vehicle

Abstract

By appropriately setting the highly automated switching conditions, vehicle control can be realized that enables switching between highly automated mode and basic mode at the appropriate timing. The automated driving control device includes a surroundings information acquisition unit, a driving mode setting unit, and an automated control unit. When the driving mode of the vehicle is set to the highly automated mode, the driving mode setting unit switches the driving mode of the vehicle to the basic mode if a preset basic mode switching condition is met.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201407, filed with the Japan Patent Office on September 30, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical Field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an automatic driving control device that can automatically perform some or all of the various driving actions required by the driver to drive a vehicle, such as various decisions and operations by the driver, without requiring any operation by the driver. [Background technology]

[0003] Various technologies for realizing autonomous driving of vehicles have been proposed, and some have been put into practical use. Patent Document 1 listed below discloses an autonomous vehicle that can drive autonomously according to a preset driving plan. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-59274 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One of the ultimate goals of autonomous driving technology is to enable a vehicle to reach its destination simply by setting the destination, without any driver involvement in the driving process. However, the current situation is that the level of reliability necessary to make this a reality has not yet been reached.

[0006] Until automated driving technology is established and reaches a high level of reliability, it is desirable to adopt automated driving technology while being able to disable some or all of the controls currently being performed automatically and leave them to the driver's control, if necessary.

[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, in a vehicle that is capable of automatically executing some or all of the various driving controls necessary for driving without the need for driver operation, it is desirable to be able to stop some or all of the controls that are being automatically executed at an appropriate time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is an automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising a surrounding information acquisition unit, a driving mode setting unit, and an automatic control unit. The surrounding information acquisition unit acquires surrounding information of the vehicle. The surrounding information is information indicating the state of the vehicle's surroundings, and is information necessary for automatically executing at least one of the multiple types of driving behaviors described above without requiring driver operation. The driving mode setting unit sets the driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The highly automated mode is a driving mode in which some or all of the multiple types of driving behaviors required for vehicle travel are automatically executed based on the surrounding information. The basic mode is a driving mode in which the number of types of driving behaviors automatically executed is fewer than in the highly automated mode, or is zero. The automatic control unit executes driving behaviors set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit. Then, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, the driving mode setting unit switches the driving mode to the basic mode if a preset basic mode switching condition is met.

[0009] The automatic driving control device configured in this manner has a highly automated mode and a basic mode as driving modes, and switches to the basic mode when a basic mode switching condition is met while in the highly automated mode. The basic mode switching condition is a specific condition under which it is necessary or desirable to switch the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. The number and content of the basic mode switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. Furthermore, if multiple basic mode switching conditions are set, the device may switch to the basic mode when at least one of the multiple basic mode switching conditions is met, or the device may switch to the basic mode when two or more specific numbers or all of the set basic mode switching conditions are met.

[0010] By appropriately setting the basic mode switching conditions, switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode can be performed at an appropriate timing. Therefore, with the automatic driving control device configured as described above, it is possible to stop some or all of the driving operations being automatically performed in the highly automated mode at an appropriate timing.

[0011] When the vehicle is being driven in the basic mode, there may be cases where it is preferable to switch to the highly automated mode and leave it to the automated driving process, depending on the situation. Therefore, when the driving mode is the basic mode, the driving mode setting unit may switch the driving mode to the highly automated mode if a preset highly automated switching condition is met.

[0012] The highly automated mode switching condition is a specific condition under which it is necessary or desirable to switch the operation mode from the basic mode to the highly automated mode. The number and content of the highly automated mode switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. Furthermore, if multiple highly automated mode switching conditions are set, the highly automated mode may be switched to when at least one of the multiple highly automated mode switching conditions is satisfied, or the highly automated mode may be switched to when two or more specific numbers or all of the set highly automated mode switching conditions are satisfied.

[0013] According to the automatic driving control device configured in this manner, by appropriately setting the high-level automation switching conditions, it is possible to switch between the high-level automation mode and the basic mode at the appropriate timing.

[0014] When the operation mode is the basic mode, even if the high-level automation switching condition is satisfied, the operation mode setting unit may maintain the basic mode if the basic mode switching condition continues to be satisfied.

[0015] If the basic mode switching condition is met, it is presumed that it is a situation in which it would be preferable to reduce the number of automated driving actions and increase the proportion of driving actions performed by the driver himself. Therefore, if both the high automation switching condition and the basic mode switching condition are met, by prioritizing the basic mode and not switching to the high automation mode, appropriate vehicle control that respects the driver's driving operations can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a side view of a vehicle according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram showing the automatic driving level of each driving mode, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing that the control content at each automatic driving level may be set arbitrarily. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of autonomous driving. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a main process. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart of an automatic driving control process in the main process of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart of an initial automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 7 is a flowchart of a normal-mode automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a case where the highly automated mode should be switched to the basic mode. [Figure 10] 7 is a flowchart of a basic mode switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the basic mode switching confirmation process. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the basic mode switching confirmation process. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart of a basic mode preparation confirmation process. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of a control parameter setting process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. (1) Vehicle 1 Configuration Fig. 1A shows a side view of a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 1B shows a top view of the vehicle 1. However, Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B simply illustrate the arrangement of various cameras, radars, sensors, etc. in the vehicle 1, with the aim of mainly clarifying the arrangement of these devices.

[0018] 1A and 1B, vehicle 1 is equipped with at least a first front camera 2, an interior camera 3, a first rear camera 4, a second front camera 5, a second rear camera 6, a left side camera 7, and a right side camera 8 as cameras for capturing images of the interior and exterior of vehicle 1. Each of cameras 2 to 8 is a camera capable of capturing color images and videos. Each of cameras 2 to 8 may be a monocular camera, or may be a stereo camera equipped with multiple lenses so as to be capable of acquiring depth information.

[0019] The first front camera 2 is mounted on the front end of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face forward. This first front camera 2 can capture a wide range of images in front of the vehicle 1. The interior camera 3 is mounted on the front end of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face rearward (inside the vehicle cabin). This interior camera 3 can capture images of at least the upper body of the driver inside the vehicle cabin. The first rear camera 4 is mounted on the rear end of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face rearward. This first rear camera 4 can capture a wide range of images behind the vehicle 1.

[0020] The second front camera 5 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 so as to face forward. This second front camera 5 is capable of capturing a wide range of images in front of the vehicle 1. The second rear camera 6 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 so as to face rearward. This second rear camera 6 is capable of capturing a wide range of images in the rear of the vehicle 1. The left side camera 7 is provided on the left side of the vehicle 1 so as to face left. This left side camera 7 is capable of capturing a wide range of images on the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side camera 8 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 so as to face right. This right side camera 8 is capable of capturing a wide range of images on the right side of the vehicle 1.

[0021] 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a front radar device 11, a rear radar device 12, a left-side radar device 13, and a right-side radar device 14. In this embodiment, each of the radar devices 11 to 14 is a millimeter-wave radar. As is well known, a millimeter-wave radar transmits millimeter-wave radio waves and receives the reflected waves with multiple receiving antennas, thereby obtaining target information about targets around the vehicle 1 based on the relationship between the transmitted waves and each received wave and the relationship between each received wave. The target information that can be detected by each of the radar devices 11 to 14 includes the presence or absence of a target in the detection direction, the distance to the target, the direction of the target relative to the vehicle 1, and the moving speed of the target (relative speed to the vehicle 1).

[0022] Specifically, the front radar device 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to and from the front of the vehicle 1. This front radar device 11 can acquire target information related to targets in front of the vehicle 1. The rear radar device 12 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to and from the rear of the vehicle 1. This rear radar device 12 can acquire target information related to targets behind the vehicle 1. The left side radar device 13 is provided on the left side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to and from the left side of the vehicle 1. This left side radar device 13 can acquire target information related to targets on the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to and from the right side of the vehicle 1. This right side radar device 14 can acquire target information related to targets on the right side of the vehicle 1.

[0023] 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is also equipped with a biological sensor 21, a solar radiation sensor 22, and a rainfall sensor 23. A plurality of biological sensors 21 (two in this embodiment) are provided on the steering wheel 20 that the driver operates to steer the vehicle. The biological sensors 21 can detect whether the driver is touching the steering wheel 20, and can detect various biological information such as the driver's pulse rate and sweating level while the driver is touching the steering wheel 20. The solar radiation sensor 22 is installed at the bottom of the windshield 10 at the front of the vehicle interior. The solar radiation sensor 22 can detect the amount of solar radiation on the vehicle 1 and, ultimately, the brightness around the vehicle 1. The rainfall sensor 23 is installed at the top of the windshield 10 on the interior side of the vehicle interior. The rainfall sensor 23 can detect the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rainfall.

[0024] Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is equipped with four autonomous driving operation lamps 16. As described below, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment can switch its driving mode between a highly automated mode and a basic mode, and while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, each autonomous driving operation lamp 16 lights up in a predetermined lighting pattern. The lighting state of each autonomous driving operation lamp 16 is visible from outside the vehicle 1. Therefore, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, it is possible to inform vehicles and pedestrians traveling around the vehicle 1 that the vehicle is traveling in the highly automated mode. Various lighting patterns are possible for each autonomous driving operation lamp 16. For example, the lamps may be constantly lit during the highly automated mode, or may be alternately turned on and off at regular intervals.

[0025] (2) Electrical configuration of vehicle 1 The electrical configuration of vehicle 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, vehicle 1 is equipped with an automatic driving control unit 30. The automatic driving control unit 30 mainly has a mode switching function and an automatic driving function. The mode switching function is a function that sets the driving mode of vehicle 1 to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The automatic driving function is a function that executes automatic driving according to the automatic driving level of the set driving mode (see FIG. 3A; details will be described later). As will be described later, the automatic driving control unit 30 appropriately switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 according to various factors such as the driving state of vehicle 1, the surrounding conditions of vehicle 1, and the state of the driver of vehicle 1.

[0026] There are several types of automated driving for vehicles, including partially automated driving and fully automated driving. Partially automated driving is a form of automated driving in which some of the various driving actions required by the driver to drive the vehicle are automated. Note that automated driving here means that the vehicle can be executed without the need for driver operation. Fully automated driving is a form of automated driving in which the vehicle travels to a set destination completely automated, without the need for driver operation. Autonomous driving Hereinafter, the parameter indicating the degree of automation of the types and number of driving actions in a vehicle is referred to as the "level of automation." Fully automated driving is a higher level of automation than partially automated driving. Furthermore, even within partially automated driving, there are various levels depending on the types and number of driving actions that are automated.

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

[0028] More specifically, in this embodiment, there are seven main automatic control functions for achieving fully automated driving: automatic start / stop control, lane keeping control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision prevention control, and parking control. The automated driving control unit 30 can execute these seven automatic control functions, and by executing these seven automatic control functions, fully automated driving can be achieved.

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

[0030] The specific details of the seven types of automatic control functions will be explained in detail later. The more of the seven types of automatic control functions that are executed, the higher the level of autonomous driving. Specifically, when none of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, the autonomous driving level is level 0. When n types of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, the autonomous driving level is level n. Therefore, in a level 0 driving mode, the driver must determine and operate the control operations corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions. On the other hand, driving modes from level 1 to level 6 are driving modes in which partial autonomous driving is performed. A level 7 driving mode is a driving mode in which fully autonomous driving is performed.

[0031] In this embodiment, the highly automated mode is a driving mode in which automated driving is performed at an automated driving level of level 1 or higher. On the other hand, the basic mode is a driving mode in which the automated driving level is relatively lower than that of the highly automated mode. For example, if the highly automated mode is level n, the basic mode can be set to any of level n-1 to level 0.

[0032] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity and ease of understanding, the basic mode will be described assuming that the autonomous driving level is set to Level 0. Level 0 is a level in which none of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, and the driver must perform most of the various driving operations required for driving.

[0033] The autonomous driving control unit 30 includes a calculation unit 30a and a memory 30b. Specifically, the memory 30b includes at least one of a ROM, a RAM, and various other storage media (e.g., an EEPROM or a flash memory). The calculation unit 30a executes various programs stored in the memory 30b to realize various functions including the mode switching function and the autonomous driving function described above. The calculation unit 30a includes at least a CPU.

[0034] The various programs stored in the memory 30b include a program (so-called security software) that can detect external unauthorized operations, computer viruses, unauthorized software and data, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "unauthorized factors"). The calculation unit 30a keeps this security software resident during startup, thereby constantly monitoring for the presence or absence of unauthorized factors. If an unauthorized factor occurs, various types of fraud response processing are executed. The fraud response processing includes forcibly setting the automatic driving level to level 0 and disabling all automatic control functions. This also includes processing to prevent the vehicle 1 from moving. In addition, various other specific contents of the fraud response processing are conceivable, and for example, a warning such as an audio warning may be output to the driver, or the vehicle 1 may be forcibly slowed down or stopped. Furthermore, the connection between the autonomous driving control unit 30 and each of the communication units 31 to 35 may be physically cut off, so that external access to the autonomous driving control unit 30 via wireless communication is not possible.

[0035] 1A and 1B, the cameras 2-8, the radar devices 11-14, the sensors 21-23, and the four automatic driving operation lamps 16 are connected to the automatic driving control unit 30. The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 individually controls the operation of the cameras 2-8, and also acquires the photographing results (image data) from the cameras 2-8 and stores them in memory 30b. The acquisition and storage of the image data are repeated at predetermined time intervals.

[0036] The calculation unit 30a can recognize various conditions inside and outside the vehicle based on the image data from each of the cameras 2 to 8. For example, the image data from the interior camera 3 can recognize the driver's line of sight, eye condition, and gestures. Furthermore, the image data from the first front camera 2 can detect a situation in which sunlight is incident on the vehicle and the driver feels dazzled (so-called backlighting). Furthermore, the image data from the first front camera 2 and the second front camera 5 can recognize the following: a preceding vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, a vehicle in an adjacent lane traveling diagonally ahead, lane markings, a crosswalk, pedestrians or bicycles suddenly appearing, other vehicles entering an intersection at an intersection, signs indicating the direction of travel, traffic lights, billboards, and other objects around the vehicle.

[0037] Furthermore, the calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 individually controls each of the radar devices 11-14, acquires target detection results from each of the radar devices 11-14, and stores them in the memory 30b. The acquisition and storage of the detection results from each of the radar devices 11-14 is repeated at predetermined time intervals. Based on the detection results of each of the radar devices 11-14, the calculation unit 30a can calculate and acquire the presence or absence of a target, the distance to the target, the direction of the target, the relative speed of the target as seen from the vehicle 1, and the like.

[0038] Furthermore, the calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 determines whether or not the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 based on the detection signal from the biosensor 21. Furthermore, while the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 (more specifically, while the driver is in contact with the biosensor 21), the calculation unit 30a acquires biometric information such as the driver's pulse rate and sweating level based on the detection signal from the biosensor 21. Based on the acquired biometric information, the calculation unit 30a can estimate the driver's physical and mental state.

[0039] The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can determine the brightness of the driving environment and determine whether it is nighttime or a similar situation (hereinafter simply referred to as "nighttime") based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22. The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can also determine the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rain based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 23.

[0040] 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a seating sensor 25 and a belt sensor 26 as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30. The seating sensor 25 is a sensor for detecting whether or not an occupant is sitting in a seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one seating sensor 25 is shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of simplicity, in reality, a seating sensor 25 is provided for each seat. Specifically, in the case of a vehicle 1 with a passenger capacity of N people, a seating sensor 25 is provided for each of the N seats.

[0041] The belt sensor 26 detects whether the occupant is fastening the seat belt when the occupant is seated in the seat of the vehicle 1. The belt sensor 26 is a sensor for detecting whether or not a seat belt is fastened. Although only one belt sensor 26 is shown in Fig. 2 for the sake of simplicity, in reality, a belt sensor is provided for each seat belt. Specifically, in the case of a vehicle 1 with a passenger capacity of N people, a seat belt is provided for each of the N seats, and a belt sensor 26 is provided for each of the seat belts.

[0042] In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a GPS communication unit 31, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32, a road-to-vehicle communication unit 33, a pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34, an LTE communication unit 35, and a TV / radio receiving unit 36 ​​as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30.

[0043] The GPS communication unit 31 receives radio waves from multiple GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and outputs information contained in the received radio waves (GPS information) to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can calculate the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the information received by the GPS communication unit 31.

[0044] The autonomous driving control unit 30 also includes a route guidance function, which is one of various element functions for realizing the autonomous driving function. The route guidance function calculates an appropriate route from the current location of the vehicle 1 to a destination based on the current location of the vehicle 1 calculated based on GPS information and the destination set by the driver, and controls the vehicle 1 to travel along that route to the destination. The content of the guidance control of the vehicle 1 in the route guidance function varies depending on the autonomous driving level. For example, when the autonomous driving level is set to level 7 of fully autonomous driving, the guidance control is to provide route information (information on the direction and route the vehicle should travel) necessary to execute multiple types of automatic control functions (seven types as described above in this embodiment) required to realize fully autonomous driving. For example, when the autonomous driving level is set to predetermined levels 1 to 6 (partially autonomous driving), which are lower than fully autonomous driving, the guidance control is to provide route information to automatic control functions required for partial autonomous driving among the multiple types of automatic control functions, and to provide route guidance (e.g., voice guidance) to the driver as needed.

[0045] Map data and other various data required for the route guidance function are stored in memory 30b. The calculation unit 30a executes the program for the route guidance function stored in memory 30b while referring to the various data, thereby realizing the route guidance function (specifically, the above-mentioned guidance control). Based on the route guidance function, the calculation unit 30a can also recognize the road conditions around the vehicle 1. Specifically, for example, it can recognize the shape and vehicle width of the route from the current position to the destination.

[0046] The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32 is a communication module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data to and from other vehicles other than the host vehicle. The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can acquire information about other surrounding vehicles (e.g., traveling direction, traveling speed, position, etc.) via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32. Conversely, information about the host vehicle 1 can also be transmitted to other vehicles.

[0047] The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is a communication module for receiving various information wirelessly transmitted from a road communication device 81 (see FIG. 4) installed on the road (ground side). The various information received by the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is input to the autonomous driving control unit 30.

[0048] The road communication device 81 is connected to a server (not shown), receives various information from the server, and wirelessly transmits it within a predetermined surrounding area. The server aggregates various types of road traffic information, such as various types of infrastructure information (for example, traffic light information, road regulation information, etc.) and information on the presence of other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. The server transmits individual road information related to each road communication device 81 based on the aggregated road traffic information. The individual road information is transmitted to each road communication device 81. This is various road traffic information relating to the traveling direction of vehicles traveling within the communication area. Each road communication device 81 wirelessly transmits the individual road information transmitted from the server within a predetermined communication area.

[0049] The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can acquire various road traffic information related to the roadway in the traveling direction via the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33. The information that the calculation unit 30a can acquire via the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 includes section information related to various sections, such as dangerous sections (for example, sections with successive curves, sections with narrow road widths, etc.), sections where construction work is being carried out, and certain sections close to accident sites. By linking the acquired section information with a route guidance function, the calculation unit 30a can recognize the relative relationship between the section and the vehicle 1, such as whether the vehicle 1 is traveling through the section indicated by the section information.

[0050] Each roadside communication device 81 shown in Fig. 4 is equipped with a camera 82. Each camera 82 captures images of the road and transmits the captured image data to a server via a network. The server can obtain road traffic information around each camera 82 from the captured image data transmitted from the camera.

[0051] The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is a communication module for wirelessly communicating with a communication terminal (e.g., a mobile phone or smartphone) carried by a pedestrian on the ground. When the communication terminal carried by the pedestrian is configured to be able to wirelessly transmit terminal position information indicating the position of the communication terminal (i.e., the pedestrian's position), the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 can receive the terminal position information transmitted from the communication terminal. The terminal position information received by the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is input to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The autonomous driving control unit 30 can also inform the pedestrian of the position information of the vehicle 1, etc., by wirelessly transmitting various information such as the position information of the vehicle 1 from the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 to the pedestrian's communication terminal.

[0052] The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can know the position and movement of pedestrians based on the terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34. The presence or absence and movement of pedestrians can be detected by the aforementioned cameras and radar devices, but in addition, the presence or absence of pedestrians and whether pedestrians are running out can also be detected from the information obtained via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34.

[0053] The LTE communication unit 35 is a communication module for realizing wireless communication according to LTE, a well-known mobile phone communication standard. The TV / radio receiving unit 36 ​​is a receiving module for receiving radio waves for television and radio broadcasts. The calculation unit 30a can acquire various information necessary for autonomous driving of the vehicle 1 and update existing information (for example, updating map data) via the LTE communication unit 35 (i.e., by LTE wireless communication). Note that it is not essential to acquire or update such various information by LTE wireless communication, and other wireless communication may be used instead.

[0054] 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with components connected to the autonomous driving control unit 30, including a display 37, a HUD (short for head-up display) 38, a microphone 39, a speaker 40, a turn signal operation unit 41, an autonomous driving operation lamp 16, an autonomous driving start switch 42, an autonomous driving stop switch 43, an emergency stop switch 44, and a level setting operation unit 45. As described above, four autonomous driving operation lamps 16 are provided in this embodiment. Note that hereinafter, the switches will also be referred to as "SWs."

[0055] The display 37 is a display device for displaying various information including map information for the route guidance function. The display 37 has a touch panel function, and the user can touch the display 37 according to the displayed content (for details, touch the touch panel). ) allows you to perform various input operations.

[0056] The HUD 38 is a display device that can project various types of information near the windshield 10. The microphone 39 acquires voices from the driver and other occupants and inputs the voice signals to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The speaker 40 outputs voices based on the various voice signals output from the autonomous driving control unit 30.

[0057] The winker operation unit 41 has an operation lever that is operated by the driver to make the winker (not shown) blink, and outputs a winker operation signal that indicates the operation state of the operation lever to the automatic driving control unit 30.

[0058] The autonomous driving start SW42 is a switch for putting the vehicle 1 into a highly automated mode. The driver of the vehicle 1 must press the autonomous driving start SW42 to set the vehicle 1 into a highly automated mode and perform autonomous driving. The autonomous driving stop SW43 is a switch for forcibly switching the autonomous driving level of the vehicle 1 to level 0 regardless of the set driving mode. The emergency stop SW44 is a switch for forcibly stopping the vehicle 1. The level setting operation unit 45 is a user interface for accepting the driver's operation to set the autonomous driving level (details will be described later).

[0059] If the driver recognizes that a fraudulent factor such as a computer virus or unauthorized operation has occurred, the driver can forcibly cancel automatic driving by pressing the automatic driving stop SW43, allowing the driver to drive the vehicle 1 by themselves.

[0060] The automatic driving activation SW 42, the automatic driving stop SW 43, and the emergency stop SW 44 are provided, for example, near the driver's seat in the vehicle interior, in positions where the driver sitting in the driver's seat can operate them while driving. However, the installation locations of these SWs 42, 43, and 44 may be determined as appropriate, or the same SW may be provided in multiple locations. For example, the emergency stop SW 44 may be provided near a seat other than the driver's seat (e.g., the passenger seat). In this way, for example, if something happens to the driver while driving and it becomes difficult for the driver to operate the vehicle normally, a passenger sitting in the passenger seat can operate the emergency stop SW 44 to bring the vehicle 1 to an emergency stop.

[0061] The vehicle 1 is also provided with an accelerator pedal 27a and a brake pedal 28a. The driver depresses the accelerator pedal 27a when he or she wants to drive the vehicle 1. The driver depresses the brake pedal 28a when he or she wants to slow down or stop the vehicle 1 while it is moving.

[0062] In addition, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a vehicle speed sensor 24, a driving control unit 27, a brake control unit 28, a pedal sensor 28b, and a steering control unit 29 as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30, as shown in Figure 2.

[0063] The pedal sensor 28b is a sensor for detecting whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a, and is provided on the surface of the brake pedal 28a that the driver's foot touches. The signal output from the pedal sensor 28b differs depending on whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a. The autonomous driving control unit 30 is configured to be able to determine whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on the signal output from the pedal sensor 28b.

[0064] The traveling drive control unit 27 is provided with an accelerator sensor (not shown) for detecting the depression amount of the accelerator pedal 27a. The autonomous driving control unit 30 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 by controlling an engine and a transmission (not shown) based on various information such as the depression amount of the accelerator pedal 27a, the operating position of a shift lever (not shown), the vehicle speed, and the engine rotation speed. On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when one of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is executed), the autonomous driving control unit 30 outputs control information required to realize the automatic control function to be executed to the driving drive control unit 27. In this case, the driving drive control unit 27 controls the engine and the transmission in accordance with the control information from the autonomous driving control unit 30 even when the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed. Note that although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an engine as a driving source for driving, the autonomous driving control device of the present disclosure can also be applied to vehicles equipped with a driving source for driving other than an engine. In this case, the driving drive control unit 27 shown in FIG. 2 has the function of controlling the driving source for driving of the vehicle.

[0065] The brake control unit 28 is equipped with a brake sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a. The brake control unit 28 controls a brake device (not shown) based on the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a detected by the brake sensor. On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when any of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is executed), the brake control unit 28 controls the brake device in accordance with control information from the automatic driving control unit 30, even if the brake pedal 28a is not depressed.

[0066] The steering control unit 29 has two main functions. One is a so-called electric power steering function. The electric power steering function is a function that assists the driver's operation of the steering wheel 20 by using a motor. The other is an automatic steering function that automatically steers the steering wheels (e.g., front wheels) of the vehicle 1 without the need for driver operation. Steering of the steering wheels is basically performed by the driver operating the steering wheel 20, but when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when at least one of the seven types of automatic control functions described above, excluding automatic start / stop control and inter-vehicle distance control, is executed), the steering control unit 29 automatically controls the steering of the steering wheels by controlling the motor in accordance with control information from the automatic driving control unit 30, even if the driver is not operating the steering wheel 20.

[0067] (3) Explanation of the autonomous driving function In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the automatic driving control unit 30 can acquire and detect various pieces of information necessary to realize the automatic driving function described above.

[0068] Information that can be used to realize an autonomous driving function includes, first of all, information such as the position and speed of the vehicle (subject vehicle information). The subject vehicle position can be obtained by calculation based on GPS information. The subject vehicle speed can be obtained by calculation based on a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 24, a steering angle signal from a steering angle sensor (not shown), a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor (not shown), etc. The subject vehicle speed can also be calculated from the rate of change of the subject vehicle position.

[0069] Information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions also includes information about surrounding moving objects, such as the relative positions, distances, and speeds of vehicles ahead, behind, to the side, oncoming vehicles, vehicles crossing the intersection ahead, pedestrians, and bicycles.

[0070] Information about these surrounding moving objects can be acquired based on the image data from the cameras 2 to 8 and the detection results from the radar devices 11 to 14. Various technologies for recognizing surrounding objects based on the image data and the detection results from the radar devices have been proposed and put into practical use, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0071] Information about surrounding moving objects can also be obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. For example, by performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication with surrounding vehicles, the vehicle can recognize the positions and movements of surrounding vehicles that are visible to the vehicle itself, as well as surrounding vehicles that are in blind spots and not directly visible to the vehicle itself. As described above, road-to-vehicle communication can acquire information about the presence of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, etc. As described above, pedestrian-to-vehicle communication can learn the positions and movements of pedestrians based on terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34.

[0072] By using one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, it is possible to, for example, obtain information on oncoming vehicles during normal driving (especially on curves) or when turning right in order to prevent head-on collisions with oncoming vehicles, obtain information on motorcycles on the left side or behind in order to prevent motorcycles from being hit when turning left, obtain information on vehicles on the side (rear side) when changing lanes, obtain information on vehicles in front in order to prevent rear-end collisions, obtain information on other vehicles traveling on the side of the intersection in order to prevent head-on collisions at intersections, and obtain information on pedestrians, etc. in order to prevent collisions with pedestrians, etc.

[0073] Additionally, information that can be used to realize the autonomous driving function also includes information about various road markings painted directly on the road, such as lane markings (including parking markings), pedestrian crossings, and stop lines. Information about road markings includes the location and content of the road markings. This information about road markings can be acquired based on the image data captured by each of the cameras 2 to 8. Various technologies for recognizing road markings from image data have been proposed and put to practical use, so a description of these will be omitted here.

[0074] Information about road signs in the direction of travel can also be obtained through road-to-vehicle communication. Although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is not equipped with a laser radar, it is also possible to obtain information about various road signs.

[0075] Additionally, information that can be used to realize the autonomous driving function also includes information on traffic lights, railroad crossings, signs (including billboards), intersections, junctions / diverging points, sidewalks, obstacles, dangerous areas, and other above-ground structures (hereinafter collectively referred to as "infrastructure-related information"). In addition to the presence and location of the various objects mentioned above, infrastructure-related information also includes information on the color of traffic lights, the operating status of railroad crossings, and the display content of signs and billboards. Infrastructure-related information can also be recognized and acquired based on the image data captured by each of cameras 2 to 8, and can also be acquired through road-to-vehicle communication. Various types of infrastructure information can also be acquired from the route guidance function described above, which is based on GPS information, map data, etc.

[0076] Another type of information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions is traffic regulation information. For example, if there are traffic regulations in place in the direction of travel due to construction, accidents, natural disasters, etc., this regulation information can be obtained through road-to-vehicle communication.

[0077] The various types of information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions, such as the information about surrounding moving objects, infrastructure-related information, information about road signs, and regulatory information, correspond to examples of surrounding information in the present disclosure.

[0078] The automatic driving control unit 30 acquires the various types of information described above and controls the travel drive control unit 27, brake control unit 28, steering control unit 29, and other necessary in-vehicle devices based on the information, thereby realizing automatic driving. Specifically, the seven types of automatic control functions described above can be executed. As described above, the seven types of automatic control functions in this embodiment are automatic start / stop control, lane keeping control, vehicle distance control, lane change control, and right / left turn control. , collision prevention control, and parking control.

[0079] The automatic start / stop control is a control that automatically stops the vehicle 1 when a condition for stopping is met while the vehicle is traveling, and automatically starts the vehicle 1 when the condition for stopping is lifted after the vehicle has stopped. This control is performed using information about the vehicle itself, as well as information about surrounding moving objects obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14, infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained through road-to-vehicle communication, and the like.

[0080] This automatic start / stop control allows the vehicle to continue moving if the traffic light at an intersection is green, stop if it is red or yellow, stop if it detects a railroad crossing ahead and detects that the barrier is down, and stop once and then start moving again if the barrier is not down.In addition, the vehicle will automatically stop if it detects an obstacle ahead.

[0081] Various control parameters required for executing the automatic start / stop control, such as the deceleration when automatically stopping and the acceleration when automatically starting, are set as default values ​​in advance and stored in the memory 30b. However, these control parameters may be configured to be arbitrarily changed from the default values.

[0082] Lane keeping control is a control configured to automatically steer the steering wheels so that the vehicle travels along the lane without deviating from the lane markings. This control is performed in cooperation with the route guidance function, using information on the vehicle itself as well as information on road markings (especially lane markings) obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14.

[0083] Inter-vehicle distance control is a control method for controlling the speed of a vehicle so that it follows another vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle while maintaining a fixed distance from the other vehicle. Inter-vehicle distance control also includes so-called cruise control. Specifically, when there is no other vehicle within a fixed range ahead of the vehicle (for example, within 100 m ahead), in other words, when there is no vehicle to be followed ahead of the vehicle, the vehicle is made to travel at a set speed. Inter-vehicle distance control is performed using information about the vehicle itself as well as information about surrounding moving objects (particularly the vehicle ahead) obtained mainly from the cameras 2-8 and the radar sensors 11-14.

[0084] Various parameters required for following a vehicle ahead, such as the upper limit of the vehicle speed and the distance between the vehicle ahead when following a vehicle ahead, are set in advance. However, these control parameters may be set arbitrarily. In addition, in the vehicle ahead distance control, the vehicle speed, which is one of the control parameters used when there is no other vehicle within a certain range ahead of the vehicle, is set to the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, in principle. However, the vehicle speed in this case may be set arbitrarily. In this case, the vehicle speed may be set arbitrarily, as long as it does not exceed the legal speed.

[0085] Lane change control is a control that, when a lane change (steering for lane change) is necessary, detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle is to change, and automatically changes lanes while controlling the driving force, braking force, and steering to avoid colliding with the other vehicles, depending on the presence, position, speed, etc. of the other vehicles. This control is performed using information about the vehicle itself, as well as information about surrounding moving objects (particularly other vehicles in adjacent lanes), information about lane markings, and information about other vehicles (vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes) obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14.

[0086] The right / left turn control is a control that automatically turns right or left when it is necessary to turn right or left without colliding with oncoming vehicles, vehicles traveling at an intersection, other vehicles around the vehicle, pedestrians, etc. This control is performed based on the vehicle information as well as the information obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14. This is done using information about surrounding moving objects obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, information about other vehicles obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and information about pedestrians and other objects obtained through pedestrian-to-vehicle communication.

[0087] Collision prevention control is a control that automatically steers or brakes / stops the vehicle to prevent it from colliding with an obstacle that exists on the road in the vehicle's traveling direction. This is performed using information about surrounding moving objects obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14, as well as infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained through road-to-vehicle communication.

[0088] Parking control is a control that, when a specific target parking position (for example, within a parking space in a specific parking lot) is set as the destination, calculates the driving trajectory to the target parking position and controls the vehicle's driving force, braking force, and steering along that driving trajectory to automatically park the vehicle.

[0089] The system is configured so that the driver or the like can arbitrarily set which of the seven types of control functions to execute, i.e., the autonomous driving level. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the autonomous driving level can be arbitrarily set in both the highly automated mode and the basic mode. However, in the basic mode, level 7 cannot be set, and any of levels 0 to 6 can be set. On the other hand, in the highly automated mode, level 0 cannot be set, and any of levels 1 to 7 can be set. Furthermore, the level of the basic mode can be set within a range of levels lower than the level of the highly automated mode. Conversely, the level of the highly automated mode can be set within a range of levels higher than the level of the basic mode.

[0090] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A , at level 1, control A (e.g., lane keeping control) is executed. At level 2, control B (e.g., inter-vehicle distance control) is executed in addition to control A. At level 3, control C (e.g., automatic start / stop control) is executed in addition to controls A and B. At level 4, control D (e.g., collision prevention control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, and D. At level 5, control E (e.g., lane change control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, D, and E. At level 6, control F (e.g., right / left turn control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, D, and E. At level 7, control G (e.g., parking control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, D, E, and F. In other words, the higher the level, the more types of automatic control functions are executed, and at level 7, the vehicle is fully autonomous.

[0091] The level setting for each driving mode can be performed by operating the level setting operation unit 45 provided near the driver's seat for each driving mode. In this embodiment, the autonomous driving level for the basic mode is set to level 0 by default, and the autonomous driving level for the highly automated mode is set to level 7 by default. The currently set autonomous driving level can be changed as desired for each driving mode. For example, if the basic mode is set to level 0, the highly automated mode can be changed as desired between levels 1 to 7. Also, for example, if the basic mode is set to level 1, the highly automated mode can be changed as desired between levels 2 to 7. Also, for example, if the highly automated mode is set to level 4, the basic mode can be changed as desired between levels 0 to 3.

[0092] It should be noted that which automatic control function is executed at which level is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3A. For example, it is not necessary that the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases by one. Which automatic control function is executed at which level may be determined as appropriate. Furthermore, the seven types of automatic control functions described above are merely an example, and the number of automatic control functions and the specific content of each automatic control function may be determined as appropriate.

[0093] Furthermore, while assuming that the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases by one, as shown in FIG. 3A, the contents of Control A to Control G may be set by the driver or the like as desired, as shown in FIG. 3B.

[0094] In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the driving mode is normally set to basic mode. On the other hand, when the automatic driving start switch 42 is pressed, the driving mode changes to highly automated mode under certain conditions. Note that when lane change control, right / left turn control, and parking control are set, a destination (a target parking position in the case of parking control) may be set. Specifically, the route guidance function may be started and the destination may be input via the touch panel. When a destination is set, automatic driving is basically performed in cooperation with the route guidance function, while checking the position of the vehicle, to follow the calculated route to the destination.

[0095] When the autonomous driving level is set to a driving mode of level 1 or higher and a destination is not set, the specific manner in which the automatic control functions applied in the current driving mode are executed may be determined as appropriate. For example, when a driving mode in which a right / left turn control function is executed is set and a destination is not set, the right / left turn control function may be executed so that the vehicle will generally follow the road. When it becomes necessary to select a direction of travel, for example, when approaching a fork in the road, the right / left turn control function may be executed so that the vehicle will proceed in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, when a destination is not set, the right / left turn control function may be disabled. The parking control function may also be disabled if a destination (specifically, a parking location) is not set.

[0096] Various control examples in the highly automated mode when the automated driving level of the highly automated mode is set to level 7 will be described using FIG. 4. Each of the vehicles 61 to 67 shown in FIG. 4 has the same configuration as the vehicle 1 shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. A vehicle traveling within the communication area of ​​the roadside communication device 81 can receive individual road information from the roadside communication device 81. At least four of the vehicles in FIG. 4 (61, 65, 66, 67) can receive individual road information from at least two nearby roadside communication devices 81a, 81b. Specifically, they can obtain information on a traffic light 71 ahead, information on an oncoming vehicle 62, information on a pedestrian 76, and the like.

[0097] Furthermore, at least the vehicle 63 can receive individual road information from at least the roadside communication devices 81c in its vicinity. Specifically, the vehicle 63 can acquire information such as the presence of a stop sign 73 (i.e., that the vehicle should stop), and the fact that another vehicle 64 is approaching from the right.

[0098] Furthermore, at least the vehicle 64 can receive individual road information from at least the roadside communication device 81d in its vicinity. Specifically, it can acquire information such as that another vehicle 63 is approaching from the left.

[0099] Furthermore, at least the vehicle 62 can receive individual road information from at least the roadside communication device 81e in its vicinity. Specifically, the vehicle 62 can acquire information such as information about the traffic light 72 ahead, the presence of an oncoming vehicle 61 about to turn right, the presence of a pedestrian crossing in the direction of the left turn, and the presence of a pedestrian 76 at the crosswalk.

[0100] Furthermore, each vehicle 61-66 can obtain various information from its own cameras 2-8 and radar devices 11-14, and can also obtain various information through vehicle-to-vehicle communication and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. For example, vehicle 65 can detect a vehicle 67 ahead and a vehicle 66 on its right side using a camera or radar device, thereby allowing it to travel while maintaining an appropriate distance from the vehicle 67 ahead, and when a lane change is necessary, change lanes at an appropriate timing while taking into account the positional relationship with the vehicle 66 on its right side. Furthermore, vehicle 65 can detect a pedestrian 77 running out into the road using a camera or radar device. When vehicle 65 detects a pedestrian 77 running out into the road, it can perform appropriate deceleration control to avoid colliding with the pedestrian 77 while taking into account the distance from the vehicle 65 behind.

[0101] In this way, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 can appropriately drive its own vehicle to the destination by automatic driving while using various information such as various information obtained by the own vehicle and various information obtained from the road side.

[0102] (4) Switching operation modes When the automatic driving start switch 42 is pressed, the automatic driving control unit 30 does not necessarily operate in the highly automated mode until the automatic driving stop switch 43 is pressed (or until the destination is reached). When the automatic driving start switch 42 is pressed, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 switches between the highly automated mode and the basic mode by executing the main processing shown in Fig. 5. In other words, the mode switching function is realized when the calculation unit 30a executes the main processing of Fig. 5.

[0103] When a start switch (e.g., an ignition switch) not shown in the figure of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the calculation unit 30a reads and executes the program for the main processing of FIG. 5 from the memory 30b. When the calculation unit 30a starts the main processing of FIG. 5, in S10, the calculation unit 30a sets the driving mode to the basic mode and executes an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode. For example, when level 1 is set as the basic mode, the automatic control function of control A (see FIG. 3A) is executed. The automatic control function is executed based on various information, including the aforementioned surrounding information, acquired as needed. Note that when level 0 is set as the basic mode, no automatic control function is executed. The automatic control functions set to be executed in the basic mode are executed automatically, but other functions are basically left to the driver's operation.

[0104] In S15, it is determined whether a destination has been set. If a destination has not yet been set (S15: NO), it is determined in S20 whether a destination has been set. If a destination has not been set (S20: NO), the process returns to S15. In other words, the basic mode continues until a destination is set.

[0105] If a destination has already been set (S15: YES) or if a destination has been set and input in S20 (S20: YES), it is determined in S25 whether the automatic driving activation SW42 has been turned on. If the automatic driving activation SW42 has not been turned on (S25: NO), the process returns to S15. If the automatic driving activation SW42 has been turned on (S25: YES), the automatic driving control process is executed in S30. The automatic driving control process is a process that determines whether the driving mode can be switched from basic mode to highly automated mode, and switches to the highly automated mode if switchover is possible. The automatic driving control process also includes a process that determines whether or not to switch back to basic mode after switching to highly automated mode, and switches to the basic mode if switchover is necessary. Details of the automatic driving control process in S30 are as shown in FIG. 6.

[0106] When the process proceeds to the automatic driving control process of Figure 6, it is determined in S110 whether the current driving mode is the highly automated mode. If the vehicle is already in the highly automated mode (S110: YES), the process proceeds to S200. If the vehicle is not in the highly automated mode but in the basic mode (S110: NO), the process proceeds to S120.

[0107] In S120, it is determined whether the initial automatic switching confirmation process of S130 has already been executed. The initial automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and is the automatic switching confirmation process that is executed first after the start switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on.

[0108] If the initial automatic switchover confirmation process has not been executed after the start of the main process (S120: If the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed after the start of the main process (S120: YES), S140 determines whether the vehicle has been driven since startup. If the vehicle has been driven even a little after startup regardless of the driving mode (S140: YES), S150 is executed to execute the normal automatic switching confirmation process. If the vehicle has not been driven at all since startup (S140: NO), S160 is executed. The normal automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and is an automatic switching confirmation process that is executed if the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed.

[0109] It is not essential that the automatic switching confirmation process be separated into an initial automatic switching confirmation process and a normal automatic switching confirmation process. One of the processes may be omitted, and only the other may be executed if a negative determination is made in S110. Alternatively, both processes may be combined into a single automatic switching confirmation process, and if a positive determination is made in S110, that single automatic switching confirmation process may be executed.

[0110] Details of the initial automatic switching confirmation process of S130 are as shown in Figure 7. When proceeding to the initial automatic switching confirmation process of Figure 7, the driver's operation state is confirmed in S310. In this embodiment, when switching to the highly automated mode immediately after startup, it is required that the driver be able to operate the vehicle 1 normally. This is to ensure that if it becomes necessary to return to the basic mode after starting driving in the highly automated mode, the driver can smoothly return to the basic mode. It is also intended to prevent someone who is inexperienced in driving operations (for example, a child) or someone who should not be operating the vehicle 1 from operating the vehicle 1 in automated driving mode without permission.

[0111] The specific operational state to be checked in S310 may be determined as appropriate. For example, a first determination method may be used in which it is determined whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 20 and depressing the brake pedal 28a. Alternatively, a second determination method may be used in which the driver is made to drive the vehicle 1 for a certain period of time (e.g., several tens of seconds) and it is determined whether the driving operation during the drive is normal. Specifically, it may be determined whether the driving operation is normal based on, for example, whether the accelerator operation is smooth, whether the steering wheel 20 is smoothly operated (whether the operation is performed in accordance with the shape of the driving route), whether the vehicle was able to travel without wavering in the lane detected by various in-vehicle cameras and radar devices, and whether the vehicle was able to travel in accordance with signals and signs detected by various in-vehicle cameras and radar devices.

[0112] Furthermore, the method for determining whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other determination methods. In S320, it is determined whether or not switching to the highly automated mode is possible based on the confirmation result of S310. For example, when the first determination method is used in S310 and it is determined that the steering wheel 20 is being gripped and the brake pedal 28a is being depressed, it may be determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible. In this case, it may also be determined whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat based on a detection signal from the seating sensor 25, and it may be determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible if the driver is seated in the driver's seat. For example, when the second determination method is used in S310 and it is determined that the driving operation during driving is normal, it may also be determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible. In this case, it may also be determined whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat based on a detection signal from the seating sensor 25, and it may be determined that switching to the highly automated mode is possible if the driver is seated in the driver's seat. Note that the operating state confirmed in S310 being such that it is determined in S320 that switching to the highly automated mode is possible is an example of a basic mode switching condition.

[0113] The S330 can switch to highly automated mode based on the results of the S320. If it is determined in S320 that switching to the highly automated mode is possible (S330: YES), the process proceeds to S335.

[0114] In S335, it is determined whether the occupants are wearing their seat belts. This determination is made based on the detection signals from the seating sensor 25 and the belt sensor 26. Specifically, the determination in S335 may be, for example, a determination of whether all occupants are wearing their seat belts, or, for example, a determination of whether at least the occupants in a specific seat (e.g., the driver's seat and passenger seat) are wearing their seat belts. If it is determined in S335 that all occupants are wearing their seat belts (S335: YES), the process proceeds to S340.

[0115] In S340, it is determined whether the basic mode maintain flag is cleared. The basic mode maintain flag and various flags described later are all cleared to their initial values ​​when the main processing starts.

[0116] If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S340: YES), the highly automated mode switch flag is set in S350. After processing S350, the process proceeds to S160 (Fig. 6). If it is determined in S330 that switching to the highly automated mode is not possible, the process proceeds to S360. Also, if in S335 there is an occupant who is not wearing a seat belt among the occupants being determined (S335: NO), the process proceeds to S360. Also, if it is determined in S340 that the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (i.e., set) (S340: NO), the process proceeds to S360. In S360, the highly automated mode switch flag is cleared. After processing S360, the process proceeds to S160 (Fig. 6).

[0117] Next, details of the normal-state automatic switching confirmation process of S150 (FIG. 6) are as shown in FIG. 8. When proceeding to the normal-state automatic switching confirmation process of FIG. 8, in S410, it is determined whether the normal-state transition condition to the highly automated mode is met. Various conditions for normal-state transition to the highly automated mode are conceivable, and may be, for example, that the driver is holding the steering wheel 20. Another example may be that the vehicle 1 is traveling within the legal speed limit and is capable of traveling straight or similarly (with few turns) for a certain period of time. In other words, the normal-state transition condition may be set so that switching to the highly automated mode can be performed in a stable state. Furthermore, as a normal-state transition condition, for example, that the driver is seated in the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other conditions (for example, as a logical sum or product with other conditions). Note that this normal-state transition condition is an example of a highly automated switching condition.

[0118] If the normal transition condition to the highly automated mode is met (S410: YES), it is determined in S480 whether the basic mode maintain flag is cleared. If the basic mode maintain flag is not cleared (S480: NO), the highly automated switch flag is cleared in S470, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). If the basic mode maintain flag is cleared (S480: YES), the highly automated switch flag is set in S490, and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6).

[0119] If it is determined in S410 that the normal transition conditions to the highly automated mode are not met (S410: NO), the basic mode is basically prioritized and maintained. However, if a driver is seated in the driver's seat, the driver's condition is checked by processing from S420 onwards, and if any abnormality in the driver's condition (an abnormality that may prevent the driver from driving normally) occurs, the highly automated mode switch flag is set to switch to the highly automated mode.

[0120] So basically, switching from basic mode to highly automated mode is done by the driver and This is done after confirming that vehicle 1 is in a stable state, but on the other hand, if the driver is unable (or not) to drive vehicle 1 normally, depending on the condition, it may be necessary to forcibly switch to the highly automated mode and properly drive vehicle 1. Therefore, in S420 and subsequent steps, if the driver is unable to drive vehicle 1 normally, the highly automated mode switch flag is set.

[0121] Specifically, if it is determined in S410 that the normal transition condition to the highly automated mode is not met (S410: NO), it is determined in S415 whether the driver is seated in the driver's seat. If the driver is not seated in the driver's seat (S415: NO), the normal automatic switching confirmation process in FIG. 8 is terminated and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). In this case, the driving mode remains in the basic mode. On the other hand, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat (S415: YES), the process proceeds to S420.

[0122] In S420, it is determined whether the driver is looking ahead. This determination may be made based on image data captured by the interior camera 3. Examples of cases in which the driver is not looking ahead include when the driver is watching television, operating a mobile phone or smartphone, or distracted while driving.

[0123] If the driver's eyes are facing forward (S420: YES), the process proceeds to S450. If the driver's eyes are not facing forward (S420: NO), the process proceeds to S430 to determine whether the vehicle is stopped. If the vehicle 1 is stopped (S430: YES), the process proceeds to S450. If the vehicle 1 is moving (S430: NO), the process proceeds to S440 to determine whether the driver's eyes have not been facing forward for a specified time. If the driver's eyes have not been facing forward for a specified time (S440: NO), the process proceeds to S450. If the driver's eyes have not been facing forward for a specified time (S440: YES), the process proceeds to S490 to set the high automation switch flag.

[0124] In S450, it is determined whether the driver's eyes are in a normal state. Specifically, if the driver is not in a drowsy state or a state close to that, it is determined to be normal, and if the driver is in a drowsy state or a state close to that, it is determined to be abnormal. This determination may be made based on image data captured by the interior camera 3.

[0125] If the driver's eye condition is normal (S450: YES), the process proceeds to S460. If the driver's eye condition is abnormal (S450: NO), the process proceeds to S490, where the high automation switch flag is set.

[0126] In S460, it is determined whether the driver's physical condition is normal. Specifically, this determination is made based on biological information obtained from the biosensor 21. For example, if the pulse rate is within the normal range and there is no abnormal sweating, the physical condition is determined to be normal. Conversely, if the pulse rate is outside the normal range or there is abnormal sweating, the physical condition is determined to be abnormal.

[0127] If the driver's physical condition is normal (S460: YES), the process proceeds to S470, where the high-level automation switch flag is cleared. If the driver's physical condition is abnormal (S460: NO), the process proceeds to S490, where the high-level automation switch flag is set. After processing S470 and S490, the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). Note that the driver's condition being in a state where a positive determination is made in S440, a state where a negative determination is made in S450, and a state where a negative determination is made in S460 are all examples of the high-level automation switch condition.

[0128] In S160, it is determined whether the high automation switch flag is set. If the switching flag is not set (cleared) (S160: NO), the process proceeds to S200. If the high-level automation switching flag is set (S160: YES), the driving mode is set to high-level automation mode in S170, and automated driving to the destination is initiated. More specifically, in S170, the driving mode is set to high-level automation mode, and automatic control functions based on the automated driving level set as the high-level automation mode are executed. For example, if level 6 is set as the high-level automation mode, six types of automatic control functions, Controls A to F (see FIG. 3A), are executed. Also, for example, if level 7 is set as the high-level automation mode, all seven types of automatic control functions, Controls A to G, are executed, thereby achieving fully automated driving. Note that the automatic control functions are executed based on various information, including the aforementioned surrounding information, which is acquired as needed.

[0129] In S180, a notification is made that automated driving in the highly automated mode has started. Specifically, the driver is notified by voice or the like that the mode has been switched to the highly automated mode. This notification may be made only when the mode is switched to the highly automated mode, or may be made as appropriate after the mode has been switched to (for example, repeatedly at specified time intervals). The notification method is not limited to voice. For example, the notification may be made by various methods, such as vibrating the steering wheel in a specific pattern or displaying a specific message on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

[0130] In S185, a cut-in no-passing notification is issued to those around the vehicle 1 to let them know that they are not to cut in front of the vehicle 1. The specific method of issuing the cut-in no-passing notification may be determined as appropriate. For example, a cut-in no-passing notification lamp may be provided and turned on. Alternatively, for example, an image indicating that cut-in no-passing is not desired may be displayed on the side or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. Alternatively, for example, a specific sound may be emitted from the horn. The specific sound may be, for example, a sound different from the normal sound emitted when the driver himself presses the horn button. Alternatively, for example, the fact that cut-in no-passing is not desired may be notified to those around the vehicle 1 using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, along with information about the vehicle (for example, location information, license plate information, etc.)

[0131] In S190, the four autonomous driving operation lamps 16 are turned on. This allows the vehicle 1 to be recognized as being in highly automated mode when viewed from outside. Note that methods other than turning on the four autonomous driving operation lamps 16 may be used to notify the outside that the vehicle 1 is traveling in highly automated mode. For example, an image indicating that the vehicle 1 is traveling in highly automated mode may be displayed on the side or window of the vehicle 1 so that it is visible from outside the vehicle. Furthermore, for example, the fact that the highly automated mode is set may be notified to the outside of the vehicle using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, along with information about the vehicle itself (e.g., location information, license plate information, etc.).

[0132] In S200, basic mode switching confirmation processing is executed. Details of the basic mode switching confirmation processing in S200 are as shown in Fig. 10. The basic mode switching confirmation processing in Fig. 10 determines whether the conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode are met, and if they are met, switches to the basic mode (more specifically, clears the highly automated switching flag for this purpose).

[0133] Prior to describing the basic mode switching confirmation process in FIG. 10 , an example of a condition for switching to the basic mode in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 shows a road 90 with a curve. Road construction is underway in a section of the road 90, and a sign 91 indicating the start of the construction section has been installed near point A. Furthermore, a sign 92 indicating the end of the construction section has been installed near point D. A vehicle 1 is about to enter point A.

[0134] Vehicle 1 can recognize the content of each sign 91, 92 from the photographs taken by each front camera 2, 5 and detect when it has entered or exited the construction zone. In addition, by acquiring position information of the construction zone from roadside communication device 81, it can also detect that vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the construction zone, that vehicle 1 has entered the construction zone, or that vehicle 1 has exited the construction zone. Note that this construction zone (which may include the section a predetermined distance before the start point of the construction zone) corresponds to the specific driving area described below.

[0135] Furthermore, the section from point B to point C is a caution zone where the road is narrow and has many curves, and where the driver should reduce his / her speed and drive more safely. By acquiring position information of this caution zone from the roadside communication device 81, the vehicle 1 can detect that the vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the caution zone, that the vehicle 1 has entered the caution zone, or that the vehicle 1 has left the caution zone. This caution zone from point B to point C (which may also include the section a predetermined distance before the start of the caution zone) also corresponds to a specific driving area, which will be described later.

[0136] Approximately halfway between points E and F is accident site 95, where a traffic accident has occurred. The accident section from point E to point F, which is centered on accident site 95, is also a section where the vehicle should reduce its speed and drive carefully. By acquiring position information of this accident section from roadside communication device 81, vehicle 1 can detect that vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the accident section, that vehicle 1 has entered the accident section, or that vehicle 1 has left the accident section. This accident section from point E to point F (which may also include the section a predetermined distance before the start of the accident section) also corresponds to a specific driving area, which will be described later.

[0137] In this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 travels in the specific travel area, the mode is switched from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. The basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 (FIG. 6) for realizing this will be described with reference to FIG.

[0138] 10, the calculation unit 30a determines in S510 whether or not a turn signal has been operated in the right turn direction by the turn signal operation unit 41. If a turn signal has been operated in the right turn direction (S510: YES), the calculation unit 30a sets the basic mode maintenance flag in S550 to switch to the basic mode, clears the high automation switch flag in S560, and proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that a turn signal being operated in the right turn direction is an example of a basic mode switch condition.

[0139] If the blinker has not been operated in the right turn direction in S510 (S510: NO), then in S520 it is determined whether the vehicle is traveling within a specific driving area such as that shown in Figure 9. If the vehicle is traveling within the specific driving area (S520: YES), then in order to switch to basic mode, the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550, the high automation switch flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (Figure 6). Note that traveling within a specific driving area is an example of a basic mode switching condition.

[0140] If S520 determines that the vehicle is not traveling within the specific travel area (S520: NO), S530 determines whether a pedestrian has been detected. This determination may be based on the image capture results of the front cameras 2 and 5, the detection signal from the front radar device 11, information received from road-to-vehicle communication, and information received from pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. If a pedestrian has been detected (S530: YES), the basic mode maintain flag is set in S550 to switch to basic mode, and the high automation switch flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that the detection of a pedestrian is one example of a basic mode switching condition.

[0141] If a pedestrian is detected running out into the road, an audio warning may be issued to alert the driver, or an image (a dummy pedestrian image) may be displayed using HUD 38 to highlight that a pedestrian has run out into the road.

[0142] If no pedestrian is detected in S530 (S530: NO), the process proceeds to S540 to determine whether the vehicle is in a specific environment. The specific environment for switching to the basic mode may be set as appropriate. In this embodiment, the specific environment includes at least bad weather with heavy rainfall, poor visibility at night, and a state where the driver is dazzled by backlight.

[0143] Whether or not the weather is bad and there is a lot of rain can be determined based on a detection signal from the rainfall sensor 23. Whether or not it is nighttime can be determined based on a detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22. Whether or not the driver is feeling dazzled due to backlight can be determined from the image captured by the first front camera 2, for example.

[0144] If the environment outside the vehicle is a specific environment at S540 (S540: YES), the basic mode maintain flag is set at S550 to switch to basic mode, the high automation switch flag is cleared at S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If the environment outside the vehicle is not a specific environment (S540: NO), it is determined that there is no need to switch to basic mode, the basic mode maintain flag is cleared at S570, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that the environment outside the vehicle being a specific environment is an example of a basic mode switching condition.

[0145] In S210, it is determined whether the high automation switch flag is cleared. If the high automation switch flag is cleared (S210: YES), in S220, the driving mode is switched to basic mode, and the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5). The specific processing content of S220 is basically the same as S10, in which the driving mode is set to basic mode and automatic control functions based on the automatic driving level set as basic mode are executed. Also, in S220, the four automatic driving operation lamps 16 are turned off. This makes it possible to recognize that the vehicle 1 is running in basic mode when viewed from outside.

[0146] When switching to the basic mode in S220, the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 may be appropriately reduced. When switching to the basic mode in S220, the driver may be notified of the change to the basic mode by various methods, such as by voice, vibration of the steering wheel, or display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

[0147] If the high automation switch flag is not cleared in S210 (S210: NO), the high automation mode is maintained and the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5). In S35, it is determined whether the automatic operation stop SW43 has been turned on. If the automatic operation stop SW43 has been turned on (S35: YES), all of the above flags (including the forced stop flag, which will be described later) are cleared in S40, the operation mode is set to the basic mode in S45, and the process returns to S15. In S45, as in S10, the operation mode is set to the basic mode, and the automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the basic mode is executed.

[0148] If the automatic driving stop SW43 is not turned on (S35: NO), it is determined in S50 whether the destination has been reached. If the destination has been reached (S50: YES), the destination setting is cleared in S55 and the process proceeds to S40 and subsequent steps. If the destination has not been reached (S50: NO), it is determined in S60 whether the emergency stop SW44 has been turned on or whether a forced stop flag has been set. The forced stop flag is a flag that is set in each process of Figs. 11 and 13, which will be described later.

[0149] If the emergency stop SW44 is not turned on and the forced stop flag is not set, (S60: NO) and return to S30. If the emergency stop switch 44 is turned on or the forced stop flag is set (S60: YES), all of the flags described above are cleared in S65, as in S40. Then, in S70, a forced stop process is executed to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, and the main process ends. Thereafter, in order to execute the main process again, it is necessary to at least turn the start switch back on (for example, turn the ignition switch off and on again). The forced stop process of S70 is a process to automatically and forcibly stop the vehicle 1. The specific method of stopping the vehicle 1 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the vehicle may be immediately decelerated and stopped on the road while traveling. Alternatively, for example, instead of stopping the vehicle 1 on the road, the vehicle 1 may be automatically driven to a location other than the road where it can be stopped (for example, a parking lot nearby the vehicle) and stopped.

[0150] (5) Effects of the embodiment According to the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment described above, the driving modes are a highly automated mode and a basic mode, and when a condition for transitioning to the basic mode (or a transition to the basic mode) is met during the highly automated mode, the vehicle switches to the basic mode. This makes it possible to switch from the highly automated mode to the basic mode at an appropriate timing. Conversely, when a condition for transitioning to the highly automated mode (or a transition to the basic mode) is met during the basic mode, the vehicle switches to the highly automated mode. This makes it possible to switch from the basic mode to the highly automated mode at an appropriate timing.

[0151] However, when the driving mode is in basic mode, even if a situation arises in which it is appropriate to switch to highly automated mode (specifically, even if the highly automated mode switch flag is set), if a situation exists in which the basic mode should be maintained (specifically, the basic mode maintenance flag is set), the basic mode will be maintained. Therefore, in a situation in which the basic mode should be maintained, appropriate vehicle control that respects the driver's driving operation can be achieved.

[0152] 5, and S170 and S220 in Fig. 6 correspond to an example of a surrounding information acquisition unit, an example of a driving mode setting unit, and an example of an automatic control unit. In Fig. 8, the process in which a positive determination is made in S410 and the process proceeds to S480, and a negative determination is made in S480 and the process proceeds to S470 corresponds to an example of a driving mode setting unit.

[0153] [Other embodiments] (1) As the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 in FIG. 6, various other contents can be adopted separately from or in addition to the process shown in FIG.

[0154] For example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11 may be employed. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11, first, in S610, a determination is made as to whether or not switching to the basic mode is necessary. This determination is a determination as to whether or not switching to the basic mode is necessary, and may be made based on various criteria. For example, if the vehicle 1 is traveling within a specific driving area or if the outside of the vehicle is in a specific environment, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary. Also, for example, if an occupant who was wearing a seat belt unfastens the seat belt, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary. Also, for example, if other vehicles around the host vehicle exhibit specific behavior toward the host vehicle, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary.

[0155] This determination can be made, for example, based on images captured by the cameras 2 to 8, or detection results by the radar devices 11 to 14. The specific behavior may be determined as appropriate. For example, the specific behavior may be another vehicle cutting in close to the vehicle's side. In this case, the method for determining whether or not another vehicle has cut in close may also be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that another vehicle has cut in close when the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle in the left-right direction (direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction) falls within a specified distance. Also, for example, it may be determined that another vehicle has cut in close when the rate of change in the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle in the left-to-right direction falls below a negative specified rate of change. If this happens, you can judge that the vehicle is trying to move closer to you.

[0156] For example, the specific behavior may be a case where a vehicle traveling behind the vehicle is suddenly approaching the vehicle. In this case, the method for determining whether or not a vehicle is suddenly approaching the vehicle may be determined appropriately. For example, similar to the method for determining whether or not the vehicle is approaching the vehicle, the determination may be based on the distance to the vehicle behind and the rate of change of that distance.

[0157] In S620, it is determined whether or not switching to basic mode is necessary based on the determination result of S610. If switching to basic mode is not necessary (S620: NO), in S710 the basic mode maintain flag is cleared and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If switching to basic mode is necessary (S620: YES), in S630 it is determined whether or not basic mode has already been set. If basic mode has already been set (S630: YES), the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If the vehicle is not yet in basic mode (i.e., is in highly automated mode) (S630: NO), in S640 the driver is notified in advance of the switch to basic mode using various methods, such as a voice, a specific steering wheel vibration pattern, or a specific display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

[0158] In S650, it is determined whether the driver has taken a prescribed action in response to the notification in S640. The prescribed action may be any of a variety of actions that confirm that the driver is ready to drive in the basic mode. For example, the prescribed action may be the driver gripping the steering wheel 20 and looking ahead. Other examples of prescribed actions may include having the driver emit a specific sound, make a specific gesture, or operate a specific operating member (e.g., a specific switch) inside the vehicle.

[0159] If the driver has taken the prescribed action (S650: YES), the basic mode maintain flag is set in S660, the high automation switch flag is cleared in S670, and the process proceeds to S210 (Fig. 6). If the driver has not taken the prescribed action (S650: NO), S680 determines whether a timeout has occurred without the driver taking the prescribed action since the start of the notification in S640, in other words, whether the state in which the driver has not taken the prescribed action has continued for a certain period of time.

[0160] If the timeout has not yet occurred, the process returns to S650. If the timeout has occurred, the high automation switch flag is cleared in S690, the forced stop flag is set in S700, and the process proceeds to S210 (Fig. 6). In other words, if the state in which the driver does not take the prescribed action continues for a certain period of time after the report in S640, even though the state is such that the mode should be switched to basic mode, it is determined that there may be some abnormality with the driver, and the forced stop flag is set to forcibly stop vehicle 1.

[0161] Furthermore, the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 in Fig. 6 may be, for example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in Fig. 12. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in Fig. 12, first, in S1010, it is determined whether inter-vehicle distance control, one of multiple types of automatic control functions, is being executed. In the above embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 3A, inter-vehicle distance control is executed when the autonomous driving level is level 2 or higher.

[0162] If the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control is not being performed (S1010: NO), the basic mode switching confirmation process ends. If the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control is being performed (S1010: YES), the process proceeds to S1020.

[0163] In S1020, it is determined whether or not another vehicle has cut in front of the vehicle. This determination is made based on, for example, images captured by the cameras 2 to 8, detection results by the radar devices 11 to 14, etc. The specific method of this determination may be determined as appropriate. For example, when another vehicle enters in front of the host vehicle in the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, it may be determined that the vehicle has cut in. In this case, it may be determined that the vehicle has cut in not only when the vehicle has simply entered but also when the state of entering continues for a specified time or longer.

[0164] If it is determined that no other vehicle has cut in ahead of the host vehicle (S1020: NO), the process proceeds to S1040. If it is determined that another vehicle has cut in ahead of the host vehicle (S1020: YES), a warning process is performed in S1030, and the process proceeds to S1040. The warning process in S1030 is a process for alerting the other vehicle cutting in ahead of the host vehicle (for example, that the host vehicle is behind the other vehicle, that the other vehicle should not cut in, etc.). The specific content of this warning process may be determined as appropriate. For example, a process similar to the cut-in prohibition notification in S185 of FIG. 6 may be performed.

[0165] In S1040, it is determined whether the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on the detection signal from the pedal sensor 28b. If the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: YES), the process proceeds to S1060. If the driver's foot is not placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: NO), an attention call process is performed in S1050, and the process proceeds to S1060.

[0166] The attention calling process of S1050 is a process for prompting the driver to place his / her foot on the brake pedal 28a. The specific content of this attention calling process may be determined as appropriate. For example, the prompt may be made by voice, by vibrating a specific location in the vehicle (e.g., the seat, the steering wheel 20, etc.), or by displaying warning information on the display 37 or the HUD 38. Note that if the driver does not place his / her foot on the brake pedal 28a even after the attention calling process is performed, a specific process may be executed. In this case, the specific process may be, for example, a process for forcibly stopping the vehicle 1 or a process for switching the driving mode to the basic mode.

[0167] In S1060, it is determined whether the brake pedal 28a is depressed. If the brake pedal 28a is not depressed (S1060: NO), the process proceeds to S1080. If the brake pedal 28a is depressed (S1060: YES), the process performs brake response processing in S1070 and then proceeds to S1080.

[0168] The specific content of the brake response process of S1070 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the inter-vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control, may be changed to a value greater than the current value so as to increase the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. Furthermore, when there are no other vehicles within a certain range ahead of the host vehicle and so-called cruise control is being performed, the vehicle speed, which is one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control, may be changed to a value less than the current value so as to reduce the speed of the host vehicle.

[0169] In S1080, it is determined whether or not the accelerator pedal 27a is depressed. If the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed (S1080: NO), the process proceeds to S1100. If the accelerator pedal 27a is depressed (S1080: YES), the process performs accelerator response processing in S1090, and then proceeds to S1100.

[0170] The specific content of the accelerator response process of S1090 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the inter-vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control, may be changed to a smaller value than the current value so as to shorten the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle. Also, when there are no other vehicles within a certain range ahead of the host vehicle and so-called cruise control is being performed, one of the control parameters used in the inter-vehicle distance control may be changed to a smaller value than the current value so as to increase the speed of the host vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle speed may be changed to a value higher than the current value.

[0171] In S1100, it is determined whether sudden braking has occurred automatically by an automatic control function including inter-vehicle distance control. The criteria for determining sudden braking may be determined as appropriate. For example, sudden braking may be determined to have occurred when the deceleration of vehicle 1 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0172] If sudden braking has not been applied in S1100 (S1100: NO), the process proceeds to S1140. In S1140, the basic mode maintain flag is cleared. If sudden braking has been applied in S1100 (S1100: YES), the process proceeds to S1110.

[0173] In S1110, it is determined whether or not the driving mode needs to be switched from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. This determination method may be determined as appropriate. For example, the actuation of sudden braking itself may be determined to be a condition that requires switching to the basic mode, and it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary. Alternatively, for example, each time it is determined that sudden braking has occurred in S1100, the number of times this determination has been made may be accumulated and stored, and when the accumulated value reaches a predetermined upper limit, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary.

[0174] If it is determined in S1110 that there is no need to switch to basic mode (S1110: NO), the process proceeds to S1140. If it is determined in S1110 that there is a need to switch to basic mode (S1110: YES), the basic mode maintain flag is set in S1120 to switch to basic mode, and the advanced automation switch flag is cleared in S1130.

[0175] Note that sudden braking may indicate, for example, that some abnormality (e.g., an accident, an obstacle, etc.) has occurred ahead of the vehicle, making it preferable for the driver to perform driving operations while paying attention to their surroundings. It may also indicate, for example, that an abnormality has occurred in the automatic control function. Therefore, if sudden braking is automatically performed (S1100: YES), the process of S1120 and S1130 is executed, provided that a positive determination is made in S1110, and the driving mode is switched to the basic mode.

[0176] (2) While driving in highly automated mode, a situation may arise in which it is necessary to return to basic mode. Therefore, even when driving in highly automated mode, it is preferable that the driver be able to perform driving operations themselves whenever necessary. Therefore, while driving in highly automated mode, for example, the basic mode preparation confirmation process shown in FIG. 13 may be executed to have the driver periodically perform a simple operation to check whether the vehicle is ready to return to basic mode immediately.

[0177] In the basic mode preparation confirmation process of FIG. 13, first, in S810, it is determined whether it is time to confirm (for example, periodically at intervals of several minutes, or at predetermined non-periodic times). If it is not time to confirm (S810: NO), the basic mode preparation confirmation process ends. If it is time to confirm (S810: YES), in S820, a confirmation operation is requested from the driver by voice or the like. The confirmation operation requested here can be determined as appropriate, and may be the same as the specified operation of S650 in FIG. 11, for example.

[0178] In S830, it is determined whether or not the driver has performed a confirmation action. If the driver has performed a confirmation action (S830: YES), it is determined that the driver is in a state where he or she can immediately return to the basic mode, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is terminated. If the driver has not performed a confirmation action (S830: NO), in S840, an audio or other warning is issued to the driver to alert them, and the request for a confirmation action continues.

[0179] In S850, similar to S830, it is determined whether or not a confirmation action has been performed by the driver. If a confirmation action has been performed by the driver (S850: YES), it is determined that the driver is in a state where he or she can immediately return to basic mode, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is terminated. If a confirmation action has not been performed by the driver (S850: NO), the high automation switch flag is cleared in S860 to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, and the forced stop flag is set in S870, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is terminated. Note that if the forced stop flag is set in S870, the process may immediately proceed to S70 (FIG. 5) to execute the forced stop process.

[0180] (3) The conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode may be determined as appropriate. When the conditions for switching to the basic mode are met, it may also be determined as appropriate whether to force the transition to the basic mode immediately or to wait until the driver is confirmed to be in a state where they can drive normally.

[0181] Conversely, the conditions for switching from the basic mode to the highly automated mode may also be determined as appropriate. For example, when a call or email arrives on the driver's mobile phone or smartphone, the system may detect the ringtone, automatically set the highly automated mode switch flag, and switch to the highly automated mode.

[0182] The vehicle 1 in the above embodiment is equipped with an LTE communication function, and the autonomous driving control unit 30 can also handle the functions of mobile phone communication and sending and receiving emails. In this case, when a call or email is received via the LTE communication network, the highly automated mode switch flag may be automatically set and the vehicle may switch to the highly automated mode.

[0183] (4) Some of the conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode, as exemplified in the above embodiment, may be used as conditions for switching from the basic mode to the highly automated mode. Conversely, some of the conditions for switching from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, as exemplified in the above embodiment, may be used as conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode.

[0184] The circumstances under which the vehicle should switch from highly automated mode to basic mode, and the circumstances under which the vehicle should switch from basic mode to highly automated mode, are not necessarily uniformly defined. For example, when driving on narrow, curved roads, depending on the accuracy and performance of the automated driving system, the vehicle may be driven more smoothly and safely by the driver operating the vehicle themselves. Conversely, for drivers who are inexperienced at driving, the vehicle may be driven more smoothly by leaving it to automated driving rather than operating the vehicle themselves. Therefore, the above switching conditions may be set taking into consideration the driver's skill, the driver's preference for driving modes (for example, whether the driver wants to prioritize highly automated mode or basic mode), and various other factors.

[0185] (5) In the above embodiment, even if a state in which the vehicle should (may) transition to the highly automated mode occurs after switching to the basic mode, the basic mode continues as long as the state in which the vehicle should operate in the basic mode (the state in which the basic mode maintain flag is set) continues. In contrast, if a state in which the vehicle should (may) transition to the highly automated mode occurs, with priority given to driving in the highly automated mode, the vehicle may be forced to switch to the highly automated mode even if the state in which the vehicle should operate in the basic mode (the state in which the basic mode maintain flag is set) continues.

[0186] In addition, the highly automated mode may be given priority, and after switching to the highly automated mode, as long as the state in which the system should operate in the highly automated mode continues, the highly automated mode may be continued even if the system is in a state in which it should (may) transition to the basic mode.

[0187] (6) In the above embodiment, in order to set the vehicle 1 to the highly automated mode and perform automated driving, it was necessary to press the automated driving activation SW 42, but it is not essential to press the automated driving activation SW 42. The automated driving activation SW 42 may be omitted, and the vehicle may automatically switch to the highly automated mode when the conditions for switching to the highly automated mode (or for which switching may be permitted) are met.

[0188] (7) When switching from highly automated mode to basic mode due to a situation where the mode should be changed, the automated driving level may be forcibly set to level 0 regardless of the automated driving level set as the basic mode. In this case, level 0 may be maintained until a specified operation is performed by the driver, and when the specified operation is performed by the driver, the automated driving level may be switched to the automated driving level set as the basic mode.

[0189] In addition, when a state arises in which a transition from basic mode to highly automated mode is required and the transition factor is a specific transition factor that has been set in advance, the automated driving level may be forcibly set to level 7, and fully automated driving may be performed, regardless of the automated driving level set for the highly automated mode.

[0190] (8) The number of vehicle occupants can be detected at any time based on a detection signal from the seating sensor 25. Therefore, while the vehicle is traveling in the highly automated mode, the number of occupants may be monitored, and if a change in the number of occupants occurs, a predetermined process may be performed. As the predetermined process, for example, the change in the number of occupants may be notified to other occupants by audio output, image display, or the like. As another predetermined process, for example, the driving mode may be switched to the basic mode. As another predetermined process, for example, the vehicle 1 may be forcibly stopped. As another predetermined process, for example, the vehicle occupants may be asked whether it is okay to continue traveling in the highly automated mode, and if they respond that it is okay to continue, the highly automated mode may be continued, and if they respond that it should not be continued, the vehicle may be switched to the basic mode or forcibly stopped.

[0191] A specific method for asking the vehicle occupant whether or not it is OK to continue driving in the highly automated mode may be determined as appropriate. For example, the question may be asked by voice. Or, for example, the question may be asked by displaying a message on the display 37, HUD 38, or the like. The method by which the occupant responds to the question may also be determined as appropriate. For example, the occupant's voice input via the microphone 39 may be recognized, and the occupant's response may be determined based on the recognition result. Or, for example, a button may be displayed on a touch panel, and the occupant may press the button to determine whether or not to continue.

[0192] (9) The driver's driving operations may be learned, and the learning results may be reflected in the automatic control functions. Specifically, after startup, the automatic driving control unit 30 may repeatedly execute the control parameter setting process shown in Fig. 14 at a predetermined interval, so that the various control parameters used in the automatic control functions are updated appropriately according to the driver's driving operations.

[0193] The control parameter setting process in Fig. 14 will be described. When the calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 starts the control parameter setting process in Fig. 14, it determines in S1310 whether the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. If the driving mode is not set to the highly automated mode, that is, if the driving mode is set to the basic mode (S1310: NO), the learning process is performed in S1320.

[0194] The learning process in S1320 detects the driver's habits and preferences from the details of the driver's own driving operations, and stores information indicating the detected habits and preferences (hereinafter referred to as "driving preference information") in a memory. 30b.

[0195] For example, the driver's accelerator operation when starting vehicle 1 from a stop may be detected, and a determination may be made as to whether the driver tends to depress accelerator pedal 27a slowly or relatively quickly, and the determination result may be stored as one piece of driving preference information. Whether the accelerator is being depressed slowly may be determined, for example, based on whether the rate of change in the amount of depression of accelerator pedal 27a is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0196] For example, when the driver operates the turn signal just before a corner, the distance from the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of the operation to the corner may be detected and stored as one piece of driving preference information.

[0197] The type of driving preference information detected and stored in the learning process may be one or more. The specific content may be determined as appropriate. The two examples of driving preference information described above are merely examples.

[0198] If the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode at S1310 (S1310: YES), the process proceeds to S1330. At S1330, it is determined whether the driving preference information is reflected in the control parameters. More specifically, it is determined whether the processes of S1340 to S1350 have already been executed since the driving mode was switched from the basic mode to the current highly automated mode.

[0199] If the driving preference information has already been reflected in the control parameters, that is, if the processing of S1340 to S1350 has already been executed after switching to the highly automated mode (S1330: YES), the control parameter setting processing ends.

[0200] If the driving preference information has not yet been reflected in the control parameters, that is, if the processes of S1340 to S1350 have not yet been executed after switching to the highly automated mode (S1330: NO), the process proceeds to S1340.

[0201] At S1340, the driving preference information stored in memory 30b by the learning process at S1320 is read. At S1350, control parameters for the automatic control functions set to be executed in the highly automated mode are calculated based on the driving preference information read at S1340. The currently used control parameters are then updated to the calculated control parameters.

[0202] For example, if information relating to the operation speed of accelerator pedal 27a is stored as driving preference information, and if the driver tends to depress accelerator pedal 27a slowly, a value lower than the default value is calculated as the acceleration at start-up, which is one of the control parameters in the automatic start / stop control, and the value is updated to that calculated value. Conversely, if the driver tends to depress accelerator pedal 27a quickly, a value higher than the default value is calculated as the acceleration at start-up, and the value is updated to that calculated value.

[0203] For example, if the distance from the position where the turn signal is operated to the corner is stored as driving preference information, the distance from the position where the turn signal is operated to the corner, which is one of the control parameters for right and left turn control, is calculated to be the same distance as or close to the stored distance, and updated to the calculated value.

[0204] The driver may be allowed to select whether or not to execute the control parameter setting process of FIG. 14. If the driver has selected not to execute the control parameter setting process, In this case, for example, preset default values ​​may be used as the control parameters. Also, the driver may be allowed to erase the driving preference information that has already been stored. Furthermore, when switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode, each control parameter may be reset to its default value.

[0205] (10) While the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, the driver's facial expressions, gestures, and speech may be detected, and the driver's satisfaction with the currently automatically executed automatic control function may be determined based on the detected results. For example, a facial image of the driver captured by a camera may be subjected to image recognition processing, and if the driver has a displeased expression, it may be determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the current automatic control function. Conversely, if the driver has a neutral or happy expression, it may be determined that the driver is not dissatisfied with the current automatic control function.

[0206] Furthermore, the driver's speech may be recognized by speech recognition processing, and if the driver makes a speech indicating dissatisfaction with the current automatic control function, it may be determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the current automatic control function. Conversely, if the driver does not make a speech indicating dissatisfaction with the current automatic control function, it may be determined that the driver is not dissatisfied with the current automatic control function.

[0207] If it is determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the current automatic control function, the operation mode may be switched to the basic mode. (11) In addition, the function of one component in the above embodiments may be distributed among multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Furthermore, at least a portion of the configuration of the above embodiments may be replaced with a known configuration having a similar function. Furthermore, a portion of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted as long as the problem can be solved. Furthermore, at least a portion of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to, replaced with, or the like for, the configuration of another of the above embodiments. All aspects included in the technical idea identified by the wording of the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0208] [Technical concept understood from the embodiment] At least the following technical ideas can be understood from the various embodiments described above in detail. Specifically, the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure configured as in the following (A) may be further configured as in the following (B) to (E). (A) An automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, a surrounding information acquisition unit configured to acquire surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of the vehicle; a driving mode setting unit configured to set a driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode in which some or all of a plurality of types of driving actions required for driving the vehicle are automatically performed based on the surrounding information, or a basic mode in which the types of driving actions to be automatically performed are fewer than those in the highly automated mode or are zero; an automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit; Equipped with The operation mode setting unit is configured to switch the operation mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the operation mode is set to the highly automated mode. Automatic driving control device. (B) In (A) above, When the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, if a preset basic mode switching condition is met, the driver of the vehicle is notified that the driving mode has been switched to the basic mode. An automatic driving control device comprising a switching notification unit configured to issue a specific notification to notify a driver that a mode will be switched to another mode.

[0209] With this automatic driving control device, the driver of the vehicle can recognize when the driving mode is switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode, and can therefore operate and drive the vehicle appropriately even after switching to the basic mode. (C) In (A) or (B) above, a prescribed action determination unit configured to determine whether a driver of the vehicle is performing a prescribed action when a preset basic mode switching condition is met when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode; The driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied and when the specified operation determination unit determines that the driver is performing the specified operation, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. Automatic driving control device.

[0210] With an automatic driving control device configured in this manner, the driver can confirm whether or not they are actually capable of driving in basic mode before switching to basic mode, so that the driver can drive the vehicle appropriately even after switching to basic mode. (D) In ​​any one of (A) to (C) above, a confirmation operation request unit configured to repeatedly request a specific confirmation operation from a driver of the vehicle at specific timings while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode; a confirmation operation determination unit configured to determine whether the driver has performed the confirmation operation each time the confirmation operation request unit issues a request for the confirmation operation; a vehicle stopping unit configured to stop the vehicle when the confirmation operation determination unit determines that the confirmation operation has not been performed; An automatic driving control device comprising: (E) In any one of the above (A) to (D), An automatic driving control device comprising an exterior alarm unit configured to notify the exterior of the vehicle when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0211] 1, 61 to 66...vehicle, 2...first front camera, 3...interior camera, 4...first rear camera, 5...second front camera, 6...second rear camera, 7...left side camera, 8...right side camera, 11...front radar device, 12...rear radar device, 13...left side radar device, 14...right side radar device, 16...autonomous driving operation lamp, 20...steering wheel, 21...biometric sensor, 22...solar radiation sensor, 23...rainfall sensor, 24...vehicle speed sensor, 25...seat occupancy sensor, 26...belt sensor, 27...travel drive control unit, 28...brake control unit, 29...steering control unit, 30...autonomous driving control control unit, 30a...calculation unit, 30b...memory, 31...GPS communication unit, 32...vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, 33...roadside-to-vehicle communication unit, 34...pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit, 35...LTE communication unit, 36...TV / radio receiving unit, 37...display, 38...HUD, 39...microphone, 40...speaker, 41...turn signal operation unit, 42...autonomous driving start switch, 43...autonomous driving stop switch, 44...emergency stop switch, 45...level setting operation unit, 71, 72...traffic light, 73...stop sign, 76, 77...pedestrian, 81...roadside communication device, 82...camera, 90...road, 91, 92...signboard, 95...accident scene.

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, a surrounding information acquisition unit configured to acquire surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of the vehicle; a driving mode setting unit configured to set a driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode in which some or all of a plurality of types of driving actions required for driving the vehicle are automatically performed based on the surrounding information, or a basic mode in which the types of driving actions to be automatically performed are fewer than those in the highly automated mode or are zero; an automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit; Equipped with The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether an occupant of the vehicle is wearing a seat belt, When the operation mode is set to the highly automated mode, the operation mode setting unit and when the driving mode setting unit determines that the occupant is not fastening the seat belt, the driving mode is switched to the basic mode. Automatic driving control device.

2. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether an occupant of a specific seat is fastening the seat belt. Automatic driving control device.

3. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 or 2, The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether the occupant is fastening the seat belt based on a detection signal from a seating sensor for detecting whether the occupant is sitting in a seat of the vehicle and a detection signal from a belt sensor for detecting whether the occupant sitting in the seat is fastening the seat belt. Automatic driving control device.

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