Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

To properly change driving control of a vehicle even when a road section line recognized by a camera is different from the content of map information mounted on the own vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: an acquisition unit which acquires a camera image obtained by imaging a peripheral situation of a vehicle; a driving control unit which controls steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without depending on an operation of a driver of the vehicle on the basis of the camera image and map information; a mode decision unit which decides any of the first driving mode and the second driving mode as the driving mode of the vehicle; a deviation determination unit which determines whether or not a deviation exists on the one side of the road section line shown in the camera image and the road section line shown in the map information; a change amount calculation unit which calculates a change amount of the lane width of the road section line shown in the camera image and a change amount of the lane width of the road section line shown in the map information; and a runway generation unit which generates a center line of a runway on which the vehicle travels in the second driving mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for controlling the driving of a vehicle based on road dividing lines recognized by a camera mounted on the vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for driving a vehicle based on recognized road dividing lines, and if the recognition degree of the road dividing lines does not satisfy a predetermined standard, for driving the vehicle based on the trajectory of a preceding vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-050086 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 controls the driving of a vehicle based on road dividing lines recognized by a camera and map information installed in the vehicle. However, with the conventional technology, if the road dividing lines recognized by the camera differ from the content of the map information installed in the vehicle, the vehicle's driving control may not be changed appropriately.

[0005] The present invention has been made taking these circumstances into consideration, and one of its objectives is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can appropriately change the vehicle's driving control even if the road dividing lines recognized by the camera differ from the contents of the map information installed in the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires camera images of a vehicle's surroundings; a driving control unit that controls the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the camera images and map information without relying on an operation by a driver of the vehicle; and a driving control unit that determines a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than that of the first driving mode, and at least some of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being controlled by the driving control unit, and when a task related to the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, the driving control unit switches the driving mode to a driving mode in which a task is heavier. The system includes a mode determination unit that changes the driving mode of the vehicle; a deviation determination unit that determines whether there is a deviation between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one side of the road dividing line shown in the map information; a change amount calculation unit that, when it is determined that there is a deviation between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one side of the road dividing line shown in the map information, calculates the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information; and a lane generation unit that generates a center line of the lane on which the vehicle will travel in the second driving mode based on the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image when the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is less than a first threshold value.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (1), the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the map information when the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than a second threshold, and the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is less than the first threshold.

[0009] (4): In the above aspect (1), the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image when the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than a second threshold, and the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (1), the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the map information when the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is equal to or greater than a second threshold and the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is less than the second threshold.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (1), the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image when the change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is equal to or greater than a second threshold value.

[0012] (7): In any of the above aspects (1) to (6), the mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when, in a certain control cycle, the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image, and then, in the next control cycle, the deviation determination unit determines that there is a deviation on both sides of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the road dividing line shown in the map information.

[0013] (8): In any of the above aspects (1) to (7), the second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not required to hold an operator that receives steering operations for the vehicle, and the first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is required to hold at least the operator.

[0014] (9): In another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control method includes a computer acquiring a camera image capturing a surrounding situation of a vehicle, controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the camera image and map information without relying on an operation by a driver of the vehicle, and determining a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode in which a task assigned to the driver is lighter than that assigned to the first driving mode, and at least some of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode are performed by controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without relying on an operation by the driver of the vehicle, and the task associated with the determined driving mode is assigned to the driver. If the driving mode is not executed properly, the driving mode of the vehicle is changed to a driving mode with a more difficult task, and it is determined whether or not there is a discrepancy between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one side of the road dividing line shown in the map information. If it is determined that there is a discrepancy between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one side of the road dividing line shown in the map information, the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information are calculated, and a center line of the road on which the vehicle will travel in the second driving mode is generated based on the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information.

[0015] (10) A program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to acquire a camera image capturing a surrounding situation of a vehicle, and controls the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the camera image and map information without relying on an operation by a driver of the vehicle, and determines a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than that of the first driving mode, and at least a part of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode is performed by controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without relying on an operation by the driver of the vehicle, and the task related to the determined driving mode is controlled by the driver. If the vehicle is not able to execute the above-mentioned task, the driving mode of the vehicle is changed to a driving mode with a heavier task, and a determination is made as to whether or not there is a discrepancy between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one side of the road dividing line shown in the map information. If it is determined that there is a discrepancy between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one side of the road dividing line shown in the map information, a change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and a change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information are calculated, and a center line of the road along which the vehicle will travel in the second driving mode is generated based on the change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to (1) to (10), even if the road dividing lines recognized by the camera differ from the contents of the map information installed in the vehicle, the driving control of the vehicle can be appropriately changed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. FIG. [Figure 3]10 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving mode, the control state of the host vehicle M, and the task. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a scene in which the operation of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment is performed. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram for explaining a method by which a change amount calculation unit 154 calculates a change amount of a lane width. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method by which the behavior plan generating unit 140 generates a center line RL of a track. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table that the behavior plan generating unit 140 refers to when generating a center line RL of a track. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of an operation executed by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] [Overall configuration] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted may be, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source may be an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0020] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitor camera 70, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are connected to each other via multiplexed communication lines such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, serial communication lines, a wireless communication network, etc. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configurations may be added.

[0021] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to any location of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) in which the vehicle system 1 is installed. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly captures images of the surroundings of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0022] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object using an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0023] The LIDAR 14 irradiates the surroundings of the vehicle M with light (or electromagnetic waves with wavelengths similar to light) and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to any location on the vehicle M.

[0024] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0025] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0026] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, a speaker, a buzzer, a touch panel, switches, keys, and the like.

[0027] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0028] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensors 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may share some or all of the components with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter, a map route) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents road shapes using, for example, links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may also include information such as road curvature and POI (Point of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet device owned by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0029] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing it into 100 m intervals in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. When there is a branch point on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route to the branch point.

[0030] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the centers of lanes or information on lane boundaries. The second map information 62 may also include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, information on prohibited sections where mode A or mode B, described below, is prohibited, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

[0031] The driver monitor camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS. The driver monitor camera 70 is attached to any location on the vehicle M in a position and orientation that allows it to capture an image of the head of an occupant (hereinafter, driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (in an orientation that captures an image of the face). For example, the driver monitor camera 70 is attached to the top of a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M.

[0032] The driving operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. The driving operators 80 are equipped with sensors that detect the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation, and the detection results are output to the automatic driving control device 100 or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operator that accepts steering operation by the driver." The operator does not necessarily have to be annular and may be in the form of an irregular steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. A steering grip sensor 84 is attached to the steering wheel 82. The steering grip sensor 84 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like, and outputs a signal to the automatic driving control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 (meaning that the driver is in contact with the steering wheel in a state where force can be applied).

[0033] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as a HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device", and the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 together are an example of a "driving control unit".

[0034] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, an action plan generation unit 140, and a mode determination unit 150. The first control unit 120, for example, implements functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a predefined model in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing intersections" may be implemented by executing intersection recognition using deep learning or the like and recognition based on predefined conditions (such as traffic lights and road signs that can be pattern-matched) in parallel, and then scoring and comprehensively evaluating both. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

[0035] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of an object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of an object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of an object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavioral state" (for example, whether the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

[0036] The recognition unit 130 also recognizes, for example, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines (e.g., an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with the pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. Note that the recognition unit 130 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, medians, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 130 also recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0037] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle it forms with a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side edge of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0038] The behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory along which the host vehicle M will travel in the future automatically (without relying on the driver's operation) so that the host vehicle M will, in principle, travel along the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 and can respond to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequence of points (trajectory points) that the host vehicle M should reach. The trajectory points are points that the host vehicle M should reach at every predetermined travel distance (for example, about several meters) along the road. Separately, target speeds and target accelerations are generated as part of the target trajectory for every predetermined sampling time (for example, about a few tenths of a second). Furthermore, the trajectory points may be positions that the host vehicle M should reach at each sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, information on the target speed and target acceleration is expressed as the interval between trajectory points.

[0039] The behavior plan generation unit 140 may set an autonomous driving event when generating the target trajectory. The autonomous driving events include a constant speed driving event, a low-speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branching event, a merging event, and a takeover event. The behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the activated event. The behavior plan generation unit 140 is an example of a "path generation unit."

[0040] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M to be one of a plurality of driving modes that impose different tasks on the driver. The mode determination unit 150 includes, for example, a deviation determination unit 152 and a change amount calculation unit 154. The functions of the deviation determination unit 152 and the change amount calculation unit 154 will be described later.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between driving modes, control states of the host vehicle M, and tasks. The driving modes of the host vehicle M include, for example, five modes, Mode A to Mode E. The control state, i.e., the degree of automation of the driving control of the host vehicle M, is highest in Mode A, followed by Mode B, Mode C, and Mode D, with Mode E being the lowest. Conversely, the tasks imposed on the driver are lightest in Mode A, followed by Mode B, Mode C, and Mode D, with Mode E being the most severe. Note that modes D and E are non-autonomous driving control states, and therefore the autonomous driving control device 100 is responsible for terminating control related to autonomous driving and transitioning to driving assistance or manual driving. The contents of each driving mode are exemplified below.

[0042] In Mode A, the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state, and the driver is not required to monitor the road ahead or grip the steering wheel 82 (in the figure, gripping the steering wheel). However, even in Mode A, the driver is required to be in a position where he or she can quickly switch to manual driving in response to a request from a system centered on the automatic driving control device 100. Note that, as used herein, "automatic driving" refers to control of both steering and acceleration / deceleration without driver input. "Ahead" refers to the space in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M, as viewed through the front windshield. Mode A is a driving mode that can be implemented, for example, on a motorway such as an expressway, when certain conditions are met, such as the host vehicle M traveling at a predetermined speed (e.g., approximately 50 km / h) or less and there is a vehicle ahead to be followed, and is sometimes referred to as TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). If these conditions are no longer met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to Mode B.

[0043] In mode B, the vehicle is in a driving assistance state, and the driver is tasked with monitoring the area ahead of the vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as forward monitoring), but is not tasked with holding the steering wheel 82. In mode C, the vehicle is in a driving assistance state, and the driver is tasked with monitoring the area ahead and holding the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode that requires some degree of driver operation for at least one of steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle M. For example, in mode D, driving assistance such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is provided. Mode E is a manual driving state in which the driver must perform both steering and acceleration / deceleration operations. In both mode D and mode E, the driver is naturally tasked with monitoring the area ahead of the vehicle M.

[0044] The automatic driving control device 100 (and the driving assistance device (not shown)) executes an automated lane change according to the driving mode. There are two types of automated lane changes: a system-requested automated lane change (1) and a driver-requested automated lane change (2). The automated lane change (1) is an automated lane change for overtaking, which is performed when the speed of the vehicle ahead is slower than the speed of the vehicle itself by a standard or more, and an automated lane change for proceeding toward the destination (an automated lane change due to a change in the recommended lane). The automated lane change (2) is a lane change in which, when conditions related to the speed and the positional relationship with surrounding vehicles are met and the driver operates the turn signal, the vehicle M changes lanes in the direction of the operation.

[0045] In mode A, the automatic driving control device 100 does not perform either automated lane change (1) or (2). In modes B and C, the automatic driving control device 100 performs either automated lane change (1) or (2). In mode D, the driving assistance device (not shown) does not perform automated lane change (1), but performs automated lane change (2). In mode E, neither automated lane change (1) nor (2) is performed.

[0046] When the driver does not perform a task related to the determined driving mode (hereinafter, the current driving mode), the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task.

[0047] For example, in mode A, if the driver is in a position where he or she cannot switch to manual driving in response to a request from the system (for example, if the driver continues to look away from the road outside the allowable area or if a sign of driving difficulty is detected), the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to switch to manual driving, and if the driver does not comply, the mode determination unit 150 performs control such as pulling the host vehicle M to the shoulder of the road and gradually stopping it, and stopping the automatic driving. After the automatic driving is stopped, the host vehicle enters a state of mode D or E, and the host vehicle M can be started by manual operation by the driver. The same applies below to "stopping automatic driving." In mode B, if the driver is not monitoring the road ahead, the mode determination unit 150 performs control such as prompting the driver to monitor the road ahead using the HMI 30, and if the driver does not comply, pulling the host vehicle M to the shoulder of the road and gradually stopping it, and stopping the automatic driving. In mode C, if the driver is not monitoring the road ahead or is not gripping the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to monitor the road ahead and / or grip the steering wheel 82, and if the driver does not comply, the mode determination unit 150 controls the vehicle M to move to the shoulder of the road and gradually stop, thereby terminating automatic driving.

[0048] The second control unit 160 controls the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at the scheduled time.

[0049] Returning to FIG. 2, the second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the driving force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on a speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

[0050] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU controls the above components according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0051] Braking device 210 may include, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from second control unit 160 or information input from driving operation device 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. Braking device 210 may include a backup mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by operation of a brake pedal included in driving operation device 80 to the cylinder via a master cylinder. Note that braking device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from second control unit 160 to transmit hydraulic pressure from a master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0052] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor applies a force to a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor in accordance with information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0053] [Vehicle control device operation] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the host vehicle M is traveling in the driving mode of mode B. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which the operation of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment is executed.

[0054] 4, while the host vehicle M is traveling in lane L1, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M, in particular the road dividing lines on both sides of the host vehicle M, based on images captured by the camera 10. Hereinafter, the road dividing lines recognized based on the images captured by the camera 10 will be represented by CL (hereinafter referred to as "camera road dividing lines CL"), and the road dividing lines recognized based on the second map information 62 will be represented by ML (hereinafter referred to as "map road dividing lines ML").

[0055] The deviation determination unit 152 determines whether or not there is a deviation (mismatch) between the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML while the host vehicle M is traveling. Here, deviation means, for example, whether the distance ΔY between the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or whether the angle Δθ between the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0056] When the deviation determination unit 152 determines that there is a deviation on only one side of the camera road dividing line CL and the map road dividing line ML, the change amount calculation unit 154 calculates the change amount ΔWcam in the lane width of the camera road dividing line CL and the change amount ΔWmap in the map road dividing line ML.

[0057] 5 is a diagram illustrating a method by which the change amount calculation unit 154 calculates the change amount of the lane width. As shown in FIG. 5, the change amount calculation unit 154 calculates, for example, the lane width Wc1 of the camera road dividing line CL and the lane width Wm1 of the map road dividing line ML at the current position of the host vehicle M, and also calculates the lane width Wc2 of the camera road dividing line CL and the lane width Wm2 of the map road dividing line ML at a position ahead of the host vehicle M (for example, a position 1 second ahead based on the current speed of the host vehicle M). Next, the change amount calculation unit 154 calculates the change amount ΔWcam=Wc2-Wc1 and also calculates the change amount ΔWmap=Wm2-Wm1.

[0058] When the change amount calculation unit 154 calculates the changes ΔWcam and ΔWmap, the behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a center line (reference line) RL of the road on which the vehicle M is traveling in driving mode B based on the calculated changes ΔWcam and ΔWmap and the table described later with reference to Figure 7.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating how the behavior plan generation unit 140 generates the center line RL of the lane. In the case of FIG. 6, the behavior plan generation unit 140 refers to the table in FIG. 7 and determines that the map road dividing lines ML have smaller lane width variations and are more reliable than the camera road dividing lines CL. Therefore, the behavior plan generation unit 140 adopts the map road dividing lines ML from the side where the camera road dividing lines CL and the map road dividing lines ML coincide (i.e., the left side in FIG. 6). On the other hand, the behavior plan generation unit 140 adopts the map road dividing lines ML, which are narrower road dividing lines, from the side where the camera road dividing lines CL and the map road dividing lines ML do not coincide (i.e., the right side in FIG. 6). The behavior plan generation unit 140 calculates the center line RL of the lane by offsetting the distance Wm / 2, which is half the width Wm between the two adopted road dividing lines, from the road dividing lines ML on the side where they coincide. This allows for a more reliable lane to be generated for the host vehicle M.

[0060] Fig. 7 shows an example of a table that the behavior plan generation unit 140 refers to when generating the center line RL of the lane. As explained with reference to Fig. 6, the table in Fig. 7 specifies that, in principle, a road-dividing line with a smaller lane width change (ΔWcam or ΔWmap) is evaluated as more reliable and used to generate the center line RL. When lane width changes are about the same, the camera-based road-dividing line CL, which generally tends to be more reliable, is used preferentially.

[0061] First, as shown in patterns (a), (b), and (c) in Figure 7, if the lane width change ΔWcam of the camera-recorded road-dividing line is less than the first threshold value Th1, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL from the side where the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL and the map-recorded road-dividing line ML coincide. On the other hand, from the side where the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL and the map-recorded road-dividing line ML do not coincide, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the narrower road-dividing line between the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL and the map-recorded road-dividing line ML. The behavior plan generation unit 140 calculates the center line RL of the lane by offsetting the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL on the side where the two coincident road-dividing lines coincide by a distance Wm / 2, which is half the width Wm between the two adopted road-dividing lines.

[0062] Next, as shown in pattern (d) of Figure 7, if the lane width change ΔWcam of the camera-based road-dividing line is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1 and less than the second threshold Th2 (Th2 > Th1), and the lane width change ΔWmap of the map-based road-dividing line ML is less than the first threshold Th1, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the map-based road-dividing line ML from the side where the camera-based road-dividing line CL and the map-based road-dividing line ML coincide. On the other hand, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the narrower road-dividing line between the camera-based road-dividing line CL and the map-based road-dividing line ML from the side where the camera-based road-dividing line CL and the map-based road-dividing line ML do not coincide. The behavior plan generation unit 140 calculates the center line RL of the lane by offsetting the distance Wm / 2, half the width Wm between the two adopted road-dividing lines, from the map-based road-dividing line ML on the side where the two coincide.

[0063] Next, as shown in patterns (e) and (f) of Figure 7, if the lane width change ΔWcam of the camera-recorded road-dividing line is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th1 and less than the second threshold value Th2, and the lane width change ΔWmap of the map-recorded road-dividing line ML is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th1, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL from the side where the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL and the map-recorded road-dividing line ML coincide. On the other hand, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the narrower road-dividing line between the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL and the map-recorded road-dividing line ML from the side where the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL and the map-recorded road-dividing line ML do not coincide. The behavior plan generation unit 140 calculates the center line RL of the lane by offsetting the camera-recorded road-dividing line CL on the side where the two coincident road-dividing lines coincide by a distance Wm / 2, which is half the width Wm between the two road-dividing lines used.

[0064] 7, if the lane width change ΔWcam of the camera road-dividing line is equal to or greater than the second threshold Th2 and the lane width change ΔWmap of the map road-dividing line ML is less than the second threshold Th2, the behavior plan generator 140 uses the map road-dividing lines ML from both the side where the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML coincide and the side where they do not coincide, as shown in patterns (g) and (h) of FIG. 7. In other words, the behavior plan generator 140 calculates the center line RL of the lane by offsetting the map road-dividing line ML on the side where they coincide by a distance Wm / 2, which is half the width Wm of the map road-dividing lines ML on both sides.

[0065] Next, as shown in pattern (i) of Figure 7, if the lane width change ΔWcam of the camera road-dividing line and the lane width change ΔWmap of the map road-dividing line ML are equal to or greater than the second threshold value Th2, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the camera road-dividing line CL from the side where the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML coincide. On the other hand, the behavior plan generation unit 140 uses the narrower road-dividing line between the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML from the side where the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML do not coincide. The behavior plan generation unit 140 calculates the center line RL of the lane by offsetting the camera road-dividing line CL on the side where the two road-dividing lines coincide by a distance Wm / 2, which is half the width Wm between the two road-dividing lines used.

[0066] In this way, when the deviation determination unit 152 determines that deviation has occurred on one side of the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML, the change amount calculation unit 154 calculates the change amount ΔWcam in the lane width of the camera road-dividing line CL and the change amount ΔWmap in the lane width of the map road-dividing line ML. The action plan generation unit 140 compares the two calculated changes ΔWcam and ΔWmap with thresholds Th1 and Th2, respectively, and evaluates the road-dividing line with a smaller change amount in lane width as more reliable and uses it to generate the center line RL. This makes it possible to generate a more reliable path for the host vehicle M.

[0067] Next, referring to Fig. 8, a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment is shown. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. The processing according to this flowchart is executed in a predetermined cycle while the host vehicle M is traveling in the driving mode of mode B.

[0068] First, the vehicle control device determines whether a centerline RL based on the camera road-dividing line CL was generated due to one-side agreement between the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML in the previous cycle (step S100). If it is determined that a centerline RL based on the camera road-dividing line CL was generated in the previous cycle, the vehicle control device determines whether the same one-side agreement is maintained in the current cycle (step S102). If it is determined that the same one-side agreement is not maintained in the current cycle (i.e., if it is determined that both sides do not agree), the vehicle control device changes the driving mode from mode B to mode C (step S104).

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined that a center line RL based on the camera road lane markings CL has not been generated because one side of the camera road lane markings CL and one side of the map road lane markings ML matched in the previous cycle, the vehicle control device determines whether one side of the camera road lane markings CL and one side of the map road lane markings ML match in the current cycle (step S106).If it is determined that one side of the camera road lane markings CL and one side of the map road lane markings ML do not match in the current cycle (i.e., if it is determined that both sides do not match), the vehicle control device calculates the center lines of the map road lane markings ML on both sides (i.e., the map center line) as the center line RL of the lane (step S108).

[0070] If it is determined that one side of the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML match in the current cycle, or if it is determined that the one-side match in the previous cycle is maintained in the current cycle, the vehicle control device determines whether the camera road-dividing line CL on the matching side exists up to a predetermined distance away (step S110).If it is determined that the camera road-dividing line CL on the matching side does not exist up to a predetermined distance away, the vehicle control device changes the driving mode from mode B to mode C.

[0071] On the other hand, if it is determined that the matching camera road-dividing line CL exists up to a predetermined distance ahead, the vehicle control device next determines whether map road-dividing lines ML exist on both sides (step S112). If it is determined that map road-dividing lines ML do not exist on both sides, the vehicle control device calculates the center line RL of the lane from the center line of the camera road-dividing lines CL on both sides (i.e., the camera center line) (step S114). On the other hand, if it is determined that map road-dividing lines ML exist on both sides, the vehicle control device calculates the center line RL of the lane based on the table shown in FIG. 7 (step S116). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0072] According to the present embodiment described above, when it is determined that a deviation has occurred on one side between the camera-recorded road-dividing line and the map-recorded road-dividing line, the amount of change in the lane width of the camera-recorded road-dividing line and the amount of change in the lane width of the map-recorded road-dividing line are calculated, and the center line of the lane on which the vehicle is traveling is generated based on the result of comparing the two calculated amounts of change with a threshold. This makes it possible to appropriately change the vehicle's driving control even if the road-dividing line recognized by the camera differs from the content of the map information installed in the vehicle.

[0073] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: Acquire camera images of the vehicle's surroundings, based on the camera image and map information, controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than that of the first driving mode, and at least a part of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being performed by controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without relying on an operation by the driver of the vehicle, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode in which the task is heavier when the driver does not perform a task related to the determined driving mode; determining whether or not there is a discrepancy between one side of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the other side of the road dividing line shown in the map information; If it is determined that there is a discrepancy between one side of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the road dividing line shown in the map information, the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the amount of change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information are calculated; generating a center line of a road on which the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode based on the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information; The vehicle control device is configured as follows.

[0074] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 Camera 12 Radar equipment 14 LIDAR 16 Object recognition device 100 Automatic driving control device 120 First Control Section 130 Recognition part 140 Action Plan Generation Unit 150 Mode determination unit 152 Deviation judgment unit 154 Change amount calculation unit 160 Second Control Section

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires a camera image of the surroundings of the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the camera image and map information without relying on an operation by a driver of the vehicle; a mode determination unit that determines a driving mode of the vehicle to be one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than that imposed on the driver in the first driving mode, at least some of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being controlled by the driving control unit, and that changes the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode in which the task is heavier when the driver does not perform a task related to the determined driving mode; a deviation determination unit that determines whether or not a deviation exists between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one of the left and right sides of the road dividing line shown in the map information; a change amount calculation unit that calculates a change amount of the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and a change amount of the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information when it is determined that a deviation exists between the left and right sides of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the road dividing line shown in the map information; a lane generation unit that generates a center line of a lane on which the vehicle will travel in the second driving mode based on a change in lane width of a road-dividing line shown in the camera image and a change in lane width of a road-dividing line shown in the map information, Vehicle control device.

2. the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image when a change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is less than a first threshold value; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the map information when the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, and the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is less than the first threshold. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

4. the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image when the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, and the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is equal to or greater than the first threshold. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

5. the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the map information when the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image is equal to or greater than a second threshold and the amount of change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is less than the second threshold. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

6. the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image when a change in lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information is equal to or greater than a second threshold value; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

7. the mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when, in a certain control cycle, the lane generation unit generates the center line based on the road dividing line shown in the camera image, and then, in a next control cycle, the deviation determination unit determines that a deviation exists on both sides of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the road dividing line shown in the map information; The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not required to hold an operator that receives a steering operation of the vehicle; The first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is assigned at least a task of gripping the operating element. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The computer Acquire camera images of the vehicle's surroundings, Controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the camera image and map information without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than that imposed on the driver in the first driving mode, and at least a part of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being performed by controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without relying on an operation by the driver of the vehicle, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode in which the task is heavier when the driver does not perform a task related to the determined driving mode; determining whether or not there is a deviation between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one of the left and right sides of the road dividing line shown in the map information; If it is determined that there is a deviation between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the road dividing line shown in the map information on one side, a change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and a change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information are calculated, generating a center line of a road on which the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode based on a change in lane width of a road-dividing line shown in the camera image and a change in lane width of a road-dividing line shown in the map information; Vehicle control method.

10. On the computer, Acquire a camera image capturing the surroundings of the vehicle, Controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the camera image and map information without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode in which a task imposed on the driver is lighter than that of the first driving mode, and at least a part of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being performed by controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle without relying on an operation by the driver of the vehicle, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode in which the task is heavier when the driver does not perform a task related to the determined driving mode; determining whether or not there is a deviation between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and one of the left and right sides of the road dividing line shown in the map information; If it is determined that there is a discrepancy between the road dividing line shown in the camera image and the road dividing line shown in the map information, a change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the camera image and a change in the lane width of the road dividing line shown in the map information are calculated, generating a center line of a road on which the vehicle is traveling in the second driving mode based on a change in lane width of a road-dividing line shown in the camera image and a change in lane width of a road-dividing line shown in the map information; program.

Images