vehicle

Abstract

To allow a vehicle to continue operation in an automatic mode after a computer is restarted when the computer for managing an operation mode of a vehicle is stopped due to some circumstances during the automatic mode.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises a VP (vehicle platform) and an ADK (automatic drive kit). The VP has a first control device. The ADK has a second control device. A VCIB (vehicle control interface box) mounted on the VP includes a first computer configured to be able to communicate with both the first and second control devices. The first computer detects an operation mode selected from options including an automatic mode and a manual mode and records operation mode information indicating the detected operation mode. The first control device controls the vehicle in accordance with the operation mode detected through the VCIB. After being restarted, the first computer detects the selected operation mode on the basis of the operation mode recorded immediately before the stop.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicles capable of autonomous driving. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2019-177807 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a vehicle with an autonomous driving kit attached to the rooftop. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-177807 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Vehicles capable of operating in both automatic and manual modes have been proposed as vehicles capable of automatic driving. For example, it is conceivable that a user can switch a vehicle operating in manual mode (in manual driving) to automatic mode (automatic driving) as necessary. Such vehicles operate in manual mode in the initial state, and when the user switches to automatic mode, start operating in automatic mode. Therefore, if a computer that manages the vehicle's operation mode temporarily stops for some reason (for example, an internal abnormality of the computer or a power abnormality) while the vehicle is operating in automatic mode, a problem may occur in that the operation mode of the vehicle returns to manual mode when the computer is restarted, and the vehicle cannot continue operating in automatic mode.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to enable the vehicle to continue operating in automatic mode after the computer is restarted if a computer that manages the vehicle's operating mode is temporarily stopped for some reason while the vehicle is operating in automatic mode. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle platform and an autonomous driving kit that transmits commands for autonomous driving to the vehicle platform. The vehicle platform includes a base vehicle including a first control device. The autonomous driving kit includes a second control device that determines commands related to autonomous driving control. The vehicle platform further includes a vehicle control interface box including a first computer. The first computer is configured to be able to communicate with both the first control device and the second control device. The first computer is configured to detect an operation mode selected from options including an autonomous mode in which the vehicle platform is under the control of the autonomous driving kit and a manual mode in which the vehicle is under the control of a driver, and to record operation mode information indicating the detected operation mode. The first control device is configured to control the vehicle according to the operation mode detected by the vehicle control interface box. The first computer is configured to detect the selected operation mode at the time of restart based on the operation mode information recorded immediately before stopping. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, if a computer that manages the vehicle's operating mode is temporarily stopped for some reason while the vehicle is operating in automatic mode, the vehicle can continue to operate in automatic mode after the computer is restarted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and function of the vehicle control interface box shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for managing operation modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]4 is a time chart showing a first operation example of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 6 is a time chart showing a second operation example of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 6 is a time chart showing a third operation example of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and their description will not be repeated.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a VP (vehicle platform) 100 and an ADK (autonomous driving kit) 200. The VP 100 includes a VCIB (vehicle control interface box) 110 and a base vehicle 120. The VP 100 to which the ADK 200 can be attached and detached is formed by adding the VCIB 110 to the base vehicle 120. Then, the vehicle 1 is completed by attaching the ADK 200 to the VP 100. The base vehicle 120 is, for example, a commercially available xEV (electric vehicle). In this embodiment, a BEV (electric vehicle) is adopted as the base vehicle 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the base vehicle 120 may be an xEV other than a BEV. In this embodiment, the ADK 200 is attached to the roof top of the base vehicle 120. However, the attachment position of the ADK 200 can be changed as appropriate.

[0011] The ADK 200 includes an autonomous driving system (hereinafter, referred to as "ADS") 210 that executes various processes related to autonomous driving. The ADS 210 includes a computer assembly (hereinafter, referred to as "ADSCOM") 211, a recognition sensor 212, an attitude sensor 213, a sensor cleaner 216, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 218.

[0012] The ADSCOM 211 includes computer modules (hereinafter, referred to as "ADC") 211A, 211B. Each of the ADCs 211A, 211B includes a processor and a storage device that stores autonomous driving software using an API described later, and is configured to be able to execute the autonomous driving software by the processor. The recognition sensor 212 includes a sensor that acquires information indicating the external environment of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, also referred to as "environmental information"). The recognition sensor 212 may include at least one of a camera, a millimeter wave radar, and a lidar. The attitude sensor 213 acquires information regarding the attitude of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, also referred to as "attitude information"). The attitude sensor 213 may include various sensors that detect the acceleration, angular velocity, and position of the vehicle 1. The HMI 218 includes an input device and an alarm device.

[0013] The base vehicle 120 includes a brake system 121, a steering system 122, a powertrain system 123, an active safety system 125, and a body system 126. In this embodiment, each system includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter also referred to as "ECU").

[0014] The VCIB 110 is configured to communicate with both the base vehicle 120 and the ADK 200 via a communication bus. These physical communications may be communications using a CAN (Controller Area Network). In the vehicle 1, the control systems related to the behavior (running, stopping, turning) of the vehicle 1 have redundancy. The ADCs 211A and 211B give instructions to the main control system and the sub-control system, respectively. The VCIB 110 includes a control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "first VCIB") 111A of the main control system and a control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "second VCIB") 111B of the sub-control system. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, each control unit is equipped with a computer.

[0015] The brake system 121 includes a braking mechanism, an operation unit that accepts a brake operation from the driver, and brake control units 121A and 121B. The steering system 122 includes a steering mechanism, an operation unit that accepts a steering operation from the driver, and steering control units 122A and 122B. The power train system 123 includes a shift device, a vehicle drive device, an EPB device, a P-Lock device, an EPB control unit 123A, a P-Lock control unit 123B, and a propulsion control unit 123C. "EPB" means an electric parking brake, and "P-Lock" means a parking lock. The shift device determines a shift range, and switches the propulsion direction and the shift mode of the base vehicle 120 according to the determined shift range. In addition to the shift mechanism, the shift device further includes an operation unit that accepts a shift operation from the driver. The vehicle drive device imparts a propulsive force in the propulsion direction indicated by the shift range. The vehicle drive device includes a drive battery and a running motor that receives power from the drive battery. The vehicle drive device further includes an accelerator pedal operated by the driver to accelerate the vehicle 1. The P-Lock device further includes an operation unit that accepts a parking operation from the driver, in addition to the parking lock mechanism and the actuator.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and functions of the VCIB 110. With reference to Fig. 2, the first VCIB 111A includes a control microcomputer (control microcomputer) 11 and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 12.

[0017] The control microcomputer 11 includes a processor 11a and a storage device 11b. The control microcomputer 11 receives power from a battery 20. The battery 20 may be a drive battery included in the vehicle drive device described above, or may be an in-vehicle battery other than the drive battery (for example, an auxiliary battery). A DC / DC converter may be provided between the control microcomputer 11 and the battery 20. The storage device 11b is, for example, a backup RAM (Random Access Memory). The backup RAM is generally also called a "standby RAM" or "Retention RAM". The backup RAM receives power from a backup power source. The backup RAM may be a non-volatile SRAM (NVSRAM) in which non-volatility is imparted to a static RAM (SRAM) by the backup power source. The backup power source may be the battery 20, or may be an in-vehicle battery other than the battery 20. A capacitor may be provided to supply power to the storage device 11b when the backup power source is momentarily interrupted.

[0018] The ASIC 12 includes a WDC (watchdog timer circuit). The WDC is configured to detect a fixed-period clock signal input from the control microcomputer 11 and monitor the normal operation of the control microcomputer 11. If the clock signal is not input to the ASIC 12 within the timer period, the ASIC 12 (WDC) determines that the control microcomputer 11 is operating abnormally and outputs a reset signal to the control microcomputer 11. The control microcomputer 11 that receives the reset signal goes into a power-off state and restarts after being reset (microcomputer reset). The control microcomputer 11 and the ASIC 12 communicate with each other via SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface). SPI communication is a synchronous serial communication that communicates data in synchronization with a clock. The control microcomputer 11 transmits a TTF (time-to-fail) signal to the ASIC 12 by SPI communication. The ASIC 12 transmits counter reset information to the control microcomputer 11 by SPI communication.

[0019] The second VCIB111B also includes a control microcomputer (control microcomputer) 21 similar to the control microcomputer 11. The control microcomputer 21 includes a processor and a storage device. Like the control microcomputer 11, the control microcomputer 21 also receives power from, for example, a battery 20. The control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21 perform CAN communication with each other. Furthermore, each of the control microcomputers 11 and 21 is configured to be able to perform CAN communication with both the base vehicle 120 and the ADK200. In this embodiment, various control devices provided in the base vehicle 120 function as a "first control device" according to the present disclosure, either alone or in cooperation with each other. Each of the ADCs 211A and 211B functions as a "second control device" according to the present disclosure. Furthermore, the control microcomputers 11 and 21 correspond to examples of the "first computer" and the "second computer" according to the present disclosure, respectively.

[0020] In this embodiment, signals defined by an API (Application Program Interface) (API signals) are used for communication between the ADK200 and the VCIB110. The ADK200 is configured to process various signals defined by the API. The ADK200 outputs various commands to the VCIB110 according to the API. Hereinafter, each of the various commands output from the ADK200 to the VCIB110 is also referred to as an "API command." The API command includes an instruction related to automatic driving control. The ADK200 (ADC211A, 211B) determines the value of the API command. In addition, the ADK200 receives various signals indicating the state of the base vehicle 120 from the VCIB110 according to the API. Hereinafter, each of the various signals received by the ADK200 from the VCIB110 is also referred to as an "API status." Both the API command and the API status correspond to an API signal.

[0021] In this embodiment, the ADK 200 uses the API commands described below.

[0022] The vehicle mode command is an API command that requests a transition to automatic mode or manual mode. The ADK200 can select the operating mode (vehicle mode) of the vehicle 1 using the vehicle mode command. The drive direction command is an API command that requests a switch in the shift range (R / D). The acceleration command is an API command that indicates the acceleration of the vehicle. The acceleration command requests acceleration (+) and deceleration (-) in the direction indicated by the drive direction status described below. The immobilization command is an API command that requests application or release of immobilization. Application of immobilization means turning the EPB to the ON state (operated state) and setting the shift range to P (parking).

[0023] Some of the API commands used in the vehicle 1 have been described above. The VCIB 110 receives various API commands from the ADK 200. When the VCIB 110 receives an API command from the ADK 200, it converts the API command into a signal format executable by the control device of the base vehicle 120. Hereinafter, the API command converted into a signal format executable by the control device of the base vehicle 120 is also referred to as an "internal command." When the VCIB 110 receives an API command from the ADK 200, it outputs an internal command corresponding to the API command to the base vehicle 120.

[0024] Next, the API status will be described. The ADK 200 grasps the state of the base vehicle 120, for example, by using the API status described below.

[0025] The vehicle mode status is an API status indicating the vehicle mode state. The operation modes (vehicle modes) of the vehicle 1 include manual mode, automatic mode, and standby mode. The manual mode is an operation mode in which the vehicle is under the control of the driver (human). The automatic mode is an operation mode in which the vehicle platform (including the base vehicle) is under the control of the autonomous driving kit. The standby mode is an operation mode in which the movement of the vehicle is prohibited. The driver can select the desired operation mode through the in-vehicle HMI. The base vehicle 120 selects the operation mode taking into account the situation of the vehicle 1 and the driver's selection. The vehicle mode status outputs the corresponding values ​​"0", "1", and "2" when the current operation mode is manual mode, automatic mode, or standby mode, respectively.

[0026] The forward direction status is an API status that indicates the current shift range. The travel direction status is an API status that indicates the travel direction of the vehicle. The travel direction status outputs a value of "0" when the vehicle is moving forward, a value of "1" when the vehicle is moving backward, and a value of "2 (Standstill)" when all wheels (4 wheels) show a speed of "0" for a predetermined period of time. The vehicle speed status is an API status that indicates the longitudinal speed of the vehicle. The vehicle speed status outputs the absolute value of the vehicle speed. The immobilization status is an API status that indicates the immobilization state.

[0027] The above describes some of the API statuses used in the vehicle 1. The VCIB 110 receives various sensor detection values ​​and state determination results from the base vehicle 120, and outputs various API statuses indicating the state of the base vehicle 120 to the ADK 200. The VCIB 110 obtains an API status in which a value indicating the state of the base vehicle 120 is set, and outputs the obtained API status to the ADK 200.

[0028] The vehicle 1 further includes a start switch 30 that accepts a user operation for switching the control system of the VP100 (including the control microcomputers 11 and 21, and various ECUs of the base vehicle 120) between operation and stop. In general, the start switch of a vehicle is called a "power switch" or an "ignition switch". The control system of the VP100 is switched between on (operation) and off (stop) by the user operating the start switch 30. When the control system is shut down, the start switch 30 is turned off. In this embodiment, an ignition relay (IGR) (not shown) is switched between on (closed) and off (open) according to the state (operation / stop) of the start switch 30. The control microcomputer 11 is configured to be able to detect the state of the start switch 30 (state of the IGR) and its own operation state. Hereinafter, information indicating the operation state of the control microcomputer 11 is referred to as an "internal IGR". The control microcomputer 11 sequentially acquires the internal IGR. When the control microcomputer 11 is in a power-on state, the internal IGR indicates ON (operating state). When the control microcomputer 11 is in a shutdown process or power-off state, the internal IGR indicates OFF (stopped state). When the start-up switch 30 is turned ON, the control microcomputer 11 starts up and enters a power-on state. When the start-up switch 30 is turned OFF, the control microcomputer 11 starts a shutdown process, and when the shutdown process is completed, the control microcomputer 11 enters a power-off state.

[0029] In this embodiment, an interface computer (hereinafter, referred to as "IFCOM") included in the VCIB110 detects an operation mode selected from options including a plurality of operation modes (for example, a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a standby mode) and outputs the operation mode to the base vehicle 120. The control microcomputer 11 selects one of the control microcomputers 11 and 21 as the IFCOM. The IFCOM converts an API command from the ADK200 into an internal command, and outputs the obtained internal command together with the operation mode to the base vehicle 120. The IFCOM acquires an API status using vehicle information from the base vehicle 120, and outputs the obtained API status to the ADK200. The operation mode is selected, for example, by the user, the base vehicle 120, or the ADK200. Also, a server outside the vehicle may switch the operation mode of the vehicle 1 as necessary. The control device of the base vehicle 120 controls the vehicle 1 according to the operation mode detected by the IFCOM.

[0030] The control microcomputer 11 periodically detects the selected operation mode and the state (on / off) of the start switch 30. Then, the control microcomputer 11 records operation mode information indicating the detected operation mode in the storage device 11b every time the operation mode is detected. When the control microcomputer 11 is restarted, the control microcomputer 11 detects the selected operation mode based on the operation mode information recorded immediately before the stop. When both the detected state of the start switch 30 indicates operation (first requirement) and the detected operation mode is an automatic mode (second requirement) are satisfied, the control microcomputer 11 records predetermined information (history information) in the storage device 11b, and when at least one of the first requirement and the second requirement is not satisfied, the control microcomputer 11 erases the history information in the storage device 11b. The history information may be recorded by polling. Hereinafter, the state in which the storage device 11b stores history information is referred to as "history ON", and the state in which the storage device 11b does not store history information is referred to as "history OFF". The control microcomputer 11 judges whether the history is ON or not at the time of restart. If it is determined that the history is ON, the ASIC 12 executes the CAN cut process after restarting the control microcomputer 11. During the CAN cut, the CAN output from the control microcomputer 11 is interrupted. This stops communication between the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21.

[0031] If the automatic mode is selected and the control microcomputer 11 is restarted with the start switch 30 indicating operation (turned on), it is highly likely that the stop of the control microcomputer 11 was unintended (for example, a stop caused by an internal abnormality or a power supply abnormality in the control microcomputer 11), and the control microcomputer 11 may have been damaged. Therefore, in the above configuration, communication between the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21 is stopped to prevent the control microcomputer 21 from being affected by the control microcomputer 11. With this configuration, even if an abnormality occurs in the control microcomputer 11, the control microcomputer 21 is more likely to operate normally.

[0032] While the communication between the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21 is stopped, the control microcomputer 11 selects the control microcomputer 21 as the IFCOM. On the other hand, when the control microcomputer 11 starts up in a normal state after the communication between the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21 is stopped, the control microcomputer 11 releases the stop of the communication (CAN cut) and selects the control microcomputer 11 as the IFCOM. The IFCOM periodically detects the selected operation mode, and outputs the detected operation mode to the control device of the base vehicle 120 every time the operation mode is detected. The control microcomputer 21 may also have a non-volatile storage device, like the control microcomputer 11. The restarted control microcomputer 21 may detect the selected operation mode based on the operation mode information recorded in the storage device immediately before the control microcomputer 21 is stopped. The base vehicle 120 recognizes the selected operation mode based on the information from the IFCOM (VCIB110). During a period in which the operation mode is not output from the VCIB 110 to the base vehicle 120, the base vehicle 120 may recognize that the selected operation mode is the manual mode, and may activate the active safety system 125 to execute deceleration control of the vehicle 1 by the active safety system 125. Alternatively, the base vehicle 120 may notify the driver that the vehicle 1 is operating in the manual mode. Hereinafter, information indicating the selected operation mode is referred to as an "internal VEMDST." The base vehicle 120 successively acquires the internal VEMDST, and controls the vehicle 1 according to the latest internal VEMDST.

[0033] According to the above configuration, the IFCOM that manages the operation mode of the vehicle 1 is switched depending on the situation. Specifically, when there is a possibility that the control microcomputer 11 is damaged, the control microcomputer 21 can operate as the IFCOM. Since both the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21 can function as the IFCOM, the robustness of the VCIB 110 is increased.

[0034] 3 is a flowchart showing the process related to the management of the operation mode executed by the control microcomputer 11. In the following, each step in the flowchart is denoted by "S." When the control microcomputer 11 starts up in a normal state, it selects itself as IFCOM and starts S10 and the subsequent process flow (hereinafter referred to as "S10 flow").

[0035] In S10, the state of the start switch 30 (state of the IGR) and the current operation mode (selected operation mode) are detected, and the detection result is recorded in the storage device 11b. As a result, operation mode information indicating the detected operation mode is recorded in the storage device 11b. In the following S11, the control microcomputer 11 judges whether the ignition relay (IGR) is in the ON state. If the IGR is in the ON state (YES in S11), it means that the first requirement is met. In S12, the control microcomputer 11 judges whether the operation mode detected in S10 is the automatic mode. If the operation mode detected is the automatic mode (YES in S12), it means that the second requirement is met. If both the first requirement and the second requirement are met (YES in both S11 and S12), the control microcomputer 11 turns the history ON in S13. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S21. If the first requirement is met but the second requirement is not met (YES in S11 and NO in S12), the control microcomputer 11 turns the history OFF in S14. Then, the process proceeds to S21. If the first requirement is not met (NO in S11), the control microcomputer 11 turns off the history in S15. Then, the process proceeds to S30.

[0036] In S21, the control microcomputer 11 acquires the current internal IGR and judges whether the obtained internal IGR indicates OFF. If the internal IGR indicates ON (NO in S21), the control microcomputer 11 is likely to be normal, and the process returns to S10. In this case, the control microcomputer 11 operates as an IFCOM while executing the S10 flow. On the other hand, if the internal IGR indicates OFF in a state that satisfies the first requirement (YES in S21), the control microcomputer 11 has stopped for some reason. In this case, the control microcomputer 11 returns (restarts) in the following S22. Furthermore, in the following S23, the returned control microcomputer 11 detects the current operation mode (selected operation mode) based on the operation mode information recorded in S10 immediately before stopping, and transmits the detected operation mode to the control microcomputer 21. In the following S24, the control microcomputer 11 judges whether the history is ON. If it is judged that the history is OFF (NO in S24), the process returns to S10. On the other hand, if it is determined that the history is ON (YES in S24), the process proceeds to S25. In S25, the control microcomputer 11 selects the control microcomputer 21 as the IFCOM. As a result, the second VCIB 111B becomes active and the first VCIB 111A becomes inactive. That is, the control microcomputer 21 operates as the IFCOM in place of the control microcomputer 11. In the following S26, the ASIC 12 executes a CAN cut process based on a signal from the control microcomputer 11. As a result, communication between the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21 stops. After that, the process returns to S10. The control microcomputer 11 continues the S10 flow in an inactive state.

[0037] When the automatic mode is detected in S23, the control microcomputer 21 that has become active by the processing of S25 operates the vehicle 1 in the automatic mode. In the automatic mode, the control microcomputer 21 may execute stop control (safety stop control) of the vehicle 1 in accordance with an instruction from the ADK 200. After the vehicle 1 is stopped, the control microcomputer 21 may execute restart of the control system. Alternatively, the control microcomputer 21 may request the user to operate the start switch 30 to restart the control system. This restarts the control system (including the control microcomputer 11) of the vehicle 1. However, this is not limited to the above, and the control microcomputer 21 that has become active may continue the running of the vehicle 1 in the automatic mode. For example, the control microcomputer 21 may execute the same automatic driving control as the control microcomputer 11, or a more limited automatic driving control. The limit may be a speed limit.

[0038] Regardless of whether the control microcomputer 11 is in an active or inactive state, if the user turns off the start switch 30, the result of S11 is NO, and the control microcomputer 11 executes a shutdown process in S30. When the shutdown process is completed, the control microcomputer 11 is turned off, and the S10 flow ends. After that, for example, when the start switch 30 is turned on and the control microcomputer 11 is restarted, the control microcomputer 11 starts S51 and the subsequent process flow (hereinafter referred to as the "S51 flow"). In S51, the control microcomputer 11 determines whether the control microcomputer 11 has started up in a normal state. If the control microcomputer 11 has started up in a normal state (YES in S51), the control microcomputer 11 selects the control microcomputer 11 as the IFCOM in S52. As a result, the first VCIB 111A becomes active, and the second VCIB 111B becomes inactive. That is, the control microcomputer 11 operates as the IFCOM. In the next S53, the CAN cut by the ASIC 12 is released based on a signal from the control microcomputer 11. When the ASIC 12 does not execute the CAN cut, the control microcomputer 11 executes the CAN communication. This executes communication between the control microcomputer 11 and the control microcomputer 21. On the other hand, when the control microcomputer 11 is started in an abnormal state (NO in S51), the control microcomputer 21 is selected as IFCOM in S54, as in the above-mentioned S25 and S26, and the CAN cut process is executed in S55. When the process of S53 or S55 is executed, the S51 flow ends. Then, the started control microcomputer 11 starts the S10 flow.

[0039] Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. Figs. 4 and 5 show the operations of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment (Example) and a vehicle that always starts in manual mode (hereinafter referred to as "Comparative Example") in comparison. In each of Figs. 4 to 6, lines L11 to L17 show state transitions of the control microcomputer 11. Specifically, line L11 shows the presence or absence of power supply to the control microcomputer 11, line L12 shows the IGR state, line L13 shows the internal IGR, line L14 shows history ON / OFF, line L15 shows the clock signal for the WDC, line L16 shows the TTF signal, and line L17 shows the presence or absence of CAN cut. Also, line L20 shows the internal VEMDST of the Example. Line L20A shows the internal VEMDST of the Comparative Example.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a time chart showing a first operation example of the vehicle according to this embodiment. Referring to Fig. 4, as shown by line L15, when the WDC detects an abnormality (an internal abnormality of the control microcomputer 11), the control microcomputer 11 is restarted by a microcomputer reset. When a microcomputer reset occurs while the vehicle 1 is operating in the automatic mode, the control microcomputer 11 is restarted with the history ON. Therefore, after the restart, the processes of S25 and S26 in Fig. 3 are executed. As a result, the IFCOM is switched from the control microcomputer 11 to the control microcomputer 21. Therefore, as shown by line L20, the vehicle 1 automatically resumes (continues) operation in the automatic mode.

[0041] Fig. 5 is a time chart showing a second operation example of the vehicle according to this embodiment. Referring to Fig. 5, as shown by line L11, if a momentary interruption in the power supply (power supply abnormality of the control microcomputer 11) occurs while the vehicle 1 is operating in the automatic mode, the control microcomputer 11 restarts with the history ON. Therefore, after the restart, the processes of S25 and S26 in Fig. 3 are executed. As a result, the IFCOM is switched from the control microcomputer 11 to the control microcomputer 21. Therefore, as shown by line L20, the vehicle 1 automatically resumes (continues) operation in the automatic mode.

[0042] In contrast, in the comparative example, when the vehicle is operating in automatic mode, if the computer that manages the vehicle's operating mode temporarily stops for some reason (e.g., an internal abnormality in the computer or a power abnormality), the vehicle's operating mode will return to manual mode when the computer is restarted, as shown by line L20A in Figures 4 and 5.

[0043] Fig. 6 is a time chart showing a third operation example of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. Referring to Fig. 6, as shown by line L11, when the battery 20 is replaced (removed) while the vehicle 1 is operating in the manual mode, the control microcomputer 11 is restarted in the history OFF state. Therefore, the processes of S25 and S26 in Fig. 3 are not executed. After the control microcomputer 11 is restarted, the vehicle 1 operates in the manual mode. In this way, if the control microcomputer 11 is temporarily stopped for some reason, the vehicle 1 continues to operate in the operation mode immediately before the stop after the control microcomputer 11 is restarted.

[0044] The vehicle 1 according to this embodiment records the operation mode information in a backup RAM (S10 in FIG. 3). By using the backup RAM as the storage device 11b, the operation mode information recorded in the backup RAM immediately before the control microcomputer 11 is stopped is retained even after the control microcomputer 11 is restarted. The backup RAM has the advantage of a faster access speed than a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. In addition, the information stored in the backup RAM can be read out at any time immediately after the control microcomputer 11 is started up, and can be initialized as necessary. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory can also be used as the storage device 11b.

[0045] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The technical scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 vehicle, 11, 21 control microcomputer, 30 start switch, 100 vehicle platform, 110 vehicle control interface box, 111A first VCIB, 111B second VCIB, 120 base vehicle, 200 autonomous driving kit.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising a vehicle platform and an autonomous driving kit that transmits an instruction for autonomous driving to the vehicle platform, The vehicle platform comprises a base vehicle including a first control device; The autonomous driving kit includes a second control device that determines a command related to autonomous driving control, the vehicle platform further comprising a vehicle control interface box including a first computer configured to be in communication with both the first controller and the second controller; The first computer detects an operation mode selected from options including an automatic mode in which the vehicle platform is under the control of the automatic driving kit and a manual mode in which the vehicle is under the control of a driver, and records operation mode information indicative of the detected operation mode; the first control device is configured to control the vehicle according to the operation mode detected by the vehicle control interface box; The first computer detects the selected operation mode upon restart based on the operation mode information recorded immediately before the vehicle was stopped.

2. The vehicle further includes an activation switch configured to receive a user operation for switching between activation and deactivation of the control system; the vehicle control interface box further comprises a second computer in communication with the first computer; the first computer detects a state of the start switch, and records history information when the detected operation mode is the automatic mode and the detected state of the start switch indicates operation; 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein if the history information was recorded immediately before the first computer was shut down, communication between the first computer and the second computer is stopped after the first computer is restarted.

3. the second computer is configured to be able to communicate with both the first control device and the second control device; the first computer is configured to select one of the first computer and the second computer as an interface computer; the interface computer detects the selected operating mode and outputs the selected operating mode to the first controller; while communication between the first computer and the second computer is stopped, the first computer selects the second computer as the interface computer; 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, when the first computer starts up in a normal state after communication between the first computer and the second computer is stopped, the first computer releases the communication stop and selects the first computer as the interface computer.

4. The first control device is configured to transmit vehicle information regarding the base vehicle to the vehicle control interface box; An API signal defined by an API (Application Program Interface) is used for communication between the second control device and the vehicle control interface box, The API signal includes an API command indicating an instruction to the base vehicle and an API status indicating a state of the base vehicle, the interface computer is configured to convert the API command from the second control device into a signal executable by the first control device and transmit the converted signal to the first control device; The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the interface computer is configured to obtain the API status using the vehicle information from the first control unit and to transmit the obtained API status to the second control unit.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first computer is configured to record the operating mode information in a back-up Random Access Memory (RAM).

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