Vehicle position estimation method

Abstract

To further improve the accuracy of localization to estimate the position of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A position of a vehicle in a predetermined area in which markers are arranged is estimated. Specifically, positions of the markers around the vehicle are recognized by using a camera mounted on the vehicle. Further, the positions of the recognized markers are corrected on the basis of the stroke amount of the vehicle's suspension. Then, the position of the vehicle in the predetermined area is estimated on the basis of the positions of the corrected markers. In the predetermined area, the suspension's damping force is set to be higher than outside of the predetermined area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a localization technique that estimates the position of a vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for estimating a vehicle position based on the positions of feature points on an image captured by an on-board camera. The amount of error in the estimated vehicle position is estimated based on the vehicle roll angle and the height of the camera. The height of the camera is estimated from the amount of luggage loaded and the control amount of the active suspension. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-100970 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Localization is a technology that uses a camera mounted on a vehicle to estimate the vehicle's position with high accuracy. If the vehicle tilts due to loading luggage, etc., the height and orientation (optical axis direction) of the camera may deviate from the reference state, and localization accuracy may decrease. The change in the height and orientation of the camera from the reference state can be grasped based on the suspension stroke amount of each wheel. Therefore, it is conceivable to perform localization by correcting the image captured by the camera based on the suspension stroke amount.

[0005] On the other hand, when a vehicle is traveling, unevenness on the road surface causes vertical vibration of the vehicle. When large vertical vibration occurs, it takes time for the vibration (expansion and contraction) of the suspension spring to converge. Such vibration of the suspension spring leads to a decrease in the accuracy of the above correction based on the suspension stroke amount. The decrease in correction accuracy leads to a decrease in localization accuracy.

[0006] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that can further improve the accuracy of localization for estimating the position of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first aspect relates to a vehicle position estimation method for estimating the position of a vehicle in a predetermined area in which markers are arranged. The vehicle position estimation method is Recognizing the positions of markers around the vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle; correcting the position of the recognized marker based on a stroke amount of a suspension of the vehicle; estimating a position of the vehicle in the predetermined area based on the corrected positions of the markers; The damping force of the suspension is set higher within the predetermined area than outside the predetermined area. Includes.

[0008] The second aspect relates to a vehicle position estimation method for estimating the position of a vehicle equipped with an automatic valet parking function. The vehicle position estimation method is Recognizing the positions of markers around the vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle; correcting the position of the recognized marker based on a stroke amount of a suspension of the vehicle; Estimating a position of the vehicle based on the corrected positions of the markers; The damping force of the suspension is set higher when automatic valet parking is being performed compared to when automatic valet parking is not being performed. Includes.

[0009] A third aspect relates to a vehicle position estimation method for estimating a position of a vehicle. The vehicle position estimation method is Recognizing the positions of markers around the vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle; correcting the position of the recognized marker based on a stroke amount of a suspension of the vehicle; Estimating a position of the vehicle based on the corrected positions of the markers; Obtaining information on a first position where a degree of unevenness of a road surface exceeds a threshold; When the vehicle passes through the first position, the damping force of the suspension is set higher than that of positions other than the first position. Includes. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the positions of markers around the vehicle are recognized by a camera mounted on the vehicle. Furthermore, the recognized positions of the markers are corrected based on the stroke amount of the suspension of the vehicle. Then, localization is performed based on the corrected positions of the markers. Since localization is performed taking into account the stroke amount of the suspension, a decrease in localization accuracy caused by the inclination of the vehicle, etc. is suppressed.

[0011] Furthermore, if necessary, the damping force of the vehicle suspension is set higher than the default. By increasing the damping force of the suspension, the vibration (compression) of the suspension spring converges quickly. In other words, the vibration of the suspension stroke amount converges quickly. Therefore, the accuracy of the above correction based on the suspension stroke amount is improved. As a result, the localization accuracy is improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an overview of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an overview of automatic valet parking according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the effect of vehicle tilt on localization. [Figure 4] 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of suspension control according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining another example of the suspension control according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of various information according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] 1. Overview of the vehicle control system 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an overview of a vehicle control system 10 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle control system 10 controls a vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle control system 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1. Alternatively, at least a part of the vehicle control system 10 may be disposed in an external device outside the vehicle 1 and control the vehicle 1 remotely.

[0015] The vehicle control system 10 controls the traveling of the vehicle 1 at least in a predetermined area AR. Examples of the predetermined area AR include a parking lot, a city (smart city), and the like. For example, the vehicle control system 10 controls the traveling of the vehicle 1 so as to follow a target route TP in the predetermined area AR. The target route TP may be determined in advance, or may be calculated by the vehicle control system 10.

[0016] Vehicle driving control requires information on the current position of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the vehicle control system 10 executes "localization" to estimate the position of the vehicle 1 in a predetermined area AR. Localization is also called self-position estimation processing. The position of the vehicle 1 is hereinafter simply called "vehicle position."

[0017] In localization, the vehicle control system 10 calculates the amount of movement (displacement) of the vehicle 1 based on the steering angle and vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, and estimates a rough vehicle position based on the amount of movement. The method of estimating the vehicle position based on the steering angle and vehicle speed is also called "dead reckoning."

[0018] In order to further improve the estimation accuracy of the vehicle position, a marker M (landmark) arranged in the predetermined area AR is also used. More specifically, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a camera 22 that captures the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control system 10 acquires an image captured by the camera 22, recognizes the marker M around the vehicle 1 based on the image, and grasps the relative positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the marker M. The vehicle control system 10 also holds map information indicating the installation position of the marker M in the predetermined area AR. The vehicle control system 10 corrects the vehicle position obtained by dead reckoning by comparing the recognized relative position of the marker M with the installation position of the marker M in the predetermined area AR. By repeatedly performing position estimation by dead reckoning and position correction using the marker M and the camera 22, a highly accurate vehicle position can be continuously obtained.

[0019] The localization described above is performed, for example, in "Automated Valet Parking (AVP)" in a parking lot.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an overview of automatic valet parking. The predetermined area AR is a parking lot PL. A plurality of markers M are placed in the parking lot PL. The vehicle 1 is an AVP vehicle equipped with a function for automatic valet parking in the parking lot PL, and can automatically travel at least within the parking lot PL. The vehicle 1 may be an autonomous vehicle.

[0021] The vehicle control system 10 controls the vehicle 1 in the parking lot PL. More specifically, the vehicle control system 10 includes an in-vehicle system 10V mounted on the vehicle 1 and a management system 10M external to the vehicle 1.

[0022] The management system 10M manages automatic valet parking in the parking lot PL. The management system 10M can communicate with each vehicle (vehicle 1, parked vehicle 3) in the parking lot PL. For example, the management system 10M may issue entry and exit instructions to the in-vehicle system 10V. The management system 10M may provide map information of the parking lot PL to the in-vehicle system 10V. The management system 10M may allocate a parking space to the vehicle 1. The management system 10M may generate a target route TP from the entry area to the allocated parking space and provide information on the target route TP to the in-vehicle system 10V. The management system 10M may remotely operate each vehicle (vehicle 1, parked vehicle 3) in the parking lot PL.

[0023] The in-vehicle system 10V controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 1 in the parking lot PL. For example, the in-vehicle system 10V recognizes markers M around the vehicle 1 using a camera 22 mounted on the vehicle 1. Then, the in-vehicle system 10V performs the above-mentioned localization based on the recognition result of the markers M, and estimates the vehicle position in the parking lot PL with high accuracy. The in-vehicle system 10V also receives information on the target route TP from the management system 10M. Then, the in-vehicle system 10V controls the driving of the vehicle 1 so as to follow the target route TP based on the vehicle position and the target route TP. This enables the vehicle 1 to automatically move from the entrance area to the target parking frame.

[0024] As a modified example, the management system 10M may perform localization. In this case, the in-vehicle system 10V transmits information required for localization, such as the steering angle of the vehicle 1, the vehicle speed, and images captured by the camera 22, to the management system 10M. The management system 10M performs localization based on the information received from the in-vehicle system 10V, and estimates the vehicle position in the parking lot PL with high accuracy.

[0025] 2. Localization that takes into account the amount of suspension stroke FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the effect of the tilt of the vehicle 1 on localization. The reference state is a state in which the vehicle 1 is not loaded with luggage or the like and is horizontal. There is a possibility that the vehicle 1 may tilt from the horizontal state due to loading luggage or the like on the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle 1 may tilt in the pitch direction. When the vehicle 1 tilts, the height and orientation (optical axis direction) of the camera 22 mounted on the vehicle 1 deviate from the reference state. When the height and orientation of the camera 22 deviate, the position of the marker M in the image captured by the camera 22 changes, which may result in a decrease in localization accuracy.

[0026] Even if the vehicle 1 does not tilt, a heavy load may cause the entire vehicle 1 to sink. Even in this case, the height of the camera 22 will at least deviate from the reference state, and the localization accuracy may decrease.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, localization is performed taking into consideration the tilt and sinking of the vehicle 1. The tilt and sinking of the vehicle 1 can be grasped based on the amount of suspension stroke of each wheel of the vehicle 1.

[0028] 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the configuration of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is equipped with wheels 2 and a suspension 30. The wheels 2 include a left front wheel 2FL, a right front wheel 2FR, a left rear wheel 2RL, and a right rear wheel 2RR. A suspension 30 is provided for each of the left front wheel 2FL, the right front wheel 2FR, the left rear wheel 2RL, and the right rear wheel 2RR.

[0029] The suspension 30 is provided to connect between the sprung structure and the unsprung structure of the vehicle 1. The unsprung structure includes the wheels 2. The suspension 30 includes a spring and a shock absorber (damper). The spring and the shock absorber are provided in parallel between the sprung structure and the unsprung structure. The damping force of the shock absorber is variable. In the following description, the "damping force of the shock absorber" may simply be referred to as the "damping force of the suspension 30". The vehicle control system 10 can variably control the damping force of the suspension 30 of each wheel 2 of the vehicle 1.

[0030] The stroke amount of the suspension 30 is the relative displacement between the sprung structure and the unsprung structure. The stroke amount of each suspension 30 can be detected by the sensor 24. For example, the sensor 24 is a stroke sensor installed in each suspension 30. As another example, the sensor 24 may be a sprung acceleration sensor provided in the sprung structure above the position of each wheel 2. The sprung acceleration sensor detects the sprung acceleration (vertical acceleration) of the sprung structure. It is also possible to estimate the stroke amount from the sprung acceleration by using an observer configured based on a single wheel two-degree-of-freedom model.

[0031] The vehicle control system 10 obtains the stroke amount of the suspension 30 of each wheel 2 using the sensor 24. The tilt and sinking of the vehicle 1 are reflected in the stroke amount of the suspension 30 of each wheel 2. The vehicle control system 10 corrects the position of the marker M recognized from the image captured by the camera 22 based on the stroke amount of each suspension 30. More specifically, the vehicle control system 10 corrects the position of the marker M recognized from the image so that it becomes the position in the reference state. In other words, the vehicle control system 10 cancels the deviation of the position of the marker M from the reference state based on the stroke amount of each suspension 30.

[0032] Then, the vehicle control system 10 performs localization based on the corrected position of the marker M, i.e., the position of the marker M corresponding to the reference state. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in localization accuracy caused by the inclination or sinking of the vehicle 1.

[0033] 3. Suspension Control As described above, the vehicle control system 10 recognizes the position of the marker M around the vehicle 1 using the camera 22 mounted on the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 10 corrects the recognized position of the marker M based on the stroke amount of the suspension 30 of the vehicle 1. Then, the vehicle control system 10 performs localization based on the corrected position of the marker M, and estimates the vehicle position in the predetermined area AR.

[0034] On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is traveling, the vehicle 1 vibrates up and down due to unevenness of the road surface. When large up and down vibration occurs, it takes time for the vibration (expansion and contraction) of the spring of the suspension 30 to converge. The vibration of the spring of the suspension 30 leads to a decrease in the accuracy of the above correction based on the stroke amount of the suspension 30. The decrease in correction accuracy leads to a decrease in localization accuracy.

[0035] Therefore, the vehicle control system 10 according to the present embodiment controls the suspension 30 to suppress a decrease in localization accuracy. More specifically, when a predetermined condition is met, the vehicle control system 10 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 of each wheel 2 higher than the default. By increasing the damping force of the suspension 30, the vibration (expansion and contraction) of the spring of the suspension 30 converges quickly. In other words, the vibration of the stroke amount of the suspension 30 converges quickly. Therefore, the accuracy of the above correction based on the stroke amount of the suspension 30 is improved. As a result, the localization accuracy is improved.

[0036] There are various examples of the predetermined condition that increases the damping force of the suspension 30. Various examples of the predetermined condition will be described below.

[0037] 3-1. First Example FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a first example of suspension control. A marker M is arranged within the predetermined area AR. Within the predetermined area AR, the vehicle control system 10 performs localization using the marker M. Within the predetermined area AR where localization is performed in this manner, the vehicle control system 10 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 higher than the default. On the other hand, since localization is not performed outside the predetermined area AR, the vehicle control system 10 maintains the damping force of the suspension 30 at the default. That is, within the predetermined area AR, the damping force of the suspension 30 is set higher than outside the predetermined area AR. This improves the accuracy of localization performed in the predetermined area AR.

[0038] 3-2. Second Example In FIG. 5, the predetermined area AR may be a parking lot PL. Then, automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 may be performed in the parking lot PL (see FIG. 2). While automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 is being performed, the vehicle control system 10 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 higher than the default. On the other hand, when automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 is not being performed, the vehicle control system 10 maintains the damping force of the suspension 30 at the default. That is, while automatic valet parking is being performed, the damping force of the suspension 30 is set higher than when automatic valet parking is not being performed. This improves the localization accuracy during automatic valet parking.

[0039] The state in which the damping force of the suspension 30 is high corresponds to the so-called "stiff suspension 30 state." However, automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 is generally performed with no occupants in the vehicle 1. Since no occupants are in the vehicle 1, even if the suspension 30 becomes stiff, there is no effect on the ride comfort.

[0040] 3-3.Third Example Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a third example of suspension control. In the third example, a situation is considered in which there are large irregularities on the road surface within the specified area AR. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, there is a case in which a bump for suppressing speed is installed on the road surface within a parking lot PL. As another example, there is a possibility that a depression exists on the road surface within the specified area AR.

[0041] The "first position P1" is a position where the unevenness of the road surface exceeds a threshold. For example, the first position P1 is a position where a bump exists. As another example, the first position P1 is a position where a depression exists. The vehicle control system 10 acquires information on such a first position P1. For example, the first position P1 is registered in advance in map information of the predetermined area AR. In that case, the vehicle control system 10 acquires information on the first position P1 from the map information of the predetermined area AR. As another example, the vehicle control system 10 may acquire an image captured by an infrastructure camera installed in the predetermined area AR, and recognize the first position P1 based on the acquired image. As yet another example, the vehicle control system 10 may acquire an image captured by a camera 22 mounted on the vehicle 1, and recognize the first position P1 based on the acquired image.

[0042] When the vehicle 1 passes through the first position P1, there is a possibility that large vertical vibrations may occur. Therefore, when the vehicle 1 passes through the first position P1, the vehicle control system 10 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 to be higher than the default. On the other hand, at positions other than the first position P1, the vehicle control system 10 maintains the damping force of the suspension 30 at the default. In other words, when the vehicle 1 passes through the first position P1, the damping force of the suspension 30 is set higher than at positions other than the first position P1. This improves the localization accuracy when the vehicle 1 passes through the first position P1 and during the period following that.

[0043] 4.Effects As described above, according to this embodiment, the camera 22 mounted on the vehicle 1 recognizes the positions of the markers M around the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the recognized positions of the markers M are corrected based on the stroke amount of the suspension 30 of the vehicle 1. Then, localization is performed based on the corrected position of the markers M. Since localization is performed taking into account the stroke amount of the suspension 30, a decrease in localization accuracy caused by tilting or sinking of the vehicle 1 is suppressed.

[0044] Furthermore, if necessary, the damping force of the suspension 30 of the vehicle 1 is set higher than the default. By increasing the damping force of the suspension 30, the vibration (compression) of the spring of the suspension 30 converges quickly. In other words, the vibration of the stroke amount of the suspension 30 converges quickly. Therefore, the accuracy of the above correction based on the stroke amount of the suspension 30 is improved. As a result, the localization accuracy is improved.

[0045] The process of setting the damping force of the suspension 30 high may be performed when no passenger is riding in the vehicle 1. Since no passenger is riding in the vehicle 1, even if the suspension 30 becomes stiff, there is no effect on the ride comfort.

[0046] 5. Example of a vehicle control system 5-1. Configuration example 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system 10 according to this embodiment. The vehicle control system 10 includes an on-vehicle sensor 20, a suspension 30, a communication device 40, a traveling device 50, and a control device 100.

[0047] The on-board sensor 20 is mounted on the vehicle 1. The on-board sensor 20 includes a recognition sensor 21 and a vehicle state sensor .

[0048] The recognition sensor 21 recognizes (detects) the situation around the vehicle 1. The recognition sensor 21 includes a camera 22 that captures the situation around the vehicle 1. The camera 22 may include a camera for localization and a camera for vehicle driving control. The camera for localization is, for example, a PVM (panoramic view monitor) camera equipped with a fisheye lens. The recognition sensor 21 may further include a LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), a radar, a sonar, etc.

[0049] The vehicle state sensor 23 detects the state of the vehicle 1. Examples of the vehicle state sensor 23 include a vehicle speed sensor (wheel speed sensor), a steering angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and the like. The vehicle state sensor 23 also includes a sensor 24 (see FIG. 4) for acquiring the stroke amount of the suspension 30 of each wheel 2 of the vehicle 1. For example, the sensor 24 is a stroke sensor installed on each suspension 30. As another example, the sensor 24 may be a sprung acceleration sensor provided on a sprung structure above the position of each wheel 2.

[0050] The suspension 30 is provided on each wheel 2 of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. 4). The suspension 30 includes a spring and a shock absorber (damper). The damping force of the shock absorber is variable.

[0051] The communication device 40 communicates with the outside of the vehicle control system 10. For example, the communication device 40 communicates with infrastructure cameras installed within a predetermined area AR.

[0052] The traveling device 50 is mounted on the vehicle 1. The traveling device 50 includes a steering device, a drive device, and a braking device. The steering device steers the wheels of the vehicle 1. For example, the steering device includes an electric power steering (EPS) device. The drive device is a power source that generates a driving force. Examples of the drive device include an engine, an electric motor, and an in-wheel motor. The braking device generates a braking force.

[0053] The control device 100 controls the vehicle 1. The control device 100 includes one or more processors 110 (hereinafter simply referred to as processor 110) and one or more storage devices 120 (hereinafter simply referred to as storage devices 120). The processor 110 executes various processes. For example, the processor 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage device 120 stores various information 200. Examples of the storage device 120 include a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The control device 100 may be distributed between an in-vehicle system 10V and a management system 10M (see FIG. 2).

[0054] The vehicle control program PROG is a computer program for controlling the vehicle 1. The processor 110 executes the vehicle control program PROG, thereby realizing various processes by the control device 100. The vehicle control program PROG is stored in the storage device 120. Alternatively, the vehicle control program PROG may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium.

[0055] 5-2.Various information 8 is a block diagram showing an example of various information 200 stored in the storage device 120. The various information 200 includes map information 210, surrounding situation information 220, vehicle state information 230, localization information 240, target route information 250, and the like.

[0056] The map information 210 includes at least map information of a predetermined area AR. The map information 210 of the predetermined area AR indicates the positions of roads and structures within the predetermined area AR. The map information 210 also indicates the positions of each marker M placed in the predetermined area AR. Furthermore, the map information 210 may indicate a first position P1 (see FIG. 6) where the unevenness of the road surface exceeds a threshold.

[0057] The surrounding situation information 220 indicates the situation around the vehicle 1. The surrounding situation information 220 indicates the result of recognition by the recognition sensor 21. For example, the surrounding situation information 220 includes an image captured by the camera 22. The surrounding situation information 220 also includes object information related to objects around the vehicle 1. Examples of objects include pedestrians, other vehicles, white lines, markers M, structures, and the like. The object information indicates the relative position and relative speed of the object with respect to the vehicle 1. For example, by analyzing an image obtained by the camera 22, the object can be identified and the relative position of the object can be calculated. For example, the control device 100 uses an image recognition AI obtained by machine learning to identify an object in the image. Also, the control device 100 can identify an object based on point cloud information obtained by a lidar, and obtain the relative position and relative speed of the object.

[0058] The vehicle state information 230 is information indicating the state of the vehicle 1, and indicates the detection results by the vehicle state sensor 23. Examples of the state of the vehicle 1 include the vehicle speed (wheel speed), steering angle, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, etc. The state of the vehicle 1 further includes the stroke amount of each suspension 30 detected by the sensor 24.

[0059] Vehicle status information 230 may further indicate whether automated valet parking of vehicle 1 is being performed.

[0060] The localization information 240 indicates the location of the vehicle 1 obtained by localization.

[0061] The target route information 250 indicates a target route TP of the vehicle 1 in the predetermined area AR. For example, the target route information 250 indicates a target route TP from an entrance area in a parking lot PL to a target parking frame (see FIG. 2).

[0062] 5-3.Suspension control The control device 100 performs the suspension control described above in Section 3. That is, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 of each wheel 2 higher than the default, as necessary.

[0063] According to the first example described above (see Section 3-1), the damping force of the suspension 30 is set higher within the predetermined area AR compared to outside the predetermined area AR. The control device 100 determines whether the vehicle 1 is within the predetermined area AR or not based on the map information 210 and the localization information 240 (vehicle position). If the vehicle 1 is outside the predetermined area AR, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 to a default. On the other hand, if the vehicle 1 is within the predetermined area AR, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 higher than the default.

[0064] According to the above-mentioned second example (see Section 3-2), when automatic valet parking is being performed, the damping force of the suspension 30 is set higher compared to when automatic valet parking is not being performed. The control device 100 determines whether or not automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 is being performed based on the vehicle state information 230. When automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 is not being performed, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 to a default. On the other hand, when automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 is being performed, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 higher than the default.

[0065] According to the above-mentioned third example (see Section 3-3), when the vehicle 1 passes through the first position P1, the damping force of the suspension 30 is set higher than that at positions other than the first position P1. The first position P1 is a position where the unevenness of the road surface exceeds a threshold value.

[0066] For example, the first position P1 is registered in advance in the map information 210 of the predetermined area AR. In this case, the control device 100 can acquire information on the first position P1 from the map information 210 of the predetermined area AR.

[0067] As another example, the control device 100 may communicate with an infrastructure camera installed within a predetermined area AR via the communication device 40 and acquire an image captured by the infrastructure camera. The control device 100 can recognize the first position P1 based on the acquired image.

[0068] As yet another example, the control device 100 may recognize the first position P1 based on surrounding situation information 220 that indicates the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1.

[0069] At positions other than the first position P1, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 to a default value. On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 passes through the first position P1, the control device 100 sets the damping force of the suspension 30 to a value higher than the default value.

[0070] Localization The control device 100 performs "localization" to estimate the position of the vehicle 1 in the predetermined area AR. More specifically, the control device 100 calculates the amount of movement of the vehicle 1 based on the vehicle state information 230 (vehicle speed, steering angle), and estimates the position of the vehicle 1 based on the amount of movement. The control device 100 also acquires the position of each marker M in the predetermined area AR from the map information 210, and acquires the relative position of the marker M with respect to the vehicle 1 from the surrounding situation information 220. Then, the control device 100 corrects the estimated position of the vehicle 1 based on the estimated position of the vehicle 1, the relative positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the marker M, and the installation position of the marker M in the predetermined area AR. By repeatedly performing position estimation and position correction, it is possible to continuously obtain a highly accurate vehicle position.

[0071] As described in Section 2 above, the control device 100 may perform localization taking into account the stroke amount of the suspension 30 of the vehicle 1. The stroke amount of each suspension 30 is obtained from the vehicle state information 230. The control device 100 corrects the image captured by the camera 22 based on the stroke amount of each suspension 30. More specifically, the control device 100 corrects the position of the marker M recognized from the image based on the stroke amount of each suspension 30 so that it becomes that in the case of the reference state. Then, the control device 100 performs localization based on the position of the marker M after the correction, i.e., the position of the marker M corresponding to the reference state.

[0072] 5-5.Vehicle driving control The control device 100 performs vehicle driving control for controlling the driving of the vehicle 1. The control device 100 performs vehicle driving control by controlling the driving devices 50 (steering device, drive device, braking device).

[0073] In particular, the control device 100 executes a driving control process so that the vehicle 1 follows the target route TP. To achieve this, the control device 100 calculates the deviation (e.g., lateral deviation, yaw angle deviation) between the vehicle 1 and the target route TP. The position of the vehicle 1 is obtained from the localization information 240. The target route TP is obtained from the target route information 250. Then, the control device 100 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 so that the deviation between the vehicle 1 and the target route TP is reduced.

[0074] The vehicle driving control also realizes automatic valet parking of the vehicle 1 in the parking lot PL (see FIG. 2). [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 vehicle 2 wheels 10 Vehicle Control System 10M Management System 10V Automotive Systems 20 Vehicle Sensors 21 Recognition Sensor 22 Camera 23 Vehicle condition sensor 24 Sensors 30 Suspension 40 Communication Equipment 50 Running gear 100 Control device 110 Processor 120 Storage device 200 Various information 210 Map Information 220 Surrounding Area Information 230 Vehicle status information 240 Localization Information 250 Route target information AR designated area TP Target Route

Claims

1. A vehicle position estimation method for estimating a position of a vehicle in a predetermined area in which a marker is arranged, comprising: Recognizing positions of markers around the vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle; correcting the position of the recognized marker based on a stroke amount of a suspension of the vehicle; estimating the position of the vehicle in the predetermined area based on the corrected positions of the markers; The damping force of the suspension is set higher within the predetermined area than outside the predetermined area. Includes Vehicle position estimation method.

2. 2. A vehicle position estimation method according to claim 1, comprising: In the predetermined area, automatic valet parking of the vehicle is performed based on the position of the vehicle. Vehicle position estimation method.

3. 3. A vehicle position estimation method according to claim 2, further comprising: The automated valet parking is performed with no occupants in the vehicle. Vehicle position estimation method.

4. A vehicle position estimation method for estimating a position of a vehicle having a function of performing automatic valet parking, comprising: Recognizing positions of markers around the vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle; correcting the position of the recognized marker based on a stroke amount of a suspension of the vehicle; estimating a position of the vehicle based on the corrected positions of the markers; The damping force of the suspension is set higher during execution of the automatic valet parking compared to when the automatic valet parking is not executed. Includes Vehicle position estimation method.

5. 5. A vehicle position estimation method according to claim 4, further comprising: The automated valet parking is performed with no occupants in the vehicle. Vehicle position estimation method.

6. A vehicle position estimation method for estimating a position of a vehicle, comprising: Recognizing positions of markers around the vehicle using a camera mounted on the vehicle; correcting the position of the recognized marker based on a stroke amount of a suspension of the vehicle; estimating the position of the vehicle based on the corrected positions of the markers; Obtaining information on a first position where a degree of unevenness of a road surface exceeds a threshold; When the vehicle passes through the first position, a damping force of the suspension is set to be higher than that of a position other than the first position. Includes Vehicle position estimation method.

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