Automated driving device, operation management system and automated driving program

Abstract

To provide an automatic driving device which allows maintenance of travel even in such a case that the automatic driving device deviates from a travel range, an operation management system which manages an operation of an automatic driving vehicle loaded with the same, and to further provide an automatic driving program.SOLUTION: An automatic driving device 100 is loaded on a vehicle VE as an automatic driving vehicle and comprises: a guide travel unit GD which causes the vehicle VE to perform guide travel along electromagnetic induction wire IW on the basis of electromagnetic waves RW received from the electromagnetic induction wire IW as a course guidance unit; a separation / restoration unit BC which performs separation from the guide travel and restoration to the guide travel; and an autonomous travel unit AD which causes the vehicle VE to autonomously drive until the vehicle VE restores to the guide travel after being separated from the guide travel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving device for autonomously driving a vehicle, an operation management system for managing the operation of an automatically driven vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device, and an automatic driving program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in an automatically driven vehicle that travels along an electromagnetic induction line buried in a road, correction of the traveling position is known using the electromagnetic induction line (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] However, in the above Patent Document 1, it is unclear whether automatic driving is possible in the event that it becomes necessary to leave the driving range based on the electromagnetic induction line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-167640 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an automatic driving device that enables the vehicle to continue driving even when it goes outside its driving range, an operation management system that manages the operation of an automatic driving vehicle equipped with the device, and an automatic driving program.

[0006] The autonomous driving device for achieving the above-mentioned objective is an autonomous driving device mounted on an autonomous vehicle, and includes a guided driving section that guides the autonomous vehicle along the route guidance section based on electromagnetic waves received from the route guidance section, a departure / return section that departs from the guided driving and returns to the guided driving, and an autonomous driving section that causes the autonomous vehicle to drive autonomously from the time it departs from the guided driving until it returns.

[0007] In the above-mentioned automatic driving device, while driving based on electromagnetic waves emitted from a roadway guidance section composed of, for example, electromagnetic induction wires, etc., it leaves and returns from the driving range as necessary, and drives autonomously between leaving and returning. For example, while the principle is to drive in a secure position using the roadway guidance section, in places where it is necessary to avoid obstacles or where reception from the roadway guidance section has been interrupted, it is possible to maintain driving by leaving and returning from the roadway guidance section using autonomous driving.

[0008] In a specific aspect of the present invention, the separation and return unit determines whether or not the vehicle has separated based on whether or not it can receive electromagnetic waves emitted toward the ground from a path guidance unit having an electromagnetic induction wire buried in the path. In this case, switching between driving using the path guidance unit and autonomous driving can be performed at an appropriate timing.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, an obstacle detection unit is provided that detects obstacles, and the leaving and returning unit determines whether or not leaving is necessary when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle along the traveling path, and if leaving is necessary, starts searching for a return position. In this case, the vehicle can continue traveling while avoiding the detected obstacle by utilizing leaving and returning from the traveling range.

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the route guidance unit has an end notification unit that indicates the end of the electromagnetic wave transmission section, and the departure / return unit causes the autonomously driven vehicle to leave when it receives a notification from one end notification unit, and determines that it has completed returning to the guided driving when it receives a notification from another end notification unit. In this case, departure and return are performed using the end notification unit.

[0011] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the autonomous driving unit causes the autonomous vehicle to autonomously drive based on the current position of the autonomous vehicle estimated by matching the sensing results of the surrounding environment with pre-registered map information. In this case, autonomous driving is possible even when information cannot be obtained from outside.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the autonomous driving unit causes the autonomous vehicle to autonomously drive based on information provided by wireless communication with a roadside device. In this case, the roadside device can provide information about blind spots for the autonomous vehicle, for example, thereby enabling safer autonomous driving.

[0013] The operation management system for achieving the above object includes a management unit that communicates with an autonomous vehicle equipped with any of the above autonomous driving devices and manages vehicle operation. In this case, even when the autonomous vehicle goes outside its driving range, it can use the autonomous vehicle to maintain its driving, thereby enabling more accurate management of vehicle operation.

[0014] The autonomous driving program for achieving the above-mentioned objective is an autonomous driving program for an autonomous vehicle, and includes a guided driving program that causes the autonomous vehicle to guide driving along a route guidance section based on electromagnetic waves received from the route guidance section, a departure / return program that causes the autonomous vehicle to leave the guided driving and return to the guided driving, and an autonomous driving program that causes the autonomous vehicle to drive autonomously from the time it leaves the guided driving until it returns.

[0015] In the above-mentioned autonomous driving program, an autonomous vehicle equipped with this program travels based on electromagnetic waves emitted from a route guidance unit composed of, for example, an electromagnetic induction wire, and as necessary, leaves and returns to the driving range, and drives autonomously between leaving and returning.This allows the vehicle to maintain its driving, for example, by driving in a secure position using the route guidance unit, but in places where it is necessary to avoid obstacles or where reception from the route guidance unit is interrupted, the vehicle can be made to drive autonomously from leaving and returning to the route guidance unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an automatic driving device and an operation management system according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a conceptual plan view illustrating a traffic control system. [Figure 4] 1A to 1D are conceptual plan views showing an example of the operation of a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are conceptual plan views showing other operation examples of a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device. [Figure 6] (A) and (B) are conceptual diagrams showing an overview of the automatic driving device. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of operations in a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a series of operations in a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a traffic management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an automatic driving device and an operation management system. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic management system. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a conceptual plan view showing an example of operation of a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a conceptual plan view showing another example of operation of a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving device. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of an automatic driving device and an operation management system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [First embodiment] An example of an automatic driving device according to the first embodiment and an operation control system including the same will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 etc. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of an automatic driving device 100 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the automatic driving device 100 and an operation control system 500. Fig. 3 is a conceptual plan view showing an example of an operation control system 500 including the automatic driving device 100.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the automatic driving device 100 is a device mounted on the vehicle VE to make it an autonomously driven vehicle, and is configured with, for example, an automatic driving program AO and a position detection unit PD. The automatic driving program AO of the automatic driving device 100, for example, outputs various commands for automatic driving to an electronic control unit (Vehicle ECU: Electronic Control Unit) VC, which controls the operation of the driving operation unit DO, such as the steering wheel, among other components of the vehicle VE. This enables the vehicle VE to be driven automatically. The automatic driving device 100 also detects electromagnetic waves RW from an electromagnetic induction line IW embedded at a fixed position on the road RO using the position detection unit PD, which is an electromagnetic wave receiving unit, to enable the vehicle VE to travel without straying from the road RO. In other words, the electromagnetic induction line IW functions as a road guidance unit that guides the vehicle VE along the road RO. Hereinafter, in the automatic driving by the automatic driving device 100, traveling in accordance with the electromagnetic waves RW received from the electromagnetic induction line IW will be referred to as guided traveling, and traveling using other information without receiving the electromagnetic waves RW will be referred to as autonomous traveling. In the illustrated example, the automatic driving device 100 is capable of autonomous driving even when not receiving electromagnetic waves RW by utilizing a distance measurement unit DM, a communication unit TT, etc. That is, not only is the automatic driving device capable of receiving electromagnetic waves RW and performing guided driving along the electromagnetic induction line IW, but it is also capable of autonomous driving in locations that deviate from the path RO on the electromagnetic induction line IW. Furthermore, it is also possible to return from an autonomous driving state to the path RO on the electromagnetic induction line IW, i.e., to return to guided driving along the electromagnetic induction line IW. Details of an example configuration that enables such driving will be described later with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

[0019] Returning to FIG. 1, the traffic management system 500 in this embodiment includes, in addition to the automatic driving device 100, a management unit CT, a radio wave control unit RC, the electromagnetic induction line IW described above, and a marker MK.

[0020] In the operation management system 500, the control unit CT outputs various signal commands to control vehicle operation. Here, the control unit CT issues various commands to the vehicle VE, which is an automatically driven vehicle, to control vehicle operation, and controls the driving status of the vehicle VE by receiving location information about the vehicle's own position, for example.

[0021] The radio wave control unit RC is an electromagnetic wave generating device that generates rectangular wave-shaped electromagnetic waves RW at a predetermined timing, and is connected to the electromagnetic induction line IW. The radio wave control unit RC generates constant rectangular wave-shaped electromagnetic waves RW, and the generated electromagnetic waves RW are output from the electromagnetic induction line IW connected to the radio wave control unit RC. As described above, the electromagnetic waves RW from the electromagnetic induction line IW are received by the position detection unit PD, and the vehicle VE detects that its own position (vehicle position) is on the road RO. The detection result is output inside the vehicle VE as electromagnetic induction line information.

[0022] As described above, the electromagnetic induction wire IW is an information transmission member that is buried along the road RO and transmits electromagnetic waves RW. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the electromagnetic induction wire IW is buried corresponding to the ring-shaped road RO, and the vehicle VE detects the electromagnetic waves RW from the electromagnetic induction wire IW with the position detection unit PD and travels around the road RO.

[0023] In addition to the electromagnetic induction line IW, multiple markers MK are embedded in the roadway RO. In the example shown in FIG. 3, ten markers MK (MK1 to MK10) are installed along the electromagnetic induction line IW in the traveling direction (arrow A1) of the vehicle VE. Each marker MK is installed at a specific position at a predetermined interval indicated by ten sections INk (1≦k≦10), and each marker MK has its own ID information, such as an RFID tag. The vehicle VE detects each marker MK as it passes over it, reads the ID information of each marker MK, and determines its position from the read ID information. In this case, since the markers MK are embedded in predetermined locations, the vehicle VE can obtain information indicating an absolute position reference (absolute position information). In other words, the vehicle VE can accurately determine its own location when it detects each marker MKk (1≦k≦10), and after that detection, it can estimate that it is located between the nearest marker MK (marker MK1 in Figure 3) and the next marker MK (marker MK2 in Figure 3) until it detects the next marker MK.

[0024] While various types of vehicles VE may be considered for autonomous driving in the manner described above, a typical example is something like a golf cart. In other words, it is assumed that the ring-shaped track RO is set up along the circular course of a golf course. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the operation management system 500 can be applied to various different modes, such as ordinary autonomous vehicles, cases in which the autonomous vehicle described below is a circulating bus (autonomous driving bus), and vehicles for low-speed automated driving.

[0025] Hereinafter, the automatic driving device 100 installed in the vehicle VE, in particular, of the traffic management system 500 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and other figures.

[0026] The autonomous driving device 100 includes the autonomous driving program AO, position detection unit PD, distance measurement unit DM, and communication unit TT, as well as map data MP that stores information about the planned driving route, and an RFID receiving unit RR for detecting markers MK (see Figure 1, etc.).

[0027] The autonomous driving program AO is connected to each unit to receive information and is composed of various programs for processing the received information, in order to enable decisions regarding various actions during autonomous driving. Here, the various programs include, as an example, an autonomous driving control unit AC, a separation and recovery unit BC, and a self-position estimation unit PE. Of these, the autonomous driving control unit AC includes a guidance and navigation unit GD and an autonomous driving unit AD. The separation and recovery unit BC includes a determination unit JG. The self-position estimation unit PE includes an estimated position correction unit EC.

[0028] The autonomous driving program AO is composed of a circuit board on which the various execution programs described above are implemented, or a CPU, various storage devices, etc. Looking at it from another perspective, for example, within the autonomous driving control unit AC, the guided driving unit GD and autonomous driving unit AD are composed of a guided driving program and an autonomous driving program, and the separation and recovery unit BC and the judgment unit JG included therein are composed of a separation and recovery program and a judgment program. In other words, each unit can be said to be composed of various execution programs.

[0029] Of the automatic driving control unit AC, the guided driving unit GD is composed of various programs for controlling the operation of the vehicle VE while the position detection unit PD receives electromagnetic waves RW and performs guided driving.

[0030] On the other hand, the autonomous driving unit AD is composed of various programs for controlling the operation of the vehicle VE during autonomous driving without receiving the electromagnetic waves RW in the position detection unit PD.

[0031] The separation and return unit BC is made up of various programs for separating from guided driving (starting autonomous driving) and returning to guided driving (ending autonomous driving), i.e., for switching between guided driving and autonomous driving. In the separation and return unit BC, the judgment unit JG is made up of various programs for making a judgment as to whether guided driving or autonomous driving should be used.

[0032] As described above, the self-position estimation unit PE compares the surrounding environment information from the distance measurement unit DM with the information in the map data MP to estimate the self-position. The self-position estimation unit PE further includes an estimated position correction unit EC, which corrects any deviation in the self-estimation from the absolute position information based on the ID information using the marker MK, i.e., RFID, acquired by the RFID receiving unit RR. In other words, the estimated position correction unit EC is a program for correcting the position deviation on the map data.

[0033] As described above, the position detection unit PD is a device for detecting electromagnetic waves RW, and outputs the detection results to the automatic driving program AO.

[0034] The distance measurement unit DM is configured with, for example, LiDAR, and detects the surrounding conditions of the traveling vehicle VE. The detection results are output to the autonomous driving program AO as surrounding environment information indicating the surrounding conditions of the vehicle VE. The distance measurement unit DM also detects whether there are any obstacles that may hinder driving.

[0035] The communication unit TT is a device that enables communication with the management unit CT. In other words, the vehicle VE transmits location information to the management unit CT as a result of estimating its own location through communication with the management unit CT via the communication unit TT. On the other hand, the vehicle VE may also be configured to be able to exchange map information and route information with the management unit CT.

[0036] The map data MP can store, for example, map information about the area that may be included in the planned driving route, as well as various other information about the surroundings of the vehicle, such as landmark information. This information (map information, etc.) can be pre-registered or, if necessary, acquired from the management unit CT through communication with the communication unit TT. For example, according to a program (e.g., the self-position estimation unit PE) included in the autonomous driving program AO, various pieces of information stored as the map data MP are compared with the surrounding environment information acquired by the ranging unit DM, as described above, thereby enabling the vehicle VE to estimate its own position. Therefore, for example, when using information pre-registered in the map data MP, the autonomous driving unit AD, during autonomous driving, matches the sensing results of the surrounding environment acquired by the ranging unit DM with the map information pre-registered in the map data MP to estimate the current position of the vehicle VE.

[0037] The RFID receiver RR detects ID information about markers MK (see FIG. 3, etc.) embedded in the roadway RO, and the detection results (read results) are output to the automatic driving program AO as absolute position information.

[0038] In this way, the autonomous driving program AO aggregates the information acquired by each part and uses it to make various decisions for autonomous driving. In other words, the autonomous driving control unit AC of the autonomous driving program AO determines the content of autonomous driving control from this information.

[0039] In addition to the automatic driving device 100 as described above, the vehicle VE is also equipped with an electronic control unit VC and a driving operation unit DO as described above to enable driving (traveling).

[0040] The electronic control unit VC is composed of integrated circuits and the like to control the engine operation corresponding to the operation of each part that constitutes the driving operation unit DO in accordance with the judgment results of the automatic driving program AO.

[0041] The driving operation unit DO is made up of the various parts required for normal driving operations such as steering, accelerating, and braking.

[0042] Here, in the above aspect, automatic driving device 100 is equipped with a guided driving unit GD that causes driving (guided driving) along an electromagnetic guidance line IW, which is a driving path guidance unit, and a separation / return unit BC that causes the vehicle VE to depart from and return to the guided driving, and further includes an autonomous driving unit AD, which enables the vehicle VE, which is an automatically driven vehicle, to autonomously drive from the time it departs from the guided driving until it returns. As a result, the process from the time it departs from the electromagnetic guidance line IW, which is a driving path guidance unit, to the time it returns is performed by autonomous driving, so that driving can be maintained.

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, an example of an operation of a vehicle VE equipped with the automatic driving device 100 to depart from and return to guided driving will be described.

[0044] 4(A) to 4(D) show, as an example, a case where an obstacle OB is present on a road RO on which an electromagnetic induction wire IW is buried, the vehicle VE temporarily departs from guided driving to avoid the obstacle, and then returns to the road RO on which the electromagnetic induction wire IW is buried, i.e., returns to guided driving. Note that the vehicle VE or the automatic driving device 100 has position information about the position of the electromagnetic induction wire IW (or the road RO on which it is buried), and is therefore capable of returning to the road RO on which the electromagnetic induction wire IW is buried.

[0045] First, as shown in Fig. 4(A), when a vehicle VE traveling in the direction indicated by arrow A1 detects an obstacle OB ahead by distance measurement by distance measurement unit DM, automatic driving device 100 changes the course of vehicle VE in the direction indicated by arrow B1 to avoid the obstacle, departs from guided driving, and switches to autonomous driving, while continuing to measure the distance to obstacle OB by distance measurement unit DM, as shown in Fig. 4(B). At this time, the course of vehicle VE is sequentially changed (the course is updated) as indicated by arrow B2. In other words, the vehicle VE performs autonomous driving while estimating its own position by comparing the distance measurement results by distance measurement unit DM with various information stored as map data MP and surrounding environment information acquired by distance measurement unit DM.

[0046] When the range of the obstacle OB is determined as a result of measuring the distance to the obstacle OB, the automatic driving device 100 changes the course indicated by arrows B2, B3, ..., as shown in Fig. 4(C), so as to head toward a position where the automatic driving device can return to guided driving. As a result, when the automatic driving device 100 finally reaches the buried position of the electromagnetic guidance line IW as shown by arrow B7, the automatic driving device 100 returns to guided driving, i.e., switches from autonomous driving to guided driving, and resumes driving along the electromagnetic guidance line IW, as shown in Fig. 4(D).

[0047] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the distance measurement unit DM or the automatic driving program AO that acquires the detection results thereof functions as an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle OB, and the separation and return unit BC determines whether separation is necessary when the distance measurement unit DM as an obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle OB while driving, and if separation is necessary, begins searching for a return position.

[0048] Hereinafter, another example of the operation of a vehicle VE equipped with automatic driving device 100, in which the vehicle VE departs from and returns to guided driving, will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(A) and Fig. 5(B) show another example in which the vehicle VE passes through an intersection CS. Note that the illustrated example shows a case in which the vehicle VE attempts to proceed straight through the intersection CS in the -X direction on an XZ plane in which the Y direction is the vertical direction.

[0049] The electromagnetic induction wire IW buried in the road RO can be in various forms, for example, a form in which it is in the shape of a single loop (see FIG. 3). For this reason, for example, at an intersection CS as shown in FIG. 5(A), in order to avoid the electromagnetic induction wires IW crossing each other, multiple loop-shaped electromagnetic induction wires IW (four electromagnetic induction wires IW1 to IW4 in the figure) are buried and arranged so that they turn back just before the intersection CS for each road, so that no electromagnetic induction wire IW exists within the intersection CS. In such a form, in the example shown in the figure, a marker MK is also buried at the end (terminal end) of the electromagnetic induction wire IW on the intersection CS side. The marker MK holds ID information, such as an RFID tag, and the ID information can be acquired by the vehicle VE when the vehicle VE passes through. In other words, by acquiring information from the marker MK, the vehicle VE, i.e., the automatic driving device 100, can recognize that it has reached the end of the electromagnetic induction line IW and entered the intersection CS, and that the electromagnetic waves RW will no longer be received or have already been received, and that it should temporarily depart from the guided driving. Here, the marker MK indicating the end of the electromagnetic induction line IW, i.e., the end of the section where the electromagnetic waves RW are emitted, is referred to as the end notification unit TN. As shown in the figure, when the vehicle VE travels straight through the intersection CS in the -X direction, of the eight markers MK in the figure, the marker MK on the entrance side of the vehicle VE to the intersection CS and the marker MK on the exit side of the intersection CS are the end notification units TN for the vehicle VE. Here, the end notification unit TN on the entrance side is referred to as TN1, and the end notification unit TN on the exit side is referred to as TN2.

[0050] In this case, for example, as shown by the solid line in Figure 5(A), when the vehicle VE arrives just before the entrance to the intersection CS, the separation / return unit BC (see Figure 2) receives a notification from one end notification unit TN, TN1, via the RFID receiver RR, the determination unit JG determines that the electromagnetic waves RW have stopped being emitted, indicating that guided driving has ended, and the vehicle VE leaves the guided driving mode and switches to autonomous driving. Then, for example, as shown by the solid line in Figure 5(B), when the vehicle VE arrives just before the exit from the intersection CS and the separation / return unit BC (see Figure 2) receives a notification from another end notification unit, TN2, via the RFID receiver RR, the determination unit JG determines that the electromagnetic waves RW are being received again, or have already been received, indicating that the return to guided driving has been completed. In this case, the separation / return unit BC can also be said to determine whether or not the determination unit JG has left the intersection CS based on whether or not it can receive the electromagnetic waves RW emitted toward the ground from the roadway guidance unit, which is composed of an electromagnetic guidance wire IW buried in the roadway RO.

[0051] As described above, in the above example, the vehicle temporarily departs from guided traveling and then returns to the route RO on which the electromagnetic guidance wire IW is buried, that is, the vehicle returns to guided traveling.

[0052] An overview of the above-mentioned automatic driving device 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(A) is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the automatic driving device 100 is performing guided driving. In other words, the state in which driving control is performed based on the guided driving unit GD, which is shown hatched in the figure. Fig. 6(B) is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the automatic driving device 100 is performing autonomous driving. In other words, the state in which driving control is performed based on the autonomous driving unit AD, which is shown hatched in the figure.

[0053] As shown in the figure and as already described, the automatic driving device 100 of this embodiment is mounted on the vehicle VE, which is an automatic driving vehicle, and is equipped with a guided driving unit GD that guides the vehicle VE along the electromagnetic guide line IW, which is a path guidance unit, based on electromagnetic waves RW received from the electromagnetic guide line IW, a departure and return unit BC that departs from the guided driving and returns to the guided driving, and an autonomous driving unit AD that causes the vehicle VE to drive autonomously from the time it departs from the guided driving until it returns. In the above-mentioned automatic driving device 100, while driving based on the electromagnetic waves RW emitted from the route guidance section consisting of the electromagnetic induction line IW, the device leaves and returns from the driving range as necessary, and performs autonomous driving between leaving and returning.For example, while driving in a secure position using the electromagnetic induction line IW (guided driving shown in Figure 6(A)) is the general rule, in places where it is necessary to avoid an obstacle OB (see Figure 4) or where reception from the electromagnetic induction line IW has been interrupted (see Figure 5), the device can maintain driving by performing autonomous driving as shown in Figure 6(B) from leaving the electromagnetic induction line IW to returning (during leaving).

[0054] An example of a series of operations in a vehicle VE equipped with the automatic driving device 100 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 shows an example corresponding to the operation illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0055] First, it is assumed that the automatic driving device 100 starts operation by being guided along the electromagnetic guidance line IW, and also receives information about the map and route from the management unit CT as necessary and stores it in the map data MP (step S101). Then, sensing (distance measurement) is performed by the distance measurement unit DM (step S102), and while detecting an obstacle OB, the automatic driving device proceeds along the course while performing position estimation based on the detection, and the current position is updated (step S103).

[0056] Each time the current position is updated in step S103, the automatic driving device 100 checks whether or not there is an obstacle OB (step S104). If no obstacle OB is detected (step S104: No), the automatic driving device 100 maintains (continues) the initial guided driving (step S105) and ends the series of processes. That is, the operation returns to step S101. Note that if step S101 is not necessary, especially from the second time onwards, the process may be omitted and the operation may resume from step S102 onwards.

[0057] On the other hand, if an obstacle OB is detected in step S104 (step S104: Yes), the automatic driving device 100 determines in the determination unit JG of the departure / return unit BC whether or not it is necessary to leave the guided driving (step S106).

[0058] In step S106, if it is determined that departure is not necessary (step S106: No), the automatic driving device 100 maintains (continues) the original guided driving (step S105), and ends the series of processes.

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that withdrawal is necessary (step S106: Yes), the automatic driving device 100 performs a process in the withdrawal / return unit BC to switch the mode from guided driving to automatic driving using autonomous driving (step S107). Then, sensing (distance measurement) is performed again by the distance measurement unit DM (step S108). That is, the operations illustrated in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C) are performed. However, in step S108, the distance measurement unit DM not only continues to detect the obstacle OB through sensing, but also acquires ambient environment information about the surrounding situation of the traveling vehicle VE and outputs it to the automatic driving program AO. As described above, the automatic driving program AO uses the ambient environment information to estimate its own position during autonomous driving. That is, a course is created (a course change is determined) while performing position estimation based on the ambient environment information (step S109), and the current position is updated by proceeding according to the course (step S110).

[0060] After updating the current position in step S110, it is confirmed whether or not returning to guided travel is possible (step S111). If it is determined that returning is possible (step S111: Yes), a switch to guided travel, i.e., a return process, is performed (step S112), and this is maintained (step S105). In other words, the state shown in FIG. 4(D) is reached.

[0061] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S111 that recovery is not possible (step S111: No), the automatic driving device 100 returns to the operation from step S108, and repeats the above operation until recovery is possible.

[0062] Another example of a series of operations in a vehicle VE equipped with the automatic driving device 100 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 shows an example corresponding to the operation exemplified in Fig. 5.

[0063] First, as in the case of Figure 7, the automatic driving device 100 starts operation by guiding the vehicle along the electromagnetic guidance line IW, and if necessary, after receiving information from the management unit CT, it performs sensing (ranging) using the ranging unit DM and updates the current position (steps S201 to S203).

[0064] Each time the current location is updated in step S203, the automatic driving device 100 checks in the departure / return unit BC via the RFID receiving unit RR whether or not it has received information from one of the terminal RFIDs, i.e., whether or not it has received a notification from the terminal notification unit TN1 (step S204).If no notification from the terminal notification unit TN1 is confirmed (step S204: No), the automatic driving device 100 maintains (continues) the original guided driving (step S205), completes the series of processes, and returns to the operation from step S201.

[0065] On the other hand, if a notification from the end notification unit TN1 is confirmed in step S204 (step S204: Yes), that is, if the determination unit JG of the separation and recovery unit BC confirms that the vehicle has left the guided driving mode, the automatic driving device 100 performs a process to switch the mode from guided driving to autonomous driving (step S206) in the separation and recovery unit BC. Then, sensing (distance measurement) is performed by the distance measurement unit DM (step S207), a course is created (step S208), and the current position is updated (step S209).

[0066] After updating the current position in step S209, the automatic driving device 100 checks whether it has received information from another terminal RFID, i.e., whether it has received a notification from the terminal notification unit TN2, in the leaving and returning unit BC via the RFID receiving unit RR (step S210). If the check is successful (step S210: Yes), the automatic driving device switches to guided driving (step S211) and maintains this (step S205). In other words, the automatic driving device 100 enters the state illustrated in FIG. 5(B).

[0067] On the other hand, if the notification from the end notification unit TN2 is not confirmed in step S210 (step S210: No), the automatic driving device 100 returns to the operation from step S207 and repeats the above operation until the notification from the end notification unit TN2 is confirmed.

[0068] Second Embodiment An example of the automatic driving device 100 and the traffic management system 500 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 9 and other figures. Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the automatic driving device 100 and the traffic management system 500. Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of the automatic driving device 100 of this embodiment and the traffic management system 500 including the automatic driving device 100, and is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the traffic management system 500, and is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2.

[0069] The operation management system 500 including the automatic driving device 100 of this embodiment is constructed as a system for performing operation management while supporting automatic driving from the infrastructure side by communicating bidirectionally between the infrastructure side and the vehicle side, and is particularly different from the first embodiment in that information is provided to the vehicle VE from a roadside device 70 installed on the driving route of the vehicle VE.

[0070] An overall overview of the traffic management system 500 according to this embodiment will be described below. As shown in, for example, Figures 9 and 10, the traffic management system 500 according to this embodiment includes, in addition to the automatic driving device 100 mounted on the vehicle VE, a management unit CT, a radio wave control unit RC, a position detection unit PD which is an electromagnetic wave receiving unit, and an electromagnetic induction line IW, as in the first embodiment. In addition to these, the traffic management system 500 according to this embodiment also includes a roadside device 70, as described above. Furthermore, the communication unit TT of the vehicle VE is capable of communicating not only with the management unit CT but also with the roadside device 70.

[0071] 9, the vehicle VE is assumed to be, for example, a circular bus BU that travels along a predetermined route, with an electromagnetic induction wire IW buried along the route. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the automatic driving device 100 of the present embodiment and the operation control system 500 using the same can be applied to various different aspects, such as a delivery vehicle that handles the last mile.

[0072] 9, when a vehicle VE travels as a circular bus BU that visits bus stops (bus stops) BS in a specific order, the roadside device 70 is installed at bus stops BS and traffic lights SG at intersections on the predetermined route of the circular bus BU, and is capable of communicating with vehicles VE passing nearby via short-range communication, and is also connected to the management unit CT so that it can communicate with them. Note that the connection with the management unit CT is not limited to being wired as shown in the figure, but may be wireless communication.

[0073] The roadside device 70 is composed of various circuit boards, a CPU, a storage device, etc., and provides information to vehicles VE passing nearby, such as information regarding the arrival and departure status at bus stops BS and signal information indicating the timing of changing the light color of traffic lights SG at intersections. In other words, the roadside device 70 is a device for providing information through wireless communication with vehicles VE, and in this case, it particularly provides signal information. The vehicles VE determine whether or not they can pass and when to depart based on the information provided by the roadside device 70 and operate accordingly, or they receive the determination results from the roadside device 70 and operate accordingly. In other words, the roadside device 70 functions as an information providing device or a determination device. A more specific configuration example of the roadside device 70 will be described later with reference to FIG. 11.

[0074] Furthermore, the vehicle VE is also capable of communicating with the management unit CT, as in the first embodiment. That is, the vehicle VE travels under the management of the management unit CT in accordance with instructions from the management unit CT, and if a roadside unit 70 is present near the location where the vehicle VE is actually traveling, the vehicle VE receives information about that location and its surroundings from the roadside unit 70. As described above, the vehicle VE receives various types of information from the management unit CT and the roadside unit 70, thereby enabling more stable and safer autonomous traveling.

[0075] An example configuration of the vehicle VE and infrastructure equipment will be described below with reference to Fig. 11. As shown in the figure and as already described, the vehicle VE is provided with an automatic driving program AO, an electronic control unit VC, a distance measurement unit DM, a driving operation unit DO, map data MP, and an RFID receiving unit RR in addition to a position detection unit PD, and is further equipped with a communication unit TT for communicating with a management unit CT and roadside devices 70.

[0076] Here, the vehicle VE communicates with the management unit CT via the communication unit TT, but also performs short-distance communication with the roadside device 70. That is, when the vehicle VE reaches a range where it can communicate with the roadside device 70, it transmits (queries) location information about its own location to the roadside device 70, thereby receiving information from the roadside device 70. In the drawing, the roadside device 70 attached to the traffic light SG is shown as an example.

[0077] The illustrated example of roadside device 70 includes a main control unit 70A that is configured with various circuit boards, a CPU, a storage device, and the like and is connected to the other components of roadside device 70 to perform various operational processes; a communication unit 70t that communicates with vehicle VE and management unit CT; a map data unit 70m that includes topographical data and the like about the location where roadside device 70 (traffic light SG) is installed; and roadside sensors 70s that monitor the area around traffic light SG. In particular, here, roadside device 70 is connected to traffic light SG and receives traffic light information from traffic light SG, and provides traffic light information and the like about traffic light SG to vehicle VE in response to an inquiry from vehicle VE. Furthermore, roadside device 70 may monitor the area around traffic light SG (the intersection where traffic light SG is located and its surroundings) using roadside sensors 70s and the like, and provide the vehicle VE with the monitoring results along with information about traffic conditions in the area. As described above, the roadside device 70 is a device that provides information to the vehicle VE through I2V (Infrastructure to Vehicle) communication, which provides information from the infrastructure side to the vehicle side.

[0078] As in the first embodiment, the vehicle VE is equipped with a position detection unit PD, which enables guided driving based on this.

[0079] As described above, the illustrated vehicle VE is provided with an automatic driving program AO that includes an automatic driving control unit AC, a departure / return unit BC, and a self-position estimation unit PE. In other words, in addition to guided driving, autonomous driving is possible, and switching between these modes is also possible. Furthermore, in the above case, the autonomous driving unit AD controls the vehicle VE to drive autonomously based on information provided by wireless communication with the roadside device 70, thereby enabling safer driving.

[0080] An example of the operation of a vehicle VE equipped with an automatic driving device 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 corresponds to Fig. 5 and shows an example of the case where the vehicle VE passes through an intersection CS. As shown in the figure, a roadside device 70 is provided that is connected to a traffic light SG provided at the intersection CS, and the vehicle VE, i.e., the automatic driving device 100, communicates with the roadside device 70 to receive information.

[0081] 5, when the vehicle VE passes through the intersection CS in the −X direction, it receives a notification from the end notification unit TN1, temporarily departs from the guided driving mode, and then receives a notification from the end notification unit TN2, returning to the road RO where the electromagnetic guidance wire IW is buried, i.e., returning to the guided driving mode. At this time, the vehicle VE can also obtain various information (traffic signal information, etc.) from the roadside device 70.

[0082] 13, another example of the operation of a vehicle VE (bus BU) equipped with an automatic driving device 100 will be described. In the illustrated example, the vehicle VE (bus BU) passes an intersection CS in a straight line in the +Z direction, and as it continues on, a parked (stopped) vehicle GM appears, which acts as an obstacle OB. After passing the intersection CS, the bus BU travels into the opposite lane to detour around (avoid) the obstacle, as indicated by arrow C1. Furthermore, in the above example, two vehicles GM1 and GM2 are present in tandem as vehicles GM, and the second vehicle GM2, which is in the hatched area DD1 in the Z direction, is in the blind spot of the first vehicle GM1 for the bus BU, and cannot be seen by the distance measuring unit DM of the bus BU.

[0083] In such a case, for example, the roadside sensor 70s (see Figure 11) may detect the presence of vehicle GM2 and transmit the detection result to bus BU, thereby providing useful information when the vehicle departs from guided driving and begins autonomous driving in order to avoid vehicle GM as an obstacle OB.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the roadside device 70 may provide information taking into account the situation of the oncoming lane and the size and performance of the vehicle VE, which is the bus BU.

[0085] On the other hand, the vehicle VE, which is the bus BU, may also transmit various information about itself to the roadside device 70, thereby making it possible to obtain more accurate information.

[0086] For example, one possible mode is to provide the roadside device 70 with future position information consisting of information about the current position of the vehicle VE itself and information about a future route plan based on the current position, while the roadside device 70 takes this information, along with surrounding conditions, into consideration, and provides information about whether the vehicle VE can pass through the intersection CS and whether the vehicle GM can avoid the subsequent obstacle OB. More specifically, one possible mode is to provide, when the roadside device 70 determines that the vehicle VE cannot pass under the current circumstances, a more accurate stopping position (the position of the virtual stop line) and information about the possible departure time when this situation will be resolved.

[0087] In this embodiment as well, while the principle is to travel in a secure position using the electromagnetic induction line IW, in places where it is necessary to avoid an obstacle OB or where reception from the electromagnetic induction line IW is interrupted, the vehicle can maintain its travel by autonomously traveling from departure to return (during departure) from the electromagnetic induction line IW. In particular, in this embodiment, it is possible to acquire various information from the roadside device 70.

[0088] 〔others〕 The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0089] First, in the above, the usage of the automatic driving device 100 or the operation management system 500 is described as a golf cart or a shuttle bus as a vehicle VE, but the automatic driving device 100 or the operation management system 500 can be used in various other ways without being limited to these.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above, an example of a track guidance section has been described in which an electromagnetic induction line IW is used, but this is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to bury multiple markers using multiple magnetic markers or RFID tags along the track RO instead of the electromagnetic induction line IW.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above description, the marker MK is described as using RFID to indicate an absolute position reference, but various other forms of marker MK are possible, not limited to those that detect RFID as described above. For example, it is also possible to use an on-board camera or the like to detect various landmarks that exist along the road as an absolute position reference.

[0092] 4 and 5 or 7 and 8 have been described separately in the first embodiment, but these operations can be performed together to accommodate either case. Specifically, the processing of steps S101 to S103 in Fig. 7 and the processing of steps S201 to S203 in Fig. 8 can be shared, and the operations after S104 and the operations after S204 can be performed simultaneously in parallel, thereby making it possible to accommodate both cases.

[0093] Furthermore, the placement of the markers MK in the example shown in the second embodiment can also be in various forms. For example, each marker MK illustrated in Figure 9 can be prepared separately from the one placed immediately adjacent to the intersection CS, and placed at a starting position in the direction of travel of the vehicle VE (arrow A1) just before the bus stop BS or traffic light SG, where communication with the roadside device 70 is possible. This allows the vehicle VE to detect each marker MK and correct its position based on an absolute reference, and this can serve as a trigger to start communication with the corresponding roadside device 70.

[0094] Furthermore, the aspects exemplified in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, etc. may be combined as appropriate within a range that does not cause inconsistency.

[0095] In addition, various other configurations of the automatic driving device 100 are possible in addition to those described above. For example, if a monitoring sensor unit is provided at a traffic light SG, this may be used as the roadside sensor 70s.

[0096] The management unit CT can also take various forms, for example, it can be installed as a management center (management server) in a remote location, or various processes and data storage can be performed on the cloud.

[0097] Furthermore, although the self-location estimation of the vehicle VE has been described above as a case in which the surrounding environment information from the distance measuring unit DM is compared with the information in the map data MP, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 14 corresponding to Figure 1, the vehicle VE may be equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) IM, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) SS, or a vehicle speed measuring device VS, and the measurement results of these may be appropriately combined as necessary to be used for autonomous location estimation. Furthermore, it is also possible to adopt a mode in which the self-location estimation is performed using an inertial measurement unit IM or the like instead of a distance measuring unit DM or the like.

[0098] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the vehicle VE performs short-range communication with the roadside device 70, but this is not limited to this, and it may also be configured to use wide-area communication formed by a public communication network such as 4G LTE. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 70...roadside device, 70A...main control unit, 70m...map data unit, 70s...roadside sensor, 70t...communication unit, 100...automatic driving device, 500...operation management system, A1...arrow, AC...automatic driving control unit, AD...autonomous driving unit, AO...automatic driving program, B1, B2, B3, B7...arrow, BC...separation and return unit, BS...bus stop (stop), BU...locomotive bus (bus), C1...arrow, CS...intersection, CT...management unit, DD1...area, DM...distance measurement unit, DO...driving operation unit, EC...estimated position correction unit, GD...guidance Running unit, GM, GM1, GM2... vehicle, IM... inertial measurement unit, INk... section, IW, IW1 to IW4... electromagnetic induction line, JG... determination unit, MK, MK1, MK2, MKk... marker, MP... map data, OB... obstacle, PD... position detection unit, PE... self-position estimation unit, RC... radio wave control unit, RO... route, RR... RFID receiver unit, RW... electromagnetic wave, SG... traffic light, SS... satellite positioning system, TN, TN1, TN2... termination notification unit, TT... communication unit, VC... electronic control unit, VE... vehicle, VS... vehicle speed measurement device

Claims

1. An automatic driving device mounted on an automatic driving vehicle, a guidance unit that guides the autonomous vehicle to travel along the route guidance unit based on electromagnetic waves received from the route guidance unit; a separation / return unit that separates from the guided travel and returns to the guided travel; an autonomous driving unit that causes the autonomously driven vehicle to drive autonomously from the time when the autonomously driven vehicle leaves the guided driving until the time when the autonomously driven vehicle returns; Equipped with The departure / return unit is an automatic driving device that causes the automatic driving vehicle to leave when it receives a notification from an end notification unit that is provided in the route guidance unit and indicates the end of the electromagnetic wave transmission section.

2. The automatic driving device according to claim 1, wherein the separation and return unit determines whether or not the separation has occurred based on whether or not the electromagnetic waves transmitted toward the ground from the path guidance unit having an electromagnetic induction wire buried in the path are received.

3. an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle; 3. The automatic driving device according to claim 1, wherein the separation and return unit determines whether separation is necessary when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle along the driving path, and starts searching for a return position if separation is necessary.

4. An autonomous driving device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the withdrawal and return unit receives a notification from one of the terminal notification units, causes the autonomous driving vehicle to withdraw, and then determines that the return to the guided driving has been completed when it receives a notification from another terminal notification unit.

5. The autonomous driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the autonomous driving unit causes the autonomous driving vehicle to autonomously drive based on a current position of the autonomous driving vehicle estimated by matching sensing results about the surrounding environment with pre-registered map information.

6. The autonomous driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the autonomous driving unit causes the autonomous driving vehicle to autonomously drive based on information provided by wireless communication with a roadside device.

7. An operation management system comprising a management unit that communicates with the automatically driven vehicle equipped with the automatically driven device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and manages vehicle operation.

8. An autonomous driving program for an autonomous vehicle, a guided driving program that guides the autonomous vehicle along the route guidance unit based on electromagnetic waves received from the route guidance unit; a departure / return program for executing departure from the guided travel and return to the guided travel; an autonomous driving program that causes the autonomously driven vehicle to autonomously drive from the time it leaves the guided driving until it returns; Equipped with The autonomous driving program, in which the departure and return unit program causes the autonomous driving vehicle to leave when it receives a notification from an end notification unit that is provided in the route guidance unit and indicates the end of the electromagnetic wave transmission section.

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