Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, etc. that are able to reduce a user's sense of incongruity relative to a steering member.SOLUTION: A control device includes a processor and controls a steering member in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The processor is configured to acquire a steering angle of the steering member that moves in conjunction with steering control by autonomous driving. The processor is configured to control the steering member so that a steering angle after completion of stop control by autonomous driving into a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset so as to fall within an allowable steering angle range including a steering angle corresponding to a straight traveling direction of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control technique for controlling a steering member of an autonomously driven vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a controller that controls the operation of an automatic driving mode in which a vehicle runs on its own without the driver's operation. The automatic driving mode by this controller is an interlocking type in which, when the steering wheel is steered during automatic driving, the steering wheel also rotates in conjunction with the steering wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6650327 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In an autonomous vehicle in which the steering member operates in conjunction with the steering of the tires during autonomous driving, a situation may occur in which the steering member stops at a steering angle that is different from the angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle. In this situation, a user who gets into the vehicle may feel uneasy about the steering angle of the steering member before starting off by autonomous driving. In addition, when a user who gets into the vehicle starts the vehicle by manual driving after taking over the driving, the user may also feel uneasy about the steering angle of the steering member before starting off by manual driving.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device capable of reducing the discomfort felt by a user when using a steering member. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a control method capable of reducing the discomfort felt by a user when using a steering member. Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a control program capable of reducing the discomfort felt by a user when using a steering member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical means of the present disclosure for solving the problems will be described below. Note that the claims and the reference characters in parentheses in this section indicate the corresponding relationship with the specific means described in the embodiments described later in detail, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device having a processor (102) for controlling a steering member (61) in an autonomously operable vehicle (A), comprising: The processor Acquiring a steering angle of a steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; Controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range including a steering angle corresponding to a straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; The apparatus is configured to execute the following steps:

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a control method executed by a processor (102) for controlling a steering member (61) of an autonomously operable vehicle (A), the method comprising: Acquiring a steering angle of a steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; Controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range including a steering angle corresponding to a straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; Includes.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a control program stored in a storage medium (101) for controlling a steering member (61) of an automatically-drivable vehicle (A), the control program including instructions to be executed by a processor (102), The command is, Acquiring a steering angle of a steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; Controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range including a steering angle corresponding to a straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; Includes.

[0010] According to the first to third aspects, the steering member is controlled so that the steering angle after the completion of the stop control by the automatic driving to the boarding area where the user is expected to board is within the allowable steering angle range including the steering angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle. Therefore, for the user who has boarded the vehicle, the vehicle starts in a reset state in which the steering member is within the allowable steering angle range. Therefore, the user's discomfort with respect to the steering member can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a steering system controlled by the control device of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow when the vehicle is stopped according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow at the time of starting according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a control flow at the time of starting according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the suppression interlocking control according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a control flow when the vehicle is stopped according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a control flow when the vehicle is stopped according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0013] First embodiment The control device 100 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 controls a steering wheel 61 of a vehicle A shown in Fig. 1 as a host moving body. From a viewpoint centered on the vehicle A, the vehicle A can also be said to be an ego-vehicle. The vehicle A is a moving body such as an automobile that can travel on a road with a user as a passenger on board.

[0014] The vehicle A is an autonomous robot that is given an autonomous driving mode that is classified according to the degree of manual intervention of the user in the dynamic driving task. The autonomous driving mode may be realized by an autonomous driving control in which the system performs all dynamic driving tasks when activated, such as conditional driving automation, high driving automation, or full driving automation. The autonomous driving mode may be realized by an advanced driving assistance control in which the user performs some dynamic driving tasks, such as driving assistance or partial driving automation. The autonomous driving mode may be realized by either one of the autonomous driving control and the advanced driving assistance control, or by a combination or switching between them. The vehicle A can also be said to be an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle A is applied to a system that provides a service in which the vehicle is dispatched to a user who wishes to board the vehicle and travels by autonomous driving to the destination of the user who boarded the vehicle.

[0015] In the autonomous driving mode, a mid- to long-term driving plan that determines a planned driving route from the vehicle's position to the destination and a short-term control plan for driving according to the mid- to long-term driving plan are sequentially generated in vehicle A or an external center. Autonomous driving is realized by vehicle A executing driving control according to each plan.

[0016] 1, a sensor system 10, a communication system 20, a map database 30, a drive system 40, a braking system 50, a steering system 60, and an information presentation system 70 are mounted on the vehicle A. The sensor system 10 acquires sensor information for the external and internal worlds of the vehicle A that can be used by the control device 100. To this end, the sensor system 10 includes an external sensor 11 and an internal sensor 12.

[0017] The external sensor 11 acquires external information as sensor information from the external world that is the surrounding environment of the vehicle A. The external sensor 11 may be of a target detection type that detects targets that exist in the external world of the vehicle A. The target detection type external sensor 11 is at least one of, for example, an exterior camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), radar, sonar, and the like.

[0018] The internal sensor 12 acquires internal information as sensor information from the internal environment of the vehicle A. The internal sensor 12 may be a physical quantity detection type that detects a specific physical quantity of motion in the internal environment of the vehicle A. The physical quantity detection type internal sensor 12 includes at least one of a steering angle sensor and a turning angle sensor. In this embodiment, the steering angle means the rotation angle of the steering wheel 61. The steering angle can also be called a handle angle or a steering angle. In this embodiment, the turning angle means the angle of the tires 64 with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction. The turning angle can also be called a tire angle or a tire turning angle. Furthermore, the physical quantity detection type internal sensor 12 may include at least one of a traveling speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like.

[0019] The internal sensor 12 may be a user detection type that detects a specific state of the user in the internal world of the vehicle A. The internal sensor 12 of the user detection type is, for example, at least one of an in-vehicle camera, a seating sensor, an actuator sensor, and an in-vehicle device sensor. The seating sensor detects the seating state of the user in each seat in the vehicle. The actuator sensor detects the instruction state of the user to the traveling actuator of the vehicle A. For example, the actuator sensor detects at least one of the operation state of the accelerator pedal, the operation state of the brake pedal, the steering state of the steering wheel, the on / off state of the starter switch, and the shift state of the shift lever. The in-vehicle device sensor detects at least one of the operation state of an on / off switch, the operation state of a touch panel, and a gesture that can be recognized without contact, as the instruction state of the user to the in-vehicle device.

[0020] The communication system 20 acquires communication information available to the control device 100 by wireless communication. The communication system 20 may be of a positioning type that receives a positioning signal from a satellite of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that exists in the outside world of the vehicle A. The positioning type communication system 20 is, for example, a GNSS receiver. The communication system 20 may be of a V2X type that transmits and receives a communication signal between the vehicle A and a V2X system that exists in the outside world of the vehicle A. The V2X type communication system 20 is, for example, at least one of a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) communication device and a Cellular V2X (C-V2X) communication device. The communication system 20 may be of a terminal communication type that transmits and receives a communication signal between a terminal that exists in the inside world of the vehicle A. The terminal communication type communication system 20 is, for example, at least one of a Bluetooth (registered trademark) device, a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) device, an infrared communication device, and the like.

[0021] The map database 30 stores map information usable by the control device 100. The map database 30 includes at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium. The map database 30 may be a database of a locator that estimates the vehicle A's own state quantity including the vehicle A's own position. The map database 30 may be a database of a navigation unit that navigates the vehicle A's travel route. The map database 30 may be a combination of multiple types of these databases.

[0022] The map database 30 acquires and stores the latest map information by communication with an external center via, for example, a V2X type communication system 20. Here, the map information is digitized in two dimensions or three dimensions as information representing the driving environment of the vehicle A. In particular, as the three-dimensional map data, digital data of a high-precision map may be adopted. The map information may include road information representing at least one of the position, shape, and road surface condition of the road itself. The map information may include marking information representing at least one of the positions and shapes of signs and dividing lines attached to the road. The map information may include structure information representing at least one of the positions and shapes of buildings and traffic lights facing the road.

[0023] The drive system 40 is made up of parts for applying acceleration to the vehicle A. The parts constituting the drive system 40 are of multiple types, such as an accelerator pedal, a drive motor, a drive engine, a starter switch, a transmission, and a shift unit. The braking system 50 is made up of parts for applying deceleration to the vehicle A. The parts constituting the braking system 50 are of multiple types, such as tires 64, a battery, a brake pedal, a friction braking unit, a hydraulic circuit, and a regenerative motor.

[0024] 2 is composed of parts for steering the vehicle A. The parts constituting the steering system 60 are of multiple types, such as a steering wheel 61, a power steering motor 62, a steering unit 63, and tires 64.

[0025] The steering wheel 61 is a component capable of receiving manual steering by a user. The steering wheel 61 is adjusted in advance so that a reference angle position in a non-rotating state (i.e., a steering angle of zero degrees) is an angle position corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle A. In other words, the correspondence between the steering angle and the turning angle is adjusted so that the turning angle of the tires 64 is substantially zero degrees when the steering angle of the steering wheel 61 is substantially zero degrees. Note that an error may occur in the correspondence between the steering angle and the turning angle immediately after adjustment due to aging or the like. The correspondence between the steering angle and the turning angle may be readjusted in a factory, for example, when the battery is replaced. The steering wheel 61 is an example of a steering member.

[0026] The steering unit 63 steers the tires 64 at a steering angle corresponding to the steering angle of the steering wheel 61 in conjunction with the steering wheel 61. In addition, the steering unit 63 is configured to be capable of controlling the steering of the tires 64 in a state in which the steering unit 63 is released from the link with the steering wheel 61. The steering wheel 61 and the steering unit 63 may be connected to each other so as to be capable of being linked together by a shaft or the like that mechanically transmits the rotation of the steering wheel 61. Alternatively, the steering wheel 61 and the steering unit 63 may be connected to each other so as to be capable of being linked together via a wire harness or the like that electrically transmits the rotation of the steering wheel 61 by a so-called steer-by-wire system.

[0027] The information presentation system 70 presents notification information for the user of the vehicle A. The information presentation system 70 may be of a visual stimulation type that stimulates the user's vision. The visual stimulation type information presentation system 70 is at least one of a head-up display (HUD), a multi-function display (MFD), a combination meter, a navigation unit, and a light-emitting unit. The information presentation system 70 may be of an auditory stimulation type that stimulates the user's hearing. The auditory stimulation type information presentation system 70 is at least one of a speaker, a buzzer, and a vibration unit. The information presentation system 70 may be of a skin stimulation type that stimulates the user's skin sensation. The skin sensation stimulated by the skin stimulation type information presentation system 70 includes at least one of a touch sense, a temperature sense, and a wind sense. The skin stimulation type information presentation system 70 is at least one of, for example, a steering wheel vibration unit, a driver's seat vibration unit, a steering wheel reaction force unit, an accelerator pedal reaction force unit, a brake pedal reaction force unit, and an air conditioning unit.

[0028] The visual stimulation type information presentation system 70 may include an external display device or the like that presents information to a user outside the vehicle. The auditory stimulation type information presentation system 70 may also include an external speaker or the like that presents information to a user outside the vehicle.

[0029] The control device 100 is connected to the sensor system 10, the information presentation system 70, and the map database 30 via at least one of, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) line, a wire harness, an internal bus, and a wireless communication line. The control device 100 is configured to include at least one dedicated computer.

[0030] The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be an integrated ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that integrates the driving control of the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be a judgment ECU that judges a driving task in the driving control of the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be a monitoring ECU that monitors the driving control of the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be an evaluation ECU that evaluates the driving control of the vehicle A.

[0031] The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be a steering control ECU specialized for controlling the steering system 60. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be a navigation ECU that navigates the driving route of the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be a locator ECU that estimates the self-state quantity of the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be an actuator ECU that controls the driving actuator of the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be an HCU (Human Machine Interface (HMI) Control Unit) that controls the presentation of information by the information presentation system 70 in the vehicle A. The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may be a computer other than the vehicle A that constitutes, for example, an external center or a mobile terminal capable of communicating with the vehicle A.

[0032] The dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 has at least one memory 101 and one processor 102. The memory 101 is at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. Here, storage may mean accumulation in which data is retained even when the vehicle A is turned off, or temporary storage in which data is erased when the vehicle A is turned off. The processor 102 includes at least one type of core, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU, a complex instruction set computer (CISC)-CPU, a data flow processor (DFP), and a graph streaming processor (GSP).

[0033] In the control device 100, the processor 102 executes a plurality of instructions included in a control program stored in the memory 101 in order to control the steering wheel of the vehicle A. In this way, the control device 100 constructs a plurality of functional blocks for controlling the steering wheel of the vehicle A. The plurality of functional blocks constructed in the control device 100 include an acquisition block 110, a judgment block 120, a control block 130, and a notification block 140, as shown in FIG.

[0034] A control method in which the control device 100 controls the steering wheel of vehicle A through cooperation of these blocks 110, 120, 130, and 140 is executed according to the control flows shown in Figures 4 and 5. First, the control flow when vehicle A is stopped will be described below with reference to Figure 4. The control flow shown in Figure 4 is repeatedly executed while vehicle A is running, particularly while it is running. Note that each "S" in the control flow represents multiple steps executed by multiple commands included in a control program.

[0035] First, in S10, the judgment block 120 judges whether or not the autonomous driving stopping control to the boarding area has been started. Here, the boarding area is an area where the user is expected to board the vehicle A after the vehicle A stops. The boarding area includes at least one of the following types of areas: a boarding / alighting area prepared for users who use the service to board and alight, a parking lot for parking the vehicle A, an area surrounding the user waiting to board, and an area simply set as the destination of the autonomous driving run.

[0036] The judgment block 120 judges that the stopping control has been started, for example, when a travel trajectory ending at the boarding area in the short-term control plan for autonomous driving is generated, or when vehicle control according to the travel trajectory is started. Alternatively, the judgment block 120 may judge the start of the stopping control when the approach of the vehicle A within a predetermined distance range from the boarding area is detected.

[0037] Next, in S20, the judgment block 120 judges whether the stopping control is executed for an emergency stop. The emergency stop is, for example, a stop by MRM (Minimum Risk Maneuver) control executed by the autonomous driving ECU when an event occurs that makes it impossible to drive safely. Alternatively, the emergency stop may be a stop by braking control executed by a user in the driver's seat performing an override operation of the braking system 50. The override operation is, for example, depressing the brake pedal. If it is determined that the stopping control is executed for an emergency stop, this flow ends. In other words, if the stopping control is executed for an emergency stop, the reset control by the control block 130, which will be described later, is interrupted.

[0038] If it is determined in S20 that the stopping control is not executed for an emergency stop, the flow proceeds to S30. In S30, the acquisition block 110 acquires the stopping steering angle of the steering wheel 61 after the vehicle is stopped. The stopping steering angle is the steering angle after the completion of the stopping control. For example, when the speed of the vehicle A becomes substantially zero at the end of the travel path to the boarding area and the completion of the stopping control is detected, the acquisition block 110 acquires the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor included in the internal sensor 12 as the stopping steering angle.

[0039] In the next step S40, the judgment block 120 judges whether the acquired stopping steering angle is within the allowable steering angle range. The allowable steering angle range is a range of steering angles that are equal to or greater than the lower threshold value and equal to or less than the upper threshold value. The allowable steering angle range includes at least a steering angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle A. The positive and negative steering angles are determined by the rotation direction of the steering wheel. It may be arbitrarily determined whether the right rotation direction or the left rotation direction is the positive direction. The steering wheel at the steering angle position corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle A can be said to be the initial position. The upper and lower limit thresholds in the allowable steering angle range may be set to values ​​according to the magnitude and margin of error assumed in the steering angle in relation to the correspondence with the tire angle, for example. When it is determined that the stopping steering angle is within the allowable steering angle range, this flow ends. That is, when it is determined that the stopping steering angle is within the allowable steering angle range, the reset control by the control block 130, which will be described later, is interrupted.

[0040] If it is determined that the stopping steering angle is outside the allowable steering angle range, the flow proceeds to S50. In S50, the judgment block 120 determines whether or not the user has completed boarding the vehicle A. The judgment block 120 may determine whether or not the user has completed boarding based on, for example, sensor information from a user detection type internal sensor 12. Note that in this embodiment, the judgment block 120 also determines in which seat in the vehicle A the boarded user has sat.

[0041] When it is determined that the user has completed boarding, the flow proceeds to S60. In S60, the notification block 140 executes a reset notification via the information presentation system 70. The reset notification is a notification that presents control information related to the reset control described below. The notification block 140 executes a reset notification to the passenger compartment, thereby letting the user who has boarded the vehicle A know that the steering wheel 61 will rotate after stopping the vehicle.

[0042] By the reset notification, the notification block 140 presents at least one type of information, for example, execution notification information of reset control, steering angle notification information regarding the steering angle, and tire angle notification information regarding the tire angle. The execution notification information is information presenting that control of the steering wheel to the reset state is being executed. The steering angle notification information is information presenting the current steering angle while the reset control is being executed. The steering angle notification information is information presenting the current steering angle while the control is being executed. The notification block 140 presents the reset notification, for example, by a visual stimulation type information presentation system 70. The notification block 140 may present the reset notification by a combination of a visual stimulation type information presentation system 70 and an auditory stimulation type information presentation system 70. The reset notification is executed continuously, for example, until the control to the reset state is completed.

[0043] The notification block 140 executes the reset notification to the user seated in the driver's seat. Specifically, the notification block 140 executes the reset notification when the boarded user is seated in the driver's seat, and suspends the execution of the reset notification when there is no user seated in the driver's seat.

[0044] In the next S70, the judgment block 120 judges whether the tire control amount at the next start is within the allowable control amount range. The tire control amount is the amount of change in the steering angle in the steering control during the start period, which is a predetermined period from the start of the start, from the time when the stopping control is completed. The amount of change in the steering angle may be the cumulative amount of the steering angle change during the start period, or may be the amount of difference between the steering angle at the start and end of the start period.

[0045] Here, the allowable control amount range is, for example, a range of tire control amounts that are equal to or greater than a lower limit threshold. The lower limit threshold is a threshold that correlates with the amount of change in the steering angle from the time point at which the reset control is completed, assuming that the reset control is performed in a linked state between the steering wheel 61 and the tires 64. In other words, the judgment block 120 judges how large the amount of change in the steering angle is when the steering angle at the time point at which the stop control is completed is maintained until the start of the start of the vehicle, compared to the amount of change in the steering angle when the steering angle is reset before the start of the vehicle.

[0046] If it is determined that the tire control amount is within the allowable control amount range, the flow proceeds to S80. In S80, the control block 130 executes control (reset control) to reset the steering wheel 61. In the reset control, the control block 130 controls the steering wheel 61 so that the steering angle falls within the allowable steering angle range. In this step, the control block 130 executes the reset control in a state in which the interlock with the tires 64 is released. In other words, during the reset control in this step, the control block 130 prohibits the steering of the tires 64. Therefore, the steering angle after the reset control is in a state in which the steering angle at the time of completion of the stop control is maintained. The control block 130 maintains the state in which the interlock with the steering wheel 61 and the tires 64 is released until the process of S140 in FIG. 5 described later is executed.

[0047] On the other hand, if it is determined in S70 that the tire control amount is outside the allowable control amount range, the flow proceeds to S90. In S90, the control block 130 executes reset control. In this step, the control block 130 executes reset control while maintaining interlocking with the tires 64. In other words, during the reset control in this step, the control block 130 allows steering of the tires 64. Therefore, the steering angle after the reset control in this step is within the steering angle range corresponding to the allowable steering angle range. Ideally, the steering angle after the reset control in this step is an angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle A, that is, substantially zero degrees. The control block 130 maintains the interlocking state between the steering wheel 61 and the tires 64 even after this process.

[0048] In S100 following S80 or S90, the notification block 140 executes a center notification to the center via the communication system 20. The center notification includes at least one of the following: angle information of the steering angle sensor after the reset control, steering angle information of the steering wheel 61, and information on the presence or absence of an abnormality in the power steering motor 62. In other words, the center notification is a notification of information related to the contents of the executed reset control. The notification block 140 transmits the center notification as information with a smaller amount of information than the stop notification, which is an information notification related to the contents of the stop control. Here, the amount of information is, for example, at least one of the communication amount and the type of information. The stop notification includes at least one of the following: the stop position, whether the stop is successful, whether the speed is zero, whether the door lock is on, whether the engine hood is closed, etc.

[0049] Next, the control process of the steering wheel 61 executed when the vehicle A starts will be described with reference to the flow of Fig. 5. First, in S110, the judgment block 120 judges whether or not the start control of the vehicle A has started.

[0050] For example, the judgment block 120 judges that the starting control has been started when a travel trajectory starting from the boarding area in the short-term control plan for automatic driving is generated after the completion of the stopping control, or when vehicle control according to the travel trajectory is started. Alternatively, the judgment block 120 may judge that the starting control has been started when a user who has boarded the vehicle instructs the vehicle A to start. In the starting control, the steering control of the tires 64 is executed whether the tires 64 and the steering wheel 61 are in an interlocking state or in a disengaged state. That is, in the steering control in the disengaged state, the tires 64 are steered independently of the stationary steering wheel 61 until the processing of S140 described later is executed.

[0051] In the next step S120, the judgment block 120 judges whether or not the steering wheel 61 is out of sync with the tires 64. In other words, the acquisition block 110 judges whether the reset control in the out-of-sync state with the tires 64 in S80 or the reset control in the maintained sync state with the tires 64 in S90 has been executed.

[0052] If it is determined that the link with the tires 64 is released, the flow proceeds to S130. In S130, the judgment block 120 judges whether or not the steering angle controlled in the start control corresponds to the steering angle. In other words, the judgment block 120 judges whether or not the tire angle realized by the steering control of the tires 64 in a state in which the link with the steering wheel 61 is released, when converted into a steering angle, substantially matches the current steering angle. The judgment process of S130 is repeatedly executed until an affirmative judgment is made.

[0053] If it is determined in S120 that the interlocking is not released, or if it is determined in S130 that the tire angle and the steering angle correspond to each other, the flow proceeds to S140. In S140, the control block 130 executes control of the steering wheel 61 by normal interlocking control. The normal interlocking control is control in which the tires 64 and the steering wheel 61 are interlocked, and the steering angle of the steering wheel 61 has a normal correspondence with the control angle of the tires 64.

[0054] When the vehicle A starts moving with the tires 64 and the steering wheel 61 in a disengaged state due to the series of processes of S130 and S140, the steering wheel 61 is maintained in a stationary state without being driven until the turning angle and the steering angle correspond to each other. For example, suppose that the vehicle A stops on the road shoulder with the tires 64 tilted to the left with respect to the straight-ahead direction, and the steering wheel 61 is reset in a disengaged state. If the vehicle A in this state executes starting control to enter the right lane from the road shoulder, the tires 64 first start to turn from the left to the right, independent of the stationary steering wheel 61. When the tires 64 eventually face the straight-ahead direction, the tires 64 and the steering wheel 61 start to be interlocked with each other. The steering wheel 61 starts to rotate to the right together with the tires 64 from the start of this interlocking.

[0055] According to the first embodiment described above, the steering wheel 61 is controlled so that the steering angle after the completion of the stopping control by the automatic driving to the boarding area where the user is expected to board falls within the allowable steering angle range including the steering angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle A. Therefore, for the user who gets into the vehicle A, the vehicle A starts with the steering wheel 61 in a reset state within the allowable steering angle range. Therefore, the user's discomfort with respect to the steering angle of the steering wheel 61 can be suppressed.

[0056] According to the first embodiment, the steering wheel 61, for which the stopping control is completed in a state where the steering angle is out of the allowable steering angle range, is controlled to a reset state. As a result, the reset control is not executed while the vehicle A is traveling, and the reset control of the steering wheel 61 is executed after the vehicle is stopped. Therefore, when a user is already aboard, it is possible to avoid giving the user an uncomfortable feeling due to the movement of the steering wheel 61 before the vehicle is stopped.

[0057] In addition, according to the first embodiment, when the steering angle falls within the allowable steering angle range at the time of completion of the stopping control, the control of the steering wheel 61 to the reset state after the completion of the stopping control is interrupted. Therefore, unnecessary operation of the steering wheel 61 when the reset control is not required can be avoided.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, after the stopping control is completed and the user has boarded the vehicle, the control to the reset state is started. Therefore, the user can understand the reset control of the steering wheel 61 after boarding the vehicle. Therefore, the user can easily realize that the discomfort has been eliminated.

[0059] According to the first embodiment, when a user sits in the driver's seat, the control to the reset state is notified to the vehicle interior, and when no user sits in the driver's seat, the notification to the vehicle interior is prohibited. Therefore, a user seated in a seat where the operation of the steering wheel 61 is likely to be bothered is reliably notified that the steering wheel 61 will move, and a user who is not bothered by the operation of the steering wheel 61 does not need to be notified.

[0060] In addition, according to the first embodiment, the reset control is executed in a state where the steering wheel 61 is disengaged from the tires 64. Therefore, in the reset control, deterioration of the tires 64 caused by the tires 64 being steered can be suppressed.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the control amount of the tires 64 at the next start falls outside the allowable control amount range, the steering wheel 61 and the tires 64 are prohibited from being disengaged from each other. Therefore, when disengagement of the steering wheel 61 and the tires 64 would require a relatively large change in the steering angle during start control, prohibiting disengagement can facilitate start control.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, after starting, the driving of the steering wheel 61 is stopped until the steering angle of the tires 64 corresponds to the steering angle of the steering wheel 61. This makes it possible to prevent the steering wheel 61 from being driven because the steering angle of the steering wheel 61 corresponds to the steering angle of the tires 64. This makes it possible to reduce the discomfort felt by the user by the movement of the steering wheel 61 when starting.

[0063] Second Embodiment 6 and 7, the second embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the control process of the steering wheel 61 that is executed when the vehicle A starts moving.

[0064] In the second embodiment, if it is determined in S130 that the turning angle and the steering angle do not correspond to each other, the flow proceeds to S135 as shown in FIG. 6. In S135, the control block 130 executes control of the steering wheel 61 by the suppression interlocking control. The suppression interlocking control is a control in which the tires 64 and the steering wheel 61 are interlocked, and the rate of change of the steering angle relative to the amount of change of the turning angle has a correspondence relationship that is suppressed compared to the normal interlocking control. The suppression interlocking control is continuously executed until it is determined that the turning angle and the steering angle correspond to each other.

[0065] By the series of processes of S130, S135 and S140, when vehicle A starts with the steering wheel 61 and tires 64 in a disengaged state, the rotation speed of the steering wheel 61 relative to the target steering angle is suppressed compared to after the corresponding turning angle and steering angle until the turning angle and steering angle correspond to each other.

[0066] For example, when the start control is started, the target steering angle θ tt , and the corresponding target steering angle θ tt A target steering angle θ smaller than st is set as shown in the upper part of Fig. 7. In this case, the tire 64 at the start of the start control is set to the target steering angle θ tt The time required for the steering wheel 61 to reach the target steering angle θ st The suppression interlocking control is executed so that the time required for the target steering angle θ to reach the target steering angle θ is substantially equal to the time required for the target steering angle θ to reach the target steering angle θ. tt Corresponding target steering angle θ st When the target steering angle θ is large, the rotation of the steering wheel 61 is slow. tt Time to reach the target steering angle θ st Therefore, the time required to reach the target steering angle θ tt For the target steering angle θ st The suppression interlocking control is continued until the control cycle in which the suppression interlocking control is small.

[0067] According to the second embodiment described above, after starting, the driving of the steering wheel 61 is suppressed until the steering angle of the tires 64 corresponds to the steering angle of the steering wheel 61. This can suppress the steering wheel 61 from being driven relatively quickly because the steering angle of the steering wheel 61 corresponds to the steering angle of the tires 64. This can reduce the discomfort felt by the user due to the movement of the steering wheel 61 when starting.

[0068] Third embodiment As shown in Fig. 8, the third embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the control process of the steering wheel 61 that is executed when the vehicle stops.

[0069] In the third embodiment, when it is determined in S40 that the stopping steering angle is outside the allowable steering angle range, the flow proceeds to S61 as shown in FIG. 8. In S61, the notification block 140 executes the reset notification without waiting for the user to get on, i.e., while the user is outside the vehicle. In this embodiment, the notification block 140 presents the reset notification by the information presentation system 70 that presents information to the outside of the vehicle. The reset notification is continuously executed until the control to the reset state is completed. When the reset notification is executed in S60, the flow proceeds to S70.

[0070] In S80 or S95 following S90, the notification block 140 executes a boarding permission notification via at least one of the communication system 20 and the information presentation system 70 after the completion of the reset control. The boarding permission notification is a notification that notifies the user that boarding of vehicle A is permitted. After the processing of S95, the flow proceeds to S100. Through the series of processing of S61, S70, S80, S90 and S95, the reset control is executed before the user boards vehicle A.

[0071] According to the third embodiment described above, the control of the steering wheel 61 is started after the stopping control is completed, and the control of the steering wheel 61 is completed before the user gets on board. Therefore, the discomfort felt by the user regarding the steering angle position of the steering wheel 61 can already be reduced when the user gets on board. Therefore, the discomfort felt by the user can be further reduced.

[0072] Fourth embodiment As shown in Fig. 9, the fourth embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the control process of the steering wheel 61 that is executed when the vehicle A stops.

[0073] In the fourth embodiment, when it is determined in S20 that the stopping control is not executed for an emergency stop, the flow proceeds to S31 as shown in Fig. 9. In S31, the acquisition block 110 acquires a predicted stopping steering angle of the steering wheel 61 before stopping the vehicle. The predicted stopping steering angle is a stopping steering angle predicted before the completion of the stopping control. The acquisition block 110 may acquire the predicted stopping steering angle by, for example, predicting a predicted stopping steering angle that correlates with a planned stopping position and attitude in the stopping control and a current position and attitude of the vehicle A relative to the planned stopping position.

[0074] In S41 following S31, the judgment block 120 judges whether the acquired predicted stopping steering angle is within the allowable steering angle range. If it is judged that the predicted stopping steering angle is outside the allowable steering angle range, the flow proceeds to S70. Note that the tire control amount in S70 in this embodiment is the amount of change in the steering angle from the predicted steering angle at the time of completion of the stopping control, assuming that the reset control is performed in a state where the link with the tires 64 is released. The judgment process in S70 is executed before the vehicle A stops and during the stopping control. If it is judged in S70 that the tire control amount at the time of the next start is within the allowable control amount range, the flow proceeds to S81, and if it is judged that the tire control amount is outside the allowable control amount range, the flow proceeds to S91.

[0075] In S81, the control block 130 executes reset control during vehicle stop control. In this step, the control block 130 executes reset control in a state where the link with the tires 64 that are being steered for vehicle stop is released. In other words, the reset control in this step is executed independently of the steering control of the tires 64 in the vehicle stop control.

[0076] On the other hand, in S91, the control block 130 executes the reset control while maintaining the linkage with the tires 64. In other words, the reset control in this step is executed in coordination with the steering control of the tires 64 in the vehicle stopping control. That is, in the vehicle stopping control in this step, a control plan until the vehicle stops is generated on the condition that the steering wheel 61 is in the reset state. After the processes of S81 and S91, this flow proceeds to S100.

[0077] According to the fourth embodiment described above, the steering wheel 61 is reset until the completion of the vehicle stopping control so that the steering angle falls within the allowable steering angle range at the completion of the vehicle stopping control. Therefore, the steering wheel 61 can be already in the reset state at the completion of the vehicle stopping control. Therefore, the waiting time before or after the user boards the vehicle can be reduced.

[0078] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0079] In a modified example, the control device 100 may change the accuracy of the reset control depending on the situation. Here, the accuracy of the reset control is the size of the allowable steering angle range. The higher the accuracy, the smaller the allowable steering angle range. For example, the control device 100 changes the accuracy of the reset control depending on the predicted time until the user boards the vehicle A after the stopping control is completed. The predicted time may be predicted depending on the type of boarding area where the vehicle will be stopped, for example.

[0080] As an example, if the boarding area is a parking lot, the predicted time is predicted to be longer than if the boarding area is another type such as a boarding / disembarking area. The longer the predicted time, the higher the accuracy of the reset control of the control device 100. In this case, in S40, the judgment block 120 performs judgment processing based on different allowable steering angle ranges according to the type of boarding area, and in S80 and S90, the control block 130 executes reset control according to the different allowable steering angle ranges according to the type of boarding area. Alternatively, the control device 100 may change the accuracy of the reset control according to the size of the parking space for the vehicle A in the boarding area and the presence or absence of road markings that define the parking space.

[0081] In a modified example, the notification block 140 may notify the reset notification in S60 in a manner according to the seat the user is seated in. For example, the notification block 140 may perform the reset notification through the visual stimulation type and auditory stimulation type information presentation systems 70 when the user is seated in the driver's seat, and may perform the reset notification only through the auditory stimulation type information presentation system 70 when the user is seated in the passenger seat or the back seat. Alternatively, the notification block 140 may perform the reset notification in the same manner regardless of the seat the user is seated in.

[0082] In a modified example, the control block 130 may execute the reset control in S80, S90, etc. at a steering speed of the steering wheel 61 at a slower speed than that of normal steering control. Specifically, the control block 130 may execute the reset control at a steering speed lower than the lower limit of the steering speed assumed when controlling the steering wheel 61 within the permissible steering angle range during normal driving.

[0083] 8, the control block 130 may execute the reset control before the user gets in, before other movement controls of the steering wheel 61. Specifically, in the vehicle A having a function of moving the steering wheel 61 to a position behind and higher than the driver's seat after the vehicle is stopped, the control block 130 may execute the reset control before the execution of the function.

[0084] In a modified example, the notification block 140 may also execute the reset notification to the outside of the vehicle in S60, and the notification block 140 may also execute the reset notification to the inside of the vehicle in S61.

[0085] In a modified example, the control block 130 calculates the target steering angle θ tt For the target steering angle θ st When is small, suppression interlocking control may be executed.

[0086] In a modified example, the control device 100 may be applied to a type of vehicle A capable of transporting a user who is not seated in a seat. Specifically, the control device 100 may be applied to a vehicle A in which a user can stand and board, such as an autonomous driving bus.

[0087] In a modified example, the dedicated computer constituting the control device 100 may have at least one of a digital circuit and an analog circuit as a processor. Here, the digital circuit is at least one of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SOC (System on a Chip), PGA (Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), etc. Furthermore, such a digital circuit may have a memory that stores a program.

[0088] In the modified example, the vehicle A to which the control device 100 is applied may be an autonomous robot that is capable of transporting luggage or collecting information by autonomous driving or remote driving, and is also configured to be manually operable using a steering member. In addition to the forms described above, the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example may be implemented in the form of a processing circuit (e.g., a processing ECU, etc.) or a semiconductor device (e.g., a semiconductor chip, etc.) as a control device that is configured to be mountable on the vehicle A and has at least one processor 102 and one memory 101.

[0089] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple dependent claims. Some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. Furthermore, some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. The claims described in these multiple dependent forms define multiple technical ideas.

[0090] (Technical thought 1) A control device having a processor (102) for controlling a steering member (61) in an automatically operable vehicle (A), comprising: The processor, Acquiring a steering angle of the steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; Controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range including the steering angle corresponding to a straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; A control device configured to execute the

[0091] (Technical thought 2) Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to Technical Idea 1 includes controlling the steering member, for which stopping control has been completed, to the reset state in a state in which the steering angle is outside the allowable steering angle range.

[0092] (Technical Thought 3) Controlling the steering member comprises: A control device according to Technical Idea 2, which includes interrupting control of the steering member to the reset state after completion of the stopping control if the steering angle falls within the allowable steering angle range at the time of completion of the stopping control.

[0093] (Technical Thought 4) Controlling the steering member comprises: A control device according to Technical Idea 2 or Technical Idea 3, which includes starting control to the reset state after the user has completed boarding after the stopping control is completed.

[0094] (Technical Thought 5) and configured to further communicate control information related to control of the steering member. The notifying of the control information includes: A control device as described in technical idea 4, which includes notifying the vehicle cabin of the control to the reset state when the user is in the driver's seat, and prohibiting notification to the vehicle cabin when the user is not in the driver's seat.

[0095] (Technical Thought 6) Controlling the steering member comprises: A control device according to Technical Idea 2 or Technical Idea 3, which includes starting control of the steering member after completion of the stopping control, and completing control of the steering member before the user boards the vehicle.

[0096] (Technical Thought 7) and configured to further communicate control information related to control of the steering member. The notifying of the control information includes: The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, further including notifying an outside of the vehicle of the control to the reset state.

[0097] (Technical Thought 8) and configured to further communicate control information related to control of the steering member. The notifying of the control information includes: The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7, further comprising notifying the vehicle interior of the control information while executing control of the steering member to the reset state.

[0098] (Technical Thought 9) and configured to further communicate control information related to control of the steering member. The notifying of the control information includes: A control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, which includes notifying a center of control information in which the amount of information is limited for stop information related to a stop due to automatic driving.

[0099] (Technical Thought 10) Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, further comprising controlling the steering member to be in the reset state in a state where the steering member and the tire (64) are released from interlock with each other.

[0100] (Technical Thought 11) Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to technical idea 10 includes prohibiting the disengagement of the steering member from the tires when the control amount of the tires at the next start is outside the allowable control amount range.

[0101] (Technical Thought 12) Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to Technical Idea 10 or 11, further comprising stopping the drive of the steering member after starting until the steering angle of the tires corresponds to the steering angle of the steering member.

[0102] (Technical Thought 13) Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to Technical Idea 10 or 11, which includes suppressing an amount of change in the steering member after the steering angle of the steering member corresponds to the steering angle of the tires after starting.

[0103] (Technical Thought 14) Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to Technical Idea 1 includes controlling the steering member to the reset state until completion of the stopping control so that the steering angle falls within the allowable steering angle range at the time of completion of the stopping control.

[0104] The above technical ideas 1 to 14 may be implemented in the form of a control method and a control program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] A: vehicle, 61: steering wheel (steering member), 64: tires, 100: vehicle control device (control device), 101: memory (storage medium), 102: processor

Claims

1. A control device having a processor (102) for controlling a steering member (61) in an automatically operable vehicle (A), comprising: The processor: acquiring a steering angle of the steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range that includes the steering angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; configured to run Controlling the steering member comprises: controlling the steering member, for which the vehicle stopping control has been completed, to the reset state in a state in which the steering angle is out of the allowable steering angle range; controlling the steering member to the reset state while disengaging the steering member from the tire (64); A control device including:

2. Controlling the steering member comprises:

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: if the steering angle falls within the allowable steering angle range at the time of completion of the stopping control, interrupting control of the steering member to the reset state after completion of the stopping control.

3. Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising starting control to transition to the reset state after the user has boarded the vehicle after the stopping control has been completed.

4. further configured to communicate control information related to control of the steering member; Notifying the control information The control device according to claim 3, further comprising notifying the vehicle interior of the control to the reset state when the user is seated in the driver's seat, and prohibiting notification to the vehicle interior when the user is not seated in the driver's seat.

5. Controlling the steering member comprises: The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising starting control of the steering member after completion of the stopping control and completing control of the steering member before the user gets on the vehicle.

6. further configured to communicate control information related to control of the steering member; Notifying the control information The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of notifying an outside of the vehicle of the control to the reset state.

7. further configured to communicate control information related to control of the steering member; Notifying the control information The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: notifying an interior of the vehicle of the control information while the steering member is being controlled to the reset state.

8. further configured to communicate control information related to control of the steering member; Notifying the control information The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising notifying the center of the control information, the amount of which is limited for stop information related to a stop due to automatic driving.

9. Controlling the steering member comprises:

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising prohibiting the disengagement of the steering member from the tires when the control amount of the tires at the next start is outside the allowable control amount range.

10. Controlling the steering member comprises:

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: after starting, stopping the driving of the steering member until the steering angle of the steering member corresponds to the steering angle of the tires.

11. Controlling the steering member comprises:

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: after starting, suppressing an amount of change in the steering member until the steering angle of the steering member corresponds to the steering angle of the tires.

12. A control method executed by a processor (102) for controlling a steering member (61) of an automatically drivable vehicle (A), comprising: acquiring a steering angle of the steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range that includes the steering angle corresponding to the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; Including, Controlling the steering member comprises: controlling the steering member, for which the vehicle stopping control has been completed, to the reset state in a state in which the steering angle is out of the allowable steering angle range; controlling the steering member to the reset state while disengaging the steering member from the tire (64); A control method comprising:

13. A control program stored in a storage medium (101) for controlling a steering member (61) of an automatically drivable vehicle (A), the control program including instructions to be executed by a processor (102), The instruction: acquiring a steering angle of the steering member linked to steering control by automatic driving; controlling the steering member so that the steering angle after completion of stopping control by automatic driving to a boarding area where a user is expected to board is reset to a state within an allowable steering angle range including the steering angle corresponding to a straight-ahead direction of the vehicle; Including, Controlling the steering member includes: controlling the steering member, for which the vehicle stopping control has been completed, to the reset state in a state in which the steering angle is out of the allowable steering angle range; Controlling the steering member to the reset state while disengaging the steering member from the tire (64); A control program including:

Images