Vehicle simulation system

Abstract

[Problem] To facilitate testing of a travel control apparatus to be used in combination with an extravehicular detection control apparatus in a vehicle. [Solution] A control operation reproduction unit of this simulation system for a vehicle reproduces a control operation of the travel control apparatus according to extravehicular detection information output by the extravehicular detection control apparatus on the basis of a captured image of the outside of the vehicle. A vehicle behavior computation unit computes a vehicle behavior according to the control operation. An extravehicular image generation apparatus generates and displays, on a display member, an extravehicular image according to the behavior. An imaging member images the displayed extravehicular image and outputs the imaged extravehicular image to the extravehicular detection control apparatus. The extravehicular detection control apparatus operates in a closed loop including them. The travel control apparatus operates outside the closed loop according to information generated by the extravehicular detection control apparatus or information equivalent thereto.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a simulation system for vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicles, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 for example, a large number of control devices are provided in the control system. Also, various sensors and actuators are connected to each control device. And in vehicles, development is underway to improve driving safety and convenience. For example, development of devices for ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) of automatic brakes is underway. A device for an automatic brake provided in a vehicle, for example, an imaging member provided in the vehicle images the outside of the vehicle, an out-of-vehicle detection control device detects an object that becomes a driving obstacle based on the captured image outside the vehicle, and when a driving obstacle object is detected, a travel control device operates a braking actuator. Thereby, when there is a driving obstacle in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle can stop before the driving obstacle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [[ID=2,7]]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, for features such as the automatic braking mentioned above, the external detection control unit generates external detection information about obstacles in the vehicle's path based on captured images of the outside of the vehicle and outputs it to the in-vehicle network. The driving control unit acquires the external detection information from the in-vehicle network and executes control to operate the vehicle's braking actuators according to the external detection information. In vehicle development, the external detection control unit and the driving control unit are sometimes developed separately. In this case, verification and evaluation of the driving control unit are performed by integrating it into the vehicle together with the external detection control unit and conducting actual tests.

[0005] However, for such on-road testing of the driving control system to be reliable, it is essential that the development of the external detection control system has progressed to a considerable extent and that the external detection control system operates reliably. Therefore, the testing of the driving control system can only be carried out when the vehicle development has progressed to a considerable extent. Furthermore, any modifications to the driving control system that reflect the results of the testing must also be made after the testing has progressed to a considerable extent. Furthermore, if the results of actual driving tests are undesirable, developers will make corrections to the vehicle based on those results. However, relying solely on the results of actual driving tests may make it difficult to determine whether corrections should be made to the external detection control system, the driving control system, or both. Developers may struggle to pinpoint the areas that need correction. Due to these circumstances, the development of a vehicle that includes a driving control system developed together with an external detection and control system will require a long period of time.

[0006] Thus, in vehicles, there is a need to facilitate the verification of driving control devices used in combination with external detection control devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle simulation system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle simulation system for operating an external detection control device that outputs external detection information based on an image captured from outside the vehicle, and a driving control device that controls the operation of an actuator for controlling the vehicle's driving according to the external detection information, comprising: a control operation reproduction unit that acquires the external detection information output by the external detection control device and reproduces the control output of the driving control device or the operation output of the actuator according to the external detection information; a vehicle behavior calculation unit that calculates the behavior of the vehicle using the output of the control operation reproduction unit; and a vehicle behavior calculation unit that uses the calculation results of the vehicle behavior calculation unit to calculate the vehicle's behavior that may change due to the operation of the actuator. The vehicle includes an external image generation device that generates an external image of the vehicle in a driving state, a display member that displays the external image generated by the external image generation device, and an imaging member that captures the external image displayed by the display member and outputs it to the vehicle detection control device as an image of the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle detection control device operates under the driving state of the vehicle generated by a closed loop including the control operation reproduction unit, the vehicle behavior calculation unit, the vehicle image generation device, the display member, and the imaging member. The driving control device operates in accordance with the vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection control device operating in the closed loop, or information equivalent to the vehicle detection information generated by the vehicle detection control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the present invention, the external detection control device, which outputs external detection information based on an image captured from outside the vehicle, operates under a closed loop comprising a control operation reproduction unit, a vehicle behavior calculation unit, an external image generation device, a display member, and an imaging member. The external detection control device can operate under a closed loop that generates the vehicle's driving state. Moreover, this closed loop does not include the driving control device under verification. The driving control device is located outside the closed loop. This makes it possible for the closed loop to reliably generate the vehicle's driving state. The external detection control device is affected by the operation of the driving control device under verification under the vehicle's driving state in the closed loop. of It can function reliably without receiving any input. Furthermore, in the present invention, the driving control device operates in accordance with external detection information generated by an external detection control device operating in such a closed loop, or information equivalent to external detection information generated by an external detection control device. As a result, the driving control device can control the operation of an actuator for controlling the vehicle's driving, which can change the vehicle's behavior, in accordance with external detection information from an external detection control device that operates reliably under the vehicle's driving conditions in a closed loop. The driving control device can operate reliably under the vehicle's driving conditions in a closed loop. And, for example, if the driving control device operates reliably in a closed loop, but the control of the driving control device or the operation of the actuator is not desirable, the developer can perform corrective work on the driving control device or actuator under verification. Furthermore, in this invention, the external detection control device, which outputs external detection information to the driving control device, can also be easily determined based on whether or not the closed loop is operating reliably. As a result of the verification, the developer can obtain the verification results of the external detection control device, which operates in conjunction with the driving control device, along with the verification results of the driving control device, making it less likely to be confused when deciding which parts need to be corrected. Furthermore, by using the vehicle simulation system according to the present invention, developers can have the driving control device perform control operations and verify the results without relying on actual driving tests in which the driving control device under verification is incorporated into a vehicle together with the external detection control device. Developers can begin verifying the control operations of the driving control device early, even at a stage where vehicle development is not yet advanced, in an environment close to that of a real vehicle, in combination with the external detection control device, without incorporating the driving control device into a real vehicle together with the external detection control device. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to verify the control operation of a driving control device used in combination with an external detection control device in a vehicle at an early stage, thereby facilitating vehicle development. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an automobile's control system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the control and operation for automatic braking in the automobile shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the basic configuration of an automobile simulation system that can be used to evaluate the operation of the automobile's control system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a computer device that can be used as the behavioral calculation device shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the basic configuration of an automobile simulation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a simulation system implemented under the basic configuration shown in Figure 5 for evaluating the operation of an automobile. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating timing of the basic simulation system in Figure 5 under the simulation system in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the overall control flow for evaluating the operation of the automatic brake in the simulation system of this embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of the basic configuration of an automobile simulation system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0011] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the configuration of an automobile control system 10. FIG. 1 shows an example of components related to an automatic brake among the components provided in the automobile control system 10. The automobile control system 10 may include a control device, sensors, actuators, etc. not shown in FIG. 1.

[0012] The automobile control system 10 in FIG. 1 has an in-vehicle network 16 to which a plurality of control devices are connected. The in-vehicle network 16 may be a network conforming to standards for automobiles, such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). Such an in-vehicle network 16 is generally composed of a plurality of bus cables and a central gateway (CGW) to which the plurality of bus cables are bus-connected. The plurality of control devices may be distributed and connected to the plurality of bus cables. Each control device outputs a packet including destination information and source information to the bus cable and acquires a packet addressed to itself from the bus cable. The central gateway determines the destination of each packet of the bus cables and executes packet routing processing between the plurality of bus cables. By using such an in-vehicle network 16, the plurality of control devices provided in the automobile can mutually input and output necessary information to and from other control devices while executing their respective controls. The plurality of control devices provided in the automobile can cooperate to control the running of the automobile and the like. And in FIG. 1, as a plurality of control devices connected to the in-vehicle network 16, an operation control device 11, an out-of-vehicle detection control device 12, a VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) control device 13, a meter control device 14, and a detection control device 15 are illustrated.

[0013] The operation control device 11 is connected to operating components 21 that are operated by the occupants of the vehicle, such as the driver. The operating components 21 include, for example, the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and shift lever, which change the behavior of the vehicle through the occupants' operations. The operation control device 11 detects the occupants' operations on the operating components 21 and outputs the detected operation information to the in-vehicle network 16.

[0014] The external vehicle detection control device 12 is connected to, for example, a compound external vehicle camera 22 to detect obstacles outside the vehicle, which are part of the environment surrounding the moving vehicle. The external vehicle detection control device 12 may also be connected to a monocular camera, LiDAR, etc. The compound external vehicle camera 22 may consist of multiple cameras arranged to produce a predetermined parallax. The cameras only need to be capable of imaging a range in a predetermined direction, and 360-degree cameras can also be used. In addition, the external vehicle detection control device 12 may be connected to multiple cameras for imaging a 360-degree area around the vehicle. The external vehicle detection control device 12 receives external vehicle images captured by the compound external vehicle camera 22, etc. The external vehicle detection control device 12 may analyze the acquired external vehicle images and extract obstacles to driving, traffic signals, road signs, railway crossings, etc. Here, obstacles to driving may be, for example, pedestrians, oncoming vehicles, bicycles, preceding vehicles, following vehicles, or objects on the road. The external vehicle detection control device 12 also determines the relative distance and direction from the vehicle to the obstacles to driving, and if an obstacle is located within a predetermined distance or less on the vehicle's path, it may output external vehicle detection information about the obstacles to driving on the path to the in-vehicle network 16. Here, external vehicle detection information may be, for example, information about approaching obstacles such as preceding vehicles. In this case, the vehicle's control system 10 may notify the occupants of this fact and perform control for automatic braking by decelerating and stopping the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle's control system 10 may perform control such as steering control to move away from obstacles.

[0015] The VDC control device 13 is connected to actuators of devices for controlling the vehicle's movement. Figure 1 shows an example of a braking actuator 23 of a braking device. The VDC control device 13 then performs driving control to enhance the driving safety of the vehicle. The VDC control device 13 controls the braking operation of the brake actuator 23, for example, to cause the brake actuator 23 to perform a braking action. This allows the vehicle to decelerate and eventually come to a stop. Furthermore, if a steering actuator of the steering system is connected, the VDC control device 13 may also control the steering operation of the steering actuator to cause the vehicle to move away from obstacles. In addition, for example, when the vehicle is driving on a curved corner, the VDC control device 13 may control the operation of the braking actuator 23, steering actuator, etc., to stabilize the vehicle's posture during cornering. In this case, the VDC control device 13 may control the operation of braking, steering, etc., for some of the wheels among the multiple wheels provided on the vehicle. Thus, the behavior of the vehicle can be changed by the control operation of the VDC control device 13. Furthermore, as the behavior of the vehicle changes, the driving conditions of the vehicle, such as speed and acceleration, also change. The VDC control device 13 can control the driving conditions of the vehicle. Furthermore, if the VDC control device 13 acquires meaningful external detection information from the in-vehicle network 16 based on the presence of an obstacle in the vehicle's direction of travel, it is preferable to control the braking operation of the braking actuator 23 so that the vehicle stops before reaching the obstacle. Conversely, if it acquires meaningless external detection information indicating that there is no obstacle in the vehicle's direction of travel, the VDC control device 13 does not need to perform any control to operate the braking actuator 23 or the like.

[0016] The meter control device 14 is connected to the meter panel 24. The meter panel 24 is installed on the dashboard of the car, for example. This means that the meter panel 24 may be installed in front of the driver, who is an occupant of the car. The meter panel 24 may be, for example, a liquid crystal panel device. The meter control device 14 controls the display output of the meter panel 24. The meter control device 14 causes the meter panel 24 to display information indicating the driving status of the car, such as the car's speed and warning messages. In this embodiment, a speaker 25 is also connected to the meter control device 14. When the meter control device 14 acquires external detection information from the in-vehicle network 16, for example, based on the presence of an obstruction in the vehicle's direction of travel, it displays a warning message on the meter panel 24 and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 25. These warnings enable the vehicle's occupants to pay attention to the direction of travel and recognize that an object in the direction of travel is an obstruction to the vehicle's path.

[0017] Various sensors installed in the automobile are connected to the detection control device 15. In Figure 1, a wheel speed sensor 26, an acceleration sensor 27, and a speed sensor 28 are shown as examples. The wheel speed sensor 26 detects the rotational speed of the vehicle's wheels. The acceleration sensor 27 detects the acceleration of the vehicle. The acceleration sensor 27 may be a three-axis sensor capable of detecting acceleration in the yaw, pitch, and roll directions of the vehicle. The speed sensor 28 detects the speed of the vehicle. The detection control device 15 may output the detection information from these sensors, such as the vehicle's current speed, acceleration, and wheel speed, to the in-vehicle network 16. The detection control device 15 may also output predetermined information obtained by processing the sensor detection information to the in-vehicle network 16.

[0018] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the control and operation for automatic braking in the automobile shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the components of the vehicle control system 10 in Figure 1: the multi-eye external camera 22, the external detection control device 12 as a detection control device, the VDC control device 13 as a driving control device, and the braking actuator 23. Furthermore, in Figure 2, time flows from left to right on the page.

[0019] Then, as shown in Figure 2, at time t1, the compound external camera 22 captures an image of the area outside the vehicle in the vehicle's driving state at that time and outputs an external image. The external detection control device 12 analyzes the external image and outputs external detection information about obstacles to driving, etc. When the VDC control device 13 acquires the external detection information, it executes control according to the content of that information to generate VDC data and outputs it to the braking actuator 23, etc. The braking actuator 23 operates according to the VDC data. As a result, the behavior of the vehicle changes, and the driving state of the vehicle also changes. Here, VDC data refers to control information that the VDC control device 13 generates to control the operation of the braking actuator 23, etc., and outputs to the braking actuator 23, etc.

[0020] Furthermore, at time t2, the compound external camera 22 captures images of the area outside the vehicle in the vehicle's driving state at the time of the change and outputs external images. The external detection control device 12 analyzes the external images and outputs external detection information about obstacles to driving, etc. When the VDC control device 13 acquires external detection information, it generates and outputs VDC data. The braking actuator 23 operates according to the VDC data. As a result, the behavior of the vehicle changes, and the vehicle's driving state also changes.

[0021] Furthermore, at time t3, the compound external camera 22 captures images of the area outside the vehicle in the vehicle's driving state at the time of the change and outputs external images. The external detection control device 12 analyzes the external images and outputs external detection information about obstacles to driving, etc. When the VDC control device 13 acquires external detection information, it generates and outputs VDC data. The braking actuator 23 operates according to the VDC data. As a result, the behavior of the vehicle changes, and the vehicle's driving state also changes.

[0022] In this way, the automobile control system 10 can control the automobile's movement so that it stops before encountering an obstacle, by having multiple devices cooperate and repeatedly perform control operations at a predetermined cycle.

[0023] Note that the times t1 to t3 in Figure 2 are illustrative examples, but in vehicles using CAN, the external detection control device 12 and the VDC control device 13 input and output external detection information according to the period of the time slots allocated by CAN. That is, the external detection control device 12 outputs external detection information to the in-vehicle network 16 at the timing of the allocated time slot. The VDC control device 13 acquires external detection information as time slot information from the in-vehicle network 16 at the timing allocated by CAN. In this way, the external detection control device 12 and the VDC control device 13 input and output external detection information as the first output using time slots allocated for periodic communication through the in-vehicle network 16 in the vehicle.

[0024] Thus, the automobile's control system 10 is equipped with multiple control devices that cooperate with each other. In addition, various sensors and actuators are connected to each control device. For example, when developing a new automobile, the various control devices used in that automobile, such as the multi-lens external camera 22 and sensors as input devices, and actuators as output devices, must undergo individual bench testing and then undergo final operational testing after being incorporated into the control system 10. Furthermore, the evaluation of the operation of a device integrated into the vehicle's control system 10 is currently performed by actually driving the vehicle. In particular, the final operational verification and evaluation of newly developed devices are performed by actually driving the vehicle with the device integrated into it along with other devices. Even when verifying and evaluating the operation of a single item, the driver is required to drive the vehicle multiple times. A tremendous amount of processes and time are spent on evaluation in vehicle development.

[0025] Incidentally, in the automotive industry, development is progressing to improve driving safety and convenience. For example, development is underway on devices such as automatic braking (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems. Therefore, it is expected that the control system 10 of automobiles will become more sophisticated and complex than it is currently. Furthermore, as the automobile's control system 10 becomes more sophisticated or complex, it is expected that the number of operational verification items and evaluation content for each control device, sensor, and actuator installed in the control system 10 will also increase. In order to evaluate the operation of the various control devices, sensors, and actuators installed in the increasingly sophisticated and complex automobile control system 10 in a more reliable manner, it is expected that the number of evaluation processes and the time required will increase dramatically.

[0026] Thus, in automobiles, there is a need to facilitate the evaluation of the operation of the various devices used in the control system 10. It should be noted that such operational evaluations are not limited to the development of new automobiles. For example, the operation of equipment in mass-produced automobiles and equipment in automobiles after they have been sold may also need to be evaluated. Even in the case of such operational evaluations of mass-produced automobiles and automobiles after they have been sold, the current method is basically to drive the automobile with the equipment installed. Next, we will describe a car simulation system that the inventor independently developed for use in evaluating the operation of such an automobile control system 10.

[0027] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the basic configuration of an automobile simulation system 30 that can be used to evaluate the operation of the automobile control system 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0028] The automobile simulation system 30 in Figure 3 has an in-vehicle network 16 to which various devices of the automobile's control system 10 are connected. The in-vehicle network 16 can be the same in-vehicle network 16 used in the automobile's control system 10. Multiple devices shown in Figure 1 are connected to the simulation system 30 in Figure 3. However, due to space limitations, some parts of the detection control device 15 in Figure 1 are omitted from the illustration. As a result, various devices of the automobile's control system 10 can be incorporated into the simulation system 30 in the same state as they are installed in the automobile. Furthermore, by connecting automobile control devices other than those shown in Figure 1, and all devices of the automobile's control system 10, to the in-vehicle network 16, it is possible to accurately reproduce the communication environment in an actual automobile in the simulation system 30. For example, if the control device 11 is connected to the in-vehicle network 16, the driver of the car can operate the control member 21 to drive the car in a virtual space in the simulation system 30. Furthermore, the various devices of the automobile control system 10 constitute the vehicle control system reproduction unit 48 in the simulation system 30. The hatched boxes in Figure 3 represent the various devices shown in the automobile control system 10 in Figure 1.

[0029] Furthermore, the simulation system 30 in Figure 3 includes, in addition to the in-vehicle network 16, a main communication network 32, a synchronous relay device 33, an event generator 39, a driving environment generator 40, a behavior calculation device 34, a monitor image generator 35, a driver monitor 38, a camera image generator 36, and a multi-eye monitor 37 for the camera.

[0030] The main communication network 32 can be any communication network commonly used in computer equipment communication. Such communication networks may include those conforming to standards such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.3. The main communication network 32 is connected to a synchronous relay device 33, an event generator 39, a driving environment generation device 40, a behavior calculation device 34, a monitor image generation device 35, and a camera image generation device 36. These devices connected to the main communication network 32 can send and receive information from each other, for example, through packet communication.

[0031] The synchronous relay device 33 is connected to the main communication network 32 and the in-vehicle network 16. The synchronous relay device 33 relays information between the in-vehicle network 16 and the main communication network 32. As a result, information from the in-vehicle network 16 can be output to the main communication network 32 via the synchronous relay device 33. Information from the main communication network 32 can be output to the in-vehicle network 16 via the synchronous relay device 33. Devices connected to the main communication network 32 and devices connected to the in-vehicle network 16 can send and receive necessary information through the synchronous relay device 33. Furthermore, the synchronous relay device 33 should not relay all the information from the in-vehicle network 16 to the main communication network 32, nor relay all the information from the main communication network 32 to the in-vehicle network 16, but rather filter and relay only a portion of it. The in-vehicle network 16 is basically an in-vehicle network 16 that is incorporated into a vehicle. In the in-vehicle network 16 of a vehicle, as described above, the type and timing of the information to be communicated are defined by time slots, etc. The synchronous relay device 33 should relay only the information that is missing on the in-vehicle network 16 side from the main communication network 32 to the in-vehicle network 16 based on a predetermined filtering setting. Also, the synchronous relay device 33 should relay only the information required by the main communication network 32 from the in-vehicle network 16 to the main communication network 32 based on a predetermined filtering setting.

[0032] The event generator 39 generates events in the virtual space when the vehicle is driven in the virtual space. The event generator 39 pre-stores location and time information for events such as pedestrians, oncoming vehicles, bicycles, preceding vehicles, following vehicles, objects on the road, traffic lights, and railroad crossings, generates event information at that time and location in the virtual space, and outputs it to the main communication network 32.

[0033] The driving environment generator 40 pre-stores high-precision three-dimensional spatial data, such as high-precision map data, and data for a predetermined scenario regarding the vehicle's driving. When the vehicle is to be driven in the virtual space, the driving environment generator 40 generates a virtual space around the vehicle based on the vehicle's position in the virtual space, using the three-dimensional spatial data and the scenario as a reference. If the driving environment generator 40 has acquired event information from the main communication network 32, it places an object corresponding to the event in the virtual space related to that event information. The driving environment generator 40 outputs the vehicle's position information and the virtual space information that it has generated to the main communication network 32.

[0034] The behavior calculation device 34 calculates the behavior of the vehicle as it travels through the virtual space. For example, the behavior calculation device 34 uses the vehicle's previous behavior and driving state, along with information obtainable from the main communication network 32, to calculate the current behavior and driving state of the vehicle. The behavior calculation device 34 may obtain information from the main communication network 32, such as operation information of the operating member 21 and control information of the VDC control device 13, such as the VDC data mentioned above. This allows the behavior calculation device 34 to calculate the vehicle's behavior and driving state in response to the operation of the operating member 21 and the control of the VDC control device 13. The behavior calculation device 34 basically calculates the vehicle's behavior, such as speed, acceleration, pitch, roll, and yaw, based on information regarding the vehicle's control operations. The behavior calculation device 34 may also calculate the vehicle's driving state after the calculated behavior. The behavior calculation device 34 outputs the information on the vehicle's behavior and driving state that it has generated to the main communication network 32.

[0035] A driver monitor 38 is connected to the monitor image generation device 35. The driver monitor 38 displays a field of view image from the vehicle to the driver of the simulation system 30. The monitor image generation device 35 acquires information such as the vehicle's position, virtual space information, vehicle behavior, and driving state from the main communication network 32, and generates a field of view image of the three-dimensional virtual space as seen from the vehicle's position. The monitor image generation device 35 may basically generate a field of view image covering the area in front of the vehicle, which is its direction of travel. The monitor image generation device 35 outputs the generated field of view image to the driver monitor 38 and the camera image generation device 36. As a result, the driver monitor 38 displays a field of view image of the virtual space as seen from a vehicle driving in the virtual space. The driver can drive in the simulation system 30 using the field of view image that changes according to the operation of their control member 21.

[0036] A camera image generation device 36 is connected to a camera multi-eye monitor 37. The camera multi-eye monitor 37, together with the automobile's multi-eye external camera 22, constitutes a camera module. The camera multi-eye monitor 37 has multiple monitors that correspond one-to-one with each of the multiple cameras that make up the multi-eye external camera 22. In the camera module, each monitor of the camera multi-eye monitor 37 may be positioned facing each of the cameras of the multi-eye external camera 22. The camera image generation device 36 then acquires the field of view image generated by the monitor image generation device 35 from the main communication network 32 and generates multiple parallax images to be displayed on each monitor of the camera's multi-eye monitor 37. The camera image generation device 36 may also acquire information such as the vehicle's position, virtual space, vehicle behavior, and driving state from the main communication network 32, and directly generate multiple parallax images from this information. The camera image generation device 36 outputs the generated multiple parallax images to the camera's multi-eye monitor 37. The camera's multi-eye monitor 37 displays parallax images on its multiple monitors that are equivalent to those seen by the driver. The vehicle's multi-eye external camera 22 can capture parallax images using its multiple cameras. As a result, the vehicle's multi-eye external camera 22 can capture parallax images in the simulation system 30 as seen from a vehicle driving in the virtual space. Furthermore, the camera image generation device 36 may acquire information on the vehicle's behavior generated by the behavior calculation device 34 from the behavior calculation device 34 via the main communication network 32, and generate information on the vehicle's driving state itself.

[0037] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a computer device 50 that can be used as the behavior calculation device 34 in Figure 3. Furthermore, other evaluation devices in the simulation system 30 shown in Figure 3, besides the behavior calculation device 34, such as the driving environment generation device 40, event generation device 39, monitor image generation device 35, camera image generation device 36, and synchronous relay device 33, may also use the same computer device 50 as in Figure 4. Also, the multiple evaluation devices in Figure 3 may be integrated into a single computer device 50. When integrating, the processing load of each evaluation device should be considered. Additionally, if the processing load of one evaluation device in Figure 3 is high, that evaluation device may be distributed across multiple computer devices 50. Essentially, each evaluation device in Figure 3 needs to be implemented in the simulation system 30 so as not to lag behind the time slot communication in the vehicle's in-vehicle network 16.

[0038] The computer device 50 in Figure 4 has a communication port 51, a timer 52, memory 53, a CPU 54 (Central Processing Unit), and an internal bus 55 to which these are connected. Communication port 51 is connected to the main communication network 32 of the simulation system 30. Timer 52 measures time or duration. Memory 53 stores calculation programs executed by the CPU 54, configuration data, etc. Memory 53 may consist of non-volatile memory such as HDD (Hard Disk Device), SSD (Solid State Device), ROM (Read Only Memory), and volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory). In this case, calculation programs, configuration data, etc. may be stored in the non-volatile memory. The CPU 54 reads and executes the calculation program stored in memory 53. This enables the computer device 50 to have a control unit. The CPU 54, acting as a control unit, controls the operation of the computer device 50 and performs the control functions of the behavioral calculation device 34 and the like described above. As a result, the computer device 50 in Figure 4 can function in the simulation system 30 in Figure 3 as, for example, a behavior calculation device 34.

[0039] As described above, the automobile simulation system 30 in Figure 3 can reproduce the operation of the automobile control system 10 for automatic braking shown in Figure 1, along with the in-vehicle network 16, in the vehicle control system reproduction unit 48, thereby reproducing the operation of the automobile as if it were driving in a virtual space. Automobile developers and others can use the automobile simulation system 30 in Figure 3 to obtain information for evaluating the control and operation of the devices of an automobile under development. By using the automobile simulation system 30 in Figure 3, automobile developers and others can reliably evaluate the control and operation of each device of an automobile under development without having to install them in an automobile. Even if the automobile control system 10 is sophisticated or complex, the increasing number of evaluation items for each device of an automobile under development can be efficiently and reliably evaluated using the automobile simulation system 30 in Figure 3. The evaluation of the operation of the various devices used in the automobile control system 10 can be performed by bench testing, which can be dramatically easier than when performed in an actual vehicle. As a result, it can be expected that the control and operation of each device under development will be more reliable than when performed in an actual vehicle.

[0040] However, the automobile simulation system 30 shown in Figure 3 may be time-consuming to evaluate when evaluating a device under development. In the automobile simulation system 30 shown in Figure 3, the closed loop L1 shown in Figure 2 is realized by multiple devices shown in bold in Figure 3. Specifically, in Figure 3, the closed loop consists of a monitor image generation device 35, a camera image generation device 36, a multi-eye monitor for cameras 37, a multi-eye external camera 22, an external detection control device 12, a VDC control device 13, and a behavior calculation device 34. In this case, the closed loop in Figure 3 includes an external vehicle detection control device 12 and a VDC control device 13, which are devices installed in the vehicle. The external vehicle detection control device 12 generates external vehicle detection information based on captured images of the outside of the vehicle that change in accordance with the vehicle's driving state, and outputs it to the in-vehicle network 16. The VDC control device 13 acquires external vehicle detection information from the in-vehicle network 16 and controls the operation of actuators for vehicle driving control that can change the vehicle's behavior according to the acquired external vehicle detection information. As a result, the vehicle simulation system 30 in Figure 3 evaluates the automatic braking system in which the external vehicle detection control device 12 and the VDC control device 13 work together. The price It is possible.

[0041] On the other hand, the automobile's control system 10 is equipped with numerous control devices. Furthermore, various sensors and actuators are connected to each control device. As described above, the external vehicle detection control device 12 generates external vehicle detection information based on captured images of the outside of the vehicle and outputs it to the in-vehicle network 16 for purposes such as automatic braking. The VDC control device 13 acquires the external vehicle detection information from the in-vehicle network 16 and performs control to operate the vehicle's braking actuators according to the external vehicle detection information. Furthermore, in automobile development, each component is often developed by different developers. For example, the external vehicle detection control device 12 and the VDC control device 13 may be developed by different developers. In this case, the operational evaluation of the VDC control device 13 must be performed by integrating it into the automobile together with the external vehicle detection control device 12. However, for such an evaluation of the VDC control device 13 to be reliable, it is a prerequisite that development of the external detection control device 12 has progressed to a considerable extent. Therefore, the evaluation of the VDC control device 13 can only be performed when the development of the vehicle, including the external detection control device 12, has progressed to a considerable extent. As a result, the modification work of the VDC control device 13 to reflect the evaluation results can only be started when the development of the vehicle has progressed to a considerable extent. Furthermore, if the evaluation results when combined with the external detection control device 12 are undesirable, the developer will need to make corrections to the vehicle based on those results. However, the evaluation results when combined with the external detection control device 12 alone may not be sufficient to determine whether the corrections should be made to the external detection control device 12, the VDC control device 13, or both. The developer will need to estimate and decide on the location of the corrections based on the evaluation results of the combination. The developer may be unsure about making the appropriate decision regarding the location of the corrections. Due to these circumstances, the development of an automobile that includes a VDC control device 13, which needs to be developed together with the external detection control device 12, will take a long time. In automobiles, there is a need to facilitate automobile development by enabling early evaluation of the VDC control device 13, which is used in combination with the external detection control device 12.

[0042] Furthermore, the automobile simulation system 30 shown in Figure 3 essentially enables early evaluation of the VDC control device 13, which is used in combination with the external detection control device 12, thereby facilitating automobile development. However, the closed loop in Figure 3 includes the VDC control device 13 under evaluation. If the VDC control device 13 under evaluation does not reliably perform its control operation, the closed loop in Figure 3 will also not be able to operate reliably. Thus, if the VDC control device 13 to be evaluated is included in the closed loop of the simulation system 30, even if the evaluation is performed in that state, the evaluation results will not reflect the evaluation performed under the desired conditions. ru Situations that contradict this statement may arise. It should be noted that these circumstances are not limited to the combination of the external detection control device 12 and the VDC control device 13. Generally speaking, in an automobile, there is an input-side control device (first device) that outputs a first output to the in-vehicle network 16, and a control device that acquires the first output from the in-vehicle network 16 and performs control. Output side control deviceSimilar circumstances may arise when combined with (the second device). In particular, the input-side control device (first device) detects an object that may change in response to the vehicle's driving conditions and outputs a first output to the VDC control device 13 via the in-vehicle network 16, and Output side control device If the (second device) acquires a first output from the in-vehicle network 16 and controls the operation of an actuator in the vehicle that can change the behavior of the vehicle according to the first output, then the vehicle simulation system 30 in Figure 3 needs to construct a closed loop as described above.

[0043] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the basic configuration of an automobile simulation system 60 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The simulation system 60 in Figure 5 is an improved version based on the simulation system 30 in Figure 3. The simulation system 60 in Figure 5 includes a main simulation device 601, a sub-simulation device 602, an inter-device relay device consisting of a first inter-device relay unit 70 and a second inter-device relay unit 71, and a device evaluation device 90 as a detection device. Furthermore, the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5 is suitable for evaluating the VDC control device 13, which is used in combination with the external detection control device 12 in an automobile for automatic braking.

[0044] The device evaluation device 90 is a device that detects and evaluates the operation of the braking actuator 23, which operates under the control of the VDC control device 13. Further details will be described later.

[0045] The main simulation device 601, like the simulation system 30 in Figure 3, includes a main in-vehicle network 31, a main communication network 32, a first synchronous relay device 61, an event generator 39, a driving environment generation device 40, a first behavior calculation device 63, a monitor image generation device 35, and a camera image generation device 36. Here, the main in-vehicle network 31 may be the in-vehicle network 16 used in the vehicle's control system 10, or an equivalent. The main communication network 32 is connected to the first synchronous relay device 61, the event generator 39, the driving environment generation device 40, the first behavior calculation device 63, the monitor image generation device 35, and the camera image generation device 36. A camera-mounted multi-eye monitor 37 is connected to the camera image generation device 36. Here, the first synchronous relay device 61 has an additional first inter-device relay unit 70, but it is basically the same as the synchronous relay device 33 in Figure 3. The first behavior calculation unit 63 has an added simulation function for the VDC control device 13, but it can basically be the same as the behavior calculation unit 34 in Figure 3. For example, the first behavior calculation unit 63 acquires the external detection information output by the first external detection control device 121 to the main in-vehicle network 31 and performs calculation processing. The simulation function of the VDC control device 13 will be described later. Furthermore, the main in-vehicle network 31 may be connected to at least the devices of the vehicle control system 10 in Figure 1, excluding the VDC control device 13 and the braking actuator 23, which are the subject of evaluation here. Here, the main in-vehicle network 31 is connected to the first external vehicle detection control device 121, Operation control device 11 This is shown as an example. In addition, a compound-eye external camera 22 is connected to the first external detection control device 121. Operation control device 11 An operating member 21 is connected to it. Here, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 may be the same as the external vehicle detection control device 12 in Figure 1, as in Figure 3.

[0046] The sub-simulation device 602 includes a sub-in-vehicle network 64, a sub-communication network 65, a second synchronous relay device 66, and a second behavior calculation device 67. The second synchronous relay device 66 and the second behavior calculation device 67 are connected to the sub-communication network 65. Here, the second synchronous relay device 66 has an additional second inter-device relay unit 71, but it can basically be the same as the synchronous relay device 33 in Figure 3. The second behavior calculation device 67 generates missing information from the input information of the VDC control device 13 of the sub-simulation device 602, but it can basically be the same as the behavior calculation device 34 in Figure 3. The calculation of missing input information for the VDC control device 13 will be described later. The sub-in-vehicle network 64 is connected to the VDC control device 13 and the braking actuator 23, which are the targets of evaluation in the vehicle's control system 10 shown in Figure 1, as well as the first external detection control device 121, which operates in cooperation with the VDC control device 13. The braking actuator 23 is connected to the VDC control device 13. In addition, a device evaluation device 90 is provided for the VDC control device 13 and the braking actuator 23.

[0047] The first inter-device relay unit 70 outputs information that the first synchronous relay device 61 can acquire from the main in-vehicle network 31 and the main communication network 32 to the second inter-device relay unit 71. In this case, the first inter-device relay unit 70 may perform filtering on the information that the first synchronous relay device 61 can acquire and output a portion of it to the second inter-device relay unit 71. In addition, the first inter-device relay unit 70 may output information input from the second inter-device relay unit 71 to the main in-vehicle network 31 or the main communication network 32 through the first synchronous relay device 61.

[0048] The second inter-device relay unit 71 outputs to the first inter-device relay unit 70 information that the second synchronous relay unit 66 can acquire from the sub-in-vehicle network 64 and the sub-communication network 65. In this case, the second inter-device relay unit 71 may perform filtering on the information that the second synchronous relay unit 66 can acquire and output a portion of it to the first inter-device relay unit 70. The second inter-device relay unit 71 may also output information input from the first inter-device relay unit 70 to the sub-in-vehicle network 64 or the sub-communication network 65 through the second synchronous relay unit 66.

[0049] As a result, the first inter-device relay unit 70 and the second inter-device relay unit 71 control the transmission and reception of information between the main simulation device 601 and the sub-simulation device 602. The main simulation device 601 can obtain any information it lacks for control from the sub-simulation device 602 through the inter-device relay device provided by the first inter-device relay unit 70 and the second inter-device relay unit 71. The sub-simulation device 602 can obtain any information it lacks for control from the main simulation device 601 through the inter-device relay device provided by the first inter-device relay unit 70 and the second inter-device relay unit 71. For example, the second behavior calculation device 67 can obtain the information it needs for its calculations from the main simulation device 601. The content of the information transmitted and received between the main simulation device 601 and the sub-simulation device 602 will be described later.

[0050] As shown above, in the simulation system 60 in Figure 5, the main in-vehicle network 31 is connected to the control device under evaluation. outputAt least one control device that outputs is connected. In the main simulation device 601, a closed loop corresponding to the closed loop L1 in Figure 2 is realized by multiple devices shown in bold in Figure 5. That is, in Figure 5, the closed loop consists of a monitor image generation device 35, a camera image generation device 36, a multi-eye monitor for the camera 37, a multi-eye external camera 22, a first external vehicle detection control device 121, and a first behavior calculation device 63. The first external vehicle detection control device 121 can operate reliably in an environment that mimics the control system 10 of an automobile, in an environment that is not affected by the operation of the VDC control device 13 under evaluation, and while the automobile is driving in a virtual space.

[0051] Furthermore, in the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5, the VDC control device 13 under evaluation is connected to the sub-in-vehicle network 64 of the sub-simulation device 602 so that it is outside the closed loop described above. In addition, the external detection control device 12, which is used for evaluation together with the VDC control device 13 under evaluation, is provided in both the main simulation device 601 and the sub-simulation device 602. The first external detection control device 121, which is the external detection control device 12 of the main simulation device 601, is located within the closed loop. In contrast, the second external detection control device 122, which is the external detection control device 12 of the sub-simulation device 602, is outside the closed loop, just like the VDC control device 13 under evaluation. However, since the second external detection control device 122 receives the same disparity image as the first external detection control device 121, it can basically perform the same control operations as the first external detection control device 121. The second external detection control device 122 can generate information equivalent to the external detection information generated by the first external detection control device 121, which operates in a closed loop (external detection information), and output it to the sub-in-vehicle network 64.

[0052] Here, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 requires external vehicle images from the compound external vehicle camera 22 for its operation. For this reason, in the simulation system 60 of Figure 5, the compound external vehicle camera 22 provided on the main simulation device 601 is connected to the second external vehicle detection control device 122 of the sub-simulation device 602 by a direct line 69. As a result, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 can detect information on objects to be detected, such as obstacles to driving, which is generated for the first external vehicle detection control device 121 by the camera image generation device 36 of the main simulation device 601, in parallel with the first external vehicle detection control device 121, and generate external vehicle detection information related to them. In addition, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 can output the external vehicle detection information to the sub-in-vehicle network 64. In addition, for example, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 may output the external vehicle image from the compound external vehicle camera 22 to the main in-vehicle network 31. Alternatively, the external vehicle image from the compound external vehicle camera 22 may be relayed from the main simulation device 601 to the sub-simulation device 602. In this case, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 can acquire the external vehicle image from the compound external vehicle camera 22 of the main simulation device 601, execute the desired control operation, and output external vehicle detection information.

[0053] Furthermore, in the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5, by connecting the first external vehicle detection control device 121 to the main in-vehicle network 31, it can be operated in an environment that mimics the control system 10 of a vehicle, and external vehicle detection information can be output from the first external vehicle detection control device 121 as the first output. Furthermore, in the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5, the VDC control device 13 can be operated in an environment that mimics the control system 10 of an automobile by connecting it to the sub-in-vehicle network 64. Here, the main in-vehicle network 31 and Sub-vehicle network 64Of these, at least the sub-in-vehicle network 64 should be the same as the in-vehicle network 16 actually used in the vehicle together with the VDC control device 13. However, the main in-vehicle network 31 does not have to be the same as the in-vehicle network 16 used in the vehicle's control system 10, but can be equivalent. In particular, if the evaluation of the external detection control device 12 used as the first external detection control device 121 has been completed, the main in-vehicle network 31 does not have to be the same as the in-vehicle network 16 actually used in the vehicle together with the VDC control device 13.

[0054] Here, we will explain the information required by the VDC control device 13 for a predetermined control operation. As shown in Figure 1, when the VDC control device 13 performs automatic braking control, it requires information such as the vehicle's speed, vehicle acceleration, and wheel speed from the detection control device 15, in addition to the external detection information from the external detection control device 12. The VDC control device 13 controls the amount of movement and operating state of the braking actuator 23 when performing automatic braking, according to VDC information such as the vehicle's speed, vehicle acceleration, and wheel speed. The VDC control device 13 controls the amount of movement and operating state of the braking actuator 23 during automatic braking so that the vehicle stops within the range of the distance to the detected obstacle. Furthermore, if the difference between the instantaneous distance traveled from the vehicle's speed during braking and the instantaneous distance traveled from the wheel speed is large, the VDC control device 13 controls the operation of the braking actuator 23 and the ABS (Anti-lock) (not shown). Bram The system may also implement control measures to adjust the operation of the device in a way that suppresses it.

[0055] In this case, the first inter-device relay unit 70, provided in the first synchronous relay device 61, selects, through a predetermined filtering process, the external detection information from the external detection control device 12 and the vehicle speed and acceleration information obtained as calculation results from the first behavior calculation device 63, which are generated in the main simulation device 601 where the external detection control device 12 operates. The first inter-device relay unit 70 also outputs the selected information to the second inter-device relay unit 71, provided in the second synchronous relay device 66. The second synchronous relay device 66 may output the information acquired from the main simulation device 601 to the sub-communication network 65 and the sub-in-vehicle network 64. Furthermore, in the sub-simulation device 602, the second behavior calculation device 67, which operates together with the VDC control device 13, calculates the wheel speed of the vehicle equipped with the VDC control device 13 based on information such as speed obtained from the main simulation device 601. The second behavior calculation device 67 outputs the generated vehicle wheel speed information to the sub-communication network 65. The second synchronous relay device 66 acquires the wheel speed information from the sub-communication network 65 and outputs it to the sub-in-vehicle network 64. As a result, the second behavior calculation unit 67 determines that the VDC control unit 13 is necessary for controlling its automatic brakes. do It can generate missing information from the available data. The second behavior calculation unit 67 can function as a driving information calculation unit for the VDC control device 13 being evaluated. Furthermore, the VDC control device 13, which is connected to the sub-in-vehicle network 64, can acquire external detection information from the first external detection control device 121, which is operating within the closed loop of the main simulation device 601, or equivalent information, which is external detection information from the second external detection control device 122, which is operating in the sub-simulation device 602. In addition, the VDC control device 13 can acquire all the information necessary for the control operation of the automatic brake from the sub-in-vehicle network 64, as in the case of Figure 1.

[0056] Furthermore, the simulation system 60 in Figure 5 incorporates the device shown in Figure 1 in order to evaluate the control operation of the automatic brakes of the control system 10 installed in the automobile. When evaluating the control operations of other automobile functions, the various devices of the automobile's control system 10 incorporated into the simulation system 60 in Figure 5 may be changed from those shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, when evaluating the control operations of each function of an automobile, all the devices of the automobile's control system 10 may be incorporated into the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5.

[0057] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a simulation system 80 implemented under the basic configuration shown in Figure 5 for the evaluation of automobiles. Figure 6 shows the configuration of the simulation system 80, including the basic components shown in Figure 5, as well as the VDC operation reproduction unit 81, vehicle behavior calculation unit 82, and wheel speed calculation unit 83, which serve as control operation reproduction units. The hatched boxes in the diagram represent various devices shown in the automobile control system 10 in Figure 1, which are installed in the simulation system 60 in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the meter control device 14 along with the VDC control device 13 connected to the sub-in-vehicle network 64. When the VDC control device 13 acquires significant external detection information, it executes control for automatic braking and outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. As a result, the vehicle traveling in the virtual space can decelerate in the virtual space and eventually come to a stop. When the meter control device 14 acquires significant external detection information, it outputs a warning to the meter panel 24 and emits a warning sound from the speaker 25. This allows the occupants of the vehicle to recognize any obstacles to their driving.

[0058] The VDC operation reproduction unit 81 reproduces the control output of the VDC control device 13 or the operation output of the actuator according to the external detection information output by the external detection control device 123 in Figure 6. Here, the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 only needs to reproduce, for example, the input and output of the VDC control device 13, or the input and output of the VDC control device 13 and the actuator as a whole. For example, each control device provided in the vehicle's control system 10 is developed based on the overall requirements of the vehicle, through processes such as input / output design, requirements design, and functional design for each control device. In this case, by the time an evaluation control device is created, the design of its input / output, requirements, and functions has already been completed. The input / output of the VDC control device 13, and the overall input / output of the VDC control device 13 and actuator, can be easily modeled based on this existing design information. Furthermore, each manufacturer is likely to have already developed similar control devices. In this case, it is also possible to model the control devices that have already been developed. The VDC operation reproduction unit 81 may reproduce the input / output of the VDC control device 13, or the overall input / output of the VDC control device 13 and actuator, based on these models.

[0059] The vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 uses the output of the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 and other sources to calculate the behavior of the vehicle that may change due to the operation of the braking actuator 23, as well as the driving state of the vehicle.

[0060] The wheel speed calculation unit 83 calculates the wheel speed of the vehicle, for example, based on the vehicle's speed. The wheel speed of a vehicle will be different depending on factors such as the circumference of the vehicle's wheels, even if the vehicle's speed is the same.

[0061] Furthermore, in Figure 6, the closed loop of the main simulation device 601 in Figure 5 consists of a monitor image generation device 35 (not shown), a camera image generation device 36, a multi-eye monitor for cameras 37, a multi-eye external camera 22, an external detection control device 123, a VDC operation reproduction unit 81, and a vehicle behavior calculation unit 82. In this case, the camera image generation device 36 and the monitor image generation device 35 function as external image generation devices that generate external images of the vehicle in a driving state that may change due to the operation of the actuators, using the calculation results of the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82. The camera's multi-lens monitor 37 functions as a display component that displays the external vehicle image generated by the camera image generation device 36. The compound-eye external camera 22 functions as an imaging device that captures images of the outside of the vehicle displayed by the display element and outputs these captured images of the outside to the external detection control device 123.

[0062] Here, the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 and the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 are implemented in the first behavior calculation unit 63 of the main simulation device 601 in Figure 5. Thus, the first behavior calculation unit 63 in Figure 5 calculates the behavior of the automobile, including the control operation of the VDC control device 13 that is under evaluation. The first behavior calculation unit 63 may, for example, perform calculation processing as the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 based on expressions or tables that show the input / output relationships of the VDC control device 13 that is under evaluation, and calculate the behavior of the automobile by the VDC control device 13. Furthermore, the first behavior calculation unit 63 may use the calculation results of the automobile behavior as the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 to calculate the overall behavior of the automobile and the driving state of the automobile after the behavior.

[0063] Furthermore, the wheel speed calculation unit 83 is implemented in the second behavior calculation unit 67 of the sub-simulation device 602 shown in Figure 5. The second behavior calculation unit 67 acquires information such as the speed indicating the vehicle's behavior or the vehicle's driving state corresponding to that behavior, calculated by the first behavior calculation unit 63, via the sub-communication network 65, and, as the wheel speed calculation unit 83, calculates the input information for the VDC control device 13 according to the acquired information such as speed. The second behavior calculation unit 67 outputs the calculation result of the wheel speed calculation unit 83 to the sub-communication network 65. The second synchronous relay device 66 outputs the calculation result of the wheel speed calculation unit 83, which is output to the sub-communication network 65, to the VDC control device 13 via the sub-in-vehicle network 64.

[0064] Furthermore, the external vehicle detection control device 123 in Figure 6 corresponds to both the first external vehicle detection control device 121 of the main simulation device 601 in Figure 5 and the second external vehicle detection control device 122 of the sub-simulation device 602, which can operate similarly to the first external vehicle detection control device 121. In other words, in Figure 6, the external vehicle detection information from the external vehicle detection control device 123 is output to the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 and the VDC control device 13. Thus, the external detection control device 123 in Figure 6 operates under a closed loop that generates the vehicle's driving state. Furthermore, the external vehicle detection control device 123 shown in Figure 6, which operates in a closed loop, can output the external vehicle detection information it generates to the VDC control device 13, which is not included in the closed loop.

[0065] The device evaluation apparatus 90 in Figure 6 includes an evaluation UI device 91 and an evaluation camera 92 connected to the evaluation UI device 91. The evaluation camera 92 detects the operation of the braking actuator 23 by imaging. For example, in a hydraulic braking system, hydraulic pressure presses the brake pad against the brake disc, generating braking force. The evaluation camera 92 may image the change in the oil level due to this hydraulic pressure. In this way, the evaluation camera 92 can detect the amount of movement and the operating state of the braking actuator 23, whose operation is controlled by the VDC control device 13, based on the position and change in the oil level under its operation. The evaluation UI device 91 may be, for example, the computer device 50 in Figure 4 with the addition of a monitor as a user interface. In this case, the evaluation UI device 91 may display images of the oil surface captured by the evaluation camera 92 on the monitor. The developer can check the amount of movement and the operating state of the braking actuator 23 by looking at the display on the monitor. The evaluation UI device 91 may also store master data on changes in the oil surface according to scenarios in the simulation system 80 and display the comparison results with that data on the monitor.

[0066] Thus, in the simulation system 80 of Figure 6, the external vehicle detection control device 123 can be operated in a closed loop that does not include the VDC control device 13 under evaluation. Furthermore, in the simulation system 80 of Figure 6, the external vehicle detection information, which is the first output of the external vehicle detection control device 123 operating in such a closed loop, can be output to the VDC control device 13 under evaluation, which is located outside the closed loop. Furthermore, the device evaluation device 90 can observe the operating state of the braking actuator 23, whose operation is controlled by the VDC control device 13 under evaluation, using the evaluation camera 92, and provide this information to the developer. This allows the developer to easily confirm if the oil level change according to the scenario in the simulation system 80 is not as desired, and to begin corrective work. Also, since the simulation system 80 in Figure 6 is based on the simulation system 60 in Figure 5, it is possible to store various information during scenario execution in the system. Therefore, richer information can be obtained as evaluation results than in the case of evaluation with an actual vehicle. By analyzing this information, the developer can easily determine the cause of the undesirable result and the corrective actions needed based on the evaluation results. If the evaluation results are unsatisfactory, the developer can easily and reliably determine whether the cause lies in the external detection control device 12 or the VDC control device 13.

[0067] In the above explanation of Figure 6, the wheel speed calculation unit 83 is implemented in the second behavior calculation unit 67 of the sub-simulation device 602 in Figure 5. In addition, for example, the wheel speed calculation unit 83 may be implemented in the first behavior calculation unit 63 of the main simulation device 601 shown in Figure 5. In this case, all information that the VDC control device 13 needs to acquire for automatic braking control, other than the external detection information generated by the external detection control device 123, is generated in the main simulation device 601 and relayed to the sub-simulation device 602.

[0068] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating timing of the basic simulation system 60 in Figure 5 under the simulation system 80 in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows, from top to bottom, the information generated by the main simulation device 601 and the information generated by the sub-simulation device 602. Specifically, the information from the main simulation device 601 includes the external detection information output from the first external detection control device 121, the VDC data output from the VDC operation reproduction unit 81, and the disparity image generated by the camera image generation device 36. The information from the sub-simulation device 602 includes the external detection information output from the second external detection control device 122 and the VDC data output from the VDC control device 13. The VDC data output from the VDC control device 13 is output to the braking actuator 23. In Figure 7, time flows from left to right.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, in the time slot at time t1, the main simulation device 601 outputs external detection information as the first output from the first external detection control device 121. The VDC operation reproduction unit 81 outputs VDC data. The camera image generation device 36 generates a disparity image. In the time slot at time t2, the main simulation device 601 outputs external detection information based on the parallax image processed at time t1, using the first external vehicle detection control device 121. The VDC operation reproduction unit 81 outputs VDC data. The camera image generation device 36 generates a parallax image. In the time slot at time t3, the main simulation device 601 outputs external detection information based on the parallax image processed at time t2, using the first external vehicle detection control device 121. The VDC operation reproduction unit 81 outputs VDC data. The camera image generation device 36 generates a parallax image.

[0070] While this control is performed in the main simulation device 601, the sub-simulation device 602 also performs control. In other words, in the time slot at time t1, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 of the sub-simulation device 602 outputs external vehicle detection information based on the disparity image generated in the main simulation device 601. The VDC control device 13 outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. At time slot t2, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 of the sub-simulation device 602 outputs external vehicle detection information based on the disparity image generated by the processing at time t1 in the main simulation device 601. The VDC control device 13 outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. At time slot t3, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 of the sub-simulation device 602 outputs external vehicle detection information based on the disparity image generated by the main simulation device 601 at time t1. The VDC control device 13 outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23.

[0071] In this way, the main simulation device 601 and the sub-simulation device 602 can execute control operations at intervals of the time slots defined in the in-vehicle network 16. In the basic simulation system 60 of Figure 5, the main simulation device 601 and the sub-simulation device 602 can operate synchronously in accordance with the time slots defined in the in-vehicle network 16. For example, the second external vehicle detection control device 122 and the VDC control device 13 can input and output external vehicle detection information as the first output using time slots allocated in the vehicle for periodic communication through the in-vehicle network 16.

[0072] In Figure 7, the control operation period Tc0 of the simulation systems 60 and 80, the control operation period Tc1 of the main simulation device 601, and the control operation period Tc2 of the sub-simulation device 602 are all the same. The control operation period can basically be the same as the control period of the vehicle being evaluated. In contrast, the camera image generation device 36, which outputs information on the target to be detected to the first external vehicle detection control device 121 and the second external vehicle detection control device 122, updates the parallax image output to the camera's compound eye monitor 37 at intervals Tc3, which is shorter than the control period Tc0 to Tc2 of these time slots. In Figure 7, the parallax image is updated approximately three times within the control period Tc0 to Tc2 of one time slot. In this case, the parallax image update period Tc3 is short, about one-third of the control period Tc0 to Tc2 of the time slot.

[0073] As a result, the camera image generation device 36 can immediately update the disparity image when the VDC data is updated in each cycle Tc1. The camera image generation device 36 can update the output disparity image in each control cycle of the time slot. The first external vehicle detection control device 121 and the second external vehicle detection control device 122 can detect information about the target to be detected, which can be updated at a shorter interval than their operating cycle. In other words, because the target to be detected can be updated at a shorter interval than that of the time slot, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 and the second external vehicle detection control device 122 can each operate at the same timing as when they are operating in a vehicle.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 and the second external vehicle detection control device 122 are connected to the same multi-lens external vehicle camera 22 and can receive the same external vehicle image as input. Therefore, the external vehicle detection information output by the first external vehicle detection control device 121 and the external vehicle detection information output by the second external vehicle detection control device 122 can be the same. Therefore, in the corresponding time slots at the top and bottom of Figure 7, it can be expected that the external vehicle detection information from the main simulation device 601 and the external vehicle detection information from the sub-simulation device 602 will be the same. Similarly, it can be expected that the VDC data generated based on the same external vehicle detection information will be the same in both the main simulation device 601 and the sub-simulation device 602. the result, Brake actuator 23 Although the sub-simulation device 602 operates based on the VDC data input of the VDC control device 13, it can be treated as if it were operating based on the VDC data of the main simulation device 601, which is performing closed-loop control.

[0075] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the overall control flow for automatic brake evaluation in the simulation systems 60 and 80 of this embodiment. The simulation system 60 in Figure 5 and the simulation system 80 in Figure 6 can perform control based on a predetermined driving scenario of a vehicle, for example, in order to evaluate automatic braking. Here, an example of such a driving scenario is described. The flowchart in Figure 8 can be executed by multiple devices constituting the simulation systems 60 and 80 working together. Here, we will explain the flowchart in Figure 8, using as an example the case where the first behavior calculation unit 63 of the main simulation device 601 drives the automobile in the virtual space according to its driving scenario. Note that the automobile can also drive in the virtual space according to the operation of the control member 21 by the driver. Such driving scenarios may basically consist of information for the vehicle to travel from an initial position to an end position in the virtual space. The driving scenario information may consist of similar information to that output by the operation control device 11 to the main in-vehicle network 31 when the driver operates the operation member 21 to move the vehicle in the virtual space.

[0076] In step ST1 of Figure 8, the simulation systems 60 and 80 output the initial driving state. For example, the event generator 39 outputs the start event of the driving scenario, the driving environment generator 40 generates a virtual space at the initial position of the vehicle in the driving scenario, and the first behavior calculation unit 63 generates information for the vehicle to start driving from the initial position according to the driving scenario. The information generated here for starting the drive is, for example, when the driver operates the operating member 21 to start the vehicle driving. Operation control device 11 It can be the same as the output sent to the in-vehicle network 16.

[0077] In step ST2, the first behavior calculation unit 63 calculates the behavior of the vehicle and the driving state after the behavior based on the information it has generated for starting the vehicle. The first inter-device relay unit 70, provided in the first synchronous relay unit 61, acquires information on the vehicle's speed and acceleration, which are the driving state information after the behavior, from the main communication network 32, and outputs it to the second inter-device relay unit 71, provided in the second synchronous relay unit 66.

[0078] In step ST3, Monitor image generation device 35 Based on the position of the vehicle after the maneuver, the camera image generation device 36 generates a field of view image from the vehicle, and further generates a parallax image. The camera's multi-eye monitor 37 displays the parallax image after the maneuver.

[0079] In step ST4, the compound external camera 22 captures the parallax image after the action, which is displayed on the compound monitor 37 for the camera.

[0080] In step ST5, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 analyzes the external vehicle image captured by the compound external vehicle camera 22 and outputs external vehicle detection information to the main in-vehicle network 31. The first synchronous relay device 61 then acquires external detection information from the main in-vehicle network 31 and outputs it to the main communication network 32. Furthermore, the first inter-device relay unit 70, provided in the first synchronous relay device 61, acquires external detection information from the main in-vehicle network 31 and outputs it to the second inter-device relay unit 71, provided in the second synchronous relay device 66. The second synchronous relay device 66 outputs external detection information acquired from the main simulation device 601 to the sub-in-vehicle network 64. Here, if there are no obstacles in the direction of travel of the vehicle in the virtual space, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 may or may not output external vehicle detection information. In this case, the simulation systems 60 and 80 do not execute the processes from step ST6 to step ST8. In contrast, if, for example, the driving scenario progresses to a certain extent and an obstacle exists in the direction of travel of the vehicle in the virtual space, the simulation systems 60 and 80 execute the processes from step ST6 to step ST8. Details will be described later.

[0081] In step ST9, the first behavior calculation unit 63 calculates the current behavior and driving state of the vehicle using the previous behavior and driving state of the vehicle and newly acquired information from the main communication network 32. At this time, if there is a driving obstacle in the direction of travel of the vehicle in the virtual space and significant external detection information is generated, the first behavior calculation unit 63 first performs calculation processing as the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 based on the external detection information. After that, the first behavior calculation unit 63 calculates the behavior and driving state of the vehicle after the VDC operation. As a result, the driving state of the vehicle is updated.

[0082] In step ST10, the simulation systems 60 and 80 determine whether or not to start evaluating the automatic brakes. The decision in step ST10 may be made by, for example, the first behavior calculation unit 63. The first behavior calculation unit 63 may determine whether or not to start evaluating the automatic brakes based, for example, whether or not the speed of the car traveling in the virtual space is a speed suitable for evaluating the automatic brakes. If the evaluation of the automatic brakes is not started, the first behavior calculation unit 63 returns the process to step ST1. The simulation systems 60 and 80, including the first behavior calculation unit 63, repeat the process from step ST1 to step ST10 until they decide to start evaluating the automatic brakes in step ST10. If they decide to start evaluating the automatic brakes in step ST10, the simulation systems 60 and 80, including the first behavior calculation unit 63, proceed the process to step ST11.

[0083] In step ST11, the simulation systems 60 and 80 output evaluation events. The event generator 39 outputs a driving obstruction in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel in the virtual space. The driving environment generator 40 generates a virtual space including the driving obstruction as the virtual space at the vehicle's current position. Monitor image generation device 35 Based on the vehicle's current position, the camera image generation device 36 generates a field of view image from the vehicle, and then generates a parallax image. As a result, the camera's multi-eye monitor 37 displays the parallax image, which includes images of obstacles to the vehicle's movement. Consequently, in step ST5, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 analyzes the external vehicle image captured by the multi-eye external vehicle camera 22 and outputs significant external vehicle detection information to the main in-vehicle network 31. The second external vehicle detection control device 122 also analyzes the external vehicle image captured by the multi-eye external vehicle camera 22 and outputs significant external vehicle detection information to the sub-in-vehicle network 64. In this case, the simulation systems 60 and 80 execute the processes from step ST6 to step ST8.

[0084] In step ST6, the VDC control device 13 of the sub-simulation device 602 acquires external detection information output to the sub-in-vehicle network 64 by the second external detection control device 122 from the sub-in-vehicle network 64, and executes braking control for automatic braking. The VDC control device 13 generates VDC data according to the vehicle's wheel speed, speed, acceleration, etc., and outputs it to the braking actuator 23. In step ST7, the braking actuator 23 performs a braking action for automatic braking. In step ST8, the evaluation camera 92 captures images of the change in oil level based on the operation of the braking actuator 23. The images captured by the evaluation camera 92 are output to the evaluation UI device 91 and displayed on the monitor of the evaluation UI device 91. This allows the developer to check the results of the control and operation for automatic braking while driving in a virtual space in a driving scenario using the evaluation UI device 91.

[0085] In step ST12, the simulation systems 60 and 80 determine whether or not to terminate the evaluation of the automatic braking system. The decision in step ST12 may be made by, for example, the first behavior calculation unit 63. The first behavior calculation unit 63 may decide to terminate the evaluation of the automatic braking system if, for example, the speed of the vehicle traveling in the virtual space is 0 km / h or a speed that has been sufficiently reduced to be close to 0 km / h by the automatic braking system. If it does not decide to terminate the evaluation of the automatic braking system, the first behavior calculation unit 63 returns the process to step ST2. After deciding to start the evaluation of the automatic braking system in step ST10, the simulation systems 60 and 80, including the first behavior calculation unit 63, repeat the process from step ST2 to step ST12 until it decides to terminate the evaluation in step ST12. If it decides to terminate the evaluation of the automatic braking system in step ST12, the simulation systems 60 and 80, including the first behavior calculation unit 63, proceed to step ST13.

[0086] In step ST13, the simulation systems 60 and 80 evaluate the evaluation results. Each device of the simulation systems 60 and 80 may output various data acquired during the evaluation to the evaluation UI device 91 or the like via a communication network (not shown) and record it in the evaluation UI device 91 or the like. This allows the developer to comprehensively evaluate the control operation of the automatic brakes based on the driving scenario, including the operation of the braking actuator 23, using the evaluation UI device 91. Furthermore, the developer can quickly identify the targets for modification based on the evaluation results and modify the VDC control device 13 under evaluation, or modify the external detection control device 12 used in conjunction with it.

[0087] In this way, by executing the evaluation control shown in Figure 8 based on the driving scenario, the simulation systems 60 and 80 control the VDC control device 13, which is the target of evaluation, to the braking actuator. 23 It is possible to execute control to operate the braking actuator. Developers and others can then verify the evaluation results using the evaluation UI device 91, etc. Moreover, the simulation systems 60 and 80 can control the braking actuator. 23 Along with the change in oil level based on the operation, VDC data, which is the output of the VDC control device 13, can be acquired. Furthermore, the simulation systems 60 and 80 can also acquire information during the evaluation of the output of the second external detection control device 122, which operates together with the VDC control device 13 during the evaluation of the automatic brake, and the output of the first external detection control device 121, which outputs something equivalent to it. By comparing this information during the evaluation of the automatic brake, developers can easily understand which devices and modifications need to be made to obtain the desired results. Figure 8 shows that the simulation systems 60 and 80 are performing evaluations by executing driving scenarios. 80Similar to the simulation system 30 in Figure 3, the main simulation device 601 is operable by a driver. The simulation systems 60 and 80 may execute a driving scenario and perform an evaluation by having a driver operate the operating member 21 according to a predetermined driving scenario.

[0088] As described above, in this embodiment, the external detection control device 12, which outputs information to the VDC control device 13 under verification in the automobile, operates under a closed loop consisting of the VDC operation reproduction unit 81, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82, the camera image generation device 36, the camera's multi-eye monitor 37, and the multi-eye external camera 22, as shown in Figure 6. The external detection control device 12 can operate under a closed loop that generates the automobile's driving state. Moreover, this closed loop does not include the VDC control device 13 under verification. As a result, the closed loop can reliably generate the automobile's driving state. The external detection control device 12 can reliably operate under the automobile's driving state in the closed loop without being affected by the operation of the VDC control device 13 under verification. In this embodiment, the external detection information generated by the external detection control device 12 operating in such a closed loop, or information equivalent to the external detection information generated by the external detection control device 12, is output to the VDC control device 13, which is not included in the closed loop. As a result, the VDC control device 13 can control the operation of the vehicle's driving control actuators, which can change the behavior of the vehicle, in accordance with the external detection information of the external detection control device 12, which operates reliably under the vehicle's driving conditions in the closed loop. The VDC control device 13 can operate reliably under the vehicle's driving conditions in the closed loop. Furthermore, for example, if the control of the VDC control device 13 or the operation of the actuator is not desirable even though the VDC control device 13 is operating reliably in the closed loop, the developer can perform corrective work on the VDC control device 13 or actuator under verification. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the VDC control device 13 outside the carThe external detection control device 12, which outputs detection information, can also be easily determined based on whether or not the closed loop is functioning correctly. As a result of the verification, developers can obtain the verification results of the external detection control device 12, which operates in conjunction with the VDC control device 13, making it easier to pinpoint and determine which parts need correction. Furthermore, by using the vehicle simulation system 80 according to this embodiment, developers can verify the VDC control device 13 without incorporating it into a vehicle together with the external detection control device 12. Developers can begin verifying the VDC control device 13 early, in an environment close to that of a real vehicle, in combination with the external detection control device 12, even at a stage where vehicle development is not yet advanced, without incorporating the VDC control device 13 into a real vehicle together with the external detection control device 12.

[0089] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, components similar to those in the above-described embodiment will be shown using the same reference numerals and will not be shown or described, and the differences from the above-described embodiment will be described in detail. In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which a disturbance generation unit 100 for disrupting the driving of an automobile is provided in the closed loop of the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6.

[0090] Figure 9 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system 80 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The automobile simulation system 80 in Figure 9 is implemented under the basic configuration shown in Figure 5 for the purpose of evaluating automobiles, and corresponds to that in Figure 6. Furthermore, the automobile simulation system 80 shown in Figure 9 has a disturbance generation unit 100.

[0091] The disturbance generation unit 100 is provided on the compound eye external camera 22 included in the closed loop. The disturbance generation unit 100 adds disturbance components to the external image generated by the compound external camera 22 through imaging. The compound external camera 22 outputs the external image to which the disturbance components have been added by the disturbance generation unit 100. Here, the disturbance components of the image can be, for example, obstacles to movement such as preceding vehicles or pedestrians, traffic signals, railway crossings, etc. Furthermore, the disturbance generation unit 100 is, for example, the event generation device shown in Figure 5. 39 Based on disturbance events that occur according to the driving scenario, disturbance components may be added to the external images generated by the compound external camera 22 through imaging. The addition of such disturbance components results in an external image that includes image components related to disturbances that disrupt the vehicle's movement.

[0092] The compound-eye external camera 22 then outputs an external image, including image components related to disturbances, to the external detection control device 123 shown in Figure 9. The external vehicle detection control device 123, like the external vehicle detection control device 12 described above, analyzes the input external vehicle image to extract obstacles to driving, traffic signals, road signs, railway crossings, etc. If the external detection control device 123 detects an obstruction within a predetermined distance of the vehicle's path, it outputs significant external detection information about the obstruction to the vehicle's path to the in-vehicle network 16. This significant external detection information is output to the VDC operation reproduction unit 81, the VDC control device 13, and the meter control device 14. As a result, the closed loop including the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 will perform loop control in response to the occurrence of disturbances. The VDC control device 13 performs control for automatic braking and outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. As a result, the vehicle traveling in the virtual space can decelerate in the virtual space through automatic braking and eventually come to a stop. The meter control device 14 outputs a warning to the meter panel 24 and emits a warning sound from the speaker 25. This allows the occupants of the vehicle to recognize the obstruction to their vehicle.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, a disturbance generation unit 100 is provided in the compound eye external camera 22 included in the closed loop, and disturbances are generated in the external image output by the compound eye external camera 22. As a result, the closed loop performs control in response to the disturbances. The VDC control device 13 under verification can then receive significant external detection information corresponding to the disturbances generated under the control that responds to those disturbances. As a result, the VDC control device 13 can generate VDC data for automatic braking and output it to the braking actuator 23. The braking actuator 23 can perform braking operations for automatic braking under the control of the VDC control device 13. In this embodiment, it is possible to evaluate the control of the VDC control device 13 and the operation of the braking actuator 23 in a driving environment where disturbances occur.

[0094] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, components similar to those in the embodiments described above will be shown using the same reference numerals and will not be shown or described, and the differences from the embodiments described above will be explained in detail. In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which a disturbance generation unit 101 for disrupting the driving of an automobile is provided in the closed loop of the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6.

[0095] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system 80 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The automobile simulation system 80 in Figure 10 is implemented under the basic configuration shown in Figure 5 for the purpose of evaluating automobiles, and corresponds to that in Figure 6.

[0096] In the automobile simulation system 80 shown in Figure 10, the disturbance generation unit 101 is provided for the external vehicle detection control device 123 included in the closed loop. In the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5, the disturbance generation unit 101 is provided for the first external vehicle detection control device 121, which is part of the external vehicle detection control device 123. As part of the external vehicle detection control device 123, the first external vehicle detection control device 121 analyzes external vehicle images and detects obstacles and other objects while driving. The disturbance generation unit 101 generates information such as road obstacles as disturbance components in the first external vehicle detection control device 121. As a result, the first external vehicle detection control device 121, as part of the external vehicle detection control device 123, will output meaningful external vehicle detection information indicating that obstacles have been detected, even if no obstacles have been detected in the external vehicle image.

[0097] Then, the first external vehicle detection control device 121, as part of the external vehicle detection control device 123, outputs significant external vehicle detection information to the VDC operation reproduction unit 81, the VDC control device 13, and the meter control device 14. As a result, the closed loop, including the external detection and control device 123, will perform loop control to respond to the occurrence of disturbances. The VDC control device 13 performs control for automatic braking and outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. As a result, the vehicle traveling in the virtual space can decelerate in the virtual space through automatic braking and eventually come to a stop. The meter control device 14 outputs a warning to the meter panel 24 and emits a warning sound from the speaker 25. This allows the occupants of the vehicle to recognize the obstruction to their vehicle.

[0098] As described above, in this embodiment, the external detection control device 123 included in the closed loop is provided with a disturbance generation unit 101, and the external detection information output by the external detection control device 123 is changed from meaningless to meaningful due to the disturbance. As a result, the closed loop performs control in response to the disturbance. The VDC control device 13 under verification can then receive meaningful external detection information corresponding to the disturbance generated under the control that responds to the disturbance. As a result, the VDC control device 13 can generate VDC data for automatic braking and output it to the braking actuator 23. The braking actuator 23 can perform braking operations for automatic braking under the control of the VDC control device 13. In this embodiment, it is possible to evaluate the control of the VDC control device 13 and the operation of the braking actuator 23 in a driving environment where disturbances occur.

[0099] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, components similar to those in the embodiments described above will be shown using the same reference numerals and will not be shown or described, and the differences from the embodiments described above will be explained in detail. In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which a disturbance generation unit 102 for disrupting the driving of an automobile is provided in the closed loop of the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6.

[0100] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system 80 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The automobile simulation system 80 in Figure 11 is implemented under the basic configuration shown in Figure 5 for the purpose of evaluating automobiles, and corresponds to that in Figure 6.

[0101] And then, Figure 11 In the automobile simulation system 80, the disturbance generation unit 102 is provided for the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 included in the closed loop. In the simulation system 60 of Figure 5, the disturbance generation unit 102 is provided for the first behavior calculation device 63. The vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 calculates the behavior of the vehicle based on VDC data output by the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 and other factors. The disturbance generation unit 102 may generate disturbances in the first external vehicle detection control device 121, for example, by adding disturbance components to the VDC data output by the VDC operation reproduction unit 81. As a result, even when the VDC operation reproduction unit 81 outputs VDC data in a state where no disturbances are occurring, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 will calculate the behavior of the vehicle based on VDC data that changes in response to disturbances.

[0102] The vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 then outputs information about the vehicle's behavior, which changes in response to disturbances, and the corresponding information about the vehicle's driving state, to the monitor image generation device 35 and the camera image generation device 36. As a result, the disparity image generated by the camera image generation device 36 corresponds to the driving state, which changes in response to disturbances. The closed loop, including the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82, will perform loop control in response to the occurrence of disturbances. The VDC control device 13 performs control for automatic braking and outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. As a result, the vehicle traveling in the virtual space can decelerate in the virtual space through automatic braking and eventually come to a stop. The meter control device 14 outputs a warning to the meter panel 24 and emits a warning sound from the speaker 25. This allows the occupants of the vehicle to recognize the obstruction to their vehicle.

[0103] As described above, in this embodiment, a disturbance generation unit 102 is provided in the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 included in the closed loop, and the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82 outputs information about the vehicle's behavior or driving state, which is changed by the disturbance. As a result, the closed loop performs control in response to the disturbance. The VDC control device 13 under verification can then receive significant external detection information corresponding to the disturbance generated under the control that responds to the disturbance. As a result, the VDC control device 13 can generate VDC data for automatic braking and output it to the braking actuator 23. The braking actuator 23 can perform braking operations for automatic braking under the control of the VDC control device 13. In this embodiment, it is possible to evaluate the control of the VDC control device 13 and the operation of the braking actuator 23 in a driving environment where disturbances occur.

[0104] [Fifth Embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, components similar to those in the embodiments described above will be shown using the same reference numerals and will not be shown or described, and the differences from the embodiments described above will be explained in detail. In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which a disturbance generation unit 103 for disrupting the driving of an automobile is provided in the closed loop of the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6.

[0105] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an automobile simulation system 80 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The automobile simulation system 80 in Figure 12 is implemented under the basic configuration shown in Figure 5 for the purpose of evaluating automobiles, and corresponds to that shown in Figure 6.

[0106] And then, Figure 12 In the automobile simulation system 80, the disturbance generation unit 103 is provided for the camera image generation device 36 included in the closed loop. Alternatively, the disturbance generation unit 103 may be provided for the monitor image generation device 35 shown in Figure 5. The camera image generation device 36 generates a parallax image as seen from the vehicle after the behavior, based on the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82's information on the vehicle's behavior or driving state. The disturbance generation unit 103 adds disturbance components to the monitor image input to the camera image generation device 36, or to the disparity image output by the camera image generation device 36. The camera image generation device 36 then outputs the disparity image to which the disturbance components have been added by the disturbance generation unit 103. Here, the disturbance components of the image can be, for example, obstacles to movement such as preceding vehicles or pedestrians, traffic signals, railway crossings, etc.

[0107] The camera image generation device 36 then outputs a disparity image, which includes image components related to disturbance components, to the camera's multi-eye monitor 37. As a result, disturbances that disrupt the vehicle's movement are generated in the parallax image displayed by the camera's multi-eye monitor 37. The closed loop, including the camera image generation device 36, will perform loop control to respond to the occurrence of these disturbances. The VDC control device 13 performs control for automatic braking and outputs VDC data to the braking actuator 23. As a result, the vehicle traveling in the virtual space can decelerate in the virtual space through automatic braking and eventually come to a stop. The meter control device 14 outputs a warning to the meter panel 24 and emits a warning sound from the speaker 25. This allows the occupants of the vehicle to recognize the obstruction to their vehicle.

[0108] As described above, in this embodiment, the camera image generation device 36 included in the closed loop is provided with a disturbance generation unit 103, which generates disturbances in the disparity image output by the camera image generation device 36. As a result, the closed loop performs control in response to the disturbances. The VDC control device 13 under verification can then receive significant external detection information corresponding to the disturbances generated under the control that responds to these disturbances. As a result, the VDC control device 13 can generate VDC data for automatic braking and output it to the braking actuator 23. The braking actuator 23 can perform braking operations for automatic braking under the control of the VDC control device 13. In this embodiment, it is possible to evaluate the control of the VDC control device 13 and the operation of the braking actuator 23 in a driving environment where disturbances occur.

[0109] [Sixth Embodiment] Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, components similar to those in the embodiments described above will be shown using the same reference numerals and will not be shown or described, and the differences from the embodiments described above will be explained in detail. In this embodiment, the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6 is implemented with a different configuration from the basic one of the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5.

[0110] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the basic configuration of an automobile simulation system 300 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The simulation system 300 in Figure 13 is an improved version of the simulation system 30 in Figure 3. In Figure 13, the synchronous relay device 330 is connected to the main communication network 32, the first main in-vehicle network 310, and the second main in-vehicle network 311. The first main in-vehicle network 310 may be the vehicle's in-vehicle network 16 itself. The second main in-vehicle network 311 may also be the vehicle's in-vehicle network 16 itself. Multiple vehicle in-vehicle networks 16 may be connected to the synchronous relay device 330.

[0111] Furthermore, an external detection control device 12, which outputs external detection information to the VDC control device 13 under verification, is connected to the second main in-vehicle network 311 in the vehicle's control system 10. In contrast, the first main in-vehicle network 310 is connected to the devices of the vehicle's control system 10 that are not connected to the second main in-vehicle network 311. In Figure 13, the first main in-vehicle network 310 is connected to the operation control device 11, the meter control device 14, and the VDC control device 13. In this way, the devices of the vehicle's control system 10 are connected to a first main in-vehicle network 310 and a second main in-vehicle network 311.

[0112] Also, Main communication network 32 The connected behavior calculation unit 630 performs calculations of the vehicle's behavior, wheel speed calculations, VDC simulations, and external vehicle detection simulations. As a result, the behavior calculation device 630 functions as, for example, part of the vehicle behavior calculation unit 82, wheel speed calculation unit 83, VDC operation reproduction unit 81, and external detection control device 123 shown in Figure 6.

[0113] The synchronous relay device 330 then performs routing processing to implement the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6 on top of the simulation system 300 shown in Figure 13. In other words, the synchronous relay device 330 does not relay the external detection information that the external detection control device 12 outputs to the second main in-vehicle network 311 to the first main in-vehicle network 310. Main communication network 32 The signal is relayed to the monitor image generation device 35. As a result, the behavior calculation device 630 performs calculations to reproduce the VDC operation based on the external detection information generated by the external detection control device 12, calculates the behavior of the vehicle, and outputs the behavior information of the vehicle to the monitor image generation device 35. This realizes the closed-loop control operation of the simulation system 80 in Figure 6.

[0114] Furthermore, the behavior calculation device 630 calculates the wheel speed and performs the same processing as the external detection control device 12, and combines these wheel speeds with the external detection information. Main communication network 32 Output to: The synchronous relay device 330 is the behavior calculation device 630 Main communication network 32 These information outputs are relayed to the first main in-vehicle network 310 without being relayed to the second main in-vehicle network 311. As a result, the VDC control device 13 connected to the second main in-vehicle network 311 receives external detection information and wheel speed generated by the behavior calculation device 630 as part of the external detection control device 123. Furthermore, since the external detection information output by the external detection control device 12 to the second main in-vehicle network 311 is not relayed to the second main in-vehicle network 311, multiple external detection information does not conflict within the time slot of the second main in-vehicle network 311.

[0115] Thus, in this embodiment, the simulation system 80 shown in Figure 6 can be realized on a different configuration than the simulation system 60 shown in Figure 5.

[0116] The embodiments described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0117] 10...Vehicle control system (vehicle control system), 11...Operation control device, 12...External detection control device, 13...VDC control device (driving control device), 14...Meter control device, 15...Detection control device, 16...In-vehicle network, 21...Operation component, 22...Multi-eye external camera (imaging component), 23...Brake actuator (actuator), 24...Meter panel, 25...Speaker, 26...Wheel speed sensor, 27...Accelerometer, 28...Speed ​​sensor, 31...Main in-vehicle network, 32...Main communication network, 33...Synchronization relay device, 39...Event generation device, 40...Driving environment generation device, 34...Behavior calculation device, 35...Monitor image generation device, 38...Driver monitor, 36...Camera image generation device (external image generation device), 37...Multi-eye monitor for camera (display component), 60, 80, 300...Simulation system, 61...First synchronization relay device 63... (Main Synchronization Relay Device), 64... First Behavior Calculation Device (Main Behavior Calculation Device), 65... Sub-In-Vehicle Network, 66... ​​Second Synchronization Relay Device (Sub-Synchronization Relay Device), 67... Second Behavior Calculation Device (Sub-Behavior Calculation Device), 69... Direct Line, 70... First Inter-Device Relay Unit, 71... Second Inter-Device Relay Unit, 81... VDC Operation Reproduction Unit (Control Operation Reproduction Unit), 82... Vehicle Behavior Calculation Unit, 83... Wheel Speed ​​Calculation Unit, 90... Device Evaluation Device (Detection Device), 91... Evaluation UI Device, 92... Evaluation Camera, 100, 101, 102, 103... Disturbance Generation Unit, 121... First External Detection Control Device, 122... Second External Detection Control Device, 601... Main Simulation Device, 602... Sub-Simulation Device, 630... Behavior Calculation Device, 310... First Main In-Vehicle Network, 311... Second Main In-Vehicle Network, 330... Synchronization Relay Device

Claims

1. A vehicle simulation system for operating an external detection control device that outputs external detection information based on captured images of the outside of the vehicle, and a driving control device that controls the operation of an actuator for controlling the vehicle's driving according to the external detection information, A control operation reproduction unit acquires the external vehicle detection information output by the external vehicle detection control device and reproduces the control output of the driving control device or the operation output of the actuator according to the external vehicle detection information, A vehicle behavior calculation unit calculates the behavior of the vehicle using the output of the control operation reproduction unit, An external image generation device that generates an external image of the vehicle in a driving state that can change due to the operation of the actuator, using the calculation results of the vehicle behavior calculation unit, A display member that displays the external vehicle image generated by the external vehicle image generation device, An imaging member that captures the external image displayed by the display member and outputs the captured external image to the external detection control device, It has, The aforementioned external vehicle detection control device is It operates under the vehicle's driving state generated by a closed loop including the control operation reproduction unit, the vehicle behavior calculation unit, the external image generation device, the display member, and the imaging member. The aforementioned travel control device is The system operates in accordance with the external detection information generated by the external detection control device operating in the closed loop, or information equivalent to the external detection information generated by the external detection control device. A vehicle simulation system.

2. The main in-vehicle network to which the external detection control device is connected and the main communication network to which the external image generation device is connected are connected, and a main synchronous relay device that relays information between the main in-vehicle network and the main communication network, A main behavior calculation device connected to the main communication network, which acquires the external detection information output by the external detection control device to the main in-vehicle network and performs calculation processing, It has, The main behavior calculation device is The control operation reproduction unit reproduces the control output of the driving control device or the operation output of the actuator in accordance with the external detection information output by the external detection control device, and The vehicle behavior calculation unit functions as a unit that calculates the behavior of the vehicle using the output of the control operation reproduction unit, The calculation results of the vehicle behavior calculation unit are output to the external vehicle image generation device via the main communication network. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 1.

3. The closed loop is further provided with a disturbance generating unit for disrupting the vehicle's movement. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The disturbance generation unit generates disturbances that disrupt the vehicle's movement by changing the output of the control operation reproduction unit. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 3.

5. The disturbance generation unit is provided in the external vehicle image generation device and generates disturbances in the image displayed by the display member that disrupt the vehicle's movement by adding disturbance components to the external vehicle image of the vehicle's driving state generated by the external vehicle image generation device. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 3.

6. The disturbance generating unit is provided on the imaging member and generates disturbances in the image of the outside of the vehicle output by the imaging member, thereby disrupting the vehicle's movement. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 3.

7. The disturbance generation unit is provided in the external vehicle detection control device and generates disturbances that disrupt the vehicle's movement by changing the external vehicle detection information output by the external vehicle detection control device. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 3.

8. A sub-in-vehicle network to which the aforementioned driving control device is connected, and a sub-communication network are connected, and a sub-synchronous relay device that relays information between the sub-in-vehicle network and the sub-communication network, A sub-behavior calculation device connected to the aforementioned sub-communication network and performing calculation processing, It has, The sub-synchronous relay device is connected to the main synchronous relay device in a way that allows it to communicate with it. The main synchronous relay device outputs information obtainable from the main in-vehicle network or the main communication network to the sub-synchronous relay device. The sub-behavior calculation device is It functions as a driving information calculation unit that, through the aforementioned sub-communication network, acquires information indicating the vehicle's behavior calculated by the main behavior calculation unit or the vehicle's driving state corresponding to said behavior, and calculates input information for the driving control device according to the acquired information. The calculation result of the aforementioned driving information calculation unit is output to the sub-communication network. The aforementioned sub-synchronous relay device is The calculation results of the driving information calculation unit, which are output to the sub-communication network, are output to the driving control device via the sub-in-vehicle network. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 2.

9. The device includes a detection device for detecting the operation of the actuator whose operation is controlled by the aforementioned travel control device. A vehicle simulation system according to claim 8.

Images