Vehicle control method and vehicle controller

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control method capable of preferably controlling passage of a vehicle at an intersection.SOLUTION: When a vehicle 1 passes a crosswalk at an intersection where a traffic light is present, a controller 100 determines whether a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk is present. When a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk is present, the controller determines whether a pedestrian who halts at an entry of the crosswalk in the vicinity of a border in the crosswalk between a footpath and the crosswalk is present. Based on a result of the determination, the controller determines whether the vehicle 1 is allowed to move slowly and pass the crosswalk or the vehicle 1 is brought to a halt. When a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk is absent, the controller determines that the vehicle 1 is allowed to move slowly and pass the crosswalk.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A vehicle driving assistance device has been proposed that performs driving assistance control when there is a person attempting to cross a pedestrian crossing (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-160625 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, when it is determined that driving assistance should be performed, the vehicle is always stopped for a predetermined period of time, which may result in unnecessary stops.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a vehicle control method and the like that can suitably control the passage of vehicles at an intersection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle control method of the present invention is a vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device including a controller that controls the autonomous driving of a vehicle, in which, when a vehicle passes through a crosswalk at an intersection with a signal, the controller determines whether there are pedestrians moving toward the crosswalk. If there are pedestrians moving toward the crosswalk, the controller determines whether there are pedestrians standing at the crosswalk entrance, which is near the boundary between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, and based on the determination result, decides whether to allow the vehicle to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed or to stop the vehicle. If there are no pedestrians moving toward the crosswalk, the controller decides to allow the vehicle to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suitably control the passage of vehicles at an intersection. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a controller according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a vehicle control process. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of passing through an intersection without a signal; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pedestrian search area at an intersection. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of vehicle control at a signalized intersection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A vehicle control device and a vehicle control method executed by the vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] A vehicle control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that controls the autonomous driving of a vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle control device 10 realizes automatic driving of the vehicle 1 by controlling an actuator 240 that drives each part of the vehicle 1. When passing through an intersection, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment automatically controls the vehicle 1 to stop or controls the vehicle 1 to pass through the intersection by slowing down, depending on the situation of a pedestrian detected near a crosswalk.

[0011] The vehicle 1 is a passenger vehicle such as an electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle, or gasoline-powered vehicle, and has an autonomous driving function that automatically drives the vehicle along a predetermined driving route, etc., based on the control of the vehicle control device 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 10 controls, for example, level 4 autonomous driving, but other levels may be used. The vehicle control device 10 is only required to automatically control the vehicle 1 to stop or to slow down to allow the vehicle 1 to pass, depending on the situation of a pedestrian detected at an intersection. Note that the vehicle control device 10 is not limited to controlling autonomous driving, and may also control driving assistance such as accelerator assistance, brake assistance, and steering assistance in situations other than when passing through an intersection, for example.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a vehicle control device 10 provided in a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes the vehicle control device 10 and an actuator 240. The vehicle 1 also includes an engine, a body, a chassis, a drive train, electrical parts, etc., but a description of the general configuration of these components will be omitted.

[0013] 1, the vehicle control device 10 includes a controller 100 that controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 1, a position information acquisition unit 210 that acquires position information of the vehicle 1, an imaging unit 220 that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, and a map database 230 that stores map information (map data) including information on roads on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. Note that the position information acquisition unit 210, the imaging unit 220, and the map database 230 may be configured to be shared with other systems or devices such as a navigation system.

[0014] The position information acquisition unit 210 is any device, such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, that can acquire the position of the vehicle 1. The GNSS receiver receives orbit information and time information from a plurality of positioning satellites, and outputs position information indicating the position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the received signals to the controller 100.

[0015] The imaging unit 220 is an example of a sensor that detects the surroundings of the vehicle 1, and is, for example, one or more cameras that capture an image at least at a predetermined angle in front of the vehicle 1. Each camera of the imaging unit 220 is installed in a position where it can capture images of lane markings (white lines) in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, and objects, particularly pedestrians, near an intersection in front of the vehicle 1. The imaging unit 220 inputs image data of the captured images to the controller 100. Note that the imaging unit 220 may be provided so as to be able to capture images of the surroundings (sides, rear, etc.) other than in front of the vehicle 1.

[0016] The map database 230 stores map information including road information, intersection information, and traffic light information, and is a database used in, for example, a navigation system. In this embodiment, the map information stored in the map database 230 includes information on the road environment, such as information indicating at least the type of road (single road, intersection, etc.), the type of intersection (crossroad, T-junction, etc.), and information on the presence or absence of traffic lights at the intersection. The map information may also include other information, such as information on the number of lanes, the presence or absence of a median strip, and information on the road shape.

[0017] The controller 100 is a control device that controls the operation of the vehicle control device 10. The controller 100 plans a driving route (path) for the vehicle 1 on a road based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 210, the map information in the map database 230, a driving route searched by a navigation system or the like, and an image of the area ahead of the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 220. Then, the controller 100 controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 1 based on the planned path.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 100. In the example of Fig. 2, the controller 100 includes a processor 1011, a memory 1012, a storage 1013, and a communication interface (indicated as communication I / F in the figure) 1014, which are connected to each other via a bus 1010.

[0019] The processor 1011 includes, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits, and executes various types of arithmetic processing. The processor 1011 loads a control program stored in a storage 1013 into a memory 1012 and executes the program. The processor 1011 may further include arithmetic circuits such as a logical operation unit and a numerical operation unit.

[0020] The memory 1012 includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and functions as a work memory for the processor 1011. The memory 1012 also temporarily stores the control program that the processor 1011 reads from the storage 1013 and various data used in the processor 1011's arithmetic processing.

[0021] The storage 1013 includes, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. The storage 1013 stores the control program executed by the processor 1011 and various data used in the arithmetic processing of the processor 1011.

[0022] The communication interface 1014 includes an interface circuit for connecting the controller 100 to an in-vehicle network that complies with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The communication interface 1014 receives signals from the position information acquisition unit 210, the imaging unit 220, the map database 230, and other in-vehicle components, and passes the signals to the processor 1011.

[0023] Furthermore, the communication interface 1014 transmits the vehicle control signal generated by the processor 1011 to the actuator 240 that operates the vehicle 1. The vehicle control signal is generated based on information necessary for vehicle control, such as information about the road, information about surrounding objects, traffic light information, traveling speed information, and steering amount information of the steering wheel.

[0024] Returning to Fig. 1, the actuator 240 is communicatively connected to the vehicle control device 10 via an in-vehicle network, and the vehicle control device 10 controls the actuator 240. The actuator 240 includes, for example, a drive device (at least one of an engine and a motor) for accelerating the vehicle 1, a brake actuator for braking the vehicle 1, a steering motor for steering the vehicle 1, etc. In this way, the vehicle control device 10 controls the actuator 240 to realize automatic driving or driving assistance of the vehicle 1.

[0025] In the controller 100, for example, a processor 1011 and a memory 1012 cooperate to realize the functions shown in FIG. 1 . That is, the controller 100 functionally includes a driving route acquisition unit 101, a road environment acquisition unit 102, a driving path planning unit 103, a crosswalk information acquisition unit 104, a surrounding object detection unit 105, a crosswalk passing behavior determination unit 108, and a vehicle control unit 109. The surrounding object detection unit 105 includes an approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 and a stationary pedestrian determination unit 107. Note that the functional configuration of the controller 100 in this embodiment is an example, and the functional units may be integrated or subdivided as desired. Also, while FIG. 1 mainly shows the configuration related to the autonomous driving control when passing through an intersection in this embodiment, functional configurations may be added as desired.

[0026] The driving route acquisition unit 101 acquires a driving route from a navigation system (not shown), a user's smartphone, or the like connected to the controller 100. Therefore, the driving route acquisition unit 101 is connected to the navigation system, smartphone, or the like by wire or wirelessly. The driving route may be, for example, one that is searched for by a map application or the like installed in the navigation system or smartphone based on the current position and a destination specified by the user.

[0027] The road environment acquisition unit 102 acquires map information about the area around the current location. The road environment acquisition unit 102 acquires information about the road environment of the traveling route by acquiring, from the map database 230, map information about an area that includes at least the traveling route acquired by the traveling route acquisition unit 101. The road environment acquisition unit 102 may also acquire information about the road environment, such as the presence or absence of traffic lights and the road shape, from an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 1 captured by the imaging unit 220.

[0028] The driving route planning unit 103 plans a driving route for the vehicle 1 to drive in an autonomous driving mode, based on the driving route acquired by the driving route acquisition unit 101, the position information of the vehicle 1 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 210, and the information on the road environment along the driving route acquired by the road environment acquisition unit 102. In this embodiment, the driving route is a graph line or the like connecting the current position and the destination on a map. The driving route is information that specifically indicates the route along which the vehicle 1 will drive, such as the lanes along the roads along the driving route and the routes to take when turning right or left at intersections. The driving route may also include control information for the vehicle 1, such as the driving speed on each road.

[0029] The crosswalk information acquisition unit 104 acquires information about crosswalks on the travel route planned by the travel route planning unit 103. The crosswalk information acquisition unit 104 acquires information such as the type of intersection (crossroads, T-junction, etc.) that the vehicle is to pass through on the travel route and the presence or absence of traffic lights from the road environment acquisition unit 102.

[0030] The surrounding object detection unit 105 detects objects around the vehicle 1, such as other vehicles, pedestrians, and fallen objects, from the captured image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 captured by the imaging unit 220, using known methods such as edge extraction and pattern matching. The surrounding object detection unit 105 may detect lane markings on the lane on which the vehicle 1 is traveling in order to keep the vehicle in lane. The surrounding object detection unit 105 may also detect vehicle signals ahead and identify the color of the signals. Note that the detection of lane markings and signals may be performed by other functional units of the controller 100.

[0031] When the vehicle 1 approaches a crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is to pass through and that has been acquired by the crosswalk information acquisition unit 104, the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 determines whether or not there is an approaching pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, based on the captured images captured by the imaging unit 220. For example, when the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 detects a pedestrian in a captured image, the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 subsequently acquires multiple time-series captured images and determines whether or not there is an approaching pedestrian based on whether or not the absolute position of the pedestrian has changed in the direction toward the crosswalk. If the absolute position of the pedestrian has changed in the direction toward the crosswalk in the multiple time-series captured images, the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 may determine that there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is to pass through.

[0032] When the vehicle 1 approaches a crosswalk that the crosswalk information acquisition unit 104 has acquired and that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass through, the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 determines, based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit 220, whether or not there is a stationary pedestrian standing near the entrance to the crosswalk. If the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 detects a pedestrian on the sidewalk within a predetermined distance from the crosswalk entrance in the captured image, the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 subsequently acquires multiple time-series captured images and determines whether or not there is a stationary pedestrian based on whether or not the absolute position of the pedestrian has changed. If the absolute position of the pedestrian has not changed for a predetermined period of time, the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 determines that the pedestrian is stationary, and determines that the pedestrian is a stationary pedestrian near the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass through.

[0033] The pedestrian crossing behavior determination unit 108 determines the behavior of the vehicle 1 when passing through the crosswalk, i.e., the content of the autonomous driving control, based on the information about the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, acquired by the crosswalk information acquisition unit 104, and the determination results of the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 and the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107. The pedestrian crossing behavior determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle 1 should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed if the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 determines that there is no pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through. Furthermore, the pedestrian crossing behavior determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle 1 should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed if the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 determines that there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, and if the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 determines that there is a stationary pedestrian near the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through. Then, if the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 determines that there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, and if the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 determines that there is no stationary pedestrian near the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, the crosswalk passing behavior determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle 1 should stop at a stop target position just before the crosswalk.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 109 generates and outputs control signals for controlling each actuator 240 of the vehicle 1 based on the travel route planned by the travel route planning unit 103. This realizes autonomous driving along the travel route set for the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 109 generates and outputs control signals for controlling each actuator 240 of the vehicle 1 to drive or stop the vehicle 1 based on the content of driving control when passing through a crosswalk determined by the crosswalk passing behavior determination unit 108.

[0035] In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 109 is included in the vehicle control device 10, but may be provided outside the vehicle control device 10. In this case, the vehicle control unit receives a vehicle control signal generated by the vehicle control device 10 and controls the actuator 240 based on the vehicle control signal.

[0036] The operation of the vehicle control device 10 configured as above will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of vehicle control processing executed when the vehicle 1 is traveling. The vehicle control processing shown in Fig. 3 mainly shows processing related to driving control in response to pedestrians at intersections, but other controls for automatic driving, such as lane following control, leading vehicle following control, automatic braking control, signal judgment control, and obstacle avoidance control, may be executed in parallel with this processing.

[0037] 3 is started, for example, when the vehicle 1 is started or begins to run. In the vehicle control process, the controller 100 first acquires the current position of the vehicle 1 (host vehicle position) based on the output signal of the position information acquisition unit 210 (step S101). Note that the information on the current position of the vehicle 1 is updated as needed, and the controller 100 can acquire the information on the current position of the vehicle 1 as needed.

[0038] Next, the driving route acquisition unit 101 of the controller 100 acquires the driving route of the vehicle 1 from a navigation system or the like (step S102).

[0039] Next, the road environment acquisition unit 102 acquires information on the road environment of the traveling route by acquiring map information corresponding to the current position and the traveling route from the map database 230 based on the current position of the vehicle 1 acquired in step S101 and the traveling route acquired in step S102 (step S103). The map information includes information on the road environment such as the type of road (single road, intersection) and the presence or absence of traffic lights. Note that in steps S101 to S103, it is sufficient to acquire the current position of the vehicle 1, map information, and traveling route, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate.

[0040] Thereafter, the driving route planning unit 103 plans a driving route for the vehicle based on the current position of the vehicle 1, information on the road environment, and the driving route (step S104). For example, the driving route planning unit 103 plans a driving route related to autonomous driving, such as a driving route (a route passing through lanes and intersections) to be traveled on the driving route, a driving speed, etc., and sets these in advance as information for autonomous driving.

[0041] Next, the controller 100 determines whether the vehicle 1 is approaching an intersection with a pedestrian crossing that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass through, based on the current position and traveling route of the vehicle 1, etc. (Step S105). In Step S105, for example, it determines whether the vehicle 1 is within a predetermined distance (for example, 10 meters) from the crosswalk passing point (such as the point where the front end of the vehicle 1 reaches the crosswalk) at the intersection with the pedestrian crossing that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass through.

[0042] If the vehicle 1 is not approaching an intersection with a pedestrian crossing where the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass (step S105; No), the vehicle control unit 109 executes driving control based on the driving plan and the road environment (surrounding objects, lanes, color of the traffic light ahead, speed limit, etc.) acquired by the image capture unit 220 (step S106). In step S106, the vehicle control unit 109 outputs a control signal to the actuator 240 so that the vehicle 1 travels along a route according to the road environment and the driving plan. This allows the vehicle control device 10 to realize automatic driving of the vehicle 1 based on the driving plan. The driving speed of the vehicle 1 at this time may be, for example, a speed below the speed limit based on the road environment, a speed below the legal speed limit, a speed below an upper speed limit set by the user, or the like. Except when passing through an intersection (driving slowly), which will be described later, the vehicle control device 10 may cause the vehicle 1 to travel at such a normal driving speed during automatic driving.

[0043] Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the vehicle has arrived at the destination set on the travel route (step S107). If the vehicle has not arrived at the destination (step S107; No), the process returns to step S105, and travel control based on the current position of the vehicle 1 is repeated. If the vehicle has arrived at the destination (step S107; Yes), the vehicle control process ends.

[0044] The processes of steps S101 to S104, S106, and S107 are processes for automatically driving the vehicle 1 along a preset driving route, and represent general control related to automatic driving of the vehicle 1. Therefore, these processes and controls can be replaced with other well-known automatic driving controls. That is, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment is characterized by the control when the vehicle 1 approaches an intersection with a pedestrian crossing that it is scheduled to pass through, and passes through the pedestrian crossing.

[0045] If the vehicle 1 is approaching an intersection with a crosswalk that the vehicle is planning to pass through (step S105; Yes), the crosswalk information acquisition unit 104 determines whether or not there is a traffic light at the intersection that the vehicle is planning to pass through, based on information about the road environment (map information) (step S108).

[0046] If there is a traffic light at the intersection to be passed (step S108; Yes), the controller 100 determines whether the traffic light is green or not by detecting the traffic light ahead from the image captured by the imaging unit 220 (step S109). If the traffic light is not green (step S109; No), the vehicle control unit 109 executes stop control to stop the vehicle 1 at the stop line before the traffic light or behind the vehicle ahead (step S110). Then, the controller 100 waits until the traffic light turns green. Note that a green traffic light includes a green arrow (right turn arrow, left turn arrow, etc.) in the direction in which the vehicle 1 intends to travel being lit.

[0047] If the vehicle signal is green (step S109; Yes), the approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 determines whether or not there is an approaching pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, based on the image captured by the imaging unit 220 (step S111). In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 10 does not detect or determine the color of the pedestrian signal at the intersection. Instead, the vehicle control device 10 can determine whether to slow down the vehicle 1 through the crosswalk or to stop the vehicle 1, depending on the situation of pedestrians around the crosswalk, without detecting or determining the color of the pedestrian signal.

[0048] If it is determined that there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through (step S111; Yes), the stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 determines, based on the image captured by the imaging unit 220, whether there is a stationary pedestrian standing at the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through (step S112).

[0049] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an area for searching for pedestrians near a crosswalk. In FIG. 5, vehicle 1 is assumed to be planning to turn left at intersection 300 and pass crosswalk 301. In this case, approaching pedestrian determination unit 106 searches approaching pedestrian search area 322, a predetermined range on sidewalk 320 near crosswalk 301, based on captured images to determine whether there is a pedestrian moving toward crosswalk 301. Whether a pedestrian is moving toward crosswalk 301 is determined by whether the absolute position of a pedestrian has changed in the direction toward crosswalk 301 in multiple time-series captured images. As shown in FIG. 5, approaching pedestrian search areas 322 are provided on sidewalk 320 closer to vehicle 1 and on sidewalk 320 on the oncoming traffic side, so that approaching pedestrians are searched for on sidewalks 320 on both sides of crosswalk 301. Note that approaching pedestrian search area 322 shown in FIG. 5 is just an example, and the search range may be any range as long as an approaching pedestrian near crosswalk 301 can be detected. For example, the approaching pedestrian search area may be the entire range of the sidewalk 320 included in the captured image.

[0050] The stationary pedestrian determination unit 107 also searches a stationary pedestrian search area 321, a predetermined range near the crosswalk entrance, which is the boundary between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, based on the captured images to determine whether there is a stationary pedestrian. As shown in FIG. 5, stationary pedestrian search areas 321 are provided on the sidewalk 320 closest to the vehicle 1 and on the sidewalk 320 on the oncoming traffic lane, so that stationary pedestrians are searched for on both sides of the sidewalk 320 of the crosswalk 301. Whether a pedestrian is stationary is determined based on whether the absolute position of a pedestrian has changed in multiple time-series captured images. If the absolute position of a pedestrian does not change for a predetermined period of time, the pedestrian can be determined to be stationary. Note that since pedestrians are people, they do not come to a complete stop, so if the absolute position of the pedestrian is within a predetermined range, the pedestrian can be determined to be stationary. The predetermined period of time may be any period (e.g., 5 seconds), and may be, for example, the period from when the vehicle 1 starts to turn left or right until it reaches the crosswalk or a predetermined distance from the crosswalk. In this way, if a pedestrian remains stationary between the time when the vehicle 1 starts to turn left or right and the time when the vehicle 1 reaches the crosswalk, there is a high possibility that the pedestrian is waiting for a traffic light. Therefore, it is possible to effectively detect a pedestrian waiting for a traffic light near the entrance to the crosswalk.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5, the stationary pedestrian search area 321 is a range within a predetermined distance from the crosswalk entrance. Specifically, the stationary pedestrian search area 321 is an area that extends the width of the crosswalk 301 toward the sidewalk 320 from the boundary between the sidewalk 320 and the roadway 310 by a predetermined distance. Defining such a stationary pedestrian search area 321 makes it easier to detect pedestrians waiting for the traffic light at the crosswalk 301 and reduces erroneous detection of pedestrians other than those waiting for the traffic light. This makes it possible to effectively detect stationary pedestrians near the crosswalk entrance. Note that the stationary pedestrian search area 321 shown in FIG. 5 is just an example, and the search range may be any range as long as it can detect stationary pedestrians near the crosswalk entrance. For example, the stationary pedestrian search area may be an area that draws a semicircle toward the sidewalk, based on the boundary between the sidewalk and the crosswalk.

[0052] 5 shows the approaching pedestrian search area 322 and the stationary pedestrian search area 321 when the vehicle 1 turns left at the intersection 300. When the vehicle 1 turns right at the intersection, the approaching pedestrian search area and the stationary pedestrian search area are similarly provided on the sidewalk closer to the vehicle 1 and on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the lane, and the vehicle control device 10 searches for approaching pedestrians and stationary pedestrians on the sidewalks on both sides of the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, even when turning right.

[0053] Returning to FIG. 3, if it is determined that there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through (step S111; Yes), and if it is determined that there is no stationary pedestrian at the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through (step S112; No), the crosswalk passing behavior determination unit 108 determines to stop the vehicle 1 in front of the crosswalk and sets a target stopping position for the vehicle 1 (step S113). In step S113, for example, if there is a stop line in front of the crosswalk, the stop line is set as the target stopping position, and if there is no stop line, a point a specific distance (for example, 1 meter) from the crosswalk is set as the target stopping position. This allows the vehicle 1 to stop in a position that does not interfere with pedestrians crossing the crosswalk.

[0054] The vehicle control unit 109 then executes stop control (step S114) to decelerate the vehicle 1 to a predetermined slow speed (e.g., 10 kilometers per hour) or less and stop the vehicle 1 at the stop target position set in step S113. During stop control, the vehicle 1 gradually decelerates from its running speed before the stop control (e.g., 30 kilometers per hour) until it stops, so the speed of the vehicle 1 is equal to or less than the slow speed. Thus, if there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk through which the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass and there is no stationary pedestrian at the entrance to the crosswalk through which the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment determines to stop the vehicle 1 at the stop target position in front of the crosswalk and executes driving control to stop the vehicle 1 at the stop target position at a slow speed. If there is no stationary pedestrian at the entrance to the crosswalk, there is a possibility that the pedestrian approaching the crosswalk will enter the crosswalk and begin crossing. In such a case, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment stops the vehicle 1 before the crosswalk, thereby preventing the vehicle 1 from obstructing the pedestrian's path.

[0055] Furthermore, if it is determined that the vehicle 1 is to be stopped at a target stop position in front of a crosswalk, the vehicle may be slowed down a specific distance (for example, 3 meters) before the target stop position. Alternatively, the vehicle 1 may be decelerated in stages before the target stop position. This allows the vehicle 1 to be reliably stopped at the target stop position, and reduces the possibility of obstructing pedestrians, even if the pedestrian is walking outside the crosswalk. Note that the specific distance used to determine the target stop position and the specific distance used to determine the start position for the slow speed may be the same distance or different distances.

[0056] After the stop control is executed in step S114, the process returns to step S111, and the process of detecting pedestrians around the crosswalk continues.

[0057] If it is determined that there is no pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is to pass through (step S111; No), the crosswalk passing behavior determining unit 108 determines that the vehicle 1 should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. Also, if it is determined that there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is to pass through (step S111; Yes) and if it is determined that there is a stationary pedestrian at the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is to pass through (step S112; Yes), the crosswalk passing behavior determining unit 108 also determines that the vehicle 1 should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. In these cases, the crosswalk passing behavior determining unit 108 sets a slow speed at which the vehicle 1 should pass through the crosswalk (step S115). This slow speed may be set in advance, for example, 10 kilometers per hour.

[0058] Furthermore, the slow-travel speed for passing through a crosswalk is preferably a speed at which vehicle 1 can stop even if an approaching pedestrian enters the crosswalk without stopping before the crosswalk. By doing so, even if a pedestrian approaches while vehicle 1 is traveling at a slow speed, vehicle 1 can be stopped, preventing vehicle 1 from obstructing the pedestrian's path and avoiding a collision with the pedestrian. The slow-travel speed for passing through a crosswalk may be controlled, for example, based on the moving speed of the approaching pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk. For example, the slow-travel speed may be set to the same speed as or a speed similar to the moving speed of the approaching pedestrian. The slow-travel speed may also be controlled based on the positional relationship between vehicle 1 and the approaching pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk. For example, vehicle 1 may be set to a relatively slow speed (e.g., 5 kilometers per hour) until it reaches the front of the approaching pedestrian, and then accelerate to a relatively fast slow speed (e.g., 10 kilometers per hour) after it reaches the front of the approaching pedestrian to complete the passage. The slow-moving speed may also be controlled based on the time it takes for an approaching pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk to reach vehicle 1 or the distance between the approaching pedestrian and vehicle 1. For example, the time it will take for the approaching pedestrian and vehicle 1 to approach each other if they continue moving at the same speed may be calculated based on the current positions and moving speeds of the approaching pedestrian and vehicle 1, and a relatively fast slow-moving speed (such as 10 kilometers per hour) may be set until that time is reached, and a relatively slow slow-moving speed (such as 5 kilometers per hour) may be set after that time is reached. In this way, the slow-moving speed can be set according to the situation of the approaching pedestrian, and the vehicle can pass through the intersection at the slow-moving speed.

[0059] Then, the vehicle control unit 109 decelerates the vehicle 1 from the normal autonomous driving speed (e.g., 30 kilometers per hour) and executes passage control to pass the crosswalk at the slow speed set in step S115 (step S116). As described above, if there are no pedestrians approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment determines to have the vehicle 1 pass the crosswalk at a slow speed and executes driving control to have the vehicle 1 travel through the crosswalk at a slow speed. Also, if there is a pedestrian approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass and there is a stationary pedestrian at the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle 1 is scheduled to pass, the vehicle control device 10 determines to have the vehicle 1 travel through the crosswalk at a slow speed and executes driving control to have the vehicle 1 travel through the crosswalk at a slow speed. If there is a stationary pedestrian at the entrance to the crosswalk, the pedestrian signal for that crosswalk is red, and it is highly likely that the pedestrian approaching the crosswalk will stop in front of the crosswalk. In such a case, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment causes the vehicle 1 to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed, thereby avoiding unnecessary stops and realizing smooth automatic driving.

[0060] In the passage control in step S116, the vehicle 1 may be caused to pass through the crosswalk at a speed equal to or lower than the slow-walk speed set in step S115. The controller 100 may change the speed within the slow-walk speed or lower depending on the position of the vehicle 1 within the intersection and the situation of pedestrians.

[0061] When vehicle 1 is made to pass through a crosswalk at a slow speed, it may be made to travel at a slow speed from just before the crosswalk. For example, vehicle 1 may be made to travel at a slow speed from the same point as the target stopping position when vehicle 1 is made to stop just before the crosswalk, and pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed.

[0062] The passing control in step S116 may include control to stop vehicle 1 if a pedestrian (such as an approaching pedestrian) is detected within a predetermined distance while the vehicle is passing through the crosswalk at a slow speed. This prevents the vehicle from blocking the pedestrian's path and avoids a collision with the pedestrian, for example, if the approaching pedestrian enters the crosswalk without stopping before the crosswalk. Even in this case, vehicle 1 is traveling at a slow speed, so it is possible to prevent the vehicle from coming to a sudden stop. Furthermore, in the passing control, vehicle 1 is more likely to stop if it passes through the crosswalk at a slow speed or slower than the speed set in step S115.

[0063] After step S116, the vehicle control unit 109 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed through the intersection to be passed (step S117). If the vehicle has not passed through the intersection to be passed (step S117; No), the process returns to step S116 and continues crosswalk passage control. If the vehicle has passed through the intersection to be passed (step S117; Yes), the process returns to step S105 and repeats travel control based on the current position of the vehicle 1, the travel plan, etc.

[0064] After the stop control in step S114, the controller 100 returns to step S111 and determines whether or not there are approaching pedestrians or stationary pedestrians. Therefore, if the approaching pedestrian passes through the crosswalk after the vehicle 1 has been stopped at the target stop position and there are no more approaching pedestrians, the controller 100 can proceed to steps S115 and S116 and execute passing control to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed.

[0065] In step S108, if it is determined that there is no pedestrian signal at the intersection to be passed (step S108; No), the controller 100 executes a process for passing through an intersection without a signal (step S118).

[0066] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of passing through an intersection without a traffic light. In the process of passing through an intersection without a traffic light, the controller 100 first determines whether or not there are pedestrians around the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, based on the image captured by the imaging unit 220 (step S201). In step S201, the controller 100 determines whether or not there are pedestrians approaching the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through, or whether or not there are stationary pedestrians at the entrance to the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass through. That is, by performing the same process as steps S111 and S112 in FIG. 3, the controller 100 searches for and detects moving pedestrians and stationary pedestrians around the crosswalk.

[0067] If it is determined that there is a pedestrian around the crosswalk that the vehicle is to pass (step S201; Yes), the crosswalk passing behavior determination unit 108 determines to stop the vehicle 1 before the crosswalk to give priority to the pedestrian, and sets a target stop position for the vehicle 1 (step S202). Then, the vehicle control unit 109 causes the vehicle 1 to travel at a predetermined slow speed (e.g., 10 kilometers per hour) and executes stop control to stop the vehicle 1 at the target stop position set in step S202 (step S203). After executing the stop control in step S203, the process returns to step S201, and the process of detecting pedestrians around the crosswalk continues. In this way, when a pedestrian is detected around the crosswalk while passing through a crosswalk at an intersection without a traffic light, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment controls the vehicle 1 to stop temporarily, thereby giving priority to pedestrian passage. The processes of steps S202 and S203 may be the same as steps S113 and S114 of FIG. 3.

[0068] If it is determined that there are no pedestrians around the crosswalk that the vehicle is to cross (step S201; No), the crosswalk passing behavior determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle 1 should pass the crosswalk at a slow speed and sets the slow speed at which the vehicle 1 should pass the crosswalk (step S204). This slow speed may be set in advance, for example, 10 kilometers per hour. The vehicle control unit 109 then executes passing control to cause the vehicle 1 to pass the crosswalk at the slow speed set in step S204 (step S205). As described above, when passing a crosswalk at an intersection without a traffic light, if there are no pedestrians around the crosswalk, the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment determines that the vehicle 1 should pass the crosswalk at a slow speed and executes driving control to cause the vehicle 1 to travel through the crosswalk at a slow speed. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary stops and achieve smooth automated driving. Note that the processing in steps S204 and S205 may be the same as that in steps S115 and S116 of FIG. 3.

[0069] After step S205, the vehicle control unit 109 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed through the intersection to be passed (step S206). If the vehicle has not passed through the intersection to be passed (step S206; No), the process returns to step S205, and the crosswalk passage control continues. If the vehicle has passed through the intersection to be passed (step S206; Yes), the controller 100 ends the traffic light-free intersection passage process, returns to step S105 in FIG. 3, and repeats the travel control based on the current position of the vehicle 1, etc.

[0070] Next, an example of vehicle control of vehicle 1 at an intersection by the vehicle control device 10 configured as described above will be described. Vehicles 1A and 1B shown in FIG. 6 are each equipped with the vehicle control device 10. The vertical vehicle traffic light at intersection 300 in FIG. 6 is green. Vehicle 1A is turning left at intersection 300 shown in FIG. 6. Vehicle control device 10 of vehicle 1A detects pedestrian 311 approaching crosswalk 301. Vehicle control device 10 of vehicle 1A also detects stationary pedestrian 312 at the entrance to crosswalk 301. In this case, vehicle control device 10 of vehicle 1A determines that vehicle 1A should pass through crosswalk 301 at a slow speed, and decelerates vehicle 1A to control passage through crosswalk 301 at a slow speed (steps S111, S112, S115 to S117 in FIG. 3).

[0071] Also, vehicle 1B is turning right at intersection 300 shown in Fig. 6. Vehicle control device 10 of vehicle 1B detects pedestrian 313 approaching crosswalk 302. There is no stationary pedestrian at the entrance to crosswalk 302. In this case, vehicle control device 10 of vehicle 1B determines to stop vehicle 1B just before crosswalk 302, and executes stop control to decelerate vehicle 1B and stop vehicle 1B at stop target position 303 (steps S111 to S114 in Fig. 3).

[0072] As described above, according to the vehicle control device 10 and the vehicle control method executed by the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment, when the vehicle passes through a crosswalk at an intersection with a traffic light, the controller 100 determines whether there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk. If there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, the controller 100 determines whether there is a pedestrian standing at the crosswalk entrance, which is near the boundary between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, and determines whether to allow the vehicle 1 to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed or to stop the vehicle 1 based on the determination result. If there is no pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, the controller 100 determines to allow the vehicle 1 to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. As a result, for example, even if there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, if there is a pedestrian standing at the crosswalk entrance, the controller 100 infers that the pedestrian signal is red, determines that the moving pedestrian will also stop before the crosswalk, and determines to allow the vehicle 1 to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. This prevents the vehicle 1 from having to stop unnecessarily at intersections, realizes smooth automated driving, and appropriately controls the vehicle 1's passage through intersections.

[0073] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, parts of the above-described embodiment may be omitted or replaced, or any configuration may be added. Furthermore, the hardware configurations, functional configurations, flowcharts, sequences, etc. shown in the above-described embodiment are merely examples and may be modified as appropriate.

[0074] The above embodiment has been described with reference to an example in which the vehicle control device 10 performs automatic driving control when the vehicle 1 passes through a crosswalk while turning right or left at an intersection. When passing through a crosswalk while going straight at an intersection, the vehicle control device 10 may determine whether to cause the vehicle 1 to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed or to stop the vehicle 1 before the crosswalk, depending on the presence or absence of approaching pedestrians and stationary pedestrians around the crosswalk, as in the above embodiment, and perform automatic driving according to the result of the determination.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the location information of the vehicle 1 is acquired based on the GNSS signal, but the method of acquiring the location information of the vehicle 1 is not limited to this, and any other method may be used. For example, the location information may be acquired using a wireless signal from a wireless communication network, or may be acquired based on the output of a motion sensor mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0076] In addition, in the first embodiment, surrounding objects and pedestrians are detected from the images captured by the imaging unit 220, but this is not limiting. For example, instead of the imaging unit 220, surrounding objects and pedestrians may be detected by any sensor such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging), LRF (Laser Range-Finder), or SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging).

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the configuration is described assuming that the vehicle is traveling on the left side, but the present invention can also be applied to the case of traveling on the right side.

[0078] The vehicle control device 10 and the vehicle control method of the present invention may also be applied to automatic driving of a vehicle traveling on a road other than a public road, for example, on a road within a facility.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the processor 1011 executes a control program to realize each function, but the controller 100 may also be configured with dedicated hardware that realizes each function.

[0080] Furthermore, a control program for executing the operations of the above-described embodiments may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto Optical Disc), or a memory card, and the program may be installed on a computer to configure the controller 100 that can realize each function. When each function is realized by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0081] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 1A, 1B Vehicle, 10 Vehicle control device, 100 Controller, 101 Travel route acquisition unit, 102 Road environment acquisition unit, 103 Travel route planning unit, 104 Crosswalk information acquisition unit, 105 Surrounding object detection unit, 106 Approaching pedestrian determination unit, 107 Stationary pedestrian determination unit, 108 Crosswalk passing behavior determination unit, 109 Vehicle control unit, 210 Position information acquisition unit, 220 Imaging unit, 230 Map database, 240 Actuator, 300 Intersection, 301, 302 Crosswalk, 303 Stop target position, 310 Roadway, 311, 313 Approaching pedestrian, 312 Stationary pedestrian, 320 Sidewalk, 321 Stationary pedestrian search area, 322 Approaching pedestrian search area, 1010 Bus, 1011 Processor, 1012 Memory, 1013 Storage, 1014 communication interface.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device including a controller that controls autonomous driving of a vehicle, The controller: When passing through a crosswalk at an intersection with a signal, it is determined whether or not there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, If there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, determine whether there is a pedestrian standing at the crosswalk entrance, which is near the boundary between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, and based on the determination result, decide whether to allow the vehicle to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed or to stop the vehicle; If there are no pedestrians moving toward the crosswalk, it is determined that the vehicle should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. Vehicle control method.

2. When a pedestrian is within a predetermined distance on the sidewalk from the crosswalk entrance and has not moved for a predetermined time, the controller determines that the pedestrian is standing still at the crosswalk entrance. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 .

3. When a pedestrian is present within an area obtained by extending the width of the crosswalk from the boundary between the sidewalk and the roadway toward the sidewalk by the predetermined distance, the controller determines that the pedestrian is present on the sidewalk within the predetermined distance from the crosswalk entrance. The vehicle control method according to claim 2 .

4. If the pedestrian does not move from the time the vehicle starts to turn left or right until the time the vehicle reaches the crosswalk, the controller determines that the pedestrian is standing still. The vehicle control method according to claim 2 .

5. When there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk and there is no pedestrian standing at the crosswalk entrance, the controller determines to stop the vehicle at a target position in front of the crosswalk. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 .

6. The controller sets the target position to a stop line if there is one before the crosswalk, and to a position a specific distance before the crosswalk if there is no stop line before the crosswalk. The vehicle control method according to claim 5.

7. When the controller determines that the vehicle is to be stopped at the target position, the controller decelerates the vehicle so that the speed of the vehicle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined creep speed a specific distance before the target position. The vehicle control method according to claim 5.

8. The controller determines that the vehicle should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed if there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk and if there is a pedestrian standing at the crosswalk entrance. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 .

9. When the controller determines that the vehicle should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed, the vehicle passes through the crosswalk at a speed equal to or less than a predetermined slow speed. The vehicle control method according to claim 8.

10. The controller controls the creep speed based on a moving speed of a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk. The vehicle control method according to claim 9.

11. The controller controls the slow-moving speed based on a positional relationship between the pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk and the vehicle. The vehicle control method according to claim 9.

12. When the vehicle passes through a crosswalk at an intersection without a traffic light and there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk or standing at the entrance to the crosswalk, the controller determines to stop the vehicle at a target position in front of the crosswalk. A vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. a sensor for detecting surrounding objects; A vehicle control device comprising: a controller that controls autonomous driving of a vehicle, The controller When passing through a crosswalk at an intersection with a signal, it is determined whether or not there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk based on the detection result by the sensor; If there is a pedestrian moving toward the crosswalk, a determination is made based on the detection result by the sensor as to whether or not there is a pedestrian standing at the crosswalk entrance, which is near the boundary between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, at the crosswalk, and based on the determination result, a decision is made as to whether to allow the vehicle to pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed or to stop the vehicle; If there are no pedestrians moving toward the crosswalk, it is determined that the vehicle should pass through the crosswalk at a slow speed. Vehicle control device.

Images