Vehicle queuing control method, computer device, storage medium and vehicle

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of autonomous driving technology, specifically providing a vehicle queuing control method, computer equipment, storage medium, and vehicle, aiming to solve the problem of intelligent vehicle queuing control. To this end, the method provided by this invention includes determining a virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located, controlling the vehicle to drive towards the virtual queuing area to wait in the queue, and dynamically controlling the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on the vehicle's real-time queuing position and the stopping direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area, until reaching the queuing destination. Through the above method, autonomous driving is achieved throughout the entire gradual approach to the queuing destination process, from determining the queuing area to following and / or detouring around the vehicle in front, until reaching the queuing destination, without requiring driver intervention, significantly improving the intelligence of vehicle queuing control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of autonomous driving technology, specifically to a vehicle queuing control method, a computer device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of vehicle services, various vehicle services that require queuing have emerged, such as queuing for charging, queuing for battery swapping, and queuing for car washing. The queuing process for these services is often lengthy and tedious, and drivers also need to frequently start and stop with other vehicles and adjust their queuing positions. This makes it difficult for drivers to be distracted for long periods of time, resulting in a significant waste of time and energy and affecting their driving experience.

[0003] Accordingly, a new technical solution is needed in this field to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies, the present invention is proposed to provide a vehicle queuing control method, computer device, computer-readable storage medium, and vehicle that solve, or at least partially solve, the technical problem of how to intelligently control vehicle queuing to improve the driving experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, a vehicle queuing control method is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Determine the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located;

[0007] Control the vehicle to drive to the virtual queuing area and wait in line;

[0008] During the queuing process, the vehicle is dynamically controlled to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on its real-time queuing position and the stopping direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area, until it reaches the queuing destination.

[0009] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle queuing control method, before the step of "determining the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located", the method further includes:

[0010] Based on the initial queue position of the vehicle, the estimated queueing time of the vehicle is determined.

[0011] Obtain the number of available parking spaces around the queue destination;

[0012] If the queuing time exceeds a preset time threshold and the number of parking spaces exceeds a preset first quantity threshold, then the vehicle is controlled to park in the available parking space to wait in line. After detecting that the queue has been filled, the vehicle is controlled to drive to the queuing destination according to the navigation path from the available parking space to the queuing destination, and the step of "determining the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located" is no longer executed; otherwise, the step of "determining the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located" continues to be executed.

[0013] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle queuing control method, the step of "determining the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located" specifically includes:

[0014] Determine whether the navigation map loaded by the vehicle is marked with a virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located;

[0015] If so, then based on the virtual queuing area marked on the navigation map, determine the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding stopping direction;

[0016] If not, then based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination, determine the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding stopping direction;

[0017] And / or, the step of "dynamically controlling the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on the vehicle's real-time queuing position and the parking direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area during the queuing process, until reaching the queuing destination" specifically includes:

[0018] Based on the real-time queue position of the vehicle, determine whether it has been reached in the queue;

[0019] If a vehicle has already entered the virtual queuing area before its turn, it is controlled to follow the vehicle in front of it according to the parking direction. If a vehicle fails to enter the virtual queuing area due to obstruction by the vehicle in front, it is controlled to follow the vehicle in front of it or to detour around the vehicle in front of it according to the parking direction in order to enter the virtual queuing area.

[0020] When the vehicle has entered the virtual queuing area, it is controlled to drive directly into the queuing destination or bypass the vehicle in front and then drive into the queuing destination. If the vehicle does not enter the virtual queuing area due to the obstruction of the vehicle in front, it is controlled to bypass the vehicle in front and then drive into the queuing destination.

[0021] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle queuing control method, before the step of "determining the virtual queuing area and its corresponding stopping direction on the road where the queuing destination is located based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination", the method further includes:

[0022] Determine whether the navigation map marks a virtual queuing area for the queuing destination located on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located;

[0023] If not, continue with the step of "determining the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding parking direction based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination";

[0024] If so, the step of "determining the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding parking direction based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination" will no longer be executed. Instead, the vehicle will be controlled to drive to the virtual queuing area on the other road to queue. If it is detected that the vehicle has reached the front of the queue during the queuing process, the vehicle will be controlled to drive into the queuing destination according to the navigation path from the virtual queuing area to the queuing destination. The step of "dynamically controlling the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on the real-time queuing position of the vehicle and the parking direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area until the queuing destination is reached" will no longer be executed.

[0025] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle queuing control method, the step of "controlling the vehicle to stop or bypass the vehicle in front according to the parking direction in order to enter the virtual queuing area" includes:

[0026] If the vehicle is still unable to enter the virtual queuing area after maneuvering around the vehicle in front, then the vehicle is controlled to park in the area next to the virtual queuing area, and the vehicle is controlled to enter the virtual queuing area only after space is detected in the virtual queuing area.

[0027] And / or, the step of "controlling the vehicle to bypass the vehicle in front and then proceed into the queuing destination" specifically includes:

[0028] If the vehicle is still unable to enter the queue destination after maneuvering around the vehicle in front, then the vehicle is controlled to stop at the end of the road leading to the queue destination, and the vehicle is controlled to enter the queue destination only after space is detected at the end of the road.

[0029] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle queuing control method, the virtual queuing area on the navigation map is obtained by marking the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination and the queuing space around the queuing destination.

[0030] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle queuing control method, when the estimated number of vehicles in the queue is less than a preset second number threshold or the spatial range of the queuing space is greater than a preset spatial range threshold, the virtual queuing area on the navigation map includes at least the following types of virtual queuing areas:

[0031] A virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination refers to a virtual queuing area formed on the lane of the road where the queuing destination is located, with the queuing destination as the endpoint.

[0032] When the estimated number of vehicles in the queue is greater than or equal to a preset second threshold and the spatial range of the queue space is less than or equal to a preset spatial range threshold, the virtual queue area on the navigation map includes at least the following types of virtual queue areas:

[0033] The distance-based virtual queuing area for the destination is a virtual queuing area formed on the lane of the road where the queuing destination is located, with a specific road point located at a preset distance before the queuing destination as the endpoint.

[0034] The intermittent virtual queuing area within a lane refers to a virtual queuing area formed by the adjacent virtual queuing area and the virtual queuing area spaced at a distance from the destination on the lane of the road where the queuing destination is located.

[0035] A virtual queueing area with discontinuous segments before and after the destination refers to a virtual queueing area formed by two segments of virtual queueing areas located before and after the destination on the road where the queueing destination is located.

[0036] A separate road-type virtual queuing area refers to a virtual queuing area formed on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located.

[0037] In a second aspect, a computer device is provided, comprising a processor and a storage device, the storage device being adapted to store a plurality of program codes, the program codes being adapted to be loaded and executed by the processor to perform the vehicle queuing control method described in any of the above-described technical solutions.

[0038] In a third aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a plurality of program codes are stored therein, the program codes being adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the vehicle queuing control method described in any of the above-described technical solutions.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, a vehicle is provided that includes the computer equipment described in the above-described computer equipment technical solution.

[0040] The above-described technical solutions of the present invention have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0041] In implementing the technical solution of this invention, a virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located can be determined. The vehicle is then controlled to drive towards the virtual queuing area to wait in line. Finally, during the queuing process, based on the vehicle's real-time queuing position and the stopping direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area, the vehicle is dynamically controlled to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front until reaching the queuing destination. Through the above implementation method, autonomous driving (automated operation) is achieved throughout the entire gradual approach to the queuing destination process, from determining the queuing area to following and / or detouring around the vehicle in front, until reaching the queuing destination. No driver intervention is required, significantly improving the intelligence of vehicle queuing control and thus enhancing the driving experience.

[0042] Furthermore, in implementing the technical solution of this invention, the queuing time of a vehicle can be estimated based on its initial queuing position, and the number of available parking spaces around the queuing destination can be obtained. If the queuing time exceeds a preset time threshold and the number of parking spaces exceeds a preset first quantity threshold, the vehicle is controlled to park in an available parking space to wait in the queue. After detecting that the vehicle has reached its queuing position, the vehicle is controlled to travel to the queuing destination along a navigation path from the available parking space. Otherwise, the vehicle continues to be controlled to wait in the queue by gradually approaching the queuing destination as described in the aforementioned technical solution. In other words, when the conditions for parking and queuing are met, the vehicle is controlled to park in a parking space to wait in the queue; when the conditions for parking and queuing are not met, the vehicle continues to be controlled to wait in the queue by gradually approaching the queuing destination as described in the aforementioned technical solution. Through this implementation method, the flexibility of vehicle queuing control is significantly improved, and the intelligence of vehicle queuing control and the driving experience of the vehicle are further enhanced. Attached Figure Description

[0043] The disclosure of this invention will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. Wherein:

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of a vehicle queuing control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a first type of virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a second type of virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a first type of distance-based virtual queuing area with a defined destination according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a second type of distance-based virtual queuing area for setting destinations according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an intermittent virtual queuing area within a lane according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a virtual queuing area with discontinuous queuing before and after the destination according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a separate road-type virtual queuing area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing an unobstructed virtual queuing area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a small number of obstructions within a virtual queuing area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing all obstructions within a virtual queuing area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the virtual queuing area that can be entered after overtaking when not yet in the queue, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating that vehicles cannot enter a virtual queuing area after overtaking when their turn has not yet been reached, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating that, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle can overtake another vehicle after it has reached the queue and proceed to the destination in the queue.

[0058] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating that, according to an embodiment of the present invention, once a vehicle has been overtaken, it is prohibited from entering the queue destination.

[0059] Figure 16 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of a vehicle queuing control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0060] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0061] In the description of this invention, "processor" can include hardware, software, or a combination of both. A processor can be a central processing unit, microprocessor, image processor, digital signal processor, or any other suitable processor. The processor has data and / or signal processing capabilities. The processor can be implemented in software, in hardware, or a combination of both. Computer-readable storage media includes any suitable medium capable of storing program code, such as magnetic disks, hard disks, optical disks, flash memory, read-only memory, random access memory, etc. The term "A and / or B" means all possible combinations of A and B, such as only A, only B, or A and B.

[0062] The following describes an embodiment of the vehicle queuing control method provided by the present invention.

[0063] I. Example of the first vehicle queuing control method

[0064] See appendix Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of a vehicle queuing control method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle queuing control method in this embodiment of the invention mainly includes the following steps S101 to S103.

[0065] Step S101: Determine the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located.

[0066] The fact that the queuing destination is located on the road actually means that the queuing destination is located within the road area where the road is located, not necessarily on the road surface. Specifically, a road typically includes one or more lanes. As long as the queuing destination is located in the area adjacent to at least one lane, it can be determined that the queuing destination is located on this road. For example, if road A includes two lanes in the same direction (inner lane and outer lane), and the queuing destination is a vehicle charging station, if the vehicle charging station is located in the area adjacent to the outer lane, then it can be determined that the vehicle charging station is located on road A.

[0067] A virtual queuing area is a road surface area of ​​a certain length. If the road includes multiple lanes, the virtual queuing area can be a lane area of ​​a certain length located within one lane. Furthermore, the virtual queuing area is a virtual area defined on the road, rather than an area actually marked on the road. That is, even if no queuing area is marked on the road, embodiments of the present invention can still determine a queuing area for queuing towards the destination.

[0068] Step S102: Control the vehicle to drive to the virtual queuing area to wait in line.

[0069] Specifically, autonomous driving control technology can be used, with a virtual queuing area as the navigation destination. The vehicle is controlled to drive towards the virtual queuing area and wait in the queue until it reaches its final destination. Furthermore, it should be noted that if the vehicle's initial queue position determines that queuing is unnecessary, the vehicle can be directly controlled to drive towards its final destination instead of queuing in the virtual queuing area. The method for controlling the vehicle to drive towards the final destination is similar to the method for controlling the vehicle to drive towards the virtual queuing area described above.

[0070] Step S103: During the queuing process, based on the vehicle's real-time queuing position and the parking direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area, dynamically control the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front until reaching the queuing destination.

[0071] Parking direction refers to the direction a vehicle's parking spot faces on the road. For example, if the parking direction is right-hand parking, the vehicle will park closer to the right side of the road. Since the virtual queuing area is a portion of the road, the corresponding parking direction may vary depending on the road. If you need to stop your vehicle while it is following the vehicle in front of you, you can control it to park in the aforementioned parking direction.

[0072] By dynamically controlling the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on its real-time queue position, the vehicle can continuously approach the queue destination while waiting in the queue, until it is its turn to enter the queue destination.

[0073] Based on the methods described in steps S101 to S103 above, autonomous driving is achieved for the entire queuing process, from determining the queuing area to stopping and / or detouring around the vehicle in front, until reaching the queuing destination. No driver intervention is required, which significantly improves the intelligence of vehicle queuing control and thus enhances the driving experience.

[0074] The following provides further explanation of steps S101 and S103.

[0075] First, let me explain step S101 above.

[0076] In some embodiments of step S101 above, in order to improve the convenience and reliability of determining the virtual queuing area, the virtual queuing areas of different queuing destinations can be marked on the navigation map. In the process of autonomous driving control of the vehicle based on the navigation map, the vehicle can be controlled to quickly obtain the virtual queuing area of ​​the queuing destination directly from the navigation map.

[0077] In this embodiment, virtual queuing areas for different queuing destinations can be pre-determined when creating the navigation map. Then, information such as the location and stopping direction of these virtual queuing areas is obtained, and these areas are drawn onto the navigation map based on this information. Furthermore, since the number of queuing destinations is usually large and new queuing destinations are constantly generated after the navigation map is created, to reduce the workload of map creation, a crowdsourced operation annotation method can be used after the navigation map is created. Crowdsourced operators can annotate the virtual queuing areas of new queuing destinations on the created navigation map. To facilitate the annotation of virtual queuing areas by crowdsourced operators, an annotation platform can be established. The created navigation map can be uploaded to this annotation platform, allowing different crowdsourced operators to annotate the navigation map on this platform. For example, crowdsourced operators can select road information and / or lane information at the location of the virtual queuing area on the navigation map, and then annotate the start and end points of the virtual queuing information on the navigation map in the form of GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a virtual queuing area for the queuing destination can be determined based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the destination and the queuing space around the destination, and then marked on the navigation map. Here, the estimated number of vehicles queuing refers to the estimated number of vehicles participating in the queue, and the queuing space around the destination refers to the spatial range around the destination that can accommodate the vehicles participating in the queue. In this embodiment, based on the comparison result of the estimated number of vehicles queuing with a preset quantity threshold, and the comparison result of the queuing space range with a preset space range threshold, two cases can be determined to define the virtual queuing area, which will be explained below. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can flexibly set the specific values ​​of the preset quantity threshold and the preset space range threshold according to actual needs; this embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0079] Scenario 1: The estimated number of vehicles in the queue is less than the preset threshold, or the queue space is greater than the preset threshold.

[0080] In this case, the virtual queuing areas on the navigation map include at least the following types of virtual queuing areas:

[0081] A virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination refers to a virtual queuing area formed on the lane closest to the destination on the road where the queuing destination is located, with the destination as the endpoint. The length of the virtual queuing area can be determined based on the estimated number of vehicles in the queue. For example, if the estimated number of vehicles in the queue is 3, and the average length of each vehicle is 5 meters, then the length of the virtual queuing area could be 15 meters.

[0082] See appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 3 , Figure 2 An example is shown of a first type of virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination. Figure 3 An example is shown of a second type of virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the virtual queuing area is a linear area, and the starting point of the virtual queuing area is the ending point of the queuing destination. Figure 3 As shown, the virtual queuing area is a right-angled area, and the starting point of the virtual queuing area is also the ending point of the queuing destination.

[0083] Scenario 2: The estimated number of vehicles in the queue is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and the spatial range of the queue is less than or equal to a preset spatial range threshold.

[0084] In this case, the virtual queuing area on the navigation map includes at least the following types of virtual queuing areas: virtual queuing areas with distances between destinations, virtual queuing areas with intermittent queuing within lanes, virtual queuing areas with intermittent queuing before and after the destination, and virtual queuing areas with separate roads.

[0085] 1. Set distance-based virtual queuing areas at different destinations.

[0086] The application scenario for setting a distance-based virtual queuing area at the destination is when the queuing space in an area a certain distance away from the queuing destination is larger than a preset spatial range threshold, which can accommodate a certain number of vehicles to participate in the queuing.

[0087] Specifically, a distance-based virtual queuing area refers to a virtual queuing area formed on the lane closest to the queuing destination on the road where the queuing destination is located, with a specific road point located at a preset distance before the queuing destination as the endpoint. (See appendix) Figure 4 and attached Figure 5 , Figure 5 An example is shown of a first type of distance-based virtual queuing area with interval destination settings. Figure 5 An example is shown of a second type of distance-based virtual queuing area for setting destinations. For example... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the area around the queuing destination is a narrow passage, and the queuing space is less than or equal to a preset space range threshold. However, the queuing space in the area a certain distance before the queuing destination is greater than the preset space range threshold. Therefore, a virtual queuing area is set in this queuing space.

[0088] 2. Intermittent virtual queuing areas within the lanes

[0089] Intermittent virtual queuing areas within lanes can also be used in scenarios where the queuing space is located at a certain distance from the destination and its spatial range exceeds a preset threshold, allowing a certain number of vehicles to participate in the queue. Unlike virtual queuing areas with distances set between destinations, intermittent virtual queuing areas within lanes are virtual queuing areas formed by multiple dispersed sub-virtual queuing areas.

[0090] Specifically, the intermittent virtual queuing area within a lane refers to a virtual queuing area formed by adjacent virtual queuing areas and virtual queuing areas spaced at a distance from the destination on the lane closest to the queuing destination on the road where the queuing destination is located. (See appendix) Figure 6 , Figure 6 An example is shown of an intermittent virtual queuing area within a lane. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the intermittent virtual queuing area within the lane includes two sub-virtual queuing areas (Area A and Area B). Area A is a virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination, while Area B is a virtual queuing area with a set distance from the destination.

[0091] 3. Intermittent virtual queuing areas before and after the destination

[0092] The intermittent virtual queuing area before and after the destination is similar to the intermittent virtual queuing area within the lane. The main difference is that the multiple dispersed sub-virtual queuing areas in the intermittent virtual queuing area before and after the destination are not limited to being arranged only on the lanes close to the queuing destination, but can be dispersed in any lane of the road where the queuing destination is located, either before or after the queuing destination.

[0093] Specifically, the discontinuous virtual queuing area before and after the destination refers to a virtual queuing area formed by two sub-segments of virtual queuing areas located before and after the destination on the road where the queuing destination is located. See Appendix Figure 7 , Figure 7 An example is shown showing a discontinuous virtual queuing area before and after the destination. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the intermittent virtual queuing area before and after the destination includes two sub-virtual queuing areas (Area A and Area B), where Area A is located after the queuing destination and Area B is located before the queuing destination.

[0094] 4. Create a separate virtual queuing area for different routes.

[0095] The application scenario for a virtual queuing area on a separate road is when there is no queuing space larger than a preset spatial range threshold on the road where the queuing destination is located, but there is a queuing space larger than the preset spatial range threshold on other roads. Therefore, a virtual queuing area can be set up on other roads. At the same time, during the queuing process in this virtual queuing area, the vehicle is no longer controlled to dynamically follow and stop and / or detour around the vehicle in front. Instead, when it is time to queue, the vehicle is controlled to drive directly to the queuing destination.

[0096] Specifically, a separate road-based virtual queuing area refers to a virtual queuing area formed on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located. See Appendix. Figure 8 , Figure 8 An example is shown of another road-type virtual queuing area. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the road where the virtual queuing area is located is not the same road as the road where the queuing destination is located. Since the road where the queuing destination is located is a one-way lane and parking would block traffic, the virtual queuing area is set on another road.

[0097] The above is an explanation of the various virtual queuing areas marked on the navigation map.

[0098] The following describes the specific method for determining the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located based on the virtual queuing area marked on the navigation map in step S101 above. Specifically, in some embodiments of step S101 above, the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located can be determined by the following steps S1011 to S1013.

[0099] Step S1011: Determine whether the navigation map loaded by the vehicle is marked with a virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located;

[0100] If it is marked, proceed to step S1012; if it is not marked, proceed to step S1013.

[0101] Step S1012: Based on the virtual queuing areas marked on the navigation map, determine the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding stopping direction.

[0102] Step S1013: Based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination, determine the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding parking direction.

[0103] In the absence of a marked virtual queuing area on the navigation map, to determine the virtual queuing area and ensure proper vehicle queuing control, the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the destination and the estimated length of the queuing space can be used. Then, a virtual queuing area can be formed based on this length and with the destination as the endpoint. Next, the typical parking direction of the destination is obtained, and this typical parking direction is used as the parking direction of the virtual queuing area; for example, the typical parking direction is right-hand parking.

[0104] Based on the method described in steps S1011 to S1013 above, the virtual queuing area can be accurately determined based on the navigation map, and the vehicle queuing control can be carried out normally even when the virtual queuing area is not marked on the navigation map, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of vehicle queuing control.

[0105] Furthermore, in some other embodiments, step S1013 can be replaced by steps S1014 to S1016.

[0106] Step S1014: Determine whether the navigation map marks a virtual queuing area for a queuing destination located on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located. The virtual queuing area for a queuing destination located on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located can be a separate road type virtual queuing area as described in the preceding embodiments.

[0107] If it is marked, proceed to step S1015; if it is not marked, proceed to step S1016.

[0108] Step S1015: Instead of determining the virtual queuing area and its corresponding parking direction on the road where the queuing destination is located based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination, the virtual queuing area of ​​the queuing destination on the other roads mentioned above, marked on the navigation map, is obtained, and the vehicles are queued according to this virtual queuing area.

[0109] Accordingly, step S102 can be replaced by controlling the vehicle to drive to a virtual queuing area located on the other roads to queue up, and step S103 can be replaced by controlling the vehicle to drive to the queuing destination according to the navigation path from the virtual queuing area to the queuing destination if it is detected that the queue has been reached during the queuing process.

[0110] Step S1016: Based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination, determine the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding parking direction, that is, continue to perform the original operation of step S1013, and also continue to perform the original operations of steps S102 and S103.

[0111] Based on the method described in steps S1014 to S1016 above, virtual queuing areas marked on the navigation map can be selected first to further improve the reliability of vehicle queuing control.

[0112] The above is an explanation of step S102. Step S103 will be explained below.

[0113] In some embodiments of step S103 above, the following steps S1031 to S1035 can be used to dynamically control the vehicle to stop and / or detour around the vehicle in front until the queuing destination is reached.

[0114] Step S1031: Determine whether the vehicle has reached its turn based on its real-time queue position.

[0115] If not found, proceed to step S1032 or step S1033;

[0116] If the queue has been filled, proceed to step S1034 or step S1035.

[0117] Step S1032: If the vehicle has already entered the virtual queuing area, control the vehicle to follow the vehicle in front according to the parking direction. For example... Figure 9 As shown, if there are no obstructions within the virtual queuing area after the vehicle enters, it can be controlled to drive to the end of the virtual queuing area, wait in line, and then drive from the end to the queuing destination. Figure 10 As shown, if there are minor obstructions in the virtual queuing area after a vehicle enters it, the vehicle will be controlled to stop following the vehicle in front, based on its parking direction. For example... Figure 11 As shown, if the virtual queuing area is completely blocked after a vehicle enters it, the vehicle will be controlled to stop in the same way as the vehicle in front, based on the stopping direction.

[0118] Step S1033: If a vehicle fails to enter the virtual queuing area due to obstruction by a vehicle in front, the vehicle is controlled to either stop or circle around the vehicle in front to enter the virtual queuing area, depending on the parking direction. For example... Figure 12 As shown by the arrow, you can control your vehicle to bypass the vehicles in front and enter the virtual queue area.

[0119] In some implementations, if the vehicle is unable to enter the virtual queuing area after maneuvering around the vehicle in front, the vehicle is parked to the side of the virtual queuing area, and then driven into the virtual queuing area only after space is detected in the virtual queuing area. For example... Figure 13 As shown by the arrow, you can control the vehicle to bypass the vehicle in front and drive to the side of the virtual queue area.

[0120] Step S1034: If the vehicle has already entered the virtual queuing area, control the vehicle to either drive directly to the queuing destination or bypass the vehicle in front and then drive to the queuing destination. For example... Figure 9 As shown, if a vehicle has entered the virtual queuing area and is located at the end of the virtual queuing area, it can be controlled to drive directly to the queuing destination. Figure 10 As shown, if a vehicle has entered the virtual queuing area and there are other vehicles in front of it, the vehicle can be controlled to bypass the vehicles in front and then enter the queuing destination.

[0121] Step S1035: If the vehicle fails to enter the virtual queuing area due to obstruction by a vehicle in front, control the vehicle to bypass the vehicle in front and then enter the queuing destination. For example... Figure 11 and Figure 14 As shown by the middle arrow, you can control the vehicle to bypass the vehicle in front and then drive into the queue destination.

[0122] In some implementations, if the vehicle is unable to enter the queue destination after maneuvering around the vehicle in front, it is stopped at the end of the road leading to the queue destination, and then driven into the queue destination only after space is detected at the end of the road. For example... Figure 15 As shown by the middle arrow, you can control the vehicle to park at the end of the road leading to the queuing destination.

[0123] Based on the method described in steps S1031 to S1035 above, vehicles can be controlled to drive automatically according to their queuing positions, thereby improving the intelligence of vehicle queuing control.

[0124] The above is a description of the first embodiment of the vehicle queuing control method. The following is a description of the second embodiment of the vehicle queuing control method.

[0125] II. Implementation example of the second vehicle queuing control method.

[0126] See appendix Figure 16 , Figure 16 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of a vehicle queuing control method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 As shown, the vehicle queuing control method in this embodiment of the invention may include, in addition to, Figure 1 In addition to steps S101 to S103 in the method embodiment shown, a step S100 is included before step S101 is executed, and this step S100 specifically includes the following steps S1001 to S1005.

[0127] Step S1001: Estimate the queuing time of the vehicle based on its initial queuing position.

[0128] For example, if a vehicle's initial queue position is 10th and the queue position is updated every 5 minutes, then the estimated queue time is 50 minutes.

[0129] Step S1002: Obtain the number of available parking spaces around the queue destination.

[0130] Available parking spaces are those that are vacant and can be used for parking.

[0131] Step S1003: Determine whether the queuing time is longer than the preset time threshold and the number of parking spaces is greater than the preset quantity threshold; if yes, it means that the queuing time is long and there are enough empty parking spaces, and the vehicle can be parked in a parking space to wait in line, so proceed to step S1004; if no, proceed to step S101 and continue to execute steps S101 to S103.

[0132] Step S1004: Control the vehicle to park in a parking space and wait in line. It should be noted that in this embodiment, conventional parking control methods from the field of autonomous driving technology can be used to control the vehicle to park in a parking space. This embodiment will not elaborate on the parking control method.

[0133] Step S1005: After detecting that the queue has been filled, control the vehicle to drive to the queue destination according to the navigation route from the available parking space to the queue destination.

[0134] Based on the method described in steps S100 to S103 above, vehicles can be controlled to park in a parking space and wait in line when the conditions for parking queuing are met. When the conditions for parking queuing are not met, the method described in steps S101 to S103 can continue to be used to control vehicles to wait in line. This significantly improves the flexibility of vehicle queuing control and further enhances the intelligence of vehicle queuing control and the driving experience of the vehicles.

[0135] It should be noted that although the steps in the above embodiments are described in a specific order, those skilled in the art will understand that in order to achieve the effects of the present invention, different steps do not necessarily have to be executed in such an order. They can be executed simultaneously (in parallel) or in other orders, and these variations are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0136] The following example illustrates an embodiment of the vehicle queuing control method provided by the present invention, with the queuing destination being a vehicle battery swapping station in a highway service area.

[0137] Because the layout of different highway service areas varies, the location of vehicle swapping stations within these service areas is also flexible and not fixed. Therefore, a crowdsourced operation and marking method is adopted, where crowdsourced operators mark the virtual queuing area of ​​the vehicle swapping station on a pre-built navigation map. Furthermore, through on-site inspection of this vehicle swapping station, its virtual queuing area is determined to be adjacent to the destination, with a length of 10 meters to accommodate the queuing needs of two vehicles. When a vehicle needs to swap batteries, the vehicle queuing control method provided by this invention can be used to load the navigation map, determine the location of the virtual queuing area of ​​the vehicle swapping station and its corresponding stopping direction based on the navigation map, and then control the vehicle to drive to the virtual queuing area of ​​the vehicle swapping station to wait in line. If stopping is required during this process, the vehicle is controlled to stop according to the aforementioned stopping direction.

[0138] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the method of the above embodiment of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable file, or some intermediate form. The computer-readable storage medium can include any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc. It should be noted that the content included in the computer-readable storage medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, the computer-readable storage medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0139] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a computer device.

[0140] In one embodiment of a computer device according to the present invention, the computer device includes a processor and a storage device. The storage device may be configured to store a program for executing the vehicle queuing control method of the above-described method embodiments. The processor may be configured to execute the program in the storage device, which includes, but is not limited to, a program for executing the vehicle queuing control method of the above-described method embodiments. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention. The computer device may be a control device device comprising various electronic devices.

[0141] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium.

[0142] In one embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store a program for performing the vehicle queuing control method of the above-described method embodiments. This program may be loaded and run by a processor to implement the vehicle queuing control method. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention. The computer-readable storage medium may be a storage device comprising various electronic devices. Optionally, in the embodiments of the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0143] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a vehicle. In one embodiment of a vehicle according to the present invention, the vehicle may include the computer equipment described in the above-described computer equipment embodiments. In this embodiment, the vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, or the like. Moreover, according to the type of power source, the vehicle in this embodiment may be a gasoline vehicle, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle using a mixture of electric and gasoline power, or a vehicle using other new energy sources, etc.

[0144] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to one embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions resulting from such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle queuing control method, characterized in that, The method includes: Based on the vehicle's initial queue position, estimate the queueing time; obtain the number of available parking spaces around the queue destination. If the queuing time is greater than a preset time threshold and the number of parking spaces is greater than a preset first quantity threshold, then the vehicle is controlled to park in the available parking space to wait in line, and after it is detected that the queue has been reached, the vehicle is controlled to drive to the queue destination according to the navigation path from the available parking space to the queue destination. Otherwise, determine a virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located; control the vehicle to drive to the virtual queuing area to queue; during the queuing process, dynamically control the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on the vehicle's real-time queuing position and the stopping direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area, until the queuing destination is reached.

2. The vehicle queuing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for "determining the virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located" specifically include: Determine whether the navigation map loaded by the vehicle is marked with a virtual queuing area located on the road where the queuing destination is located; If so, then based on the virtual queuing area marked on the navigation map, determine the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding stopping direction; If not, then based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination, determine the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding stopping direction; And / or, The step of "dynamically controlling the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front, based on the vehicle's real-time queuing position and the parking direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area, until reaching the queuing destination" specifically includes: Based on the real-time queue position of the vehicle, determine whether it has been reached in the queue; If a vehicle has already entered the virtual queuing area before its turn, it is controlled to follow the vehicle in front of it according to the parking direction. If a vehicle fails to enter the virtual queuing area due to obstruction by the vehicle in front, it is controlled to follow the vehicle in front of it or to detour around the vehicle in front of it according to the parking direction in order to enter the virtual queuing area. When the vehicle has entered the virtual queuing area, it is controlled to drive directly into the queuing destination or bypass the vehicle in front and then drive into the queuing destination. If the vehicle does not enter the virtual queuing area due to the obstruction of the vehicle in front, it is controlled to bypass the vehicle in front and then drive into the queuing destination.

3. The vehicle queuing control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before the step of "determining the virtual queuing area and its corresponding stopping direction on the road where the queuing destination is located based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination", the method further includes: Determine whether the navigation map marks a virtual queuing area for the queuing destination located on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located; If not, continue with the step of "determining the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding parking direction based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination". If so, the step of "determining the virtual queuing area on the road where the queuing destination is located and its corresponding parking direction based on the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination" will no longer be executed. Instead, the vehicle will be controlled to drive to the virtual queuing area on the other road to queue. If it is detected that the vehicle has reached the front of the queue during the queuing process, the vehicle will be controlled to drive into the queuing destination according to the navigation path from the virtual queuing area to the queuing destination. The step of "dynamically controlling the vehicle to follow and / or detour around the vehicle in front based on the real-time queuing position of the vehicle and the parking direction corresponding to the virtual queuing area until the queuing destination is reached" will no longer be executed.

4. The vehicle queuing control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steps of "controlling the vehicle to stop or bypass the vehicle in front according to the parking direction in order to enter the virtual queuing area" include: If the vehicle is still unable to enter the virtual queuing area after maneuvering around the vehicle in front, then the vehicle is controlled to park in the area next to the virtual queuing area, and the vehicle is controlled to enter the virtual queuing area only after space is detected in the virtual queuing area. And / or, The steps of "controlling the vehicle to bypass the vehicle in front and then enter the queue destination" specifically include: If the vehicle is still unable to enter the queue destination after maneuvering around the vehicle in front, then the vehicle is controlled to stop at the end of the road leading to the queue destination, and the vehicle is controlled to enter the queue destination only after space is detected at the end of the road.

5. The vehicle queuing control method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The virtual queuing area on the navigation map is obtained by marking the estimated number of vehicles queuing at the queuing destination and the queuing space around the queuing destination.

6. The vehicle queuing control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, If the estimated number of vehicles in the queue is less than a preset second threshold or the spatial range of the queue space is greater than a preset spatial range threshold, the virtual queue area on the navigation map shall include at least the following types of virtual queue areas: A virtual queuing area adjacent to the destination refers to a virtual queuing area formed on the lane of the road where the queuing destination is located, with the queuing destination as the endpoint. When the estimated number of vehicles in the queue is greater than or equal to a preset second threshold and the spatial range of the queue space is less than or equal to a preset spatial range threshold, the virtual queue area on the navigation map includes at least the following types of virtual queue areas: The distance-based virtual queuing area for the destination is a virtual queuing area formed on the lane of the road where the queuing destination is located, with a specific road point located at a preset distance before the queuing destination as the endpoint. The intermittent virtual queuing area within a lane refers to a virtual queuing area formed by the adjacent virtual queuing area and the virtual queuing area spaced at a distance from the destination on the lane of the road where the queuing destination is located. A virtual queueing area with discontinuous segments before and after the destination refers to a virtual queueing area formed by two segments of virtual queueing areas located before and after the destination on the road where the queueing destination is located. A separate road-type virtual queuing area refers to a virtual queuing area formed on a road other than the road where the queuing destination is located.

7. A computer device comprising a processor and a storage device, said storage device being adapted to store a plurality of program codes, characterized in that, The program code is adapted to be loaded and run by the processor to perform the vehicle queuing control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of program codes, characterized in that, The program code is adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the vehicle queuing control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes the computer equipment as described in claim 7.

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