Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control computer program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of preventing incorrect generation of a scheduled travel route that would cause a vehicle to deviate from a traveling lane.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a deviation section detection unit 31 that detects a deviation section in which information pertaining to a road shown on a first map in a traveling direction of a vehicle 10 and on which the vehicle 10 is currently traveling and information pertaining to the road shown on a second map differing in update timing from the first map deviate from each other; a route generation unit 32 that generates a scheduled travel route on the basis of the first map regarding a section other than the deviation section among sections from the current position of the vehicle 10 to a prescribed distant destination in the travel direction of the vehicle 10, and generates a scheduled travel route regarding the deviation section on the basis of the first or the second map whichever is shorter in elapsed time from timing when information pertaining to the road in the deviation section was last updated; and a control unit 33 that controls the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 travels along the generated scheduled travel route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Technologies are being researched that refer to map information to perform automatic driving control of a vehicle or to perform driving assistance for a driver of the vehicle. However, while the vehicle is traveling, the map information may become unavailable if the vehicle enters an area where there is no map information. Therefore, a technology has been proposed that switches from a driving route based on map information to another driving route (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The driving support device disclosed in Patent Document 1 generates a first driving route based on map information of the surroundings of the vehicle, and generates a second driving route based on the detected surrounding environment of the vehicle. When the driving support device detects that the first driving route ahead of the vehicle is no longer generated while the vehicle is traveling along the first driving route, the driving support device determines that it is necessary to switch from the first driving route to the second driving route. When it is determined that the switching is necessary, the driving support device controls the vehicle to transition from the first driving route to the second driving route. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 026210 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Map information used to generate a route along which a vehicle is scheduled to travel (hereinafter simply referred to as a planned travel route) may not represent the latest road conditions. For example, after the map information is generated or updated, construction work may be carried out on a road section represented in the map information, causing a discrepancy between the information on that road section represented in the map information and the actual information on that road section. In such a case, the planned travel route generated based on the map information does not follow the lanes on that road section. As a result, when the vehicle is driven along the planned travel route, the vehicle may stagger or be on the verge of deviating from its lane.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can prevent erroneous generation of a planned driving route that causes the vehicle to deviate from the lane in which it is traveling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment, a vehicle control device is provided, which includes a storage unit that stores a first map and a second map that represent information about roads and are updated at different times, a deviation section detection unit that detects a deviation section in which information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling that is shown in the first map and information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling that is shown in the second map deviate from each other in the traveling direction of the vehicle, a route generation unit that generates a planned driving route along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel based on the first map for a section other than the deviation section among sections from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and generates a planned driving route for the deviation section based on one of the first map and the second map, which has a shorter elapsed time since the information about the road in the deviation section was last updated, and a control unit that controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the generated planned driving route.

[0008] In this vehicle control device, it is preferable that the accuracy of the road information represented on the first map is higher than the accuracy of the road information represented on the second map, and that the update frequency of the second map is higher than the update frequency of the first map.

[0009] In addition, in this vehicle control device, it is preferable that the route generation unit connects the planned driving route generated for the deviation section and the planned driving routes generated for the sections before and after the deviation section with a predetermined curve.

[0010] Alternatively, in this vehicle control device, it is preferable that the route generation unit generates a planned driving route from a point that is a predetermined offset distance closer to the current position of the vehicle than a starting point of the deviation section that is closest to the current position of the vehicle, based on either the first map or the second map, whichever map has a shorter elapsed time since the information about the roads in the deviation section was last updated.

[0011] Furthermore, in this vehicle control device, when two deviation sections are detected whose distance from each other is less than a predetermined distance threshold, it is preferable that the deviation section detection unit treats a continuous section including the two deviation sections as one deviation section.

[0012] According to another embodiment, there is provided a vehicle control method, which includes: detecting a deviation section in which information represented on a first map for a predetermined road section located a predetermined distance away from a current position of the vehicle in a traveling direction of the vehicle and information represented on a second map having an update timing different from that of the first map diverge from each other; generating a planned driving route along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel based on the first map for a section from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance away in a traveling direction of the vehicle other than the deviation section; generating a planned driving route for the deviation section based on one of the first map and the second map, whichever has a shorter elapsed time since information on the road on which the vehicle is traveling in the deviation section was last updated; and controlling the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the generated planned driving route.

[0013] According to still another embodiment, there is provided a computer program for controlling a vehicle, the computer program for controlling a vehicle including instructions for causing a processor mounted on the vehicle to execute the following operations: detect a deviation section in which information shown in a first map for a predetermined road section located a predetermined distance away from the current position of the vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle and information shown in a second map having an update timing different from that of the first map diverge from each other; generate a planned driving route along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel based on the first map for a section from the current position of the vehicle to the predetermined distance away in the traveling direction of the vehicle other than the deviation section; generate a planned driving route for the deviation section based on one of the first map and the second map, whichever has a shorter elapsed time since information on the road on which the vehicle is traveling in the deviation section was last updated; and control the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the generated planned driving route. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The vehicle control device according to the present invention has an effect of being able to suppress erroneous generation of a planned driving route that causes the vehicle to deviate from the lane in which it is traveling. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system in which a vehicle control device is implemented. [Diagram 2] 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an electronic control device that is an embodiment of a vehicle control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a processor of an electronic control unit related to vehicle control processing. [Figure 4] 13(a) and 13(b) are conceptual diagrams showing an example of the relationship between the degree of deviation and the deviation section between two maps. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of detection of a deviation interval according to a modified example. [Figure 6] 4 is an operation flowchart of a vehicle control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method executed on the vehicle control device, and a computer program for controlling the vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle control device generates a planned driving route using one of two maps that are updated at different times, and drives the vehicle along the generated planned driving route. More specifically, the vehicle control device detects a deviation section in a section from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, in which information on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, shown on each of the two maps, deviates from each other. Then, for road sections other than the deviation section, the vehicle control device generates a planned driving route based on one of the two maps that is normally used. On the other hand, for the deviation section, the vehicle control device generates a planned driving route based on one of the two maps that has a shorter elapsed time since the information on the road in the deviation section was last updated.

[0017] In this embodiment, each of the two maps includes information about roads that is used to generate the planned driving route, such as information about road markings such as lane markings, information about the types of features such as curbs, road signs, and signs along the road, and information about the positions of these features.

[0018] In addition, it is preferable that the map having higher accuracy of information on roads shown on the two maps is set as the map to be used as a standard (hereinafter referred to as the first map). This increases the possibility that a planned driving route that appropriately follows the lane on which the vehicle is traveling is generated. Note that the smaller the error in the position of the roads shown on the map or the features around the roads, or the more accurate the type and presence of the features, the higher the accuracy of the information on the roads shown on the map. Therefore, for a road section that has not changed since the first map and the other map (hereinafter referred to as the second map) were last updated, it is preferable that the accuracy of the position of the features and the accuracy of the type and presence of the features in the road section are higher in the first map than in the second map. However, the accuracy of the road information in each of the two maps may be the same. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the timing of updating the map refers to the timing when the information on the roads shown on the map is updated. For example, when a map server that manages maps or distributes maps to vehicles updates information about a specific road section of a first map to a first date and time, the first date and time becomes the timing of the update.

[0019] On the other hand, it is preferable that the second map is updated more frequently than the first map. As a result, even if the first map does not show accurate information about a specific road section because some construction work was carried out on the specific road section after the first map was last updated, the second map may have been last updated after the construction work was carried out on the specific road section. Therefore, the second map may show accurate information about the specific road section. Therefore, the vehicle control device can generate an appropriate planned driving route that allows the vehicle to continue driving without deviating from the lane it is driving by using the first and second maps appropriately depending on the situation.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system in which a vehicle control device is implemented. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an electronic control device, which is an embodiment of a vehicle control device. In this embodiment, a vehicle control system 1 that is mounted on a vehicle 10 and controls the vehicle 10 includes a camera 2, a GPS receiver 3, a wireless communication terminal 4, a storage device 5, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 6, which is an example of a vehicle control device. The camera 2, the GPS receiver 3, the wireless communication terminal 4, the storage device 5, and the ECU 6 are communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network that complies with a standard such as a controller area network. The vehicle control system 1 may further include a distance measuring sensor (not shown) such as a LiDAR or a radar that measures the distance from the vehicle 10 to an object present around the vehicle 10. The vehicle control system 1 may further include a navigation device (not shown) for searching a route to a destination.

[0021] Camera 2 is an example of a sensor that generates a sensor signal that represents the surroundings of vehicle 10, and has a two-dimensional detector configured with an array of photoelectric conversion elements sensitive to visible light, such as a CCD or C-MOS, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the area to be photographed on the two-dimensional detector. Camera 2 is attached, for example, inside the passenger compartment of vehicle 10 so as to face the front of vehicle 10. Camera 2 photographs the area in front of vehicle 10 at a predetermined photographing period (for example, 1 / 30 to 1 / 10 seconds) and generates an image showing the area in front of vehicle 10. The image obtained by camera 2 is an example of a sensor signal. Note that vehicle 10 may be provided with multiple cameras with different photographing directions or focal lengths.

[0022] Every time the camera 2 generates an image, it outputs the generated image to the ECU 6 via the in-vehicle network.

[0023] The GPS receiver 3 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites at predetermined intervals and determines the own position of the vehicle 10 based on the received GPS signals. Then, the GPS receiver 3 outputs positioning information representing the positioning result of the own position of the vehicle 10 based on the GPS signals to the ECU 6 via the in-vehicle network at predetermined intervals. Note that the vehicle 10 may have a receiver that receives positioning signals from satellites of other satellite positioning systems and determines the own position of the vehicle 10, instead of the GPS receiver.

[0024] The wireless communication terminal 4 wirelessly communicates with a wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined mobile communication standard. The wireless communication terminal 4 receives map information representing the first map or the second map, or update information of the first map or the second map, from the map server via the wireless base station. The wireless communication terminal 4 then outputs the received map information or update information to the storage device 5 via the in-vehicle network.

[0025] The storage device 5 is an example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a hard disk device, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, or an optical recording medium and an access device therefor. The storage device 5 stores the first map and the second map, and for each of the first map and the second map, update information indicating the date and time when information about the road section was last updated for each of the road sections shown on the maps.

[0026] Furthermore, the storage device 5 has a processor for executing an update process of the first map or the second map, and a process related to a map read request from the ECU 6. For example, the storage device 5 transmits a request to acquire the first map and the second map together with the current position of the vehicle 10 to the map server via the wireless communication terminal 4 every time the vehicle 10 moves a predetermined distance. Then, the storage device 5 receives map information including the first map and the second map for a predetermined area around the current position of the vehicle 10 from the map server via the wireless communication terminal 4, and stores the first map and the second map included in the received map information. Furthermore, when the storage device 5 receives update information of the first map or the second map via the wireless communication terminal 4, it stores the update information. Furthermore, when the storage device 5 receives a map read request from the ECU 6, it extracts an area that includes the current position of the vehicle 10 and is relatively narrower than the above-mentioned predetermined area from the stored first map and second map, and outputs the area to the ECU 6 via the in-vehicle network.

[0027] The ECU 6 performs automatic driving control of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the ECU 6 generates a planned driving route based on the first map or the second map, and performs automatic driving control of the vehicle 10 so as to make the vehicle 10 travel along the generated planned driving route.

[0028] 2, the ECU 6 has a communication interface 21, a memory 22, and a processor 23. The communication interface 21, the memory 22, and the processor 23 may each be configured as a separate circuit, or may be integrated into a single integrated circuit.

[0029] The communication interface 21 has an interface circuit for connecting the ECU 6 to an in-vehicle network. Every time the communication interface 21 receives an image from the camera 2, it passes the received image to the processor 23. Every time the communication interface 21 receives positioning information from the GPS receiver 3, it passes the positioning information to the processor 23. Furthermore, the communication interface 21 passes the first and second maps and update information read from the storage device 5 to the processor 23.

[0030] The memory 22 is another example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory and a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The memory 22 stores various data used in the vehicle control process executed by the processor 23. For example, the memory 22 stores an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 received from the camera 2, the positioning information of the vehicle 10 received from the GPS receiver 3, and the first and second maps and update information read from the storage device 5. The memory 22 also stores parameters such as the focal length, shooting direction, and mounting position of the camera 2, and various parameters for identifying a classifier for object detection used to detect features and the like. The memory 22 also temporarily stores various data generated during the vehicle control process.

[0031] The processor 23 has one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 23 may further have other arithmetic circuits such as a logic arithmetic unit, a numerical arithmetic unit, or a graphic processing unit. The processor 23 executes vehicle control processing for the vehicle 10 at predetermined intervals.

[0032] 3 is a functional block diagram of the processor 23 related to the vehicle control process. The processor 23 has a deviation section detection unit 31, a route generation unit 32, and a control unit 33. Each of these units in the processor 23 is, for example, a functional module realized by a computer program running on the processor 23. Alternatively, each of these units in the processor 23 may be a dedicated arithmetic circuit provided in the processor 23.

[0033] The deviation section detection unit 31 detects deviation sections in a section from the current position of the vehicle 10 to a predetermined distance away in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, where information regarding the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, shown on the first map, deviates from the information shown on the second map.

[0034] For this purpose, the deviation section detection unit 31 sets the position of the vehicle 10 indicated by the latest positioning information as the current position of the vehicle 10. The deviation section detection unit 31 also specifies the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 based on a change in the position of the vehicle 10 indicated by the most recent multiple pieces of positioning information, or based on a sensor signal indicating the orientation of the vehicle 10 received by the ECU 6 from an orientation sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the deviation section detection unit 31 refers to the map currently being used to generate the planned driving route out of the first map and the second map, and specifies a road including the current position of the vehicle 10 as the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0035] The deviation section detection unit 31 sets sampling points at first intervals (e.g., several hundreds of meters to 1 km) in a section from the current position of the vehicle 10 to a predetermined distance ahead along the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. Then, for each sampling point, the deviation section detection unit 31 calculates the distance between the position of the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling or the position of a feature around the road (e.g., lane markings, curbs, guard rails, or road signs) shown on the first map at that sampling point, and the position of the corresponding feature shown on the second map, as the deviation degree. Note that, when features that are continuous along the road, such as the lane markings in the above example, are used to calculate the deviation degree, the deviation section detection unit 31 may calculate the distance from the position of the feature shown on the first map at the sampling point of interest to the closest position of the corresponding feature shown on the second map, as the deviation degree. In addition, the deviation section detection unit 31 may calculate the average value of the distance between each position of a plurality of features shown on the first map at the sampling point of interest and the position of the corresponding feature shown on the second map as the deviation degree.

[0036] The deviation section detection unit 31 compares the deviation calculated for each sampling point with a predetermined threshold. Then, the deviation section detection unit 31 identifies a sampling point where the deviation is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. The deviation section detection unit 31 resets sampling points at second intervals (for example, several tens of meters to 100 meters) narrower than the first intervals before and after the sampling point where the deviation is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. Then, the deviation section detection unit 31 calculates the deviation between the first map and the second map for each reset sampling point in the same manner as described above. The deviation section detection unit 31 identifies a sampling point where the deviation is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold among the reset sampling points. The deviation section detection unit 31 detects, as a deviation section, a section from a sampling point immediately before the sampling point closest to the vehicle 10 among the sampling points where the deviation degree is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold to a sampling point immediately after the sampling point farthest from the vehicle 10 among the sampling points where the deviation degree is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. Note that the deviation section detection unit 31 may detect a plurality of deviation sections by repeating the above process.

[0037] 4(a) and 4(b) are conceptual diagrams showing an example of the relationship between the deviation degree and deviation section of two maps. In FIG. 4(a), the vehicle 10 is exaggerated. As shown in FIG. 4(a), on the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, sampling points S are arranged at first intervals from the current position P of the vehicle 10. i (i=1,2,...,m) are set. Then, the sampling points S i For each map, the deviation D between a lane marking 401 shown on the first map and a corresponding lane marking 402 shown on the second map is calculated. i In this example, the sampling point S B In this case, the deviation D B is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th.

[0038] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the sampling point S B Before and after, at each second interval, sampling points S j(j=Bn,B-(n-1),..,B-1,B,B+1,...,B+n) is reset. Then, the sampling point S j For each lane marking 401 shown on the first map and the corresponding lane marking 402 shown on the second map, the deviation D j In this example, the sampling point S B-a From sampling point S B+b In the interval, the deviation D j is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold Th. B-a Sampling point S on the front side B-a-1 From sampling point S B+b The next sampling point S B+b+1 The section up to is identified as deviation section A.

[0039] The deviation section detection unit 31 may set a deviation degree equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value for sampling points where the number of lanes or the number of lane markings differ between the first map and the second map. The deviation section detection unit 31 may also set a deviation degree equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value for sampling points where the type of lane markings differ between the first map and the second map. Furthermore, the deviation section detection unit 31 may set a point where the presence or absence of a predetermined feature, such as a road sign or a guardrail, differs between the first map and the second map as a sampling point having a deviation degree equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

[0040] According to the modified example, the deviation section detection unit 31 may calculate the deviation degree for each point at a predetermined interval (for example, several tens of meters to 100 meters) in order from the closest to the current position of the vehicle 10 along the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Then, the deviation section detection unit 31 determines the point where the deviation degree first becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value (for example, the same threshold value as the above-mentioned predetermined threshold value) as the start point of the deviation section. The deviation section detection unit 31 determines the point where the deviation degree first becomes less than a second threshold value among points farther from the vehicle 10 than the start point of the deviation section as the end point of the deviation section. Note that the second threshold value for identifying the end point of the deviation section may be set lower than the above-mentioned first threshold value for identifying the start point of the deviation section. This prevents the deviation section from being set so that the deviation section and other sections are frequently switched over, or prevents the end point of the deviation section from being erroneously detected. It is preferable that each of the above thresholds is set to a value larger than the average, median, or mode of the position errors of individual features shown on the second map, thereby preventing a point where there is substantially no difference between the road-related information shown on the first map and the road-related information shown on the second map from being erroneously included in the deviation section.

[0041] Also, when the distance between two consecutive deviation sections is less than a predetermined distance threshold (for example, several hundreds of meters to 1 km), the deviation section detection unit 31 may set a consecutive section including the two deviation sections as a single deviation section again. Similarly, for three or more deviation sections, when the distance between each of two consecutive deviation sections among the deviation sections is less than the distance threshold, the deviation section detection unit 31 may set a consecutive section including the three or more deviation sections as a single deviation section again. This prevents the map used to generate the planned driving route from being frequently switched, thereby preventing the generation of an unnatural planned driving route. As a result, the vehicle 10 is prevented from exhibiting unnatural behavior, thereby preventing the driver from feeling unnecessary anxiety.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of detection of deviation sections according to this modified example. In the example shown in Fig. 5, five deviation sections 501 to 505 are detected based on the deviation degree at each point on the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling. However, the distance d between the deviation section 501 and the deviation section 502 is 12 is less than the predetermined distance threshold Thd. Similarly, the distance d 23 , and the distance d between the deviation interval 503 and the deviation interval 504 34 On the other hand, the distance d between the deviation section 504 and the deviation section 505 is smaller than the predetermined distance threshold Thd. 45 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold Thd. Therefore, a section 510 from the start point of deviation section 501 to the end point of deviation section 504 is detected as a new deviation section. However, deviation section 505 is maintained as a deviation section separate from deviation section 510.

[0043] The deviation section detection unit 31 notifies the route generation unit 32 of the start point and end point of the detected deviation section.

[0044] The route generating unit 32 generates a planned driving route from the current position of the vehicle 10 to a predetermined distance ahead based on the first map or the second map. In this embodiment, for the deviation section, the route generating unit 32 generates a planned driving route based on the map that has been updated the shortest time, out of the first map and the second map. On the other hand, for the section other than the deviation section, the route generating unit 32 generates a planned driving route based on the first map.

[0045] The route generating unit 32 first detects the lane on which the vehicle 10 is traveling (hereinafter, the vehicle's own lane). To this end, the route generating unit 32 detects the vehicle's own lane by comparing an image (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as an image) showing the surroundings of the vehicle 10 generated by the camera 2 with one of the first map and the second map, whichever is used for generating the planned travel route at the current position of the vehicle 10. For example, the route generating unit 32 assumes the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 and projects the features on or around the road detected from the image onto the map, or projects the features on or around the road around the vehicle 10 shown on the map onto the image. The features on or around the road can be, for example, road markings such as lane markings or stop lines, or curbs. The route generating unit 32 then estimates the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 when the features detected from the image and the features shown on the map most closely match as the actual vehicle's own position, and detects the lane including the vehicle's own position on the map as the vehicle's own lane.

[0046] The route generating unit 32 may determine the position where the feature is projected on the map or image by using the assumed initial values ​​of the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 and the parameters of the camera 2 such as the focal length, the installation height, and the shooting direction. As the initial values ​​of the position and attitude of the vehicle 10, the latest position of the vehicle 10 measured by the GPS receiver 3, or the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 estimated at the time of the previous detection of the vehicle's own lane, corrected by using the odometry information, is used. Then, the route generating unit 32 calculates the degree of match between the feature on or around the road detected from the image and the corresponding feature shown on the map (for example, the inverse of the square sum of the distance between the corresponding features).

[0047] The route generating unit 32 repeats the above process while changing the assumed position and attitude of the vehicle 10. Then, the route generating unit 32 estimates the assumed position and attitude when the degree of agreement is maximum as the actual self-position of the vehicle 10. Then, the route generating unit 32 refers to the map and identifies the lane that includes the self-position of the vehicle 10 as the own lane.

[0048] The path generating unit 32 may detect the feature by inputting the image to a classifier that has been trained in advance to detect the feature from the image. The path generating unit 32 may use a deep neural network (DNN) having a convolutional neural network (CNN) type architecture, such as Single Shot MultiBox Detector or Faster R-CNN, as such a classifier. Alternatively, the path generating unit 32 may use a DNN having a self attention network (SAN) type architecture, such as Vision Transformer, as such a classifier.

[0049] When the route generating unit 32 detects the own lane, the route generating unit 32 generates, as a planned driving route, a line passing through the center of the lane dividing lines on both the left and right sides of the own lane, which divide the own lane shown on the map.

[0050] Furthermore, when the map used for generating the planned driving route is switched in the deviation section and the sections before and after it, that is, when the second map is used for generating the planned driving route in the deviation section, the route generating unit 32 connects the planned driving route generated for the deviation section and the planned driving route generated in the sections before and after it with a predetermined curve. At that time, the route generating unit 32 may generate the planned driving route for the section of about 10 meters around the boundary between the deviation section and the previous section as the center with the predetermined curve. Similarly, the route generating unit 32 may generate the planned driving route for the section of about 10 meters around the boundary between the deviation section and the subsequent section as the center with the predetermined curve. Note that the route generating unit 32 can use a curve represented by a sigmoid function or a spline function as the predetermined curve. Alternatively, the route generating unit 32 may use a clothoid curve as the predetermined curve.

[0051] The route generation unit 32 notifies the control unit 33 of the generated planned driving route.

[0052] The control unit 33 controls each unit of the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 travels along the planned travel route received from the route generation unit 32. To this end, the control unit 33 measures the position of the vehicle 10 at predetermined intervals and compares the measured position of the vehicle 10 with the planned travel route. As described in the route generation unit 32, the control unit 33 may measure the exact position of the vehicle 10 by collating an image obtained by the camera 2 with a map used to generate the planned travel route. If the measured position of the vehicle 10 is on the planned travel route, the control unit 33 determines a steering angle of the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 advances along the planned travel route, and controls the steering of the vehicle 10 to achieve the determined steering angle. If the measured position of the vehicle 10 is away from the planned travel route, the control unit 33 determines a steering angle of the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 approaches the planned travel route, and controls the steering of the vehicle 10 to achieve the determined steering angle.

[0053] Further, the control unit 33 sets the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 10 so that the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 10 and another vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle 10 is kept at a certain distance or more. To this end, the control unit 33 detects the other vehicle by inputting the image obtained by the camera 2 or the distance measurement signal obtained by a distance measurement sensor (not shown) to a classifier that has been trained in advance to detect the other vehicle. The control unit 33 then estimates the distance between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle based on the size of the other vehicle on the image, or the position of the bottom end of the area in which the other vehicle is represented, or based on the distance indicated by the distance measurement signal in the direction to the detected other vehicle. When the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle falls below a predetermined distance threshold, the control unit 33 sets the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 10 so as to decelerate the vehicle 10. On the other hand, when the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the control unit 33 sets the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 10 so as to keep the speed of the vehicle 10 constant, or to approach the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling or the target speed set by the driver. Then, the control unit 33 sets the accelerator opening or the braking amount according to the set acceleration / deceleration. The control unit 33 calculates the fuel injection amount according to the set accelerator opening, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the fuel injection amount to a fuel injection device of the engine of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the control unit 33 calculates the amount of power supplied to the motor according to the set accelerator opening, and controls a drive circuit of the motor so that the amount of power is supplied to the motor. Alternatively, the control unit 33 outputs a control signal corresponding to the set braking amount to the brake of the vehicle 10.

[0054] 6 is an operational flowchart of the vehicle control process executed by the processor 23. The processor 23 may execute the vehicle control process in accordance with the following operational flowchart each time the vehicle 10 travels a predetermined distance or each time a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0055] The deviation section detection unit 31 of the processor 23 detects a deviation section in a section from the current position of the vehicle 10 to a predetermined distance ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, where information on the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, shown on the first map, deviates from the information shown on the second map (step S101). Furthermore, the route generation unit 32 of the processor 23 generates a planned driving route for the deviation section based on the map that has been updated the shortest time out of the first map and the second map (step S102). On the other hand, the route generation unit 32 generates a planned driving route for the section other than the deviation section, based on the first map (step S103). Furthermore, the route generation unit 32 determines whether or not the map used to generate the planned driving route is switched in the deviation section and the sections before and after it (step S104). When the map used to generate the planned driving route is switched (step S104-Yes), the route generation unit 32 connects the planned driving route generated for the deviation section to the planned driving routes generated for the sections before and after it with a predetermined curve (step S105).

[0056] If the map used for generating the planned driving route is not switched (step S104-No), or after step S105, the control unit 33 of the processor 23 controls the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 travels along the generated planned driving route (step S106). Then, the processor 23 ends the vehicle control process.

[0057] As described above, the vehicle control device generates a planned driving route using one of two map information pieces that are updated at different times, and drives the vehicle along the generated planned driving route. In particular, for a deviation section, the vehicle control device generates a planned driving route based on one of the two maps, which has a shorter elapsed time since the information about the road in the deviation section was last updated. Therefore, the vehicle control device can generate a planned driving route based on the map that is more likely to represent the actual road information. Therefore, the vehicle control device can suppress erroneous generation of a planned driving route that deviates from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling.

[0058] According to a modified example, the route generating unit 32 may generate a planned driving route from a position a predetermined offset distance (e.g., several hundreds of meters) before the deviation section based on one of the first and second maps, whichever map has a shorter elapsed time since the information about the road in the deviation section was last updated. This allows the route generating unit 32 to generate an appropriate planned driving route that does not deviate from the own lane in the deviation section, even if it takes some time to switch the map used to generate the planned driving route.

[0059] According to another modification, the map server may detect the deviation section by executing a process similar to that by the deviation section detection unit 31. In this case, when distributing the first map and the second map to the vehicle 10, the map server may also distribute deviation section information that identifies the deviation section included in the area shown on the first map and the second map. In this case, the storage device 5 also stores the deviation section information received via the wireless communication terminal 4. Then, the deviation section detection unit 31 may identify the deviation section that exists within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 along the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 by referring to the deviation section information. According to this modification, the calculation load of the processor 23 of the ECU 6 is reduced.

[0060] A computer program for realizing the functions of the processor 23 of the ECU 6 according to the above embodiment or variant example may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable portable recording medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium or an optical recording medium.

[0061] As described above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Vehicle Control System 10 Vehicles 2 Camera 3 GPS receiver 4. Wireless communication terminals 5. Storage Devices 6 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 21 Communication Interface 22 Memory 23 Processors 31 Deviation section detection section 32 Route Generation Unit 33 Control Unit

Claims

1. a storage unit that stores a first map and a second map that represent information about roads and that are updated at different times; a deviation section detection unit that detects a deviation section in which information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling, which is shown on the first map, and information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling, which is shown on the second map, deviate from each other in a traveling direction of the vehicle; a route generating unit that generates a planned driving route along which the vehicle is to travel, based on the first map, for a section other than the deviation section among sections from a current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead in a traveling direction of the vehicle, and generates the planned driving route for the deviation section based on one of the first map and the second map, whichever has a shorter elapsed time since information about the road in the deviation section was last updated; A control unit that controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the planned travel route; A vehicle control device having the above configuration.

2. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the accuracy of the information regarding the roads represented on the first map is higher than the accuracy of the information regarding the roads represented on the second map, and the update frequency of the second map is higher than the update frequency of the first map.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the route generation unit connects the planned driving route generated for the deviation section and the planned driving routes generated for sections before and after the deviation section with a predetermined curve.

4. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the route generation unit generates the planned driving route from a point that is closer to the current position of the vehicle by a predetermined offset distance than a starting point of the deviation section that is closest to the current position of the vehicle, based on one of the first map and the second map, whichever has a shorter elapsed time since information about the roads in the deviation section was last updated.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when two deviation sections are detected whose distance from each other is less than a predetermined distance threshold, the deviation section detection unit regards a continuous section including the two deviation sections as one deviation section.

6. A vehicle control device detects a deviation section in the vehicle's traveling direction where information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling, which is shown on a first map, and information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling, which is shown on a second map that is updated at a different timing from the first map, diverge from each other; the vehicle control device generates a planned driving route along which the vehicle is to travel, based on the first map, for a section other than the deviation section, among sections from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead in a traveling direction of the vehicle; the vehicle control device generates, for the deviation section, the planned driving route based on one of the first map and the second map, whichever map has a shorter elapsed time since the timing when information about the road in the deviation section was last updated; The vehicle control device controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the planned travel route. A vehicle control method comprising:

7. detect a deviation section in which information about a road on which the vehicle is traveling that is shown on a first map in the traveling direction of the vehicle and information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling that is shown on a second map that is updated at a different timing than the first map diverge from each other; generating a planned driving route along which the vehicle is to travel based on the first map for a section other than the deviation section among sections from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead in a traveling direction of the vehicle; generating the planned driving route based on one of the first map and the second map, whichever map has a shorter elapsed time since information about the road in the deviation section was last updated; Controlling the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the planned travel route. A vehicle control computer program for causing a processor mounted on the vehicle to execute the above-mentioned steps.

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