Vehicle control device

Abstract

To properly configure an operator shift request section based on past operation shifts of a vehicle operator.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 12 comprises: an operator shift request part 232 which requests an operator shift where automatic operation is switched to manual operation of an operator of a vehicle 1; and a section setting part 233 which sets an operator shift request section ST1 which is a travel section of the vehicle 1 where the operator shift request is performed and an operator shift request preliminary notice section ST2 where arrival of the operator shift request section is notified to the operator in advance. The section setting part 233 moves a start point ST11 of the operator shift request section ST1 to a side of the operator shift request preliminary notice section ST2 when the operator shift based on operation of the operator is not executed while the vehicle 1 travels on the operator shift request preliminary notice section ST2 and when the operator shift based on operation of the operator is performed many times while the vehicle 1 travels on the operator shift request section ST1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for setting a notification timing for notifying a switch from an automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode. Patent Document 1 describes that three types of notification timings are set.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the operation timing of a driving shift by a driver of a vehicle tends to vary from driver to driver, an appropriate driving shift request section is considered to vary from driver to driver. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the characteristics of the driver are not reflected when setting the notification timing. Therefore, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the driving shift request section may not be set appropriately for some drivers.

[0005] In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of appropriately setting a driving shift request section based on past driving shift operations by a driver of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a driving change request unit that executes a driving change request for requesting a driver of a vehicle to perform a driving change, which is a change from automatic driving to manual driving, a driving change request section that is a driving section of the vehicle in which the driving change request is executed, and a section setting unit that sets a driving change request notice section that is a section for notifying the driver of the approach of the driving change request section. The section setting unit moves the start point of the driving change request section toward the driving change request notice section as the number of times the driving change based on the driver's operation is executed while the vehicle is traveling in the driving change request section without being executed while the vehicle is traveling in the driving change request notice section increases. It is a vehicle control device.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the driving change request section can be appropriately set based on the past driving change operations by the driver of the vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle 1 to which a vehicle control device 12 according to the first embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the vehicle control device 12 shown in FIG. 1. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 1 includes a surrounding recognition sensor 2, a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 5, a map information unit 6, a driver operation sensor 7, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 8, and a vehicle control device 12. They are connected via an in-vehicle network 13. The surrounding recognition sensor 2 has a function of recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1 and transmitting the recognition result to the vehicle control device 12. The surrounding recognition sensor 2 includes, for example, an external camera, a radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), etc. The GPS unit 5 acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 based on a GPS signal and transmits it to the vehicle control device 12. The map information unit 6 is formed, for example, in a storage such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) mounted on the vehicle 1. The high-precision map information possessed by the map information unit 6 includes various types of information such as road structures and rules. The driver operation sensor 7 includes, for example, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, a torque sensor that detects the steering torque, an accelerator sensor that detects the stroke amount of the accelerator pedal, a brake sensor that detects the stroke amount of the brake pedal, etc.

[0010] The HMI 8 is an interface that provides information to the driver and receives information from the driver, and has an input device and an output device. The input device includes, for example, a touch panel, a switch, a microphone, etc., and the output device includes, for example, a display device, a speaker, etc. In addition, the vehicle 1 includes a steering actuator 14, a braking actuator 15, and a driving actuator 16. The steering actuator 14 includes, for example, a power steering system, a steer-by-wire steering system, a rear-wheel steering system, etc. The braking actuator 15 has a function of decelerating the vehicle 1. The braking actuator 15 includes, for example, a hydraulic brake, an electric regenerative brake, etc. The driving actuator 16 has a function of accelerating the vehicle 1. The driving actuator 16 includes, for example, an engine, an EV (electric vehicle) system, a hybrid system, a fuel cell system, etc.

[0011] The vehicle control device 12 is constituted by, for example, an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The vehicle control device 12 can control the vehicle 1 at a driving control level that does not require the driver to operate the steering actuator 14, the braking actuator 15, and the driving actuator 16 and to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle 1 (it can execute automatic driving). In addition, the vehicle control device 12 has a function of controlling the vehicle 1 at a driving control level at which the driver participates in the driving of the vehicle 1 (executing manual driving). The vehicle control device 12 is constituted by a microcomputer including a communication interface (I / F) 21, a memory 22, and a processor 23. The communication I / F 21, the memory 22, and the processor 23 are connected via a signal line 24. The communication I / F 21 has an interface circuit for connecting the vehicle control device 12 to the in-vehicle network 13. The memory 22 is an example of a storage unit and includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory and a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The memory 22 stores programs and various data used in the processes executed by the processor 23. The processor 23 has functions such as setting a driving handover required section ST1 (see FIG. 3) described later. The processor 23 has a function as a vehicle control unit 231, a function as a driving handover request unit 232, a function as a section setting unit 233, a function as an acquisition unit 234, and a function as a learning unit 235.

[0012] The vehicle control unit 231 has a function of executing the automatic driving control of the vehicle 1. The driving change request unit 232 has a function of executing a driving change request for requesting the driver of the vehicle 1 to perform a driving change, which is a switch from automatic driving to manual driving, and a function of notifying the driver of the vehicle 1 of the arrival of the driving change request section ST1. The section setting unit 233 has a function of setting a driving change request section ST1, which is a traveling section of the vehicle 1 where the driving change request unit 232 executes a driving change request, a driving change request notification section ST2, which is a traveling section of the vehicle 1 where the driving change request unit 232 notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of the arrival of the driving change request section ST1, and the like.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a driving change request section ST1, a driving change request notification section ST2, etc. set by the section setting unit 233. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the section setting unit 233 sets a braking section ST0, a driving change request section ST1, and a driving change request notification section ST2 at the branch exit of the highway. The braking section ST0 is a section of an ordinary road outside the range of the high-precision map. The section setting unit 233 sets the driving change request section ST1 so that the travel time required for the vehicle 1 from the start point ST11 to the end point ST12 of the driving change request section ST1 is, for example, 4 [sec]. Further, the section setting unit 233 sets the driving change request notification section ST2 so that the travel time required for the vehicle 1 from the start point ST21 to the end point ST22 of the driving change request notification section ST2 is, for example, 8 [sec]. Furthermore, the section setting unit 233 sets the braking section ST0, the driving change request section ST1, and the driving change request notification section ST2 so that the end point ST12 of the driving change request section ST1 is located at the end of the high-precision map (the start point ST01 of the braking section ST0), and the start point ST11 of the driving change request section ST1 and the end point ST22 of the driving change request notification section ST2 are located at the same position. If a driving change based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 is not executed before the vehicle 1 reaches the end point ST12 of the driving change request section ST1, the vehicle control unit 231 automatically stops the vehicle 1 within the braking section ST0.

[0014] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the acquisition unit 234 acquires information indicating the performance of a driver change based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 stored in the memory 22, for example. The learning unit 235 counts and learns the number of times the driver change based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 is executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request section ST1 without being executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request notice section ST2, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 234.

[0015] Generally, a driver of the vehicle 1 often executes a driver change by stepping on the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request notice section ST2. On the other hand, some drivers of the vehicle 1 may not execute a driver change until just before the vehicle 1 reaches the end point ST12 of the driver change request section ST1. In view of the above points, in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the section setting unit 233 moves the start point ST11 of the driver change request section ST1 toward the side of the driver change request notice section ST2 (the lower side in FIG. 3) as the number of times the driver change based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 is executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request section ST1 without being executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request notice section ST2 increases.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a comparison between before (FIG. 4(A)) and after (FIG. 4(B)) the start point ST11 of the driver change request section ST1 is moved toward the side of the driver change request notice section ST2 (the left side in FIG. 4) by the section setting unit 233. As shown in FIG. 4(A), at the stage where the driver change of the vehicle 1 is first executed based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request section ST1, the end point ST12 of the driver change request section ST1 and the start point ST01 of the braking section ST0 are located at the same position, and the start point ST11 of the driver change request section ST1 and the end point ST22 of the driver change notice section ST2 are located at the same position. Thus, the braking section ST0, the driver change request section ST1, and the driver change notice section ST2 are set. Specifically, the driver change request section ST1 is set such that the travel time required for the vehicle 1 from the start point ST11 to the end point ST12 of the driver change request section ST1 is, for example, 4 [sec], and the driver change notice section ST2 is set such that the travel time required for the vehicle 1 from the start point ST21 to the end point ST22 of the driver change notice section ST2 is, for example, 8 [sec].

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4(B), at the stage after the opportunity for the driver change of the vehicle 1 based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 has occurred N (N is an integer of 1 or more) times without the driver change being executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change notice section ST2 and while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driver change request section ST1, the start point ST11 of the driver change request section ST1 is moved to the side of the driver change notice section ST2 (the left side in FIG. 4). Specifically, the end point ST12 of the driver change request section ST1 is located on the left side in FIG. 4 with respect to the start point ST01 of the braking section ST0, and the start point ST11 of the driver change request section ST1 and the end point ST22 of the driver change notice section ST2 are located at the same position. Thus, the braking section ST0, the driver change request section ST1, the driver change notice section ST2, and the safety margin STM are set. Similar to the stage shown in FIG. 4(A), the driver change request section ST1 is set such that the travel time required for the vehicle 1 from the start point ST11 to the end point ST12 of the driver change request section ST1 is, for example, 4 [sec], and the driver change notice section ST2 is set such that the travel time required for the vehicle 1 from the start point ST21 to the end point ST22 of the driver change notice section ST2 is, for example, 8 [sec] (that is, the driver change request section ST1 and the driver change notice section ST2 are shifted to the left side in FIG. 4 compared to the stage shown in FIG. 4(A)).

[0018] In the vehicle control device 12 according to the first embodiment, as described above, the learning unit 235 learns the number of times that a driving change based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 is executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driving change request section ST1, without being executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driving change request notice section ST2 (that is, learns the preference of the driver of the vehicle 1). When there is a tendency that the driver of the vehicle 1 does not execute a driving change until the vehicle 1 reaches the vicinity of the end of the high-precision map (the start point ST01 of the braking section ST0), as shown in FIG. 4(B), the driving change request section ST1 and the driving change request notice section ST2 are issued earlier compared to the stage shown in FIG. 4(A) (that is, shift to the left side of FIG. 4). By providing the safety margin STM as shown in FIG. 4(B), a driving change can be realized safely. That is, the driving change request section ST1 and the driving change request notice section ST2 can be appropriately set based on the past driving change operations by the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0019] In an example of the vehicle control device 12 according to the first embodiment, the learning unit 235 calculates a learning value. Since the tendency of the driver of the vehicle 1 to change driving may change when the characteristics of the terrain change, the learning value is calculated for each predetermined range of the distance from the branch position BH (see FIG. 3) to the end of the high-precision map (the start point ST01 of the braking section ST0). As the range of the distance from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map (the start point ST01 of the braking section ST0), for example, "0 m to 200 m",..., "1000 m to" are set. The initial value of each learning value in the distance ranges "0 m to 200 m",..., "1000 m to" is set to 0 [m]. When vehicle 1 travels through a highway branch exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "0 m to 200 m", if the driver-change based on the driver's operation is executed in the driver-change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver-change notice section ST2, the learning unit 235 increases the learning value from the initial value of 0 [m] to 1 [m]. Next, when vehicle 1 travels through a highway branch exit (which does not have to be the same as the previous highway branch exit, as long as the terrain is similar) where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "0 m to 200 m", the section setting unit 233 moves the start point ST11 of the driver-change request section ST1 by 1 [m] (the learning value) to the side of the driver-change notice section ST2 to set the driver-change request section ST1 and the driver-change notice section ST2.

[0020] When there are 60 opportunities for the driver-change based on the driver's operation to be executed in the driver-change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver-change notice section ST2 when vehicle 1 travels through a highway branch exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "0 m to 200 m", the learning unit 235 calculates 60 [m] as the learning value. When there are 40 opportunities for the driver-change based on the driver's operation to be executed in the driver-change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver-change notice section ST2 when vehicle 1 travels through a highway branch exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "200 m to 400 m", the learning unit 235 calculates 40 [m] as the learning value. When there are 20 opportunities for the driver-change based on the driver's operation to be executed in the driver-change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver-change notice section ST2 when vehicle 1 travels through a highway branch exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "400 m to 600 m", the learning unit 235 calculates 20 [m] as the learning value. When vehicle 1 is traveling through a highway exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "600m to 800m", and there are 10 opportunities for a driver change based on the driver's operation to be executed in the driver change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver change request notice section ST2, the learning unit 235 calculates 10 [m] as the learning value. When vehicle 1 is traveling through a highway exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "800m to 1000m", and there are 5 opportunities for a driver change based on the driver's operation to be executed in the driver change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver change request notice section ST2, the learning unit 235 calculates 5 [m] as the learning value. When vehicle 1 is traveling through a highway exit where the distance range from the branch position BH to the end of the high-precision map is "1000m to ∞", and there are no opportunities for a driver change based on the driver's operation to be executed in the driver change request section ST1 without being executed in the driver change request notice section ST2, the learning unit 235 calculates 0 [m], which is the initial value, as the learning value.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing executed by the processor 23 of the vehicle control device 12 according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 5, in step S10, the section setting unit 233 sets (that is, initializes) the driver change request section ST1 and the driver change request notice section ST2 based on the initial value of the learning value (0 [m]). In step S11, while vehicle 1 is traveling, the driver change request unit 232 gives a notice of the arrival of the driver change request section ST1 for the driver change request notice section ST2 set in step S10 (or step S15 described later), and while vehicle 1 is traveling, the driver change request unit 232 executes a driver change request for the driver change request section ST1 set in step S10 (or step S15). In step S12, the acquisition unit 234 acquires information indicating the performance of a driver change based on the operation of the driver of vehicle 1. In step S13, based on the information acquired in step S12, the learning unit 235 counts and learns the number of times a driving change based on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 is executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driving change request section ST1 without being executed while the vehicle 1 is traveling in the driving change request notice section ST2. Further, the learning unit 235 calculates a learning value.

[0022] In step S14, for example, the section setting unit 233 determines whether it is necessary to move the start point ST11 of the driving change request section ST1 toward the driving change request notice section ST2 based on the learning value calculated in step S13. If YES, the process proceeds to step S15. If NO, the process returns to step S11. In step S15, the section setting unit 233 moves the start point ST11 of the driving change request section ST1 toward the driving change request notice section ST2 based on the learning value calculated in step S13, and sets (i.e., re-sets) the driving change request section ST1 and the driving change request notice section ST2. Then, the process returns to step S11.

[0023] <Second Embodiment> In the vehicle control device 12 of the first embodiment, a safety margin STM (see FIG. 4(B)) is set. On the other hand, in the vehicle control device 12 of the second embodiment, the portion of the safety margin STM shown in FIG. 4(B) is set as the driving change request section ST1. That is, in the vehicle control device 12 of the second embodiment, as the learning value increases, the driving change request section ST1 becomes longer.

[0024] <Third Embodiment> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a comparison between before (FIG. 6(A)) and after (FIG. 6(B)) the start point ST11 of the driving change request section ST1 is moved toward the driving change request notice section ST2 (the left side in FIG. 6) by the section setting unit 233 of the vehicle control device 12 according to the third embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 4, as the learning value increases, the start point ST21 of the driving change request notice section ST2 moves to the left side of FIG. 4. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 6, even if the learning value increases, the position of the start point ST21 of the driving change request notice section ST2 does not change. That is, as the learning value increases, the driving change request notice section ST2 becomes shorter.

[0025] If the early departure of the driving change request section ST1 and the driving change request notice section ST2 as in the example shown in FIG. 4 is carried out indefinitely, there is a possibility that the driving change request notice section ST2 etc. will be moved to the front side (the lower side of FIG. 3) of the branch position BH (see FIG. 3) (that is, to the main line before the branch). In view of this point, in other examples, an upper limit may be set for the learning value (early departure distance).

[0026] <Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the driving change request section ST1, the driving change request notice section ST2, etc. set by the section setting unit 233 of the vehicle control device 12 according to the fourth embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the section setting unit 233 sets the braking section ST0, the driving change request section ST1, and the driving change request notice section ST2 at the branch exit of the highway. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the section setting unit 233 sets the braking section ST0, the driving change request section ST1, and the driving change request notice section ST2 in front of the tollgate TG of the highway. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the learning value is calculated for each predetermined range of the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1. As the range of the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, for example, "0 km / h to 20 km / h",..., "100 km / h to" are set every 20 km / h. The initial value of each learning value in the vehicle speed ranges "0 km / h to 20 km / h",..., "100 km / h to" is set to 0 [m].

[0027] As described above, the embodiments of the vehicle control device of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the vehicle control device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The configurations of the respective examples of the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0028] 1... Vehicle, 2... Surrounding recognition sensor, 5... GPS unit, 6... Map information unit, 7... Driver operation sensor, 8... HMI, 12... Vehicle control device, 14... Steering actuator, 15... Brake actuator, 16... Driving actuator, 21... Communication interface, 22... Memory, 23... Processor, 231... Vehicle control unit, 232... Driving shift request unit, 233... Section setting unit, 234... Acquisition unit, 235... Learning unit

Claims

【Claim 1】 A driving change request unit that executes a driving change request for requesting a driving change, which is a change from automatic driving to manual driving, to a driver of a vehicle; A section setting unit that sets a driving change request section, which is a driving section of the vehicle in which the driving change request is executed, and a driving change request notice section, which is a section for notifying the driver of the approach of the driving change request section; The section setting unit moves the start point of the driving change request section toward the driving change request notice section as the number of times the driving change based on the driver's operation is executed while the vehicle is traveling in the driving change request section without being executed while the vehicle is traveling in the driving change request notice section increases. A vehicle control device.

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