Automatic driving support device, and automatic driving support system

Abstract

To provide an automatic driving support device capable of determining whether or not a specific area is usable, and to provide an automatic driving support system therefor.SOLUTION: An automatic driving support device comprises: an object detection unit for detecting an object from monitoring data of a specific area; a position calculation unit for calculating a position on a real world of the object detected by the object detection unit; a map information acquisition unit for acquiring the position on the real world in the specific area; a determination unit for determining whether or not the specific area is usable, using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit and the position of the specific area acquired by the map information acquisition unit; and an output unit for outputting a result as to whether or not the specific area is usable, determined by the determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automatic driving support device and an automatic driving support system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, active research and development has been carried out on technologies for realizing autonomous driving. In particular, when realizing autonomous driving in a specific area, it has been considered to install and utilize a roadside unit that detects objects in the area and notifies the detected object information to vehicles, control, etc. By reflecting the detected object information in a dynamic map, which is a map including obstacle information, etc., that is referred to when a vehicle drives autonomously, it can be used to support autonomous driving.

[0003] On the other hand, as a specific area where autonomous driving is applied, there are logistics facilities or factories that involve cargo handling operations. Here, it is desired to control a vehicle such as a trailer that transports goods by autonomous driving and move it to a specific cargo receiving space. The cargo receiving space is a place for loading and unloading goods. When a goods transport vehicle moves to the cargo receiving space, if there are objects such as people and other vehicles in the cargo receiving space, there is a possibility that the transport vehicle and the objects existing in the cargo receiving space may collide. Therefore, it is desirable to determine the presence or absence of objects in the cargo receiving space by some means.

[0004] As a method for determining the presence or absence of objects in a target area and using it for vehicle motion decision-making, for example, a method is disclosed in which a sensor mounted on a roadside unit determines the congestion level of a parking lot area, and if it is congested, guides to another parking lot (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in a logistics facility or a factory that involves handling operations, there are generally many candidates for receiving spaces at intervals of several meters. It is necessary to identify not only the congestion information within the area monitored by the roadside machine but also the position of the object and determine the available receiving space in units of receiving spaces.

[0007] The present disclosure discloses a technology for solving the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic driving support device and an automatic driving support system capable of determining the availability of each receiving space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The automatic driving support device of the present disclosure is an automatic driving support device that determines the availability of a specific area, an object detection unit that detects an object from sensor data acquired by a sensor device that monitors the specific area, a position calculation unit that calculates the position of the object detected by the object detection unit in the real world, a map information acquisition unit that acquires the position of the specific area in the real world, a determination unit that determines the availability of the specific area using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit and the position of the specific area acquired from the map information acquisition unit, an output unit that outputs the availability result of the specific area determined by the determination unit, and is provided with the above.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily determine the availability of each receiving space, and an autonomous vehicle that has received information on the availability of each receiving space can efficiently move to an available receiving space.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the automatic driving support device and the automatic driving support system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0012] Embodiment 1. <Configuration of the Automatic Driving Support System> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving support system according to Embodiment 1. In the figure, the automatic driving support system 10 includes a sensor device 100 that monitors a specific area within a logistics center, that is, within a preset area, and acquires object information, and an automatic driving support device 200 that determines the availability of the loading space using the information acquired by the sensor device 100. The sensor device 100 is, for example, a roadside unit equipped with sensors. In addition to a camera that acquires an image within a region, the sensors mounted on the roadside unit may be sensors such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and millimeter-wave radar, as long as they can acquire the positions of objects within the area to be monitored. The information acquired by the sensor is sensor data that is an image if the sensor is a camera, and point cloud if it is LiDAR or the like.

[0013] <Application Example of Autonomous Driving Support System> Next, an overview of autonomous driving realized by applying the autonomous driving support system 10 will be described using FIGS. 2 and 3 as examples of its application to a logistics center. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an autonomous driving vehicle at a logistics center, which is an application example of the autonomous driving support system. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the autonomous driving vehicle at the logistics center. In FIG. 2, autonomous driving is carried out for the purpose of automating the transportation of goods within the logistics center 1.

[0014] Here, first, various carriers park trailers Tr loaded with goods in the parking space PS within the logistics center 1. The autonomous driving vehicle V_self goes to search for the trailer Tr placed in this parking space PS (step S1), pulls the trailer Tr loaded with goods, and transports the trailer Tr to the receiving space RS for carrying the goods into the logistics warehouse 2 (step S2).

[0015] Here, a roadside unit RSU is installed in the logistics center 1, and the area including the receiving space RS is monitored by the roadside unit RSU. Using the information acquired by the sensors of the roadside unit RSU, the autonomous driving support device 200 detects the presence of objects such as people and obstacles within the receiving space RS and determines whether the receiving space RS can be used. The availability information of the cargo receiving space determined by the automatic driving support system 10 is output to the automatic driving vehicle V_self or to the control, and is used for any purpose. Most commonly, the automatic driving vehicle V_self selects a cargo receiving space RS from among the cargo receiving spaces RS determined to be available by the automatic driving support system 10, and moves the trailer Tr to the selected cargo receiving space RS. The trailer Tr moved to the cargo receiving space RS is connected to the loading / unloading port for loading / unloading of goods (step S3).

[0016] The trailer Tr connected to the cargo receiving space RS has the loading / unloading of the loaded goods carried out inside the logistics warehouse 2 (step S4), and the trailer Tr that has completed the work inside the logistics warehouse 2 is towed again by the automatic driving vehicle V_self and leaves the cargo receiving space RS (step S5). By repeating the above operations, the transportation of goods from the parking space PS in the logistics center 1 to the cargo receiving space RS is automated. Here, the logistics center has been used as an example for explanation, but the applicable destination of this system is not limited to the logistics center, and it may be any application that similarly monitors the situation of the cargo receiving space by the roadside unit and contributes to the support of the automatic driving vehicle.

[0017] <Configuration of the Automatic Driving Support Device 200> Next, the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 will be described. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, the automatic driving support device 200 includes a sensor data acquisition unit 201 that acquires sensor data acquired by the sensor device 100, an object detection unit 202 that performs object detection using the information of the acquired sensor data as input, a position calculation unit 203 that calculates the position of the object detected by the object detection unit 202, a map information acquisition unit 204 that acquires map information within a target area including a specific area, a determination unit 205 that determines the availability of the cargo receiving space RS using the object position obtained from the position calculation unit 203 and the map information obtained from the map information acquisition unit 204, and an output unit 206 that outputs the determination result of the cargo receiving space RS determined by the determination unit 205. Hereinafter, each functional unit will be described.

[0018] The sensor data acquisition unit 201 acquires data obtained by sensors mounted on the sensor device 100 such as roadside units from the sensor device 100 and transmits it to the object detection unit 202. For example, if the sensor mounted on the sensor device 100 is a camera, the sensor data acquisition unit 201 acquires an image, and if it is a LiDAR, it acquires a point cloud. In the sensor device 100, an image or a point cloud is usually acquired at intervals of about several Hz to 30 Hz and transmitted to the sensor data acquisition unit 201 of the automatic driving support device 200 via an arbitrary communication means such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or wireless communication.

[0019] As described above, the sensors mounted on the sensor device 100 may be any sensors that can acquire the positions of objects in the area monitored by the sensors, such as cameras, LiDARs, millimeter-wave radars, etc., and there may be multiple sensors. In the following description, a camera will be described as an example. A roadside unit RSU is installed as the sensor device 100 in the logistics center 1, and an example of a camera image acquired from the roadside unit RSU is shown in FIG. 5. The roadside unit RSU is usually installed at a height of about several meters to 10 meters using a pole or the like.

[0020] The object detection unit 202 receives an image from the sensor data acquisition unit 201 and detects an object by a known technique such as pattern matching or a neural network. In the case of an image, generally, an object is detected as a 2D bounding box, which is a rectangle surrounding the object. Also, at the same time as the 2D bounding box, if information such as the type of the object, a person, a trailer, a passenger car, etc. can be determined, that information may also be output at the same time. Furthermore, if information on the three-dimensional size and orientation of the object can be acquired, that information may also be output at the same time.

[0021] The position calculation unit 203 calculates the position in world coordinates of the object on the image detected by the object detection unit 202 using a known technique. World coordinates are coordinates in the real world. An example of a method for converting the object position on the image coordinates detected by the camera into the position in world coordinates is shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, FIG. 6A shows the camera image on the image coordinates, and FIG. 6B shows the dynamic map on the world coordinates.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6A, generally, the image coordinates are defined in pixel (pix) units with the upper left of the image as the origin, the right direction as the positive direction of the x-axis, and the downward direction as the positive direction of the y-axis. As shown in FIG. 6B, the world coordinates are generally defined with the x-axis as longitude, the y-axis as latitude, and the z-axis as height, or in a coordinate system in meter units with an appropriate position as the origin, the eastward direction as the positive direction of the x-axis, the northward direction as the positive direction of the y-axis, and the height direction as the positive direction of the z-axis. Here, since the camera of the roadside unit RSU is fixed, by creating in advance the conversion formula between the image coordinates and the real-world coordinates, they can be mutually converted if the height in the real world is in the same plane. For example, for a point on the ground (height = 0), given a set of four points (a, b, c, d) of pixel coordinates on the image and a corresponding set of four points (A, B, C, D) of world coordinates, the homography matrix M for converting from the image coordinates to the world coordinates can be obtained.

[0023] After obtaining this homography matrix M, taking an arbitrary location of the 2D bounding box detected on the image, for example, the circle at the center of the lower end, as the object position pob on the image, and multiplying the position in the image coordinates by M, it is possible to obtain the object position Pob in the world coordinates. In addition to this, a method of converting the image coordinates and the world coordinates using the camera external parameter matrix is also known. Also, when using LiDAR as the sensor mounted on the roadside unit RSU which is the sensor device 100, since 3D position information can be directly obtained from the point cloud, it is possible to more easily calculate the position in the world coordinates.

[0024] Next, the map information acquisition unit 204 acquires map information within the target area. This map information is for associating the object position calculated by the position calculation unit 203 with the position of the loading space RS. Therefore, as necessary information, it suffices to know where each loading space RS is located in the world coordinates, and the unit system, format, etc. are arbitrary.

[0025] Next, the determination unit 205 determines the availability of the loading space using the position information calculated by the position calculation unit 203 and the position information of each loading space obtained from the map information acquisition unit 204. The method for determining availability is arbitrary, and a determination example will be described with reference to FIG. 7. For example, in FIG. 5, assume that the object detection unit 202 detects the object 5 in the loading space RS. As shown in FIG. 7A, the object position Pob in the world coordinates calculated by the position calculation unit 203 is near the boundary between E and F of the loading space RS. Here, the center coordinates of the object position Pob are (30 m, 22.4 m) with respect to a preset origin. Then, a determination method can be considered where the loading space RS existing in the region with a radius of 5 m centered on this object position Pob is determined to be unavailable.

[0026] Finally, the output unit 206 outputs the availability of the loading space. The output format is arbitrary, but as shown in FIG. 7B, the determination of availability for each region of the loading space is output. In this way, any format that allows each loading space and its availability to be known is acceptable. Also, the output period is arbitrary, and it may be, for example, once per second. How the information output from the output unit 206 is used later is also arbitrary. For example, not only can the automatic driving vehicle be controlled so as not to use the loading space determined to be unavailable, but it can also be output to a control screen for the administrator to check the results.

[0027] <Operation of the automatic driving support device 200> Next, the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 according to Embodiment 1.

[0028] First, in step S101, the sensor data acquisition unit 201 acquires the information obtained by the sensor mounted on the roadside unit RSU within the monitoring area.

[0029] Next, in step S102, the sensor data acquired in step S101 is input to the object detection unit 202 to detect objects within the monitoring area.

[0030] Next, in step S103, the position calculation unit 203 calculates the position information of the object detected in step S102.

[0031] Next, in step S104, the position information of the object calculated in step S103 is compared with the position information of the receiving space RS acquired from the map information acquisition unit 204, and the determination unit 205 determines the availability of each receiving space.

[0032] Finally, in step S105, the availability information of each receiving space RS determined in step S104 is output from the output unit 206. By repeatedly executing steps S101 to S105, the availability information of each receiving space RS is updated.

[0033] As described above, according to the automatic driving support device of Embodiment 1, there is provided an automatic driving support device that determines the availability of a loading space, which is a specific area, and includes an object detection unit that detects an object from sensor data acquired by a sensor device that monitors a target area including the loading space, a position calculation unit that calculates the position in the real world of the object detected by the object detection unit, a map information acquisition unit that acquires the position in the real world of the specific area, a determination unit that determines the availability of the specific area using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit and the position of the specific area acquired from the map information acquisition unit, and an output unit that outputs the availability result of the specific area determined by the determination unit. Further, the automatic driving support system of Embodiment 1 includes the automatic driving support device according to Embodiment 1 and a sensor device that monitors a target area. With this configuration, it is possible to easily determine the availability of each loading space, so that the automatic driving vehicle that has received the availability result of the specific area can efficiently move to an available loading space.

[0034] In addition, since the sensor device that monitors the target area is a sensor provided in the roadside unit, it is possible to easily collect object information of the specific area.

[0035] When the automatic driving support device and the automatic driving support system according to Embodiment 1 are not used, it may happen that the automatic driving vehicle fails to recognize an object in the loading space and collides with it, or that the automatic driving vehicle recognizes an object immediately before entering the loading space and changes the loading space, resulting in a time loss. However, by applying the automatic driving support device and the automatic driving support system according to Embodiment 1, these situations can be prevented. Therefore, the automatic driving support device and the automatic driving support system according to Embodiment 1 can contribute to improving the safety and driving efficiency of the automatic driving vehicle.

[0036] Embodiment 2. In this Embodiment 2, an example of determining the availability of the loading space while considering occlusion by an object will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an image acquired from a roadside unit RSU in a logistics center 1 which is an application example of the automatic driving support system 10 according to Embodiment 2, and is a diagram showing an example including an occlusion area. Due to the trailer TrA connected to the receiving space RS, the situation of the receiving space RS on the back side thereof cannot be confirmed from the roadside unit RSU. This area is called an occlusion area OCA. For example, comparing FIG. 9 with FIG. 5, it can be seen that in FIG. 5, a person as object 5 can be confirmed in the receiving space RS, but in FIG. 9, due to the trailer TrA, it has become difficult to confirm object 5 in the receiving space RS. Since the trailer Tr used in the logistics center 1 or the like is, for example, as large as about 16 m in length, 3 m in width, and 5 m in height, there is a problem that detection of more areas becomes impossible due to occlusion depending on the position of the roadside unit RSU.

[0037] <Configuration of Automatic Driving Support Device 200> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 according to Embodiment 2. The automatic driving support device 200 according to Embodiment 2 is configured to further include an occlusion area acquisition unit 207 in the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 shown in Embodiment 1. In the occlusion area acquisition unit 207, for each target roadside unit RSU, area information of the receiving space that becomes an occlusion area (hereinafter referred to as occlusion space information) is acquired according to the position of an object in the receiving space RS.

[0038] An example of occlusion space information is shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, FIG. 11A is a diagram showing the positions of the receiving space and the roadside unit, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing the occlusion space of each roadside unit when an object exists in each receiving space. The occlusion space A shows the occlusion space when there is an object in the receiving space as seen from the roadside unit RSU_A. In this example, two roadside units RSU_A and RSU_B are arranged at both ends of the receiving space RS so as to be seen from the receiving space I side and the A side, respectively. Here, a case where an object exists in E of the receiving space No. will be described as an example.

[0039] When the trailer Tr is connected to the loading space of E, as seen from the roadside unit RSU_A, it is in the direction away from the roadside unit RSU_A with respect to the loading space of E, and the loading spaces of D and C adjacent to E are occluded. Similarly, as seen from the roadside unit RSU_B, it is in the direction away from the roadside unit RSU_B with respect to the loading space of E, and the loading spaces of F and G adjacent to E are occluded.

[0040] Here, the relationship between the loading space RS to which the trailer Tr is connected and the loading space RS occluded at that time has been described by taking the case of having it as prior information as an example, but it is not necessarily required to calculate it in advance. From the information on the position and orientation of the roadside unit RSU, assuming the size of the detected object, the occluded area may be calculated in real time according to the position of the object. Also, when the attribute information of the object can be obtained from the object detection unit 202, the assumption of the size of the object may be changed according to the attribute, or when the size and orientation information of the object can be obtained from the object detection unit 202, that information may be used. In the logistics center 1, since the size of the trailer Tr is often almost the same, as described above, the occluded area may be calculated by assuming the size of the detected object to be the same size.

[0041] Next, in addition to the availability determination according to the object position described in the first embodiment, the determination unit 205 of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention determines the availability of the loading space in consideration of the occlusion space information. Here, the occluded area may be determined as unavailable, or the occlusion space information may be output as it is by the output unit 206 without being used by the determination unit 205. It may be configured such that how to use the output result is determined on the vehicle side or the control side that has received the output result.

[0042] <Operation of the automatic driving support device 200> Next, the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the second embodiment. From step S201 to step S204, it is the same as steps S101 to S104 of the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. In the second embodiment, a step of calculating an occlusion area is added after step S204.

[0043] After determining the availability of each loading space in step S204 by the determination unit 205, in step S205, the occlusion area is calculated using the information acquired from the occlusion area acquisition unit 207. Here, the occlusion space information calculated in step S205 is input to step S204 and used for determining the availability in the subsequent cycles. There may be a case where a new trailer TrB is connected to the roadside unit RSU side of the trailer TrA that is already connected to the loading space RS, and the trailer TrA is occluded and cannot be detected by the roadside unit RSU. This is to prevent the loading space from being determined to be available even though the object information of the trailer TrA has disappeared and the state of the connection of the trailer TrA continues. That is, when there is a trailer Tr that is already connected in the occlusion area, until the roadside unit RSU detects that the corresponding trailer Tr has left the loading space RS, the loading space to which the corresponding trailer Tr was connected remains unavailable.

[0044] In step S206, the availability information of each loading space RS determined in step S204 is output from the output unit 206. At this time, the occlusion space information may be output as unavailable in the determination result of the availability of the loading space, or the determination result that the occlusion space information is not used by the determination unit 205 may be output by the output unit 206, and the occlusion space information may be output together. By repeatedly executing steps S201 to S206, the availability information of each loading space RS is updated together with the occlusion space information.

[0045] As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the automatic driving support device further includes an occlusion area acquisition unit that acquires an area occluded by the object using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit, it is possible to determine whether the loading space can be used considering occlusion by the object.

[0046] Embodiment 3. In the third embodiment, an automatic driving support device and an automatic driving support system are provided that preferentially notify the subsequent stage of a loading space where occlusion is less likely to occur as much as possible in consideration of the fact that occlusion occurs when the trailer is connected to the loading space.

[0047] <Configuration of the automatic driving support device 200> FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the third embodiment. This configuration further includes a priority calculation unit 208 in addition to the configuration of the second embodiment. The priority calculation unit 208 outputs a priority with occlusion considered for the loading space determined to be available by the determination unit 205. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, since it is possible to estimate in advance each loading space and the occlusion area when the trailer is connected to the space, this is utilized to determine the priority of the next loading space to be used.

[0048] An example of the priority calculation method will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B. Considering only the roadside unit RSU_A in FIGS. 11A and 11B, when the trailer Tr is connected from the loading space No. C to F, the occluded areas are two each, and the available loading spaces that can be determined as available while the trailer Tr is connected to the loading space will decrease. Therefore, the priority calculation unit 208 calculates the priority of the loading space according to the size of the occluded area when using the loading space. That is, for the roadside unit RSU_A, the priority of the loading space A with no occluded loading space is set to the highest, and the priority of C to F with two occluded loading spaces is set to the lowest, so that the priority can be calculated.

[0049] In addition, when there are multiple roadside units, consider the areas that will be occluded by all roadside units, and the lower the occluded area, the higher the priority can be set.

[0050] Next, the output unit 206 according to the third embodiment outputs the loading space availability information including the priority information output from the priority calculation unit 208. How to use it on the subsequent vehicle side or control that receives the loading space availability information including the priority information is also arbitrary. For example, it is also assumed to be used for vehicle control without particularly distinguishing the priorities up to the top 50% with high priorities.

[0051] <Operation of the automatic driving support device 200> Next, the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the third embodiment. Steps S301 to S305 are the same as steps S201 to S205 in the second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. In the third embodiment, a step of calculating the priority is added after step S205.

[0052] After calculating the occlusion area in step S305, in step S306, the priority calculation unit 208 calculates the priority of the loading space determined to be available in steps S304 and S305.

[0053] Finally, in step S307, the output unit 206 outputs the availability information of each loading space RS determined in steps S304 and S305, the occlusion area information calculated in step S305, and the priority of the loading space calculated in step S306. By repeatedly executing steps S301 to S307, the availability information of each loading space RS, the occlusion space information, and the priority of the loading space are updated.

[0054] As described above, according to the third embodiment, since the automatic driving support device further includes a priority calculation unit that calculates the priority for a specific area determined to be available by the determination unit, it is possible to output information including the priority of the loading space that reflects the occlusion by other vehicles entering and leaving the specific area.

[0055] Embodiment 4. In the fourth embodiment, an automatic driving support device and an automatic driving support system are provided that can change the constraint information of the available loading space by receiving an input from the user. FIG. 15 shows the configuration of the automatic driving support system 10 according to the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the automatic driving support system 10 includes an operation device 300 that receives an input from the user via a user interface or communication with the outside.

[0056] <Configuration of the automatic driving support device 200> FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 16, the automatic driving support device 200 includes a constraint information acquisition unit 209 that acquires the constraint information of the loading space based on the input from the operation device 300.

[0057] The restriction information acquisition unit 209 acquires restriction information regarding the availability of the loading space, such as "temporarily, Loading Space No. X is unavailable" and "Trailers of Company Y must be connected to Loading Space No. Y", via the operating device 300. The acquired restriction information is used by the determination unit 205 to determine the availability of the loading space.

[0058] Although it is the simplest determination example, the loading space determined to be unavailable by the restriction information acquisition unit 209 is also determined to be unavailable by the determination unit 205 and output from the output unit 206.

[0059] <Operation of the Automatic Driving Support Device 200> Next, the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 will be described. Regarding the The operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 of the first embodiment, but the restriction information acquired from the restriction information acquisition unit 209 is also used when determining availability in step S104. The description of the other operation flows is omitted. By repeatedly executing steps S101 to S105, the availability information of each loading space RS is updated. However, when the restriction conditions are updated by the operating device 300, it is possible to output the availability information of each loading space RS that reflects the conditions.

[0060] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the automatic driving support system further includes an operating device for inputting information from the user, and the automatic driving support device further includes a restriction information acquisition unit for acquiring restriction information regarding the availability of a specific area. Therefore, it is possible to output detailed availability information of the loading space RS.

[0061] In the above description, an example of a configuration in which the automatic driving support device 200 of the first embodiment is provided with a restriction information acquisition unit 209 for acquiring restriction information from the operating device 300 has been described. Needless to say, the automatic driving support device 200 of the second and third embodiments may also be provided with a restriction information acquisition unit 209.

[0062] Embodiment 5. In Embodiment 5, an automatic driving support device and an automatic driving support system are provided that can calculate a priority considering parameters other than occlusion when calculating the priority described in Embodiment 3.

[0063] <Configuration of the automatic driving support device 200> FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 according to Embodiment 5. The automatic driving support device 200 according to the present Embodiment 5 further includes a priority parameter acquisition unit 210 in addition to the configuration of the automatic driving support device 200 in Embodiment 3. The priority parameter acquisition unit 210 acquires various elements (priority parameters) other than occlusion, such as ease of connection, when determining the loading space to be used.

[0064] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of priority parameters and their weighting. The priority parameters store the weighted desirable elements to be considered when selecting the loading space to be connected. The priority parameters may be stored in the storage device 1002 (see FIG. 19) with preset values and acquired from the storage device 1002, or the values set by the user may be acquired from the operation device 300 shown in FIG. 17, for example. Using these priority parameters, the total weight for each loading space is calculated, and the final priority is output together with the priority calculated in Embodiment 3. The priority parameters exemplified in FIG. 18, namely, "distance to the loading space", "presence or absence of a vehicle in the adjacent loading space", and "necessity of a large turn", are all parameters related to the movement efficiency of an autonomous vehicle traveling within the logistics center 1 and moving to a loading space that is a specific area. The priority parameter acquisition unit acquires priority parameters including at least parameters related to the running efficiency of an autonomous vehicle running in a specific area, and stores those with weighting for each parameter.

[0065] <Operation of the automatic driving support device 200> Next, the operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 will be described. The operation flow of the automatic driving support device 200 according to the fifth embodiment is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 of the third embodiment. However, when calculating the priority in step S306, the calculation is performed including the priority parameter acquired from the priority parameter acquisition unit 210. The description of the other operation flows is omitted.

[0066] Note that by repeatedly executing steps S301 to S307, the availability information of each loading space RS, the occlusion space information, and the priority of the loading space are updated. Although it is also possible to set the priority in advance according to the installation position of the roadside unit in the occlusion area of the third embodiment, since the priority parameter according to the fifth embodiment is calculated according to the loading space determined to be available, the automatically driven vehicle that has received the output result can select a loading space considering the movement efficiency, traffic flow, etc.

[0067] As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, the automatic driving support device further includes a priority parameter acquisition unit that acquires a priority parameter including at least a parameter related to the movement efficiency of an automatically driven vehicle moving in a specific area. The priority calculation unit calculates the priority using the weight of the priority corresponding to the priority parameter for the specific area determined to be available. With this configuration, in addition to the effects of the third embodiment, it is possible to select a loading space considering not only occlusion but also the movement efficiency and ease of movement of the automatically driven vehicle, which can contribute to further improving the efficiency of automatic driving.

[0068] Needless to say, the fourth and fifth embodiments can be combined.

[0069] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic driving support system 10 and the automatic driving support device 200 according to Embodiments 1 to 5. The automatic driving support system 10 and the automatic driving support device 200 include an arithmetic processing circuit 1001, a read only memory (ROM) storing a program for executing the functions of each functional unit, and each data of the execution results of each functional unit which are the arithmetic results by the program, a storage device 1002 including a random access memory (RAM) for storing the acquired each data, an input / output circuit 1003, and a communication circuit 1004.

[0070] The arithmetic processing circuit 1001 includes a processor configured using a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and this processor may be configured by a digital signal processor (DSP) or a logic circuit. Dedicated hardware may be applied to the arithmetic processing circuit 1001. When the arithmetic processing circuit 1001 is dedicated hardware, the arithmetic processing circuit 1001 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination thereof.

[0071] Also, data or signals are transmitted and received between the roadside unit RSU which is the sensor device 100 and the automatic driving support device 200, and between the operation device 300 input by the user and the automatic driving support device 200 via the communication circuit 1004. The output of the automatic driving support system 10 is also output to the automatic driving vehicle or the control via the communication circuit 1004. Note that the sensor device 100 and the operation device 300 also have a similar hardware configuration.

[0072] <Other Embodiments> In Embodiments 1 to 5, an example has been described in which information such as the determination result of the availability of each loading space RS is output from the automatic driving support system 10 to the automatic driving vehicle or control. However, the automatic driving support device 200 may be mounted on the automatic driving vehicle or provided in the control. Further, even in a target area where a plurality of roadside units RSU are installed, the automatic driving support device 200 may be provided in one of them. In this case, data may be transmitted and received with other roadside units RSU.

[0073] In the automatic driving support device 200, object detection and position detection in the target area have been performed. However, the functions of the object detection unit 202 and the position calculation unit 203 may be provided in the sensor device 100, and the automatic driving support device 200 may acquire the results.

[0074] Although exemplary embodiments are described in the present disclosure, the various features, aspects, and functions described in the embodiments are not limited to the application of a specific embodiment, but are applicable to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not illustrated are envisioned within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification. For example, it is assumed to include the case of modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component.

[0075] Hereinafter, aspects of the present disclosure will be summarized as appendices.

[0076] (Appendix 1) An automatic driving support device for determining the availability of a specific area, an object detection unit that detects an object from sensor data acquired by a sensor device that monitors the specific area; a position calculation unit that calculates the position in the real world of the object detected by the object detection unit; a map information acquisition unit that acquires the position in the real world of the specific area; A determination unit that determines whether the specific area can be used by using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit and the position of the specific area acquired from the map information acquisition unit; An output unit that outputs the result of whether the specific area can be used determined by the determination unit; An automatic driving support device comprising the above. (Appendix 2) The automatic driving support device according to Appendix 1, further comprising an occlusion area acquisition unit that acquires an area occluded by the object by using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit. (Appendix 3) The automatic driving support device according to Appendix 2, further comprising a priority calculation unit that calculates a priority for the specific area determined to be available by the determination unit. (Appendix 4) The automatic driving support device further comprises a priority parameter acquisition unit that acquires a priority parameter including at least a parameter related to the movement efficiency of the automatic driving vehicle moving in the specific area. The priority calculation unit calculates a priority for the specific area determined to be available by using the weight of the priority corresponding to the priority parameter of the priority parameter acquisition unit. The automatic driving support device according to Appendix 3. (Appendix 5) The automatic driving support device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4, further comprising a constraint information acquisition unit that acquires constraint information regarding whether the specific area can be used. (Appendix 6) An automatic driving support system comprising the automatic driving support device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 5 and a sensor device that monitors the specific area. (Appendix 7) The automatic driving support system comprising the automatic driving support device according to Appendix 5, a sensor device that monitors the specific area, and an operation device that inputs information to the automatic driving support device, wherein the constraint information acquisition unit acquires constraint information regarding whether the specific area can be used from the operation device.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1: Logistics center, 2: Logistics warehouse, 5: Object, 10: Automatic driving support system, 100: Sensor device, 200: Automatic driving support device, 201: Sensor data acquisition unit, 202: Object detection unit, 203: Position calculation unit, 204: Map information acquisition unit, 205: Judgment unit, 206: Output unit, 207: Occlusion area acquisition unit, 208: Priority calculation unit, 209: Constraint information acquisition unit, 210: Priority parameter acquisition unit, 300: Operating device, 1001: Arithmetic processing circuit, 1002: Storage device, 1003: Input / output circuit, 1004: Communication circuit, PS: Parking space, RS: Loading space, RSU, RSU_A, RSU_B: Roadside unit, Tr, TrA: Trailer, V_self: Autonomous vehicle, OCA: Occlusion area.

Claims

1. An automatic driving support device for determining whether a specific area can be used, comprising: an object detection unit that detects an object from sensor data acquired by a sensor device that monitors the specific area; a position calculation unit that calculates the position in the real world of the object detected by the object detection unit; a map information acquisition unit that acquires the position in the real world of the specific area; a determination unit that determines whether the specific area can be used using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit and the position of the specific area acquired from the map information acquisition unit; an output unit that outputs the result of whether the specific area can be used determined by the determination unit; An automatic driving support device comprising the above components.

2. The automatic driving support device according to claim 1, further comprising an occlusion area acquisition unit that acquires an area occluded by the object using the position of the object calculated by the position calculation unit.

3. The automatic driving support device according to claim 2, further comprising a priority calculation unit that calculates a priority for a specific area determined to be available by the determination unit.

4. The automatic driving support device according to claim 3, further comprising a priority parameter acquisition unit that acquires a priority parameter including at least a parameter related to the movement efficiency of an automatic driving vehicle moving in the specific area, and the priority calculation unit calculates the priority using the weight of the priority corresponding to the priority parameter of the priority parameter acquisition unit for the specific area determined to be available.

5. The automatic driving support device according to claim 1, further comprising a constraint information acquisition unit that acquires constraint information regarding whether the specific area can be used.

6. An automatic driving support system comprising the automatic driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a sensor device that monitors the specific area.

7. An automatic driving support system comprising the automatic driving support device according to claim 5, a sensor device that monitors the specific area, and an operation device that inputs information to the automatic driving support device, wherein the constraint information acquisition unit acquires constraint information regarding whether the specific area can be used from the operation device. ​

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