Vehicle device and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a device for a vehicle capable of continuing traveling of the vehicle even when a sensor or the like fails while suppressing the increase of components.SOLUTION: A device for a vehicle comprises: a first power supply part 21; a second power supply part 22; first sensor parts 30, 40 which operate by being supplied with power from the first power supply part 21 and detect a front obstacle of the vehicle and transverse position information which is information related to a position of the vehicle in a road width direction; an SoC 71 which operates by being supplied with power from the first power supply part 21 and controls the vehicle on the basis of a detection result of the first sensor parts; second sensor parts 50, 60 which operate by being supplied with power from the second power supply part 22 and detect a front obstacle of the vehicle and the transverse position information; and an SoC 72 which operates by being supplied with power from the second power supply part 22 and controls the vehicle on the basis of a detection result of the second sensor parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Various devices for controlling a vehicle are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a device that includes an integration unit that integrates sensor information from multiple sensors and determines whether the integration unit has an abnormality. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the reliability of the integration unit is ensured by redundancy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-45024 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By making the integration unit or the sensors it integrates redundant, the possibility of continuing vehicle control even if an abnormality occurs in one component is increased. However, redundancy may increase the number of components required to perform vehicle control with the same accuracy.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made based on this situation, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle device and a vehicle control method that can continue to drive the vehicle even when a sensor or the like becomes abnormal, while suppressing an increase in components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above object is achieved by the combination of features recited in the independent claims, and the subclaims define further advantageous specific examples. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims correspond to specific aspects described in the following embodiments as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the disclosure.

[0007] One disclosure relating to a vehicle device for achieving the above object is: A vehicle device used in a vehicle, a first power supply unit (21); a second power supply unit (22); a first sensor unit that is powered by the first power supply unit and operates to detect an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and detect lateral position information that is information relating to the position of the vehicle in the road width direction; a first control device (71) that is powered by the first power supply unit and controls the vehicle based on the detection result of the first sensor unit; a second sensor unit that is powered by the second power supply unit and operates to detect a forward obstacle and detect lateral position information; a second control device (72) that is powered by the second power supply unit and controls the vehicle based on the detection result of the second sensor unit; 、 When the first control device detects that at least one of the second power supply unit, the second sensor unit, and the second control device is abnormal, the first control device performs degenerate driving, which is vehicle control that detects forward obstacles and lateral position information but is more limited than normal autonomous driving control that is performed when no abnormality is detected, by using the first sensor unit without using the second sensor unit; The second control device performs a fallback operation using the second sensor unit without using the first sensor unit when at least one of the first power supply unit, the first sensor unit, and the first control device becomes abnormal. This is a vehicle device.

[0008] This vehicle device enables the vehicle control method described below. A vehicle control method executed by a processor in a vehicle equipped with a first power supply unit (21), a second power supply unit (22), a first sensor unit that is powered by the first power supply unit to operate and detect an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and detect lateral position information that is information relating to the position of the vehicle in the road width direction, and a second sensor unit that is powered by the second power supply unit to operate and detect the obstacle ahead and detect the lateral position information, When the first power supply unit, the first sensor unit, the second power supply unit, and the second sensor unit are normal, at least one of a longitudinal integration process for acquiring detection results relating to a forward obstacle from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit and integrating the detection results relating to the forward obstacle, and a lateral integration process for acquiring lateral position information from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit and integrating the lateral position information is executed; When an abnormality is detected in at least one of the second power supply unit and the second sensor unit, the second sensor unit is not used, and the first sensor unit is used to drive the vehicle while detecting obstacles ahead and lateral position information, although this is more limited than the normal autonomous driving control that is executed when no abnormality is detected. Degraded operation Run When it is detected that at least one of the first power supply unit and the first sensor unit is abnormal, the first sensor unit is not used, but the second sensor unit is used, Degraded operation The vehicle control method executes the above.

[0009] According to this vehicle control method, even if one or more of the first sensor unit, the first control unit, and the first power supply unit become abnormal, the vehicle continues to travel while detecting a forward obstacle and lateral position information using the second sensor unit, the second control unit, and the second power supply unit. Degraded operation Furthermore, even if one or more of the second sensor unit, the second control unit, and the second power supply unit become abnormal, the first sensor unit, the first control unit, and the first power supply unit can execute limit control.

[0010] In addition, if the first sensor unit, the second sensor unit, the first power supply unit, and the second power supply unit are normal, at least one of a longitudinal integration process and a lateral integration process is performed to integrate the detection results of the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, thereby enabling highly accurate vehicle control. This vehicle control method also uses either the first sensor unit or the second sensor unit when driving the vehicle during an abnormality. Therefore, it is possible to continue driving the vehicle even during an abnormality while suppressing an increase in the number of components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle device 10 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the mounting positions of sensors and the fields of view 51L, 51L of the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the imaging range of the peripheral camera 60. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing normal automatic driving control. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing sensors that can be used for the first sensor unit or the second sensor unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of the sensor shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing combinations of sensors that can be realized by the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] First Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle device 10 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle device 10 is mounted on a vehicle C shown in Fig. 2. The vehicle device 10 controls one or both of the steering and speed of the vehicle C without requiring driver operation, at least temporarily.

[0013] The vehicle device 10 can perform autonomous driving at autonomous driving level 3. At autonomous driving level 3, the device performs all driving operations under limited conditions. However, in an emergency, the driver performs driving operations. The vehicle device 10 may also be capable of performing autonomous driving levels other than autonomous driving level 3, such as autonomous driving levels 1, 2, and 4. Furthermore, the vehicle C can be driven even when the vehicle device 10 is not functioning, i.e., at autonomous driving level 0.

[0014] The vehicle device 10 includes two power supply units, a first power supply unit 21 and a second power supply unit 22, a plurality of sensors for detecting the conditions around the vehicle C, and an ECU 70. The first power supply unit 21 and the second power supply unit 22 are independent of each other. Both the first power supply unit 21 and the second power supply unit 22 can be charged with power generated by a generator mounted on the vehicle C. The first power supply unit 21 and the second power supply unit 22 can be batteries made of various materials, such as lead-acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries, and lithium-ion secondary batteries.

[0015] The multiple sensors for detecting the situation around the vehicle C specifically include a forward millimeter-wave radar 30, a forward camera 40, a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, and a peripheral camera 60 in the vehicle device 10 of the first embodiment.

[0016] The forward millimeter-wave radar 30 emits millimeter waves as transmission waves within its field of view and receives reflected waves generated when the transmission waves are reflected by an object. The forward millimeter-wave radar 30 detects the position and direction of an external object from the vehicle C based on the time difference between transmission and reception and the direction of irradiation of the transmission waves. The field of view of the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 includes the area ahead of the vehicle C, and the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 detects obstacles ahead of the vehicle C. Obstacles include stationary objects and moving objects. An example of a moving object is a vehicle ahead traveling in the same lane as the vehicle C. The forward millimeter-wave radar 30 is attached, for example, at the front end of the vehicle C, in the center in the vehicle width direction. An example of the field of view angle of the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 is approximately ±60 degrees, with the front of the vehicle C being 0 degrees.

[0017] The front camera 40 is a monocular camera that captures an image in front of the vehicle C. In this embodiment, the front camera 40 is used to detect lane boundaries. Lane boundaries define the boundaries of the lane. An example of a lane boundary is the lane markings 8 shown in FIG. 2. On roads where lane markings 8 do not exist, the road edges become the road boundaries. The installation position of the front camera 40 is, for example, inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle C, near the front edge of the roof, as shown in FIG. 2. The field of view of the front camera 40 is preferably a wide field of view of 100° or more so that the lane markings 8 can be detected in the vicinity of the vehicle C. However, because the lane markings 8 also extend forward along the vehicle C, the field of view may be narrower than 100°.

[0018] The forward millimeter wave radar 30 and the forward camera 40 constitute a first sensor unit that operates by receiving power from the first power supply unit 21.

[0019] The front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 includes a left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and a right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R. These left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R are radars for detecting obstacles present on the left and right sides of the vehicle C. The left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L is installed at the left front end of the vehicle C, and the right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R is installed at the right front end of the vehicle C. It is necessary to detect obstacles over a wide range on the sides of the vehicle C. For this reason, the left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and the right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R have a wider field of view than the forward millimeter-wave radar 30. FIG. 2 illustrates the fields of view 51L, 51R of the left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and the right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R. The left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and the right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R each have a field of view diagonally in front of the vehicle C.

[0020] Similar to the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 detects the position and direction from the vehicle C to an external object based on the time difference between transmitting and receiving millimeter waves and the direction of irradiation of the transmitted waves.

[0021] Because the fields of view 51L, 51R of the left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and the right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R are wide, the combined field of view of the two fields of view 51L, 51R also includes the front of the vehicle C. To give a specific example of the fields of view 51L, 51R, they are ±60° centered on the front direction of the left front-side millimeter-wave radar 50L and the right front-side millimeter-wave radar 50R.

[0022] The periphery cameras 60 include a front periphery camera 60F, a left side periphery camera 60L, a right side periphery camera 60R, and a rear periphery camera 60B. The front periphery camera 60F is installed at the front end of the vehicle C, in the center in the vehicle width direction. The left side periphery camera 60L is installed on the underside of the left door mirror of the vehicle C. The right side periphery camera 60R is installed on the underside of the right door mirror of the vehicle C. The rear periphery camera 60B is installed at the rear end of the vehicle C, in the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] The four peripheral cameras 60 are provided for the purpose of performing coordinate transformation on the images captured by these four peripheral cameras 60 to create a bird's-eye view image of the vehicle C viewed from above. Since the cameras are used for this purpose, the range captured by the peripheral cameras 60 is the periphery of the vehicle C. In other words, the capturing range of the peripheral cameras 60 is closer to the vehicle C than the capturing range of the front camera 40.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the imaging ranges of the peripheral cameras 60. The front peripheral camera 60F, the left side peripheral camera 60L, the right side peripheral camera 60R, and the rear peripheral camera 60B all have wide-angle fields of view. Therefore, the imaging range 61F of the front peripheral camera 60F, the imaging range 61L of the left side peripheral camera 60L, the imaging range 61R of the right side peripheral camera 60R, and the imaging range 61B of the rear peripheral camera 60B all include the body of the vehicle C or its vicinity. In addition, the imaging ranges 61F, 61L, 61R, and 61B partially overlap with two adjacent imaging ranges. Since images are captured within such imaging ranges 61F, 61L, 61R, and 61B, a bird's-eye view image can be created by performing coordinate transformation on the images captured by the four peripheral cameras 60.

[0025] The front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and the peripheral camera 60 are a second sensor unit that operates by receiving power from the second power supply unit 22.

[0026] The ECU 70 includes two SoCs (System-on-a-chip) 71 and 72. The SoC 71 is a first control device, and the SoC 72 is a second control device, each of which includes a processor. For example, the SoCs 71 and 72 include a processor, a nonvolatile memory, a RAM, and a bus line connecting these components. The nonvolatile memory stores a vehicle control program to be executed by the processor. The processor executes the program stored in the nonvolatile memory while utilizing the temporary storage function of the RAM, allowing the SoCs 71 and 72 to perform the abnormality control described below. The SoCs 71 and 72 can also perform normal automatic driving control described below. Execution of these controls means that a vehicle control method corresponding to the program is being executed.

[0027] In this way, SoC71 and SoC72 are capable of executing the same control, but are powered by different power sources. SoC71 operates on power supplied from first power supply unit 21. SoC72 operates on power supplied from second power supply unit 22.

[0028] [Normal operation automatic control] Next, the normal-state autonomous driving control executed by SoCs 71 and 72 will be described. The normal-state autonomous driving control is executed by either SoC 71 or SoC 72, whichever is set in advance. In the following, the normal-state autonomous driving control will be described as being executed by SoC 71. The normal-state autonomous driving control is control that is executed when vehicle C is under automatic driving control and SoC 71 has not detected any abnormality. Furthermore, the autonomous driving control is assumed to be control at autonomous driving level 3.

[0029] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the normal-state automatic driving control. Only S1 is executed by both SoC 71 and SoC 72. SoCs 71 and 72 determine whether an abnormality has been detected. The objects for which abnormality is determined are the first power supply unit 21, the second power supply unit 22, the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, the peripheral camera 60, SoC 71, and SoC 72.

[0030] Either SoC 71 or 72 may determine whether the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the front camera 40, the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, or the peripheral camera 60 is abnormal. Either SoC 71 or 72 may also determine whether the first power supply unit 21 or the second power supply unit 22 is abnormal. However, it is preferable that SoC 72, which does not receive power supply from the first power supply unit 21, determines whether the first power supply unit 21 is abnormal, and SoC 71, which does not receive power supply from the second power supply unit 22, determines whether the second power supply unit 22 is abnormal. SoC 72 determines whether SoC 71 is abnormal, and SoC 71 determines whether SoC 72 is abnormal.

[0031] An abnormality in the power supply units 21, 22 means that a voltage within a specified range is not being input. If a disconnection or a failure of the power supply units 21, 22 occurs, the voltage input to the ECU 70 will be below the specified range. Also, if a high voltage exceeding the specified range is input to the ECU 70, the power supply units 21, 22 are deemed to be abnormal. Whether the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, or the peripheral camera 60 is abnormal is determined, for example, from the levels of signals acquired therefrom. Note that, for the SoC 71, 72 that is not executing normal-state autonomous driving control, the determination of whether it is abnormal may be omitted since control is not being executed.

[0032] If the determination result in S1 is NO, the SoC 71 proceeds to S2, where it controls the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the front camera 40, the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, and the peripheral camera 60 to acquire sensor signals from these sensors.

[0033] In the next step S3, the detection result for the obstacle ahead is determined for each sensor based on the sensor signals acquired in S2. Furthermore, lateral position information is determined for each sensor. The detection result for the obstacle ahead includes the presence or absence of the obstacle ahead and the position of the obstacle ahead (in other words, the distance to the obstacle ahead). The detection result for the obstacle ahead may also include the size and type of the obstacle ahead. In this embodiment, the sensors used to detect the obstacle ahead are the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50. The SoC 71 determines the detection result for the obstacle ahead based on the sensor signals acquired from the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50.

[0034] The lateral position information is information relating to the position of vehicle C in the road width direction. An example of lateral position information is lane boundaries present on the sides of vehicle C. Note that "side" here includes not only directly to the side but also diagonally to the side. In this embodiment, the sensors used to detect the lateral position information are the front camera 40 and the peripheral camera 60. These front camera 40 and peripheral camera 60 can capture images that include lane boundaries present on the sides of vehicle C. SoC 71 uses image processing to detect lane markings 8 or road edges from the images captured by the front camera 40 or peripheral camera 60.

[0035] After S3 is executed, the process proceeds to S4. When proceeding to S4, the detection result and lateral position information regarding the forward obstacle have been acquired from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, respectively. Therefore, integration processing is performed in S4 and S5. The processing performed in S4 is vertical integration processing, and the processing performed in S5 is horizontal integration processing. In S4, the detection results regarding the forward obstacle determined for each sensor in S3 are integrated. For example, the position of the forward obstacle determined for each sensor is determined by simple averaging or weighted averaging.

[0036] In S5, the lateral position information determined by each sensor in S3 is integrated. For example, the position of the obstacle ahead is determined by taking a simple average or weighted average of the lane boundary positions determined by each sensor. The integration process of S4 and S5 is sometimes called sensor fusion.

[0037] The SoC 71 also calculates the distance in the road width direction from the vehicle C to the lane boundary. Because the front camera 40 and the peripheral camera 60 are installed in fixed positions and have fixed fields of view, there is a one-to-one correspondence between any position on the image and the road surface position. Therefore, if it is possible to determine where the lane boundary is located in the image captured by the front camera 40 or the peripheral camera 60, it is possible to calculate the distance in the road width direction from the vehicle C to the lane boundary.

[0038] In S6, the results of the processing in S4 and S5 are used to determine the longitudinal and lateral movements of vehicle C. The longitudinal movement of vehicle C means determining the speed of vehicle C. The lateral movement of vehicle C means determining the steering angle of vehicle C. For example, when the distance to an obstacle ahead becomes shorter, SoC71 may determine to reduce the speed of vehicle C. Also, SoC71 may determine to change the steering angle to follow the shape of lane markings 8. When performing autonomous driving control, SoC71 can use various information, such as route information to the destination, in addition to the detection results and lateral position information regarding the obstacle ahead. Furthermore, SoC71 may determine to steer to change lanes when the distance to an obstacle ahead becomes shorter or to turn right or left.

[0039] In S7, the control device that controls the acceleration / deceleration of vehicle C and the control device that controls the steering of vehicle C are instructed to execute the movement determined in S6. After S7 is executed, the process returns to S1.

[0040] [Control in case of abnormality] Next, an explanation will be given of the abnormality control that is executed when the determination result in S1 in Fig. 4 is YES. Fig. 5 shows the abnormality control. In S11, information is output that requests the driver to take over driving. This information is either an image or sound, or both. For example, a message requesting the driver to take over driving is displayed on a display device that is positioned in a position that can be seen by the driver of vehicle C.

[0041] In the subsequent step S12, limit control is performed using normal components. Limit control is a control that continues automatic control of the vehicle C without using the components in which an abnormality was detected in the processing of step S1. If an abnormality is detected in the power supply units 21 and 22, the components supplied with power from the power supply units 21 and 22 that detected the abnormality are also not used. For example, if an abnormality is detected in the first power supply unit 21, the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and the front camera 40 are not used for control. Also, if an abnormality is detected in the first power supply unit 21, the SoC 72, rather than the SoC 71 that receives power from the first power supply unit 21, performs limit control. In limit control, even if only one of the first sensor units, the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and the front camera 40, becomes abnormal, the entire first sensor unit may not be used for control. Similarly, in limit control, even if only one of the second sensor units, the front side millimeter-wave radar 50 and the peripheral camera 60, becomes abnormal, the entire second sensor unit may not be used for control. The automatic driving of vehicle C using limit control is sometimes called degenerate driving.

[0042] Compared to normal operation, limit control has one or more fewer available configurations. Therefore, limit control is less reliable than normal automatic driving control. Therefore, limit control executes more limited control than normal automatic driving control. A specific example of a restriction is a function restriction, such as prohibiting lane changes. If lane changes are prohibited, lane keeping control will continue. It is also possible to limit the upper limit speed for automatic driving. It is also possible to limit the time for automatic driving.

[0043] Although the limited control is more limited than the normal autonomous driving control, it is possible to control the vehicle C in both the longitudinal and lateral directions to prevent contact with an obstacle ahead and to control the vehicle so that it does not deviate from its lane while traveling. The vehicle is equipped with a front millimeter-wave radar 30 and a front camera 40 as first sensors that receive power from the first power supply unit 21, and a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a peripheral camera 60 as second sensors that receive power from the first power supply unit 21. Therefore, even if one of these sensors becomes abnormal, or even if either the first power supply unit 21 or the second power supply unit 22 becomes abnormal, the longitudinal and lateral control can continue.

[0044] In S13, it is determined whether the time elapsed since the driver was requested to take over in S11 has exceeded a preset takeover time. The takeover time may be a fixed time, or may be a time that varies depending on the type of abnormal configuration or the type of road. An example of the takeover time is 15 seconds. If the determination result in S13 is NO, the process proceeds to S14.

[0045] In S14, it is determined whether the handover is complete. Various methods can be used to determine whether the handover is complete. For example, the condition for the handover being complete may be that an in-vehicle camera or the like detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel with both hands. Alternatively, the condition for the handover being complete may be that the driver has pressed a prepared handover completion button.

[0046] If the determination result in S14 is YES, the process proceeds to S15. In S15, the control is switched to manual control, and the limit control is therefore terminated. If the determination result in S14 is NO, the process returns to S12, and the limit control is continued.

[0047] If the determination in S13 is YES, that is, if the takeover time has elapsed during limit control, the process proceeds to S16. In S16, the vehicle C is brought to an emergency stop. Note that the vehicle C may also be brought to an emergency stop if an abnormality has occurred in some of the components, even if the takeover time has not elapsed.

[0048] Summary of the embodiment In the embodiment described above, the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, and the SoC 71 are connected to the first power supply unit 21, and the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, the peripheral camera 60, and the SoC 72 are connected to the second power supply unit 22.

[0049] Therefore, even if one or more of the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, the SoC 71, and the first power supply unit 21 become abnormal, the front side millimeter-wave radar 50, the peripheral camera 60, the SoC 72, and the second power supply unit 22 can control both the longitudinal and lateral directions of the vehicle C as limit control (S12), allowing the vehicle to continue traveling. Also, even if one or more of the forward side millimeter-wave radar 50, the peripheral camera 60, the SoC 72, and the second power supply unit 22 become abnormal, the front side millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, the SoC 71, and the first power supply unit 21 can control both the longitudinal and lateral directions of the vehicle C as limit control (S12), allowing the vehicle to continue traveling.

[0050] In addition, if the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, the front side millimeter-wave radar 50, the peripheral camera 60, the first power supply unit 21, and the second power supply unit 22 are all normal, high-precision automatic driving control under normal conditions can be performed using all sensors.

[0051] In other words, the vehicle device 10 of this embodiment uses the same sensors for limit control as for normal-state automatic driving control, which uses all of the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, the forward camera 40, the front side millimeter-wave radar 50, and the peripheral camera 60. Therefore, it is possible to control both the longitudinal and lateral directions and continue vehicle driving even in the event of an abnormality while suppressing an increase in the number of components.

[0052] The vehicle device 10 includes a forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and a forward camera 40 as a first sensor unit. The forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and the forward camera 40 are both front-system sensors, and are equipped for inter-vehicle distance control and lane keeping control even in vehicles that do not perform autonomous driving level 3. Therefore, by configuring the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and the forward camera 40 as the first sensor unit, it becomes easy to add a second sensor unit later and add components that make up the vehicle device 10.

[0053] <Other embodiments> Fig. 6 shows sensors that can be used in the first sensor unit or the second sensor unit, including the sensors described in the first embodiment. In Fig. 6, sensors with a check mark next to longitudinal control, i.e., V1 to V3 and VH, are sensors that can detect information necessary for longitudinal control of the vehicle C. In Fig. 6, sensors with a check mark next to lateral control, i.e., H1 to H3 and VH, are sensors that can detect information necessary for lateral control of the vehicle C.

[0054] The forward millimeter-wave radar 30 in the first row and the front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 in the second row have already been described in the first embodiment. These are sensors capable of detecting information necessary for longitudinal control of the vehicle C. The third row shows a lidar 80 as a sensor capable of detecting information necessary for longitudinal control of the vehicle C. FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the mounting position of the lidar 80. In FIG. 7, the lidar 80 is mounted at the front end of the vehicle C, in the center in the width direction. However, the position of the lidar 80 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 7; for example, the lidar 80 may be mounted at the position of the front camera 40. The field of view of the lidar 80 may be the same as that of the forward millimeter-wave radar 30. Furthermore, the field of view of the lidar 80 may be wider than that of the forward millimeter-wave radar 30, for example, the same as that of the front camera 40. The lidar 80 detects the position of an object by emitting laser light into its field of view and receiving reflected light of the laser light.

[0055] The front camera 40 on the fourth line and the peripheral camera 60 on the fifth line in Fig. 6 have also been described in the first embodiment. These have been described as sensors that can detect information necessary for controlling the vehicle C in the lateral direction.

[0056] The sixth line shows a position detection sensor 90 as a sensor capable of detecting information necessary for lateral control of vehicle C. The position detection sensor 90 is used together with a map 91. FIG. 7 illustrates the position detection sensor 90 and the map 91. The position detection sensor 90 detects the current position of vehicle C. For example, a GNSS receiver is a specific example of the position detection sensor 90. The position detection sensor 90 may also be configured to sequentially detect the direction and distance of movement of vehicle C using an inertial sensor. The position detection sensor 90 may also be configured to combine a GNSS receiver and an inertial sensor.

[0057] The map 91 is stored in a predetermined storage memory and is digital map data describing a road map including the positions of lanes. The storage memory may be configured to store all digital map data in advance, or to sequentially download and store data for an area determined by the current position of the vehicle C. The ECU 70 has a function as a position detection processing unit 92. The position detection processing unit 92 acquires a signal from the position detection sensor 90 and determines coordinates indicating the position of the vehicle C. The coordinates include (x, y) information. The coordinates may also include altitude information.

[0058] Furthermore, the position detection processing unit 92 uses the coordinates and the map 91 to sequentially determine the road width direction distance, which is the distance in the road width direction between the vehicle C and the road boundary closest to the vehicle C. The coordinates include (x, y) information, and are therefore an example of lateral position information. The road width direction distance can be determined by using the coordinates and the lane positions included in the map 91.

[0059] In addition to the fourth line, the seventh line also shows the front camera 40. However, in the seventh line, the distance detection processing unit 93 shown in Fig. 7 is used together with the front camera 40. This makes it possible to perform both vertical and horizontal control as shown in Fig. 6.

[0060] The processing contents of the distance detection processing unit 93 will be explained. The distance detection processing unit 93 acquires image data captured by the front camera 40, which is a monocular camera, and calculates the distance to an object captured in the image from the image data. For example, the distance to an object can be calculated by utilizing the fact that the shape of the blur in the captured image differs before and after the focus position. In addition, for objects whose size can be identified or estimated, such as vehicles, the distance can also be calculated from the size shown in the image. Therefore, the distance to an obstacle ahead can also be calculated, enabling longitudinal control.

[0061] Figure 8 shows the sensor combination patterns that can be realized by the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit. In Figure 8, the alphanumeric characters written in the "Combination" column correspond to the alphanumeric characters shown in Figure 6. The four or three sensors shown in the "Combination" column each contain two Vs and two Hs. The sensors shown in the "Combination" column are allocated to the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit so that they contain one V and one H each.

[0062] 8, the description "first power supply unit 21" and "SoC71" in the row below the first sensor unit means that the first sensor unit is supplied with power from the first power supply unit 21, and the SoC71 is also supplied with power from the first power supply unit 21. The description "second power supply unit 22" and "SoC72" in the row below the second sensor unit means that the second sensor unit is supplied with power from the second power supply unit 22, and the SoC72 is also supplied with power from the second power supply unit 22.

[0063] 8, as in the first embodiment, even if one or more of the first sensor unit, the first power supply unit 21, and the SoC 71 become abnormal, the second sensor unit, the second power supply unit 22, and the SoC 72 can continue to perform longitudinal control and lateral control for the vehicle C. Furthermore, even if one or more of the second sensor unit, the second power supply unit 22, and the SoC 72 become abnormal, the first sensor unit, the first power supply unit 21, and the SoC 71 can continue to perform longitudinal control and lateral control for the vehicle C. In addition, if both the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are normal, both the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit can be used to perform highly accurate normal-time automatic driving control.

[0064] In the second row of Pattern 1, the first sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a front camera 40, and the second sensor unit includes a front millimeter-wave radar 30 and a peripheral camera 60. Combining these results in the same sensor combination as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the combination in the second row of Pattern 1 enables the same normal-state automatic driving control as in the first embodiment.

[0065] In the first row of pattern 2, the first sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a front camera 40, and the second sensor unit includes a lidar 80, a position detection sensor 90, and a map 91. The first sensor unit is the same as the first sensor unit of the first embodiment. Therefore, it is easy to add a second sensor unit later to configure the vehicle device 10. In the first row of pattern 2, the first sensor unit includes a front millimeter-wave radar 30, and the second sensor unit includes a lidar 80, so that high-precision longitudinal control is possible using the front millimeter-wave radar 30 and the lidar 80 during normal autonomous driving control.

[0066] The second row of Pattern 2, when the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are combined, becomes the same as the first row of Pattern 2. Therefore, similar to the first row of Pattern 2, high-precision longitudinal control using the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and Lidar 80 becomes possible during normal autonomous driving control.

[0067] In the first row of Pattern 3, the first sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a front camera 40, and the second sensor unit includes a lidar 80 and a peripheral camera 60. The first sensor unit is the same as the first sensor unit in the first embodiment. Therefore, it is easy to add a second sensor unit later to configure the vehicle device 10. Furthermore, in normal-state autonomous driving control, high-precision longitudinal control is possible using the front millimeter-wave radar 30 and lidar 80.

[0068] The second row of Pattern 3, when the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are combined, becomes the same as the first row of Pattern 3. Therefore, even with this pattern, high-precision longitudinal control using the forward millimeter-wave radar 30 and Lidar 80 becomes possible during normal autonomous driving control.

[0069] Pattern 4 is a configuration in which the first sensor unit includes a front camera 40 and a distance detection processing unit 93, and the second sensor unit includes a Lidar 80, a position detection sensor 90, and a map 91.

[0070] In pattern 5, the first sensor unit is configured to include a front camera 40 and a distance detection processing unit 93, and the second sensor unit is also configured to include a front camera 40 and a distance detection processing unit 93. In the symbols shown in FIG. 6, both are designated VH. However, to indicate that they are different components, they are written as VH1 and VH2 in FIG. 8. The front camera 40 provided in the first sensor unit is the first front camera, and the front camera 40 provided in the second sensor unit is the second front camera.

[0071] According to the configuration of Pattern 5, two front cameras 40 can be used in normal automatic driving control, and these two front cameras 40 can be made to function as a stereo camera.

[0072] Pattern 6 is a configuration in which the first sensor unit includes a front camera 40 and a distance detection processing unit 93, and the second sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a peripheral camera 60.

[0073] In the first row of Pattern 7, the first sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a front camera 40, and the second sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50, a position detection sensor 90, and a map 91. The first sensor unit is the same as the first sensor unit in the first embodiment. Therefore, it is easy to add a second sensor unit later to configure the vehicle device 10.

[0074] In the second row of Pattern 7, the first sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar 50 and a front camera 40, and the second sensor unit includes a front millimeter-wave radar 30, a position detection sensor 90, and a map 91. When the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are combined, the second row of Pattern 7 becomes the same as the first row of Pattern 7.

[0075] Although the embodiments have been described above, the disclosed technology is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the following modifications are also included in the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, various modifications other than those described below can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0076] <Variation 1> In the embodiment, both SoC 71 and SoC 72 are capable of executing the normal-state automatic operation control. However, only one of SoC 71 and SoC 72 may be capable of executing the normal-state automatic operation control.

[0077] <Variation 2> In this embodiment, if no abnormality is detected (S1: NO), the vertical integration process (S4) and the horizontal integration process (S5) are executed. However, either S4 or S5 may be omitted, and only either the vertical integration process or the horizontal integration process may be executed.

[0078] <Variation 3> In S1, in addition to determining whether the power supply units 21 and 22, the first sensor unit, and the second sensor unit are abnormal, it also determines whether the SoCs 71 and 72 are abnormal. However, it is not necessary to determine whether the SoC 71 or 72 that is not executing normal-time automatic driving control is abnormal, because this does not interfere with normal-time automatic driving control.

[0079] <Variation 4> The SoCs 71 and 72 described herein are controllers described below. The controllers and their methods may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the controllers and their methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the controllers and their methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor executing a computer program with one or more hardware logic circuits. The hardware logic circuits may be, for example, an ASIC or FPGA.

[0080] Furthermore, the storage medium for storing the computer program is not limited to a ROM, and the program may be stored in any computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium as instructions to be executed by a computer. For example, the program may be stored in a flash memory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 8: Lane markings 10: Vehicle device 21: First power supply unit 22: Second power supply unit 30: Forward millimeter-wave radar 40: Forward camera 50: Front-side millimeter-wave radar 51L, 51R: Field of view 60: Peripheral cameras 61F, 61L, 61R, 61B: Shooting range 70: ECU 71: SoC (first control device) 72: SoC (second control device) 90: Position detection sensor 91: Map 92: Position detection processing unit 93: Distance detection processing unit C: Vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle device used in a vehicle, A first power supply unit (21); a second power supply unit (22); a first sensor unit that is powered by the first power supply unit and operates to detect an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and detect lateral position information that is information relating to the position of the vehicle in a road width direction; a first control device (71) that is powered by the first power supply unit and controls the vehicle based on the detection result of the first sensor unit; a second sensor unit that is powered by the second power supply unit and operates to detect the forward obstacle and the lateral position information; a second control device (72) that is powered by the second power supply unit and controls the vehicle based on the detection result of the second sensor unit; Equipped with When the first control device detects that at least one of the second power supply unit, the second sensor unit, and the second control device is abnormal, the first control device performs degenerate driving, which is vehicle control that is more limited than normal autonomous driving control that is performed when no abnormality is detected, by using the first sensor unit without using the second sensor unit, and that causes the vehicle to travel while detecting the forward obstacle and the lateral position information; The second control device is a vehicle device that, when at least one of the first power supply unit, the first sensor unit, and the first control device becomes abnormal, performs the degenerate operation using the second sensor unit without using the first sensor unit.

2. 2. The vehicle device according to claim 1, One or both of the first control device and the second control device are When the first power supply unit, the first sensor unit, the first control device, the second power supply unit, the second sensor unit, and the second control device are normal, a vehicle device performs at least one of a vertical integration process that acquires detection results regarding the forward obstacle from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, respectively, and integrates the detection results regarding the forward obstacle, and a horizontal integration process that acquires the lateral position information from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, respectively, and integrates the lateral position information.

3. 3. The vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, The first sensor unit is a vehicle device comprising: a forward millimeter-wave radar (30) having a field of view including a range in front of the vehicle and detecting the obstacle ahead using millimeter waves; and a forward camera (40) having a field of view including an area diagonally to the side from the front of the vehicle and detecting lane boundaries present on the side of the vehicle, which is the lateral position information.

4. 4. The vehicle device according to claim 3, The second sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar (50) having a field of view that includes a range from the side of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle and that detects the obstacle ahead using millimeter waves, and a peripheral camera (60) having a field of view that includes the side of the vehicle and the periphery of the vehicle and that detects lane boundaries that exist on the side of the vehicle.

5. 4. The vehicle device according to claim 3, The second sensor unit has a field of view including a range in front of the vehicle and includes a Lidar (80) that detects the obstacle ahead by laser light, and a position detection sensor (90) that detects the coordinates of the vehicle as the lateral position information, The second control device is a vehicle device that acquires the position of a lane on a road on which the vehicle is traveling from map data, and determines the road width direction distance between the vehicle and the lane based on the position of the lane and the coordinates of the vehicle detected by the second sensor unit.

6. 4. The vehicle device according to claim 3, The second sensor unit has a field of view that includes a range in front of the vehicle and is equipped with a lidar that detects obstacles ahead using laser light, and a peripheral camera (60) that has a field of view that includes the sides of the vehicle and the periphery of the vehicle and detects lane boundaries that exist on the sides of the vehicle.

7. 4. The vehicle device according to claim 3, the second sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar (50) having a field of view that covers a range from the side of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle, and that detects the forward obstacle by millimeter waves, and a position detection sensor (90) that detects the coordinates of the vehicle as the lateral position information; The second control device is a vehicle device that acquires the position of a lane on a road on which the vehicle is traveling from map data, and determines the road width direction distance between the vehicle and the lane based on the position of the lane and the coordinates of the vehicle detected by the second sensor unit.

8. 3. The vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, The first sensor unit includes a front-side millimeter-wave radar (50) having a field of view that includes a range from the side of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle and that detects the obstacle ahead using millimeter waves, and a front camera (40) having a field of view that includes a diagonal side from the front of the vehicle and that detects lane boundaries that exist on the side of the vehicle, which is the lateral position information, The second sensor unit includes a forward millimeter-wave radar (30) that has a field of view including a range in front of the vehicle and detects the obstacle ahead using millimeter waves, and a peripheral camera (60) that has a field of view covering the sides of the vehicle and the periphery of the vehicle and detects lane boundaries present on the sides of the vehicle.

9. 3. The vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, the first sensor unit includes a first front camera having a field of view that includes a diagonal side from the front of the vehicle and that detects lane boundaries present on the sides of the vehicle and the forward obstacle, which are the lateral position information; The second sensor unit includes a second front camera having a field of view that includes a diagonal side from the front of the vehicle and that detects the lane boundary and the obstacle ahead.

10. 3. The vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, the first sensor unit includes a front camera (40) that has a field of view that includes a diagonal side from the front of the vehicle and detects the forward obstacle and a lane boundary that exists on the side of the vehicle, which is the lateral position information; The second sensor unit has a field of view that includes a range from the side of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle, and is equipped with a front-side millimeter-wave radar (50) that detects the obstacle ahead using millimeter waves, and a peripheral camera (60) that has a field of view that includes the side of the vehicle and the periphery of the vehicle, and detects lane boundaries that exist on the side of the vehicle.

11. 3. The vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, One of the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit includes a position detection sensor (90) that detects coordinates of the vehicle as the lateral position information, A vehicle device in which one of the first control device and the second control device, which is supplied with power from a power supply unit that supplies power to the position detection sensor, obtains the position of a lane on a road on which the vehicle is traveling from map data, and determines the road width direction distance between the vehicle and the lane based on the position of the lane and the coordinates of the vehicle detected by the second sensor unit.

12. A vehicle control method executed by a processor in a vehicle equipped with a first power supply unit (21), a second power supply unit (22), a first sensor unit that is supplied with power from the first power supply unit to operate and detects an obstacle ahead of the vehicle and detects lateral position information that is information relating to the position of the vehicle in a road width direction, and a second sensor unit that is supplied with power from the second power supply unit to operate and detects the obstacle ahead and detects the lateral position information, When the first power supply unit, the first sensor unit, the second power supply unit, and the second sensor unit are normal, at least one of a longitudinal integration process of acquiring detection results related to the forward obstacle from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, respectively, and integrating the detection results related to the forward obstacle, and a lateral integration process of acquiring the lateral position information from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, respectively, and integrating the lateral position information is executed, When it is detected that at least one of the second power supply unit and the second sensor unit is abnormal, the second sensor unit is not used, but the first sensor unit is used, and degenerate driving is performed, which is a vehicle control that is more limited than the normal automatic driving control that is performed when no abnormality is detected, but that causes the vehicle to travel while detecting the forward obstacle and the lateral position information; A vehicle control method, wherein when an abnormality is detected in at least one of the first power supply unit and the first sensor unit, the degenerate operation is performed using the second sensor unit without using the first sensor unit.

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