Moving body controller, moving body control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a moving body controller capable of implementing appropriate movement control in a zone in which a regulating body exists, of a joining area.SOLUTION: A moving body controller 1 includes a moving body detection unit 42 that acquires positions of a first moving body 3A and a second moving body 3B respectively, a regulating body detection unit 43 that detects a position of a regulating body, a distance calculation unit 44 that acquires a first distance D1 from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance D2 from the first moving body to a terminal 107A of the regulating body, and a movement control unit 46 that implements movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body for the purpose of avoiding interference between the first moving body and the second moving body in a joining area 100. When the first distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, the movement control unit implements movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body. When the first distance is less than the second distance, the movement control unit does not implement movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a movement control device, a movement control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide a sustainable transportation system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among traffic participants. In order to further improve traffic safety and convenience towards this realization, research and development on driving assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies have been conducted.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device that controls the driving of a first moving body or a second moving body so that a first moving body traveling on a main line and a second moving body traveling on a branch line do not interfere with each other in a merging area where the branch line merges into the main line.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] There may be provided a plurality of regulating bodies such as rubber poles between the main line and the branch line. The regulating bodies restrict lane changes from the branch line to the main line and limit the mergeable area. In an area where such a regulating body exists, if the driving of the first moving body is restricted by the second moving body, the passengers of the first moving body may feel discomfort.

[0006] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a movement control device, a movement control method, and a program that can execute appropriate movement control in an area where a regulating body in a merging area exists. Thereby, the present invention aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, in one aspect of the present invention, in a merging area (100) having a first travel path (101), a second travel path (102) merging into the first travel path, and a regulating body (107) provided at a boundary between the first travel path and the second travel path for regulating movement from the second travel path to the first travel path, there is a movement control device (1) for performing travel control of at least one of a first moving body (3A) moving on the first travel path and a second moving body (3B) moving on the second travel path. The movement control device (1) includes a moving body detection unit (42) for acquiring the positions of the first moving body and the second moving body, a regulating body detection unit (43) for detecting the position of the regulating body, a distance calculation unit (44) for acquiring a first distance (D1) from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance (D2) from the first moving body to a regulating body end (107A) which is an end of the regulating body in the traveling direction of the first travel path, and a movement control unit (46) for executing movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body so as to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body in the merging area. When the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the movement control unit executes the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body, and when the first distance is less than the second distance, the movement control unit does not execute the movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body.

[0008] According to this aspect, in a region where there is a regulating body that regulates lane change, i.e., merging, from the second travel path to the first travel path, the travel control of the first moving body due to the second moving body is no longer performed. Thereby, it is possible to provide a movement control device that can execute appropriate movement control in a region where a regulating body of the merging area exists.

[0009] In the above aspect, when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the movement control unit may accelerate at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body by the movement control.

[0010] According to this aspect, by accelerating at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body, interference between the first moving body and the second moving body is avoided.

[0011] In the above aspect, it has a traffic congestion degree acquisition unit (45) for acquiring the traffic congestion degree of the first travel route, and when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance and the traffic congestion degree is less than or equal to a predetermined traffic congestion determination value, the movement control unit executes the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body. When the first distance is less than the second distance or the traffic congestion degree is greater than the traffic congestion determination value, it may not execute the movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body.

[0012] According to this aspect, when the traffic congestion degree is high, the movement control unit does not execute unnecessary movement control.

[0013] In the above aspect, when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance and the second moving body and the end of the regulation body are in front of the first moving body, the movement control unit executes the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body. When the first distance is less than the second distance or the second moving body or the end of the regulation body is not in front of the first moving body, it may not execute the movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body.

[0014] According to this aspect, when the second moving body is behind the first moving body, the movement control unit does not execute unnecessary movement control.

[0015] In the above aspect, the distance calculation unit may acquire the distance from the center of the front end of the first moving body to the center of the rear end of the second moving body as the first distance, and acquire the distance from the center of the front end of the first moving body to the end of the regulation body as the second distance.

[0016] In the above aspect, when the movement control unit changes the acceleration of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body by the movement control, the movement control unit may control a notification device (19) of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body whose acceleration changes to notify the occupant.

[0017] According to this aspect, the occupant can recognize that the movement control is executed and can understand the behavior of the moving body.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention is a movement control device (4) provided in a first moving body (3A) moving on a first travel path (101) in a merging area (100) having a first travel path (101), a second travel path (102) merging with the first travel path, and a restricting body (107) provided at a boundary between the first travel path and the second travel path and restricting movement from the second travel path to the first travel path. The movement control device includes an external detection unit (34) that detects the position of a second moving body (3B) moving on the second travel path and the position of the restricting body, a self-moving body position detection unit (35) that detects the position of the first moving body, and an action planning unit (36) that executes movement control of the first moving body to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body in the merging area. The action planning unit calculates a first distance (D1) from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance (D2) from the first moving body to a restricting body end (107A) that is an end of the restricting body in the traveling direction of the first travel path. When the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the movement control of the first moving body is executed. When the first distance is less than the second distance, the movement control of the first moving body is not executed.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention is a movement control method for a computer to perform travel control of a first moving body (3A) moving on a first travel path and a second moving body (3B) moving on a second travel path in a merging area (100) having a first travel path (101), a second travel path (102) merging with the first travel path, and a restricting body (107) provided at a boundary between the first travel path and the second travel path for restricting movement from the second travel path to the first travel path. The method includes obtaining positions of the first moving body and the second moving body, detecting a position of the restricting body, obtaining a first distance (D1) from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance (D2) from the first moving body to a restricting body end (107A) which is an end of the restricting body in a traveling direction of the first travel path, and in the merging area, executing movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body; when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, executing the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body; and when the first distance is less than the second distance, not executing any of the movement control of the first moving body and the second moving body.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute travel control of a first moving body (3A) moving on a first travel path (101), a second moving body (3B) moving on the second travel path (102), and a merging area (100) having a regulating body (107) provided at a boundary between the first travel path and the second travel path and regulating movement from the second travel path to the first travel path. The program acquires the positions of the first moving body and the second moving body, detects the position of the regulating body, acquires a first distance (D1) from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance (D2) from the first moving body to a regulating body end (107A) which is an end of the regulating body in the traveling direction of the first travel path, and in the merging area, executes movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body so as to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body. When the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body is executed. When the first distance is less than the second distance, no movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body is executed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a movement control device, a movement control method, and a program that can execute appropriate movement control in a region where a regulating body of a merging area exists.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of a movement control device, a movement control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The moving body includes vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles, and electric kick scooters. In the present embodiment, as an example, an example in which the moving body is a vehicle will be shown.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a server 1 as a movement control device communicates with vehicle control devices 4 of a plurality of vehicles 3 via a communication network 2. The server 1 controls the plurality of vehicles 3 in the merging area 100 to prevent the plurality of vehicles 3 from interfering with each other.

[0025] (Merging area 100) As shown in FIG. 2, the merging area 100 has a first traveling road 101 and a second traveling road 102 that merges into the first traveling road 101. The first traveling road 101 extends linearly. The first traveling road 101 may be a lane at the end of a main line 104 including a plurality of lanes. Note that the main line 104 may be constituted only by the first traveling road 101. The second traveling road 102 is also referred to as a merging lane. In the first traveling road 101 and the second traveling road 102, the traveling direction of the vehicle 3 is taken as the front.

[0026] The second traveling road 102 has a first portion 102A, a second portion 102B, and a third portion 102C in order toward the front. The first portion 102A is partitioned from the first traveling road 101 by a hard nose 105. The first portion 102A may be arranged apart from the first traveling road 101. Also, the first portion 102A may be inclined with respect to the first traveling road 101. It is preferable that the side portion at the front end of the first portion 102A is connected to the side portion of the first traveling road 101. The hard nose 105 may be formed by a structure such as a wall or a guardrail.

[0027] The second part 102B extends along the first driving lane 101. The road surface of the second part 102B may be connected to the road surface of the first driving lane 101 in the left-right direction. A regulating body 107 is provided at the boundary between the second part 102B of the second driving lane 102 and the first driving lane 101. The regulating body 107 regulates the movement of the vehicle 3 from the second driving lane 102 to the first driving lane 101. The regulating body 107 may be continuous along the boundary between the first driving lane 101 and the second driving lane 102, or may be provided intermittently. The regulating body 107 may be constituted by, for example, a plurality of poles, pylons, road studs, curbstones and other structures. A guard rope may be stretched between the plurality of poles. The regulating body 107 is also called a soft nose. The front end of the regulating body 107 is called a regulating body end 107A.

[0028] The third part 102C extends along the first driving lane 101. The third part 102C constitutes the end of the second driving lane 102. In the third part 102C, the vehicle 3 can change lanes, that is, merge, from the second driving lane 102 to the first driving lane 101. The third part 102C is also called a merging point. The side edge of the third part 102C opposite to the first driving lane 101 side slopes toward the first driving lane 101 side forward.

[0029] The regulating body 107 is provided for the purpose of restricting the merging point in the second driving lane 102 to the third part 102C. The regulating body 107 is lower and more dispersed than the hard nose 105. Thereby, sensors such as the radar 14A, lidar 14B, and camera 14C can detect an object such as the vehicle 3 by passing through the regulating body 107.

[0030] In the first driving lane 101, the area located on the left and right sides of the second part 102B and the third part 102C of the second driving lane 102 is defined as the first area 111. The second part 102B and the third part 102C in the second driving lane 102 are defined as the second area 112.

[0031] (Vehicle 3) As shown in FIG. 3, each vehicle 3 (mobile object) has a propulsion device 11, a braking device 12, a steering device 13, an external sensor 14, a vehicle sensor 15, a communication device 16, a navigation device 17, a driving operation device 18, and an HMI 19 (Human Machine Interface).

[0032] The propulsion device 11 is a device that imparts a driving force to the vehicle 3 and includes, for example, a power source and a transmission. The power source has at least one of an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine and an electric motor. The braking device 12 is a device that imparts a braking force to the vehicle 3 and includes, for example, a brake caliper that presses a pad against a brake rotor and an electric cylinder that supplies hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper. The braking device 12 may include a parking brake device that restricts the rotation of the wheels by a wire cable. The steering device 13 is a device for changing the steering angle of the wheels and has, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism that steers the wheels and an electric motor that drives the rack and pinion mechanism. The propulsion device 11, the braking device 12, and the steering device 13 are controlled by the vehicle control device 4.

[0033] The external sensor 14 is a sensor that captures electromagnetic waves and light from the periphery of the vehicle 3 and detects an object outside the vehicle, etc. The external sensor 14 includes, for example, a radar 14A, a lidar 14B (LIDAR), and a camera 14C. The external sensor 14 outputs the detection result to the vehicle control device 4.

[0034] The radar 14A emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle 3 and captures the reflected waves to detect the position (distance and direction) of an object. The radar 14A is attached at least at one arbitrary location of the vehicle 3. The radar 14A preferably includes a front radar that irradiates radio waves at least toward the front of the vehicle 3, a rear radar that irradiates radio waves toward the rear of the vehicle 3, and a pair of left and right side radars that irradiate radio waves toward the sides of the vehicle 3.

[0035] The lidar 14B irradiates light such as infrared light around the vehicle 3 and captures the reflected light to detect the position (distance and direction) of an object. At least one lidar 14B is provided at an arbitrary position of the vehicle 3.

[0036] The camera 14C images the surroundings of the vehicle 3 including objects existing around the vehicle 3 (for example, surrounding vehicles and pedestrians), guardrails, curbs, walls, median strips, the shape of the road, and road markings drawn on the road. The camera 14C may be, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS. At least one camera 14C is provided at an arbitrary position of the vehicle 3. The camera 14C includes at least a front camera that images the front of the vehicle 3, and preferably further includes a rear camera that images the rear of the vehicle 3 and a pair of side cameras that image the left and right sides of the vehicle 3. The camera 14C may be, for example, a stereo camera.

[0037] The vehicle sensor 15 includes a speed sensor 15A that detects the speed of the vehicle 3 and an acceleration sensor 15B that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 3. The vehicle sensor 15 may further include a yaw rate sensor and a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the front wheels which are the steering wheels.

[0038] The communication device 16 mediates communication between the vehicle control device 4 and the navigation device 17 and other vehicles 3 and the server 1 located outside the vehicle. The vehicle control device 4 can perform wireless communication with other vehicles 3 via the communication device 16. Further, the communication device 16 performs wireless communication with a base station connected to the communication network 2 and communicates with the server 1 via the communication network 2. The base station is preferably provided near the merging area 100 (see FIG. 2).

[0039] The navigation device 17 is a device that acquires the current position of the vehicle 3 and provides route guidance to the destination, etc. It includes a GNSS receiver 17A, a map memory 17B, a navigation interface 17C, and a route determination unit 17D. The GNSS receiver 17A identifies the position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 3 based on signals received from artificial satellites (positioning satellites). The map memory 17B is composed of a known storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk, and stores map information.

[0040] The map information includes road information such as the type of road (such as highways, toll roads, national roads, prefectural roads), the number of lanes of the road, the central position of each lane (3D coordinates including longitude, latitude, and height), the shape of road markings such as road section lines and lane boundaries, the presence or absence of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, etc., the position of intersections, the position of lane merging and branching points, the area of no-parking zones, the width of each lane, and signs provided on the road. In addition, the map information may include traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The route determination unit 17D determines the route to the destination based on the position of the vehicle 3 identified by the GNSS receiver 17A, the destination input from the navigation interface 17C, and the map information. Also, when determining the route, the route determination unit 17D may refer to the positions of lane merging and branching points in the map information and determine, including the target lane that the vehicle 3 should travel in.

[0041] The driving operation device 18 receives input operations performed by the driver to control the vehicle 3. The driving operation device 18 includes, for example, a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal. In addition, the driving operation device 18 may include a shift lever, a parking brake lever, etc. A sensor for detecting the operation amount is attached to each driving operation device 18. The driving operation device 18 outputs a signal indicating the operation amount to the vehicle control device 4.

[0042] The HMI 19 functions as a notification device that notifies various information to the passengers by display and voice, and also functions as an input device that receives input operations by the passengers.

[0043] The vehicle control device 4 is an electronic control unit (ECU) composed of an MPU (microprocessor), a ROM, a RAM, etc., that is, a computer. The vehicle control device 4 executes various vehicle controls by the MPU performing arithmetic processing according to a program. The vehicle control device 4 may be configured as one piece of hardware, or may be configured as a unit composed of a plurality of pieces of hardware. Further, at least a part of each functional unit of the vehicle control device 4 may be realized by hardware such as an LSI, an ASIC, or an FPGA, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory of the vehicle control device 4, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the storage device of the vehicle control device 4 when the storage medium is read by a reading device. Further, the program may be downloaded and installed in the storage device of the vehicle control device 4 via a communication line such as the Internet. The vehicle control device 4, which is a computer, executes a driving control method for driving control of the vehicle 3 described below. The program causes the vehicle control device 4 to execute driving control of the moving body.

[0044] The vehicle control device 4 includes an automatic driving control unit 31 and a driving control unit 32. The automatic driving control unit 31 includes an external world detection unit 34, a host vehicle position detection unit 35, and a behavior planning unit 36.

[0045] Based on the signal from the external world sensor 14, the external world detection unit 34 detects obstacles located around the vehicle 3, the shape of the road, the presence or absence of a sidewalk, and road markings. Obstacles include, for example, guardrails, utility poles, surrounding moving bodies, and persons such as pedestrians. The surrounding moving bodies include the vehicle 3. The external world detection unit 34 may detect the position and distance of obstacles and surrounding vehicles, etc., with respect to the vehicle 3 based on signals from at least one of the radar 14A, the lidar 14B, and the camera 14C. Further, the external world detection unit 34 may detect the speed of other vehicles 3 existing around the vehicle 3.

[0046] The external detection unit 34 detects the position of the regulation body 107 in the merging area 100. In particular, the external detection unit 34 acquires the position of the regulation body end 107A. Further, the external detection unit 34 of the vehicle 3 traveling on the first driving road 101 detects the position and speed of the vehicle 3 traveling on the second part 102B and the third part 102C of the second driving road 102. Also, the external detection unit 34 of the vehicle 3 traveling on the second driving road 102 detects the position and speed of the vehicle 3 traveling on the first driving road 101.

[0047] The own vehicle position detection unit 35 calculates the own vehicle position based on the GNSS signal received by the GNSS reception unit 17A. Further, the own vehicle position detection unit 35 recognizes the driving lane that is the lane on which the vehicle 3 is traveling, and the relative position and angle of the vehicle 3 with respect to the driving lane. The own vehicle position detection unit 35 may recognize the driving lane based on, for example, the map information held by the map storage unit 17B and the position of the vehicle 3 acquired by the GNSS reception unit 17A. Also, the own vehicle position detection unit 35 may extract the lane lines around the vehicle 3 drawn on the road surface from the map information, and compare them with the shapes of the lane lines imaged by the camera 14C to recognize the relative position and angle of the vehicle 3 with respect to the driving lane.

[0048] The action planning unit 36 sequentially creates an action plan for driving the vehicle 3 along the route. More specifically, the action planning unit 36 first determines an event for the vehicle 3 to travel on the target lane determined by the route determination unit 17D without contacting an obstacle. The action planning unit 36 generates a target trajectory that the vehicle 3 should travel in the future based on the determined event. The target trajectory is a sequence of trajectory points that are the points that the vehicle 3 should reach at each time. The action planning unit 36 may generate the target trajectory based on the target speed and the target acceleration set for each event.

[0049] When the action planning unit 36 receives a merging control command regarding a merging event from the server 1, the action planning unit 36 generates a merging event. The action planning unit 36 may set the target speed and the target acceleration in the merging event based on the merging control command, and generate a target trajectory based on the target speed and the target acceleration.

[0050] The travel control unit 32 controls the propulsion device 11, the braking device 12, and the steering device 13 so that the vehicle 3 passes along the target trajectory generated by the action planning unit 36 at the scheduled time.

[0051] (Server 1) The server 1 is a computer composed of an MPU (microprocessor), a ROM, a RAM, etc. The server 1 executes various vehicle controls by the MPU performing arithmetic processing according to a program. The server 1 may be configured as one piece of hardware, or may be configured as a unit composed of a plurality of pieces of hardware. Also, at least a part of each functional unit of the server 1 may be realized by hardware such as an LSI, an ASIC, or an FPGA, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in a non-volatile storage device such as the HDD or flash memory of the server 1, may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the storage device of the server 1 by the storage medium being read by a reading device. Also, the program may be downloaded to and installed in the storage device of the server 1 via a communication line such as the Internet. The server 1, which is a computer, executes the travel control method for controlling the travel of the vehicle 3 described below. The program causes the server 1 to execute the travel control of the moving body.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the server 1 includes a communication unit 41, a vehicle detection unit 42 (moving body detection unit), a regulation body detection unit 43, a distance calculation unit 44, a traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45, a movement control unit 46, and a map information database 47. The communication unit 41 communicates with the vehicle control device 4 of each vehicle 3 via the communication network 2. The map information database 47 stores map information. The map information includes information regarding the shapes and positions of the first travel route 101 and the second travel route 102 of the merging area 100 and the position of the regulation body 107.

[0053] The vehicle detection unit 42 acquires the positions of the first vehicle 3A (first moving body) traveling on the first driving path 101 and the second vehicle 3B (second moving body) traveling on the second driving path 102. In addition to the positions of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B, the vehicle detection unit 42 may acquire the speeds of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B. The vehicle detection unit 42 may communicate with the first vehicle 3A and acquire the position and speed of the first vehicle 3A from the first vehicle 3A. Further, the vehicle detection unit 42 may communicate with the second vehicle 3B and acquire the position and speed of the second vehicle 3B from the second vehicle 3B. The vehicle detection unit 42 may communicate with the first vehicle 3A and acquire the position and speed of the first vehicle 3A and the position and speed of the second vehicle 3B from the first vehicle 3A. Further, the vehicle detection unit 42 may communicate with the second vehicle 3B and acquire the position and speed of the first vehicle 3A and the position and speed of the second vehicle 3B from the second vehicle 3B. Further, the vehicle detection unit 42 may communicate with the vehicle monitoring sensor 117 provided in the merging area 100 and acquire the position and speed of the first vehicle 3A and the position and speed of the second vehicle 3B detected by the vehicle monitoring sensor 117. The vehicle monitoring sensor 117 is composed of sensors such as a radar, a lidar, and a camera, and detects the positions and speeds of the vehicles 3A and 3B traveling on the first driving path 101 and the second driving path 102.

[0054] The position of each vehicle 3A, 3B may be the position of a representative point. The representative point may be the center of gravity of each vehicle 3, the center in the front-rear, left-right direction of each vehicle 3, the center in the left-right direction of the front end or the rear end of each vehicle 3, the corner position of each vehicle 3, or the like.

[0055] The regulation body detection unit 43 detects the position of the regulation body 107 provided at the boundary between the first driving path 101 and the second driving path 102. The regulation body detection unit 43 may communicate with the first vehicle 3A or the second vehicle 3B and acquire the position of the regulation body 107 including the position of the regulation body end 107A from the first vehicle 3A or the second vehicle 3B. Further, the regulation body detection unit 43 may acquire the position of the regulation body end 107A based on the map information stored in the map information database 47.

[0056] The distance calculation unit 44 acquires a first distance D1 from the first vehicle 3A to the second vehicle 3B and a second distance D2 from the first vehicle 3A to a regulation body end 107A which is an end in the traveling direction of the first traveling path 101 of the regulation body 107. The distance calculation unit 44 calculates the first distance D1 and the second distance D2 based on the position of the first vehicle 3A and the position of the second vehicle 3B acquired by the vehicle detection unit 42 and the position of the regulation body end 107A acquired by the regulation body detection unit 43. The distance calculation unit 44 may acquire, as the first distance D1, the distance from the center of the front end of the first vehicle 3A to the center of the rear end of the second vehicle 3B. Further, the distance calculation unit 44 may acquire, as the second distance D2, the distance from the center of the front end of the first vehicle 3A to the regulation body end 107A.

[0057] The traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45 acquires the traffic congestion degree of the first traveling path 101. The traffic congestion degree is an index representing the degree of traffic congestion and preferably has a plurality of levels. The levels may be two levels of 0 (not congested) and 1 (congested), or may be three or more levels. It is preferable that the value of the traffic congestion degree increases as the degree of traffic congestion becomes higher. The traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45 may acquire traffic congestion information via the communication network 2 and set the traffic congestion degree based on the traffic congestion information. Further, the traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45 may set the traffic congestion degree based on the speed of the first vehicle 3A acquired by the vehicle detection unit 42. Further, the traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45 may set the traffic congestion degree based on the inter-vehicle distance between the first vehicle 3A and a vehicle 3 traveling ahead of the first vehicle 3A. In this case, the external detection unit 34 of the first vehicle 3A may detect the inter-vehicle distance between the first vehicle 3A and a vehicle 3 traveling ahead of the first vehicle 3A based on a signal from the external sensor 14, and transmit the inter-vehicle distance detected by the external detection unit 34 to the traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45 via the communication network 2.

[0058] The movement control unit 46 executes movement control of at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B in order to avoid interference between the first vehicle 3A traveling on the first traveling path 101 and the second vehicle 3B traveling on the second traveling path 102 in the merging area 100.

[0059] The movement control unit 46 executes movement control of at least one of the first vehicle 3A or the second vehicle 3B based on the vehicle control flow shown in FIG. 4. The movement control unit 46 may repeat the vehicle control shown in FIG. 4 at time intervals of, for example, several microseconds.

[0060] First, the movement control unit 46 determines whether the vehicle 3 is present in the first area 111 of the first driving route 101 (S1). The movement control unit 46 makes the determination based on the position of the first vehicle 3A traveling on the first driving route 101 detected by the vehicle detection unit 42.

[0061] If the vehicle 3 is present in the first area 111 (the determination result in S1 is Yes), the movement control unit 46 determines whether the vehicle 3 is present in the second area 112 of the second driving route 102 (S2). The movement control unit 46 makes the determination based on the position of the second vehicle 3B traveling on the second driving route 102 detected by the vehicle detection unit 42.

[0062] If the vehicle 3 is present in the second area 112 (the determination result in S2 is Yes), the movement control unit 46 determines whether the traffic congestion level of the first driving route 101 is equal to or less than a predetermined traffic congestion determination value (S3). The traffic congestion level is acquired by the traffic congestion level acquisition unit 45. The traffic congestion determination value is set to a value that can determine that the first driving route 101 is not congested. For example, the traffic congestion determination value may be set to a value at which a vehicle can travel at 50 km / h on the first driving route 101.

[0063] If the traffic congestion level is equal to or less than the traffic congestion determination value (the determination result in S3 is Yes), the movement control unit 46 determines whether the second vehicle 3B and the restriction body end 107A present on the second driving route 102 are ahead of the first vehicle 3A present on the first driving route 101 (S4).

[0064] If the second vehicle 3B and the restriction body end 107A are ahead of the first vehicle 3A (the determination result in S4 is Yes), the movement control unit 46 determines whether the first distance D1 from the first vehicle 3A to the second vehicle 3B is equal to or greater than the second distance D2 from the first vehicle 3A to the restriction body end 107A (S5). The first distance D1 and the second distance D2 are calculated by the distance calculation unit 44.

[0065] When the first distance D1 is equal to or greater than the second distance D2 (the determination result in S5 is Yes), the movement control unit 46 executes movement control for at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body (S6). When the second vehicle 3B merges into the first driving path 101, in order to avoid interference between the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B, the inter-vehicle distance between the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B is maintained at a predetermined value or more by movement control. Therefore, at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B accelerates or decelerates by movement control. In movement control, the movement control unit 46 sets the target acceleration or target speed of at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B in order to accelerate or decelerate at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B.

[0066] As an example, in movement control, based on the position and speed of the first vehicle 3A and the position and speed of the second vehicle 3B, the movement control unit 46 predicts the entry start time, which is the time when the second vehicle 3B starts to enter the first driving path 101, the position and speed of the first vehicle 3A at the entry start time, and the position and speed of the second vehicle 3B at the entry start time. Then, when the inter-vehicle distance between the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B becomes less than a predetermined value at the entry start time, the movement control unit 46 accelerates the vehicle 3 located in front at the entry start time among the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B, or decelerates the vehicle 3 located behind at the entry start time among the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B, or performs both, and sets the target acceleration or target speed of at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B.

[0067] When the movement control unit 46 sets the target acceleration or target speed of the first vehicle 3A in movement control, it transmits a driving command including the set target acceleration or target speed to the vehicle control device 4 of the first vehicle 3A via the communication network 2. Also, when the movement control unit 46 sets the target acceleration or target speed of the second vehicle 3B in movement control, it transmits a driving command including the set target acceleration or target speed to the vehicle control device 4 of the second vehicle 3B via the communication network 2.

[0068] The travel command may include a notification command for controlling the HMI 19 of each vehicle 3 to notify the passengers.

[0069] When the action planning units 36 of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B receive a travel command from the server 1, they generate a merging event including a target trajectory for realizing the target acceleration or target speed included in the travel command. The travel control unit 32 controls the propulsion device 11, the braking device 12, and the steering device 13 so that each vehicle 3 passes along the target trajectory of the merging event generated by the action planning unit 36 at the scheduled time. In this way, the travel mode of each vehicle 3 is controlled based on the target acceleration or target speed of each vehicle 3 set by the movement control unit 46 of the server 1.

[0070] Also, the vehicle control device 4 of each vehicle 3 may control the HMI 19 based on the notification command included in the travel command. The HMI 19 may notify by image, video, or voice that each vehicle 3 is being controlled based on the travel command.

[0071] If the first vehicle 3A does not exist in the first area 111 of the first road 101 (the determination result of S1 is No), if the second vehicle 3B does not exist in the second area 112 of the second road 102 (the determination result of S2 is No), if the traffic congestion level is greater than the traffic congestion determination value (the determination result of S3 is No), if the second vehicle 3B or the regulation body end 107A is not in front of the first vehicle 3A (the determination result of S4 is No), and if the first distance D1 is less than the second distance D2 (the determination result of S5 is No), the travel control unit 32 does not execute the movement control of either the first vehicle 3A or the second vehicle 3B.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, the server 1 controls at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B in the merging area 100 to prevent interference between the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B. When the first distance D1 is greater than or equal to the second distance D2, the movement control unit 46 executes movement control of at least one of the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B. When the first distance D1 is less than the second distance D2, the movement control unit 46 does not execute movement control of either the first vehicle 3A or the second vehicle 3B. Therefore, in the area where the regulation body 107 that restricts lane changes from the second driving lane 102 to the first driving lane 101, i.e., merging, exists, the driving control of the first moving body due to the second moving body is not performed. In the second portion 102B of the second driving lane 102 where the regulation body 107 exists, the second vehicle 3B cannot change lanes to the first driving lane 101. Therefore, the first vehicle 3A does not need to ensure a vehicle-to-vehicle distance from the second vehicle 3B, and the first vehicle 3A does not need to decelerate or accelerate with respect to the second vehicle 3B. As a result, the server 1 can execute appropriate movement control in the area where the regulation body 107 in the merging area 100 exists. Further, when the first driving lane 101 is congested or when the second vehicle 3B is behind the first vehicle 3A, the movement control unit 46 does not execute unnecessary movement control.

[0073] In the first vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B, when driving control is executed, notification is performed by the HMI 19, so that the occupant can recognize that the movement control is executed and can understand the behavior of the moving body.

[0074] In another embodiment, instead of the server 1, the vehicle control device 4 of the first vehicle 3A traveling on the first driving lane 101 functions as a movement control device. The vehicle control device 4 includes a traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 38. The configuration of the traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 38 may be the same as the configuration of the traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 45 of the server 1.

[0075] The external detection unit 34 detects the position of the second vehicle 3B moving on the second travel path 102 and the position of the regulation body 107. Further, the external detection unit 34 may also acquire the speed of the second vehicle 3B based on the change in the position of the second vehicle 3B. The own vehicle position detection unit 35 (self-moving body position detection unit) acquires the position of the own vehicle 3A (first vehicle 3A). Further, the own vehicle position detection unit 35 may also acquire the speed of the own vehicle 3A based on the change in the position of the own vehicle 3A.

[0076] The action plan unit 36 creates an action plan for the first vehicle 3A based on the vehicle control flow shown in FIG. 5.

[0077] First, the action plan unit 36 determines whether the own vehicle 3A exists in the first area 111 of the first travel path 101 (S11). The action plan unit 36 makes the determination based on the own vehicle position detected by the own vehicle position detection unit 35.

[0078] When the own vehicle 3A exists in the first area 111 (the determination result of S11 is Yes), the action plan unit 36 determines whether the vehicle 3 exists in the second area 112 of the second travel path 102 (S12). The action plan unit 36 makes the determination based on the position of the second vehicle 3B detected by the external detection unit 34.

[0079] When the second vehicle 3B exists in the second area 112 (the determination result of S12 is Yes), the action plan unit 36 determines whether the traffic congestion level of the first travel path 101 is equal to or less than the traffic congestion determination value (S13). The traffic congestion level is acquired by the traffic congestion level acquisition unit 38.

[0080] When the traffic congestion level is equal to or less than the traffic congestion determination value (the determination result of S13 is Yes), the action plan unit 36 determines whether the second vehicle 3B and the regulation body end 107A existing on the second travel path 102 are ahead of the own vehicle 3A existing on the first travel path 101 (S14).

[0081] When the second vehicle 3B and the regulation body end 107A are in front of the host vehicle 3A (the determination result of S14 is Yes), the action planning unit 36 determines whether the first distance D1 from the host vehicle 3A to the second vehicle 3B is greater than or equal to the second distance D2 from the host vehicle 3A to the regulation body end 107A (S15). The first distance D1 and the second distance D2 may be calculated by the action planning unit 36 based on the position of the host vehicle 3A, the position of the second vehicle 3B, and the position of the regulation body end 107A.

[0082] When the first distance D1 is greater than or equal to the second distance D2 (the determination result of S15 is Yes), the action planning unit 36 executes movement control of the first moving body (S16). In the movement control, when merging onto the first driving road 101 of the second vehicle 3B, a merging event is created to avoid interference between the host vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B. In the merging event, the target acceleration or target speed of the host vehicle 3A is set so as to maintain the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 3A and the second vehicle 3B at a predetermined value or more, and a target trajectory for realizing the target acceleration or target speed is created. The driving control unit 32 controls the propulsion device 11, the brake device 12, and the steering device 13 so that each vehicle 3 passes through the target trajectory of the merging event generated by the action planning unit 36 at the scheduled time. In this way, the driving mode of the host vehicle 3A is controlled based on the target acceleration or target speed of the host vehicle 3A set by the action planning unit 36.

[0083] When any of the following cases holds: when the host vehicle 3A does not exist in the first area 111 of the first driving road 101 (the determination result of S11 is No), when the second vehicle 3B does not exist in the second area 112 of the second driving road 102 (the determination result of S12 is No), when the traffic congestion degree is greater than the traffic congestion determination value (the determination result of S13 is No), when the second vehicle 3B or the regulation body end 107A is not in front of the host vehicle 3A (the determination result of S14 is No), and when the first distance D1 is less than the second distance D2 (the determination result of S15 is No), the action planning unit 36 does not generate a merging event.

[0084] The vehicle control device 4 may control the HMI 19 during the execution of the merging event. The HMI 19 may notify, by an image, video, or voice, that each vehicle 3 is being controlled based on a driving command.

[0085] According to the vehicle control device 4, the vehicle control device 4 can perform the driving control of the host vehicle 3A independently without communicating with the server 1.

[0086] With the above, the description of the specific embodiments is completed. However, the present invention can be widely modified and implemented without being limited to the above embodiments. For example, the second distance D2 may be the distance between the host vehicle 3A and a point that is shifted forward or backward from the end 107A of the regulating body by a predetermined distance.

Explanation of Signs

[0087] 1: Server 3A: First vehicle, host vehicle 3B: Second vehicle 4: Vehicle control device 14: External sensor 15: Vehicle sensor 31: Automatic driving control unit 32: Driving control unit 34: External detection unit 35: Host vehicle position detection unit 36: Action planning unit 38: Traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 42: Vehicle detection unit 43: Regulating body detection unit 44: Distance calculation unit 45: Traffic congestion degree acquisition unit 46: Movement control unit 100: Merging area 101: First driving road 102: Second driving road 107: Regulating body 107A: End of regulating body D1: First distance D2: Second distance

Claims

1. In a merging area having a first travel path, a second travel path that merges into the first travel path, and a restricting body provided at a boundary between the first travel path and the second travel path for restricting movement from the second travel path to the first travel path, a movement system control device that performs travel control of at least one of a first moving body moving on the first travel path and a second moving body moving on the second travel path, a moving body detection unit that acquires the positions of the first moving body and the second moving body; a restricting body detection unit that detects the position of the restricting body; a distance calculation unit that acquires a first distance from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance from the first moving body to a restricting body end that is an end of the restricting body in the traveling direction of the first travel path; in the merging area, a movement control unit that executes movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body; the movement control unit executes the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, and does not execute the movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body when the first distance is less than the second distance. A movement system control device.

2. The movement control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the movement control unit accelerates at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body by the movement control.

3. having a traffic congestion degree acquisition unit that acquires the traffic congestion degree of the first travel path; the movement control unit executes the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance and the traffic congestion degree is less than or equal to a predetermined traffic congestion determination value, and does not execute any movement control of the first moving body and the second moving body when the first distance is less than the second distance or the traffic congestion degree is greater than the traffic congestion determination value. The movement system control device according to claim 1.

4. The movement control unit executes the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance and the second moving body and the end of the restricting body are in front of the first moving body, and does not execute the movement control of either the first moving body or the second moving body when the first distance is less than the second distance or the second moving body or the end of the restricting body is not in front of the first moving body. The movement control device according to claim 1.

5. The distance calculation unit obtains the first distance as the distance from the center of the front end of the first moving body to the center of the rear end of the second moving body, and obtains the second distance as the distance from the center of the front end of the first moving body to the end of the restricting body. The movement control device according to claim 1.

6. When the movement control unit changes the acceleration of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body by the movement control, the movement control unit controls an alarm device of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body whose acceleration changes to notify the occupant. The movement control device according to claim 1.

7. In a merging area having a first travel path, a second travel path that merges with the first travel path, and a restricting body provided at a boundary between the first travel path and the second travel path to restrict movement from the second travel path to the first travel path, a movement control device provided on a first moving body that moves on the first travel path, an external detection unit that detects the position of a second moving body that moves on the second travel path and the position of the restricting body; a self-moving body position detection unit that detects the position of the first moving body; and an action planning unit that executes movement control of the first moving body to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body in the merging area. The action planning unit calculates a first distance from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance from the first moving body to the end of the restricting body, which is the end of the restricting body in the traveling direction of the first travel path; When the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, the movement control of the first moving body is executed. When the first distance is less than the second distance, the movement control of the first moving body is not executed. A movement control device.

8. In a merging area having a first traveling path, a second traveling path that merges into the first traveling path, and a restricting body provided at a boundary between the first traveling path and the second traveling path and restricting movement from the second traveling path to the first traveling path, a movement control method for a computer to perform traveling control of a first moving body moving on the first traveling path and a second moving body moving on the second traveling path, comprising: acquiring the positions of the first moving body and the second moving body; detecting the position of the restricting body; acquiring a first distance from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance from the first moving body to a restricting body end which is an end of the restricting body in the traveling direction of the first traveling path; executing movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body in order to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body in the merging area; when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, executing the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body; and when the first distance is less than the second distance, not executing any movement control of the first moving body and the second moving body. A movement control method.

9. In a merging area having a first traveling path, a second traveling path that merges into the first traveling path, and a restricting body provided at a boundary between the first traveling path and the second traveling path and restricting movement from the second traveling path to the first traveling path, a program for causing a computer to execute traveling control of a first moving body moving on the first traveling path and a second moving body moving on the second traveling path, comprising: acquiring the positions of the first moving body and the second moving body; detecting the position of the restricting body; acquiring a first distance from the first moving body to the second moving body and a second distance from the first moving body to a restricting body end which is an end of the restricting body in the traveling direction of the first traveling path; executing movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body in order to avoid interference between the first moving body and the second moving body in the merging area; when the first distance is greater than or equal to the second distance, executing the movement control of at least one of the first moving body and the second moving body; and when the first distance is less than the second distance, not executing any movement control of the first moving body and the second moving body. A program.

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