Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle configured so that some or all of various types of driving control that are necessary in travelling can be automatically executed without requiring operation by a driver, which enables some or all of driving control in automatic execution to be forcibly stopped at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: An automatic driving control device, which is mounted on a vehicle, comprises a driving mode setting part and an automatic control part. The driving mode setting part sets a driving mode of the vehicle to either of an advanced automatization mode or a basic mode. When the driving mode is set to the advanced automatization mode, the automatic control part automatically executes automatic driving operation which is driving operation set to be automatically executed, and when a predetermined event requiring cancellation occurs, stops at least one of the automatic driving operation in execution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Cross - reference to related applications

[0001] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014 - 234665 filed with the Japan Patent Office on November 19, 2014, and incorporates the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014 - 234665 by reference into this international application.

Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to an automatic driving control device capable of automatically performing at least a part of various driving operations of a driver required to drive a vehicle, such as various judgments and operations by the driver, without requiring the driver's operations or the like.

Background Art

[0003] Various technologies for realizing automatic driving of vehicles have been proposed and some have been put into practical use. Patent Document 1 below discloses an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to a preset driving plan.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] One of the ultimate goals of autonomous driving technology is considered to be enabling passengers to reach the destination without any involvement in driving after only setting the destination. However, the current situation is that it has not yet reached a highly reliable level where this can be achieved.

[0006] Moreover, as the automated driving technology becomes more advanced, it is desirable to be able to appropriately respond to abnormalities in the in-vehicle computer for realizing automated driving. Specifically, when adopting the automated driving technology, it is desirable to be able to, if necessary, invalidate at least a part of the control being automatically executed and entrust it to the driver's operation, or forcibly control the behavior of the vehicle in a safe direction.

[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, in a vehicle capable of automatically executing at least a part of various driving controls necessary for traveling without requiring the driver's operation, it is desirable to be able to forcibly stop at least a part of the control being automatically executed at an appropriate timing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The automated driving control device in one aspect of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle and includes a surrounding information acquisition unit, a driving mode setting unit, an automatic control unit, and a release required event determination unit. The surrounding information acquisition unit acquires surrounding information which is information around the vehicle. More specifically, the surrounding information is information indicating the state around the vehicle and is information necessary for automatically executing a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for the vehicle to travel without requiring the driver's operation.

[0009] The driving mode setting unit sets the driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The highly automated mode is a driving mode in which at least a part of the plurality of types of driving operations necessary for the vehicle to travel is automatically executed based on the surrounding information. The basic mode is a driving mode in which the type of automated driving operation that is automatically executed is less than or zero compared to the highly automated mode. or zero.

[0010] The automatic control unit executes the automatic driving operation set in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit. The cancellation required event determination unit determines whether or not a predetermined cancellation required event has occurred, at least when the driving mode is the highly automated mode. The cancellation required event is a predetermined event for which at least one of the automatic driving operations set to be executed should be cancelled (execution stopped).

[0011] When the driving mode is set to at least the highly automated mode, if the cancellation required event determination unit determines that a cancellation required event has occurred, the automatic control unit stops the execution of at least one of the automatic driving operations set to be executed.

[0012] According to the automatic driving control device configured in this way, when the driving mode is set to at least the highly automated mode (that is, when at least one automatic driving operation is set to be executed), if a cancellation required event occurs, at least one of the automatic driving operations that should originally be executed is removed from the execution target and is not executed by the automatic control unit.

[0013] Therefore, even if a cancellation required event occurs that may prevent the automatic driving operation from being performed normally, it is possible to suppress the unintended instability of the vehicle's driving. When the driving mode is set to a driving mode having at least one automatic driving operation to be executed, if the cancellation required event determination unit determines that a cancellation required event has occurred, the automatic control unit may stop all of the automatic driving operations to be executed in that driving mode. That is, when a cancellation required event occurs, the automatic control unit is prevented from performing the automatic driving operation. By doing so, even if a cancellation required event occurs that may prevent the automatic driving operation from being performed normally, it is possible to more reliably suppress the unintended instability of the vehicle's driving.

[0014] Here, an alert unit and a release permission determination unit may be provided. When the event to be cancelled is determined to have occurred by the event to be cancelled determination unit, the alert unit alerts the vehicle occupants that the event to be cancelled has occurred. The release permission determination unit determines whether a specific release permission operation has been performed by the vehicle occupants after the alert by the alert unit. When it is determined by the release permission determination unit that the release permission operation has been performed, the automatic control unit may stop the execution of the automatic driving operation to be stopped. And when it is not determined by the release permission determination unit that the release permission operation has been performed, the automatic control unit may execute a predetermined automatic stop process for stopping the vehicle's travel.

[0015] In the automatic driving control device configured as described above, when an event to be cancelled occurs, instead of unconditionally stopping the execution of the automatic driving operation, an alert is given in advance. And when a response is made by the vehicle occupants to the alert, the execution of the automatic driving operation is stopped. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the vehicle's driving state from becoming unstable due to the stop of the automatic driving operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 11

Figure 12

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] (1) Configuration of Vehicle 1 FIG. 1A shows a side view of the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B shows a top view of the vehicle 1. However, FIGS. 1A and 1B are mainly for the purpose of clearly showing the arrangement states of various cameras, radars, sensors, etc. in the vehicle 1, and simply illustrate those arrangement states.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 includes at least a front camera 2, a rear camera 3, a left side camera 4, a right side camera 5, and an in-vehicle camera 6 as cameras for photographing the inside and outside of the vehicle 1. Each of the cameras 2 to 6 is a camera capable of photographing color images and videos. Each of the cameras 2 to 6 may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera capable of obtaining depth direction information by including a plurality of lenses.

[0019] The front camera 2 is provided at the front end side of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face forward. With this front camera 2, it is possible to photograph the front of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The rear camera 3 is provided at the rear end side of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face rearward. With this rear camera 3, it is possible to photograph the rear of the vehicle 1 in a wide range.

[0020] The left side camera 4 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle 1 so as to face left. With this left side camera 4, it is possible to photograph the left side of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The right side camera 5 is provided on the right side surface of the vehicle 1 so as to face right. With this right side camera 5, it is possible to photograph the right side of the vehicle 1 in a wide range.

[0021] The in-vehicle camera 6 is provided at the front end side of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face rearward (inside the vehicle cabin). With this in-vehicle camera 6, it is possible to photograph at least the upper body of the driver in the vehicle cabin.

[0022] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 includes a front radar device 11, a rear radar device 12, a left side radar device 13, and a right side radar device 14. In this embodiment, each of the radar devices 11 to 14 is a millimeter wave radar. As is well known, a millimeter wave radar is a radar that can detect target information regarding targets around the vehicle 1 based on the relationship between the transmitted wave and each received wave and the relationship between the received waves by transmitting millimeter wave radio waves and receiving the reflected waves with a plurality of receiving antennas. Examples of the target information that can be detected by each of the radar devices 11 to 14 include the presence or absence of a target in the detection direction, the distance to the target, the direction of the target with respect to the vehicle 1, and the moving speed of the target (relative speed with respect to the vehicle 1).

[0023] Specifically, the front radar device 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency with respect to the front of the vehicle 1. With this front radar device 11, target information regarding a target in front of the vehicle 1 can be acquired. The rear radar device 12 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency with respect to the rear of the vehicle 1. With this rear radar device 12, target information regarding a target behind the vehicle 1 can be acquired. The left side radar device 13 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency with respect to the left side of the vehicle 1. With this left side radar device 13, target information regarding a target on the left side of the vehicle 1 can be acquired. The right side radar device 14 is provided on the right side surface of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency with respect to the right side of the vehicle 1. With this right side radar device 14, target information regarding a target on the right side of the vehicle 1 can be acquired.

[0024] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 includes a solar radiation sensor 16 and a rainfall sensor 17. The solar radiation sensor 16 is installed at the lower part of the front window 9 in the front of the vehicle interior. This solar radiation sensor 16 can detect the amount of solar radiation on the vehicle 1, and thus the brightness around the vehicle 1. The rainfall sensor 17 is installed at the upper part on the vehicle interior side of the front window 9. This rainfall sensor 17 can detect the presence or absence of rainfall and the amount of rainfall.

[0025] (2) Electrical Configuration of Vehicle 1 The electrical configuration of the vehicle 1 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes an automatic driving control device 30. The automatic driving control device 30 mainly has a mode switching function and an automatic driving function. The mode switching function is a function for setting the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The automatic driving function is a function for executing automatic driving according to the automatic driving level (see FIG. 3A. Details will be described later) of the set driving mode. As will be described later, the automatic driving control device 30 appropriately switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 according to various factors such as the driving state of the vehicle 1, the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1, and the state of the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0026] The types of vehicle autonomous driving include partial autonomous driving and full autonomous driving. Partial autonomous driving is a form of autonomous driving in which some of the various driving operations of the driver required to drive the vehicle are automated. Here, the term "automation" means that it can be executed without requiring the driver's operation or the like. Full autonomous driving is a form of autonomous driving in which all the driving to the set destination is fully automated without requiring the driver's operation or the like. A parameter indicating the type and degree of the number of driving operations automated in autonomous driving is hereinafter referred to as the autonomous driving level. Full autonomous driving has a higher autonomous driving level than partial autonomous driving. Also, there are various levels of partial autonomous driving depending on the type and number of driving operations to be automated.

[0027] The vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of not only partial autonomous driving but also full autonomous driving by the autonomous driving control device 30. In the present embodiment, the driver can arbitrarily set and change the autonomous driving level, that is, which operations among the various driving operations required for driving are automated and which operations the driver performs.

[0028] More specifically, in the present embodiment, as the main automatic control functions for realizing full autonomous driving, there are seven types: automatic start / stop control, lane keeping control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision suppression control, and parking control. The autonomous driving control device 30 can execute these seven types of automatic control functions, and full autonomous driving can be realized by executing all of these seven types of automatic control functions.

[0029] Conversely, partial autonomous driving is realized by executing any six or fewer of the above seven types of automatic control functions. In the present embodiment, in the highly automated mode, it is possible to arbitrarily set which of the above seven types of automatic control functions are to be executed.

[0030] The specific content of the seven types of automatic control functions will be described in detail later. The automation level becomes higher as more of the above seven types of automatic control functions are to be executed. Specifically, the automation level is level 0 when none of the above seven types of automatic control functions are executed. The automation level is level n when n types of the above seven types of automatic control functions are executed. Therefore, in the driving mode of level 0, it is necessary for the driver to judge and operate the control actions corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions by himself / herself. On the other hand, the driving modes of levels 1 to 6 are driving modes in which partial automatic driving is performed. The driving mode of level 7 is a driving mode in which full automatic driving is performed.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the highly automated mode is a driving mode in which automatic driving is performed at an automation level of level 1 or higher. On the other hand, the basic mode is a driving mode with a relatively low automation level compared to the highly automated mode. For example, when the highly automated mode is level n, the basic mode can be set to any of levels n - 1 to 0.

[0032] In the present embodiment, for the sake of simplicity and clarity of explanation, the basic mode will be described as having the automation level set to level 0. Level 0 is a level at which none of the above seven types of automatic control functions are executed, and the driver needs to perform most of the various driving actions necessary for driving.

[0033] The automatic driving control device 30 includes a control unit 30a and a memory 30b. The memory 30b includes, in detail, a ROM, a RAM, and other various storage media (for example, EEPROM, flash memory). The control unit 30a realizes various functions including the above-described mode switching function and automatic driving function by executing various programs stored in the memory 30b. The control unit 30a includes at least a CPU.

[0034] Among the various programs stored in the memory 30b, there are programs (so-called security software) capable of detecting external unauthorized operations, computer viruses, unauthorized software and data, etc. (hereinafter collectively abbreviated as "unauthorized factors"). During startup, the control unit 30a makes this security software resident to constantly monitor the presence or absence of unauthorized factors. And when an unauthorized factor occurs, it executes various unauthorized response processes. The unauthorized response processes include a process of forcibly setting the automatic driving level to level 0 so that the automatic control function does not operate at all. In addition, various specific contents of the unauthorized response processes can be considered. For example, a warning may be output to the driver by voice or the like, or the vehicle 1 may be forcibly decelerated or stopped. Also, the connection between the control unit 30a and each communication unit 31 - 35 may be physically interrupted so that access from the outside to the automatic driving control device 30 via wireless communication becomes impossible.

[0035] The following cameras 2 - 6, radar devices 11 - 14, and sensors 21 - 23 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are connected to the automatic driving control device 30. The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 individually controls the operations of the cameras 2 - 6, and acquires the shooting results (image data) from the cameras 2 - 6 and stores them in the memory 30b. The acquisition and storage of the image data are repeated at predetermined time intervals.

[0036] Based on the image data of the cameras 2 - 6, the control unit 30a can recognize various situations inside and outside the vehicle. For example, from the image data of the in-vehicle camera 6, the actions, expressions, gazes, eye states, etc. of the passengers (mainly the driver) can be recognized.

[0037] Thereby, based on the image data of the in-vehicle camera 6, the control unit 30a can determine whether the driver is showing abnormal behavior. The abnormal behavior of the driver here refers to... This means that the driver himself may not be able to operate the vehicle 1 properly, or that due to the malfunction of the automatic driving function, he feels uneasy about the operation of the vehicle 1. Specific examples of the former include excessive distraction, dozing off, or fainting. Specific examples of the latter include the driver showing expressions of surprise, worry, or fear.

[0038] In addition, based on the image data of the front camera 2, the control unit 30a can recognize the vehicle in front, oncoming vehicle, vehicle in the adjacent lane running diagonally ahead, lane dividing line, crosswalk, pedestrian, intersection, entry of other vehicles into the intersecting road at the intersection, content of road signs, traffic lights, billboards, etc. in the traveling direction, rainfall situation, snowfall situation, occurrence situation of fog, ambient brightness, and other objects around the vehicle through various image recognition processes. Note that recognizable road signs also include characters and marks drawn on the road surface.

[0039] Thereby, based on the image data of the front camera 2, the control unit 30a can recognize the behavior of pedestrians, the behavior and line of sight of pedestrians, the presence or absence of passing from oncoming vehicles, weather conditions, etc. More specifically, as the weather conditions, it is possible to recognize that rain or snow is falling more than a predetermined amount, that thick fog is occurring, etc. From the behavior of pedestrians, it is possible to recognize whether the pedestrians feel uneasy about the vehicle 1. More specifically, when a pedestrian is looking at the vehicle 1 and his expression shows specific emotions such as surprise, worry, or fear, it can be determined that the pedestrian feels uneasy about the vehicle 1. Also, when the line of sight of a predetermined number or more of pedestrians is directed at the vehicle 1, it can be recognized that there is a possibility that the vehicle 1 is not operating properly.

[0040] In addition, based on the image data of the front camera 2, the control unit 30a can recognize the distance and relative speed from the vehicle ahead, the driving state of the host vehicle with respect to the road, and the content of road signs and billboards. Therefore, based on the recognition result of the content of road signs and billboards, various sign information such as speed limits, the necessity of temporary stops, and the possibility of parking and stopping can be recognized. Also, for example, it can be recognized that it is an accident-prone area, a school zone, or other specific environments (for example, areas with a high frequency of animal appearances).

[0041] In addition, based on the image data of the rear camera 3, the control unit 30a can recognize the vehicle behind, the vehicles in the adjacent lanes running diagonally behind, the ambient brightness, pedestrians, the sign information drawn on the road surface, and other objects around the vehicle through various image recognition processes.

[0042] Thereby, based on the image data of the rear camera 3, the control unit 30a can recognize, for example, the relative distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and the vehicle behind, and the presence or absence of passing from the vehicle behind. Also, similar to the image data of the front camera 2, the image data of the rear camera 3 can also recognize the behavior of pedestrians, the behavior and line of sight of pedestrians, the weather condition, and the like.

[0043] In addition, based on the image data of the left side camera 4 and the right side camera 5, the control unit 30a can recognize the vehicles on the side of the host vehicle (including the vehicles in the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear), the road signs on the host vehicle driving road side, the lane dividing lines, pedestrians, the ambient brightness, and other objects around the vehicle through various image recognition processes.

[0044] Thereby, based on the image data of each side camera 4 and 5, the control unit 30a can recognize, for example, the relative distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and the side vehicle. Also, similar to the image data of the front camera 2, the image data of each side camera 4 and 5 can also recognize the behavior of pedestrians, the behavior and line of sight of pedestrians, the weather condition, and the like.

[0045] In addition, the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 individually controls each of the radar devices 11 to 14, obtains the detection results of targets from each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and stores them in the memory 30b. This acquisition and storage of the detection results from each of the radar devices 11 to 14 are repeated at predetermined time intervals. Based on the detection results of each of the radar devices 11 to 14, the control unit 30a can calculate and obtain the presence or absence of a target, the distance to the target, the direction of the target, the relative speed of the target as viewed from the vehicle 1, and the like.

[0046] Note that from the detection results of the front radar device 11, information on targets in front of the vehicle (including diagonally in front on the left and right) can mainly be obtained. From the detection results of the rear radar device 12, information on targets behind the vehicle (including diagonally behind on the left and right) can mainly be obtained. From the detection results of the left-side radar device 13, information on targets on the left side of the vehicle (including in front left and behind left) can mainly be obtained. From the detection results of the right-side radar device 14, information on targets on the right side of the vehicle (including in front right and behind right) can mainly be obtained.

[0047] In addition, the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can determine the brightness of the driving environment based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 16 and determine whether it is the brightness at night or a situation similar thereto (hereinafter simply referred to as "night"). Note that the vehicle 1 is equipped with headlights (not shown). The headlights can be turned on and off by the driver's operation, and can also be automatically turned on and off by setting the light mode to the auto mode. When the light mode is set to the auto mode, the control unit 30a automatically turns on the headlights when it determines that it is night based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 16, and automatically turns off the headlights when it is not night. In addition, in the present embodiment, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, the light mode is configured to be forcibly set to the auto mode.

[0048] In addition, the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can determine the presence or absence of rainfall and the amount of rainfall based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 17. In addition, as components connected to the automatic driving control device 30, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a wheel speed sensor 18, a current sensor 19, a steering amount sensor 20, an in-vehicle contact sensor 21, an engine room temperature sensor 22, an engine room sound sensor 23, a tire air pressure sensor 24, a suspension sensor 25, an outside vehicle sound sensor 26, and a shock sensor 27.

[0049] The wheel speed sensors 18 are respectively provided on the four wheels on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle 1, and output detection signals (wheel speed signals) indicating the rotational speeds of the corresponding wheels. The wheel speed signals from the respective wheel speed sensors 18 are input into the automatic driving control device 30.

[0050] The control unit 30a can detect the rotational speed of each wheel based on the wheel speed signals from the respective wheel speed sensors 18. And from the detection result, for example, it is possible to detect whether or not slip is occurring.

[0051] The current sensors 19 are respectively provided for one or more of the numerous electrical wirings provided in the vehicle 1, and output detection signals (current detection signals) indicating the current flowing through the electrical wiring. The current detection signals from the current sensors 19 are input into the automatic driving control device 30.

[0052] The control unit 30a can detect the current of the corresponding electrical wiring based on the current detection signals from the current sensors 19. And from the detection result, for example, it is possible to detect whether or not an overcurrent is flowing in a specific electrical wiring. The overcurrent mentioned here is a large current that theoretically should not flow when the vehicle 1 is operating normally, and for example, a large current that may be generated by lightning strike or a surge current can be considered.

[0053] Note that the current sensor 19 may be provided on the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 so as to be able to detect the current flowing through the vehicle body. By doing so, when there is a lightning strike on the vehicle 1, through the vehicle 1 to the ground It is possible to detect a large current flowing therein. Regarding where and how to install the current sensor 19, it may be appropriately determined so that it is possible to detect that a lightning strike has occurred on the vehicle 1.

[0054] The steering amount sensor 20 is provided to directly or indirectly detect the steering amount of the steering wheel. The steering amount sensor 20 may be provided, for example, on the column shaft that connects the steering wheel 10 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) and the steering mechanism. However, the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is equipped with an electric power steering device capable of controlling the steering of the steering wheel by a motor, and is equipped with a rotation sensor for detecting the rotational position (and thus the steering state) of the motor for steering control. Therefore, the steering amount sensor 20 may not be provided separately, and that rotation sensor may be used as the steering amount sensor 20. That is, the specific configuration, installation location, etc. of the steering amount sensor 20 may be appropriately determined so that the steering amount can be detected.

[0055] The control unit 30a can detect the steering amount of the steering wheel based on the detection signal from the steering amount sensor 20. And from the detection result, for example, the change state, change rate, etc. of the steering amount can be detected. Thereby, when the driving level is set such that steering is automatically performed (that is, when the driving level is set such that at least one of lane keeping control, lane change control, and right / left turn control is executed), it is possible to determine whether the automatic control of steering is being appropriately performed. Specifically, for example, when the change rate of the steering amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (that is, when the change rate is excessive), it can be determined that the automatic control of steering is not being performed normally. Or, when not traveling along the lane (for example, straying outside the lane dividing line), or when going straight instead of turning right or left where a turn should be made, etc., it can also be determined that the automatic control of steering is not being performed normally.

[0056] The in-vehicle contact sensor 21 is a sensor for detecting that an occupant of the vehicle 1 has touched a specific part inside the vehicle, and is provided at that specific part (hereinafter also referred to as the "in-vehicle specific contact part"). The in-vehicle specific contact part can be determined as appropriate. For example, a specific part on the driver's seat, the steering wheel 10 or the vicinity thereof, etc. can be considered.

[0057] As will be described later, the in-vehicle contact sensor 21 is provided so that when the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is set to level 1 or higher, the driver can quickly (urgently) cancel the automatic driving. That is, when the automatic driving level is level 1 or higher, if for some reason the driver wants to cancel the automatic driving, when the driver touches the in-vehicle specific contact part, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, the specific configuration and installation location of the in-vehicle contact sensor 21 may be determined as appropriate so that the driver's touching the in-vehicle specific contact part can be detected.

[0058] Note that in this embodiment, "canceling" the automatic driving means setting the automatic driving level to level 0. However, this is just an example. For example, it may be defined that "canceling" the automatic driving is to stop at least one of the currently executed automatic control functions. For example, when a certain automatic control function is operating and the driver touches the in-vehicle specific contact part feeling that there may be a possibility that the automatic control function is not operating normally, it may be defined that "canceling" the automatic driving is to forcibly stop one or a plurality of automatic control functions including at least that automatic control function.

[0059] The engine room temperature sensor 22 is provided at a predetermined part inside or near the engine room of the vehicle 1, and outputs a detection signal according to the temperature of the engine room. The control unit 30a can detect the temperature of the engine room based on the detection signal from the engine room temperature sensor 22. And when the detected temperature of the engine room is excessive (for example, when it is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature threshold), it can be determined that there is some abnormality in the engine or its surroundings.

[0060] The engine room sound sensor 23 is provided at a predetermined position inside or near the engine room of the vehicle 1 mainly for the purpose of detecting sounds generated inside the engine room, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the volume around the installation position. The control unit 30a can detect the sound generated inside the engine room based on the detection signal from the engine room sound sensor 23. And when the detected sound inside the engine room is excessive (for example, when it is equal to or higher than a predetermined volume threshold), it can be determined that there is some abnormality in the engine or its surroundings.

[0061] The tire pressure sensors 24 are respectively provided on the four wheels on the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle 1, and output detection signals (pressure signals) indicating the air pressure of the tires of the corresponding wheels. The pressure signals from the respective tire pressure sensors 24 are each input to the automatic driving control device 30.

[0062] The control unit 30a can detect the air pressure of the tires of each wheel based on the pressure signals from the respective tire pressure sensors 24. And from the detection results, for example, it can be detected whether there is an abnormality (such as a puncture) in any of the tires.

[0063] The suspension sensor 25 outputs a detection signal indicating the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension of the vehicle 1 (for example, the amount of expansion and contraction of a shock absorber or a spring). The control unit 30a can detect the behavior of the vehicle 1 (mainly the vertical behavior) based on the detection signal from the suspension sensor 25. When the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is set to level 1 or higher and the automatic control function to be executed is not operating normally, there is a risk that the behavior of the vehicle 1 will become unstable. For example, there is a risk that unstable behaviors such as sudden acceleration, sudden braking, and sudden turning will occur automatically. Such unstable behaviors appear as the behavior of the suspension. Therefore, the control unit 30a can determine the stability of the behavior of the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the suspension sensor 25 (that is, based on the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension itself or its rate of change), and thus can determine whether the automatic control function is operating normally when the automatic control function is in operation.

[0064] The outside vehicle sound sensor 26 is provided mainly for the purpose of detecting sounds generated around the vehicle 1. The control unit 30a can detect the type and volume of the sounds generated around the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the outside vehicle sound sensor 26. For example, when another vehicle is sounding its horn, this can be detected.

[0065] The impact sensor 27 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the level of the impact when an impact is applied to the vehicle 1 from the outside of the vehicle 1. The control unit 30a can detect the presence or absence and level of the external impact on the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the impact sensor 27. Note that the impacts detected by the impact sensor 27 include impacts of a wide range of levels, from relatively large-level impacts such as collisions with other vehicles or road structures to relatively low-level impacts such as impacts generated when a person outside the vehicle 1 knocks on the vehicle 1.

[0066] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a GPS communication unit 31, an inter-vehicle communication unit 32, a road-vehicle communication unit 33, a pedestrian-vehicle communication unit 34, and an LTE communication unit 35 as components connected to the automatic driving control device 30.

[0067] The GPS communication unit 31 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and outputs the information (GPS information) contained in those received radio waves to the automatic driving control device 30. The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can calculate the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the information received by the GPS communication unit 31.

[0068] In addition, the automatic driving control device 30 is provided with a route guidance function which is one of various element functions for realizing the automatic driving function. The route guidance function calculates an appropriate route from the current position to the destination based on the current position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the GPS information and the destination set by the driver, and guides and controls the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 travels to the destination along that route.

[0069] The route guidance function also includes a function of recognizing the road conditions around the vehicle 1 (for example, the shape of the route to the destination, the vehicle width, etc.) and a function of recognizing the presence or absence and operating state of the infrastructure in the traveling direction (for example, the state of the traffic signal in the traveling direction, the presence or absence of intersections, the presence or absence of crosswalks, the speed limit, regulation information, etc.). The control unit 30a also uses these various recognition results to realize the above-mentioned guidance control.

[0070] The content of the guidance control of the vehicle 1 in the route guidance function differs depending on the automatic driving level. For example, the guidance control when the automatic driving level is set to level 7 of fully automatic driving is the provision of route information (information regarding in which direction and along which route the vehicle should travel) necessary for the execution of the automatic control function for a plurality of types (seven types as described above in this embodiment) of automatic control functions for realizing fully automatic driving. Also, for example, the guidance control when the automatic driving level is set to a predetermined level 1 to 6 (partial automatic driving) lower than fully automatic driving is the provision of route information for the automatic control functions necessary for partial automatic driving among the plurality of types of automatic control functions, and, if necessary, guiding the driver of the traveling route (for example, voice guidance).

[0071] When the automatic driving level is set to any one of levels 1 to 6, that is, when it is set so that one or more of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, the control unit 30a provides, as guidance control, at least the information necessary for the set automatic control function.

[0072] The map data and other various data necessary for the route guidance function are stored in the memory 30b. The control unit 30a realizes the route guidance function (that is, the above-mentioned guidance control) by executing the program for the route guidance function stored in the memory 30b while referring to these various data.

[0073] The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32 is a communication module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data with other vehicles other than the host vehicle. The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can acquire information on surrounding other vehicles (for example, traveling direction, traveling speed, position, etc.) via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32. Conversely, the information of the host vehicle 1 can also be transmitted to other vehicles.

[0074] The control unit 30a can also know the relative relationship between the host vehicle and other vehicles by acquiring the positions and traveling states of other vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. For example, the relative distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and other vehicles can also be detected.

[0075] In addition, information regarding the driving mode is information that can be transmitted and received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The control unit 30a can also transmit and receive information on whether the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode or the basic mode, and which level the automatic driving level is in the set driving mode.

[0076] The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is a communication module for receiving various information wirelessly transmitted from the road communication device 81 (see FIG. 4) provided on the road (ground side). The various information received by the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is input to the automatic driving control device 30.

[0077] The on-vehicle communication device 81 is connected to a server (not shown), receives various information from the server, and wirelessly transmits it within a predetermined area around it. The server aggregates various road traffic information, such as various infrastructure information (e.g., traffic signal information, road regulation information, and various information about other driving routes), and the presence information of other vehicles and pedestrians. Based on the aggregated road traffic information, the server transmits individual road information related to each on-vehicle communication device 81 to each on-vehicle communication device 81. The individual road information is information targeted at vehicles traveling within the communication area of the on-vehicle communication device 81, and includes various road traffic information within the communication area and various road traffic information ahead (in the driving direction) of that area. Each on-vehicle communication device 81 wirelessly transmits the individual road information transmitted from the server within a predetermined communication area. The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can acquire various road traffic information about the roads around the host vehicle and in the driving direction via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 33. The information that the control unit 30a can acquire via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 33 includes section information about driving sections that require attention during driving (hereinafter also referred to as "attention-required sections"), such as accident-prone areas, school zones, and areas where animals appear. The control unit 30a can recognize the relative relationship between the attention-required section and the vehicle 1, such as whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in the attention-required section indicated by the section information and how far it will travel before entering the attention-required section, through the association between the acquired section information and the route guidance function. It may be possible to acquire information about other sections or points other than the attention-required section as the section information.

[0078] Note that each on-vehicle communication device 81 illustrated in FIG. 4 is equipped with a camera 82. Each camera 82 photographs the road side and transmits the photographed data to the server via the network.

[0079]

[0080] ​The server can obtain the road traffic information around each camera 82 from the captured data transmitted from each camera. Specifically, the server can recognize the shape of the road, lanes, and the state of traffic lights from the captured data. In addition, the server can also recognize the driving state and number of vehicles in motion. Further, the server can also determine whether the vehicles in the captured data are driving normally based on the captured data. For example, if a vehicle passes through without stopping even though the traffic light is red, it can be determined that the vehicle is not driving normally.

[0081] In addition, vehicle 1 can also transmit various types of information regarding the state of vehicle 1 via the vehicle-to-road communication unit 33. The transmission information transmitted from vehicle 1 is received by the roadside communication device 81 and aggregated by the server. The server can individually recognize and manage the states of a plurality of vehicles including vehicle 1, and can also notify a specific vehicle of the states of other vehicles other than that vehicle if necessary. Therefore, for example, it is also possible to know information such as at what level the automatic driving level is set in other vehicles around the host vehicle, that is, to what extent the automatic control function is operating in other vehicles around.

[0082] The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is a communication module for performing wireless communication with a communication terminal (for example, a mobile phone or a smartphone) held by a pedestrian on the ground side. When the communication terminal held by the pedestrian is configured to be able to wirelessly transmit terminal position information indicating the position of the communication terminal (that is, the position of the pedestrian), the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 can receive the terminal position information transmitted from the communication terminal. The terminal position information received by the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is input to the automatic driving control device 30. Note that the automatic driving control device 30 can also notify the pedestrian of the position information of vehicle 1 and the like by wirelessly transmitting various types of information such as the position information of vehicle 1 from the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 to the communication terminal of the pedestrian.

[0083] The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can know the position and movement of the pedestrian based on the terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34. The presence or absence and movement of the pedestrian are already Although it can also be detected by each of the cameras and radar devices described above, in addition to that, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of pedestrians and the sudden appearance of pedestrians from the information obtained via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 34.

[0084] The LTE communication unit 35 is a communication module for realizing wireless communication based on LTE, which is a well-known communication standard for mobile phones. The control unit 30a can acquire various types of information necessary for the automatic driving of the vehicle 1 (that is, by LTE wireless communication) via the LTE communication unit 35, or update existing information (for example, update map data). Note that it is not essential to perform the acquisition and update of such various types of information by LTE wireless communication, and other wireless communications may be used instead.

[0085] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes, as components connected to the automatic driving control device 30, an operation unit 36, a display unit 37, a speaker 38, an automatic driving switch 41, a level setting operation unit 42, an emergency stop lever 43, and a release reset switch 44.

[0086] The operation unit 36 is an input interface for receiving various input operations on the vehicle 1 by the passengers of the vehicle 1 including the driver. The display unit 37 is an output interface for visually providing various types of information to the passengers of the vehicle 1 including the driver. Various types of information including map information in the route guidance function are also displayed on the display unit 37. The speaker 38 outputs sounds based on various audio signals output from the automatic driving control device 30.

[0087] The automatic driving switch 41 is a switch for setting the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to the highly automated mode. In order for the driver of the vehicle 1 to set the driving mode to the highly automated mode and execute automatic driving, it is necessary to switch the automatic driving switch 41 to the on side. On the other hand, when the automatic driving switch 41 is switched to the off side, the driving mode is set to the basic mode.

[0088] The emergency stop lever 43 is an operating means for forcibly canceling the automatic driving (that is, forcibly switching the automatic driving level to level 0) when the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is level 1 or higher, and is provided at a predetermined part (for example, the ceiling) in the vehicle interior. When the emergency stop lever 43 is operated while the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is set to level 1 or higher, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. When the driver recognizes that an illegal factor such as a computer virus or an illegal operation has occurred, or when the driver recognizes that the automatic control function is not operating normally, the driver can forcibly cancel the automatic driving by operating the emergency stop lever 43 and drive the vehicle 1 by his or her own driving operation.

[0089] The level setting operation unit 42 is a user interface for receiving an operation for setting the automatic driving level (details will be described later) by the driver. The release reset switch 44 is a switch for resetting the released state after the automatic driving is forcibly canceled and the automatic driving level is forcibly set to level 0. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, when the automatic driving level is set to level 1 or higher and a predetermined event to be canceled for canceling the automatic driving occurs, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Specifically, an automatic driving cancel flag described later is set.

[0090] When the automatic driving is forcibly canceled, in principle, the canceled state is maintained (the set state of the automatic driving cancel flag is maintained), but by pressing the release reset switch 44, the released state can be reset (the automatic driving cancel flag can be reset). When the released state is reset, the driving mode is set to a mode corresponding to the operation state of the automatic driving switch, and the automatic driving level is set to a level corresponding to the set driving mode (the level set by the level setting operation unit 42).

[0091] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes, as components connected to the automatic driving control device 30, a traveling drive control unit 46, a brake control unit 47, and a steering control unit 48.

[0092] The travel drive control unit 46 controls the travel of the vehicle 1 by controlling an engine and a transmission (not shown) based on various information such as the depression amount of an accelerator pedal (not shown), the operation position of a shift lever (not shown), the vehicle speed, and the engine speed.

[0093] On the other hand, when the automatic driving level is set to level 1 or higher, that is, when any of the above seven types of automatic control functions is executed, the automatic driving control device 30 outputs control information necessary to realize the automatic control function to be executed to the travel drive control unit 46. In this case, even if the accelerator pedal is not depressed, the travel drive control unit 46 automatically controls the engine and the transmission according to the control information from the automatic driving control device 30. Although the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is equipped with an engine as a driving source for travel, the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure can also be applied to a vehicle equipped with a driving source for travel other than the engine (for example, an electric motor). In that case, the travel drive control unit 46 shown in FIG. 2 undertakes the function of controlling the driving source for travel of the vehicle. Further, when a driving source for travel other than the engine is provided, the engine room temperature sensor 22 and the engine room sound sensor 23 described above may be installed for the purpose of detecting the temperature and sound of the driving source for travel or its surroundings, respectively.

[0094] The brake control unit 47 controls a brake device (not shown) based on the depression amount of a brake pedal (not shown). On the other hand, when the automatic driving level is set to level 1 or higher, that is, when any of the above seven types of automatic control functions is executed, the automatic driving control device 30 outputs control information necessary to realize the automatic control function to be executed to the travel drive control unit 46. In this case, even if the brake pedal is not depressed, the brake control unit 47 automatically controls the brake device according to the control information from the automatic driving control device 30.

[0095] The steering control unit 48 mainly has two functions. One is the so-called electric power steering function. That is, it assists the driver's operation of the steering wheel 10 by means of a motor. The other is an automatic steering function that automatically steers the steered wheels (for example, the front wheels) of the vehicle 1 without requiring the driver's operation. The steering of the steered wheels is basically performed by the driver operating the steering wheel 10. However, when at least any one of the above seven types of automatic control functions other than the automatic start / stop control and the inter-vehicle distance control is executed, the steering control unit 48 automatically controls the steering of the steered wheels by controlling the above motor according to the control information from the automatic driving control device 30 even when the driver is not operating the steering wheel 10.

[0096] (3) Explanation of the automatic driving function In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, the automatic driving control device 30 can acquire and detect various information necessary for realizing the above-described automatic driving function.

[0097] As information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, first, there is information such as the position and speed of the host vehicle (host vehicle information). Regarding the position of the host vehicle, it can be obtained by calculation based on GPS information. The host vehicle speed can be obtained by calculation based on a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor (not shown), a detection signal from the steering amount sensor 20, a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor (not shown), etc. Note that the host vehicle speed can also be calculated from the change rate of the host vehicle position.

[0098] In addition, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also information about surrounding objects. Specifically, information regarding the relative position, distance, and speed of various objects (including people and animals) existing around the host vehicle, such as the vehicle in front, the vehicle behind, the vehicle on the side, the oncoming vehicle, the vehicle crossing the intersection ahead of the entry point, pedestrians, bicycles, buildings and fixed installations on the road, obstacles, etc. is information regarding the relative position, distance, and speed of the host vehicle.

[0099] The information regarding these surrounding objects can be acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 5, the detection results by each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and the like. Since various techniques for recognizing surrounding objects based on imaging data and the detection results of radar devices have been proposed and put into practical use, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0100] The information regarding surrounding objects can also be acquired by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-pedestrian communication. For example, by performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication with surrounding vehicles, it is possible to recognize not only the surrounding vehicles visible from the host vehicle but also the positions and movements of surrounding vehicles that are in blind spots from the host vehicle and not directly visible. In road-to-vehicle communication, as described above, it is possible to acquire the presence information of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, and the like. In pedestrian-to-pedestrian communication, as described above, based on the terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-pedestrian communication unit 34, it is possible to know the positions and movements of pedestrians.

[0101] By any one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-pedestrian communication, for example, to obtain oncoming vehicle information during normal driving (especially on curves) or when turning right for frontal collision suppression with an oncoming vehicle, to obtain information on two-wheeled vehicles on the left side or rear for suppressing entanglement of two-wheeled vehicles when turning left, to obtain information on vehicles on the side (rear side) when changing lanes, to obtain information on the vehicle ahead for preventing or suppressing a rear-end collision, to obtain information on other vehicles traveling on the intersection side for suppressing a head-on collision at an intersection, or to obtain information on pedestrians or the like for suppressing a collision with pedestrians or the like.

[0102] In addition, as information that can be used for realizing the automatic driving function, there is also information regarding various road markings directly drawn on the road, such as lane dividing lines (including parking dividing lines), crosswalks, stop lines, and the like. Examples of the information regarding road markings include the position and content of the road markings. The information regarding these road markings can be acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 6. Since various techniques for recognizing road markings from imaging data have been proposed and put into practical use, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0103] Information on road markings in the traveling direction can also be acquired by vehicle-to-roadside communication. Although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment does not include it, it is also possible to acquire information on various road markings using a lidar.

[0104] In addition, information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function includes information on traffic signals, level crossings, signs (including billboards), intersections, merging / splitting points, sidewalks, obstacles, dangerous areas, and other ground structures (hereinafter collectively referred to as "infrastructure-related information"). Infrastructure-related information includes, in addition to the presence and position of the various objects described above, information on the color of traffic signals, the operating state of level crossings, and the display content of signs and billboards. Infrastructure-related information can also be recognized and acquired based on the photographed data of each of the cameras 2 to 6, and can also be acquired by vehicle-to-roadside communication. In addition, various infrastructure information can be acquired from the above-described route guidance function based on GPS information and map data.

[0105] In addition, information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function includes regulation information. For example, when there are driving restrictions due to construction, accidents, natural disasters, etc. in the traveling direction, the regulation information can be acquired by vehicle-to-roadside communication.

[0106] Among the various types of information necessary for realizing the automatic driving function (in this embodiment, realizing the seven types of automatic control functions described above), such as the information on surrounding objects, the information on road markings, the infrastructure-related information, and the regulation information, the information particularly related to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 corresponds to an example of the surrounding information of the present disclosure. corresponds.

[0107] The automatic driving control device 30 can realize automatic driving by acquiring the various types of information described above and controlling the traveling drive control unit 46, the brake control unit 47, the steering control unit 48, and other necessary in-vehicle devices based on that information. Specifically, it can execute the seven types of automatic control functions described above. The seven types of automatic control functions in this embodiment are, as described above, automatic start / stop control, lane keeping control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision suppression control, and parking control.

[0108] Automatic start / stop control is control that automatically stops the vehicle 1 when the conditions for stopping are met during travel, and automatically starts the vehicle 1 when the conditions for stopping are released after stopping. This control is performed using, in addition to vehicle information, information on surrounding objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained by vehicle-road communication, etc. With this automatic start / stop control, for example, when the traffic signal color is green at an intersection or the like, the vehicle travels as it is, and when it is red or yellow, it stops; when a level crossing is recognized ahead and it is recognized that the barrier is down, it stops; when the barrier is not down, it stops once and then starts again; and when an obstacle or the like is recognized ahead, it also automatically stops.

[0109] Lane keeping control is control configured to automatically steer the steering wheel so that the host vehicle travels along the lane without deviating from the lane dividing line. This control is performed using, in addition to vehicle information, information on road markings (especially vehicle dividing lines) obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, and is performed in cooperation with the route guidance function.

[0110] Inter-vehicle distance control is control that performs speed control to maintain a certain distance between the host vehicle and other vehicles when other vehicles are traveling in front of the host vehicle, and travels at the set vehicle speed when there are no other vehicles ahead. This control is performed using, in addition to vehicle information, mainly information on surrounding objects (especially the vehicle ahead) obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14.

[0111] Lane change control is a control that, when a lane change (steering for a lane change) is necessary, detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane of the destination lane, and automatically changes lanes while controlling the driving force, braking force, and steering so as not to collide with other vehicles according to the presence, position, speed, etc. of other vehicles. This control is performed using information on surrounding objects (especially other vehicles in the adjacent lane), information on vehicle division lines, and information on other vehicles (traveling vehicles in the adjacent lane) obtained by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, in addition to vehicle information, from each of cameras 2 to 5 and each of radar sensors 11 to 14.

[0112] Right / left turn control is a control that, when a right turn or a left turn is necessary, automatically makes a right turn or a left turn without colliding with oncoming vehicles, vehicles traveling on an intersection, other vehicles around the own vehicle, pedestrians, etc. This control is performed using information on surrounding objects obtained from each of cameras 2 to 5 and each of radar sensors 11 to 14, information on other vehicles obtained by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and information on pedestrians, etc. obtained by pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, in addition to vehicle information.

[0113] Collision avoidance control is a control that, when there is an obstacle on the road in the vehicle traveling direction, automatically steers, brakes, stops, etc. the vehicle so as not to collide with the obstacle. This control is performed using information on surrounding objects obtained from each of cameras 2 to 5 and each of radar sensors 11 to 14, infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, etc.

[0114] Parking control is a control that, when a specific target parking position (for example, within a parking space in a specific parking lot) is set as the destination, calculates the driving trajectory to the target parking position, and controls the driving force, braking force, and steering of the vehicle along the driving trajectory to automatically park the vehicle.

[0115] Regarding which of the above seven types of control functions to execute, that is, regarding the automated driving level, it is configured so that the driver or the like can arbitrarily set it. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, for both the highly automated mode and the basic mode, the automated driving level can be arbitrarily set. However, for the basic mode, level 7 cannot be set, and any one of levels 0 to 6 can be set. On the other hand, for the highly automated mode, level 0 cannot be set, and any one of levels 1 to 7 can be set. Furthermore, the level of the basic mode can be set within a range lower than the level of the highly automated mode. Conversely, the level of the highly automated mode can be set within a range higher than the level of the basic mode.

[0116] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, at level 1, control A (for example, lane keeping control) is executed. At level 2, in addition to control A, control B (for example, inter-vehicle distance control) is executed. At level 3, in addition to controls A and B, control C (for example, automatic start / stop control) is executed. At level 4, in addition to controls A, B, and C, control D (for example, collision suppression control) is executed. At level 5, in addition to controls A, B, C, and D, control E (for example, lane change control) is executed. At level 6, in addition to controls A, B, C, D, and E, control F (for example, right / left turn control) is executed. At level 7, in addition to controls A, B, C, D, E, and F, control G (for example, parking control) is executed. That is, as the level increases, the types of automatic control functions executed also increase, and at level 7, it becomes fully automated driving.

[0117] The level setting for each driving mode can be achieved by operating the level setting operation unit 42 provided near the driver's seat individually for each driving mode. In this embodiment, the default automatic driving level in the basic mode is set to level 0, and the default automatic driving level in the highly automated mode is set to level 1. And for each driving mode, the currently set automatic driving level can be arbitrarily set and changed. For example, when the basic mode is set to level 0, the highly automated mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 1 to 7. Also, for example, when the basic mode is set to level 1, the highly automated mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 2 to 7. Also, for example, when the highly automated mode is set to level 4, the basic mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 0 to level 3.

[0118] Note that the content of which automatic control function is to be executed at which level is not limited to the content illustrated in FIG. 3A. For example, it is not essential that the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases by one. How to determine which automatic control function is to be executed at which level may be decided as appropriate.

[0119] Also, on the premise that, as shown in FIG. 3A, the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases by one, as shown in FIG. 3B, the contents of controls A to G may be arbitrarily set by the driver or the like.

[0120] When the automatic driving switch 41 of the vehicle 1 in this embodiment is turned off, the driving mode is set to the basic mode. On the other hand, when the automatic driving switch 41 is turned on, under certain conditions, the driving mode becomes the highly automated mode. Note that when it is set to execute lane change control, right / left turn control, and parking control, it is necessary to set a destination (the target parking position in the case of parking control). Specifically, the route guidance function may be started and the destination may be input via the touch panel. The automatic driving when the destination is set is basically performed along the calculated route to the destination while confirming the position of the host vehicle in cooperation with the route guidance function.

[0121] When the automatic driving level in the highly automated mode is set to level 7, various control examples in the highly automated mode will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Each of the vehicles 61 to 67 shown in FIG. 4 has the same configuration as the vehicle 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Vehicles traveling within the communication area of the road communication device 81 can receive individual road information from the road communication device 81. At least four of the vehicles 61, 65, 66, and 67 in FIG. 4 can receive individual road information from at least two road communication devices 81a and 81b in their vicinity. Specifically, information such as the information of the traffic signal 71 ahead, the information of the oncoming vehicle 62, and the information of the pedestrian 76 can be obtained.

[0122] In addition, at least vehicle 63 can receive individual road information from at least the road communication device 81c in its vicinity. Specifically, information such as the presence of a stop sign 73 (i.e., the vehicle should stop) and the approach of another vehicle 64 from the right can be obtained.

[0123] In addition, at least vehicle 64 can receive individual road information from at least the road communication device 81d in its vicinity. Specifically, information such as the approach of another vehicle 63 from the left can be obtained.

[0124] In addition, at least vehicle 62 can receive individual road information from at least the road communication device 81e in its vicinity. Specifically, information such as the information of the traffic signal 72 ahead, the presence of the oncoming vehicle 61 attempting to turn right, the presence of a crosswalk in the left turn direction, and the presence of the pedestrian 76 on the crosswalk can be obtained.

[0125] In addition, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 can obtain various information from the cameras 2 to 6 and radar devices 11 to 14 it is equipped with, and can also obtain various information through vehicle-to-vehicle communication and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. For example, vehicle 65 can detect the vehicle 67 in front and the vehicle 66 on the right side by means of cameras and radar devices. As a result, it can travel while appropriately maintaining the distance from the vehicle 67 in front, or when a lane change is necessary, it can change lanes at an appropriate timing while considering the positional relationship with the vehicle 66 on the right side. Further, vehicle 65 can also detect the sudden emergence of the pedestrian 77 by means of cameras and radar devices. In that case, while considering the distance from the vehicle 65 behind, it can perform appropriate deceleration control so as not to collide with the pedestrian 77.

[0126] As a result, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 can appropriately perform automatic driving while using various information such as various information obtained by the vehicle itself and various information obtained from the road side when traveling on the route to the destination. Specifically, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 can appropriately perform automatic driving by automatically controlling mainly the driving control unit 46, the brake control unit 47, and the steering control unit 48 so as not to contact other vehicles, pedestrians, and other road structures while following the driving route and to comply with traffic signals and traffic rules.

[0127] (4) Automatic driving level setting process Next, the automatic driving level setting process executed by the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The automatic driving level setting process in FIG. 5 is a process for switching the driving mode of vehicle 1 to either the highly automated mode or the basic mode, and for determining whether to cancel the automatic driving when the automatic driving level is level 1 or higher, and if it is determined that the automatic driving should be cancelled, forcibly setting the automatic driving level to level 0.

[0128] When the control unit 30a is activated by turning on a power switch (for example, an ignition switch) of vehicle 1 (not shown), it reads the program of the automatic driving level setting process in FIG. 5 from the memory 30b and repeatedly executes it at a predetermined control cycle.

[0129] When the control unit 30a starts the automatic driving level setting process in FIG. 5, at S10, it determines whether the automatic driving cancellation flag is set. The automatic driving cancellation flag is a flag that is set when it is determined that the automatic driving should be canceled. Specifically, it is set at S119 in FIG. 6 described later. When the automatic driving cancellation flag is set (S10: YES), at S70, the automatic driving level is set to level 0. That is, regardless of whether the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode or the basic mode, the automatic driving level is forcibly set to level 0 so that all of the above-described seven types of automatic control functions are not executed. Then, at S80, by performing a predetermined error notification, the vehicle 1's occupant is notified that the automatic driving has been forcibly canceled, and the automatic driving level setting process is terminated.

[0130] During the period when this automatic driving cancellation flag is set, since all seven types of automatic control functions do not operate, the driver himself / herself must perform all driving operations corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions (driving operations that can be automatically executed by each automatic control function). Note that the automatic driving cancellation flag can be reset by pressing the cancellation reset switch 44 as described above.

[0131] When it is determined at S10 that the automatic driving cancellation flag is not set (S10: NO), at S20, it is determined whether the emergency stop flag is set. The emergency stop flag is a flag that is set when it is determined that the vehicle 1 should be stopped urgently. Specifically, it is the flag set at S120 in FIG. 6 described later.

[0132]

[0133] ​When the emergency stop flag is set (S20: YES), in S90, execute the emergency stop process. The emergency stop process is a process for stopping vehicle 1 as quickly as possible while maintaining safety. The specific content of the emergency stop process may be appropriately determined to be content that can stop the vehicle as quickly as possible while maintaining safety. For example, while monitoring with each camera and each radar device so as not to contact an object outside the vehicle (including other vehicles and pedestrians), the vehicle 1 is decelerated and moved towards the road shoulder and stopped.

[0134] In S20, when the emergency stop flag is not set (S20: NO), in S30, determine whether the automatic driving switch 41 is turned on. When the automatic driving switch 41 is turned on (S30: YES), in S40, set the driving mode to the highly automated mode and proceed to S60. When the automatic driving switch 41 is turned off (S30: NO), in S50, set the driving mode to the basic mode and proceed to S60.

[0135] When the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode in S40, the control unit 30a, in S55, executes the automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the highly automated mode. For example, when level 6 is set as the highly automated mode, execute six types of automatic control functions A to F (see Figure 3A). Also, for example, when level 7 is set as the highly automated mode, realize fully automatic driving by executing all seven types of automatic control functions A to G. Also, the execution of the automatic control function in S55 is performed based on the various information obtained while obtaining the various information including the above-mentioned surrounding information as needed.

[0136] When the driving mode is set to the basic mode at S50, the control unit 30a executes an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode at S50. For example, when level 1 is set as the basic mode, the automatic control function of control A (see Fig. 3A) is executed. The execution of the automatic control function in this case is also performed based on the various types of information obtained as needed, including the above-mentioned surrounding information. However, when level 0 is set as the basic mode, all automatic control functions are not executed. When level 0 is set as the basic mode, all automatic control functions are not executed.

[0137] At S60, an automatic driving cancellation confirmation process is executed. This automatic driving cancellation confirmation process mainly has two purposes. One is to determine whether it is necessary to forcibly set the automatic driving level to level 0 when the automatic driving level is set to level 1 or higher, and if it is necessary to forcibly set it to level 0, set the automatic driving cancellation flag. The other purpose is to determine whether it is necessary to urgently stop the vehicle 1 when the automatic driving level is set to level 1 or higher, and if it is necessary to urgently stop it, set the emergency stop flag.

[0138] The details of the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process at S60 are as shown in Fig. 6. When the control unit 30a proceeds to the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process at S60, as shown in Fig. 6, at S111, it is determined whether the automatic driving level set in the current driving mode is level 1 or higher. If the automatic driving level is not level 1 or higher (i.e., it is level 0) (S111: NO), the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process in Fig. 6 is terminated, and thereby the automatic driving level setting process in Fig. 5 is terminated.

[0139] If the automatic driving level set in the current driving mode is 1 or higher (S111: YES), in S112, system monitoring processing is executed. The system monitoring processing in S112 is processing for monitoring the operating state of vehicle 1 (including the execution state of the automatic control function) and determining whether a predetermined event (event to be canceled) has occurred that should force the automatic driving level to be switched to level 0. Details of the system monitoring processing in S112 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0140] In S113, internal and external behavior monitoring processing is executed. The internal and external behavior monitoring processing in S113 is processing for monitoring the behavior of the vehicle occupants inside vehicle 1, the behavior of pedestrians and other vehicles outside vehicle 1, etc., and determining whether an event to be canceled has occurred that should force the automatic driving level to be switched to level 0. Details of the internal and external behavior monitoring processing in S113 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0141] In S114, environment monitoring processing is executed. The environment monitoring processing in S114 is processing for monitoring the environment around vehicle 1 and determining whether an event to be canceled has occurred that should force the automatic driving level to be switched to level 0. Details of the environment monitoring processing in S114 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0142] In S115, self-diagnosis processing is executed. The self-diagnosis processing in S115 is processing for self-diagnosing whether the execution state of the automatic control function by control unit 30a itself is normal by comparing it with past execution results. Details of the self-diagnosis processing in S115 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 10B.

[0143] In S116, based on the results of each of the processes S112 to S115, it is determined whether it is judged that a release-required event has occurred in any one of the processes. If it is not judged at all that a release-required event has occurred (S116: NO), the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process in FIG. 6 is terminated. If it is judged that a release-required event has occurred in any one of the processes S112 to S115 (S116: YES), in S117, an automatic driving cancellation notice is given to the occupant of the vehicle 1. This notice is for notifying the occupant in advance that the automatic driving is to be cancelled based on the occurrence of a release-required event for which the automatic driving should be cancelled. This notice may be given to the occupant of the vehicle 1 in various ways that can make the occupant recognize that a release-required event has occurred and the automatic driving should be cancelled. As specific notice methods, for example, a predetermined message may be generated by voice, a message may be visually transmitted to the occupant using the display unit 37, or a method such as vibrating the seat may be adopted. It may also adopt methods such as transmitting, or vibrating the seat.

[0144] In S118, it is determined whether the automatic driving can be canceled. This determination is, in other words, a process of determining whether, when the automatic driving is canceled and the driving operations that have been automatically performed until then are no longer automatically performed, the driver can perform those driving operations himself / herself. It may be appropriately determined based on what to determine whether the automatic driving can be canceled. For example, it may be determined based on the state or behavior of the driver or whether a specific cancellation permission operation has been performed by the driver. The cancellation permission operation is an operation indicating that the driver is in a state where he / she can perform driving operations by himself / herself. The cancellation permission operation includes a stationary state in which the driver is stationary in a specific state. As the cancellation permission operation, for example, at least one of a plurality of operations and states such as the driver holding the steering wheel 10 with at least one hand, the driver holding the steering wheel 10 with both hands, the driver's eyes being open, the driver's line of sight being directed forward of the vehicle, and the driver's behavior being normal (for example, a state in which a positive determination is made in the determination process of S204 described later) may be set. The control unit 30a may determine whether the cancellation permission operation is being performed based on, for example, the image data of the in-vehicle camera 6.

[0145] If it is determined that the automatic driving can be canceled (S118: YES), in S119, the automatic driving cancellation flag is set. As a result, when the determination process of S10 in FIG. 5 is executed next, a positive determination is made and the process proceeds to S70, and the automatic driving level is forcibly set to level 0.

[0146] If it is determined in S118 that the automatic driving cannot be canceled (S118: NO), in S120, the emergency stop flag is set. As a result, when the determination process of S20 in FIG. 5 is executed next, a positive determination is made and the process proceeds to S90, and the emergency stop process is executed.

[0147] Next, the system monitoring process of S112 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 7. When proceeding to the system monitoring process of S112, as shown in FIG. 7, at S161, it is determined whether the distance to other vehicles is normal. The distance to other vehicles can be detected based on the detection results of other vehicles around the host vehicle by each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar devices 11 to 14. It can also be detected based on the position information of other vehicles acquired via vehicle-to-vehicle communication and the host vehicle position information.

[0148] To determine whether the distance to other vehicles is normal, for example, a distance threshold may be set, and it may be determined as normal when the distance to other vehicles is equal to or greater than the threshold. In this case, the threshold may be individually set according to the position of other vehicles relative to the host vehicle (for example, whether it is in front of, behind, or to the side of the host vehicle). Of course, other methods than the above example may be used to determine whether the distance to other vehicles is normal.

[0149] If the distance to other vehicles is not normal (S161: NO), the process proceeds to S169. When the distance to other vehicles is not normal, the risk of collision with other vehicles increases. And as a cause, it is conceivable that the automatic control function is not operating properly. Therefore, when the distance to other vehicles is not normal, it is determined at S169 that a cancellation event has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of vehicle 1. That is, the abnormal distance to other vehicles is one of the cancellation events.

[0150] If the distance to other vehicles is normal (S161: YES), at S162, it is determined whether the relative speed to other vehicles is normal. Regarding the relative speed to other vehicles, similar to the distance to other vehicles, it can be detected based on the detection results of other vehicles around the host vehicle by each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar devices 11 to 14.

[0151] To determine whether the relative speed with other vehicles is normal, for example, a threshold value for the relative speed may be set, and it may be determined as normal when the relative speed with other vehicles is equal to or lower than the threshold value. In this case, the threshold value may be set individually according to the position of the other vehicle relative to the host vehicle (for example, whether it is in front of, behind, or to the side of the host vehicle). Of course, the relative speed with other vehicles may be determined as normal or not by a method other than the above example.

[0152] If the relative speed with other vehicles is not normal (S162: NO), the process proceeds to S169. When the relative speed with other vehicles is not normal, there is a possibility of collision with other vehicles. Also, there is a possibility that it is not following the flow of surrounding traffic. And as a cause, it is conceivable that the automatic control function is not operating properly. Therefore, when the relative speed with other vehicles is not normal, it is determined in S169 that a release event has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of Vehicle 1. That is, the fact that the relative speed with other vehicles is not normal is one of the release events.

[0153] If the relative speed with other vehicles is normal (S162: YES), it is determined in S163 whether the behavior of the suspension is normal. The behavior of the suspension can be detected based on the detection result of the suspension sensor 25.

[0154] To determine whether the behavior of the suspension is normal, for example, a threshold value may be set for the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension, and it may be determined as normal when the amount of expansion and contraction is equal to or lower than the threshold value. Also, for example, a threshold value may be set for the rate of change of the amount of expansion and contraction, and it may be determined as normal when the rate of change of the amount of expansion and contraction is equal to or lower than the threshold value. When a plurality of suspension sensors 25 are provided, how to comprehensively determine based on the detection results from the plurality of suspension sensors 25 may be determined as appropriate. For example, when the amount of expansion and contraction of even one of the plurality of suspension sensors 25 exceeds the threshold value, it may be determined that the behavior of the suspension is abnormal.

[0155] If the behavior of the suspension is not normal (S163: NO), the process proceeds to S169. When the behavior of the suspension is not normal, it is conceivable that the automatic control function is not operating properly as a cause. That is, when the automatic control function is not operating properly, unstable behaviors such as sudden acceleration, sudden stop, and sudden turning may occur, and as a result, the suspension may expand and contract significantly. Therefore, when the behavior of the suspension is not normal, it is determined in S169 that an event to be canceled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of vehicle 1. That is, the abnormal behavior of the suspension is one of the events to be canceled.

[0156] If the behavior of the suspension is normal (S163: YES), it is determined in S164 whether the engine room is normal. Specifically, it is determined whether the state in the engine room is such that the temperature in the engine room is normal and no abnormal noise is generated. The temperature in the engine room can be detected based on the detection result of the engine room temperature sensor 22, and the sound generated from the engine room can be detected based on the detection result of the engine room sound sensor 23.

[0157] For the determination of whether the engine room is normal, for example, a temperature threshold may be set for the temperature in the engine room, and a volume threshold may be set for the sound in the engine room, and it may be determined as normal when the temperature in the engine room is below the temperature threshold and the sound in the engine room is below the volume threshold. Regarding the sound in the engine room, its sound quality may be analyzed, and when a sound quality equivalent to that which may occur during abnormal occurrence is detected, it may be determined that the engine room is abnormal.

[0158] If the engine room is not normal (S164: NO), the process proceeds to S169. When the engine room is not normal, it is conceivable that the automatic control function may not be operating properly. That is, due to the abnormal operation of the automatic control function, the automatic driving control device 30 cannot normally control the traveling drive control unit 46, and thus it is possible that the traveling drive control unit 46 cannot normally control the engine, transmission, etc. Therefore, when the engine room is not normal, it is determined in S169 that an event to be canceled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of the vehicle 1. That is, the abnormal condition of the engine room is one of the events to be canceled.

[0159] If the engine room is normal (S164: YES), it is determined in S165 whether an abnormal current is occurring. The abnormal current here means the overcurrent described above (for example, an excessive current that may occur during a lightning strike). The determination of whether an abnormal current is occurring can be made based on the detection result of the current sensor 19. For example, a threshold value may be set for the detected current, and it may be determined that an abnormal current has occurred when the detected current is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0160] If an abnormal current is occurring (S165: YES), the process proceeds to S169. When an abnormal current is occurring, the automatic control function may not operate properly due to the abnormal current. Therefore, when an abnormal current has occurred, it is determined in S169 that an event to be canceled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of the vehicle 1. That is, the occurrence of an abnormal current due to various factors such as a lightning strike is one of the events to be canceled.

[0161] If an abnormal current is not occurring (S165: NO), it is determined in S166 whether a tire puncture has occurred. Whether a tire puncture has occurred can be detected based on the detection result of the tire pressure sensor 24.

[0162] The determination of whether a tire has a puncture can be made, for example, by setting a threshold value for the air pressure and determining that a puncture has occurred if the air pressure of any one of the four tires is below the threshold value.

[0163] If a puncture has occurred (S166: YES), proceed to S169. If a puncture has occurred, due to that puncture, the control of vehicle 1 by the automatic control function may not be able to be performed normally. Therefore, if a puncture has occurred, at S169, it is determined that an event to be canceled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driving operation of vehicle 1 to the driver himself / herself. That is, the occurrence of a tire puncture is one of the events to be canceled.

[0164] If a tire puncture has not occurred (S166: NO), at S167, it is determined whether a slip has occurred. Whether a slip has occurred can be detected based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensors 18 of each wheel. For example, by comparing the detection results of each wheel speed sensor 18, if the difference between the maximum wheel speed and the minimum wheel speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, it may be determined that a slip has occurred.

[0165] If a slip has occurred (S167: YES), proceed to S169. If a slip has occurred, due to that slip, the control of vehicle 1 by the automatic control function may not be able to be performed normally. Therefore, if a slip has occurred, at S169, it is determined that an event to be canceled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driving operation of vehicle 1 to the driver himself / herself. That is, the occurrence of a slip is one of the events to be canceled.

[0166] If a slip has not occurred (S167: NO), at S168, it is determined whether the steering state is normal It is determined whether it is so or not. The steering state can be detected based on the detection result of the steering amount sensor 20. The determination as to whether the steering state is normal may be made, for example, by setting a threshold value for the steering amount based on the neutral position and determining that it is normal when the steering amount from the neutral position is equal to or less than the threshold value. Also, for example, a threshold value may be set for the rate of change of the steering amount, and it may be determined that it is normal when the rate of change of the steering amount is equal to or less than the threshold value.

[0167] If the steering state is not normal (S163: NO), the process proceeds to S169. When the steering state is not normal, it is conceivable that the automatic control function is not operating properly. Therefore, when the steering state is not normal, in S169, it is determined that an event to be canceled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1. That is, the abnormal steering state is one of the events to be canceled.

[0168] If the steering state is normal (S168: YES), the system monitoring process in FIG. 7 (i.e., the process of S112 in FIG. 6) is terminated. Next, the internal and external behavior monitoring process of S113 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process in FIG. 6 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 8. When proceeding to the internal and external behavior monitoring process of S113, as shown in FIG. 8, in S201, it is determined whether contact by the occupant of the vehicle 1 with a specific contact part inside the vehicle has been detected. The presence or absence of contact with the specific contact part inside the vehicle can be determined based on the detection result of the in-vehicle contact sensor 21.

[0169] If contact with the specific contact part inside the vehicle is detected (S201: YES), the process proceeds to S210. In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, in its instruction manual, it is described that when an abnormality or uneasiness is felt about the operating state of the automatic control function, the automatic driving can be forcibly canceled by touching a specific contact part inside the vehicle or operating the emergency stop lever 43. Therefore, it can be determined that the detection of contact with the specific contact part inside the vehicle indicates that the occupant of the vehicle 1 has made an intention to forcibly cancel the automatic driving.

[0170] Therefore, when contact with a specific in-vehicle contact part is detected, it is determined in S210 that an event to be cancelled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of Vehicle 1. That is, detection of contact with a specific in-vehicle contact part is one of the events to be cancelled.

[0171] If contact with a specific in-vehicle contact part is not detected (S201: NO), it is determined in S202 whether the emergency stop lever 43 has been operated. If the emergency stop lever 43 has been operated (S202: YES), the process proceeds to S210. It can be determined that the operation of the emergency stop lever 43 indicates that the vehicle occupants of Vehicle 1 have expressed their intention to forcibly cancel the automatic driving.

[0172] Therefore, when the emergency stop lever 43 is operated, it is determined in S210 that an event to be cancelled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of Vehicle 1. That is, operation of the emergency stop lever 43 is one of the events to be cancelled.

[0173] If the emergency stop lever 43 has not been operated (S202: NO), it is determined in S203 whether an external impact has been detected. The external impact here includes, as described above, both large impacts such as collisions with other vehicles and small impacts such as an external person such as a pedestrian hitting Vehicle 1.

[0174] The presence or absence of an external impact can be determined based on the detection result of the impact sensor 27. If an external impact is detected (S203: YES), the process proceeds to S210. Detection of an external impact means that damage may have occurred to Vehicle 1 and Vehicle 1 may not be able to drive normally. In addition, it is also possible that the automatic control function of Vehicle 1 may not operate normally, causing Vehicle 1 to behave abnormally, or that an outside person may notice an abnormality in the driver of Vehicle 1 and may hit Vehicle 1 to alert the vehicle occupants.

[0175] Therefore, when an impact from the outside is detected, it is determined in S210 that an event requiring cancellation has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of Vehicle 1. That is, the detection of an impact from the outside is one of the events requiring cancellation.

[0176] If no impact from the outside is detected (S203: NO), it is determined in S204 whether the driver's behavior is normal. The driver's behavior can be recognized by analyzing the captured data of the in-vehicle camera 6. For example, when the driver has been looking away for a certain period of time or the driver's eyes have been closed for a certain period of time, or when the driver shows a surprised, worried, or frightened expression, it can be determined that the driver's behavior is abnormal. Of course, it may be determined whether the driver's behavior is normal based on other criteria.

[0177] If it is determined that the driver's behavior is not normal (S204: YES), the process proceeds to S210. The fact that it is determined that the driver's behavior is not normal may consider the possibility that something abnormal has occurred to the driver or the possibility that the automatic control function of Vehicle 1 is not operating properly.

[0178] Therefore, when it is determined that the driver's behavior is not normal, it is determined in S210 that an event requiring cancellation has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of Vehicle 1 or to bring Vehicle 1 to an emergency stop. That is, the determination that the driver's behavior is not normal is one of the events requiring cancellation.

[0179] If it is determined that the driver's behavior is normal (S204: NO), it is determined in S205 whether a pedestrian is looking at the host vehicle. Whether or not the pedestrian is looking can be determined by analyzing the captured data of each of the cameras 2 to 5 as described above.

[0180] When being looked at by a pedestrian (S205: YES), at S208, it is determined whether the line of sight of a predetermined number or more of pedestrians is directed at the host vehicle (that is, whether the degree of attention from the pedestrians is high). When the number of pedestrians looking at the host vehicle is less than the predetermined number (that is, when the degree of attention is not high) (S208: NO), the process proceeds to S209.

[0181] At S209, it is determined whether the behavior of the pedestrians looking at the host vehicle is normal. The criteria for determining whether the behavior of the pedestrians looking at the host vehicle is normal may be determined as appropriate. For example, when the expression of the pedestrian shows a specific expression or action such as surprise, worry, or fear, it may be determined that the behavior of the pedestrian is abnormal.

[0182] When it is determined at S208 that the line of sight of a predetermined number or more of pedestrians is directed at the host vehicle (S208: YES), and when it is determined at S209 that the behavior of the pedestrians looking at the host vehicle is not normal (S209: NO), the process proceeds to S210.

[0183] The fact that the lines of sight of a large number of pedestrians are concentrated on the host vehicle may indicate that the automatic control function of Vehicle 1 has malfunctioned and Vehicle 1 is exhibiting abnormal behavior, or that something unusual has happened to the driver of Vehicle 1. Also, even if the number of pedestrians looking at the host vehicle is small, if the behavior of those pedestrians is abnormal, it is still possible that the automatic control function of Vehicle 1 has malfunctioned and Vehicle 1 is exhibiting abnormal behavior, or that something unusual has happened to the driver of Vehicle 1.

[0184] Therefore, when the lines of sight of a large number of pedestrians are concentrated or when the behavior of the pedestrians looking is abnormal, it is determined at S210 that an event requiring cancellation has occurred, so as to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver himself / herself with the driving operation of Vehicle 1, or to urgently stop Vehicle 1. That is, both the fact that the lines of sight of a large number of pedestrians are concentrated and the fact that the behavior of the pedestrians looking is abnormal are each one of the events requiring cancellation.

[0185] When the line of sight of a pedestrian is not directed at the host vehicle (S205: NO), and when the number of pedestrians whose line of sight is directed is small and the behavior of the pedestrians is normal (S209: YES), the process proceeds to S206.

[0186] In S206, it is determined whether the host vehicle has been passed by other vehicles (mainly oncoming vehicles or rear vehicles). Whether the host vehicle has been passed by other vehicles can be determined mainly by analyzing the shooting data of the front camera 2 and the rear camera 3. When the host vehicle has been passed by other vehicles (S206: YES), the process proceeds to S210.

[0187] The fact that the host vehicle has been passed by other vehicles may mean that the automatic control function of vehicle 1 fails to operate normally, vehicle 1 exhibits abnormal behavior, and the driver of other vehicles may notice the abnormal behavior and give a warning. Therefore, when the host vehicle has been passed by other vehicles, in S210, it is determined that a release-required event has occurred, so as to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver of vehicle 1 with the driving operation of vehicle 1, or to stop vehicle 1 urgently. That is, being passed by other vehicles is one of the release-required events.

[0188] When the host vehicle has not been passed by other vehicles (S206: NO), in S207, it is determined whether the host vehicle has been honked by other vehicles. Whether the host vehicle has been honked by other vehicles can be determined mainly based on the detection result of the out-of-vehicle sound sensor 26. When the host vehicle has been honked by other vehicles (S207: YES), the process proceeds to S210.

[0189] The fact that the host vehicle has been honked by other vehicles may mean that the automatic control function of vehicle 1 fails to operate normally, vehicle 1 exhibits abnormal behavior, and the driver of other vehicles may notice the abnormal behavior and give a warning. Therefore, when the host vehicle has been honked by other vehicles, in S210, it is determined that a release-required event has occurred, so as to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver of vehicle 1 with the driving operation of vehicle 1, or to stop vehicle 1 urgently. That is, being honked by other vehicles is one of the release-required events.

[0190] Next, the environmental monitoring process of S114 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 9. When proceeding to the environmental monitoring process of S114, as shown in FIG. 9, at S251, it is determined whether the weather around vehicle 1 is in a heavy rain state. The determination of whether it is in a heavy rain state can be made based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 17, for example, by setting a threshold value for the detected amount and comparing it with the threshold value. Of course, other methods can also be used to determine whether it is in a heavy rain state. For example, the rainfall amount can be analyzed from the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5 for determination.

[0191] If it is determined that it is in a heavy rain state (S251: YES), the process proceeds to S256. If it is not determined that it is in a heavy rain state (S251: NO), the process proceeds to S252. At S252, it is determined whether the weather around vehicle 1 is in a heavy snow state. The determination of whether it is in a heavy snow state can be made, for example, by analyzing the snowfall amount from the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5. Of course, other methods can also be used to determine whether it is in a heavy snow state.

[0192] If it is determined that it is in a heavy snow state (S252: YES), the process proceeds to S256. If it is not determined that it is in a heavy snow state (S252: NO), the process proceeds to S253. At S253, it is determined whether the area around vehicle 1 is in a thick fog state with dense fog. The determination of whether it is in a thick fog state is the same as the method for determining the heavy snow state. For example, the occurrence state of fog can be analyzed from the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5 for determination. Of course, other methods can also be used to determine whether it is in a thick fog state.

[0193] If it is determined that it is in a thick fog state (S253: YES), the process proceeds to S256. If it is not determined that it is in a thick fog state (S253: NO), the process proceeds to S254. When it is determined that the weather is heavy rain, heavy snow, or thick fog (collectively referred to as "bad weather" hereinafter), in all cases, the visibility ahead of the vehicle is poor, and there is a risk that the automatic control function may not operate properly. Therefore, in the case of bad weather, it is determined in S256 that an event to be cancelled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of Vehicle 1. That is, bad weather is one of the events to be cancelled.

[0194] In S254, it is determined whether Vehicle 1 is traveling in a caution-required section. As described above, the caution-required section in this embodiment includes at least accident-prone areas, school zones, areas where animals are likely to appear, and the like. The determination of whether Vehicle 1 is traveling in a caution-required section can be made based on the section information obtained via vehicle-to-roadside communication. Alternatively, if the captured data of the front camera 2 includes a sign or road marking indicating a caution-required section, the determination can also be made based on that.

[0195] If it is determined that Vehicle 1 is traveling in a caution-required section (S254: YES), the process proceeds to S256. When Vehicle 1 is traveling in a caution-required section, it may be preferable for the driver to perform the driving operation while paying attention to the traveling direction rather than relying on the automatic control function. Therefore, when Vehicle 1 is traveling in a caution-required section, it is determined in S256 that an event to be cancelled has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the operation of Vehicle 1. That is, the fact that Vehicle 1 is traveling in a caution-required section is one of the events to be cancelled.

[0196] If Vehicle 1 is not traveling in a caution-required section (S254: NO), the process proceeds to S255. In S255, it is determined whether the average value of the automatic driving levels of other surrounding vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "surrounding average level") is below a predetermined level (for example, level 1 or lower). If the surrounding average level is higher than the predetermined level (S255: NO), the environmental monitoring process ends. On the other hand, if the surrounding average level is below the predetermined level (S255: YES), the process proceeds to S256.

[0197] The surrounding average level can be derived by obtaining the automatic driving levels set in each of the other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle from those other vehicles, and performing an average calculation on the obtained automatic driving levels. The automatic driving levels of the other vehicles around the host vehicle can be obtained directly through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or indirectly through vehicle-to-roadside communication.

[0198] When the surrounding average level is below a predetermined level, it means that many of the surrounding other vehicles are keeping their automatic driving levels low. This can also be said to mean that it is highly likely that the drivers of many of the other vehicles are driving through their own driving operations without relying on the automatic control function. The fact that many of the surrounding drivers are driving without relying on the automatic control function suggests that the area where the vehicle is currently traveling is, for some reason, an area where it is more preferable to drive through the driver's own driving operations rather than through automatic driving.

[0199] Therefore, when the surrounding average level is below a predetermined level, in S256, it is determined that a cancellation required event has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver of vehicle 1 with the driving operation of the vehicle. That is, the surrounding average level being below a predetermined level is one of the cancellation required events.

[0200] Next, the self-diagnosis process of S115 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 will be described. Prior to the description of the self-diagnosis process, first, the driving history recording process shown in FIG. 10A will be described.

[0201] The driving history recording process of FIG. 10A is a process of storing, as a history, various specific control operations (however, control operations automatically performed in the automatic control function) performed during the driving of vehicle 1, in association with the positions where those specific control operations were performed. The types and numbers of specific control operations to be stored as a history may be determined as appropriate. For example, an operation of temporarily stopping during driving, an operation of decelerating even though there is no other vehicle ahead, etc. may be determined as specific control operations.

[0202] If the automatic control function is operating normally, vehicle 1 should automatically stop at a temporary stop road sign or at the location of its stop line. Also, in front of a crosswalk, it should decelerate for safety even if there are no vehicles ahead. On the other hand, if the automatic control function does not operate normally, there is a possibility that it may drive straight through without stopping even though there is a temporary stop road sign, or pass through without decelerating even though there is a crosswalk. That is, when the automatic control function does not operate normally, even when driving in the same location as a place where it has driven before, it may perform a different driving operation from before.

[0203] Therefore, in this embodiment, the past driving history is stored in association with the position, and when driving in the same location next time, it is compared with the past operating state. If a different driving operation from the past is performed (for example, if it stopped temporarily in the past but drove straight through this time), it is determined that the automatic control function is not operating normally and the vehicle should be in a state where the automatic driving is to be released.

[0204] When the control unit 30a starts operating, in parallel with the automatic driving level setting process of FIG. 5, it executes the driving history recording process of FIG. 10A. When the control unit 30a starts the driving history recording process of FIG. 10A, at S301, it determines whether vehicle 1 has traveled a certain distance. The determination at S301 continues until a certain distance is traveled. When a certain distance has been traveled (S301: YES), it proceeds to S302.

[0205] At S302, the specific control operation performed in the driving section of that certain distance is stored as specific control information together with the position information where the specific control operation was performed. If the specific control operation at the same position has already been stored, the stored content is updated. After storing the specific control information for the driving section of that certain distance, it returns to S301. In this way, every time a certain distance is traveled, the storage process of the specific control information is performed for the driving section of that certain distance.

[0206] Next, the self-diagnosis process of S115 in FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 10B. When proceeding to the self-diagnosis process of S115, as shown in FIG. 10B, at S351, it is determined whether the current driving position has been traveled in the past. This determination can be made by comparing the current position based on GPS information with the position information associated with the specific control information stored in the memory 30b.

[0207] If the current driving position is not associated with any of the specific control information stored in the memory 30b, it is considered that the current driving position has not been traveled in the past (S351: NO), and the self-diagnosis process ends. If the current driving position matches or is close to the position information associated with any of the specific control information stored in the memory 30b, it is determined that the current driving position has been traveled in the past (S351: YES), and the process proceeds to S352.

[0208] At S352, the past specific control information corresponding to the current driving position is read from the memory 30b. That is, it is confirmed what specific control operations were performed in the past at the location where the vehicle is currently driving. At S353, it is determined whether the current driving state is different from the past. More specifically, it is determined whether the specific control operations executed in the past at the same location are also performed this time. If the driving is different from the past, that is, if the specific control operations performed at the same location in the past are not performed this time (S353: YES), the process proceeds to S354, and it is determined that a release-required event has occurred. If the driving is not different from the past, that is, if the specific control operations performed at the same location in the past are also performed this time (S353: NO), the self-diagnosis process ends.

[0209] (5) Effects of the First Embodiment According to the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment described above, when the automatic driving level is level 1 or higher (i.e., when the automatic control function is operating), it is determined whether an event to be canceled that requires canceling the automatic driving has occurred (from S112 to S115 in FIG. 6). And when the event to be canceled has occurred, the automatic driving level is forcibly set to level 0. That is, when the event to be canceled has occurred, regardless of the setting state of the driving mode, all operations of the automatic control function are stopped, and the driving operation of the vehicle 1 is entrusted to the driver.

[0210] Therefore, when the event to be canceled has occurred, the driver can drive the vehicle 1 by his own driving operation. Thereby, the occurrence of unstable operation of the vehicle 1 due to malfunction of the automatic control function or the like can be suppressed.

[0211] Also, in the present embodiment, a number of events that can be considered as events to be canceled are assumed, and each event is judged one by one. Specifically, as shown in S161 of FIG. 7, the distance from other vehicles is judged, and when the distance from other vehicles is not normal, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 is likely to collide with other vehicles due to malfunction of the automatic control function or the like, it is possible to avoid this by the driver's own driving operation.

[0212] Also, as shown in S162 of FIG. 7, the relative speed with other vehicles is judged, and when the relative speed with other vehicles is not normal, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 is likely to collide with other vehicles due to malfunction of the automatic control function or the like, it is possible to avoid this by the driver's own driving operation. Also, even when the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is different from the speeds of many surrounding vehicles due to malfunction of the automatic control function or the like and does not follow the surrounding traffic flow, it is possible to avoid this by the driver's own driving operation.

[0213] Also, as shown in S163 of FIG. 7, the behavior of the suspension is judged, and if the behavior is abnormal, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 shows abnormal behavior due to a malfunction of the automatic control function or the like, it is possible to avoid this by the driver's own driving operation.

[0214] Also, as shown in S164 of FIG. 7, the state (temperature and sound) of the engine room is judged, and if it is abnormal, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the engine room due to a malfunction of the automatic control function or the like, it is possible to minimize the influence by the driver's own driving operation.

[0215] Also, as shown in S165 of FIG. 7, when an abnormal current occurs in the electrical wiring in the vehicle 1 (however, the electrical wiring where the current sensor 19 is provided), the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if an excessive current flows due to a lightning strike or the like, it is possible to suppress the malfunction of the automatic control function from causing the driving state of the vehicle 1 to become unstable.

[0216] Also, as shown in S166 and S167 of FIG. 7, when a tire is punctured or a slip occurs, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, when the reliability of driving by the automatic control function decreases due to a puncture or slip of the tire, it is possible for the driver to appropriately operate the vehicle 1 by his own driving operation (for example, decelerate slowly and stop, or smoothly return from the slip state).

[0217] Also, as shown in S168 of FIG. 7, when the steering state of the steering wheel is abnormal, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the steering wheel of the vehicle 1 shows abnormal behavior due to a malfunction of the automatic control function or the like, it is possible to avoid this by the driver's own driving operation.

[0218] Also, as shown in S201 and S202 of FIG. 8, when contact with a specific in-vehicle contact part by the occupant is detected or when the emergency stop lever is operated by the occupant, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled in both cases. Therefore, when a situation where the driver wants to cancel the automatic driving occurs, such as when the behavior of vehicle 1 becomes unstable, the driver can quickly cancel the automatic driving at his own will.

[0219] Also, as shown in S203 of FIG. 8, when an external impact is detected, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if there is a possibility that the automatic control function may not operate properly due to an external impact, the driver can properly operate vehicle 1 by his own driving operation.

[0220] Also, as shown in S204 of FIG. 8, when the driver's behavior is abnormal (for example, when the driver has a surprised or frightened expression), the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the driving state of vehicle 1 becomes unstable to the extent that the driver shows a surprised or frightened expression due to a malfunction of the automatic control function or the like, the driver can quickly avoid this by his own driving operation.

[0221] Also, as shown in S205, S206, and S207 of FIG. 8, when attracting the line of sight from a pedestrian, when a pedestrian looking at the own vehicle shows abnormal behavior (for example, pointing at the own vehicle with a surprised expression), when being honked by another vehicle, or when being passed by another vehicle, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. This is because when such an action is taken on the own vehicle from a pedestrian or another vehicle, it is possible that the driving state of the own vehicle has become unstable, and a malfunction of the automatic control function or the like is considered as the cause.

[0222] Also, as shown in S251 to S253 of FIG. 9, in the case of bad weather such as heavy rain, heavy snow, and thick fog, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if there is a possibility that the automatic control function does not operate properly due to bad weather and the driving of the vehicle 1 becomes unstable, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled, so that the driver can appropriately drive the vehicle 1 by his own driving operation.

[0223] Also, as shown in S254 of FIG. 9, when the vehicle 1 is driving in a caution area, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. As a result, it becomes possible to appropriately drive the caution area by the driver's own driving operation without relying on the automatic control function.

[0224] Also, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the vehicle travels again to a place where it has traveled in the past and a specific control operation performed in the past is not performed this time, it is considered that the automatic control function is not operating properly, and the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems that may occur due to malfunction of the automatic control function. Also, in the present embodiment, when a cancellation event occurs, instead of unconditionally canceling the automatic driving, the cancellation of the automatic driving is notified to the passenger (S117 in FIG. 6). Then, when it is confirmed that the automatic driving can be canceled, such as when there is a predetermined reaction from the passenger (YES in S118 in FIG. 6), the automatic driving is canceled. Therefore, the automatic driving can be canceled smoothly and appropriately and connected to the driving operation by the driver.

[0225] On the other hand, if there is no predetermined reaction from the passenger even if the cancellation of the automatic driving is notified to the passenger (NO in S118), the vehicle 1 is automatically stopped urgently. Therefore, for example, when it becomes difficult for the driver to drive the vehicle 1 due to the driver falling asleep or fainting, the vehicle 1 can be stopped quickly and appropriately, and an unexpected situation can be suppressed from occurring.

[0226] Also, when there is no predetermined reaction from the passenger even if the cancellation of the automatic driving is notified to the passenger (NO in S118), the vehicle 1 is automatically stopped urgently. Therefore, for example, when it becomes difficult for the driver to drive the vehicle 1 due to the driver falling asleep or fainting, the vehicle 1 can be stopped quickly and appropriately, and an unexpected situation can be suppressed from occurring.

[0227] Note that the control unit 30a corresponds to an example of a surrounding information acquisition unit, a driving mode setting unit, an automatic control unit, a release required event determination unit, a notification unit, and a release permission determination unit. Also, the processes of S40 and S50 in FIG. 5 correspond to an example of the process of the driving mode setting unit. Also, the process of S55 in FIG. 5 corresponds to an example of the process of the surrounding information acquisition unit. Also, the processes of S55 in FIG. 5 and S118 to S120 in FIG. 6 correspond to an example of the process of the automatic control unit. Also, the process of S120 in FIG. 6 corresponds to an example of the automatic stop process among the processes of the automatic control unit. Also, the processes of S112, S113, S114, and S115 in FIG. 6 correspond to an example of the process of the release required event determination unit. Also, the process of S117 in FIG. 6 corresponds to an example of the process of the notification unit, and the process of S118 in FIG. 6 corresponds to an example of the process of the release permission determination unit.

[0228] [Second Embodiment] The electrical configuration of the vehicle according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, the same components as those of the vehicle 1 in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0229] As shown in FIG. 11, the vehicle according to the second embodiment includes an automatic driving control device 101 and a monitoring device 102. The automatic driving control device 101 basically has the same configuration as the automatic driving control device 101 in the first embodiment and operates in the same manner, except that it has a function of performing data communication with the monitoring device 102 via the network 100. That is, the control unit 101a of the automatic driving control device 101 executes an automatic driving level setting process (see FIG. 5) in the same manner as the vehicle 1 in the first embodiment according to various programs stored in the memory 101b. Also, it executes an automatic control function based on the set automatic driving level.

[0230] In FIG. 11, the cameras 2 to 6, the radar devices 11 to 14, and the sensors 16 to 27 in the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are collectively illustrated as a detection means group 111. Also, in FIG. 11, the communication units 31 to 35 in the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are collectively illustrated as a communication means group 112.

[0231] The automatic driving control device 101 of this embodiment further periodically transmits, as one piece of control information via the network 100 to the monitoring device 102, the execution state (result of control calculation) of the automatic control function according to the automatic driving level. Further, when an event to be canceled occurs as a result of the automatic driving level setting process, the automatic driving control device 101 periodically transmits, as one piece of control information via the network 100 to the monitoring device 102, at least that fact (the fact that the event to be canceled has occurred).

[0232] The monitoring device 102 is provided to monitor whether various controls by the automatic driving control device 101 are operating normally. That is, basically, the monitoring device 102 has the same configuration as the automatic driving control device 101. Similar to the automatic driving control device 101, the control unit 102a executes a control calculation of the automatic control function based on the set automatic driving level.

[0233] That is, although the monitoring device 102 does not actually execute the automatic control function, it performs the control calculation of the automatic control function in the same manner as the automatic driving control device 101. In other words, both the automatic driving control device 101 and the monitoring device 102 execute the control calculation necessary to realize the automatic control function according to the set automatic driving level.

[0234] Therefore, on the premise that the operation of the monitoring device is normal, if the automatic driving control device 101 is normal, the results of the control calculations of both should be the same. On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in the automatic driving control device 101 and the automatic control function does not operate normally, the control calculation results of both may be different (the calculation result of the automatic driving control device 101 may be an abnormal result).

[0235] Therefore, the monitoring device 102 compares its own control operation result with the control operation result by the automatic driving control device 101. When the two do not match, it forces the automatic driving control device 101 to cancel the automatic control function. Specifically, the control unit 102a of the monitoring device 102 executes the control state monitoring process shown in FIG. 12.

[0236] When the control unit 102a of the monitoring device 102 starts the control state monitoring process in FIG. 12, at S501, it executes the operation process of the automatic control function corresponding to the set automatic driving level. At S502, it obtains the operation result of the control operation of the automatic control function in the automatic driving control device 101 from the automatic driving control device 101 via the network 100.

[0237] At S503, it compares the operation result of itself calculated at S501 with the operation result in the automatic driving control device 101 obtained at S502 to determine whether the two match. If the two do not match (S503: NO), it determines that the operation result by the automatic driving control device 101 is not normal, and at S508, it executes a forced cancellation process to force the automatic driving control device 101 to cancel the automatic control function.

[0238] Various specific contents of the forced cancellation process at S508 can be considered. For example, by instructing the traveling drive control unit 46, the brake control unit 47, and the steering control unit 48 from the monitoring device 102 to ignore the control commands by the automatic driving control device 101, these control units 46 to 48 can operate without depending on the automatic driving control device 101 (that is, the automatic driving is canceled).

[0239] Also, for example, by transmitting determination information indicating that the operation results do not match to the automatic driving control device 101 via the network 100, the automatic driving control device 101 can be forced to cancel the automatic driving.

[0240] Further, for example, switches for conducting and interrupting the electrical connection state between the automatic driving control device 101 and the traveling drive control unit 46, between the automatic driving control device 101 and the brake control unit 47, and between the automatic driving control device 101 and the steering control unit 48 may be provided respectively. And by turning off at least one of the switches (that is, interrupting the electrical connection state), it may be made impossible to control from the automatic driving control device 101.

[0241] Also, as a cause for the operation result by the automatic driving control device 101 not being normal, it is also conceivable that the automatic driving control device 101 is being illegally accessed from the outside. Therefore, a switch for conducting and interrupting the electrical connection state between the communication means group 112 and the automatic driving control device 101 is provided, and by turning off this switch (that is, interrupting the electrical connection state), it may be made impossible to physically access from the outside.

[0242] In S503, when the operation results match (S503: YES), in S504, the presence or absence of an event to be canceled is determined. Specifically, the presence or absence of an event to be canceled is determined by performing exactly the same processing as each of the processes S112 to S115 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

[0243] In S505, based on the determination result of S504, it is determined whether or not an event to be canceled has occurred. If the event to be canceled has not occurred (S505: NO), the control state monitoring process ends. If the event to be canceled has occurred (S505: YES), in S506, the determination result of the presence or absence of the event to be canceled in the automatic driving control device 101 is acquired from the automatic driving control device 101 via the network 100.

[0244] In S507, based on the acquisition result of S506, it is determined whether an event requiring cancellation has occurred in the automatic driving control device 101. If it is determined that an event requiring cancellation has occurred in the automatic driving control device 101, it is determined that the automatic driving control device 101 is operating normally, and the control state monitoring process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in the automatic driving control device 101 that an event requiring cancellation has not occurred, it is determined that the automatic driving control device 101 is not operating normally due to some factor, and the process proceeds to S508, and the forced cancellation process is executed as described above.

[0245] According to the vehicle of the second embodiment described above, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, in this second embodiment, a monitoring device 102 is provided separately from the automatic driving control device 101. And in the monitoring device 102 as well, control operations substantially the same as those of the automatic driving control device 101 are performed, and the operation result thereof is compared with the operation result of the automatic driving control device 101, and it is determined whether the automatic driving control device 101 is operating normally according to whether the two match.

[0246] That is, the same control operation is executed on two independent computers respectively, and by checking whether the operation results of the two match, it is determined whether the operation of one computer (here, the automatic driving control device 101) is normal.

[0247] And when the operation results of the two do not match, the monitoring device 102 executes a forced cancellation process (S508 in FIG. 12) to forcibly cancel the automatic driving. Note that when an event requiring cancellation occurs, the automatic driving control device 101 cancels the automatic driving by itself, which is the same as in the first embodiment. In this second embodiment, in addition, a forced cancellation process for canceling the automatic driving is also performed from the monitoring device 102. Therefore, when a situation where the automatic driving should be canceled occurs, the automatic driving can be canceled more reliably.

[0248] [Other Embodiments] As described above, embodiments of the present disclosure have been explained. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can take various forms.

[0249] (1) The specific examples of the events to be canceled shown in each of the above embodiments are merely examples. For other events that are considered to require cancellation of the automatic driving other than the above, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of their occurrence and cancel the automatic driving if they have occurred.

[0250] For example, in the first embodiment above, an example was shown in which the automatic driving is canceled when the driver behaves abnormally. However, it is also possible to cancel the automatic driving based on the behavior of other passengers other than the driver.

[0251] Moreover, not limited to the behavior of the passengers (including the driver), it is also possible to determine whether or not to cancel the automatic driving according to the content of the conversation of the passengers. For example, when someone says "An ambulance is approaching from behind!", the automatic driving may be canceled and the driving operation may be left to the driver. That is, the automatic driving may be canceled in response to specific words or sentences.

[0252] In addition, the infrastructure side monitors the driving state of the vehicle, and when the driving state is unstable (that is, when there is a possibility that the automatic control function is not operating normally), it may notify the relevant vehicle of that fact via vehicle-to-road communication or the like. Then, on the vehicle side, when the above notification is received from the infrastructure side, the automatic driving may be forcibly canceled.

[0253] (2) In the above embodiment, when any event requiring cancellation occurs when the automated driving level is level 1 or higher, the automated driving level is forcibly set to level 0. However, when an event requiring cancellation occurs when the level is at a predetermined level n or higher, which is higher than level 1, the automated driving level may be set to 0 (that is, it is ignored when the level is less than level n). Alternatively, when an event requiring cancellation occurs in the highly automated driving mode, the automated driving level may be forcibly set to level 0, and when the driving mode is the basic mode, the basic mode setting may be maintained even if an event requiring cancellation occurs.

[0254] Also, it is not essential to set the automated driving level to level 0 when an event requiring cancellation occurs, and it may be set to at least a level lower than the current automated driving level. For example, when an event requiring cancellation occurs in the highly automated driving mode, it may be switched to the basic mode.

[0255] (3) The cameras and radar devices necessary to realize automated driving may be provided anywhere in the vehicle 1 and any number of them may be provided. The installation location and number of cameras and radar devices may be appropriately determined so as to realize the desired automatic control function. Also, the in-vehicle devices necessary to realize automated driving are not limited to the various devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0256] (4) In addition, the functions of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed among a plurality of components, or the functions of a plurality of components may be integrated into one component. Also, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be replaced with a known configuration having a similar function. Also, a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Also, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of another of the above embodiments. Note that all aspects included in the technical idea specified only by the language described in the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0257] [Technical Idea Grasped from the Embodiment] From the various embodiments described in detail above, at least the following technical concepts can be grasped. (A) An automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, a surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information, which is information around the vehicle; a driving mode setting unit that sets the driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode in which at least a part of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for the vehicle to travel are automatically executed based on the surrounding information, or a basic mode in which the number of types of automatic driving operations that are automatically executed is less than or zero compared to the highly automated mode; an automatic control unit that executes the automatic driving operation set in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit; a to-be-canceled event determination unit that determines whether or not a predetermined to-be-canceled event that should cancel at least one of the automatic driving operations set in the driving mode has occurred when the driving mode is set to a driving mode having at least one automatic driving operation to be executed; and is provided with wherein, when the driving mode is set to a driving mode having at least one automatic driving operation to be executed, the automatic control unit stops the execution of at least one of the set automatic driving operations when the to-be-canceled event determination unit determines that the to-be-canceled event has occurred. An automatic driving control device. In the automatic driving control device having the above configuration, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, it goes without saying that the to-be-canceled event determination unit determines whether or not the to-be-canceled event has occurred. Even when the driving mode is set to the basic mode, when the basic mode is set to execute at least one of a plurality of types of automatic driving operations, the to-be-canceled event determination unit determines whether or not the to-be-canceled event has occurred.

[0258]

[0259] ​That is, regardless of the type of the set driving mode, when it is set to execute even one of a plurality of types of autonomous driving operations, the necessity-to-cancel event determination unit determines whether or not a necessity-to-cancel event has occurred. When it is determined that a necessity-to-cancel event has occurred, at least one of the autonomous driving operations to be executed is stopped.

[0260] The necessity-to-cancel event is an event that may occur due to the fact that the currently-executed autonomous driving operation is not being executed normally, or an event that may cause an obstacle to the execution of the autonomous driving operation when the event occurs although the autonomous driving operation is being executed normally at the current time.

[0261] One or more necessity-to-cancel events may be set in advance. When a plurality of necessity-to-cancel events are set, the necessity-to-cancel event determination unit may determine the presence or absence of occurrence for each of the plurality of necessity-to-cancel events, or may determine the presence or absence of occurrence for some of the plurality of necessity-to-cancel events. In the latter case, it may be appropriately determined which of the plurality of necessity-to-cancel events is to be the determination target. For example, based on the autonomous driving operation set to be executed in the current driving mode, at least one of the necessity-to-cancel event that occurs when the autonomous driving operation is not executed normally and the necessity-to-cancel event that may cause an obstacle to the autonomous driving operation may be included as the determination target.

[0262] In addition, the timing itself at which the necessity-to-cancel event determination unit determines the presence or absence of occurrence of a necessity-to-cancel event may be appropriately determined other than the above. For example, according to the number and type of the autonomous driving operations set to be executed in the current driving mode, it may be determined whether the necessity-to-cancel event determination unit should determine the presence or absence of occurrence of a necessity-to-cancel event, and if so, specifically at which timing it should be determined. (B) In the above (A), As the event to be canceled, at least one operating state that may occur when there is a possibility that the operating state of the vehicle is such that the automatic driving operation set as the execution target is not being executed normally, and at least one operating state that may cause the automatic driving operation set as the execution target to stop being executed normally, are set such that the vehicle is in at least any one of these operating states. An automatic driving control device.

[0263] In this way, by appropriately setting the operating state of the vehicle that may not be (or may stop being) executed normally as the event to be canceled, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the automatic driving operation in progress should be stopped. It is possible to appropriately determine whether the automatic driving operation in progress should be stopped. (C) In the above (A) or (B), As the event to be canceled, an automatic driving control device in which at least one of the following is set: the vehicle occupant is showing a specific first behavior, a person around the vehicle is showing a specific second behavior, and another vehicle around the vehicle is performing a specific third operation.

[0264] When the automatic driving operation in progress stops being executed normally, its influence is reflected in the operating state of the vehicle. In response to this, the vehicle occupant may show a specific behavior (e.g., a surprised or anxious expression), a person around the vehicle may show a specific behavior (e.g., many people's gazes are concentrated, pointing fingers at the vehicle, etc.), or another vehicle (more specifically, the occupants of another vehicle) may perform a specific operation (e.g., honking the horn or passing) on the host vehicle. Therefore, by setting at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, and the third behavior as the event to be canceled, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the automatic driving operation in progress should be stopped. (D) In any one of the above (A) to (C), As the event to be canceled, an automatic driving control device in which the environment around the vehicle is a specific environment set in advance is set.

[0265] A specific environment means an environment in which the ongoing autonomous driving operation may not be executed normally, or an environment in which one or more specific autonomous driving operations should not be executed, such as bad weather conditions like heavy rain or thick fog. Also, for example, when driving in an area where it is considered more preferable to leave the driving operation to the driver himself rather than autonomous driving, such as a school zone or an accident-prone area.

[0266] By setting the presence of the vehicle in such a specific environment as a condition to be lifted, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the ongoing autonomous driving operation should be stopped.

Explanation of Signs

[0267] 1... Vehicle, 2... Front camera, 3... Rear camera, 4... Left side camera, 5... Right side camera, 6... Interior camera, 9... Front window, 10... Steering wheel, 11... Front radar device, 12... Rear radar device, 13... Left side radar device, 14... Right side radar device, 16... Solar radiation sensor, 17... Rainfall sensor, 18... Wheel speed sensor, 19... Current sensor, 20... Steering amount sensor, 21... Interior contact sensor, 22... Engine room temperature sensor, 23... Engine room sound sensor, 24... Tire air pressure sensor, 25... Suspension sensor, 26... Exterior sound sensor, 27... Impact sensor, 30, 101... Autonomous driving control device, 30a, 101a, 102a... Control unit, 30b, 101b, 102b... Memory, 31... GPS communication unit, 32... Vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, 33... Road-to-vehicle communication unit, 34... Pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit, 35... LTE communication unit, 36... Operation unit, 37... Display unit, 38... Speaker, 41... Autonomous driving switch, 42... Level setting operation unit, 43... Emergency stop lever, 44... Release reset switch, 46... Driving drive control unit, 47... Brake control unit, 48... Steering control unit, 81... Road communication device, 82... Camera, 100... Network, 102... Monitoring device, 111... Detection means group, 112... Communication means group.

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a surrounding information acquisition unit configured to acquire surrounding information which is information around the vehicle; a driving mode setting unit configured to set the driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode in which at least a part of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for the vehicle to travel is automatically executed based on the surrounding information, or a basic mode in which the number of types of automatic driving operations, which are the driving operations to be automatically executed, is less than or zero compared to the highly automated mode; an automatic control unit configured to execute the automatic driving operations set in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit; a to-be-cancelled event determination unit configured to determine whether or not a predetermined to-be-cancelled event has occurred that requires at least one of the automatic driving operations set in the highly automated mode to be cancelled, at least when the driving mode is the highly automated mode; wherein when the driving mode is set to at least the highly automated mode, the automatic control unit is configured to stop the execution of at least one of the automatic driving operations set to be executed when it is determined by the to-be-cancelled event determination unit that the to-be-cancelled event has occurred. An automatic driving control device.

2. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein when the driving mode is set to a driving mode having at least one automatic driving operation to be executed, the automatic control unit is configured to stop all of the automatic driving operations to be executed in that driving mode when it is determined by the to-be-cancelled event determination unit that the to-be-cancelled event has occurred. An automatic driving control device.

3. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising: a notification unit configured to notify the vehicle occupant that the to-be-cancelled event has occurred when it is determined by the to-be-cancelled event determination unit that the to-be-cancelled event has occurred; and a cancellation permission determination unit configured to determine whether or not a specific cancellation permission operation has been performed by the vehicle occupant after the notification by the notification unit. wherein When the automatic control unit determines that the release permission operation has been performed by the release permission determination unit, the automatic control unit stops the execution of the automatic driving operation to be stopped, and when the release permission determination unit determines that the release permission operation has not been performed, the automatic control unit is configured to execute a predetermined automatic stop process for stopping the running of the vehicle. An automatic driving control device.

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