Autonomous traveling vehicle and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling the autonomous driving of a vehicle. The apparatus may include a controller and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the controller, are configured to cause the apparatus to: receive global positioning system (GPS) information, high definition (HD) map information, road information, and sensor information, where the GPS information, the HD map information, and the road information are related to one or more roads ahead of the vehicle; generating road change information on the basis of the GPS information, the HD map information, the road information, and the sensor information, the road change information relating to whether a traveling road on which the vehicle travels changes to or from a road, and the road being associated with a preset category; and outputting a signal for controlling autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the road change information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to autonomous vehicles and methods of controlling autonomous vehicles. Background Art

[0002] An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that drives itself by identifying its driving environment, determining potential risks, controlling its driving path, and minimizing the driver's driving operations.

[0003] Autonomous vehicles may ultimately be vehicles that are able to drive, steer, and stop without human influence, and autonomous driving technology, which is the core foundation of autonomous vehicles, may focus on vehicles that have the highest level of sophistication in operating themselves without active control or monitoring by a driver.

[0004] However, the concept of an autonomous vehicle may involve an automation stage in an intermediate stage towards a fully autonomous vehicle, which corresponds to a goal-oriented concept that presupposes the series production and commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles.

[0005] According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), autonomous vehicles are classified into levels 0 to 5.

[0006] Unlike Level 4 and above autonomous driving, Level 3 autonomous driving frequently switches control between the human driver and the system during driving, which may lead to more complex problems than full autonomous driving.

[0007] Unlike Level 4 and above autonomous driving, where the system is responsible for the entire driving process, Level 3 autonomous driving requires the driver to be ready to drive at all times, and the driver has no obligation to look ahead or control the vehicle.

[0008] Additionally or alternatively, Level 3 autonomous driving allows autonomous driving to be performed only in an operational design domain (ODD) indicating a situation where certain conditions related to weather, roads, and communications are met, so if the vehicle is not in the ODD state, the manual driving mode is switched. That is, if the vehicle leaves the ODD state while driving in the autonomous driving mode, the driver is required to take back control of the vehicle.

[0009] In the event that an accident occurs while an autonomous vehicle is traveling in autonomous driving mode in the ODD state (hereinafter referred to as an autonomous driving accident), accident liability issues unique to autonomous vehicles may arise, so efforts to prevent such autonomous driving accidents may be required to avoid them in advance.

[0010] In particular, in the ODD state where Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) is operable, which is considered as Level 3 autonomous driving technology of "highway autonomous driving", it is necessary to improve vehicle control. However, in the case where the global positioning system (GPS) error is large, there is a problem that on a road that is not a dedicated road for cars where HDP is operable, precise positioning becomes ready, that is, the precise positioning state becomes a ready state ("Ready").

[0011] For example, due to high GPS errors under elevated roads or in environments with high walls, the controller may incorrectly determine that the vehicle is traveling on a road outside of a road dedicated to cars, and set precise positioning to ready, thereby activating HDP, although the autonomous vehicle is actually traveling on a road outside of a road dedicated to cars.

[0012] As described above, if a precise positioning state is ready on a road that is not a dedicated road for automobiles, the autonomous vehicle may activate HDP in an unexpected environment, which may pose a risk that may threaten the safety of the driver. Summary of the invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, a device for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle may include a controller and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the controller, is configured to cause the device to: receive global positioning system (GPS) information, high-definition (HD) map information, road information, and sensor information, wherein the GPS information, HD map information, and road information are related to one or more roads in front of the vehicle; generate road change information based on the GPS information, HD map information, road information, and sensor information, wherein the road change information is related to whether the driving road on which the vehicle is traveling is changed to or from a road, and wherein the road is associated with a preset category; and output a signal for controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the road change information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: set the precise positioning state of the vehicle to a ready state of the vehicle based on the road change information.

[0015] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: output GPS information; and set the precise positioning state to a not-ready state of the vehicle based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state before entering a road associated with a preset category.

[0016] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: estimate the position of the vehicle by applying dead reckoning (DR) to a previous position based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state after exiting a road associated with a preset category, and set the precise positioning state to a not ready state of the vehicle.

[0017] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: estimate the position of the vehicle within a preset distance based on using the DR.

[0018] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: maintain the precise positioning state as a ready state based on the use of DR until the vehicle is within a preset distance; and set the precise positioning state to a not ready state after the vehicle exceeds the preset distance.

[0019] In some embodiments, the HD map information may include road link attributes and lane link geometry of roads associated with a preset category, and the road information may include a road identification (ID) of the roads associated with the preset category.

[0020] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: set the entry sign to a first entry sign based on the ID indicating an empty signal, wherein the entry sign indicates information associated with a situation where the vehicle is entering a road; set the entry sign to a second entry sign based on the ID changing from an ID indicating a general road to an ID indicating a road associated with a preset category; and set the entry sign to a third entry sign based on the ID changing to an ID indicating a road associated with a preset category.

[0021] In some embodiments, a first entry sign indicates a situation where the vehicle is not entering a road associated with a preset category, a second entry sign indicates a situation where the vehicle is entering a road associated with a preset category, and a third entry sign indicates a situation where the road of the preset category is changed to another road associated with the preset category due to a change in the vehicle's driving path.

[0022] In some embodiments, the road information may include information related to a most likely road, wherein the most likely road is determined to be a road that the vehicle is most likely to travel on among multiple roads at a road intersection or fork ahead.

[0023] According to the present disclosure, a method for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle may include: receiving global positioning system (GPS) information, high-definition (HD) map information, road information and sensor information by a controller, wherein the GPS information, HD map information and road information are related to one or more roads in front of the vehicle; and generating road change information by the controller based on the GPS information, HD map information, road information and sensor information, wherein the road change information is related to whether the driving road on which the vehicle is traveling is changed to or from a road, and wherein the road is associated with a preset category; and outputting a signal for controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the road change information.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method may further include: setting the precise positioning state of the vehicle to a ready state of the vehicle based on the road change information.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method may further include: outputting GPS information; and setting the precise positioning state to a not-ready state of the vehicle based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state before entering a road associated with a preset category.

[0026] In some embodiments, the method may further include: based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state after exiting a road associated with a preset category, estimating the position of the vehicle by applying dead reckoning (DR) to a previous position, and setting the precise positioning state to a not-ready state of the vehicle.

[0027] In some embodiments, the method may further include estimating the position of the vehicle within a preset distance based on using the DR.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method may further include: maintaining the precise positioning state as a ready state based on using the DR until the vehicle is within a preset distance; and setting the precise positioning state to a not ready state after the vehicle exceeds the preset distance.

[0029] In some embodiments, the HD map information may include road link attributes and lane link geometry of roads associated with a preset category, and the road information may include a road identification (ID) of the roads associated with the preset category.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method may further include: setting the entry sign to a first entry sign based on the ID indicating an empty signal, wherein the entry sign indicates information associated with a situation where the vehicle is entering a road; setting the entry sign to a second entry sign based on the ID changing from an ID indicating a general road to an ID indicating a road associated with a preset category; and setting the entry sign to a third entry sign based on the ID changing to an ID indicating a road associated with a preset category.

[0031] In some embodiments, a first entry sign indicates a situation where the vehicle is not entering a road associated with a preset category, a second entry sign indicates a situation where the vehicle is entering a road associated with a preset category, and a third entry sign indicates a situation where the road associated with the preset category is changed to another road associated with the preset category due to a change in the vehicle's driving path.

[0032] According to the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a program or instruction, which, when executed, causes a method for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle to be executed, the method may include: receiving global positioning system (GPS) information, high-definition (HD) map information, road information, and sensor information by a controller, wherein the GPS information, HD map information, and road information are related to one or more roads in front of the vehicle; generating road change information by the controller based on the GPS information, HD map information, road information, and sensor information, wherein the road change information is related to whether the driving road on which the vehicle is traveling is changed to or from a road, and wherein the road is associated with a preset category; and outputting a signal for controlling autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the road change information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 An example of an autonomously traveling vehicle according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 2 An example of the present vehicle position estimator according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Figure 3 An example of the operation of the present vehicle position estimator according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 4 An example of the shape of an incoming lane link on an actual map according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 5 An example of determining the passage of an incoming lane link according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0038] Figure 6 An example of the shape of an off-lane road link on an actual map according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Figure 7 An example of determining the passage of an off-lane road link according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0040] Figure 8 An example of a method of determining whether a vehicle is located on a main road according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0041] Fig. 9 An example of a method of determining whether a vehicle is located on a main road according to another example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] Fig.10 An example of a flow chart illustrating operation of an autonomous driving controller according to examples of the present disclosure is shown.

[0043] Fig.11A , Fig. 11B , Fig. 11C , Fig. 12A , Fig. 12B , Fig.13A , Fig. 13B , Fig. 13C and Fig.13D An example of a simulation according to an example of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, examples of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples should not be interpreted as being limited to the present disclosure, but should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and replacements within the concept and technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] In the description of the examples, when a layer (or film), region, pattern or structure is described as being formed “on / over” or “under / under” a substrate, layer (or film), region, pattern or pad, it can be interpreted that they are in direct contact or indirect contact with one or more other elements disposed therebetween.

[0046] In this case, the use of “above / upper” or “below / lower” may be based on what is shown in the drawings, and for the convenience of description, these terms are only used to indicate the relative position relationship between elements, but may not be used to limit the actual positions of the elements.

[0047] In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as “first”, “second”, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0048] Hereinafter, according to an example, an autonomous vehicle and a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which can determine a road change state of an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road other than a dedicated road for automobiles (e.g., a dedicated road for automobiles entry / exit state (which is associated with entering and exiting a preset category of road (e.g., a dedicated road for automobiles)) and can prevent activation of a ready state ("Ready") for precise positioning on general roads other than dedicated roads for automobiles based on a result value from the determination.

[0049] In the description of the example of the present disclosure, a dedicated road for automobiles may refer to a road that satisfies the conditions for the HDP to operate the ODD state, such as a dedicated road for vehicles such as an expressway or a freeway. In addition, a dedicated road for automobiles may be referred to as a "main road", and roads other than dedicated roads for automobiles may be referred to as "general roads" or "other roads".

[0050] Figure 1 An example of an autonomous vehicle according to an example of the present disclosure is shown, and Figure 2 An example of the present vehicle position estimator according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0051] refer to Figure 1 and 2 According to an example of the present disclosure, the autonomous driving vehicle 100 may include an autonomous driving controller 110 and a navigation controller 130. The autonomous driving vehicle 100 described herein may also be referred to as a host vehicle.

[0052] According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the automation levels of autonomous vehicles can be classified as follows. At autonomous driving level 0, the SAE classification standard may correspond to "no automation", in which the autonomous driving system temporarily engages in emergency situations (e.g., automatic emergency braking) and / or only provides warnings (e.g., blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, etc.), and the driver is expected to operate the vehicle. At autonomous driving level 1, the SAE classification standard may correspond to "driver assistance", in which the system performs some driving functions (e.g., steering, acceleration, braking, lane centering, adaptive cruise control, etc.) when the driver operates the vehicle in a normal operating range, and the driver is expected to determine the operating state and / or timing of the system, perform other driving functions, and respond to (e.g., resolve) emergency situations. At autonomous driving level 2, the SAE classification standard may correspond to "partial automation", in which the system performs steering, acceleration, and / or braking under the supervision of the driver, and the driver is expected to determine the operating state and / or timing of the system, perform other driving functions, and respond to (e.g., resolve) emergency situations. At autonomous driving level 3, the SAE classification standard may correspond to "conditional automation", in which the system drives the vehicle (e.g., performs driving functions such as steering, acceleration, and / or braking) under limited conditions, but transfers driving control to the driver when the required conditions are not met, and the driver is expected to determine the operating state and / or timing of the system and take back control in emergency situations (otherwise not operate the vehicle (e.g., steering, acceleration, and / or braking)). At autonomous driving level 4, the SAE classification standard may correspond to "high automation", in which the system performs all driving functions, and the driver is expected to take control of the vehicle only in emergency situations. At autonomous driving level 5, the SAE classification standard may correspond to "full automation", in which the system performs all driving functions without any assistance from the driver (including in emergency situations), and the driver is not expected to perform any driving functions other than determining the operating state of the system. Although the present disclosure may apply the SAE classification standard to autonomous driving classification, other classification methods and / or algorithms may be used in one or more configurations described herein. One or more features associated with autonomous driving control may be activated based on the configured autonomous driving control settings (eg, based on at least one of: an autonomous driving classification, a selection of an autonomous driving level for the vehicle, etc.).

[0053] The autonomous driving controller 110 may include a map data processor 111, a driving convenience module 113, a host vehicle position estimator 115, and a control module 117. The autonomous driving controller 110 may also be referred to as an integrated autonomous driving controller.

[0054] The autonomous driving controller 110 may receive global positioning system (GPS) information, HD map information, sensor data, etc. provided by the navigation controller 130 and determine whether the input data is valid.

[0055] In this case, if it is determined that the input data is invalid, the autonomous driving controller 110 may output information indicating that there is no position information and set the precise positioning state to a not-ready state (“Not Ready”).

[0056] In contrast, if the input data is determined to be valid, the autonomous driving controller 110 may set the GPS to a ready state (“Ready”).

[0057] In this case, if the GPS is not in the ready state when the input data is determined to be valid, the autonomous driving controller 110 may determine that the GPS information is invalid and output information indicating that there is no position information, and may set the precise positioning state to the not ready state.

[0058] If the HD map information is not input when the GPS is in the ready state, the autonomous driving controller 110 may output the GPS information as it is because only the GPS information is valid. The GPS information may also be referred to as GPS location information.

[0059] Therefore, since the autonomous driving controller 110 has only GPS information but no HD map information, it may set the precise positioning state to the not-ready state.

[0060] If the HD map information is received when the GPS is in the ready state, the autonomous driving controller 110 can determine whether the vehicle enters the main road from the general road. For example, if it is before the vehicle enters the main road from the general road, the autonomous driving controller 110 can output the GPS information and set the precise positioning state to the not ready state.

[0061] That is, if it is before the host vehicle enters the main road from the general road, the autonomous driving controller 110 may output the GPS information as it is because the input HD map does not indicate the road the host vehicle is currently traveling on. In this case, since the GPS information does not meet the specification, the autonomous driving controller 110 may set the precise positioning state to the not ready state.

[0062] The map data processor 111 may generate HD map information including roads, lanes, facilities, etc. around the host vehicle and pre-transmission information under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the HD map may include various road data required for autonomous driving, including, for example, lanes (e.g., the number and orientation of lanes), traffic lights (e.g., the location and status of traffic lights), markings (e.g., the location and status of road markings), road conditions (e.g., potholes, bumps, road texture), traffic flow (e.g., traffic density, speed, pattern), obstacle and hazard information (e.g., construction areas, debris, pedestrians), the location of crosswalks and sidewalks, the layout of intersections, and roadside features (e.g., obstacles, guardrails, sidewalks, edges).

[0063] If there is an intersection or fork in the road ahead, the map data processor 111 can determine a road among the roads ahead that the vehicle is expected to travel according to the preset rules installed therein. The preset rules include: selecting a road on the predetermined driving path to the destination among the roads ahead, and / or selecting a road among the roads based on a preset priority rule, according to which the priority order can be sorted as: expressway (or freeway), main road (or urban highway / automobile-only road), rural road (or national highway / local road supported by the state). The map data processor 111 can send the pre-transmission information to the vehicle position estimator 115 in advance before entering the auto-only road where the vehicle is expected to travel.

[0064] The HD map corresponding to the road data or HD map information may include, for example, information about the height, curvature and slope of the road, lanes, road facilities and various changes on the road. The HD map information may include, for example, road link property data ("RoadLink Property"), lane link geometry data ("LaneLinkGeometry"), etc. The pre-transmission information may include, for example, a road identification (ID), but is not limited thereto.

[0065] The map data processor 111 can detect and analyze real-time road change information of the vehicle while it is traveling on the road or parked, and then obtain the corresponding latest HD map under the control of the control module 117. The map data processor 111 can receive the latest HD map within a predetermined GPS range in real time based on GPS information provided by the navigation controller 130 under the control of the control module 117.

[0066] That is, the map data processor 111 may receive GPS information provided by the navigation controller 130 and HD map information processed based on the GPS information under the control of the control module 117. The processed HD map information may be HD map information associated with an area spaced a predetermined distance from the GPS information.

[0067] Since the map data processor 111 receives the HD map information related to the periphery of the GPS information based on the GPS information, it is possible to significantly reduce the data amount of the HD map information and realize smooth real-time data transmission.

[0068] The driving convenience module 113 may receive GPS information and navigation map information from a navigation controller 130 (described below) under the control of the control module 117 , and may operate various advanced driver assistance functions including, for example, highway driving assistance and navigation-based smart cruise control.

[0069] Under the control of the control module 117, the vehicle position estimator 115 can analyze the HD map information and / or pre-transmission information provided by the map data processor 111 and the GPS information and navigation map information provided by the navigation controller 130, generate entry / exit status information based on the result value obtained from the analysis, and estimate the position for precise positioning based on the generated entry / exit status information.

[0070] The vehicle position estimator 115 may include a map processing unit 115 a and a position fusion unit 115 b .

[0071] The map processing unit 115a may generate the entry / exit status information using at least one of the HD map information, the pre-transmission information, and the navigation map information under the control of the control module 117. The navigation map information may include road type information about the type of road on which the host vehicle is currently traveling. The road type information may include, for example, information about a general road (other), a dedicated road for automobiles (main), an overpass (IC), a junction (JC), etc.

[0072] Additionally or alternatively, the entry / exit status information may include information 15a obtained by determining whether the host vehicle is about to pass through or has passed through an entry point from a general road to a main road, information 15b obtained by determining whether the host vehicle has passed through an exit point from the main road to the general road, and information 15c obtained by determining whether the host vehicle has entered the main road without determining normal entry or exit. This will be described in detail below.

[0073] Additionally or alternatively, the map processing unit 115a may analyze the provided HD map information, pre-transmission information, and navigation map information to determine whether the host vehicle is entering the second road from the first road or exiting the second road to the first road under the control of the control module 117. The first road may also be referred to herein as a general road, and the second road may also be referred to herein as a main road or a car-only road.

[0074] The movement of the host vehicle from the first road to the second road may also be described herein as driving from the first road into the second road (ie, driving from the first road into the second road). For example, the host vehicle may drive from a general road into a main road.

[0075] Additionally or alternatively, the movement of the host vehicle from the second road to the first road may also be described as exiting from the second road to the first road (ie, leaving from the second road to the first road). For example, the host vehicle may exit from the main road to the general road.

[0076] As described above, the map processing unit 115a may determine the entry / exit status information using at least one of the HD map information, pre-transmission information, and navigation map information under the control of the control module 117, and provide the entry / exit status information to the position fusion unit 115b.

[0077] The position fusion unit 115 b may analyze the precise positioning position using the entry / exit status information and the navigation map information under the control of the control module 117 , and set the precise positioning position or the precise positioning status to a not-ready state based on the analysis result.

[0078] For example, the position fusion unit 115b may use the entry status information, the exit status information, the entry sign of the entry situation, or the exit sign of the exiting state to analyze the position of the vehicle, so as to more accurately determine the pinpoint positioning position.

[0079] The control module 117 may control at least one other component of the autonomous driving controller 110 (e.g., a hardware component (e.g., an interface and / or a memory) and / or a software component (e.g., a software program)) and perform various data processing and calculations. For example, the control module 117 may generally control the map data processor 111, the driving convenience module 113, and the host vehicle position estimator 115.

[0080] The control module 117 may also be referred to as a processor, a controller, a control device, a control circuit, etc.

[0081] Additionally or alternatively, the control module 117 may include a memory, but is not shown. In addition to or as an alternative to the autonomous driving controller 110, the memory may store various data used by at least one of the map data processor 111, the travel convenience module 113, and the host vehicle position estimator 115, such as input data and / or output data for software programs and instructions associated therewith.

[0082] The memory may include nonvolatile memory such as cache, read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), and electrically EPROM (EEPROM) and / or volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM).

[0083] The navigation controller 130 may provide navigation map information to the autonomous driving controller 100. The navigation controller 130 may receive the navigation map information from the outside. However, the example is not limited thereto, and the navigation controller 130 may receive the navigation map information previously stored in the memory.

[0084] Figure 3 An example of the operation of the present vehicle position estimator according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0085] refer to Figure 3 Under the control of the control module 117, the vehicle position estimator 115 can generate entry / exit status information using at least one of the provided HD map information, pre-transmission information and navigation map information.

[0086] For example, the map processing unit 115a may determine that the vehicle is expected to enter the second road from the first road under the control of the control module 117. That is, the map processing unit 115a may determine that the vehicle is expected to enter the main road from the general road under the control of the control module 117.

[0087] The map processing unit 115a may set an entry flag ("Entry Flag") under the control of the control module 117. The entry flag may include a first entry flag ("Entry Flag 0") to a third entry flag ("Entry Flag 2").

[0088] like Figure 3 As shown, in step S11 , the map processing unit 115 a may receive the incoming road ID through pre-transmission information under the control of the control module 117 .

[0089] The map processing unit 115a may analyze the provided entry road ID in step S12 under the control of the control module 117, and as a result of the analysis, if the entry road ID indicates "0 (or empty, i.e., no ID signal)" ("No" in S12), the entry flag may be set to the first entry flag (Entry Flag 0) in step S14. In this case, the first entry flag (Entry Flag 0) may indicate that it is not an entry situation, and may indicate a situation where there is no signal input for the ID.

[0090] The map processing unit 115a may analyze the provided incoming road ID in step S12 under the control of the control module 117, and as a result of the analysis, if the incoming road ID is not "0" ("Yes" in S12), it may determine in step S13 whether the incoming road ID indicates "1" or "a value other than 1". In this specification, the incoming road ID is a number, but is not limited thereto.

[0091] For example, if the entry road ID is "number A which is not 0" ("No" in S13), the map processing unit 115a may set the entry flag to the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1) in step S15 under the control of the control module 117. For example, if the entry road ID is "1" ("No" in S13), the map processing unit 115a may set the entry flag to the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1) in step S15 under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1) may indicate the entry situation, and may indicate the situation where the entry road ID of the entry road to be entered is received.

[0092] On the contrary, if the incoming road ID "changes from number A which is not 0 to number B which is not 0" ("Yes" in S13), the map processing unit 115a may set the incoming flag to the third incoming flag (Entry Flag2) in step S16 under the control of the control module 117. For example, if the incoming road ID is "a value other than 0 and 1" ("Yes" in S13), the map processing unit 115a may set the incoming flag to the third incoming flag (Entry Flag 2) in step S16 under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the third incoming flag (Entry Flag 2) may indicate a situation where an incoming situation is predicted in a previous time period, but the expected path has changed, and the incoming road to be entered is predicted differently from the previous expectation.

[0093] Figure 4 An example of the shape of an incoming lane link on an actual map according to an example of the present disclosure is shown, and Figure 5An example of determining the passage of an incoming lane link according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0094] The map processing unit 115a can set the incoming road link and the main road link by analyzing the provided HD map information. In this case, the map processing unit 115a can distinguish the incoming road link from the main road link based on whether there is an incoming attribute in the road link under the control of the control module 117.

[0095] like Figure 4 and 5 As shown, the HD map may include at least one main lane link and at least one incoming lane link.

[0096] For example, the at least one oncoming lane link may include an oncoming lane link A and an oncoming lane link B. The oncoming point A may be connected to the oncoming lane link A, and the oncoming point B may be connected to the oncoming lane link B.

[0097] The map processing unit 115a may determine the second road passing through the entry point from the first road to the second road under the control of the control module 117. That is, the map processing unit 115a may determine the main road passing through the entry point from the general road to the main road under the control of the control module 117.

[0098] The map processing unit 115a may perform calculations on all lanes of the entry road when passing through the entry point from the general road to the main road under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the entry point as a point to be calculated may vary according to the input point of the HD map.

[0099] The map processing unit 115a may draw or generate a perpendicular foot on the incoming road link to determine an incoming flag under the control of the control module 117. The perpendicular foot may be defined as a straight line perpendicular to the heading of the vehicle (eg, 100).

[0100] In this case, the map processing unit 115 a may draw a perpendicular foot with respect to the incoming road link having the incoming attribute under the control of the control module 117 .

[0101] For example, Figure 5 As shown, if the vertical foot L1 for determining the oncoming flag is drawn when the host vehicle is located at ①, the vertical foot L1 does not overlap with the oncoming lane link A or the oncoming lane link B, so there may be no overlapping point "H".

[0102] On the contrary, if the foot of the perpendicular L2 for determining the incoming flag is drawn when the host vehicle is located at ②, the foot of the perpendicular L2 overlaps with the incoming lane link A, and an overlapping point "H" may exist.

[0103] If there is an overlapping point “H”, the map processing unit 115 a may determine the entry into the main road based on whether “H” is within the main road determination area under the control of the control module 117 .

[0104] For example, if the overlapping point "H" is within the main road determination area, the map processing unit 115a can determine that the host vehicle has entered the main road through the entry point from the general road to the main road under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the map processing unit 115a can change the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1) to the first entry flag (Entry Flag 0) under the control of the control module 117. That is, the map processing unit 115a can determine that the host vehicle has passed the point predicted as the entry point under the control of the control module 117, and may not predict future entry.

[0105] On the contrary, if the overlapping point "H" is not within the main road determination area, the map processing unit 115a can determine that the vehicle has not entered the main road by passing the entry point from the general road to the main road under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the map processing unit 115a can change the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1) to the third entry flag (Entry Flag 2) under the control of the control module 117.

[0106] Figure 6 showing an example of the shape of an exit lane link on an actual map according to an example of the present disclosure, and Figure 7 An example of determining the passage of an off-lane road link according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0107] The map processing unit 115 a may set an exit road link by analyzing the provided HD map information under the control of the control module 117 .

[0108] The map processing unit 115a may set an exit flag (Exit Flag) under the control of the control module 117. The exit flag may include a first exit flag (Exit Flag 0) to a third exit flag (Exit Flag 2).

[0109] The map processing unit 115a may use the positioning position as it is to perform geometric calculations under the control of the control module 117. This is because, unlike the case of driving in, the reliability of positioning quality is relatively high in the case of driving out. For example, when the attributes of the driving out road correspond to the attributes of the service area, the map processing unit 115a may store the service area information in advance and use it.

[0110] like Figure 6 and 7As shown, the map processing unit 115 a may perform calculations to determine the exit as follows under the control of the control module 117 .

[0111] The map processing unit 115 a may determine an exit road if there is no forward connectivity with the main road under the control of the control module 117 , and calculate an equation of a straight line perpendicular to the exit road link based on the determination result.

[0112] The equation of the line is given below.

[0113] [Equation 1]

[0114] f(x,y)=ax+by+cf(x,y)=ax+by+c

[0115] The map processing unit 115a can determine the position (P(x 1 ,y 1 )P(x 1 ,y 1 )) and another point (P(x 2 ,y 2 )P(x 2 ,y 2 )) exist in the same region.

[0116] For example, if the position of the vehicle (f(x 1 ,y 1 )f(x 1 ,y 1 )) and another point (f(x 2 ,y 2 )f(x 2 ,y 2 )) and the result value obtained is less than zero (0), the map processing unit 115a can determine that they exist in different areas under the control of the control module 117. This can be expressed as (f(x 1 ,y 1 )f(x 1 ,y 1 )·f(x 2 ,y 2 )f(x 2 ,y 2 )<0: exist in different areas).

[0117] Alternatively or additionally, if the position of the host vehicle (f(x 1 ,y 1 )f(x 1 ,y 1 )) and another point (f(x2 ,y 2 )f(x 2 ,y 2 )) and the result value obtained is 0, then the map processing unit 115a can determine that they exist on a straight line under the control of the control module 117. This can be expressed as (f(x 1 ,y 1 )f(x 1 ,y 1 )·f(x 2 ,y 2 )f(x 2 ,y 2 )=0: exists on a straight line).

[0118] Alternatively or additionally, if the position of the host vehicle (f(x 1 ,y 1 )f(x 1 ,y 1 )) and another point (f(x 2 ,y 2 )f(x 2 ,y 2 )) and the result value obtained is greater than 0, the map processing unit 115a can determine that they exist in the same area under the control of the control module 117. This can be expressed as (f(x 1 ,y 1 )f(x 1 ,y 1 )·f(x 2 ,y 2 )f(x 2 ,y 2 )>0: exist in the same area).

[0119] As described above, if it is determined that they exist in different areas, the map processing unit 115a may change the first exit flag (Exit Flag 0) to the second exit flag (Exit Flag 1) under the control of the control module 117. The map processing unit 115a may determine, under the control of the control module 117, that the host vehicle exits the main road through the point predicted as the exit point and that it is not the main road until the entry is predicted again.

[0120] Although the example in which it is determined by the present vehicle position estimator 115 that the vehicle 100 normally enters the main road from the general road and normally exits the main road to the general road has been described above, the example is not limited thereto.

[0121] A method of determining whether the host vehicle (eg, 100 ) is located on a main road although normal entry or exit of the vehicle 100 has not been determined by the host vehicle position estimator 115 will be described below.

[0122] Figure 8 An example of a method of determining whether a vehicle is located on a main road according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0123] refer to Figure 8 Although the normal entry or exit of the host vehicle (e.g., vehicle 100) is not determined by the host vehicle position estimator 115, the shape or form of the road link on which the host vehicle 100 is traveling can be extracted, and it can be determined whether the host vehicle 100 exists on the main road.

[0124] According to an example of the present disclosure, at least one condition needs to be satisfied to determine the normal entry or exit of the host vehicle 100 .

[0125] First, it is necessary to send the pre-transmission information with the correct ID at an appropriate time. For example, the appropriate time may be before the vehicle 100 passes the entry point.

[0126] Second, the HD map needs to be continuously input near the entry or exit point. In other words, the HD map needs to be input before the vehicle 100 passes the entry point.

[0127] Third, the GPS error is required to be substantially less than 50 meters (m). For example, if the GPS error is greater than or equal to 50 m, it may not be possible to accurately determine whether the host vehicle 100 is on the main road due to a relatively wide error range.

[0128] According to an example of the present disclosure, if an HD map is input after the host vehicle 100 passes through an entry point, the map processing unit 115 a may estimate or calculate the shape or form of a road link under the control of the control module 117 to determine the entry of the main road.

[0129] For example, the map processing unit 115 a may count the count numbers of the intersecting road links under the control of the control module 117 .

[0130] In this case, the cross road link may be defined as a road link that intersects a straight line perpendicular to the heading of the host vehicle 100. In this case, a road link ("RoadLink", RL) may include a lane link ("LaneLink"). For example, a road link may include at least one lane link. Therefore, it may be determined which lane link(s) are included in the corresponding road link.

[0131] The reason for using a line perpendicular to the heading of the host vehicle 100 instead of a lane link is that, in the case of an oncoming situation, it would be inaccurate to determine the lane link closest to the host vehicle 100 .

[0132] like Figure 8 As shown, the map processing unit 115a can compare the crossroad link at the previous time (hereinafter referred to as the "previous crossroad link") with the crossroad link at the current time (hereinafter referred to as the "current crossroad link") under the control of the control module 117, and as a result of the comparison, if it is determined that they are different, their connectivity can be detected. Figure 8 In the present invention, for the convenience of description, the road link will be described as being divided into a first road link (RoadLink ID=100), a second road link (RoadLink ID=101), and a third road link (RoadLink ID=102).

[0133] The first road link (RoadLink ID=100) may include the first lane link (LaneLink ID=1) to the fourth lane link (LaneLink ID=4). The second road link (RoadLink ID=101) may include the fifth lane link (LaneLink ID=5) to the eighth lane link (LaneLink ID=8). The third road link (RoadLink ID=102) may include the ninth lane link (LaneLink ID=9).

[0134] In this case, the road links ("RoadLink") of the connected roads may have connectivity with each other. Figure 8 As shown, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) has connectivity with the second road link (RoadLink ID=101), but has no connectivity with the third road link (RoadLink ID=102).

[0135] The map processing unit 115 a may determine or calculate the number of road links counted when the host vehicle 100 is traveling at points ① to ③ under the control of the control module 117 .

[0136] For example, if the host vehicle 100 is located at point ①, the map processing unit 115a may generate a straight line perpendicular to the heading of the host vehicle 100 under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the lane links intersecting the generated perpendicular straight line may be the third lane link (LaneLink ID=3) and the fourth lane link (LaneLink ID=4).

[0137] In this case, the road link to which the third lane link (LaneLink ID=3) and the fourth lane link (LaneLink ID=4) belong may be the first road link (RoadLink ID=100), and the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) may be the current cross road link.

[0138] As described above, if the host vehicle 100 is located at point ①, the calculated number of cross-road links may be 1. That is, the count of the cross-road links may be 1.

[0139] If the host vehicle 100 is located at point ②, the map processing unit 115a may generate a vertical straight line about the heading of the host vehicle 100 under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the lane links intersecting the generated vertical straight line may be the first lane link (LaneLink ID=1), the second lane link (LaneLink ID=2), the third lane link (LaneLink ID=3), and the eighth lane link (LaneLink ID=8).

[0140] In this case, the road link to which the first lane link (LaneLink ID=1), the second lane link (LaneLink ID=2), and the third lane link (LaneLink ID=3) belong may be the first road link (RoadLink ID=100), and the road link to which the eighth lane link (LaneLink ID=8) belongs may be the second road link (RoadLink ID=101). Therefore, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLinkID=101) may be current cross-road links.

[0141] As described above, if the host vehicle 100 is located at point ②, the calculated number of crossroad links may be 2.

[0142] In this case, for the vehicle 100, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) was originally the current cross road link at point ①, but the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) at point ① will become the previous cross road link, and the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) can become the current cross road link at point ②.

[0143] At point ②, compared with point ①, a second road link (RoadLink ID=101) is added, so the map processing unit 115a can compare the previous cross road link with the current cross road link under the control of the control module 117, and determine their connectivity based on the comparison result.

[0144] For example, under the control of the control module 117, the map processing unit 115a can compare the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) which is the previous intersecting road link at point ② with the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) which are the current intersecting road link at point ②, and based on the comparison result, determine whether there is or does not exist connectivity between them because they are different.

[0145] That is, at point ②, the map processing unit 115a can compare the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) with the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) under the control of the control module 117. If the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) are different, it can be determined whether there is connectivity between them.

[0146] If it is determined that the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) are different and there is connectivity therebetween, the map processing unit 115a may delete the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) from the current cross road link under the control of the control module 117. Therefore, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) may become the final road link (or current road link) at the current time, and the number of cross road links may become 1. That is, the count of cross road links may be 1.

[0147] If the host vehicle is located at point ③, the map processing unit 115a may generate a vertical straight line about the heading of the host vehicle 100 under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the lane links intersecting the generated vertical straight line may be the first lane link (LaneLink ID=1), the sixth lane link (LaneLink ID=6), the seventh lane link (LaneLink ID=7), the eighth lane link (LaneLink ID=8), and the ninth lane link (LaneLink ID=9).

[0148] In this case, the road link to which the first lane link (LaneLink ID=1) belongs may be the first road link (RoadLink ID=100), and the road links to which the sixth lane link (LaneLink ID=6), the seventh lane link (LaneLink ID=7), and the eighth lane link (LaneLink ID=8) belong may be the second road link (RoadLinkID=101). Additionally or alternatively, the road link to which the ninth lane link (LaneLink ID=9) belongs may be the third road link (RoadLink ID=102). Therefore, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100), the second road link (RoadLink ID=101), and the third road link (RoadLink ID=102) may be current cross-road links.

[0149] As described above, if the host vehicle 100 is located at point ③, the calculated number of crossroad links may be three.

[0150] In this case, for the vehicle 100, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) was originally the current cross road link at point ②, but the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) at point ② will become the previous cross road link at point ③, and the first, second and third road links can become the current cross road links.

[0151] At point ③, compared with point ②, a third road link (RoadLink ID=102) is added, so the map processing unit 115a can compare the previous cross road link with the current cross road link under the control of the control module 117 and determine whether there is connectivity between them.

[0152] For example, under the control of the control module 117, the map processing unit 115a can compare the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) of the previous intersecting road link at point ③ with the first road link (RoadLink ID=100), the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) and the third road link (RoadLink ID=102) of the current intersecting road link at point ③, and can determine their connectivity because, as a result of the comparison, they are different.

[0153] That is, at point ②, the map processing unit 115a can compare the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) with the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) under the control of the control module 117. If the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) are different, it can be determined whether there is connectivity between them.

[0154] If it is determined that the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) are different and there is connectivity between them, the map processing unit 115a may delete the second road link (RoadLink ID=101) from the current cross road link under the control of the control module 117.

[0155] In addition or alternatively, if it is determined that the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the third road link (RoadLink ID=102) are different and there is no connectivity between them, the map processing unit 115a may, under the control of the control module 117, not delete the third road link (RoadLink ID=102) from the current cross road link.

[0156] Therefore, the first road link (RoadLink ID=100) and the third road link (RoadLink ID=102) may become the final current road links, and the number of intersecting road links may become 2. That is, the count of the intersecting road links may be 2.

[0157] As described above, under the control of the control module 117, if the n road links as the current cross road links are different from the m road links as the previous cross road links, the map processing unit 115a may determine whether there is connectivity between the n road links and the m road links, and if there is connectivity, delete the corresponding road link from the n road links as the current cross road links, and if there is no connectivity, maintain the corresponding road link in the n road links as the current cross road links. In this case, n and m may represent natural numbers greater than or equal to 1.

[0158] Then, the map processing unit 115 a may determine whether the host vehicle 100 is traveling on the main road based on the calculated count of cross-road links under the control of the control module 117 .

[0159] That is, although the entry attribute is not determined normally, if there is a significant change in the number of lanes on the HD map, it can be determined or estimated that there is a possibility of traveling on a main road, which can enable the positioning operation to be performed normally.

[0160] If the count of the crossroad links increases or decreases by comparison with the previous time point when the entry flag (Flag) is the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1), the map processing unit 115a can determine that the vehicle is traveling on the main road under the control of the control module 117. Therefore, the map processing unit 115a can initialize the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1) to the first entry flag (Entry Flag 0) under the control of the control module 117.

[0161] On the contrary, if the distance between the host vehicle 100 and the entry point is substantially less than 20 m, the map processing unit 115 a may determine, under the control of the control module 117 , that the calculation for normal entry is relatively accurate and the entry flag may not be initialized.

[0162] Additionally or alternatively, even if the number of road links changes, if the number of lane links included in the road link does not substantially change, the map processing unit 115 a may not initialize the entry flag under the control of the control module 117 .

[0163] Fig. 9 An example of a method of determining whether a vehicle is located on a main road according to another example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0164] refer to Fig. 9 According to an example of the present disclosure, even if the normal entry or exit of the host vehicle 100 is not determined by the host vehicle position estimator 115, it is possible to determine whether the host vehicle 100 exists on the main road using the navigation information.

[0165] The map processing unit 115a may receive navigation information from the navigation controller 130 and analyze it under the control of the control module 117. For example, the map processing unit 115a may receive navigation information about the road on which the host vehicle 100 is located under the control of the control module 117, and analyze the provided navigation information to generate road type information. The navigation information may also be referred to as navigation road information.

[0166] The navigation information may include road type information. For example, the road type information may include information about whether the road is a main road, an interchange (IC) or a junction (JC), a road indicated as "other", etc.

[0167] The map processing unit 115a can be controlled by the control module 117 by combining Fig. 9The navigation information and category information shown are used to generate road type information or type information. Fig. 9 The category information shown may be stored in advance in the above-mentioned memory.

[0168] The category information can be classified into "NDP_CurRoadClass" and "NDP_CurLinkClass". For example, "NDP_CurRoadClass" can indicate the type of road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling (e.g., highways, city streets, rural roads, residential streets, mountain roads, gravel roads or dirt roads, expressways, toll roads, bridges and overpasses, tunnels, etc.). For example, in NDP_CurRoadClass, "0x0" can indicate "unknown", "0x1" can indicate a highway, "0x2" can indicate a city road / car-only road, "0x3" can indicate a national highway / nationally supported local road, "0x4" can indicate a local road, "0x5" can indicate trunk roads 1, 2, and 3, "0x6" can indicate "others", and "0x7" can indicate "invalid".

[0169] Additionally or alternatively, "NDP_CurLinkClass" may indicate the form of the road on which the host vehicle 100 is currently traveling. For example, in NDP_CurLinkClass, "0x0" may indicate "unknown", "0x1" may indicate a main road (non-separated), "0x2" may indicate a main road (separated), "0x3" may indicate a junction (JC), "0x4" may indicate a crossroads channel (or multiple junctions M), "0x5" may indicate an overpass (IC), "0x6" may indicate "reserved", "0x7" may indicate a connecting road (service area), ..., and "0xF" may indicate "invalid".

[0170] The above-mentioned road type information is information received from the navigation controller 130 regarding the road on which the host vehicle 100 is located, and thus can be relatively highly reliable even if the position error of the host vehicle 100 used in the HD map is relatively large.

[0171] The map processing unit 115 a may analyze the generated road type information under the control of the control module 117 , and initialize an entry sign or an exit sign based on the analysis result.

[0172] For example, if the road type information changes from "non-main road" (for example, IC / JC and others) to "main road" in the state of the second entry flag (Entry Flag 1), the map processing unit 115a can also initialize the entry flag to the first entry flag (Entry Flag 0) under the control of the control module 117.

[0173] In addition or alternatively, if the distance between the vehicle 100 and the entry point is substantially less than or equal to 20 m, the map processing unit 115 a may, under the control of the control module 117 , determine that the calculation for normal entry is relatively accurate and may not initialize the entry flag to the first entry flag (Entry Flag 0).

[0174] In addition or alternatively, if the road type information changes from "non-main road" (e.g., IC / JC, other) to "main road" when in the state of the second exit sign, the map processing unit 115a can initialize the exit sign to the first exit sign (Entry Flag 0) under the control of the control module 117.

[0175] The map processing unit 115 a may operate under the control of the control module 117 regardless of the distance between the host vehicle 100 and the exit point.

[0176] Additionally or alternatively, according to an example of the present disclosure, even if normal entry or exit of the host vehicle 100 is not determined using the host vehicle position estimator 115 , the distance to the service area entry point may be used to determine whether the host vehicle 100 is present on the main road.

[0177] For example, the service area may not be included in the geometric information of the HD map.

[0178] Therefore, in the case of entering the main road from the service area, as in the case of initially entering the main road, the positioning reliability may be low and the autonomous driving operation conditions may not be met quickly.

[0179] Taking this into consideration, when exiting from the main road to the service area and the exit sign is operated, the map processing unit 115a can, under the control of the control module 117, accumulate and calculate the travel distance based on the service area entry information stored after entering the main road from the service area.

[0180] That is, when the vehicle travels a predetermined distance on the main road after exiting the service area, the map processing unit 115a may forcibly initialize the exit flag to the first exit flag (ExitFlag 0) under the control of the control module 117. In this case, the predetermined distance may be substantially 600 m.

[0181] As described above, when the vehicle 100 travels a predetermined distance on the main road after exiting the service area, the map processing unit 115a can forcibly initialize the exit flag to the first exit flag (ExitFlag 0) under the control of the control module 117, thereby allowing the vehicle 100 to drive stably.

[0182] Fig.10An example of a flow chart representing operation of an autonomous driving controller according to examples of the present disclosure is shown.

[0183] refer to Fig.10 According to an example of the present disclosure, the operation of the autonomous driving controller 110 is as follows.

[0184] In step S21 , the autonomous driving controller 110 may receive GPS information, HD map information, and sensor data provided by the navigation controller 130 , and determine whether such input data is valid.

[0185] If it is determined that the input data is invalid (“No” in S21 ), the autonomous driving controller 110 may output information indicating that there is no position information in step S22 , and may set the precise positioning state to a not-ready state (“Not Ready”).

[0186] In contrast, if it is determined that the input data is valid (“YES” in S21 ), the autonomous driving controller 110 may set the GPS to a ready state (“Ready”) in step S23 .

[0187] If the GPS is not in the ready state when the input data is determined to be valid in step S21 ("No" in S23), the autonomous driving controller 110 can determine that the GPS information is invalid and output information indicating that there is no position information in step S22, and the precise positioning state can be set to the not ready state.

[0188] If the HD map information is not input when the GPS is in the ready state (No in S24), the autonomous driving controller 110 may output the GPS information as it is in step S25 because only the GPS information is valid. In this case, the GPS information may be referred to as GPS position information.

[0189] Therefore, since only GPS information is known and there is no HD map information, the autonomous driving controller 110 may set the precise positioning status to a not-ready state.

[0190] If the HD map information is input when the GPS is in the ready state ("Yes" in S24), the autonomous driving controller 110 may determine the entry from the general road to the main road in step S26. For example, if it is before the host vehicle 100 enters the main road from the general road ("Yes" in S26), the autonomous driving controller 110 may output the GPS information in step S25 and set the precise positioning state to the not-ready state.

[0191] That is, if it is before the host vehicle 100 enters the main road from the general road ("Yes" in S26), the autonomous driving controller 110 may output the GPS information as it is in step S25 because the input HD map does not correspond to the road on which the host vehicle 100 is currently traveling. In this case, since the GPS information does not meet the specifications, the precise positioning state may be set to the not-ready state.

[0192] If it is after the host vehicle 100 enters the main road from the general road ("No" in S26) and before exiting ("No" in S27), the autonomous driving controller 110 can determine that the input HD map information is valid, and use the HD map and sensor information to estimate the position information of the host vehicle 100 in step S29. In this case, the autonomous driving controller 110 can set the precise positioning state to the ready state ("Ready").

[0193] In contrast, if it is after the host vehicle 100 exits from the general road to the main road ("Yes" in S27), the autonomous driving controller 110 may estimate the position information by applying dead reckoning (DR) to the previous position information in step S28 because the input HD map does not correspond to the road on which the host vehicle 100 is currently traveling. DR may estimate the position using vehicle dynamic information.

[0194] In this case, the result of estimating the position using DR may correspond to position information estimated only for a preset distance. Therefore, after traveling a certain distance while the precise positioning state is maintained as the ready state, the precise positioning state may be set to the not-ready state.

[0195] Fig.11A , Fig. 11B , Fig. 11C , Fig. 12A , Fig. 12B , Fig.13A , Fig. 13B , Fig. 13C and Fig.13D An example of a simulation according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0196] exist Fig.11A , Fig. 11B , Fig. 11C , Fig. 12A , Fig. 12B , Fig.13A , Fig. 13B , Fig. 13C and Fig.13D , the area indicated by the red dotted line indicates the actual travel road. In addition or alternatively, the green frame indicates the GPS position, and the white frame indicates the host vehicle (e.g., 100).

[0197] Fig.11AShows the matching on the actual driving road due to GPS error, Fig. 11B shows images captured during actual driving, and Fig. 11C It shows how the GPS position is maintained and output based on determining that it is a drive-in situation.

[0198] According to an example of the present disclosure, the autonomous driving controller 110 can determine, based on the GPS error, that the vehicle 100 is in a state before entering the main road, and based on the determination result, maintain the GPS position to set the precise positioning state to the unready state (“Not Ready”).

[0199] Fig. 12A shows the matching on the dedicated road for automobiles when driving on the parallel general road after exiting the dedicated road for automobiles, and Fig. 12B An image captured during actual driving is shown. Additionally or alternatively, Fig.13A shows how to determine an exit situation according to an example of the present disclosure, Fig. 13B shows the position estimate using DR, and Fig. 13C shows how to prevent matching on car-only roads, and Fig.13D It shows how the precise positioning status can be set to the not ready state (“Not Ready”) after a certain distance has been traveled.

[0200] According to an example of the present disclosure, in the case of exiting from a dedicated road for automobiles to a general road, the autonomous driving controller 110 can estimate the position information by applying DR to the previous position information because the input HD map does not correspond to the road on which the host vehicle 100 is currently traveling. DR can estimate the position using vehicle dynamic information. Therefore, after the host vehicle 100 travels a certain distance with the precise positioning state maintained as the ready state, the precise positioning state can be set to the not-ready state.

[0201] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an autonomous vehicle and a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, which can determine the entry / exit status of a dedicated road for automobiles and, based on the determination result, prevent the ready state ("Ready") of precise positioning from being erroneously activated on a general road other than the dedicated road for automobiles.

[0202] According to an example of the present disclosure, an autonomous driving vehicle including an autonomous driving controller is provided, wherein the autonomous driving controller is configured to: receive global positioning system (GPS) information, HD (high definition) map information, road information and sensor information related to one or more roads ahead; and use the global positioning system (GPS) information, HD (high definition) map information, road information and sensor information to generate road change information related to whether the vehicle enters or exits a preset category of road.

[0203] In at least one example, the autonomous driving controller is further configured to: set the precise positioning state to a ready state based on the road change information.

[0204] In at least one example, the autonomous driving controller is further configured to: output GPS information; and set the precise positioning state to a not-ready state in response to the vehicle being determined to be in a state before entering a road of a preset category.

[0205] In at least one example, the autonomous driving controller is further configured to, in response to the autonomous driving vehicle being determined to be in a state after driving off a preset category of road, estimate the position of the autonomous driving vehicle by applying dead reckoning (DR) to a previous position, and set the precise positioning state to a not ready state.

[0206] In at least one example, the autonomous driving controller is further configured to estimate the position of the autonomous driving vehicle within a preset distance when DR is used.

[0207] In at least one example, the autonomous driving controller is further configured to: when using DR, maintain the precise positioning state as the ready state until within a preset distance; and after the preset distance, set the precise positioning state to the not ready state.

[0208] In at least one example, the HD map information includes road link attributes and lane link geometry of a preset category of roads, and the road information includes a road identification (ID) of the preset category of roads.

[0209] In at least one example, the autonomous driving controller is further configured to: in response to the ID indicating an empty signal, set the entry sign to a first entry sign; in response to the ID changing from an ID indicating a general road to an ID indicating a preset category of road, set the entry sign to a second entry sign; and in response to the ID changing to an ID indicating a preset category of road, set the entry sign to a third entry sign.

[0210] In at least one example, a first entry sign indicates a situation where the autonomous vehicle is not entering a road of a preset category, a second entry sign indicates a situation where the autonomous vehicle is entering a road of a preset category, and a third entry sign indicates a situation where a road of a preset category is changed to another road of a preset category due to a change in a driving path of the vehicle.

[0211] In at least one example, the road information includes information related to a road determined to be most likely to be traveled on among a plurality of roads at a road intersection or fork ahead.

[0212] According to another example of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an autonomous driving vehicle including an autonomous driving controller is provided, the method including: receiving, by the autonomous driving controller, global positioning system (GPS) information, HD (high definition) map information, road information and sensor information related to one or more roads ahead; and generating, by the autonomous driving controller, road change information related to whether the vehicle is entering or exiting a preset category of road using the global positioning system (GPS) information, HD map information, road information and sensor information.

[0213] In at least one example of the method, the method further includes: setting the precise positioning state to a ready state according to the road change state information.

[0214] In at least one example of the method, the method further includes: outputting GPS information; and setting the precise positioning state to a not-ready state in response to the vehicle being determined to be in a state before entering a road of a preset category.

[0215] In at least one example of the method, the method further includes: in response to the autonomous vehicle being determined to be in a state after driving off a preset category of road, estimating a position of the autonomous vehicle by applying dead reckoning (DR) to a previous position, and setting the precise positioning state to a not ready state.

[0216] In at least one example of the method, the method further includes: when using DR, estimating the position of the autonomous vehicle within a preset distance.

[0217] In at least one example of the method, the method further includes: when using DR, maintaining the precise positioning state as a ready state until within a preset distance; and after the preset distance, setting the precise positioning state to a not ready state.

[0218] In at least one example of the method, the HD map information includes road link attributes and lane link geometry of a preset category of roads, and the road information includes a road identification (ID) of the preset category of roads.

[0219] In at least one example of the method, the method also includes: in response to the ID indicating an empty signal, setting the entry sign to a first entry sign; in response to the ID changing from an ID indicating a general road to an ID indicating a preset category of road, setting the entry sign to a second entry sign; and in response to the ID changing to an ID indicating a preset category of road, setting the entry sign to a third entry sign.

[0220] In at least one example of the method, a first entry sign indicates a situation where the autonomous vehicle is not entering a road of a preset category, a second entry sign indicates a situation where the autonomous vehicle is entering a road of a preset category, and a third entry sign indicates a situation where a road of a preset category is changed to another road of a preset category due to a change in a driving path of the vehicle.

[0221] According to an example of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, storing a program or instruction for implementing the above method by being executed by a processor.

[0222] According to the examples of the present disclosure described herein, an autonomous vehicle and a method of controlling an autonomous vehicle can determine the car-only road entry / exit status of an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road, and based on the determination result, prevent activation of a ready state ("Ready") for precise positioning on general roads other than car-only roads.

[0223] Additionally or alternatively, an autonomous vehicle and a method of controlling an autonomous vehicle may determine a car-only road entry / exit status of an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road and, based on a result value from the determination, prevent activation of a ready state for precise positioning on general roads other than car-only roads, thereby preventing Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) from operating in an unexpected environment.

[0224] In addition or alternatively, the autonomous vehicle and the method of controlling the autonomous vehicle can determine the road change state of the autonomous vehicle (e.g., the entering / exiting state of the automobile-only road) and, based on the result value from the determination, prevent the activation of the ready state for precise positioning on general roads other than the automobile-only road, thereby preventing the HDP from operating in an unexpected environment and improving the safety of the driver.

[0225] In addition or alternatively, the autonomous vehicle and the method of controlling the autonomous vehicle can determine the car-only road entry / exit status of the autonomous vehicle traveling on the road, and based on the result value from the determination, prevent the activation of the ready state for precise positioning on general roads other than the car-only road, thereby preventing the HDP from operating in an unexpected environment and improving the reliability of the autonomous vehicle.

[0226] The method according to the example of the present disclosure may be embodied as a computer-executable program and stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0227] Examples of computer-readable storage media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc. Computer-readable storage media can be distributed in computer systems connected via a network so that computer-readable codes are stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition or alternatively, functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the above methods can be easily inferred by programmers in the technical field to which the examples belong.

[0228] The above various examples can be combined with each other, as long as they do not deviate from the purpose of the present disclosure and do not conflict with each other. In addition or alternatively, in the above various examples, if the parts of the examples are not described in detail, the description of the parts with the same figure numbers in other examples can be applied with necessary modifications.

[0229] Although various examples have been used to describe the present disclosure, after understanding the present disclosure, it is obvious that various modifications and changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are considered in a descriptive sense only, not for the purpose of limitation. Therefore, in addition to or as an alternative to the foregoing description, the scope of the present disclosure may also be defined by the claims and their equivalents, and all changes within the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be interpreted as included in the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A device for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle, the device comprising: Controller; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the controller, are configured to cause the device to: receiving global positioning system (GPS) information, high definition (HD) map information, road information, and sensor information, wherein the GPS information, the HD map information, and the road information are related to one or more roads ahead of the vehicle; generating road change information based on the GPS information, the HD map information, the road information, and the sensor information, wherein the road change information is related to whether a driving road on which a vehicle is traveling is changed to or from a road, and wherein the road is associated with a preset category; and Based on the road change information, a signal for controlling autonomous driving of the vehicle is output.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: Based on the road change information, the precise positioning state of the vehicle is set as a ready state of the vehicle.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: outputting the GPS information; and The precise positioning state is set as a not-ready state of the vehicle based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state before entering a road associated with the preset category.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: Based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state after exiting a road associated with the preset category, estimating the vehicle's position by applying dead reckoning (DR) to previous positions; and The precise positioning state is set as a not-ready state of the vehicle.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: Based on using the DR, the position of the vehicle within a preset distance is estimated.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: Based on using the DR, maintaining the precise positioning state as a ready state until the vehicle is within the preset distance; and After the vehicle exceeds the preset distance, the precise positioning state is set to a not-ready state.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The HD map information includes road link attributes and lane link geometry of the roads associated with the preset categories, and The road information includes a road identification (ID) of a road associated with the preset category.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The instructions, when executed by the controller, are further configured to cause the device to: setting an entry sign to a first entry sign based on the ID indicating a null signal, wherein the entry sign indicates information associated with a situation when the vehicle is entering a road; setting the entry sign to a second entry sign based on the ID being changed from an ID indicating a general road to an ID indicating a road associated with the preset category; and The entry sign is set to a third entry sign based on the ID being changed to an ID indicating a road associated with the preset category.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein: The first entry sign indicates that the vehicle is not entering a road associated with the preset category, The second entry sign indicates a situation where the vehicle is entering a road associated with the preset category, and The third entry sign indicates a situation where the road of the preset category is changed to another road associated with the preset category due to a change in the driving path of the vehicle.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The road information includes information related to the most likely road, The most likely road is determined as the road on which the vehicle is most likely to travel among multiple roads at a road intersection or fork ahead.

11. A method for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: receiving, by a controller, global positioning system (GPS) information, high definition (HD) map information, road information, and sensor information, wherein the GPS information, the HD map information, and the road information are related to one or more roads ahead of the vehicle; and generating, by the controller, road change information based on the GPS information, the HD map information, the road information, and the sensor information, wherein the road change information is related to whether a driving road on which a vehicle is traveling is changed to or from a road, and wherein the road is associated with a preset category; and Based on the road change information, a signal for controlling autonomous driving of the vehicle is output.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of: Based on the road change information, the precise positioning state of the vehicle is set as a ready state of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of: Outputting the GPS information; as well as The precise positioning state is set as a not-ready state of the vehicle based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state before entering a road associated with the preset category.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of: Based on the vehicle being determined to be in a state after exiting a road associated with the preset category, estimating the vehicle's position by applying dead reckoning (DR) to previous positions; and The precise positioning state is set as a not-ready state of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of: Based on using the DR, the position of the vehicle within a preset distance is estimated.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: Based on using the DR, maintaining the precise positioning state as a ready state until the vehicle is within the preset distance; as well as After the vehicle exceeds the preset distance, the precise positioning state is set to a not-ready state.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The HD map information includes road link attributes and lane link geometry of the roads associated with the preset categories, and The road information includes a road identification (ID) of a road associated with the preset category.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of: Based on the ID indicating a null signal, setting an entry sign to a first entry sign, wherein the entry sign indicates information associated with a situation when the vehicle is entering a road; setting the entry sign to a second entry sign based on the ID being changed from an ID indicating a general road to an ID indicating a road associated with the preset category; and The entry sign is set to a third entry sign based on the ID being changed to an ID indicating a road associated with the preset category.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The first entry sign indicates that the vehicle is not entering a road associated with the preset category, The second entry sign indicates a situation where the vehicle is entering a road associated with the preset category, and The third entry sign indicates a situation where the road associated with the preset category is changed to another road associated with the preset category due to a change in the driving path of the vehicle.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program or instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to claim 11 to be performed.

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