Autonomous vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a control system for an automatic operation vehicle in which a person around a vehicle such as an operator can intuitively grasp a stop position of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A control system for a vehicle 1 capable of automatic travel comprises: a stop position setting part 12 which sets a stop position in front of the vehicle 1 in a traveling direction; a traveling control part 13 which causes the vehicle 1 to automatically travel up to the stop position set by the stop position setting part 12; and a projection part 60 which projects a projection element with a beam of light radiated from the vehicle 1 onto a road surface while the traveling control part 13 causes the vehicle 1 to automatically travel up to the stop position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This case relates to a control system for an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as one type of specially equipped vehicle equipped with a working unit where an operator works, a refuse truck (garbage collection truck) equipped with a refuse inlet as the working unit has been known. In the refuse truck, the operator works by putting refuse into the refuse inlet. In response to this, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology for increasing the operating speed of a movable device that pushes refuse into a collection box, provided that no person (operator) is near the refuse inlet. This is said to improve work efficiency while ensuring safety. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-193205 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, studies and tests have been conducted on autonomous driving of vehicles equipped with the above-mentioned working units. If such unmanned autonomous driving becomes a reality, it is expected that work efficiency will improve because operators will no longer need to repeatedly get on and off the vehicle to drive the vehicle and work on the working unit. When a vehicle having a working unit such as the above is operated unmanned by automatic driving using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, it is conceivable that the vehicle will automatically stop at a preset stopping location while traveling, and after the operator has completed their work, the vehicle will continue on to the next stopping location. Also, in the case of a garbage compactor, when a garbage accumulation location is detected by a camera or sensor mounted on the vehicle, it is conceivable that the vehicle will stop at a stopping location according to the detection result.

[0005] However, when an unmanned vehicle automatically determines its next stopping position, it is difficult for the vehicle and the operator to communicate with each other, which makes it difficult for the operator to intuitively grasp the exact next stopping position compared to when the driver manually determines the next stopping position using a mobile terminal. This invention was devised in light of the above-mentioned issues, and one of its objectives is to enable operators and other people around an autonomously driven vehicle to intuitively understand the vehicle's stopping position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above problems, and can be realized as the following aspects or application examples.

[0007] (1) A control system for a vehicle capable of automatic driving according to this application example includes a stop position setting unit that sets a stop position ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, a driving control unit that automatically drives the vehicle to the stop position set by the stop position setting unit, and a projection unit that projects a projection element indicating the stop position using a light beam emitted from the vehicle onto a road surface while the driving control unit is automatically driving the vehicle to the stop position. According to this invention, a stop position is set ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, and while the vehicle is automatically traveling to the stop position, a projection element indicating the stop position is projected by a light beam emitted from the vehicle onto the road surface. This makes it possible to visually inform an operator outside the vehicle and people around the vehicle of the stop position before the vehicle stops at the stop position. Therefore, the operator and others can intuitively grasp the stop position of the vehicle before the vehicle stops at the stop position.

[0008] (2) A control system for a vehicle capable of autonomous driving according to this application example includes a driving route setting unit that sets a normal route along which the vehicle is to be automatically driven, the normal route having a stop point preset on the driving route, and a stop route along which the vehicle is to be automatically driven from just before the stop point to the stop position, the driving control unit automatically drives the vehicle along the normal route and also automatically drives the vehicle along the stop route from just before the stop point to the stop position, and the projection unit may project the projection element when the vehicle arrives just before the stop point. As a result, the projection element is projected when the vehicle arrives just before the stop point, making it possible to grasp the vehicle's stop position before the vehicle arrives at the stop point.

[0009] (3) The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example may cause the driving control unit to temporarily stop the vehicle just before the stopping point, and then automatically drive the vehicle along the stopping route, and the projection unit may project the projection element when the vehicle temporarily stops just before the stopping point. This allows the projection element to be projected when the vehicle stops temporarily before a stopping point, allowing the operator to check the vehicle's stopping position in ample time, making it easier for them to grasp the vehicle's stopping position.

[0010] (4) In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection unit may project the projection element in an area that is approximately the same size as the vehicle when viewed from above. In this case, an operator or the like can easily confirm and understand the area in which the vehicle will actually stop. (5) In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection unit may include a forward projector installed on the front bumper of the vehicle. The forward projector makes it easy to project projection elements in front of the vehicle or directly below the front end of the vehicle.

[0011] (6) In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection unit may include a rear projector installed on the rear bumper of the vehicle, and after the driving control unit stops the vehicle at the stopping position, the projection element may be projected onto the road surface behind the vehicle. In this case, after the vehicle is stopped at the stopping position, the projected elements are projected onto the road surface behind the vehicle. Therefore, after the vehicle has stopped, the operator behind the vehicle can easily confirm and understand the stopping position of the vehicle. In addition, since the rear projector is installed on the rear bumper of the vehicle, the projected elements can easily be projected directly below the rear end of the vehicle.

[0012] (7) The vehicle equipped with the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example may have a working unit for an operator to perform work. (8) Specifically, the vehicle may be a garbage truck having a garbage inlet at the rear of the vehicle as the working part. In such a vehicle, by projecting the projection elements onto the road surface before stopping the vehicle and allowing the operator to grasp the stopping position, the operator can smoothly carry out work on the working part while the vehicle is stopped. This can improve work efficiency. For example, if the vehicle is a garbage truck, the efficiency of garbage collection work can be improved.

[0013] (9) The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example may further include a camera that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle, and the stop position setting unit may set the stop position based on image information captured by the camera. Therefore, an appropriate stop position can be set based on the situation around the vehicle. (10) If the vehicle is a garbage truck having a garbage inlet at the rear of the vehicle as the working unit, the vehicle may further include a camera that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle, and when the camera detects garbage piled up in a garbage collection point located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction, the stop position setting unit may set the stop position based on the position of the detected garbage. In this case, an appropriate stop position that makes it easy for the operator to perform garbage collection work can be set based on the actual position of the garbage at the garbage collection point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this invention, in a vehicle capable of automatic driving, people around the vehicle, such as the operator, can intuitively grasp the stopping position of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an autonomous driving vehicle equipped with a control system according to an application example. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a garbage compactor, which is an example of the automatically driven vehicle of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of unmanned driving (autonomous driving control) in a control system for an autonomous driving vehicle. [Figure 4] 1(a) to 1(c) are explanatory diagrams of projection control in a control system for an autonomous driving vehicle. [Figure 5] 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of projection control and automatic driving control in the control system for the automatically driven vehicle of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a dust detection process in the control system for the autonomously driven vehicle of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The following embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described in the embodiments. The configurations of the following embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0017] The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example is configured to, when an autonomous vehicle stops during autonomous driving, present the stopping position to those around the vehicle (for example, an operator outside the vehicle) on the near side of the stopping position. Vehicles according to this application example include vehicles capable of automatic driving (trucks, buses, automobiles, etc.). Note that an automatically driven vehicle here is not one that is driven manually by a driver in the driver's seat, but a vehicle that has the ability to travel automatically. In an automatically driven vehicle, during automatic driving control, an on-board control device performs acceleration control, steering control, and braking control, and drives the vehicle in place of the driver's manual driving operation. In the following explanation, the forward direction of the vehicle 1 is referred to as the forward direction ("FR" in the figure), and the opposite direction is referred to as the backward direction ("RR"). Furthermore, the left-right and up-down directions are defined based on the state in which the vehicle 1 is facing forward. In the figure, "LH" indicates left, "RH" indicates right, "UP" indicates up, and "DW" indicates down.

[0018] [1. Configuration] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an autonomously driven vehicle 1 (also referred to as "vehicle 1") equipped with a control system (control system for an autonomously driven vehicle) according to this application example. Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 has a function (automatic driving function) that allows it to travel automatically without manual operation by a driver, and has a working unit 3 where an operator (worker) performs work. In this specification, the traveling of the vehicle 1 by automatic driving is referred to as "automatic traveling." The operator is a passenger in the vehicle 1 who performs work in the working unit 3. In this application example, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is a garbage truck having a garbage inlet 3A as the working unit 3.

[0019] The control system of the vehicle 1 includes, in addition to the working unit 3, a control device 10 that controls the vehicle 1, a camera 20, various sensors 21, an accelerator device ("ACC" in the figure) 30, a brake device ("BRK" in the figure) 40, a steering device ("STR" in the figure) 50, a projection system (projection unit) 60, and a communication device 70. The control device 10 is an electronic control unit (ECU) configured as, for example, an LSI device or an embedded electronic device that integrates a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The control device 10 performs automatic driving control and illumination control, which will be described later, by executing software programs stored in memory devices such as ROM and RAM. The control device 10 may be configured as part of an electronic control unit (VCU) that controls various devices provided in the vehicle 1, or may be configured as an electronic control unit separate from the VCU.

[0020] The camera 20 is an imaging device (image sensor) that captures still and moving images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, and by analyzing the images captured by the camera 20, the situation around the vehicle 1 can be grasped with high accuracy. The cameras 20 are disposed, for example, at the four corners of the vehicle 1, i.e., at the front right end, front left end, rear right end, and rear left end. Of the cameras 20 at the four corners, FIG. 2 illustrates only the front left camera 20FL and the rear right camera 20RL, and does not illustrate the others. As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 20 is disposed in approximately the center in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. By disposing the camera 20 at the four corners of the vehicle 1 and approximately the center in the vertical direction, the surroundings including the vicinity of the vehicle 1 can be grasped with high accuracy.

[0021] In addition to the camera 20, the vehicle 1 is also provided with various sensors 21. The various sensors 21 include radar, GNSS, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an accelerator opening sensor, a brake sensor, a steering angle sensor, and the like, which are used to acquire information used for automatic driving control of the vehicle 1. Information (image data) captured by the camera 20 and information (detection signals) detected by the various sensors 21 are input to the control device 10.

[0022] The communication device 70 is an electronic control device for wirelessly communicating with devices external to the vehicle 1. The communication targets of the communication device 70 in this embodiment include a mobile terminal 4 carried by the operator. The mobile terminal 4 is a portable communication terminal device, such as a mobile phone (smartphone) or a tablet terminal. The communication device 70 inputs information received from the mobile terminal 4 to the control device 10, and transmits information received from the control device 10 to the mobile terminal 4.

[0023] The accelerator device 30, the brake device 40, and the steering device 50 are devices controlled by the control device 10 when the vehicle 1 is running automatically. For example, when the automatic driving mode is set, the control device 10 calculates the target output (target torque), target vehicle speed, target steering angle, etc. of the vehicle 1, and controls the accelerator device 30, the brake device 40, and the steering device 50, respectively, to perform automatic running (unmanned running) of the vehicle 1. Note that a description of these devices 30, 40, and 50 will be omitted.

[0024] The projection system 60 is a system for projecting a projection element (reference numeral 7 in Figure 4) indicating the stopping position of the vehicle 1 (reference numeral 82 in Figures 3 and 4) using a light beam emitted from the vehicle 1 onto the road surface, and includes a projector 61 and a projection control unit 62. The projector 61 is a device that irradiates light rays that form projection elements (reference numeral 7 in FIG. 4) onto the road surface from the vehicle 1. As the projector 61, a well-known light source such as an LED illuminator or a projector can be used. As shown in FIG. 2, the projectors 61 include a forward projector 61F provided on the front bumper 5 of the vehicle 1 and a rear projector 61R provided on the rear bumper 6 of the vehicle 1.

[0025] The projection control unit 62 controls the projector 61 to project onto the road surface a projection element (reference numeral 7 in FIG. 4) indicating the stopping position of the vehicle 1 (reference numeral 82 in FIGS. 3 and 4). The projection control unit 62 is provided, for example, as software executed using hardware resources of an electronic control unit. Note that although the projection control unit 62 is provided separately from the control unit 10 in FIG. 1, the projection control unit 62 may also be provided in the control unit 10.

[0026] [2. Control] The vehicle 1 performs projection control to continuously project a projection element (reference numeral 7 in FIG. 4) onto the road surface while autonomously traveling at least to a stop position (reference numeral 82 in FIGS. 3 and 4) set ahead of the vehicle 1 in the traveling direction. This notifies the operator of the vehicle 1 of the stop position (reference numeral 82 in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the vehicle 1 in advance before the vehicle actually stops. 1, the control device 10 is provided with a travel route setting unit 11, a stop position setting unit 12, and a travel control unit 13 as functional elements for implementing projection control. The functional elements 11 to 13 in the control device 10 are shown by conveniently classifying the functions of the control device 10, and are provided, for example, as software executed using the hardware resources of the control device 10. The projection system 60 is also provided with the above-mentioned projection control unit 62 as a functional element for implementing projection control.

[0027] A camera 20 and various sensors 21 are connected to the input side of the control device 10. An accelerator device 30, a brake device 40, a steering device 50, and a projection system 60 are connected to the output side of the control device 10. A communication device 70 is connected to the input side and the output side of the control device 10. Projection control will be explained below with reference to Figure 3 and Figures 4(a) to (c) as needed. These figures show a case where a vehicle 1 traveling automatically along a road 8 is stopped at a stopping position 82 near a garbage collection point 9 installed on the shoulder of the road 8. In Figures 3 and 4(a) to (c), the circle with reference numeral 2 indicates an operator who performs work on the garbage inlet 3A (working unit 3) of the vehicle 1, and the oval with reference numeral 9A indicates garbage collected at the garbage collection point 9.

[0028] The travel route setting unit 11 sets a normal route 80 along which the vehicle 1 automatically travels along a road 8, and a stop route 81 branching from the normal route 80 and traveling automatically to a stop position 82 for the vehicle 1. The normal route 80 is a travel route from a certain departure point to a certain destination point. In FIG. 3, the normal route 80 is indicated by a black arrow. One or more stop points are set in advance on the normal route 80. The stop points are points (geographical positions) that are predefined as planned stops on the normal route 80.

[0029] An example of the normal route 80 when the vehicle 1 is a garbage compactor is a circular route that starts from a garbage disposal site, visits a plurality of garbage collection points 9, and returns to the garbage disposal site. In this case, a plurality of garbage collection points 9 that exist on the circular route are set as stopping points on the normal route 80. Information about the normal route 80 and the garbage collection points (stopping points) 9 on the normal route 80 can be set based on GNSS map information (not shown).

[0030] The stop route 81 is a route for automatically driving the vehicle 1 from just before the garbage collection point (stop point) 9 to a stop position 82, which will be described later, and is a travel route that branches off from the normal route 80 toward the stop position 82. The stop route 81 is indicated by a white arrow in Figure 3 and Figures 4(a) to (c). Switching point 81A, where normal route 80 branches off to stopping route 81, is set at a position a predetermined distance X before garbage collection point 9. Switching point 81A can be set based on GNSS map information (not shown). In FIG. 3, vehicle 1 that has reached switching point 81A is shown by a dashed line.

[0031] The stop position setting unit 12 sets a stop position 82 ahead of the vehicle 1 in the traveling direction. Stop position 82 is a stopping position where vehicle 1 is stopped near garbage collection point 9 and operator 2 performs garbage collection work. Therefore, stop position setting unit 12 detects garbage 9A in garbage collection point 9 located ahead of vehicle 1 in the traveling direction based on image information input from camera 20, and sets stop position 82 based on the position of the detected garbage 9A. Specifically, stop position 82 is set so that the rear end of vehicle 1, i.e., garbage inlet 3A (working unit 3), is located at approximately center position 9B of garbage 9A in the traveling direction of vehicle 1.

[0032] The shape and size of the stop position 82 are set in consideration of the shape and size of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the stop position 82 is set in an area that is approximately the same size as the vehicle 1 when viewed from above, in other words, an area that overlaps at least the entire length (entire length in the vehicle length direction) and the entire width (entire width direction) of the vehicle 1 when viewed from above. For example, in Fig. 3, the stop position 82 is set as a rectangular frame-shaped area that surrounds the outer periphery of the vehicle 1 when viewed from above.

[0033] The stop position setting unit 12 constantly acquires image information from the camera 20 while the vehicle 1 is automatically traveling. Therefore, while the vehicle 1 is automatically traveling, the stop position setting unit 12 constantly detects garbage based on the image information acquired from the camera 20, and can constantly set (update) the stop position 82 based on the detection results. Therefore, it can be said that a stop position that makes it easy for the operator to carry out garbage collection work based on the actual location of the garbage is set in real time, relative to the information on the garbage collection site (stop point) 9 that is set in advance based on map information. Note that a well-known technique such as an image recognition technique using AI may be applied to the technique for detecting dust based on image information.

[0034] The driving control unit 13 performs automatic driving control along the normal route 80 and the stop route 81 set by the driving route setting unit 11 based on information from the camera 20 and various sensors 21 . The automatic driving control performed by the driving control unit 13 of this embodiment includes three modes: a normal mode, a temporary stop mode, and a stop mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the vehicle 1 automatically drives along a normal route 80. The temporary stop mode is a mode in which the vehicle 1 temporarily stops at a switching point 81A. The stop mode is a mode in which the vehicle 1 automatically drives along a stop route 81 from the switching point 81A to a stop position 82 and stops at the stop position 82. Note that well-known automatic driving techniques are applied to the specific control of the accelerator device 30, the brake device 40, and the steering device 50 in each mode. Furthermore, although the stop route 81 in FIGS. 3 and 4 is drawn as a straight line for simplification, in reality the vehicle 1 moves along a curved line to ensure smooth movement.

[0035] As described above, the projection control unit 62 controls the projector 61 to project the projection element 7 indicating the stop position 82 onto the road surface. The projection element 7 is a light beam projected onto the road surface from the projector 61, which presents the position (range) on the road surface of the stop position 82 set by the stop position setting unit 12 so that the operator 2 can visually recognize it. In other words, the projection element 7 is projected so as to at least partially overlap the stop position 82 set by the stop position setting unit 12. For example, Fig. 3 shows an example in which a rectangular frame-shaped projection element 7 is projected along the outline of a rectangular frame-shaped range set as a stop position 82. In Fig. 3, a vehicle 1 stopped at the stop position 82 is shown by a dashed line.

[0036] The projection control unit 62 projects the projection element 7 at least while the vehicle 1 is automatically traveling from the switching point 81A to the stopping position 82. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when the driving control unit 13 causes the vehicle 1 to temporarily stop at the switching point 81A (temporary stop mode), the projection control unit 62 controls the forward projector 61F to project the projection element 7.

[0037] In addition, as shown in Figure 4(b), the projection control unit 62 controls the forward projector 61F to project the projection element 7 while the driving control unit 13 is automatically driving the vehicle 1 along the stopping route 81 to the stopping position 82. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the projection control unit 62 causes the driving control unit 13 to stop the vehicle 1 at the stop position 82, and then controls the forward projector 61F and the rear projector 61R to project the projection element 7. When the vehicle 1 is stopped at the stop position 82, the vehicle 1 overlaps the stop position 82 when viewed from above. Therefore, the forward projector 61F projects the front portion 7F of the projection element 7, and the rear projector 61R projects the rear portion 7R of the projection element 7. The front portion 7F is projected onto the road surface in front of the vehicle 1 (specifically, directly below the front end of the vehicle 1), and the rear portion 7R is projected onto the road surface behind the vehicle 1 (specifically, directly below the rear end of the vehicle 1).

[0038] That is, after the vehicle 1 temporarily stops at the switching point 81A, the projection control unit 62 controls the projector 61 to project the projection element 7 onto the road surface while the vehicle 1 automatically travels along the stopping route 81 to the stopping position 82 and stops at the stopping position 82. Here, as described above, the stopping position setting unit 12 constantly updates the stopping position 82 based on the image information acquired from the camera 20. Therefore, the projection control unit 62 can project the projection element 7 onto the stopping position 82 that is constantly updated as the vehicle 1 travels.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of automatic travel control and projection control performed by the control system, and Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of dust detection processing performed by the control system. 5 and 6 start when the vehicle 1 starts automatic driving and end when the vehicle 1 stops at the stop position 82. That is, the flowcharts in FIGS. 5 and 6 are executed in parallel.

[0040] First, an example of dust detection processing will be described with reference to FIG. The dust detection process in Figure 6 is a process that starts when the vehicle 1 starts automatic driving as described above, is executed repeatedly while the vehicle 1 is automatically driving, and ends when the vehicle 1 stops at the stop position 82. 6, the stop position setting unit 12 determines whether or not garbage 9A has been detected in a garbage collection point 9 located ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, based on the image information input from the camera 20. If garbage 9A has not been detected (No in step S10), the stop position setting unit 12 repeats the determination in step S10.

[0041] If garbage 9A is detected (Yes in step S10), in step S11 the stop position setting unit 12 sets a stop position 82, and the driving route setting unit 11 sets a stop route 81 from a predetermined switching point 81A to the set stop position 82 (garbage collection scenario creation). The stop position setting unit 12 repeats the processes from step S10 to step S12 until the vehicle 1 stops at the stop position 82 (until the answer in step S12 is Yes). As a result, the dust detection process is always executed while the vehicle 1 is being automatically driven.

[0042] Next, an example of automatic travel control and projection control will be described with reference to FIG. In step S1 , the driving control unit 13 automatically drives the vehicle 1 along the normal route 80 set by the driving route setting unit 11 . In step S2, upon receiving a signal from the driving route setting unit 11, the driving control unit 13 determines whether the vehicle 1, which is driving along the normal route 80, has reached the switching point 81A. Until the vehicle 1 reaches the switching point 81A (No in step S2), the driving control unit 13 repeats step S2 while automatically driving the vehicle 1 along the normal route 80. When the vehicle 1 reaches the switching point 81A (Yes in step S2), in step S3, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the driving control unit 13 causes the vehicle 1 to temporarily stop at the switching point 81A, and the projection control unit 62 controls the forward projector 61F to project the projection element 7 onto the road surface.

[0043] In step S4, it is determined whether the operator 2 has confirmed the stopping position. Specifically, the control device 10 transmits a request to the portable terminal 4 of the operator 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) via the communication device 70, urging the operator 2 to confirm the stopping position of the vehicle 1. For example, a button image is displayed on the portable terminal 4 of the operator 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) as a means for replying that the stopping position has been confirmed. When the operator 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) visually confirms the projection element 7 projected onto the road surface, the operator 2 replies to the vehicle 1 from the portable terminal 4 that he or she carries that the operator has confirmed the stopping position. The control device 10 repeats step S4 until it receives a confirmation reply from the mobile terminal 4 of the operator 2 (No in step S4). That is, the control device 10 waits while the vehicle 1 is temporarily stopped at the switching point 81A.

[0044] When a confirmation reply is received from the mobile terminal 4 of the operator 2 (Yes in step S4), in step S5, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the driving control unit 13 automatically drives the vehicle 1 along the stopping route 81, and the projection control unit 62 controls the forward projector 61F to project the projection element 7 onto the road surface.

[0045] In step S6, the driving control unit 13 automatically drives the vehicle 1 to the stop position 82 and stops the vehicle 1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the projection control unit 62 controls the rear projector 61R to project the rear portion 7R of the projection element 7 onto the road surface, and controls the front projector 61F to project the front portion 7F of the projection element 7 onto the road surface. Then, the processing of FIG. 5 ends. While the vehicle 1 is stopped, the operator 2 carries out garbage collection work. Then, after completing garbage collection work, the vehicle 1 heads toward the next stopping position 82 and resumes automatic driving along the normal route 80. That is, the control system executes the processes of FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0046] [3. Action and Effects] The present embodiment described above has the following advantages. In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, a stop position 82 is set ahead of the vehicle 1 in the direction of travel, and the vehicle 1 is automatically driven to the stop position 82 and stopped at the stop position 82 while a projection element 7 indicating the stop position 82 is projected onto the road surface. 4(a) to 4(c), for example, the stopping position of the vehicle 1 can be visually notified to the operator 2 outside the vehicle 1 in advance before the vehicle 1 stops at the stopping position 82. Therefore, the operator 2 can intuitively grasp the stopping position 82 of the vehicle 1 before the vehicle 1 stops at the stopping position 82.

[0047] In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection element 7 is projected onto the road surface when the vehicle 1 arrives just before a garbage collection point 9 (stopping point) that is set in advance on the normal route 80. Therefore, the operator 2 can grasp the stopping position 82 of the vehicle 1 before the vehicle 1 arrives at the garbage collection point 9. In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection element 7 is projected when the vehicle 1 stops temporarily in front of the garbage collection point 9. This allows the operator 2 to check the stopping position 82 of the vehicle 1 with ample time to spare, making it easier for the operator 2 to grasp the stopping position 82 of the vehicle 1.

[0048] In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection system (projection unit) 60 projects the projection elements 7 onto the road surface in an area that is approximately the same size as the vehicle 1 when viewed from above. This makes it easy for the operator 2 to confirm and understand the area in which the vehicle 1 will actually stop. In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection system 60 includes a forward projector 61F installed on the front bumper 5 of the vehicle 1, making it easy to project the projection elements 7, 7F in front of the vehicle 1 or directly below the front end of the vehicle 1.

[0049] In the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection system 60 includes a rear projector 61R installed on the rear bumper 6 of the vehicle 1, and after the vehicle 1 is stopped at a stop position 82, a projection element 7R is projected onto the road surface behind the vehicle 1. Therefore, after the vehicle 1 has stopped, the operator 2 who is behind the vehicle 1 can easily confirm and understand the stop position 82 of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, because the rear projector 61R is installed on the rear bumper 6 of the vehicle 1, it is easy to project the projection elements 7, 7R directly below the rear end of the vehicle 1.

[0050] In the control system for an autonomous driving vehicle according to this application example, a vehicle 1 has a working unit 3. In conventional automated driving vehicles, it is difficult for the vehicle and the operator to communicate with each other. Therefore, with technology in which the driver manually determines the next stopping position using a mobile terminal 4, it can be difficult for the operator to intuitively grasp the exact next stopping position. If it is difficult to grasp the next stopping position, work on the work unit cannot be carried out smoothly. Therefore, there is room for improvement in automated driving of vehicles to increase work efficiency. In contrast, in the control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example, the projection elements 7 are projected onto the road surface before the vehicle 1 is stopped, allowing the operator 2 to grasp the stopping position 82, thereby enabling the operator 2 to smoothly carry out work on the working unit 3 while the vehicle is stopped. This makes it possible to improve work efficiency. For example, if the vehicle 1 is a garbage truck having a garbage inlet 3A at the rear of the vehicle 1 as the working section 3, the efficiency of garbage collection work can be improved.

[0051] The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to this application example further includes a camera 20 that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, and the stop position 82 is set based on image information captured by the camera 20. Therefore, an appropriate stop position 82 can be set based on the situation around the vehicle 1. For example, if the vehicle 1 is a garbage truck having a garbage inlet 3A at the rear of the vehicle 1 as the working unit 3, when garbage 9A accumulated in a garbage collection point 9 located ahead of the vehicle 1 in the traveling direction is detected based on image information captured by the camera 20, the stop position 82 is set based on the position of the detected garbage 9A. Therefore, an appropriate stop position 82 that makes it easy for the operator 2 to perform garbage collection work can be set based on the actual position of the garbage 9A. [4. Other]

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been given in which switching point 81A, which branches off from normal route 80 to stop route 81, is set at a position a predetermined distance X before garbage collection point 9, but switching point 81A is not limited to this. For example, in step S11 (garbage collection scenario creation) in FIG. 6 described above, switching point 81A may be set at a position a predetermined time before reaching garbage collection point 9, based on the current position and vehicle speed of vehicle 1 and the position of garbage collection point 9. In this case, in step S2 in FIG. 5 described above, traveling control unit 13 receives a signal from step S11 (garbage collection scenario creation) in FIG. 6 described above and determines whether vehicle 1 traveling along normal route 80 has reached switching point 81A. Furthermore, the switching point 81A is not limited to being set in advance based on the location (stopping point) of the garbage collection point 9 on the map, but may also be set at a position a predetermined distance X in front of the location of the garbage detected by the camera 20 (or a position a predetermined time earlier).

[0053] The stopping position 82 is not limited to being set based on the center position 9B of the detected trash 9A, but may be set based on the downstream end position or the upstream end position along the traveling direction of the detected trash 9A. Furthermore, the stopping position 82 is not limited to being set based on the position of the detected trash 9A, but may be set based on the position (stopping point) on the map of the trash collection site 9. Furthermore, based on image information acquired from the camera 20, the control device 10 may determine that trash is trash 9A through image recognition by AI learning.

[0054] The shape of the projection element 7 is not limited to the rectangular frame shape (linear shape) described above, but may be any other appropriate shape, such as a planar projection within the set range of the stop position 82, or a shape that projects only a portion of a rectangular frame. The vehicle 1 is not limited to a refuse compactor, but may be any type of vehicle, such as a vehicle equipped with a working unit 3, a truck without a working unit 3, a bus, or a regular car.

[0055] [5. Notes] The following notes are disclosed regarding the embodiments including the above-described modifications. (Appendix 1) A control system for a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, a stop position setting unit that sets a stop position ahead of the vehicle in a traveling direction; a travel control unit that automatically travels the vehicle to the stop position set by the stop position setting unit; a projection unit that projects a projection element indicating the stop position by a light beam emitted from the vehicle onto a road surface while the vehicle is automatically driven to the stop position by the driving control unit. A control system for an autonomous vehicle. (Appendix 2) a travel route setting unit that sets a normal route along which the vehicle is to be automatically traveled, on which a stop point is set in advance, and a stop route along which the vehicle is to be automatically traveled from just before the stop point to the stop position; the driving control unit automatically drives the vehicle along the normal route and automatically drives the vehicle along the stop route from just before the stop point to the stop position, The projection unit projects the projection element when the vehicle arrives in front of the stop point. 2. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, (Appendix 3) the travel control unit causes the vehicle to temporarily stop before the stop point and then automatically travels the vehicle along the stop route; The projection unit projects the projection element when the vehicle stops temporarily before the stop point. 3. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 2. (Appendix 4) The projection unit projects the projection elements in an area that is approximately the same size as the vehicle when viewed from above. 4. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The projection unit includes a forward projector installed on the front bumper of the vehicle. 5. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the projection unit includes a rear projector installed on the rear bumper of the vehicle, and projects the projection element onto the road surface behind the vehicle after the driving control unit stops the vehicle at the stopping position. (Appendix 7) The vehicle has a working section for an operator to perform work. 7. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, (Appendix 8) The control system for an autonomous vehicle described in Appendix 7, wherein the vehicle is a garbage truck having a garbage inlet at the rear of the vehicle as the working unit. (Appendix 9) Further, a camera is provided to capture an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, The stop position setting unit sets the stop position based on image information captured by the camera. 9. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, (Appendix 10) Further, a camera is provided to capture an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, When the camera detects garbage accumulated in a garbage collection point located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction, the stop position setting unit sets the stop position based on the position of the detected garbage. 9. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Self-driving vehicles 2 Operators 3 Working section 3A Dust inlet 4. Mobile devices 5. Front bumper 6 Rear bumper 7 Projection elements 7F Front part (projection element) 7R Rear part (projection element) 8 road 9 Garbage collection point (stop point) 9A Garbage 9B Center position 10 Control device 11. Driving route setting section 12 Stop position setting section 13 Driving control unit 20 Camera 21 Various sensors 30 Accelerator 40 Brake equipment 50 Steering device 60 Projection system (projection unit) 61 Projector 61F forward projector 61R Rear Projector 62 Projection control unit 70 Communication equipment 80 Normal Route 81 Stop Route 81A Switching Point 82 Stop position

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, a stop position setting unit that sets a stop position ahead of the vehicle in a traveling direction; a travel control unit that automatically travels the vehicle to the stop position set by the stop position setting unit; a projection unit that projects a projection element indicating the stop position by a light beam emitted from the vehicle onto a road surface while the vehicle is automatically driven to the stop position by the driving control unit; a travel route setting unit that sets a normal route along which the vehicle is automatically traveled, with a stop point set in advance on the travel route, and a stop route along which the vehicle is automatically traveled from just before the stop point to the stop position, the driving control unit automatically drives the vehicle along the normal route and automatically drives the vehicle along the stop route from just before the stop point to the stop position, The projection unit projects the projection element when the vehicle arrives in front of the stop point. A control system for an autonomous vehicle.

2. the travel control unit causes the vehicle to temporarily stop before the stop point and then automatically travels the vehicle along the stop route; The projection unit projects the projection element when the vehicle stops temporarily before the stop point.

2. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the projection unit projects the projection element in an area that is approximately the same size as the vehicle when viewed from above.

4. The projection unit includes a forward projector installed on the front bumper of the vehicle.

2. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1.

5. 2. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit includes a rear projector installed on a rear bumper of the vehicle, and projects the projection element onto a road surface behind the vehicle after the driving control unit stops the vehicle at the stop position.

6. The vehicle has a working section for an operator to perform work.

2. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1.

7. A control system for an autonomous vehicle as described in claim 6, characterized in that the vehicle is a garbage truck having a garbage inlet at the rear of the vehicle as the working unit.

8. Further, a camera is provided to capture an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, The stop position setting unit sets the stop position based on image information captured by the camera.

2. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 1.

9. Further, a camera is provided to capture an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, When the camera detects garbage accumulated in a garbage collection point located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction, the stop position setting unit sets the stop position based on the position of the detected garbage.

8. The control system for an autonomous vehicle according to claim 7.

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