights to stop flashing and simultaneously control the lane change while flashing the emergency lights.

[0014] When the controller determines that the collision time does not exceed the third time, the controller can control the lane change to be performed while the turn indicator light flashes.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling the driving of a vehicle includes: acquiring vehicle driving environment information and vehicle driving information; when it is necessary to change lanes while flashing emergency lights, calculating the collision time with a vehicle behind based on the driving environment information; and when changing lanes, controlling the flashing of emergency lights or turn signals based on the collision time and vehicle driving information.

[0016] The state that requires lane changing while flashing emergency lights can include the Minimum Risk Strategies (MRM) state.

[0017] The method may further include, when it is determined that the collision time is less than a first time, controlling the vehicle to reduce or increase its speed while flashing the emergency lights in the driving lane.

[0018] The method may further include controlling a lane change while flashing the emergency lights when it is determined that the collision time exceeds a second time, wherein the second time is greater than the first time.

[0019] The method may further include controlling the emergency lights to stop flashing and performing a lane change while the turn indicator lights flash when the collision time is greater than or equal to a first time and less than or equal to a second time.

[0020] The method may further include determining whether the progress of the lane change exceeds a threshold, and when the progress of the lane change exceeds the threshold, controlling the turn indicator to stop flashing and performing a lane change while flashing the hazard lights.

[0021] The method may further include determining whether the collision time exceeds a third time when it is determined that the progress of the lane change does not exceed a threshold, wherein the third time is greater than the second time.

[0022] The method may further include, when it is determined that the collision time exceeds a third time, controlling the turn indicator lights to stop flashing and simultaneously changing lanes while flashing the emergency lights.

[0023] The method may further include controlling a lane change while flashing the turn indicator light when it is determined that the collision time does not exceed a third time. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a device for controlling the movement of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the progress of lane changing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the progress of lane changing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the flashing status of a TTC-based turn signal and emergency signal light according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the movement of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a computing system for performing a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Some embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals designate components even when the same or equivalent components are shown in other drawings. Furthermore, in describing embodiments of the invention, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions will be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the spirit of the invention.

[0032] In describing components according to embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, "A", "B", (a), (b), etc., may be used. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another, and they do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be understood to have meanings equivalent to those in the context of the relevant technical field, and should not be understood to have ideal or overly formal meanings, unless expressly defined as such in this application.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a device for controlling the movement of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the device 100 for controlling the movement of the vehicle may include a sensor 110, a camera 120, a navigation device 130, and a controller 140.

[0035] Sensor 110 can acquire vehicle driving environment information and vehicle driving information. In this case, the driving environment information may include surrounding environment information acquired during vehicle operation. According to the embodiment, sensor 110 may include a distance sensor, an image sensor, an infrared sensor, etc., which can acquire obstacle information, driver status information, road information, etc., around the vehicle. Furthermore, vehicle driving information may include information acquired while the vehicle is in motion. According to the embodiment, sensor 110 may include a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an input sensor, etc., which can acquire speed information, steering information, user input information (switch input information), etc.

[0036] Distance sensors can detect obstacles in front of a vehicle. According to implementation schemes, distance sensors can detect objects outside the vehicle, vehicles traveling ahead, roads, structures installed around the road, etc. As an example, distance sensors may include radar and lidar.

[0037] Image sensors can acquire images of the exterior or interior of a vehicle. According to embodiments, the image sensor may include a CCD or CMOS sensor that acquires lane line images of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, or images of the front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle.

[0038] Infrared sensors can detect driver status information (whether the driver's gaze is scattered, whether the eyes are open or closed) by using the driver's infrared information.

[0039] A vehicle speed sensor can refer to a sensor that detects the speed of a vehicle, a steering angle sensor can refer to a sensor that detects the rotational torque of the steering wheel, and an input sensor can refer to a sensor that detects user input information.

[0040] A steering angle sensor can refer to a sensor that detects the rotational torque of the steering wheel.

[0041] Input sensors can refer to sensors that detect input information from emergency light switches or turn signal switches.

[0042] Camera 120 may include an image sensor and may include at least one camera arranged at the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle.

[0043] The navigation device 130 may include a GPS receiver that receives position signals from satellites of multiple satellite positioning systems and calculates the vehicle's position based on the position signals. The navigation device 130 may map the vehicle's position calculated at the GPS receiver to pre-stored map data, receive destination information from the user, search for a route from the calculated vehicle position to the destination, and guide the user along the searched route.

[0044] The controller 140 can be implemented using various processing devices, such as a microprocessor including semiconductor chips capable of performing or executing various commands. Based on at least one algorithm stored in a storage device, the controller 140 can control the overall operation of the device for controlling the driving of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention. Specifically, the controller 140 can determine whether the vehicle is in a state where it needs to change lanes while flashing its hazard lights, based on driving environment information. In this state, the controller 140 can calculate the time to collision with a vehicle behind it and can control the flashing of the hazard lights or turn signals based on the collision time and vehicle driving information. In this case, the state of the vehicle that needs to change lanes while flashing its hazard lights may include the minimum risk strategy (MRM) state of Level 3 automated driving.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, even when the driver intervenes in automatic driving to change lanes while the vehicle is in motion, the flashing of emergency lights or turn signals can be controlled based on the collision time with the vehicle behind and vehicle driving information.

[0046] The controller 140 determines, based on driving environment information, whether the vehicle is in a state where it needs to change lanes while flashing the hazard lights. This state can represent a state where the hazard lights are flashing and a lane change is being performed via the MRM. For example, when driving control has not been transferred to the driver, this state can represent a state where the hazard lights are flashing and a lane change is being performed to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.

[0047] When it is determined that the vehicle is in a state where it needs to change lanes while flashing its emergency lights, the controller 140 can calculate the time to collision (TTC) with the vehicle behind it. In this case, the collision time can be calculated based on the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle behind it, the speed of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle behind it, using a method known in the art.

[0048] The controller 140 can take into account the collision time with a rear vehicle and the vehicle's position to control the switching between flashing hazard lights and flashing turn signals. According to the implementation scheme, the controller 140 can control the switching between flashing hazard lights and flashing turn signals as shown in Table 1 below.

[0049] (Table 1)

[0050]

[0051] Specifically, as shown in Table 1, when the collision time is determined to be less than a first time (where the first time can represent the minimum collision time for lane changing), the controller 140 can determine that the collision time with the rear vehicle is too short to allow lane changing. Therefore, the controller 140 can reduce or increase the vehicle's speed while flashing the hazard lights in the vehicle's lane until the lane changing time is reached. Furthermore, as shown in Table 1, when the collision time is determined to be greater than or equal to the first time and less than or equal to a second time (where the second time can represent the maximum collision time for lane changing), the controller 140 can determine that lane changing is possible without colliding with the rear vehicle and can switch to flashing turn signals, thereby prioritizing lane changing notifications for the autonomous vehicle. Therefore, the flashing of the hazard lights can be switched to flashing of the turn signals, and lane changing can be performed.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Table 1, when the controller 140 determines that the collision time exceeds the second time, the controller 140 can determine that lane changes can be made without causing a collision with a vehicle behind, even without flashing the turn indicator lights. According to the implementation scheme, the controller 140 can control the flashing of the emergency hazard lights.

[0053] When the turn indicator flashes and a lane change is initiated, the controller 140 can control the flashing of the hazard lights or turn indicator lights according to the progress of the lane change. Further details will be available in the reference [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 2 to 4 describe.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the progress of lane changing according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the progress of lane changing according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the flashing status of a TTC-based turn signal indicator and emergency signal light according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the controller 140 can determine the progress status of a lane change during a lane change by the vehicle 200, and control the flashing of hazard lights or turn signals accordingly. According to an embodiment, the controller 140 can determine whether the degree of separation between the vehicle 200 and the lane lines exceeds a threshold to determine the progress status of the lane change. For example, the controller 140 can determine whether the vehicle 200 exceeds a reference area or a reference distance from the lane lines. In this case, the reference area may represent 80% of the total area of ​​the vehicle, and the reference distance may represent the distance between the vehicle and the lane lines (e.g., 1.5m).

[0056] When the controller 140 determines that the vehicle 200 exceeds the reference area or the reference distance from the lane line during a lane change, the controller 140 can determine that the lane change of the vehicle 200 is nearing completion. Therefore, the controller 140 can switch from flashing the turn indicator lights to flashing the hazard lights and can perform a lane change until the lane change is complete.

[0057] Simultaneously, when the controller 140 determines during a lane change that the vehicle 200 has not exceeded the reference area or the reference distance from the lane line, the controller 140 can determine whether the collision time with the rear vehicle 210 exceeds the second time + A. In this case, "A" can represent a hysteresis value, which is set so that the switching between the flashing of the hazard lights and the flashing of the turn signals is not repeated.

[0058] When controller 140 determines during a lane change that the collision time between vehicle 200 and the rear vehicle 210 exceeds a second time + A, controller 140 can determine that a lane change can be performed without colliding with the rear vehicle, even without flashing the turn indicator lights. According to the implementation scheme, controller 140 can switch from flashing turn indicator lights to flashing hazard lights and then perform the lane change.

[0059] When controller 140 determines during a lane change that the collision time between the vehicle 200 and the rear vehicle 210 does not exceed the second time + A, controller 140 can determine that a lane change can be performed without colliding with the rear vehicle, and can switch to flashing turn signals to prioritize lane change notifications for the autonomous vehicle. Therefore, the flashing of hazard lights can be switched to flashing turn signals, and lane changes can be performed.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the movement of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, in S110, the controller 140 determines whether the vehicle state requires a lane change while the hazard lights are flashing based on driving environment information. In this case, the aforementioned state can indicate that the vehicle is changing lanes while flashing the hazard lights according to the MRM state. For example, when driving control has not been transferred to the driver, the state can indicate that the hazard lights are flashing and a lane change is performed to bring the vehicle to a safe stop. The controller 140 can consider the collision time with the rear vehicle and the vehicle's position to control the switching between flashing the hazard lights and flashing the turn signals.

[0062] Specifically, in S120, the controller 140 can determine whether the collision time is less than a first time (where the first time can represent the minimum collision time at which a lane change is possible). In S130, when the controller 140 determines that the collision time with the rear vehicle is less than the first time (yes), the controller 140 can determine that the collision time with the rear vehicle is too short, and therefore a lane change is not possible. Therefore, the controller 140 can flash the hazard lights while simultaneously reducing or increasing the vehicle's speed in the lane the vehicle is traveling in, until the lane change time is reached.

[0063] When the controller 140 determines that the collision time is not less than the first time (no), in S150, the controller may determine whether the collision time exceeds the second time (where the second time may represent the maximum collision time during which lane changes are possible).

[0064] In S150, when the controller 140 determines that the collision time exceeds a second time, the controller 140 can determine that a lane change can be performed without colliding with a vehicle behind, even without flashing the turn signal lights. According to the implementation scheme, in S170, the controller 140 can control the lane change while maintaining the flashing of the emergency signal lights.

[0065] Meanwhile, in S150, when the controller 140 determines that the collision time does not exceed the second time (No), the controller 140 can determine that a lane change can be performed without colliding with a vehicle behind, and can switch to flashing turn signals to prioritize the lane change notification for the autonomous vehicle. Therefore, in S160, the flashing of the emergency lights can be switched to flashing of the turn signals, and a lane change can be performed.

[0066] When the turn indicator flashes and a lane change is performed, the controller 140 can control the flashing of the emergency lights or turn indicator lights according to the progress of the lane change.

[0067] The controller 140 can determine the progress status of the lane change during a lane change by the vehicle 200, and control the flashing of the hazard lights or turn signals accordingly. According to the embodiment, in S180, the controller 140 can determine whether the degree of separation between the vehicle 200 and the lane line exceeds a threshold to determine the progress status of the lane change. In S180, the controller 140 can determine whether the vehicle 200 exceeds a reference area or a reference distance from the lane line. In this case, the reference area may represent 80% of the total area of ​​the vehicle, and the reference distance may represent the distance between the vehicle and the lane line (e.g., 1.5m).

[0068] In S180, when the controller 140 determines that the vehicle 200 exceeds the reference area or the reference distance from the lane line during a lane change, the controller 140 can determine that the lane change of the vehicle 200 is nearing completion. Therefore, in S170, the controller 140 can switch from flashing the turn indicator light to flashing the hazard light and can perform a lane change until the lane change is complete.

[0069] Meanwhile, in S180, when the controller 140 determines during a lane change that the vehicle 200 has not exceeded the reference area or the reference distance from the lane line, the controller 140 can determine whether the collision time with the rear vehicle 210 exceeds the second time + A. In this case, "A" can represent a hysteresis value, which is set so that the switching between the flashing of the hazard lights and the flashing of the turn signals will not be repeated.

[0070] In S190, when the controller 140 determines during lane change that the collision time between the vehicle 200 and the rear vehicle 210 exceeds a second time + A, the controller 140 can determine that it can change lanes without colliding with the rear vehicle, even without flashing the turn indicator lights. According to the implementation scheme, in S170, the controller 140 can switch from flashing the turn indicator lights to flashing the hazard lights and perform a lane change.

[0071] In S190, when the controller 140 determines during a lane change that the collision time between the vehicle 200 and the rear vehicle 210 does not exceed the second time + A (No), the controller 140 can determine that a lane change can be performed without colliding with the rear vehicle, and can switch to flashing turn signals to prioritize the lane change notification for the autonomous vehicle. Therefore, in S160, the flashing of the hazard lights can be switched to flashing of the turn signals, and a lane change can be performed.

[0072] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a computing system for performing a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] refer to Figure 6 The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage device 1600, and a network interface 1700 connected via a system bus 1200.

[0074] Processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600. Memory 1300 and storage device 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1300 may include read-only memory (ROM) 1310 and random access memory (RAM) 1320.

[0075] Therefore, the processing of the methods or algorithms described with respect to embodiments of the present invention can be directly implemented by hardware, software modules, or a combination thereof executed by processor 1100. The software modules can reside in a storage medium (i.e., memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600), such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, solid-state drive (SSD), removable disk, or CD-ROM. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to processor 1100, and processor 1100 can read information from and write information to the storage medium. In another approach, the storage medium can be integrated with processor 1100. The processor and storage medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In another approach, the processor and storage medium can reside as separate components in the user terminal.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the device and method for controlling the driving of a vehicle can control the flashing of emergency lights or turn signals based on the collision time with a vehicle behind, so as to convey the state of the autonomous vehicle to the surrounding environment and enable safe autonomous driving.

[0077] The above description is a simple example of the technical spirit of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations to the present invention without departing from its basic characteristics.

[0078] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this invention are illustrative rather than limiting of the technical spirit of the invention, and the scope of the technical spirit of the invention is not limited by the embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be interpreted by the claims, and it should be understood that all technical spirit within the equivalent scope falls within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling travel of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to acquire travel environment information and vehicle travel information; and a controller configured to: calculate a collision time with a rear vehicle based on the travel environment information when a lane change is required while a hazard signal light is flashing; control flashing of the hazard signal light or a turn signal light based on the collision time and the vehicle travel information when the lane change is made; stop the hazard signal light from flashing and make the lane change while the turn signal light is flashing when the collision time is calculated to be greater than or equal to a first time and less than or equal to a second time. a state in which the lane change is required while the hazard signal light is flashing includes a minimum risk policy state.

2. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

3. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein decrease a travel speed or increase the travel speed in a travel lane while the hazard signal light is flashing when the collision time is calculated to be less than the first time. the controller is configured to:

4. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein make the lane change while the hazard signal light is flashing when the collision time is calculated to exceed the second time, the second time being greater than the first time. the controller is configured to:

5. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein determine whether a progress state of the lane change exceeds a threshold value; stop the turn signal light from flashing and make the lane change while the hazard signal light is flashing when it is determined that the progress state of the lane change exceeds the threshold value. the controller is configured to:

6. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein determine whether the collision time is greater than or equal to a third time, the third time being greater than the second time, when it is determined that the progress state of the lane change does not exceed the threshold value. the controller is configured to:

7. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein stop the turn signal light from flashing and make the lane change while the hazard signal light is flashing when it is determined that the collision time is greater than or equal to the third time. the controller is configured to:

8. The device for controlling travel of a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein make the lane change while the turn signal light is flashing when it is determined that the collision time is less than the third time. 9.A method of controlling travel of a vehicle, the method comprising: acquiring, by a sensor, travel environment information and vehicle travel information; calculating, by a controller, a collision time with a rear vehicle based on the travel environment information when a lane change is required while a hazard signal light is flashing; controlling, by the controller, flashing of the hazard signal light or a turn signal light based on the collision time and the vehicle travel information when the lane change is made; stopping the hazard signal light from flashing and making the lane change while the turn signal light is flashing when the collision time is greater than or equal to a first time and less than or equal to a second time. a state in which the lane change is required while the hazard signal light is flashing includes a minimum risk policy state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, 11.The method of claim 9, further comprising: decreasing a travel speed or increasing the travel speed in a travel lane while the hazard signal light is flashing when it is determined that the collision time is less than the first time. 12.The method of claim 11, further comprising: making the lane change while the hazard signal light is flashing when it is determined that the collision time exceeds the second time, the second time being greater than the first time. 13.The method of claim 9, further comprising: ​ determining whether the progress state of the lane change exceeds a threshold value; when it is determined that the progress state of the lane change exceeds the threshold value, causing the turn signal to cease flashing and the lane change to be made while the emergency signal is flashing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: when it is determined that the progress state of the lane change does not exceed the threshold value, determining whether the time to collision is greater than or equal to a third time, the third time being greater than the second time.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: when it is determined that the time to collision is greater than or equal to the third time, causing the turn signal to cease flashing and the lane change to be made while the emergency signal is flashing.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: when it is determined that the time to collision is less than the third time, the lane change being made while the turn signal is flashing.

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