Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

To achieve smooth traffic flow to traffic flow obstruction by traveling of other vehicles.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a vehicle control device for controlling an own vehicle that enables automatic driving includes an external output control part for controlling an external output device so as to output prescribed information to the outside of the own vehicle, a traffic flow obstruction state detection part for detecting whether the own vehicle traveling on a road a prescribed traveling state has a traffic flow obstruction state due to the preceding vehicle, and a traffic flow obstruction state allowance determination part for determining whether the traffic flow obstruction state due to the preceding vehicle can be allowed according to prescribed allowance reference. The external output control part controls the external output device so as to notify that a subsequent vehicle maintains the traveling state of the own vehicle in the case of determining that the traffic flow obstruction state is allowed, and controls the external output device so as to notifying the preceding vehicle that the traffic flow obstruction is performed in a first output mode in the case of determining that the traffic flow obstruction cannot be allowed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that causes an HMI device to issue a notification when the vehicle is obstructing other vehicles during automated driving or when the vehicle is not in line with the flow of traffic, in order to ensure that the driving conditions are comfortable for the driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO2018 / 186012 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that an HMI device will alert the driver when an autonomously driving vehicle is obstructing the movement of other vehicles or is not in line with the traffic flow (traffic flow), and therefore is not suitable for autonomously driving vehicles without a driver on board.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to propose a vehicle control technology that allows an automatic driving (autonomous driving) vehicle without a driver to alert the outside of the vehicle when traffic flow is obstructed by other vehicles, thereby ensuring smooth traffic flow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle control device for controlling an autonomously driving host vehicle. The vehicle control device includes an external output control unit that controls an external output device to output predetermined information to an external device outside the host vehicle in a predetermined output format; a traffic flow obstruction situation detection unit that detects whether the host vehicle, traveling on a road in a predetermined driving state, is experiencing a traffic flow obstruction situation caused by a preceding vehicle; and a traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit that determines whether the traffic flow obstruction situation caused by the preceding vehicle is acceptable according to a predetermined tolerance standard. If it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is acceptable, the external output control unit controls the external output device to notify a following vehicle that the host vehicle should maintain the driving state. If it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is not acceptable, the external output control unit controls the external output device to notify the preceding vehicle that the traffic flow obstruction situation exists in a first output format.

[0007] The present invention also provides a vehicle allocation management method using a vehicle allocation management device that manages vehicle allocation in response to a vehicle allocation request, a computer program for executing the method, and a recording medium on which the method is non-temporarily recorded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even in an autonomous vehicle without a driver, it is possible to realize smooth traffic flow by notifying the outside (surroundings) of the vehicle when traffic flow is obstructed by other vehicles.

[0009] Other technical features, objects, and operational effects or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting, and other effects may also be present. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention in response to a traffic flow obstruction situation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. The present invention can be implemented in various modifications (e.g., combinations of the embodiments) without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle dispatch management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle dispatch management system 1 includes a vehicle dispatch management device 10, a terminal device 20, and vehicles 30, which are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a communication network N. The vehicle dispatch management system 1 provides, for example, a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles 30 for a certain area. In the present disclosure, the vehicles 30 are assumed to be autonomously driven vehicles without drivers.

[0013] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 is a computing device that comprehensively manages a vehicle dispatch service using multiple vehicles 30 in a target area of ​​the vehicle dispatch service (hereinafter referred to as the "service target area"). The service target area may be divided into several areas (sub-areas). The vehicle dispatch management device 10, for example, implements a vehicle dispatch management server program and realizes the vehicle dispatch service by executing the vehicle dispatch management server program under the control of a processor.

[0014] The vehicle dispatch management device 10 includes various databases 12 that accumulate and manage data necessary to realize such a vehicle dispatch service. The databases 12 may include, for example, a user information database, a road map information database, a vehicle information database, and a vehicle dispatch plan database (not shown). The databases 12 may be configured as part of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, or all or part of the databases 12 may be configured separately from the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0015] Generally speaking, under normal circumstances, the vehicle allocation management device 10 receives a vehicle allocation request from a user who wishes to allocate a vehicle 30 to the user's destination, refers to the vehicle information database 12c based on the vehicle allocation request, extracts a vehicle 30 to be allocated to the user from among the plurality of vehicles 30, creates a vehicle allocation plan for the vehicle 30, and proposes the created vehicle allocation plan to the user. The vehicle allocation management device 10 confirms the proposed vehicle allocation plan upon the user's consent to the proposed vehicle allocation plan, and issues vehicle allocation instructions to the vehicle 30 in accordance with the confirmed vehicle allocation plan.

[0016] The vehicle dispatch plan includes a driving route that defines a location where the vehicle 30 is waiting (a starting waiting location), passing through several points (boarding and disembarking points) along the way where the user gets on and off, to a final waiting location (which is not necessarily the same as the initial waiting location). If the vehicle 30 is waiting, the vehicle dispatch plan is newly created based on a received vehicle dispatch request, and if the vehicle 30 is in operation, the vehicle dispatch plan can be updated based on a vehicle dispatch request.

[0017] The terminal device 20 is, for example, a computing device through which a user wishing to ride makes a vehicle dispatch request by operating a user interface. The terminal device 20 implements, for example, a vehicle dispatch management client program (a so-called vehicle dispatch application). The terminal device 20 executes the vehicle dispatch application under the control of a processor, thereby enabling the user to use the vehicle dispatch service of the vehicle dispatch management device 10. For example, the user can make a vehicle dispatch request from a vehicle dispatch request screen (not shown) on the user interface of the terminal device 20 and, in response, accept the vehicle dispatch plan created by the vehicle dispatch management device 10, thereby making a reservation for a ride in the vehicle 30.

[0018] The vehicle 30 is a vehicle registered in the vehicle information database 12c and is available for use by users in the vehicle dispatch service. The vehicle 30 is an autonomous vehicle (unmanned vehicle) operated by an automatic driving system. The vehicle 30 may be of any type (e.g., sedan, minivan, SUV, etc.).

[0019] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration model of a vehicle and a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which illustrates functional components particularly related to the technology of the present disclosure.

[0020] First, the vehicle 30 includes a vehicle control device 310 that controls the vehicle 30 itself or its onboard equipment in accordance with a dispatch instruction from the vehicle dispatch management device 10, various sensors 320, a user interface 330, and an external output device 340.

[0021] The vehicle control device 310 includes a processor, a memory, and the like, and controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 30 by executing a control program. Under the control of the vehicle control device 310, the vehicle 30 acquires driving control information necessary for autonomous driving from various sensors 320. The sensors include, for example, a camera / microphone that acquires video and audio information about the surroundings of the vehicle 30 (host vehicle), a spatial recognition sensor such as LiDAR / RADAR that acquires surrounding spatial recognition information (point cloud information), a GPS sensor that acquires geographical position information of the vehicle 30, and a status monitoring sensor that acquires status information of each device and part of the vehicle 30. The vehicle control device 310 controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 30 based on the acquired driving control information and transmits the driving control information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10. The vehicle dispatch management device 10 can monitor and control the driving of the vehicle 30 according to the driving control information transmitted from the vehicle 30. Details of the vehicle control device 310 will be described later.

[0022] The user interface 330 interactively provides various information to passengers on board under the control of the vehicle control device 310. For example, the user interface 330 displays the route to the destination, the estimated arrival time, and the like.

[0023] The external output device 340 is an external human-machine interface (eHMI) that, under the control of the vehicle control device 310, notifies passersby outside or around the vehicle 30, drivers of other vehicles, etc. A display and a speaker are examples of the eHMI. In addition, headlights, hazard lights, and a horn that have traditionally been installed on the vehicle 30 can also be considered types of the external output device 340.

[0024] Here, details of the vehicle control device 310 mounted on the vehicle 30 will be described. As shown in the figure, the vehicle control device 310 is shown as a functional configuration model including, for example, a position information acquisition unit 311, a driving control information acquisition unit 312, a communication unit 313, a navigation database 314, an autonomous driving control unit 315, a traffic flow obstruction situation detection unit 316, a traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317, and an external output control unit 318.

[0025] The location information acquisition unit 311 acquires location information of the vehicle 30 from a GPS system (not shown). The location information acquisition unit 311 transfers the location information acquired from the GPS system to the communication unit 313 to transmit to the vehicle dispatch management device 10.

[0026] The driving control information acquisition unit 312 acquires driving control information from the various sensors 320 as described above. The driving control information acquisition unit 312 passes the driving control information acquired from the various sensors 320 to the autonomous driving control unit 315 and also passes it to the communication unit 313 for transmission to the vehicle dispatch management device 10. In the present disclosure, the driving control information is used to control the autonomous driving of the vehicle itself (the vehicle itself), and is also used to determine whether or not a traffic flow obstruction situation exists for the vehicle itself, whether or not the traffic flow obstruction situation is acceptable, etc.

[0027] The communication unit 313 is a communication interface for exchanging various information with the vehicle dispatch management device 10. For example, the communication unit 313 transmits vehicle information including location information and driving control information to the vehicle dispatch management device 10. As another example, the communication unit 313 receives a vehicle dispatch instruction transmitted from the vehicle dispatch management device 10 and passes it to the autonomous driving control unit 315.

[0028] The navigation database 314 stores navigation information for the autonomous driving of the vehicle 30 in the area covered by the vehicle dispatch service. The navigation database 314 of the vehicle 30 is generally the same as the road map information database (not shown) of the vehicle dispatch management device 10, but the stored road map information can be updated based on the actual autonomous driving of the vehicle 30 under the control of the autonomous driving control unit 315.

[0029] The autonomous driving control unit 315 controls the vehicle 30 to safely drive autonomously along the driving route based on the acquired driving control information in accordance with the vehicle dispatch plan. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 315 controls the driving operations of the vehicle 30, including driving, braking, steering, etc., based on the acquired position information, sensor information, etc., so that the vehicle 30 drives along the driving route of the vehicle dispatch plan. The autonomous driving control unit 315 may also control the autonomous driving of the vehicle 30 according to additional or auxiliary driving control information instructed by the vehicle dispatch management device 10. The autonomous driving control unit 315 may further determine road conditions based on road traffic information acquired from a road traffic information management system. As a result, under the control of the autonomous driving control unit 315, the vehicle 30 can autonomously drive along the driving route indicated by the vehicle dispatch plan while complying with traffic rules.

[0030] The traffic flow obstruction situation detection unit 316 detects whether or not there is a traffic flow obstruction situation for itself, based on the acquired driving control information. For example, in a situation where a vehicle traveling directly ahead of vehicle 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "leading vehicle") has stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing and is waiting for pedestrians to cross, or in a situation where the traffic light on the route is showing "green" and there is clear road ahead of the leading vehicle, but the leading vehicle remains stopped, the traffic flow obstruction situation detection unit 316 detects that there is a traffic flow obstruction situation.

[0031] The traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 determines whether the detected traffic flow obstruction situation is tolerable for the vehicle 30 itself based on the driving control information in accordance with predetermined tolerance criteria, and notifies the external output control unit 318 of the result of the determination. The traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 may include, for example, a traffic flow obstruction situation correspondence table (not shown) that defines whether various traffic flow obstruction situations are tolerable. Such a traffic flow obstruction situation correspondence table may include adaptive actions that define predetermined tolerance criteria regarding how to act (behave) in response to various traffic flow obstruction situations.

[0032] As an example, in the situation described above where a leading vehicle has stopped in front of a crosswalk and is waiting for pedestrians to cross, the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 determines that the obstruction of traffic flow is acceptable. As another example, in a situation where the traffic light in the direction of travel is showing "green" and the leading vehicle remains stopped even though there is clear road ahead of the leading vehicle, the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 determines that the obstruction of traffic flow is not acceptable.

[0033] The traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 may also determine whether the above-described unacceptable traffic flow obstruction situation continues for a predetermined threshold time. For example, the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 determines whether the unacceptable traffic flow obstruction situation has continued for a first threshold time, and notifies the external output control unit 318 of the determination result. The traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 may also determine whether the unacceptable traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond the first threshold time and further beyond a second threshold time (second threshold time > first threshold time), and notify the external output control unit 318 of the determination result.

[0034] The traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 may determine the first threshold time and / or the second threshold time as described above based on an expected delay time relative to the expected arrival time of the vehicle 30 at the destination. For example, the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 sets the first threshold time and / or the second threshold time to be shorter when the expected delay time is longer. This is expected to resolve the traffic flow obstruction situation more quickly, allowing the vehicle 30 to avoid delays to the destination.

[0035] Furthermore, the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 may determine whether to tolerate a traffic flow obstruction situation caused by a preceding vehicle based on whether or not there are passengers on board the vehicle 30. For example, when there are no passengers on board the vehicle 30, the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 may determine that the traffic flow obstruction situation is tolerable even if it would normally be determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is unacceptable. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary traffic trouble with the preceding vehicle.

[0036] The external output control unit 318 controls the external output device 340 based on the determination result of the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit 317 and in accordance with the traffic flow obstruction situation correspondence table so that information corresponding to adaptive behavior is output from the external output device 340 to the vehicle 30. For example, when a traffic flow obstruction situation is permissible, such as when a leading vehicle stops in front of a crosswalk and waits for pedestrians to cross, the external output control unit 318 controls the external output device to notify the following vehicle that the vehicle should maintain its traveling state (stopped state). In response to this, the external output device 340 displays a message such as "Stopped due to pedestrians crossing, for example."

[0037] Furthermore, for example, if it is determined that a traffic flow disruption situation exists in which a traffic light in the travel direction is displaying "green" and a preceding vehicle remains stopped (i.e., an unacceptable traffic flow disruption situation), and the first threshold time has not yet elapsed, the external output control unit 318 controls the external output device 340 to notify the preceding vehicle of the traffic flow disruption situation in a first output mode so as not to disrupt traffic flow. Flashing of headlights or short honking of the horn are examples of the first output mode. In this case, if it is determined that the traffic flow disruption situation has continued beyond the first threshold time, the external output control unit 318 controls the external output device 340 to notify the preceding vehicle of the traffic flow disruption situation in a second output mode that is more easily recognized than the first output mode. An audio announcement through a speaker is an example of the second output mode. In this case, the external output control unit 318 controls the external output device 340 to notify the preceding vehicle of the traffic flow disruption situation in the second output mode, superimposed on or alternating with the first output mode. This makes it easier for the driver of the leading vehicle to recognize the traffic flow obstruction situation.

[0038] Furthermore, when it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation continues beyond the second threshold time, the external output control unit 318 ends the notification in the first output mode and instead controls the external output device 340 to notify the following vehicle that the vehicle should maintain its current traveling state. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary traffic trouble by taking into consideration the circumstances of the traffic flow obstruction situation caused by the preceding vehicle.

[0039] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for a traffic flow obstruction situation by a vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Such processing is realized by the vehicle control device 310 executing an autonomous driving control program under the control of a processor, thereby cooperating with the drive system and various hardware resources of the vehicle 30. Here, it is assumed that the vehicle control device 310 controls the vehicle 30 while acquiring driving control information as needed so that the vehicle 30 drives autonomously on a driving route according to a vehicle allocation plan.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the vehicle control device 310 monitors whether a traffic flow obstruction situation caused by a preceding vehicle has been detected based on the acquired driving control information (S301). If the vehicle control device 310 determines that a traffic flow obstruction situation caused by a preceding vehicle has been detected (Yes in S301), the vehicle control device 310 determines whether the detected traffic flow obstruction situation is acceptable (S302). As described above, the vehicle control device 310 can determine whether the traffic flow obstruction situation is acceptable by, for example, referring to a traffic flow obstruction situation correspondence table.

[0041] When the vehicle control device 310 determines that the detected traffic flow obstruction situation is tolerable (Yes in S302), it controls the external output device to notify the following vehicles to maintain the current traveling state (or stopped state) (S303). For example, the vehicle control device 310 controls the external output device 340 to display a message such as "Stopped due to pedestrian crossing."

[0042] On the other hand, if the vehicle control device 310 determines that the detected traffic flow obstruction situation is unacceptable (No in S302), the vehicle control device 310 determines whether the traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond a first threshold time (S304). If the vehicle control device 310 determines that the traffic flow obstruction situation has not exceeded the first threshold time (No in S304), the vehicle control device 310 controls the external output device 340 to notify the preceding vehicle that a traffic flow obstruction situation has occurred in a first output form so as to prevent traffic flow from being obstructed (S305). In this case, the vehicle control device 310 may control the external output device 340 so that the notification in the first output form is made intermittently, for example.

[0043] On the other hand, if the vehicle control device 310 determines that the traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond the first threshold time (Yes in S304), then the vehicle control device 310 determines whether the traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond the second threshold time (S306).If the vehicle control device 310 determines that the traffic flow obstruction situation has not exceeded the second threshold time (No in S306), the vehicle control device 310 controls the external output device 340 to notify the preceding vehicle of the fact that a traffic flow obstruction situation has occurred in a second output form that is easier to recognize than the first output form (S307).

[0044] On the other hand, if the vehicle control device 310 determines that the traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond the second threshold time (Yes in S305), it terminates the notification in the first output form and instead controls the external output device 340 to notify the following vehicle that the vehicle should maintain its current driving state (S303).

[0045] As described above, according to this embodiment, even an autonomous vehicle without a driver can realize a smooth traffic flow by notifying the outside of the vehicle of traffic flow obstructions caused by other vehicles. In particular, according to this embodiment, the vehicle is configured to notify the preceding vehicle or the following vehicle of the traffic flow obstruction situation and / or the elapsed time thereof, so that a smoother traffic flow can be realized.

[0046] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0047] For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order unless the results are inconsistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0048] Furthermore, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or substituted for specific features in other embodiments, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...Vehicle dispatch management system 10...Vehicle dispatch management device 12...Database 20...Terminal device 30...Vehicle 310...Vehicle control device 311...Location information acquisition unit 312...Driving control information acquisition unit 313…Communications Department 314...Navigation database 315...Autonomous driving control unit 316…Traffic flow obstruction situation detection unit 317…Traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance judgment section 318...External output control unit 320...sensor 330...User Interface 340...External output device N: Communication network

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, an external output control unit that controls an external output device to output predetermined information to the outside of the vehicle in a predetermined output format; a traffic flow obstruction situation detection unit that detects whether or not a traffic flow obstruction situation is occurring due to a preceding vehicle while the vehicle is traveling on a road in a predetermined traveling state; a traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit that determines whether the traffic flow obstruction situation caused by the preceding vehicle is tolerable in accordance with a predetermined tolerance standard; The external output control unit When it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is tolerable, the external output device is controlled to notify a following vehicle that the traveling state of the vehicle is to be maintained; When it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is unacceptable, the external output device is controlled to notify the preceding vehicle in a first output mode that the traffic flow obstruction situation is occurring. Vehicle control device.

2. the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit determines whether the unacceptable traffic flow obstruction situation has continued for more than a first threshold time; when it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond the first threshold time, the external output control unit controls the external output device to notify the preceding vehicle of the fact that the traffic flow obstruction situation has occurred in a second output form that is easier to recognize than the first output form. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit determines whether the unacceptable traffic flow obstruction situation continues beyond a second threshold time that is longer than the first threshold time; when it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation has continued beyond the second threshold time, the external output control unit terminates the notification in the first output mode and controls the external output device to notify the following vehicle that the vehicle should maintain the traveling state. The vehicle control device according to claim 2.

4. the traffic flow obstruction situation tolerance determination unit determines the first threshold time and / or the second threshold time based on an expected delay time with respect to an expected arrival time at which the host vehicle will arrive at the destination; The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. the traffic flow obstruction situation acceptance determination unit determines whether to accept the traffic flow obstruction situation caused by the preceding vehicle based on whether or not the host vehicle has a passenger. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

6. A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, comprising: controlling an external output device to output predetermined information to the outside of the vehicle in a predetermined output format; Detecting whether or not a traffic flow is obstructed by a preceding vehicle while the vehicle is traveling on a road in a predetermined traveling state; determining whether the traffic flow obstruction situation caused by the preceding vehicle is acceptable according to a predetermined acceptance criterion; Controlling the external output device includes: When it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is tolerable, controlling the external output device to notify a following vehicle that the traveling state of the host vehicle will be maintained; and controlling the external output device to notify the preceding vehicle of the fact that the traffic flow obstruction situation is occurring in a first output mode when it is determined that the traffic flow obstruction situation is unacceptable. Vehicle control method.

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