Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

To properly continue automatic driving even when a camera road division line and map road division line which coincide with each other on one side alone are further deviated from each other.SOLUTION: A vehicle controller includes a recognition unit that recognizes a road division line existing in an advancing direction of a vehicle, a determination unit that determines whether the recognized road division line coincides with a map road division line based on map information stored in a memory unit, and determines whether the coinciding road division line and map road division line are deviated from each other, and a control unit that performs travel control on the vehicle. The determination unit changes requirements for determining the deviation according to a speed of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have become more active. To achieve this, we are focusing on research and development into autonomous driving technology to further improve traffic safety and convenience.

[0003] Incidentally, in autonomous driving technology, a match between road dividing lines recognized from a camera image (hereinafter sometimes referred to as camera road dividing lines) and road dividing lines recognized from map information (hereinafter sometimes referred to as map road dividing lines) is confirmed, and the lane width of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is estimated based on the matched road dividing lines on both sides or one side. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that when road dividing lines for the lane in which the vehicle is traveling are detected on only one side, the lane width of the lane in question is estimated based on the detected road dividing lines and a preset basic lane width, and lane keeping control is continued. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-148893 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional technology does not deal with cases where a further deviation occurs between the camera-captured road markings and the map-based road markings that match only on one side, and does not appropriately continue autonomous driving. As a result, when a further deviation occurs between the camera-captured road markings and the map-based road markings that match only on one side, the level of autonomous driving is lowered, which can cause discomfort to occupants.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can appropriately continue automated driving even when a further deviation occurs between the camera-recorded road-dividing line and the map-recorded road-dividing line, which only match on one side, and that ultimately contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle control device according to the present invention employs the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes road dividing lines present in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a judgment unit that determines whether the recognized road dividing lines match map road dividing lines based on map information stored in a memory unit and judges the deviation between the matched road dividing lines and the map road dividing lines, and a control unit that controls the driving of the vehicle, and the judgment unit changes the conditions for determining the deviation depending on the speed of the vehicle.

[0008] (2): In the aspect (1) above, the judgment unit changes the conditions so that the deviation is less likely to be detected when the vehicle speed is low compared to when the vehicle speed is high.

[0009] (3): In the above aspect (2), when the speed is equal to or less than a first speed and equal to or greater than a second speed that is smaller than the first speed, the judgment unit changes the conditions depending on the speed of the vehicle so that the deviation is less likely to be detected, and when the speed is less than the second speed, the judgment unit sets the conditions to be the same.

[0010] (4): In any of the above aspects (1) to (3), the judgment unit changes the conditions for judging the deviation between the road dividing line on one side and the map road dividing line when the road dividing line and the map road dividing line are judged to match only on one side.

[0011] (5): In the above aspect (4), the condition is a first threshold value regarding the angle difference between the road dividing line on one side and the map road dividing line, and the judgment unit changes the first threshold value depending on the speed.

[0012] (6): In the above aspect (5), when the control unit determines that the angle difference is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and the first angle difference between the road dividing line on one side and the map road dividing line and the second angle difference between the road dividing line on the other side and the map road dividing line are both greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and the first angle difference and the second angle difference are angle differences in the same direction, the control unit controls the vehicle's driving in accordance with the recognized road dividing line.

[0013] (7): Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which a computer mounted on a vehicle recognizes road dividing lines present in the direction of travel of the vehicle, determines whether the recognized road dividing lines match map road dividing lines based on map information stored in a memory unit, determines the deviation between the matched road dividing lines and the map road dividing lines, controls the vehicle's driving, and changes the conditions for determining the deviation depending on the speed of the vehicle.

[0014] (8): Another aspect of the present invention provides a program that causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to recognize road dividing lines that exist in the direction of travel of the vehicle, determine whether the recognized road dividing lines match map road dividing lines based on map information stored in a memory unit, determine the deviation between the matched road dividing lines and the map road dividing lines, control the vehicle's driving, and change the conditions for determining the deviation depending on the speed of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the aspect (1) above, in comparison with the case where the same conditions are set uniformly for determining the deviation, a determination is made according to the vehicle speed, and it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to continue the cruise control.

[0016] According to the above aspect (2), by tightening the conditions for determining deviation in the low-speed range where there is sufficient time before the vehicle deviates from the lane, it is possible to prevent situations in which driving control is momentarily released or its level is reduced.

[0017] According to the above aspect (3), it is possible to prevent low-precision driving control from continuing when the vehicle is in an extremely low speed range.

[0018] According to the above aspect (4), driving control can be continued appropriately compared to the conventional technology in which driving control is released or reduced in level when one side of the road dividing line and one side of the map road dividing line become inconsistent and a deviation occurs on the other side that matches.

[0019] According to the above aspect (6), while continuing driving control at low speeds, if it is determined that the road dividing lines recognized by the recognition unit are more reliable than the map road dividing lines, driving control can be performed in accordance with the road dividing lines without using the map road dividing lines.

[0020] According to the above aspects (1) to (8), even if a further deviation occurs between the camera road dividing line and the map road dividing line that match on only one side, automatic driving can be continued appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system using a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a first control unit and a second control unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence relationship between a driving mode, a control state of a host vehicle, and a task. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the next scene to which the technology according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing an example of a method for changing the first threshold value Th by the determination unit 132. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] [Overall configuration] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted may be, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source may be an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0024] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitor camera 70, a driving operator 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are connected to each other via multiplexed communication lines such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, serial communication lines, a wireless communication network, etc. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configurations may be added.

[0025] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to any location of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) in which the vehicle system 1 is installed. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly captures images of the surroundings of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0026] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object using an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0027] The LIDAR 14 irradiates the surroundings of the vehicle M with light (or electromagnetic waves with wavelengths similar to light) and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to any location on the vehicle M.

[0028] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0029] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0030] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, a speaker, a buzzer, a touch panel, switches, keys, and the like.

[0031] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0032] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensors 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may share some or all of the components with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter, a map route) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents road shapes using, for example, links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may also include information such as road curvature and POI (Point of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet device owned by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0033] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing it into 100 m intervals in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. When there is a branch point on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route to the branch point.

[0034] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the centers of lanes or information on lane boundaries. The second map information 62 may also include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, information on prohibited sections where mode A or mode B, described below, is prohibited, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

[0035] The driver monitor camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS. The driver monitor camera 70 is attached to any location on the vehicle M in a position and orientation that allows it to capture an image of the head of an occupant (hereinafter, driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (in an orientation that captures an image of the face). For example, the driver monitor camera 70 is attached to the top of a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M.

[0036] The driving operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. The driving operators 80 are equipped with sensors that detect the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation, and the detection results are output to the automatic driving control device 100 or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operator that accepts steering operation by the driver." The operator does not necessarily have to be annular and may be in the form of an irregular steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. A steering grip sensor 84 is attached to the steering wheel 82. The steering grip sensor 84 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like, and outputs a signal to the automatic driving control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 (meaning that the driver is in contact with the steering wheel in a state where force can be applied).

[0037] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an SOC (System On Chip), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as a HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device. The automatic driving control device 100 including the determination unit 132 and the correction unit 134 described below is an example of a "vehicle control device."

[0038] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, a determination unit 132, an action plan generation unit 140, and a mode determination unit 150. The first control unit 120, for example, implements functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a predefined model in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing intersections" may be implemented by executing intersection recognition using deep learning or the like and recognition based on predefined conditions (such as traffic lights and road markings that can be pattern-matched) in parallel, and then scoring and comprehensively evaluating both. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

[0039] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of an object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of an object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of an object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavioral state" (for example, whether the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

[0040] The recognition unit 130 also recognizes, for example, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines obtained from the second map information 62 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "map road dividing lines") with the pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "camera road dividing lines"). More specifically, the determination unit 132 of the recognition unit 130 calculates, for example, the deviation between the map road dividing lines and the camera road dividing lines, and if it determines that the calculated deviation is equal to or less than a predetermined value (i.e., if it determines that they match), it recognizes at least one of the map road dividing lines and the camera road dividing lines (or their midline, etc.) as the driving lane. Here, the deviation may be, for example, the angle between the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line or the distance between the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line. When calculating the distance between the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line, for example, one or more representative points may be extracted from each of the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line within a predetermined range in the traveling direction of the vehicle M, and the distance between these representative points may be used as the deviation. Note that the recognition unit 130 may recognize road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, medians, guardrails, etc. to recognize the driving lane. This recognition may take into account the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS. The recognition unit 130 also recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0041] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle it forms with a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side edge of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0042] The behavior plan generation unit 140 automatically (without driver input) generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to travel in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and to avoid approaching any objects recognized by the recognition unit 130 (excluding objects that can be overcome, such as road dividing lines, road markings, and manholes). For example, the recognition unit 130 sets a risk area centered on the object whose status has been output, and within the risk area, the recognition unit 130 sets a risk as an index value indicating the degree to which the host vehicle M should not approach. The behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to avoid passing through points where the risk is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and to travel within the recognized travel lane. Because some objects are moving, the risk distribution is not one per control cycle, but is set for multiple future time points, taking into account the future position of the object predicted based on the object's speed. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequential list of points (trajectory points) to be reached by the host vehicle M. The trajectory points are points that the host vehicle M should reach at every predetermined travel distance (for example, about several meters) along the road, and separately, the target speed and target acceleration are generated as part of the target trajectory at every predetermined sampling time (for example, about a few tenths of a second). The trajectory points may also be positions that the host vehicle M should reach at every predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is expressed as the interval between the trajectory points.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the determination unit 132 determines that the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line match on only one side, the behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to travel along (at least taking into consideration) the matched map road dividing line and camera road dividing line. As an example, the behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to travel at a point shifted a predetermined distance from the matched map road dividing line and camera road dividing line.

[0044] The behavior plan generation unit 140 may set an autonomous driving event when generating the target trajectory. The autonomous driving events include a constant speed driving event, a low-speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branching event, a merging event, a takeover event, etc. The behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory according to the activated event.

[0045] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M to be one of a plurality of driving modes that assign different tasks to the driver. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving modes, the control state of the host vehicle M, and the tasks. The driving modes of the host vehicle M include, for example, five modes, Mode A to Mode E. The control state, i.e., the degree of automation of the driving control of the host vehicle M, is Mode A, which is the highest, followed by Mode B, Mode C, and Mode D, with Mode E being the lowest. Conversely, the tasks assigned to the driver are Mode A, which is the lightest, followed by Mode B, Mode C, and Mode D, with Mode E being the most severe. Note that Modes D and E are non-autonomous driving control states, and therefore the autonomous driving control device 100 is responsible for terminating control related to autonomous driving and transitioning to driving assistance or manual driving. The contents of each driving mode are exemplified below.

[0046] In Mode A, the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state, and the driver is not required to monitor the road ahead or grip the steering wheel 82 (in the figure, gripping the steering wheel). However, even in Mode A, the driver is required to be in a position where he or she can quickly switch to manual driving in response to a request from a system centered on the automatic driving control device 100. Note that, as used herein, "automatic driving" refers to control of both steering and acceleration / deceleration without driver input. "Ahead" refers to the space in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M, as viewed through the front windshield. Mode A is a driving mode that can be implemented, for example, on a motorway such as an expressway, when certain conditions are met, such as the host vehicle M traveling at a predetermined speed (e.g., approximately 50 km / h) or less and there is a vehicle ahead to be followed, and is sometimes referred to as TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). If these conditions are no longer met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to Mode B.

[0047] In mode B, the vehicle is in a driving assistance state, and the driver is tasked with monitoring the area ahead of the vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as forward monitoring), but is not tasked with holding the steering wheel 82. In mode C, the vehicle is in a driving assistance state, and the driver is tasked with monitoring the area ahead and holding the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode that requires some degree of driver operation for at least one of steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle M. For example, in mode D, driving assistance such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is provided. Mode E is a manual driving state in which the driver must perform both steering and acceleration / deceleration operations. In both mode D and mode E, the driver is naturally tasked with monitoring the area ahead of the vehicle M.

[0048] The driving modes are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 3 and may be defined by other definitions. For example, among driving modes that require both forward monitoring and gripping the steering wheel, there may be driving modes with lenient thresholds for determining that the steering wheel is being gripped and driving modes with stricter thresholds. More specifically, driving modes may be defined such that in one driving mode, it is sufficient for the driver to have either the left or right hand touching the steering wheel 82, while in another driving mode that imposes a heavier task on the driver, the driver must grip the steering wheel 82 with both hands with a strength equal to or greater than a threshold. Driving modes that differ in the severity of the tasks imposed on the driver may be defined in any other way.

[0049] The automatic driving control device 100 (and the driving assistance device (not shown)) executes an automated lane change according to the driving mode. There are two types of automated lane changes: a system-requested automated lane change (1) and a driver-requested automated lane change (2). The automated lane change (1) is an automated lane change for overtaking, which is performed when the speed of the vehicle ahead is slower than the speed of the vehicle itself by a standard or more, and an automated lane change for proceeding toward the destination (an automated lane change due to a change in the recommended lane). The automated lane change (2) is a lane change in which, when conditions related to the speed and the positional relationship with surrounding vehicles are met and the driver operates the turn signal, the vehicle M changes lanes in the direction of the operation.

[0050] In mode A, the automatic driving control device 100 does not perform either automated lane change (1) or (2). In modes B and C, the automatic driving control device 100 performs either automated lane change (1) or (2). In mode D, the driving assistance device (not shown) does not perform automated lane change (1), but performs automated lane change (2). In mode E, neither automated lane change (1) nor (2) is performed.

[0051] When the driver does not perform a task related to the determined driving mode (hereinafter, the current driving mode), the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to a driving mode with a more severe task.

[0052] For example, in mode A, if the driver is in a position where he or she cannot switch to manual driving in response to a request from the system (for example, if the driver continues to look away from the road outside the allowable area or if a sign of driving difficulty is detected), the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to switch to manual driving, and if the driver does not comply, the mode determination unit 150 performs control such as pulling the host vehicle M to the shoulder of the road and gradually stopping it, and stopping the automatic driving. After the automatic driving is stopped, the host vehicle enters a state of mode D or E, and the host vehicle M can be started by manual operation by the driver. The same applies below to "stopping automatic driving." In mode B, if the driver is not monitoring the road ahead, the mode determination unit 150 performs control such as prompting the driver to monitor the road ahead using the HMI 30, and if the driver does not comply, pulling the host vehicle M to the shoulder of the road and gradually stopping it, and stopping the automatic driving. In mode C, if the driver is not monitoring the road ahead or is not gripping the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to monitor the road ahead and / or grip the steering wheel 82, and if the driver does not comply, the mode determination unit 150 controls the vehicle M to move to the shoulder of the road and gradually stop, thereby terminating automatic driving.

[0053] The mode determination unit 150 further monitors the driver's state for the above-mentioned mode change and determines whether the driver's state is appropriate for the task. For example, the mode determination unit 150 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70 and performs posture estimation processing to determine whether the driver is in a position that prevents them from switching to manual driving in response to a request from the system. In addition, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70 and performs line-of-sight estimation processing to determine whether the driver is monitoring the road ahead.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the determination unit 132 determines that the map road dividing lines and the camera road dividing lines do not match on both sides, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a driving mode with a more difficult task. For example, if the mode determination unit 150 determines that the map road dividing lines and the camera road dividing lines do not match on both sides while the host vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode (mode A or mode B) that does not require gripping the steering wheel, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode to mode C or a lower mode.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the determination unit 132 determines that the map road dividing line and the camera road dividing line match on only one side while the host vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode (mode A or mode B) that does not require gripping the steering wheel, the mode determination unit 150 continues the driving mode of mode A or mode B unless the conditions for determining deviation, which will be described later, are satisfied. In this case, as described above, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory that follows the matched map road dividing line or camera road dividing line.

[0056] The mode determination unit 150 further performs various processes for changing the mode. For example, the mode determination unit 150 instructs the action plan generation unit 140 to generate a target trajectory for stopping on the shoulder of the road, instructs a driving assistance device (not shown) to operate, and controls the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to take action.

[0057] The second control unit 160 controls the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at the scheduled time.

[0058] Returning to FIG. 2, the second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information on the target trajectory (trajectory points) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the driving force output device 200 or the brake device 210 based on a speed element associated with the target trajectory stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target trajectory stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is realized by, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 executes a combination of feedforward control according to the curvature of the road ahead of the host vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target trajectory.

[0059] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU controls the above components according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0060] Braking device 210 may include, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from second control unit 160 or information input from driving operation device 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. Braking device 210 may include a backup mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by operation of a brake pedal included in driving operation device 80 to the cylinder via a master cylinder. Note that braking device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from second control unit 160 to transmit hydraulic pressure from a master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0061] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor applies a force to a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor in accordance with information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0062] [Processing when one-sided match occurs] As described above, the determination unit 132 compares the map road division lines and the camera road division lines on both sides. If the determination unit 132 determines that the map road division lines and the camera road division lines match on at least one side, the behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to travel along the matched map road division lines and camera road division lines. However, in the case where, for example, the camera road division lines and the map road division lines mismatch on one side, while the camera road division lines and the map road division lines match only on the other side, and then a deviation occurs between the camera road division line and the map road division line on the matched side, conventional technology has frequently downgraded the driving mode. As a result, for example, a driving mode that does not require gripping the steering wheel (mode A or mode B) may be downgraded to a driving mode that requires gripping the steering wheel (mode C or lower), causing discomfort to the occupants.

[0063] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a scenario in which the technology according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In the left part of Fig. 4, the symbol CL represents a camera road-dividing line, the symbol ML represents a map road-dividing line, and the symbol AL represents an actual road-dividing line. The left part of Fig. 4 illustrates a first scenario in which the determination unit 132 determines that the map road-dividing line ML and the camera road-dividing line CL match on both sides, and the host vehicle M is traveling in driving mode B, which does not require gripping the steering wheel.

[0064] Then, in the second scene shown on the right side of Figure 4, the angle difference α between the left-side camera road lane line CL and the left-side map road lane line ML becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined value. In this case, the determination unit 132 determines that the left-side map road lane line ML and the right-side camera road lane line CL match, and the mode determination unit 150 determines to continue the driving mode in mode B based on the right-side map road lane line ML or the right-side camera road lane line CL. Here, the driving mode in mode B based on the left-side map road lane line ML or the right-side camera road lane line CL means that the behavior plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M using at least one of the left-side map road lane line ML and the right-side camera road lane line CL.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the next scenario to which the technology according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. The second scenario shown in the left part of FIG. 5 is the same as the second scenario shown in the right part of FIG. 4. Then, in the third scenario shown in the right part of FIG. 5, the determination unit 132 detects the angle difference β as a deviation on the right side where the camera road-dividing line CL and the map road-dividing line ML coincide. The determination unit 132 determines whether the angle difference β is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th. If the determination unit 132 determines that the angle difference β is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from mode B to mode C. On the other hand, if the determination unit 132 determines that the angle difference β is less than the first threshold value Th, the mode determination unit 150 continues the driving mode in mode B. The first threshold value Th is an example of a "condition for determining a deviation."

[0066] In this way, when the angle difference β is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th, the driving mode is changed from mode B to mode C, thereby ensuring the safety of autonomous driving. Here, in order to ensure the safety of autonomous driving, it is desirable to change the conditions so that the deviation is more easily determined the faster the speed of the host vehicle M. On the other hand, in order to ensure the continuity of autonomous driving, it is desirable to change the conditions so that the deviation is more difficult to determine the slower the speed of the host vehicle M. This is because the faster the speed of the host vehicle M, the less room the driver has to steer the steering wheel and prevent the host vehicle M from leaving its lane, while the slower the speed of the host vehicle M, the more room the driver has to steer the steering wheel and prevent the host vehicle M from leaving its lane. Therefore, in this embodiment, the determination unit 132 changes the value of the first threshold value Th to a smaller (larger) value the faster (smaller) the speed of the host vehicle M.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of a method for changing the first threshold value Th by the determination unit 132. In the graph shown in FIG. 6, the vertical axis represents the speed V [kph], and the horizontal axis represents the first threshold value Th [deg]. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, when the speed V of the host vehicle M is equal to or greater than a first speed V1, the determination unit 132 sets the first threshold value Th to a first set value Th1. Thereafter, when the speed V of the host vehicle M decreases and falls within a range less than the first speed V1 and equal to or greater than a second speed V2, the determination unit 132 decreases the first threshold value Th from the first set value Th1. Thereafter, when the speed V of the host vehicle M reaches a second speed V2, the determination unit 132 sets the first threshold value Th to a second set value Th2, even if the speed V of the host vehicle M subsequently decreases. As a result, when the speed V of the host vehicle M is high, the first threshold value Th is set to a small value to ensure the safety of autonomous driving, while when the speed V of the host vehicle M is low, the first threshold value Th is set to a large value to ensure the continuity of autonomous driving. Furthermore, by limiting the first threshold value Th to a constant value at most (i.e., the second set value Th2), the function of the first threshold value Th is ensured at the very least, and it is possible to prevent inaccurate driving control from continuing while the vehicle is traveling in an extremely low speed range.

[0068] As described above, if the angular difference β is determined to be less than the first threshold value Th, the mode B driving mode is continued. In this case, it may be problematic to determine whether to generate a target trajectory based on the camera-recorded road lane line CL or the map-recorded road lane line ML. For example, the determination unit 132 may verify the reliability of the camera-recorded road lane line CL. If the determination unit 132 determines that the camera-recorded road lane line CL is reliable, the behavior plan generation unit 140 may continue the mode B driving mode based on the camera-recorded road lane line CL. More specifically, assuming that the determination unit 132 determines that the angular difference β between the camera-recorded road lane line CL and the map-recorded road lane line ML on the matching side is greater than or equal to the first threshold value Th, if the other angular difference α and the angular difference β are greater than or equal to the second threshold value and the two angular differences α and β are in the same direction, the determination unit 132 may generate a target trajectory based on the camera-recorded road lane line CL and continue the mode B driving mode. Here, the two angular differences α and β being in the same direction means, for example, that the camera-recorded road lane line CL and the map-recorded road lane line ML, which form an angular difference, are in the same clockwise order.

[0069] Next, the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100. The processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is repeatedly executed, for example, when the host vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode B in which gripping of the steering wheel is not required.

[0070] First, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the camera road-dividing line of the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (step S100). Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the camera road-dividing line and the map road-dividing line match on only one side (step S102). If it is determined that the camera road-dividing line and the map road-dividing line do not match on only one side, the determination unit 132 returns the process to step S100.

[0071] If it is determined that the camera road lane markings and the map road lane markings match only on one side, the determination unit 132 determines whether a deviation has occurred between the camera road lane markings and the map road lane markings on the matching side (step S104). If it is determined that a deviation has occurred between the camera road lane markings and the map road lane markings on the matching side, the determination unit 132 returns the process to step S100. On the other hand, if it is determined that a deviation has occurred between the camera road lane markings and the map road lane markings on the matching side, the determination unit 132 obtains the speed of the host vehicle M from the vehicle sensor 40 and determines the first threshold value Th according to the obtained speed (step S106).

[0072] Next, the determination unit 132 determines whether the angle difference between the camera road lane marking and the map road lane marking on the matching side is equal to or greater than a first threshold (step S108). If it is determined that the angle difference between the camera road lane marking and the map road lane marking on the matching side is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from mode B to mode C (step S110). On the other hand, if it is determined that the angle difference between the camera road lane marking and the map road lane marking on the matching side is less than the first threshold, the mode determination unit 150 continues the driving mode in mode B (step S112). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0073] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of processing executed by the automatic driving control device 100. As in Fig. 7, the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is repeatedly executed, for example, when the host vehicle M is traveling in a driving mode B in which gripping of the steering wheel is not required. The processing from step S200 to step S208 is the same as the processing from step S100 to step S108, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0074] If it is determined in step S208 that the angular difference between the road lane markings on the matching side and the road lane markings on the map is less than the first threshold, the determination unit 132 determines whether the angular difference between the road lane markings on the matching side and the road lane markings on the map and the road lane markings on the other side are equal to or greater than the second threshold and are in the same direction (step S212). If it is determined that the angular difference between the road lane markings on the matching side and the road lane markings on the map and the road lane markings on the other side and the road lane markings on the other side are equal to or greater than the second threshold and are in the same direction, the behavior plan generation unit 140 continues the driving mode B based on the road lane markings on the camera (step S214). On the other hand, if it is determined that the angular difference between the road lane markings on the matching side and the road lane markings on the map and the road lane markings on the other side and the road lane markings on the other side are not equal to or greater than the second threshold or are not in the same direction, the determination unit 132 returns the process to step S210. This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0075] In the above embodiment and flowchart, it is assumed that the driving mode of the host vehicle M is mode B, which does not require gripping the steering wheel. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and can be more generally applied when determining whether to change the autonomous driving or driving assistance mode to a driving mode that requires a heavier task for the driver.

[0076] According to the present embodiment described above, when the camera road-dividing line and the map road-dividing line coincide on only one side and a deviation occurs, the conditions for determining the deviation are changed according to the speed of the vehicle, thereby ensuring the stability of autonomous driving.

[0077] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions; a processor connected to the storage medium; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: Recognizes road markings in the direction of travel of the vehicle, determining whether the recognized road dividing line matches a map road dividing line based on map information stored in a storage unit, and determining a deviation between the matched road dividing line and the map road dividing line; Carrying out driving control of the vehicle, changing a condition for determining the deviation according to a speed of the vehicle; Vehicle control device.

[0078] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 Camera 12 Radar equipment 14 LIDAR 16 Object recognition device 100 Automatic driving control device 120 First Control Section 130 Recognition part 132 Judgment section 140 Action Plan Generation Unit 150 Mode determination unit 160 Second Control Section

Claims

1. a recognition unit that recognizes road dividing lines present in the traveling direction of the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the recognized road dividing line matches a map road dividing line based on map information stored in a storage unit, and determines a deviation between the matched road dividing line and the map road dividing line; a control unit that controls the running of the vehicle, the determination unit changes a condition for determining the deviation when the speed of the vehicle is low compared to when the speed of the vehicle is high, so that the deviation is less likely to be determined. Vehicle control device.

2. When the speed is equal to or less than a first speed and equal to or greater than a second speed that is smaller than the first speed, the determination unit changes the condition according to the speed of the vehicle so that the deviation is less likely to be determined, and when the speed is less than the second speed, sets the condition to the same. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. A recognition unit that recognizes road dividing lines that exist in the direction of travel of a vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the recognized road dividing line matches a map road dividing line based on map information stored in a storage unit, and determines a deviation between the matched road dividing line and the map road dividing line; a control unit that controls the running of the vehicle, The determination unit changes a condition for determining the deviation in accordance with a speed of the vehicle, the determination unit changes a condition for determining a deviation between the road-dividing line on one side and the map road-dividing line when the road-dividing line and the map road-dividing line are determined to match only on one side. Vehicle control device.

4. the condition is a first threshold value related to an angle difference between the road dividing line on one side and the map road dividing line, The determination unit changes the first threshold value in accordance with the speed. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. the control unit performs driving control of the vehicle in accordance with the recognized road-dividing line when it is determined that the angle difference is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and when a first angle difference between the road-dividing line on one side and the map road-dividing line and a second angle difference between the road-dividing line on the other side and the map road-dividing line are both equal to or greater than a second threshold value, and when the first angle difference and the second angle difference are angle differences in the same direction. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.

6. The vehicle's on-board computer Recognizes road markings in the direction of travel of the vehicle, determining whether the recognized road dividing line matches a map road dividing line based on map information stored in a storage unit, and determining a deviation between the matched road dividing line and the map road dividing line; Carrying out driving control of the vehicle, changing the conditions for determining the deviation so that the deviation is less likely to be determined when the speed of the vehicle is low compared to when the speed of the vehicle is high; Vehicle control method.

7. The vehicle's onboard computer Recognizes road dividing lines in the direction of travel of the vehicle, determining whether the recognized road dividing line matches a map road dividing line based on map information stored in a storage unit, and determining a deviation between the matched road dividing line and the map road dividing line; Controlling the running of the vehicle; changing a condition for determining the deviation so that the deviation is less likely to be determined when the speed of the vehicle is low compared to when the speed of the vehicle is high; program.

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