Vehicle control system and vehicle driving control device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system and a vehicle driving control device. In a vehicle control system for controlling a vehicle performing autonomous driving, the vehicle control system includes: an autonomous driving control device that generates a target trajectory for the vehicle's autonomous driving; and a vehicle driving control device that performs vehicle driving control to control the vehicle's steering, acceleration, and deceleration so that the vehicle follows the target trajectory. The vehicle driving control device is configured to determine whether an operation request condition for a washing operation to spray washer fluid onto the vehicle's front window has been met; if the operation request condition has been met, transmit a request for approval of the washing operation to the autonomous driving control device; and upon receiving approval of the approval request from the autonomous driving control device, perform the washing operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system and a vehicle travel control device. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-114195 discloses a technology related to a vehicle control device that can avoid interference with driving control when performing collision avoidance control. The vehicle control device of this technology performs a first control (collision avoidance control) to avoid collision between the vehicle and an obstacle. In addition, the vehicle control device performs a second control such as cruise control and lane keeping control. The vehicle control device identifies obstacles around the vehicle and determines whether a specified collision avoidance condition has been met based on the identification result. If it is determined that the collision avoidance condition has been met during the execution of the second control, the vehicle control device stops the second control and executes the first control.

[0003] Here, consider the following: an autonomous driving control device calculates a target trajectory based on the autonomous driving driving plan, and a vehicle driving control device controls vehicle driving to follow this target trajectory. Sensor devices, such as cameras, are located within the vehicle cabin, allowing the vehicle driving control device to acquire surrounding information through the vehicle's front window. Dirt on the front window can reduce the sensor's recognition accuracy. In such cases, the vehicle driving control device can remove dirt from the front window by spraying washer fluid.

[0004] However, the vehicle is equipped with various sensor devices that allow the autonomous driving control system to identify the vehicle's surrounding conditions. Therefore, the spraying of cleaning fluid by the vehicle driving control system may temporarily adversely affect the recognition accuracy of the sensor devices used by the autonomous driving control system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problem, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control system and a vehicle travel control device that can prevent a washing operation from being performed at a timing that is inappropriate for an automatic driving control device.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the first disclosure is applied to a vehicle control system that controls a vehicle that performs automatic driving. The vehicle control system includes: an automatic driving control device that generates a target trajectory for the automatic driving of the vehicle; and a vehicle driving control device that performs vehicle driving control to control the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the target trajectory. The vehicle driving control device is configured to: determine whether an operation request condition for a washing action of spraying washing fluid onto the front window of the vehicle or a sensor device is met; if the operation request condition is met, send an approval request for the washing action to the automatic driving control device; and if approval of the approval request is received from the automatic driving control device, perform the washing action.

[0007] The second disclosure further has the following features in addition to the first disclosure.

[0008] A vehicle includes a surrounding condition sensor that detects conditions surrounding the vehicle from within the vehicle cabin through a front window. A vehicle travel control device is configured to execute preventive safety control based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding condition sensor, intervening in a controlled variable of vehicle travel control to prevent or avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle. Furthermore, an activation request condition includes a recognition level of the surrounding condition sensor falling below a threshold.

[0009] The third disclosure further has the following features in addition to the second disclosure.

[0010] The operating conditions include the outside air temperature being higher than the freezing temperature of the washer fluid.

[0011] The fourth disclosure further has the following features in any one of the first to third disclosures.

[0012] The vehicle travel control device is configured to execute the washing operation without sending an approval request to the automatic driving control device when the operation request condition is satisfied and the vehicle is parked.

[0013] Furthermore, to address the aforementioned issues, the fifth disclosure is applied to a vehicle driving control device, the vehicle driving control device being configured to receive a target trajectory for autonomous driving of a vehicle generated by an autonomous driving control device and execute vehicle driving control to control steering, acceleration, and deceleration so that the vehicle follows the target trajectory. The vehicle driving control device is configured to determine whether an operation request condition for a washing operation to spray washer fluid onto the vehicle's front window or sensor device is satisfied; if the operation request condition is satisfied, transmit a request to approve the washing operation to the autonomous driving control device; and if the autonomous driving control device approves the approval request, execute the washing operation.

[0014] The sixth disclosure further has the following features in the fifth disclosure.

[0015] A vehicle includes a surrounding condition sensor that detects conditions surrounding the vehicle from within the vehicle cabin through a front window. A vehicle travel control device is configured to execute preventive safety control based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding condition sensor, intervening in a controlled variable of vehicle travel control to prevent or avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle. Furthermore, an activation request condition includes a recognition level of the surrounding condition sensor falling below a threshold.

[0016] The seventh disclosure further has the following features in the sixth disclosure.

[0017] The operating conditions include the outside air temperature being higher than the freezing temperature of the washer fluid.

[0018] The eighth disclosure further has the following features in any one of the fifth to seventh disclosures.

[0019] The vehicle travel control device is configured to execute the washing operation without sending an approval request to the automatic driving control device when the operation request condition is satisfied and the vehicle is parked.

[0020] According to the first or fifth disclosure, the cleaning operation is performed when approval is received from the automatic driving control device. This can prevent the cleaning operation from being performed at an inappropriate timing for the automatic driving control device.

[0021] According to the second or sixth disclosure, when the peripheral condition sensor fails to recognize the surrounding condition due to dirt on the front window, a request for the washing operation can be sent to the automatic driving control device.

[0022] According to the third or seventh disclosure, the outside temperature being higher than the freezing temperature of the washer fluid is set as the operation request condition for the washing operation. This prevents the operation of the automatic driving control device from being affected by the washing operation when the washer fluid is frozen.

[0023] According to the fourth or eighth disclosure, while the vehicle is parked and does not affect the operation of the automatic driving control device, the cleaning operation can be performed without sending an approval request to the automatic driving control device and receiving approval of the approval request from the automatic driving control device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Hereinafter, features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0025] Figure 1This is a block diagram showing a configuration example for explaining an outline of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an automatic driving control device according to an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle travel control device according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing a control routine of the purge control executed by the second control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, when numbers, such as the number, quantity, amount, and range of various elements are mentioned in the embodiments described below, the present invention is not limited to such numbers unless otherwise specified or clearly defined in principle. Furthermore, with respect to the structures and steps described in the embodiments described below, unless otherwise specified or clearly defined in principle, these structures and steps are not necessarily required for the present invention.

[0030] Implementation method.

[0031] 1. Overall Configuration of the Vehicle Control System of This Embodiment

[0032] First, the schematic configuration of the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example for explaining an outline of the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment. Figure 1 The vehicle control system 100 shown is mounted on a vehicle. Hereinafter, the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 100 will also be referred to as "vehicle V1." Vehicle V1 is an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The autonomous driving herein assumes Level 3 or higher of the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) level definition. It should be noted that the power source of vehicle V1 is not limited.

[0033] The vehicle control system 100 controls the vehicle V1. Alternatively, at least a portion of the vehicle control system 100 may be disposed in an external device outside the vehicle V1 to remotely control the vehicle. In other words, the vehicle control system 100 may be distributed between the vehicle V1 and the external device.

[0034] like Figure 1As shown, the vehicle control system 100 is configured to include an automatic driving control device 10, a vehicle driving control device 20, a driving device 60, and a cleaning device 70. The automatic driving control device 10 is a system for managing the automatic driving of the vehicle V1. The vehicle driving control device 20 is a system for controlling the vehicle driving of the vehicle V1. The automatic driving control device 10 and the vehicle driving control device 20 can be physically separate devices or the same device. When the automatic driving control device 10 and the vehicle driving control device 20 are physically separate devices, they exchange necessary information through communication.

[0035] The travel device 60 includes a steering device, a drive device, and a braking device. The steering device steers the wheels of the vehicle V1. The drive device is the driving source that generates the driving force for the vehicle V1. Examples of the drive device include an engine and an electric motor. The braking device generates braking force for the vehicle V1. The travel device 60 controls the travel of the vehicle V1 based on travel control variables related to steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle V1.

[0036] The washer device 70 is a device that performs a washing operation by spraying washer fluid toward the front window of the vehicle V1. The structure of the washer device 70 is not limited. The washer device 70 performs a washing operation in response to an operation request from the driver or the vehicle driving control device 20.

[0037] The automatic driving control device 10 includes an automatic driving function unit 8 as a function for performing automatic driving of the vehicle V1. In addition, the vehicle driving control device 20 includes a motion control function unit 30, a preventive safety function unit 40, and a cleaning control function unit 50 as functions for performing vehicle driving control, preventive safety control, and cleaning control. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The configuration and functions of the automatic driving control device 10 and the vehicle travel control device 20 will be described.

[0038] 2. Composition and Functions of Autonomous Driving Control Devices

[0039] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an autonomous driving control device according to this embodiment. As shown in this diagram, the autonomous driving control device 10 includes a first control device 12 for managing the autonomous driving of a vehicle V1. Furthermore, the autonomous driving control device 10 includes a first information acquisition device 14 connected to the input side of the first control device 12.

[0040] The first information acquiring device 14 is configured to include a surrounding condition sensor 141 , a vehicle state sensor 142 , a vehicle position sensor 143 , and a communication device 144 .

[0041] The surrounding situation sensor 141 identifies information about the surroundings of the vehicle V1. Examples of the surrounding situation sensor 141 include a camera (photographic device), a laser radar (LIDAR), and a radar. This surrounding information includes information about objects identified by the surrounding situation sensor 141. Examples of objects include surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, roadside objects, obstacles, white lines, and traffic lights. Object information includes the relative position and relative speed of the object relative to the vehicle V1. The surrounding information identified by the surrounding situation sensor 141 is transmitted to the first control device 12 at any time.

[0042] The vehicle state sensor 142 detects vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle V1. Examples of the vehicle state sensor 142 include a vehicle speed sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle information detected by the vehicle state sensor 142 is transmitted to the first control device 12 at any time.

[0043] The vehicle position sensor 143 detects the position and orientation of the vehicle V1. For example, the vehicle position sensor 143 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The GPS sensor receives signals transmitted from multiple GPS satellites and calculates the position and orientation of the vehicle V1 based on the received signals. The vehicle position sensor 143 can also perform well-known localization processing to improve the accuracy of the vehicle V1's current position. Vehicle information detected by the vehicle position sensor 143 is constantly transmitted to the first control unit 12.

[0044] The communication device 144 communicates with the outside of the vehicle. For example, the communication device 144 communicates with an external device of the vehicle V1 via a communication network. Examples of the external device here include roadside devices, surrounding vehicles, surrounding infrastructure, etc. The roadside device is a beacon device that sends information such as congestion information, traffic information for each lane, control information such as temporary stops, and information on traffic conditions at blind spots. In addition, when the external device is a surrounding vehicle, the communication device 144 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V communication) with the surrounding vehicles. Moreover, when the external device is surrounding infrastructure, the communication device 144 performs road-to-vehicle communication (V2I communication) with the surrounding infrastructure.

[0045] The first control device 12 is an information processing device that performs various processes in the vehicle control system 100. Typically, the first control device 12 is a microcomputer including a first processor 122, a first storage device 124, and a first input / output interface 126. The first control device 12 is also called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0046] The first storage device 124 stores various types of information. For example, the first storage device 124 stores driving environment information acquired by the first information acquisition device 14. Driving environment information represents the driving environment of the vehicle V1 and includes vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle V1, vehicle status information indicating the status of the vehicle V1, and surrounding condition information indicating the conditions surrounding the vehicle V1. Examples of the first storage device 124 include volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, and a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0047] The first storage device 124 stores map information containing detailed road information. This map information includes, for example, road shape, number of lanes, and lane width. Alternatively, the map information may be stored on an external management server. In this case, the first control unit 12 communicates with the management server to obtain the required map information. The obtained map information is stored in the first storage device 124.

[0048] The first processor 122 executes autonomous driving software, which is a computer program. The autonomous driving software is stored in the first storage device 124. Alternatively, the autonomous driving software is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The first processor 122 executes the autonomous driving software, thereby realizing the functions of the first control device 12.

[0049] Specifically, the first processor 122 executes autonomous driving software related to autonomous driving of the vehicle V1, thereby implementing the functions of the autonomous driving function unit 8. In other words, the autonomous driving function unit 8 is embedded in the first control device 12 as a function for autonomous driving of the vehicle V1. Typically, the first control device 12 performs target trajectory generation processing to generate a target trajectory for autonomous driving of the vehicle V1.

[0050] Here, the target trajectory includes at least the set of target positions [Xi, Yi] of vehicle V1 within the road on which vehicle V1 is traveling. It should be noted that the X direction here refers to the forward direction of vehicle V1, and the Y direction refers to the planar direction orthogonal to the X direction. It should be noted that the target trajectory may also include the target speed [VXi, VYi] for each target position [Xi, Yi].

[0051] During the target trajectory generation process, the first control device 12 first acquires driving environment information from the first information acquisition device 14. The driving environment information is stored in the first storage device 124. Next, the first control device 12 generates a target trajectory for autonomous driving of the vehicle V1 based on the map information and the driving environment information. More specifically, the first control device 12 generates a driving plan for the vehicle V1 during autonomous driving based on the map information and the driving environment information. Based on the driving environment information, the first control device 12 generates a target trajectory required for the vehicle V1 to travel according to the generated driving plan.

[0052] It should be noted that the target trajectory generation process performed by the automatic driving control device 10 utilizes known techniques. Therefore, the description of the functions of the automatic driving control device 10 associated with the target trajectory generation process is limited to the above description. The functions of the automatic driving control device 10 associated with the features of this embodiment will be described in detail later.

[0053] The first input / output interface 126 is an interface for exchanging information with the vehicle travel control device 20. The target trajectory generated by the first control device 12 is output to the vehicle travel control device 20 via the first input / output interface 126.

[0054] 3. Composition and function of vehicle driving control device

[0055] Figure 3 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle driving control device according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the vehicle driving control device 20 includes a second control device 22 , a second information acquisition device 24 , and a second input / output interface 226 .

[0056] The second information acquisition device 24 includes a camera 241, a laser radar (LIDAR) 242, and a radar 243 as surrounding condition sensors for identifying information surrounding the vehicle V1. Of these surrounding condition sensors, the camera 241 is mounted inside the vehicle V1's cabin, while the laser radar 242 and radar 243 are mounted outside. The camera 241 captures the front of the vehicle through the front window from inside the cabin. In the following description, the image information captured through the front window by the camera 241 is referred to as "camera image information." This camera image information captured by the camera 241 is constantly transmitted to the second control device 22.

[0057] The surrounding information identified by the surrounding situation sensor includes object information. Examples of object information include surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, roadside objects, obstacles, white lines, traffic lights, etc. Object information includes the relative position and speed of the object relative to vehicle V1. The surrounding information identified by the surrounding situation sensor is transmitted to the second control device 22 at any time.

[0058] The second information acquisition device 24 further includes a vehicle state sensor 244. The vehicle state sensor 244 detects vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle V1. Examples of the vehicle state sensor 244 include a vehicle speed sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle information detected by the vehicle state sensor 244 is transmitted to the second control device 22 at any time.

[0059] It should be noted that the first information acquisition device 14 and the second information acquisition device 24 may be partially shared. That is, the automatic driving control device 10 and the vehicle driving control device 20 may share a portion of the first information acquisition device 14 or the second information acquisition device 24. In this case, the automatic driving control device 10 and the vehicle driving control device 20 exchange necessary information with each other.

[0060] Furthermore, the second information acquiring device 24 may include the same devices as the vehicle position sensor 143 and the communication device 144 in addition to the aforementioned sensors.

[0061] The second control device 22 is an information processing device that performs various processes in the vehicle control system 100. Typically, the second control device 22 is a microcomputer including a second processor 222, a second storage device 224, and a second input / output interface 226. The second control device 22 is also called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0062] Various information is stored in the second storage device 224. For example, the second storage device 224 stores camera image information, surrounding information, and vehicle information acquired by the second information acquisition device 24. Examples of the second storage device 224 include volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0063] The second processor 222 executes vehicle driving control software, which is a computer program. The vehicle driving control software is stored in the second storage device 224. Alternatively, the vehicle driving control software is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The second processor 222 executes the vehicle driving control software, thereby realizing the functions of the second control device 22.

[0064] Specifically, the second processor 222 executes vehicle driving control software related to vehicle driving control, thereby realizing the functions of the motion control function unit 30, the preventive safety function unit 40, and the wash control function unit 50. In other words, the motion control function unit 30, the preventive safety function unit 40, and the wash control function unit 50 are embedded in the second control device as functions for performing vehicle driving control, preventive safety control, and wash control.

[0065] It should be noted that the motion control function unit 30, the preventive safety function unit 40, and the purge control function unit 50 may also be embedded in physically separate control devices. In this case, the vehicle driving control device 20 may simply include a control device for the motion control function unit 30 for performing vehicle driving control, a control device for the preventive safety function unit 40 for performing preventive safety control, and a control device for the purge control function unit 50 for performing purge control.

[0066] The second input / output interface 226 is an interface for exchanging information with the automatic driving control device 10. The target trajectory output from the first control device 12 and the approval of the approval request described later are input to the vehicle travel control device 20 via the second input / output interface 226.

[0067] 4. Control performed in the vehicle driving control device

[0068] Next, the vehicle travel control, preventive safety control, and cleaning control executed by the second control device 22 of the vehicle travel control device 20 will be described in more detail.

[0069] 4-1. Vehicle driving control

[0070] The second control device 22 performs vehicle driving control, controlling the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle V1. Typically, the second control device 22 performs vehicle driving control by controlling the operation of the driving device 60. Specifically, the second control device 22 controls the steering of the vehicle V1 by controlling the steering device. Furthermore, the second control device 22 controls the acceleration of the vehicle V1 by controlling the driving device. The second control device 22 controls the deceleration of the vehicle V1 by controlling the braking device.

[0071] During vehicle driving control, the second control device 22 receives a target trajectory from the automatic driving control device 10 during the automatic driving of the vehicle V1. Basically, the second control device 22 controls driving control variables related to steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle V1 so that the vehicle V1 follows the target trajectory. Typically, the motion control function unit 30 calculates deviations between various state variables of the vehicle V1 and the target trajectory (e.g., lateral deviation, yaw angle deviation, speed deviation, etc.) and performs vehicle driving control to minimize these deviations.

[0072] 4-2. Preventive safety control

[0073] The second control device 22 performs preventive safety control to improve the safety of the vehicle V1. This preventive safety control intervenes in the vehicle's driving control variables. Typically, during autonomous driving of the vehicle V1, the second control device 22 performs collision avoidance control to prevent the vehicle V1 from colliding with a collision target. During collision avoidance control, the second control device 22 acquires surrounding and vehicle information from the second information acquisition device 24. This acquired information is stored in the second storage device 224. Next, the second control device 22 detects an object to be avoided based on the surrounding and vehicle information. The second control device 22 then determines whether an activation condition for the preventive safety control for the avoidance target is met. For example, the activation condition may be "the time to collision (TTC) from the vehicle V1 to the avoidance target is less than a predetermined threshold." If the activation condition is met, the second control device 22 calculates an intervention driving control variable to avoid a collision with the avoidance target. The calculated intervention driving control variable is output to the motion control function unit 30.

[0074] Basically, the motion control function unit 30 calculates the driving control variable of the vehicle V1 so that the vehicle V1 follows the target trajectory. However, if an intervention driving control variable is input from the preventive safety function unit 40, the motion control function unit 30 corrects the driving control variable based on the intervention driving control variable input from the preventive safety function unit 40. Typically, if an intervention driving control variable is input from the preventive safety function unit 40, the motion control function unit 30 outputs the intervention driving control variable as the final driving control variable.

[0075] 4-3. Cleaning control

[0076] If the visibility of the front window of the vehicle V1 is reduced due to dirt or the like, the recognition of the surrounding situation by the camera 241 may be reduced. In this case, the function of the preventive safety control may not be fully utilized.

[0077] Therefore, during the wash control, if a condition is met indicating that the camera 241's recognition of surrounding conditions has decreased due to dirt on the front window, the second control device 22 initiates a wash operation by spraying washer fluid from the washer device 70. This condition is hereinafter referred to as the "operation request condition." The second control device 22 determines whether the operation request condition is met based on the camera image information from the camera 241. For example, if the reliability (accuracy) of object identification based on the camera image information falls below a predetermined threshold, the second control device 22 deems that dirt is attached to the front window and determines that the operation request condition is met. Alternatively, if the second control device 22 determines that the normal image area, excluding unchanged image areas, in the camera image information of the vehicle V1 while it is traveling is smaller than a predetermined percentage, the second control device 22 deems that dirt is attached to the front window and determines that the operation request condition is met. Alternatively, if the normal image area, excluding white or black image areas, in the camera image information is smaller than a predetermined percentage, the second control device 22 deems that snow or dirt is attached to the front window and determines that the operation request condition is met.

[0078] However, if the driving environment information acquired by the first information acquisition device 14 includes surrounding information acquired through the front window, the washing operation may adversely affect the autonomous driving control executed by the first control device 12. Typically, if washer fluid is sprayed onto the front window during autonomous driving of the vehicle V1, visibility within the imaging range of the surrounding situation sensor 141 may be impaired. Thus, depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle V1, there may be situations where maintaining the autonomous driving function implemented by the first control device 12 should be prioritized over restoring the preventive safety control function implemented by the second control device 22.

[0079] Therefore, in the vehicle control system of this embodiment, when the second control device 22 determines that the cleaning operation should be performed, it requests approval of the cleaning operation from the first control device 12. This request is hereinafter referred to as an "approval request." Upon receiving the approval request, the first control device 12 comprehensively assesses the impact of the cleaning operation on autonomous driving and determines whether to approve the approval request.

[0080] The second control device 22 executes the cleaning operation upon receiving approval from the first control device 12. This control restores the preventive safety control function of the vehicle travel control device 20 without affecting the autonomous driving function implemented by the autonomous driving control device 10.

[0081] It should be noted that if the outside temperature is below the freezing point of the washer fluid (e.g., 0°C), the washer fluid sprayed during the washer operation may adhere to the windshield and freeze, thereby further reducing visibility. Therefore, the second control device 22 may also control the vehicle in such a way that, if it is determined that the washer operation is necessary and the outside temperature is below a predetermined freezing point, the washer operation is not performed.

[0082] Furthermore, even if a washing operation is performed while the vehicle V1 is parked, the impact on the automatic driving control is minimal. Therefore, the second control device 22 may control the vehicle so that, if it is determined that a washing operation is necessary and the vehicle V1 is not traveling, the washing operation is performed without sending an approval request to the automatic driving control device 10.

[0083] As described above, according to the vehicle control system 100 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the washing operation performed by the vehicle travel control device 20 from being executed at a timing that is inappropriate for the automatic driving control device 10 .

[0084] 5. Specific processing of cleaning control executed in vehicle control system

[0085] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing a control routine of the cleaning control executed by the second control device 22. The second control device 22 repeatedly executes the cleaning control routine in a predetermined control cycle. Figure 4 The routine shown.

[0086] exist Figure 4 In step S100 of the routine shown, the second control device 22 determines whether the conditions for requesting a cleaning operation are met. Here, the second control device 22 determines whether the recognition level of the camera 241 is below a predetermined threshold. The recognition level of the camera 241 can be determined, for example, by the reliability (accuracy) of object identification based on the camera image information, the proportion of the camera image area excluding unchanged areas, or the proportion of the camera image area excluding white or black areas. If the determination is not met, the cleaning operation is determined to be unnecessary, and the routine ends.

[0087] On the other hand, if the determination in step S100 is confirmed, a cleaning operation is determined to be necessary, and processing proceeds to the next step, step S102. In step S102, the second control unit 22 determines whether the outside temperature is below a predetermined value. This predetermined value is a pre-set value (e.g., 0°C) representing the temperature at which the washer fluid sprayed onto the front window freezes. If the determination is confirmed, it is determined that the freezing of the washer fluid will affect the autonomous driving function implemented by the autonomous driving control unit 10, and the cleaning operation is not performed, ending the routine.

[0088] On the other hand, if the determination in step S102 is not satisfied, the process proceeds to the next step S104. In step S104, the second control device 22 determines whether the vehicle V1 is traveling based on the vehicle information. If the vehicle V1 is parked, the cleaning operation is determined not to affect the automatic driving function implemented by the automatic driving control device 10, and the process proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if the vehicle V1 is traveling, the cleaning operation is determined to potentially affect the automatic driving function implemented by the automatic driving control device 10, and the process proceeds to step S106.

[0089] In step S106, the second control device 22 transmits a request to approve the cleaning operation to the automatic driving control device 10. The first control device 12 of the automatic driving control device 10 comprehensively determines the degree to which the cleaning operation affects automatic driving and determines whether the approval request can be approved. If the first control device 12 determines that the approval request can be approved, it transmits approval of the approval request to the vehicle driving control device 20.

[0090] After step S106 is completed, the process proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the second control device 22 determines whether it has received approval for the approval request from the automatic driving control device 10. If approval is not received, it is determined that the automatic driving of the automatic driving control device 10 will be affected, and the process will wait until approval is received. On the other hand, if approval is received, it is determined that the automatic driving of the automatic driving control device 10 will not be affected, and the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, the second control device 22 performs a cleaning operation.

[0091] As described above, according to the vehicle control system 100 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the washing operation from being executed at a timing that is inappropriate for the automatic driving function of the automatic driving control device 10 .

[0092] 5. Modifications

[0093] The vehicle control system 100 of the present embodiment may also adopt the following modified forms.

[0094] exist Figure 4 In the control routine of the purge control shown, the processing of step S102 and the processing of step S104 are not essential.

[0095] The operation request condition can be any condition that can determine a decrease in the recognition level of the surrounding situation sensor due to dirt on the front window, and is not limited to a condition using the camera image information from camera 241. In other words, the determination of the operation request condition can be based on surrounding information acquired by the surrounding situation sensor affected by dirt on the front window. For example, it can be based on surrounding information acquired by a laser radar or radar installed in the vehicle cabin.

[0096] The cleaning operation performed by the cleaning device 70 is not limited to spraying washer fluid toward the front window of the vehicle V1. Specifically, it is also conceivable that the lens portion of the camera 241 or the radio wave-transmitting portions of the laser radar 242 or radar 243 included in the second information acquisition device 24 may be exposed to the exterior of the vehicle V1. If the vehicle V1 is equipped with such a sensor device, the cleaning operation performed by the cleaning device 70 may also be configured to spray washer fluid toward the lens portion or radio wave-transmitting portion of the exposed sensor device. In this case, the operation request condition can simply be set to indicate a decrease in the recognition level of the target sensor device.

[0097] The autonomous driving control device 10 and the vehicle driving control device 20 can also be designed and developed separately. For example, the vehicle driving control device 20 responsible for vehicle driving control is designed and developed by a developer (typically an automobile manufacturer) who is proficient in mechanics and vehicle motion characteristics. In this case, the reliability of the vehicle driving control device 20 is extremely high. Based on the use of such a highly reliable preventive safety function unit 40, the autonomous driving service provider can design and develop software for the autonomous driving control device 10. In this sense, the vehicle driving control device 20 can be said to be a platform for autonomous driving services.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for controlling a vehicle that performs automatic driving, wherein: The vehicle control system includes: an automatic driving control device that generates a target trajectory for the automatic driving of the vehicle; and a vehicle driving control device that performs vehicle driving control to control steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the target trajectory. The vehicle driving control device is configured to: determining whether an operation request condition for a washing operation of spraying washing fluid onto the front window of the vehicle or the sensor device is satisfied, When the operation request condition is met, a request for approval of the cleaning operation is sent to the automatic driving control device. When approval of the approval request is received from the automatic driving control device, performing the cleaning action, The vehicle includes a surrounding condition sensor that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle from inside the vehicle compartment through the front window. The vehicle travel control device is configured to: perform preventive safety control for intervening in a control amount of the vehicle travel control to prevent or avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle based on surrounding information acquired by the surrounding condition sensor; The operation request condition includes that the recognition degree of the peripheral condition sensor is lower than a threshold.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein: The operation request condition includes that the outside air temperature is higher than the freezing temperature of the washer fluid.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The vehicle travel control device is configured to execute the washing operation without sending the approval request to the automatic driving control device when the operation request condition is satisfied and the vehicle is parked.

4. A vehicle driving control device that receives a target trajectory for autonomous driving of a vehicle generated by an autonomous driving control device and performs vehicle driving control for controlling the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the target trajectory, wherein: The vehicle driving control device is configured to: determining whether an operation request condition for a washing operation of spraying washing fluid onto the front window of the vehicle or the sensor device is satisfied, When the operation request condition is met, a request for approval of the cleaning operation is sent to the automatic driving control device. When approval of the approval request is received from the automatic driving control device, performing the cleaning action, The vehicle includes a surrounding condition sensor that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle from inside the vehicle compartment through the front window. The vehicle travel control device is configured to: perform preventive safety control for intervening in a control amount of the vehicle travel control to prevent or avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle based on surrounding information acquired by the surrounding condition sensor; The operation request condition includes that the recognition degree of the peripheral condition sensor is lower than a threshold.

5. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 4, wherein: The operation request condition includes that the outside air temperature is higher than the freezing temperature of the washer fluid.

6. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The vehicle travel control device is configured to execute the washing operation without sending the approval request to the automatic driving control device when the operation request condition is satisfied and the vehicle is parked.

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