Automatic driving system and vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of autonomous driving, and specifically to an autonomous driving system and a car. The system includes: multiple sensor combinations, each of which includes at least one sensor; multiple edge nodes, wherein the edge nodes in the multiple edge nodes correspond to the sensor combinations in the multiple sensor combinations; wherein the first edge node in the multiple edge nodes is used to determine the first perception information of the vehicle according to the data collected by the first sensor combination corresponding to the first edge node; and a central node connected to the multiple edge nodes, wherein the central node is used to delegate the first state decision function to the first edge node in the multiple edge nodes, so that the first edge node determines that the vehicle enters the first state or the first driving strategy of the vehicle in the first state by executing the first state decision function; wherein the execution of the first state decision function requires at least the first perception information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of autonomous driving, and specifically to an autonomous driving system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the development of the automobile industry, a single car has more and more functions.

[0003] In one scenario, the functions of the car are developed in a chimney-like manner, that is, different functions are independent of each other. For example, the emergency brake assist system and the surround view system are independent of each other and there is no direct relationship between the two. Data between functions cannot be reused. For example, the perception information determined by the surround view system cannot be used by the emergency brake assist system. For the emergency brake assist system, a special sensor system that can perceive environmental information is also required. As a result, the overall cost of the car is increased.

[0004] In another solution, a centralized processing method is used for each function of the car. That is, the decision of each function is executed by the central node, and the raw data collected by various sensors of the car are also processed by the central node. In this solution, the control instructions of the central node are sent down to the execution components layer by layer, and the raw data collected by the sensors are also reported to the central node layer by layer, resulting in a large delay in business execution. Summary of the invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides an autonomous driving system, which can enable the data collected by the sensor to be processed by the edge node to which the sensor is directly connected to obtain perception information, and the edge node to make relevant decisions based on the perception information, thereby reducing business execution delays.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an autonomous driving system, which is configured on a vehicle, and the system includes: multiple sensor combinations, each of the multiple sensor combinations includes at least one sensor; multiple edge nodes, and the edge nodes in the multiple edge nodes correspond to the sensor combinations in the multiple sensor combinations one by one; wherein a first edge node in the multiple edge nodes is used to determine first perception information of the vehicle based on data collected by a first sensor combination corresponding to the first edge node; a central node connected to the multiple edge nodes, and the central node is used to delegate a first state decision function to the first edge node in the multiple edge nodes, so that the first edge node determines that the vehicle enters a first state or a first driving strategy of the vehicle in the first state by executing the first state decision function; wherein the execution of the first state decision function requires at least the first perception information.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the central node is used to delegate the first state decision function to the first edge node under the driving state of the vehicle.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the first sensor combination.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the system further includes at least one actuator, and the at least one actuator is used to make the vehicle enter the first state or to execute the first driving strategy.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the at least one actuator is directly connected to the first edge node; and the central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the at least one actuator.

[0011] In a possible implementation, when the first edge node determines that the vehicle needs to enter the first state or the vehicle needs to execute the first driving strategy, the first edge node sends a control instruction to the at least one actuator so that the vehicle enters the first state or the at least one actuator executes the first driving strategy.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the central node is also used to send a second state decision function to a second edge node among the multiple edge nodes, so that the second edge node determines that the vehicle enters the second state or the second driving strategy of the vehicle in the second state by executing the second state decision function; wherein, the execution of the second state decision function requires at least second perception information, and the second perception information is determined by the second edge node based on data collected by the sensor combination corresponding to the second edge node; the second state is different from the first state.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the execution of the first state decision function also requires third perception information; the third perception information is determined by a third edge node among the multiple edge nodes based on data collected by the sensor combination corresponding to the third edge node; the third edge node is used to send the third perception information to the first edge node when the third perception information is determined.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the first state is any one of the following:

[0015] Over the air (OTA) status, highway pilot (HWP) status, and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) status.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, each edge node among the multiple edge nodes is directly connected to a sensor in a corresponding sensor combination.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the edge node is an electronic control unit ECU, and the central node is a domain controller.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an autonomous driving system, which is configured on a vehicle, and the system includes: at least one actuator, used to make the vehicle enter a first state or to execute a driving strategy in the first state; a first edge node connected to the at least one actuator; a central node connected to the first edge node, used to delegate a first state decision function to the first edge node, so that the first edge node determines whether the vehicle enters the first state or the driving strategy of the vehicle in the first state; when the vehicle needs to enter the first state or the vehicle needs to execute the first driving strategy in the first state, the first edge node sends a control instruction to at least one actuator, so that the vehicle enters the first state or the at least one actuator executes the first driving strategy.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the system also includes: at least one sensor; and a second edge node directly connected to the at least one sensor, for determining first perception information of the vehicle based on data collected by the at least one sensor, and sending the first perception information to the first edge node, so that the first edge node performs the first state decision function based on the first perception information.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first edge node is directly connected to at least one sensor; the first edge node is also used to determine first perception information of the vehicle based on data collected by the at least one sensor, and perform the first state decision function based on the first perception information.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, the central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the at least one sensor.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the at least one actuator is directly connected to the first edge node; and the central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the at least one actuator.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the first edge node is an electronic control unit ECU, and the central node is a domain controller.

[0024] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an autonomous driving vehicle, comprising the system described in the first aspect or the system described in the second aspect.

[0025] In the autonomous driving system provided by the embodiment of the present application, the data collected by the vehicle sensor can be processed by the edge node closest to the sensor or directly connected to the sensor, and the edge node makes relevant decisions, thereby reducing the delay of the vehicle executing the corresponding business. Alternatively, the edge node directly connected to the actuator can make relevant decisions and hand them over to the actuator for execution, thereby reducing the delay of the vehicle executing the corresponding business. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1A A star interconnection architecture is shown;

[0027] Figure 1B A fully interconnected architecture is shown;

[0028] Figure 1C A domain interconnection architecture is shown;

[0029] Figure 1D A ring interconnect architecture is shown;

[0030] Figure 2 An automatic driving system provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0031] Figure 3 Another automatic driving system provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0032] Figure 4 Another automatic driving system provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0033] Figure 5 Another automatic driving system provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this specification, rather than all the embodiments.

[0035] In the description of this specification, "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. means that one or more embodiments of this specification include a specific feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. appearing in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0036] In the description of this specification, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of this specification, "multiple" means two or more than two.

[0037] In the description of this specification, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. The terms "include", "comprises", "has" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0038] The electrical / electronic architecture (EEA) of a car may include a star interconnection architecture, a full interconnection architecture, a domain interconnection architecture, and a ring interconnection architecture.

[0039] The star interconnection architecture can be Figure 1A As shown, it may have one or more central nodes such as central node 110, and may also have multiple edge nodes such as edge node 120, edge node 130, edge node 140, edge node 150. Each edge node may be directly connected to one or more sensors, and / or directly connected to one or more actuators. In a star interconnection architecture, the central node may be directly connected to the edge node.

[0040] One or more central nodes such as the central node 110, and multiple edge nodes such as the edge node 120, the edge node 130, the edge node 140, and the edge node 150 can also adopt a fully interconnected architecture, which can be specifically as follows: Figure 1B As shown, the central node and the edge nodes, as well as the edge nodes and the edge nodes can be connected via an interconnection bus.

[0041] One or more central nodes such as the central node 110, and multiple edge nodes such as the edge node 120, the edge node 130, the edge node 140, and the edge node 150 can also adopt a domain interconnection architecture, which can be specifically as follows: Figure 1C As shown. In this domain interconnection architecture, the central node 110 can be divided into a central node 110A and a central node 110B. Among them, the central node 110A can be used as a domain controller to form a domain with edge nodes such as edge nodes 120 and edge nodes 130. The central node 110B can be used as a domain controller to form another domain with edge nodes such as edge nodes 140 and edge nodes 150. Nodes in different domains are indirectly connected through corresponding domain controllers.

[0042] One or more central nodes such as the central node 110, and multiple edge nodes such as the edge node 120, the edge node 130, the edge node 140, and the edge node 150 may also adopt a ring interconnection architecture, which may be specifically as follows: Figure 1D Different edge nodes can be directly connected to each other, so that a ring network can be formed between multiple edge nodes. Each edge node can be directly connected to the one or more central nodes.

[0043] It should be noted that the connection between the above components refers to communication connection. The communication connection between the components can be realized through a local interconnect network (LIN) bus, a controller area network (CAN) bus or a hard line.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present application, a direct connection between two components means that there is a direct communication link between the two components without the need for other components to forward or transfer information.

[0045] In some embodiments, one or more sensors directly connected to the edge node may include sensors for collecting information about the vehicle's surrounding environment. Vehicle surrounding environment information may refer to information about other vehicles, pedestrians, lane lines, road signs, traffic lights, obstacles, road edges, and other objects in the vehicle's surrounding environment. The object's information may include the object's position and distance relative to the vehicle, and may also include the object's movement speed and direction, etc., which are not listed here one by one. The sensor used to collect vehicle surrounding environment information may be a camera, radar, etc. Among them, the radar may be a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic radar, and the like.

[0046] In some embodiments, one or more sensors directly connected to the edge node may include sensors for collecting vehicle information. The vehicle information may include the location, speed, direction, and other controllable or changeable information of the vehicle. The vehicle information may also include information about the vehicle's internal systems, such as the temperature in the passenger compartment, the amount of oil in the fuel tank, the temperature of the motor, and the like. Accordingly, the sensor for collecting vehicle information may include a positioning component (the positioning component may be a global positioning system (GPS module, or a Beidou navigation satellite system (BDS), or a Galileo satellite navigation system (Galileo satellite navigation system), etc.), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a temperature gauge in the passenger compartment, a fuel gauge, a temperature gauge at the motor, and the like.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, one or more sensors directly connected to the edge node may be referred to as the sensor combination corresponding to the edge node. The sensors included in the sensor combinations corresponding to different edge nodes may be different, partially the same, or completely the same. The embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. In the specific implementation, the sensors in the sensor combination corresponding to each edge node may be set.

[0048] The one or more actuators directly connected to the edge node may refer to components used to respond to control instructions to perform operations such as deceleration, steering, acceleration, and air conditioning on the vehicle. Specifically, the actuator may include a brake component, an accelerator, a steering component, an air conditioning switch, and the like.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present application, one or more actuators directly connected to the edge node may be referred to as the actuator combination corresponding to the edge node. The actuators included in the actuator combinations corresponding to different edge nodes may be different, partially the same, or all the same. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. In the specific implementation, the actuators in the sensor combination corresponding to each edge node may be set.

[0050] Based on the above architecture, an embodiment of the present application provides an autonomous driving system. In the autonomous driving system, the edge node can process the data collected by the corresponding sensor combination to obtain the perception information of the vehicle where the autonomous driving system is located; and the edge node can receive the decision-making function delegated by the central node, and execute the decision-making function according to the perception information of the vehicle, thereby generating control instructions for the vehicle to instruct the relevant actuator to perform relevant operations. In this driving system, the data collected by the vehicle sensor can be processed by the edge node closest to the sensor or directly connected to the sensor, and the edge node makes relevant decisions, thereby reducing the delay of the vehicle in executing the corresponding business.

[0051] Next, in different embodiments, the autonomous driving system provided in the embodiments of the present application is introduced by examples.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present application, the edge node may be a component having a data processing function, such as an electronic control unit (ECU). The raw data collected by the sensor combination corresponding to the edge node may be sent to the edge node for processing to obtain the perception information of the vehicle. It can be understood that the raw data collected by the sensor combination may include environmental data of the environment in which the vehicle is located and / or information of the vehicle itself. The specific information included in the raw data is determined by the sensor corresponding to the raw data. The sensors connected to the edge node can be specifically referred to above and will not be repeated here. The raw data collected by the sensor or the sensor combination can be used to determine the perception information of the vehicle. Exemplarily, the sensor combination corresponding to the edge node 120 may be set to include one or more cameras. The environmental image data collected by the one or more cameras may be sent to the edge node 120. The edge node 120 may use a computer vision algorithm (e.g., an object recognition algorithm, a structure from motion (SFM) algorithm, etc.) to identify objects in the environmental image data and obtain the perception information of the vehicle. Exemplarily, the sensor combination corresponding to the edge node 120 may be set to include multiple cameras and one or more radars. The environmental image data collected by the multiple cameras and the point cloud data collected by the one or more radars can be sent to the edge node 120. The edge node 120 can use a multi-sensor fusion algorithm (such as a Kalman filter algorithm, a multi-Bayesian estimation algorithm, a neural network) to process the environmental image data collected by the multiple cameras and the point cloud data collected by the one or more radars to obtain the perception information of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the edge node closest to or directly connected to the sensor or sensor combination can determine the perception information of the vehicle based on the raw data collected by the sensor or sensor combination, thereby achieving rapid determination of the perception information, which can or helps to reduce the service execution delay.

[0053] In some embodiments, when or after the edge node determines the perception information of the vehicle, the perception information can be sent to other edge nodes so that other edge nodes can reuse the perception information. Specifically, edge node 120 and edge node 150 are taken as examples. Edge node 120 can send the perception information it determines to edge node 150, so that edge node 150 can make relevant decisions directly based on the perception information to perform relevant control on the vehicle. Exemplarily, edge node 150 and edge node 120 can establish an information subscription relationship in advance. In other words, edge node 150 can subscribe to the perception information determined by edge node 120, so that whenever edge node 120 determines the perception information, the perception information can be sent to edge node 150. In this embodiment, after the edge node determines the perception information of the vehicle, it can share the perception information with other edge nodes, thereby realizing information sharing between different business systems or domains of the vehicle.

[0054] The central node may be a component with data processing functions, such as a domain controller. The central node may have the ability to execute various business functions of the vehicle, and may also have the ability to delegate one or more business functions to one or more edge nodes. That is, in some embodiments, the central node may execute a business function by itself. In other embodiments, the central node may also delegate the business function to one or more edge nodes for execution.

[0055] In the embodiments of the present application, the business function may also be referred to as the function. In some embodiments, the business function may refer to the function of judging whether the vehicle executes or enters a certain state based on relevant information. In some embodiments, the business function may refer to the function of deciding or determining the driving strategy of the vehicle in a certain state based on relevant information. In the embodiments of the present application, the business function may also be referred to as the state decision function. Decentralizing business functions may also be referred to as decentralizing state decision functions. Decentralizing business functions or decentralizing state decision functions may refer to the decision-making authority and decision-making functions of decentralized business functions. The state may also refer to a driving scene, which may specifically be a highway navigation state, an air download state, or an automatic emergency braking state, etc., which are not listed one by one here. The driving strategy may refer to the specific control of the vehicle's driving process, such as acceleration, deceleration, steering, etc., which are not listed one by one here.

[0056] The decentralization operation may consist of one or more operations. In some embodiments, the decentralization operation may include the central node sending a code for implementing one or more business functions to one or more edge nodes, and sending an operating instruction of the code to the one or more edge nodes. Thus, the one or more edge nodes may run the code in response to the operating instruction to execute the one or more business functions. In some embodiments, one or more edge nodes may pre-store codes for implementing some or more business functions. The decentralization operation may be the central node sending an operating instruction of the code to the one or more edge nodes to indicate that the one or more edge nodes may run the code to execute the one or more business functions.

[0057] It can be understood that different sensors may have different purposes of use. In other words, different sensors may correspond to different business functions (or state decision functions). Therefore, the central node can determine one or more business functions according to the sensors corresponding to the edge node, and delegate the one or more business functions (or state decision functions) to the edge node. Taking the highway pilot (HWP) business function as an example, its corresponding sensor combination A1 includes 3 forward cameras, 4 side cameras, one rear camera, four surround cameras, four laser radars, one millimeter wave radar, 16 ultrasonic radars, and one inertial measurement unit. The sensor combination corresponding to the edge node 120 can be set as the sensor combination A1. The central node 110 can determine that the business function corresponding to the sensor A1 may be the highway pilot business function (or the highway pilot state decision function) according to the sensors included in the sensor A1. Therefore, the central node 110 can delegate the highway pilot business function (or the highway pilot state decision function) to the edge node 120. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, "forward" refers to the front direction of the vehicle, "rearward" refers to the rear direction of the vehicle, and "lateral" refers to the side direction of the vehicle.

[0058] It should be noted that the above is only an example of the correspondence between sensors and business functions, and is not a limitation. In specific implementation, the developer or designer of the car can establish the correspondence between sensors and business functions (or state decision functions) based on experience or experiments.

[0059] In other examples, the central node may also determine the edge node based on the sensor corresponding to over the air (OTA), and delegate the OTA service function (or OTA state decision function) to the determined edge node. The central node may also determine the edge node based on the sensor corresponding to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), and delegate the autonomous emergency braking service function (or autonomous emergency braking state decision function) to the determined edge node.

[0060] It can be understood that different actuators correspond to or execute different business functions (or state decision functions). In other words, the actuators used when the vehicle enters different states may be different, and the actuators used by the vehicle to execute driving strategies in different states may be different. For example, actuators such as throttles and steering components can perform acceleration, deceleration, steering and other operations while the vehicle is in a highway navigation state. In other words, throttles, steering components, etc. usually correspond to highway navigation business functions (or highway navigation state decision functions). For another example, actuators such as brake components can perform braking operations while the vehicle is in an automatic emergency braking state. In other words, brakes and other components usually correspond to automatic emergency braking business functions (or automatic emergency braking state decision functions). It should be noted that the above only introduces the business functions corresponding to different actuators by example, and is not limiting. In specific implementation, the developer or designer of the car can establish a correspondence between actuators and business functions based on experience or experiments.

[0061] In some embodiments, the central node can determine one or more business functions (or state decision functions) based on the actuator connected to the edge node, and delegate the one or more business functions (or state decision functions) to the edge node. In this embodiment, the decision of the business function (or state decision function) can be executed at the edge node that is closest to or directly connected to the actuator, and a control instruction can be generated, so that the actuator can obtain the control instruction as soon as possible and operate according to the control instruction, thereby reducing the delay of business execution.

[0062] In one example of these embodiments, during vehicle driving, the central node can determine one or more business functions (or state decision functions) based on the actuator connected to the edge node, and delegate the one or more business functions (or state decision functions) to the edge node.

[0063] The edge node can execute one or more business functions received from the central node. In other words, after the central node sends one or more business functions to the edge node, the edge node can execute the one or more business functions. Exemplarily, when the edge node executes the one or more business functions, it can use its own determined perception information to make decisions. Exemplarily, when the edge node executes the one or more business functions, it can receive the perception information determined by other edge nodes from other edge nodes, and use the perception information to make decisions. Exemplarily, when the edge node executes the one or more business functions, it can receive the perception information determined by other edge nodes from other edge nodes, and use the perception information determined by other edge nodes and its own determined perception information to make decisions.

[0064] In some embodiments, in order to speed up the response speed of the edge node to the outside world, the intelligence level of the edge node can be reduced so that the edge node can use a simple and direct data processing method to perform business functions. In this way, the execution delay of the business function can be reduced. For example, compared with the edge node, the central node has a higher intelligence level and a more powerful data processing capability, and can be used to perform more complex functions such as prediction and reasoning. For example, the edge node can be called a low-level control node, and the central node can be called a high-level control node.

[0065] Next, in a specific embodiment, the functions of the edge node and the central node are introduced by way of example.

[0066] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the autonomous driving system of a vehicle may include a central node 210, an edge node 220, a sensor combination A1, and an actuator combination B1.

[0067] The sensor combination B1 may include one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may be directly connected to the edge node 220, and send the collected raw data A11 to the edge node 220. The edge node 220 may include a perception information determination module. The perception information determination module may determine the perception information based on the raw data A11. For details, please refer to the above introduction, which will not be repeated here.

[0068] The actuator combination B1 may include one or more actuators. The one or more actuators may be directly connected to the edge node 220. The one or more actuators may respond to the control instruction to make the vehicle enter the state C1 or execute the driving strategy of the vehicle in the state C1. The state may also refer to the driving scene, which may specifically be the highway navigation state, the air download state, or the automatic emergency braking state, etc., which are not listed here one by one. The driving strategy may refer to the specific control of the vehicle driving process, such as acceleration, deceleration, steering, etc., which are not listed here one by one.

[0069] The central node 210 may include a state decision function management module, which may be used to manage a plurality of preset state decision functions. The central node 210 may determine a state decision function C1 from the plurality of preset state decision functions. The state decision function C1 is used to decide whether the vehicle enters state C1 and / or the driving strategy of the vehicle in state C1.

[0070] In some embodiments, the central node 210 may determine the state C1 decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the sensors in the sensor combination A1. For details, please refer to the above introduction, which will not be repeated here.

[0071] In some embodiments, the central node 210 may determine the state C1 decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the actuators in the actuator combination B1.

[0072] In some embodiments, when or after determining the state C1 decision function, the central node 210 may send the state C1 decision function to the edge node 220. For details, please refer to the above introduction, which will not be repeated here. For example, when the vehicle is driving, the central node 210 sends the state C1 decision function to the edge node 220.

[0073] In some embodiments, as described above, the edge node 220 may pre-store a code for implementing the state C1 decision function. When or after determining the C1 decision function, the central node 210 may issue an execution instruction to the edge node 220 to instruct the edge node 220 to start running the code for implementing the state C1 decision function. For details, please refer to the above introduction, which will not be repeated here. For example, when the vehicle is driving, the central node 210 issues an execution instruction to the edge node 220.

[0074] The edge node 220 may include a decision module. The decision module may perform the state C1 decision function. Specifically, the decision module runs a code for implementing the state C1 decision function. Figure 2 As shown, the decision module can obtain the perception information from the perception information determination module, and based on the perception information, by executing the state C1 decision function, decide whether the vehicle enters state C1, or decide the driving strategy of the vehicle in state C1. When or after determining that the vehicle needs to enter state C1 or the driving strategy of the vehicle in state C1, the decision module can generate a control instruction C11 for instructing the vehicle to enter state C1 or for instructing the actuator to execute the driving decision, and send the control instruction C11 to the actuator assembly B1. The actuator assembly B1 makes the vehicle enter state C1 or execute the driving strategy according to the control instruction C11.

[0075] In an illustrative example, state C1 is taken as an example of a highway navigation state. The decision module determines whether the environment in which the vehicle is located is suitable for turning on the highway navigation function, that is, whether it is suitable for entering the highway navigation state, by executing the state C1 decision function based on the perception information. If the environment in which the vehicle is located is suitable for turning on the highway navigation function, the decision module can generate a control instruction C11 for instructing the vehicle to turn on the highway navigation state, and send the control instruction C11 to the actuator assembly B1. The actuator assembly B1 can turn on the highway navigation function according to the control instruction C11.

[0076] In an illustrative example, state C1 is still taken as a highway pilot state. When the vehicle is already in the highway pilot state, the decision module can usually perform the state C1 decision function and determine whether the vehicle should turn according to the perception information. If the judgment result is that the vehicle should turn, the decision module can generate a control instruction C11 for instructing the vehicle to turn, and send the control instruction C11 to the actuator assembly B1. The steering component in the actuator assembly B1 can turn the vehicle according to the control instruction C11.

[0077] It should be noted that the vehicle's autonomous driving system does not only include the edge node 220, but may also include other edge nodes. In some embodiments, the edge node 220 may also send the perception information determined by the perception information determination module to other edge nodes in the autonomous driving system. The other edge nodes may use the perception information to perform related business functions and make decisions. Among them, the business function may be received by the other edge node from the central node 110. In other words, the central node 110 sends the business function to the other edge node.

[0078] The above only takes the edge node 220 as an example to illustrate the functions of the edge node and the relationship between the edge node and the central node. Other edge nodes included in the autonomous driving system can refer to the above introduction to the edge node 220, and will not be described one by one here.

[0079] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the perception information can be quickly determined, thereby being able to or helping to reduce the service execution delay; and the executor can obtain the control instruction as quickly as possible and operate according to the control instruction, thereby further reducing the service execution delay.

[0080] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, the autonomous driving system of the vehicle may include a central node 310, an edge node 320, a sensor combination A1, an edge node 330, and an actuator combination B1.

[0081] The sensor combination B1 may include one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may be directly connected to the edge node 220 and send the collected raw data A11 to the edge node 320. The edge node 320 may include a perception information determination module. The perception information determination module may determine the perception information based on the raw data A11. When or after determining the perception information, the edge node 320 may send the perception information to the edge node 330.

[0082] The actuator assembly B1 may include one or more actuators. The one or more actuators may be directly connected to the edge node 320. The one or more actuators may respond to the control instruction to make the vehicle enter the state C1 or execute the driving strategy of the vehicle in the state C1.

[0083] The central node 310 may include a state decision function management module, which may be used to manage a plurality of preset state decision functions. The central node 310 may determine the state decision function C1 from the plurality of preset state decision functions. Exemplarily, the central node 310 may determine the state C1 decision function from the plurality of preset state decision functions according to the actuators in the actuator combination B1.

[0084] In some embodiments, when or after determining the state C1 decision function, the central node 310 may send the state C1 decision function or execution instruction to the edge node 330. Figure 2 The description of the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0085] The edge node 330 may include a decision module. The decision module may generate a control instruction C11 according to the sensing information received by the edge node 320 by executing the state C1 decision function. The edge node 330 may send the control instruction C11 to the actuator combination B1 so that the actuators in the actuator combination B1 perform related operations according to the control instruction C11. Figure 2 The description of the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0086] It should be noted that the vehicle's autonomous driving system does not only include edge nodes 320 and edge nodes 330, but may also include other edge nodes. The above only takes edge nodes 320 and edge nodes 330 as examples to illustrate the functions of edge nodes and the relationship between edge nodes and central nodes. Other edge nodes included in the autonomous driving system can be implemented with reference to the introduction of edge nodes 320 or edge nodes 330 above, and will not be described one by one here.

[0087] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the executor can obtain the control instruction as quickly as possible and perform operations according to the control instruction, thereby reducing the delay in service execution.

[0088] Next, combine Figure 4 In a specific example, the autonomous driving system provided in an embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0089] In this example, the central node and the edge nodes may differ as follows.

[0090] a1, processing intelligence levels are different, nodes are divided into low-level intelligent processing and high-level intelligent processing;

[0091] b1. Different response times: Generally, different time requirements are imposed on the response to the outside world. Generally, nodes with fast response times have simple processing functions and low intelligence levels. For advanced intelligent functions such as prediction and reasoning, the logic is complex and the response is relatively slow.

[0092] c1, different scenarios: In different scenarios, the purpose of each sensor is different; the high-level control node sends control commands and local planning information to each low-level processing node based on the scenario, ensuring that key action decisions can be made directly at the low-level processing node.

[0093] In this example, a hierarchical closed loop can be implemented as follows.

[0094] a2, fast closed loop based on spatial location: in information collection (camera, radar) -> low-intelligence processing -> execution (action) (adjusting direction, distance and focusing on key targets, etc.); the closed loop is completed on the edge node, and the nodes are deployed in a distributed manner;

[0095] b2, global comprehensive closed loop: information collection (all information collection points, all types) -> advanced intelligent processing -> execution (action) (acceleration, braking, steering and other vehicle controls); the closed loop is completed by edge and central nodes, and advanced intelligent processing is centrally deployed.

[0096] c2, centralized control: Each control node sends control information to the vehicle control components respectively, and the vehicle control arbitration mechanism is used to ensure reasonable output.

[0097] exist Figure 4 In the system, the security system is equal to the low-level control node and is the last node in the system to issue final control. It can be placed inside a low-level or high-level node, or it can be independent.

[0098] Next describe Figure 4 The principle.

[0099] The functions related to the relevant sensors or execution in the system are placed in the low-level control nodes, and the high-level control nodes control the overall system; the overall scene or state management of the system is placed here. After the system is turned on, the scene information of the system is sent to the corresponding low-level control nodes according to the needs of the business (as shown in the indicator line segments 1 and 6 in the figure); the nodes at all levels of the system start different functions according to the corresponding scenes (as shown in the indicator line segment 2 in the figure). For the nodes that control the vehicle control, according to the status of the system center node and the status of the corresponding low-level node, confirm which vehicle control is used as the final control information.

[0100] In the system design phase, the deployment location of the extended services in the diagram should be clearly defined based on business characteristics, resource proximity, resource consumption, functional safety and other principles. Figure 4 In the figure, the normal autonomous driving business is shown in the indicator line segments 3 and 5; but at the same time, a set of other functions need to be implemented, and the corresponding process is shown in the indicator line segment 4, which may exist simultaneously or separately; this process reduces the processing flow of the business and ensures its own independence.

[0101] Next, combine Figure 5 In another specific example, the automatic driving system provided in the embodiment of the present application is illustrated by taking the automatic emergency braking (AEB) function as an example.

[0102] Figure 5 The solution provided for the embodiment of the present application is an application example in which an autonomous driving system and assisted driving coexist in a network. Among them, the AEB function is deployed to the same edge node or edge safety system as the required sensor based on functional safety, resource consumption and response time requirements; the perception data will be sent to the AEB and autonomous driving business according to business needs and processed separately; at the same time, these two businesses can run independently or simultaneously. The safety system detects the status information of the nodes such as the autonomous driving system, and decides which information to use as the final output based on the priority of each control command.

[0103] The autonomous driving system provided in the embodiment of the present application can make hierarchical decisions (centralized control, edge control); it can also be based on the scenario, and each control node confirms the operating strategy and decision control in the corresponding scenario; and the low-level nodes can respond quickly according to the scenario; distributed processing of calculations can be realized, and when some nodes are abnormal, some services can continue to be affected.

[0104] In the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, each node evolves independently: each node evolves independently while the interface remains unchanged.

[0105] In the autonomous driving system provided in the embodiments of the present application, various sensor capabilities of the autonomous driving system can be reused without the need for additional investment in an assisted driving system.

[0106] The autonomous driving system provided by the embodiment of the present application can reduce the complexity of the central node.

[0107] The automatic driving system provided by the embodiment of the present application uses a hierarchical approach, and sensors and low-level systems can be deployed nearby. The low-level processing logic is simple, the response speed is fast, and it shares part of the centralized control capabilities and achieves part of the functional safety goals.

[0108] In the autonomous driving system provided in the embodiment of the present application, each domain directly uses a unified vehicle network to support high-speed intercommunication and on-demand connection of various systems for different vehicle models.

[0109] The autonomous driving system provided in the embodiment of the present application is based on a service-oriented approach and provides a global release notification mechanism for smart sensors and rapid introduction of sensors.

[0110] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and do not limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An automatic driving system, characterized in that: Configured in a vehicle, the system comprises: A plurality of sensor combinations, each of the plurality of sensor combinations comprising at least one sensor; A plurality of edge nodes, wherein the edge nodes in the plurality of edge nodes correspond to the sensor combinations in the plurality of sensor combinations one by one; wherein a first edge node in the plurality of edge nodes is used to determine first perception information of the vehicle according to data collected by a first sensor combination corresponding to the first edge node; a central node connected to the plurality of edge nodes, the central node being used to delegate a first state decision function to a first edge node among the plurality of edge nodes, so that the first edge node determines that the vehicle enters a first state or a first driving strategy of the vehicle in the first state by executing the first state decision function; wherein the execution of the first state decision function requires at least the first perception information; Wherein, the multiple edge nodes and the central node are located in the electronic and electrical architecture (EEA) of the vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The central node is used to delegate the first state decision function to the first edge node under the driving state of the vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the first sensor combination.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further comprises at least one actuator, wherein the at least one actuator is used to make the vehicle enter the first state or to execute the first driving strategy.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The at least one actuator is directly connected to the first edge node; the central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the at least one actuator.

6. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that When the first edge node determines that the vehicle needs to enter the first state or the vehicle needs to execute the first driving strategy, the first edge node sends a control instruction to the at least one actuator to make the vehicle enter the first state or make the at least one actuator execute the first driving strategy.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The central node is also used to send a second state decision function to a second edge node among the multiple edge nodes, so that the second edge node determines that the vehicle enters the second state or the second driving strategy of the vehicle in the second state by executing the second state decision function; wherein, the execution of the second state decision function requires at least second perception information, and the second perception information is determined by the second edge node based on the data collected by the sensor combination corresponding to the second edge node; the second state is different from the first state.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The execution of the first state decision function also requires third perception information; the third perception information is determined by a third edge node among the multiple edge nodes based on data collected by the sensor combination corresponding to the third edge node; the third edge node is used to send the third perception information to the first edge node when the third perception information is determined.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first state is any of the following: Over the air (OTA) status, highway pilot (HWP) status, and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) status.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Each edge node in the plurality of edge nodes is directly connected to a sensor in a corresponding sensor combination.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The edge node is an electronic control unit ECU, and the central node is a domain controller.

12. An automatic driving system, characterized in that: Configured in a vehicle, the system comprises: at least one actuator, for causing the vehicle to enter a first state or for executing a driving strategy in the first state; a first edge node connected to the at least one actuator; a central node connected to the first edge node, used to delegate a first state decision function to the first edge node, so that the first edge node determines whether the vehicle enters the first state or the driving strategy of the vehicle in the first state; When the vehicle needs to enter the first state or the vehicle needs to execute the first driving strategy in the first state, the first edge node sends a control instruction to at least one actuator, so that the vehicle enters the first state or the at least one actuator executes the first driving strategy; Wherein, the first edge node and the central node are located in the electronic and electrical architecture (EEA) of the vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that The system further comprises: at least one sensor; A second edge node directly connected to the at least one sensor is used to determine first perception information of the vehicle based on data collected by the at least one sensor, and send the first perception information to the first edge node, so that the first edge node performs the first state decision function based on the first perception information.

14. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that The first edge node is directly connected to at least one sensor; the first edge node is also used to determine the first perception information of the vehicle based on the data collected by the at least one sensor, and perform the first state decision function based on the first perception information.

15. The system according to claim 14, characterized in that The central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the at least one sensor.

16. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that The at least one actuator is directly connected to the first edge node; the central node is used to determine the first state decision function from a plurality of preset state decision functions according to the at least one actuator.

17. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that: The first edge node is an electronic control unit ECU, and the central node is a domain controller.

18. An automatic driving car, characterized in that: The method comprises the system described in any one of claims 1 to 11 or the system described in any one of claims 12 to 17.

Images