Vehicle travel control system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control system for appropriately turning an autonomous traveling vehicle at a corner. When vehicles (Vb, Vm, Vs) turn at corners C (X, x) on a travel path, a travel line on which the vehicle should travel is determined in accordance with various specifications (for example, a turning radius) of the vehicle, and the vehicle is made to turn along the travel line. Specifically, a plurality of nodes N are set for a corner, and a turning start reference node serving as a reference for starting turning of the vehicle and a turning end reference node serving as a reference for ending turning of the vehicle are selected from the plurality of nodes according to various specifications of the vehicle. An arc-shaped travel line connecting the turning start reference node and the turning end reference node is determined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driving control system for controlling the driving of a vehicle, in particular for controlling the turning driving of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Regarding the driving control of a vehicle that drives without human operation (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "autonomous driving vehicle"), there is a technology such as that described in the following patent document. In this technology, nodes are set on the path along which the vehicle drives, and the vehicle drives through the nodes.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-55228 Summary of the invention

[0004] The driving lines that a vehicle can travel are different due to its own specifications. Specifically, for example, the driving lines when turning a corner are different due to the length of the vehicle. In the technology described in the above patent document, there is no description about the differences in the various specifications of the vehicle. The driving control of the autonomous vehicle by considering the differences in the various specifications of the vehicle becomes a practical control. The present invention is completed in view of such actual conditions, and its subject is to provide a vehicle driving control system with high practicality.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle driving control system of the present invention is configured to include a driving control device mounted on a vehicle and controlling the driving of the vehicle.

[0006] The vehicle driving control system is configured to determine a driving line that the vehicle should travel according to various specifications of the vehicle when the vehicle turns a corner on a driving path, and the driving control device turns the vehicle along the driving line.

[0007] According to the vehicle driving control system of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "this vehicle driving control system" or "this system"), the vehicle can properly turn at a corner on a driving path regardless of its own specifications.

[0008] The driving area where the vehicle using this system travels is, for example, an area such as a block or a factory where passages for the vehicle to travel are provided. Moreover, the driving path of the vehicle is set, for example, in a manner of cruising on several of these passages. The "driving line" in this system refers to a line along which a specific point of the vehicle (such as the center of gravity of the vehicle, the center point of the front end of the vehicle, etc.) moves in the driving path, a trajectory drawn by a specific point, etc. The driving line that the vehicle should travel can be considered as a driving line that becomes a target during the driving of the vehicle, that is, a target line.

[0009] The driving line of a vehicle when turning appropriately varies according to the various specifications of the vehicle. Here, "various specifications of the vehicle" include the size of the vehicle (length, width, etc.), wheelbase, track width, inner wheel difference, outer wheel difference, appropriate vehicle speed, turning radius, etc. The various specifications of the vehicle based on which the driving line is determined when turning preferably include the turning radius. The turning radius can be an appropriate turning radius from various turning radii such as the minimum turning radius and the setting of an appropriate turning radius. Among them, depending on the various specifications of the vehicle, in detail, when the size of the vehicle is large, when the turning radius is large, etc., there may be corners where the vehicle cannot travel.

[0010] A "corner" in a driving route does not only refer to a bending position when a lane bends, but also broadly includes positions where a vehicle must turn, such as a position where the middle of a lane in the length direction connects to the end of another lane (a so-called T-junction), and a position where two lanes intersect each other (a so-called intersection).

[0011] The vehicle to be controlled is preferably an autonomous vehicle, and the "driving control device" can be considered to be a controller for realizing the autonomous driving. The vehicle has various devices related to driving, such as a driving device, a braking device, and a steering device, and the driving control device can be configured to control these devices. In addition, in order to realize autonomous driving, the vehicle preferably has a function of determining its position in the driving area, such as a GPS function and a beacon detection function.

[0012] The vehicle driving control system can be configured to include an "operation management device" that manages the operation of vehicles in the driving area. As the operation management device, it is preferably a device that manages the operation of multiple vehicles. The operation management device can be configured, for example, to create an operation plan for the vehicle and transmit the assignment (assignment) according to the operation plan to the vehicle. In addition, it is preferred that the operation management device grasps the current position of the vehicle. In the case where the operation management device manages the operation of multiple vehicles, it is preferred to have a function of adjusting or coordinating the driving of at least one of them when one vehicle and other vehicles interfere with each other in their respective driving. Specifically, for example, it has a function of giving instructions such as standby or detour to any of them. In order to realize the above-mentioned transmission of assignments, grasping the current position of the vehicle, adjusting the driving of the vehicle, etc., it is preferred that the operation management device and the vehicle can communicate wirelessly. Among them, the determination of the above-mentioned driving line can be performed by the driving control device of the vehicle, or by the operation management device. In the case where the driving line is determined by the operation management device, it is sufficient to transmit the driving line from the operation management device to the driving control device of the vehicle.

[0013] Determining the driving line will be described. In the present system, the driving line can be determined based on nodes set and arranged on the passage. Specifically, for example, a plurality of nodes can be set for a corner, and a turning start reference node that serves as a reference for the vehicle to start turning and a turning end reference node that serves as a reference for the vehicle to end turning can be selected from these plurality of nodes according to various vehicle specifications, and an arc-shaped driving line connecting these turning start reference nodes and turning end reference nodes can be determined.

[0014] The above-mentioned "node" refers to a vertex, a node, etc., and can be considered as a point (such as an imaginary point) that a specific point of the vehicle should pass through. In addition to corners, nodes can also be configured in the entire driving path. For example, it is sufficient to configure it so that it is in a straight line along the center of the lane in a straight road, and the straight line is extended to its central part at the corner. The "turn start reference node" and the "turn end reference node" can be the turn start point and the turn end point themselves, respectively, or they can be the reference point used to determine the turn start point and the reference point used to determine the turn end point. Specifically, for example, the place obtained by advancing a set distance from the turn start reference node can be used as the turn start point, and the place obtained by continuing the turn for a set distance from the turn end reference node can be used as the turn end point. For the turn start reference node and the turn end reference node, generally, for example, when making a turn with a large turning radius, the node at the position far away from the center of the corner is selected, and when making a turn with a small turning radius, the node at the position close to the center of the corner is selected. The arc-shaped driving line connecting the turn start reference node and the turn end reference node is not necessarily a part of a perfect circle, as long as it is roughly arc-shaped. For the node data, in this system, it is sufficient to at least maintain the components that determine the driving line. When the driving line is determined by the vehicle's driving control device, it is sufficient for the driving control device to retain it. When the driving line is determined by the operation management device, it is sufficient for the operation management device to retain it.

[0015] The advantages of using nodes to determine the driving line can be considered as follows. By simply creating one common node data for each corner, it is possible to refer to the one node data, select different nodes as reference nodes for each vehicle based on the various specifications of the vehicle, and determine the driving line based on the selected reference node. In short, it is possible to use one node data to determine the appropriate driving line for each vehicle. In addition, since it is not necessary to determine the driving line when turning based on information related to the surroundings of the vehicle, there is no need to set up peripheral information acquisition devices such as cameras and LiDAR on the vehicle in order to determine the driving line.

[0016] Regarding the determination of the driving line when turning, in the case where the driving path includes a two-way passage consisting of the own lane and the opposite lane, the following preferred method is considered. That is, in the case where the corner is a corner from the two-way passage to another passage, or a corner from another passage to the two-way passage, the driving line of the vehicle protruding toward the opposite lane can be determined according to various specifications of the vehicle. If such a method is adopted, even a vehicle that turns with a large turning radius can turn at a corner with a relatively narrow width. In addition, in connection with this, in the turns involved in the two-way passage, the driving line can also be determined so that the starting point of the turn is different in right turn and left turn, that is, right turn and left turn. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing a driving area of ​​a vehicle to which the vehicle driving control system of the embodiment is applied.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of a medium-sized vehicle as an example of a vehicle.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the difference in turning radius caused by different vehicles and the turning condition of a large vehicle at an intersection.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the turning conditions of medium-sized vehicles and small vehicles at an intersection.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a functional block diagram of each of the operation management device and the vehicle travel control device.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a process for determining a travel line of a vehicle at a corner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, as a mode for implementing the present invention, a vehicle driving control system as an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition to the following embodiments, the present invention can also be implemented in various modes obtained by implementing various changes and improvements based on the methods described in the above "Summary of the Invention" based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0024] [Example]

[0025] [A] The driving area and type of vehicle

[0026] like Figure 1As shown schematically, the driving area of ​​the vehicle to which the vehicle driving control system of the embodiment is applied (hereinafter, sometimes abbreviated as "this vehicle driving control system" or "this system") is a factory, in which passages are arranged along the east, west, south and north. For convenience, the passages extending along the north-south direction are marked with the reference numerals A, B, C, . . . from the east side, and the passages extending along the east-west direction are marked with the reference numerals a, b, c . . . from the north side. In the following, the passage extending along the north-south direction is represented as P(X), and the passage extending along the east-west direction is represented as P(x). In the case where there is no need to distinguish them, they are collectively referred to as passages P. Among them, A, B, C, . . . are substituted for X, and a, b, c . . . are substituted for x. It should be noted that the passages P(A), P(C), P(a), and P(c) in the accompanying drawings are left-hand two-way passages where vehicles can travel in opposite directions. A center line is drawn in the center, and there are two lanes (lanes) separated by the center line, namely the present lane and the opposite lane. On the other hand, the passage (B) and the passage (b) are narrow and have only one lane, and are one-way roads.

[0027] For the sake of convenience, the points where passages P(X) intersect with passages P(x), specifically the positions where the end of one passage P(X) is connected to another passage P(x), the positions where one passage P(X) or P(x) is connected to another passage P(x) or P(X) in a T-shape, and the positions where one passage P(X) intersects with another passage P(x) are collectively referred to as corners C. In representing each of them, the reference numerals X and x of the intersecting passages P(X) and P(x) are used to represent them as corners C(X, x).

[0028] In each passage P, nodes N are arranged at regular intervals (e.g., 1 to 2 m) in the center of the lane in the direction in which the passage P extends. The nodes N are identified one by one by the reference symbol X or x of the passage P, the reference symbol L indicating which lane it is in the case of a two-way passage, and the number * from the end of the passage P. Specifically, in the passage P(X) extending in the north-south direction, it is represented as a node N(X, L, *), and in the passage P(x) extending in the east-west direction, it is represented as a node N(x, L, *). For L, in the passage P(X) extending in the north-south direction, E is substituted for the lane on the east side, and W is substituted for the lane on the west side. In addition, in the passage P(x) extending in the east-west direction, N is substituted for the lane on the north side, and S is substituted for the lane on the south side. In the case of a non-two-way passage, L is not used. The node numbers * of the nodes N are substituted with 1, 2, 3, ... in the north-south path P(x), and 1, 2, 3, ... in the east-west path P(x). In addition, in the present system, the nodes N are arranged at equal intervals, but the intervals between the nodes N can be made finer, for example, at the corner C and its vicinity.

[0029] In addition, in the bidirectional passage, three auxiliary nodes, namely auxiliary nodes Na, are arranged next to the corner C. The auxiliary nodes Na will be described in detail later, and are nodes used when the vehicle turns left at the corner C. The auxiliary nodes Na are represented as Na(X, x, D, #). D indicates the direction of the corner C next to which they are arranged, and N, S, E, and W are substituted for the north side, south side, east side, and west side, respectively. For the number #, R is substituted for the right side when viewing toward the corner C, L is substituted for the left side, and 0 is substituted for the center.

[0030] Several types of vehicles are traveling in the driving area. For the sake of convenience, it is assumed that a relatively large large vehicle Vb, a relatively small small vehicle Vs, and a medium-sized vehicle Vm of a size between them are traveling in this driving area. The large vehicle Vb is a vehicle of the size of a bus, a truck, etc., and the small vehicle Vs is a vehicle of a size that can only accommodate one person. The medium-sized vehicle Vm will be described in detail later, and is a vehicle connected to a tractor and a trolley in this driving area. Among them, when there is no need to distinguish these large vehicles Vb, medium vehicles Vm, and small vehicles Vs, they are collectively referred to as vehicles V. In addition, these large vehicles Vb, medium vehicles Vm, and small vehicles Vs are respectively marked with numbers &, and are represented one by one as Vb&, Vm&, and Vs&. Among them, 1, 2, 3,... are substituted for &.

[0031] The attached figure shows a state where a large vehicle Vb1 is going straight toward the north on passage P(A), a state where a large vehicle Vb2 is turning right at corner C(C, c), a state where a medium vehicle Vm1 is turning left at corner C(C, a), a state where a medium vehicle Vm2 is going straight toward the south on passage P(A), a state where a small vehicle Vs1 is going straight toward the east on passage P(b), and a state where a small vehicle Vs2 is turning right at corner C(B, c). However, since it is difficult for large vehicles Vb and medium vehicles Vm to enter passage P(B) and passage P(b) by turning left and exit passage P(B) and passage P(b) by turning left due to the relationship of turning radius, passage P(B) and passage P(b), i.e., passage P, which is a one-way street with only one lane, can only pass small vehicles Vs.

[0032] [B] Vehicle composition

[0033] As described above, for convenience, the vehicles to which this system is applied are three types of vehicles: large vehicles Vb, medium vehicles Vm, and small vehicles Vs. Large vehicles Vb and small vehicles Vs are four-wheel vehicles with steering wheels at the front, and this structure is a general structure, so the description here is omitted.

[0034] like Figure 2As shown, the medium-sized vehicle Vm is composed of a towed vehicle 10 and a tractor 12 towing the towed vehicle 10. The towed vehicle 10 is composed of a platform 20 and four casters 22 mounted on the lower part of the platform 20. The side towed by the tractor 12 is the front side, and the opposite side is the rear side. The four casters 22 are arranged with a pair of left and right casters on the front side and a pair of left and right casters on the rear side. The two casters 22 on the front side are free-style casters, and the direction can be freely changed. On the other hand, the direction of the two casters 22 on the rear side is fixed to the front and back.

[0035] The tractor 12 includes a vehicle body 40 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance and a pair of left and right drive wheels 42, namely, a left drive wheel 42L and a right drive wheel 42R. A coupling 44 is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 40, and an auxiliary wheel 46 for making the tractor 12 stand up autonomously is provided at the lower part of the coupling 44 in the form of a free-style caster. That is, the tractor 12 does not have a steering wheel that is actively steered. A coupling rod 48 is fixed to the bed 20 of the towed vehicle 10. The front end of the coupling rod 48 is connected to the coupling 44, so that the towed vehicle 10 is connected to the tractor 12 via the coupling 44 so that the towed vehicle 10 can rotate relative to each other. In detail, the tractor 12 and the towed vehicle 10 are allowed to freely rotate relative to each other in a substantially horizontal direction around the connection point JP in the coupling 44 when they are connected.

[0036] The left drive wheel 42L and the right drive wheel 42R of the tractor 12 are driven independently of each other by the electric motor 50 as the in-wheel motor. The tractor 12 moves forward or backward straightly by rotating the left drive wheel 42L and the right drive wheel 42R at the same speed. The tractor 12 turns by providing a speed difference between the rotations of the left drive wheel 42L and the right drive wheel 42R. In addition, the left drive wheel 42L and the right drive wheel 42R rotate at the same speed in opposite directions to make it possible to turn in place. The braking of the tractor 12, that is, the braking of the left drive wheel 42L and the right drive wheel 42R, is also performed by regenerative braking or reverse braking based on the electric motor 50.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, in this system, an operation management device CC for managing the operation of a plurality of vehicles V is installed in the management building CB, and the tractor 12 performs unmanned driving, that is, autonomous driving based on the instruction from the operation management device CC. As for the method of autonomous driving, a general method can be adopted, and the description here is omitted. However, for autonomous driving, the tractor 12 has a camera, a positioning sensor (GPS sensor), a yaw rate sensor, an acceleration sensor, a wheel speed sensor, etc. built in a sensor box 52 attached to the upper part of the vehicle body 40, and is equipped with a communication device 54. In addition, the tractor 12 has a controller 56 for autonomous driving, a power supply, etc. built in the vehicle body 40.

[0038] Since the large vehicle Vb and the small vehicle Vs also drive autonomously, they are provided with a sensor box, a communication device, a controller, a power source, etc., similar to the tractor 12. In addition, the controllers of the large vehicle Vb, the medium vehicle Vm, and the small vehicle Vs are mounted on each of these vehicles V, and function as a driving control device for controlling the driving of each of them.

[0039] [C] Turning of vehicles at corners

[0040] For the vehicle V, when turning at the corner C in the driving area, an appropriate turning radius is set. In the large vehicle Vb and the small vehicle Vs, the turning limit of the steering wheel is set according to the length, width, wheelbase, inner wheel difference, outer wheel difference, etc. of the vehicle, and the minimum turning radius is determined based on the setting. The appropriate turning radius is set based on the minimum turning radius. In the medium-sized vehicle Vm, if it is only the tractor 12, it can turn on the spot, but when towing the tractor 10, a certain degree of turning radius is required in consideration of the so-called jackknife phenomenon, etc. Therefore, an appropriate turning radius is set.

[0041] If the appropriate turning radius is compared among large vehicles Vb, medium vehicles Vm, and small vehicles Vs, then Figure 3 As shown in (a). Figure 3 (a) shows a state where the vehicle V bends at a right angle to turn, the solid line represents the turn of the small vehicle Vs, the dotted line represents the turn of the medium-sized vehicle Vm, and the single-point dashed line represents the turn of the large vehicle Vb. For easy understanding, in the accompanying drawings, nodes N are arranged on the left and right and on the top and bottom. If the node N is used for explanation, according to the turn with an appropriate turning radius, the small vehicle Vs turns with the node N (x, 2) as the turning start point and the node N (X, 2) as the turning end point, the medium-sized vehicle Vm turns with the node N (x, 3) as the turning start point and the node N (X, 3) as the turning end point, and the large vehicle Vb turns with the node N (x, 4) as the turning start point and the node N (X, 4) as the turning end point.

[0042] For the sake of convenience, in the following description, the position of the turning start point is treated as the position of the turning start reference node Ns, and the position of the turning end point is treated as the position of the turning end reference node Ne. If treated in this way, any vehicle V turns roughly along the arc-shaped driving line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne. In addition, in the actual turning, the turning start point can be set based on the turning start reference node Ns, for example, at a position near it, and the turning end point can be set based on the turning end reference node Ne, for example, at a position near it, so that the vehicle V turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting these turning start points and turning end points. For the sake of convenience, such a driving line is also treated as a circular arc-shaped driving line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne. In addition, for the sake of convenience, the driving line is treated as a line through which the center point of the front end of the vehicle V passes.

[0043] Taking the above contents as a premise, refer to Figure 3 (b) Figure 4 (a) Figure 4 (b) is used to illustrate the turn at the corner C (x, x) of the intersection which is a two-way passage. Figure 3 (b) represents the turning of the large vehicle Vb. Figure 4 (a) represents the turning of the medium-sized vehicle Vm, Figure 4 (b) shows the turning of a small vehicle Vs. Any of the accompanying drawings shows both the situation of turning right and turning left from the passage P(x) to the passage (X). Among them, the vehicle V turning right and its travel line are shown with dotted lines, and the vehicle V turning left and its travel line are shown with solid lines.

[0044] First, refer to Figure 4 (b) describes the turning of a small vehicle Vs. For a small vehicle Vs, the turning radius is relatively small and the inner wheel difference is also relatively small. Therefore, in the case of a right turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to the node N(x, N, α+1), and the turning end reference node Ne is set to the node N(X, E, β+1), and the small vehicle Vs turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting these nodes N(x, N, α+1) and the node N(X, E, β+1). Similarly, in the case of a left turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to the node N(x, N, α+3), and the turning end reference node Ne is set to the node N(X, W, β-3), and the small vehicle Vs turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting these nodes N(x, N, α+3) and the node N(X, W, β-3). Among them, α and β are specific numbers representing the center of the corner C(X, x).

[0045] In the case of a medium-sized vehicle Vm, since the turning radius is large to some extent, Figure 4 As shown in (a), in the case of a right turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to the node N (x, N, α + 2), and the turning end reference node Ne is set to the node N (X, E, β + 2), and the medium-sized vehicle Vm turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting these nodes N (x, N, α + 2) and the node N (X, E, β + 2). On the other hand, for the medium-sized vehicle Vm, since the inner wheel difference is also large to a certain extent, if the turn is normally made, the body will protrude to the inside of the turn when turning left. In view of this, in the present system, in the case of a left turn, as shown by the double-dotted line in the attached figure, after temporarily shifting the medium-sized vehicle Vm toward the center of the passage, the turn is started with an appropriate turning radius, and after the turn is completed, it returns to the center of the lane. Here, the shift refers to the change in position in the width direction of the passage. Specifically, the offset start reference node Ns' is set to the node N(x, N, α+6), the turn start reference node Ns is set to the auxiliary node Na(X, x, W, L), the turn end reference node Ne is set to the auxiliary node Na(X, x, N, R), the offset end reference node Ne' is set to the node N(X, W, β-6), the medium-sized vehicle Vm offsets to the right from the node N(x, N, α+6) to the auxiliary node Na(X, x, W, L), turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting the auxiliary node Na(X, x, W, L) and the auxiliary node Na(X, x, N, R), and offsets to the left from the auxiliary node Na(X, x, N, R) to the node N(X, W, β-6).

[0046] In the case of a large vehicle Vb, since the turning radius is larger, Figure 3As shown in (b), in the case of a right turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to the node N(x, N, α+3), and the turning end reference node Ne is set to the node N(X, E, β+3), and the large vehicle Vb turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting these nodes N(x, N, α+3) and the node N(X, E, β+3). In the case of the large vehicle Vb, since the inner wheel difference is larger, in the case of a left turn, it deviates more greatly to make a left turn. Specifically, the deviation start reference node Ns' is set to the node N(x, N, α+8), the turn start reference node Ns is set to the auxiliary node Na(X, x, W, 0), the turn end reference node Ne is set to the auxiliary node Na(X, x, N, 0), and the deviation end reference node Ne' is set to the node N(X, W, β-8), and the large vehicle Vb deviates to the right from the node N(x, N, α+8) to the auxiliary node Na(X, x, W, 0), turns along the arc-shaped travel line connecting the auxiliary node Na(X, x, W, 0) and the auxiliary node Na(X, x, N, 0), and deviates to the left from the auxiliary node Na(X, x, N, 0) to the node N(X, W, β-8). In such a left turn, the large vehicle Vb will protrude into the opposite lane, and in this system, such protrusion is allowed for the large vehicle Vb.

[0047] [D] Functions of the operation management device and the vehicle travel control device and determination of the travel line i) Functions of the operation management device

[0048] The operation of the vehicle V is performed by the operation management device CC described above. The operation management device CC is a device that uses a computer as a main component. Figure 5 (a) shows a functional block diagram of the operation management device CC. Each module shown in the figure is a functional module implemented by a computer executing a prescribed program. The functions of the operation management device CC are described below with reference to the block diagram. Among them, the management building CB is equipped with a communication device 100, and the operation management device CC manages the operation of the vehicle V through the communication device 100.

[0049] The operation management device CC has a path map creation storage unit 102. The path map creation storage unit 102 sets the above-mentioned node N and auxiliary node Na for each path P(X), P(x), and each corner C(X, x) to create a path map and store it. Information related to the path map is sent to each vehicle V through the communication device 100 every time it is created. In addition, the operation management device CC has a vehicle various specifications storage unit 104 that stores various specifications of each vehicle V to grasp the various specifications of each vehicle V, in simple terms, to grasp what kind of vehicle each vehicle V is.

[0050] The operation management device CC has an operation plan creation unit 106, which creates an operation plan for each vehicle V. The operation plan can be considered as a list showing, for each vehicle V, when and what operation the vehicle V is to perform. In addition, the operation management device CC has an allocation indication unit 108, which has the function of indicating the next work, that is, the next allocation, for a vehicle that has completed one work based on the above-mentioned operation plan. The allocation includes a driving route and a destination. Specifically, it includes which passage P(X), P(x), at which corner C(X, x) to turn right or left, and which node N to drive to as the destination. When a vehicle V completes one allocation, the next allocation is sent to the vehicle V through the communication device 100.

[0051] As will be described later, each vehicle V knows its own position. Specifically, it always knows which node N it has passed through, and always sends information about the node N it has passed through. The operation management device CC has a vehicle position recognition unit 110, which obtains its information through the communication device 100, and recognizes the current position of each vehicle V and the driving direction when it is driving. The operation management device CC has a driving coordination unit 112, which adjusts the driving of at least one of the vehicles V and the other vehicles V based on the current position and driving direction of each vehicle V in order to avoid interference between one vehicle V and other vehicles V. Specifically, for example, each time, the communication device 100 sends a command to the at least one vehicle V to slow down, stop temporarily, overtake the stopped vehicle V, and detour to another path.

[0052] ii) Functions of the controllers in the vehicle

[0053] The controller 56 provided in each vehicle V is a travel control device of each vehicle V. The controller 56 includes a computer as a main component and is also configured to include a driver (drive circuit) of a drive device, a brake device, a steering device, and the like. Figure 5 (b) shows a functional block diagram of the controller 56. Each module shown in this figure is a functional module implemented by a computer executing a predetermined program. The functions of the controller 56 will be described below with reference to this block diagram.

[0054] The core function of the controller 56 is to control the driving action of the vehicle V itself by controlling the driving device, braking device, steering device, etc. of the vehicle V. In order to realize this function, the controller 56 has a driving action control unit 120. In the control of the driving action, in order to grasp the current position of the vehicle V, the controller 56 has a current position grasping unit 122. The controller 56 has a route map storage unit 124, which stores a route map configured with the above-mentioned node N based on the information sent from the operation management device CC. The current position grasping unit 122 grasps the current position of the vehicle V by grasping which node N the vehicle V has passed based on the route map and the position detection information of the above-mentioned GPS device. The current position is sent to the operation management device CC through the communication device 54.

[0055] The controller 56 has a driving line determination unit 126, which connects the nodes N based on the allocation sent from the operation management device CC to determine the driving line that the vehicle should travel in order to execute the allocation. The driving line determination unit 126 has a corner driving line determination unit 128 as a functional unit that should be specifically described. As described above, the corner determination unit 128 determines the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne at the corner C (X, x) according to the various specifications of the vehicle V, and determines the offset start reference node Ns' and the offset end reference node Ne' according to the situation to determine the driving line when turning. The previously described driving action control unit 120 controls the drive device, the brake device, the steering device, etc. in such a way that the vehicle V travels along the driving line determined by the driving line determination unit 126.

[0056] The controller 56 also includes a command receiving unit 130 for receiving the allocation that is a prerequisite for creating a travel line and the above-mentioned travel coordination information through the communication device 54. Based on the received information, the travel line determination unit 126 determines the travel line, and the travel operation control unit 120 controls the travel operation of the vehicle V.

[0057] iii) Flow of determining the corner driving line

[0058] Below, according to Figure 6 The flowchart briefly explains the process for determining the travel line at the corner C. The flowchart can be considered to show the type of determination of the corner travel line based on various specifications of the vehicle V. The process according to the flowchart is processed as a process performed when the corner C is approached to a certain extent.

[0059] In the process according to the flowchart, first in step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as "S1". The same applies to other steps), various specifications of the vehicle V are determined, that is, whether the vehicle V is a small vehicle Vs, a medium vehicle Vm, or a large vehicle Vb. Then, in S2, the turning direction of the vehicle V at the corner C is determined, that is, whether the vehicle V is turning right or left.

[0060] When it is determined in S3 that the vehicle V turns right, in S4, the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne are determined as described above according to various specifications of the vehicle V. Then, in S5, an arc-shaped driving line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne is determined.

[0061] When it is determined in S3 that the vehicle V is turning left, it is determined in S6 whether the vehicle V is a small vehicle Vs. If the vehicle V is a small vehicle Vs, a turning start reference node Ns and a turning end reference node Ne for the small vehicle Vs are determined in S4, and an arc-shaped driving line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne is determined in S5.

[0062] In the case where the vehicle V is a medium-sized vehicle Vm or a large vehicle Vb, the offset start reference node Ns', the turning start reference node Ns, the turning end reference node Ne, and the offset end reference node Ne' suitable for the medium-sized vehicle Vm or the large vehicle Vb are determined in S7 as described above, and in S8, these offset start reference node Ns', the turning start reference node Ns, the turning end reference node Ne, and the offset end reference node Ne' are connected to determine the driving line.

[0063] iv) Modifications related to determination of the driving line

[0064] In the system of this embodiment, the driving line is determined by the controller 56 of the vehicle V, but the system may be configured so that the driving line is determined by the operation management device CC. The operation management device CC may determine the driving line according to the above-mentioned processing, and transmit information related to the determined driving line, information related to the turn start reference node Ns, the turn end reference node Ne, etc. to the vehicle V.

[0065] Description of reference numerals:

[0066] 10…towed vehicle; 12…tractor; 54…communication device; 56…controller (travel control device); CC…operation management device; 100…communication device; 102…passage map creation storage unit; 104…vehicle various specifications storage unit; 106…operation plan creation unit; 108…allocation instruction unit; 110…vehicle position recognition unit; 112…travel coordination unit; 120…travel action control unit; 122…current position grasping unit; 124…passage map storage unit; 126…travel line determination unit; 128…corner travel line determination unit; 130…instruction receiving unit; V…vehicle; Vb…large vehicle; Vm…medium vehicle; Vs…small vehicle; P(X), P(x)…passage; C(X, x)…corner; N…node; Ns…turn start reference node; Ne…turn end reference node; Ns'…offset start reference node; Ne'…offset end reference node.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving control system, comprising a driving control device mounted on a vehicle and controlling the driving of the vehicle, wherein: The vehicle travel control system is configured to determine a travel line that the vehicle should travel based on various specifications of the vehicle when the vehicle turns a corner on a travel path, and the travel control device turns the vehicle along the travel line.

2. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle travel control system includes a travel management device that manages the travel of the vehicle, and the travel management device determines a travel line.

3. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle driving control system is configured to set a plurality of nodes for the corner, select a turning start reference node as a reference for the vehicle to start turning and a turning end reference node as a reference for the vehicle to end turning from these plurality of nodes according to various specifications of the vehicle, and determine an arc-shaped driving line connecting these turning start reference nodes and the turning end reference nodes.

4. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, wherein: The driving path includes a two-way passage consisting of an own lane and an opposite lane, and the vehicle driving control system is configured to determine the driving line of the vehicle so that it protrudes into the opposite lane according to various specifications of the vehicle when the corner is a corner from the two-way passage to other passages, or a corner from other passages to the two-way passage.

5. The vehicle driving control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The various specifications of the vehicle that are relied upon in determining the driving line include the turning radius of the vehicle.

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