Determination device, determination method, and program

Abstract

To properly cope with misrecognition occurring for a camera lane marking or a map lane marking at the timing before a host vehicle enters a curved road.SOLUTION: A determination device comprises: a recognition unit to recognize a lane marking present in a moving direction of a vehicle; and a determination unit to determine whether the recognized lane marking matches a map lane marking based on map information stored in a storage unit. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, the determination unit determines whether the lane marking recognized by the recognition unit matches the map lane marking, with a restriction on a range of the recognized lane marking to a range before a reference point taking into consideration a switching point to the curved road.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among traffic participants. Towards this realization, research and development focusing on further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development related to autonomous driving technology have been carried out.

[0003] By the way, in autonomous driving technology, the coincidence between the road lane lines recognized from a camera image and the road lane lines recognized from map information is confirmed and used for generating the target trajectory of the host vehicle. However, for example, when the host vehicle is traveling on a curved road or a branch road, it is a problem that misrecognition is likely to occur in the road lane lines recognized from the camera image. To address this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses restricting image recognition on the branch side when the position of the host vehicle exists in the section of a branch road. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that when the continuity evaluation of the actual boundary and the map boundary obtained from the recognition range before and after the host vehicle during traveling on a curved road is high, these are integrated and used, while when the evaluation is low, the map boundary is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, these conventional technologies are designed to handle misidentifications of camera road markings when the host vehicle is driving on a branch road or a curved road, and do not address such misidentifications at the timing before the host vehicle enters a curved road. As a result, misidentifications may occur in the camera road markings or the map road markings at the timing before the host vehicle enters a curved road, and it may not be possible to appropriately generate the target trajectory of the host vehicle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a determination device, a determination method, and a program that can appropriately address the occurrence of misidentifications of camera road markings at the timing before the host vehicle enters a curved road. And by extension, it contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The determination device according to this invention adopts the following configuration. (1): The determination device according to one aspect of this invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes road markings existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and a determination unit that determines whether the recognized road markings match the map road markings based on the map information stored in the storage unit. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, the determination unit restricts the determination to the range before the reference point considering the switching point to the curved road within the range of the road markings recognized by the recognition unit, and determines whether the recognized road markings match the map road markings.

[0008] (2): In the aspect of (1) above, when the vehicle passes the reference point, the determination unit releases the restriction and determines whether the recognized road markings match the map road markings within the range of the road markings recognized by the recognition unit.

[0009] (3) In the aspect of (1) above, when the vehicle passes a predetermined position in front of the reference point, the determination unit releases the restriction and determines whether the recognized road demarcation line and the map road demarcation line match within the range of the road demarcation line recognized by the recognition unit.

[0010] (4) In any of the aspects of (1) to (3) above, when the vehicle is at a distance of a predetermined distance or more from the switching point, the determination unit sets the reference point as the switching point. On the other hand, when the vehicle is not at a distance of a predetermined distance or more from the switching point, the reference point is set as a point located on the traveling direction side of the switching point and obtained from the vehicle speed of the vehicle.

[0011] (5) A determination method according to another aspect of the present invention is such that a computer mounted on a vehicle recognizes a road demarcation line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and determines whether the recognized road demarcation line and a map road demarcation line based on map information stored in a storage unit match. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, within the range of the recognized road demarcation line, it is restricted to a range in front of a reference point considering the switching point to the curved road, and it is determined whether the recognized road demarcation line and the map road demarcation line match.

[0012] (6) A program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a vehicle to recognize a road demarcation line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and determines whether the recognized road demarcation line and a map road demarcation line based on map information stored in a storage unit match. When the vehicle approaches a curved road, within the range of the recognized road demarcation line, it is restricted to a range in front of a reference point considering the switching point to the curved road, and it is determined whether the recognized road demarcation line and the map road demarcation line match.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the above aspects (1) to (6), it is possible to appropriately handle the occurrence of misrecognition of the camera road lane lines or the map road lane lines at the timing before the host vehicle enters a curved road.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the determination device, determination method, and program of the present invention will be described.

[0016] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the determination device according to the embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, four-wheeled, or other vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0017] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitor camera 70, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and apparatuses are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted, or another configuration may be added.

[0018] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary position of a vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When imaging the front, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0019] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves around the host vehicle M and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and azimuth) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary position of the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0020] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to light) around the host vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to an object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The light to be irradiated is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary location of the host vehicle M.

[0021] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results by some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of an object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the automatic driving control device 100 as they are. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0022] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing around the host vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0023] The HMI 30 presents various information to the passengers of the host vehicle M and accepts input operations by the passengers. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, etc.

[0024] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around the vertical axis, an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M, etc.

[0025] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the host vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may share part or all of the above-described HMI 30. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter, a map route) from the position of the host vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information in which the road shape is represented by, for example, links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include the curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, etc. The map route is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the map route. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the map route from the navigation server.

[0026] The MPU60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and holds second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the on-map route provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides every 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction), and determines the recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 makes a determination as to which lane from the left to drive in. When there is a branch point in the on-map route, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for proceeding to the branch destination.

[0027] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on the boundary of a lane. Further, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, information on a prohibited section where mode A or mode B described later is prohibited, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time when the communication device 20 communicates with other devices.

[0028] The driver monitor camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitor camera 70 is attached at an arbitrary location in the host vehicle M at a position and in an orientation capable of imaging the head of an occupant (hereinafter, the driver) sitting in the driver's seat of the host vehicle M from the front (in the orientation of imaging the face). For example, the driver monitor camera 70 is attached to the upper part of a display device provided at the center of the instrument panel of the host vehicle M.

[0029] The driving operator 80 includes, for example, in addition to the steering wheel 82, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of an operation is attached to the driving operator 80, and the detection result is output to part or all of the automatic driving control device 100, the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operator that receives a steering operation by the driver". The operator does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregular-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. A steering grip sensor 84 is attached to the steering wheel 82. The steering grip sensor 84 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like, and outputs a signal capable of detecting whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 (in contact with it with a force applied) to the automatic driving control device 100.

[0030] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Also, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including a circuitry such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), SOC (System On Chip)), or may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the HDD or the flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 when the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) is mounted on a drive device. The automatic driving control device 100 including a determination unit 132 described later is an example of a "determination device".

[0031] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, a determination unit 132, an action plan generation unit 140, and a mode determination unit 150. The first control unit 120 realizes, for example, functions by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions by a pre-given model in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing an intersection" may be realized by executing the recognition of an intersection by deep learning or the like and the recognition based on pre-given conditions (such as signals capable of pattern matching and road markings) in parallel, scoring both, and comprehensively evaluating them. Thereby, the reliability of automatic driving is ensured.

[0032] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the position of an object around the host vehicle M and the state such as the speed and acceleration based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as the position on the absolute coordinates with the representative point (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) of the host vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a region. The "state" of the object may include the acceleration, jerk, or "behavior state" of the object (for example, whether the vehicle is changing lanes or about to change lanes).

[0033] In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the lane (travel lane) in which the host vehicle M is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 130 compares the pattern of the road lane lines obtained from the second map information 62 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "map road lane lines") with the pattern of the road lane lines around the host vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "camera road lane lines") to recognize the travel lane. More specifically, the determination unit 132 of the recognition unit 130 calculates, for example, the deviation between the map road lane lines and the camera road lane lines, and when it is determined that the calculated deviation is equal to or less than the threshold value (that is, when it is determined that they match), either one of the map road lane lines and the camera road lane lines (or the center line thereof, etc.) is recognized as the travel lane. Details of the comparison process between the camera road lane lines and the camera road lane lines by the determination unit 132 will be described later. Note that the recognition unit 130 may recognize the travel lane by recognizing the driving lane boundary (road boundary) including not only the road lane lines but also the road lane lines, shoulders, curbs, median strips, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be taken into account. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes a stop line, an obstacle, a red signal, a toll gate, and other road events.

[0034] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may recognize, as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane, the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed with respect to the line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize, as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane, the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end (road marking or road boundary) of the driving lane.

[0035] In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 travels in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and further automatically (regardless of the driver's operation) generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to travel in the future so as to avoid approaching an object (excluding those that can be crossed such as road markings, road signs, manholes, etc.) recognized by the recognition unit 130. For example, the recognition unit 130 sets a risk area centered on the object that output the state, and within the risk area, a risk is set as an index value indicating the degree to which the host vehicle M should not approach, by the recognition unit 130. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory so that the host vehicle M does not pass through a point where the risk is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and travels within the recognized driving lane. Since the objects include those that move, the distribution of the risk is not one for each control cycle, but is set for a plurality of future time points in consideration of the future position of the object predicted based on the speed of the object. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequence of points (trajectory points) that the host vehicle M should reach. The trajectory points are points that the host vehicle M should reach at predetermined driving distances (for example, about several [m]) in the along-road distance. Separately from that, a target speed and a target acceleration at predetermined sampling times (for example, about 0 comma several [sec]) are generated as part of the target trajectory. Also, the trajectory points may be the positions that the host vehicle M should reach at the sampling times at predetermined sampling times. In this case, information on the target speed and the target acceleration is expressed by the intervals between the trajectory points.

[0036] When generating the target trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 may set events for autonomous driving. Examples of autonomous driving events include a constant speed driving event, a low-speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branching event, a merging event, and a takeover event. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the event that has been activated.

[0037] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M to be one of a plurality of driving modes with different tasks imposed on the driver. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the driving mode, the control state of the host vehicle M, and the task. There are, for example, five modes from mode A to mode E for the driving mode of the host vehicle M. The control state, that is, the degree of automation of the driving control of the host vehicle M, is the highest in mode A, then decreases in the order of mode B, mode C, and mode D, and mode E is the lowest. Conversely, the task imposed on the driver is the least severe in mode A, then becomes more severe in the order of mode B, mode C, and mode D, and mode E is the most severe. Note that since the control state is not autonomous driving in modes D and E, it is the responsibility of the autonomous driving control device 100 to end the control related to autonomous driving and shift to driving support or manual driving. Hereinafter, the content of each driving mode will be exemplified.

[0038] In Mode A, the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state, and the driver is not required to perform either forward monitoring or grasping the steering wheel 82 (steering grip in the figure). However, even in Mode A, the driver is required to be in a posture where they can promptly shift to manual driving in response to a request from the system centered around the autonomous driving control device 100. Here, autonomous driving means that both steering and acceleration / deceleration are controlled without relying on the driver's operation. Forward refers to the space in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M visible through the front windshield. Mode A is an operable driving mode, for example, on an exclusive road for motor vehicles such as a highway, when the host vehicle M is traveling at a speed of a predetermined speed or less (e.g., about 50 [km / h]) and there is a leading vehicle in front as a following target, and it may also be referred to as TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). When these conditions are no longer met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to Mode B.

[0039] In Mode B, the vehicle is in a driving assistance state, and the driver is required to perform the task of monitoring the front of the host vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as forward monitoring), but is not required to grasp the steering wheel 82. In Mode C, the vehicle is in a driving assistance state, and the driver is required to perform the tasks of forward monitoring and grasping the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode in which at least one of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M requires a certain degree of driving operation by the driver. For example, in Mode D, driving assistance such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is performed. In Mode E, it is a manual driving state where driving operations by the driver are required for both steering and acceleration / deceleration. Naturally, in both Mode D and Mode E, the driver is required to perform the task of monitoring the front of the host vehicle M.

[0040] The driving mode is not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 3 and may be defined by other definitions. For example, among the driving modes that require both forward monitoring and steering grip, there may be those with a loose threshold and those with a strict threshold for determining that the steering is being gripped. More specifically, in one driving mode, it is sufficient if either the driver's left or right hand touches the steering wheel 82, but in another driving mode where the task imposed on the driver is heavier, the driving mode may be defined such that the driver needs to hold the steering wheel 82 with both hands with a strength equal to or greater than the threshold. In addition, the driving modes with different degrees of severity of the tasks imposed on the driver may be defined in any manner.

[0041] The automatic driving control device 100 (and a driving support device (not shown)) executes a lane change of the vehicle according to the driving mode. The lane change of the vehicle includes a lane change of the vehicle (1) according to a system request and a lane change of the vehicle (2) according to a driver's request. The lane change of the vehicle (1) includes a lane change of the vehicle for overtaking, which is performed when the speed of the preceding vehicle is smaller than the speed of the own vehicle by a reference or more, and a lane change of the vehicle for traveling toward the destination (a lane change of the vehicle due to a change in the recommended lane). The lane change of the vehicle (2) causes the own vehicle M to change lanes in the operation direction when the direction indicator is operated by the driver when conditions regarding the speed, the positional relationship with surrounding vehicles, etc. are satisfied.

[0042] The automatic driving control device 100 does not execute either of the lane changes of the vehicle (1) and (2) in mode A. The automatic driving control device 100 executes both of the lane changes of the vehicle (1) and (2) in modes B and C. The driving support device (not shown) executes the lane change of the vehicle (2) without executing the lane change of the vehicle (1) in mode D. In mode E, neither of the lane changes of the vehicle (1) and (2) is executed.

[0043] When the task related to the determined driving mode (hereinafter, the current driving mode) is not executed by the driver, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the own vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task.

[0044] For example, in mode A, when the driver is in a posture where they cannot shift to manual driving in response to a request from the system (for example, when continuing to look away outside the allowable area or when a sign of difficult driving is detected), the mode determination unit 150 prompts the driver to shift to manual driving using the HMI 30. If the driver does not respond, the control is performed to move the host vehicle M closer to the road shoulder and gradually stop it, and stop the autonomous driving. After stopping the autonomous driving, the host vehicle enters the state of mode D or E, and it becomes possible to start the host vehicle M by the manual operation of the driver. The same applies hereinafter to "stopping the autonomous driving". In mode B, when the driver is not monitoring the front, the mode determination unit 150 prompts the driver to monitor the front using the HMI 30. If the driver does not respond, the control is performed to move the host vehicle M closer to the road shoulder and gradually stop it, and stop the autonomous driving. In mode C, when the driver is not monitoring the front or not gripping the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 prompts the driver to monitor the front and / or grip the steering wheel 82 using the HMI 30. If the driver does not respond, the control is performed to move the host vehicle M closer to the road shoulder and gradually stop it, and stop the autonomous driving.

[0045] The mode determination unit 150 further monitors the state of the driver for the above-described mode change and determines whether the state of the driver is a state corresponding to the task. For example, the mode determination unit 150 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70 to perform posture estimation processing and determines whether the driver is in a posture where they cannot shift to manual driving in response to a request from the system. Further, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70 to perform gaze estimation processing and determines whether the driver is monitoring the front.

[0046] Also, in this embodiment, when the determination unit 132 determines that the map road lane lines and the camera road lane lines do not match, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task. For example, when it is determined that the map road lane lines and the camera road lane lines do not match while the host vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode that does not require steering grip (mode A or mode B), the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode to mode D or mode E.

[0047] The mode determination unit 150 further performs various processes for mode change. For example, the mode determination unit 150 instructs the action plan generation unit 140 to generate a target trajectory for shoulder stop, gives an operation instruction to a driving support device (not shown), or controls the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to take an action.

[0048] The second control unit 160 controls the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at the scheduled time.

[0049] Returning to FIG. 2, the second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the traveling driving force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on the speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the degree of curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processes of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 are realized, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

[0050] The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs the traveling driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU controls the above configuration according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation operator 80.

[0051] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation operator 80, so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include, as a backup, a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the operation operator 80 to the cylinder via the master cylinder. Note that the brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to the information input from the second control unit 160 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0052] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, acts on a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the second control unit 160 or the information input from the operation operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0053] [Processing when entering a curved road] As described above, the determination unit 132 compares the map road lane lines obtained from the second map information 62 with the camera road lane lines recognized from the camera image to determine whether they match. When it is determined that the map road lane lines and the camera road lane lines match, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory of the host vehicle M so as to travel on the driving lane along the map road lane lines or the camera road lane lines. However, for example, when the host vehicle M travels on a curved road (more generally, a road where the curvature change of the lane line is equal to or greater than a threshold value), particularly, misrecognition is likely to occur in the camera road lane lines existing far in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M, and there may be a case where a mismatch between the map road lane lines and the camera road lane lines is determined. As a result, actually, even when the misrecognition is corrected over time and there is no need to change the driving mode, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a more task-intensive driving mode, which may impair the convenience for the driver.

[0054] Against this background, when the determination unit 132 determines based on the second map information 62 that there is a curved road in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M, among the range of the camera road lane lines recognized by the recognition unit 130, the determination is made to limit to the range in front of the reference point considering the switching point to the curved road, and determine whether the recognized camera road lane lines match the map road lane lines. Here, the determination unit 132 may determine that there is a curved road in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M based on the registration information indicating the curved road stored in the second map information 62, or calculate the curvature of the road in the traveling direction from the road information stored in the second map information 62, and when the calculated curvature is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it may be determined that there is a curved road. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the details of the determination process by the determination unit 132 will be described.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132. In FIG. 4, reference numeral CL represents a camera road lane line including a misrecognition part recognized by the recognition unit 130, reference numeral CL' represents a true camera road lane line for the misrecognition part, reference numeral ML represents a map road lane line, reference numeral RA represents a recognition range of the camera road lane line CL recognized by the recognition unit 130, reference numeral SW represents a switching point from a straight road to a curved road recognized by the recognition unit 130, reference numeral d represents the distance between the correctly recognized part of the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML, and reference numeral d' represents the distance between the misrecognized part of the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML. The recognition unit 130 may specify the switching point SW from the straight road to the curved road based on the change in the curvature of the recognized camera road lane line, or may specify it based on the change in the curvature of the map road lane line stored in the second map information.

[0056] First, when the determination unit 132 determines based on the second map information 62 that there is a curved road in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M, the determination unit 132 determines whether the host vehicle M exists at a position within a first distance D1 and not less than a second distance D2 from the switching point SW. When the determination unit 132 determines that the host vehicle M exists at a position not less than the first distance D1 from the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML match for the entire recognition range RA. Here, the first distance D1 means a distance at which the host vehicle M is sufficiently away from a point where camera misrecognition is likely to occur, and thus it is assumed that there is no problem in performing the comparison process of the road lane lines for the entire recognition range RA. For example, the determination unit 132 may extract one or more points to be compared from the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML in the recognition range RA, and determine that the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML match when the distance between these points is equal to or less than a threshold value. In the present embodiment, the method for determining the match between the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML may be an arbitrary method. For example, the total value of the distances between the extracted plurality of points may be used, or the maximum value may be used.

[0057] On the other hand, when the determination unit 132 determines that the host vehicle M exists at a position within the first distance D1 and not less than the second distance D2 from the switching point SW, this means that there is a risk of comparing the erroneously recognized camera road marking CL and the map road marking ML when performing the comparison process of the road markings for all the recognition ranges RA. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the determination unit 132 sets the switching point SW as the reference point RF, and determines whether the camera road marking CL and the map road marking ML match in the range in front of the reference point RF in the recognition range RA. As a result, in the case of FIG. 4, the distance d' between the erroneously recognized portion of the camera road marking CL and the map road marking ML is not used for the comparison process. For example, the distance d in the range in front of the reference point RF is used for the comparison process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the driving mode from being downgraded due to the determination that the camera road marking CL and the map road marking ML do not match due to the erroneous recognition of the camera road marking CL occurring in the far range of the host vehicle M.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of a scene of the determination process executed by the determination unit 132. FIG. 5 shows, as an example, a scene where the determination unit 132 determines that the host vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance D2 from the switching point SW. Here, the second distance D2 means a distance at which there is a risk of comparing the erroneously recognized camera road marking CL and the map road marking ML when performing the comparison process of the road markings for all the recognition ranges RA, and there is no (or insufficient) point available for the comparison process only in the range from the host vehicle M to the switching point SW.

[0059] When the determination unit 132 determines that the host vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance D2 from the switching point SW, as shown in FIG. 5, a point SL obtained from the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M is set as a reference point RF, and it is determined whether the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML match in the range in front of the reference point RF in the recognition range RA. More specifically, for example, the determination unit 132 sets a point SL corresponding to a distance several times the speed per second of the host vehicle M from the host vehicle M as the reference point RF and makes a determination. Thereby, similar to the case of FIG. 4, it is possible to prevent the distance d' between the misrecognized portion of the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML from being used for the comparison process, and further, it is possible to prevent the driving mode from being downgraded.

[0060] As another aspect, the determination unit 132 may set, as the reference point RF, a point corresponding to the longer one of the distance from the host vehicle M to the switching point SW and the distance from the host vehicle M to a point SL corresponding to a distance several times the speed per second of the host vehicle M without determining whether the host vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance D2 from the switching point SW. Thereby, when the host vehicle M approaches the switching point SW, at a certain point in time, the switching point SW is switched to the point SL and is used for the comparison process as the reference point RF.

[0061] After the host vehicle M passes through the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 performs a comparison process of the road lane lines for all the recognition ranges RA. As described above, this is because the misrecognition of the camera road lane line CL that occurs before the switching point SW tends to be corrected over time. In other words, the camera road lane line CL used for the comparison process after the host vehicle M passes through the switching point SW is less likely to be a misrecognition. If it does not match the map road lane line ML, this is assumed to be a true mismatch. When it is determined that the camera road lane line CL and the map road lane line ML do not match, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a more task-intensive driving mode. Alternatively, without the mode determination unit 150 changing the driving mode, the action plan generation unit 140 may generate a target trajectory, giving priority to the map road lane line ML over the camera road lane line CL.

[0062] Alternatively, when the host vehicle M passes through a predetermined position before passing through the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 may perform a comparison process of the road lane lines for all the recognition ranges RA. For example, in the case of FIG. 5, this means that when the determination unit 132 determines that the host vehicle M exists at a position within a third distance D3 (where D3 < D2) from the switching point SW, the determination unit 132 performs a comparison process of the road lane lines for all the recognition ranges RA.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, a scene where the host vehicle M enters a curved road from a straight road has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration and can also be applied when the host vehicle M enters a straight road from a curved road (in other words, when exiting the curved road). In that case, the determination unit 132 specifies the switching point SW based on, for example, the change in curvature from the curved road to the straight road, and determines whether the host vehicle M exists at a position within a first distance D1 and at least a second distance D2 from the switching point SW, or within the second distance D2, and sets the reference point RF. Then, in the range of the recognition range RA before the reference point RF, it is determined whether the camera road dividing line CL and the map road dividing line ML match. As a further application, the present invention can also be applied, for example, when the host vehicle M is traveling on an S-shaped curve. That is, the determination unit 132 executes the above-described determination process a plurality of times when the host vehicle M enters the S-shaped curve, travels at the turning point, and exits the S-shaped curve.

[0064] [Processing Flow] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the flow of the process executed by the determination unit 132 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process executed by the determination unit 132. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 is repeatedly executed by the determination unit 132 while the host vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode in which automatic driving or driving support is executed.

[0065] First, the determination unit 132 determines whether it has detected the presence of a curved road in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M based on the second map information 62 (step S100). If it is determined that the presence of a curved road in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M has not been detected, the determination unit 132 executes the process of step S100 again after a certain period of time has elapsed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the presence of a curved road in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M has been detected, the determination unit 132 then specifies the switching point to the curved road (step S102).

[0066] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the host vehicle M exists at a position within a first distance from the switching point identified by the host vehicle M (step S104). If it is determined that the host vehicle M does not exist at a position within the first distance from the switching point identified by the host vehicle M, the determination unit 132 re-executes the process of step S104 after a certain period of time has elapsed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle M exists at a position within the first distance from the switching point identified by the host vehicle M, the determination unit 132 sets the switching point as a reference point, and compares the camera road lane lines and the map road lane lines in the range in front of the reference point among the recognition ranges (step S106).

[0067] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the host vehicle M exists at a position within a second distance from the switching point identified by the host vehicle M (step S108). If it is determined that the host vehicle M does not exist at a position within the second distance from the switching point identified by the host vehicle M, the determination unit 132 re-executes the process of step S108 after a certain period of time has elapsed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle M exists at a position within the second distance from the switching point identified by the host vehicle M, the determination unit 132 sets the point obtained from the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M as a reference point, and compares the camera road lane lines and the map road lane lines in the range in front of the reference point among the recognition ranges (step S110).

[0068] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the host vehicle M has passed the switching point and entered a curved road (step S112). If it is determined that the host vehicle M has not passed the switching point and entered a curved road, the determination unit 132 returns the process to step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle M has passed the switching point and entered a curved road, the determination unit 132 compares the camera road lane lines and the map road lane lines in all of the recognition ranges (step S114). Thereby, the determination process by the determination unit 132 ends.

[0069] According to the embodiment described above, when the vehicle approaches a curved road, the determination unit restricts the range to the front of the reference point considering the switching point to the curved road among the ranges of the road markings recognized by the recognition unit, and determines whether the recognized road markings match the map road markings. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately cope with the occurrence of misrecognition of the camera road markings or the map road markings at the timing before the host vehicle enters the curved road.

[0070] The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows. A storage device storing a program, A hardware processor, and by the hardware processor executing the program, recognize road markings existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, determine whether the recognized road markings match the map road markings based on the map information stored in the storage unit, when the vehicle approaches a curved road, restrict the range to the front of the reference point considering the switching point to the curved road among the ranges of the recognized road markings, and determine whether the recognized road markings match the map road markings, A determination device configured as described above.

[0071] As described above, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described using the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0072] 10 Camera 12 Radar device 14 LIDAR 16 Object recognition device 100 Automatic driving control device 120 First control unit 130 Recognition unit 132 Determination unit 140 Action Plan Generation Unit 150 Mode Determination Unit 160 Second Control Unit

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes a road marking line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and a determination unit that determines whether the recognized road marking line matches a map road marking line based on map information stored in a storage unit, wherein when the vehicle approaches a curved road, the determination unit restricts to a range in front of a reference point considering the switching point to the curved road among the range of the road marking line recognized by the recognition unit, and determines whether the recognized road marking line matches the map road marking line, a determination device.

2. When the vehicle passes the reference point, the determination unit releases the restriction and determines whether the recognized road marking line matches the map road marking line within the range of the road marking line recognized by the recognition unit, The determination device according to claim 1.

3. When the vehicle passes a predetermined position in front of the reference point, the determination unit releases the restriction and determines whether the recognized road marking line matches the map road marking line within the range of the road marking line recognized by the recognition unit, The determination device according to claim 1.

4. When the vehicle is separated from the switching point by a predetermined distance or more, the determination unit sets the reference point as the switching point, while when the vehicle is not separated from the switching point by a predetermined distance or more, the determination unit sets the reference point as a point located on the traveling direction side of the switching point and obtained from the vehicle speed of the vehicle, The determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A computer mounted on a vehicle, recognizes a road marking line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, determines whether the recognized road marking line matches a map road marking line based on map information stored in a storage unit, and when the vehicle approaches a curved road, restricts to a range in front of a reference point considering the switching point to the curved road among the range of the road marking line recognized, and determines whether the recognized road marking line matches the map road marking line, a determination method.

6. Causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to recognize a road marking line existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and determine whether the recognized road marking line matches a map road marking line based on map information stored in a storage unit, When the vehicle approaches a curved road, within the range of the road lane markings, restricting to the range in front of a reference point considering the switching point to the curved road, determining whether the recognized road lane markings match the map road lane markings. Program.

Images