Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method with which it is possible to construct a more appropriate redundant structure for an external sensor mounted on a vehicle. A vehicle control device is provided with: external sensors including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor; a processing device that performs predetermined processing relating to a vehicle; a control device that controls at least the travel of the vehicle; and a power supply unit that supplies power to at least the external sensors and the processing device. The processing devices include a first processing device to which outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor are output, and a second processing device to which outputs of the third sensor are output, and the power supply unit includes a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit. The first power supply unit supplies power to at least the first sensor, the third sensor, and the first processing device, and the second power supply unit supplies power to at least the second sensor and the second processing device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide an approach to the realization of a sustainable transport system that also takes into account people in a vulnerable position among traffic participants are being intensified. Research and development to further improve the safety and convenience of traffic through research and development related to preventive safety technology are being pursued for its realization. In connection therewith, the following technology has been known in the past: a first travel control mechanism has a first monitoring unit that monitors communication conditions of a first communication mechanism and a second communication mechanism, a second travel control mechanism has a second monitoring unit that monitors communication conditions of a third communication mechanism and a fourth communication mechanism, and in the case where the first monitoring unit or the second monitoring unit detects a reduction in the function of the vehicle based on the communication conditions under monitoring, at least one of the first travel control mechanism and the second travel control mechanism performs substitute control (for example, International Publication No. 2019 / 116870). In addition, the following technology has been known in the past: when it is determined that a failure has occurred in any of a plurality of controllers, failure information is sent to a normal controller group other than a failure controller group to which the failed controller belongs via a network communication line, and when the normal controller group acquires the failure information via the network communication line, the action function lost due to the failure is supported using the controllers constituting the normal controller group until the driver resumes operation (for example, International Publication No. 2020 / 016622). In addition, the following technology has been known in the past: a first control device that controls a vehicle based on a detection result of a first sensor unit that operates under power supply of a first power supply unit, and a second control device that controls the vehicle based on a detection result of a second sensor unit that operates under power supply of a second power supply unit, and the vehicle is controlled using the second sensor unit when the first sensor unit is abnormal (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-010252). SUMMARY

[0003] Furthermore, in preventive safety technology, adjustment of a redundant structure corresponding to the type of an outside sensor that detects the surrounding conditions of a vehicle and the like is required, but there is still room for research on an appropriate redundant structure with respect to the mounted outside sensor.

[0004] The present application was completed in consideration of such a situation, and one of the objects thereof is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can construct a more appropriate redundant structure with respect to an outside sensor mounted on a vehicle. Furthermore, development of a sustainable transport system is further facilitated.

[0005] The vehicle control device and the vehicle control method according to the present application adopt the following structure.

[0006] (1): One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle control device, wherein the vehicle control device is provided with: an outside sensor that detects a surrounding situation of a vehicle; a processing device that performs a prescribed process related to the vehicle based on an output of the outside sensor; a control device that controls at least running of the vehicle based on a processing result processed by the processing device; and a power supply section that supplies power to at least the outside sensor and the processing device, the outside sensor including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor, the processing device including a first processing device and a second processing device, the output of the first sensor and the second sensor being output to the first processing device, the output of the third sensor being output to the second processing device, the power supply section including a first power supply section and a second power supply section, the first power supply section supplying power to at least the first sensor, the third sensor, and the first processing device, the second power supply section supplying power to at least the second sensor and the second processing device.

[0007] (2): On the basis of the aspect of the above (1), the first sensor and the second sensor are each a plurality of cameras that capture regions in different directions from the vehicle, and the third sensor is a plurality of radar devices that detect objects present in different directions from the vehicle.

[0008] (3): On the basis of the aspect of the above (1), the first sensor and the second sensor are each a plurality of cameras of the same use or the same size in terms of picture angle, and the third sensor is a plurality of radar devices that detect objects in different directions from the vehicle.

[0009] (4): On the basis of the aspect of the above (1), the second sensor is connected to the first processing device via a first communication line and is connected to the second processing device via a second communication line different from the first communication line.

[0010] (5): On the basis of the aspect of the above (4), the first communication line is a communication network that enables communication of a large capacity and at a high speed compared to the second communication line.

[0011] (6): On the basis of the aspect of the above (1), the first processing device has a higher processing capability than the second processing device.

[0012] (7): On the basis of the aspect of the above (1), the first processing device generates a target track of the vehicle based on the output of the outside sensor, and the second processing device outputs an instruction to an actuating means included in the control device based on the target track generated by the first processing device.

[0013] (8): The above (7) is based on the scheme, the actuator includes a steering control device to control the steering of the vehicle and a speed control device to control the speed of the vehicle, the steering control device and the speed control device have a communication line capable of receiving instructions from the second processing device and a communication line capable of receiving instructions from the first processing device.

[0014] (9): The above (1) is based on the scheme, the first power supply part supplies power to at least the first group consisting of the first sensor, the third sensor and the first processing device, the second power supply part supplies power to at least the second group consisting of the second sensor and the second processing device, in the case of determining that one of the first group and the second group has failed, the control device uses the other group to determine the stop position of the vehicle according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and performs vehicle control to make the vehicle run to the determined stop position.

[0015] (10): One of the schemes of the present application relates to a vehicle control method, wherein the external sensor detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, the processing device performs the specified processing related to the vehicle based on the output of the external sensor, and controls at least the running of the vehicle based on the processing result processed by the processing device, the power supply part supplies power to at least the external sensor and the processing device, the external sensor includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor, the processing device includes a first processing device and a second processing device, the output of the first sensor and the second sensor is output to the first processing device, the output of the third sensor is output to the second processing device, the power supply part includes a first power supply part and a second power supply part, the first power supply part supplies power to at least the first sensor, the third sensor and the first processing device, and the second power supply part supplies power to at least the second sensor and the second processing device.

[0016] According to the above (1) ~ (10) scheme, a more appropriate redundant structure can be constructed for the external sensor mounted on the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a vehicle system including a vehicle control device of an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 is a functional structure diagram of the first processing part of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the external sensor in the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a redundant structure including power supply in the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a detection range of each sensor included in the outside sensor of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] [Overall Structure]

[0024] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a structure of a vehicle system 1 including the vehicle control device of the embodiment. A vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a vehicle of two wheels, three wheels, four wheels, or the like, and a drive source thereof is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using generated electric power emitted from a generator coupled to the internal combustion engine, or discharge electric power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0025] The vehicle system 1 is provided with, for example, an outside sensor (outside detecting section) 10 configured of a plurality of sensors, a processing device 100, a communication device 210, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 220, a vehicle sensor 230, a navigation device 240, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 250, a driver monitoring camera 260, a driving operation member 270, a storage section 280, a travel control device 300, and a power supply section 400. These devices and apparatuses are connected to each other through, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a multiplex communication line such as Ethernet (registered trademark), a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. Ethernet is a communication network capable of performing large-capacity and high-speed communication as compared with CAN. Figure 1 The structure shown is only an example, and a part of the structure can be omitted, or another structure can be further added. Further, each functional structure can be integrated, or can be provided discretely. The travel control device 300 is an example of a "control device". The outside sensor 10, the processing device 100, the travel control device 300, and the power supply section 400 are examples of a "vehicle control device".

[0026] The outside sensor 10 detects the situation of the periphery of the vehicle M (within a prescribed distance from the vehicle M). The outside sensor 10 is provided with, for example, a surround camera 11, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 12, a MVC (Multi View Camera) 13, a sonar 14, a camera 15, and a radar device 16. At least some of the surround camera 11, the MVC 13, the sonar 14, the camera 15, and the radar device 16 of the outside sensor 10 can be provided in plural. The surround camera 11 is an example of the "first sensor", the MVC 13 is an example of the "second sensor", and the radar device 16 is an example of the "third sensor". The first sensor can include the camera 15 in addition to the surround camera 11.

[0027] The surround camera 11 is a camera provided around at least the left and right and rear of the vehicle body (main body of the vehicle M). The surround camera 11 can be, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or a stereo camera. The surround camera 11 senses at least several [m] to the left and right and rear (also including the upper side) of the vehicle M, and acquires an image of a region including the side and rear of the vehicle M. The surround camera 11 can also acquire an image of the entire periphery of the vehicle M including the image captured by the camera 15.

[0028] The LIDAR 12 irradiates light (or an electromagnetic wave close to light in wavelength) to the periphery of the vehicle M, and measures scattered light. The LIDAR 12 detects the distance to a peripheral object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 12 is provided, for example, on the roof of the vehicle M or the like, and senses an object in the periphery including the front of the vehicle M. The LIDAR 12 can also be installed at any other position.

[0029] The MVC 13 is a camera provided to the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle body. The MVC 13 can be, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS, or a stereo camera. The MVC 13 can also be a wide-angle camera like a fisheye camera (in other words, a camera with a wider range of view than the surround camera 11 and the camera 15). The MVC 13 senses the periphery (mainly the vicinity of the ground) of the vehicle M and acquires a peripheral image. The MVC 13 captures, for example, a region that becomes a blind spot for the driver of the vehicle M.

[0030] The sonar 14 radiates an ultrasonic wave to the periphery of the vehicle M, detects a reflection or scattering caused by an object existing within a prescribed distance from the vehicle M, and thereby detects the distance or position of the object. The sonar 14 is provided at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M.

[0031] The camera 15 is provided at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M, and captures an area including at least the front of the vehicle M. The camera 15 can be, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS, or a stereo camera. The camera 15 can also be provided in plural.

[0032] The radar device 16 radiates an electric wave such as a millimeter wave to the periphery of the vehicle M, and detects a reflected wave (reflected wave) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 16 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M. The radar device 16 can also detect the position and speed of an object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0033] Details of the configuration position of the above-described outside sensor 10 will be described later. The above-described outside sensor 10 can also be mounted with other structures. The above-described outside sensor 10 can also not be provided with a part of the types of sensors (for example, the LIDAR 12) depending on the class, generation (version), function, or the like of the vehicle M, or include other structures. The outside sensor 10, for example, performs sensing at a prescribed cycle, and outputs the result (detection result) to the processing device 100.

[0034] The processing device 100 performs prescribed processing related to the vehicle M. The processing device 100, for example, is provided with a first processing device 120, a second processing device 140, and a failure determination section 160. The first processing device 120, the second processing device 140, and the failure determination section 160 are each realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components can be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a SOC (System On Chip), or the like, and can also be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program can be stored in advance in a device (storage device provided with a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or the like of the processing device 100 (or the vehicle system 1), can be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD, a CD-ROM, or the like, and can be installed in the HDD, the flash memory of the processing device 100 (or the vehicle system 1) by mounting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) in a drive device.

[0035] The first processing device 120 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that performs driving control including automatic driving of the vehicle M. The second processing device 140 is an ECU that performs driving control including driving support control such as an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) that supports driving of a driver of the vehicle M. The driving control is, for example, driving control that automatically controls one or both of the steering and the speed of the vehicle M. In the driving control, there are, for example, an LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System), an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control System), an ALC (Auto Lane Changing), a TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot), a CMBS (Collision Mitigation Brake System), and the like. The driving control can include MRM (Minimum Risk Maneuver; retreat driving) control that moves the vehicle M to a safe place (for example, a shoulder or the like) and stops.

[0036] In the driving control in the first processing device 120, the entire driving control of the steering and the speed of the vehicle M is basically performed on the system (vehicle system 1) side, and thus the driving control is executed independently of the driving operation by the driver, but in a case where the driver is requested to intervene from the system side, the driver performs the driving operation (manual driving). On the other hand, in the driving control in the second processing device 140, one of the steering and the speed is performed on the system side and the other is driven by the driver, or only a specific driving control such as LKAS, ACC, or the like is performed on the system side. The driving control in the second processing device 140 can include control to give a warning, an alarm, or provide information (image, sound) related to driving support to the driver. The specific functional configuration of the first processing device 120 and the second processing device 140 will be described later.

[0037] The failure determination unit 160 determines whether or not there is a failure (abnormality) in the first processing device 120 and the second processing device 140 on the basis of the detection result obtained from the vehicle sensor 230 or the like. The failure means, for example, a situation in which at least one of the first processing device 120 and the second processing device 140 does not operate correctly or does not operate at all due to an abnormality in hardware or software or the like. The failure can include an influence due to an abnormality in the power supply unit 400 or the like. The failure determination unit 160 executes the prescribed processing related to the vehicle M such as the recognition of the surrounding object, the driving control, or the like using the normal configuration in the redundancy configuration described later on the basis of the determination result. For example, the failure determination unit 160 executes the driving control such as the retreat driving (MRM) using the processing device of the other side in a case where it is determined that there is a failure in one of the first processing device 120 or the second processing device 140.

[0038] The communication device 210 communicates with other vehicles existing in the periphery of the vehicle M or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like.

[0039] The HMI 220 prompts various information to the occupants of the vehicle M including the driver, and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 220 has, for example, a display section and a speaker. The display section is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, or the like. The display section is provided, for example, to an instrument panel, an instrument display section. The display section displays various images (including videos) in the embodiment. The display section can be configured as a touch panel integrally with an input section. The speaker outputs a prescribed sound (for example, an alarm or the like) to the vehicle cabin. The HMI 220 can have, in addition to the display section and the speaker, a microphone, a buzzer, a key, and the like. The HMI 220 can include a HUD (Head Up Display).

[0040] The vehicle sensors 230 include a vehicle speed sensor that detects a speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects an acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects an angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects an orientation of the vehicle M, and the like, which are used for control of the vehicle M. The vehicle sensors 230 can include a position sensor that detects a position of the vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. The position sensor can be a sensor that acquires position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver of the navigation device 240. The vehicle sensors 230 can include a measurement sensor that measures a state (for example, a temperature, a battery remaining amount, a current value, a voltage value, and the like) of the power supply section 400, a measurement sensor that measures a state (disconnection, other communication error) of the electric wire, the communication line described later.

[0041] The navigation device 240 has, for example, a GNSS receiver, a navigation HMI, and a route decision section. The navigation device 240 determines a position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The position of the vehicle M can be determined or supplemented by an INS using an output of the vehicle sensors 230. The navigation HMI includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, a key, and the like. The navigation HMI can be partly or wholly shared with the HMI 220 described above. The route decision section decides a route (hereinafter referred to as a map route) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver (or an arbitrary position input) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI, for example, with reference to map information 282 stored in a storage section 280.

[0042] The map information 282 is, for example, information that represents a road shape by a link that represents a road segment and a node that is connected by the link. The map information can also include POI (Point Of Interest) information and the like. The map information 282 can also include, for example, information of a center of a lane or information of a boundary (road division line or the like) of a lane and the like, and can include road information, traffic restriction information, dwelling information (dwelling, postal code), facility information, telephone number information and the like. The road information can include, for example, road category information such as an expressway, a general road and the like, road shape information such as a merge, a branch, a T-junction, a curvature (or a radius of curvature) and the like, the number of lanes, a road gradient, a junction (JCT), a service area, a toll gate, a zebra crossing area (diversion strip) and the like. The map information 282 can be updated at any time by the communication with other devices via the communication device 210. The map information 282 can also be held in a storage device such as an HDD, a flash memory or the like of the navigation device 240.

[0043] The navigation device 240 can also perform path guidance using a navigation HMI based on an on-map path. The navigation device 240 can also be implemented by a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal or the like held by an occupant, for example. The navigation device 240 can also transmit a current position and a destination to a navigation server via the communication device 210 and acquire a path equivalent to the on-map path from the navigation server.

[0044] The MPU 250 divides the on-map path decided by the navigation device 240 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided by every 100 [m] in a direction in which the vehicle travels) and decides a recommended lane for each block with reference to the map information 282, for example. The MPU 250 makes a decision to travel on a lane numbered from the left, for example. The MPU 250 decides a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable path for traveling to a branched destination in a case where there is a branch site on the on-map path. The MPU 250 recognizes a position of the vehicle M based on a detection result of a gyro sensor that is not illustrated, a position of the vehicle M determined by a GNSS receiver and the like.

[0045] The driver monitoring camera 260 is a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD, a CMOS or the like, for example. The driver monitoring camera 260 is installed in an arbitrary portion of the vehicle M in a position and an orientation that enable the head of a driver seated on a driver's seat of the vehicle M to be imaged from the front (an orientation in which the face is imaged), for example. The driver monitoring camera 260 is installed on an upper portion of a display device provided in a central portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle M, for example.

[0046] The driving operation member 270 includes, for example, a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operation members. A sensor that detects an operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation is installed in the driving operation member 270, and the detection result is output to the processing device 100 or the travel control device 300. The steering wheel can be formed in a ring shape, or can be a shaped steering wheel, a lever, a button, or the like. A steering wheel grip sensor is installed in the steering wheel. The steering wheel grip sensor is implemented by an electrostatic capacity sensor or the like, and outputs a signal that can detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel (in a state of contacting the steering wheel with an applied force) to the processing device 100.

[0047] The storage section 280 can be implemented by various storage devices described above, or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like. In the storage section 280, for example, map information 282, various information in the embodiments, programs, and the like are stored.

[0048] The travel control device 300 causes the vehicle M to travel at a predetermined speed and to turn based on the operation content of the driving operation member 270, based on the control information from the processing device 100. The travel control device 300 includes, for example, a travel driving force output device 310, a brake device 320, and a steering device 330. The travel driving force output device 310 and the brake device 320 are examples of a "speed control device". The steering device 330 is an example of a "steering control device". The speed control device and the steering control device are examples of an actuator device including an actuator (working section). The actuator device included in the vehicle M further includes, for example, an air conditioning device, a power window device (automatic window opening and closing device), a wiper device, and the like.

[0049] The travel driving force output device 310 outputs a travel driving force (torque) for travel of the vehicle M to a drive wheel. The travel driving force output device 310 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, a motor, a transmission, and the like, and an ECU that controls them. The ECU controls the above-described structure in accordance with information input from the first processing device 120 or the second processing device 140, or information input from the accelerator pedal of the driving operation member 270.

[0050] The brake device 320 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor in accordance with information input from the first processing device 120 or the second processing device 140 or information input from a brake pedal of the driving operation member 270, so that a brake torque corresponding to a brake operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 320 can include a mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by operation of the brake pedal to the hydraulic cylinder via a master hydraulic cylinder as a backup. The brake device 320 is not limited to the structure described above, and can be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that transmits hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder by controlling an actuator in accordance with information input from the first processing device 120 or the second processing device 140.

[0051] The steering device 330 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the orientation of a steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor in accordance with information input from the first processing device 120 or the second processing device 140 or information input from a steering wheel of the driving operation member 270, so that the orientation of the steering wheel is changed.

[0052] The power supply 400 supplies power to each device of the vehicle system 1 including the outside sensor 10 and the processing device 100. The power supply 400 includes, for example, a first power supply 410 and a second power supply 420. The first power supply 410 and the second power supply 420 are, for example, secondary batteries that can perform charge and discharge. The power supply 400 supplies power to each device from at least one of the first power supply 410 and the second power supply 420. For example, the first power supply 410 supplies power to, for example, the surround view camera (first sensor) 11, the radar device (third sensor) 16, and the first processing device 120, and the second power supply 420 supplies power to, for example, the MVC (second sensor) 13 and the second processing device 140. The power supply 400 can be redundant in such a manner that power is supplied from one of the first power supply 410 or the second power supply 420 in the case where an abnormality occurs in the other. Details of power supply by the power supply 400 will be described later.

[0053] [First Processing Device 120]

[0054] Next, the functional structure of the first processing device 120 will be described in detail. The first processing device 120 includes, for example, a first recognition unit 122, a first processing unit 124, and a first vehicle control unit 126.

[0055] The first recognition unit 122 recognizes the situation around the vehicle M by performing sensor fusion processing on the outputs (detection results) from at least some of the plurality of sensors included in the outside sensor 10. For example, the first recognition unit 122 performs sensor fusion processing using the detection results of the surround view camera 11, the LIDAR 12, and the radar device 16. The first recognition unit 122 can also perform sensor fusion processing using the detection results of other structures (for example, the MVC 13, the sonar 14, the camera 15), and the like, in addition to (or instead of) the above-described types of outside sensor 10. For example, the first recognition unit 122 recognizes the position, type, speed, and the like of an object existing in the vicinity (within a prescribed distance) of the vehicle M, based on the results of the sensor fusion processing. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on an absolute coordinate with a representative point (center of gravity, center of the drive shaft, or the like) of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object can be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity, a corner, or the like of the object, or can be represented by a region that is expressed. The "state" of the object can also include the acceleration, jerk, or "behavioral state" (for example, whether or not a lane change is being performed or is to be performed) of the object.

[0056] The first recognition unit 122 recognizes the road division line of the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, from an image acquired by the outside sensor 10, and recognizes the lane (travel lane) in which the vehicle M is traveling. In this case, the first recognition unit 122 can also compare the pattern of the road division line (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the map information 282 based on the position information of the vehicle M with the pattern of the road division line of the vicinity of the vehicle M acquired by the outside sensor 10, thereby recognizing the travel lane. The first recognition unit 122 is not limited to recognizing the road division line, and can recognize the travel lane boundary (road boundary) including the shoulder, curb, median, guardrail, and the like, from the image, the map information 282, thereby recognizing the travel lane. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M acquired from the vehicle sensor 230, the navigation device 240, and the processing result of INS (Inertial Navigation System) processing can also be added. The first recognition unit 122 recognizes the stop line, obstacle, red light, toll gate, and other road phenomena.

[0057] The first recognition unit 122 recognizes the position and posture of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane when recognizing the travel lane. The first recognition unit 122 can also recognize the deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the center of the lane, and the angle of the advancing direction of the vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the center of the lane, for example, as the relative position and posture of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane. Alternatively, the first recognition unit 122 can recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle M with respect to the position of an arbitrary side end portion (road division line or road boundary) of the travel lane, as the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane.

[0058] The first recognition section 122, for example, implements an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based function in parallel with a function based on a model given in advance. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" can be implemented by "performing recognition of an intersection based on deep learning or the like in parallel with recognition based on a condition given in advance (presence of a signal capable of pattern matching, a road sign, or the like), and comprehensively evaluating both by scoring them." Thus, the reliability of driving control such as automated driving is ensured.

[0059] The first processing section 124 performs driving control including automated driving of the vehicle M based on the recognition result by the first recognition section 122. Figure 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first processing section 124 of the embodiment. The first processing section 124, for example, is provided with a movement plan generation section 124A and a mode decision section 124B.

[0060] The movement plan generation section 124A generates a target track along which the vehicle M is to automatically (independently of the operation of the driver) travel in the future, in a manner that the vehicle M travels on a recommended lane decided by the MPU 250 in principle and can cope with the surrounding situation of the vehicle M. The target track, for example, contains a speed element. For example, the target track is expressed as a track in which points (track points) at which the vehicle M should arrive are arranged in order. The track points are points at which the vehicle M should arrive at every prescribed travel distance (for example, several [m]) along the route, and, other than this, a target speed and a target acceleration at every prescribed sampling time (for example, several [sec]) are generated as a part of the target track. The track points can also be positions at which the vehicle M should arrive at every prescribed sampling time at the sampling time. In this case, information of the target speed and the target acceleration is expressed by the interval of the track points.

[0061] The movement plan generation section 124A can set an event of automated driving when generating the target track. In the event of automated driving, there are a constant-speed driving event, a low-speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branch event, a merging event, a takeover event, a retreat driving event, and the like. The movement plan generation section 124A generates a target track corresponding to the event started.

[0062] The mode decision section 124B decides the driving mode of the vehicle M to be any of a plurality of driving modes different in the task arranged to the driver. The mode decision section 124B, for example, is provided with a driver state decision section 124B1 and a mode change processing section 124B2.

[0063] Here, the vehicle system 1 is capable of executing a plurality of driving modes of the vehicle M. The plurality of driving modes are, for example, modes different in degree of automation that controls the state of driving of the vehicle M. The higher the degree of automation is, the higher the degree of the vehicle system 1 controlling the vehicle M is, in other words, the lower the degree of the driver intervening in the control (driving operation) of the vehicle M is. Depending on the degree of automation, the tasks assigned to the driver are different. For example, the higher the degree of automation is, the lighter the tasks are. The tasks are, for example, the driver's forward monitoring, holding of the steering wheel, and operation of acceleration and deceleration. For example, in the driving mode of high degree of automation, for example, automatic driving is executed that does not assign the driver's forward monitoring, holding of the steering wheel, and operation of acceleration and deceleration to the driver and performs steering control and speed control of the vehicle M. The forward is the space of the traveling direction of the vehicle M visually recognized through the front windshield glass. For example, in the case where the conditions that the vehicle M is traveling at a prescribed speed (for example, about 60 [km / h]) or less on an exclusive road for motor vehicles such as an expressway and there is a preceding vehicle or the like that the vehicle M is following are satisfied, the driving mode in which the above-described tasks are not assigned to the driver is executed. This driving mode is sometimes called TJP. In the case where the conditions are no longer satisfied, the mode decision unit 124B changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to another driving mode.

[0064] In the case where it is determined based on the information obtained from the driving operation member 270, the driver monitoring camera 260, and the like (for example, holding of the steering wheel by the driver, forward monitoring) that the task involved in the decided driving mode (hereinafter, the current driving mode) is not executed by the driver, the mode decision unit 124B changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to a driving mode in which the task is more intensive. For example, in the case where the driver is in a physical posture that cannot shift to manual driving according to the request from the system in the driving mode of high degree of automation (for example, the case where the driver continues to look aside from the allowable area, or the case where a precursor to driving difficulty is detected), the mode decision unit 124B urges the driver to shift to manual driving using the prescribed output unit that urges the driver to hold the steering wheel using the HMI 220, and if the driver does not respond, performs retreat driving control that makes the vehicle M approach the shoulder and gradually stop, and stops the automatic driving. After the automatic driving is stopped, the vehicle M shifts to the driving mode of low degree of automation and is capable of being started by manual operation of the driver. Hereinafter, the same applies to "stopping the automatic driving".

[0065] The driver state determination unit 124B1 monitors the state of the driver for the above-described mode change, and determines whether the state of the driver is a state corresponding to the task. For example, the driver state determination unit 124B1 performs a posture estimation process by analyzing the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 260, and determines whether the driver is in a physical posture that cannot shift to manual driving according to the request from the system. The driver state determination unit 124B1 performs a line-of-sight estimation process by analyzing the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 260, and determines whether the driver is monitoring the front.

[0066] The mode change processing unit 124B2 performs various processes for mode change. For example, the mode change processing unit 124B2 instructs the action plan generation unit 124A to generate a target trajectory for performing retreat driving, or performs work instruction to the second processing device 140, or controls the HMI 220 in order to urge the driver to act.

[0067] The first vehicle control unit 126, for example, acquires information of the target trajectory (trajectory point) generated by the second processing unit 144, and causes a memory (not shown) to store the information. The first vehicle control unit 126 controls each actuator (the travel driving force output device 310, the brake device 320, and the steering device 330) of the object so that the vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 124A at a predetermined time. For example, the first vehicle control unit 126 controls the travel driving force output device 310 and the brake device 320 on the basis of the speed element attached to the target trajectory stored in the memory or the like. Also, the first vehicle control unit 126 controls the steering device 330 in accordance with the bending condition of the target trajectory stored in the memory or the like. The processing of the first vehicle control unit 126 is realized, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the first vehicle control unit 126 performs driving control to cause the vehicle M to travel along the target trajectory by combining feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory. The first vehicle control unit 126 can also provide the information of the target trajectory to the second processing device 140 and control each actuator (the travel driving force output device 310, the brake device 320, and the steering device 330) of the object via the second processing device 140. Thereby, it is possible to unify the communication line (instruction system) to each actuator, and thus it is not necessary to perform mediation control or the like. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the processing load, and thus it is possible to perform more appropriate (less time-delayed) work control to each actuator of the object.

[0068] [Second Processing Device 140]

[0069] Next, the functional structure of the second processing device 140 will be described specifically. Returning to Figure 1The second processing device 140 includes, for example, a second recognition unit 142, a second processing unit 144, and a second vehicle control unit 146.

[0070] The second recognition unit 142 recognizes the situation around the vehicle M by performing sensor fusion processing on detection results detected by at least some of the plurality of sensors included in the outside sensor 10. For example, the second recognition unit 142 performs sensor fusion processing using detection results of the sonar 14 and the camera 15. The second recognition unit 142 can also perform sensor fusion processing using other structures (for example, the radar device 16, the MVC 13), and the like, in addition to (or instead of) the above-described types of the outside sensor 10. For example, the second recognition unit 142 recognizes the position, the type, the speed, and the like of an object existing in the vicinity (within a predetermined distance) of the vehicle M, based on the results of the sensor fusion processing. The second recognition unit 142 can also have the same functions as the first recognition unit 122, for example. The second recognition unit 142 can also be omitted and the processing results of the aforementioned first recognition unit 122 can be used.

[0071] The second processing unit 144 performs driving control that assists the driver in driving, based on the recognition results recognized by the second recognition unit 142. The second processing unit 144 generates a target trajectory in which the vehicle M will travel in the future, based on the travel state of the vehicle M (the position and the speed of the vehicle M), the situation around the vehicle M (the road situation, the position of the object around the vehicle M, and the like). The second processing unit 144 can also perform driving control of the vehicle M similarly to the first processing unit 124.

[0072] The second vehicle control unit 146 acquires information of the target trajectory (trajectory point) generated by the second processing unit 144, for example, and causes a memory (not shown) to store the information. The second vehicle control unit 146 controls each actuator (the travel driving force output device 310, the brake device 320, and the steering device 330) of the object based on the target trajectory stored in the memory or the like. For example, the second vehicle control unit 146 controls the travel driving force output device 310 and the brake device 320 based on the target trajectory stored in the memory or the like, or controls the steering device 330 according to the bending situation of the target trajectory stored in the memory or the like. The processing of the second vehicle control unit 146 can be realized by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control, similarly to the first vehicle control unit 126. The second vehicle control unit 146 can also perform driving control of the vehicle M based on the target trajectory generated by the first processing unit 124. The second vehicle control unit 146 can also cause information that urges the driver to perform a predetermined driving operation (manual driving) to be output from the HMI 220, so that the vehicle M travels along the target trajectory.

[0073] [Configuration of Outside Sensor 10]

[0074] Next, the details of the configuration structure of the outside sensor 10 will be described.Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the external sensor 10 in the embodiment. Figure 3 In the example, vehicle M is equipped with 5 surround-view cameras 11a-11e, 1 LIDAR 12, 4 MVCs 13a-13d, 12 sonars 14a-14l, 2 cameras 15a and 15b, and 5 radar devices 16a-16e. Hereinafter, except where surround-view cameras 11a-11e are described separately, they will be referred to as "surround-view camera 11". The same applies to MVCs 13a-13d, sonars 14a-14l, cameras 15a and 15b, and radar devices 16a-16e.

[0075] In this embodiment, the surround-view camera (first sensor) 11 and the MVC (second sensor) 13 are each composed of multiple camera groups that capture images of areas in multiple directions from the vehicle M (based on the vehicle M). The radar device (third sensor) 16 is composed of multiple radar device groups that detect objects existing in multiple directions from the vehicle M. The sonar 14 is composed of multiple radar groups that move from the vehicle M toward objects existing in multiple directions.

[0076] exist Figure 3 In the example, surround-view cameras 11a and 11b are positioned on the left side of the vehicle body (the main body of vehicle M) to capture images of the area including the left side of vehicle M (the -Y-axis direction in the diagram). Surround-view cameras 11c and 11d are positioned on the right side of the vehicle body to capture images of the area including the right side of vehicle M (the Y-axis direction in the diagram). Surround-view camera 11e is positioned above the rear windshield of vehicle M (near the roof) to capture images of the area including the rear of vehicle M (the -X-axis direction in the diagram). Surround-view cameras 11a to 11e serve the same purpose. The field of view (capture range) of each of surround-view cameras 11a to 11e can also be the same. The capture ranges of surround-view cameras 11a to 11e can also partially overlap.

[0077] The LIDAR12 is positioned on the upper part of the vehicle body (on the roof) to detect objects in the area including the area in front of the vehicle M (X-axis direction in the figure).

[0078] MVC13a is positioned at the front of the vehicle and captures the area including the area in front of vehicle M. MVC13b is positioned near the left rearview mirror of vehicle M and captures the area including the left side of vehicle M. MVC13c is positioned near the right rearview mirror of vehicle M and captures the area including the right side of vehicle M. MVC13d is positioned at the rear of the vehicle and captures the area including the rear of vehicle M. MVCs 13a through 13d serve the same purpose. The field of view of each of MVCs 13a through 13d can also be the same. The shooting range of MVCs 13a through 13d can also partially overlap.

[0079] Sonars 14a to 14l are installed, for example, on bumpers at the front and rear ends of the vehicle body. Sonars 14a and 14b are installed at the front end of the vehicle body, sonars 14c and 14d are installed at the front side ends of the vehicle body, and sonars 14e and 14f are installed on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle body. Sonars 14g and 14h are installed on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle body, and sonars 14i, 14j, 14k, and 14l are installed at the rear end of the vehicle body. Sonars 14a to 14l are used to detect objects present around the vehicle M. Sonars 14a to 14l perform detection processing for the same purpose. The detection range of each of sonars 14a to 14l can also be the same. The detection ranges detected by sonars 14a to 14l can also partially overlap.

[0080] Cameras 15a and 15b are mounted, for example, on the upper part of the windshield or behind the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, to photograph the area including the area in front of the vehicle M. One of cameras 15a and 15b can also be a telephoto camera capable of photographing distant areas. Alternatively, one of cameras 15a and 15b can be the main camera operating normally, while the other is a secondary camera that photographs when the main camera cannot. The photographing range captured by cameras 15a and 15b can also partially overlap.

[0081] The radar device 16a is provided near the front end of the vehicle body, and detects an object present in front of the vehicle M. The radar device 16b is provided near the front left of the vehicle body, and detects an object present in front left and left of the vehicle M. The radar device 16c is provided near the front right of the vehicle body, and detects an object present in front right and right of the vehicle M. The radar device 16d is provided near the rear left of the vehicle body, and detects an object present in rear left and left of the vehicle M. The radar device 16e is provided near the rear right of the vehicle body, and detects an object present in rear right and right of the vehicle M. The radar devices 16a to 16e perform detection processing for the same purpose. The size of the detection range of each of the radar devices 16a to 16e can also be the same. The detection ranges detected by the radar devices 16a to 16e can also partially overlap.

[0082] The number and the arrangement position of the outside sensors 10 are not limited to Figure 3 For example, the arrangement position of at least a part of the outside sensors 10 can be different, or the number of the outside sensors 10 can be different, or a part of the outside sensors 10 can be added, deleted, or changed in kind, according to the class, the generation (version), the function, or the like of the vehicle M.

[0083] [Examples of the use of the outside sensors]

[0084] Next, examples of the use of the outside sensors used in detecting the surrounding situation will be described for several use cases. The following examples are examples in which the outside sensors 10, the processing device 100, the power supply unit 400, and the like are not abnormal (malfunctioning), and are not limited thereto.

[0085] [When running on an expressway]

[0086] For example, when the vehicle M is running on an expressway, the outputs (detection results) of the camera 15, the radar devices 16, and the LIDAR 12 are used in the start determination, the end determination, and the following running determination related to the TJP control. In the detection of the excessive approach of an obstacle as an end condition of the TJP control, the outputs of the surround view camera 11 and the MVC 13 can also be used in addition to the above-described sensors. In the detection of the approach of an emergency vehicle and a construction zone in front of the vehicle M as an end condition of the TJP, the outputs of the surround view camera 11 and the camera 15 are used. In the recognition of a lane division line used in the driving control such as LKAS, the outputs of the surround view camera 11 and the camera 15 are used. In the driving control (merging support) such as ALC, the outputs of the surround view camera 11, the camera 15, and the radar devices 16 are used. In the recognition of a toll gate or the like, the output of the camera 15 is used.

[0087] [When running on a general road]

[0088] For example, when vehicle M is driving on a regular road, the outputs of camera 15 and LIDAR 12 are used for the recognition of lane markings in situations such as LKAS (Driver Control System), hand-held (automatic driving) in congested traffic, narrow roads, and construction zones. The outputs of camera 15 and radar device 16 are used for the detection of surrounding objects (other vehicles, pedestrians), and the recognition of construction zones. The recognition results of surround-view cameras 11 and 15 are used for the recognition of turn signals, traffic lights, intersections, stop lines, and road signs of surrounding vehicles. The detection results of camera 15, radar device 16, LIDAR 12, and MVC 13 are used for the recognition of the drivable area surrounding vehicle M. The outputs of sonar 14 and radar device 16 are used when detecting objects around vehicle M while it is parked, exiting a parking space, or making left or right turns while driving on narrow roads.

[0089] [Regarding the power supply to the external sensor 10 and the processing device 100]

[0090] In implementation, for example, a redundant structure is constructed so that even in the event of an anomaly such as a power failure in response to external sensors 10, processing devices 100, etc., the detection (identification) of the surrounding conditions and driving control can continue. Figure 4 This diagram illustrates an example of a redundant structure, including the power supply in the implementation method. Figure 4 In the example, the device that receives power from the first power supply unit 410 (in) Figure 4 In this example, the external sensor 10 and processing device 100 are referred to as the first group Gr1, and the device receiving power from the second power supply unit 420 is referred to as the second group Gr2. Figure 4 In the example, the solid line shows the power supply wire EL, and the dashed line shows the communication line CL that represents the flow of information (e.g., the detection results of each sensor).

[0091] In this embodiment, the first power supply unit 410 supplies power to at least the surround-view camera (first sensor) 11 and the radar device (third sensor) 16, and also supplies power to the first processing device 120. Figure 4 In this example, in addition to the surround-view camera 11 and radar device 16, LIDAR 12 also receives power from the first power supply unit 410. The surround-view camera 11, LIDAR 12, and radar device 16 output their respective outputs (detection results) to the first processing unit 120. Figure 4 In this example, a communication line CL is provided so that the detection results of the radar device 16 can be output to the second processing device 140.

[0092] In the embodiment, the second power supply section 420 supplies electric power at least to the MVC (second sensor) 13, and supplies electric power to the second processing device 140. In Figure 4 In the example, the camera 15 and the sonar 14 receive electric power supply from the second power supply section 420 in addition to the MVC 13. The camera 15, the MVC 13, and the sonar 14 output respective detection results to the second processing device 140. In Figure 4 In the example, the communication line CL is provided so that the detection results of the MVC 13 and the sonar 14 can be output to the first processing device 120. In the embodiment, for example, the devices of the first group Gr1 perform driving control related to automatic driving, but the outputs of the MVC 13 and the sonar 14 are also used, whereby the surrounding situation of the vehicle M can be recognized with higher accuracy. In the embodiment, the devices of the second group Gr2 perform driving control related to driving support, but the output of the radar device 16 is also used, whereby the surrounding situation of the vehicle M can be recognized with higher accuracy.

[0093] As shown in Figure 4 , the MVC 13, the radar device 16, and the sonar 14 have a communication line (first communication line) CL to the first processing device 120 and a communication line (second communication line) CL to the second processing device 140, and can perform sensor outputs based on a dual system, whereby a more robust redundant structure can be constructed.

[0094] In the embodiment, the first communication line and the second communication line can also be communication lines of different communication bands. In this case, the first communication line is a communication network that can perform large-capacity and high-speed communication compared to the second communication line. Specifically, the first communication line is set to an Ethernet and the second communication line is set to a CAN, but the first communication line and the second communication line can also be other communication networks. Thereby, for the first processing device 120 that needs a large amount of information for driving control such as automatic driving, large-capacity communication can be performed without delay.

[0095] In the embodiment, in the first processing device 120 and the second processing device 140, the processing capacity of the first processing device 120 side can also be improved. The processing capacity is, for example, a value compared using TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) or the like, but is not limited thereto. Thereby, more sensor information can be processed at higher speed, and thus control related to automatic driving can be performed without lag.

[0096] In the embodiment, for example, it can also be that the first processing device 120 identifies the situation of the periphery of the vehicle M based on the detection result of the outside sensor 10, and generates a future target track of the vehicle M based on the identification result and outputs it to the second processing device 140, and the second processing device 140 outputs the instruction to each actuating device (the travel driving force output device 310, the brake device 320, the steering device 330) of the subject based on the target track generated by the first processing device 120. In this way, the communication lines to each actuating device of the subject are unified, and thus it is possible to not need mediation control and the like.

[0097] Each actuating device (the travel driving force output device 310, the brake device 320, the steering device 330) can also be configured to have a communication line with the first processing device 120 in addition to the communication line with the second processing device 140. Thereby, for example, even in the case where the second group Gr2 (the second processing device 140) fails and the fallback driving is executed, it is possible to operate each actuating device by the instruction from the first processing device 120 of the first group Gr1 by the redundant structure. In the embodiment, the redundant structure of the communication line described above is constructed not for all of the actuating devices included in the vehicle M but for the actuating devices (the travel driving force output device 310, the brake device 320, the steering device 330) associated with the travel of the vehicle M, and thereby it is possible to realize more appropriate driving control at the time of fallback driving while suppressing the cost.

[0098] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an outline of the detection range of each sensor included in the outside sensor 10 of the embodiment. In Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 10, the detection range of the outside sensor 10 included in the first group Gr1 to which the electric power is supplied by the first power supply section 410, and the detection range of the outside sensor 10 included in the second group Gr2 to which the electric power is supplied by the second power supply section 420 are shown. In Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 11, the division of the electric power supply based on the first power supply section 410 and the second power supply section 420, and the three-dimensional detection region AR based on each outside sensor are schematically shown.

[0099] Figure 5 (A) to (C) of the first group Gr1 shown in FIG. 12 show the detection range Ala of the surround camera 11, the detection range Alb of the LIDAR 12, and the detection range Alc of the radar device 16 for the vehicle M. Figure 5The (A) to (C) of the second group Gr2 shown show the detection range A2a of the camera 15, the detection range A2b of the MVC 13, and the detection range A2c of the sonar 14 for the vehicle M. By combining the detection ranges of the (A) to (C) of the first group Gr1, it is possible to detect the situation of the surroundings of the vehicle M by only the electric power from the first power supply section 410, and by combining the detection ranges of the (A) to (C) of the second group Gr2, it is possible to detect the situation of the surroundings of the vehicle M by only the electric power from the second power supply section 420. In this way, in the embodiment, a redundant structure is constructed in which it is possible to detect the situation of the surroundings of the vehicle M by supplying electric power from one of the two power systems. Due to this, even in the case where a failure occurs in any of the power supply sections, it is possible to detect the situation of the surroundings of the vehicle M based on the detection result of the outside sensor that is operating by the electric power supplied from the other power supply section, and it is possible to continue the corresponding driving control based on the detection result.

[0100] [Operation control at the time of failure]

[0101] Next, the operation control at the time of failure of the redundant structure of the embodiment will be described in detail. For example, the failure determination section 160 determines whether a failure occurs in any of the first group Gr1 and the second group Gr2. For example, the failure determination section 160 acquires the state of each of the first power supply section 410 and the second power supply section 420 using the vehicle sensor 230, and determines that a failure (anomaly) exists in the object group in the case where, for example, the temperature is equal to or higher than a first threshold value, the battery remaining amount is less than a second threshold value, the current value, the voltage value of the output exceeds a prescribed range. The failure determination section 160 can also acquire the state of the electric wire EL, the communication line CL from the vehicle sensor 230, and determine that a failure exists in the object group in the case where it is determined that a disconnection, other communication error, or the like exists as an anomaly.

[0102] For example, in the case where it is determined by the failure determination section 160 that a failure occurs in the first group Gr1, the processing device 100 uses the outside sensor 10 included in the second group Gr2 to detect the situation of the surroundings of the vehicle M to decide the stop position of the vehicle M, and uses the second processing device 140 to execute the driving control (retreat driving) that moves the vehicle M to stop at the decided stop position. In the case where it is determined by the failure determination section 160 that a failure occurs in the second group Gr2, the processing device 100 uses the outside sensor 10 included in the first group Gr1 to detect the situation of the surroundings of the vehicle M to decide the stop position of the vehicle M, and uses the first processing device 120 to execute the driving control (retreat driving) that moves the vehicle M to stop at the decided stop position.

[0103] Thus, the first group Gr1 and the second group Gr2 have a redundant structure that can detect the situation of the entire surroundings (360 degrees) of the vehicle M, respectively, and thus even if one of the first group Gr1 and the second group Gr2 has failed as described above, the other group can be used to recognize the surrounding situation. According to the embodiment, the sonar 14 and the MVC 13 can be used to detect the surrounding situation at a close distance with few dead angles, and thus in a case where the vehicle M is stopped by a retreat drive, it is possible to suppress parking in a parking prohibition area (e.g., in front of a police station, in front of a fire station, near a fire hydrant, etc.), and the like.

[0104] [Modified Example]

[0105] At least one of the first processing device 120 and the second processing device 140 in the embodiment can also be constituted by a plurality of different ECUs. The vehicle system 1 can also include other different ECUs.

[0106] In the embodiment, the failure determination unit 160 can also perform abnormality (failure) determination of each device within the group instead of failure determination of each group. For example, in a case where it is determined by the failure determination unit 160 that only the first power supply unit 410 has an abnormality, the processing device 100 can also be controlled to supply electric power from the second power supply unit 420 to the devices included in the first group Gr1. For example, in a case where it is determined by the failure determination unit 160 that the radar device 16 has a failure, the processing device 100 can also output the detection results of the MVC 13 and the sonar 14 to the first processing device 120 to recognize the surrounding situation. Thus, it is possible to improve the continuation of the drive control by a partial change.

[0107] In the embodiment, in a case where it is determined by the failure determination unit 160 that both the first group Gr1 and the second group Gr2 have failures, the HMI 220 is used to notify the driver that the drive control (and the instruction of the intention to perform manual driving) cannot be continued due to the failures, and the drive control is ended.

[0108] According to the above-described embodiment, the vehicle control device is provided with: an outside sensor 10 that detects a surrounding situation of a vehicle M; a processing device 100 that performs a prescribed process related to the vehicle M based on an output of the outside sensor 10; a travel control device 300 (an example of a control device) that controls at least travel of the vehicle M based on a processing result processed by the processing device 100; and a power supply section 400 that supplies power to at least the outside sensor 10 and the processing device 100, the outside sensor 10 including a surround view camera 11 (an example of a first sensor), an MVC 13 (an example of a second sensor), and a radar device 16 (a third sensor), the processing device 100 including a first processing device 120 and a second processing device 140, outputs of the surround view camera 11 and the MVC 13 being output to the first processing device 120, an output of the radar device 16 being output to the second processing device 140, the power supply section 400 including a first power supply section 410 and a second power supply section 420, the first power supply section 410 supplying power to at least the surround view camera 11, the radar device 16, and the first processing device 120, the second power supply section 420 supplying power to at least the MVC 13 and the second processing device 140, whereby a more appropriate redundant structure can be constructed with respect to the outside sensor mounted on the vehicle.

[0109] Specifically, according to the embodiment, by constructing a redundant structure of the power supply with respect to the outside sensor 10, it is possible to recognize the surrounding situation even in the case where a part has failed, and thus it is possible to more appropriately perform the driving control such as the retreat driving. According to the embodiment, by previously setting the output system from the sensor to be double, it is possible to realize a more stable redundant structure. In the recognition process of the surrounding situation of the first processing device 120 and the second processing device 140, it is possible to use the output of the sensor included in the other group, and thus it is possible to more accurately recognize the surrounding situation based on the output of more sensors. According to the embodiment, by unifying the communication line toward the actuator, it is possible to not need the mediation control.

[0110] The above describes the specific embodiments of the present application using the embodiments, but the present application is not at all limited by such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be applied within the scope of the gist of the present application.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein, The vehicle control device includes: External sensors detect the vehicle's surroundings; A processing device that performs prescribed processing related to the vehicle based on the output of the external sensors; A control device that controls at least the movement of the vehicle based on the processing results processed by the processing device; as well as The power supply unit supplies power to at least the external sensors and the processing device. The external sensors include a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor. The processing device includes a first processing device and a second processing device. The outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor are output to the first processing device. The output of the third sensor is output to the second processing device. The power supply unit includes a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit. The first power supply unit supplies power to at least the first sensor, the third sensor, and the first processing device. The second power supply unit supplies power to at least the second sensor and the second processing device.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first sensor and the second sensor are multiple cameras that capture images of areas from different directions within the vehicle. The third sensor is a plurality of radar devices that detect objects present in multiple directions from the vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first sensor and the second sensor are multiple cameras of the same size or with the same purpose or the same field of view. The third sensor is a plurality of radar devices that detect objects from the vehicle in multiple directions.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The second sensor is connected to the first processing device via a first communication line, and is also connected to the second processing device via a second communication line different from the first communication line.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein, The first communication line is a communication network that can perform high-capacity and high-speed communication compared to the second communication line.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first processing device has a higher processing capacity compared to the second processing device.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first processing device generates the target track for the vehicle based on the output of the external sensors. The second processing device outputs instructions to the actuators included in the control device based on the target trajectory generated by the first processing device.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, wherein, The actuating device includes a steering control device for controlling the steering of the vehicle and a speed control device for controlling the speed of the vehicle. The steering control device and the speed control device have a communication line capable of receiving instructions from the second processing device and a communication line capable of receiving instructions from the first processing device.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first power supply unit supplies power to a first group consisting of at least the first sensor, the third sensor, and the first processing device. The second power supply unit supplies power to a second group consisting of at least the second sensor and the second processing device. If it is determined that a fault has occurred in either the first group or the second group, the control device uses the other group to determine the stopping position of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and performs vehicle control to drive the vehicle to the determined stopping position.

10. A vehicle control method, wherein, External sensors detect the vehicle's surroundings. The processing device performs prescribed processing related to the vehicle based on the output of the external sensors. The vehicle's movement is controlled at least based on the processing results from the processing device. The power supply unit supplies power to at least the external sensors and the processing device. The external sensors include a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor. The processing device includes a first processing device and a second processing device. The outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor are output to the first processing device. The output of the third sensor is output to the second processing device. The power supply unit includes a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit. The first power supply unit supplies power to at least the first sensor, the third sensor, and the first processing device. The second power supply unit supplies power to at least the second sensor and the second processing device.

Images