Control system, vehicle and control program

Abstract

To dispose an operation body for an occupant's driving operation, at an operating position at appropriate timing.SOLUTION: In a control system 22 of an autonomous driving vehicle 10, a travel control device 26 performs traveling control without an occupant's driving operation, and the occupant is allowed to operate a steering wheel 50 to enable traveling according to the operation of the steering wheel 50. When the autonomous driving vehicle 10 enters an area where the steering wheel 50 is required to be equipped, the control device 22 disposes the stored steering wheel 50 at an operating position. Thus, in the autonomous driving vehicle 10, the steering wheel 50 is prevented from narrowing the inner area of a vehicle cabin and is disposed at the operating position at appropriate timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle with an automatic driving function. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-035198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above facts, and aims to provide a control system, vehicle, and control program that can appropriately position an operating body for driving operation by an occupant at an operating position when driving operation is possible without the intervention of an occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A control system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an operating body that is movable between an operating position that allows an occupant to operate the vehicle and a stored position that is retracted from the interior living space; a driving control unit that controls driving without the need for driving operation by the occupant and that controls driving in accordance with the operation of the operating body when the operating body is placed at the operating position and operated by the occupant; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the driving position; an acquisition unit that acquires regional information including whether or not the operating body needs to be placed at the operating position for each region; and a placement control unit that places the operating body at the operating position when the operating body enters a region where it needs to be placed at the operating position.

[0006] The control system of the second aspect is the same as that of the first aspect, and includes a reception unit that receives the placement of the operating body at the operating position by the occupant, and the placement control unit places the operating body at the operating position by the reception unit receiving the placement of the operating body at the operating position.

[0007] A third aspect of the control system is the first or second aspect, in which the operating body is provided with a plurality of operating bodies each having a different operating mode for driving operation, the regional information includes information indicating the operating mode of the required operating body, and the placement control unit, when placing the operating body at the operating position, selects an operating body whose operating mode corresponds to the regional information and places it at the operating position.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the control system is the second or third aspect, in which the operating body is provided with a plurality of operating bodies with different operating modes for driving operations, and includes a reception unit that receives the selection of the operating body by the occupant, and the placement control unit, when placing the operating body at the operating position, places the operating body selected by the occupant from the plurality of operating bodies at the operating position.

[0009] A fifth aspect of the control system is the control system of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the operating body includes a steering wheel that is rotated to change the direction of travel.

[0010] A sixth aspect of the control system is any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the operating body includes a cross key that changes the direction of travel in response to key operation corresponding to the direction of travel.

[0011] A seventh aspect of the control system is any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the operating body includes a stick that is tilted to change the direction of travel in the tilt direction.

[0012] A vehicle according to an eighth aspect includes the control system according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

[0013] The control program of the ninth aspect causes a computer to function as a placement unit that moves and positions an operating body that is operated by an occupant to drive between an operating position that allows the occupant to operate the operating body and a stored position that is retracted from the living space within the vehicle interior; a driving control unit that performs driving control in accordance with the operation of the operating body when the operating body is placed at the operating position, and performs driving control without the involvement of driving operation by the occupant when the operating body is placed at the stored position; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information that indicates the driving position; an acquisition unit that acquires area information including whether or not the operating body needs to be placed at the operating position for each area; and a placement control unit that places the operating body at the operating position when the operating body enters an area where it is necessary to place the operating body at the operating position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, an operating body for driving operation by a driver can be placed in an operating position at an appropriate timing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an autonomous vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view illustrating an example of a seat in an autonomous vehicle. [Figure 3A] 1 is a front view showing an outline of a steering wheel as an example of a steering wheel; [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of a steering wheel as another example of a steering wheel. [Figure 3C] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of a controller as an example of a handle. [Figure 3D] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of a stick as an example of a handle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a main part of the control system. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine executed in the control system. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer that functions as a main part of the control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0017] Conventional non-autonomous vehicles are equipped with a steering device and a steering wheel as a steering element, and the steering device of a non-autonomous vehicle changes the direction of travel of the non-autonomous vehicle in response to the operation of the steering wheel. In contrast, autonomous vehicles at levels above Level 5 (fully autonomous driving) (for example, Level 6) do not require a steering wheel for the occupants to operate the vehicle, making it possible to design a spacious interior space.

[0018] Level 6 represents autonomous driving, and is a level higher than Level 5, which represents fully autonomous driving. Although Level 5 represents fully autonomous driving, it is at the same level as a human driver, and there is still the possibility of accidents occurring. Level 6 represents a level higher than Level 5, and is achieved through control at the nanosecond level, making it a level with a lower probability of accidents than Level 5.

[0019] On the other hand, there are expected to be regions (for example, certain states in the United States) that require Level 6 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles to have a steering wheel or other control device for steering. In such regions, laws and regulations require autonomous vehicles to be equipped with a steering wheel or other control device. For this reason, an autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel will no longer comply with the local laws and regulations if it moves from a region that does not require a steering wheel to a region that does require a steering wheel.

[0020] Furthermore, if a passenger wants to drive the vehicle themselves for leisure or other reasons, a steering wheel is required even in an autonomous vehicle. However, if the steering wheel is installed in a designated position in advance, the living space (space that can be used by the passenger) in the cabin of the autonomous vehicle will be reduced.

[0021] Therefore, in this embodiment, in an autonomous vehicle that meets at least the Level 5 regulations (for example, Level 6), when an occupant performs driving operations, the operating object is placed in a predetermined operating position (a position in front of the occupant), and when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode and the occupant is not performing driving operations, the operating object is retracted from the operating position and stored in a position that does not narrow the living space inside the vehicle. Also, in this embodiment, when entering an area where regulations require that an operating object such as a steering wheel be placed (equipped) in an operable position, the retracted operating object appears in the operating position. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to design a larger living space in a Level 6 autonomous vehicle.

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operating object can be operated for driving with one hand. Also, in this embodiment, an operating object selected from a plurality of operating objects with different operating modes for driving operations can be used, and the operating object can be selected from the plurality of operating objects according to the preference of the occupant within a range that satisfies local regulations.

[0023] The autonomous vehicle 10 according to this embodiment is an autonomous vehicle of Level 5 or higher (for example, Level 6). FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the main components of the autonomous vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. The autonomous vehicle 10 is equipped with an autonomous driving function of Level 5 or higher, and in this embodiment, a detailed description of the autonomous driving function of the autonomous vehicle 10 is omitted.

[0024] The autonomously driven vehicle 10 is equipped with a control system 20. The control system 20 includes a control device 22, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device 24 as a position information acquisition unit, and a driving control device 26 as a driving control unit.

[0025] The cruise control device 26 is responsible for autonomous driving control that satisfies the requirements of Level 6 (Level 5 or higher) in the autonomous vehicle 10. The autonomous vehicle 10 is also equipped with a steering wheel 50 as an operating body, and the autonomous vehicle 10 is capable of driving in accordance with the driving operation of the occupant by operating the steering wheel 50. When the occupant uses the steering wheel 50 to drive the autonomous vehicle 10, the cruise control device 26 is responsible for control to drive the autonomous vehicle 10 in accordance with the driving operation of the occupant. As a result, in the autonomous vehicle 10, the cruise control device 26 is capable of driving the vehicle at a level below Level 4 (highly autonomous driving).

[0026] The GPS device 24 receives GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites to determine the position of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 and acquires position information indicating the determined position of the autonomously driven vehicle 10. The position information of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 is expressed, for example, by longitude and latitude, and by including map information, the driving position of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 can be obtained. The GPS device 24 outputs the position information of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the control device 22 and the driving control device 26, enabling vehicle control based on the position information.

[0027] The autonomously driven vehicle 10 is equipped with a seat 100 for a passenger (driver). Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the seat 100 of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 as seen from above. In the drawing, the front side, right side in the vehicle width direction, and upper side of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 are indicated by arrows FR, RH, and UP, respectively.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, an operating body storage unit 110 is provided inside (for example, inside the armrest) a side portion (left side portion in FIG. 2) of the seat 100. The operating body storage unit 110 may be provided inside the right side portion of the seat 100, or may be provided below the seat 100 (for example, inside or below the seat cushion), or may be provided below an instrument panel (not shown) and at the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, although the present embodiment shows one operating body storage unit 110 as an example, the autonomously driven vehicle 10 may have operating body storage units 110 provided in multiple separate locations.

[0029] In an autonomously driven vehicle 10, the direction of travel (travel direction) can be changed by using a steering wheel 50 as an operating body. The autonomously driven vehicle 10 is equipped with a plurality of steering wheels 50, and the plurality of steering wheels 50 differ in at least one of the shape and operation manner. Note that the plurality of steering wheels 50 may differ in at least the operation manner.

[0030] In the autonomously driven vehicle 10, each of the handles 50 is stored in an operation body storage unit 110. In the autonomously driven vehicle 10, a plurality of operation body storage units 110 are installed, and in the autonomously driven vehicle 10, each of the handles 50 is stored in one of the plurality of operation body storage units 110, thereby preventing the handles 50 from narrowing the living space.

[0031] The handle 50 is positioned at a predetermined operating position, such as in front of the seat 100 where the occupant sits, and the handle 50 is equipped by being disposed at the operating position, allowing the occupant to operate (rotate) it. Each of Figures 3A to 3D shows an example of the handle 50.

[0032] 3A (hereinafter, referred to as handle 50A when distinguishing between the two) is a so-called steering wheel. Handle 50A has a substantially circular outer shape (rim portion), and its center portion (boss portion) is connected to a shaft (steering shaft) 52 that is rotatably supported on the vehicle body, so that handle 50A can rotate integrally with shaft 52.

[0033] The operating position of steering wheel 50A is located in front of seat 100, and when steering wheel 50A is rotated, shaft 52 is rotated integrally, and the rotation angle of shaft 52 is detected by a rotation angle sensor (not shown). As a result, steering wheel 50A outputs an electric signal in response to the rotation operation, and the traveling direction of autonomous vehicle 10 can be changed in response to this electric signal.

[0034] Additionally, steering wheel 50A is provided with acceleration button 54 and brake button 56. When acceleration button 54 or brake button 56 is operated, it outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the operation (e.g., the time that it is pressed). When acceleration button 54 is operated on steering wheel 50A, an electrical signal for accelerating autonomously driven vehicle 10 is output, and when brake button 56 is operated, an electrical signal for decelerating autonomously driven vehicle 10 is output.

[0035] The steering wheel 50 shown in FIG. 3B (hereinafter, referred to as steering wheel 50B when distinguishing between the two) is a type of D-shaped steering wheel, and although the steering wheel 50B is operated in the same manner as the steering wheel 50A, its shape is different from that of the steering wheel 50A. The steering wheel 50B has a substantially rectangular outer shape (rim portion) in which the dimension in the front-to-rear direction is smaller than the dimension in the left-to-right direction when the autonomously driven vehicle 10 is traveling straight ahead, and the steering wheel 50B is used with a rotation angle of 90 degrees or less on each of the right and left sides. The steering wheel 50B has a center portion (boss portion) connected to a shaft (steering shaft) 52 rotatably supported on the vehicle body, and the steering wheel 50B is rotatable integrally with the shaft 52.

[0036] Like steering wheel 50A, steering wheel 50B is operated in front of seat 100, and the rotation angle of shaft 52 is detected by a rotation angle sensor (not shown). This outputs an electrical signal in response to the rotation of steering wheel 50B, and the direction of travel of autonomous vehicle 10 can be changed in response to this electrical signal. Steering wheel 50B is also provided with an acceleration button 54 and a braking button 56 that function in the same way as steering wheel 50A.

[0037] 3C (hereinafter, referred to as handle 50C when distinguishing between the two) is a controller type that uses a cross key (cross button). Handle 50C has a cross key 60 arranged on a substantially rectangular, flat control panel 58, and cross key 60 functions as an operating body.

[0038] The steering wheel 50C is operated in front of the seat 100, and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the operation of the front button 60F, rear button 60B, right button 60R, and left button 60L of the cross key 60. In this case, the steering wheel 50C is operated such that an electrical signal for accelerating is output when button 60F is operated, and an electrical signal for decelerating is output when button 60B is operated. In addition, the steering wheel 50C is operated such that an electrical signal for changing the traveling direction of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the right is output when button 60R is operated, and an electrical signal for changing the traveling direction of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the left is output when button 60L is operated.

[0039] The handle 50 shown in Fig. 3D (hereinafter referred to as handle 50D when distinguishing between the two) is a stick type. In the handle 50D, a substantially cylindrical operation stick 64 is erected on the upper surface of a rectangular block-shaped base 62, and in the handle 50D, the operation stick 64 functions as an operation body. In the handle 50D, the operation stick 64 can be tilted in all directions, and the handle 50D outputs an electrical signal according to the tilt direction and tilt angle of the operation stick 64 (the angle of the central axis of the operation stick 64 relative to the up-down direction).

[0040] The operating position of the steering wheel 50D is on the left front side or the right front side of the seat 100, and can be set in advance depending on, for example, the occupant's dominant hand. The operation mode of the steering wheel 50D is such that when the operation stick 64 is tilted forward, an electrical signal is output to accelerate the autonomously driven vehicle 10, and when the operation stick 64 is tilted backward, an electrical signal is output to decelerate the autonomously driven vehicle 10. Furthermore, the operation mode of the steering wheel 50D is such that when the operation stick 64 is tilted to the right, an electrical signal is output to change the traveling direction of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the right, and when the operation stick 64 is tilted to the left, an electrical signal is output to change the traveling direction of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the left. Furthermore, in the operation mode of the steering wheel 50D, an electrical signal is output to control the strength of each operation depending on the tilt angle of the operation stick 64.

[0041] The handle 50 may include a touch panel type (hereinafter, referred to as handle 50E when distinguishing between the two) and a motion sensor type (hereinafter, referred to as handle 50F when distinguishing between the two). The handles 50E and 50F are operated at preset positions on the front side, front right side, or front left side of the seat 100, respectively. Detailed illustration of the handles 50E and 50F is omitted.

[0042] The steering wheel 50E is, for example, a touch panel on which a capacitance type (self-induction type or mutual induction type) touch sensor is arranged. The steering wheel 50E is operated in such a manner that an electric signal for changing the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the right or left, an electric signal for accelerating the autonomously driven vehicle 10, and an electric signal for decelerating the autonomously driven vehicle 10 are output according to the contact position on the touch panel.

[0043] The steering wheel 50F is equipped with a motion sensor, a camera, or the like for detecting other movements of the occupant. The steering wheel 50F detects the movement of the occupant's hands and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the hand movement. The steering wheel 50F is operated in such a way that an electrical signal for changing the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to the right or left, an electrical signal for accelerating the autonomously driven vehicle 10, and an electrical signal for decelerating the autonomously driven vehicle 10 are output in accordance with the movement of the occupant's hands.

[0044] Each of the handlebars 50 (handles 50A to 50F) may be provided with various operation switches (operation buttons) or operation switch functions, such as a turn signal switch for turning on left and right turn signal lamps.

[0045] Each of the handlebars 50 (handles 50A to 50F) is connected or connectable to the driving control device 26 via a wired or wireless method, and an electrical signal (or a signal corresponding to the electrical signal) output from each of the handlebars 50 is input to the driving control device 26.

[0046] When the occupant drives the autonomous vehicle 10, one of the steering wheels 50A-50F is positioned at an operating position. When the occupant drives the autonomous vehicle 10, the cruise control device 26 reads an electrical signal output by the steering wheel 50 positioned at the operating position, and controls the cruise of the autonomous vehicle 10 in accordance with the electrical signal. As a result, the autonomous vehicle 10 changes its direction of travel and the like in accordance with the occupant's operation of the steering wheel 50 (steering and the like is performed). Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 10 changes its vehicle speed in accordance with the occupant's acceleration and braking operations.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 22. 4, the control device 22 includes an acquisition unit 30, a determination unit 32, and a control unit 34, as well as a storage unit 36. The autonomously driven vehicle 10 also includes an operation unit 38 that constitutes a reception unit, and a movement mechanism 40 that functions as a movement unit. The movement mechanism 40 moves each of the handles 50 between a storage position stored in the operation body storage unit 110 and an operation position set for each handle 50.

[0048] The storage unit 36 ​​acquires and stores regional information stipulated by laws and regulations for each region. The storage unit 36 ​​also stores occupant information. The regional information includes whether or not the installation of the handle 50 (that is, the handle 50 must be operably positioned at the operating position) is stipulated at Level 6 (Level 5 or higher). If the installation of the handle 50 is stipulated at Level 6 (Level 5 or higher), the regional information also includes whether or not the operation mode of the handle 50 is stipulated, and if the operation mode of the handle 50 is stipulated, the regional information includes information on the stipulated operation mode of the handle 50.

[0049] The occupant information includes information that identifies the occupant aboard the automatically driven vehicle 10 (particularly the occupant aboard as the driver), and various setting information that has been set by the occupant.

[0050] The operation unit 38 is realized by a display, a keyboard (including a touch display), etc. The operation unit 38 is disposed in a position where it can be operated by a passenger seated in the seat 100, such as on an instrument panel or around the seat 100, and the operation unit 38 displays various information on a display and receives information input by the passenger in accordance with the display.

[0051] The information input to the operation unit 38 includes the operating positions of each steering wheel 50 (particularly steering wheels 50D to 50F) and the occupant's preferred steering wheel 50. The operation unit 38 also accepts switching between autonomous driving, in which the autonomous vehicle 10 drives without using the steering wheel 50, and driving, in which the autonomous vehicle 10 drives in response to the occupant's operation of the steering wheel 50 (hereinafter referred to as non-autonomous driving or manual driving).

[0052] The acquisition unit 30 acquires position information of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 from the GPS device 24 at predetermined time intervals. The acquisition unit 30 also acquires various pieces of information input by the occupant via the operation unit 38. At this time, the acquisition unit 30 stores the occupant information in the storage unit 36.

[0053] The control unit 34 controls the movement mechanism 40 to move each of the handles 50 between a storage position and an operating position. At this time, the control unit 34 moves the handles 50 between the storage position and the operating position by controlling the operation of an actuator such as a motor of the movement mechanism 40. For example, when the handles 50A and 50B are stored in an operating body storage section 110 on the side of the seat 100, the movement mechanism 40 moves the handles 50 between the storage position in the operating body storage section 110 and the operating position in front of the seat 100.

[0054] A folding arm or the like can be applied to the movement mechanism 40. In the movement mechanism 40, a handle 50 is attached to the tip of the arm, and the handle 50 is moved between a storage position and an operating position by rotating or extending the arm, and is placed at each of the movement positions. The operating position of the handle 50 may be determined according to the operation mode and form, and various configurations can be applied to the configuration of the movement mechanism 40 for each handle 50 according to the form of the handle 50, the storage position (operation body storage section 110), and the operating position of the handle 50.

[0055] Based on the location information of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 acquired by the acquisition unit 30, the determination unit 32 determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle 10 is entering an area from outside the area where a steering wheel 50 is required, and whether the autonomously driven vehicle 10 has entered an area from inside the area where a steering wheel 50 is required. Furthermore, if the determination unit 32 determines that the autonomously driven vehicle 10 is entering an area where a steering wheel 50 is required, it determines whether an operation mode for the steering wheel 50 is specified in that area.

[0056] When the determination unit 32 determines that the autonomous vehicle 10 is entering an area where the steering wheel 50 needs to be installed (placed in the operating position), the control unit 34 places the steering wheel 50 in the operating position in the operating mode specified for the area being entered. Also, when the operating mode of the steering wheel 50 is not specified, the control unit 34 places the steering wheel 50 set by the occupant in the operating position.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an outline of the processing in the control device 22. 5 is repeatedly executed by the control device 22, and in step S10, the acquisition unit 30 acquires location information for the autonomously driven vehicle 10 from the GPS device 24. In addition, in step S12, the acquisition unit 30 acquires area information for the current area (area in which the autonomously driven vehicle is traveling) and the area to which the autonomously driven vehicle is heading. Note that the area to which the autonomously driven vehicle is heading may be determined based on the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle, and if the autonomously driven vehicle is traveling toward a destination that has been set in advance by the navigation function, the next area on the guidance route is applied.

[0058] Next, in step S14, the judgment unit 32 judges whether the position of the autonomous vehicle 10 is entering an area where the steering wheel 50 is required from outside the area where the steering wheel 50 is required, based on the position information of the autonomous vehicle 10 obtained in step S10 and the area information obtained in step S12.

[0059] When entering an area where the handle 50 is required, the determination unit 32 makes an affirmative determination in step S14. As a result, when the process proceeds to step S16, the determination unit 32 checks whether or not an operation mode is specified for the handle 50 to be equipped.

[0060] In step S16, if the operation mode of the steering wheel 50 equipped in the area into which the autonomous vehicle 10 is about to enter is determined to be, for example, a steering wheel that is steered by rotating it, when step S16 is performed in the judgment unit 32, processing proceeds to step S18.

[0061] In step S18, the control unit 34 controls the movement mechanism 40 to move the handle 50 corresponding to the specified operation mode from the stored position and place it in the operation position of the handle 50, thereby installing it. For example, if it is specified that a handle 50 (handle 50A or handle 50B) with an operation mode similar to that of a steering wheel be installed, the automatically driven vehicle 10 is equipped with the handle 50A or handle 50B. In this case, if the occupant has previously set the handle 50B to be installed according to their preference, the automatically driven vehicle 10 is equipped with the handle 50B.

[0062] As a result, the automatically driven vehicle 10 is equipped with a steering wheel 50 that satisfies the regulations of the newly entering area, and when the processing of step S18 is completed, this flowchart is temporarily ended.

[0063] On the other hand, if the regional information specifies that the handle 50 be provided but does not specify the operation mode, the determination unit 32 makes a negative determination in step S16. As a result, when the process proceeds to step S20, the control unit 34 acquires occupant information, and in step S22, the control unit 34 moves the handle 50 set by the occupant from the stored position and places it in the operation position of the handle 50. Note that if the occupant has not set the handle 50, the control unit 34 requests the occupant to select a handle 50 using the operation unit 38, and places the handle 50 selected by the occupant in the operation position.

[0064] Furthermore, if the autonomously driven vehicle 10 continues to travel in an area where the installation of the steering wheel 50 is not required (for example, if the autonomously driven vehicle 10 does not enter an area where the installation is prescribed or if there is sufficient time before entering the area), the determination unit 32 makes a negative determination in step S14 and proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the acquisition unit 30 determines whether the occupant has requested that the steering wheel 50 be installed at the operating position in order to use the steering wheel 50. At this time, if the occupant has not requested that the steering wheel 50 be placed (installed) at the operating position, the acquisition unit 30 makes a negative determination in step S24 and temporarily ends this processing.

[0065] In contrast, if the occupant requests that the handle 50 be placed in the operating position, the acquisition unit 30 makes an affirmative determination in step S24. As a result, the process proceeds to step S20, where the handle 50 set by the occupant is placed in the operating position.

[0066] This enables the autonomous vehicle 10 to control driving in response to operation, and when the occupant operates the steering wheel 50, the driving control device 26 starts controlling driving in response to the operation of the steering wheel 50. The steering wheel 50, which has been placed in the operating position based on the area information, is returned to the stored position by control of the control unit 34 when the vehicle moves from an area where the equipment is required to an area where it is not required. The steering wheel 50, which has been placed in the operating position based on the occupant's request, is returned to the stored position (operating body storage unit) by the control unit 34 when the occupant issues a storage command via the operation unit 38 or the like.

[0067] In this way, when autonomous vehicle 10 enters an area where a steering wheel 50 is required, steering wheel 50 is placed in the operating position and installed. Furthermore, when an operating mode is specified for the required steering wheel 50, autonomous vehicle 10 is equipped with a steering wheel 50 that satisfies the specified operating mode and placed in the operating position. This allows autonomous vehicle 10 to comply with local regulations when traveling through an area where a steering wheel 50 is required.

[0068] Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 10 is capable of traveling in accordance with the driving operation of the occupant, and the steering wheel 50 is placed in the operating position in response to instructions from the occupant in the autonomous vehicle 10. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle 10 is equipped with a plurality of steering wheels 50 with different operating modes and forms (shapes), and the occupant can specify the steering wheel 50 to be placed in the operating position.

[0069] Furthermore, the steering wheel 50 includes a steering wheel 50A that is a general steering wheel, a steering wheel 50B that can be operated in a racing style, and steering wheels 50C and 50D that can be operated in a game style. This allows the passengers of the autonomously driven vehicle 10 to select their preferred steering wheel 50 and enjoy driving.

[0070] Furthermore, occupant information can be stored for each occupant in the autonomously driven vehicle 10. Therefore, even if the autonomously driven vehicle 10 is a so-called shared car, it can be used in the same way as a vehicle that is owned by the occupant.

[0071] Furthermore, in the automatically driven vehicle 10, the steering wheel 50 can be stored in the storage position, so that the interior space of the vehicle can be designed to be larger and more comfortable.

[0072] In this embodiment, the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle 10. However, the control system 20 is not limited to vehicles that run on land, and may be applied to a mobile body that runs on water, or a mobile body that runs on land or water while floating.

[0073] 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as the control device 22. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "units" of an apparatus according to the present embodiment, or can cause the computer 1200 to perform operations associated with the apparatus according to the present embodiment or one or more "units," and / or can cause the computer 1200 to perform a process according to the present embodiment or steps of the process. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0074] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communications interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, or the like. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or the like. The computer 1200 also includes a ROM 1230 and legacy input / output units such as a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0075] The CPU 1212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or into the graphics controller itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 1218.

[0076] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0077] The ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 1200 upon activation, and / or programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 1200. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via a USB port, a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0078] The programs are provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in the storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 1200, and causes cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by implementing operations or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0079] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 1214 and instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in the RAM 1214, the storage device 1224, a DVD-ROM, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0080] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 1214, and may perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0081] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on data read from the RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs, and write the results back to the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. on the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, are stored on the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may search for an entry whose attribute value of the first attribute matches a specified condition from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0082] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 1200. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can also be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the programs to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0083] The blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams in the present embodiments may represent stages of a process in which an operation is performed or "parts" of an apparatus responsible for performing the operation. Particular stages and "parts" may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, including integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs), including AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements.

[0084] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by an appropriate device, such that a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture, including instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0085] The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

[0086] Computer-readable instructions may be provided locally or over a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc. to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or programmable circuitry, such that the processor or programmable circuitry executes the computer-readable instructions to generate means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0088] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Autonomous driving vehicle, 20 Control system, 22 Control device, 24 GPS device, 26 Driving control device, 30 Acquisition unit, 32 Determination unit, 34 Control unit, 36 Memory unit, 38 Operation unit, 40 Movement mechanism, 50 (50A to 50F) Handle, 60 Cross key, 64 Operation stick, 110 Operation body storage unit.

Claims

1. an operating body that is movable between an operating position that allows a driver to operate the vehicle and a stored position that is retracted from the living space inside the vehicle; a driving control unit that performs driving control without involving a driving operation by a driver, and that performs driving control in response to the operation of the operating body when the operating body is disposed at an operating position and operated by a driver; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a traveling position; an acquisition unit that acquires regional information including whether or not the operating object needs to be placed at the operation position for each region; a placement control unit that places the operating body at the operation position when the operating body enters an area where placement at the operation position is required; Including, The operating body is provided with a plurality of operating modes that differ in operation manner for driving operation, and the area information includes information indicating the required operating mode of the operating body, When placing the operation object at the operation position, the placement control unit selects an operation object whose operation mode corresponds to the area information and places the operation object at the operation position. Control system.

2. a reception unit that receives an instruction for placing the operation body at the operation position by an occupant; The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the placement control unit places the operating object at the operating position when the receiving unit receives a request to place the operating object at the operating position.

3. The operating body is provided with a plurality of operating modes that differ in operation manner for driving operation, and includes a reception unit that receives a selection of the operating body by a driver, The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the placement control unit, when placing the operating object at the operating position, places an operating object selected by the occupant from the plurality of operating objects at the operating position.

4. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the operating body includes a steering wheel that is rotated to change the direction of travel.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the operating body includes a cross key whose traveling direction is changed in response to a key operation corresponding to the traveling direction.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the operating body includes a stick that is tilted to change the direction of travel.

7. A vehicle comprising the control system of claim 1.

8. On the computer, a positioning unit for moving and positioning an operating body for a driver to operate the vehicle between an operating position where the driver can operate the vehicle and a stored position where the operating body is retracted from the living space of the vehicle; a driving control unit that performs driving control in response to operation of the operating body when the operating body is placed at the operating position, and performs driving control without intervention of a driving operation by an occupant when the operating body is placed at the storage position; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a traveling position; an acquisition unit that acquires regional information including whether or not the operating object needs to be placed at the operation position for each region; When the operating body enters an area where it is necessary to place the operating body at the operating position, the operating body is a placement control unit for placing the image at a position; and make it work, The operating body is provided with a plurality of operating modes that differ in operation manner for driving operation, and the area information includes information indicating the required operating mode of the operating body, a control program for causing the placement control unit to select an operating object whose operation mode corresponds to the area information and place the operating object at the operating position when placing the operating object at the operating position;

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