Vehicle management and control system, vehicle control device and automatic driving system

Abstract

A vehicle control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles traveling within a region to be controlled is provided with: a communication unit for communicating with the vehicles; and a vehicle command unit that, when a communication abnormality occurs between the communication unit and any of the plurality of vehicles, sets the vehicle as a communication abnormality vehicle, and transmits, via the communication unit, an operation instruction for another vehicle other than the communication abnormality vehicle. The vehicle command unit transmits an emergency stop instruction for causing the other vehicle to emergently stop as the operation instruction for the other vehicle when the communication-abnormal vehicle is evacuated toward the evacuation area, and transmits the emergency stop instruction for causing the other vehicle to emergently stop as the operation instruction for the other vehicle, after the communication-abnormal vehicle completes the evacuation toward the evacuation area, the emergency stop instruction for causing the other vehicle to emergently stop the other vehicle. And a restart driving instruction for releasing the emergency stop of the other vehicle is transmitted as the operation instruction for the other vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management and control system for autonomous driving, a vehicle control device, and an autonomous driving system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the widespread adoption of autonomous driving, various solutions have been developed. One such solution is autonomous driving within a limited area, which restricts vehicle operation and driving range. This type of autonomous driving within a limited area is more likely to ensure safety than autonomous driving within unrestricted areas such as general roads, and therefore has been a leading development.

[0003] Generally speaking, in autonomous driving in a limited area as described above, driving instructions based on information from infrastructure sensors are transmitted from the control system to the autonomous driving vehicle via wireless communication, so that the autonomous driving vehicle can safely travel within a specific section. Therefore, in the event of a communication anomaly, the system needs to stop urgently to ensure safety. However, in the case where there are multiple autonomous driving vehicles in a section, or in the case where there are vehicles engaged in main business (such as loading / unloading operations for ships at ports, etc.) in addition to autonomous driving vehicles, if a certain autonomous driving vehicle stops unexpectedly in the section, there is a possibility of obstructing the travel of other vehicles and obstructing the main business.

[0004] Patent Document 1 is a known technology for addressing the aforementioned issues. The vehicle control system described in Patent Document 1 includes a retreat position estimation unit that determines the vehicle's retreat position based on the communication status of a communication unit and the driving environment. If the communication unit determines that a communication anomaly exists, a target route is generated that directs the vehicle toward the retreat position determined by the retreat position estimation unit. Consequently, when a communication failure occurs, the autonomous vehicle is prevented from making an emergency stop and retreating to a retreat area that does not disrupt primary operations, without disrupting primary operations.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-24900 Summary of the Invention

[0008] In the vehicle control system described in Patent Document 1, after the autonomous vehicle's retraction position is determined, there is a possibility that a vehicle outside the control system's management may stop at the retraction position. In this case, the vehicle control system cannot grasp the position of the unmanaged vehicle, so there is a possibility that the autonomous vehicle, experiencing a communication failure, could collide with the vehicle stopped at the retraction position. This can reduce safety during emergency vehicle stops in conventional vehicle control systems.

[0009] The present invention has been completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its main purpose is to provide a vehicle control system, a vehicle control device and an autonomous driving system for autonomous driving that can ensure safety even when the vehicle is brought to an emergency stop due to a communication failure.

[0010] The present invention provides a vehicle control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles traveling in a control target area, wherein the control target area has a road with a retreat area, the road with the retreat area including a plurality of driving intervals set to divide the driving area of ​​the vehicle, and a plurality of retreat areas respectively set corresponding to the plurality of driving intervals, the vehicle control system comprising: a communication unit for communicating with the vehicle; a retreat area management unit for judging whether the retreat area is idle; an exclusive area management unit for selecting, for the vehicle traveling on the road with the retreat area, an idle retreat area located in front of the driving direction of the vehicle, and a driving interval between the position of the vehicle and the retreat area from the plurality of driving intervals, and setting a combination of the selected driving interval and the retreat area as an exclusive area that the vehicle can exclusively use; a driving route planning unit for responding to the vehicle When a communication abnormality occurs in a vehicle, a retreat path is pre-generated in the dedicated area set for the vehicle for moving the vehicle toward the retreat area, and the generated retreat path is sent to the vehicle via the communication unit; and a vehicle command unit, when a communication abnormality occurs between the communication unit and any vehicle of the multiple vehicles, sets the vehicle as a communication abnormality vehicle, and sends action instructions to other vehicles except the communication abnormality vehicle via the communication unit, and when the communication abnormality vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area, the vehicle command unit sends an emergency stop instruction for making the other vehicle stop urgently as the action instruction to the other vehicles, and after the communication abnormality vehicle completes retreating to the retreat area, the vehicle command unit sends a restart driving instruction for releasing the emergency stop of the other vehicle as the action instruction to the other vehicles.

[0011] The vehicle control device of the present invention is mounted on an autonomous driving vehicle controlled by a vehicle control system, and controls the action of the autonomous driving vehicle. The vehicle control device comprises: a vehicle-side communication unit for communicating with the vehicle control system; a vehicle-side status management unit for managing the status of the autonomous driving vehicle; a normal action control unit for causing the autonomous driving vehicle to autonomously drive toward a predetermined destination when communication using the vehicle-side communication unit is normal; and a retreat action control unit for controlling the autonomous driving vehicle to retreat toward the retreat area based on information on a retreat path to a retreat area in a dedicated area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle that is sent in advance from the vehicle control system when communication using the vehicle-side communication unit is abnormal.

[0012] The autonomous driving system of the present invention comprises: a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles traveling within a control target area; and a vehicle control system for controlling the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles, wherein the control target area includes a road with a retreat area, the road with a retreat area including a plurality of travel sections defined to divide a travel area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicles and a plurality of retreat areas provided corresponding to each of the plurality of travel sections. The vehicle control system comprises: a communication unit for communicating with the autonomous driving vehicles; a retreat area management unit for determining whether the retreat area is vacant; an exclusive area management unit for selecting, for the autonomous driving vehicle traveling on the road with the retreat area, a vacant retreat area located ahead of the autonomous driving vehicle in the travel direction and a travel section from the autonomous driving vehicle's position to the retreat area, and setting the combination of the selected travel section and retreat area as an exclusive area that can be used exclusively by the autonomous driving vehicle; and a travel route planning unit for pre-generating an escape route for the autonomous driving vehicle to move toward the retreat area within the exclusive area defined for the autonomous driving vehicle in response to a communication anomaly with the autonomous driving vehicle, and transmitting the generated escape route to the autonomous driving vehicle via the communication unit. and a vehicle command unit that, when a communication anomaly occurs between the communication unit and any of the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles, designates the autonomous driving vehicle as a communication anomaly vehicle and transmits, via the communication unit, action instructions to the autonomous driving vehicles other than the communication anomaly vehicle. The vehicle command unit transmits, as the action instruction to the other autonomous driving vehicles, an emergency stop instruction for causing the other autonomous driving vehicles to make an emergency stop while the communication anomaly vehicle is retreating toward the evacuation area. After the communication anomaly vehicle has completed its retreat into the evacuation area, the vehicle command unit transmits, as the action instruction to the other autonomous driving vehicles, a restart driving instruction for releasing the emergency stop of the other autonomous driving vehicles. When communication with the vehicle control system is normal, the autonomous driving vehicle autonomously travels toward a predetermined destination. When communication with the vehicle control system is abnormal, the autonomous driving vehicle retreats toward the evacuation area based on information on the evacuation path transmitted in advance from the vehicle control system. Upon receiving the emergency stop instruction from the vehicle control system, the autonomous driving vehicle performs an emergency stop. Upon receiving the restart driving instruction from the vehicle control system while in the emergency stop state, the autonomous driving vehicle releases the emergency stop state and resumes autonomous travel.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control system, a vehicle control device, and an autonomous driving system for autonomous driving that can ensure safety even when a vehicle is brought to an emergency stop when a communication failure occurs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system including a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 1 and 2 are diagrams showing configuration examples of roads with avoidance areas and roads without avoidance areas.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle control system.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a block diagram showing the structure of a vehicle control device.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure and data content of vehicle management information stored in the dedicated area storage unit.

[0019] Figure 6 A diagram illustrating transition conditions between various vehicle states.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure and data content of the backoff area information stored in the backoff area storage unit in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating setting rules for an exclusive area for an autonomous driving vehicle managed by an exclusive area management unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 9 This figure illustrates an example of a dedicated area and an evasion action when a communication failure occurs in an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road with an evasion area.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed in the vehicle control system when the vehicle control system communicates with the vehicle control device mounted on each autonomous driving vehicle.

[0024] Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed in the vehicle control system in response to vehicle information received from each autonomous driving vehicle.

[0025] Figure 12 This is a flowchart showing the flow of vehicle state estimation processing.

[0026] Figure 13 This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed in the vehicle control device.

[0027] Figure 14This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed in the vehicle control device.

[0028] Figure 15 This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed in the vehicle control device.

[0029] Figure 16 1 is a diagram showing an example of updating corresponding to the vehicle state of the vehicle management information and the avoidance area information stored in the dedicated area storage unit and the avoidance area storage unit, respectively.

[0030] Figure 17 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure and data content of the backoff area information stored in the backoff area storage unit in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 18 This is a diagram illustrating setting rules for an exclusive area for an autonomous driving vehicle managed by an exclusive area management unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] (First embodiment)

[0033] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system including a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The automated driving system 1 of the present embodiment is primarily used in locations such as factories and port facilities where large quantities of materials are frequently transported, thereby automating and improving the efficiency of transportation operations within such locations. Hereinafter, the locations where the automated driving system 1 is used will be referred to as "sites," and the automated driving system 1 will be described in detail.

[0034] The autonomous driving system 1 includes a vehicle control system 10 for controlling vehicles in a control target area set within a station, and autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 controlled by the vehicle control system 10. The autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 are vehicles that can independently drive in the control target area controlled by the vehicle control system 10 and automatically perform predetermined operations (such as transport operations). Figure 1 In the example of FIG, two autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 are shown as driving in the control target area, but the number of autonomous driving vehicles is not limited to this. Figure 1 In the example, within the control object area, vehicles other than the autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 are mixed with manned vehicles 70, work vehicles 80, and on-site workers 90 that are not included in the control objects controlled by the vehicle control system 10, but they may not necessarily exist in the control object area.

[0035] In the station, a road with a retreat area 40 and a road without a retreat area 41 are set as roads on which the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 can move. The road with a retreat area 40 is a road that divides the area where the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 can travel and sets a plurality of travel sections 50 (see Figure 2 ), and a retreat area 60 for temporarily retreating the autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 is provided for each of the plurality of driving sections 50 (see Figure 2 ) roads. When autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 temporarily stop for loading or unloading on roads 40 with a retraction zone, they can retreat to this retraction zone 60 and stop temporarily without obstructing other vehicles. Specifically, roads 40 with a retraction zone are defined to include at least the area where autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 perform loading and unloading operations. On the other hand, roads 41 without a retraction zone are roads where autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 do not perform loading or unloading operations, and therefore do not have a retraction zone 60.

[0036] Furthermore, the ratio of roads 40 with avoidance zones to roads 41 without avoidance zones within a station can be arbitrarily set based on actual operational conditions and other factors. In an extreme case, all roads within a station, including the range within which the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 can move, can be designated as roads 40 with avoidance zones, with no roads 41 without avoidance zones. Alternatively, the ranges of roads 40 with avoidance zones and roads 41 without avoidance zones can be dynamically changed.

[0037] Infrastructure sensors 30 are installed near roads 40 with avoidance zones within the station to determine whether the avoidance zones are clear. These sensors, such as cameras and radars, can detect the presence of objects within a predetermined range within a space. These sensors collect sensor information indicating the detection results of avoidance zones within roads 40 with avoidance zones and output it to the vehicle control system 10. The number and location of infrastructure sensors 30 within the station are preferably adjusted to monitor at least all avoidance zones on roads 40 with avoidance zones.

[0038] The vehicle control system 10 is connected to a wireless communication device 102 via a network 101 and uses the wireless communication device 102 to wirelessly communicate with the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 and the manned vehicle 70 traveling within the control target area. Wireless communication is also possible with an information terminal (not shown) held by an on-site worker 90 and the infrastructure sensor 30. For example, during wireless communication with the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 and the manned vehicle 70, the vehicle control system 10 determines the location and status of each vehicle based on vehicle information transmitted from these vehicles and issues movement and operation instructions to the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2. Furthermore, during wireless communication with the infrastructure sensor 30, the sensor information transmitted from the infrastructure sensor 30 determines whether each retreat area within the road 40 with a retreat area is clear.

[0039] The vehicle control system 10 is also connected to a management terminal 100 via a network 101. The management terminal 100, operated by a manager 110 who manages the autonomous driving system 1, provides the manager 110 with a user interface for the vehicle control system 10. For example, the vehicle control system 10 displays the location and status of the autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2, the manned vehicle 70, and the work status of the on-site workers 90 within the control target area, and presents this information to the manager 110. Furthermore, when the manager 110 issues operating instructions or emergency stop commands to the autonomous driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2, these inputs are accepted and notified to the vehicle control system 10.

[0040] Furthermore, in the automatic driving system 1 , the vehicle control system 10 may be constructed by physically installing a server in or near a station, or the vehicle control system 10 may be constructed in a cloud environment.

[0041] Automated vehicles 20-1 and 20-2, following operational instructions from the vehicle control system 10, move along designated roads 40 with a setback zone and roads 41 without a setback zone within the station, carrying out material handling operations. Manned vehicles 70, guided by the driver's instructions, navigate the station, performing various operations such as material handling. Work vehicles 80, in collaboration with on-site workers 90, perform loading and unloading operations on roads 40 with a setback zone, such as loading and unloading operations, from automated vehicles 20-1 and 20-2.

[0042] The autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 obtain their own position information using, for example, a GNSS system, and periodically transmit the obtained position information and vehicle status (vehicle speed, etc.) as vehicle information to the vehicle control system 10. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 also manage their own cargo loading status, and include the cargo loading status information in the vehicle information and transmit it to the vehicle control system 10. As a means for the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 to grasp the cargo loading status, for example, a detection method using a sensing method using a load sensor or the like can be adopted. Alternatively, if the on-site operator 90 completes the loading and unloading operation for the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2, the report can be transmitted to the vehicle control system 10 using an information terminal, so that the vehicle control system 10 can indirectly grasp whether the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 are loaded or unloaded.

[0043] Furthermore, to enhance safety within the station, autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 can not only move toward their destinations but also make emergency stops based on commands from the vehicle control system 10. Furthermore, autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 can be equipped with devices such as LIDAR and cameras that can detect surrounding conditions. These devices can be used by autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 to detect collision risks and perform control actions such as avoidance and deceleration as needed.

[0044] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a road 40 with a setback area and a road 41 without a setback area. Figure 2 In Figure 1 The autonomous driving vehicle 20 - 1 of the autonomous driving vehicles 20 - 1 and 20 - 2 shown is a representative example of a vehicle traveling on a road 40 with an avoidance area and a road 41 without an avoidance area.

[0045] The road 40 with the retreat area is, for example, Figure 2 As shown, the system includes a plurality of travel sections 50 set to divide the travel area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1, and a plurality of avoidance areas 60 provided corresponding to each travel section 50. An index number X is assigned to each travel section 50 and each avoidance area 60 for distinguishing each other. Figure 2 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , travel sections 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, and 50-4 represent travel sections 50 with index numbers X of 1 to 4, respectively. Similarly, avoidance areas 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, and 60-4 represent avoidance areas 60 with index numbers X of 1 to 4, respectively. In this manner, it is preferable to assign a common index number X to corresponding travel sections 50 and avoidance areas 60.

[0046] The vehicle control system 10 can identify any combination of travel segments 50 and avoidance areas 60 within a station based on the index numbers assigned to each travel segment 50 and each avoidance area 60. Furthermore, map information indicating the locations of each travel segment 50 and each avoidance area 60 may be stored in the vehicle control system 10 in association with the index numbers. If an object (such as a vehicle or obstacle) is present within each avoidance area 60, the infrastructure sensor 30 is preferably positioned and oriented to monitor the object.

[0047] On the other hand, a road 41 without an escape area, for example Figure 2 As shown, the configuration includes a plurality of travel sections 51 set to divide the travel area of ​​the automatically driven vehicle 20 - 1 , but does not include an avoidance area.

[0048] Figure 3 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle control system 10. Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle control system 10 includes functional blocks such as a dedicated area management unit 11, an avoidance area management unit 12, a dedicated area storage unit 13, an avoidance area storage unit 14, a vehicle command unit 15, a communication status management unit 16, a communication unit 17, a driving route planning unit 18, and an avoidance position estimation unit 19. In the vehicle control system 10, these functional blocks are implemented, for example, by a CPU executing a predetermined program or using a storage medium such as an HDD or SSD.

[0049] In addition, Figure 3 In the Figure 1 The vehicle control device for autonomous driving of autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 is shown as vehicle control device 20. Specifically, autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 are each equipped with a common vehicle control device 20. By using this vehicle control device 20 to wirelessly communicate with vehicle control system 10, the vehicle control system 10 can be used to control and execute predetermined operations. Details of vehicle control device 20 will be described later.

[0050] The exclusive area management unit 11 manages the status of each autonomous vehicle and its exclusive area in real time. Specifically, for example, the exclusive area management unit 11 determines the current location of each autonomous vehicle based on the position information of each autonomous vehicle included in the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle control unit 20 and the sensor information transmitted from the infrastructure sensor 30. Furthermore, based on the determined current location of each autonomous vehicle and the map information of the roads 40 with avoidance areas and the roads 41 without avoidance areas stored in the exclusive area storage unit 13, the exclusive area management unit 11 determines the location on the roads 40 with avoidance areas or the roads 41 without avoidance areas where each autonomous vehicle is traveling. Consequently, for each autonomous vehicle traveling on a road 40 with avoidance areas, a vacant avoidance area 60 located ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel and a driving section 50 between the vehicle's position and the avoidance area 60 are selected, and the combination of these is set as the exclusive area that the vehicle can occupy. On the other hand, for an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road 41 without an avoidance zone, a predetermined number of driving sections 51 ahead of the vehicle in its travel direction are selected and set as exclusive zones for the vehicle. Details on how to set these exclusive zones will be described later.

[0051] The evacuation area management unit 12 determines and manages the vacancy status of each evacuation area 60 provided on the evacuation area-attached road 40 (whether a vehicle or a worker has entered the evacuation area 60 ) based on the sensor information transmitted from the infrastructure sensor 30 .

[0052] The dedicated area storage unit 13 stores map information for roads 40 with avoidance zones and roads 41 without avoidance zones, as well as vehicle management information used by the dedicated area management unit 11 to manage the status of each autonomous driving vehicle and the setting of dedicated zones. This vehicle management information includes, for example, information indicating the status, current location, designated dedicated zones, data update times, and service status of each autonomous driving vehicle managed by the dedicated area management unit 11. The information stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13 is read by the dedicated area management unit 11, the vehicle command unit 15, and the avoidance position estimation unit 19 for use in processing performed by these functional blocks.

[0053] The avoidance area storage unit 14 stores avoidance area information used by the avoidance area management unit 12 to manage the availability of each avoidance area 60. For example, information indicating whether each avoidance area 60 is available is stored in the avoidance area storage unit 14 as the avoidance area information. The information stored in the avoidance area storage unit 14 is read by the dedicated area management unit 11 and the avoidance position estimation unit 19 and used for processing performed by these functional blocks.

[0054] The vehicle command unit 15 issues instructions to each autonomous driving vehicle based on the communication status between the communication unit 17 managed by the communication status management unit 16 and each autonomous driving vehicle, and the information on the status of each autonomous driving vehicle stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13. For example, in the event of a communication anomaly between the communication unit 17 and the vehicle control device 20 mounted on any autonomous driving vehicle, the vehicle is set as a communication anomaly vehicle, and an emergency stop instruction is issued to the other autonomous driving vehicles. In addition, when the communication anomaly vehicle completes its retreat to the retreat area, an instruction to resume driving for releasing the emergency stop is issued to the other autonomous driving vehicles that have been emergency stopped. These instructions are sent from the vehicle command unit 15 to the vehicle control device 20 mounted on each autonomous driving vehicle via the communication unit 17. In addition, specific examples of instructions issued by the vehicle command unit 15 will be described later.

[0055] The communication status management unit 16 manages whether the communication status between the communication unit 17 and each autonomous driving vehicle is normal.

[0056] The communication unit 17 communicates with the infrastructure sensors 30 and each autonomous vehicle within the station via the network 101 and the wireless communication device 102. The communication unit 17 outputs information received from the infrastructure sensors 30 and the vehicle control device 20 mounted in each autonomous vehicle to the dedicated area management unit 11 and the evacuation area management unit 12.

[0057] The driving route planning unit 18 transmits information about the driving route to each autonomous vehicle's destination to each autonomous vehicle via the communication unit 17. Furthermore, to address communication anomalies with each autonomous vehicle, an avoidance route is pre-generated for each autonomous vehicle traveling on the road 40 with an avoidance area to move toward the avoidance area 60 within the dedicated area set by the dedicated area management unit 11. Information about the generated avoidance route is transmitted to each autonomous vehicle via the communication unit 17. The vehicle control device 20 mounted on an autonomous vehicle experiencing a communication anomaly can use this avoidance route information to cause the vehicle to retreat toward the nearest avoidance area 60.

[0058] The retreat position estimation unit 19 estimates the retreat area 60 to which the autonomous vehicle experiencing a communication anomaly retreated as the vehicle's retreat position. For example, based on the vehicle management information stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13, the vehicle control unit 20 onboard the vehicle determines the retreat path sent to the vehicle from the driving path planning unit 18. The vehicle control unit 20 determines which retreat area 60 on the road 40 with a retreat area to which the vehicle should retreat. This allows the vehicle to estimate the retreat position of the autonomous vehicle experiencing a communication anomaly.

[0059] Figure 42 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle control device 20. Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle control device 20 includes a vehicle-side communication unit 21, a normal operation control unit 22, an evasive operation control unit 23, a vehicle-side dedicated area storage unit 24, a driving route storage unit 25, and a vehicle-side state management unit 26. In the vehicle control device 20, these functional blocks are implemented, for example, by a CPU executing a predetermined program or using a recording medium such as an HDD or SSD. Hereinafter, the autonomous driving vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device 20 and the vehicle control device 20 as the control target will be referred to as the "host vehicle."

[0060] The vehicle-side communication unit 21 communicates with the vehicle control system 10 via the network 101 and the wireless communication device 102. The vehicle-side communication unit 21 receives information from the vehicle control system 10, such as information about the vehicle's dedicated area, the vehicle's travel route to its destination, and information about an escape route in the event of a communication anomaly. This information is stored in the vehicle-side dedicated area storage unit 24 and the travel route storage unit 25. Furthermore, when the vehicle control system 10 receives an emergency stop instruction or a restart instruction for the vehicle, the vehicle-side status management unit 26 is notified of the contents of these instructions.

[0061] When communication between the vehicle-side communication unit 21 and the vehicle control system 10 is normal, the normal operation control unit 22 causes the vehicle to autonomously travel toward a predetermined destination based on the travel route information stored in the travel route storage unit 25. For example, the normal operation control unit 22 controls the operation of various actuators in the vehicle to adjust the vehicle's steering angle, brakes, speed, and other parameters in accordance with the travel route, thereby controlling the vehicle's autonomous travel.

[0062] When the communication status between the vehicle-side communication unit 21 and the vehicle control system 10 is abnormal, the retreat action control unit 23 causes the vehicle to retreat to the retreat area 60 or to make an emergency stop. Specifically, when the vehicle is traveling on a road 40 with a retreat area, the vehicle is retreated toward the nearest retreat area 60 based on the information of the retreat path sent in advance from the vehicle control system 10 and stored in the driving path storage unit 25. As a result, the vehicle does not stop within the driving range 50, but safely travels to the retreat area 60. On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling on a road 41 without a retreat area, it cannot perform a retreat action to the retreat area 60, so the vehicle is made to make an emergency stop.

[0063] The vehicle-side exclusive area storage unit 24 stores information on the exclusive area of ​​the own vehicle transmitted from the vehicle control system 10 and received by the vehicle-side communication unit 21 .

[0064] The travel route storage unit 25 stores information on the travel route to the destination of the host vehicle and the avoidance route, which is transmitted from the vehicle control system 10 and received by the vehicle-side communication unit 21 .

[0065] The vehicle-side state management unit 26 manages the state of the vehicle and issues action instructions corresponding to the state to the normal action control unit 22 and the evasion action control unit 23. Specifically, if the communication state between the vehicle-side communication unit 21 and the vehicle control system 10 is normal, the vehicle is driven autonomously by activating the normal action control unit 22. If the communication state is abnormal, the vehicle is driven to evacuate toward the evasion area 60 or make an emergency stop by activating the evasion action control unit 23. In addition, when the vehicle-side communication unit 21 receives an emergency stop instruction or a restart driving instruction sent from the vehicle control system 10 to the vehicle, the vehicle is driven to an emergency stop or restarts autonomous driving by activating the evasion action control unit 23 or the normal action control unit 22. In addition, details about the state of the vehicle managed by the vehicle-side state management unit 26 will be described later.

[0066] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure and data content of the vehicle management information 130 stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13 of the vehicle control system 10. In order to manage the status of each autonomous driving vehicle and the setting of the dedicated area, the dedicated area storage unit 13 stores, for example, Figure 5 The vehicle management information 130 shown in FIG. The vehicle management information 130 has record items set for each autonomous driving vehicle, and each record item has data of a vehicle number 131 , a status 132 , a current location 133 , a dedicated area 134 , an update time 135 , and a business status 136 .

[0067] The vehicle number 131 stores a number for identifying each autonomous driving vehicle.

[0068] The state of each autonomous driving vehicle is stored in the state 132. Specifically, the state 132 stores any of the following: "Driving (S1)" indicating that the vehicle is autonomously driving; "Stopped (S2)" indicating that the vehicle is stopped under autonomous driving control; "Retreating (S3)" indicating that the vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area 60 due to a communication anomaly; "Retreat Completed (S4)" indicating that the vehicle has completed retreating to the retreat area 60; "Recovered from Communication Failure (S5)" indicating that the vehicle has recovered from the communication failure; "Emergency Stop (S6)" indicating that the vehicle has entered an emergency stop state due to an emergency stop command from the vehicle control system 10; and "Operation Completed (S7)" indicating that the vehicle has completed its operation.

[0069] In the vehicle control device 20 installed in each autonomous vehicle, the state of the vehicle is managed sequentially, and the latest state of the vehicle is sent to the vehicle control system 10 as vehicle information. In the vehicle control system 10, based on the vehicle information received from each autonomous vehicle, it is determined which of the above states the state of each vehicle corresponds to, and the determination result is stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13 as the state 132 of the vehicle management information 130. In addition, referring to Figure 6 , the transition conditions between these states are described later.

[0070] In the current position 133, information indicating the driving range or avoidance area corresponding to the current position of each autonomous driving vehicle is stored. Figure 2 The number of each driving section 50 or avoidance area 60 on the road 40 with a avoidance area, or each driving section 51 on the road 41 without a avoidance area, corresponding to the vehicle's current position, is stored together with the index number X in the current position 133. Hereinafter, to distinguish between the driving sections 50 and 51 and the avoidance areas 60, the index number X may be added to the symbols, and the driving sections and avoidance areas may be referred to as driving sections 50-X, 51-X, and avoidance areas 60-X, respectively.

[0071] The dedicated area 134 stores information indicating the driving range and / or avoidance area currently set for each autonomously driven vehicle. Specifically, the combination of driving range 50 and avoidance area 60 included in the dedicated area set for a vehicle traveling on a road 40 with avoidance areas, or the number of driving range 51 included in the dedicated area set for a vehicle traveling on a road 41 without avoidance areas, is stored in the dedicated area 134 in the same format as the current position 133, along with the index number X.

[0072] The time when the content of each record item was last updated is stored in the update time 135. In addition, each record item of the vehicle management information 130 is updated based on the vehicle information received from each autonomous driving vehicle by the communication unit 17 in the vehicle control system 10.

[0073] The task status 136 stores the task details set for each autonomous driving vehicle. For example, the locations where the vehicle should load and unload cargo, and the final location where the vehicle should stop, are stored in the task status 136.

[0074] Figure 6 This is a diagram explaining the transition conditions between the above-mentioned vehicle states.

[0075] After confirming that the vehicle has been started, the vehicle control device 20 installed in each autonomous vehicle sets the vehicle's state to "initial state (START)." Subsequently, when the vehicle begins autonomous driving in response to a start instruction from the vehicle control system 10, the vehicle's state transitions from "initial state (START)" to "driving (S1)."

[0076] When each autonomous driving vehicle receives an emergency stop instruction from the vehicle control system 10 in the "driving (S1)" state, it makes an emergency stop near its current position. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the vehicle from "driving (S1)" to "emergency stop (S6)". Thereafter, when each autonomous driving vehicle receives an instruction to resume driving from the vehicle control system 10, it confirms the surrounding safety conditions, etc., and resumes autonomous driving if driving can be resumed. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the vehicle from "emergency stop (S6)" to "driving (S1)". On the other hand, when it receives an instruction to resume driving but determines that driving cannot be resumed, each autonomous driving vehicle waits until autonomous driving can be resumed. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 maintains the state of the vehicle at "emergency stop (S6)".

[0077] Furthermore, when a communication failure occurs between each autonomous vehicle and the vehicle control system 10 while in the "Driving (S1)" state, the autonomous vehicle will either perform a retreat action to the retreat area 60 or an emergency stop, depending on whether the vehicle is traveling on the road 40 with a retreat area or the road 41 without a retreat area. That is, in the case of an autonomous vehicle traveling on the road 40 with a retreat area, the vehicle begins to retreat toward the retreat area 60 within the dedicated area. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 changes the state of the vehicle from "Driving (S1)" to "Driving (S3)". On the other hand, in the case of an autonomous vehicle traveling on the road 41 without a retreat area, the vehicle makes an emergency stop near the current position, similar to the case of receiving an emergency stop instruction. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 changes the state of the vehicle from "Driving (S1)" to "Emergency Stop (S6)".

[0078] When there is no communication failure in the "driving (S1)" state and no emergency stop instruction is received from the vehicle control system 10, each autonomous driving vehicle sometimes stops during autonomous driving. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 changes the state of the vehicle from "driving (S1)" to "stop (S2)". For example, on-site workers 90 and work vehicles 80 perform loading operations on the autonomous driving vehicle, so the autonomous driving vehicle sometimes receives instructions from the vehicle control system 10 and stops at the location of the loading operation. In addition, after all the operations of the autonomous driving vehicle are completed, it sometimes stops at a location specified by the instructions of the vehicle control system 10.

[0079] When each autonomous driving vehicle recovers from a communication obstruction in the "avoiding (S3)" state, it stops the retreat action and resumes autonomous driving within the current dedicated area. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the vehicle from "avoiding (S3)" to "recovering from a communication obstruction (S5)". Afterwards, after confirming that the normal communication state continues for a predetermined time (for example, three cycles of the period in which each autonomous driving vehicle communicates with the vehicle control system 10), the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the vehicle from "recovering from a communication obstruction (S5)" to "traveling (S1)". On the other hand, when the communication is disconnected again, each autonomous driving vehicle starts the retreat action again. At this time, the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the vehicle from "recovering from a communication obstruction (S5)" to "avoiding (S3)".

[0080] Furthermore, when each autonomous vehicle reaches its retreat position while in the "Retreating (S3)" state, it stops at the retreat position. At this point, the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the host vehicle from "Retreating (S3)" to "Retreat Completed (S4)." After a predetermined time has passed, the vehicle control device 20 terminates monitoring of the host vehicle's state.

[0081] When each autonomous driving vehicle completes all scheduled tasks, the vehicle control device 20 transitions the state of the host vehicle to "task completed" (S7). After a predetermined time has passed, the vehicle control device 20 ends monitoring the state of the host vehicle.

[0082] The status of each autonomous vehicle as described above is transmitted from the vehicle control device 20 to the vehicle control system 10 as vehicle information for each autonomous vehicle, and is recorded in the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130 in the dedicated area storage unit 13. The vehicle control system 10 can grasp the status of each autonomous vehicle based on the information recorded in the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130.

[0083] However, for vehicles experiencing communication problems, the vehicle control system 10 cannot grasp the latest vehicle status because it does not send vehicle information. In this case, the vehicle control system 10 can determine whether the vehicle is in "retreating (S3)", "retreating completed (S4)", or "emergency stop (S6)" based on the information about the vehicle's availability in the dedicated area set immediately before and the retreat area stored in the retreat area storage unit 14. Specifically, when a combination of an arbitrary driving section 50 and a retreat area 60 on a road 40 with a retreat area is set as an exclusive area, if a communication problem occurs, it is determined to be "retreating (S3)". After that, after the retreat area 60 is recorded as not being in the idle state in the retreat area storage unit 14, it is determined to be "retreating completed (S4)". On the other hand, when an arbitrary driving section 51 on a road 41 without a retreat area is set as an exclusive area, if a communication problem occurs, it is determined to be "emergency stop (S6)". In addition, for vehicles in which communication failure has occurred and whose vehicle status is not determined by the above method, in order to indicate that the vehicle status is undetermined, for example, "Undetermined (S8)" can also be recorded in the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130.

[0084] Figure 7 The diagram shows an example of the data structure and data content of the avoidance area information 140 stored in the avoidance area storage unit 14 of the vehicle control system 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In order to manage the vacancy status of each avoidance area 60, the avoidance area storage unit 14 stores, for example, Figure 7 The avoidance area information 140 is shown. The avoidance area information 140 has records set for each avoidance area 60, and each record has data of a avoidance area number 141, an idle state 142, and an update time 143.

[0085] The avoidance area number 141 stores a number for identifying each avoidance area.

[0086] In the idle state 142 , information indicating whether each retreat area is in an idle state (“Yes”) or not (“No”) is stored.

[0087] The update time 143 stores the time when each record was last updated. Furthermore, each record in the vehicle management information 130 is updated based on sensor information received by the communication unit 17 from the infrastructure sensor 30 in the vehicle control system 10. Based on this update time 143, it is determined whether a predetermined time or longer has elapsed since each record was last updated. If the predetermined time or longer has elapsed, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the infrastructure sensor 30. In this case, the reliability of the avoidance area information 140 stored in the avoidance area storage unit 14 is determined to be low, and this determination result is preferably reflected in the dedicated area setting performed by the dedicated area management unit 11.

[0088] Figure 8 This figure illustrates the rules for setting exclusive zones for autonomous vehicles, as managed by the exclusive zone management unit 11, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The exclusive zone management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 according to this embodiment can set exclusive zones for autonomous vehicles traveling on roads 40 with or without avoidance zones 41, for example, as described below, based on the current position of each vehicle indicated by vehicle information received from the vehicle control device 20 mounted on each autonomous vehicle and the availability of each avoidance zone 60 managed by the avoidance zone management unit 12.

[0089] Figure 8 (a) and (b) show examples of setting an exclusive zone when the autonomous vehicle 20-1 is traveling on a road 40 with a evacuation zone. When the autonomous vehicle 20-1 is traveling on the road 40 with a evacuation zone, the exclusive zone management unit 11 sets the nearest vacant evacuation zone 60 located in the direction of travel of the autonomous vehicle 20-1 (right in the figure) and the driving section 50 between the current position of the autonomous vehicle 20-1 and the evacuation zone 60 as the exclusive zone for the autonomous vehicle 20-1.

[0090] Specifically, if Figure 8 As shown in (a), when the autonomous vehicle 20-1 is traveling in a travel section 50-1 on a road 40 with an avoidance zone, the dedicated zone management unit 11 sets the unoccupied avoidance zone 60-2 attached to the subsequent travel section 50-2 as the retreat destination for the autonomous vehicle 20-1 if a retreat is required at that time. Furthermore, the combination of the travel sections 50-1 and 50-2 and the avoidance zone 60-2 is set as the dedicated zone for the autonomous vehicle 20-1.

[0091] Then, if Figure 8As shown in (b), when the autonomous vehicle 20-1 enters the driving section 50-2, the exclusive area management unit 11 further sets the vacant evacuation area 60-3 attached to the subsequent driving section 50-3 as the evacuation destination for the autonomous vehicle 20-1 if an evacuation action is required at that time. Furthermore, the exclusive area of ​​the autonomous vehicle 20-1 is updated by newly setting the combination of the driving sections 50-2 and 50-3 and the evacuation area 60-3 as the exclusive area of ​​the autonomous vehicle 20-1.

[0092] Figure 8 (c) and (d) show examples of setting an exclusive zone when the autonomous vehicle 20-1 is traveling on a road 41 without a retraction zone. When the autonomous vehicle 20-1 is traveling on a road 41 without a retraction zone, the exclusive zone management unit 11 sets a driving section 51 within a predetermined range ahead of the autonomous vehicle 20-1 in its driving direction (rightward in the figure) as the exclusive zone for the autonomous vehicle 20-1.

[0093] For example, Figure 8 As shown in (c), when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 is traveling in the driving section 51-1 of the road 41 without the avoidance area, the exclusive area management unit 11 sets the combination of the driving section 51-1 and the next driving section 51-2 as the exclusive area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1. Figure 8 As shown in (d), when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 enters the driving section 51-2, the exclusive area management unit 11 similarly sets the combination of the driving section 51-2 and the next driving section 51-3 as the exclusive area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1, thereby updating the exclusive area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1. Figure 8 (c) and (d) show examples of setting two driving sections 51 located ahead of the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 in the driving direction as exclusive areas, but the range of the driving sections 51 set as exclusive areas is not limited to this.

[0094] Figure 9 The diagram illustrates an example of a dedicated area and an evacuation operation when a communication failure occurs in an autonomous driving vehicle traveling on a road 40 with an evacuation area.

[0095] The exclusive area management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 is in accordance with Figure 8 The setting rules described in the above are used to set a dedicated area for the autonomous driving vehicle traveling on the road 40 with the retreat area. Figure 9In the situation shown in (a), for the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 traveling in the driving section 50-1 of the road 40 with the avoidance area, the combination of the driving sections 50-1, 50-2 and the avoidance area 60-2 is set as the exclusive area. Figure 9 In the situation shown in (b), for the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 traveling in the travel section 50-2 of the road 40 with an avoidance area, the combination of the travel sections 50-2 and 50-3 and the avoidance area 60-3 is set as an exclusive area.

[0096] Here, it is assumed that when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 is traveling in the driving zone 50-2, a communication failure occurs between the vehicle control device 20 mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 and the vehicle control system 10. In this case, the retreat action control unit 23 in the vehicle control unit 20 at that time makes the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 retreat toward the retreat area 60-3 based on the retreat path information stored in the driving path storage unit 25. As a result, the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 retreats to the retreat area 60-3. Figure 9 As shown in (c), after entering the next travel section 50-3, the vehicle moves toward the evacuation area 60-3 provided in the travel section 50-3.

[0097] Afterwards, if Figure 9 As shown in (d), after autonomous vehicle 20-1 has completed its retreat into avoidance zone 60-3, exclusive zone management unit 11 cancels the exclusive zone setting for autonomous vehicle 20-1. At this point, avoidance zone 60-3, where autonomous vehicle 20-1 is stopped, is determined to be unoccupied based on sensor information transmitted from infrastructure sensor 30. Therefore, it is not designated as an exclusive zone for other autonomous vehicles. Consequently, the exclusive zone settings for driving sections 50-2 and 50-3 are canceled, allowing other vehicles to pass through driving sections 50-2 and 50-3.

[0098] Figure 10 The flowchart shows the process flow of the vehicle control system 10 when the vehicle control system 10 communicates with the vehicle control device 20 mounted on each autonomous vehicle. Figure 10 The processing shown communicates with the vehicle control device 20 mounted on each autonomous driving vehicle, and sets a dedicated area for each autonomous driving vehicle.

[0099] First, the communication unit 17 of the vehicle control system 10 receives vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle control device 20 (step S101). The vehicle information includes information such as the position, speed, acceleration, angular acceleration, etc. of the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device 20, and information indicating the state of the vehicle.

[0100] Next, the dedicated area management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 updates the vehicle status of each autonomous driving vehicle based on the vehicle information received in step S101 (step S102). Here, the status 132 in the vehicle management information 130 stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13 is updated based on the vehicle status information included in the received vehicle information.

[0101] Next, the dedicated area management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 identifies the driving range surrounding the vehicle and the avoidance area corresponding to the vehicle's avoidance destination based on the vehicle's current position included in the vehicle information received in step S101 (step S103). If the vehicle's current position is on a road 40 with an avoidance area, the vehicle is determined to be traveling on road 40 with an avoidance area. The nearest unoccupied avoidance area 60 located ahead of the vehicle in its travel direction and the driving range 50 between the vehicle's current position and the avoidance area 60 are identified as the driving range and avoidance area corresponding to the vehicle's current position. On the other hand, if the vehicle's current position is on a road 41 without an avoidance area, the vehicle is determined to be traveling on road 41 without an avoidance area. The driving range 51 within a predetermined range from the vehicle's current position along its travel direction is identified as the driving range corresponding to the vehicle's current position.

[0102] Next, the exclusive area management unit 11 determines whether the driving range corresponding to the vehicle's current position has been updated based on the driving range confirmed in step S103 (step S104). Specifically, the current driving range confirmed in step S103 is compared with the driving range of the exclusive area stored in the exclusive area storage unit 13 to determine whether they match. If they do not match, the driving range is determined to have been updated ("Yes"), and the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if they match, the driving range is determined to have not been updated ("No"), and the process proceeds to step S108.

[0103] When the process proceeds to step S105, the exclusive zone management unit 11 determines whether the exclusive zone can be updated based on the current travel zone confirmed in step S103. Specifically, it determines whether the current travel zone confirmed in step S103 is set as an exclusive zone for other vehicles. If it is set as an exclusive zone for other vehicles, the exclusive zone is determined not to be updateable ("No"), and the process proceeds to step S106. On the other hand, if it is not set as an exclusive zone for other vehicles, the exclusive zone is determined to be updateable ("Yes"), and the process proceeds to step S107.

[0104] When the process proceeds to step S106, the vehicle command unit 15 sends a stop instruction to the vehicle that is determined in step S105 to be in an exclusive zone that cannot be updated via the communication unit 17. The stop instruction is received by the vehicle control device 20 mounted on the vehicle, and the vehicle control device 20 stops the vehicle. In this way, the vehicle is prevented from entering the driving zone that has been exclusively used by other vehicles. After executing step S106, the vehicle control system 10 ends. Figure 10 The processing shown.

[0105] When the process proceeds to step S107, the exclusive area management unit 11 updates the exclusive area 134, which indicates the exclusive area set for the vehicle, stored in the vehicle management information 130 of the exclusive area storage unit 13, based on the travel range and avoidance area corresponding to the vehicle's current position confirmed in step S103. Thus, the combination of the nearest vacant avoidance area 60 located ahead of the vehicle in the vehicle's travel direction and the travel range 50 between the vehicle's current position and the avoidance area 60 (when the vehicle is traveling on a road 40 with a avoidance area), or the travel range 51 within a predetermined range from the vehicle's current position along the travel direction (when the vehicle is traveling on a road 41 without a avoidance area), is set as the exclusive area that the vehicle can exclusively use.

[0106] Next, the exclusive area management unit 11 and the driving route planning unit 18 send the information of the exclusive area 134 updated in step S107 and the path information of the vehicle in the exclusive area represented by the information to each autonomous driving vehicle using the communication unit 17 (step S108). The path information sent here includes information such as the driving path to the destination for each vehicle to complete its business, the retreat path from the current position of each vehicle to the retreat area, etc., which are generated in advance by the driving route planning unit 18. In addition, when it is determined in step S104 that the driving interval corresponding to the current position of the vehicle has not been updated, the processing of step S107 is not performed, so the information of the exclusive area 134 is not updated. Therefore, in this case, the most recently updated information of the exclusive area 134 is sent. After implementing step S108, the vehicle control system 10 ends. Figure 10 The processing shown.

[0107] Figure 11 The flowchart shows the process flow of the vehicle control system 10 when the vehicle control system 10 receives vehicle information from each autonomous driving vehicle. Figure 10 The processing is performed regularly Figure 11 The processing shown confirms the vehicle status of each autonomous driving vehicle and performs processing corresponding to the confirmation result.

[0108] First, the dedicated area management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 refers to the vehicle management information 130 of each vehicle stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13 to determine whether all vehicles are in a normal state (step S111). Specifically, if the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130 for all vehicles stores any one of "driving (S1)", "stopped (S2)", or "business completed (S7)", it is determined that all vehicles are in a normal state ("yes"), and the process ends. Figure 11 On the other hand, when the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130 stores "retreating (S3)", "retreating completed (S4)", "recovering from communication failure (S5)", or "emergency stop (S6)" for at least one vehicle, it is determined that the vehicle is not in a normal state ("No"), and the process proceeds to step S112.

[0109] Next, the dedicated area management unit 11 determines whether any of the vehicles determined not to be in a normal state in step S111 have an undetermined vehicle status (step S112). Specifically, if there is a vehicle for which "Undetermined (S8)" is stored in the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130, the vehicle status is determined to be undetermined ("Yes") and the process proceeds to step S113. Otherwise ("No"), the process proceeds to step S114.

[0110] When the process proceeds to step S113, the dedicated area management unit 11 performs a vehicle state estimation process for estimating the vehicle state of the vehicle determined as undetermined in step S112. Here, for a vehicle that has not sent vehicle information due to a communication failure, the method described above is used to determine whether the vehicle state corresponds to "retreating (S3)", "retreating completed (S4)", or "emergency stop (S6)". In addition, referring to Figure 12 The vehicle state estimation processing implemented in step S113 will be described in detail later.

[0111] Next, the dedicated area management unit 11 determines whether any of the vehicles determined to be in a non-normal state in step S111 are in a communication recovery state or a evacuation complete state (step S114). Specifically, if "Recovered from communication failure (S5)" or "Evacuation complete (S4)" is stored in the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S117; otherwise ("No"), the process proceeds to step S115.

[0112] When the process proceeds to step S115, the dedicated area management unit 11 determines whether there is a vehicle in retreat or emergency stop among the vehicles determined to be not in normal state in step S111. Specifically, if there is a vehicle with "retreating (S3)" or "emergency stop (S6)" stored in the status 132 of the vehicle management information 130 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S116. On the other hand, if there is no vehicle corresponding to such conditions ("No"), the process ends. Figure 10 The processing shown.

[0113] In step S116, the vehicle command unit 15 designates the vehicle determined by the dedicated area management unit 11 to be non-normal in step S111 and to be in evacuation or emergency stop in step S115 as a vehicle with abnormal communication. Furthermore, the vehicle command unit 15 transmits an emergency stop instruction to all vehicles except the vehicle with abnormal communication. Upon receiving the emergency stop instruction, the vehicle control device 20 causes the evacuation action control unit 23 to immediately bring the vehicle to an emergency stop.

[0114] In step S117, the vehicle command unit 15 excludes vehicles that the dedicated area management unit 11 determined to be non-normal in step S111 and that were determined to be in the communication recovery state or evacuation completed state in step S114 (vehicles with communication abnormalities whose communication failure has been resolved or have evacuated to the evacuation area 60), and transmits a restart driving instruction to all other vehicles. Upon receiving the emergency stop instruction, the vehicle control device 20, through the normal operation control unit 22, resumes autonomous driving of the vehicle.

[0115] After executing step S116 or S117, the vehicle control system 10 ends Figure 11 The processing shown.

[0116] Figure 12 It is shown in Figure 11 Flowchart of the vehicle state estimation process performed in step S113 of the vehicle control system 10. Figure 11 In step S112, if the vehicle is determined to be in an undetermined state, execute Figure 12 The processing shown.

[0117] First, the exclusive area management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 refers to the vehicle management information 130 of the vehicle stored in the exclusive area storage unit 13 to determine whether the exclusive area of ​​the vehicle is a road 40 with a avoidance area (step S121). Here, if the exclusive area 134 of the vehicle management information 130 contains information indicating a combination of a travel section 50 and a avoidance area 60 on a road 40 with a avoidance area, the vehicle is determined to be on a road 40 with a avoidance area ("Yes"), and the process proceeds to step S122. On the other hand, if the exclusive area 134 of the vehicle management information 130 contains information indicating a travel section 51 on a road 41 without a avoidance area, the vehicle is determined not to be on a road 40 with a avoidance area ("No"), and the process proceeds to step S123.

[0118] When the process proceeds to step S122, the retreat position estimation unit 19 estimates the retreat position of the vehicle by referring to the vehicle management information 130 of the vehicle stored in the exclusive area storage unit 13. Specifically, based on the information regarding the exclusive area 134 of the vehicle stored in the vehicle management information 130, the retreat area 60 set as the exclusive area for the vehicle is determined, and the retreat area 60 is estimated as the retreat position of the vehicle.

[0119] When the process proceeds to step S123, the dedicated area management unit 11 infers the vehicle's state as "emergency stop (S6)." Therefore, if a communication failure occurs with an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road 41 without an escape zone, and the vehicle control system 10 is unable to receive vehicle information from the vehicle, the dedicated area management unit 11 infers the vehicle's state as "emergency stop (S6)."

[0120] After executing step S122, the dedicated area management unit 11 refers to the backoff area information 140 stored in the backoff area storage unit 14 and determines whether the backoff area 60 determined as the backoff position in step S122 is vacant (step S124). If it is vacant ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S125; if it is not vacant ("No"), the process proceeds to step S126.

[0121] When the process proceeds to step S125, the dedicated area management unit 11 infers the vehicle status of the vehicle as "retreating (S3)." Therefore, if a communication failure occurs with an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road 40 with a retracement area, and the vehicle control system 10 is unable to receive vehicle information from the vehicle, the dedicated area management unit 11 infers the vehicle status as "retreating (S3)" if the vehicle control device 20 processes the vehicle and the vehicle is retreating toward the designated retracement area 60.

[0122] When the process proceeds to step S126, the dedicated area management unit 11 infers the vehicle status of the vehicle as "Retreat Complete (S4)." Thus, if a communication failure occurs with an autonomous vehicle traveling on a road 40 with a retreat area, and the vehicle control system 10 is unable to receive vehicle information from the vehicle, the dedicated area management unit 11 infers the vehicle status as "Retreat Complete (S4)" if the vehicle control device 20 has processed the vehicle to retreat to the designated retreat area 60.

[0123] After executing step S123, S125 or S126, the vehicle management information 130 of the dedicated area storage unit 13 is updated according to the estimated result of the vehicle state, and the process ends. Figure 12 Afterwards, by implementing the above Figure 11 The processing after step S114 is to determine whether the exclusive area management unit 11 is in the process of determining whether to use the exclusive area management unit 11 in step S124. Figure 11 In step S117, the vehicle command unit 15 sends a driving restart instruction.

[0124] Figure 13 、 14 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed in the vehicle control device 20. The vehicle control device 20 periodically executes Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15 confirms the vehicle status of the vehicle and communicates with the vehicle control system 10, and performs processing based on them.

[0125] exist Figure 13 In step S201, the vehicle-side communication unit 21 of the vehicle control device 20 communicates with the communication unit 17 of the vehicle control system 10, transmits vehicle information of the vehicle to the vehicle control system 10, and receives information about the dedicated area and route of the vehicle, if any, transmitted from the vehicle control system 10. This received information is stored in the vehicle-side dedicated area storage unit 24 and the driving route storage unit 25.

[0126] Next, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 confirms the current state of the vehicle (step S202). Figure 6 The migration conditions described in the above are used to determine whether the vehicle state managed by the vehicle state management unit 26 is the same as the vehicle state managed by the vehicle state management unit 26. Figure 6 Which of the various vehicle states shown corresponds.

[0127] Next, the vehicle state management unit 26 determines whether the state of the vehicle confirmed in step S202 is "retreating (S3)" (step S203). If the state of the vehicle is "retreating (S3)" ("Yes"), the vehicle enters the Figure 14 In step S211, if it is in any other state ("No"), proceed to step S204.

[0128] When the process proceeds to step S204, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether the communication with the vehicle control system 10 in step S201 is successful. If the communication with the vehicle control system 10 is successful and the vehicle information of the vehicle can be sent from the vehicle-side communication unit 21 to the vehicle control system 10 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S205. On the other hand, if the communication with the vehicle control system 10 fails and the vehicle information of the vehicle cannot be sent from the vehicle-side communication unit 21 to the vehicle control system 10 ("No"), the process proceeds to step S206. Figure 15 Step S221.

[0129] When the process proceeds to step S205, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether an emergency stop instruction for the own vehicle has been received from the vehicle control system 10 in step S201. If an emergency stop instruction has been received from the vehicle control system 10 for each vehicle including the own vehicle ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S206; if not ("No"), the process proceeds to step S207.

[0130] When the process proceeds to step S206, the evacuation action control unit 23 causes the vehicle to make an emergency stop. If the vehicle makes an emergency stop, the vehicle state management unit 26 changes the vehicle state of the vehicle to "emergency stop (S6)". After the process of step S206 is executed, the vehicle control device 20 ends. Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15.

[0131] When the process proceeds to step S207, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether a driving restart instruction for the host vehicle has been received from the vehicle control system 10 in step S201. If a driving restart instruction sent to each vehicle including the host vehicle has been received from the vehicle control system 10 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S208; if not ("No"), the process proceeds to step S210.

[0132] When the process proceeds to step S208, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether the stopped vehicle is in a state where driving can be resumed. If the vehicle state of the vehicle is "stopped (S2)" or "emergency stop (S6)" and the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle is safe, it is determined that driving can be resumed ("Yes") and the process proceeds to step S209. Otherwise ("No"), the process proceeds to step S210.

[0133] When the process proceeds to step S209, the normal operation control unit 22 restarts the driving of the vehicle and makes the vehicle perform autonomous driving again. If the driving of the vehicle is restarted, the vehicle state management unit 26 changes the vehicle state of the vehicle to "driving (S1)". After the process of step S209 is executed, the vehicle control device 20 ends. Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15.

[0134] When the process proceeds to step S210, the vehicle state management unit 26 maintains the vehicle state of the host vehicle at the current state. Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15.

[0135] On entering Figure 14 In the case of step S211, the vehicle-side status management unit 26 determines whether the communication with the vehicle control system 10 in step S201 is successful. If the communication with the vehicle control system 10 is successful and the vehicle information of the own vehicle can be sent from the vehicle-side communication unit 21 to the vehicle control system 10 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S212. On the other hand, if the communication with the vehicle control system 10 fails and the vehicle information of the own vehicle cannot be sent from the vehicle-side communication unit 21 to the vehicle control system 10 ("No"), the process proceeds to step S213.

[0136] When entering step S212, the normal operation control unit 22 determines that the communication failure between the vehicle and the vehicle control system 10 is eliminated during the retreat action to the retreat area 60, so that the vehicle resumes driving on the normal driving path. If the vehicle resumes driving, the vehicle side state management unit 26 changes the vehicle state of the vehicle from "retreating (S3)" to "recovering from communication failure (S5)". After implementing the processing of step S212, the vehicle control device 20 ends Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15.

[0137] When the process proceeds to step S213, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether the vehicle has reached the evacuation area 60. If the vehicle has reached the evacuation area 60, which is the end point of the evacuation path, as a result of the vehicle moving along the evacuation path due to a communication failure ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S214. On the other hand, if the vehicle has not reached the evacuation area 60, which is the end point of the evacuation path ("No"), the process proceeds to step S215. Figure 13 Step S210.

[0138] When the process proceeds to step S214, the evacuation operation control unit 23 stops the vehicle in the evacuation area 60 to which it has moved. If the vehicle stops, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 changes the vehicle state of the vehicle from "evacuating (S3)" to "evacuation completed (S4)". After executing the process of step S214, the vehicle control device 20 ends. Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15.

[0139] On entering Figure 15 In the case of step S221, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 counts up the number of non-receptions as internal information and adds 1. The initial value of the number of non-receptions is 0, and it is incremented by 1 each time the process of step S221 is executed.

[0140] Next, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether the current number of non-reception times is greater than a predetermined threshold value Th (e.g., 3) (step S222). If the number of non-reception times is greater than the threshold value Th ("Yes"), the process proceeds to step S223; if it is less than the threshold value Th ("No"), the process proceeds to step S224. Figure 13 Step S210.

[0141] When the process proceeds to step S223, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 determines whether the vehicle is traveling on a road 40 with a evacuation area. If the vehicle's current position is on a road 40 with a evacuation area, the vehicle is determined to be traveling on the road 40 with a evacuation area ("Yes"), and the process proceeds to step S224. On the other hand, if the vehicle's current position is on a road 41 without a evacuation area, the vehicle is determined not to be traveling on the road 40 with a evacuation area ("No"), and the process proceeds to step S226.

[0142] When the process proceeds to step S224, the evacuation action control unit 23 reads the evacuation path information stored in the travel path storage unit 25 and, based on this information, causes the vehicle to begin an evacuation action within the evacuation path. Thus, if a communication failure occurs between the vehicle and the vehicle control system 10 while the vehicle is traveling on a road 40 with an evacuation area, the vehicle is caused to begin an evacuation action along the evacuation path toward the evacuation area 60 within the designated dedicated area at that time.

[0143] Next, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 changes the vehicle state of the host vehicle to “in retreat (S3)” (step S225 ).

[0144] When the process proceeds to step S226, the evacuation operation control unit 23 causes the vehicle to make an emergency stop. Thus, when a communication failure occurs between the vehicle and the vehicle control system 10 while the vehicle is traveling on the road 41 without an evacuation area, the vehicle is made to make an emergency stop.

[0145] Next, the vehicle-side state management unit 26 changes the vehicle state of the host vehicle to “emergency stop ( S6 )” (step S227 ).

[0146] After executing the process of step S225 or S227, the vehicle control device 20 ends Figure 13 、 14 And the processing shown in 15.

[0147] Figure 16 1 is a diagram showing an example of updating corresponding to the vehicle status of the vehicle management information 130 and the avoidance area information 140 stored in the dedicated area storage unit 13 and the avoidance area storage unit 14 , respectively, in the vehicle control system 10 . Figure 16 (a) shows a change in the vehicle management information 130 related to the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1. Figure 16 (b) shows how the avoidance area information 140 related to the avoidance area 60-3 changes. These figures illustrate an example of a situation in which an autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 traveling on a road 40 with avoidance areas experiences a communication failure while traveling in a driving section 50-2 and retreats to the avoidance area 60-3.

[0148] exist Figure 16 The first row (updated at 14:00:00) of tables (a) and (b) shows vehicle management information 130 and avoidance area information 140, respectively, for the time when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 was traveling in the driving section 50-1 before the communication failure occurred. In this case, the state of the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 is "driving (S1)" and the avoidance area 60-3 is empty.

[0149] exist Figure 16The second row (updated at 14:02:00) of tables (a) and (b) shows vehicle management information 130 and avoidance area information 140, respectively, for the time when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 was traveling in the driving section 50-2 before the communication failure occurred. In this case, similar to the first row, the state of the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 is "driving (S1)" and the avoidance area 60-3 is empty.

[0150] exist Figure 16 The third row (updated at 14:04:00) of the table (a) and (b) shows the vehicle management information 130 and the avoidance area information 140 when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 encounters a communication failure while traveling in the driving section 50-2. In this case, the state of the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 is updated from "traveling (S1)" to "avoiding (S3)" in the vehicle management information 130. This vehicle state update is performed by executing the Figure 12 Furthermore, at this time, in the avoidance area information 140, the avoidance area 60-3 is in a vacant state, similarly to the first and second rows.

[0151] exist Figure 16 The fourth row (updated at 14:10:00) of the tables (a) and (b) respectively shows the vehicle management information 130 and the retreat area information 140 when the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 has completed retreating to the retreat area 60-3. In this case, the state of the autonomous driving vehicle 20-1 is updated from "retreating (S3)" to "retreat completed (S4)" in the vehicle management information 130. The update of the vehicle state is also performed in the same way as in the third row by executing the Figure 12 Furthermore, at this time, in the avoidance area information 140, the avoidance area 60-3 is not in a vacant state.

[0152] As described above, the evacuation control unit 23 of the vehicle control device 20 mounted on each of the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 does not stop the vehicle when a communication anomaly occurs. Instead, the vehicle evacuates based on information about the evacuation path to the evacuation area 60, transmitted in advance from the vehicle control system 10. After confirming that the autonomous vehicle experiencing the communication anomaly has completed its evacuation to the evacuation area 60, the vehicle control system 10 restarts the autonomous driving system 1. Consequently, even if a communication failure occurs in either autonomous vehicle, the impact on critical operations caused by the emergency stop of that autonomous vehicle is minimized, thus preventing a decrease in productivity.

[0153] Furthermore, the exclusive zone management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 sets an exclusive zone for each autonomous vehicle based on the availability of each travel section 50 and the avoidance zone 60 of the road 40 with avoidance zones, as well as the position of each autonomous vehicle. This established exclusive zone is accessible only to the assigned autonomous vehicle, thereby ensuring the safety of each autonomous vehicle.

[0154] Furthermore, the dedicated area management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 allocates a free retreat area 60 ahead of each autonomous vehicle in its travel direction as a dedicated area. This allows each autonomous vehicle to retreat to the retreat area 60 in its previous travel direction without requiring complex maneuvers such as backing up when a communication failure occurs.

[0155] According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the following effects are achieved.

[0156] (1) The vehicle control system 10 controls multiple vehicles traveling within a control target area. The control target area includes a road 40 with a retraction area, and the road 40 with a retraction area includes multiple travel sections 50 that are set to divide the vehicle's travel area, and multiple retraction areas 60 that are respectively provided corresponding to the multiple travel sections 50. The vehicle control system 10 includes a communication unit 17 for communicating with the vehicle, a retraction area management unit 12 for determining whether the retraction area 60 is vacant, an exclusive area management unit 11, a travel route planning unit 18, and a vehicle command unit 15. For a vehicle traveling on the road 40 with a retraction area, the exclusive area management unit 11 selects a vacant retraction area 60 located ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, and a travel section 50 from the vehicle's position to the retraction area 60 among the multiple travel sections 50 (step S103), and sets the combination of the selected travel section 50 and retraction area 60 as an exclusive area that can be used exclusively by the vehicle (step S107). In response to the occurrence of a communication anomaly with the vehicle, the driving route planning unit 18 pre-generates an evacuation route for the vehicle to move toward the retreat area 60 in a dedicated area set for the vehicle, and sends the generated evacuation route to the vehicle via the communication unit 17 (step S108). When a communication anomaly occurs between the communication unit 17 and any of the multiple vehicles, the vehicle command unit 15 sets the vehicle as a communication anomaly vehicle and sends action instructions to other vehicles other than the communication anomaly vehicle via the communication unit 17. Specifically, when the communication anomaly vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area 60 (step S115: "Yes"), the vehicle command unit 15 sends an emergency stop instruction for causing the other vehicles to stop urgently as an action instruction to the other vehicles (step S116). In addition, after the communication anomaly vehicle completes its retreat to the retreat area 60 (step S114: "Yes"), the vehicle command unit 15 sends a restart driving instruction for releasing the emergency stop of the other vehicles as an action instruction to the other vehicles (step S117). This makes it possible to provide a vehicle control system 10 for autonomous driving that can ensure safety even when the vehicle is brought to an emergency stop when a communication failure occurs.

[0157] (2) After the communication abnormality vehicle has completed its retreat to the retreat area 60, the exclusive area management unit 11 cancels the setting of the exclusive area for the communication abnormality vehicle ( Figure 9 Thus, when the communication abnormality vehicle has safely retreated to the retreat area 60, it will not hinder the travel of other vehicles, and the availability of the automatic driving system 1 can be ensured.

[0158] (3) The vehicle control system 10 includes a retreat position estimation unit 19, which estimates the retreat area 60 to which the vehicle with communication abnormality retreats based on the exclusive area set by the exclusive area management unit 11 for the vehicle with communication abnormality. The exclusive area management unit 11 determines whether the vehicle with communication abnormality has completed retreating to the retreat area 60 based on the judgment result of the retreat area management unit 12 with respect to the retreat area 60 estimated by the retreat position estimation unit 19 (step S124). The vehicle instruction unit 15 determines whether to send a restart driving instruction in step S117 (step S114) based on the judgment result of the exclusive area management unit 11. Thus, after the vehicle with communication abnormality has reliably completed retreating to the retreat area 60, a restart driving instruction is sent to other vehicles, so that safety can be ensured when resuming driving.

[0159] (4) The exclusive area management unit 11 manages which of a plurality of pre-set vehicle states each vehicle corresponds to based on vehicle information transmitted from the plurality of vehicles. The plurality of vehicle states include a first vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is driving by automatic driving (driving (S1)), a second vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area 60 (retreating (S3)), a third vehicle state indicating whether the vehicle has completed retreating to the retreat area 60 (retreat completed (S4)), and a fourth vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is in an emergency stop according to an emergency stop instruction (emergency stop (S6)). Thus, the state of each vehicle can be appropriately managed in the exclusive area management unit 11.

[0160] (5) The vehicle control device 20 is mounted on the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 controlled by the vehicle control system 10 and controls the operation of the autonomous vehicles 20-1 and 20-2. The vehicle control device 20 includes: a vehicle-side communication unit 21 for communicating with the vehicle control system 10; a vehicle-side state management unit 26 for managing the state of the vehicle; a normal operation control unit 22 for autonomously driving the vehicle toward a predetermined destination when communication with the vehicle-side communication unit 21 is normal; and a retreat operation control unit 23 for controlling the vehicle to retreat toward the retreat area 60 in the vehicle's dedicated area based on information on a retreat path to the retreat area 60 sent in advance from the vehicle control system 10 when communication with the vehicle-side communication unit 21 is abnormal. Thus, a vehicle control device 20 for autonomous driving can be provided that ensures safety even when the vehicle is brought to an emergency stop in the event of a communication failure.

[0161] (6) The automatic driving system 1 includes a plurality of automatic driving vehicles equipped with the vehicle control device 20 and the vehicle control system 10. This provides an automatic driving system 1 that can ensure safety even when the vehicle is brought to an emergency stop due to a communication failure.

[0162] (Second embodiment)

[0163] Below, refer to Figure 17 as well as Figure 18 , an automatic driving system including a vehicle control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention is described. The automatic driving system according to this embodiment has a vehicle control system 10 that controls vehicles in a control target area set within a station, and automatic driving vehicles 20-1 and 20-2 controlled by the vehicle control system 10, similarly to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the retreat area information stored in the retreat area storage unit 14 of the vehicle control system 10 and the setting method of setting the exclusive area of ​​each automatic driving vehicle using the exclusive area management unit 11 are different from those in the first embodiment. Below, this embodiment is described using the structure of the vehicle control system 10 described in the first embodiment.

[0164] Figure 17 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure and data content of the avoidance area information 140 stored in the avoidance area storage unit 14 of the vehicle control system 10 in the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, each record item of the avoidance area information 140 is in addition to the items described in the first embodiment. Figure 7 In addition to the retreat area number 141, the idle state 142 and the update time 143, it also has data of scheduled use 144.

[0165] In the scheduled use 144, the scheduled use time of each evacuation area scheduled for use by any vehicle for loading, unloading, and other operations is stored. For example, the manager 110 can input the scheduled time stored in the scheduled use 144 from the management terminal 100. The evacuation area management unit 12 can manage the scheduled use time of each evacuation area based on the information stored in the scheduled use 144.

[0166] Figure 18 This figure illustrates the rules for setting exclusive zones for autonomous vehicles, as managed by the exclusive zone management unit 11, according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The exclusive zone management unit 11 of the vehicle control system 10 according to this embodiment can, for example, set exclusive zones for autonomous vehicles traveling on roads 40 with avoidance zones, as described below, based on the current position of each vehicle indicated by vehicle information received from the vehicle control device 20 mounted on each autonomous vehicle and the availability of each avoidance zone 60 managed by the avoidance zone management unit 12. The method for setting exclusive zones for autonomous vehicles traveling on roads 41 without avoidance zones is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore its description is omitted.

[0167] Figure 18The autonomous driving vehicle 20 - 1 is shown traveling on the road 40 with the avoidance area and the autonomous driving vehicle 20 - 2 is stopped in the avoidance area 60 - 2 . Figure 17 The example of setting the dedicated area when the avoidance area information 140 shown is stored in the avoidance area storage unit 14. Figure 17 The scheduled use 144 in the avoidance area information 140 stores information indicating that avoidance area 60-3 is scheduled to be used between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM. In this case, the exclusive area management unit 11 removes avoidance area 60-2 occupied by the autonomous vehicle 20-2 and removes avoidance area 60-3 during the time period that overlaps with the scheduled use time, thereby setting an exclusive area for the autonomous vehicle 20-1. Therefore, for the autonomous vehicle 20-1 traveling in the driving section 50-1, the idle avoidance area 60-4 and the driving sections 50-1 to 50-4 between the autonomous vehicle 20-1's current position and the avoidance area 60-4 are set as the exclusive area for the autonomous vehicle 20-1.

[0168] Furthermore, while the above example illustrates removing avoidance area 60-3 from the exclusive zone settings during the time period that overlaps with the use time of avoidance area 60-3, avoidance area 60 scheduled for use may be removed from the exclusive zone settings not only during the time period that overlaps with the use time, but also before and after the use time. For example, avoidance area 60 scheduled for use may be removed from the exclusive zone settings during the time period that is a predetermined time period (e.g., 10 minutes) added to the use time. Alternatively, the time period to be removed from the exclusive zone settings may be determined based on the time required to move to the avoidance area 60 during avoidance. Furthermore, for avoidance areas 60 scheduled for use, each vehicle's operation plan may be formulated so that each vehicle can pass through them before their use time.

[0169] According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, the evacuation area management unit 12 manages the determination result of whether the evacuation area 60 is in a vacant state and the scheduled use time ( Figure 17 The exclusive area management unit 11 removes the evacuation area 60 during the time period that overlaps with the scheduled use time and selects the evacuation area 60 set in the exclusive area of ​​each vehicle. This prevents the evacuation area 60 from being set as the exclusive area of ​​another vehicle when the scheduled use of the evacuation area 60 is predetermined, thereby ensuring safety.

[0170] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the various embodiments described above, but includes various variations. For example, the embodiments described above are examples specifically described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to examples having all the structures described. Furthermore, it is also possible to replace a portion of the structure of a certain embodiment with a portion of the structure of another embodiment. Furthermore, it is also possible to add a portion of the structure of another embodiment to the structure of a certain embodiment. Furthermore, it is also possible to delete a portion of the structure of each embodiment, add a portion of another structure, or replace it with a portion of another structure.

[0171] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0172] (Explanation of Symbols)

[0173] 1: Automatic driving system; 10: Vehicle control system; 11: Dedicated area management unit; 12: Retreat area management unit; 13: Dedicated area storage unit; 14: Retreat area storage unit; 15: Vehicle command unit; 16: Communication status management unit; 17: Communication unit; 18: Driving path planning unit; 19: Retreat position estimation unit; 20: Vehicle control device; 20-1, 20-2: Automatic driving vehicle; 21: Vehicle-side communication unit; 22: Normal action control unit; 23: Retreat action control unit; 24: Vehicle-side dedicated area storage unit; 25: Driving path storage unit; 26: Vehicle-side status management unit; 30: Infrastructure sensor; 40: Road with retreat area; 41: Road without retreat area; 50, 51: Driving range; 60: Retreat area.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system controls multiple vehicles traveling in a control area, wherein: The control target area has a road with a retreat area, and the road with the retreat area includes a plurality of travel sections set to divide the travel area of ​​the vehicle, and a plurality of retreat areas respectively provided corresponding to the plurality of travel sections. The vehicle control system has: a communication unit for communicating with the vehicle; A backoff area management unit, configured to determine whether the backoff area is idle; an exclusive area management unit that selects, for the vehicle traveling on the road with the avoidance area, a vacant avoidance area located ahead of the vehicle in a traveling direction and a travel section between the vehicle's position and the avoidance area from among the plurality of travel sections, and sets the combination of the selected travel section and the avoidance area as an exclusive area that can be exclusively used by the vehicle; a travel route planning unit that, in response to a communication anomaly with the vehicle, pre-generates an evacuation route for the vehicle to move toward the evacuation area in the dedicated area set for the vehicle, and transmits the generated evacuation route to the vehicle via the communication unit; as well as a vehicle command unit that, when a communication anomaly occurs between the communication unit and any of the plurality of vehicles, sets the vehicle as a communication anomaly vehicle and sends an action instruction to the other vehicles except the communication anomaly vehicle via the communication unit; The vehicle command unit When the communication abnormality vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area, an emergency stop instruction for causing the other vehicle to stop urgently is transmitted as the action instruction to the other vehicle; After the communication abnormality vehicle completes retreating to the retreat area, a driving restart instruction for releasing the emergency stop of the other vehicle is transmitted as the action instruction to the other vehicle.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein: The exclusive area management unit cancels the setting of the exclusive area for the communication abnormality vehicle after the communication abnormality vehicle completes retreating to the retreat area.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The vehicle control system includes a retreat position estimation unit that estimates the retreat area to which the communication abnormal vehicle retreats based on the dedicated area set by the dedicated area management unit for the communication abnormal vehicle. The dedicated area management unit determines whether the communication abnormal vehicle has completed retreating to the retreat area based on the determination result of the retreat area management unit for the retreat area estimated by the retreat position estimation unit. The vehicle command unit determines whether to send the driving resumption instruction based on the determination result of the exclusive area management unit.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The retreat area management unit manages a determination result of whether the retreat area is in a vacant state and a scheduled usage time of the retreat area. The exclusive area management unit selects the retreat area set in the exclusive area excluding the retreat area in a time period overlapping with the scheduled use time.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The dedicated area management unit manages which of a plurality of pre-set vehicle states each vehicle corresponds to based on vehicle information transmitted from each of the plurality of vehicles. The multiple vehicle states include a first vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is traveling by automatic driving, a second vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area, a third vehicle state indicating that the vehicle has completed retreating to the retreat area, and a fourth vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is in an emergency stop according to the emergency stop instruction.

6. A vehicle control device, mounted on an autonomous vehicle controlled by a vehicle control system, controls the actions of the autonomous vehicle, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: A vehicle-side communication unit, communicating with the vehicle control system; A vehicle-side state management unit, configured to manage the state of the autonomous driving vehicle; a normal operation control unit configured to cause the autonomous driving vehicle to autonomously travel toward a predetermined destination when communication using the vehicle-side communication unit is normal; as well as The retreat action control unit controls the autonomous driving vehicle to retreat toward the retreat area based on information on the retreat path to the retreat area in the exclusive area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle sent in advance from the vehicle control system when a communication abnormality occurs using the vehicle side communication unit.

7. An autonomous driving system comprising: Multiple autonomous vehicles driving within the controlled area; and A vehicle control system controls the multiple autonomous driving vehicles. The control target area has a road with a retreat area, and the road with the retreat area includes a plurality of driving sections set to divide the driving area of ​​the autonomous driving vehicle, and a plurality of retreat areas respectively provided corresponding to the plurality of driving sections. The vehicle control system has: a communication unit, configured to communicate with the autonomous driving vehicle; A backoff area management unit, configured to determine whether the backoff area is idle; an exclusive area management unit that selects, for the autonomous driving vehicle traveling on the road with the avoidance area, an idle avoidance area located ahead of the autonomous driving vehicle in a traveling direction and a travel section between the autonomous driving vehicle and the avoidance area from among the plurality of travel sections, and sets the combination of the selected travel section and the avoidance area as an exclusive area that can be exclusively used by the autonomous driving vehicle; a driving route planning unit that, in response to a communication anomaly with the autonomous vehicle, pre-generates an escape route for the autonomous vehicle to move toward the escape area in the dedicated area set for the autonomous vehicle, and transmits the generated escape route to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit; as well as a vehicle command unit that, when a communication anomaly occurs between the communication unit and any of the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles, sets the autonomous driving vehicle as a communication anomaly vehicle and sends an action instruction to the autonomous driving vehicles other than the communication anomaly vehicle via the communication unit; The vehicle command unit When the communication abnormality vehicle is retreating toward the retreat area, an emergency stop instruction for causing the other autonomous driving vehicle to stop urgently is sent as the action instruction to the other autonomous driving vehicle; After the communication abnormality vehicle completes retreating to the retreat area, a restart driving instruction for releasing the emergency stop of the other autonomous driving vehicle is sent as the action instruction to the other autonomous driving vehicle; The autonomous vehicle When the communication with the vehicle control system is normal, the vehicle autonomously drives towards the predetermined destination. When communication with the vehicle control system is abnormal, the autonomous driving vehicle is caused to retreat toward the retreat area based on the retreat path information sent in advance from the vehicle control system. In case of receiving the emergency stop instruction from the vehicle control system, an emergency stop is performed. When the driving resumption instruction is received from the vehicle control system in the emergency stop state, the emergency stop state is released and autonomous driving is resumed.

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