Determination device, determination method, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a determination device, a determination method, and a storage medium with which it is possible to appropriately set a recognition range of a camera road line when a vehicle is traveling on a curved road. The determination device is provided with: a recognition unit that recognizes a road division line present in the direction of travel of a vehicle; and a determination unit that determines whether or not the identified road division line coincides with a map road division line obtained on the basis of map information stored in a storage unit, the determination unit determining whether or not the road division line coincides with a map road division line obtained on the basis of the map information stored in the storage unit when the vehicle travels on a curved road compared with when the vehicle does not travel on the curved road. The distance from the vehicle to the distal end of the vehicle in the direction of travel in the determination range in which the determination is performed is set to be shorter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a determination device, a determination method, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide a realization path for a sustainable transportation system that also takes into account people who are particularly in a vulnerable position among traffic participants. In order to achieve this, research and development are being carried out to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development related to autonomous driving technology.

[0003] In addition, in autonomous driving technology, the consistency between the road division lines recognized based on camera images and the road division lines recognized based on map information is confirmed and used for generating the target trajectory of the own vehicle. However, for example, when the own vehicle is traveling on a curved road or a branch road, it is a problem that the road division lines recognized based on camera images are prone to misrecognition. To address this problem, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-068617, it is disclosed that when the position of the own vehicle is in the section of the branch road, image recognition on the branch side is restricted. Also, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-200501, it is disclosed that during curved road driving, when the continuity evaluation of the actual boundary and the map boundary obtained based on the recognition range before and after the own vehicle is high, they are comprehensively used as information, and on the other hand, when the evaluation is low, the map boundary is used.

[0004] However, in the above prior art, all road shapes that are difficult to recognize are set as detection suppression ranges, and as a result of excessive suppression, the recognition accuracy of road division lines sometimes decreases. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been completed in view of such circumstances, and one of its purposes is to provide a determination device, a determination method, and a storage medium that can appropriately set the recognition range of camera road division lines when the own vehicle is traveling on a curved road. Furthermore, it further contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0006] The determination device according to the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0007] (1): The determination device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a recognition unit that recognizes road division lines existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; and a determination unit that determines whether the recognized road division lines are consistent with map road division lines obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit. When the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit sets the distance from the vehicle to the far-end portion on the traveling direction side of the vehicle in the determination range for making the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

[0008] (2): Based on the solution in (1) above, the determination unit sets the distance to the far end in the determination range according to the slope of the curved road.

[0009] (3): Based on the solution in (2) above, the determination unit sets the distance to the far end as the distance to the position where the difference in the vehicle width direction between the map road division line and the slope map road division line obtained by correcting the map road division line according to the slope becomes a specified value or more.

[0010] (4): Based on the solution in (2) above, the determination unit sets the distance to the far end as the distance to the position that is a specified distance closer to the vehicle from the position where the difference in the vehicle width direction between the map road division line and the slope map road division line obtained by correcting the map road division line according to the slope becomes a specified value or more.

[0011] (5): Based on the solution in (1) above, the recognition unit determines the tangent point where the line extending from the specified position of the vehicle is tangent to the road division line located inside the curved road among the recognized road division lines, and the determination unit sets the distance to the far end in the determination range according to the position of the tangent point.

[0012] (6): Based on the solution in (5) above, the determination unit sets the distance to the far end as the distance in the determination range to the position that is a specified distance deeper from the position of the tangent point.

[0013] (7): Based on the solution in (1) above, the determination unit sets the distance to the far end in the determination range according to the degree of curvature of the curved road.

[0014] (8): Based on the solution in (7) above, the greater the degree of curvature of the curved road, the shorter the distance to the far end set by the determination unit.

[0015] (9): Based on the solution in (1) above, the recognition unit determines the tangent point where the line extending from the specified position of the vehicle is tangent to the road division line located inside the curved road among the recognized road division lines. The determination unit sets the first candidate for the far end according to the slope of the curved road, sets the second candidate for the far end according to the position of the tangent point, and sets the third candidate for the far end according to the degree of curvature of the curved road. The determination unit sets the candidate or candidates among the first candidate, the second candidate, and the third candidate that exist closer to the vehicle as the far end.

[0016] (10): Based on the solution in (9) above, the determination unit sets a position where the difference in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle between the map road division line and the slope map road division line obtained by correcting the map road division line according to the slope is equal to or greater than a specified value as the first candidate, and the determination unit sets a position at a specified distance from the position of the tangent point toward the depth side as the second candidate.

[0017] (11): Based on the solution in (9) or (10) above, the determination unit sets a position set according to the degree of curvature of the curved road as the third candidate.

[0018] (12): The determination method according to another solution of the present invention causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying a road division line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; determining whether the identified road division line is consistent with a map road division line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit; and when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, setting the distance from the vehicle to the far end on the traveling direction side in the determination range for performing the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

[0019] (13): A storage medium according to another solution of the present invention stores a program, and the program causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying a road division line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; determining whether the identified road division line is consistent with a map road division line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit; and when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, setting the distance from the vehicle to the far end on the traveling direction side in the determination range for performing the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

[0020] According to the solutions in (1) to (13) above, it is possible to appropriately set the recognition range of the camera road division line when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road.

[0021] According to the solutions in (2) to (4) above, it is possible to appropriately set the recognition range of the camera road division line according to the slope of the curved road.

[0022] According to the solutions in (5) to (8) above, it is possible to appropriately set the recognition range of the camera road division line according to the degree of curvature of the curved road.

[0023] According to the solutions in (9) to (11) above, it is possible to appropriately set the recognition range of the camera road division line according to the slope and degree of curvature of the curved road. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a vehicle system that utilizes the determination device according to the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a functional structural diagram of the first control unit and the second control unit.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving mode and the control state and tasks of the present vehicle.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing an example of the scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing another example of the scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining the method of selecting the far end performed by the determination unit 132.

[0030] Figure 7 It is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow executed by the determination unit 132.

[0031] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the method of selecting the far end performed by the determination unit 132 according to the modification example. Detailed Embodiment

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the determination device, determination method, and storage medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] [Overall Structure]

[0034] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the vehicle system 1 that utilizes the determination device according to the embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle system 1 is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the generated electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0035] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operation member 80, an autonomous driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected via multi-channel communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is just an example, and a part of the structure can be omitted, or other structures can be added.

[0036] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at any part of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When shooting forward, the camera 10 is installed at the upper part of the windshield, the back of the in-vehicle rearview mirror, etc. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly shoots the periphery of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 can also be a stereo camera.

[0037] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M, and detects the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and azimuth) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at any part of the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and speed of an object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0038] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength close to light) to the periphery of the host vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is installed at any part of the host vehicle M.

[0039] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results detected by a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the autonomous driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also directly output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the autonomous driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0040] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the host vehicle M or communicates with various server devices via a radio base station by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like.

[0041] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the host vehicle M and accepts input operations performed by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, and the like.

[0042] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity about the vertical axis, an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0043] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the host vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M may also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, buttons, etc. Part or all of the navigation HMI 52 may be shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as a map route) from the position of the host vehicle M (or an arbitrary input position) determined by the GNSS receiver 51 to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents the shape of a road, for example, by showing road segments and nodes connected by the road segments. The first map information 54 may also include information such as the curvature of the road and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The map route is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may also perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the map route. The navigation device 50 may be implemented, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may also send the current position and the destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the map route from the navigation server.

[0044] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores the second map information 62 and the ranging map information 64 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the map route provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided every 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 makes a determination as to which lane from the left to drive in. When there is a branch point in the map route, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for traveling to the branch destination.

[0045] The second map information 62 is map information with higher precision than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on the boundary of a lane. In addition, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic restriction information, residence information (address, postal code), facility information, telephone number information, information on a prohibited section where the following-described mode A or mode B is prohibited, and the like. The second map information 62 can be updated at any time by communicating with other devices via the communication device 20.

[0046] The ranging map information 64, similar to the second map information 62, includes information on the center of a lane or information on the boundary of a lane, and is map information in which slope information (for example, a value such as altitude) is recorded in association with each position of the lane. When the host vehicle M is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit 132 described later corrects the boundary of the lane in which the host vehicle M is located based on the slope information, and transforms it into the boundary of the lane from the viewpoint of the host vehicle M obtained by considering the slope of the lane. Hereinafter, the information on the boundary of the lane obtained from the second map information 62 is sometimes referred to as a "map road dividing line", and the information on the boundary of the lane obtained by correcting the boundary of the lane stored in the ranging map information 64 based on the slope information is referred to as a "slope map road dividing line". The slope map road dividing line can be expressed as a dividing line obtained by predicting the boundary of the lane from the viewpoint of the host vehicle M recognized by the camera 10 using the slope information recorded in the ranging map information 64. Alternatively, the slope map road dividing line can also be expressed as a dividing line obtained by correcting the map road dividing line using the slope information recorded in the ranging map information 64.

[0047] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is installed at an arbitrary position in the host vehicle M at a position and orientation capable of photographing the head of an occupant (hereinafter referred to as the driver) sitting in the driver's seat of the host vehicle M from the front (in the orientation for photographing the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is installed above a display device provided at the center of the instrument panel of the host vehicle M.

[0048] The driving operation member 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operation members in addition to the steering wheel 82. A sensor for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation is installed in the driving operation member 80, and the detection result is output to a part or all of the automatic driving control device 100, the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operation member that receives a steering operation performed by a driver". The operation member does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of a special-shaped steering gear, a joystick, a button, or the like. A steering wheel grip sensor 84 is installed in the steering wheel 82. The steering wheel grip sensor 84 is implemented by a capacitance sensor or the like, and is configured to output a signal to the automatic driving control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is gripping (which means contacting in a state of applying a force) the steering wheel 82.

[0049] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are respectively implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, a part or all of these components may also be implemented by hardware (including a circuitry unit) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an SOC (System On Chip), and may also be implemented through the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the HDD or the flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by being mounted on a driving device through the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium). The automatic driving control device 100 including a determination unit 132 described later is an example of a "determination device".

[0050] Figure 2It is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, an identification unit 130, a determination unit 132, an action plan generation unit 140, and a mode determination unit 150. The first control unit 120 implements, for example, functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a pre-given model in parallel. For example, the function of "identifying an intersection" can be implemented by "parallelly executing the identification of an intersection based on deep learning, etc., and the identification based on pre-given conditions (signals, road markings, etc. capable of pattern matching), scoring both, and comprehensively evaluating". Thereby, the reliability of autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0051] The identification unit 130 identifies the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of the objects surrounding the host vehicle M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is, for example, identified as the position on the absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of the drive shaft, etc.) of the host vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object can be represented by the representative point such as the center of gravity or the corner of the object, or can be represented by a region. The "state" of the object can also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether a lane change is being performed or a lane change is to be performed).

[0052] In addition, the identification unit 130 identifies, for example, the lane (travel lane) on which the host vehicle M is traveling. For example, the identification unit 130 compares the pattern of the road dividing line obtained from the second map information 62 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "map road dividing line") with the pattern of the road dividing line around the host vehicle M identified from the image captured by the camera 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "camera road dividing line") to identify the travel lane. More specifically, the determination unit 132 of the identification unit 130, for example, calculates the deviation between the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line, and when it is determined that the calculated deviation is below the threshold (that is, when it is determined that they are consistent), it identifies either the map road dividing line or the camera road dividing line (or the midline thereof, etc.) as the travel lane. For the details of the comparison process between the camera road dividing line and the camera road dividing line performed by the determination unit 132, see the following description. It should be noted that the identification unit 130 is not limited to identifying the travel lane by identifying the road dividing line, and can also identify the travel lane by identifying the road boundary (road boundary) including the road dividing line, the shoulder, the curb, the median strip, the guardrail, etc. In this identification, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing result processed by the INS can also be taken into consideration. In addition, the identification unit 130 identifies the temporary stop line, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0053] When the recognition unit 130 recognizes the driving lane, it recognizes the position and posture of the own vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may also recognize the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the traveling direction of the own vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the centers of the lanes as the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M relative to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the position of the reference point of the own vehicle M relative to any side end (road marking or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the own vehicle M relative to the driving lane.

[0054] The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the future travel of the own vehicle M automatically (independent of the driver's operation) in a manner that it travels on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 in principle and avoids approaching an object (except for objects that can be crossed such as road markings, road signs, manholes, etc.) recognized by the recognition unit 130. For example, the recognition unit 130 sets a risk area centered on the object for which the state has been output, and within the risk area, the recognition unit 130 sets a risk as an index value indicating the degree to which the own vehicle M should not approach. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory in such a way that the own vehicle M does not pass through a location where the risk is above a specified value and the own vehicle M travels within the recognized driving lane. Since the object includes a moving object, the distribution of the risk is not set for each control cycle but is set for multiple future time points considering the future position of the object predicted based on the speed of the object. For example, the target trajectory is represented as a trajectory obtained by arranging in sequence the locations (trajectory points) that the own vehicle M should reach. The trajectory points are the locations that the own vehicle M should reach at regular driving distances (e.g., on the order of several [m]) along the way. Alternatively, the target speed and target acceleration at regular sampling times (e.g., on the order of zero point several [sec]) are generated as part of the target trajectory. In addition, the trajectory points may be the positions that the own vehicle M should reach at regular sampling times. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is represented by the interval of the trajectory points.

[0055] When generating the target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 may set an event for autonomous driving. In the events of autonomous driving, there are events such as constant-speed driving event, low-speed following driving event, lane change event, branch event, merging event, takeover event, etc. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory corresponding to the started event.

[0056] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the own vehicle M as any one of multiple driving modes with different tasks assigned to the driver. Figure 3This is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between driving modes, the control state of the host vehicle M, and tasks. In the driving modes of the host vehicle M, for example, there are five modes: Mode A to Mode E. Regarding the control state, i.e., the degree of automation of the driving control of the host vehicle M, Mode A is the highest, followed by Mode B, Mode C, and Mode D in that order, and Mode E is the lowest. Conversely, regarding the tasks assigned to the driver, Mode A is the least intensive, followed by Mode B, Mode C, and Mode D in that order, and Mode E is the most intensive. It should be noted that in Modes D and E, the control state is not autonomous driving. Therefore, as the autonomous driving control device 100, it performs its duties before ending the control related to autonomous driving and transferring to driving support or manual driving. Hereinafter, the content of each driving mode will be exemplified.

[0057] In Mode A, it becomes an autonomous driving state, and neither forward monitoring nor the grasping of the steering wheel 82 (grasping the steering wheel in the figure) is assigned to the driver. However, even in Mode A, it is required that the driver be in a physical posture that can quickly transfer to manual driving according to the requirements of the system centered on the autonomous driving control device 100. It should be noted that the autonomous driving mentioned here means that steering and acceleration / deceleration are controlled without relying on the driver's operation. The forward direction refers to the space in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M visually recognized through the front windshield. Mode A, for example, is a driving mode that can be executed when the host vehicle M is traveling on a motor vehicle-only road such as a highway at a speed of 50 [km / h] or less and there is a preceding vehicle to follow. It is sometimes called TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). When this condition is no longer satisfied, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to Mode B.

[0058] In Mode B, it becomes a driving support state, and the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front of the host vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as forward monitoring), but not the task of grasping the steering wheel 82. In Mode C, it becomes a driving support state, and the driver is assigned the tasks of forward monitoring and grasping the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode in which at least one of steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M requires a certain degree of driving operation by the driver. For example, in Mode D, driving support such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is performed. In Mode E, it becomes a manual driving state in which both steering and acceleration / deceleration require driving operations by the driver. In Modes D and E, of course, the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front of the host vehicle M.

[0059] The driving modes are not limited to Figure 3The content illustrated can also be specified by other definitions. For example, in a driving mode where both forward monitoring and steering wheel holding are necessary, there are a loose threshold and a strict threshold for determining that the steering is being held. More specifically, the driving mode can be defined as follows. In a certain driving mode, it is sufficient if either the left or right hand of the driver touches the steering wheel 82. In another driving mode where the tasks assigned to the driver are heavier compared to this, the driver needs to grip the steering wheel 82 with a strength above the threshold with both hands. In addition, the driving modes with different degrees of task severity assigned to the driver can be defined in any way.

[0060] The automatic driving control device 100 (and a driving support device (not shown)) performs an automatic lane change corresponding to the driving mode. In the automatic lane change, there are an automatic lane change (1) based on system requirements and an automatic lane change (2) based on driver requirements. In the automatic lane change (1), there are an overtaking automatic lane change performed when the speed of the preceding vehicle is smaller than a certain reference compared to the speed of the own vehicle, and an automatic lane change for traveling toward the destination (automatic lane change caused by the recommended lane being changed). The automatic lane change (2) means that when the conditions related to the speed, the positional relationship with surrounding vehicles, etc. are satisfied and the driver operates the direction indicator, the own vehicle M is made to change lanes in the operation direction.

[0061] The automatic driving control device 100 does not perform any of the automatic lane changes (1) and (2) in mode A. The automatic driving control device 100 performs any of the automatic lane changes (1) and (2) in modes B and C. The driving support device (not shown) does not perform the automatic lane change (1) but performs the automatic lane change (2) in mode D. In mode E, any of the automatic lane changes (1) and (2) is not performed.

[0062] When the tasks related to the determined driving mode (hereinafter referred to as the current driving mode) are not performed by the driver, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the own vehicle M to a driving mode with a higher task severity.

[0063] For example, in Mode A, when the driver is in a physical posture where they cannot transfer to manual driving according to the requirements from the system (such as continuing to look around outside the permitted area, or detecting a sign indicating difficult driving), the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to transfer to manual driving. If the driver does not respond, control is performed to cause the vehicle M to approach the road shoulder and gradually stop, and to stop the autonomous driving. After stopping the autonomous driving, the vehicle enters a state of Mode D or E, and the vehicle M can be started by the driver's manual operation. The same applies to "stopping the autonomous driving" hereinafter. In Mode B, when the driver does not monitor the front, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to perform front monitoring. If the driver does not respond, control is performed to cause the vehicle M to approach the road shoulder and gradually stop, and to stop the autonomous driving. In Mode C, when the driver does not monitor the front or does not hold the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to perform front monitoring and / or hold the steering wheel 82. If the driver does not respond, control is performed to cause the vehicle M to approach the road shoulder and gradually stop, and to stop the autonomous driving.

[0064] The mode determination unit 150 also monitors the driver's state for the above-described mode change, and determines whether the driver's state is a state corresponding to the task. For example, the mode determination unit 150 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 to perform a posture estimation process, and determines whether the driver is in a physical posture where they cannot transfer to manual driving according to the requirements from the system. In addition, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 to perform a line-of-sight estimation process to determine whether the driver is monitoring the front.

[0065] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the determination unit 132 determines that the map road division line and the camera road division line do not match, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task. For example, when the vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode that does not require steering wheel holding (Mode A or Mode B) and the mode determination unit 150 determines that the map road division line and the camera road division line do not match, the driving mode is changed to Mode D or Mode E.

[0066] The mode determination unit 150 also performs various processes for mode change. For example, the mode determination unit 150 instructs the action plan generation unit 140 to generate a target trajectory for stopping at the road shoulder, or gives an operation instruction to a driving support device (not shown), or controls the HMI 30 to urge the driver to take action.

[0067] The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined time.

[0068] Return Figure 2 , for example, the second control unit 160 includes an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores the information in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the driving force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element attached to the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 combines feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory and executes it.

[0069] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for vehicle driving to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The ECU controls the above structure according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operation member 80.

[0070] The braking device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operation member 80 so that a braking torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The braking device 210 may include a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operation member 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via a master hydraulic cylinder as a backup. It should be noted that the braking device 210 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls an actuator according to the information input from the second control unit 160 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0071] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to a rack-pinion mechanism to change the orientation of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the driving operation member 80 to change the orientation of the steering wheel.

[0072] [Handling When Driving on a Curved Road]

[0073] As described above, the determination unit 132 compares the map road division line obtained from the second map information 62 with the camera road division line recognized based on the camera image to determine whether they are consistent. When it is determined that the map road division line and the camera road division line are consistent, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory of the own vehicle M so as to travel on the driving lane along the map road division line or the camera road division line. However, for example, when the own vehicle M is traveling on a curved road (more generally, a traveling road where the curvature change of the division line becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value), in particular, the camera road division line far away in the traveling direction of the own vehicle M is likely to be misrecognized, and sometimes it is determined that there is an inconsistency between the map road division line and the camera road division line. As a result, in reality, sometimes this misrecognition is corrected over time, and even when there is no need to change the driving mode, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the own vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task, which impairs the convenience for the driver.

[0074] Against this background, when the determination unit 132 determines based on the second map information 62 that the own vehicle M is traveling on a curved road, the distance from the own vehicle M to the far-end portion on the traveling direction side in the range of the camera road division line (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "determination range") recognized by the recognition unit 130 is set shorter than the case where the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road. At this time, regarding the front-end portion of the determination range, it may be a specified portion on the own vehicle M or a position at a specified distance on the front side thereof. In addition, the determination unit 132 may determine that the own vehicle M is traveling on a curved road based on the registration information indicating a curved road stored in the second map information 62, or may calculate the curvature of the traveling road on which the own vehicle M is traveling based on the traveling road information stored in the second map information 62, and determine that the own vehicle M is traveling on a curved road when the calculated curvature becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value. Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 4 to 6 the detailed situation of the determination process performed by the determination unit 132 will be described.

[0075] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132. In Figure 4 the reference numeral CL denotes the camera road division line recognized by the recognition unit 130, the reference numeral ML denotes the map road division line, and the reference numeral ML' denotes the slope map road division line. Figure 4As an example, a situation is shown in which due to the descending gradient of the curved road on which the vehicle M is traveling, the map road division line deviates from the camera road division line and the gradient map road division line. ΔY represents the deviation in the vehicle width direction Y between the map road division line ML and the gradient map road division line ML'. There is a tendency that the larger the gradient value of the curved road, the larger the deviation ΔY, and thus the larger the deviation between the map road division line ML and the camera road division line CL (in other words, the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL). In addition, generally speaking, there is a tendency that if the curved road has a descending gradient, the gradient map road division line ML' deviates inward from the curved road, and if the curved road has an ascending gradient, it deviates outward from the curved road.

[0076] Therefore, when the vehicle M is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit 132 determines a point EP1 that is located on the map road division line ML and at which the deviation ΔY becomes equal to or greater than a specified value. Here, the specified value is a value representing the limit point of the allowable range of misrecognition of the camera road division line CL that is to be matched with the map road division line ML. When determining the point EP1 at which the deviation ΔY becomes equal to or greater than the specified value, the determination unit 132 sets this point EP1 as the far-end portion of the range in the recognition range RA where the camera road division line CL is matched with the map road division line ML.

[0077] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are consistent within the range in the recognition range RA that is closer to the vehicle M than the far-end portion EP1 in the traveling direction X of the vehicle M. Thereby, in Figure 4 In this case, the distance d' between the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML in the range deeper than the far-end portion EP1 in the recognition range RA is not used for the comparison process. For example, the distance d in the range closer to the vehicle M than the far-end portion EP1 is used for the comparison process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the following situation: due to the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL caused by the gradient of the curved road, it is determined that the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are inconsistent, and the driving mode is downgraded.

[0078] It should be noted that in Figure 4 As an example, the point EP1 at which the deviation ΔY becomes equal to the specified value is directly set as the far-end portion EP1, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. It is also possible to set a location that is offset by a specified distance in the traveling direction X of the vehicle M from the point EP1 at which the deviation ΔY becomes equal to the specified value as the far-end portion EP1, either closer to the vehicle M or deeper.

[0079] Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of the scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132. Figure 4 shows a method for coping with the error of the camera road division line CL caused by the gradient of the curved road. On the other hand,Figure 5 A method for correcting errors in the camera road division line CL caused by a large degree of curvature (i.e., a small radius of curvature) associated with a curved road is shown. More specifically, the camera road division line CL generally has a low recognition accuracy in the traveling direction X. The greater the degree of curvature of the curved road, the greater the influence of the error in the recognition accuracy in the traveling direction X on the ranging error in the vehicle width direction Y. In other words, even when the error in the recognition accuracy in the traveling direction X is small, the ranging error in the vehicle width direction Y increases due to the large degree of curvature of the curved road. As a result, it is easy to cause an inconsistent determination (misrecognition of the camera road division line CL) between the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML. In Figure 5 the method shown, the recognition range RA is restricted in consideration of the relationship between the error in the recognition accuracy in the traveling direction X and the ranging error in the vehicle width direction Y, thereby easily avoiding an inconsistent determination between the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML.

[0080] More specifically, when the host vehicle M is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit 132 first determines the tangent point CP between the reference line starting from the reference point RP of the host vehicle M and the inner side (the side that is more resistant to the degree of curvature of the curved road) of the camera road division line CL in the curved road. Here, the reference point RP can be, for example, a specified position at the front end of the host vehicle M (e.g., the installation position of the camera 10), or the center of gravity, etc. Next, the determination unit 132 sets the point EP2 as the far-end portion of the range in which the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are matched. The point EP2 is a position that is a predetermined distance Ex_x in the depth direction in the traveling direction X of the host vehicle M from the position of the determined tangent point CP.

[0081] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are consistent within the range in the recognition range RA that is closer to the host vehicle M than the far-end portion EP2 in the traveling direction X of the host vehicle M. In the above algorithm, the greater the degree of curvature of the curved road (the smaller the radius of curvature), the closer the far-end portion EP2 is set to the front side in the traveling direction X of the host vehicle M. Thus, in Figure 5 this case, the distance d' between the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML within the range in the recognition range RA that is deeper than the far-end portion EP2 is not used for comparison processing. For example, the distance d within the range closer to the host vehicle M than the far-end portion EP2 is used for comparison processing. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the following situation: due to the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL caused by the degree of curvature of the curved road, it is determined that the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are inconsistent, and the driving mode is downgraded.

[0082] Figure 4 and Figure 5This is a diagram for restricting the recognition range RA for matching the camera road division line CL with the map road division line ML in order to respectively address the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL caused by the slope and curvature of a curved road. In the present embodiment, in order to simultaneously address the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL caused by these two factors, the determination unit 132 selects, from the calculated far ends EP1 and EP2, the far end located closer to the front side in the traveling direction X of the own vehicle M. In this case, the far end EP1 is an example of the "first candidate" in the technical solution, and the far end EP2 is an example of the "second candidate" in the technical solution.

[0083] Figure 6 This is a diagram for explaining the method of selecting the far end by the determination unit 132. Figure 6 As an example, a situation is shown where due to the ascending slope of the curved road on which the own vehicle M travels, the map road division line deviates from the camera road division line and the slope map road division line. As Figure 6 shown, while the vehicle M is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit 132 calculates the far end EP1 at which the deviation ΔY in the vehicle width direction Y between the map road division line ML and the slope map road division line ML' becomes equal to or greater than a specified value, and at the same time, calculates the far end EP2 at a specified distance Ex_x in the depth direction in the traveling direction X of the own vehicle M from the position of the tangent point CP. The tangent point CP is the tangent point between the reference line starting from the reference point RP of the own vehicle M and the inner camera road division line CL in the curved road. Next, the determination unit 132 sets, among the calculated far ends EP1 and EP2, the far end located closer to the front side in the traveling direction X of the own vehicle M as the finally used far end EP. For example, in Figure 6 the case, the determination unit 132 determines that the far end EP1 is located closer to the front side in the traveling direction X of the own vehicle M and sets it as the finally used far end EP.

[0084] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are consistent within the range in the recognition range RA that is closer to the front side than the far end EP in the traveling direction X of the own vehicle M. Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the following situation: due to the misrecognition of the camera road division line CL caused by the slope and curvature of the curved road, it is determined that the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML are inconsistent, and the driving mode is degraded.

[0085] It should be noted that in Figure 4 , the slope map road division line ML', the camera road division line CL, and the map road division line ML are arranged in sequence from the inside of the turn. On the other hand, in Figure 6In it, a map road division line ML, a gradient map road division line ML', and a camera road division line CL are arranged in sequence from the inner side of the turn. When the map road division line ML is arranged on the outermost side with respect to the turn, this means that the curved road is a descending gradient. On the other hand, when the map road division line ML is arranged on the innermost side with respect to the turn, this means that the curved road is an ascending gradient. Regarding the sequential relationship between the gradient map road division line ML' and the camera road division line CL, it may vary according to the actual recognition result obtained by the camera 10.

[0086] Next, with reference to Figure 7 the process flow executed by the determination unit 132 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow executed by the determination unit 132. Figure 7 The process shown in the flowchart is repeatedly executed by the determination unit 132 while the vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode that executes autonomous driving or driving support.

[0087] First, the determination unit 132 determines whether the presence of a curved road is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle M based on the second map information 62 (step S100). When it is determined that the presence of a curved road is not detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle M, the determination unit 132 executes the process of step S100 again after a certain period of time. On the other hand, when it is determined that the presence of a curved road is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle M, the determination unit 132 then determines whether the vehicle M has entered the curved road (step S102). When it is determined that the vehicle M has not entered the curved road, the determination unit 132 executes the process of step S102 again after a certain period of time.

[0088] Next, the determination unit 132 sets a first candidate for the far end of the determination range according to the gradient of the curved road (step S104). Next, the determination unit 132 sets a second candidate for the far end of the determination range according to the tangent point between the reference line of the vehicle M and the curved road (step S106). Next, the determination unit 132 sets the candidate that is closer to the front side in the traveling direction X of the vehicle M among the first candidate and the second candidate for the far end as the far end (step S108). Next, the determination unit 132 compares the camera road division line with the map road division line within the range from the far end towards the front side of the vehicle M in the recognition range recognized by the camera 10 (step S110). Thus, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0089] It should be noted that, in the above flowchart, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the second candidate for the far-end portion is set after the first candidate for the far-end portion is set. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure. The determination unit 132 may set the first candidate and the second candidate for the far-end portion in the reverse order, or may set the first candidate and the second candidate for the far-end portion simultaneously in parallel. Through the processing of the above flowchart, when the determination unit 132 determines that the camera road division line coincides with the map road division line, the mode determination unit 150 continues the autonomous driving or driving support based on the current driving mode. On the other hand, when the determination unit 132 determines that the camera road division line does not coincide with the map road division line, the mode determination unit 150 degrades the driving mode or continues the current driving mode with priority given to the map road division line.

[0090] According to the present embodiment described as above, when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit sets the distance from the vehicle to the far-end portion on the traveling direction side in the determination range to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately set the recognition range of the camera road division line while the own vehicle is traveling on a curved road.

[0091] [Modification Example]

[0092] In the above embodiment, the determination unit 132 uses the deviation ΔY in the vehicle width direction Y between the map road division line ML and the slope map road division line ML', and the tangent point CP between the reference line starting from the reference point RP of the own vehicle M and the inner camera road division line CL in the curved road to set the first candidate EP1 and the second candidate EP2 for the far-end portion. As a modification example, the determination unit 132 may more simply set the third candidate EP3 for the far-end portion according to the degree of curvature of the curved road without performing the above-described calculation process, and set at least two of the first candidate EP1, the second candidate EP2, and the third candidate EP3 for the far-end portion that exist on the front side of the own vehicle M as the far-end portion EP.

[0093] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting the far-end portion performed by the determination unit 132 according to the modification example. Figure 8 Same as Figure 6 Similarly, it shows a situation where the map road division line, the camera road division line, and the slope map road division line are deviated due to the ascending slope of the curved road on which the own vehicle M is traveling. As Figure 8As shown, while the host vehicle M is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit 132 calculates, for example, the curvature or the radius of curvature as the degree of curvature of the recognized camera road division line CL or the map road division line ML. The greater the calculated curvature or the smaller the radius of curvature, the third candidate EP3 with a set distance closer to the host vehicle M is set on the camera road division line CL or the map road division line ML. Next, the determination unit 132 sets, as the finally used far end EP, the far end among the first candidate EP1, the second candidate EP2, and the third candidate EP3 that is located closer to the front side in the traveling direction X of the host vehicle M. For example, in Figure 8 the case of, the determination unit 132 determines that the far end EP3 is located closer to the front side in the traveling direction X of the host vehicle M, and sets it as the finally used far end EP.

[0094] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML match within the range in the traveling direction X of the host vehicle M in the recognition range RA that is closer to the front than the far end EP. Thus, according to this modification example, it is possible to more reliably prevent the following situation: it is determined that the camera road division line CL and the map road division line ML do not match, and the driving mode degrades.

[0095] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0096] A determination device configured to include:

[0097] a storage device storing a program; and

[0098] a hardware processor,

[0099] wherein the hardware processor performs the following processes by executing the program:

[0100] recognize a road division line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle;

[0101] determine whether the recognized road division line matches a map road division line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit; and

[0102] when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, set the distance from the vehicle to the far end on the traveling direction side of the vehicle in the determination range for performing the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

[0103] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, but the present invention is in no way limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A determination device, wherein: The determination device includes: An identification unit that identifies a road marking line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; And A determination unit that determines whether the identified road marking line is consistent with a map road marking line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit. When the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, the determination unit sets the distance from the vehicle to the far-end portion on the traveling direction side of the vehicle in the determination range for the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

2. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The determination unit sets the distance to the far-end portion in the determination range according to the slope of the curved road.

3. The determination device according to claim 2, wherein: The determination unit sets the distance to the far-end portion as the distance to a position where the difference in the vehicle width direction between the map road marking line and a slope map road marking line obtained by correcting the map road marking line according to the slope becomes a specified value or more.

4. The determination device according to claim 2, wherein: The determination unit sets the distance to the far-end portion as the distance to a position that is a specified distance closer to the vehicle from a position where the difference in the vehicle width direction between the map road marking line and a slope map road marking line obtained by correcting the map road marking line according to the slope becomes a specified value or more.

5. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The identification unit determines a tangent point where a line extending from a specified position of the vehicle is tangent to the road marking line located on the inner side of the curved road among the identified road marking lines. The determination unit sets the distance to the far-end portion in the determination range according to the position of the tangent point.

6. The determination device according to claim 5, wherein: The determination unit sets the distance to the far-end portion in the determination range as the distance to a position that is a specified distance deeper from the position of the tangent point.

7. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The determination unit sets the distance to the far-end portion in the determination range according to the degree of curvature of the curved road.

8. The determination device according to claim 7, wherein: The greater the degree of curvature of the curved road, the shorter the distance to the far-end portion set by the determination unit.

9. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The identification unit determines a tangent point where a line extending from a specified position of the vehicle is tangent to the road marking line located on the inner side of the curved road among the identified road marking lines. The determination unit sets a first candidate for the far-end portion according to the slope of the curved road, sets a second candidate for the far-end portion according to the position of the tangent point, and sets a third candidate for the far-end portion according to the degree of curvature of the curved road. The determination unit sets, as the far-end portion, at least two of the first candidate, the second candidate, and the third candidate that are present on the near side of the vehicle.

10. The determination device according to claim 9, wherein the determination unit sets, as the first candidate, a position where the difference in the vehicle width direction between the map road division line and the slope map road division line obtained by correcting the map road division line according to the slope is equal to or greater than a specified value, and the determination unit sets, as the second candidate, a position at a specified distance from the position of the tangent point toward the depth side.

11. The determination device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the determination unit sets, as the third candidate, a position set according to the degree of curvature of the curved road.

12. A determination method, wherein the determination method causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying a road division line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; determining whether the identified road division line matches a map road division line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit; and when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, setting the distance from the vehicle to the far end on the traveling direction side in the determination range for performing the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

13. A storage medium storing a program, wherein the program causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying a road division line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle; determining whether the identified road division line matches a map road division line obtained based on map information stored in a storage unit; and when the vehicle is traveling on a curved road, setting the distance from the vehicle to the far end on the traveling direction side in the determination range for performing the determination to be shorter than when the vehicle is not traveling on a curved road.

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