Vehicle travel control system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle travel control system for turning an autonomous travel vehicle at a corner adequately.SOLUTION: A vehicle travel control system is configured so as to determine travel line that a vehicle travels on the basis of specification of the vehicle (for example, turning radius) and to turn the vehicle along the travel line when traveling by the vehicles Vb, Vm, Vs turning a corner C (X, x) of a travel route. Specifically, it is configured so as to set a plurality of nodes N at the corner and to select turning start reference node which is the reference that the vehicle start turning and the turning end reference node which is the reference that the vehicle completes the turning from the plurality of nodes on the basis of the specification of the vehicle and to determine the circular arc-like travel line which connects the turning start reference node and the turning end reference node.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driving control system for controlling the driving of a vehicle, particularly the cornering driving of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding driving control of a vehicle that drives without human operation (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an "autonomous vehicle"), there is a technology as described in the following patent document. In this technology, nodes are set on the route along which the vehicle drives, and the vehicle drives by following the nodes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-55228 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A vehicle can travel different driving lines depending on its own specifications. Specifically, for example, the driving line when turning a corner varies depending on the length of the vehicle. The technology described in the above patent document does not describe the difference in the specifications of the vehicle, and the driving control of an autonomous vehicle becomes practical by taking into consideration the difference in the specifications of the vehicle. The present invention has been made in consideration of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving control system with high practicality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle driving control system of the present invention comprises: A vehicle driving control system including a driving control device mounted on a vehicle to control driving of the vehicle, When a vehicle turns a corner on a travel route, the travel line along which the vehicle should travel is determined based on the vehicle's specifications, and the travel control device is configured to turn the vehicle along that travel line. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the vehicle driving control system of the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes abbreviated as "the vehicle driving control system" or "the system"), the vehicle can appropriately turn corners on the driving route regardless of the vehicle's specifications.

[0007] The driving area in which the vehicle to which this system is applied drives is, for example, a city, an office, or other area in which passages are arranged for the vehicle to drive. The driving route of the vehicle is set so that the vehicle travels around some of these passages. In this system, the "driving line" means, for example, a line along which a specific point of the vehicle (for example, the center of gravity of the vehicle, the center point of the front end of the vehicle, etc.) moves, a trajectory drawn by the specific point, etc., in the driving route, and the driving line on which the vehicle should drive can be considered as a driving line that is a target for the vehicle's driving, that is, a target line.

[0008] The driving line when a vehicle turns appropriately varies depending on the vehicle specifications. Here, "vehicle specifications" include the vehicle size (length, width, etc.), wheelbase, tread, inner wheel difference, outer wheel difference when turning, appropriate vehicle speed, turning radius, etc. It is desirable that the vehicle specifications based on which the driving line when turning is determined include the turning radius in particular. The turning radius may be an appropriate one selected from various turning radii such as the minimum turning radius and the set appropriate turning radius. Incidentally, depending on the vehicle specifications, specifically, when the vehicle size is large or when the turning radius is large, there may be corners that the vehicle cannot travel around.

[0009] A "corner" in a travel route does not only mean a point where one passage bends, but also broadly includes points where a vehicle must turn to travel, such as a point where the end of one passage connects to the middle of the length of another passage (a so-called T-junction) or a point where two passages intersect with each other (a so-called intersection).

[0010] It is desirable for the vehicle to be the subject of driving control to be an autonomous vehicle, and the "driving control device" can be considered as a controller for realizing the autonomous driving. A vehicle has various devices related to driving, such as a drive device, a braking device, and a steering device, and the driving control device can be configured to control these devices. In order to realize autonomous driving, it is also desirable for the vehicle to have a function for identifying its own position in the driving area, such as a GPS function or a beacon detection function.

[0011] The vehicle driving control system may be configured to include a "driving management device" that manages the driving of the vehicle within the driving area. As the driving management device, one that manages the driving of each of the multiple vehicles is preferable. The driving management device can be configured to create a driving plan for the vehicle and transmit an assignment according to the driving plan to the vehicle. In addition, it is desirable that the driving management device grasps the current position of the vehicle. When the driving management device manages the driving of multiple vehicles, when one vehicle and another vehicle interfere with each other in their respective driving, it is desirable that the driving management device has a function of adjusting or mediating the driving of at least one of them, specifically, for example, a function of giving instructions such as waiting or detouring to one of them. In order to realize the above-mentioned transmission of the assignment, grasping of the current position of the vehicle, and adjustment of the driving of the vehicle, it is desirable that the driving management device and the vehicle are capable of wireless communication. The above-mentioned driving line may be determined by the driving control device of the vehicle or may be determined by the driving management device. When the driving line is determined by the driving management device, the driving line may be transmitted from the driving management device to the driving control device of the vehicle.

[0012] Regarding the determination of the travel line, in this system, the travel line may be determined based on the nodes set and arranged in the passage. Specifically, for example, a plurality of nodes may be set at a corner, and a turning start reference node serving as a reference for the vehicle to start turning and a turning end reference node serving as a reference for the vehicle to end turning may be selected from the plurality of nodes based on the vehicle specifications, and an arc-shaped travel line connecting the turning start reference node and the turning end reference node may be determined.

[0013] The above-mentioned "node" means a vertex, a joint, etc., and can be considered as a point through which a specific point of the vehicle must pass (for example, a virtual point). The node may be placed not only at a corner, but also on the entire travel route. For example, on a straight road, the node may be placed in a straight line along the lane at the center of the lane, and at a corner, the node may be placed so that the straight line is extended to the center of the lane. The "turn start reference node" and the "turn end reference node" may be the turn start point and the turn end point themselves, respectively, or may be a reference point for determining the turn start point and a reference point for determining the turn end point. Specifically, for example, the turn start point may be a point a set distance away from the turn start reference node, or the turn end point may be a point where turning has continued for a set distance from the turn end reference node. Generally, for example, when making a turn with a large turning radius, a node located away from the center of the corner is selected as the turning start reference node and the turning end reference node is selected as the turning end reference node. The arc-shaped driving line connecting the turning start reference node and the turning end reference node does not necessarily have to be part of a perfect circle, but it is sufficient if it is generally arc-shaped. In this system, the node data is required to be held at least by the component that determines the driving line, and when the driving control device of the vehicle determines the driving line, the driving control device may hold the data, and when the driving control device determines the driving line, the driving control device may hold the data.

[0014] The advantage of using nodes to determine the driving line can be considered as follows. By simply creating one generic node data for each corner, a different node can be selected as a reference node for each vehicle based on the vehicle specifications by referring to the one node data, and the driving line can be determined based on the selected reference node. In simple terms, an appropriate driving line can be determined for each vehicle with one node data. In addition, since it is not necessary to determine the driving line when turning from information about the vehicle's surroundings, there is no need to purposely provide the vehicle with a surrounding information acquisition device such as a camera or LiDAR in order to determine the driving line.

[0015] Regarding the determination of the driving line when turning, when the driving route includes a two-way passage consisting of the vehicle's own lane and an oncoming lane, the following preferable mode can be considered. That is, when the corner is a corner from the two-way passage to another passage, or a corner from another passage to the two-way passage, depending on the vehicle specifications, the driving line may be determined so that the vehicle protrudes into the oncoming lane. By adopting such a mode, even a vehicle that makes a turn with a large turning radius can turn a relatively narrow corner. In relation to this, in a turn involving a two-way passage, it is also possible to determine a driving line such that the turning start point is different for right turns and left turns, i.e., right turns and left turns. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a driving area of ​​a vehicle to which a vehicle driving control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medium-sized vehicle as an example of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing differences in turning radius depending on the vehicle, and a state in which a large vehicle turns at an intersection; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how a medium-sized vehicle and a small vehicle turn at an intersection. [Diagram 5] 2 is a functional block diagram of a traffic management device and a vehicle driving control device. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart of a process for determining a driving line of a vehicle around a corner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, as a mode for carrying out the present invention, a vehicle driving control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following embodiment, the present invention can be carried out in various forms including the form described in the above [Modes of the Invention] section, and various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. EXAMPLES

[0018] [A] Vehicle driving area and vehicle type The driving area of ​​the vehicle to which the vehicle driving control system of the embodiment (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "this vehicle driving control system" or "this system") is applied is a single business establishment, as shown in FIG. 1, in which passages are arranged in the north-south, east-west directions. For convenience, the passages extending north-south are labeled A, B, C,... from the east side, and the passages extending east-west are labeled a, b, c... from the north side. Hereinafter, the passage extending north-south is represented as P(X) and the passage extending east-west is represented as passage P(x), and when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be collectively referred to as passage P. Note that A, B, C,... and a, b, c... are substituted for X, respectively. Incidentally, the passages P(A), P(C), P(a), and P(c) in the figure are two-way passages on the left side where vehicles can travel in opposite directions, with a center line drawn in the middle and two lanes (one for the vehicle itself and one for the oncoming vehicle) on either side of the center line.On the other hand, the passages (B) and (b) are narrow and have only one lane, making them one-way streets.

[0019] For convenience, the points where passages P(X) and P(x) intersect; specifically, the points where the end of one passage P(X) is connected to another passage P(x), the points where one passage P(X) or P(x) is connected to another passage P(x) or P(X) in a T-shape, and the points where one passage P(X) intersects with another passage P(x) are collectively referred to as corners C, and when referring to each one, the signs X and x of the intersecting passages P(X), P(x) will be used to represent the corner C(X, x).

[0020] In each passage P, nodes N are arranged at regular intervals (for example, 1 to 2 m) in the center of the lane in the direction in which the passage P extends. Each node N is individually specified by the code X or x of the passage P, the code L indicating which lane it is if the passage is a two-way passage, and the number * from the end of the passage P. Specifically, in a passage P(X) extending north-south, it is represented as node N(X,L,*), and in a passage P(x) extending east-west, it is represented as node N(x,L,*). In a passage P(X) extending north-south, E is assigned to the eastern lane, and W is assigned to the western lane, while in a passage P(x) extending east-west, N is assigned to the northern lane, and S is assigned to the southern lane. If the passage is not a two-way passage, L is not used. The numbers * of the nodes N are assigned 1, 2, 3, ... in order from the north side on a passage P(X) running north-south, and from the east side on a passage P(x) running east-west. Note that in this system, the nodes N are arranged at equal intervals, but the intervals between the nodes N may be made finer, for example, at and near a corner C.

[0021] In addition, in the two-way passage, three auxiliary nodes Na are placed beside corner C. These auxiliary nodes Na are used when a vehicle turns left at corner C, as will be described in detail later. Each auxiliary node Na is represented as Na(X, x, D, #). D indicates which side of corner C it is placed beside, with N, S, E, and W being assigned to the north, south, east, and west sides, respectively. The number # is assigned as R for the one on the right when looking toward corner C, L for the one on the left, and 0 for the one in the center.

[0022] Several types of vehicles travel in the travel area. For convenience, it is assumed that relatively large vehicles Vb, relatively small vehicles Vs, and medium-sized vehicles Vm of intermediate size travel in this travel area. The large vehicles Vb are vehicles with the size of a bus or truck, and the small vehicles Vs are vehicles that can accommodate only one person. The medium-sized vehicles Vm are vehicles in which a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle such as a dolly are connected in this travel area, as will be explained in detail later. In addition, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the large vehicles Vb, medium-sized vehicles Vm, and small vehicles Vs, they will be collectively referred to as vehicle V. In addition, the large vehicles Vb, medium-sized vehicles Vm, and small vehicles Vs are each assigned a number &, and are individually represented as Vb&, Vm&, and Vs&. Incidentally, & is substituted with 1, 2, 3, ....

[0023] In the figure, a state in which a large vehicle Vb1 is going straight north on the passage P(A), a state in which a large vehicle Vb2 is turning right at the corner C(C,c), a state in which a medium-sized vehicle Vm1 is turning left at the corner C(C,a), a state in which a medium-sized vehicle Vm2 is going straight south on the passage P(A), a state in which a small vehicle Vs1 is going straight east on the passage P(b), and a state in which a small vehicle Vs2 is turning right at the corner C(B,c) are shown. Note that, because it is difficult for the large vehicles Vb and the medium-sized vehicles Vm to enter the passages P(B) and P(b) by turning left and to exit the passages P(B) and P(b) by turning left in relation to the turning radius, the passages P(B) and P(b), i.e., the one-way passage P with only one lane, are designed so that only the small vehicles Vs can pass through.

[0024] [B] Vehicle configuration As explained above, for the sake of convenience, the vehicles to which this system is applied are three types of vehicles: a large vehicle Vb, a medium-sized vehicle Vm, and a small vehicle Vs. The large vehicle Vb and the small vehicle Vs are four-wheeled vehicles with steered front wheels, and their structure is common, so that explanations thereof will be omitted here.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the medium-sized vehicle Vm is composed of a towed vehicle 10 and a towing vehicle 12 that tows the towed vehicle 10. The towed vehicle 10 is composed of a bed plate 20 and four casters 22 attached to the lower part of the bed plate 20. The side towed by the towing vehicle 12 is the front side, and the opposite side is the rear side. The four casters 22 are arranged in one pair on the left and right on the front side, and one pair on the left and right on the rear side. The two casters 22 on the front side are swivel casters and can be freely changed in direction. On the other hand, the two casters 22 on the rear side are fixed in direction back and forth.

[0026] The towing vehicle 12 has a vehicle body 40 having a generally rectangular parallelepiped external shape and a pair of left and right drive wheels 42, a left drive wheel 42L and a right drive wheel 42R. A coupler 44 is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 40, and auxiliary wheels 46 are provided in the form of swivel casters at the bottom of the coupler 44 to make the towing vehicle 12 stand on its own. In other words, the towing vehicle 12 does not have steerable wheels that are actively steered. A connecting bar 48 is fixed to the bed plate 20 of the towed vehicle 10. The front end of the connecting bar 48 is connected to the coupler 44, so that the towed vehicle 10 is connected to the towing vehicle 12 via the coupler 44 so that they can rotate relative to each other. In more detail, when the towing vehicle 12 and the towed vehicle 10 are connected to each other, they are allowed to rotate freely relative to each other in a generally horizontal direction around the connection point JP of the coupler 44.

[0027] The left driving wheel 42L and the right driving wheel 42R of the towing vehicle 12 are driven independently of each other by electric motors 50, which are in-wheel motors. By rotating the left driving wheel 42L and the right driving wheel 42R at the same speed, the towing vehicle 12 moves forward or backward straight. By providing a speed difference between the rotation of the left driving wheel 42L and the right driving wheel 42R, the towing vehicle 12 turns. Incidentally, by rotating the left driving wheel 42L and the right driving wheel 42R at the same speed in the opposite directions, a pivot turn is also possible. Braking of the towing vehicle 12, i.e., braking of the left driving wheel 42L and the right driving wheel 42R, is also performed by regenerative braking or reverse braking by the electric motor 50.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 1, in this system, a traffic management device CC that manages the operation of multiple vehicles V is provided in a management building CB, and this towing vehicle 12 runs unmanned, that is, autonomously, based on commands from the traffic management device CC. Any common method may be used for this autonomous running, and a detailed description will be omitted here, but for autonomous running, this towing vehicle 12 has a camera, a positioning sensor (GPS sensor), a yaw rate sensor, an acceleration sensor, a wheel speed sensor, etc. built in a sensor box 52 attached to the top of the vehicle body 40, and is equipped with a communication device 54. In addition, this towing vehicle 12 has a controller 56 for autonomous running, a power source, etc. built in the vehicle body 40.

[0029] In order to drive autonomously, the large vehicle Vb and the small vehicle Vs are equipped with a sensor box, a communication device, a controller, a power source, etc., similar to the towing vehicle 12. The controllers of the large vehicle Vb, the medium vehicle Vm, and the small vehicle Vs are mounted on each of the vehicles V and function as driving control devices that control the driving of each of the vehicles V.

[0030] [C] Vehicle turning at a corner An appropriate turning radius is set for the vehicle V when turning around a corner C in the travel area. For the large vehicle Vb and the small vehicle Vs, the steering limits of the steered wheels are set according to the vehicle length, width, wheelbase, inner wheel difference, outer wheel difference, etc., and the minimum turning radius is determined based on these settings. An appropriate turning radius is set based on the minimum turning radius. For the medium-sized vehicle Vm, sharp turning is possible if only the towing vehicle 12 is used, but when the towing vehicle 10 is being towed, a certain degree of turning radius is required, taking into consideration the so-called jackknife phenomenon, etc. For this reason, an appropriate turning radius is set.

[0031] A comparison of the appropriate turning radii of a large vehicle Vb, a medium-sized vehicle Vm, and a small vehicle Vs is shown in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 3(a) shows a state in which the vehicle V turns at a right angle, with the solid line indicating the turning of the small vehicle Vs, the dashed line indicating the turning of the medium-sized vehicle Vm, and the dashed line indicating the turning of the large vehicle Vb. For ease of understanding, nodes N are arranged on the left and right, and on the top and bottom in the figure. If we explain using these nodes N, according to the turning with the appropriate turning radius, the small vehicle Vs turns with node N(x,2) as the turning start point and node N(X,2) as the turning end point, the medium-sized vehicle Vm turns with node N(x,3) as the turning start point and node N(X,3) as the turning end point, and the large vehicle Vb turns with node N(x,4) as the turning start point and node N(X,4) as the turning end point.

[0032] For convenience, in the following description, the position of the turning start point is treated as the position of the turning start reference node Ns, and the position of the turning end point is treated as the position of the turning end reference node Ne. If treated in this way, each vehicle V will turn approximately along an arc-shaped running line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne. In actual turning, the turning start point may be set, for example, at a position near the turning start reference node Ns based on the turning start reference node Ns, and the turning end point may be set, for example, at a position near the turning end reference node Ne based on the turning end reference node Ne, and the vehicle V may turn along the arc-shaped running line connecting the turning start point and the turning end point. For convenience, such a running line is also treated as an arc-shaped running line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne. Incidentally, for convenience, the running line is treated as a line traced by the center point of the front end of the vehicle V.

[0033] Based on the above, turning at corner C(X,x), which is an intersection of two-way passages, will be explained with reference to Fig. 3(b), Fig. 4(a), and Fig. 4(b). Fig. 3(b) shows the turning of a large vehicle Vb, Fig. 4(a) shows the turning of a medium-sized vehicle Vm, and Fig. 4(b) shows the turning of a small vehicle Vs. Each figure shows both turning right and turning left from passage P(x) to passage (X). Note that the vehicle V turning right and its travel line are shown with dashed lines, and the vehicle V turning left and its travel line are shown with solid lines.

[0034] First, the turning of the small vehicle Vs will be described with reference to FIG. 4(b). The small vehicle Vs has a relatively small turning radius and a relatively small inner wheel difference. Therefore, in the case of a right turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to node N(x,N,α+1) and the turning end reference node Ne is set to node N(X,E,β+1), respectively, and the small vehicle Vs turns along the arc-shaped running line connecting the nodes N(x,N,α+1) and N(X,E,β+1). Similarly, in the case of a left turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to node N(x,N,α+3) and the turning end reference node Ne is set to node N(X,W,β-3), respectively, and the small vehicle Vs turns along the arc-shaped running line connecting the nodes N(x,N,α+3) and N(X,W,β-3). By the way, α and β are specific numbers that indicate the center of the corner C(X, x).

[0035] In the case of the medium-sized vehicle Vm, since the turning radius is relatively large, in the case of a right turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to node N(x,N,α+2) and the turning end reference node Ne is set to node N(X,E,β+2), as shown in FIG. 4(a), and the medium-sized vehicle Vm turns along a circular arc-shaped travel line connecting the nodes N(x,N,α+2) and N(X,E,β+2). On the other hand, since the inside wheel difference of the medium-sized vehicle Vm is relatively large, the vehicle body will protrude to the inside of the turn when turning left when turning left. Therefore, in this system, in the case of a left turn, as shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, the medium-sized vehicle Vm is shifted toward the center of the passage once, and then starts turning with an appropriate turning radius, and returns to the center of the lane after the turn is completed. Incidentally, the shift means a change in position in the width direction of the passage. Specifically, the shift start reference node Ns' is set to node N(x,N,α+6), the turning start reference node Ns is set to auxiliary node Na(X,x,W,L), the turning end reference node Ne is set to auxiliary node Na(X,x,N,R), and the shift end reference node Ne' is set to node N(X,W,β-6). The medium-sized vehicle Vm shifts to the right from node N(x,N,α+6) to auxiliary node Na(X,x,W,L), turns along the arc-shaped driving line connecting auxiliary node Na(X,x,W,L) and auxiliary node Na(X,x,N,R), and shifts to the left from auxiliary node Na(X,x,N,R) to node N(X,W,β-6).

[0036] In the case of a large vehicle Vb, since the turning radius is even larger, in the case of a right turn, the turning start reference node Ns is set to node N(x,N,α+3) and the turning end reference node Ne is set to node N(X,E,β+3), as shown in Fig. 3(b), and the large vehicle Vb turns along a circular arc-shaped travel line connecting nodes N(x,N,α+2) and N(X,E,β+2). In the case of a large vehicle Vb, since the inside wheel difference is even larger, in the case of a left turn, an even larger shift is made. Specifically, the shift start reference node Ns' is set to node N(x,N,α+8), the turning start reference node Ns is set to auxiliary node Na(X,x,W,0), the turning end reference node Ne is set to auxiliary node Na(X,x,N,0), and the shift end reference node Ne' is set to node N(X,W,β-8), respectively, and the large vehicle Vb shifts to the right from node N(x,N,α+8) to auxiliary node Na(X,x,W,0), turns along the arc-shaped travel line connecting auxiliary node Na(X,x,W,0) and auxiliary node Na(X,x,N,0), and shifts to the left from auxiliary node Na(X,x,N,0) to node N(X,W,β-8). In such a left turn, the large vehicle Vb will run into the oncoming lane, and in this system, such running out is permitted for the large vehicle Vb.

[0037] [D] Operation management device, function of vehicle driving control device and determination of driving line i) Functions of the traffic control device The operation of the vehicle V is performed by the operation management device CC described above. The operation management device CC is a device whose main component is a computer. FIG. 5(a) shows a functional block diagram of the operation management device CC. Each block shown in this diagram is a functional block realized by a computer executing a specified program. Below, the functions of the operation management device CC will be explained with reference to this block diagram. The management building CB is equipped with a communication device 100, and the operation management device CC manages the operation of the vehicle V via the communication device 100.

[0038] The traffic management device CC has a passage map creation storage unit 102. The passage map creation storage unit 102 creates a passage map by setting the above-mentioned nodes N and auxiliary nodes Na for each passage P(X), P(x) and each corner C(X, x), and stores the created passage map. Information about the passage map is transmitted to each vehicle V via the communication device 100 every time it is created. In addition, the traffic management device CC has a vehicle specification storage unit 104 that stores the specifications of each vehicle V, and knows the specifications of each vehicle V, or simply, what type of vehicle each vehicle V is.

[0039] The operation management device CC has an operation plan creation unit 106, which creates an operation plan for each vehicle V. This operation plan can be considered as a list indicating when and how the vehicle V is to be operated for each vehicle V. The operation management device CC also has an assignment instruction unit 108, which has a function of instructing a vehicle that has completed one job to perform the next job, i.e., the next assignment, based on the operation plan. The assignment includes a travel route and a destination. Specifically, it includes which passage P(X), P(x) to pass through, which corner C(X, x) to turn right or left at, and which node N to travel to as the destination. When one vehicle V completes one assignment, the next assignment is transmitted to the vehicle V via the communication device 100.

[0040] As will be explained later, each vehicle V knows its own position. More specifically, it always knows which node N it has passed through, and always transmits information on the node N it has passed through. The traffic management device CC has a vehicle position recognition unit 110, which acquires the information via the communication device 100 and recognizes the current position of each vehicle V and the driving direction when it is driving. The traffic management device CC has a driving arbitration unit 112, which adjusts the driving of at least one of the one vehicle V and the other vehicles V based on the current position and driving direction of each vehicle V to avoid interference between the one vehicle V and the other vehicles V. Specifically, for example, a command to the at least one vehicle V to slow down, stop temporarily, overtake the stopped vehicle V, or take a detour to another route is transmitted via the communication device 100 each time.

[0041] ii) Functions of the controller installed in the vehicle The controller 56 provided in each vehicle V is a driving control device for each vehicle V, and this controller 56 has a computer as its main component, and is configured to include drivers (drive circuits) for a drive device, a braking device, a steering device, etc. Fig. 5(b) shows a functional block diagram of the controller 56. Each block shown in this diagram is a functional block realized by a computer executing a predetermined program. Below, the function of the controller 56 will be explained with reference to this block diagram.

[0042] The main function of the controller 56 is to control the driving operation of the vehicle V itself by controlling the drive device, braking device, steering device, etc., which the vehicle V is equipped with, and to realize this function, the controller 56 has a driving operation control unit 120. In order to grasp the current position of the vehicle V in controlling this driving operation, the controller 56 has a current position grasping unit 122. The controller 56 has a passage map storage unit 124, which stores a passage map in which the above-mentioned nodes N are arranged based on information transmitted from the traffic management device CC. The current position grasping unit 122 grasps the current position of the vehicle V by grasping which node N the vehicle V has passed based on the passage map and the position detection information of the above-mentioned GPS device. The current position is transmitted to the traffic management device CC via the communication device 54.

[0043] The controller 56 has a travel line determination unit 126, which determines the travel line on which the vehicle should travel to execute the assignment based on the assignment transmitted from the traffic management device CC by connecting the nodes N. The travel line determination unit 126 has a corner travel line determination unit 128 as a notable functional unit. As described above, the corner determination unit 128 determines the turning start reference node Ns, the turning end reference node Ne, and in some cases the shift start reference node Ns' and the shift end reference node Ne' at the corner C(X,x) according to the specifications of the vehicle V, and determines the travel line when turning. The traveling operation control unit 120 described above controls the drive device, the braking device, the steering device, and the like so that the vehicle V travels along the travel line determined by the travel line determination unit 126.

[0044] The controller 56 also has a command receiving unit 130 for receiving the assignment, which is the premise for creating the driving line, and the above-mentioned driving adjustment information via the communication device 54. Based on the received information, the driving line determination unit 126 determines the driving line, and the driving operation control unit 120 controls the driving operation of the vehicle V.

[0045] iii) Flow of determining turning lane The process for determining the driving line at the corner C will be briefly explained below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 6. This flowchart can be considered as showing a typical example of determining the driving line at the corner based on the specifications of the vehicle V. The process according to the flowchart is assumed to be performed when the vehicle approaches the corner C to a certain extent.

[0046] In the process according to the flowchart, first, in step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as "S1"; the same applies to the other steps), the specifications of the host vehicle V, i.e., whether the host vehicle V is a small vehicle Vs, a medium vehicle Vm, or a large vehicle Vb, are identified. Next, in S2, the turning direction of the host vehicle V at the corner C, i.e., whether the host vehicle V is turning right or left, is identified.

[0047] If it is determined in S3 that the host vehicle V will turn right, in S4, the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne are determined as described above in accordance with the specifications of the host vehicle V. Then, in S5, an arc-shaped travel line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne is determined.

[0048] If it is determined in S3 that the host vehicle V is turning left, it is determined in S6 whether the host vehicle V is a small vehicle Vs. If the host vehicle V is a small vehicle Vs, a turning start reference node Ns and a turning end reference node Ne for the small vehicle Vs are determined in S4, and an arc-shaped travel line connecting the turning start reference node Ns and the turning end reference node Ne is determined in S5.

[0049] If the host vehicle V is a medium-sized vehicle Vm or a large-sized vehicle Vb, in S7, as described above, the shift start reference node Ns', turning start reference node Ns, turning end reference node Ne, and shift end reference node Ne' suitable for the medium-sized vehicle Vm or large vehicle Vb are determined, and in S8, a driving line is determined by connecting the shift start reference node Ns', turning start reference node Ns, turning end reference node Ne, and shift end reference node Ne'.

[0050] iv) Modifications to the determination of running lines In the system of this embodiment, the driving line is determined by the controller 56 of the vehicle V, but the system may be configured so that the driving line is determined by the traffic management device CC. The traffic management device CC may determine the driving line according to the above-mentioned process, and transmit information about the determined driving line, the turning start reference node Ns, the turning end reference node Ne, and the like to the vehicle V. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10: Towed vehicle 12: Towing vehicle 54: Communication device 56: Controller (driving control device) CC: Traffic management device 100: Communication device 102: Route map creation and storage unit 104: Vehicle specifications storage unit 106: Operation plan creation unit 108: Assignment instruction unit 110: Vehicle position recognition unit 112: Driving arbitration unit 120: Driving operation control unit 122: Current position grasping unit 124: Route map storage unit 126: Driving line determination unit 128: Corner driving line determination unit 130: Command receiving unit V: Vehicle Vb: Large vehicle Vm: Medium-sized vehicle Vs: Small vehicle P(X),P(x): Route C(X,x): Corner N: Node Ns: Turning start reference node Ne: Turning end reference node Ns': Shifting start reference node Ne': Shifting end reference node

Claims

1. A vehicle driving control system including a driving control device mounted on a vehicle to control driving of the vehicle, A vehicle driving control system configured such that, when a vehicle is turning around a corner on a driving route, a driving line on which the vehicle should travel is determined based on the specifications of the vehicle, and the driving control device causes the vehicle to turn along that driving line.

2. 2. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, further comprising a driving management device that manages driving of the vehicle, the driving management device being configured to determine the driving line.

3. 2. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of nodes are set at the corner, and a turning start reference node serving as a reference for the vehicle to start turning and a turning end reference node serving as a reference for the vehicle to end turning are selected from the plurality of nodes based on vehicle specifications, and an arc-shaped driving line connecting the turning start reference node and the turning end reference node is determined.

4. 2. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, wherein when the driving route includes a two-way passage consisting of the vehicle's own lane and an oncoming lane, and the corner is a corner from the two-way passage to another passage, or a corner from the other passage to the two-way passage, the vehicle driving control system is configured to determine a driving line that causes the vehicle to veer into the oncoming lane depending on the vehicle specifications.

5. 5. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle specifications used in determining the driving line include a turning radius of the vehicle.

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