Control method and control apparatus

Abstract

To support the driving of a vehicle which is capable of autonomous driving.SOLUTION: A control method of controlling a first vehicle identifies change information which indicates at least a position where the control mode of a second vehicle that traveled prior to the first vehicle was changed from an autonomous driving mode to a remote control mode (step S201), acquires current position information indicating at least a current position of the first vehicle (step S203), and, when the control modes of the first vehicle are not changed from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode, if the acquired current position information is included in the change information, transmits request information indicating a request for the first vehicle to be designated as an object of remote control or close attention by an operator (step S206).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method and a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] A control system for a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is disclosed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-11235 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a problem in that the driving of vehicles capable of autonomous driving may be hindered.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a control method for assisting the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for controlling a first vehicle, which identifies switching information indicating at least the position at which the control mode of a second vehicle that traveled earlier than the first vehicle was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode, acquires current position information indicating at least the current position of the first vehicle, and, if the control mode of the first vehicle does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode and the acquired current position information is included in the switching information, transmits request information indicating a request to have the first vehicle remotely controlled or monitored by an operator.

[0007] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, device, integrated circuit, computer program, or computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, device, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The control method of the present invention can assist the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flow chart showing processing by the server and the vehicle when the server according to the first embodiment generates switching information. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing position information of another vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing switching information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a process in which a vehicle according to the first embodiment transmits request information. [Figure 7] 4 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the control system when the vehicle according to the first embodiment transmits request information. FIG. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart showing processing by the server and the vehicle when the server according to the first embodiment generates second switching information. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which the server according to the first embodiment transmits recommended information. FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the control system when the server according to the first embodiment transmits recommendation information. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a control system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which a server according to a modification of the first embodiment generates switching information. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a control system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which a vehicle according to the second embodiment transmits request information or notification information. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the control system when a vehicle according to the second embodiment transmits notification information. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process in which a vehicle according to the third embodiment transmits request information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (Findings that form the basis of the present invention) The present inventor has found that the following problems arise with the technology relating to autonomous driving described in the "Background Art" section.

[0011] There are robots (also simply called robots) that are capable of autonomous travel. An example of a robot that is capable of autonomous travel is a vehicle (also simply called a vehicle), and this case will be used as an example. Note that robots that are capable of autonomous travel are not limited to vehicles.

[0012] A vehicle can drive autonomously without intervention by a driver. The control mode in which a vehicle drives autonomously is also called an autonomous driving mode. In the autonomous driving mode, the vehicle uses sensors to recognize the surrounding environment, determine whether acceleration / deceleration and steering control are necessary, and use the results of this determination to drive autonomously.

[0013] While a vehicle is autonomously driving, it may determine that autonomous driving is not possible. For example, the vehicle may determine that autonomous driving is not possible when it is difficult to determine whether acceleration, deceleration, and steering control are necessary. In such cases, the vehicle can continue driving safely by switching to remote control. Remote control is when an operator located remotely from the vehicle controls the vehicle by operating the vehicle while checking the status of the vehicle and its surroundings via a network.

[0014] The conditions under which a vehicle switches from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode (also called switching conditions) may differ for each vehicle. For example, the switching conditions may be set in advance by an administrator who manages the vehicle. In this case, different switching conditions may be set for each administrator or manufacturer.

[0015] The administrator may not be able to set the switching conditions to cover all possible vehicle situations. In such cases, the administrator may neglect to set conditions that would normally require the vehicle to switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode. If the administrator neglects to set conditions that should be set as switching conditions, the switching conditions may be omitted, preventing the vehicle from operating in autonomous driving mode.

[0016] Therefore, for example, when vehicles A and B with different switching conditions are traveling in the same area, a situation may occur in which vehicle A switches from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode at point A, but vehicle B does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode at point A. This situation may arise because the administrator of vehicle B neglects to set the conditions that would normally require switching from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode as switching conditions.

[0017] In this way, there is a problem that the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving may be hindered.

[0018] Therefore, the present invention provides a control method for assisting the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0019] Hereinafter, examples of inventions that can be obtained from the disclosure of this specification will be given, and the effects and the like that can be obtained from these inventions will be explained.

[0020] (1) A control method for controlling a first vehicle, comprising: identifying switching information indicating at least the location where the control mode of a second vehicle that traveled earlier than the first vehicle was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode; acquiring current position information indicating at least the current location of the first vehicle; and, if the control mode of the first vehicle does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode and the acquired current position information is included in the switching information, transmitting request information indicating a request to make the first vehicle the subject of remote control or observation by an operator.

[0021] According to the above aspect, even if the control mode of the first vehicle is not switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode at a location where it is not possible to switch, the first vehicle can be remotely controlled or monitored if a previously traveling second vehicle switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode at that location. If the control mode of the first vehicle does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode, the first vehicle is usually not remotely controlled. However, if a previously traveling second vehicle switched its control mode from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode at that location, it may be appropriate to switch the control mode of the first vehicle from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode. Furthermore, the reason the control mode of the first vehicle does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode may be because the switching conditions set for the first vehicle are inappropriate. In such cases, the driving of the first vehicle can be assisted by remotely controlling or monitoring the first vehicle at that location. In this way, the above control method can assist the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0022] (2) When sending the request information, the control method described in (1) determines whether a predetermined switching condition for switching the control mode of the first vehicle from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode is met, determines whether the current location information is included in the switching information, and sends the request information if it is determined that the switching condition is not met and if it is determined that the current location information is included in the switching information.

[0023] According to the above aspect, the first vehicle is configured to easily switch the control mode from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode by determining the switching condition, and the use of the determination using the switching condition contributes to more easily making the first vehicle the target of remote control or attention. In this way, the above control method can more easily support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0024] (3) The first vehicle stores the switching conditions in a storage device, and when transmitting the request information, the first vehicle determines whether the switching conditions are met, determines whether the current location information is included in the switching information, and if it determines that the switching conditions are not met and that the current location information of the first vehicle is included in the switching information, the first vehicle transmits the request information.This is a control method described in (2).

[0025] According to the above aspect, the first vehicle determines whether the switching condition is satisfied, thereby contributing to easily making the first vehicle the target of remote control or attention. In this way, the above control method can more easily support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0026] (4) A control method described in any one of (1) to (3), in which when identifying the switching information, the switching information is identified by at least identifying the position at which the control mode of the second vehicle is switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode based on changes in the appearance of the second vehicle captured in each of multiple images showing the second vehicle taken at multiple points in time.

[0027] According to the above aspect, the first vehicle can identify the control mode of the second vehicle based on changes in the appearance of the second vehicle that has driven in the past, and use this to more easily identify the point at which the second vehicle switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode. In this way, the above control method can more easily support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0028] (5) The control method described in (4), wherein the plurality of images include one or more images showing the second vehicle taken at one or more points in time by a camera equipped on the first vehicle.

[0029] According to the above aspect, the first vehicle can more easily identify the position where the second vehicle switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode by using an image of the second vehicle captured by the camera equipped on the first vehicle. In this way, the above control method can more easily support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0030] (6) A control method described in (4) or (5), wherein the plurality of images include one or more images of the second vehicle taken at one or more points in time by a camera installed on the side of the road along which the second vehicle traveled.

[0031] According to the above aspect, the first vehicle can more easily identify the location where the second vehicle switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode by using an image of the second vehicle captured by a roadside camera. In this way, the above control method can more easily support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0032] (7) The first vehicle stores the switching conditions in a memory unit, and when transmitting the request information, the first vehicle determines whether the switching conditions are met, determines whether the current location information is included in the switching information, and if the first vehicle determines that the switching conditions are not met and if it determines that the current location information is included in the switching information, transmits notification information to a server, and the server receives the notification information and determines whether it is necessary to transmit the request information based on the received notification information, and transmits the request information if it determines that it is necessary to transmit the request information.

[0033] According to the above aspect, the first vehicle performs part of the determination as to whether the switching condition is satisfied, and then the server determines whether or not the request information needs to be transmitted, and the first vehicle can be remotely controlled or monitored. In this way, the first vehicle can be remotely controlled or monitored more appropriately by taking into account both the determination of the first vehicle and the determination of the server. In this way, the above control method can more appropriately support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0034] (8) The control method described in (7), in which, when determining whether the request information needs to be sent, the server determines whether the request information needs to be sent by using at least the number of times the control mode of one or more of the second vehicles that have traveled in the past at the location included in the switching information has been switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode, or the date and time of the switch.

[0035] According to the above aspect, after the first vehicle determines whether the switching condition is satisfied, the server determines whether or not to transmit request information using the number of control mode switches or the date and time. Therefore, the first vehicle can be more appropriately targeted for remote control or attention by taking into account the number of control mode switches or the date and time. In this way, the above control method can more appropriately support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0036] (9) The control method described in (7) or (8), wherein the notification information includes sensor information acquired by a sensor equipped in the first vehicle, and when determining whether or not the request information needs to be sent, the server determines whether or not the request information needs to be sent by at least comparing the sensor information included in the notification information with sensor information acquired by a sensor equipped in one or more of the second vehicles that have traveled in the past at the location included in the switching information.

[0037] According to the above aspect, after the first vehicle determines whether the switching condition is satisfied, the server determines whether or not to transmit the request information using the sensor information. Therefore, the first vehicle can be more appropriately targeted for remote control or attention in consideration of the sensor information. In this way, the above control method can more appropriately support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0038] (10) When transmitting the request information, the control method described in (2) further determines whether a new switching condition, which is determined by a different method from the switching condition, is satisfied, and if it is determined that the new switching condition is not satisfied and if it is determined that the current location information of the first vehicle is included in the switching information, transmits the request information.

[0039] According to the above aspect, when the normal switching condition is satisfied and the new switching condition is also satisfied, the first vehicle is contributed to being the target of remote control or attention. By using the new switching condition, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether to make the first vehicle the target of remote control or attention. In this way, the above control method can more appropriately support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0040] (11) The control method described in (1), wherein the switching information is first switching information, and second switching information indicating at least the position at which the control mode of the second vehicle is switched from remote control mode to autonomous driving mode is identified, current position information indicating at least the current position of the first vehicle is acquired when the first vehicle is traveling in remote control mode, and if the acquired current position information is included in the second switching information, recommendation information indicating that it is recommended to switch the first vehicle to autonomous driving mode is transmitted.

[0041] According to the above aspect, the control method contributes to switching the control mode of the first vehicle from remote control mode to autonomous driving mode at a location where a previously traveling second vehicle switched from remote control mode to autonomous driving mode. This is because if a previously traveling second vehicle switched its control mode from remote control mode to autonomous driving mode at that location, it may be appropriate to switch the control mode of the first vehicle from remote control mode to autonomous driving mode at that location. In this way, the above control method can support the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0042] (12) A control device provided in a control system for controlling a first vehicle, the control system identifying a switching position where the control mode of a second vehicle that traveled earlier than the first vehicle was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode, acquiring position information indicating the position of the first vehicle, and, if the control mode of the first vehicle does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode and the position of the first vehicle indicated in the acquired position information is included in the switching position, generating request information indicating a request for the first vehicle to be remotely controlled or monitored by an operator, the control device comprising: a display unit that displays the request information; and a vehicle operation unit that receives operations on the first vehicle by the operator and transmits remote control information indicating the content of the operation to the first vehicle.

[0043] According to the above aspect, the same effect as that of the above control information is achieved.

[0044] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, device, integrated circuit, computer program, or computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, device, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium.

[0045] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0046] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concepts are described as optional components.

[0047] (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a control method for assisting a vehicle capable of autonomous driving will be described.

[0048] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of the control system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0049] The control system 1 is a system that controls the vehicle 10. Specifically, the control system 1 controls whether the vehicle 10 is to be remotely controlled or watched by a remote operator (also simply referred to as an operator). The control system 1 also accepts operations by the operator to remotely control or watch the vehicle 10, and can support the operator in remotely controlling or watching the vehicle 10 by presenting information about the vehicle 10 to the operator.

[0050] Remote control is the control of a vehicle by an operator located at a distance from the vehicle, operating the vehicle while checking the conditions of the vehicle and its surroundings via a network.

[0051] Furthermore, "watching" refers to an operator remotely monitoring the vehicle and its surroundings via a network with a higher level of attention than usual. A vehicle being watched is likely to be the target of remote control later.

[0052] 1 and 2, the control system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a server 20, and a control device 30. The vehicle 10, the server 20, and the control device 30 are communicably connected via a network N. Note that the server 20 and the control device 30 may be configured as an integrated unit.

[0053] The vehicle 10 is a vehicle (corresponding to a first vehicle) that is the target of control by the control system 1. The control system 1 can be equipped with one or more vehicles 10.

[0054] Vehicle 12 is a vehicle (corresponding to a second vehicle) that traveled earlier than vehicle 10. There may be one or more vehicles 12. Vehicle 12 is an example of a vehicle that traveled past the point where vehicle 10 is traveling earlier than the point where vehicle 10 traveled. Vehicle 12 is a vehicle that traveled past the point where vehicle 10 is traveling within a predetermined time period that ends at the point where vehicle 10 traveled, and the predetermined time period may be, for example, about one hour to five hours, or about one day to one week.

[0055] Vehicle 12 may be, for example, a vehicle managed by a different manager than vehicle 10, or a vehicle manufactured by a different manufacturer than vehicle 10, but is not limited to this.

[0056] Vehicles 10 and 12 are examples of robots capable of autonomous driving, more specifically, vehicles capable of autonomous driving.

[0057] The vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 101, an identification unit 102, an acquisition unit 103, a sensor unit 104, a driving control unit 105, and a request control unit 106. The vehicle 10 is a vehicle equipped with a computer. The components of the vehicle 10 are realized by at least a processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit), the same applies hereinafter) included in the vehicle 10 executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0058] The communication unit 101 is a communication interface communicatively connected to the network N. The communication unit 101 is used when components included in the vehicle 10 transmit and receive information to and from the server 20 or the control device 30 via the network N. The communication unit 101 may be a communication interface for a wireless communication standard (for example, a mobile communication system (3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), etc.)).

[0059] The identification unit 102 identifies position information indicating at least a position where the vehicle 12, which traveled earlier than the vehicle 10, switched its control mode. Specifically, the identification unit 102 identifies position information indicating at least a position where the control mode of the vehicle 12, which traveled earlier than the vehicle 10, switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. For example, the identification unit 102 identifies the position information by at least acquiring multiple images of the vehicle 12 taken at multiple points in time by a camera (described later) included in the sensor unit 104, and identifying the position where the control mode of the vehicle 12 switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode based on changes in the appearance of the vehicle 12 captured in each of the multiple images. Note that the multiple images may be treated as a series of still images, or may be treated as one or more moving images.

[0060] For example, there may be a difference in appearance between when the vehicle 12 is in the autonomous driving mode and when it is in the remote control mode (for example, the lighting patterns of lamps located in positions exposed to the outside of the vehicle 12, in other words, lamps visible from outside the vehicle 12, may be different). In this case, the identification unit 102 can determine that the control mode of the vehicle 12 has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode by recognizing the difference in appearance through image processing.

[0061] The identifying unit 102 transmits the identified position information to the server 20. The position information may further indicate the direction when the vehicle 12 switched the control mode, and this case will be described below as an example.

[0062] The acquisition unit 103 acquires switching information from the server 20. The switching information includes at least the location where the control mode of a vehicle 12 that traveled earlier than the vehicle 10 was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The switching information acquired from the server 20 may not only include switching information transmitted by the vehicle 10, but may also be an integrated version of one or more pieces of switching information transmitted by one or more vehicles 10 included in the control system 1.

[0063] The sensor unit 104 has sensors that acquire or sense various physical quantities, and generates sensor information including the physical quantities acquired by the sensors.

[0064] The sensor unit 104 has, as the sensor, a position sensor that acquires the current position and orientation of the vehicle 10. The position sensor acquires the current position and orientation of the vehicle 10 using, for example, a global positioning system (GPS). The sensor unit 104 uses the position sensor to acquire information indicating at least the current position of the vehicle 10 (also referred to as current position information). Note that the current position information may further indicate the current orientation of the vehicle 10, and this case will be described below as an example.

[0065] The sensor unit 104 also has a camera as the sensor. The camera repeatedly captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 and acquires multiple images showing the surroundings of the vehicle 10 at the time of capture. The multiple images acquired by the camera can be provided to the identification unit 102. The multiple images acquired by the camera can also be transmitted to the control device 30 via the network N and used by an operator to remotely control or monitor the vehicle 10.

[0066] In addition to the above, the sensor unit 104 may have, as the above sensors, a radar (radio detection and ranging), a light detection and ranging (lidar), an ultrasonic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. The sensor information acquired by the above sensors is transmitted to the control device 30 via the network N and can be used by the operator to remotely control or monitor the vehicle 10.

[0067] The driving control unit 105 controls the driving of the vehicle 10. The driving control unit 105 has two control modes for driving the vehicle 10: an autonomous driving mode and a remote control mode.

[0068] The driving control unit 105 determines whether the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 should be the autonomous driving mode or the remote control mode. This determination can also be said to be a determination to switch the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 between the autonomous driving mode and the remote control mode. Specifically, when the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 is the remote control mode, the driving control unit 105 determines that the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 should be the autonomous driving mode, and the driving control unit 105 determines that the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 should be the autonomous driving mode. When the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 is the autonomous driving mode, the driving control unit 105 determines that the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 should be the remote control mode, and the driving control unit 105 determines that the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 should be the remote control mode, and the driving control unit 105 determines that the control mode for driving the vehicle 10 should be the remote control mode.

[0069] The driving control unit 105 can determine whether to switch from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode using predetermined switching conditions. The switching conditions include a condition (also referred to as a switching condition) that, when satisfied, switches the control mode of the vehicle 10 from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The above condition may be, for example, that the vehicle 10 approaches within a predetermined distance of a crosswalk, that the vehicle 10 enters a school zone, or that some object is present within a predetermined distance around the vehicle 10.

[0070] The switching conditions are stored in a storage device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 10. The driving control unit 105 can determine whether the switching conditions are satisfied by using the switching conditions stored in the storage device. The driving control unit 105 provides the request control unit 106 with the determination result.

[0071] The driving control unit 105 includes an autonomous driving control unit 112 and a remote control unit 113.

[0072] The autonomous driving control unit 112 controls the driving of the vehicle 10 in the autonomous driving mode. Specifically, the remote control unit 113 generates control information (specifically, control information for acceleration / deceleration or steering) for controlling the driving of the vehicle 10 based on the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 104, and controls the driving of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the generated control information.

[0073] The remote control unit 113 controls the operation of the vehicle 10 in the remote control mode. Specifically, the remote control unit 113 transmits sensor information generated by the sensor unit 104 to the control device 30 via the network N. The remote control unit 113 also receives control information for remotely controlling the vehicle 10 (specifically, control information for acceleration / deceleration or steering, also referred to as remote control information) from the control device 30, and controls the operation of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the received remote control information.

[0074] The request control unit 106 controls the transmission of request information indicating a request for the vehicle 10 to be the target of remote control or observation by an operator. The request control unit 106 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is to be the target of remote control or observation by an operator, and controls the transmission of the request information when it is determined that the vehicle 10 is to be the target of remote control or observation.

[0075] Specifically, the request control unit 106 controls to send request information when the control mode of the vehicle 10 does not switch from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode and when the current location information of the vehicle 10 acquired by the sensor unit 104 is included in the switching information.

[0076] More specifically, the request control unit 106 obtains a determination result as to whether or not the switching condition is satisfied from the driving control unit 105. The request control unit 106 also determines whether or not the current location information of the vehicle 10 is included in the switching information. Then, when the driving control unit 105 determines that the switching condition is not satisfied and when the request control unit 106 determines that the current location information of the vehicle 10 is included in the switching information, the request control unit 106 transmits the request information. The destination to which the request control unit 106 transmits the request information is, for example, the server 20, and this case will be described as an example.

[0077] The request information may include period information that specifies a period for remote control or gazing. The period information may be information that specifies a specific time length (such as several tens of minutes to several hours), or information that specifies the time until the control mode of vehicle 12 that has traveled in the past is switched from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode.

[0078] Furthermore, the request information may include and transmit an image (i.e., an image of the vehicle 12 captured by a camera equipped in the vehicle 10) captured a predetermined time before the vehicle 12 switched its control mode from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. This allows the cause of the vehicle 12 switching to the remote control mode to be analyzed in real time, helping the operator to quickly determine whether remote control is necessary. The image may be sent to an operator (or control system) other than the operator who will be in charge of remotely controlling or watching the vehicle 10. This is because the operator who will be in charge of remotely controlling or watching the vehicle 10 needs to focus on the remote control or watching, and it may be difficult to analyze the cause. When an operator other than the operator who will be in charge of remotely controlling or watching the vehicle 10 analyzes the cause, the result of the determination on whether remote control or watching is necessary may be notified to the operator who is remotely controlling or watching the vehicle 10. If, as a result of analyzing the above causes, it is determined that remote control or monitoring is unnecessary, remote control or monitoring can be discontinued and the vehicle 10 can be driven in autonomous driving mode.

[0079] The request information may also include and transmit an image taken a predetermined time before the vehicle 10 switched the control mode from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. This has the advantage that if the vehicle 10 did not switch to the remote control mode even though the switching conditions were met, the image can be used to verify the cause.

[0080] The server 20 includes a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203. The components of the server 20 are realized by at least a processor included in the server 20 executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0081] The communication unit 201 is a communication interface communicatively connected to the network N. The communication unit 201 may be a communication interface of a wired communication standard (e.g., Ethernet (registered trademark) or the like), or may be a communication interface of a wireless communication standard (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the like, or a mobile communication system (3G, 4G, 5G, or the like)).

[0082] The storage unit 202 is a storage device that stores information. The storage unit 202 may be a volatile storage device (e.g., a random access memory (RAM) or the like) or a non-volatile storage device (e.g., a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD)).

[0083] The storage unit 202 stores switching information 211. The switching information 211 is information that indicates at least the point at which the control mode of the vehicle 12 is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode.

[0084] The control unit 203 generates switching information 211 by integrating the position information of the vehicle 12 acquired from the vehicle 10, and stores the generated switching information in the storage unit 202. As a result, the control unit 203 identifies switching information that indicates at least the position where the control mode of the vehicle 12 is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode.

[0085] Furthermore, the control unit 203 controls the request information. Specifically, when the control unit 203 receives the request information transmitted by the vehicle 10, the control unit 203 transmits the received request information to the control device 30.

[0086] The control device 30 includes a communication unit 301, a display unit 302, an input unit 303, and a vehicle control unit 304. The control device 30 is a device that is handled by an operator, and specifically, can be used by the operator to remotely control and monitor the vehicle 10. The components of the control device 30 are realized by at least a processor included in the control device 30 executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0087] The communication unit 301 is a communication interface communicatively connected to the network N. The communication unit 301 may be a communication interface conforming to a communication standard for wired communication (e.g., Ethernet (registered trademark) or the like), or may be a communication interface conforming to a communication standard for wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the like), or a communication interface conforming to a mobile communication system (e.g., 3G, 4G, or 5G).

[0088] The display unit 302 displays the request information transmitted by the vehicle 10 on a display screen. It is assumed that the request information displayed by the display unit 302 will be visually recognized by an operator. The operator who has visually recognized the request information can decide whether to remotely control or monitor the vehicle 10.

[0089] Furthermore, the display unit 302 displays on the display screen images and sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 104 of the vehicle 10. The display unit 302 can display on the display screen images and sensor information for one or more vehicles 10. It is expected that the images and sensor information displayed by the display unit 302 will be visually confirmed by an operator.

[0090] At this time, the display unit 302 displays the image and sensor information about the vehicle 10 that is the object of attention on the display screen so that the operator can view them with a higher level of attention than usual. Specifically, the display unit 302 displays the image and sensor information about the vehicle 10 that is the object of attention in a display format that is different from the images and sensor information of other vehicles 10. For example, the display unit 302 can display the image and sensor information about the vehicle 10 that is the object of attention in a larger size than the images and sensor information of other vehicles 10, or can display the image and sensor information with decoration (for example, by adding a frame or changing the font of the characters).

[0091] Furthermore, the display unit 302 displays images and sensor information about the vehicle 10 that is the target of remote control on the display screen in a manner suitable for remote control by the operator. The operator, who visually recognizes the displayed images and sensor information, can remotely control the vehicle 10 while taking into consideration the displayed sensor information.

[0092] The input unit 303 receives input of operations performed by the operator. The operations performed by the operator include operations for accelerating / decelerating or steering the vehicle 10.

[0093] The vehicle control unit 304 acquires the content of the operation (acceleration / deceleration or steering operation) for remote control of the vehicle 10 received by the input unit 303, and transmits control information (remote control information) indicating the content of the operation to the vehicle 10 via the network N.

[0094] The processing performed by the control system 1 configured as above will be explained below.

[0095] Fig. 3 is a flow diagram showing the processing of server 20 and vehicle 10 when server 20 according to this embodiment generates switching information. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing location information of other vehicles according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing switching information according to this embodiment.

[0096] In step S101, the identification unit 102 determines whether or not another vehicle has been detected. The other vehicle is a vehicle (corresponding to a second vehicle) that has traveled earlier than the vehicle 10. If it is determined that another vehicle has been detected (Yes in step S101), the process proceeds to step S102; if not (No in step S101), step S101 is executed again. In other words, the identification unit 102 waits in step S101 until it detects another vehicle.

[0097] If it is determined in step S101 that the identification unit 102 has detected another vehicle, the following description will be given assuming that the detected vehicle is the vehicle 12.

[0098] In step S102, the identification unit 102 determines whether the control mode of the other vehicle 12 detected in step S101 has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. If it is determined that the control mode of the other vehicle 12 has been switched as described above (Yes in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103; if not (No in step S102), the process repeats step S101.

[0099] In step S103, the identification unit 102 identifies the location information of the other vehicle 12. The location information includes the location, direction, and time. The location information will be described with reference to FIG.

[0100] The "position" included in the position information is information indicating the position of the vehicle 12 when the control mode of the vehicle 12 is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The information indicating the position of the vehicle 12 is, for example, the latitude and longitude indicating the position of the vehicle 12, and this case will be described as an example, but is not limited to this.

[0101] The "azimuth" included in the location information is information that indicates the orientation of the vehicle 12 when the control mode of the vehicle 12 is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The orientation can also be said to indicate the direction of travel of the vehicle 12. The orientation is expressed as an angle measured clockwise from north (0 degrees), for example, and this case will be explained as an example.

[0102] The "time" included in the location information is information indicating the time when the control mode of the vehicle 12 was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The time is expressed in the format of, for example, year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, and this case will be explained as an example.

[0103] The location information shown in Figure 4 indicates that the position of vehicle 12 when the control mode of vehicle 12 was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode was "34.69 degrees north latitude, 135.53 degrees east longitude," the direction was "152 degrees," and the time was "11:12 on January 2, 2023."

[0104] Returning to FIG. 3, in step S104, the identification unit 102 transmits the position information of the other vehicle 12 to the server 20.

[0105] In step S111, the control unit 203 receives the position information of the other vehicle 12 transmitted in step S104.

[0106] In step S112, the control unit 203 generates switching information (also referred to as first switching information) including the location information of the other vehicle 12 received in step S111, and stores the generated switching information in the memory unit 202 as switching information 211.

[0107] The switching information generated by the control unit 203 in step S112 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The switching information has one or more entries, and each entry includes a position, a direction, and a time.

[0108] The one or more entries included in the switching information are a combination of location information received by the control unit 203 so far, in which the control mode of one or more other vehicles 12 has been switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode.

[0109] Specifically, the "position" included in the switching information is information that integrates the positions of one or more other vehicles 12 when the control mode of each of the vehicles is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The process of integrating the positions of one or more vehicles is, for example, a process of setting a range or area that includes the positions of one or more vehicles. Note that if the positions of one or more vehicles include a position that is relatively infrequent, that position may be excluded.

[0110] Similarly, the "orientation" included in the switching information is information that integrates the orientations of one or more other vehicles 12 when the control mode of each vehicle is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The process of integrating the orientations of one or more vehicles is, for example, a process of setting a range that includes the orientations of one or more vehicles. Note that if the orientations of one or more vehicles include an orientation that occurs relatively infrequently, that orientation may be excluded.

[0111] Furthermore, the "time" included in the switching information is information that combines the times when the control mode of each of the one or more other vehicles 12 was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The process of combining one or more times is, for example, a process of setting a time interval that includes one or more times. Note that if a time that occurs relatively infrequently is included among the one or more times, that time may be excluded.

[0112] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 3, the server 20 can generate and store switching information.

[0113] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing a process in which the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment transmits request information.

[0114] In step S201, the acquisition unit 103 acquires the switching information 211 from the server 20.

[0115] In step S202, the vehicle 10 is traveling in the autonomous traveling mode. The traveling of the vehicle 10 in the autonomous traveling mode is realized by the driving control unit 105 using the autonomous traveling control unit 112 to control the driving of the vehicle 10 in the autonomous traveling mode.

[0116] In step S203, the sensor unit 104 acquires the current position information of the vehicle 10, that is, the current position and direction of the vehicle 10.

[0117] In step S204, the operation control unit 105 determines whether the switching condition is satisfied. If it is determined that the switching condition is satisfied (Yes in step S204), the operation control unit 105 proceeds to step S206, and if not (No in step S204), the operation control unit 105 proceeds to step S205.

[0118] In step S205, the request control unit 106 determines whether the current position and direction of the vehicle 10 acquired in step S203 are included in the position and direction of the switching information acquired in step S201, respectively. The current position of the vehicle 10 being included in the position of the switching information means that the current position of the vehicle 10 is the same as the position of the switching information or is within a predetermined distance (approximately 1 to 3 meters) from the position of the switching information. Furthermore, the current direction of the vehicle 10 being included in the direction of the switching information means that the current direction of the vehicle 10 is the same as the direction of the switching information or is within a predetermined angle (approximately 10 to 30 degrees) from the direction of the switching information. If it is determined that the current position and direction of the vehicle 10 are included in the position and direction of the switching information, respectively (Yes in step S205), the process proceeds to step S206; otherwise (No in step S205), step S202 is executed again.

[0119] In step S206, the request control unit 106 generates request information indicating a request to make the vehicle 10 an object of remote control or observation by an operator, and transmits the request information to the server 20.

[0120] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle 10 can transmit request information using the current position and direction and the switching information.

[0121] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the control system 1 when the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment transmits request information.

[0122] In step S211, the vehicle 10 transmits request information to the server 20. Step S211 corresponds to step S206 (see FIG. 6).

[0123] In step S212, the server 20 receives the request information sent in step S211.

[0124] In step S213, the server 20 transmits the request information received in step S212 to the control device 30.

[0125] In step S214, the control device 30 receives the request information transmitted in step S213.

[0126] In step S215, the control device 30 determines whether or not to switch the control mode of the vehicle 10 to the remote control mode. The control device 30 displays the request information received in step S214, receives the operator's judgment result as to whether or not to change the control mode of the vehicle 10 to the remote control mode via the input unit 303, and can determine whether or not to change the control mode of the vehicle 10 to the remote control mode in accordance with the judgment result.

[0127] In step S216, if the control device 30 determines in step S215 to switch to the remote control mode, the control device 30 transmits control information to switch the vehicle 10 to the remote control mode to the vehicle 10. Note that if the control device 30 determines in step S215 not to switch to the remote control mode, the processing ends in the above step S215.

[0128] In step S217, the vehicle 10 receives the control information transmitted in step S216, and switches the control mode to the remote control mode in accordance with the received control information.

[0129] In step S218, the control device 30 executes remote control of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the control device 30 receives sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 104 of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10, and displays the information on the display unit 302 so that the operator can recognize it. The control device 30 also accepts an operation by the operator for remote control of the vehicle 10, and generates remote control information related to acceleration / deceleration or steering of the vehicle based on the accepted operation and transmits the remote control information to the vehicle 10.

[0130] In step S219, the vehicle 10 receives the remote control information transmitted by the control device 30 in step S218, and travels in accordance with the received remote control information. The vehicle 10 also transmits sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 104 to the control device 30.

[0131] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle 10 transmits request information, the control mode of the vehicle 10 can be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode, and remote control can be performed.

[0132] Next, the second switching information will be described. The second switching information includes at least the position where the control mode of the vehicle 12 that traveled before the vehicle 10 was switched from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode.

[0133] The identification unit 102 identifies location information indicating at least the location where the control mode of the vehicle 12, which traveled in the past from the vehicle 10, was switched from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode. For example, the identification unit 102 identifies the location information by at least acquiring multiple images of the vehicle 12 captured at multiple points in time by a camera included in the sensor unit 104, and identifying the location where the control mode of the vehicle 12 was switched from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode based on changes in the appearance of the vehicle 12 captured in each of the multiple images. The method of identifying the location where the control mode of the vehicle 12 was switched based on changes in the appearance of the vehicle 12 can use a method using differences in appearance, similar to the method of determining whether the control mode was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The identification unit 102 then transmits the identified location information to the server 20. The location information may further indicate the orientation of the vehicle 12 when the control mode was switched, which will be described below as an example.

[0134] The control unit 203 generates second switching information by integrating the position information of the vehicle 12 acquired from the vehicle 10, and stores the second switching information in the storage unit 202 while including it in the switching information 211. In this way, the control unit 203 identifies the second switching information that indicates at least the position where the control mode of the vehicle 12 was switched from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode.

[0135] Then, when the current location information of the vehicle 10 is included in the second switching information, the control unit 203 transmits recommendation information to the control device 30 indicating that it is recommended to switch the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode.

[0136] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the server 20 and the vehicle 10 when the server 20 according to the present embodiment generates the second switching information.

[0137] In step S301, the identification unit 102 determines whether or not another vehicle has been detected. The other vehicle is a vehicle (corresponding to a second vehicle) that has traveled earlier than the vehicle 10. If it is determined that another vehicle has been detected (Yes in step S301), the process proceeds to step S302; if not (No in step S301), step S301 is executed again. In other words, the identification unit 102 waits in step S301 until it detects another vehicle.

[0138] If it is determined in step S301 that the identification unit 102 has detected another vehicle, the following description will be given assuming that the detected vehicle is the vehicle 12.

[0139] In step S302, the identification unit 102 determines whether the control mode of the other vehicle 12 detected in step S301 has been switched from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode. If it is determined that the control mode of the other vehicle 12 has been switched as described above (Yes in step S302), the process proceeds to step S303; if not (No in step S302), the process repeats step S301.

[0140] In step S303, the identification unit 102 identifies the location information of the other vehicle 12. The location information includes a location, a direction, and a time. The format of the location information is the same as the format of the location information shown in FIG. 4, and therefore, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0141] In step S304 , the identification unit 102 transmits the position information of the other vehicle 12 to the server 20 .

[0142] In step S311, the control unit 203 receives the position information of the other vehicle 12 transmitted in step S304.

[0143] In step S312, the control unit 203 generates second switching information including the position information of the other vehicle 12 received in step S311, and stores the second switching information in the storage unit 202. The format of the second switching information is the same as the format of the switching information shown in Fig. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0144] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 8, the server 20 can generate and store the second switching information.

[0145] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process in which the server 20 according to the present embodiment transmits recommendation information.

[0146] In step S401, the control unit 203 acquires current position information of the vehicle 10, that is, the current position and orientation of the vehicle 10. The current position and orientation of the vehicle 10 are the current position and orientation of the vehicle 10 acquired by the sensor unit 104 of the vehicle 10, and may be transmitted by the vehicle 10 to the server 20.

[0147] In step S402, the control unit 203 determines whether the current position and direction of the vehicle 10 acquired in step S401 are included in the position and direction of the second switching information generated in step S312 (see FIG. 8). If it is determined that they are included (Yes in step S402), the process proceeds to step S403; if not (No in step S402), the process executes step S401 again.

[0148] In step S403, the control unit 203 generates recommendation information indicating that it is recommended to switch the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode, and transmits the recommendation information to the control device 30.

[0149] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 9, the server 20 can contribute to switching the control mode of the vehicle 10 from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode by transmitting the recommendation information.

[0150] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the control system 1 when the server 20 according to this embodiment transmits recommendation information.

[0151] In step S411, the server 20 transmits the recommendation information to the control device 30. Step S411 corresponds to step S403 (see FIG. 9).

[0152] In step S412, the control device 30 receives the recommendation information transmitted in step S411.

[0153] In step S413, the control device 30 determines whether or not to switch the control mode of the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode. The control device 30 receives, via the input unit 303, the operator's determination result as to whether or not to switch the control mode of the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode, and can determine whether or not to switch the control mode of the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode in accordance with the determination result.

[0154] In step S414, if the control device 30 determines in step S413 to switch to the autonomous driving mode, the control device 30 transmits control information to switch the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode to the vehicle 10. Note that if the control device 30 determines in step S413 not to switch to the autonomous driving mode, the processing ends in the above step S413.

[0155] In step S415, the vehicle 10 receives the control information transmitted in step S413, and switches the control mode to the autonomous driving mode in accordance with the received control information.

[0156] In step S416, the vehicle 10 travels in the autonomous travel mode.

[0157] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 10, the server 20 transmits recommendation information, which contributes to switching the control mode of the vehicle 10 from the remote control mode to the autonomous driving mode.

[0158] In the above, the location where the control mode of vehicle 12, which traveled earlier than vehicle 10, was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode (see FIG. 5) was used as the switching information, but the route from a first location where the control mode of vehicle 12, which traveled earlier than vehicle 10, was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode to a second location where the control mode was switched from remote control mode to autonomous driving mode may also be used as the switching information. In this case, vehicle 10 can transmit request information when it is located on the route. Vehicle 10 can transmit request information as described above by using each point on the route as a switching location.

[0159] In addition, when the above route is used as switching information, if the administrator determines that the route does not need to be set as switching information, the administrator may stop remote control or monitoring of the vehicle 10 on the above route. At this time, the registration of the switching information in the server 20 may be deleted.

[0160] Note that when the display unit 302 displays the position where the control mode of the vehicle 10 is switched based on the switching condition and the position of the switching information, the display manner may be different. In the former case, the operator needs to remotely control or keep an eye on the vehicle 10 while paying attention to the known switching condition, whereas in the latter case, an event that the operator does not anticipate may occur in the vehicle 10, and the operator needs to remotely control or keep an eye on the vehicle 10 while paying attention to various things.

[0161] By doing as described above, the control system 1 can assist the driving of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving.

[0162] (Modification of the first embodiment) In this modification, another example of a control method for assisting a vehicle capable of autonomous driving will be described.

[0163] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system 1A according to this modified example, and Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a control system 1A according to this modified example.

[0164] 11 and 12, the control system 1A includes a vehicle 10, a server 20A, a control device 30, and a camera 40. The vehicle 10, the server 20A, the control device 30, and the camera 40 are communicatively connected via a network N.

[0165] The vehicle 10 is the same as the vehicle 10 in the first embodiment.

[0166] Server 20A has the same functions as server 20 in the first embodiment, and further has a function of generating switching information using an image acquired from camera 40. The functions of server 20A will be described in detail later.

[0167] The control device 30 is the same as the control device 30 in the first embodiment.

[0168] The camera 40 is a photographing device installed on the roadside of the road on which the vehicle 12 travels. More generally, the camera 40 may be a photographing device that is fixedly installed on the roadside. The camera 40 may also be a surveillance camera installed on a building.

[0169] The camera 40 captures an image of the traveling vehicle 12 and transmits the image data to the server 20A via the network N. The camera 40 has a communication interface that is communicatively connected to the network N. The communication interface that the camera 40 has may be a communication interface of a wired communication standard (e.g., Ethernet, etc.), or may be a communication interface of a wireless communication standard (e.g., Wi-Fi, etc., or a mobile communication system (3G, 4G, 5G, etc.)).

[0170] 12, server 20A includes a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, a control unit 203, and an identification unit 204. The components of server 20A are realized by at least a processor included in server 20A executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0171] The communication unit 201, the storage unit 202, and the control unit 203 are the same as the components of the same names in the first embodiment.

[0172] The identification unit 204 identifies switching information that indicates at least the position where the control mode of a vehicle that traveled on the road that is the subject of image capture by the camera 40 was switched. Specifically, the identification unit 204 identifies switching information (corresponding to first switching information) that indicates at least the position where the control mode of the vehicle that traveled on the road was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. The vehicles that traveled on the road may include the vehicle 12.

[0173] For example, the identification unit 204 acquires multiple images of the vehicle 12 captured at multiple points in time by the camera 40, and determines that the control mode of the vehicle 12 has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode based on changes in the appearance of the vehicle 12 captured in each of the multiple images, thereby identifying the switching information. The identification unit 204 provides the identified switching information to the control unit 203. The control unit 203 integrates the switching information transmitted from the vehicle 10 and the switching information provided by the identification unit 204, and stores the integrated information in the storage unit 202 as switching information 211.

[0174] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a process in which the server 20A according to this modification generates switching information.

[0175] In step S501, the identification unit 204 determines whether or not an image has been acquired from the camera 40. If it is determined that an image has been acquired (Yes in step S501), the process proceeds to step S502; if not (No in step S501), step S501 is executed again. In other words, the identification unit 204 waits in step S501 until an image is acquired.

[0176] If it is determined in step S501 that the identification unit 204 has acquired an image, the following description will be given on the assumption that the vehicle shown in the acquired image is the vehicle 12.

[0177] In step S502, the identification unit 204 determines whether or not a vehicle shown in the image acquired in step S501 has been detected. A vehicle that can be detected is a vehicle that has traveled on the road (corresponding to the second vehicle). If it is determined that a vehicle has been detected (Yes in step S502), the process proceeds to step S503; if not (No in step S502), step S501 is executed again.

[0178] If the identification unit 204 determines in step S502 that a vehicle shown in the image has been detected, the following description will be given assuming that the detected vehicle is the vehicle 12.

[0179] In step S503, the identification unit 204 determines whether the control mode of the vehicle 12 shown in the image acquired in step S501 has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. If it is determined that the control mode of the vehicle 12 has been switched as described above (Yes in step S503), the process proceeds to step S504; if not (No in step S503), the process repeats step S501.

[0180] In step S504, the identification unit 204 identifies the location information of the vehicle 12. The location information includes the location, direction, and time. The format of the location information is the same as the format of the location information shown in Fig. 4, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0181] In step S505, the control unit 203 generates switching information including the position information of the vehicle 12 identified in step S504, and stores the switching information in the storage unit 202. The format of the switching information is the same as the format of the switching information shown in Fig. 5, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0182] In this way, the switching information acquired by the acquisition unit 103 of the vehicle 10 includes not only the vehicle 12 photographed by the vehicle 10, but also the location information of the vehicle 12 identified from the vehicle 12 photographed by the camera 40. As a result, the accuracy of the switching information is improved, and the control mode of the vehicle 10 can be more appropriately switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode.

[0183] Furthermore, vehicles or people passing through a certain point are captured in multiple images taken by the roadside camera 40. Therefore, by analyzing the multiple images, the number of vehicles or people passing through that point can be obtained over time, which has the advantage that the vehicle manager can use this information to set appropriate switching conditions.

[0184] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, another example of a control method for assisting a vehicle capable of autonomous driving will be described.

[0185] The control system 2 of this embodiment is similar to the control system 1 in the above-described first embodiment, but instead of the vehicle 10 transmitting request information in the first embodiment, the vehicle 10B transmits notification information to the server 20B. Then, the server 20B receives the transmitted notification information and transmits the request information to the control device 30 when it determines that transmission of request information is necessary.

[0186] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a control system 2 according to this embodiment.

[0187] 14, the control system 2 includes a vehicle 10B, a server 20B, and a control device 30. The vehicle 10B, the server 20B, and the control device 30 are connected via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0188] The vehicle 10B has the same functions as the vehicle 10 in the first embodiment, but also has a function of transmitting notification information indicating a notification for making the vehicle 10B an object of remote control or attention by an operator.

[0189] The server 20B has the same functions as the server 20 in the first embodiment, and further has the function of determining whether or not transmission of request information is necessary, and then transmitting the request information. The functions of the server 20B will be described in detail later.

[0190] 14, vehicle 10B includes a communication unit 101, an identification unit 102, an acquisition unit 103, a sensor unit 104, a driving control unit 105, and a request control unit 106B. The components included in vehicle 10B are realized by at least a processor (e.g., a CPU) included in vehicle 10B executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0191] The communication unit 101, the identification unit 102, the acquisition unit 103, the sensor unit 104, and the operation control unit 105 are the same as the components with the same names in the first embodiment.

[0192] The request control unit 106B controls the transmission of notification information indicating a notification to make the vehicle 10B a target of remote control or gaze by an operator. The request control unit 106B determines whether or not to make the vehicle 10B a target of remote control or gaze by an operator, and controls the transmission of notification information when it is determined that the vehicle 10B is a target of remote control or gaze.

[0193] Specifically, the request control unit 106B controls to send the above notification information when the control mode of the vehicle 10B does not switch from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode and the position of the vehicle 10B acquired by the sensor unit 104 is included in the switching position.

[0194] More specifically, the request control unit 106B obtains a determination result as to whether or not the switching condition is satisfied from the driving control unit 105. The request control unit 106B also determines whether or not the position of the vehicle 10B is included in the switching position. Then, when the driving control unit 105 determines that the switching condition is not satisfied and when the request control unit 106B determines that the position of the vehicle 10B is included in the switching position, the request control unit 106B transmits notification information. The destination to which the request control unit 106B transmits the notification information is the server 20B.

[0195] 14, server 20B includes a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203B. The components of server 20B are realized by at least a processor included in server 20B executing a predetermined program using a memory.

[0196] The communication unit 201 and the storage unit 202 are the same as the components of the same names in the first embodiment.

[0197] When the control unit 203B receives notification information from the vehicle 10B, the control unit 203B determines whether or not it is necessary to transmit request information, and when it determines that it is necessary to transmit the request information, it transmits the request information to the control device 30. In other words, a case where it is necessary to transmit request information may occur when it is necessary to make the vehicle 10B a target for remote control or observation by an operator.

[0198] Specifically, the control unit 203B can determine whether or not transmission of request information is necessary by using at least the number of times the control mode of one or more vehicles 12 that have traveled in the past at the location included in the switching information has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode, or the date and time of the switch. For example, the control unit 203B can determine that transmission of request information is necessary when the number of times the control mode of one or more vehicles 12 that have traveled in the past has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Furthermore, the control unit 203B can determine that transmission of request information is necessary when the date and time at which the control mode of one or more vehicles 12 that have traveled in the past was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode is within a predetermined range.

[0199] Furthermore, the control unit 203B can determine whether or not transmission of request information is necessary by at least comparing the sensor information included in the notification information with sensor information acquired by sensors equipped in one or more vehicles 12 that have traveled in the past at the positions included in the switching information. In this case, it is assumed that the notification information includes sensor information acquired by sensors equipped in the vehicle 10B (sensor unit 104). For example, the control unit 203B can determine that transmission of request information is necessary when the sensor information included in the notification information is within a predetermined range (e.g., within 10%) of a statistical value (e.g., an average value or a median value) of the sensor information acquired by sensors equipped in one or more vehicles 12 that have traveled in the past.

[0200] FIG. 15 is a flow diagram showing a process in which the vehicle 10B according to the present embodiment transmits request information or notification information.

[0201] Steps S201 to S205 shown in Figure 15 are the same as the steps with the same names shown in Figure 6. However, they differ from Figure 6 in that the process proceeds to step S231 when the driving control unit 105 determines that the switching condition is met (Yes in step S204), and the process proceeds to step S232 when the driving control unit 105 determines that the current position and direction of the vehicle 10B are included in the position and direction of the switching information (Yes in step S205).

[0202] In step S231, the request control unit 106B transmits request information to the server 20B. The server 20B that has received the request information generates request information and transmits it to the control device 30, similar to the server 20 in the first embodiment, thereby making the vehicle 10B a target for remote control or observation.

[0203] In step S232, the request control unit 106B generates notification information and transmits it to the server 20B. The processing of the control system 2 after the request control unit 106B transmits the notification information to the server 20B will be described below.

[0204] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle 10B can transmit notification information using the current position and direction and the switching information.

[0205] FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the control system 2 when the vehicle according to this embodiment transmits notification information.

[0206] In step S601, the vehicle 10B transmits notification information to the server 20B. Step S601 corresponds to step S232 (see FIG. 15).

[0207] In step S602, the server 20B receives the notification information sent in step S601.

[0208] In step S603, the server 20B determines whether or not it is necessary to send request information.

[0209] In step S604, if it is determined in step S603 that the vehicle 10B is to be remotely controlled or watched, the server 20B transmits request information to the control device 30. Note that if it is determined in step S603 that the vehicle 10B is not to be remotely controlled or watched, the processing ends in step S603.

[0210] In step S605, the control device 30 receives the request information transmitted in step S604.

[0211] The processing from step S606 onwards is the same as the processing from step S215 onwards in FIG. 7, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0212] By the series of processes shown in FIG. 16, when the vehicle 10B transmits notification information, the control mode of the vehicle 10 can be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode, and remote control can be performed.

[0213] (Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, another example of a control method for assisting a vehicle capable of autonomous driving will be described. When a switching condition is satisfied, the control system of this embodiment determines again whether the switching condition is satisfied using a different determination method, and then transmits request information.

[0214] The configuration of the control system 1 in this embodiment is similar to the configuration of the control system 1 in the first embodiment.

[0215] FIG. 17 is a flow diagram showing a process in which the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment transmits request information.

[0216] Steps S201 to S205 shown in Fig. 17 are the same as the steps with the same names shown in Fig. 6. However, they differ from Fig. 6 in that the process proceeds to step S241 when it is determined that the current position and direction of the vehicle 10 are included in the position and direction of the switching information (Yes in step S205).

[0217] In step S241, the request control unit 106 changes the determination method used to determine whether the switching condition is satisfied from the determination method used in the determination in step S204. For example, the request control unit 106 changes the determination method so that it can determine with higher accuracy whether the switching condition is satisfied. Specifically, the request control unit 106 can change the determination method so that it can determine with higher accuracy whether the switching condition is satisfied by increasing the sensitivity or resolution of the sensor included in the sensor unit 104 or by using another sensor included in the sensor unit 104. The switching condition for which the determination method has been changed is also referred to as a new switching condition.

[0218] In step S242, the request control unit 106 determines whether the new switching condition is satisfied using the new switching condition for which the determination method has been changed. If it is determined that the switching condition is satisfied (Yes in step S242), the process proceeds to step S206; if not (No in step S242), the process repeats step S202.

[0219] In step S206, the request control unit 106 transmits to the server 20 request information indicating a request to make the vehicle 10 an object of remote control or observation by an operator.

[0220] Through the series of processes shown in FIG. 17, the vehicle 10 can transmit request information using the current position and direction and switching information.

[0221] In the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. Here, the software that realizes the processing device of the above embodiments is the following program.

[0222] In other words, this program causes a computer to execute a control method for controlling a first vehicle, which includes identifying switching information indicating at least the location where the control mode of a second vehicle that traveled earlier than the first vehicle was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode, acquiring current position information indicating at least the current location of the first vehicle, and, if the control mode of the first vehicle does not switch from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode and the acquired current position information is included in the switching information, transmitting request information indicating a request for the first vehicle to be remotely controlled or monitored by an operator.

[0223] Although the control method according to one or more aspects has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. As long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications conceivable by a person skilled in the art to the present embodiments, or configurations constructed by combining components of different embodiments, may also be included within the scope of one or more aspects. [Industrial Applicability]

[0224] The present invention can be used in a control method for controlling a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0225] 1, 1A, 2 control system 10, 10B, 12 cars 20, 20A, 20B servers 30 Control equipment 40 Camera 101, 201, 301 Communications Department 102, 204 Specific part 103 Acquisition Department 104 Sensor unit 105 Operation control unit 106, 106B Request Control Unit 112 Autonomous driving control unit 113 Remote control unit 202 Storage section 203, 203B control section 211 Switching Information 302 Display section 303 Input section 304 Vehicle control unit N Network

Claims

1. A control method for controlling a first vehicle, comprising: Identifying switching information indicating at least a position where a control mode of a second vehicle that has traveled before the first vehicle has been switched from an autonomous driving mode to a remote control mode; obtaining current location information indicating at least a current location of the first vehicle; If the control mode of the first vehicle is not switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode and the acquired current position information is included in the switching information, request information indicating a request to make the first vehicle an object of remote control or gaze by an operator is transmitted. Control methods.

2. When sending the request information, determining whether a predetermined switching condition for switching the control mode of the first vehicle from an autonomous driving mode to a remote control mode is satisfied; determining whether the current location information is included in the switching information; When it is determined that the switching condition is not satisfied and when it is determined that the current location information is included in the switching information, the request information is transmitted. The control method according to claim 1 .

3. The first vehicle stores the switching condition in a storage device, When sending the request information, The first vehicle determines whether the switching condition is satisfied; The first vehicle determines whether the current location information is included in the switching information; When it is determined that the switching condition is not satisfied and when it is determined that the current position information of the first vehicle is included in the switching information, the first vehicle transmits the request information. The control method according to claim 2 .

4. When identifying the switching information, Identifying the switching information by at least identifying a position where a control mode of the second vehicle is switched from an autonomous driving mode to a remote control mode based on a change in appearance of the second vehicle captured in each of a plurality of images capturing the second vehicle, the images being taken at a plurality of time points. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The plurality of images includes one or more images of the second vehicle captured at one or more points in time by a camera equipped in the first vehicle. The control method according to claim 4.

6. The plurality of images includes one or more images in which the second vehicle is captured, the images being taken at one or more points in time by a camera installed on the side of a road along which the second vehicle has traveled. The control method according to claim 4.

7. The first vehicle stores the switching condition in a storage unit, When sending the request information, The first vehicle determines whether the switching condition is satisfied; The first vehicle determines whether the current location information is included in the switching information; transmitting notification information to a server when it is determined that the switching condition is not satisfied and when it is determined that the current location information is included in the switching information; The server receives the notification information, determines whether or not it is necessary to transmit the request information based on the received notification information, and transmits the request information when it is determined that it is necessary to transmit the request information. The control method according to claim 2 .

8. When determining whether or not it is necessary to transmit the request information, the server Whether or not the request information needs to be transmitted is determined using at least the number of times that the control mode of one or more of the second vehicles that have traveled in the past at the position included in the switching information has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode, or the date and time of the switching. The control method according to claim 7.

9. the notification information includes sensor information acquired by a sensor provided in the first vehicle, When determining whether or not it is necessary to transmit the request information, the server Whether or not the request information needs to be transmitted is determined by at least comparing the sensor information included in the notification information with sensor information acquired by sensors provided in one or more of the second vehicles that have traveled in the past at the positions included in the switching information.

9. The control method according to claim 7 or 8.

10. When transmitting the request information, determining whether a new switching condition, the method of which is different from that of the switching condition, is satisfied; When it is determined that the new switching condition is not satisfied and when it is determined that the current position information of the first vehicle is included in the switching information, the request information is transmitted. The control method according to claim 2 .

11. The switching information is first switching information, Identifying second switching information indicating at least a position where the control mode of the second vehicle is switched from a remote control mode to an autonomous driving mode; acquiring current location information indicating at least a current location of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is traveling in a remote control mode; When the acquired current location information is included in the second switching information, recommendation information indicating that it is recommended to switch the first vehicle to an autonomous driving mode is transmitted. The control method according to claim 1 .

12. A control device provided in a control system that controls a first vehicle, The control system includes: Identifying a switching position where the control mode of a second vehicle that has traveled before the first vehicle has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode; acquiring location information indicating a location of the first vehicle; When the control mode of the first vehicle is not switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode and the position of the first vehicle indicated in the acquired position information is included in the switching position, generating request information indicating a request to make the first vehicle a target for remote control or observation by an operator; The control device includes: A display unit that displays the request information; a vehicle operation unit that receives an operation on the first vehicle by the operator and transmits remote control information indicating the content of the operation to the first vehicle. Control device.

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