A passage control method and device of an unmanned vehicle and the unmanned vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a kind of unmanned vehicle passage control method, device and unmanned vehicle, comprising: before unmanned vehicle travels to the entrance of single-lane two-way traffic area, obtain the vehicle information in single-lane two-way traffic area, wherein the outlet of single-lane two-way traffic area is connected with double-lane two-way traffic area;In the case where it is determined that there is other vehicle in single-lane two-way traffic area according to vehicle information, the driving state of other vehicle is obtained, and the passing strategy of unmanned vehicle is determined according to driving state;In the case where it is determined that there is no other vehicle in single-lane two-way traffic area according to vehicle information, and the case where it is detected that there is moving vehicle in double-lane two-way traffic area and the vehicle is driving towards the outlet, the priority of moving vehicle and unmanned vehicle is judged according to the preset priority principle, and the passing strategy of unmanned vehicle is determined according to the judgment result. Realize the coordinated yielding of single-lane two-way traffic, guarantee the efficient operation of mine unmanned system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of autonomous driving technology, and in particular to a method, device and autonomous vehicle for traffic control. Background Technology

[0002] For autonomous driving in mining operations, the driving scenarios are mostly open environments without ground markings and prone to change. Furthermore, as mining progresses and due to terrain influences, long, narrow strips of road may appear, commonly referred to as single-lane, two-way narrow roads. In such situations, both the autonomous vehicle at one end of the narrow road and oncoming vehicles at the other end need to pass through, but only one direction of traffic is allowed to pass at a time. Figure 1 As shown, vehicles A and B cannot pass through the shared narrow road section in the middle at the same time. In order to ensure that traffic jams do not occur frequently and affect work efficiency, it is necessary to find a way for vehicles in both directions to cooperate efficiently through the narrow road.

[0003] Currently, the decision-making methods for single-lane two-way traffic include the following:

[0004] 1. Manual traffic control

[0005] Leveraging human initiative and efficient judgment to direct traffic near narrow shared roads for two-way autonomous vehicles is similar to traffic police alleviating congestion. However, in mining scenarios, the length of these shared narrow roads is variable, sometimes exceeding 100 meters. Limited by human field of vision, it's impossible to simultaneously manage traffic in both directions. Furthermore, human involvement escalates safety concerns; therefore, this approach is unsuitable for mining environments.

[0006] 2. Traffic light system

[0007] Similar to manual traffic control, fixed passage and release times are set for each direction, and vehicles from both directions proceed sequentially according to the traffic light signals. However, this method is extremely inefficient, as it cannot ensure that vehicles entering in the same direction can proceed simultaneously, nor can it guarantee that vehicles in the opposite direction will not enter until vehicles in the same direction have exited, thus causing traffic congestion.

[0008] In conclusion, for mining scenarios, it is necessary to find a cooperative yielding strategy suitable for single-lane two-way traffic in mining environments to ensure the efficient operation of unmanned driving systems in mines. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This disclosure provides a method for controlling the passage of unmanned vehicles, which addresses the problem of low traffic efficiency caused by existing cooperative yielding strategies in single-lane two-way traffic areas in mining scenarios.

[0010] Based on the above problems, firstly, a traffic control method for unmanned vehicles is provided, including:

[0011] Before the unmanned vehicle reaches the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, the vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area is obtained, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to a two-lane two-way traffic area.

[0012] If it is determined from the vehicle information that there are other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, the driving status of the other vehicles is obtained, and the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined based on the driving status.

[0013] If, based on the vehicle information, it is determined that there are no other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected in the two-lane two-way traffic area heading towards the exit, the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle is judged according to a preset priority principle, and the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined based on the judgment result.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, obtaining the driving status of the other vehicles and determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the driving status includes: obtaining the driving status of the other vehicles and determining whether the other vehicles are vehicles that can be followed based on the driving status; if the other vehicles are vehicles that can be followed and there are moving vehicles traveling towards the exit in the two-lane two-way traffic area, judging the priority of the moving vehicles and the unmanned vehicle according to a preset priority principle, and determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the judgment result; and / or if the other vehicles are vehicles that cannot be followed, determining the driving passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle as a yielding strategy.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the judgment result includes: if the priority of the unmanned vehicle is lower than that of the moving vehicle, determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle as a yielding strategy; otherwise, determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle as normal driving.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the preset priority principle includes: heavy-load vehicles have higher priority than unloaded vehicles; vehicles that yield more than a preset number of times have higher priority than vehicles that yield less than the preset number of times; and vehicles that yield more times have higher priority.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, obtaining vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area includes: obtaining vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area when the unmanned vehicle travels to a first designated location before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area or when the unmanned vehicle detects a first marker located before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, when the determined traffic strategy is a yielding strategy, the method further includes: determining the yielding strategy of the autonomous vehicle; the determination of the yielding strategy of the autonomous vehicle includes: obtaining the location area where the autonomous vehicle is located, and determining the speed limit strategy corresponding to the location area; and determining the traffic strategy of the autonomous vehicle as the speed limit strategy.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, obtaining the location area of ​​the unmanned vehicle and determining the speed limit strategy corresponding to the location area includes: when the unmanned vehicle is in a first location interval, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the first location interval is to limit the speed to a first speed; when the unmanned vehicle is in a second location interval, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the second location interval is to limit the speed to a second speed; wherein, the first location interval is further away from the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area than the second location interval, and the first speed is greater than the second speed.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, obtaining the location area of ​​the unmanned vehicle and determining the speed limit strategy corresponding to the location area further includes: when the unmanned vehicle is in a third location interval, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the third location interval is to decelerate to 0 when reaching a second designated position before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area or detecting a second marker located before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area; wherein, the third location interval is a location area close to the second designated position or the second marker.

[0021] Secondly, a traffic control device for an unmanned vehicle is provided, comprising:

[0022] The vehicle information acquisition module is used to acquire vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area before the unmanned vehicle drives to the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to a two-lane two-way traffic area.

[0023] The traffic strategy determination module is used to: when it is determined from the vehicle information that there are other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, acquire the driving status of the other vehicles, and determine the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the driving status; and when it is determined from the vehicle information that there are no other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected in the two-lane two-way traffic area heading towards the exit, determine the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle according to a preset priority principle, and determine the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the determination result.

[0024] Thirdly, an unmanned vehicle is provided, comprising: an unmanned driving module and a driving control module; the unmanned driving module includes a planning and control unit;

[0025] The planning control unit is used to determine a passage strategy according to the passage control method of the unmanned vehicle as described in the first aspect, or in any possible implementation of the first aspect, before the unmanned vehicle travels to the entrance of the single-lane two-way passage area.

[0026] The driving control module is used to obtain the traffic strategy of the single-lane two-way traffic area from the planning control unit, and control the autonomous vehicle to drive according to the traffic strategy.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the embodiments disclosed herein include:

[0028] The unmanned vehicle traffic control method, device, and unmanned vehicle provided in this disclosure include: before the unmanned vehicle travels to the entrance of a single-lane two-way traffic area, acquiring vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area connects to a two-lane two-way traffic area; if it is determined based on the vehicle information that other vehicles exist within the single-lane two-way traffic area, acquiring the driving status of the other vehicles, and determining the unmanned vehicle's traffic strategy based on the driving status; if it is determined based on the vehicle information that no other vehicles exist within the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected traveling towards the exit within the two-lane two-way traffic area, judging the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle according to a preset priority principle, and determining the unmanned vehicle's traffic strategy based on the judgment result. The unmanned vehicle traffic control method disclosed herein determines its own traffic strategy based on the vehicle traffic status within the single-lane two-way traffic area and the opposite lane of the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area before the unmanned vehicle reaches the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area. It then drives according to the determined traffic strategy, while taking into account the road conditions of the opposite lanes within the single-lane two-way traffic area and the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit. This avoids the congestion phenomenon where vehicles in the opposite lane have entered the single-lane two-way traffic area before the vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area have left. This method is more scientific and reasonable, and achieves coordinated yielding for single-lane two-way traffic applicable to mining scenarios, ensuring the efficient operation of the unmanned driving system in the mining area. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a narrow road with single-lane two-way traffic, provided for the related technologies of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 One of the flowcharts for a traffic control method for an unmanned vehicle provided in this disclosure embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating one of the application scenarios of the unmanned vehicle traffic control method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a second schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the unmanned vehicle traffic control method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5 A second flowchart of a traffic control method for an unmanned vehicle provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the passage control device for an unmanned vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This disclosure provides a method, apparatus, and unmanned vehicle for traffic control. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

[0036] This disclosure provides a method for controlling the passage of unmanned vehicles, such as... Figure 2 As shown, it includes:

[0037] S201. Before the unmanned vehicle drives to the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, obtain vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to the two-lane two-way traffic area.

[0038] S202. If it is determined from the vehicle information that there are other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, obtain the driving status of the other vehicles, and determine the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the driving status.

[0039] S203. If it is determined from the vehicle information that there are no other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected in the two-lane two-way traffic area heading towards the exit, the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle is judged according to the preset priority principle, and the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined according to the judgment result.

[0040] This disclosed embodiment can be applied to urban road scenarios or non-urban road scenarios, such as mines and wilderness areas. Under specific business requirements, autonomous vehicles need to pass through a single-lane two-way traffic area. From the perspective of any autonomous vehicle, it needs to enter and pass through the single-lane two-way traffic area from the entrance, exit from the exit, and enter the two-lane two-way traffic area connected by the exit. Because the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area connects to the two-lane two-way traffic area, there may also be autonomous vehicles in the opposite lane that need to enter and pass through the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area (from the perspective of any autonomous vehicle, it is the exit; from the perspective of the opposite autonomous vehicle, it is the entrance). However, the autonomous vehicle and the opposite autonomous vehicle cannot pass through the single-lane two-way traffic area at the same time. In this case, it is necessary to formulate a traffic strategy based on the vehicle situation in the single-lane two-way traffic area and the opposite lane of the two-lane two-way traffic area, and control the driving of the autonomous vehicle.

[0041] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an application scenario of the unmanned vehicle traffic control method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 3As shown, the area marked A (or A') can be considered a single-lane two-way traffic area. Assuming the autonomous vehicle is currently at position a (hereinafter referred to as vehicle a) and is traveling towards area A, then the area marked B (or B' corresponding to A') can be considered a two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area. The area marked C (or C' corresponding to A') can be considered a traffic area connected to the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area. The type of area is not restricted here. Figure 3 Taking area C as an example of a two-lane, two-way traffic area. Taking area A as an example of a single-lane, two-way traffic area, its entrance location can be location c, which intersects with area C, or a location within area C that is a first preset distance from location c. Its exit location can be location b, which intersects with area B, or a location within area B that is a second preset distance from location b. There are no restrictions here. The determination of the entrance and exit when area A' is a single-lane, two-way traffic area is the same, and will not be elaborated here.

[0042] In addition, the unmanned vehicle can be a mining vehicle equipped with unmanned driving transportation in mines. Its drive-by-wire chassis is fully functional and can respond to commands from the autonomous driving module, such as driving, braking, steering, lifting, and other driving and transportation operation requests. The unmanned vehicle can be equipped with integrated navigation equipment as a positioning module, as well as various types of sensing devices (such as cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic radar, etc.) as a perception module. It can also provide high-precision map services through a high-precision map module.

[0043] In this embodiment, the autonomous vehicle can first obtain vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area before approaching its entrance. The autonomous vehicle can utilize its own detection equipment (e.g., LiDAR) or traffic control equipment to obtain vehicle information ahead via vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) within its detection or communication range. For example, LiDAR can be used to detect objects ahead; if a vehicle is detected, its distance from the detected vehicle and a map can be used to determine whether a vehicle exists within the single-lane two-way traffic area. Alternatively, a communication module can be used to establish a traffic connection with vehicles within the communication range and obtain their location information to determine the presence of vehicles within the single-lane two-way traffic area. The autonomous vehicle can also obtain vehicle information ahead by sending a request to a cloud platform; this is not limited to this method. Vehicle information includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: vehicle identification information, location information, etc., to determine whether other vehicles exist within the single-lane two-way traffic area.

[0044] Furthermore, if other vehicles are present in a single-lane two-way traffic area (e.g., area A or A'), the autonomous vehicle's traffic strategy can be determined based on the driving status of those other vehicles; if no other vehicles are present in the single-lane two-way traffic area, there may be moving vehicles (e.g., in the opposite lane of the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit, e.g., area B or B') in the opposite lane. Figure 3 The vehicle at position d (hereinafter referred to as vehicle d) also needs to pass through the single-lane two-way traffic area. At this time, it is necessary to judge the priority of the unmanned vehicle (such as unmanned vehicle a) and the vehicle moving in the opposite lane (such as vehicle d) according to the preset priority principle, and determine the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the judgment result.

[0045] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the step S202 above, "obtaining the driving status of the other vehicle and determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the driving status," can be implemented as follows:

[0046] Step 1: Obtain the driving status of the other vehicle and determine whether the other vehicle is a followable vehicle based on the driving status;

[0047] Step 2: If other vehicles are vehicles that can be followed and there are moving vehicles heading towards the exit in the two-lane two-way traffic area, determine the priority of the moving vehicles and the autonomous vehicle according to the preset priority principle, and determine the passage strategy of the autonomous vehicle based on the judgment result; and / or if other vehicles are vehicles that cannot be followed, determine the passage strategy of the autonomous vehicle as a yielding strategy.

[0048] This disclosure addresses the scenario where other vehicles exist within a single-lane, two-way traffic area (e.g., area A or A'). The driving status of these other vehicles can be obtained, including their direction of travel and / or speed. In one implementation, the speed can be obtained first (it can be 0, meaning the vehicle is stationary). If the speed is not 0, the direction of travel is then obtained. If the other vehicle is traveling in the same direction as the autonomous vehicle and its speed is not 0, it can be determined that the other vehicle is a followable vehicle.

[0049] Furthermore, if the other vehicle is a followable vehicle, it can be further determined whether there is a moving vehicle (such as vehicle d) in the opposite lane of the two-lane two-way traffic area (such as area B or B') connected to the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area (e.g., area A or A') that is traveling towards the exit. If so, it is necessary to determine the priority of the unmanned vehicle (such as unmanned vehicle a) and the moving vehicle (such as vehicle d) according to the preset priority principle, and further determine the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle.

[0050] Furthermore, if the speed of another vehicle in the single-lane two-way traffic area is 0, or if the speed of another vehicle is not 0 but its direction of travel is opposite to that of the autonomous vehicle, then that other vehicle can be determined as a non-followable vehicle. In the case that the other vehicle is a non-followable vehicle, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy is determined to be a yielding strategy, which can be such as slowing down or stopping.

[0051] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, step S203 above, or "determining the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the judgment result" in step two, can be implemented as follows:

[0052] If the priority of the autonomous vehicle is lower than that of the moving vehicle, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy is determined to be the yielding strategy; otherwise, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy is determined to be the normal driving strategy.

[0053] In one implementation, if the priority of the autonomous vehicle is not lower than that of the moving vehicle, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy can be normal driving, that is, the autonomous vehicle can follow the other vehicle through the single-lane two-way passage area at its own normal speed or at the speed of the vehicle it can follow; while if the priority of the autonomous vehicle is lower than that of the moving vehicle, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy can be a yielding strategy, which can be slowing down or stopping, etc.

[0054] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle (such as unmanned vehicle a) can obtain vehicle information of vehicles moving in the opposite lane (such as vehicle d) in a two-lane two-way traffic area through V2V within its own detection range or traffic range. It can also obtain the information of the moving vehicle through a cloud platform. The acquisition method can be referred to the description in the above embodiments, including but not limited to at least one of the following information: identification information, location information, driving direction information, driving speed information, priority information, etc.

[0055] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the aforementioned preset priority principle includes: heavy-load vehicles have a higher priority than unloaded vehicles; vehicles that yield more than a preset number of times have a higher priority than vehicles that yield less than the preset number of times; and vehicles that yield more times have a higher priority.

[0056] In this embodiment of the disclosure, priority principles can be preset. Priority principles can be determined based on load or the number of times a vehicle yields. Different priority principles can be used individually or in combination. For example, if one priority principle cannot determine the priority of two vehicles, another priority principle can be used to judge until the vehicle with the higher priority is determined.

[0057] In addition, when determining the priority principle based on the number of times of yielding, the number of times of yielding can be the number of times of yielding in the current single-lane two-way traffic area, or the number of times of yielding during the current transportation process (which may pass through multiple single-lane two-way traffic areas). There is no restriction here.

[0058] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, step S201, "obtaining vehicle information within a single-lane two-way traffic area," can be implemented as follows:

[0059] When the autonomous vehicle reaches the first designated location before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area, or when the autonomous vehicle detects the first marker located before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area, vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area is obtained.

[0060] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a triggering mechanism can be set for the autonomous vehicle to acquire information about other vehicles within a single-lane two-way traffic area. In one implementation, when the autonomous vehicle travels to a first designated location, for example, when autonomous vehicle a travels to a predetermined distance before the entrance location c of area A, the acquisition of information about other vehicles within the single-lane two-way traffic area can be triggered. In another implementation, a first marker, such as a warning line or indicator light, can be set before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area. When autonomous vehicle a detects the first marker, the acquisition of information about other vehicles within the single-lane two-way traffic area can be triggered.

[0061] In yet another embodiment provided in this disclosure, when the determined traffic policy is a yielding policy, the step of determining the yielding policy of the autonomous vehicle may be included.

[0062] The yielding strategy for autonomous vehicles can be implemented through the following steps:

[0063] Step 1: Obtain the location area of ​​the autonomous vehicle and determine the corresponding speed limit policy for that location area;

[0064] Step 2: Set the speed limit strategy for the autonomous vehicle to a yielding strategy.

[0065] In the aforementioned embodiments, there are several situations where the autonomous vehicle's traffic strategy needs to be determined as a yielding strategy. For example: Situation 1: The autonomous vehicle determines that there is a vehicle that cannot be followed in a single-lane two-way traffic area; Situation 2: The autonomous vehicle determines that there is a vehicle that can be followed in a single-lane two-way traffic area, but there is a moving vehicle in the opposite lane of a two-lane two-way traffic area, and its priority is higher than that of the autonomous vehicle; Situation 3: The autonomous vehicle determines that there are no other vehicles in a single-lane two-way traffic area, but there is a moving vehicle in the opposite lane of a two-lane two-way traffic area, and its priority is higher than that of the autonomous vehicle, etc.

[0066] To ensure higher safety during the yielding process, the yielding strategy provided in this embodiment can be executed after the passage strategy is determined to be a yielding strategy. This involves obtaining the speed limit strategy of the location of the unmanned vehicle and performing the yielding according to the speed limit strategy.

[0067] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the above-mentioned "Step 1, obtaining the location area of ​​the unmanned vehicle and determining the speed limit policy corresponding to the location area" can be implemented as follows:

[0068] Step 1: When the driverless car is in the first position range, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the first position range is to limit the speed to the first speed.

[0069] Step 2: When the autonomous vehicle is in the second location range, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the second location range is to limit the speed to the second speed.

[0070] Among them, the first position interval is farther away from the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area than the second position interval, and the first speed is greater than the second speed.

[0071] In this embodiment, the speed of the autonomous vehicle can be gradually reduced before it reaches the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area. For example, multiple speed limit zones can be set, with the speed limit zone closer to the entrance corresponding to a lower speed limit.

[0072] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the above-mentioned "step one, obtaining the location area of ​​the unmanned vehicle and determining the speed limit policy corresponding to the location area" may further include the following steps:

[0073] When the autonomous vehicle is in the third position zone, the speed limit policy corresponding to the third position zone is to decelerate to 0 when it reaches the second designated position before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area or when it detects the second sign located before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area.

[0074] The third location interval is the location area close to the second designated location or the second identifier.

[0075] In this embodiment, when the yielding strategy includes stopping, a third position interval and a second designated position or second marker (e.g., stop line, indicator light, etc.) can be set before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area. When the autonomous vehicle enters the third position interval and reaches the second designated position or detects the second marker, it can decelerate to 0, ensuring that the autonomous vehicle stops at the second designated position or second marker before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area. Therefore, compared to the first and second position intervals, the third position interval can be set closest to the entrance.

[0076] Figure 4This example uses area A as a single-lane, two-way traffic zone, and simultaneously sets up a first position interval to a third position interval. For example... Figure 4 As shown, before entrance c of the single-lane two-way traffic area A, there are three position intervals arranged sequentially from far to near: a first position interval S1, a second position interval S2, and a third position interval S3. A warning line (i.e., the first marker) can be set according to the starting position of interval S1, and a stop line (i.e., the second marker) can be set according to the position of entrance c. When the autonomous vehicle reaches the warning line, it can trigger the acquisition of information about other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area. After a series of judgments, if the traffic strategy is determined to be a yielding strategy, a speed limit can be implemented based on the autonomous vehicle's own position. For example, if the autonomous vehicle is located in interval S1, the speed limit rule of interval S1 will be applied; the same applies to intervals S2 and S3. Based on the relative positions of sections S1 to S3 and entrance c from farthest to near, the speed limits of sections S1 to S3 can be gradually reduced until a stop line is detected, limiting the speed to 0 and completing the stop. If, after a series of judgments, it is determined that the traffic strategy is normal driving, then the vehicle can drive at a normal speed within its designated section, and once it enters the single-lane two-way traffic area, it no longer needs to yield to vehicles outside the single-lane two-way traffic area.

[0077] In one implementation, the range of section S1 can be set to 40 to 60 meters from the entrance c. When the yielding strategy is implemented, the autonomous vehicle must limit its speed to 10 kilometers per hour when traveling in section S1. The range of section S2 can be set to 20 to 40 meters from the entrance c. When the yielding strategy is implemented, the autonomous vehicle must limit its speed to 5 kilometers per hour when traveling in section S2. The range of section S3 can be set to 0 to 20 meters from the entrance c. When the yielding strategy is implemented, the autonomous vehicle must stop at the stop line when traveling in section S3.

[0078] Furthermore, each time the autonomous vehicle completes a yielding maneuver, it can increase its yielding count, thereby increasing its priority based on the yielding count as a preset priority principle. After the autonomous vehicle has stopped and yielded for a preset time, or after detecting that a high-priority vehicle has already passed through the single-lane two-way traffic area, the step of acquiring vehicle information for vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area can be initiated again, that is, the autonomous vehicle traffic control method provided in any embodiment of this disclosure is re-executed until the autonomous vehicle passes through the single-lane two-way traffic area.

[0079] The following is a complete embodiment for illustration. Figure 5 A flowchart of a traffic control method for an unmanned vehicle provided in this disclosure embodiment is shown below. Figure 5 As shown, it includes:

[0080] S501. When the unmanned vehicle reaches the first designated position before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area or when the unmanned vehicle detects the first marker located before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, the vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area is obtained, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to a two-lane two-way traffic area.

[0081] S502. Determine whether there are other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area based on the vehicle information; if there are other vehicles, proceed to step S503; if there are no other vehicles, proceed to step S505.

[0082] S503. Obtain the driving status of other vehicles and determine whether the other vehicle is stationary based on the driving status; if it is stationary, proceed to step S507; otherwise, proceed to step S504.

[0083] This step can also be incorporated into step S504. When determining whether the other vehicle is a followable vehicle, if the other vehicle is a stationary vehicle, it is determined to be a non-followable vehicle.

[0084] S504. Determine whether the other vehicle is a followable vehicle based on its driving status; if it is a followable vehicle, proceed to step S505; otherwise, proceed to step S507.

[0085] S505. Determine whether there are moving vehicles heading towards the exit within the two-lane two-way traffic area; if so, proceed to step S506; otherwise, proceed to step S508.

[0086] S506. Determine the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle according to the preset priority principle. If the priority of the unmanned vehicle is lower than that of the moving vehicle, proceed to step S507; otherwise, proceed to step S508.

[0087] S507. Obtain the location area of ​​the autonomous vehicle and determine the corresponding speed limit policy for that location area; then set the autonomous vehicle's passage policy to the speed limit policy. This process ends.

[0088] S508, the driverless vehicle is operating normally. This process is now complete.

[0089] Based on the same disclosed concept, this disclosure also provides a traffic control device for unmanned vehicles and an unmanned vehicle. Since the principle of solving the problem by these devices and unmanned vehicles is similar to the traffic control method of previous unmanned vehicles, the implementation of the devices and unmanned vehicles can refer to the implementation of the aforementioned method, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0090] This disclosure provides a traffic control device for unmanned vehicles, such as... Figure 6 As shown, it includes the following modules:

[0091] The vehicle information acquisition module 601 is used to acquire vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area before the unmanned vehicle drives to the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to a two-lane two-way traffic area.

[0092] The traffic strategy determination module 602 is used to, when it is determined from the vehicle information that other vehicles exist within the single-lane two-way traffic area, acquire the driving status of the other vehicles, and determine the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the driving status; and

[0093] If, based on the vehicle information, it is determined that there are no other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected in the two-lane two-way traffic area heading towards the exit, the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle is judged according to a preset priority principle, and the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined based on the judgment result.

[0094] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the traffic strategy determination module 602 is used to acquire the driving status of the other vehicles and determine whether the other vehicles are vehicles that can be followed based on the driving status; when the other vehicles are vehicles that can be followed and there are moving vehicles traveling towards the exit in the two-lane two-way traffic area, the priority of the moving vehicles and the unmanned vehicle is judged according to a preset priority principle, and the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined according to the judgment result; and / or when the other vehicles are vehicles that cannot be followed, the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined to be a yielding strategy.

[0095] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the passage strategy determination module 602 is used to determine the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle as a yielding strategy when the priority of the unmanned vehicle is lower than that of the moving vehicle; otherwise, it determines the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle as normal driving.

[0096] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the preset priority principle includes: heavy-load vehicles have higher priority than empty vehicles; vehicles that yield more than a preset number of times have higher priority than vehicles that yield less than the preset number of times; and vehicles that yield more times have higher priority.

[0097] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the vehicle information acquisition module 601 is used to acquire vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area when the unmanned vehicle travels to a first designated position before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area or when the unmanned vehicle detects a first marker located before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area.

[0098] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the passage strategy determination module 602 is further configured to determine the yielding strategy of the unmanned vehicle when the determined passage strategy is a yielding strategy; the passage strategy determination module 602 is configured to obtain the location area where the unmanned vehicle is located, and determine the speed limit strategy corresponding to the location area; and determine the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicle as the speed limit strategy.

[0099] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the traffic strategy determination module 602 is used to determine the speed limit strategy corresponding to the first location interval when the unmanned vehicle is in the first location interval, which is to limit the speed to a first speed; and to determine the speed limit strategy corresponding to the second location interval when the unmanned vehicle is in the second location interval, which is to limit the speed to a second speed; wherein the first location interval is further away from the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area than the second location interval, and the first speed is greater than the second speed.

[0100] In another embodiment provided in this disclosure, the traffic strategy determination module 602 is used to determine the speed limit strategy corresponding to the third position interval when the unmanned vehicle is in the third position interval, which is to decelerate to 0 when it reaches a second designated position before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area or when a second marker is detected before the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area; wherein, the third position interval is a position area close to the second designated position or the second marker.

[0101] This disclosure also provides an unmanned vehicle, including: an unmanned driving module and a driving control module; the unmanned driving module includes a planning and control unit;

[0102] The planning and control unit is used to determine a passage strategy according to the passage control method of the unmanned vehicle as described in any of the above embodiments before the unmanned vehicle travels to the entrance of the single-lane two-way passage area.

[0103] The driving control module is used to obtain the traffic strategy of the single-lane two-way traffic area from the planning control unit, and control the autonomous vehicle to drive according to the traffic strategy.

[0104] The unmanned vehicle provided in this embodiment can plan and control its traffic strategy through a planning control unit, and control its driving according to the traffic strategy through a driving control unit. In one possible implementation, the planning control unit can send a local reference trajectory containing location information of a single-lane two-way traffic area to the driving control module, which then controls the unmanned vehicle to drive according to the local reference trajectory. When the unmanned vehicle is detected to have traveled to a warning line outside the single-lane two-way traffic area, the planning control module is notified, and the planning control module formulates a traffic strategy according to the unmanned vehicle traffic method described in any embodiment of this disclosure. The driving control module obtains the traffic strategy for the single-lane two-way traffic area from the planning control unit and controls the unmanned vehicle to drive according to the traffic strategy.

[0105] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cloud control platform can also determine the autonomous vehicle's traffic strategy and issue it to the autonomous vehicle, forming an autonomous vehicle traffic system with at least one autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, when the autonomous vehicle reaches the warning line outside the single-lane two-way traffic area, it sends a traffic strategy acquisition request to the cloud control platform. Based on the acquisition request, the cloud control platform determines the autonomous vehicle's traffic strategy according to the traffic information of the opposite lanes in the single-lane two-way traffic area and the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit, and according to the autonomous vehicle traffic control method provided in any embodiment of this disclosure, and provides it to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle then drives according to the traffic strategy provided by the cloud control platform. In another embodiment, the cloud control platform may only provide the traffic information of the single-lane two-way traffic area and the opposite lanes in the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit. The autonomous vehicle then determines its own traffic strategy according to the received traffic information and the autonomous vehicle traffic control method provided in any embodiment of this disclosure, and drives according to the traffic strategy.

[0106] The unmanned vehicle traffic control method, device, and unmanned vehicle provided in this disclosure determine their own traffic strategy based on the vehicle traffic status within the single-lane two-way traffic area and the opposite lane of the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area before the unmanned vehicle reaches the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area. The unmanned vehicle then drives according to the determined traffic strategy, while taking into account the road conditions of the opposite lanes within the single-lane two-way traffic area and the two-lane two-way traffic area connected to the exit. This avoids the blockage phenomenon where vehicles in the opposite lanes have entered before vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area have left, making it more scientific and reasonable. It achieves coordinated yielding for single-lane two-way traffic applicable to mining scenarios, ensuring the efficient operation of the unmanned driving system in the mine.

[0107] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (such as a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0108] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are merely schematic diagrams of a preferred embodiment, and the modules or processes in the drawings are not necessarily essential for implementing this disclosure.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will understand that the modules in the apparatus of the embodiments can be distributed in the apparatus of the embodiments as described in the embodiments, or they can be located in one or more devices different from this embodiment with corresponding changes. The modules of the above embodiments can be combined into one module, or they can be further divided into multiple sub-modules.

[0110] The sequence numbers of the embodiments disclosed above are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0111] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents, this disclosure is also intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the passage of an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that, include: Before the unmanned vehicle reaches the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, the vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area is obtained, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to a two-lane two-way traffic area. If it is determined from the vehicle information that there are other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, the driving status of the other vehicles is obtained, and the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined based on the driving status. If, based on the vehicle information, it is determined that there are no other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected in the two-lane two-way traffic area heading towards the exit, The priorities of the moving vehicles and the unmanned vehicles are determined according to a preset priority principle, and the passage strategy of the unmanned vehicles is determined based on the judgment result. Given that the established traffic policy is a yielding policy, determine the yielding policy for autonomous vehicles, including: When the autonomous vehicle is in the first position zone, the speed limit strategy for the first position zone is to travel at the first speed. When the autonomous vehicle is in the second position zone, the speed limit strategy for the second position zone is to travel at the second speed. When the autonomous vehicle is in the third position zone, the speed limit strategy for the third position zone is to decelerate to 0 when it reaches the second designated position before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area or when it detects the second sign before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area. Among these, the first position zone is farther away from the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area than the second position zone, and the first speed is greater than the second speed. The third position zone is the area close to the second designated position or the second sign. The yielding strategy for autonomous vehicles is determined as the speed limit strategy.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the driving status of the other vehicles and determining the passage strategy of the autonomous vehicle based on the driving status includes: The driving status of the other vehicles is obtained, and the driving status is used to determine whether the other vehicles are vehicles that can be followed. If other vehicles are followable vehicles and there are moving vehicles traveling towards the exit within the two-lane two-way traffic area, the priorities of the moving vehicles and the autonomous vehicle are determined according to a preset priority principle, and the passage strategy of the autonomous vehicle is determined based on the determination result; and / or If the other vehicles are not allowed to follow, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy is determined to be a yielding strategy.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The traffic strategy for the autonomous vehicle is determined based on the judgment result, including: If the priority of the autonomous vehicle is lower than that of the moving vehicle, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy is determined to be a yielding strategy; otherwise, the autonomous vehicle's passage strategy is determined to be normal driving.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The preset priority principles include: heavily loaded vehicles have higher priority than unloaded vehicles; vehicles that yield more than a preset number of times have higher priority than vehicles that yield less than the preset number of times; and vehicles that yield more times have higher priority.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The acquisition of vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area includes: When the unmanned vehicle reaches a first designated position before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area, or when the unmanned vehicle detects a first marker located before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area, vehicle information within the single-lane two-way traffic area is acquired.

6. A traffic control device for an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that, include: The vehicle information acquisition module is used to acquire vehicle information in the single-lane two-way traffic area before the unmanned vehicle drives to the entrance of the single-lane two-way traffic area, wherein the exit of the single-lane two-way traffic area is connected to a two-lane two-way traffic area. The traffic strategy determination module is used to: when it is determined from the vehicle information that there are other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, obtain the driving status of the other vehicles, and determine the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the driving status; and when it is determined from the vehicle information that there are no other vehicles in the single-lane two-way traffic area, and a moving vehicle is detected in the two-lane two-way traffic area heading towards the exit, determine the priority of the moving vehicle and the unmanned vehicle according to a preset priority principle, and determine the traffic strategy of the unmanned vehicle based on the determination result. The traffic strategy determination module is further configured to determine the yielding strategy of the unmanned vehicle when the determined traffic strategy is a yielding strategy, including: when the unmanned vehicle is in a first position interval, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the first position interval is to drive at a speed limited to a first speed; when the unmanned vehicle is in a second position interval, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the second position interval is to drive at a speed limited to a second speed; when the unmanned vehicle is in a third position interval, the speed limit strategy corresponding to the third position interval is to decelerate to 0 when reaching a second designated position before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area or detecting a second marker located before the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area; wherein, the first position interval is farther from the entrance to the single-lane two-way traffic area than the second position interval, and the first speed is greater than the second speed; the third position interval is a position area close to the second designated position or the second marker; and the yielding strategy of the unmanned vehicle is determined to be the speed limit strategy.

7. An unmanned vehicle, characterized in that, include: An autonomous driving module and a vehicle control module; the autonomous driving module includes a planning and control unit; The planning and control unit is used to determine a passage strategy according to the passage control method of the unmanned vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-5 before the unmanned vehicle travels to the entrance of the single-lane two-way passage area. The driving control module is used to obtain the traffic strategy of the single-lane two-way traffic area from the planning control unit, and control the autonomous vehicle to drive according to the traffic strategy.

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