Vehicle route setting method and vehicle route setting device

Abstract

A route setting device (1) has an abnormality detection unit (102) that detects an abnormality in a vehicle, a remaining travelable distance estimation unit (104) that calculates a remaining travel distance over which a vehicle can travel before becoming unable to travel, a route searching unit (109) that acquires a plurality of candidate travel routes to a prescribed destination of the vehicle on the basis of the remaining travel distance, a avoided road condition acquisition unit (108) that acquires, from a prescribed detour database, avoided road information which is information relating to a road to be avoided that is related to an abnormality, and a route setting unit (111) that sets an avoidance route to a destination on the basis of the travel route candidates and the avoided road information.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when a malfunction is detected, a route is searched for from the vehicle's location to the nearest inspection facility where the vehicle can be inspected, and the vehicle is automatically guided to the nearest inspection facility according to the searched route.

[0003] However, in Patent Document 1, the route to the inspection facility is not searched for according to the type of vehicle failure, so there is a risk that driving along the searched route will exacerbate the detected failure, making it difficult to reach the inspection facility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-223467 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The vehicle of the present invention identifies an abnormal part, obtains multiple route candidates to a predetermined destination of the vehicle, obtains avoidance road information corresponding to the abnormal part, evaluates the route candidates based on the avoidance road information, sets an avoidance route to the destination based on the evaluation of the route candidates, and determines that the road is one that should be avoided if the evaluation of the route candidate is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and changes the value of the threshold value based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid an avoidance route that would worsen a malfunction, and also to travel an avoidance route that will reliably reach the destination. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle route planning device. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow of a vehicle equipped with a route planning device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. A vehicle route setting device 1 in the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle having an automatic driving function that enables the vehicle to travel without driver operation, for example.

[0009] 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle route setting device 1. When a vehicle abnormality is detected, the route setting device 1 sets an appropriate planned stopping location based on the abnormal part of the vehicle and the vehicle's failure state (failure symptoms) predicted from the detected abnormality, and drives the vehicle to the set planned stopping location using an automatic driving function.

[0010] The route setting device 1 is, for example, a known digital computer equipped with a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an input / output interface, and is mounted on a vehicle.

[0011] The route setting device 1 has a vehicle information acquisition unit 100, a road condition evaluation unit 101, an abnormality detection unit 102, a faulty part identification unit 103, a remaining driving distance estimation unit 104, a location information acquisition unit 105, a map information acquisition unit 106, a traffic information acquisition unit 107, an avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108, a route search unit 109, a route evaluation unit 110, a route setting unit 111, an external reporting unit 112, a notification unit 113, and a vehicle control unit 114.

[0012] The vehicle information acquisition unit 100 acquires information (vehicle information) related to the vehicle in which the route setting device 1 is installed. The vehicle information acquisition unit 100 receives output signals from various sensors of the vehicle. The vehicle information acquisition unit 100 may acquire values ​​measured from one or more of various sensors, such as a vehicle speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a steering torque sensor, a brake sensor, and a microphone. The vehicle information acquisition unit 100 may acquire values ​​measured from one or more of various sensors, such as a crank angle sensor, a throttle opening sensor, an O2 sensor, an air flow meter, a knock sensor, an intake temperature sensor, an exhaust temperature sensor, and a water temperature sensor, of an engine attached to the vehicle. The vehicle information acquisition unit 100 may acquire values ​​measured from a torque sensor of a transmission attached to the vehicle. The vehicle information acquisition unit 100 may acquire values ​​measured from one or more of various sensors such as position sensors, temperature sensors, torque sensors, voltage sensors, and current sensors of various motors attached to the vehicle.

[0013] The road condition evaluation unit 101 evaluates the road condition of the road on which the vehicle has traveled based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100, and registers the evaluation information in the map database 20. More specifically, the road condition evaluation unit 101 may, for example, calculate the magnitude of vibration of the wheel speed based on the wheel speed measured by a wheel speed sensor acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100, evaluate the degree of roughness of the road on which the vehicle has traveled based on the magnitude of vibration of the wheel speed, and register the evaluated degree of roughness in the map database 20 (described later). Furthermore, the road condition evaluation unit 101 may, for example, evaluate the inclination of the road on which the vehicle has traveled based on a geomagnetic value measured by a geomagnetic sensor acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100, and register the evaluated inclination in the map database 20 (described later).

[0014] The anomaly detection unit 102 determines whether or not an anomaly that may lead to a breakdown has occurred in the vehicle, based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100. In other words, the anomaly detection unit 102 detects an anomaly that may lead to a breakdown of the vehicle while the vehicle is being driven. Specifically, the anomaly detection unit 102 may use an anomaly detection method that uses, for example, an autoencoder or a generative adversarial network.

[0015] When the abnormality detection unit 102 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, the faulty part identification unit 103 identifies the abnormal part among the parts attached to the vehicle and the fault state that is predicted from the detected abnormality, based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100. In other words, the faulty part identification unit 103 identifies the abnormal part of the vehicle in which an abnormality has been detected and the fault state of the vehicle that is predicted from the detected abnormality.

[0016] The remaining driving distance estimation unit 104 estimates a remaining driving distance (travelable distance), which is the distance the vehicle can travel before it becomes difficult to travel, based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100, the abnormal part identified by the failed part identification unit 103, and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality. That is, the remaining driving distance estimation unit 104 calculates the remaining driving distance (travelable distance) of the vehicle from the current time. Note that the remaining driving distance estimation unit 104 may calculate the remaining driving distance (travelable distance) of the vehicle from the current time based only on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 100. The remaining driving distance estimation unit 104 corresponds to a remaining driving distance calculation unit.

[0017] The location information acquisition unit 105 acquires location information of the vehicle at the current time. The location information acquisition unit 105 may acquire three-dimensional location information on the Earth based on signals from GPS satellites, for example. Alternatively, the location information acquisition unit 105 may acquire three-dimensional location information on the Earth based on a 4G LTE network, for example.

[0018] Based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 105, the map information acquisition unit 106 acquires map information about the surrounding area of ​​the location information from the map database 20, which is an environmental information database. The map database 20 corresponds to a map information database, records map information, and is provided, for example, on a cloud server outside the vehicle. The map information may include, for example, residential locations, population density, and illuminance in addition to distance, location, altitude, and topography.

[0019] The traffic information acquisition unit 107 acquires traffic information around the current location of the vehicle from the traffic information database 21, which is an environmental information database, based on the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 106. The traffic information database 21 records traffic information and is provided, for example, on a cloud server outside the vehicle. The traffic information may be, for example, information on the traffic volume on roads at the current time or predicted information for the period after the current time.

[0020] The avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 accesses a predetermined failure-avoidance road condition correspondence database 22, which is an avoidance road information database, based on the abnormal part identified by the failed part identification unit 103 and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, and acquires at least one or more avoidance road conditions, which are conditions for roads to be avoided that correspond to the abnormal part of the vehicle and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality. In other words, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires at least one or more avoidance road conditions for the vehicle that are associated with the abnormal part of the vehicle and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, from the failure-avoidance road condition correspondence database 22. The avoidance road condition corresponds to avoidance road information.

[0021] The breakdown-avoidance road condition correspondence database 22 records the avoidance road conditions, which are conditions for roads to be avoided corresponding to abnormal parts of the vehicle and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, and is provided, for example, on a cloud server outside the vehicle. The avoidance road conditions are, for example, information associated with the type of abnormality of the vehicle.

[0022] [Example 1 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, road conditions to be avoided by a vehicle when the identified abnormal part is a spark plug and the predicted failure state is knocking will be described.

[0023] An abnormality in the spark plug can be detected, for example, by vibrations in the engine speed of the internal combustion engine. The degree of abnormality in the spark plug can be evaluated by the frequency of the vibrations. Knocking, if left unchecked, can lead to a breakdown in the internal combustion engine.

[0024] Therefore, when the abnormal part is a spark plug and the predicted failure state is knocking, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, for example, roads with an uphill gradient (uphill, upward slope), congested roads that require repeated starts, roads with many traffic lights, etc. as avoidance road conditions.

[0025] The road conditions to be avoided can be evaluated based on the gradient if the road is an uphill slope, the degree of congestion if the road is congested, or the number of traffic lights if the road has many traffic lights.

[0026] Note that knocking may occur in the internal combustion engine even when the identified abnormal part is an O2 sensor or an injector and the predicted failure state is an abnormal sensor value of the O2 sensor or an abnormal fuel injection amount of the injector. Therefore, even when the abnormal part is an O2 sensor or an injector and the predicted failure state is an abnormal sensor value of the O2 sensor or an abnormal fuel injection amount of the injector, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, as avoidance road conditions, roads with an uphill gradient (uphill), congested roads that require repeated starts, roads with many traffic lights, etc.

[0027] [Example 2 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, a road condition to be avoided by the vehicle when the identified abnormal part is a torque converter clutch and the predicted failure state is wear of the friction material of the clutch will be described.

[0028] An abnormality in the torque converter clutch can be detected, for example, by vibrations in the clutch slip value. The degree of the abnormality in the torque converter clutch can be evaluated by the magnitude of the vibrations in the clutch slip value. If a high load is applied to the torque converter clutch when it is worn, the transmission may vibrate, which may lead to transmission failure.

[0029] Therefore, when the abnormal part is a torque converter clutch and the predicted failure state is wear of the friction material of the clutch, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, for example, roads with an uphill slope (uphill), congested roads that require repeated starts, and roads with many traffic lights as avoidance road conditions.

[0030] [Example 3 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, road conditions to be avoided by a vehicle when the identified abnormal part is a brake rotor of the vehicle and the predicted failure state is that the braking of the vehicle is affected by wear and deterioration of the brake rotor will be described.

[0031] An abnormality in a vehicle's brake rotor can be detected, for example, by abnormal noise emitted from the brake rotor. The degree of the abnormality in the brake rotor can be evaluated, for example, by the volume and frequency change of the abnormal noise. If a high load is applied to a brake rotor that is already worn, the rotor wear will be further accelerated, which may affect the braking of the vehicle.

[0032] Therefore, when the abnormal part is the brake rotor of the vehicle and the predicted failure state is that the braking of the vehicle will be affected due to wear and deterioration of the brake rotor, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, as avoidance road conditions, roads with a downward slope (downhill, downward ramp), congested roads that require repeated stopping, roads with many traffic lights, etc.

[0033] The road conditions to be avoided can be evaluated based on the slope if the road is a downward slope.

[0034] [Example 4 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, consider road conditions to be avoided by a vehicle when the identified abnormal part is a motor or alternator and the predicted failure condition is bearing wear.

[0035] Abnormalities in a vehicle's motor or alternator can be detected, for example, by fluctuations in the motor or alternator's rotation speed or abnormal noise caused by vibration of the rotating shaft. The degree of abnormality (bearing wear) in the motor or alternator can be evaluated by the magnitude of fluctuations in the motor or alternator's rotation speed or the volume of the abnormal noise. When the bearing is worn, a gap forms between the rotating shaft and the bearing, causing the rotating shaft to wobble. Applying vibration to the entire motor or alternator in this state poses a risk of damaging or breaking the rotating shaft.

[0036] Therefore, when the abnormal part is a motor or an alternator and the predicted failure state is bearing wear, the road avoidance condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, as a road avoidance condition, for example, a rough road (uneven road) with a large surface irregularity that causes vibrations to the vehicle.

[0037] If the road is uneven, the road condition to be avoided can be evaluated based on the magnitude of the unevenness.

[0038] [Example 5 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, consider road conditions to be avoided by a vehicle when the identified abnormal part is a drive shaft boot and the predicted fault condition is joint looseness.

[0039] Abnormalities in driveshaft boots are caused by deterioration of the rubber components used in the driveshaft, and can be detected, for example, by abnormal noise caused by rattle. The severity of the driveshaft boot abnormality can be evaluated, for example, by the volume of the abnormal noise. If vibrations are applied to the driveshaft boot while it is rattling, this can damage the driveshaft bearing or tear the driveshaft boot.

[0040] Therefore, when the abnormal part is a drive shaft boot and the predicted failure state is joint looseness, the road to be avoided condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, for example, a rough road with a large surface irregularity that causes vibrations to the vehicle as a road to be avoided condition.

[0041] [Example 6 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, the following describes road conditions for the vehicle to avoid when the identified abnormal part is an electronic part and the predicted failure state is a malfunction due to a half-fitted connector (poor connection) or a poor contact point such as solder.

[0042] Abnormalities in electronic components due to incomplete mating (poor connection) of connectors or malfunctions due to poor contacts of solder or the like can be detected, for example, by intermittent loss of electrical signals. The degree of abnormality in the electronic component, i.e., the degree of incomplete mating or poor contact of connectors, can be evaluated, for example, by the frequency of loss of electrical signals. If vibrations are applied to an electronic component in a state where the electronic component is incompletely mated or has poor contact, the connector mating portion or solder contact portion will further separate, causing a complete loss of sensor signal.

[0043] Therefore, if the abnormal part is an electronic part and the predicted failure state is a malfunction due to a partially mated connector (poor connection) or a poor contact point of solder, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, as an avoidance road condition, for example, a rough road with a large uneven surface that causes vibrations to the vehicle.

[0044] [Example 7 of abnormal parts, predicted failure states, and corresponding road conditions to avoid] For example, road conditions to be avoided by a vehicle when the identified abnormal part is a power steering and the predicted failure state is deterioration of a pump belt will be described.

[0045] An abnormality in the power steering can be detected, for example, by belt noise, which is an abnormal noise generated by the pump belt. The degree of the power steering abnormality, i.e., the degree of deterioration of the pump belt, can be evaluated, for example, by the volume and frequency of the belt noise. If the steering wheel is turned and a load is applied to the belt when the power steering pump belt is deteriorated, the deterioration of the belt will accelerate, and the belt may break.

[0046] Therefore, when the abnormal part is the power steering and the predicted failure state is deterioration of the pump belt, the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 acquires, for example, a curved road with a large curvature (curved road) as an avoidance road condition. If the road is curved, the avoidance road condition can be evaluated based on the magnitude of the curvature. Note that a curved road includes a route that requires a change of course by turning right or left at an intersection.

[0047] The route search unit 109 searches for candidate driving routes (candidate avoidance routes) as candidate routes that the vehicle can take to reach the destination, based on the remaining driving distance estimated by the remaining driving distance estimation unit 104, the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 106, and the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 107. The destination is, for example, a repair center, a home, a workplace, etc. The route search unit 109 corresponds to a candidate route acquisition unit.

[0048] The route evaluation unit 110 evaluates each of the travel route candidates searched for by the route search unit 109 based on the avoidance road conditions acquired by the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108 and the predetermined avoidance points.

[0049] [Example 1 of evaluation method for route candidates] An evaluation method when the travel route candidate is an uphill road will be described.

[0050] An evaluation method for when the candidate driving route is an uphill road may be, for example, to use a slope index whose value increases the greater the slope in the uphill direction relative to the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, and calculate a value by integrating the slope index at each point on the candidate driving route over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate driving route, and the smaller the calculated integrated value, the higher the evaluation of the candidate driving route.

[0051] In addition, when the candidate driving route is an uphill road, the evaluation method may be, for example, to extract sections of the candidate driving route where the slope index is equal to or greater than a threshold, calculate the total distance of the extracted sections, and give the candidate driving route a higher evaluation the shorter the total distance.

[0052] Alternatively, the evaluation method when the travel route candidate is a road with an upslope may be, for example, an evaluation method in which the travel route candidate is divided into a plurality of divided travel route candidates (divided route candidates), and if the slope index of the divided travel route candidate is equal to or greater than a threshold, the divided travel route candidate is determined to be a road that should be avoided, and the number of times the divided travel route candidate is passed through that road that should be avoided is calculated, and the fewer the number of times the divided travel route candidate is passed through, the higher the evaluation of that travel route candidate.In other words, the evaluation method when the travel route candidate is a road with an upslope may be, for example, an evaluation method in which each travel route candidate is divided into a plurality of divided travel route candidates in advance, and the evaluation of a travel route candidate with a smaller number of divided travel route candidates with a slope index equal to or greater than a threshold is higher.

[0053] The threshold value of the inclination index may be changed based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part.

[0054] [Example 2 of evaluation method for route candidates] An evaluation method when the travel route candidate is a downward slope road will be described.

[0055] An evaluation method for when the candidate driving route is a road with a downward slope may be, for example, to use a slope index whose value increases as the slope increases downward relative to the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, and calculate a value by integrating the slope index at each point on the candidate driving route over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate driving route, so that the smaller the calculated integral value, the higher the evaluation of the candidate driving route.

[0056] When the candidate driving route is a road with a downward slope, an evaluation method may be, for example, to use a slope index whose value increases as the slope increases downward relative to the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, extract sections of the candidate driving route where the slope index is equal to or greater than a threshold value, calculate the total distance of the extracted sections, and give the candidate driving route a higher evaluation the shorter the total distance.

[0057] An evaluation method when a travel route candidate is a road with a downward slope may be, for example, an evaluation method in which the travel route candidate is divided into a plurality of divided travel route candidates, and if the slope index of the divided travel route candidate is equal to or greater than a threshold, the divided travel route candidate is determined to be a road that should be avoided, and the number of times the divided travel route candidate is passed through that road that should be avoided is calculated, and the fewer the number of times the divided travel route candidate is passed through, the higher the evaluation of that travel route candidate.In other words, an evaluation method when a travel route candidate is a road with a downward slope may be, for example, an evaluation method in which each travel route candidate is divided into a plurality of divided travel route candidates in advance, and a travel route candidate with a smaller number of divided travel route candidates with a slope index equal to or greater than a threshold is evaluated higher.

[0058] The threshold value of the inclination index may be changed based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part. More specifically, as in the above-mentioned example 3 of the avoided road condition, if the abnormal part is a brake rotor and the predicted failure state is that wear and deterioration of the brake rotor will affect the braking of the vehicle, the threshold value may be made smaller as the magnitude of the brake squeal of the brake rotor increases.

[0059] Table 1 shows examples of brake rotor squeal, gradient index thresholds, and whether roads with each gradient are safe to drive on or recommended for avoidance, depending on the gradient index threshold. Here, the gradient is expressed as 10%, for example, a gradient that increases in height by 10 meters after traveling 100 meters.

[0060] [Table 1]

[0061] [Example 3 of evaluation method for route candidates] An evaluation method when the candidate driving route is on a rough road will be described.

[0062] When a candidate driving route is a bumpy road, an evaluation method may be, for example, to use the degree of bumpiness linked to map information to calculate a value obtained by integrating the degree of bumpiness at each point on the candidate driving route over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate driving route, and the smaller the calculated integral value, the higher the evaluation of the candidate driving route.

[0063] When the candidate driving route is a bumpy road, the evaluation method may be, for example, to extract sections of the candidate driving route where the degree of bumpiness is above a threshold, calculate the total distance of the extracted sections, and evaluate the candidate driving route higher the shorter the total distance.

[0064] An evaluation method when a candidate driving route is a rough road may be, for example, an evaluation method in which the candidate driving route is divided into a plurality of candidate divided driving routes, and if the roughness of the candidate divided driving route is equal to or greater than a threshold, the candidate divided driving route is determined to be a road that should be avoided, and the number of times that the candidate divided driving route is passed through the candidate divided driving route that is determined to be a road that should be avoided is calculated, and the fewer the number of times that the candidate divided driving route is passed through, the higher the evaluation of the candidate driving route.In other words, an evaluation method when a candidate driving route is a rough road may be, for example, an evaluation method in which each candidate driving route is divided into a plurality of candidate divided driving routes in advance, and the candidate driving route that has a smaller number of candidate divided driving route candidates with a roughness equal to or greater than a threshold is evaluated higher.

[0065] When a candidate driving route is an uneven road, for example, if the candidate driving route is covered with snow, the evaluation may be based on information about temporary unevenness caused by snow recorded in the map database 20.

[0066] The threshold value of the degree of irregularity may be changed based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part.

[0067] [Example 4 of evaluation method for route candidates] An evaluation method when a travel route candidate is a curved road will be described.

[0068] When the candidate driving route is a curved road, the evaluation method may be, for example, to calculate the value obtained by integrating the curvature at each point on the candidate driving route over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate driving route, and the smaller the calculated integral value, the higher the evaluation of the candidate driving route.

[0069] When the candidate driving route is a curved road, the evaluation method may be, for example, to extract sections of the candidate driving route where the curvature is above a threshold, calculate the total distance of the extracted sections, and give the candidate driving route a higher evaluation the shorter the total distance.

[0070] An evaluation method when a travel route candidate is a curved road may be, for example, an evaluation method in which the travel route candidate is divided into a plurality of divided travel route candidates, and if the curvature of the divided travel route candidate is equal to or greater than a threshold, the divided travel route candidate is determined to be a road that should be avoided, and the number of times that the divided travel route candidate is passed through that road that should be avoided is calculated, and the fewer the number of times that the divided travel route candidate is passed through, the higher the evaluation of that travel route candidate.In other words, an evaluation method in which a travel route candidate is a curved road may be, for example, an evaluation method in which each travel route candidate is divided into a plurality of divided travel route candidates in advance, and a travel route candidate with a smaller number of divided travel route candidates with a curvature equal to or greater than a threshold is evaluated higher.

[0071] The threshold value of the curvature may be changed based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part.

[0072] [Example 5 of evaluation method for route candidates] The evaluation method when the travel route candidate is a congested road will be described.

[0073] When a candidate driving route is a congested road, the evaluation method may be, for example, to extract congested sections from the candidate driving route, calculate the total distance of the extracted sections, and evaluate the candidate driving route higher the shorter the total distance.

[0074] [Example 6 of evaluation method for route candidates] An evaluation method when a candidate driving route is a road with many traffic lights will be described.

[0075] When a candidate driving route is a road with many traffic lights, the evaluation method may be, for example, to calculate the number of traffic lights that the candidate driving route passes through, and the fewer the number, the higher the evaluation of the candidate driving route.

[0076] [Example 7 of evaluation method for route candidates] An evaluation method will be described for the case where the identified abnormal parts are the clutch and alternator of the torque converter and the candidate driving routes are an uphill road, a congested road, a road with many traffic lights, and a rough road.

[0077] In such a case, the evaluation method for the travel route candidates may be, for example, to evaluate the travel route candidates based on the respective avoidance road conditions and to perform a final evaluation of the travel route candidates by integrating all of the avoidance road conditions. For example, when an evaluation index 1 for uphill slopes is calculated based on example 1 of the evaluation method for travel route candidates, an evaluation index 2 for congested roads is calculated based on example 5 of the evaluation method for travel route candidates, an evaluation index 3 for roads with many traffic lights is calculated based on example 6 of the evaluation method for travel route candidates, and an evaluation index 4 for uneven roads is calculated based on example 3 of the evaluation method for travel route candidates, the evaluation method may be such that the linear sum of evaluation index 1, evaluation index 2, evaluation index 3, and evaluation index 4 is used as the final evaluation index to evaluate the travel route candidates.

[0078] In addition, the route evaluation unit 110 may be configured to set one or more of a railroad crossing, an intersection, and a narrow road as an avoidance point in advance, evaluate the number of times the candidate driving route passes through the avoidance point, and correct the evaluation of the candidate driving route evaluated based on the avoidance road conditions so that the smaller the number of times, the higher the evaluation.

[0079] The route setting unit 111 sets an avoidance route along which the vehicle should travel, based on the evaluation values ​​of the travel route candidates evaluated by the route evaluation unit 110. That is, the route setting unit 111 sets the travel route candidate with the highest evaluation value as the avoidance route. The route setting unit 111 corresponds to an avoidance route setting unit.

[0080] The external reporting unit 112 reports to the outside the abnormal part identified by the faulty part identifying unit 103, the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, and the avoidance route set by the route setting unit 111. The external reporting unit 112 may report to a fire department or road service, for example, using a mobile phone line. The external reporting unit 112 may also report to the outside at least one of the identified abnormal part, the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, the destination, and the avoidance route.

[0081] The notification unit 113 notifies the occupant of at least one of the following: that the vehicle will be guided to the destination; the faulty state of the vehicle predicted from the abnormal part identified by the faulty part identification unit 103 and the detected abnormality; and that an avoidance route has been set in accordance with the faulty state of the vehicle predicted from the abnormal part and the detected abnormality.

[0082] The vehicle control unit 114 automatically controls the vehicle based on the avoidance route set by the route setting unit 111, and causes the vehicle to travel to the destination.

[0083] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of control of a vehicle equipped with the route setting device 1.

[0084] In step S10, vehicle information is acquired. In step S11, the condition of the road on which the vehicle has traveled is evaluated. In step S12, the road condition in the map database is updated based on the road condition evaluated in step S11.

[0085] In step S13, it is determined whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle based on the vehicle information. If it is determined in step S13 that an abnormality that could lead to a breakdown has occurred in the vehicle, the process proceeds to step S14. If it is determined in step S13 that an abnormality that could lead to a breakdown has not occurred in the vehicle, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0086] In step S14, the abnormal part of the vehicle and the fault state of the vehicle that is predicted from the detected abnormality are identified.

[0087] Steps S151, S152, and S153 are steps that are processed in parallel after step S14. Step S152 is a step group consisting of steps S1521, S1522, and S1523. The results of the parallel processing consisting of steps S151, S152, and S153 are sent to step S16.

[0088] In step S151, the remaining driving distance (travel distance) is estimated based on, for example, the abnormal part and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality.

[0089] In step S1521, the vehicle's current position information is acquired, in step S1522, map information of the area around the current vehicle position is acquired, and in step S1523, traffic information of the area around the current vehicle position is acquired.

[0090] In step S153, the avoidance road condition requirements corresponding to the abnormal part and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality are acquired.

[0091] In step S16, candidate driving routes that the vehicle can take to reach the destination are searched for.

[0092] In step S17, the searched travel route candidates are evaluated.

[0093] In step S18, an avoidance route to the destination to be finally traveled is determined based on the evaluation value of the travel route candidate. That is, in step S18, the travel route candidate with the highest evaluation value is set as the avoidance route.

[0094] In step S19, the abnormal part, the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, and an avoidance route to the destination are reported to the outside.

[0095] In step S20, route guidance to the destination is provided to the vehicle occupant (driver).

[0096] In step S21, the vehicle is automatically driven (automatically driven) along the determined avoidance route to the destination.

[0097] In step S22, it is determined whether the vehicle has reached the planned stopping location, which is the destination. If it is determined in step S22 that the vehicle has reached the destination, the automatically driven vehicle is stopped and the current routine is terminated. If it is determined in step S22 that the vehicle has not reached the planned stopping location, the routine proceeds to step S14. If the routine proceeds from step S22 to step S14, the abnormal component and the predicted vehicle failure state based on the detected abnormality are reevaluated, and an avoidance route to the destination is reconsidered depending on the degree of the abnormality and changes in traffic conditions.

[0098] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment sets an avoidance route based on avoidance road conditions associated with abnormal parts of the vehicle and the vehicle's failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, and therefore can avoid avoidance routes that would worsen the failure.

[0099] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment sets an avoidance route to a destination such as a repair base based on the remaining driving distance, so that the vehicle can travel along an avoidance route that ensures the vehicle reaches the destination such as a repair base.

[0100] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the value obtained by integrating the slope index of a candidate travel route with respect to the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate travel route as an index for route evaluation, and is therefore able to perform route evaluation that is correlated with the load on faulty parts on slopes.

[0101] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the distance of a section in a candidate travel route where the slope index is equal to or greater than a threshold as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can avoid avoidance routes in which a slope will certainly worsen a breakdown.

[0102] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the number of times a candidate travel route passes through a section where the slope index is equal to or greater than a threshold as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can easily set a route that avoids avoidance routes where a breakdown is aggravated by slopes.

[0103] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the value obtained by integrating the degree of roughness of a candidate driving route over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate driving route as an index for route evaluation, and is therefore able to perform route evaluation that correlates with the load on faulty parts on rough roads.

[0104] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the distance of the section in the candidate driving route where the degree of roughness is equal to or greater than a threshold as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can avoid avoidance routes in which a breakdown will certainly worsen due to uneven roads.

[0105] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the number of times a candidate route passes through a section where the degree of roughness is equal to or greater than a threshold as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can easily set a route that avoids an avoidance route where a breakdown is aggravated by uneven roads.

[0106] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment calculates the degree of unevenness from the vibration information of the wheel speed sensor and associates it with the location information in the map information of the vehicle itself or the map information of the server, so that when a sign of a component failure is detected, route evaluation based on the degree of unevenness can be performed for each route candidate.

[0107] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the value obtained by integrating the curvature of a candidate driving route over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the candidate driving route as an index for route evaluation, and is therefore able to perform route evaluation that correlates with the load on faulty parts on curved roads.

[0108] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the distance of the section in the candidate driving route where the curvature is equal to or greater than a threshold as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can avoid avoidance routes in which curved roads are likely to worsen a breakdown.

[0109] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the number of times a candidate travel route passes through a section where the curvature is equal to or greater than a threshold as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can easily set a route that avoids avoidance routes where curved roads worsen malfunctions.

[0110] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses congested sections of a travel route candidate as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can avoid routes where congestion increases the number of starts and stops and worsens breakdowns.

[0111] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses the number of times a candidate route passes through traffic lights as an index for route evaluation, and therefore can avoid routes in which the number of starts and stops due to traffic lights increases and breakdowns worsen.

[0112] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment changes the route evaluation threshold depending on the degree of abnormality, and therefore can set an optimal route in terms of both the time required to reach the repair point and the reduction of component failure and deterioration.

[0113] In the route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment, the avoidance road information is clearly defined as information associated with the type of abnormality of the vehicle, and therefore, information required as avoidance road information can be associated with the map.

[0114] In the route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment, avoidance routes are clearly defined, and therefore, information for evaluating each avoidance route corresponding to the map can be associated with the map.

[0115] When the route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment detects multiple abnormalities in a vehicle, it sets an avoidance route based on all of the avoidance road information associated with each abnormality, allowing the vehicle to travel to the repair point without worsening any of the identified abnormalities.

[0116] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment selects a candidate driving route that passes through the avoidance point the fewest number of times, thereby reducing the risk that the vehicle will be unable to travel at the avoidance point, posing a danger or inconvenience to the vehicle or surrounding areas.

[0117] In the route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment, the avoidance points are clearly defined, so that the number of times the avoidance points are passed can be evaluated.

[0118] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment reevaluates vehicle abnormalities and traffic information and updates the avoidance route, so that the vehicle can travel along the optimal route.

[0119] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment notifies the vehicle occupants of at least one of the following: guidance to the destination, information about the detected vehicle abnormality, and setting of an avoidance route according to the degree of the detected vehicle abnormality, so that the occupants can perform driving operations or take measures according to the malfunction.

[0120] The route setting device 1 of the above-described embodiment uses an automatic driving function to travel along the set avoidance route, so that the vehicle can travel along the set avoidance route that minimizes the deterioration of the failure.

[0121] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0122] In the above-described embodiment, the route setting device 1 may be provided on a cloud server, except for the vehicle information acquisition unit 100, the location information acquisition unit 105, etc., which need to be installed in the vehicle, and exchange (input / output) the necessary information with the vehicle.

[0123] In the above-described embodiment, the various databases may be built into the route setting device 1, and the contents may be updated by communicating with an external device as needed.

[0124] In the above-described embodiment, the avoidance route to the destination may be determined based on at least the avoidance road conditions acquired by the avoidance road condition acquisition unit 108. In other words, the avoidance route to the destination may be determined by appropriately selecting information other than the avoidance road conditions from among the remaining travelable distance, map information, traffic information, and avoidance road conditions.

[0125] In the above-described embodiment, the route setting device 1 may, for example, only display an avoidance route to the destination on the in-vehicle car navigation screen, and leave the driving of the vehicle on the avoidance route to the destination to the driver (no automatic driving is performed).

[0126] In the above-described embodiment, the route setting device 1 may notify the vehicle occupants of at least one of guidance information for an avoidance route to the destination, the identified abnormal part, and the vehicle failure state predicted from the detected abnormality.

[0127] In the above-described embodiment, the external reporting unit 112 may notify a predetermined notification destination set in advance of at least one of the vehicle's location information, the vehicle's destination, an avoidance route to the destination, the vehicle's abnormal part, and the vehicle's failure state predicted from the detected abnormality, depending on the abnormal part of the vehicle and the vehicle's failure state predicted from the detected abnormality.

[0128] In the above-described embodiment, the avoidance route may be determined (set) using the remaining travel time (travel time) from the current time point instead of the remaining travel distance (travelable distance).

[0129] In the above-described embodiment, while the vehicle is being driven automatically on an avoidance route to the destination, the driver may decide to cancel the automatic driving and drive the vehicle himself / herself.

[0130] In the route setting device 1 of the first embodiment described above, the vehicle occupants may be notified of at least one of the destination, an avoidance route to the destination, an abnormal part of the vehicle, and a failure state of the vehicle predicted from the detected abnormality.

[0131] The above-described embodiments relate to a vehicle route setting method and a vehicle route setting device.

Claims

1. A vehicle route setting method performed by a route setting device, comprising: When the route setting device determines that an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, the route setting device identifies an abnormal part that is an abnormal part among parts attached to the vehicle, the route setting device acquires a plurality of route candidates to a predetermined destination of the vehicle; the route setting device acquires, from a database, avoidance road information that is information about roads that should be avoided corresponding to the abnormal part; the route setting device evaluates route candidates based on avoidance road information; a route setting method for a vehicle in which the route setting device sets an avoidance route to the destination based on evaluation of route candidates, The route setting method for a vehicle, in which the route setting device determines that a road is one that should be avoided if the evaluation of the route candidate is above a threshold value, and changes the value of the threshold value based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part.

2. A vehicle route setting method performed by a route setting device, comprising: The route setting device detects an abnormality in the vehicle, the route setting device calculates a remaining driving distance until the vehicle becomes unable to travel, the route setting device acquires a plurality of route candidates to a predetermined destination of the vehicle based on the remaining mileage; the route setting device acquires avoidance road information, which is information about roads to be avoided that are associated with the abnormality, from a predetermined avoidance road information database; The route setting method for a vehicle, in which the route setting device sets an avoidance route to the destination based on route candidates and avoidance road information, and after setting the avoidance route, re-evaluates the abnormality, re-acquires the avoidance road information, and resets the avoidance route.

3. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the route setting device calculates an integral value of the slope by integrating the slope index of a route candidate with the distance along the direction of the route candidate toward the destination, and sets the route candidate with the smallest integral value of the slope as the route to the destination.

4. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device calculates the total distance of the sections where the slope index of the route candidate is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and sets the route candidate with the shortest total distance as the route to the destination.

5. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device divides route candidates into a plurality of divided route candidates, calculates the number of passes through the divided route candidates whose slope index is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and sets the route candidate with the smallest number of passes as the route to the destination.

6. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the route setting device calculates an integral value of the roughness of a route candidate by integrating the roughness of the route candidate over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the route candidate, and sets the route candidate with the smallest integral value of the roughness as the route to the destination.

7. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device calculates the total distance of sections where the roughness of the route candidates is greater than or equal to the threshold, and sets the route candidate with the shortest total distance as the route to the destination.

8. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device divides route candidates into a plurality of divided route candidates, calculates the number of times the divided route candidates have to pass through when the roughness of the route candidates is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and sets the route candidate with the smallest number of passes as the route to the destination.

9. A vehicle route setting method described in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the route setting device calculates the degree of unevenness based on the wheel speed of the vehicle detected by a wheel speed sensor, and associates the degree of unevenness with location information from a predetermined map information database.

10. A vehicle route setting method as described in claim 2, wherein the route setting device calculates the integral value of the curvature of a route candidate by integrating the curvature of the route candidate over the distance along the direction toward the destination of the route candidate, and sets the route candidate with the smallest integral value of the curvature as the route to the destination.

11. The route setting method for a vehicle described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device calculates the total distance of the sections where the curvature of the route candidate is greater than or equal to the threshold, and sets the route candidate with the shortest total distance as the route to the destination.

12. The route setting method for a vehicle described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device divides route candidates into a plurality of divided route candidates, calculates the number of times the route candidates pass through the divided route candidates whose curvature is greater than or equal to the threshold, and sets the route candidate with the smallest number of passes as the route to the destination.

13. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the route setting device calculates the distance of the congested section of the route candidate, and sets the route candidate with the shortest distance of the congested section as the route to the destination.

14. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the route setting device calculates the number of traffic light passages for the route candidates and sets the route candidate with the smallest number of traffic light passages as the route to the destination.

15. A vehicle route setting method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein in the route setting device, the avoidance road information is information associated with the type of abnormality.

16. A vehicle route setting method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein in the route setting device, the avoidance route includes at least one of a slope, an uneven road, and a curved road.

17. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, in which, when the route setting device detects multiple abnormalities, it sets the avoidance route based on all of the avoidance road information associated with each of the abnormalities.

18. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the route setting device sets the avoidance route taking into account the number of times the vehicle passes through a predetermined avoidance point that has been set in advance.

19. A vehicle route setting method as described in Claim 18, wherein in the route setting device, the avoidance points include at least one of a railroad crossing, an intersection, and a narrow road.

20. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein after setting the avoidance route, the route setting device re-evaluates the abnormality, re-acquires the avoidance road information, and re-sets the avoidance route.

21. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the route setting device notifies the occupants of the vehicle of at least one of the following: guidance to the destination, information regarding the abnormality, and setting an avoidance route according to the severity of the abnormality.

22. A route setting method for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the route setting device causes the vehicle to travel along the avoidance route using a predetermined automatic driving function.

23. A vehicle route setting method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein in the route setting device, the destination is either a repair base, the driver's home, or the driver's workplace.

24. an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the vehicle; a faulty part identification unit that, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, identifies an abnormal part that is an abnormal part among parts attached to the vehicle; a route candidate acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of route candidates to a predetermined destination of the vehicle; an avoidance road condition acquisition unit that acquires, from a database, avoidance road information that is information about roads that should be avoided in accordance with the abnormal part; a route evaluation unit that evaluates route candidates based on avoidance road information; an avoidance route setting unit that sets an avoidance route to the destination based on the evaluation of the route candidates; A vehicle route planning device that determines that a road is one that should be avoided when the evaluation of a route candidate is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and changes the value of the threshold value based on the degree of abnormality of the abnormal part.

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