Platooning control system, on-board device, and platooning control method

Abstract

To reduce adverse effects caused by concentrating processes to a part of on-vehicle units.SOLUTION: In a vehicle platooning control system including an on-vehicle unit, which is mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles forming a vehicle platoon, and being configured to cause the plurality of vehicles to platoon, each on-vehicle unit includes a travel process section for executing a travel process in which the vehicle mounting the on-vehicle unit is caused to travel. In the vehicle platooning control system, in processes which should be executed when performing vehicle platooning, processes different from the travel process are executed while being partially charged or cooperated in the plurality of on-vehicle units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a platooning control system, an in-vehicle device, and a platooning control method. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology has been developed to platoon multiple vehicles by installing an on-board device in each vehicle and allowing each vehicle to move autonomously. Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a device that aims to improve fuel efficiency during platooning. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-149044 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In one method for platooning, each vehicle uses a camera or a ranging sensor to sense the surrounding conditions, and the sensing information from each vehicle is collected by an on-board device in the lead vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication.The on-board device in the lead vehicle then performs the processes required for platooning, such as estimating the position of the platoon, setting the planned route (route planning), obstacle monitoring, and abnormality diagnosis, based on the sensing information from each vehicle.

[0005] However, with the above method, there is a concern that the concentration of processing on some of the on-board devices may have adverse effects (for example, rapid battery drain in some of the on-board devices, rapid temperature rise in some of the on-board devices, shortened lifespan of some of the on-board devices, etc.).

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a platooning control system, an in-vehicle device, and a platooning control method that contribute to reducing the adverse effects caused by the concentration of processing on some in-vehicle devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The platoon driving control system of the present invention is a platoon driving control system that has an on-board device mounted on each of multiple vehicles that form a platoon and causes the multiple vehicles to drive in a platoon, where each on-board device has a driving processing unit that executes driving processing to cause the vehicle it is mounted on to drive, and the platoon driving control system executes processing that is different from the driving processing, among the processing that should be executed when driving in a platoon, by the multiple on-board devices sharing or working together. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a platooning control system, an in-vehicle device, and a platooning control method that contribute to reducing the adverse effects caused by the concentration of processing on some in-vehicle devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic top view of a plurality of vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic top view of a plurality of vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a configuration diagram of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing types of platooning programs according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a configuration diagram relating to a battery of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a main control unit in an on-board device of a leading vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partial functional diagram of an on-board device in a leading vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positions of each vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a main control unit in an in-vehicle device of a following vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall monitoring area of ​​obstacles set in a formation according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram showing how an entire obstacle monitoring area is divided into a plurality of areas according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a monitoring processing unit is provided in each in-vehicle device according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a block diagram relating to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention, and is related to estimation of the position of a formation. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a platoon traveling from a starting point to a destination according to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a correction method related to position estimation of a formation according to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an abnormality diagnosis unit is provided in each on-vehicle device according to a third example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a system related to abnormality diagnosis according to a third example of an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of the same parts will be omitted as a general rule. For the sake of simplicity, this specification may use symbols or reference numerals referring to information, signals, physical quantities, components, etc., and may omit or abbreviate the names of the information, signals, physical quantities, components, etc. corresponding to the symbols or reference numerals. For example, the host vehicle information acquisition unit referred to by "111" (see FIG. 7) described below may be written as host vehicle information acquisition unit 111 or abbreviated as acquisition unit 111, but they all refer to the same thing.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of multiple vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention. A platoon is formed or configured by multiple vehicles. Each vehicle forming or configuring the platoon is referred to by the symbol "CR." Each vehicle CR is any type of automobile, and electric carts and electric wheelchairs also belong to the category of vehicles CR. A vehicle CR may be a vehicle for transporting cargo. Of the vehicles CR forming the platoon, the vehicle CR traveling at the front is referred to as the leading vehicle, and the other vehicles CR are referred to as following vehicles. Of one or more following vehicles included in the platoon, the following vehicle located at the rear is referred to as the rearmost vehicle. Note that when the platoon moves straight from a first point to a second point, the direction from the first point to the second point corresponds to forward facing.

[0012] An on-board device 1 is mounted on each vehicle CR. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the on-board device 1 being mounted on each vehicle CR (the same applies to Figure 3 described below). Referring to Figure 2, a system SYS is configured including all on-board devices 1 mounted on multiple vehicles CR that make up the platoon. In the system SYS, multiple vehicles CR travel in a platoon. Platooning refers to multiple vehicles CR traveling in a platoon. In the system SYS, multiple vehicles CR move autonomously (autonomous driving), and the platooning of the multiple vehicles CR is controlled by multiple on-board devices 1 to achieve the platooning. For this reason, the system SYS can be referred to as a platooning control system or a platooning system.

[0013] Each in-vehicle device 1 may be connected to a server device 2 so as to enable two-way communication through a predetermined communication network NET, which may include a mobile communication network, a local area network, the Internet, etc. The server device 2 is a computer device connected to the communication network NET. The server device 2 may be composed of two or more computer devices. The server device 2 may also be configured using cloud computing. The server device 2 can be a component of the system SYS. However, the existence of the server device 2 is not essential in the system SYS.

[0014] The number of vehicles CR forming the platoon can be any number equal to or greater than two. However, in this embodiment, for the sake of concrete explanation, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the platoon is composed of three vehicles CR as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, as necessary, of the three vehicles CR that make up the platoon, the leading vehicle may be referred to specifically as "CR[1]," and the two following vehicles may be referred to specifically as "CR[2]" and "CR[3]." Of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3], the following vehicle CR[3] is the rearmost vehicle.

[0015] Each vehicle CR has a power source, and the power source in each vehicle CR generates driving force for running the vehicle CR. The power source generates driving force based on a predetermined fuel (e.g., fossil fuel, hydrogen), electrical energy, or the like. In the following description of the present embodiment, the power source is assumed to include a motor that generates driving force based on electrical energy, as an example.

[0016] 4 shows the configuration of the in-vehicle device 1. The configuration of each in-vehicle device 1 included in the system SYS is the same among the multiple in-vehicle devices 1. For the sake of concreteness of explanation, one vehicle CR that has been focused on among the multiple vehicles CR will be referred to as a focused vehicle CR or simply a focused vehicle, and the configuration of the in-vehicle device 1 provided in the focused vehicle CR will be explained.

[0017] The in-vehicle device 1 comprises a main control unit 10, a vehicle state information detection unit 20, a surrounding information detection unit 30, a GPS processing unit 40, and a memory unit 50. However, all or any part of the vehicle state information detection unit 20, the surrounding information detection unit 30, the GPS processing unit 40, and the memory unit 50 may be understood as devices that are not included in the components of the in-vehicle device 1 but are connected to the in-vehicle device 1. An actuator unit 60 provided in the target vehicle CR is driven and controlled by the main control unit 10. Here, the actuator unit 60 is understood to be a device that is not included in the components of the in-vehicle device 1 but is connected to the in-vehicle device 1. However, it is also possible to understand that the actuator unit 60 is included in the components of the in-vehicle device 1.

[0018] The main control unit 10 includes, as hardware resources, an arithmetic processing unit 11 including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an internal memory 12 including a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a communication processing unit 13 for realizing two-way communication with a counterpart device. The counterpart devices for the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the target vehicle CR include the in-vehicle devices 1 (main control unit 10) mounted on each vehicle CR other than the target vehicle CR, and may further include a server device 2.

[0019] Communication between an in-vehicle device 1 mounted on one vehicle CR and an in-vehicle device 1 mounted on another vehicle CR is particularly referred to as inter-vehicle communication. Inter-vehicle communication may be realized by an inter-vehicle communication system called CVSS (Connected Vehicle Support Systems). Inter-vehicle communication may be realized via a communication network NET or via a server device 2. Any information acquired or handled by any in-vehicle device 1 may be transmitted to any other in-vehicle device 1 via inter-vehicle communication, and the any information may be commonly recognized by all in-vehicle devices 1.

[0020] In the main control unit 10, each of the functional blocks described below may be realized by executing a program stored in the internal memory 12 or the memory unit 50 in the arithmetic processing unit 11. The main control unit 10 may be configured by a combination of multiple ECUs (Electronic Control Units) mounted on the vehicle CR.

[0021] The vehicle state information detection unit 20 is composed of a plurality of measuring devices installed in the vehicle CR, and detects and acquires vehicle state information using each measuring device. The vehicle state information detection unit 20 of the target vehicle CR detects and acquires vehicle state information about the target vehicle CR.

[0022] The vehicle state information is information that represents the state of the vehicle CR, and mainly includes information that represents the driving state of the vehicle CR. Specifically, the vehicle state information includes vehicle speed information that represents the speed (driving speed) of the vehicle CR, steering angle information that represents the steering angle (steering angle) of the vehicle CR, and acceleration / deceleration information that represents the acceleration and deceleration states of the vehicle CR. The vehicle speed information, steering angle information, and acceleration / deceleration information related to the target vehicle CR belong to the driving information that represents the driving state of the target vehicle CR. The acceleration / deceleration information may include brake information that represents the control amount (operation amount) of the brakes of the vehicle CR. Note that the vehicle state information may further include various information (acceleration information, etc.) other than the various types of information described above. The vehicle state information is acquired sequentially at a predetermined cycle, and the acquired vehicle state information is output sequentially to the main control unit 10.

[0023] The surrounding information detection unit 30 uses a sensor capable of observing the surroundings of the vehicle CR to detect and acquire surrounding information representing the state of the surroundings of the vehicle CR (in other words, surrounding environment information representing the surrounding environment of the vehicle CR). The surrounding information detection unit 30 of the target vehicle CR detects and acquires surrounding information representing the state of the surroundings of the target vehicle CR. The surrounding information detection unit 30 is equipped with a camera 31, which is an image sensor, and a distance measurement sensor 32 as sensors for observing and detecting the surrounding state (surrounding environment) of the vehicle CR. The surrounding information is acquired sequentially at a predetermined cycle, and the acquired surrounding information is output sequentially to the main control unit 10. The surrounding information includes camera information, distance measurement information, etc.

[0024] In the target vehicle CR, the camera 31 is installed at a predetermined position of the target vehicle CR and captures images of the periphery of the target vehicle CR. In the target vehicle CR, the camera 31 has a capture area (field of view) based on the position of the target vehicle CR, and generates camera information indicating captured images within the capture area. The capture area of ​​the camera 31 in the target vehicle CR may include an area in front of, behind, to the right, and to the left of the target vehicle CR. For example, in the target vehicle CR, the camera 31 may include a front camera that captures the area in front of the target vehicle CR, a rear camera that captures the area behind the target vehicle CR, a right camera that captures the area to the right of the target vehicle CR, and a left camera that captures the area to the left of the target vehicle CR.

[0025] In the target vehicle CR, the distance measurement sensor 32 is installed at a predetermined position of the target vehicle CR and generates distance measurement information by performing distance measurement. In the target vehicle CR, distance measurement detects the distance between the target vehicle CR and a three-dimensional object (a three-dimensional object) located around the target vehicle CR, and also detects the orientation of the three-dimensional object as viewed from the target vehicle CR. These detection results are included in the distance measurement information. In the target vehicle CR, the main control unit 10 can generate a two-dimensional map showing the presence of three-dimensional objects around the target vehicle CR based on the distance measurement information. Three-dimensional objects from the target vehicle CR include vehicles CR other than the target vehicle CR, as well as obstacles different from the vehicle CR.

[0026] The distance measurement sensor 32 may be configured with a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) that measures distance using light, or may be configured with a radar that measures distance using radio waves, or may be configured with a combination of a LIDAR and a radar.

[0027] The GPS processing unit 40 receives signals from multiple GPS satellites that form the GPS (Global Positioning System), and generates GPS position information based on the reception results. In the target vehicle CR, the GPS position information generated by the GPS processing unit 40 represents the current position of the target vehicle CR by longitude and latitude. The GPS position information is generated sequentially at a predetermined cycle, and the generated GPS position information is output sequentially to the main control unit 10. Note that the GPS processing unit 40 is not essential in the in-vehicle device 1, and the GPS processing unit 40 may be omitted.

[0028] The memory unit 50 is made of a non-volatile recording medium and records and stores various information. Map information 51 and a platooning program 52 are recorded and stored in the memory unit 50. The memory unit 50 may be provided with a memory (map information storage unit) that records and stores the map information 51 and a memory that records and stores the platooning program 52 separately.

[0029] The map information 51 represents a map of a predetermined target driving area. The map represented by the map information 51 is a two-dimensional map, and information (two-dimensional information) of each position within the target driving area is included in the map information 51. However, as a variant, the map information 51 may represent a three-dimensional map of the target driving area. The target driving area represents an area (an area on a map) in which a convoy consisting of multiple vehicles CR can travel.

[0030] If the vehicle CR is a car (such as a truck) that travels on general roads and expressways, the target travel area may be the entire land area of ​​Japan, assuming that the system SYS is operated in Japan. If the vehicle CR is a vehicle (such as an electric cart) that travels within a specified facility (such as a factory, warehouse, or store), the target travel area may be the area within the facility.

[0031] The platooning program 52 is a program executed by each processing unit 11 when a plurality of vehicles CR travel in a platoon, and therefore, platooning is realized through the execution of the program 52. The platooning program 52 may be downloaded from the server device 2.

[0032] 5, there are two types of platooning programs 52: a program 52M for a leading vehicle executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the leading vehicle CR, and a program 52S for a following vehicle executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the following vehicle CR. In other words, the program 52M for a leading vehicle is executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the leading vehicle CR, and the program 52S for a following vehicle is executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the following vehicle CR.

[0033] Both the programs 52M and 52S may be stored in the memory unit 50 of each in-vehicle device 1. In this case, when the target vehicle CR is used as a leading vehicle, the processing unit 11 of the target vehicle CR may execute the program 52M for the leading vehicle stored in the memory unit 50. Similarly, when the target vehicle CR is used as a following vehicle, the processing unit 11 of the target vehicle CR may execute the program 52S for the following vehicle stored in the memory unit 50.

[0034] Of the programs 52M and 52S, only the program 52M may be stored in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the lead vehicle. Of the programs 52M and 52S, only the program 52S may be stored in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the following vehicle. For example, when it is determined that the target vehicle CR will be used as the lead vehicle, the program 52M for the lead vehicle may be downloaded from the server device 2 to the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the target vehicle CR as the platooning program 52. Similarly, when it is determined that the target vehicle CR will be used as the following vehicle, the program 52S for the following vehicle may be downloaded from the server device 2 to the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the target vehicle CR as the platooning program 52.

[0035] The actuator unit 60 includes various actuators for driving the vehicle CR in a desired direction and for accelerating, decelerating, or stopping the vehicle CR. Specifically, the actuator unit 60 includes a motor for generating the driving force, a steering actuator for driving the steering of the vehicle CR, and a brake actuator for driving the brakes of the vehicle CR. When the driving force is generated using fuel, an engine is provided in the actuator unit 60.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6(a), each vehicle CR is provided with a traction battery BAT1, a drive circuit DRV, and a motor MT. The drive circuit DRV and motor MT are components of an actuator unit 60. The drive circuit DRV drives the motor MT based on the output power of the traction battery BAT1. The tires of the vehicle CR rotate based on the mechanical energy generated by the motor MT when driven, thereby propelling the vehicle CR. Each vehicle CR is also equipped with an auxiliary battery BAT2 shown in FIG. 6(b). Various electrical devices mounted on the vehicle CR are driven based on the output power of the auxiliary battery BAT2. The electrical devices include a main control unit 10, a vehicle state information detection unit 20, a surrounding information detection unit 30, a GPS processing unit 40, and a memory unit 50, and may also include an optional ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a drive recorder, etc. The batteries BAT1 and BAT2 are secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries. Note that a configuration in which the same battery functions as both the batteries BAT1 and BAT2 is also possible.

[0037] The main control unit 10 of the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the lead vehicle will be particularly referred to as main control unit 10M. Fig. 7 shows a functional block diagram of the main control unit 10M. The lead vehicle program 52M is executed in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10M to form functional blocks 111 to 115. That is, the main control unit 10M includes a host vehicle information acquisition unit 111, an other vehicle information acquisition unit 112, a position estimation unit 113, a route setting unit 114, and a driving processing unit 115 as the functional blocks 111 to 115.

[0038] For a certain vehicle-mounted device 1, the vehicle CR in which it is mounted is referred to as the host vehicle, and other vehicles CR are referred to as other vehicles.

[0039] The subject vehicle information acquisition unit 111 acquires subject vehicle information, which is information relating to the subject vehicle. The subject vehicle for the acquisition unit 111 is the leading vehicle CR[1]. The subject vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 111 includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the subject vehicle (i.e., the leading vehicle CR[1]) (however, GPS position information may not be included).

[0040] The other vehicle information acquisition unit 112 acquires other vehicle information, which is information about other vehicles, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The other vehicles to the acquisition unit 112 are the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. The other vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 112 includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the other vehicles (however, GPS position information may not be included). When there are multiple other vehicles, other vehicle information is acquired for each other vehicle.

[0041] The position estimation unit 113 performs a position estimation process based on the position estimation information. Referring to FIG. 8, the position estimation information includes at least map information 51 (specifically, the map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 equipped with the main control unit 10M) and surrounding information of the lead vehicle CR[1]. The surrounding information of the lead vehicle CR[1] is surrounding information detected and output by the sensors (31, 32) of the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. The position estimation information may further include GPS position information of the lead vehicle CR[1]. The position estimation information may further include surrounding information in the other vehicle information (i.e., surrounding information of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]). The position estimation information may further include GPS position information in the other vehicle information (i.e., GPS position information of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]).

[0042] In the position estimation process, the position of the formation is estimated. The position of the formation derived by the position estimation unit 113 based on the estimation result is represented by the symbol "P EST In other words, the position estimation unit 113 refers to the position P EST is estimated and derived.EST represents the position of the platoon within the target driving area using two-dimensional coordinate values ​​defined in the target driving area. The position of any point in the two-dimensional coordinate system defined in the target driving area is represented by (x, y). Furthermore, the position of vehicle CR[i] is represented by (x[i], y[i]) (see Figure 9), where i is an integer. This two-dimensional coordinate system consists of an X-axis and a Y-axis that are orthogonal to each other. "x[i]" and "y[i]" in position (x[i], y[i]) represent the X-axis and Y-axis coordinate values ​​of the position of vehicle CR[i], respectively. Position (x[i], y[i]) represents the position of a specific part of vehicle CR[i] (for example, the center of gravity or center position of vehicle CR[i]).

[0043] Position P estimated and derived in the position estimation process EST includes at least the position (x[1], y[1]) of the leading vehicle CR[1]. That is, for example, the position estimation unit 113 calculates the position (x[1], y[1]) as the position P of the platoon based on the position estimation information including the map information 51 and the surrounding information of the host vehicle. EST It can be estimated as:

[0044] Position P estimated and derived in the position estimation process EST may include positions (x[1], y[1]) and (x[2], y[2]) and (x[3], y[3]) in addition to the position (x[1], y[1]). For example, the position estimation unit 113 may estimate and derive the positions (x[1], y[1]), (x[2], y[2]) and (x[3], y[3]) based on the map information 51 and the surrounding information of the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3] detected by a total of three in-vehicle devices 1 mounted on the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3].

[0045] The position of the formation P is determined based on the map information 51, camera information, and distance measurement information. EST A known method can be used to estimate the position P EST may be estimated.

[0046] The route setting unit 114 performs a route setting process based on the route setting information. In the route setting process, a planned travel route of the convoy is set (see FIG. 8). The planned travel route of the convoy is set by setting the convoy from position P EST The route planning information represents the planned route that the platoon will take when heading from the position P EST The route setting unit includes map information 51 (more specifically, map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 equipped with the main control unit 10M), and destination information indicating the destination. The destination is set in advance for the lead vehicle CR[1] or each vehicle CR. The destination may also be set based on a signal from the server device 2. Note that setting the planned travel route of the platoon corresponds to planning the travel route of the platoon, and therefore the route setting unit can also be called a travel route planning unit.

[0047] The driving processing unit 115 executes driving processing for driving the host vehicle (i.e., the lead vehicle CR[1]). In the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 of the host vehicle is controlled so that the host vehicle (i.e., the lead vehicle CR[1]) drives along the planned driving route. In this case, in the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, for example, the actuator unit 60 may be controlled so that the driving speed of the host vehicle is kept constant or kept within a predetermined speed range. If the platoon drives on an ordinary road or an expressway, in the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 may be controlled so that the driving speed of the host vehicle is kept within a predetermined speed range that is equal to or less than the legal speed limit of each road. In the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 is controlled based on surrounding information of the host vehicle and vehicle body information of the host vehicle (such as vehicle length and vehicle width) so that the host vehicle does not collide with an obstacle.

[0048] The main control unit 10 of the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the following vehicle will be referred to as the main control unit 10S. Fig. 10 shows a functional block diagram of the main control unit 10S. The following vehicle program 52S is executed in the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S to form functional blocks 161, 162, and 165. That is, the main control unit 10S includes a host vehicle information acquisition unit 161, an other vehicle information acquisition unit 162, and a driving processing unit 165 as the functional blocks 161, 162, and 165.

[0049] The subject vehicle information acquisition unit 161 acquires subject vehicle information, which is information related to the subject vehicle. For the acquisition unit 161, the subject vehicle is the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3]. The subject vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 161 of the following vehicle CR[2] includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the subject vehicle (i.e., the following vehicle CR[2]) (however, GPS position information may not be included). The subject vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 161 of the following vehicle CR[3] includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the subject vehicle (i.e., the following vehicle CR[3]) (however, GPS position information may not be included).

[0050] The other vehicle information acquisition unit 162 acquires other vehicle information, which is information about other vehicles, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The other vehicles for the acquisition unit 162 of the following vehicle CR[2] are vehicles CR[1] and CR[3]. The other vehicles for the acquisition unit 162 of the following vehicle CR[3] are vehicles CR[1] and CR[2]. The other vehicle information acquired by the other vehicle information acquisition unit 162 includes all or part of the vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the other vehicles. If there are multiple other vehicles, other vehicle information is acquired for each other vehicle. However, the other vehicle information acquired by each acquisition unit 162 of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] includes at least the driving information (vehicle speed information, steering angle information, and acceleration / deceleration information) of the leading vehicle CR[1].

[0051] Furthermore, the vehicle status information, surrounding information and GPS location information for each of the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3] may all be shared among all the in-vehicle devices 1 through the acquisition units 111 and 112 of the leading vehicle CR[1] and the acquisition units 161 and 162 of the following vehicles CR[2] and [3].

[0052] The driving processing unit 165 executes driving processing to drive the vehicle. The distance between the vehicles CR[1] and CR[2] (the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicles CR[1] and CR[2]) is detected by the distance measurement sensor 32 of the following vehicle CR[2]. In the driving processing by the driving processing unit 165 of the following vehicle CR[2], the actuator unit 60 of the following vehicle CR[2] is controlled based on the driving information of the leading vehicle CR[1] so that the following vehicle CR[2] drives following the leading vehicle CR[1] while keeping the distance between the vehicles CR[1] and CR[2] within a predetermined distance range.

[0053] The distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] (the inter-vehicle distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]) is detected by the distance measurement sensor 32 of the following vehicle CR[3]. In the driving process by the driving processing unit 165 of the following vehicle CR[3], the actuator unit 60 of the following vehicle CR[3] is controlled based on the driving information of the leading vehicle CR[1] so that the following vehicle CR[3] follows the leading vehicle CR[1] while keeping the distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] within a predetermined distance range. Alternatively, in the driving process by the driving processing unit 165 of the following vehicle CR[3], the actuator unit 60 of the following vehicle CR[3] may be controlled based on the driving information of the following vehicle CR[2] so that the following vehicle CR[3] follows the following vehicle CR[2] while keeping the distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] within a predetermined distance range.

[0054] The main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] recognizes that it is associated with the second vehicle in the platoon (i.e., vehicle CR[2]). Similarly, the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[3] recognizes that it is associated with the third vehicle in the platoon (i.e., vehicle CR[3]). Furthermore, if the leading vehicle CR[1] suddenly stops, the following vehicle CR[2] may rear-end the leading vehicle CR[1]. The same applies to the relationship between the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. To avoid such a rear-end collision, when control related to driving is performed on one vehicle CR (e.g., CR[1]), the content of the control may be transmitted to the in-vehicle device 1 of another vehicle CR (e.g., CR[2] or CR[3]), and the in-vehicle device 1 of the other vehicle CR may perform driving control according to the content of the control.

[0055] The vehicles CR[1] to CR[3] travel in formation toward the destination through the travel processing of each vehicle CR. The travel processing unit 165 of the main control unit 10S may increase or decrease the inter-vehicle distance based on a signal from the main control unit 10M.

[0056] The processing to be executed when platooning includes the above-mentioned driving processing as well as various other processing. It is also possible to aggregate information acquired by each vehicle CR in the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] and have the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] handle all of the processing to be executed when platooning. However, in this case, the processing load on the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] will be much greater than that of the others, which could result in adverse effects such as the auxiliary battery BAT2 of the lead vehicle CR[1] being consumed more rapidly than that of the others.

[0057] Taking this into consideration, in the system SYS according to this embodiment, predetermined target processing is shared and executed by multiple in-vehicle devices 1 or executed in cooperation. The target processing is processing that is different from the driving processing among the processing that should be executed when driving in a convoy. It is appropriate that the driving processing related to the control of the actuator unit 60 of each vehicle CR is performed by each vehicle CR, but other processing can be shared or executed in cooperation.

[0058] The above-described sharing or cooperation prevents processing from concentrating on one on-board device 1 (the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle). As a result, it becomes possible to make the power consumption of the on-board batteries (here, the auxiliary battery BAT2) comparable among the multiple vehicles CR, thereby increasing the driving distance of the entire platoon (first effect). Furthermore, if processing were concentrated on one on-board device 1 (the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle), the need for high-speed processing could result in an increase in the cost of the on-board device 1. The above-described sharing or cooperation also prevents this increase in cost (second effect). Alternatively, if processing were concentrated on one on-board device 1 (the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle), there would be concerns that the components of that on-board device 1 (such as the CPU, GPU, camera, and distance measurement sensor) would be used more frequently than the others, resulting in increased temperature rise, deterioration, and failure rates. The above-described sharing or cooperation also eliminates or reduces these concerns (third effect).

[0059] Below, specific operational examples, application techniques, modified techniques, etc. related to the above-mentioned system SYS will be described in multiple embodiments. The matters described in this embodiment are applied to each of the following embodiments unless otherwise specified and unless there is a contradiction. If there are any matters in each embodiment that contradict the matters described above, the description in each embodiment may take precedence. Furthermore, unless there is a contradiction, matters described in any of the multiple embodiments shown below can also be applied to any other of the multiple embodiments (i.e., any two or more of the multiple embodiments can be combined).

[0060] <<First Example>> A first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the target processes related to sharing or cooperation include an obstacle monitoring process for monitoring obstacles around the platoon. Monitoring obstacles around the platoon is, in other words, monitoring obstacles around each vehicle in the platoon. The obstacles are three-dimensional objects different from the vehicle CR.

[0061] In the system SYS, a monitoring area is set to prevent the platoon from colliding with an obstacle. In Figure 11, the hatched area represents the monitoring area for the entire platoon (hereinafter referred to as the overall monitoring area MR_W). The overall monitoring area MR_W is an area that encompasses the location of the entire platoon.

[0062] 12, the entire monitoring area MR_W can be considered as being decomposed into areas MR1 ​​to MR7. The entire monitoring area MR_W corresponds to a combined area of ​​the areas MR1 ​​to MR7.

[0063] The region MR1 is located in front of the leading vehicle CR[1] and includes a region located diagonally forward to the right and a region located diagonally forward to the left of the leading vehicle CR[1]. The area MR2 is an area located behind the leading vehicle CR[1] and in front of the following vehicle CR[2]. The area MR2 includes an area located diagonally rearward to the right and an area located diagonally rearward to the left of the leading vehicle CR[1]. The region MR3 is located behind the following vehicle CR[2] and in front of the following vehicle CR[3]. The region MR3 includes a region located diagonally rearward to the right and a region located diagonally rearward to the left of the following vehicle CR[2]. The region MR4 is located behind the following vehicle CR[3], which is the rearmost vehicle, and includes a region located diagonally to the right and diagonally to the left of the following vehicle CR[3]. The region MR5 is a region located on the sides (right and left sides) of the leading vehicle CR[1]. The region MR6 is a region located on the sides (right and left sides) of the following vehicle CR[2]. The region MR7 is a region located on the sides (right and left sides) of the following vehicle CR[3].

[0064] As shown in FIG. 13, in order to realize obstacle monitoring processing in the system SYS, a monitoring processing unit is provided in the main control unit 10 of each in-vehicle device 1. The monitoring processing unit provided in the main control unit 10 (10M) of the leading vehicle CR[1] is referred to as "121." The monitoring processing unit 121 may be configured by executing the program for leading vehicle 52M in the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10M. The monitoring processing unit provided in the main control unit 10 (10S) of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] is referred to as "171." The monitoring processing unit 171 may be configured by executing the program for following vehicle 52S in the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. When it is necessary to distinguish between the monitoring processing unit 171 provided in the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] and the monitoring processing unit 171 provided in the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[3], the former will be referred to as the monitoring processing unit 171a, and the latter will be referred to as the monitoring processing unit 171b.

[0065] The monitoring processing unit 121 monitors obstacles within the first allocation area using the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. That is, the monitoring processing unit 121 monitors obstacles within the first allocation area using the camera 31 and distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the lead vehicle CR[1]. The shooting area of ​​the camera 31 and the detection area of ​​the distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the lead vehicle CR[1] are set so that obstacles within the first allocation area can be monitored. Details of the first allocation area will be described later.

[0066] The monitoring processing unit 171a monitors obstacles within the second allocation area using the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the following vehicle CR[2]. That is, the monitoring processing unit 171a monitors obstacles within the second allocation area using the camera 31 and distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the following vehicle CR[2]. The shooting area of ​​the camera 31 and the detection area of ​​the distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the following vehicle CR[2] are set so that obstacles within the second allocation area can be monitored. Details of the second allocation area will be described later.

[0067] The monitoring processing unit 171b monitors obstacles within the third allocation area using the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the following vehicle CR[3]. That is, the monitoring processing unit 171b monitors obstacles within the third allocation area using the camera 31 and distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the following vehicle CR[3]. The shooting area of ​​the camera 31 and the detection area of ​​the distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the following vehicle CR[3] are set so that obstacles within the third allocation area can be monitored. The third allocation area will be described in detail later.

[0068] The overall monitoring area MR_W is formed by a combined area of ​​the first to third allocated areas. When monitoring an obstacle in an arbitrary attention area, the presence or absence of the obstacle in the attention area is detected, and when the presence of an obstacle in the attention area is detected, the positional relationship between the obstacle and the platoon (the positional relationship between the obstacle and each vehicle CR) is also detected.

[0069] The first allocation area includes area MR1. The second allocation area includes area MR2. Area MR5 is included in the first allocation area or the second allocation area. Within area MR5, the front area may be included in the first allocation area, and the rear area may be included in the second allocation area. In either case, the monitoring processing unit 121 monitors obstacles in front of the leading vehicle CR[1] (obstacles in area MR1), and the monitoring processing unit 171a monitors obstacles behind the leading vehicle CR[1] (obstacles in area MR2).

[0070] The third allocated region includes the region MR4. Therefore, the monitoring processing unit 171b monitors obstacles behind the rearmost vehicle CR[3] (obstacles within the region MR4).

[0071] Regions MR3, MR6, and MR7 fall within the combined region of the second and third allocated regions. Usually, region M6 is included in the second allocated region, and region M7 is included in the third allocated region. Region MR3 may be included in either the second allocated region or the third allocated region.

[0072] When the monitoring processing unit 121 detects the presence of an obstacle in the first allocated area, a first collision determination process is executed to determine the possibility of a collision between the obstacle and the platoon. When the monitoring processing unit 171a detects the presence of an obstacle in the second allocation area, a second collision determination process is executed to determine the possibility of a collision between the obstacle and the platoon. When the monitoring processing unit 171b detects the presence of an obstacle in the third allocation area, a third collision determination process is executed to determine the possibility of a collision between the obstacle and the platoon. A collision between an obstacle and a platoon refers to a collision between an obstacle and one of the vehicles CR that form the platoon. In each collision determination process, changes in the positional relationship between the obstacle and the platoon are evaluated, and when the obstacle approaches one of the vehicles CR over time, it is determined that there is a possibility of the collision.

[0073] The first, second, and third collision determination processes may be executed by any of the in-vehicle devices 1 installed in the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3]. Typically, the first, second, and third collision determination processes may be executed by the main control units 10 of the vehicles CR[1], CR[2], and CR[3], respectively. The results of monitoring by the monitoring processing units 121, 171a, and 171b may be transmitted to the server device 2, so that the first, second, and third collision determination processes may be executed by the server device 2.

[0074] When it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, the system SYS executes a collision avoidance process to avoid the collision. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between an obstacle and the leading vehicle CR[1], the main control unit 10 of the leading vehicle CR[1] may execute the collision avoidance process. In this collision avoidance process, the main control unit 10 of the leading vehicle CR[1] controls the actuator unit 60 to change the running state of the leading vehicle CR[1] (for example, slowing down or stopping the leading vehicle CR[1]), thereby avoiding the collision. Also, when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between an obstacle and the following vehicle CR[2], the main control unit 10 of the following vehicle CR[2] may execute the collision avoidance process. In this collision avoidance process, the main control unit 10 of the following vehicle CR[2] controls the actuator unit 60 to change the running state of the following vehicle CR[2] (for example, slowing down or stopping the following vehicle CR[2]), thereby avoiding the collision. The same applies when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between an obstacle and the following vehicle CR[3]. The collision avoidance process may be executed under the control of the server device 2.

[0075] A reference method is also being considered in which the camera information and distance measurement information obtained by each vehicle CR are aggregated in the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle, and obstacle monitoring of the entire platoon is performed by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle. However, with the reference method, there are concerns about adverse effects caused by concentrating the processing load on one on-board device 1. By dividing the obstacle monitoring among multiple on-board devices 1 as in the first embodiment (in other words, by having multiple on-board devices 1 cooperate to monitor obstacles for the entire platoon), the above-mentioned effects can be obtained.

[0076] It is also possible to modify the system so that obstacle monitoring for any given area is performed by each of the multiple in-vehicle devices 1. For example, safety may be prioritized, and obstacle monitoring within the area MR2 may be performed by each of the monitoring processing units 121 and 171a. This multiplexes obstacle monitoring, and even if one of the monitoring processing units 121 and 171a fails to detect an obstacle, the other will correctly detect the obstacle.

[0077] <<Second Example>> A second embodiment will be described below. In the second embodiment, the target processes relating to sharing or cooperation include a formation position derivation process for deriving (detecting) the position of the formation.

[0078] As described with reference to FIG. 8, the main control unit 10M of the leading vehicle CR[1] estimates the position of the platoon, and the position P EST However, in the second embodiment, the planned travel route set by the main control unit 10M of the leading vehicle CR[1] is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 10 of the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3], and the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3] is made to function as an observer to derive position correction information (see FIG. 14). Then, a feedback loop is formed by feeding back the position correction information to the position estimation unit 113, and the position P EST This corresponds to the position of the platoon being derived (detected) by the cooperation of the on-board device 1 mounted on the leading vehicle CR and the on-board device 1 mounted on the following vehicle CR. EST represents the position of the formation derived by the collaboration, and the derived position of the formation (P EST ) and the system SYS controls the running of each vehicle based on this.

[0079] 14 is a functional block diagram related to the platoon position derivation process. As described above, the main control unit 10M of the lead vehicle CR[1] is provided with the position estimation unit 113 and the route setting unit 114. In contrast, the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3] is provided with the position correction information generation unit 174. The position correction information generation unit 174 may be configured by executing the following vehicle program 52S in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. In the following, it is considered that the position correction information generation unit 174 is provided in the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2].

[0080] As described above, the position estimation unit 113 calculates the position P of the formation based on the position estimation information. EST is derived, and the path setting unit 114 calculates the position P EST The planned route of the platoon is set based on the position P ESTThe position correction information is taken into account when deriving the position P EST may include the position of each vehicle CR, but here, the position of the platoon P EST Let us focus on the position (x[1], y[1]) of vehicle CR[1].

[0081] The planned driving route set by the route setting unit 114 of the leading vehicle CR[1] is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2], the position correction information generation unit 174 generates position correction information based on the map information 51 (more specifically, the map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2]), the surrounding information of the following vehicle CR[2], and the transmitted planned driving route. The surrounding information of the following vehicle CR[2] is surrounding information detected and output by the sensors (31, 32) of the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the following vehicle CR[2]. When generating the position correction information, the GPS position information of the following vehicle CR[2] may be referenced.

[0082] Figure 15 shows an example of a platoon traveling. In Figure 15, the hatched areas represent non-drivable areas where the platoon cannot travel or position, and the white areas surrounded by the hatched areas represent drivable areas where the platoon can travel and position. Here, a vertical wall is assumed to exist at the boundary between the drivable area and the non-drivable area, and the platoon travels from a starting point 610 to a destination 650 without colliding with the wall. A map image 51 indicates whether each point belongs to a non-drivable area or a drivable area, and also indicates the presence of a wall at the boundary between the non-drivable area and the drivable area. The on-board device 1 of the host vehicle can recognize the positional relationship between the host vehicle and other objects (other vehicles and walls) based on camera images and ranging information, and can further recognize the host vehicle's position on the map based on map information 51.

[0083] The movement of the convoy from the departure point 610 to the destination point 650 will be described. That is, starting from the initial state where the position (x[1], y[1]) of the leading vehicle CR[1] coincides with the departure point 610, the travel of the convoy will be described until the position (x[1], y[1]) of the leading vehicle CR[1] coincides with the destination point 650.

[0084] First, a virtual configuration is assumed in which the generation unit 174 does not exist. EST We consider a case where there is no error in the estimate. In the initial state in this case, the position estimation unit 113 calculates the position P EST Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route 612 that specifies that the platoon will travel from a departure point 610 to a waypoint 620. The platoon travels along the planned driving route 612, and the leading vehicle CR[1] reaches the waypoint 620. When the leading vehicle CR[1] is located at the waypoint 620, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P EST Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route 622 that specifies that the platoon will travel from the waypoint 620 to the waypoint 630. The platoon travels along the planned driving route 622, and the leading vehicle CR[1] reaches the waypoint 630. When the leading vehicle CR[1] is located at the waypoint 630, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P EST Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route 632 that specifies that the platoon will travel from the waypoint 630 to the waypoint 640. The platoon travels along the planned driving route 632, and the leading vehicle CR[1] reaches the waypoint 640. When the leading vehicle CR[1] is located at the waypoint 640, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P EST Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route 642 that specifies that the platoon will travel from a waypoint 640 to a destination 650. The platoon travels along the planned driving route 642, and the leading vehicle CR[1] reaches the destination 650.

[0085] In practice, a general planned driving route from a departure point 610 to a destination point 650 is set in the initial state, and specific planned driving routes are set sequentially after starting movement from the departure point 610. Planned driving routes 612, 622, 632, and 642 in Fig. 15 correspond to specific planned driving routes.

[0086] In a virtual configuration in which the generation unit 174 does not exist, the position P EST In the virtual configuration, the position P EST If there is an error in the map information 51, the platoon may not reach the destination 650 correctly or may make unnecessary trips. If high-precision three-dimensional map information is used as the map information 51, improvement in position estimation accuracy can be expected. This is because, when three-dimensional map information is used, the number of objects (landmarks) that can be recognized using the sensors (31, 32) for acquiring surrounding information increases dramatically compared to when two-dimensional map information is used. However, using three-dimensional map information as the map information 51 increases the processing load, the required memory capacity, and the system cost. For this reason, it is preferable to use two-dimensional map information as the map information 51, and therefore, in this embodiment, two-dimensional map information is used as the map information 51.

[0087] In order to compensate for the degradation of estimation accuracy that may occur when two-dimensional map information is used, in the second embodiment, the validity of the position estimation is observed by the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2].

[0088] This method will be described with reference to Fig. 16. In the process of making the convoy travel from a starting point 610 to a destination 650, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P EST Now, the position P estimated and derived by the position estimation unit 113 at a specific time is EST is assumed to be position Q1. At the specific time, it is assumed that there is no error in the estimation by the position estimation unit 113, and that the position estimation unit 113 has not performed any correction based on the position correction information. In other words, at the specific time, the position of the formation estimated based only on the position estimation information is directly assumed to be position P ESTis output from the position estimation unit 113 as

[0089] The route setting unit 114 determines the position P of the formation at a specific time. EST The planned driving route R is set based on the map information 51 (specifically, the map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1]) and the destination information. The planned driving route R is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1] to the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] via inter-vehicle communication. The planned driving route R is set based on the position P of the platoon at a specific time. EST (i.e., position Q1) and position Q2, and also indicates the position P EST The route information includes information about the route that the platoon is scheduled to travel from (i.e., position Q1) to position Q2. For example, positions Q1 and Q2 correspond to the starting point 610 and the waypoint 620 in Figure 15, respectively. Or, for example, positions Q1 and Q2 correspond to the waypoint 620 and the waypoint 630 in Figure 15, respectively.

[0090] For convenience, the position of the platoon estimated by the position estimation unit 113 based solely on the position estimation information and not on the position correction information is referred to as the original estimated position. After setting the planned driving route R, the driving processing unit 115 of the lead vehicle CR[1] drives the lead vehicle CR[1] along the planned driving route R, and the driving processing units 165 of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] drive the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] to follow the lead vehicle CR[1]. Here, the driving processing unit 115 drives and controls the actuator unit 60 of the lead vehicle CR[1] so that the original estimated position moves along the planned driving route R. The original estimated position derived during the driving process along the planned driving route R may contain errors. Therefore, even if the original estimated position indicates position Q2 after the platoon completes driving based on the planned driving route R, the true position of the platoon may deviate from position Q2.

[0091] After the platoon has completed traveling based on the planned traveling route R, the position correction information generator 174 generates position correction information based on the planned traveling route R received from the in-vehicle device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1], the map information 51, and the surrounding information of the following vehicle CR[2]. When the platoon has completed traveling based on the planned traveling route R, a signal indicating this may be transmitted from the in-vehicle device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] to the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2]. In this case, the position correction information generator 174 may generate position correction information upon receiving the signal.

[0092] When generating the position correction information, the position correction information generator 174 first estimates the position of the platoon based on map information 51 (more specifically, map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2]) and information about the surroundings of the following vehicle CR[2]. The position of the platoon estimated by the generator 174 is referred to as position S. Here, the generator 174 estimates the position of the lead vehicle CR[1] as the position S of the platoon. For example, the generator 174 estimates the position of the following vehicle CR[2] based on the map information 51 and information about the surroundings of the following vehicle CR[2], and then estimates the position of the lead vehicle CR[1] based on the estimated position of the following vehicle CR[2] and the distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2]. The distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2] can be detected using the ranging sensor 32 of the following vehicle CR[2]. When the generation unit 174 estimates the position S of the platoon, the GPS position information of the following vehicle CR[2] may be referenced.

[0093] The position correction information generation unit 174 generates position correction information representing a vector VD directed from the position Q2 to the position S. The position correction information representing the vector VD is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1] via vehicle-to-vehicle communication and sent to the position estimation unit 113.

[0094] Upon receiving the position correction information representing the vector VD, the position estimation unit 113 corrects the estimation content of the next formation position based on the position correction information. That is, after receiving the position correction information representing the vector VD, the original estimated position based on the position estimation information is corrected to be shifted in accordance with the vector VD (corrected to be shifted in the direction of the vector VD by the magnitude of the vector VD), and the corrected original estimated position is used as the formation position P to be derived next. EST Let's say.

[0095] Thereafter, the same processing as described above is repeated starting from the corrected original estimated position.

[0096] As in the second embodiment, by having a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices 1 work together to estimate positions, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained and the accuracy of position estimation can be expected to improve.

[0097] In this case, it is assumed that the position correction information generating unit 174 is provided only in the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] out of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3], but the position correction information generating unit 174 may also be provided in the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[3]. In this case, the position estimating unit 113 estimates the position P EST This is expected to further improve the accuracy of position estimation. The same applies when there are three or more following vehicles CR. In addition, by using other sensors to grasp the situation within the target travel area, the position P EST The other sensors are sensors different from the sensors mounted on the in-vehicle device 1, and include, for example, an IP camera (network camera) that captures images of the inside of the target travel area.

[0098] Based on the estimation result of the position of the platoon, it is possible to determine the possibility of a collision between the platoon and an obstacle (for example, the wall mentioned above). This determination itself may be made by the in-vehicle device 1 of any of the vehicles CR, or by the server device 2.

[0099] <<Third Example>> A third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the target processes related to sharing or cooperation include an abnormality diagnosis process for diagnosing whether or not there is an abnormality in the formation. The abnormality may be a malfunction. Furthermore, diagnosis may be read as detection.

[0100] There are two types of abnormalities: a first type abnormality that requires diagnosis for each vehicle CR, and a second type abnormality that is not included. Examples of the first type abnormality include a temperature abnormality in which the temperature at a predetermined location in the vehicle CR[i] (for example, the temperature of the battery BAT1 or 2) deviates from a predetermined temperature range, a sensor abnormality in which the camera 31 does not output camera information or the distance measurement sensor 32 does not output distance measurement information, and a drive abnormality in which any component of the actuator unit 60 does not operate. The on-board device 1 of the vehicle CR[i] diagnoses the presence or absence of the first type abnormality by itself.

[0101] It is also possible for each vehicle CR to diagnose the presence or absence of a second type of abnormality. However, the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] sets the planned driving route (route planning) on ​​behalf of the multiple on-board devices 1. Furthermore, if the method shown in the first embodiment is not adopted, obstacle monitoring for the entire platoon is performed solely by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. Furthermore, if the method shown in the second embodiment is not adopted, the position estimation of the platoon is performed solely by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. As such, the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] often has a heavier processing load than the on-board devices 1 of the following vehicles CR. Taking this into consideration, in the third embodiment, the presence or absence of a second type of abnormality that may occur in the lead vehicle CR[1] is diagnosed by the following vehicle CR[2]. Furthermore, the presence or absence of a second type of abnormality that may occur in the following vehicle CR[2] is diagnosed by the following vehicle CR[3].

[0102] As shown in FIG. 17 , in order to realize abnormality diagnosis processing in the system SYS, an abnormality diagnosis unit is provided in each on-board device 1. An abnormality diagnosis unit 131 is provided in the main control unit 10M of the leading vehicle CR[1]. Abnormality diagnosis units 181 and 182 are provided in each main control unit 10S of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 131 may be configured by executing the program 52M for the leading vehicle in the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10M. The abnormality diagnosis units 181 and 1821 may be configured by executing the program 52S for the following vehicle in the arithmetic processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. When it is necessary to distinguish between the abnormality diagnosis unit 181 of the following vehicle CR[2] and the abnormality diagnosis unit 181 of the following vehicle CR[3], the former will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 181a, and the latter will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 181b. When it is necessary to distinguish between the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 of the following vehicle CR[2] and the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 of the following vehicle CR[3], the former will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 182a, and the latter will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 182b.

[0103] The abnormality diagnosis unit 131 diagnoses whether or not there is a first type of abnormality in the leading vehicle CR[1]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 181a diagnoses whether or not there is a first type of abnormality in the following vehicle CR[2]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 181b diagnoses whether or not there is a first type of abnormality in the following vehicle CR[3].

[0104] The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR diagnoses whether or not there is a second type of abnormality in the vehicle CR traveling just before the vehicle CR in which the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 is installed. Therefore, the abnormality diagnosis unit 182a diagnoses whether or not there is a second type of abnormality in the leading vehicle CR[1], and the abnormality diagnosis unit 182b diagnoses whether or not there is a second type of abnormality in the following vehicle CR[2]. A diagnostic sensor is used to diagnose whether or not there is a second type of abnormality. The diagnostic sensor is mainly a camera 31, but may include other sensors.

[0105] 18 shows a flowchart of the operation related to abnormality diagnosis. First, in step S31, the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i] notifies the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1] of its status via vehicle-to-vehicle communication (i is an integer). In the status notification in step S31, the open / closed states of the doors of vehicle CR[i] (whether the doors are open or not), the open / closed states of the windows of vehicle CR[i] (whether the windows are open or not), and the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] (whether the lights are on or not) are notified to the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1]. However, it is also possible to notify only any one or two of the open / closed states of the doors, the open / closed states of the windows, and the state of the lights.

[0106] The state notification in step S31 may be performed periodically or when an event occurs. When the open / closed state of a door is included in the subject of notification, an event occurs when the state of a door of the vehicle CR[i] changes between an open state and a closed state. When the open / closed state of a window is included in the subject of notification, an event occurs when the state of a window of the vehicle CR[i] changes between an open state and a closed state. When the state of a light is included in the subject of notification, an event occurs when the state of a light of the vehicle CR[i] changes between an on state and an off state.

[0107] The contents of the status notification in step S31 are received by the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1]. In step S32 following step S31, the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1] determines whether the contents of the status notification are correct using a diagnostic sensor of vehicle CR[i+1]. If it is determined that the contents of the status notification are not correct (N in step S33), the process proceeds to step S34. If it is determined that all the contents of the status notification are correct (Y in step S33), the operation of FIG. 18 ends without proceeding to step S34.

[0108] The door of vehicle CR[i], at least in the open state, falls within the image capture area of ​​the camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, when the state of the door of vehicle CR[i] changes between the open state and the closed state, the change causes a change in the camera image of the camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, in vehicle CR[i+1], the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 can determine whether the state of the door of vehicle CR[i] is open or closed based on the camera information from the camera 31. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 compares the open / closed state of the door of vehicle CR[i] determined based on the camera information with the open / closed state of the door of vehicle CR[i] indicated in the received state notification. If they do not match (N in step S33), proceed to step S34.

[0109] The windows of vehicle CR[i] are within the imaging area of ​​camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, when the state of the window of vehicle CR[i] changes between an open state and a closed state, the change causes a change in the camera image of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, in vehicle CR[i+1], the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 can determine whether the state of the window of vehicle CR[i] is open or closed based on the camera information from camera 31. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 compares the open / closed state of the window of vehicle CR[i] determined based on the camera information with the open / closed state of the window of vehicle CR[i] indicated in the received state notification. If they do not match (N in step S33), proceed to step S34.

[0110] The lights of vehicle CR[i] are within the imaging range of the camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, when the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] changes between the on state and the off state, the change causes a change in the camera image of the camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, in vehicle CR[i+1], the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 can determine whether the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] is on or off based on the camera information from the camera 31. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 compares the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] determined based on the camera information with the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] indicated in the received state notification. If they do not match (N in step S33), proceed to step S34.

[0111] In step S34, the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1] determines that there is an abnormality in vehicle CR[i] and outputs a predetermined abnormality notification signal. Then, in step S35, the device that received the abnormality notification signal executes an abnormality response operation. After the abnormality response operation is executed, the operation of FIG. 18 ends.

[0112] The abnormality notification signal may be transmitted to the in-vehicle device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1], and in this case, the abnormality response operation can be performed by the in-vehicle device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1].

[0113] The abnormality response operation by the on-board device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1] may include a fail-safe operation. When it is determined that there is an abnormality in the leading vehicle CR[1], a change of the leading vehicle may be performed as a fail-safe operation. That is, when the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle are the leading vehicle CR[1], the following vehicle CR[2], and the last vehicle CR[3], respectively, and the leading vehicle is changed, after the change, for example, the second vehicle, the third vehicle, and the first vehicle become the leading vehicle CR[1], the following vehicle CR[2], and the last vehicle CR[3], respectively. The fail-safe operation may also be an operation to stop all vehicles CR[1] to CR[3].

[0114] The abnormality response operation by the on-board device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1] may include an operation of transmitting a predetermined signal (a signal indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the platoon) to the server device 2. Note that the abnormality response operation may also be performed by the on-board device 1 of vehicle CR[2] or CR[3].

[0115] The abnormality notification signal may be transmitted to the server device 2, and in this case, the fail-safe operation in the abnormality response operation may be performed under the control of the server device 2.

[0116] In the operation of Fig. 18, an abnormality related to a door, a window, or a light is given as an example of the second type of abnormality, but the second type of abnormality is not limited to an abnormality related to a door, a window, or a light.

[0117] For example, the second type of abnormality in vehicle CR[i] may include the detachment of any part constituting vehicle CR[i], the detachment of cargo loaded on vehicle CR[i], or the collapse of cargo loaded on vehicle CR[i]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in vehicle CR[i+1] can determine whether or not the above-mentioned detachment of part, detachment of cargo, or collapse of cargo has occurred, based on the camera image from the camera 31 installed in vehicle CR[i+1].

[0118] Furthermore, for example, the second type of abnormality in vehicle CR[i] may include a temperature abnormality in vehicle CR[i]. In this case, a thermograph (not shown) is provided as a diagnostic sensor in each vehicle CR. The thermograph provided in vehicle CR[i+1] can measure the temperature of the body of vehicle CR[i]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in vehicle CR[i+1] can determine whether or not there is a temperature abnormality in vehicle CR[i] (an abnormality in which the body temperature of vehicle CR[i] deviates from a predetermined normal temperature range) based on the measurement results of the thermograph provided in vehicle CR[i+1].

[0119] Furthermore, for example, the second type of abnormality in vehicle CR[i] may include a state in which an abnormal sound is generated in vehicle CR[i]. In this case, a directional microphone (not shown) is provided as a diagnostic sensor in each vehicle CR. The microphone provided in vehicle CR[i+1] mainly picks up sounds coming from vehicle CR[i], converts the picked up sounds into audio signals, and outputs the audio signals. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in vehicle CR[i+1] can determine whether an abnormal sound is generated in vehicle CR[i] based on the output audio signal of the microphone provided in vehicle CR[i+1].

[0120] When it is determined that an abnormality of any second type exists in the vehicle CR[i], an abnormality communication signal is output from the abnormality diagnosis unit 182. The output of the abnormality communication signal and the subsequent abnormality response processing are as described above.

[0121] As in the third embodiment, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained by having a plurality of on-board devices 1 share the task of diagnosing whether or not there is an abnormality in the convoy (in other words, by having the on-board devices 1 cooperate with each other).

[0122] Furthermore, the fail-safe operation of changing the leading vehicle increases the possibility of reaching the destination even if some of the vehicles CR or some of the on-board devices 1 in the platoon have an abnormality (improved robustness of the system).

[0123] <<Fourth Example>> A fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, some modified techniques and supplementary matters regarding the system SYS will be described.

[0124] Although an example has been given in which the planned driving route is set by the in-vehicle device 1 of the leading vehicle CR[1], the planned driving route may be set by a plurality of in-vehicle devices 1 working together.

[0125] When the target process is shared and executed by a plurality of in-vehicle devices 1, the content of the sharing may be switched depending on the processing load of the main control unit 10 of each in-vehicle device 1. For example, when the processing load of the main control unit 10 in a first in-vehicle device 1 is smaller than the processing load of the main control unit 10 in a second in-vehicle device 1, the first process constituting the target process may be carried out by the main control unit 10 in the first in-vehicle device 1, and the second process constituting the target process may be carried out by the main control unit 10 in the second in-vehicle device 1. Here, it is assumed that the first process places a greater load (such as a larger amount of calculations) on the main control unit 10 than the second process.

[0126] Among the multiple vehicles CR that form the platoon, one vehicle CR functions as a reference vehicle (leader vehicle), and the other vehicles CR function as non-reference vehicles. ESTThe reference vehicle may be understood as a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 that estimates and derives the estimated route. Alternatively, the reference vehicle may be understood as a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 that sets the planned driving route. Furthermore, the reference vehicle may be understood as a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 that communicates with the server device 2 on behalf of the platoon. Typically, the leading vehicle CR functions as the reference vehicle. However, any following vehicle CR (for example, CR[2] or CR[3]) may also function as the reference vehicle.

[0127] Therefore, for example, the position P EST Variations are also possible in which the estimation and derivation of

[0128] The server device 2 may transmit various signals, including a signal specifying the destination, to the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the reference vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the reference in-vehicle device 1). If there is an area within the target driving area where driving of the vehicle CR is restricted (hereinafter referred to as the driving-restricted area), the server device 2 may transmit a signal indicating the driving-restricted area to the reference in-vehicle device 1. For example, if the system SYS is operated in a large commercial facility and a driving-restricted area occurs due to an event being held during a specific time period, the server device 2 can transmit a signal indicating the specific time period and the driving-restricted area to the reference in-vehicle device 1. In this case, the main control unit 10 of the reference in-vehicle device 1 may set a planned driving route for the platoon to reach the destination, while imposing a constraint that prohibits the platoon from passing through the driving-restricted area during the specific time period.

[0129] The present invention can be applied to transporting parts in a factory or transporting cargo in a store. That is, the vehicle CR may be a vehicle that transports parts in a factory or transports cargo in a store. However, the vehicle CR may also be an automobile (truck, etc.) that travels on general roads, expressways, etc.

[0130] The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the meanings of the terms of the present invention and each constituent element are not limited to those described in the above-described embodiments. The specific numerical values ​​shown in the above description are merely examples, and as a matter of course, they can be changed to various numerical values. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] SYS system (platooning control system) CR, CR[1]~CR[3] Vehicles NET communication network 1 On-vehicle device 2. Server device 10 Main control unit 11 Processing unit 12 Internal Memory 13 Communication processing unit 20 Vehicle state information detection unit 30 Surrounding information detection unit 31 Camera (image sensor) 32 Distance measurement sensor 40 GPS processing unit 50 Memory section 51 Map Information 52 Platooning Program 60 Actuator section 111 Vehicle information acquisition unit 112 Other vehicle information acquisition unit 113 Position estimation part 114 Route setting section 115 Driving processing unit 161 Vehicle information acquisition unit 162 Other vehicle information acquisition unit 165 Driving processing unit 121, 171 Monitoring processing unit 174 Position correction information generation unit 131, 181, 182 Abnormality diagnosis section

Claims

1. A platooning control system includes an on-board device mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles forming a platoon, and causes the plurality of vehicles to travel in a platoon, Each on-board device has a processing unit that executes a driving process for driving the vehicle in which the on-board device is installed, the platooning control system derives the position of the platoon through cooperation of the plurality of on-board devices, and causes each vehicle to travel based on the derived position; The plurality of vehicles are composed of a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle, the processing unit in the on-board device mounted on the lead vehicle detects peripheral information of the lead vehicle using a sensor installed on the lead vehicle, estimates the position of the convoy based on first map information and the peripheral information of the lead vehicle, sets a planned travel route for the convoy based on the first map information, the estimated position of the convoy, and a predetermined destination, and causes the lead vehicle to travel according to the planned travel route; the processing unit in the on-board device mounted on the following vehicle detects surrounding information of the following vehicle using a sensor installed on the following vehicle, generates position correction information based on second map information, the surrounding information of the following vehicle, and the planned driving route, and drives the following vehicle so that the following vehicle follows the lead vehicle; The processing unit in the on-board device mounted on the lead vehicle corrects the estimated content of the position of the convoy in accordance with the position correction information. , Platooning control system.

2. The plurality of vehicle-mounted devices share the task of monitoring obstacles around the platoon. The platooning control system according to claim 1 .

3. an on-board device mounted on the leading vehicle monitors obstacles ahead of the leading vehicle; An on-board device mounted on the following vehicle monitors obstacles behind the leading vehicle. The platooning control system according to claim 2.

4. the following vehicle comprises one or more following vehicles; An on-board device mounted on the rearmost following vehicle among the one or more following vehicles monitors an obstacle behind the rearmost following vehicle. The platooning control system according to claim 3 .

5. The diagnosis of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the convoy is shared and executed by the plurality of on-board devices.

5. A platooning control system according to claim 1.

6. The on-board device installed in the following vehicle diagnoses whether or not there is a specific abnormality in the leading vehicle. The platooning control system according to claim 5 .

7. the on-board device mounted on the leading vehicle notifies the on-board device mounted on the following vehicle of a status indicating whether the doors of the leading vehicle are open or closed, whether the windows of the leading vehicle are open or closed, or whether the lights of the leading vehicle are open or closed; The on-board device mounted on the following vehicle diagnoses the presence or absence of the specific abnormality based on the content of the status notification and camera information from a camera that has the leading vehicle in its field of view. The platooning control system according to claim 6.

8. An on-board device used in the platoon driving control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is mounted on any one of a plurality of vehicles forming the platoon. , in-vehicle equipment.

9. A platooning control method for causing a plurality of vehicles to travel in a platoon using an on-board device mounted on each of the plurality of vehicles forming the platoon, Each in-vehicle device executes a driving process to drive the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed, deriving the position of the platoon through cooperation of the plurality of on-board devices, and causing each vehicle to travel based on the derived position; The plurality of vehicles are composed of a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle, an on-board device mounted on the lead vehicle detects peripheral information of the lead vehicle using a sensor installed on the lead vehicle, estimates the position of the convoy based on first map information and the peripheral information of the lead vehicle, sets a planned travel route for the convoy based on the first map information, the estimated position of the convoy, and a predetermined destination, and causes the lead vehicle to travel according to the planned travel route; an on-board device mounted on the following vehicle detects surrounding information of the following vehicle using a sensor installed on the following vehicle, generates position correction information based on second map information, the surrounding information of the following vehicle, and the planned driving route, and drives the following vehicle so as to follow the lead vehicle; An on-board device mounted on the leading vehicle corrects the estimated content of the position of the convoy in accordance with the position correction information. , Platooning control method.

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