Travel plan generation device

Abstract

To provide a travel plan generation device capable of appropriately generating a travel route foe every road section in consideration of a segment and a connection of the road section where a road characteristic changes.SOLUTION: There is provided a travel plan generation device that divides a road each time when at least a road characteristic changes, based on road information to generate a plurality of divided sections, and generates a section route, in each of the divided sections, that connects an initial point and an end point of vehicle passage in each of the divided sections to generate a connected section route by connecting the section route in each of the divided sections.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving schedule generating device. [Background technology]

[0002] In road non-structured areas (e.g., toll gate entrance areas, toll gate exit areas) that include road parts where lanes are not set, it is not possible to generate a route along the lanes. For example, in Patent Document 1, when the vehicle approaches a toll gate, the toll gate that the vehicle will pass through is set, and a travel route connecting the current position of the vehicle and the toll gate that has been passed is set. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6406131 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, when the vehicle approaches a toll gate, a driving route connecting the vehicle's current position and the toll gate to be passed is generated, and the driving route is not generated on a road section basis where road characteristics change, so it is not possible to set the timing for generating an appropriate driving route, the frequency with which an appropriate driving route is generated, or to generate an appropriate driving route that takes into account the divisions and connections of road sections.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a driving schedule generation device that can generate an appropriate driving route for each road section, taking into account the divisions and connections of road sections where road characteristics change. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The driving schedule generation device according to the present disclosure includes: A vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a position of a target vehicle and a direction of the target vehicle; a road information acquisition unit that acquires road information around the position of the target vehicle; a section dividing unit that divides a road based on the road information at least each time a road characteristic changes, and generates a plurality of divided sections; a section route generating unit that generates a section route connecting a start point and an end point of a vehicle passing through each of the divided sections; a section path combining unit that combines the section paths of the divided sections to generate a combined section path; It is equipped with the following. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the driving schedule generation device of the present disclosure, for each divided section into which a road is divided at least each time the road characteristics change, a section route is generated that connects the start point and end point of vehicle passage in each divided section, and a combined section route is generated by connecting the section routes of each divided section. Thus, it is possible to generate an appropriate section route for each divided section, taking into consideration the divisions and connections of the divided sections whose road characteristics change. For example, it is possible to set an appropriate timing for generating a section route, set an appropriate frequency for generating a section route, and generate an appropriate section route, taking into consideration the divisions and connections of the divided sections. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of a target vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a coordinate system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a driving schedule generating device and a vehicle control unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining generation of a section route at a toll gate in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining generation of a section route in a parking lot in accordance with the first embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining generation of a section route at an intersection in accordance with the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the driving schedule generating device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a driving schedule generating device and a vehicle control unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining generation of a target trajectory according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the driving schedule generating device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram of a driving schedule generating device and a vehicle control unit according to first and second embodiments. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram of a driving schedule generating device and a vehicle control unit according to first and second embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <Embodiment 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a target vehicle 1 equipped with a driving schedule generating device 310 according to the embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the target vehicle 1 includes a steering wheel 2, a steering shaft 3, a steering unit 4, an EPS motor 5, a powertrain unit 6, and a brake unit 7 as a drive system.

[0010] The sensor system also includes a forward camera 11, a radar sensor 12, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 13, a yaw rate sensor 16, a speed sensor 17, an acceleration sensor 18, a steering angle sensor 20, and a steering torque sensor 21. In addition to these, the vehicle also includes a navigation device 14, a V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) receiver 15, a vehicle control unit 30, an EPS (Electric Power Steering) controller 40, a powertrain controller 41, and a brake controller 42.

[0011] The driving schedule generating device 310 of the first embodiment is incorporated in the vehicle control unit 30. The target vehicle 1 is a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the subject vehicle 1) equipped with the vehicle control unit 30 (the driving schedule generating device 310). The driving schedule generating device 310 may be provided in a management server connected to a network, and the target vehicle 1 may be set for each of a plurality of vehicles to be managed. The driving schedule generating device 310 may generate a combined section route, etc. corresponding to each target vehicle 1, and transmit the generated combined section route, etc. to each target vehicle 1 by communication.

[0012] Although the case where the driving schedule generating device 310 of the first embodiment is applied to an automatic driving system for a vehicle is illustrated here, the driving schedule generating device 310 of the first embodiment can also be applied to moving bodies other than vehicles that run by autonomous control, such as autonomous robots. The driving schedule generating device 310 of the first embodiment can also be applied to various non-structured areas including toll booths and parking lots, which have shapes different from roads that allow following the roads, such as expressways and general roads.

[0013] A steering wheel 2, which is installed so that the driver can drive the vehicle, is coupled to a steering shaft 3. A steering unit 4 is connected to the steering shaft 3. The steering unit 4 rotatably supports two front tires as steering wheels, and is supported by the vehicle body frame so that it can be steered. Therefore, the torque generated by the driver's operation of the steering wheel 2 rotates the steering shaft 3, and the steering unit 4 steers the front wheels to the left and right. This allows the driver to control the amount of lateral movement of the vehicle when the vehicle moves forward and backward. The steering shaft 3 can also be rotated by an EPS motor 5, and the front wheels can be steered freely independent of the driver's operation of the steering wheel 2 by controlling the current flowing through the EPS motor 5 with an EPS controller 40.

[0014] The vehicle control unit 30 is also called an ADAS-ECU (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems Electronic Control Unit), and is an integrated circuit such as a microprocessor, and includes an A / D (Analog / Digital) conversion circuit, a D / A (Digital / Analog) conversion circuit, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0015] Connected to the vehicle control unit 30 are a forward camera 11, a radar sensor 12, a GNSS sensor 13, a navigation device 14, a V2X receiver 15, a steering angle sensor 20 that detects the steering angle, a steering torque sensor 21 that detects the steering torque, a yaw rate sensor 16 that detects the yaw rate, a speed sensor 17 that detects the speed of the host vehicle, an acceleration sensor 18 that detects the acceleration of the host vehicle, an EPS controller 40, a powertrain controller 41 and a brake controller 42.

[0016] The vehicle control unit 30 processes information input from the connected sensors according to a program stored in ROM, transmits a target steering angle to the EPS controller 40, transmits a target driving force to the powertrain controller 41, and transmits a target braking force to the brake controller 42.

[0017] The front camera 11 is installed at a position where it can detect the marking lines ahead of the vehicle as an image, and detects the environment ahead of the vehicle, such as lane information and the position of obstacles, based on the image information. Note that in this embodiment, only a camera that detects the environment ahead of the vehicle is exemplified, but cameras that detect the environment behind and to the sides may also be installed. The front camera 11 can also be used to estimate the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0018] The radar sensor 12 emits radar and detects the reflected waves to output the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and an obstacle. As this radar sensor, a well-known distance measuring sensor such as a millimeter wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a laser range finder, or an ultrasonic radar can be used.

[0019] The GNSS sensor 13 receives radio waves from positioning satellites with an antenna, performs positioning calculations, and outputs the absolute position (latitude, longitude, altitude) and absolute orientation (longitudinal orientation of the vehicle based on north, south, east and west).

[0020] The navigation device 14 has a function of calculating an optimal driving route for a destination set by the driver, and has a map database that stores road information in a storage device. The road information includes map node data that represents the road alignment. The map node data stores the absolute position (latitude, longitude, altitude), lane width, curvature, cant angle, inclination angle information, etc. of each node. Each lane of the road is represented by a combination of multiple nodes. Each node is set at a predetermined interval in the traveling direction of the lane, at the lateral center position of the lane.

[0021] The road information also includes information such as the road type, speed limit, and number of lanes at each point, as well as information on signs, traffic signals, road regulations, and the like.

[0022] The road information also includes information on road non-structured areas. Road non-structured areas include road sections where lanes are not set, and each vehicle can travel freely without being restricted to lanes. In such road non-structured areas, map node data representing lanes is not set, the width of the road is wider than the width of one lane, and vehicles can travel freely in the lateral direction.

[0023] The information on the road non-structured zone includes the position (absolute position) of the start point and the position (absolute position) of the end point of the vehicle passing through the road non-structured zone. The position of the start point of the road non-structured zone is set corresponding to the position of the lane or passage of the road or facility immediately before the road non-structured zone, and the position of the end point of the road non-structured zone is set corresponding to the position of the lane or passage of the road or facility immediately after the road non-structured zone. If the road or facility immediately before the road non-structured zone has multiple lanes or multiple passages, multiple start points of the road non-structured zone are set corresponding to the multiple lanes or multiple passages, and if the road or facility immediately after the road non-structured zone has multiple lanes or multiple passages, multiple end points of the road non-structured zone are set corresponding to the multiple lanes or multiple passages.

[0024] Here, the start point position and the end point position of the vehicle passage are target positions through which the lateral center position of the vehicle passes. If there are multiple start points, multiple start points are set. If there are multiple end points, multiple end points are set.

[0025] The information on the non-road structure zone includes the travel direction (absolute direction) at the start point of the non-road structure zone and the travel direction (absolute direction) at the end point. The travel direction at the start point of the non-road structure zone is set corresponding to the travel direction of the lane or passage of the road or facility immediately before the non-road structure zone, and the travel direction at the end point of the non-road structure zone is set corresponding to the travel direction of the lane or passage of the road or facility immediately after the non-road structure zone.

[0026] The information on road non-structured areas includes the positions (absolute positions) of the outer edges of areas where vehicles can travel.

[0027] For example, such a non-road structured zone may have a toll booth area with multiple toll booth gates lined up horizontally, a toll booth entrance area located immediately before the toll booth area, and a toll booth exit area located immediately after the toll booth area, as shown in FIG. 4. No lanes are set in the toll booth entrance area, and vehicles can travel laterally from the entrance of the toll booth entrance area to any toll booth gate at their own discretion. No lanes are set in the toll booth exit area, and vehicles can travel laterally from each toll booth gate to the exit of the toll booth exit area at their own discretion. In the toll booth area, vehicles travel within the passages of each toll booth gate.

[0028] The positions of the start point and end point and the direction of travel of the toll gate area are set corresponding to the positions of the entrance and exit of the passage of each toll gate and the direction of travel. The position of the start point and the direction of travel of the toll gate entrance area are set corresponding to the position and direction of travel of the lane immediately preceding the toll gate entrance area. The position of the end point and the direction of travel of the toll gate entrance area are set corresponding to the position of the start point and the direction of travel of the toll gate area. The position of the start point and the direction of travel of the toll gate exit area are set corresponding to the position and direction of travel of the end point of the toll gate area. The position of the end point and the direction of travel of the toll gate exit area are set corresponding to the position and direction of travel of the lane immediately preceding the toll gate exit area.

[0029] In addition, the non-road structure zone includes a parking lot area with multiple parking spaces and passageways, a parking lot entrance area located immediately before the parking lot area, and a parking lot exit area located immediately after the parking lot area, as shown in Figure 5. There are no set lanes in the parking lot entrance area, and vehicles can travel laterally with freedom from the entrance of the parking lot entrance area to any passageway at their own discretion. There are no set lanes in the toll gate exit area, and vehicles can travel laterally with freedom from each toll gate gate to the exit of the toll gate exit area at their own discretion. In the parking lot area, vehicles can travel through the passageways to any parking space at their own discretion.

[0030] The position of the start point and the travel direction of the parking lot entrance area are set to correspond to the position and travel direction of the lane or aisle immediately preceding the parking lot entrance area. The position of the end point and the travel direction of the parking lot entrance area are set to correspond to the position and travel direction of the aisle of the parking lot area immediately following the parking lot entrance area. The position of the start point and the travel direction of the parking lot exit area are set to correspond to the position and travel direction of the aisle of the parking lot area immediately preceding the parking lot exit area. The position of the end point and the travel direction of the parking lot exit area are set to correspond to the position and travel direction of the lane or aisle immediately following the parking lot exit area. The position of the start point and the travel direction of the parking lot area are set to correspond to the position and travel direction of each aisle of the parking lot area connected to the parking lot entrance area. The position of the end point and the travel direction of the parking lot area are set to correspond to the position and travel direction of each aisle of the parking lot area connected to the parking lot exit area.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, non-road structured areas include intersections. Intersections include four-way intersections. When changing lanes at an intersection, each vehicle has the freedom to travel within the intersection at its own discretion. The positions of the start and end points of the intersection and the traveling direction are set according to the positions and traveling directions of each lane connected to the intersection.

[0032] The V2X receiver 15 has a function of acquiring and outputting information through communication with other vehicles and roadside devices. The acquired information includes obstacle information such as the positions and speeds of obstacles, including other vehicles and pedestrians, for the vehicle itself, and road information such as the friction coefficient of the road surface.

[0033] The EPS controller 40 controls the EPS motor 5 so as to realize the target steering angle transmitted from the vehicle control unit 30, thereby controlling the trajectory of the host vehicle.

[0034] The powertrain controller 41 controls the powertrain unit 6 so as to realize the target driving force transmitted from the vehicle control unit 30, thereby controlling the acceleration of the host vehicle.

[0035] In this embodiment, a vehicle that uses an engine as its only driving force source is given as an example, but this embodiment may also be applied to vehicles that use an electric motor as their only driving force source, or vehicles that use both an engine and an electric motor as their driving force sources.

[0036] The brake controller 42 controls the brake unit 7 so as to realize the target braking force transmitted from the vehicle control unit 30, thereby controlling the deceleration of the host vehicle.

[0037] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic representation of a coordinate system used in this embodiment. That is, the X-axis and Y-axis in Fig. 2 represent an inertial coordinate system, and Xc, Yc, and θc represent the position and orientation of the vehicle in the inertial coordinate system. xb and yb in Fig. 2 represent a vehicle coordinate system in which the center of gravity of the vehicle is the origin, the xb axis is set in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the yb axis is set in the horizontal direction of the vehicle (in this example, the left lateral direction).

[0038] 3 is a functional block diagram of an autonomous driving system to which a driving schedule generating device 310 according to the embodiment 1 is applied. The autonomous driving system includes a vehicle control unit 30, which includes the driving schedule generating device 310 and a vehicle control unit 320.

[0039] A vehicle position acquisition device, a vehicle orientation acquisition device, and a surrounding road information acquisition device are connected to the driving plan generation device 310, and an EPS controller 40, a powertrain controller 41, and a brake controller 42 are connected to the vehicle control unit 320. In the first embodiment, the driving plan generation device 310 has a vehicle state acquisition unit 311, a road information acquisition unit 312, a section division unit 313, a section route generation unit 314, and a section route combination unit 315.

[0040] <Vehicle state acquisition unit 311> The vehicle state acquisition unit 311 acquires at least one of the position and the orientation of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle state acquisition unit 311 acquires the absolute position and the absolute orientation of the vehicle acquired from the GNSS sensor 13, and sets the absolute position of the origin of the vehicle coordinate system and the absolute orientation in the vertical direction (xb axis). The vehicle state acquisition unit 311 acquires various information related to the running state of the vehicle.

[0041] <Road information acquisition unit 312> The road information acquisition unit 312 acquires road information about the surroundings of the vehicle's position. In this embodiment, the road information acquisition unit 312 acquires road information about the surroundings of the vehicle's position from the road information stored in the navigation device 14. As described above, the acquired road information includes map node data, various road information, information about road non-structured areas, and the like.

[0042] As described above, the acquired road information includes information such as the absolute position of each node, road type, speed limit, number of lanes, signs, traffic signals, and road regulations.

[0043] When a non-structured road area exists around the vehicle, the road information acquisition unit 312 acquires information about the non-structured road area. As described above, the acquired information about the non-structured road area includes the position (absolute position) of the start point and the position (absolute position) of the end point of the vehicle passing through the non-structured road area. The information about the non-structured road area also includes the traveling direction (absolute orientation) at the start point of the non-structured road area and the traveling direction (absolute orientation) at the end point.

[0044] When the information on the non-road structure zone does not include the position of the start point of vehicle passage in the non-road structure zone and the traveling direction at the start point, the road information acquisition unit 312 sets the position of the start point of vehicle passage in the non-road structure zone and the traveling direction at the start point to correspond to the position and traveling direction of the lane or passage immediately before the non-road structure zone.When the information on the non-road structure zone does not include the position of the end point of vehicle passage in the non-road structure zone and the traveling direction at the end point, the road information acquisition unit 312 sets the position of the end point of vehicle passage in the non-road structure zone and the traveling direction at the end point to correspond to the position and traveling direction of the lane or passage immediately after the non-road structure zone.

[0045] The road information acquisition unit 312 converts each absolute position and absolute direction included in the acquired road information into a position and direction in the host vehicle coordinate system based on the absolute position and absolute direction of the host vehicle.

[0046] <Section division unit 313> The section division unit 313 divides the road based on the road information at least every time the road characteristics change, and generates a plurality of divided sections. For example, the road shape characteristics are used as the road characteristics.

[0047] In the case of a toll gate, the characteristics of the road shape change between the road immediately before the toll gate entrance area, the toll gate entrance area, the toll gate area, the toll gate exit area, and the road immediately after the toll gate exit area. Therefore, the section division unit 313 divides the road into the road immediately before the toll gate entrance area, the toll gate entrance area, the toll gate area, the toll gate exit area, and the road immediately after the toll gate exit area, and generates divided sections.

[0048] In the case of a parking lot, the characteristics of the road shape change for the road immediately before the parking lot entrance area, the parking lot entrance area, the parking lot area, the parking lot exit area, and the road immediately after the parking lot exit area. Therefore, the section division unit 313 divides the road into the road immediately before the parking lot entrance area, the parking lot entrance area, the parking lot area, the parking lot exit area, and the road immediately after the parking lot exit area, and generates divided sections.

[0049] In the case of an intersection, the characteristics of the road shape change for each road connected to the intersection and at the intersection itself. Therefore, the section division unit 313 divides the intersection into each connecting road connected to the intersection and the intersection area, and generates divided sections.

[0050] Although an example of a road non-structured area has been described above, roads other than road non-structured areas are also divided. That is, the section division unit 313 divides roads with lanes at least every time the road characteristics change, to generate a plurality of divided sections.

[0051] For example, the section division unit 313 divides a road and generates a plurality of divided sections each time the number of lanes, the speed limit, or the road type included in the road information changes. The section division unit 313 also generates divided sections corresponding to merging lane sections and diverging lane sections. Even if the characteristics of the road shape do not change, the section division unit 313 divides the road at predetermined distances to generate divided sections.

[0052] <Section Route Generation Unit 314 and Section Route Combination Unit 315> The section route generating unit 314 generates a section route that connects the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through each divided section.

[0053] For example, in the case of a toll gate, as shown in Fig. 4, the section route generating unit 314 generates a section route connecting the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through the toll gate entrance area, generates a section route connecting the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through the toll gate area, and generates a section route connecting the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through the toll gate exit area. Note that in Fig. 4, the number of generated sections is set to 5.

[0054] For example, in the case of a parking lot, as shown in Fig. 5, the section route generating unit 314 generates a section route that connects the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through the parking lot entrance area, and generates a section route that connects the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through the parking lot exit area. In Fig. 5, the number of generated sections is set to 5.

[0055] For example, in the case of an intersection, the section route generating unit 314 generates a section route that connects the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through the intersection area, as shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the number of generated sections is set to 3.

[0056] When a divided section has multiple end points, the section route generating unit 314 selects one end point from the multiple end points, and generates a section route that connects the start point and the selected end point.

[0057] In this embodiment, the section route generation unit 314 selects an end point that minimizes the amount of change in the orientation of the vehicle and the travel distance from among a plurality of passable end points. From the plurality of end points to be selected, end points that are not passable and end points that are not desirable to pass through are excluded.

[0058] For example, the section route generating unit 314 selects an end point from among a plurality of passable end points, where the absolute value of the angle between the direction from the vehicle to each end point and the longitudinal direction (xb axis) of the vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold value. Then, from among the end points selected based on the angle, the section route generating unit 314 selects the end point with the shortest distance between the vehicle and the end point.

[0059] The distance is calculated using the following formula. That is, the square distance di between the absolute position [x, y] of the vehicle and the absolute position [xei, yei] of each end point i (i=1, 2, . . . ) is calculated. The distance may be calculated using the position of the vehicle coordinate system.

number

[0060] When the selected end point becomes passable, the section route generation unit 314 reselects, from the remaining end point or points, an end point that results in the smallest amount of change in the vehicle's orientation and the smallest travel distance, and regenerates the section route connecting the starting point and the reselected end point.

[0061] When a divided section has multiple starting points, the section route generating unit 314 selects one starting point from the multiple starting points and generates a section route connecting the selected starting point and the end point. In this embodiment, the section route generating unit 314 selects a starting point corresponding to a position where the host vehicle is traveling. For example, a starting point corresponding to a lane in which the host vehicle is currently traveling is selected. Alternatively, a starting point corresponding to a target route of the host vehicle is selected.

[0062] In this embodiment, the section route generating unit 314 generates a section route that connects the position of the start point and the traveling direction at the start point with the position of the end point and the traveling direction at the end point in each divided section. Specifically, regarding the traveling direction, the section route generating unit 314 generates the section route so that the traveling direction at the start point of the divided section matches the traveling direction of the section route at the start point, and the traveling direction at the end point of the divided section matches the traveling direction of the section route at the end point.

[0063] For example, the position of the start point of the divided section is [xs, ys], the direction at the start point is θs, the position of the end point of the divided section is [xe, ye], and the direction at the end point is θe. The section route generation unit 314 determines the parameters (a, b, c, d) of the polynomial approximation representing the section route using the following equation.

number

[0064] The section path generating unit 314 sets multiple xb-axis positions [x1, x2,...] at predetermined intervals between the xb-axis position xs of the start point of the divided section and the xb-axis position xe of the end point of the divided section, and substitutes each of the multiple xb-axis positions [x1, x2,...] for x in equation (3) to calculate the yb-axis position corresponding to each xb-axis position. A curve connecting the multiple calculated xb-axis positions and yb-axis positions becomes the section path.

number

[0065] The calculations of equations (2) and (3) are performed using the position and orientation of the vehicle's coordinate system. Note that the calculations of equations (2) and (3) may be performed using an absolute position and absolute orientation, and then converted to the position and orientation of the vehicle's coordinate system. Alternatively, the absolute position and absolute orientation may remain.

[0066] In addition, in the toll area, the section route may be generated by connecting the selected start point and end point with a straight line. There is no problem even if the formula (2) and the formula (3) are used, since it is close to a straight line.

[0067] Furthermore, when multiple nodes are set in a divided section, the section route generating unit 314 may generate a section route that connects the start point, multiple nodes, and the end point of the divided section.

[0068] The section path combining unit 315 combines the section paths of each divided section to generate a combined section path.

[0069] In this embodiment, the section route generating unit 314 generates section routes of continuous divided sections, the number of which is two or more, including at least the current divided section in which the vehicle is located and the divided section next to the current divided section. The section route combining unit 315 then combines the section routes of the divided sections to generate a combined section route.

[0070] Since the number of divided sections from which section paths and combined section paths are generated is limited to a generated section number of 2 or more, the calculation processing load can be limited to a load according to the generated section number.

[0071] For example, the number of generated intervals may be set to 2. That is, the divided intervals of the number of generated intervals may be the current divided interval and the next divided interval.

[0072] According to this configuration, the calculation processing load can be limited to a minimum load.

[0073] Each time the vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit 314 resets the divided sections of the generated number of sections and generates section routes for the divided sections of the generated number of sections, and the section route combination unit 315 connects the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections after generation to generate a combined section route.

[0074] According to this configuration, the section path and the combined section path are reproduced every time the next divided section is reached, so that the calculation processing load can be reduced.

[0075] The section route generation unit 314 holds the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections generated when the vehicle reaches the next divided section until the vehicle reaches the next divided section, and the section route combination unit 315 holds the combined section route generated when the vehicle reaches the next divided section until the vehicle reaches the next divided section.

[0076] According to this configuration, the section route and combined section route generated when the vehicle reaches the next divided section are retained and used until the vehicle reaches the next divided section, thereby reducing the computational processing load.

[0077] When the vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit 314 deletes the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections that were generated before the vehicle reached the next divided section, and generates section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections.

[0078] According to this configuration, each time the vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section routes for the generated number of divided sections can be regenerated using the latest information.

[0079] In addition, when the vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit 314 may retain the section routes of the divided sections whose start and end points do not change and whose generated section routes do not change, among the section routes of the divided sections generated before the vehicle reaches the next divided section, without deleting or regenerating the section routes.

[0080] Alternatively, the section path generation unit 314 may generate section paths for the divided sections of the number of generated sections for each update period, and the section path combination unit 315 may generate a combined section path by connecting the section paths of the divided sections of the number of generated sections after generation for each update period.

[0081] With this configuration, the computational processing load increases each time the next divided section is reached compared to when a section path and a combined section path are generated, but the computational processing load can be limited to a load corresponding to the number of generated sections and the update period.

[0082] <Vehicle control unit 320> The vehicle control unit 320 controls the host vehicle so that the host vehicle travels along the combined section route generated by the section route combining unit 315 .

[0083] For example, the vehicle control unit 320 determines a target steering angle so that the host vehicle travels along the combined section route, and transmits it to the EPS controller 40. At this time, the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle (road conditions, conditions of obstacles such as other vehicles) detected by the forward camera 11, the radar sensor 12, etc. may be taken into consideration. The vehicle control unit 320 determines a target driving force and a target braking force so that the host vehicle travels along the combined section route, and transmits them to the powertrain controller 41 and the brake controller 42. At this time, the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle, the speed limit of the road, the target speed set by the driver, etc. may be taken into consideration.

[0084] The navigation device 14 displays the combined section route on a display screen, superimposed on a map of the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0085] When the vehicle control unit 320 detects the steering wheel operation, accelerator pedal operation, or brake pedal operation by the driver, it switches to manual driving by the driver. In this case, the vehicle control unit 320 calculates the target steering angle, target driving force, and target braking force based on the steering wheel operation, accelerator pedal operation, and brake pedal operation by the driver, and transmits them to each controller. Even in this case, the driver can drive by referring to the combined section route displayed on the display screen.

[0086] <Flowchart> The above-described processing can be configured as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0087] In step S100, as described above, the road information acquisition unit 312 acquires road information around the position of the vehicle. In step S101, the section route generation unit 314 judges whether the road information acquisition unit 312 has acquired useful road information capable of generating a section route, and if the road information acquisition unit 312 has acquired useful road information capable of generating a section route, the process proceeds to step S102. If the road information acquisition unit 312 has not acquired useful road information, the process proceeds to step S111, where the process of generating the combined section route is stopped, and the vehicle control of the vehicle using the combined section route is stopped. For example, the section route generation unit 314 judges that the road information capable of generating a section route has not been acquired when the road information corresponding to the position of the vehicle cannot be acquired, or when the acquired road information does not include position information for generating a section route.

[0088] In step S102, as described above, the section dividing unit 313 divides the road based on the road information at least each time the road characteristics change, to generate a plurality of divided sections.

[0089] In step S103, as described above, the section route generation unit 314 generates a section route that connects the start point and end point of the vehicle passing through each divided section. In this embodiment, the number of generated sections is set to 2, and the section route generation unit 314 generates a section route between the current divided section in which the vehicle is located and the next divided section of the current divided section. Note that if the section route of the current divided section is not deleted but is retained in step S110 described later, the section route generation unit 314 does not generate a section route for the current divided section.

[0090] In step S104, the section route generating unit 314 determines whether or not section routes for the number of divided sections to be generated (in this example, the section routes for the current divided section and the next divided section) have been generated, and if so, proceeds to step S105, and if not, proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the section route generating unit 314 determines whether or not a section route for the current divided section has been generated, and if so, proceeds to step S105, and if not, proceeds to step S111, where the process of generating the combined section route is stopped, and vehicle control of the host vehicle using the combined section route is stopped.

[0091] In step S105, as described above, the section path combining unit 315 combines the section paths of the generated divided sections to generate a combined section path. If only the section path of the current divided section has been generated, the section path combining unit 315 sets the section path of the current divided section as the combined section path.

[0092] In step S107, as described above, the vehicle control unit 320 controls the host vehicle so that the host vehicle travels along the combined section route generated by the section route combining unit 315.

[0093] In step S108, as described above, the section route generation unit 314 determines whether or not the vehicle has reached the next divided section, and if it is determined that the vehicle has reached the next divided section, the process proceeds to step S109, and if it is determined that the vehicle has not reached the next divided section, the process returns to step S107.

[0094] In step S109, the section route generation unit 314 deletes the section route of the passed divided section located before arriving at the next divided section.

[0095] In step S110, the section route generating unit 314 determines whether there is a deviation between the position of the vehicle and the section route of the current divided section, and if there is a deviation, it also deletes the section route of the current divided section and regenerates the section route of the current divided section in step S103, and if there is no deviation, it retains the section route of the current divided section and does not regenerate the section route of the current divided section in step S103. For example, the section route generating unit 314 determines that a deviation has occurred when the distance (e.g., the lateral distance or the minimum distance) between the position of the vehicle and the section route of the current divided section becomes equal to or greater than a determination value. After that, the process returns to step S100 and continues.

[0096] If it is desired to generate a section route using the latest vehicle position and road positions, the section route generation unit 314 may generate a section route for each divided section for each update period, as described above.

[0097] <Embodiment 2> Next, a driving schedule generating device 310 and a vehicle control unit 30 according to the second embodiment will be described. Descriptions of components similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted. The basic configurations of the driving schedule generating device 310 and the vehicle control unit 30 according to this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, but differ from the first embodiment in that a target trajectory of a target vehicle is generated based on a joining section route and an obstacle movement route. Figure 8 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a target vehicle (host vehicle) according to this embodiment.

[0098] In this embodiment, the driving schedule generating device 310 further includes an obstacle information acquiring unit 316, an obstacle movement path predicting unit 317, and a target trajectory generating unit 318. The vehicle state acquiring unit 311 also acquires the speed of the host vehicle from the speed sensor 17.

[0099] The obstacle information acquisition unit 316 acquires information about obstacles existing around the vehicle. In this embodiment, the obstacle information acquisition unit 316 acquires position information, lateral speed information, and vertical speed information of the obstacle in the vehicle coordinate system based on at least one of the front camera 11 and the radar sensor 12.

[0100] The obstacle path prediction unit 317 predicts the path of the obstacle based on the obstacle information. In this embodiment, the obstacle path prediction unit 317 predicts the position of the obstacle at each future time point t. For example, when it is assumed that the obstacle moves linearly at a constant speed, the obstacle path prediction unit 317 predicts the vertical and horizontal positions [xoest, yoest] of the obstacle at each future time point t [s] by [xo+vox×t, yo+voy×t] using the current vertical and horizontal positions [xo, yo] of the obstacle and the vertical and horizontal velocities [vox, voy] of the obstacle. The prediction may be performed using other known methods.

[0101] The target trajectory generating unit 318 generates a target trajectory of the host vehicle based on the joint section path and the moving path of the obstacle. For example, the target trajectory is a target position and a target speed at each time point in the future.

[0102] 9, when the obstacle's movement path enters the range of the combined section path, the target trajectory generating unit 318 generates a target trajectory that is changed from the combined section path so as to avoid the obstacle's movement path. On the other hand, when the obstacle's movement path does not enter the combined section path, the target trajectory generating unit 318 generates a target trajectory that follows the combined section path.

[0103] For example, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6594589 is used. That is, a no-entry area is set with the position of an obstacle at each future time t as the center, and a target trajectory is generated that avoids the no-entry area at each future time t. Various known methods may be used to set the no-entry area and generate the target trajectory.

[0104] The vehicle control unit 320 controls the host vehicle so that the host vehicle travels along the target trajectory. The present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment except that a target trajectory is used instead of the coupling section path of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Optimal control may be used.

[0105] <Flowchart> The process of this embodiment can be configured as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 10. Steps S200 to S206 and steps S211 to S214 are similar to steps S100 to S106 and steps S108 to S111 of the first embodiment, respectively, and therefore will not be described.

[0106] In step S207, as described above, the obstacle information acquisition unit 316 acquires information about obstacles present around the host vehicle.

[0107] In step S208, as described above, the obstacle movement path prediction unit 317 predicts the movement path of the obstacle based on the obstacle information.

[0108] In step S209, as described above, the target trajectory generating unit 318 generates a target trajectory of the host vehicle based on the combined section path and the obstacle's movement path. If the obstacle's movement path enters the combined section path, the target trajectory generating unit 318 generates a target trajectory that is changed from the combined section path so as to avoid the obstacle's movement path. On the other hand, if the obstacle's movement path does not enter the combined section path, the target trajectory generating unit 318 generates a target trajectory along the combined section path.

[0109] In step S210, as described above, vehicle control unit 320 controls the host vehicle so that the host vehicle travels along the target trajectory.

[0110] Each component of the vehicle control unit 30 according to the first and second embodiments described above can be configured using a computer and is realized by the computer executing a program. That is, the vehicle control unit 30 is realized, for example, by a processing circuit 50 shown in Fig. 11. The processing circuit 50 uses a processor such as a CPU or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and the function of each part is realized by executing a program stored in a storage device.

[0111] Dedicated hardware may be used for the processing circuit 50. When the processing circuit 50 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 50 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these.

[0112] In the vehicle control unit 30, the functions of each of the components may be realized by separate processing circuits, or the functions may be collectively realized by a single processing circuit.

[0113] 12 shows a hardware configuration in the case where the processing circuit 50 is configured using a processor. In this case, the functions of each part of the vehicle control unit 30 are realized by a combination of software, etc. (software, firmware, or software and firmware). The software, etc. are written as a program and stored in the memory 52. ​​The processor 51 functioning as the processing circuit 50 realizes the functions of each part by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 52 (storage device). In other words, it can be said that this program causes a computer to execute the procedure and method of operation of the components of the vehicle control unit 30.

[0114] Here, the memory 52 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, mini disk, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) and its drive device, or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0115] The above describes a configuration in which the functions of the components of the vehicle control unit 30 are realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle control unit 30 may be configured such that some components are realized by dedicated hardware and other components are realized by software, etc. For example, it is possible to realize the functions of some components by the processing circuit 50 as dedicated hardware, and realize the functions of other components by the processing circuit 50 as the processor 51 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 52.

[0116] As described above, the vehicle control unit 30 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0117] Summary of Aspects of the Disclosure Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0118] (Appendix 1) A vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a position of a target vehicle and a direction of the target vehicle; a road information acquisition unit that acquires road information around the position of the target vehicle; a section dividing unit that divides a road based on the road information at least each time a road characteristic changes, and generates a plurality of divided sections; a section route generating unit that generates a section route connecting a start point and an end point of a vehicle passing through each of the divided sections; a section path combining unit that combines the section paths of the divided sections to generate a combined section path; A driving schedule generating device comprising:

[0119] (Appendix 2) The driving schedule generation device according to claim 1, wherein the section route generation unit generates the section route that connects the position of the start point and the traveling direction at the start point with the position of the end point and the traveling direction at the end point in each of the divided sections.

[0120] (Appendix 3) the section route generation unit generates the section routes of two or more consecutive divided sections including at least the current divided section in which the target vehicle is located and the divided section next to the current divided section; The driving schedule generation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the section route combination unit generates the combined section route by connecting the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections.

[0121] (Appendix 4) The number of generated sections is 2; 4. The driving schedule generating device according to claim 3, wherein the divided sections of the number of generated sections are the current divided section and the next divided section.

[0122] (Appendix 5) Each time the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit sets divided sections of the number of generation sections, and generates the section routes of the divided sections of the number of generation sections; The driving schedule generation device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the section route combination unit generates the combined section route by connecting the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections after generation.

[0123] (Appendix 6) the section route generation unit holds the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections generated when the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, until the target vehicle reaches the next divided section; The driving schedule generation device according to any one of appendix 3 to 5, wherein the section route combination unit holds the combined section route generated when the target vehicle reaches the next divided section until the target vehicle reaches the next divided section.

[0124] (Appendix 7) The driving schedule generation device according to any one of Appendix 3 to 6, wherein, when the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit deletes the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections that were generated before the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, and generates the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections.

[0125] (Appendix 8) the section route generation unit generates the section routes for the division sections of the number of generated sections for each update period; The driving schedule generation device according to any one of appendices 3 to 7, wherein the section route combination unit generates the combined section route by connecting the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections after generation for each update period.

[0126] (Appendix 9) the section route generation unit, when the divided section has a plurality of passable end points, selects, from the plurality of end points, the end point at which the amount of change in the orientation and the travel distance of the target vehicle are smallest; 9. The driving schedule generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which generates the section route connecting the start point and the selected end point.

[0127] (Appendix 10) when the selected end point becomes passable, the section route generation unit reselects, from among one or more remaining end points, the end point at which the change in the orientation and the travel distance of the target vehicle are the smallest; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 9, which regenerates the section route connecting the start point and the reselected end point.

[0128] (Appendix 11) when the divided section has a plurality of passable starting points, the section route generation unit selects, from the plurality of starting points, the starting point corresponding to a position at which the target vehicle is traveling; 11. The driving schedule generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which generates the section route connecting the selected start point and the selected end point.

[0129] (Appendix 12) an obstacle information acquisition unit that acquires obstacle information present around the target vehicle; an obstacle movement path prediction unit that predicts a movement path of an obstacle based on the obstacle information; a target trajectory generation unit that generates a target trajectory of the target vehicle based on the connection section path and the movement path of the obstacle; 12. The driving schedule generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising:

[0130] (Appendix 13) 13. The driving schedule generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the section route generation unit regenerates the section route when it is determined that a deviation has occurred between a position of the target vehicle and the section route.

[0131] (Appendix 14) A vehicle control unit that controls the target vehicle is further provided. The driving schedule generation device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, wherein the vehicle control unit stops the vehicle control when the section route does not exist in the current divided section in which the target vehicle is located.

[0132] In the present disclosure, various exemplary embodiments and examples are described, but various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a specific embodiment, but can be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless modifications not illustrated are expected within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification. For example, the modification, addition, or omission of at least one component, and the extraction and combination of at least one component with components of other embodiments are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 310: Travel plan generating device, 311: Vehicle state acquisition unit, 312: Road information acquisition unit, 313: Section division unit, 314: Section route generation unit, 315: Section route combination unit, 316: Obstacle information acquisition unit, 317: Obstacle movement path prediction unit, 318: Target trajectory generation unit, 320: Vehicle control unit

Claims

1. A vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a position of a target vehicle and a direction of the target vehicle; a road information acquisition unit that acquires road information around the position of the target vehicle; a section dividing unit that divides a road based on the road information at least each time a road characteristic changes, and generates a plurality of divided sections; a section route generating unit that generates a section route connecting a start point and an end point of a vehicle passing through each of the divided sections; a section path combining unit that combines the section paths of the divided sections to generate a combined section path; A driving schedule generating device comprising:

2. The driving schedule generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the section route generation unit generates the section route that connects, for each of the divided sections, the position of the start point and the traveling direction at the start point, and the position of the end point and the traveling direction at the end point.

3. the section route generation unit generates the section routes of two or more consecutive divided sections including at least the current divided section in which the target vehicle is located and the divided section next to the current divided section; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the section route combining unit generates the combined section route by combining the section routes of the divided sections of the number of generated sections.

4. The number of generated sections is 2; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the divided sections of the number of generated sections are the current divided section and the next divided section.

5. Each time the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit sets divided sections of the number of generation sections, and generates the section routes of the divided sections of the number of generation sections; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the section route combining unit generates the combined section route by combining the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections after generation.

6. the section route generation unit holds the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections generated when the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, until the target vehicle reaches the next divided section; The travel schedule generation device according to claim 3 , wherein the section route combination unit holds the combined section route generated when the target vehicle reaches the next divided section until the target vehicle reaches the next divided section.

7. The driving schedule generation device according to claim 3, wherein when the target vehicle reaches the next divided section, the section route generation unit deletes the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections that were generated before the target vehicle arrived at the next divided section, and generates the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections.

8. the section route generation unit generates the section routes for the division sections of the number of generated sections for each update period; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the section route combining unit combines the section routes of the divided sections of the generated number of sections after generation to generate the combined section route for each update period.

9. the section route generation unit, when the divided section has a plurality of passable end points, selects, from the plurality of end points, the end point at which the amount of change in the orientation and the travel distance of the target vehicle are smallest; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the section route is generated by connecting the start point and the selected end point.

10. when the selected end point becomes passable, the section route generation unit reselects, from among one or more remaining end points, the end point at which the change in the orientation and the travel distance of the target vehicle are the smallest; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 9 , further comprising: regenerating the section route connecting the start point and the reselected end point.

11. when the divided section has a plurality of passable starting points, the section route generation unit selects, from the plurality of starting points, the starting point corresponding to a position at which the target vehicle is traveling; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a step of generating the section route that connects the selected start point and the selected end point.

12. an obstacle information acquisition unit that acquires obstacle information present around the target vehicle; an obstacle movement path prediction unit that predicts a movement path of an obstacle based on the obstacle information; a target trajectory generation unit that generates a target trajectory of the target vehicle based on the connection section path and the movement path of the obstacle; The driving schedule generating device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

13. The driving schedule generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the section route generating unit regenerates the section route when it is determined that a deviation has occurred between the position of the target vehicle and the section route.

14. A vehicle control unit that controls the target vehicle is further provided. The driving schedule generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle control unit stops the vehicle control when the section route does not exist in the current divided section in which the target vehicle is located.

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