Motion manager and system

Abstract

The invention relates to a motion manager and a system. The motion manager includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating a plurality of action plans from each of a plurality of systems. The plurality of systems include a first system and a second system. The one or more processors are configured so as to receive, from the first system, request information that requests the first action plan set in the first system to be preferentially selected compared with a second action plan set in the second system. The one or more processors are configured to coordinate the plurality of action plans. The one or more processors are configured so as to allocate, to at least one of the plurality of actuators, a motion request for the vehicle set on the basis of the coordination result.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the parent application filed by Toyota Motor Corporation, entitled "Motion Manager, Automatic Driving Device and Control System", filed on November 17, 2022, with application number "2022114591904". Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to motion managers and systems. Background Technology

[0003] It is known that a vehicle comprises multiple applications that set and request action plans related to the vehicle's driving assistance, a motion manager that integrates the multiple action plans from the multiple applications and sets motion requirements based on the integrated action plan, and an actuator system that implements the set motion requirements. In this vehicle, for example, when integrating action plans requested separately from the multiple applications to the motion manager, there may be a case where a requirement value that meets specified conditions is selected from multiple requirement values.

[0004] For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-032894 discloses a technique for selecting the minimum value among multiple required accelerations from multiple applications related to autonomous driving and various driving assistance systems.

[0005] In vehicles like those described above, where multiple applications set action plans—for example, one application sets a series of action plans for the vehicle, such as autonomous driving, while other systems set action plans piecemeal—there are instances where the piecemeal action plans hinder the execution of the planned series of actions. Therefore, it is possible that the series of vehicle actions desired by one application cannot be achieved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a motion manager, an automatic driving device, a control system, a vehicle, a vehicle control method, and a non-transitory storage medium for appropriately setting action plans related to driving assistance of a vehicle.

[0007] The motion manager disclosed in the first aspect is a motion manager that requests motion of the vehicle from at least one of a plurality of actuators installed in the vehicle based on a plurality of action plans related to vehicle driving assistance set in a plurality of systems. The motion manager includes one or more processors configured to: receive information representing the plurality of action plans from the plurality of systems respectively; coordinate the plurality of action plans, including a first system and a second system; allocate the set motion request for the vehicle to at least one of the plurality of actuators based on the coordination result; and receive request information from the first system that prioritizes the first action plan set in the first system compared to a second action plan set in the second system.

[0008] In this way, it is possible to suppress the obstruction of the execution of the first action plan by the second action plan. Therefore, it is possible to suppress functional interference between the first and second systems, and to control the vehicle based on the action plan set in the first system.

[0009] It can also be configured as follows: based on the first form mentioned above, the information required includes information requiring the invalidation of the second action plan set in the second system.

[0010] Thus, if the second action plan is invalidated upon receiving the request information from the first system, it is possible to prevent the second action plan from hindering the execution of the first action plan.

[0011] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, the required information includes information that requires the priority of the first action plan set in the first system to be higher than the priority of the second action plan set in the second system.

[0012] In this way, when receiving request information from the first system, since the first action plan has a higher priority than the second action plan, it is possible to prevent the second action plan from hindering the execution of the first action plan.

[0013] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, one or more processors are configured to coordinate multiple action plans based on the received request information.

[0014] In this way, upon receiving a request, multiple action plans can be coordinated by one or more processors based on the request, thus preventing the second action plan from hindering the execution of the first action plan.

[0015] It can also be configured such that, based on the first configuration described above, one or more processors are configured to output information related to the required information to the second system.

[0016] Thus, by providing information related to the requirements of the second system output, it is possible to prevent the second system from being deemed to be in an abnormal state due to the failure to select the second action plan in more than one processor.

[0017] It can also be configured as follows: based on the first form mentioned above, the multiple systems also include a third system, which is different from the first and second systems, and sets an action plan that does not give priority to the first action plan.

[0018] Thus, for the action plan set in the third system, since it is an action plan that does not give priority to the first action plan, it is possible to suppress and hinder the execution of action plans that do not require invalidation.

[0019] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, the motion manager further includes a storage unit for storing information about at least one of the second and third systems.

[0020] In this way, information about at least one of the second and third systems can be stored.

[0021] It can also be configured such that, based on the first configuration described above, the first system includes an autonomous driving system. Alternatively, it can be configured such that the second and third systems each include systems mounted on the vehicle.

[0022] In this way, it is possible to suppress the obstruction of the execution of the first action plan set by the autonomous driving system by the second action plan set by the system installed in the vehicle.

[0023] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, the first system includes an autonomous driving system. Alternatively, it can be configured such that the second and third systems each include at least one of a plurality of driver assistance systems.

[0024] In this way, it is possible to suppress the second action plan set by the second system as a driving assistance system from hindering the execution of the first action plan set by the automatic driving system.

[0025] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, the third system includes a system set up in a manner that complies with regulations.

[0026] This prevents the first action plan from taking precedence over the action plan set in the third system.

[0027] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, the second system includes a system that assists the driver of the vehicle in driving.

[0028] In this way, the second action plan set by the system through the actions of the driver of the auxiliary vehicle can be suppressed, thus hindering the execution of the first action plan set by the first system.

[0029] It can also be configured such that, based on the first form described above, one or more processors receive request information from the first system when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode, but do not receive request information from the first system when the vehicle is in manual driving mode.

[0030] This can suppress unwanted vehicle behaviors when the vehicle is manually driven.

[0031] The second aspect of this disclosure relates to an autonomous driving device configured to send a first action plan related to autonomous driving to a motion manager configured to control the behavior of a vehicle. The motion manager is configured to request movement of the vehicle from at least one of a plurality of actuators installed in the vehicle based on a plurality of action plans related to vehicle driving assistance set in a plurality of systems. The autonomous driving device includes a first system configured to set the first action plan and send the first action plan set in the autonomous driving device and request information to the motion manager. The request information is information requesting that the first action plan be selected preferentially compared to a second action plan. The plurality of systems include the first system and a second system configured to be installed in the vehicle and set the second action plan.

[0032] The control system disclosed in the third aspect is a control system including a motion manager and an autonomous driving system. The motion manager is configured to request movement of the vehicle from at least one of a plurality of actuators installed in the vehicle, based on multiple action plans related to vehicle driving assistance set in multiple systems, including the autonomous driving system. The autonomous driving system is configured to: set a first action plan, which is any one of the multiple action plans, and send request information to the motion manager to prioritize the first action plan over a second action plan. The multiple systems include the autonomous driving system and a system configured to be installed in the vehicle and set the second action plan.

[0033] The fourth aspect of this disclosure pertains to a vehicle equipped with a motion manager and an autonomous driving system. The motion manager is configured to request movement of the vehicle from at least one of a plurality of actuators installed in the vehicle, based on multiple action plans related to vehicle driving assistance set in multiple systems, including the autonomous driving system. The autonomous driving system is configured to set a first action plan from among the multiple action plans and send request information to the motion manager to prioritize the first action plan over a second action plan. The multiple systems include the autonomous driving system and a system configured to be installed in the vehicle and set the second action plan.

[0034] The fifth aspect of this disclosure relates to a vehicle control method executed by a computer. This control method includes: receiving information representing multiple action plans related to vehicle driving assistance, respectively set in multiple systems including a first system and a second system; coordinating the multiple action plans; allocating motion requests for the vehicle to at least one of multiple actuators installed in the vehicle; and receiving request information from the first system that prioritizes the first action plan set in the first system over a second action plan set in the second system. The motion requests are set based on the coordination result.

[0035] The sixth aspect of this disclosure relates to a non-transitory storage medium that stores commands executed by a computer and commands that cause the computer to perform functions. The functions include: receiving information representing multiple action plans related to vehicle driving assistance, respectively set in multiple systems including a first system and a second system; coordinating the multiple action plans; allocating motion requests for the vehicle to at least one of multiple actuators installed in the vehicle; and receiving request information from the first system that prioritizes the first action plan set in the first system over a second action plan set in the second system. The motion requests are set based on the coordination results.

[0036] According to various embodiments of this disclosure, a motion manager, an automatic driving device, a control system, a vehicle, a vehicle control method, and a non-transitory storage medium can be provided to appropriately set action plans related to driving assistance of a vehicle.

[0037] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the components of a vehicle.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a diagram used to illustrate an example of the motion manager's actions.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a system group and a motion manager.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a flowchart representing an example of a process performed by ADS.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by the invalidation processing unit.

[0043] Figure 6This is a diagram used to illustrate an example of vehicle movement. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, identical or equivalent parts will be labeled with the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of vehicle 1. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 1 includes ADAS-ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10, brake ECU 20, actuator system 30, central ECU 40, and ADK (Autonomous Driving Kit) 120 as an autonomous driving device.

[0046] Vehicle 1 can be any vehicle with a structure that enables the functions of the driving assistance system described later. For example, it can be a vehicle driven by an engine, an electric vehicle driven by an electric motor, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and an electric motor, with at least one of them as the driving source.

[0047] ADAS-ECU10, Braking ECU20, Central ECU40, and ADK120 all include a computer with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing programs, memory, and input / output interfaces.

[0048] ADAS-ECU 10 includes a driver assistance system 100 having functions related to driving assistance of vehicle 1. The driver assistance system 100 is configured to perform various functions to assist driving vehicle 1, including at least one of steering control, drive control, and braking control of vehicle 1, by executing an installed application program. Examples of applications installed in the driver assistance system 100 include, for example, applications that implement the functions of an automatic parking system and applications that implement the functions of an Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) (hereinafter referred to as ADAS applications).

[0049] Examples of ADAS applications include those that implement functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to maintain a constant distance from the vehicle in front, Auto Speed ​​Limiter (ASL) to recognize and maintain the vehicle's speed limit, Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) or Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) to maintain lane position, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) or Pre-Crash Safety (PCS) to automatically apply braking to mitigate collision damage, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) or Lane Departure Alert (LDA) to warn the vehicle of leaving its lane, and Intelligent Speed ​​Detection (ISA) to control the vehicle's speed to ensure it does not exceed the speed limit. At least one of the applications that provide the functionality of Assistance (Intelligent Speed ​​Assist System).

[0050] The driver assistance system 100, based on information about the vehicle's surroundings obtained from multiple sensors (not shown) and the driver's assistance requests, ensures that each application's individual operational (functional) action plan is output to the braking ECU 20 (more specifically, the motion manager 200). These multiple sensors include, for example, visual sensors such as forward-facing cameras, radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or position detection devices.

[0051] A forward-facing camera, for example, is positioned on the back of the rearview mirror inside the vehicle compartment to capture images of the area in front of the vehicle. Radar is a distance measuring device that illuminates an object with shorter wavelength radio waves and detects the radio waves returning from the object to measure the distance and direction to that object. LiDAR is a distance measuring device that uses pulsed laser light (such as infrared light) to illuminate an object and measures the distance based on the time it takes for the light to reflect off the object and return. A position detection device, for example, consists of GPS (Global Positioning System), which uses information received from multiple satellites orbiting the Earth to detect the position of vehicle 1.

[0052] Each application obtains information about the vehicle's surroundings by unifying the detection results from one or more sensors as identification sensor information, and obtains driver assistance requests via a user interface such as a switch (not shown). Each application can identify other vehicles, obstacles, or people in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example, through artificial intelligence (AI) of images and videos of the vehicle's surroundings obtained from multiple sensors, or through image processing using an image processing processor.

[0053] In addition, the action plan includes requirements related to the front-to-rear acceleration / deceleration of vehicle 1, requirements related to the steering angle of vehicle 1, and requirements related to the stopping and holding of vehicle 1.

[0054] Requirements related to the front-to-rear acceleration / deceleration generated by vehicle 1 include, for example, requirements for the operation of the powertrain 302 and the braking system 304.

[0055] Requirements relating to the stationary position of vehicle 1 include, for example, requirements relating to the permission and prohibition of operation of at least one of the electric parking brake and parking locking mechanism (neither shown).

[0056] An electric parking brake, for example, limits the rotation of the wheels of vehicle 1 by the action of an actuator. The electric parking brake may also be configured such that an actuator is used to activate a parking brake located on a portion of the plurality of wheels of vehicle 1, thereby limiting wheel rotation. Alternatively, the electric parking brake may be configured such that the actuator for the parking brake is activated to adjust the hydraulic pressure supplied to the braking device of the braking system 304, causing the braking device to activate and thereby limiting wheel rotation.

[0057] The parking lock mechanism restricts the rotation of the transmission output shaft by the action of an actuator. For example, the parking lock mechanism engages a protrusion at the front end of the parking lock lever, whose position is adjusted by the actuator, with the teeth of a gear (locking gear) connected to a rotating component within the transmission of vehicle 1. This restricts the rotation of the transmission output shaft and, consequently, the rotation of the drive wheels.

[0058] Furthermore, the applications installed in the driver assistance system 100 are not specifically limited to the applications mentioned above. Applications that implement other functions may be added, and existing applications may be omitted. The number of applications installed is not specifically limited.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ADAS-ECU 10 is described as a driving assistance system 100 consisting of multiple applications, but for example, the ECU can also be configured for each application. For example, the driving assistance system 100 can be composed of an ECU with an application that implements the function of an automatic parking system and an ECU with an ADAS application installed.

[0060] ADK120 includes an Autonomous Driving System (ADS) 122. ADK120 is configured to be detachable from vehicle 1 and to be interchangeable with other ADKs. ADS122 has an application that enables autonomous driving. Based on information about the vehicle's surroundings obtained from multiple sensors mounted on ADK120 and vehicle 1, ADS122 outputs to the braking ECU20 the requirements of an action plan (i.e., an action plan for autonomous driving) that ensures the individual functionality of the application. The multiple sensors mounted on ADK120 include, for example, visual sensors such as forward-facing cameras, radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or position detection devices. These sensors have been described above, and therefore their detailed descriptions will not be repeated. For example, autonomous driving is achieved by performing at least one of the following actions—acceleration, deceleration, steering, and stopping—of vehicle 1 based on the surrounding conditions of vehicle 1, within a range from the current location to a pre-set destination, or a portion thereof, without driver intervention. In this embodiment, ADS122 is configured to acquire information about the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 through sensors or image processing devices of a system separate from the driver assistance system 100.

[0061] Furthermore, the application that enables autonomous driving functions may be included in the driver assistance system 100, or it may be installed in an ECU different from the ADAS-ECU 10.

[0062] The braking ECU 20 includes a motion manager 200. In this embodiment, the case where the braking ECU 20 includes a hardware structure of motion manager 200 is described as an example; however, the motion manager 200 may be provided as a separate ECU from the braking ECU 20, or it may be included in another ECU different from the braking ECU 20. The braking ECU 20 is configured to communicate with the ADAS-ECU 10, the various ECUs included in the actuator system 30, the central ECU 40, and the ADK 120.

[0063] The motion manager 200 requests the actuator system 30 to move the vehicle 1 according to at least one of the multiple applications of the driver assistance system 100 and the application that implements the autonomous driving function of the ADS 122. The detailed structure of the motion manager 200 will be described later.

[0064] The actuator system 30 is configured to achieve the motion of the vehicle 1 output from the motion manager 200. The actuator system 30 includes multiple actuators. Figure 1 In this example, the actuator system 30 includes, for example, a power transmission system 302, a braking system 304, and a steering system 306 as actuators. Furthermore, the number of actuators required to be the motion manager 200 is not limited to three as described above; it can be four or more, or two or fewer.

[0065] The powertrain system 302 includes a power transmission device capable of generating driving force for the drive wheels of the vehicle 1, and an ECU (not shown) for controlling the operation of the power transmission device. The power transmission device may include, for example, at least one of the following: an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or diesel engine; a transmission including a gearbox and differential; a motor-generator that serves as a drive source; an energy storage device that stores electricity supplied to the motor-generator; an energy conversion device that converts electricity between the motor-generator and the energy storage device; or a power source such as a fuel cell. The ECU controlling the operation of the powertrain device controls the corresponding equipment, thereby fulfilling the motion requirements of the motion manager 200 for the corresponding equipment in the powertrain system 302.

[0066] The braking system 304 includes, for example, multiple braking devices installed on each wheel of the vehicle 1. These braking devices include, for example, hydraulic brakes such as disc brakes that use hydraulic pressure to generate braking force. Furthermore, as a braking device, a motor generator connected to the wheels and generating regenerative torque may also be included. The braking action of the vehicle 1, which uses multiple braking devices, is controlled by the braking ECU 20. In the braking ECU 20, for example, a control unit (not shown) for controlling the braking system 304 is provided separately from the motion manager 200.

[0067] The steering system 306 includes, for example, a steering control device capable of changing the steering angle of the steering wheels (e.g., the front wheels) of the vehicle 1, and an ECU (not shown) for controlling the operation of the steering control device. The steering control device includes, for example, a steering wheel that changes the steering angle according to the amount of operation, and electric power steering (EPS) capable of adjusting the steering angle separately from the operation of the steering wheel via an actuator. The ECU controlling the operation of the steering control device controls the operation of the EPS actuator.

[0068] The central ECU 40 includes a memory 42 capable of updating stored content. The central ECU 40 is configured, for example, to communicate with the brake ECU 20, and is also configured to communicate with an external device (e.g., a server) of the vehicle 1 (not shown) via a communication module (not shown). When receiving update information from a server external to the vehicle 1, the central ECU 40 uses the received update information to update the information stored in the memory 42. Prescribed information is stored in the memory 42. This prescribed information includes, for example, information read from various ECUs when the vehicle 1's system is started.

[0069] In this embodiment, the central ECU 40 reads the prescribed information from various ECUs when the vehicle 1 system is started, but it may also have functions such as relaying communication between various ECUs (gateway function).

[0070] The following uses Figure 2 A detailed explanation of an example of the motion manager 200's actions is provided. Figure 2 This is a diagram used to illustrate an example of the actions of the motion manager 200.

[0071] Figure 2 The diagram shows a system group 150, including a driver assistance system 100 and an ADS 122. Additionally, in... Figure 2 In this example, the driver assistance system 100, including AEB 102, LKA 104, ACC 106, ASL 108, PCS 110, and ISA 112 as applications, is illustrated. Furthermore, in... Figure 2 The diagram illustrates an example where ADS122 includes, for instance, AD124, an application that enables autonomous driving (AD) functionality. A request signal PLN1 is sent from the system group 150, including the driving assistance system 100 and ADS122, to the motion manager 200, specifying a motion plan set in at least one of multiple applications.

[0072] The required signal PLN1 may include, for example, information about the target acceleration set as part of the action plan in ACC, AEB, ASL, PCS, ISA, or AD, or information about the target curvature set as part of the action plan in LKA or AD.

[0073] The motion manager 200 sets the required motion for the vehicle 1 based on the action plan requirements included in the received request signal PLN1, and requests the actuator system 30 to implement the set motion. Specifically, the motion manager 200 sends a request for the operation of the powertrain system 302 as a request signal ACL1 to the actuator system 30. The motion manager 200 sends a request for the operation of the braking system 304 as a request signal BRK1 to the actuator system 30. Furthermore, the motion manager 200 sends a request for the operation of the steering system 306 as a request signal STR1 to the actuator system 30.

[0074] The required signal ACL1 may include information related to the required value of the driving torque or driving force, information related to the means of coordination, etc. (e.g., whether to select the maximum or minimum value, whether to change in segments, or whether to change gradually, etc.).

[0075] The requirement signal BRK1 may include information related to the required value of braking torque, information related to the means of coordination (e.g., whether it is a segmented change or a gradual change), and information about the timing of braking (whether it should be implemented immediately).

[0076] The required signal STR1 may include information such as the target steering angle, whether the target steering angle is valid, and the upper and lower limits of the auxiliary torque for steering wheel operation.

[0077] The actuators that receive the corresponding request signals among the plurality of actuators constituting the actuator system 30 are controlled in a manner that fulfills the requirements of the action included in the request signal.

[0078] The following describes an example of the structure of the motion manager 200. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the motion manager 200 includes a receiving unit 202, a coordination unit 204, a calculation unit 206, and an allocation unit 208.

[0079] The receiving unit 202 accepts action plan requests output by one or more applications of the system group 150. Details of the action plan in this embodiment will be described later.

[0080] The coordination unit 204 coordinates multiple action plan requests received from various applications via the receiving unit 202. As a coordination process, one example is selecting an action plan from multiple action plans based on predetermined selection criteria. Another example is setting a new action plan based on multiple action plans. Furthermore, the coordination unit 204 can also coordinate multiple action plan requests by incorporating predetermined information received from the actuator system 30. Moreover, the coordination unit 204 can determine whether to temporarily prioritize the movement of vehicle 1 calculated based on the driver's state and vehicle state compared to the movement of vehicle 1 corresponding to the action plan determined based on the coordination result.

[0081] The calculation unit 206 calculates the motion requirement based on the coordination result of the action plan requirements in the coordination unit 204 and the motion of the vehicle 1 determined based on the coordination result. This motion requirement is a physical quantity used to control at least one actuator of the actuator system 30, including physical quantities different from the physical quantities required by the action plan. For example, if the action plan requirement (first requirement) is front-to-rear acceleration, the calculation unit 206 calculates the value that converts the acceleration into driving force and driving torque as the motion requirement (second requirement).

[0082] The distribution unit 208 distributes the motion requirements calculated by the calculation unit 206 to at least one actuator of the actuator system 30. For example, if the vehicle 1 is required to accelerate, the distribution unit 208 distributes the motion requirements only to the powertrain system 302. Alternatively, if the vehicle 1 is required to decelerate, the distribution unit 208 appropriately distributes the motion requirements to the powertrain system 302 and the braking system 304 to achieve the target deceleration.

[0083] The actuator system 30 sends information about the status of the powertrain 302 to the motion manager 200 as signal ACL2. This information includes, for example, information about accelerator pedal operation, actual drive torque or actual drive force of the powertrain 302, actual gear shift information, upper and lower limits of drive torque, upper and lower limits of drive force, and reliability information of the powertrain 302.

[0084] The braking system 304 of the actuator system 30 sends information about the status of the braking system 304 to the motion manager 200 as a signal BRK2. This information includes, for example, information about the operation of the brake pedal, information about the braking torque requested by the driver, information about the required value of the coordinated braking torque, information about the actual coordinated braking torque, and information about the reliability of the braking system 304.

[0085] The steering system 306 of the actuator system 30 sends information about the status of the steering system 306 to the motion manager 200 as signal STR2. This information includes, for example, information about the reliability of the steering system 306, information about whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, information about the torque applied to the steering wheel, and information about the steering wheel's rotation angle.

[0086] In addition to the aforementioned power transmission system 302, braking system 304, and steering system 306, the actuator system 30 also includes a sensor group 308.

[0087] The sensor group 308 includes multiple sensors for detecting the behavior of the vehicle 1. For example, the sensor group 308 includes front and rear G-sensors for detecting the vehicle's acceleration in the longitudinal direction, lateral G-sensors for detecting the vehicle's acceleration in the lateral direction, wheel speed sensors located at each wheel and detecting wheel speed, and yaw rate sensors for detecting the angular velocity of the yaw rate. The sensor group 308 sends information including the detection results from the multiple sensors to the motion manager 200 as a signal VSS2. That is, the signal VSS2 includes, for example, the detection values ​​from the front and rear G-sensors, the detection values ​​from the lateral G-sensors, the detection values ​​from the wheel speed sensors of each wheel, the detection values ​​from the yaw rate sensors, and information regarding the reliability of each sensor.

[0088] If the motion manager 200 receives various signals from the actuator system 30, it sends the specified information as signal PLN2 to the driving assistance system 100.

[0089] Furthermore, the structure of the device mounted on vehicle 1 described above and the structure of motion manager 200 are examples, and can be appropriately added, replaced, changed, or omitted. Additionally, the functions of each device can be appropriately unified into one device or distributed across multiple devices for execution.

[0090] In the vehicle 1 with the above-described structure, as described above, the motion manager 200 coordinates and integrates multiple action plans received from the various applications of the driver assistance system 100. That is, the motion manager 200 selects one action plan from the multiple action plans based on a predetermined selection criterion. The motion manager 200 then requests the actuator system 30 to move the vehicle 1 according to the selected action plan.

[0091] In the aforementioned vehicle 1, where multiple applications set action plans exist—for example, where the ADS122 sets a first action plan for a series of actions such as autonomous driving, and other systems set second action plans piecemeal—the second action plan may hinder the execution of the first action plan. Therefore, there are situations where the ADS122 cannot achieve the desired series of actions for the vehicle 1. In particular, since the ADS122 is separate from the driver assistance system 100 installed in the vehicle 1, and information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 is obtained by sensors from a system separate from the various sensors installed in the vehicle 1, the execution of the first action plan may be hindered by the second action plan due to differences in detection accuracy, differences in image resolution accuracy, etc.

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, the receiving unit 202 of the motion manager 200 receives request information from the ADS 122, which requests that a first action plan set in the ADS 122 be prioritized over a second action plan preset in the application of the driving assistance system 100. The coordination unit 204 coordinates multiple action plans based on the received request information. In this embodiment, the request information includes a request to invalidate the second action plan preset in the application of the driving assistance system 100.

[0093] In this way, it is possible to suppress the obstruction of the execution of the first action plan set in ADS122 by the second action plan set in other applications of the driver assistance system 100. Therefore, it is possible to suppress functional interference between ADS122 and driver assistance system 100, and to control vehicle 1 based on the action plan set in ADS122.

[0094] The following is a reference. Figure 3 An example of the function of the receiving unit 202 and the coordination unit 204 of the motion manager 200 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of system group 150 and motion manager 200.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, system group 150 includes AD124 and driving assistance system 100. In Figure 3 The image shows an example of a driver assistance system 100 including PCS110 and ISA112. Additionally, in... Figure 3 For example, the example shown is a case where the required values ​​for acceleration and deceleration are input from system group 150 to motion manager 200 as an action plan.

[0096] In this embodiment, PCS110 is configured, for example, to output to motion manager 200 an action plan including the required values ​​for acceleration and deceleration, and identification information (hereinafter referred to as ID) of the application that can identify the source of the action plan as PCS110.

[0097] In addition, similar to ISA112, it is configured to output the motion manager 200 with the ID of ISA112, which includes the required values ​​for acceleration and deceleration, and the application that can identify the source of the output of the action plan.

[0098] Furthermore, the AD124 is configured, for example, to include, in addition to the action plan including required values ​​for acceleration and deceleration, and the application that can identify the output source of the action plan being the ID of the AD124, such as... Figure 3 As shown by the dashed arrow A, it is also possible to output either a request to invalidate an action plan from a pre-determined application (hereinafter, there may be a case described as an invalidation request) or a request to release the invalidation (hereinafter, there may be a case described as an invalidation release request) to the motion manager 200. In this embodiment, the pre-determined application includes, for example, the application of PCS110.

[0099] The receiving unit 202 of the motion manager 200 receives action plans and IDs, including various request values, from the various applications of the driver assistance system 100, and receives invalidation requests from the AD124 in addition to action plans and IDs, including request values. The various information received by the receiving unit 202 is stored, for example, in a storage device such as a memory.

[0100] Upon receiving a invalidation request from AD124, Motion Manager 200 invalidates the action plan, including the request value from PCS110, and coordinates other action plans, thereby integrating the action plans.

[0101] In this embodiment, upon receiving a invalidation request, the coordination unit 204 performs processing to invalidate the action plan from PCS110.

[0102] More specifically, the coordination unit 204 includes a invalidation processing unit 204a and an acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b. In the case where the invalidation request is not accepted, such as... Figure 3As shown, the invalidation processing unit 204a does not invalidate the action plan (e.g., the required value for acceleration and deceleration) input from the PCS110 via the receiving unit 202, but outputs it to the acceleration and deceleration coordination unit 204b. That is, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs the action plan from the AD124, the action plan from the PCS110, and the action plan from the ISA112 to the acceleration and deceleration coordination unit 204b.

[0103] On the other hand, upon receiving a invalidation request, the invalidation processing unit 204a invalidates the action plan input from the PCS110 via the receiving unit 202, but does not output the action plan to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b. That is, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs the action plan from the AD124 and the action plan from the ISA112 to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b.

[0104] Furthermore, the invalidation processing unit 204a is configured such that, upon receiving a invalidation request, it invalidates the action plan from PCS110 (without outputting it to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b), as follows: Figure 3 As shown by the dashed arrow B, it is possible to output information indicating that the action plan from PCS110 has been invalidated (hereinafter referred to as the request to abandon information) to PCS110.

[0105] also, Figure 3 The dashed arrows A and B illustrate, for example, the state where the invalidation request was not accepted and therefore the request to abandon was not output to the PCS110.

[0106] For example, when a request to abandon is input from the invalidation processing unit 204a, the determination that an abnormality has occurred is suppressed due to the failure to select the action plan set in the PCS110.

[0107] The acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b uses the action plan and ID, including the required value input from the invalidation processing unit 204a, to coordinate (determine) the final required value. Specifically, the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b, for example, determines the minimum value among the acceleration / deceleration required values ​​input from the invalidation processing unit 204a as the final required value for acceleration / deceleration. The acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b outputs the coordination result (the final required value for acceleration / deceleration) to the calculation unit 206.

[0108] For example, when the same value is input at different times as the minimum from multiple required values, the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b determines the earliest input required value as the final required acceleration / deceleration value. Furthermore, for example, when the same value is input simultaneously as the minimum from multiple required values, the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b determines the required value of the ID with the higher priority as the final required acceleration / deceleration value. Moreover, the coordination method for required values ​​is not limited to selecting the minimum value as described above. For example, the required value corresponding to the ID with the higher priority may also be determined as the final required value.

[0109] The following is a reference. Figure 4 The process performed by ADS122 of ADK120 will be explained. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by ADS122.

[0110] In step (hereinafter referred to as S) 100, ADS 122 determines whether autonomous driving is in progress. For example, if autonomous driving is started by an operation performed by an occupant of vehicle 1 or by remote operation, ADS 122 sets the flag to the on state. Conversely, if autonomous driving is stopped by an operation, ADS 122 sets the flag to the off state. If the flag is on, ADS 122 determines that autonomous driving is in progress. If ADS 122 determines that autonomous driving is in progress (yes in S100), the process proceeds to S102.

[0111] In S102, ADS122 determines whether invalidation has been requested. If the request flag (described later) is in the on state, ADS122 determines that invalidation has been requested. On the other hand, if the request flag is in the off state, ADS122 determines that invalidation has not been requested. If ADS122 determines that invalidation has been requested (yes in S102), the process ends. Otherwise, if ADS122 determines that invalidation has not been requested (no in S102), the process proceeds to S104.

[0112] In S104, ADS122 outputs the invalidation request to the motion manager 200. As described above, the invalidation request will not be repeated in detail.

[0113] In S106, ADS122 sets the request flag to the on state. The process then ends. On the other hand, if ADS122 determines that the system is not in autonomous driving mode (not in S100), the process moves to S108.

[0114] In S108, ADS122 determines whether invalidation removal has been requested. If the request flag is off, ADS122 determines that invalidation removal has been requested. On the other hand, if the request flag is on, ADS122 determines that invalidation removal has not been requested. If ADS122 determines that invalidation removal has been requested (yes in S108), the process ends. Otherwise, if ADS122 determines that invalidation removal has not been requested (no in S108), the process proceeds to S110.

[0115] In S110, ADS122 outputs the invalidation release request for a part of the driver assistance function (i.e., the function of PCS110) to motion manager 200.

[0116] In S112, ADS122 sets the request flag to the off state. The process then ends.

[0117] Next, while referring to Figure 5 The process performed by the motion manager 200 (more specifically, the invalidation processing unit 204a) will be explained. Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the invalidation processing unit 204a.

[0118] In S200, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines whether there is an invalidation request. For example, if an invalidation request is input from ADS122, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is an invalidation request. If the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is an invalidation request (yes in S200), the processing is moved to S202.

[0119] In S202, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines whether the function has been invalidated. For example, if the invalidation flag indicating that a part of the driver assistance function (i.e., the function of PCS110) is invalidated is in the on state, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the function has been invalidated. On the other hand, for example, if the invalidation flag is in the off state, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the function has not been invalidated. If the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the function has not been invalidated (which is not the case in S202), the process proceeds to S204.

[0120] In S204, the invalidation processing unit 204a sets the invalidation flag to the on state. Then, the process moves to S212. On the other hand, if the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is no invalidation requirement (which was not the case in S200), the process moves to S206.

[0121] In S206, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines whether there is a request to remove invalidation. For example, if a request to remove invalidation is input from ADS122, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is a request to remove invalidation. If the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is a request to remove invalidation (yes in S206), the processing is moved to S208.

[0122] In S208, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines whether the invalidation has been lifted. For example, if the invalidation flag is in the off state, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the invalidation has been lifted. On the other hand, for example, if the invalidation flag is in the on state, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the invalidation has not been lifted. If the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the invalidation has not been lifted (no in S208), the process proceeds to S210.

[0123] In S210, the invalidation processing unit 204a sets the invalidation flag to the off state. Then, the process moves to S212. On the other hand, if the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that invalidation has been completed (yes in S202), or if it determines that there is no request to remove invalidation (no in S206), or if it determines that invalidation has been removed (yes in S208), the process moves to S212.

[0124] In S212, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines whether the invalidation flag is in the on state. If the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the invalidation flag is in the on state (yes in S212), the processing is moved to S214.

[0125] In S214, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs the acceleration / deceleration requirement value other than the requirement value from PCS110 to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b. That is, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs the acceleration / deceleration requirement values ​​from AD124 and ISA112 to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b. Furthermore, if the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that the invalidation flag is in the off state (not in S212), the processing proceeds to S218.

[0126] In S216, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs a request to abandon the action plan set by the PCS110, indicating that the action plan set by the PCS110 will be invalidated.

[0127] In S218, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs all acceleration and deceleration requirement values, including the requirement value from PCS110, to the acceleration and deceleration coordination unit 204b.

[0128] Side reference Figure 6An example of the operation of vehicle 1 based on the above structure and flowchart will be explained. Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate one example of the operation of vehicle 1. Furthermore, Figure 6 The structure of System Group 150 and Motion Manager 200 is similar to Figure 3 The system group 150 and motion manager 200 have the same structure, so their detailed descriptions will not be repeated.

[0129] For example, suppose vehicle 1 is in a manually driven mode. In this case, both the request sign and the invalidation sign are in the off state.

[0130] If ADS122 determines that the system is not in automatic driving mode (no in S100), it is determined whether a request for invalidation release has been made (S108). At this time, if manual driving mode continues, the flag is required to remain closed. Therefore, the determination that the system is not in automatic driving mode (no in S100) and the determination that a request for invalidation release has been made (yes in S108) are repeated.

[0131] At this time, in the invalidation processing unit 204a, since there is no invalidation request (no in S200) and no invalidation release request (no in S206), if the invalidation flag is in the off state (no in S212), all request values ​​are output from the invalidation processing unit 204a to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b (S218).

[0132] On the other hand, for example, when the autonomous driving of vehicle 1 is started by the ADS122 through operation performed by the occupant or remote operation, the ADS122 determines that autonomous driving is in progress (yes in S100) and determines whether a request for invalidation has been made (S102). At this time, since the request flag is in the off state, the ADS122 determines that no invalidation request has been made (no in S102). Therefore, the invalidation request is output to the motion manager 200 (S104), and the request flag is set to the on state (S106). If autonomous driving continues, the request flag remains in the on state. Therefore, the determination that autonomous driving is in progress (yes in S100) and the determination that a request for invalidation has been made (yes in S102) are repeated.

[0133] When an invalidation request is input from ADS122, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is an invalidation request (yes in S200) and determines whether it has been invalidated (S202). Since the invalidation flag is in the off state, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that it has not been invalidated (no in S202) and sets the invalidation flag to the on state (S204).

[0134] If the invalidation flag becomes active (yes in S212), such as Figure 6 As shown by the dashed arrow, the action plan from PCS110 is invalidated, and a request value for acceleration / deceleration other than that from PCS110 is output to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b (S214). Therefore, the selection of an acceleration / deceleration request value from PCS110 in the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b is suppressed. Furthermore, as... Figure 6 As indicated by the thin solid arrow B, the request to abandon information will be output to PCS110 (S216). Therefore, the determination that an anomaly has occurred due to the failure to select the action plan set in PCS110 is suppressed.

[0135] Subsequently, if the automatic driving of vehicle 1 is stopped by ADS122 through operation by the occupant or remote operation, ADS122 determines that it is not in automatic driving (No in S100) and determines whether a request for invalidation release has been made (S108). At this time, since the request flag is in the on state, ADS122 determines that no request for invalidation release has been made (No in S108). Therefore, the invalidation release request is output to the motion manager 200 (S110), and the request flag is set to the off state (S112). If the automatic driving stop state (manual driving state) continues, the request flag remains in the off state. Therefore, the determination that it is not in automatic driving (No in S100) and the determination that a request for invalidation release has been made (Yes in S108) are repeated.

[0136] When an invalidation release request is input from ADS122, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that there is no invalidation request (No in S200) and determines that there is an invalidation release request (Yes in S206). At this time, since the invalidation flag is in the on state, the invalidation processing unit 204a determines that invalidation has not been released (No in S208) and sets the invalidation flag to the off state (S210).

[0137] If the invalidation flag becomes closed (no in S212), all required values ​​are output from the invalidation processing unit 204a to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b (S218).

[0138] As described above, according to the motion manager 200 of this embodiment, in autonomous driving, the action plan set in PCS110 is invalidated according to the invalidation requirement, thus suppressing the obstruction of the action plan set in ADS122 by the action plan set in PCS110. Therefore, functional interference between ADS122 and a part of the driving assistance system 100 can be suppressed, and the vehicle 1 can be controlled in a manner that realizes a series of actions based on the action plan set in ADS122. Therefore, a motion manager, an autonomous driving device, a control system, a vehicle, a vehicle control method, and a program that appropriately set action plans related to vehicle driving assistance can be provided.

[0139] Furthermore, action plans set by ISA112, which is a different system from PCS110 among the multiple systems set in the driver assistance system 100, are not invalidated. Therefore, for example, if ISA112 is set to comply with regulations, it is possible to prevent the invalidation of action plans set by ISA112.

[0140] The following describes some variations.

[0141] In the above embodiments, the requirement information was described as including information requesting the invalidation of the action plan set in PCS110. However, the requirement information is not particularly limited to information that requests the invalidation of the second action plan set in PCS110, as long as it at least prioritizes the first action plan set in AD124 over the second action plan set in PCS110. For example, the requirement information may also include information indicating that the first action plan set in AD124 has a higher priority than the second action plan set in PCS110. In this way, it is possible to prevent the second action plan set in PCS110 from hindering the execution of the first action plan set in AD124.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the invalidation processing unit 204a of the coordination unit 204 is described as outputting a request to the PCS110 to invalidate the action plan from the PCS110 during automatic driving. However, for example, it may also output information related to the invalidation request, such as information indicating that the invalidation request was input from the AD124, to the PCS110. By inputting such information into the PCS110, even if the invalidation processing unit 204a invalidates the action plan input from the PCS110 and the coordination unit 204 does not continue in the state where the action plan set in the PCS110 is selected, it is possible to prevent the PCS110 from being judged as an abnormal state.

[0143] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it is set that the invalidation request is output to the motion manager 200 in autonomous driving via ADS122, so that the invalidation processing unit 204a invalidates the action plan set in PCS110. However, the application that becomes the object of invalidation in autonomous driving is not limited to PCS110. For example, it may be other applications such as AEB102, ACC106, or ASL108.

[0144] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the coordination unit 204 was described as including the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b. However, it could also be configured to include a coordination unit that coordinates required values ​​such as steering angle, and invalidate the action plan set in any application that outputs the required values ​​such as steering angle. Moreover, the applications that output the required values ​​such as steering angle and become invalidated include, for example, at least one of several applications that set action plans related to steering angle, such as LKA104 and LTA.

[0145] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it was described that in the absence of automatic driving, the invalidation request is requested to avoid invalidating the action plan set in PCS110. However, it could also be configured such that, in the absence of automatic driving, i.e., in manual driving, the receiving unit 202 does not accept the invalidation request from AD124. In this case, the invalidation processing unit 204a outputs the action plan set in PCS110 to the acceleration / deceleration coordination unit 204b without invalidating it by not accepting the invalidation request from the receiving unit 202.

[0146] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case of invalidating a predetermined action plan set by an application by outputting an invalidation request through ADS122 was described as an example. However, the application that outputs the invalidation request is not particularly limited to ADS122. For example, it may be configured to output an invalidation request through at least one application included in the driving assistance system 100, thereby invalidating the action plan set by at least one application among multiple applications including ADS122.

[0147] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the structure of the motion manager 200 including the receiving unit 202, the coordination unit 204, the calculation unit 206, and the distribution unit 208 has been described as an example. However, the motion manager 200 may also have a structure that includes at least a first motion manager that receives action plans from the application and a second motion manager that can communicate with the first motion manager and request motion from the actuator system 30. In addition, in this case, the functions of the coordination unit 204, the calculation unit 206, and the distribution unit 208 can be installed in either the first motion manager or the second motion manager.

[0148] Furthermore, the aforementioned variations can also be implemented by appropriately combining all or part of them.

[0149] All points in the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. The scope of the invention is not limited by the foregoing description, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all equivalents of the claims and all modifications within their scope.

Claims

1. A motion manager comprising a receiving unit, a coordinating unit, and a distributing unit, in, The receiving unit receives action plans from multiple systems. The coordination department coordinates the multiple action plans received. The distribution unit assigns a motion requirement, set based on the coordination result of the coordination unit, to at least one of the plurality of actuators. Its features are, The plurality of systems includes system 1 and system 2. The receiving unit prioritizes the request information of the first action plan set in the first system over the request information of the second action plan set in the second system.

2. The motion manager according to claim 1, characterized in that, The required information includes information requesting the invalidation of the second action plan set in the second system.

3. The motion manager according to claim 1, characterized in that, The requirement information includes information that requires the priority of the first action plan set in the first system to be higher than the priority of the second action plan set in the second system.

4. The motion manager according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The coordination department coordinates multiple action plans based on the received request information.

5. The motion manager according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The coordination unit outputs information related to the required information to the second system.

6. The motion manager according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The plurality of systems also includes a third system configured to be different from the first and second systems and to have an action plan that does not give priority to the first action plan.

7. The motion manager according to claim 6, characterized in that, The motion manager also includes a storage unit configured to store information about at least one of the second system and the third system.

8. The motion manager according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The first system includes an autonomous driving system. The second system and the third system each include systems mounted on a vehicle.

9. The motion manager according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The first system includes an autonomous driving system. The second system and the third system include at least one of a plurality of driver assistance systems.

10. The motion manager according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The third system includes systems configured in a manner that complies with regulations.

11. The motion manager according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The second system includes a driving system configured to assist the driver of the vehicle.

12. The motion manager according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The receiving unit receives the request information from the first system when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode, and does not receive the request information from the first system when the vehicle is in manual driving mode.

13. A system, characterized in that, For a motion manager that includes a receiving unit that receives action plans from multiple systems, a coordinating unit that coordinates the received action plans, and an allocation unit that assigns motion requests set based on the coordination results of the coordinating unit to at least one of multiple actuators, a request information is sent to the receiving unit requesting that the motion plan set by the manager be selected first over action plans set in other systems.

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