Map reliability determination device and driving support device

Abstract

To provide a user with indicators to a map.SOLUTION: A map reliability determination device 50 includes: a travel trajectory acquisition unit 112 for acquiring a travel trajectory of a predetermined section where an own vehicle has traveled; a boundary recognition unit 113 for recognizing a pair of right and left lane boundaries that define lanes within the predetermined section where the own vehicle has traveled, based on map information in the vicinity of the own vehicle; a displacement amount calculation unit 114 for calculating a displacement amount between the travel trajectory acquired by the travel trajectory acquisition unit 112 and the pair of right and left lane boundaries recognized by the boundary recognition unit 113; a reliability determination unit 115 for determining the reliability of the pair of right and left lane boundaries recognized by the boundary recognition unit 113 based on the displacement amount calculated by the displacement calculation unit 114; and a map updating unit 116 for outputting reliability information including a determination result of the reliability determination unit 115.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a map reliability determination device and a driving support device that determine the reliability of road map information.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of device, a device that detects the surrounding environment of a vehicle in motion using in-vehicle sensors and generates map information based on the sensor data of the in-vehicle sensors is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the map generated in the manner of the device described in Patent Document 1 may contain errors, and it is preferable to give some kind of indicator to the user in order to use such a map.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A map reliability determination device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a trajectory acquisition unit that acquires a travel trajectory of a predetermined section traveled by the host vehicle, a recognition unit that recognizes a pair of left and right lane boundary lines that define a lane within a predetermined section traveled by the host vehicle based on map information around the host vehicle, a calculation unit that calculates a deviation amount between the travel trajectory acquired by the trajectory acquisition unit and the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the recognition unit, a reliability determination unit that determines the reliability of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the recognition unit based on the deviation amount calculated by the calculation unit, and an output unit that outputs reliability information including the determination result of the reliability determination unit.

[0006] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is a driver assistance device comprising: the map reliability determination device described above; a road recognition unit that recognizes the road ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle while it is driving in automatic driving mode; a reliability acquisition unit that acquires reliability information indicating the reliability of the lane boundary lines of the road recognized by the road recognition unit, which is output by the output unit of the map reliability determination device; and a request unit that outputs request information, including a request for a driver change to the occupants, based on the reliability indicated by the reliability information acquired by the reliability acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide users with indicators for using maps. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A diagram to explain the misalignment of lane boundaries. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a map reliability determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the controller in Figure 3. [Figure 5A] A diagram illustrating the reliability of lane boundary lines. [Figure 5B] A diagram illustrating the reliability of lane boundary lines. [Figure 5C] A diagram showing an example of a lane boundary line that requires correction. [Figure 6] A block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driver assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the controller in Figure 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a map reliability determination device and a driving assistance device. The map reliability determination device is configured to determine the reliability of road map information. The driving assistance device is configured to provide driving assistance based on the road map information whose reliability has been determined by the map reliability determination device.

[0010] The vehicle control system can be applied to both vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities, i.e., autonomous vehicles, and vehicles without autonomous driving capabilities, i.e., manually driven vehicles. The vehicle to which the vehicle control system according to this embodiment is applied may be referred to as "the vehicle" to distinguish it from other vehicles. In the following description, "the vehicle" will be assumed to be an autonomous vehicle. An autonomous vehicle may have both autonomous and manual driving capabilities and can be configured as a manually driven vehicle. That is, "the vehicle" (autonomous vehicle) can operate not only in autonomous driving mode, which does not require driver operation, but also in manual driving mode, which requires driver operation.

[0011] The vehicle may be an engine-powered vehicle having an internal combustion engine as its driving source, an electric vehicle having a drive motor as its driving source, or a hybrid vehicle having both an engine and a drive motor as its driving sources. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control system 100 mainly comprises a controller 10, a group of external sensors 1 and 2 connected to the controller 10 via CAN communication lines or the like, an internal sensor group 2, an input / output device 3, a positioning unit 4, a map database 5, a navigation device 6, a communication unit 7, and an actuator AC for driving.

[0013] The external sensor group 1 is a general term for a plurality of sensors (external sensors) that detect the external situation, which is the surrounding information of the host vehicle. For example, the external sensor group 1 includes a lidar that irradiates laser light and detects reflected light to detect the position of an object around the host vehicle (distance and direction from the host vehicle), a radar that irradiates electromagnetic waves and detects reflected waves to detect the position of an object around the host vehicle, and a camera that has an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS and images the surrounding area (front, rear, and sides) of the host vehicle.

[0014] The internal sensor group 2 is a general term for a plurality of sensors (internal sensors) that detect the driving state of the host vehicle. For example, the internal sensor group 2 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the host vehicle in the longitudinal and lateral directions, a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the driving power source, and a sensor that detects the driving operations of the driver in the manual driving mode, such as the operation of the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, and the steering wheel.

[0015] The input / output device 3 is a general term for a device through which commands are input from the driver or information is output to the driver. For example, the input / output device 3 includes various switches through which the driver inputs various commands by operating an operation member, a microphone through which the driver inputs commands by voice, a display that provides information to the driver via a display image, and a speaker that provides information to the driver by voice.

[0016] The positioning unit (GNSS unit) 4 has a positioning sensor that receives positioning signals transmitted from positioning satellites. The positioning sensor can also be included in the internal sensor group 2. The positioning satellites are artificial satellites such as GPS satellites and quasi-zenith satellites. The positioning unit 4 measures the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the host vehicle using the positioning information received by the positioning sensor.

[0017] The map database 5 is a device that stores general map information used in the navigation device 6, and is composed of, for example, a hard disk or a semiconductor element. The map information includes road position information, road shape (such as curvature) information, and intersection and branch point position information. Note that the map information stored in the map database 5 is different from the high-precision map information stored in the storage unit 12 of the controller 10.

[0018] The navigation device 6 is a device that searches for a target route on the road to a destination input by the driver and provides guidance along the target route. The input of the destination and the guidance along the target route are performed via the input / output device 3. The target route is calculated based on the current position of the host vehicle measured by the positioning unit 4 and the map information stored in the map database 5. It is also possible to measure the current position of the host vehicle using the detection values of the external sensor group 1, and calculate the target route based on this current position and the high-precision map information stored in the storage unit 12.

[0019] The communication unit 7 communicates with various servers (not shown) via a network including a wireless communication network typified by the Internet network or a mobile phone network, and periodically or at an arbitrary timing acquires map information, driving history information, traffic information, etc. from the server. The network includes not only a public wireless communication network but also a closed communication network provided for each predetermined management area, such as a wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The acquired map information is output to the map database 5 and the storage unit 12, and the map information is updated. It is also possible to communicate with other vehicles via the communication unit 7.

[0020] Actuator AC is a drive actuator used to control the movement of the vehicle. When the drive source is an engine, actuator AC includes a throttle actuator that adjusts the opening degree (throttle opening) of the engine's throttle valve. When the drive source is a drive motor, the drive motor is included in actuator AC. Brake actuators that operate the vehicle's braking system and steering actuators that drive the steering system are also included in actuator AC.

[0021] The controller 10 is comprised of an electronic control unit (ECU). More specifically, the controller 10 includes a computer comprising an arithmetic unit 11 such as a CPU (microprocessor), a storage unit 12 such as ROM or RAM, and other peripheral circuits (not shown) such as an I / O interface. While multiple ECUs with different functions, such as an engine control ECU, a drive motor control ECU, and a braking system ECU, can be provided separately, in Figure 1, for convenience, the controller 10 is shown as a collection of these ECUs.

[0022] The memory unit 12 stores high-precision road map information. This road map information includes road location information, road shape information (such as curvature), road gradient information, intersection and branching point location information, number of lanes information, lane width and location information for each lane (information on the center position of the lane and the boundary lines of the lane positions), location information of landmarks (traffic lights, signs, buildings, etc.) as markers on the map, and road surface profile information such as road surface irregularities. The map information stored in the memory unit 12 includes map information acquired from outside the vehicle via the communication unit 7, and map information created by the vehicle itself using detection values ​​from the external sensor group 1 or detection values ​​from the external sensor group 1 and the internal sensor group 2.

[0023] The calculation unit 11 has the following functional configuration: a vehicle position recognition unit 13, an external environment recognition unit 14, an action plan generation unit 15, and a driving control unit 16.

[0024] The vehicle position recognition unit 13 recognizes the vehicle's position on the map (vehicle position) based on the vehicle's position information obtained by the positioning unit 4 and the map information in the map database 5. The vehicle position may also be recognized using the map information stored in the storage unit 12 and the surrounding information of the vehicle detected by the external sensor group 1, thereby enabling high-precision recognition of the vehicle's position. Furthermore, when the vehicle's position can be measured by sensors installed on or beside the road, the vehicle position can also be recognized by communicating with those sensors via the communication unit 7.

[0025] The external environment recognition unit 14 recognizes the external conditions around the vehicle based on signals from the external sensor group 1, such as a LiDAR, radar, and camera. For example, it recognizes the position, speed, and acceleration of surrounding vehicles (vehicles in front and behind) traveling around the vehicle, the position of surrounding vehicles stopped or parked around the vehicle, and the position and state of other objects. Other objects include signs, traffic lights, road markings such as lane markings and stop lines, buildings, guardrails, utility poles, billboards, pedestrians, and bicycles. The state of other objects includes the color of traffic lights (red, blue, yellow), and the speed and direction of pedestrians and cyclists.

[0026] The action plan generation unit 15 generates a driving trajectory (target trajectory) for the vehicle from the present time to a predetermined time in advance, based on, for example, the target route calculated by the navigation device 6, the map information stored in the memory unit 12, the vehicle's position recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 13, and the external conditions recognized by the external environment recognition unit 14. If there are multiple candidate trajectories for the target trajectory on the target route, the action plan generation unit 15 selects the optimal trajectory from among them that meets criteria such as complying with laws and regulations and driving efficiently and safely, and sets the selected trajectory as the target trajectory. The action plan generation unit 15 then generates an action plan corresponding to the generated target trajectory. The action plan generation unit 15 generates various action plans corresponding to overtaking driving to overtake a preceding vehicle, lane change driving to change driving lanes, following driving to follow a preceding vehicle, lane keeping driving to maintain the driving lane without deviating from the driving lane, deceleration driving, or acceleration driving. When generating a target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 15 first determines the driving mode and generates the target trajectory based on the driving mode.

[0027] In automatic driving mode, the driving control unit 16 controls each actuator AC so that the vehicle travels along the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 15. More specifically, in automatic driving mode, the driving control unit 16 calculates the required driving force to obtain the target acceleration per unit time calculated by the action plan generation unit 15, taking into account the driving resistance determined by factors such as the road gradient. Then, it provides feedback control to the actuator AC so that the actual acceleration detected by, for example, the internal sensor group 2 becomes the target acceleration. In other words, it controls the actuator AC so that the vehicle travels at the target vehicle speed and target acceleration. When the driving mode is manual driving mode, the driving control unit 16 controls each actuator AC in accordance with driving commands (such as steering operations) from the driver acquired by the internal sensor group 2.

[0028] The vehicle control system 100, configured as described above, recognizes the boundary lines defining the lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling (hereinafter referred to as lane boundary lines) based on sensor values ​​acquired by the external sensor group 1 when the vehicle is traveling in manual driving mode, generates road map information including the lane boundary lines, and stores the generated road map information in the storage unit 12. When the vehicle is traveling in automatic driving mode, the vehicle control system 100 recognizes the lane boundary lines on the right and left sides of the vehicle based on the road map information stored in the storage unit 12, and controls the actuator AC to travel in the center of the left and right lane boundary lines.

[0029] Incidentally, the position of the actual lane boundary line may differ from the position of the lane boundary line indicated by the road map information if there is an error in the sensor values ​​of the external sensor group 1 or if there is a change in the road structure. Figure 2 is a diagram to explain the shift in the lane boundary line. In Figure 2, the solid lines RL and RR schematically represent the actual boundary lines (hereinafter sometimes referred to as actual boundary lines) that define the lane LN in which the vehicle 101 is traveling. The solid line RL represents the actual boundary line on the left side of lane LN, and the solid line RR represents the actual boundary line on the right side of lane LN. The dashed lines VL and VR schematically represent the left and right boundary lines (hereinafter sometimes referred to as virtual boundary lines) of lane LN indicated by the road map information. In the example shown in Figure 2, the position of the virtual boundary lines VL and VR in the vehicle width direction is gradually shifted to the left relative to the actual boundary lines RL and RR. In this case, if a target trajectory for automatic driving is generated based on the center line VC of the virtual boundary lines VL and VR, there is a risk that the driving position of the vehicle 101 will deviate from the center of the lane, or that the vehicle 101 will deviate off the road. In the example in Figure 2, the driving position of the vehicle 101 will gradually move towards the left side within lane LN, and there is a risk that the vehicle 101 will eventually deviate off the road at point P1. Therefore, in order to address this problem, the map reliability determination device is configured as follows in this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a map reliability determination device 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows the configuration when the vehicle 101 is mainly driving in manual driving mode. The map reliability determination device 50 is included in the vehicle control system 100 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the map reliability determination device 50 has a camera 1a, a wheel speed sensor 4a, a steering angle sensor 4b, and a controller 10.

[0031] Camera 1a is a stereo camera having an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS, and constitutes part of the external sensor group 1 in Figure 1. Camera 1a may also be a monocular camera. Camera 1a detects the external environment around the vehicle 101. Camera 1a is mounted, for example, at a predetermined position on the front of the vehicle 101, and continuously images the space in front of the vehicle 101 to acquire images of objects (camera images). Objects include boundary lines such as lane markings that define the lane in which the vehicle 101 travels (for example, the actual boundary lines RL and RR in Figure 2).

[0032] The wheel speed sensor 4a detects the speed of the wheels of the vehicle 101. The steering angle sensor 4b detects the steering angle of the wheels steered via the steering wheel.

[0033] The controller 10 in Figure 3 has a functional configuration consisting of a map generation unit 111 and a storage unit 12.

[0034] The map generation unit 111 generates map information (environmental map) consisting of 3D point cloud data using detected values ​​detected by the camera 1a while driving in manual driving mode. Specifically, it extracts edges indicating the contours of objects from the camera image acquired by the camera 1a based on the brightness and color information of each pixel, and extracts feature points using that edge information. Feature points are, for example, the intersections of edges and correspond to building corners, road sign corners, and the edges of lane markings. The map generation unit 111 sequentially plots the extracted feature points on the environmental map, thereby generating an environmental map of the area around the road that the vehicle 101 has traveled on. Based on the extracted feature points, the map generation unit 111 recognizes the lane boundary lines of the road that the vehicle 101 is traveling on and stores the position information of the recognized lane boundary lines in the environmental map. In areas without lane markings, such as residential streets and intersections, lane boundaries are recognized based on recognition information about the area around the vehicle 101, including the outlines (edges) of buildings, curbs, and plants lining the road, as well as the travel paths of other vehicles (preceding and oncoming vehicles) around the vehicle 101. The generated environmental map is stored in the memory unit 12.

[0035] The controller 10 in Figure 3 further includes, as a functional configuration, a driving trajectory acquisition unit (hereinafter simply referred to as the trajectory acquisition unit) 112, a boundary line recognition unit 113, a displacement amount calculation unit 114, a reliability determination unit 115, and a map update unit 116.

[0036] The trajectory acquisition unit 112, boundary recognition unit 113, displacement amount calculation unit 114, reliability determination unit 115, and map update unit 116 are configured to function as follows during pre-driving. Pre-driving is a manual driving mode run performed in order to determine the reliability of the environmental map generated by the map generation unit 111 before driving in automatic driving mode on a road for which an environmental map has been generated by the map generation unit 111.

[0037] The trajectory acquisition unit 112 acquires the driving trajectory of the target section traveled by the vehicle 101. More specifically, the trajectory acquisition unit 112 calculates and acquires the driving trajectory based on the position of the vehicle 101 (time-series position) measured by the positioning unit 4 while the vehicle 101 is traveling through the target section. The target section is the section from the current driving position of the vehicle 101 to a predetermined distance behind it, and the storage unit 12 stores sensor data from the positioning unit 4 acquired while the vehicle 101 is traveling through that target section, at least until the calculation of the driving trajectory of the target section by the trajectory acquisition unit 112 is completed. The driving trajectory may also be calculated based on sensor data from the wheel speed sensor 4a and the steering angle sensor 4b.

[0038] The boundary line recognition unit 113 recognizes a pair of left and right boundary lines that define the lanes within the target section traveled by the vehicle 101, based on the environmental map stored in the memory unit 12. More specifically, the boundary line recognition unit 113 obtains positional information from the environmental map for the pair of left and right boundary lines that define the lanes traveled by the vehicle 101.

[0039] The deviation amount calculation unit 114 calculates the deviation amount between the driving trajectory of the vehicle 101 acquired by the trajectory acquisition unit 112 and the left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the boundary line recognition unit 113. The deviation amount is the distance between the driving trajectory of the vehicle 101 (line RT in Figure 2) and the center line of the left and right lane boundary lines (line VC in Figure 2). The deviation amount calculation unit 114 sets calculation points at regular intervals on the driving trajectory of the vehicle 101 and calculates the deviation amount at each calculation point.

[0040] The reliability determination unit 115 determines the reliability of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the boundary line recognition unit 113 based on the amount of displacement calculated by the displacement amount calculation unit 114. More specifically, the reliability determination unit 115 determines the reliability such that the smaller the amount of displacement calculated by the displacement amount calculation unit 114, the higher the reliability. More specifically, the reliability determination unit 115 calculates the maximum value of the displacement at each calculation point set within the target section, and determines the reliability such that the smaller the maximum value, the higher the reliability. The reliability determination unit 115 may also determine the reliability using other statistical values ​​such as the sum or average value of the displacement amounts instead of the maximum value of the displacement amount.

[0041] The map update unit 116 outputs reliability information, including the determination result of the reliability determination unit 115, to the storage unit 12. Specifically, the reliability information is associated with the location information of the target section and stored in the environmental map stored in the storage unit 12. If the reliability information of the target section is already included in the environmental map, the reliability information of the target section included in the environmental map is updated (overwritten). The location information of the target section is information indicating the latitude and longitude of the start and end points of the target section. Note that the location information of the target section may be other information as long as it is information that can identify the location of the target section.

[0042] Furthermore, the map update unit 116 corrects the environmental map stored in the storage unit 12 when the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 114 is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount. Specifically, when the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 114 is greater than or equal to half the lane width, the map update unit 116 determines that the center line of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the boundary line recognition unit 113 extends outside the actual lane, and corrects the environmental map stored in the storage unit 12. More specifically, the map update unit 116 corrects the position information of the lane boundary lines (a pair of left and right lane boundary lines) of the target section stored in the environmental map so that the center line of those lane boundary lines overlaps with the driving trajectory of the vehicle 101 in the target section.

[0043] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the controller 10 in Figure 3 according to a predetermined program. The process shown in this flowchart is started, for example, when the vehicle 101 is pre-driving in manual driving mode, and is repeated at predetermined intervals.

[0044] In step S11, the driving trajectory of the vehicle 101 over the target section is acquired. In step S12, based on the environmental map stored in the memory unit 12, a pair of left and right lane boundary lines defining the lanes within the target section over which the vehicle 101 drove is recognized. In step S13, the amount of deviation between the driving trajectory acquired in step S11 and the center line of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized in step S12 is calculated. In step S14, the reliability of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized in step S12 is determined based on the amount of deviation calculated in step S13. In step S15, it is determined whether or not correction of the lane boundary lines is necessary. More specifically, based on the amount of deviation calculated in step S13, it is determined whether or not the center line of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized in step S12 extends outside the actual lane. If this is denied in step S15, the environmental map is updated in step S16 and the process is terminated. Specifically, the reliability information, including the judgment result in step S13, is associated with the location information of the target section and stored in the environmental map of the memory unit 12. If the result is positive in step S15, the lane boundary lines on the environmental map are regenerated in step S17. Specifically, the location information of the lane boundary lines of the target section is corrected based on the driving trajectory acquired in step S11.

[0045] Here, we will explain how to determine the reliability of lane boundary lines. Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the reliability of lane boundary lines. In Figure 5A, the position of the driving trajectory RT of the target section acquired in step S11 almost coincides with the position of the center line VC of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines (virtual boundary lines VL,VR) of the target section recognized in step S12. In this case, it is determined that the reliability of the virtual boundary lines VL,VR is high, that is, that automated driving is possible in this target section (step S14). In Figure 5B, the position of the center line VC of the virtual boundary lines VL,VR is gradually approaching the actual boundary line RR on the right. In this case, it is determined that the reliability of the virtual boundary lines VL,VR is low, that is, it is necessary to lower the level of automated driving before entering this target section, or more specifically, it is necessary to request hands-on operation from the occupants (step S14). Figure 5C is a diagram showing an example of a lane boundary line (virtual boundary line) that requires correction. In Figure 5C, the center line VC of the virtual boundary lines VL,VR extends to the right of the actual lane. In this case, it is determined that the position information of the lane boundary lines stored in the environmental map needs to be corrected (step S15). Note that instead of determining the reliability in two stages, "high" and "low," it may be determined in three or more stages depending on the length of the distance between the driving trajectory RT and the center line VC of the virtual boundary lines VL and VR (distance GA in Figure 5B).

[0046] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a driver assistance device 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows the configuration when driver assistance is provided based on an environmental map whose reliability has been determined by the map reliability determination device 50. The driver assistance device 60 is included in the vehicle control system 100 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, the driver assistance device 60 has a camera 1a, a controller 10, an actuator AC, and a notification unit 3a. Although not shown in the diagram, signals from external sensor group 1 and internal sensor group 2, etc., are input to the controller 10 (see Figure 1).

[0047] The notification unit 3a is part of the input / output device 3 in Figure 1 and consists of a display that notifies the driver of information by display and a speaker that notifies the driver of information by sound. The controller 10 in Figure 6 has the following functional configuration: a road recognition unit 61, a driving support unit 62, a reliability acquisition unit 63, a request unit 64, and a storage unit 12.

[0048] The road recognition unit 61 recognizes the road ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle 101 while it is in motion. Specifically, the road recognition unit 61 recognizes a pair of left and right lane markings that define the lane in which the vehicle 101 is traveling as lane boundary lines, based on the camera image of the front of the vehicle acquired by the camera 1a. When the vehicle 101 is traveling on a road without lane markings, the road recognition unit 61 recognizes a pair of left and right lane boundary lines based on recognition information of objects around the vehicle (such as surrounding vehicles or buildings lining the road). The road recognition unit 61 recognizes the area between the recognized pair of left and right lane boundary lines as the road of the vehicle 101. The road recognition unit 61 may also recognize the road of the vehicle 101 based on information acquired by radar or lidar along with the camera image.

[0049] The driving support unit 62 provides driving support for the vehicle 101 based on the target route calculated by the navigation device 6 and the environmental map (learned map) stored in the memory unit 12. At this time, the driving support unit 62 controls the actuator AC so that the vehicle 101 travels in the center of the road (on the center line of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines) as recognized by the road recognition unit 61.

[0050] The reliability acquisition unit 63 acquires reliability information corresponding to the road recognized by the road recognition unit 61 from the learning map stored in the memory unit 12. Specifically, the reliability acquisition unit 63 acquires reliability information corresponding to the section from the current position of the vehicle 101 to a position a certain distance away in the direction of travel from the environmental map stored in the memory unit 12. This certain distance is a distance that allows for a smooth handover of driving operations to the occupants and is determined based on the current driving speed of the vehicle 101.

[0051] The request unit 64 outputs request information, including a request for the occupant to take over driving, via the notification unit 3a, based on the reliability level indicated by the reliability information acquired by the reliability acquisition unit 63. Specifically, when the reliability level is below a predetermined level, the request unit 64 determines that if the vehicle 101 travels on the road recognized by the road recognition unit 61, there is a possibility that the vehicle 101's position will deviate from the center of the lane or that the vehicle 101 may deviate off the road, and outputs request information to request the occupant to take over driving. The request information includes image information for display on the notification unit 3a (display), specifically image information to prompt the occupant to operate the steering wheel (hands-on), and image information to warn or warn of the switch to manual driving mode. The request information may also include audio information for output to the notification unit 3a (speaker), specifically audio information to prompt the occupant to take hands-on, and audio information to warn and warn of the switch to manual driving mode.

[0052] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the controller 10 in Figure 6 according to a predetermined program. The process shown in this flowchart is started, for example, when the vehicle 101 is driving in automatic driving mode and is repeated at predetermined intervals.

[0053] First, in step S21, the system recognizes the road ahead in the direction of travel of the moving vehicle 101. In step S22, confidence information corresponding to the road recognized in step S21 is obtained from the learning map stored in the memory unit 12. In step S23, it is determined whether the confidence level indicated by the confidence information obtained in step S22 is below a predetermined level. If the result in step S23 is negative, the process ends. If the result in step S23 is positive, in step S24, request information is output to request the occupant to take over driving. The content of the request information may vary depending on the confidence level. For example, request information that only requests hands-on driving from the occupant may be output.

[0054] This embodiment can provide the following effects and advantages. (1) The map reliability determination device 50 includes a trajectory acquisition unit 112 that acquires the driving trajectory of the vehicle 101 over a predetermined section (target section), a boundary line recognition unit 113 that recognizes a pair of left and right lane boundary lines that define the lane the vehicle 101 drove in within the predetermined section based on map information around the vehicle 101, a deviation amount calculation unit 114 that calculates the deviation amount between the driving trajectory acquired by the trajectory acquisition unit 112 and the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the boundary line recognition unit 113, a reliability determination unit 115 that determines the reliability of the pair of left and right lane boundary lines recognized by the boundary line recognition unit 113 based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 114, and a map update unit 116 that outputs reliability information including the determination result of the reliability determination unit 115. This makes it possible to provide the user with an index for evaluating the reliability of the map and to appropriately determine whether or not automated driving using the map is possible.

[0055] (2) The map reliability determination device 50 further includes a camera 1a that detects the external conditions around the vehicle 101, a map generation unit 111 that generates map information (environmental map) of the area around the vehicle 101 based on the external conditions information detected by the camera 1a, and a storage unit 12 that stores the map information generated by the map generation unit 111. The map update unit 116 associates the reliability information, including the determination result of the reliability determination unit 115, with the location information of a predetermined section and stores it in the map information stored in the storage unit 12. This provides the user with an index for evaluating the reliability of the learned map (environmental map) and allows for an appropriate determination of whether or not autonomous driving using the learned map is possible.

[0056] (3) The map update unit 116 further corrects the map information stored in the storage unit 12 when the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 114 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. This corrects the position of the lane boundary lines on the map to correspond to the actual lane boundary lines, thereby improving the reliability of the map.

[0057] (4) The driving assistance device 60 includes the map reliability determination device 50 described above, a road recognition unit 61 that recognizes the road ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle 101 while it is driving in automatic driving mode, a reliability acquisition unit 63 that acquires reliability information indicating the reliability of the lane boundary lines of the road recognized by the road recognition unit 61, which is output by the map update unit 116 of the map reliability determination device 50, and a request unit 64 that outputs request information, including a request for a driver change to the occupants, based on the reliability indicated by the reliability information acquired by the reliability acquisition unit 63. The request unit 64 outputs request information when the reliability indicated by the reliability information acquired by the reliability acquisition unit 63 is below a predetermined level. This makes it possible to appropriately request a driver change to the occupants when driving automatically using a map. This makes it possible to improve traffic safety on roads on which the autonomous vehicle is driving.

[0058] The above embodiment can be modified into various forms. Several modifications are described below. In the above embodiment, the camera 1a is used to detect the external environment around the vehicle 101, but the external environment may be detected using a lidar or the like, and the configuration of the external environment detection unit is not limited to that described above. In the above embodiment, the map generation unit 111 generates an environmental map while driving in manual driving mode, but it may also generate an environmental map while driving in automatic driving mode. In the above embodiment, the map generation unit 111 generates an environmental map based on camera images, but instead of the camera 1a, data acquired by radar or lidar may be used to extract feature points of objects around the vehicle 101 and generate an environmental map, and the configuration of the map generation unit is not limited to that described above.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the map update unit 116, which acts as an output unit, outputs (stores) reliability information including the determination result of the reliability determination unit 115 to the map information stored in the storage unit 12, but the configuration of the output unit is not limited to this. The output unit may superimpose the reliability information onto the map information displayed on the display. More specifically, the roads of the sections associated with the reliability information may be displayed in different colors according to the reliability indicated by the reliability information. The output unit may also output information (such as location information) of sections with low reliability, for example, sections with reliability below a predetermined level, to the navigation device 6. More specifically, the output unit may output a search instruction to the navigation device 6 along with information on sections with low reliability so that when the navigation device 6 searches for a target route to a destination input by the driver, the target route including sections with low reliability is prioritized in the search. Furthermore, the output unit may display information on the display to prompt the user to drive the preferentially searched target route in manual driving mode. This allows lane boundaries in less reliable sections to be regenerated, further improving the reliability of the map.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the map update unit 116, which acts as a correction unit, corrects the environmental map stored in the storage unit 12 when the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 114 is a predetermined amount, or more specifically, 1 / 2 or more of the lane width. However, the predetermined amount used to determine whether or not to correct the environmental map may be set to a value other than 1 / 2 of the lane width, depending on the accuracy required for the environmental map.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which a pre-run to determine the reliability of the environmental map generated by the map generation unit 111 is performed in manual driving mode. However, if the vehicle 101 is equipped with an autonomous driving function that allows it to drive autonomously while recognizing the road based on camera images, the pre-run may be performed in autonomous driving mode.

[0062] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the vehicle control system 100 (map reliability determination device 50) has a map generation unit 111, the vehicle control system does not necessarily have a map generation unit. In this case, the vehicle control system may share the environmental map with the vehicle control system of another vehicle that has a map generation unit and determine the reliability of the environmental map obtained in the other vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle control system may provide driving support based on the environmental map obtained in the other vehicle.

[0063] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the vehicle control system 100 functions as a map reliability determination device 50 and a driving support device 60, the vehicle control system 100 may also have only the function of a map reliability determination device 50. In this case, the information obtained by the map reliability determination device 50 may be shared with the vehicle control systems of other vehicles, and the other vehicles may use the information from the map reliability determination device 50 to assist in driving.

[0064] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and modifications described above, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above embodiments and modifications, and to combine modifications with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Controller, 12 Memory Unit, 1a Camera, 3a Notification Unit, 50 Map Reliability Determination Device, 60 Driving Support Device, 61 Road Recognition Unit, 62 Driving Support Unit, 63 Reliability Acquisition Unit, 64 Request Unit, 111 Map Generation Unit, 112 Driving Trajectory Acquisition Unit (Trajectory Acquisition Unit), 113 Boundary Line Recognition Unit, 114 Deviation Amount Calculation Unit, 115 Reliability Determination Unit, 116 Map Update Unit

Claims

1. a trajectory acquisition unit for acquiring a travel trajectory of a predetermined section traveled by the host vehicle; A storage unit that stores an environmental map including lane boundary lines around the vehicle, the environmental map being generated based on a detection result of an external environment detection unit that detects an external environment around the vehicle; a recognition unit that recognizes lane boundary lines that define lanes within the predetermined section based on the environmental map stored in the storage unit; a reliability determination unit that determines the reliability of the environmental map based on a deviation between the driving trajectory acquired by the trajectory acquisition unit and the lane boundary line recognized by the recognition unit.

2. 2. The map reliability determination device according to claim 1, An external environment detection unit that detects an external environment around the vehicle; a map generating unit that generates map information of the surroundings of the vehicle based on information of the external environment detected by the external environment detecting unit; a correction unit that corrects the map information stored in the memory unit when the deviation is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, or when the reliability determined by the reliability determination unit is less than a predetermined amount.

3. 3. The map reliability determination device according to claim 2, The map reliability determination device is characterized in that the memory unit associates reliability information including the determination result of the reliability determination unit with the location information of the specified section and stores it in the map information stored in the memory unit.

4. The map reliability determination device according to claim 3 ; A lane recognition unit that recognizes a lane ahead in a traveling direction of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode; a reliability acquisition unit that acquires reliability information that indicates the reliability of the environmental map of the road recognized by the road recognition unit, the reliability information being stored in the memory unit of the map reliability determination device; A driving assistance device comprising: a request unit that outputs request information including a request for a driver to take over based on the reliability indicated by the reliability information acquired by the reliability acquisition unit.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 4, A driving assistance device, characterized in that the request unit outputs the request information when the reliability indicated by the reliability information acquired by the reliability acquisition unit is less than a predetermined level.

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