Travel assisting method and device, computer equipment and automatic driving vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a travel assisting method and device, computer equipment and an automatic driving vehicle. The travel assisting method comprises the following steps: enabling an assisting vehicle to obtain surrounding environment information; based on the surrounding environment information, determining a to-be-assisted object of the auxiliary vehicle; acquiring motion information of the to-be-assisted object; according to the motion information, enabling the auxiliary vehicle to track the to-be-assisted object for driving; and enabling the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel auxiliary operation for the to-be-assisted object. According to the embodiment of the invention, the vehicle can be used for assisting the travel activity, so that the convenience of the travel activity is improved, and the functionality of the vehicle is improved to expand the application scene of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of intelligent interconnection and / or autonomous driving technologies, and particularly to a travel assistance method, a travel assistance device, an autonomous driving method, a computer device, an autonomous driving vehicle, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Intelligent Connected Vehicle (ICV) is a technological trend and strategic direction in the automotive industry. It refers to the organic combination of vehicle networking and intelligent vehicles, thus replacing the vehicles operated by humans. An intelligent connected vehicle is provided with devices such as in-vehicle sensors, controllers, and actuators, integrating modern communication and network technologies to achieve intelligent information exchange and sharing among vehicles, people, roads, and the background. Usually, functions such as autonomous driving and automatic parking are set in intelligent connected vehicles. Autonomous driving, also known as driverless driving, means that the vehicle can drive without any driver through a computer system and does not require any takeover.

[0003] However, in the fields of intelligent connected vehicles and autonomous driving vehicles, there has not yet been a technology that can assist and support travel activities (including activities such as cycling, running, and motorcycle travel). How to use intelligent connected vehicles or autonomous driving vehicles to assist and support travel activities has become a current technical problem.

[0004] The methods described in this section are not necessarily methods that have been previously conceived or adopted. Unless otherwise specified, any method described in this section should not be considered prior art merely because it is included in this section. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, the problems mentioned in this section should not be considered to have been recognized in any prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a travel assistance method is provided, including: enabling an auxiliary vehicle to obtain surrounding environment information; determining a target to be assisted by the auxiliary vehicle based on the surrounding environment information; obtaining motion information of the target to be assisted; causing the auxiliary vehicle to track the target to be assisted based on the motion information; and causing the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the target to be assisted.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a travel assistance device, including: a first acquisition module configured to enable an assistance vehicle to acquire surrounding environment information; a determination module configured to determine a target to be assisted by the assistance vehicle based on the surrounding environment information; a second acquisition module configured to acquire motion information of the target to be assisted; a tracking module configured to enable the assistance vehicle to track the target to be assisted according to the motion information; and a provision module configured to enable the assistance vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the target to be assisted.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an autonomous driving method, including: in response to receiving an instruction to enter the travel assistance mode, executing the above travel assistance method.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the travel assistance method or the autonomous driving method according to the present disclosure.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an autonomous driving vehicle, including: the travel assistance device according to the present disclosure or the computer device according to the present disclosure.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the travel assistance method or the autonomous driving method according to the present disclosure.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product, including a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the travel assistance method or the autonomous driving method according to the present disclosure.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, by determining the target to be assisted by the assistance vehicle and enabling the autonomous driving vehicle to track the target to be assisted and provide travel assistance operations according to the motion information of the target to be assisted, it is possible to realize the use of the vehicle to assist travel activities, thereby improving the convenience of travel activities and enhancing the functionality of the vehicle to expand its applicable scenarios. Description of the Drawings

[0013] The drawings exemplarily show embodiments and form a part of the specification, and are used together with the written description of the specification to explain the exemplary embodiments. The shown embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the claims. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to similar but not necessarily identical elements.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a travel assistance method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0015] Figure 2 is a scene diagram showing a scenario of an auxiliary vehicle assisting travel activities according to some exemplary embodiments;

[0016] Figure 3 is showing Figure 1 a flowchart of the step of determining an object to be assisted in

[0017] Figure 4 is showing Figure 1 a flowchart of the step of providing travel assistance operations in

[0018] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a travel assistance device according to some exemplary embodiments; and

[0019] Figure 6 is a structural block diagram of an exemplary computing device that can be applied to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure according to the present disclosure. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0020] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various elements and are not intended to limit the positional relationship, timing relationship or importance relationship of these elements. Such terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. In some examples, the first element and the second element may refer to the same instance of the element, and in certain cases, based on the context description, they may also refer to different instances.

[0021] In the description of various examples in the present disclosure, the terms used are only for the purpose of describing specific examples and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, if the number of elements is not specifically limited, the element may be one or more. In addition, the term "and / or" used in the present disclosure covers any one of the listed items and all possible combinations.

[0022] In the field of intelligent connected vehicles and autonomous vehicles, there has been no technology for assisting and supporting travel activities. For example, during a cycling activity, after the cyclist (such as the owner of the vehicle) unloads the bicycle on the vehicle, they need to first park the vehicle somewhere, ride along a route, and finally still need to ride back to the vehicle parking place. This greatly limits the scope and flexibility of the cycling route. In addition, the cyclist has to carry heavy items such as drinking water and food by themselves, which also causes many inconveniences to the cyclist. How to use intelligent connected vehicles or autonomous vehicles to assist and support travel activities has become a current technical problem.

[0023] In the present disclosure, by determining an object to be assisted by an auxiliary vehicle and, based on the motion information of the object to be assisted, causing an autonomous driving vehicle to track the object to be assisted and provide travel assistance operations, it is possible to implement vehicle-assisted travel activities, such as acting as a "lead rider", thereby improving the convenience of travel activities and enhancing the functionality of the vehicle to expand its applicable scenarios.

[0024] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing a travel assistance method 1000 according to some exemplary embodiments. Figure 2 is a scenario diagram showing an auxiliary vehicle 10 assisting a travel activity according to some exemplary embodiments. For example, the travel assistance method 1000 can be implemented using the auxiliary vehicle 10 (such as an autonomous driving vehicle or an intelligent connected vehicle). Specifically, the travel assistance method 1000 is executed by a computing unit in the auxiliary vehicle 10 (such as an autonomous driving vehicle or an intelligent connected vehicle). In some embodiments, a travel object can cause the auxiliary vehicle to enter an assistance mode, that is, execute the travel assistance method 1000, by means such as pressing a button, touching a touch screen, voice recognition, or gesture recognition.

[0025] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the travel assistance method 1000 may include: step S101, causing the auxiliary vehicle 10 to obtain surrounding environment information; step S102, based on the surrounding environment information, determining an object 20 to be assisted by the auxiliary vehicle 10; step S103, obtaining the motion information of the object to be assisted; step S104, according to the motion information, causing the auxiliary vehicle 10 to track the object 20 to be assisted while traveling; and step S105, causing the auxiliary vehicle 10 to provide travel assistance operations to the object 20 to be assisted. By the above means, it is possible to implement vehicle-assisted travel activities, thereby improving the convenience of travel activities and enhancing the functionality of the vehicle to expand the applicable scenarios of the vehicle.

[0026] In this document, "travel" activities include but are not limited to activities such as cycling, traveling by electric or fuel motorcycle, and long-distance running. A "travel object" refers to an individual or group engaged in a travel activity. For example, a cyclist, a cycling team, etc.

[0027] Among them, the auxiliary vehicle 10 may be equipped with sensors, for example, one or more of radar (e.g., lidar), cameras, ultrasonic sensors, etc. Additionally, the auxiliary vehicle 10 may be equipped with a computing unit, which can perform operations such as prediction, positioning, path planning, and vehicle control. Thus, the surrounding environment information can be collected by the sensors on the auxiliary vehicle, and the computing unit on the auxiliary vehicle can be used to implement the tracking of the object to be assisted and perform travel assistance operations. Among them, the surrounding environment information may include images (which include: static images, i.e., pictures, and / or dynamic images, i.e., videos). The images may include images obtained by cameras and / or point cloud maps obtained by radars, etc. The object to be assisted 20 is the travel object, which can be a single travel object or a travel group (i.e., including multiple travel objects). The motion information of the object to be assisted includes the position, speed, acceleration, and motion direction of the object to be assisted, etc. In the case where the object to be assisted includes multiple travel objects, the motion information of the object to be assisted may further include the formation of the object to be assisted, etc. It can be known from the formation information of the assisted object whether the individuals in the travel group are lagging behind the group or whether the individuals in the group are too far apart from each other, so as to better enable the auxiliary vehicle to track the travel group while driving. Further, in response to the distance between an individual and the group or the distance between the individuals in the group exceeding a threshold, the auxiliary vehicle sends a reminder signal to the individual or a specific individual in the group (such as the leader of a cycling group).

[0028] In some embodiments, in step S101, the surrounding environment information around the auxiliary vehicle 10 can be collected by the sensors (e.g., radar, camera, ultrasonic sensor, etc.) on the auxiliary vehicle 10. When the sensor is a radar, the surrounding environment information may include a point cloud map. And when the sensor is a camera, the surrounding environment information may include a real scene map.

[0029] In some embodiments, the surrounding environment information may include images around the auxiliary vehicle (which may include: static images, i.e., pictures, and / or dynamic images, i.e., videos). The images may include areas corresponding to at least one travel object q1, q2, q3 around the auxiliary vehicle 10. As Figure 3 shown, step S102, based on the surrounding environment information, determining the object to be assisted by the auxiliary vehicle includes: step S1021, identifying the feature information of at least one travel object in the image; step S1022, for each travel object among the at least one travel object, determining whether the identified feature information of the travel object matches the feature information pre-stored on the auxiliary vehicle; and step S1023, in response to the identified feature information of the travel object matching the feature information pre-stored on the auxiliary vehicle, determining the travel object as the object to be assisted 20. As Figure 2As shown, for example, the characteristic information of the travel object q1 among at least one travel object q1, q2, q3 matches the pre-stored characteristic information, so it is determined as the object to be assisted 20. The characteristic information of at least one travel object may include the facial characteristics and / or limb characteristics of the travel object, etc. The pre-stored characteristic information may include the facial characteristics and / or limb characteristics of the owner of the assisted vehicle, the facial characteristics and / or limb characteristics of the personnel registered on the assisted vehicle, etc. If the facial characteristics and / or limb characteristics of the travel object match (i.e., are consistent with) the pre-stored facial characteristics and / or limb characteristics, then the travel object can be determined as the object to be assisted. The above embodiment can realize the automatic recognition and determination of the object to be assisted by the assisted vehicle.

[0030] Additionally or alternatively, step S102, determining the object to be assisted by the assisted vehicle based on the surrounding environment information may include: sending an image to the user's mobile device (for example, the mobile device 21 as shown); in response to the user annotating at least some of the travel objects (for example, travel object q1) among at least one travel object q1, q2, q3 in the image displayed on the mobile device, determining the annotated at least some of the travel objects (for example, travel object q1) as the object to be assisted 20. Wherein, the mobile device is a device connected to the assisted vehicle. The user is the owner of the assisted vehicle, who can be a member of the travel objects or an auxiliary person for the travel activity, etc. The user will receive, on the mobile device, for example, an image (in which the detected group of travel objects can be highlighted by a highlighted box, etc.) collected by the assisted vehicle, and can select the target travel object by clicking on the mobile device or other touch screen operations (such as swiping) on the mobile device screen. After receiving the target travel object selected by the user, the assisted vehicle takes it as the object to be assisted. The above embodiment can realize the manual determination and modification of the object to be assisted, so that the assisted vehicle determines or replaces the object to be assisted according to the user's needs, so that the determination of the object to be assisted more accurately meets the user's needs. Figure 2 For example, in the embodiment shown, the user is q1, a member of the travel objects who is on a journey, and carries a mobile device 21, which is configured to communicate with the assisted vehicle 10. The assisted vehicle 10 transmits the surrounding environment information collected by the in-vehicle sensor to the mobile device 21, and the mobile device 21 receives and displays the surrounding environment information (for example, in the form of a picture). The user on the journey can, through the mobile device 21, for example, by clicking on the screen of the mobile device or swiping on the screen of the mobile device, select himself or other travel objects from the displayed picture, such as, as the object to be assisted by the assisted vehicle.

[0031] For example, in Figure 2 the embodiment shown, the user is q1, a member of the travel objects who is on a journey, and carries a mobile device 21, which is configured to communicate with the assisted vehicle 10. The assisted vehicle 10 transmits the surrounding environment information collected by the in-vehicle sensor to the mobile device 21, and the mobile device 21 receives and displays the surrounding environment information (for example, in the form of a picture). The user on the journey can, through the mobile device 21, for example, by clicking on the screen of the mobile device or swiping on the screen of the mobile device, select himself or other travel objects from the displayed picture, such as, as the object to be assisted by the assisted vehicle.

[0032] In other embodiments, as an alternative or supplement to transmitting the ambient information collected by on-vehicle sensors to the mobile device 21, the assisting vehicle 10 displays the ambient information collected by on-vehicle sensors on an in-vehicle device, such as on the screen of the in-vehicle center console. An assisting person in the vehicle can touch the screen of the in-vehicle center console to select one or more travel objects from the displayed pictures or videos, such as, as the objects to be assisted by the assisting vehicle.

[0033] In some embodiments, in step S103, the motion information (including one or more of real-time position, speed, formation, etc.) of the object to be assisted can be obtained (e.g., obtained in real time, that is, tracked) by sensors (such as radar, camera, ultrasonic sensor, etc.) on the assisting vehicle 10.

[0034] In some embodiments, the assisting vehicle can actively interact with the object to be assisted. Specifically, as Figure 4 shown, step S104, making the assisting vehicle track the object to be assisted according to the motion information, can include: step S1041, adjusting the driving parameters of the assisting vehicle according to the motion information so that the assisting vehicle (e.g., in front of, behind, or on the side of the motion direction of the object to be assisted) travels at a preset distance from the object to be assisted. The driving parameters of the assisting vehicle can include the speed, acceleration, driving direction, etc. of the assisting vehicle. For example, as Figure 2 shown, the assisting vehicle 10 can adjust its own speed, direction, etc. according to the speed and / or position of the object to be assisted 20 so that it can stay in front of, behind, or on the side of the motion direction of the object to be assisted 20 (it can be set as following behind or leading in front according to needs) at a certain distance. The above embodiments can facilitate the guiding of the object to be assisted by the assisting vehicle and provide assistance to the object to be assisted at any time without affecting the travel of the travel object.

[0035] Alternatively or additionally, a reminder device (such as at least one of a display screen or a speaker) is provided behind the assisting vehicle, and the ambient information may further include at least one of video information of the surrounding environment of the assisting vehicle and road-related information in front of the assisting vehicle. The road-related information includes navigation information and potential accident information. The navigation-related information can include at least one of navigation, route, rest stop, scenic spot, etc. The potential accident information can include vehicle conditions (e.g., as Figure 2The vehicles 50 with a relatively close distance shown, accidents such as car accidents, or road conditions (road construction, landslides, etc.). At this time, step S104, causing the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the object to be assisted may include: step S1042, causing the reminder device of the auxiliary vehicle to perform a reminder operation, where the reminder operation is associated with at least one of the video information, navigation-related information, and potential accident information. The reminder operation is to cause at least one of the video information, navigation-related information, and potential accident information to be displayed or played on the display screen and / or speaker of the auxiliary vehicle, or on the user's mobile device. The auxiliary vehicle can automatically perform the reminder operation or perform the reminder operation in response to the request of the object to be assisted. In the above embodiment, the reminder device is arranged behind the auxiliary vehicle so that the object to be assisted behind the auxiliary vehicle can receive it, and by performing the reminder operation, the travel object can understand the situation of the front environment and thus better carry out travel activities.

[0036] In some embodiments, the auxiliary vehicle can interact passively with the object to be assisted. Specifically, as Figure 4 shown, step S104, causing the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the object to be assisted may include: step S1043, in response to receiving an update setting request, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle, where the update setting request includes the driving parameter information that the auxiliary vehicle needs to change. Among them, the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle may include the speed, acceleration, driving direction, etc. of the auxiliary vehicle. The update setting request can be sent by the object to be assisted or other personnel related to the travel activity. The sending method of the update setting request can be to send an update setting instruction through a mobile device connected to the auxiliary vehicle, or to make corresponding actions to the auxiliary vehicle, such as voice input, or specific actions, etc.). For example, as Figure 2 shown, the auxiliary vehicle 10 can respond to the update setting request of the object to be assisted 20 (for example, by sending an update setting request through the mobile device 21 connected to the auxiliary vehicle 10, or by voice input or making specific actions of the object to be assisted to send an update setting request), and adjust its own speed, direction, etc., so that the auxiliary vehicle can provide assistance to the object to be assisted according to the needs of the object to be assisted.

[0037] In the above embodiments, in the case where the auxiliary vehicle receives multiple update setting requests simultaneously, step S1043, in response to receiving the update setting request, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle may include: determining the execution order of the multiple update setting requests; and according to this execution order, enabling the auxiliary vehicle to sequentially adjust the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle according to the multiple update setting requests. In some examples, the execution order of the multiple update setting requests may be determined according to the priority of the sources of the respective update setting requests among the multiple update setting requests. For example, the priority of the object to be assisted may be set higher than the priority of other persons related to the travel activity, so that the auxiliary vehicle preferentially executes the update setting request sent by a certain or certain objects to be assisted. Alternatively, the priority of other persons related to the travel activity may also be set higher than the priority of the object to be assisted, so that the auxiliary vehicle preferentially executes the update setting request sent by a certain or certain persons. For another example, the priority of the update setting instruction sent by the mobile device connected to the auxiliary vehicle may be set higher or lower than the priority of the update setting request issued by making a corresponding behavior to the auxiliary vehicle. For another example, the priority of the update setting requests sent by multiple objects to be assisted may also be determined according to the distance between the multiple objects to be assisted and the auxiliary vehicle (for example, the closer the object to be assisted is to the auxiliary vehicle, the higher the priority of the update setting request sent by it). It should be understood here that one or more of the above factors for determining the priority or other similar factors for determining the priority may be considered to determine the execution order of the multiple update setting requests.

[0038] Additionally or alternatively, step S104, enabling the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the object to be assisted may include: step S104-1, in response to receiving an assistance operation request, enabling the auxiliary vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation request, where the assistance operation request includes at least one of the corresponding behavior made by the object to be assisted and the assistance operation instruction sent by the mobile device connected to the auxiliary vehicle. That is to say, the assistance operation instruction may be sent by the mobile device connected to the auxiliary vehicle, or the object to be assisted may make a corresponding behavior to the auxiliary vehicle, for example, voice input, or a specific action (such as a gesture), etc., to send an assistance operation request to the auxiliary vehicle. The assistance operation request may be used to instruct the auxiliary vehicle to perform operations such as decelerating, driving on the side of the object to be assisted, and providing auxiliary items (such as drinking water, food, towels).

[0039] In some embodiments, step S104-1, in response to receiving an assistance operation request, causing the assisted vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation request may include: S1044, in response to receiving a corresponding behavior made by the object to be assisted, determining whether the corresponding behavior matches a preset behavior (for example, pre-stored or set), and the preset behavior includes at least one of a preset action and a preset voice; step S1045, in response to the corresponding behavior matching the preset behavior, causing the assisted vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior. Among them, the preset action may include one or more of waving, a specific gesture, or falling, etc. The preset voice may include keywords such as stop, drink water, etc., or key sentences such as "stop, we need to drink water". The assistance operation related to the preset behavior may include operations such as decelerating, driving on the side of the object to be assisted, and providing assistance items (for example, drinking water, food, towels).

[0040] In some embodiments, step S1045, in response to the corresponding behavior matching the preset behavior, causing the assisted vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior may include: adjusting the driving parameters of the assisted vehicle so that the assisted vehicle approaches the object to be assisted. The above embodiment facilitates the assisted vehicle to approach the object to be assisted, so as to provide a travel assistance operation for the object to be assisted. Among them, adjusting the driving parameters of the assisted vehicle so that the assisted vehicle approaches the object to be assisted may include: in response to the object to be assisted being behind the driving direction of the assisted vehicle, adjusting the speed and / or direction of the assisted vehicle so that the assisted vehicle approaches the object to be assisted. For example, adjusting the speed of the assisted vehicle to be less than the speed of the object to be assisted (and / or causing the assisted vehicle to drive to the side) so that the assisted vehicle approaches the assisted object. Alternatively or additionally, adjusting the driving parameters of the assisted vehicle so that the assisted vehicle approaches the object to be assisted may include: in response to the object to be assisted being on the side or in front of the driving direction of the assisted vehicle, adjusting the speed and / or direction of the assisted vehicle so that the vehicle approaches the assisted object. For example, adjusting the speed of the assisted vehicle to be greater than or equal to the speed of the object to be assisted (and / or causing the assisted vehicle to drive to the side) so that the assisted vehicle approaches the assisted object.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, at least one container for providing auxiliary items (e.g., including beverages, food, towels, etc.) or for placing waste is provided on the side of the auxiliary vehicle, and step S1045, in response to the corresponding behavior matching the preset behavior, causing the auxiliary vehicle to perform an auxiliary operation related to the preset behavior may further include: in response to the object to be assisted being at a first preset distance from the auxiliary vehicle, causing at least one container on the auxiliary vehicle to open; and in response to the object to be assisted being at a second preset distance from the auxiliary vehicle, causing at least one container on the auxiliary vehicle to close, where the first preset distance is less than the second preset distance. The above-described embodiments can achieve that when the object to be assisted is relatively close to the auxiliary vehicle (the first preset distance), at least one container is opened, so as to facilitate the object to be assisted to obtain the auxiliary items in at least one container or to throw garbage into at least one container. And in the case where the object to be assisted is relatively far from the auxiliary vehicle (the second preset distance), the at least one container is closed. This can cause the container to open as needed to avoid the interior of the container being exposed to the surrounding environment for too long, resulting in spoilage of the food inside the container or dropping of the items inside the container. In some examples, the at least one container may include a first container 11 for providing auxiliary items (including: drinking water, food, etc.) and a second container (not shown) for placing waste (e.g., garbage). A small window that can be opened and closed may be provided on the container to facilitate the object to be assisted to use the container.

[0042] Alternatively or additionally, step S1045, in response to the corresponding behavior matching the preset behavior, causing the auxiliary vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior may further include: in response to at least one container on the auxiliary vehicle being closed, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle resumes traveling at a preset distance from the object to be assisted (e.g., in front of, behind, or to the side of the moving direction of the object to be assisted). That is, after at least one container is closed (i.e., after the object to be assisted does not use the container), the auxiliary vehicle can resume its original speed and the preset distance from the object to be assisted, so as to continue guiding the object to be assisted.

[0043] In some other embodiments, step S104-1, in response to receiving an assistance operation request, causing the assistance vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation request may also include: in response to receiving an assistance operation instruction sent by a mobile device connected to the assistance vehicle, causing the assistance vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation instruction. Similar to the preset behavior, the assistance operation instruction can be used to instruct the assistance vehicle to perform operations such as decelerating, driving alongside the object to be assisted, and providing assistance items (such as drinking water, food, towels). The travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation instruction may include operations such as decelerating, driving alongside the object to be assisted, and providing assistance items (such as drinking water, food, towels). In the above steps, after receiving the assistance operation instruction sent by the mobile device, the assistance vehicle can directly perform the travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation instruction, without the need to determine whether the corresponding behavior matches the preset behavior pre-stored in the system as in the case of making the corresponding behavior. Causing the assistance vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation instruction may include the same steps as those included in causing the assistance vehicle to perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior. For the sake of brevity, it will not be elaborated here.

[0044] In some embodiments, step S104, causing the assistance vehicle to provide a travel assistance operation to the object to be assisted may include: in response to receiving a shooting request, causing the assistance vehicle to shoot the object to be assisted. Among them, at least one camera may be configured at at least one of the front side, rear side, left side, right side, and top of the assistance vehicle for shooting the object to be assisted. The assistance vehicle can select any one or more cameras to shoot the object to be assisted according to the needs of the object to be assisted. The shooting can take pictures or videos, can record videos for a period of time following the object to be assisted, or can simply take a single photo. In the case where the object to be assisted is a team, the entire team can be shot, or an individual in the team can be shot. In some examples, the shooting request may be sent by the object to be assisted or other personnel related to the travel activity. The sending method of the update setting request can be to send an update setting instruction through a mobile device connected to the assistance vehicle, or to make a corresponding behavior to the assistance vehicle, such as voice input, or a specific action (such as a gesture), etc.). The object to be assisted can send a shooting request to the assistance vehicle through the mobile device, or can send a shooting request to the assistance vehicle through a preset behavior, such as including at least one of a preset action (such as a gesture) and a preset voice. Similarly, other personnel related to the travel activity can send a shooting request to the assistance vehicle through the mobile device, or can send a shooting request to the assistance vehicle through a preset behavior. At this time, the shooting request may include information about the object to be shot. The above implementation manner can realize shooting the object to be assisted by using the assistance vehicle.

[0045] In some embodiments, causing the auxiliary vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted may include: directly causing the auxiliary vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted. That is, after receiving a photographing request, the auxiliary vehicle can use the camera on the vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted. For example, when the auxiliary vehicle is in front of the object to be assisted, the auxiliary vehicle can use the rear camera on the vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted. When the auxiliary vehicle is beside the object to be assisted, the auxiliary vehicle can use the left or right camera on the vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted.

[0046] In some other embodiments, causing the auxiliary vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted may include: obtaining road condition information around the auxiliary vehicle; based on the road condition information, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle travels to a preset position around the object to be assisted; and causing the auxiliary vehicle to photograph the object to be assisted at the preset position. The above implementation manner can enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to a suitable position to photograph the object to be assisted. Among them, the road condition information may include the number, speed, and distance from the auxiliary vehicle of pedestrians, motor vehicles, non-motor vehicles, etc. around the auxiliary vehicle. The road condition information around the auxiliary vehicle can be collected by the sensors on the auxiliary vehicle, or the road infrastructure (such as cameras, etc.) can be used to collect the road condition information around the auxiliary vehicle and send it to the auxiliary vehicle. Adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle may include adjusting the speed and direction of the auxiliary vehicle. The preset position around the object to be assisted may include in front of, beside, or behind the object to be assisted. For example, when the auxiliary vehicle is behind the object to be assisted, the auxiliary vehicle can plan a suitable trajectory to overtake and travel to the front of the object to be assisted for photographing. Another example is that when the auxiliary vehicle is in front of the object to be assisted, the auxiliary vehicle can decelerate to approach the object to be assisted or decelerate to reach behind the object to be assisted for photographing.

[0047] In some embodiments, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle based on road condition information to enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to a preset position around the object to be assisted may include: determining, based on the road condition information, whether the auxiliary vehicle can travel to the preset position; and in response to the auxiliary vehicle being able to travel to the preset position, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle to enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to the preset position. Additionally, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle based on the road condition to enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to a preset position around the object to be assisted may further include: in response to the auxiliary vehicle not being able to travel to the preset position, determining, based on the road condition information, the waiting time of the auxiliary vehicle; sending the waiting time to the object to be assisted; and after the waiting time has passed, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle to enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to the preset position. The above embodiments can enable the auxiliary vehicle to judge whether it can perform actions such as overtaking and decelerating based on the road condition, and perform corresponding actions only when the road condition allows it to overtake, decelerate, etc., to ensure driving safety. Taking the case where the auxiliary vehicle needs to overtake in front of the object to be assisted and take a picture as an example, when it is determined based on the road condition information (for example, the number, speed, and distance of oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, etc.) that the auxiliary vehicle can overtake and travel in front of the object to be assisted, the auxiliary vehicle adjusts its speed and direction (that is, plans a suitable trajectory) to overtake and travel in front of the object to be assisted to take a picture. When it is determined based on the road condition information that it is not feasible for the auxiliary vehicle to overtake, the waiting time required for the auxiliary vehicle to overtake is determined based on the road condition information (for example, the number, speed, and distance of oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, etc.), and the waiting time is sent to the object to be assisted (for example, the waiting time can be presented to the object to be assisted in the form of a countdown) to remind the object to be assisted when to take a picture. After the waiting time has passed, the auxiliary vehicle adjusts its speed and direction (that is, plans a suitable trajectory) to overtake and travel in front of the object to be assisted to take a picture. The case where the auxiliary vehicle needs to decelerate and travel behind the object to be assisted and take a picture is similar to the above overtaking case, except that the road condition information used includes information about vehicles coming from behind the auxiliary vehicle and pedestrians, etc. In some other embodiments, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle based on the road condition information to enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to a preset position around the object to be assisted may also include: adjusting the speed and direction of the auxiliary vehicle according to the road condition information to enable the auxiliary vehicle to travel to a preset position around the object to be assisted. That is to say, the auxiliary vehicle can plan a suitable trajectory according to the road condition information and travel to a preset position around the object to be assisted to take a picture.

[0048] Although each operation is depicted in the drawings as being in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that the operations must be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, nor should it be construed as requiring that all of the operations shown must be performed to obtain the desired result. For example, step S1044 may be performed before step S1043 or concurrently with step S1043. As another example, steps S1043, S1044, and S1045 may be performed before step S1041 or S1042, or concurrently with step S1041 or S1042. As yet another example, steps S1043 and / or S1044 - S1045, etc. may even be omitted. As yet another example, steps S1041 and / or S1042, etc. may also be omitted

[0049] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a travel assistance device 5000 according to some exemplary embodiments. As Figure 5 shown, the travel assistance device 5000 includes: a first acquisition module 510, a determination module 520, a second acquisition module 530, a tracking module 540, and a provision module 550. The first acquisition module 510 is configured to enable an assisted vehicle to acquire surrounding environment information. The determination module 520 is configured to determine an object to be assisted by the assisted vehicle based on the surrounding environment information. The second acquisition module 530 is configured to acquire motion information of the object to be assisted. The tracking module 540 is configured to cause the assisted vehicle to track the object to be assisted according to the motion information. The provision module 550 is configured to cause the assisted vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the object to be assisted.

[0050] It should be understood that Figure 5 each module of the device 5000 shown in Figure 1 may correspond to each step in the method 1000 described with reference to

[0051] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an autonomous driving method, including: in response to receiving an instruction to enter a travel assistance mode, for example, an instruction for triggering travel assistance by a travel object through a button, a touch screen, a voice, etc., executing the travel assistance method 1000 according to the present disclosure.

[0052] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the travel assistance method 1000 or the autonomous driving method according to the present disclosure.

[0053] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the travel assistance method 1000 or the autonomous driving method according to the present disclosure.

[0054] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product including a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the travel assistance method 1000 or the autonomous driving method according to the present disclosure.

[0055] Reference Figure 6 , a block diagram of a computer device 6000 that can be a server or a client according to the present disclosure will now be described. It is an example of a hardware device that can be applied to various aspects of the present disclosure. The computer device 6000 can be, for example, Figure 2 the autonomous driving / automatic parking system (ADAP) of the auxiliary vehicle 10 shown in

[0056] The computer device 6000 can include (possibly via one or more interfaces) elements connected to or communicating with a bus 6002. For example, the computer device 6000 can include a bus 6002, one or more processors 6004, one or more input devices 6006, and one or more output devices 6008. The one or more processors 6004 can be any type of processor and can include, but are not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors and / or one or more dedicated processors (such as special processing chips). The processor 6004 can process instructions executed within the computer device 6000, including instructions stored in a memory or on a memory for displaying graphical information of a GUI on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to an interface). In other embodiments, if needed, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used with multiple memories. Similarly, multiple computer devices can be connected, each device providing part of the necessary operations (such as an array of servers, a set of blade servers, or a multi-processor system). Figure 6 One processor 6004 is taken as an example in

[0057] The input device 6006 can be any type of device capable of inputting information into the computer device 6000. The input device 6006 can receive input numerical or character information, and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and / or function controls of the computer device for event extraction, and can include, but are not limited to, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a trackpad, a trackball, a joystick, a microphone, and / or a remote control. The output device 6008 can be any type of device capable of presenting information and can include, but are not limited to, a display, a speaker, a video / audio output terminal, a vibrator, and / or a printer.

[0058] The computer device 6000 may also include or be connected to a non-transitory storage device 6010. The non-transitory storage device can be any storage device that is non-transitory and can implement data storage, and can include but is not limited to disk drives, optical storage devices, solid-state memories, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, or any other magnetic medium, optical discs or any other optical medium, ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), cache memories, and / or any other memory chips or cartridges, and / or any other medium from which the computer can read data, instructions, and / or code. The non-transitory storage device 6010 can be detached from the interface. The non-transitory storage device 6010 can have data / programs (including instructions) / code / modules (e.g., Figure 5 the first acquisition module 510, the determination module 520, the second acquisition module 530, the tracking module 540, and the providing module 550 shown) for implementing the above methods and steps.

[0059] The computer device 6000 may also include a communication device 6012. The communication device 6012 can be any type of device or system that enables communication with external devices and / or with a network, and can include but is not limited to modems, network cards, infrared communication devices, wireless communication devices, and / or chip sets, such as BluetoothTM devices, 802.11 devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0060] The computer device 6000 may also include a working memory 6014, which can be any type of working memory that can store programs (including instructions) and / or data useful for the operation of the processor 6004, and can include but is not limited to random access memory and / or read-only memory devices.

[0061] Software elements (programs) can be located in the working memory 6014, including but not limited to an operating system 6016, one or more application programs 6018, drivers, and / or other data and code. The instructions for performing the above methods and steps can be included in one or more application programs 6018, and the above methods can be implemented by the processor 6004 reading and executing the instructions of one or more application programs 6018. The executable code or source code of the instructions of the software elements (programs) can also be downloaded from a remote location.

[0062] It should also be understood that various modifications can be made according to specific requirements. For example, custom hardware can also be used, and / or specific components can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, a hardware description language, or any combination thereof. For example, some or all of the disclosed methods and devices can be implemented by programming hardware (e.g., programmable logic circuits including field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and / or programmable logic arrays (PLAs)) using logic and algorithms according to the present disclosure, in assembly language or a hardware programming language (such as VERILOG, VHDL, C++).

[0063] It should also be understood that the foregoing method can be implemented in a server-client mode. For example, the client can receive data input by the user and send the data to the server. The client can also receive data input by the user, perform a part of the processing in the foregoing method, and send the processed data to the server. The server can receive data from the client, execute the foregoing method or another part of the foregoing method, and return the execution result to the client. The client can receive the execution result of the method from the server and, for example, can present it to the user through an output device. The client and the server are generally far from each other and usually interact through a communication network. The client-server relationship is generated by computer programs running on corresponding computer devices and having a client-server relationship with each other. The server can be a server of a distributed system or a server combined with a blockchain. The server can also be a cloud server or an intelligent cloud computing server or an intelligent cloud host with artificial intelligence technology. A cloud server is a host product in a cloud computing service system, which solves the defects of difficult management and weak business scalability existing in traditional physical hosts and virtual private server (VPS) services.

[0064] It should also be understood that the components of the computer device 6000 can be distributed over a network. For example, one processor can be used to perform some processing, while another processor far from the one processor can perform other processing. Other components of the computing device 6000 can be distributed similarly. In this way, the computer device 6000 can be interpreted as a distributed computing system that performs processing at multiple locations.

[0065] Although embodiments or examples of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above methods, systems, and devices are merely exemplary embodiments or examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments or examples, but is only defined by the claims after authorization and their equivalent scope. Various elements in the embodiments or examples may be omitted or replaced by their equivalent elements. In addition, the steps may be executed in an order different from that described in the present disclosure. Further, the various elements in the embodiments or examples may be combined in various ways. Importantly, with the evolution of technology, many of the elements described herein may be replaced by equivalent elements that emerge after the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A travel assistance method, comprising: enabling an assistance vehicle to obtain surrounding environment information; determining a target to be assisted by the assistance vehicle based on the surrounding environment information; obtaining motion information of the target to be assisted; making the assistance vehicle track the target to be assisted according to the motion information; and making the assistance vehicle provide travel assistance operations to the target to be assisted.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Making the assistance vehicle track the target to be assisted according to the motion information includes: adjusting the driving parameters of the assistance vehicle according to the motion information so that the assistance vehicle travels at a preset distance from the target to be assisted.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein Making the assistance vehicle provide travel assistance operations to the target to be assisted includes: in response to receiving an update setting request, adjusting the driving parameters of the assistance vehicle, where the update setting request includes information on the driving parameters that the assistance vehicle needs to change.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, A reminder device is provided behind the assistance vehicle, and the surrounding environment information includes at least one of video information of the surrounding environment of the assistance vehicle and road-related information in front of the assistance vehicle, and making the assistance vehicle provide travel assistance operations to the target to be assisted includes: making the reminder device of the assistance vehicle perform a reminder operation, where the reminder operation is associated with at least one of the video information and the road-related information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein Making the assistance vehicle provide travel assistance operations to the target to be assisted includes: in response to receiving an assistance operation request, making the assistance vehicle perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation request, where the assistance operation request includes at least one of a corresponding behavior made by the target to be assisted and an assistance operation instruction sent by a mobile device connected to the assistance vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, In response to receiving an assistance operation request, making the assistance vehicle perform a travel assistance operation related to the assistance operation request includes: in response to receiving the corresponding behavior made by the target to be assisted, determining whether the corresponding behavior matches a preset behavior, where the preset behavior includes at least one of a preset action and a preset voice; in response to the corresponding behavior matching the preset behavior, making the assistance vehicle perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein Making the assistance vehicle perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior includes: adjusting the driving parameters of the assistance vehicle so that the assistance vehicle approaches the target to be assisted.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein At least one container for providing auxiliary items or placing waste is provided on the side of the assistance vehicle, and making the assistance vehicle perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior includes: in response to the target to be assisted being at a first preset distance from the assistance vehicle, opening at least one container on the assistance vehicle; and in response to the target to be assisted being at a second preset distance from the assistance vehicle, closing at least one container on the assistance vehicle, where the first preset distance is less than the second preset distance.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein Making the assistance vehicle perform a travel assistance operation related to the preset behavior further includes: In response to at least one container on the auxiliary vehicle being closed, adjust the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle resumes driving at a preset distance from the object to be assisted.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The surrounding environment information includes an image around the auxiliary vehicle, the image includes an area corresponding to at least one travel object around the auxiliary vehicle, and based on the surrounding environment information, determining the object to be assisted by the auxiliary vehicle includes: Identifying feature information of the at least one travel object in the image; For each of the at least one travel object, Determining whether the identified feature information of the travel object matches the feature information pre-stored on the auxiliary vehicle; and In response to the identified feature information of the travel object matching the pre-stored feature information, determining the travel object as the object to be assisted.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The surrounding environment information includes an image around the auxiliary vehicle, the image includes an area corresponding to at least one travel object around the autonomous driving, and based on the surrounding environment information, determining the object to be assisted by the auxiliary vehicle includes: Sending the image to the user's mobile device; In response to the user annotating at least some of the at least one travel object in the image, determining the at least some annotated travel objects as the object to be assisted.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein Enabling the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the object to be assisted includes: In response to receiving a shooting request, causing the auxiliary vehicle to shoot the object to be assisted.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein Causing the auxiliary vehicle to shoot the object to be assisted includes: Obtaining road condition information around the auxiliary vehicle; Based on the road condition information, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle drives to a preset position around the object to be assisted; and Causing the auxiliary vehicle to shoot the object to be assisted at the preset position.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Based on the road condition information, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle drives to a preset position around the object to be assisted includes: Based on the road condition information, determining whether the auxiliary vehicle can drive to the preset position; In response to the auxiliary vehicle being able to drive to the preset position, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle drives to the preset position; In response to the auxiliary vehicle not being able to drive to the preset position, based on the road condition information, determining the waiting time of the auxiliary vehicle; Sending the waiting time to the object to be assisted; and After the waiting time has passed, adjusting the driving parameters of the auxiliary vehicle so that the auxiliary vehicle drives to the preset position.

15. A travel assistance device, comprising: A first acquisition module configured to cause an auxiliary vehicle to acquire surrounding environment information; A determination module configured to determine an object to be assisted by the auxiliary vehicle based on the surrounding environment information; A second acquisition module configured to acquire motion information of the object to be assisted; A tracking module, configured to enable the auxiliary vehicle to track the object to be assisted according to the motion information; And A providing module, configured to enable the auxiliary vehicle to provide travel assistance operations to the object to be assisted.

16. An autonomous driving method, comprising: In response to receiving an instruction to enter the travel assistance mode, execute the travel assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

17. A computer device, comprising: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the travel assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the autonomous driving method according to claim 16.

18. An autonomous driving vehicle, comprising: The travel assistance device according to claim 15 or the computer device according to claim 17.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, wherein, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the travel assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the autonomous driving method according to claim 16.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the travel assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the autonomous driving method according to claim 16.

Images