Control devices, control systems, and methods for controlling mobile objects

Abstract

When multiple moving objects forming a convoy move through a travel space, the system suppresses contact between vehicles and reduces traffic capacity. [Solution] The exclusive control area request unit of the in-vehicle control device considers the multiple autonomous vehicles 100 forming a convoy as a single group of autonomous vehicles 300, sets a requested area based on the size of this convoy, and requests the control device to acquire a token. The control device determines whether to issue a token based on the occupation status of the multiple areas of the exclusive control area 103 by other vehicles and the requested area, and only if it determines that a token can be issued, it sets the requested area as an occupied area 302 and permits the entry and driving of the group of autonomous vehicles 300.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control system, and a method for controlling multiple mobile bodies that move in a moving space, which communicate with each other and control the movable areas of these multiple mobile bodies. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technologies for moving multiple mobile entities (vehicles) in a convoy have been investigated. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle management device that receives application information for convoy driving of multiple vehicles, acquires traffic condition information related to the application information on the road where the convoy driving will be carried out, sets criteria for the convoy driving based on the acquired traffic condition information related to the application information, determines whether or not the convoy driving can be carried out based on the application information and the length of the convoy driving included in the set criteria, and permits the carrying out of the convoy driving based on the result of the determination of whether or not it can be carried out. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-033359 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The vehicle management device described in Patent Document 1 determines whether platooning is permitted on a road where it is to be carried out, based on criteria for platooning (including the length of the platoon) set based on traffic condition information and application information. In other words, it only determines whether platooning is permitted on a specific road, and does not consider how to control multiple vehicles platooning on that specific road, for example, from the standpoint of ensuring safety or preventing a reduction in traffic capacity.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a control device that can suppress contact between moving objects and a reduction in traffic capacity when multiple moving objects forming a convoy move through a moving space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention includes several means for solving the above problems, but to give one example, a control device comprising a processor that communicates with a mobile body that can move in a mobile space virtually divided by a plurality of sections and performs processing to control the mobile sections of the mobile body, wherein when a plurality of mobile bodies forming a convoy move in the mobile space, the plurality of mobile bodies are considered as a group of mobile bodies, and the plurality of sections through which the group of mobile bodies passes are set as occupied sections for the plurality of mobile bodies, and entry of other mobile bodies other than the plurality of mobile bodies into the occupied sections is prohibited. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when multiple moving objects forming a convoy move through a moving space, contact between the moving objects and a reduction in traffic capacity can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a target scene using a control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram that provides a detailed explanation of the functions of the platooning control unit of the on-board control system. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by an in-vehicle control device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the control system. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of autonomous vehicles form a vertical queue and enter an exclusive control area. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a comparative example in which tokens for an exclusive control area are issued one by one to a plurality of autonomous vehicles. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of queue formation control (S205 in FIG. 4). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of autonomous vehicles form a parallel queue and enter an exclusive control area. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another comparative example in which tokens for an exclusive control area are issued one by one to a plurality of autonomous vehicles. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the flow of a plurality of autonomous vehicles changing the queue form from vertical to parallel in chronological order. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of autonomous vehicles change the queue form from vertical to parallel and enter an exclusive control area. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of queue formation control (S205 in FIG. 4) with a change in the queue form. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of autonomous vehicles enter an exclusive control area in a state where the change in the queue form is not completed. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of queue formation control (S205 in FIG. 4) when a plurality of autonomous vehicles enter an exclusive control area in a state where the queue form is not completed.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an example of a target scene using a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as a moving object, a vehicle capable of autonomous driving (autonomous vehicle) will be described as an example.

[0011] The autonomous vehicle 100 stores route information 101 indicating the path it will travel in a memory or other storage device, and autonomously drives along the road 104 according to this route information 101. The onboard control device 105 installed in the autonomous vehicle 100 is connected wirelessly or otherwise to a control device 110 which has a processor and a storage device that stores a program executed by the processor, and is configured to control the vehicle's driving based on information transmitted and received between the control device 110 and the control device 105.

[0012] Here, the driving route information 101 is predetermined to follow a set driving path 104, and may be held in advance by the autonomous vehicle 100 along with map information, or it may be received and held by the autonomous vehicle 100 after being transmitted from the control device 110.

[0013] The travel path 104 is provided with an exclusive control area 103 for the exclusive use of moving objects such as vehicles. The control device 110 can detect this exclusive control area 103 using sensors, virtually divide the detected exclusive control area 103 into multiple sections using a grid-like structure, and recognize the occupied status of these multiple sections.

[0014] The onboard control device 105 of the autonomous vehicle 100 requests the control device 110 to set several sections to be occupied when passing through the exclusive control area 103 as the vehicle's occupied section 102, based on the driving route information 101, before the vehicle enters the exclusive control area 103. The control device 110 checks whether the requested sections (requested sections) are set as occupied sections for other vehicles, and if it is confirmed that they are not set for other vehicles, it issues a token to the requesting vehicle (autonomous vehicle 100) that sets the requested sections as occupied section 102. If the requested token is obtained, the autonomous vehicle 100 is allowed to enter and drive through the exclusive control area 103; if a token is not obtained, the system is controlled to prohibit entry into and driving through the exclusive control area 103. A token is a digital pass that grants the right to pass.

[0015] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a control system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control system 1 includes a control device 110 which is a server, and a plurality of on-board control devices (e.g., electronic control units (ECUs)) 105 which are each connected to the control device 110 so as to be able to communicate wirelessly or the like, and are mounted on each autonomous vehicle 100. The plurality of on-board control devices 105 are also each connected to each other so as to be able to communicate.

[0016] The control device 110 can function as a surrounding environment recognition unit 111, an exclusive control management unit 112, a platoon determination unit 500, and a platoon instruction unit 501 by executing various programs stored in a memory or other storage device using a processor. In other words, each unit 111, 112, 500, and 501 is a convenient functional unit that divides the processing that can be executed by the processor of the control device 110. The surrounding environment recognition unit 111 receives the detection result of a sensor that detects objects within the exclusive control area 103 and executes a process to recognize the occupation status of multiple sections of the exclusive control area 103 based on the detection result. This sensor (object detection sensor) can be an external environment recognition sensor such as LiDAR, RADAR, or a camera, or it can be a sensor that detects the presence of an object without contact, such as RFID.

[0017] The exclusive control management unit 112 calculates which of the multiple sections of the exclusive control area 103 the autonomous vehicle 100 can travel through, based on the occupation status of the exclusive control area 103 recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 111 and the token request history from the autonomous vehicle 100, and then executes a process to determine whether or not it is possible to issue a token to the autonomous vehicle 100 based on the result.

[0018] When the platoon determination unit 500 receives notifications from multiple autonomous vehicles 100 of their planned entry into the exclusive control area 103, it performs a process to determine whether or not to form a platoon with the multiple autonomous vehicles 100. If it determines that a platoon should be formed, the platoon instruction unit 501 sends a platoon formation instruction to the autonomous vehicles 100.

[0019] Each in-vehicle control device 105 includes a processor and a storage device that stores various programs executed by the processor. By executing these programs using the processor, the device can function as an autonomous control unit 121, an exclusive control area request unit 122, and a platoon control unit 502. The autonomous control unit 121 determines the vehicle's behavior based on its own position and surrounding environment recognition results estimated from the detection results of sensors mounted on the vehicle, calculates the amount of control required for the actuators to travel along its own driving path, and performs autonomous driving by transmitting the calculation results to the corresponding actuators.

[0020] Furthermore, the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 and the exclusive control area request unit 122 of each on-board control device 105 can exchange data with each other, and the platoon instruction unit 501 of the control device 110 and the platoon control unit 502 of each on-board control device 105 can exchange data with each other.

[0021] Furthermore, multiple in-vehicle control devices 105 can exchange data with each other through their respective exclusive control area request units 122, and each of their platoon control units 502 can also exchange data with each other.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the platoon control unit 502 of the on-board control device 105 can also function as a platoon instruction receiving unit 600, a leading vehicle / preceding vehicle determination unit 601, a vehicle-to-vehicle information receiving unit 602, a lateral control command value calculation unit 603, a longitudinal control command value calculation unit 604, and a vehicle-to-vehicle information transmission unit 605. When the platoon instruction receiving unit 600 receives a platoon formation instruction issued by the platoon instruction unit 501 of the control device 110, the platoon control unit 502 is activated and the processing of each unit 601-605 is executed.

[0023] The lead car / preceding car determination unit 601 determines, based on the convoy formation instruction from the control device 110, the lead car for issuing commands to and managing each vehicle 100 within the convoy, and the preceding car that serves as the reference for the movement of each vehicle 100. It then executes a process to establish a state where communication is possible between the lead car and preceding car and each following vehicle 100 within the convoy. Here, it is assumed that the convoy formation instruction contains not only information specifying the lead car and preceding car, but also information necessary for communication with the lead car and preceding car. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the communication method, and UDP or TCP communication can be used.

[0024] The vehicle-to-vehicle information receiving unit 602 performs processing to receive various data via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and in particular receives data from the leading vehicle and the preceding vehicle determined by the leading vehicle / preceding vehicle determination unit 601. As an example of the information to be received, the leading vehicle receives the target lateral distance and longitudinal distance to the preceding vehicle, and each vehicle 100 is controlled to drive based on this information. The preceding vehicle receives the current target acceleration command value and target steering angle, current acceleration, current steering angle, current position information, etc.

[0025] The lateral control command value calculation unit 603 detects the preceding vehicle using sensors such as LiDAR and cameras mounted on the vehicle, and calculates the target steering angle using formula (1) by applying the concept of a forward-looking model based on the position information (x, y) of the detected vehicle.

[0026]

number

[0027] Here, d ego is the target steering angle of the host vehicle, K s is the gain, and q represents the angle between the vector connecting the origin in the vehicle coordinate system of the host vehicle and the center-of-gravity position of the preceding vehicle and the traveling direction. Regarding the position of the preceding vehicle, by verifying its accuracy based on the position information of the preceding vehicle received through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, more accurate and safe platooning can be performed.

[0028] Also, in the longitudinal control command value calculation unit 604, similar to the lateral control command value calculation unit 603, based on the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle detected using sensors mounted on the host vehicle and the target inter-vehicle distance for the preceding vehicle instructed from the leading vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the target acceleration can be calculated using Equation (2).

[0029]

Equation

[0030] At this time, u ego is the target acceleration of the host vehicle, u lead is the target acceleration of the preceding vehicle, K d and K p are the gains, V lead is the speed of the preceding vehicle, V ego is the speed of the host vehicle, L sensing is the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle detected by the sensor, L dest is the target inter-vehicle distance sent from the leading vehicle.

[0031] In this way, based on each command value calculated by the lateral control command value calculation unit 603 and the longitudinal control command value calculation unit 604, the autonomous control unit 121 performs vehicle control to perform the platooning formation operation.

[0032] Furthermore, the vehicle-to-vehicle information transmission unit 605 performs processing to transmit various data via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and in particular, when the formation of the convoy is completed, it sends a convoy formation completion notification to the lead vehicle. In addition, assuming that the vehicle will be the leading vehicle, it may transmit information such as the vehicle's current target acceleration and target steering angle, current acceleration, and current steering angle.

[0033] Next, as shown in Figure 1, the processes executed by the on-board control device 105 and the control device 110 when one autonomous vehicle 100 enters the exclusive control area 103 will be explained.

[0034] ≪Autonomous Vehicle 100 Side≫ First, the operation of the autonomous vehicle 100 will be explained by referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the processes performed by the on-board control device 105.

[0035] As an initialization setting before starting to drive, the autonomous vehicle 100 receives and stores location information of the exclusive control area 103 on the driving path 104 via communication with the control device 110, and then in step S200, starts autonomous driving according to the driving path information 101.

[0036] During autonomous driving, in step S201, the exclusive area request unit 122 of the autonomous vehicle 100 checks whether there is an exclusive control area 103 on its driving route based on the driving route information 101 and the location information of the exclusive control area 103 stored before the start of driving. If there is no exclusive control area 103 on the driving route, the process proceeds to step S211, and the autonomous vehicle 100 continues autonomous driving. On the other hand, if there is an exclusive control area 103 on the driving route, in step S202, the exclusive control area request unit 122 notifies the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 of the planned entry into the exclusive control area 103. The planned entry notification may be sent, for example, when the distance between the autonomous vehicle 100 and the exclusive control area 103 falls below a predetermined value.

[0037] Furthermore, in step S203, if there is no platoon formation instruction from the platoon instruction unit 501 of the control device 110 to the platoon control unit 502 of the autonomous vehicle 100, it is determined that one vehicle is scheduled to enter the exclusive control area 103. In step S204, the exclusive control area request unit 122 sets a section of the exclusive control area 103 corresponding to the size of one vehicle as the requested section. In step S208, the exclusive control area request unit 122 requests the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 to acquire a token that will designate the requested section set in step S204 as the occupied section 102, thereby requesting entry into the exclusive control area 103.

[0038] In step S209, the exclusive control area request unit 122 checks the status of obtaining the requested token. If the token is obtained, it determines that an exclusive area 102 for the autonomous vehicle 100 has been set in the exclusive control area 103 and that entry is permitted. In step S211, the autonomous vehicle enters and drives into the exclusive control area 103 by continuing autonomous driving.

[0039] If a token cannot be obtained in step S209, the exclusive control area request unit 122 determines that entry into the exclusive control area 103 is prohibited, and in step S210, it slows down or brakes the autonomous vehicle 100, and returns to step S209 to check the token acquisition status again. If the inability to obtain a token continues, the autonomous vehicle 100 stops before the exclusive control area 103, and as soon as a token is obtained, it proceeds to step S211 to start autonomous driving, enters the exclusive control area 103, and drives through it.

[0040] ≪Control device 110 side≫ Next, the operation of the control device 110 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the processes performed by the control device 110.

[0041] In step S301, the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 receives a notification from the autonomous vehicle 100 that it intends to enter the exclusive control area 103. In step S302, it checks whether there are multiple such notifications. If there is only one notification of intended entry, it proceeds to step S305, where the exclusive control management unit 112 checks whether it has received a token request (step S208) from the autonomous vehicle 100, and repeats this process until it receives this token request.

[0042] When the token request is received in step S305, the exclusive control management unit 112 determines in step S306 whether it can issue the token based on the occupation status of multiple sections of the exclusive control area 103 recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 111 by other vehicles and the requested section defined in the token request from the autonomous vehicle 100 (step S208). For example, it determines whether a token has been issued for another vehicle for the requested section.

[0043] In step S306, if it is determined that a token can be issued (i.e., no tokens for other vehicles have been issued in the requested area), multiple areas (requested areas) of the exclusive control area 103 corresponding to the token request in step S208 of Figure 4 are set as the occupied area 102 for the autonomous vehicle 100, and the exclusive control management unit 112 sends a token to the exclusive control area request unit 122 of the autonomous vehicle 100 (step S307), thereby permitting the entry and driving of the autonomous vehicle 100.

[0044] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S306 that a token cannot be issued (i.e., a token for another vehicle has been issued for the requested area), then in step S308, information indicating that a token cannot be issued is sent to the exclusive control area request unit 122, thereby prohibiting the entry and driving of the autonomous vehicle 100.

[0045] In this way, only autonomous vehicles 100 that have acquired a token can enter and drive in the exclusive control area 103, and autonomous vehicles 100 that have not acquired a token are prohibited from entering and driving. As a result, collisions between vehicles in the exclusive control area 103 are less likely to occur, and autonomous vehicles 100 can be safely controlled.

[0046] Next, as shown in Figure 6, we will describe the processes performed by the on-board control device 105 and the control device 110 when, for example, three autonomous vehicles 100 enter the exclusive control area 103 in a convoy.

[0047] ≪Autonomous Vehicle 100 Side≫ First, the operation of the autonomous vehicle 100 will be explained by referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 4. During autonomous driving, the exclusive area request unit 122 of the autonomous vehicle 100 checks in step S201 whether there is an exclusive control area 103 on its driving path. If there is an exclusive control area 103 on the driving path, in step S202, the exclusive control area request unit 122 notifies the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 of the planned entry into the exclusive control area 103.

[0048] Furthermore, in step S203, the platoon control unit 502 checks whether there is a platoon formation instruction from the platoon instruction unit 501 of the control device 110. If there is a platoon formation instruction, the process proceeds to step S205, where the platoon control unit 502 starts the platoon formation control described later based on the information of this platoon formation instruction. As a result, the three autonomous vehicles 100 form a tandem platoon as shown in Figure 6.

[0049] Furthermore, in step S206, the autonomous control unit 121 checks whether its own vehicle is the lead vehicle in the convoy. If it is the lead vehicle, in step S207, it considers the three autonomous vehicles 100 as a group of autonomous vehicles 300 and sets the required area based on the size of this group of autonomous vehicles 300. One method for setting the required area is to set the area so that it includes the entire shape surrounding the group of autonomous vehicles 300. This shape can include the bounding rectangle of the group of autonomous vehicles 300, a rectangle offset outward by a predetermined distance from the bounding rectangle, or a shape obtained by enlarging and deforming the bounding rectangle.

[0050] Subsequently, in step S208, a request for entry into the exclusive control area 103 is made by requesting the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 to acquire a token that designates the requested area set in S207 as the occupied area from the exclusive control area request unit 122.

[0051] Furthermore, in step S209, the lead autonomous vehicle 100 checks the token acquisition status. If it has acquired a token, it determines that an exclusive area 302 for one group of autonomous vehicles 300 has been set up in the exclusive control area 103 and that entry is permitted. It then proceeds to step S211 and enters the exclusive control area 103 together with the other two autonomous vehicles 100, forming a convoy, and drives through the area.

[0052] If a token cannot be obtained in step S209, the process proceeds to step S210, where the leading autonomous vehicle 100 is decelerated or braked, and the other two autonomous vehicles 100 in the convoy are also decelerated or braked in accordance with the actions of this leading vehicle. Until a token can be obtained, these three autonomous vehicles 100 stop and wait before the exclusive control area 103. Once a token is obtained, the process immediately proceeds to step S211, where they begin autonomous driving, enter the exclusive control area 103, and continue driving.

[0053] If, in step S206, the vehicle is not the lead vehicle in the platoon, the process proceeds to step S211, and the autonomous vehicle 100 begins autonomous driving. At this time, the autonomous vehicle 100 is controlled to drive laterally and longitudinally by a platoon driving algorithm based on vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the lead vehicle and preceding vehicles, thereby enabling each vehicle 100 in the platoon to operate while maintaining a safe distance from each other.

[0054] Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 100 can safely enter and drive within the exclusive control area 103 by repeatedly performing the series of steps (steps S200 to S211) shown in Figure 4 during autonomous driving.

[0055] ≪Control device 110 side≫ Next, the operation of the control device 110 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 5.

[0056] When the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 receives a notification from the autonomous vehicle 100 of an planned entry into the exclusive control area 103 in step S301, the platoon determination unit 500 checks in step S302 whether there are multiple such planned entry notifications and, if there are multiple notifications, determines whether or not to form a platoon with multiple autonomous vehicles 100.

[0057] In step S302, if there are multiple notifications of planned entry from the autonomous vehicles 100, and the longitudinal distance between the multiple autonomous vehicles 100 is below a predetermined threshold, the platoon determination unit 500 determines that it is more efficient to maintain traffic flow by forming a platoon with the multiple autonomous vehicles 100 and managing them as a single group of autonomous vehicles 300, rather than managing each autonomous vehicle 100 individually in the exclusive control area 103. If this determination is made, in step S303, the platoon instruction unit 501 creates information to instruct the formation of a platoon (platoon formation instruction), including information on the lead vehicle that will control and manage the group and the preceding vehicle that each vehicle 100 should follow. In step S304, the platoon instruction unit 501 transmits this platoon formation instruction to the platoon control unit 502 of the corresponding autonomous vehicle 100.

[0058] This convoy formation instruction includes information about the lead vehicle in the convoy, communication interface information for accessing this lead vehicle, and information about the vehicle preceding each vehicle, as well as communication interface information for accessing that vehicle. Destination information such as an IP address may be used as the communication interface information.

[0059] Furthermore, proceeding to step S305, when the system receives a token acquisition request from the leading autonomous vehicle 100 (corresponding to step S208 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4), the exclusive control management unit 112 considers the three autonomous vehicles 100 as a group of autonomous vehicles 300 and determines whether it is possible to issue this token based on the occupation status of multiple sections of the exclusive control area 103 recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 111 by other vehicles and the requested section specified in the token request from the group of autonomous vehicles 300.

[0060] If it is determined in step S306 that a token can be issued, the exclusive control management unit 112 sets up multiple sections (requested sections) of the exclusive control area 103 corresponding to the token request in step S208 of Figure 4 as the occupied section 302 for a group of autonomous vehicles 300, and transmits a token to the exclusive control area request unit 122 of the leading autonomous vehicle 100 (step S307), thereby permitting the entry and driving of this group of autonomous vehicles 300.

[0061] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S306 that a token cannot be issued, in step S308, information that a token cannot be issued is sent to the exclusive control area request unit 122 of the leading autonomous vehicle 100, thereby prohibiting the entry and driving of the group of autonomous vehicles 300.

[0062] In this way, a group of autonomous vehicles 300 can only enter and drive in the exclusive control area 103 when they can acquire a token, and are prohibited from entering and driving when they cannot acquire one. Therefore, collisions between vehicles in the exclusive control area 103 are less likely to occur, and a group of autonomous vehicles 300 can be safely controlled to drive in the exclusive control area 103.

[0063] In particular, as described above, the exclusive control management unit 112 of the control device 110 considers the three autonomous vehicles 100 forming a convoy as a single group of autonomous vehicles 300, and determines whether or not to issue a token based on the bounding rectangle of this group of autonomous vehicles 300.

[0064] In contrast, as shown in Figure 7, if tokens are issued individually to each of the three autonomous vehicles 100a, 100b, and 100c, when the leading vehicle 100a acquires a token, vehicle 100a occupies section A in the exclusive control area 103. As a result, the following vehicle 100b cannot acquire a token and will need to slow down or brake, preventing it from entering the exclusive control area 103 until it acquires a token. Furthermore, even if vehicle 100b acquires a token and resumes driving, it is anticipated that the following vehicle 100c will be unable to enter because it cannot acquire a token due to vehicle 100b's occupied section B. In other words, the distance between vehicles will increase due to the grid size (section size) and safety margins, which may lead to a decrease in traffic capacity.

[0065] Accordingly, in the control device 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention, multiple autonomous vehicles 100 forming a convoy are considered as one group of autonomous vehicles 300, and the acquisition of a token is determined based on the size of this group of vehicles. As a result, multiple autonomous vehicles 100 can enter and travel in the exclusive control area 103 while maintaining the distance between them when the convoy is formed (in this case, the distance between vehicles does not depend on the size of the section and can be smaller than that of a single section). In other words, since multiple vehicles can exist within the same section, it is less likely that unnecessary space will be created between vehicles traveling in a convoy due to the sections, and the convoy can be made shorter and more compact. This makes it possible to suppress the reduction in traffic capacity and make it less likely for congestion to occur.

[0066] In this way, it is possible to realize a control system 1 that can suppress the reduction in traffic capacity while ensuring safety.

[0067] Furthermore, referring to the flowchart in Figure 8, the platoon formation control performed by the platoon control unit 502 of the autonomous vehicle 100 when it receives a platoon formation instruction from the control device 110 (step S205 in Figure 4) will be explained in detail.

[0068] First, upon receiving a convoy formation instruction, in step S401, the lead vehicle / preceding vehicle determination unit 601 of vehicle 100 determines the lead vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the information from this convoy formation instruction, and establishes communication between the lead vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the following vehicles 100 that will follow them, enabling them to exchange data with each other.

[0069] Here, the lead vehicle is assumed to be the vehicle 100 located at the very front of the convoy in the direction of travel, but it is not limited to that; it can be any vehicle 100 in the convoy. The lead vehicle gives commands to and manages each vehicle 100 in the convoy, and as a representative of the group, it exchanges data with the control device 110.

[0070] When the vehicle 100 is determined to be the lead vehicle in step S401, the platoon control unit 502 of this vehicle 100 transmits a platoon configuration instruction to each vehicle 100 that is to form the platoon together in step S402. The information in this platoon configuration instruction includes the platoon configuration (in this embodiment, a 1x3 column configuration) and the target lateral and longitudinal distances of each vehicle 100 relative to the corresponding preceding vehicle. Preferably, this target longitudinal distance is smaller than the size of one section of the exclusive control area 103.

[0071] Subsequently, the platoon control unit 502 of the leading vehicle makes a platoon formation determination in step S403 based on the information received from each vehicle 100 in the platoon by its own vehicle inter-vehicle information receiving unit 602. Specifically, it determines whether the formation of the platoon is complete by confirming two points: (a) whether a communication state has been established between the leading vehicle and the preceding vehicle 100 and the following vehicle 100 that follows them, and (b) whether the lateral and longitudinal distances between each vehicle 100 and the corresponding preceding vehicle are within a predetermined range (target value).

[0072] If it is determined in step S404 that the formation is not yet complete, the formation control unit 502 of the leading vehicle 100 returns to step S402 and sends a formation configuration instruction again to the formation control units 502 of the following vehicles 100 in the formation. Also, if the conditions (a) and (b) above are met and it is determined in step S404 that the formation is complete, the formation control is terminated and the process proceeds to step S206 in Figure 4 and then to step S207. In this way, a token request is made based on the formation size of a group of autonomous vehicles 300 whose formation is complete, making it easy to make this token request and for the control device 110 to determine whether or not to issue a token.

[0073] On the other hand, if it is determined in step 401 that the vehicle 100 is not the lead vehicle in the convoy, the convoy control unit 502 of this vehicle 100 proceeds to step S405 and waits until it receives an instruction on the convoy configuration from the vehicle 100 that has been determined to be the lead vehicle. In step S405, when the vehicle's inter-vehicle information receiving unit 602 receives the instruction on the convoy configuration, in step S406 the convoy control unit 502 of this vehicle 100 performs the convoy formation operation. That is, the lateral control command value calculation unit 603 and the longitudinal control command value calculation unit 604 calculate command values ​​such as target steering angle and target acceleration based on the information of this convoy configuration instruction, and the autonomous control unit 121 performs convoy formation by controlling the vehicle 100 to drive based on these command values.

[0074] As a result, when the lateral and longitudinal distances between vehicles relative to the preceding vehicle fall within a predetermined range (target value) defined by the platoon configuration instruction, in step S407, the vehicle-to-vehicle information transmission unit 605 sends a platoon formation completion notification to the platoon control unit 502 of the leading vehicle, ending the platoon formation control, and proceeding to step S211 via step S206 in Figure 4.

[0075] Furthermore, the platoon control unit 502 of the leading vehicle can determine that the condition in (b) above has been met when it receives this platoon formation completion notification from all other vehicles 100 in the platoon.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a convoy was formed by three autonomous vehicles 100 traveling in a line, but instead, a convoy may be formed by two or four or more autonomous vehicles 100 traveling in a line. This embodiment is effective in reducing traffic capacity when at least two vehicles included in the convoy travel across two or more sections of the exclusive control area 103.

[0077] Furthermore, regarding the configuration of the convoy, as mentioned above, it is not limited to a tandem configuration where the convoy is formed only in the same direction as the direction of travel. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the convoy may also be formed in a parallel configuration (here, a 2x2 parallel configuration) where the convoy is formed perpendicular to the direction of travel, and enter the exclusive control area 103. It is preferable that the convoy is formed such that the lateral and longitudinal distances between adjacent vehicles are smaller than the size of one section of the exclusive control area 103.

[0078] Even in this parallel-configured convoy, the control device 110 considers the multiple autonomous vehicles 100 forming the convoy as a single group of autonomous vehicles 300, and determines whether or not to issue tokens for the exclusive control area 103 based on the size of this group of vehicles. As a result, the multiple autonomous vehicles 100 can enter and drive through the exclusive control area 103 while maintaining a safe distance between each other within the convoy.

[0079] In contrast, as shown in Figure 10, if tokens are issued individually to each of the four autonomous vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d, when vehicle 100a acquires a token, the adjacent vehicle 100b cannot acquire a token due to vehicle 100a's occupied section A in the exclusive control area 103, requiring deceleration or braking, and thus preventing it from entering the exclusive control area 103. Furthermore, even if vehicle 100b acquires a token and enters the exclusive control area 103, the following vehicle 100c cannot acquire a token due to vehicle 100b's occupied section B. Moreover, even if vehicle 100c acquires a token, it is assumed that the adjacent vehicle 100d will also be unable to acquire a token due to vehicle 100c's occupied section. In other words, while vehicles 100 could travel with a vehicle size of approximately two vehicles in the direction of travel up to just before entering the exclusive control area 103, upon entry, a vehicle size of approximately four vehicles is required.

[0080] Therefore, as shown in Figure 9 above, by considering multiple autonomous vehicles 100 forming a parallel convoy as a single group of autonomous vehicles 300, and determining whether or not to issue a token based on the size of this convoy, multiple vehicles 100 can enter and travel in the exclusive control area 103 while maintaining the distance between each other in the convoy, thereby significantly suppressing the reduction in traffic capacity.

[0081] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the process by which multiple autonomous vehicles 100a to 100d change their formation from a tandem configuration of 4 vehicles in a single row to a parallel configuration of 2 vehicles in a double row will be explained in chronological order. First, at time t, vehicle 100a, which is located at the very front in the direction of travel, is designated as the lead vehicle, and the vehicles 100b, 100c, and 100d are designated as vehicles 100a, 100b, and 100c, respectively. At this time, information on the target lateral and longitudinal distances between vehicles is transmitted from the lead vehicle 100a, so that vehicles 100b and 100d, which are the second and fourth vehicles from the front in the direction of travel, are controlled to drive in such a way that a predetermined lateral displacement occurs relative to their respective preceding vehicles 100a and 100c. As a result, at time t+1, the formation becomes a staggered configuration.

[0082] Furthermore, by issuing instructions from the lead vehicle 100a to vehicles 100b and 100d to ensure that the longitudinal distance between them and their respective preceding vehicles 100a and 100c is zero, at time t+2, the longitudinal positions of vehicles 100b and 100d will align with their corresponding preceding vehicles 100a and 100c, enabling parallel operation in a configuration such as 2 rows x 2 vehicles.

[0083] Figure 12 shows the case where multiple autonomous vehicles 100a to 100d change their formation from a tandem to a parallel formation and enter the exclusive control area 103. The formation control performed by the on-board control device 105 at this time will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 13.

[0084] Here, the platooning determination unit 500 of the control device 110 creates a platooning instruction that includes information to change the platooning configuration of multiple vehicles 100a to 100d from tandem to parallel, with the aim of increasing the traffic flow in the exclusive control area 103, and transmits it to each of the vehicles 100a to 100d.

[0085] Based on this formation instruction, in step S401, vehicle 100a, which was determined to be the leading vehicle, transmits a formation change instruction to the following vehicles 100b to 100d in the formation in step S501. This formation change instruction includes information for a command to control each vehicle 100b to 100d in the flow shown in Figure 11 above to change the formation from a column to a parallel configuration.

[0086] Subsequently, in step S502, the status of the platoon configuration change is checked, and in step S503, the system waits until it can be confirmed that the platoon configuration change operation for all vehicles 100a to 100d has been completed. If it is confirmed in step S503 that the platoon configuration change for all vehicles has been completed, the system proceeds to step S403, where it is determined whether the platoon formation is complete, that is, whether the formation of a predetermined platoon configuration has been completed, based on the information from each vehicle 100b to 100d received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. If it is determined that the formation of a predetermined platoon configuration has not been completed, the system returns to step S501 and again sends instructions to each vehicle 100b to 100d to change the platoon configuration. If it is determined in step S403 that the predetermined platoon configuration has been completed, the platoon formation control is terminated, and the system proceeds to step S206 in Figure 4, followed by step S207.

[0087] On the other hand, vehicles 100b to 100d, which were determined in step 401 not to be the lead vehicle of the convoy, receive an instruction from the lead vehicle 100a to change the convoy configuration in step S504. Based on this instruction, they perform an operation to change the convoy configuration in step S505. Furthermore, once this operation is completed, they send a notification of completion of the convoy configuration change to the lead vehicle 100a in step S506, and proceed to the process in step S211 via step S206 in Figure 4.

[0088] The lead vehicle 100a can determine that the change in the formation configuration of all vehicles has been completed in step S503 by receiving notification of the completion of this formation configuration change from all other vehicles 100b to 100d in the formation.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, we described the case in which vehicles 100a to 100d enter the exclusive control area 103 after changing their convoy configuration from tandem to parallel and completing the formation. However, as shown in Figure 14, it is also possible to consider the case in which vehicles 100a to 100d enter the exclusive control area 103 while they are in the process of changing their convoy configuration from tandem to parallel.

[0090] Figure 15 is a flowchart of the convoy formation control with added steps to address such cases. In step S401, vehicle 100a, which has been determined to be the lead vehicle, instructs each vehicle 100b to 100d to change the convoy configuration, similar to steps S501 and S502 in Figure 13, and confirms the change in the convoy configuration. Furthermore, in step S601, a determination is made as follows as to whether the predetermined convoy formation is completed before entering the exclusive control area 103.

[0091] In other words, in step S601, the remaining distance D to the exclusive control area 103 is remain And the current lead car 100a's speed V leader Based on this, the time required to enter is t enter This is calculated using formula (3). Also, the target change distance is L. dest and the current distance between vehicles L sensing , the speed of the preceding vehicle V lead The predicted speed V that the vehicle will reach is calculated using equation (2). ego Based on this, equation (4) gives the time t required until the change in formation is complete. change Calculate these time t enter and time t change Compare the values.

[0092]

number

[0093]

number

[0094] Time t enter But time t change If the time is longer than this, it is determined that the formation of the convoy of vehicles 100a to 100d can be completed before entering the exclusive control area 103, and the time t required to complete this change in convoy configuration is considered. change After this time has elapsed, the platoon control unit 502 of the leading car 100a terminates platoon formation control and proceeds to step S207 via step S206 in Figure 4.

[0095] In step S601, time t enter But time t change If the distance is shorter than this, it is determined that the formation cannot be completed before entering the exclusive control area 103, and the process proceeds to step S602. In step S602, the lead vehicle 100a constantly calculates the current size of the group of autonomous vehicles 300 that are in the process of changing their formation based on information received from each vehicle 100b to 100d via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and sets a requested area according to this current size of the group. In step S208 in Figure 4, it makes a token request to the control device 110 to set the requested area as the occupied area. It is assumed that the size of the group of autonomous vehicles 300 will change during the process of this token acquisition request, so it is preferable to set a sufficient area as the requested area when the group of autonomous vehicles 300 actually enters the exclusive control area 103.

[0096] Furthermore, vehicles 100b to 100d, which are determined not to be the leading vehicle 100a in step S401, will proceed to step S211 via step S206 in Figure 4, after undergoing the same processing as when an instruction to change the formation is received in steps S504 to 506 in Figure 13.

[0097] In this way, even when entering the exclusive control area 103 while changing the platoon configuration, a request for token acquisition is made by setting a required section according to the current size of the platoon, thereby preventing collisions with other vehicles and allowing multiple vehicles 100a to 100d to enter and travel in the exclusive control area 103 safely while suppressing a reduction in traffic capacity. Furthermore, since the platoon configuration is changed from a tandem configuration of 4 vehicles in one row to a parallel configuration of 2 vehicles in two rows, it becomes possible to aim for an even greater increase in traffic capacity on the same road 104.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the lead vehicle was designated as the representative of the convoy, and the lead vehicle was configured to control all other vehicles in the convoy based on instructions from the control device 110. However, the control device 110 may also control the operation of the convoy by giving individual instructions to two or more vehicles in the convoy.

[0099] Furthermore, the platooning determination unit 500 of the control device 110 is configured to issue an instruction to form a platoon when there are multiple notifications of planned entry from the autonomous vehicles 100 and the longitudinal distance between the multiple autonomous vehicles 100 is below a predetermined threshold. However, the criteria for deciding whether to form a platoon are not limited to these, and the platooning determination unit 500 may also decide whether to issue an instruction to form a platoon by considering the number of autonomous vehicles 100, the size and shape of each vehicle 100, and the size, shape, and occupancy status of the exclusive control area 103, in order to increase traffic flow as much as possible while ensuring safety.

[0100] Furthermore, when the lead vehicle requests a token from the control device 110, it can either set the request area to include the entire shape surrounding the group of autonomous vehicles 300, or it can specify the area (grid) that the group of autonomous vehicles 300 actually occupy when traveling in the exclusive control area 103.

[0101] Alternatively, instead of the lead vehicle setting a requested area and requesting a token, it may transmit information about the size of the circumscribing rectangle of the group of autonomous vehicles 300 and its own travel path to the control device 110, and the control device 110 may set a requested area according to the size of this group and determine whether or not to issue a token.

[0102] Furthermore, while the mobile object is described as an autonomous vehicle, it can also be applied to manually driven vehicles if, for example, the driver is shown the token acquisition status via an HMI (Human-Machine Interface), and the driver is able to drive according to the instructions. Moreover, it is not limited to autonomous vehicles that autonomously drive on roads, but can also be applied to mobile objects such as drones that move in three-dimensional space.

[0103] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to having all the configurations described in the embodiments above, but also includes configurations in which some of those configurations are omitted. Furthermore, it is possible to add or replace some of the configurations of one embodiment with the configurations of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1…Control system, 100, 100a~100d…Autonomous driving vehicle, 102, 302, A, B…Occupied area, 103…Exclusive control area, 104…Road, 105…On-board control unit (ECU), 110…Control device, 111…Surrounding environment recognition unit, 112…Exclusive control management unit, 121…Autonomous control unit, 122…Exclusive control area request unit, 300…Group of autonomous driving vehicles, 500…Platooning determination unit, 501…Platooning instruction unit, 502…Platooning control unit, 600…Platooning instruction receiving unit, 601…Lead vehicle / preceding vehicle determination unit, 602…Vehicle-to-vehicle information receiving unit, 603…Lateral direction control command value calculation unit, 604…Forward / reverse direction control command value calculation unit, 605…Vehicle-to-vehicle information transmission unit

Claims

1. A control device comprising a processor that communicates with a mobile body moving in a mobile space and performs processing to control the mobile section of the mobile body, The aforementioned processor, When multiple moving objects forming a formation move through the aforementioned moving space, the multiple moving objects are considered as a single group of moving objects. The section through which the group of moving bodies passes is designated as the section occupied by the multiple moving bodies. A control device characterized by prohibiting other mobile bodies, excluding the aforementioned plurality of mobile bodies, from entering the occupied area.

2. In the control device according to claim 1, The control device is characterized in that, upon receiving an entry request for the mobile space from the plurality of mobile bodies, the processor determines whether or not the formation of a convoy of the plurality of mobile bodies has been completed, and if it is determined that the formation of the convoy has been completed, it sets the occupied area.

3. In the control device according to claim 1, The control device is characterized in that the processor sets the occupied area based on the size of the group of moving objects.

4. In the control device according to claim 3, A control device characterized in that the size of the group of moving bodies is defined by the circumscribing rectangle of the plurality of moving bodies.

5. In the control device according to claim 1, The control device is characterized in that the processor sets the occupied area by issuing a token to at least one of the multiple mobile bodies that defines an area in which the multiple mobile bodies can exist.

6. In the control device of claim 5, A control device characterized in that at least one of the plurality of moving bodies to which the token is issued is a representative moving body of the convoy.

7. In the control device according to claim 1, The control device is characterized in that, upon receiving notifications from the plurality of moving bodies of their planned entry into the moving space, the processor determines whether or not the plurality of moving bodies will form a predetermined convoy, and if it determines that they will form a convoy, it transmits a convoy formation instruction to the plurality of moving bodies to control them to form a predetermined convoy.

8. A mobile body moving through a moving space, A control system comprising a control device equipped with a processor that communicates with the mobile body and performs processing to control the movable section of the mobile body, The control system is characterized in that, when a plurality of moving bodies forming a convoy move through the moving space, the processor of the control device considers the plurality of moving bodies as a single group of moving bodies, sets the section through which the single group of moving bodies passes as the occupied section for the plurality of moving bodies, and prohibits other moving bodies, excluding the plurality of moving bodies, from entering the occupied section.

9. A method for controlling a mobile body that communicates with a mobile body moving in a mobile space and controls the mobile portion of the mobile body, When multiple moving objects forming a formation move through the aforementioned moving space, the multiple moving objects are considered as a single group of moving objects. The section through which the group of moving bodies passes is designated as the section occupied by the multiple moving bodies. The entry of any other mobile body into the occupied area is prohibited, except for the aforementioned plurality of mobile bodies. A method for controlling a moving object, characterized by the following features.

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