Vehicle control methods, devices, storage media, and electronic devices

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control method, a device, a memory medium and an electronic device which can avoid control of intelligent driving from becoming uncontrollable, and thereby can secure traveling safety.TECHNICAL MEANS: A vehicle control method, which is used for a vehicle equipped with a first chip for supporting an intelligent driving function and a second chip for supporting at least an intelligent cockpit function, includes the steps of: determining a current state of the first chip; in response to the current state being a first state, controlling a traveling state of the vehicle using the first chip; and, in response to the current state being a second state, controlling the traveling state of the vehicle using the second chip.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to driving techniques, and particularly to a vehicle control method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of driving techniques, the subject of driving is shifting from humans to intelligent driving systems. An intelligent driving dedicated chip is an important component of an intelligent driving system. Once the intelligent driving dedicated chip fails to operate normally, intelligent driving becomes uncontrollable, affecting driving safety.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure provides a vehicle control method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device for avoiding uncontrollable intelligent driving and ensuring driving safety.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] A vehicle control method for a vehicle provided with a first chip for supporting an intelligent driving function and a second chip for supporting at least an intelligent cockpit function according to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: determining the current state of the first chip; in response to the current state being a first state, controlling the driving state of the vehicle by the first chip; in response to the current state being a second state, controlling the driving state of the vehicle by the second chip.

[0005] A vehicle control apparatus according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first chip for supporting an intelligent driving function; At least a second chip to support intelligent cockpit functions, The system includes a driven module for controlling the driving state of the vehicle under the driving of the first chip in response to the current state of the first chip being a first state, and for controlling the driving state of the vehicle under the driving of the second chip in response to the current state of the first chip being a second state.

[0006] A vehicle control device for a vehicle, according to yet another embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure, is provided with a first chip for supporting intelligent driving functions and a second chip for supporting at least intelligent cockpit functions, A determination module for determining the current state of the first chip, In response to the fact that the current state determined by the determination module is a first state, the first chip controls the driving state of the vehicle, and The system includes a second control module for controlling the driving state of the vehicle using the second chip, in response to the current state determined by the determination module being a second state.

[0007] A computer-readable storage medium according to yet another embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure stores a computer program for performing the above-described vehicle control method.

[0008] An electronic device comprising a processor and a memory for storing instructions that the processor can execute, according to yet another embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure, The above-described vehicle control method is implemented by the processor reading and executing the executable instructions from the memory.

[0009] In yet another embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is executed when its internal instructions are executed by a processor, thereby executing the vehicle control method described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the vehicle control method, apparatus, storage medium, electronic device, and program product of the above-described embodiment of this disclosure, the first chip can be considered as a master chip and the second chip as a slave chip. When the master chip is functioning normally, the master chip can control the vehicle's driving state, and when the master chip is not functioning normally, the slave chip can control the vehicle's driving state. In this way, by utilizing a hot backup strategy to effectively control the vehicle's driving state, it is possible to avoid loss of control of intelligent driving and ensure driving safety. Furthermore, in the embodiment of this disclosure, the master chip is a chip specifically for supporting the autonomous driving function, and the slave chip is not a chip specifically for supporting the autonomous driving function, but at least a chip for supporting the intelligent cockpit function. In other words, in the embodiment of this disclosure, hot backup can be achieved by multiplexing the chips related to the intelligent cockpit function, thus enabling the avoidance of loss of control of intelligent driving and ensuring driving safety at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method relating to some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method relating to several more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method relating to several more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method relating to several more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]It is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle control device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] It is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle control device according to some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] It is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle control device according to some further other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] It is a schematic structural diagram of a first control module in some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] It is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle control device according to some further other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] It is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, in order to interpret the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Further, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments, and the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments.

[0013] Unless otherwise specified, the relative arrangements, mathematical formulas, and values of the members and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0014] (Summary of the Application) The intelligent driving dedicated chip is an important component of the intelligent driving system. The intelligent driving dedicated chip can be a chip specially for supporting intelligent driving functions.

[0015] Once the intelligent driving dedicated chip fails to operate properly due to software and / or hardware abnormalities, intelligent driving becomes uncontrollable, affecting driving safety. For example, due to software and / or hardware abnormalities, an intelligent driving chip may not be able to accurately recognize an obstacle too close in front of the vehicle and perform Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), increasing the risk of the vehicle colliding with the obstacle. Further, for example, due to software and / or hardware abnormalities, an intelligent driving chip may not be able to accurately recognize the signal of a traffic light in front of the vehicle, increasing the risk of the vehicle ignoring a red light.

[0016] How to avoid the uncontrollability of intelligent driving and ensure driving safety is an issue worthy of attention for those skilled in the art.

[0017] (Exemplary System) In a computer system, backup is an important and necessary task. As a specific type of backup, hot backup is to perform backup during the operation of the system, thereby ensuring the continuity and availability of the system. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by utilizing a hot backup strategy to control the driving state of the vehicle and avoid the uncontrollability of intelligent driving, driving safety can be ensured.

[0018] (Exemplary Method) Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle control method. In the vehicle according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first chip and a second chip can be provided. The first chip can support an intelligent driving function, and the second chip can support at least an intelligent cockpit function.

[0019] Optionally, the first chip can be a chip dedicated to supporting the intelligent driving function, and in this case, the first chip can be an intelligent driving dedicated chip.

[0020] Selectively, the second chip can be a chip specifically for supporting intelligent cockpit functions, in which case the second chip can be an intelligent cockpit chip. Alternatively, the second chip can be a chip specifically for supporting intelligent driving functions and intelligent cockpit functions, in which case the second chip can be an integrated cockpit / driving chip.

[0021] Intelligent driving functions consist of three parts: sensing, planning, and control. The sensing function allows the vehicle to perceive its surrounding environment (e.g., roads, static objects, dynamic objects, etc.). Static objects may include buildings, traffic lights, etc. Dynamic objects may include obstacles such as pedestrians, motorcycles, and other vehicles. The planning function allows the vehicle to plan actions such as whether or not to brake, whether or not to change direction, whether or not to decelerate, etc., in response to intelligent driving task requests, or to plan the optimal driving path. The control function allows the vehicle's actuators to control actions such as braking, changing direction, and decelerating.

[0022] Intelligent cockpit functions can be features that enable human-vehicle interaction within the vehicle's cockpit, as well as interconnection between the vehicle and the outside world. By utilizing intelligent cockpit functions and intelligent means, different human needs within the vehicle (for example, needs such as listening to music or radio, or observing road conditions) can be met, resulting in a more intelligent and safer interaction experience.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method shown in Figure 1 may include steps 110, 120, and 130.

[0024] Step 110 determines the current state of the first chip.

[0025] The hardware and software of the first chip can be periodically or irregularly detected to determine the current state of the first chip (which may also be called the "current operating state"). There are two possible current states for the first chip: the first state and the second state. The first state is a state in which both the hardware and software of the first chip are able to operate normally, and may also be called the normal state or usable state. The second state is a state in which the hardware and / or software of the first chip are unable to operate normally, and may also be called the abnormal state or unusable state.

[0026] Here, the above steps 110 can be performed by the vehicle control unit. In other words, the first chip determines its current operating state and generates corresponding state instruction information, and the vehicle control unit can determine the current operating state of the first chip based on the state instruction information generated by the first chip.

[0027] In step 120, in response to the current state being the first state, the first chip controls the vehicle's driving state.

[0028] In step 130, in response to the current state being the second state, the second chip controls the vehicle's driving state.

[0029] Selectively, if the current state of the first chip is the first state, both the software and hardware of the first chip can operate normally, so the first chip can control the vehicle's driving state normally, and the second chip can control the vehicle's cockpit. If the current state of the first chip is the second state, the software and / or hardware of the first chip cannot operate normally, so the first chip does not control the vehicle's driving state, and the second chip can control the vehicle's driving state (which may also be called the "driving state") normally.

[0030] Here, steps 120 to 130 above can be performed by the vehicle control unit. That is, if the current operating state of the first chip is in an available state, the vehicle control unit can receive a first control command output from the first chip and control the operating state of the vehicle based on the first control command. If the current operating state of the first chip is in an unavailable state, the vehicle control unit can receive a second control command output from the second chip and control the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command.

[0031] If the current operating state of the first chip is unavailable, the vehicle control unit responds to this by outputting status information corresponding to the unavailable state to the second chip. The second chip then confirms that the first chip is unavailable and outputs a second control command. The vehicle control unit receives the second control command output from the second chip and controls the vehicle's operating state based on the second control command.

[0032] Selectively controlling the vehicle's driving state may include, for example, controlling the vehicle's driving path, speed, acceleration, etc., and controlling whether or not to brake the vehicle, whether or not to change direction, etc. Controlling the vehicle's cockpit may include, for example, controlling the display content of the control panel and / or instrument panel in the vehicle's cockpit, and controlling whether or not to play video and / or audio in the vehicle's cockpit.

[0033] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first chip can be considered as a master chip, and the second chip can be considered as a slave chip. When the master chip is functioning normally, the master chip can control the vehicle's driving state, and when the master chip is not functioning normally, the slave chip can control the vehicle's driving state. In this way, by utilizing a hot backup strategy, the vehicle's driving state can be effectively controlled, preventing loss of control of intelligent driving and ensuring driving safety. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the master chip is a chip specifically for supporting autonomous driving functions, and the slave chip is not a chip specifically for supporting autonomous driving functions, but can be a chip that supports at least intelligent cockpit functions. In other words, in the embodiments of this disclosure, hot backup can be achieved by multiplexing chips related to intelligent cockpit functions, thus preventing loss of control of intelligent driving at low cost and ensuring driving safety.

[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method according to some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method shown in Figure 2 may include steps 210, 220, and 230. Optionally, step 230 may be an optional embodiment of step 130 of the present disclosure.

[0035] In step 210, the second chip acquires the data from the first sensor.

[0036] Optionally, the vehicle may be equipped with sensor devices to assist in environmental sensing. The sensor device may include N sensors, where N can be an integer of 2 or more. The N sensors may include, but are not limited to, cameras, radar, and positioning sensors. For example, the camera may be a single-lens or dual-lens camera, the radar may be a laser radar or millimeter-wave radar, and the positioning sensor may be a positioning sensor based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or the Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0037] Optionally, the second chip can periodically or irregularly acquire data currently collected by each of the N sensors, and this data can constitute the first sensor data. For example, the first sensor data may include image data corresponding to a camera, point cloud data corresponding to a radar, positioning data corresponding to a positioning sensor, and so on.

[0038] In other words, one or more of the N sensors are referred to as the first sensor, and the data collected by the first sensor by the second chip is referred to as the first sensor data.

[0039] In step 220, the second chip generates a first environmental sensing result based on the first sensor data.

[0040] The second chip can optionally process the first sensor data with an environmental sensing algorithm to obtain a first environmental sensing result. For example, the second chip can merge data from the first sensor data corresponding to different sensors and generate a first environmental sensing result based on the fusion result. Alternatively, the second chip can process the data from the first sensor data corresponding to different sensors separately to obtain environmental sensing results for each sensor, and then merge these environmental sensing results to obtain a first environmental sensing result.

[0041] Selectively, the first environmental sensing result may include environmental sensing results corresponding to roads, static objects, and dynamic objects, respectively. Environmental sensing results corresponding to roads may include the type of road (e.g., whether it is a highway or a city road), the number of lanes included in the road, etc. Environmental sensing results corresponding to static objects may include the distance between the building and the vehicle, the status of traffic lights (e.g., whether it is a red light or a green light), etc. Environmental sensing results corresponding to dynamic objects may include the location, type, speed, and behavior of obstacles around the vehicle, etc.

[0042] In step 230, in response to the current state being the second state, the second chip controls the vehicle's driving state based on the first environmental sensing result.

[0043] Selectively, if the current state of the first chip is the second state, the first chip may not control the vehicle's driving state, while the second chip may control it. The second chip can use the first environmental sensing result as the basis for controlling the vehicle's driving state. For example, if the first environmental sensing result indicates that the vehicle is traveling on a highway, the second chip can control the vehicle's speed so that it remains within the permissible speed range. Furthermore, for example, if the first environmental sensing result indicates that there is an obstacle too close in front of the vehicle, the second chip can control the vehicle to automatically apply emergency brakes.

[0044] Here, step 230 above can be performed by the vehicle control unit. That is, if the current operating state of the first chip is unavailable, the vehicle control unit receives a second control command generated by the second chip based on the first environmental sensing result and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command.

[0045] In the embodiments of this disclosure, when the second chip starts operating, it can begin sensing the environment. If the first chip is unable to operate normally, the second chip directly controls the vehicle's driving state based on the existing environmental sensing results (i.e., the first environmental sensing results). This ensures a seamless switchover to intelligent driving, which is advantageous in ensuring driving safety.

[0046] In some embodiments, the second chip can also initiate environmental sensing if the current state of the first chip is the second state.

[0047] In some of the selectable examples, step 220 is: In response to the current state being a first state, the second chip generates a first environmental sensing result based on the first data corresponding to the first sensor among the first sensor data. Or, The process includes the step of the second chip generating a first environmental sensing result based on all of the data from the first sensor data, in response to the current state being the second state.

[0048] Selectively, from the N sensors included in the sensor device, the sensor important for environmental sensing is determined as the first sensor. For example, if the N sensors are six cameras—a front view camera, a left front view camera, a right front view camera, a rear view camera, a left rear view camera, and a right rear view camera—the first sensor may include only the front view camera and the rear view camera. If the current state of the first chip is the first state, data corresponding to the first sensor can be selected from the first sensor data and designated as the first data. The second chip can process the first data with an environmental sensing algorithm to obtain the first environmental sensing result. If the first chip is functioning normally, the first environmental sensing result generated by the second chip is not actually used for intelligent driving-related decision-making and control. Therefore, in the process of generating the first environmental sensing result, the second chip can use only a portion of the first sensor data (i.e., the first data), which is advantageous for saving resources and power consumption.

[0049] Here, the second chip can receive status instruction information output from the vehicle control unit and determine the current operating state of the first chip.

[0050] In other words, if the first chip is currently in an available state, the second chip does not receive status information corresponding to an unavailable state. In this case, the second chip acquires a first quantity of data (i.e., a portion of the first sensor data) from the data collected by the first sensor.

[0051] If the current state of the first chip is the second state, the second chip can process all of the data from the first sensor using an environmental sensing algorithm to obtain the first environmental sensing result. If the first chip is unable to operate normally, the first environmental sensing result generated by the second chip is actually used for intelligent driving-related decision-making and control. Therefore, in the process of generating the first environmental sensing result, the second chip can utilize all of the data from the first sensor. In this way, the data used by the second chip in the process of generating the first environmental sensing result is rich and comprehensive, which is advantageous in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the obtained first environmental sensing result, and thereby advantageous in ensuring the reliability of intelligent driving.

[0052] In other words, if the current operating state of the first chip is an unavailable state, the second chip receives status information corresponding to the unavailable state. In this case, the second chip acquires a second quantity of data collected by the first sensor, and the second quantity is greater than the first quantity. Here, the second quantity can be the total number of the first sensor, in which case all the data collected by the first sensor (i.e., all the data from the first sensor) is acquired.

[0053] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a vehicle control method according to some further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method shown in Figure 3 may include steps 310, 320, and 330. Selectively, combinations of steps 310 to 330 may constitute a selectable embodiment of step 120 of the present disclosure.

[0054] In step 310, in response to the current state being the first state, the first chip acquires second sensor data and generates a second environmental sensing result based on the second sensor data.

[0055] Optionally, the vehicle may be equipped with sensor equipment to assist in environmental sensing. The sensor equipment may include N sensors (which may also be called "second sensors"), where N can be an integer greater than or equal to 2. When the current state of the first chip is the first state, the first chip can periodically or irregularly acquire data currently collected by each of the N sensors, and this data can constitute second sensor data. The first chip can also generate second environmental sensing results based on the second sensor data. The method for generating the second environmental sensing results and the structure of the second environmental sensing results can both be found in the related introduction to the first environmental sensing results described above, and a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0056] In Step 320, the second environmental sensing result is verified based on the first environmental sensing result, and the verification result is obtained.

[0057] The similarity algorithm can be selected to determine the similarity between the first and second environmental perception results. If the determined similarity is greater than a preset similarity, the verification result will indicate that the verification of the second environmental perception result has passed. If the determined similarity is less than or equal to the preset similarity, the verification result will indicate that the verification of the second environmental perception result has failed. For example, the preset similarity can be 75%, 80%, 85%, etc., and these will not be listed here.

[0058] In other words, the first chip can be connected to the second chip via an Ethernet interface or the like to receive the first environmental sensing result output from the second chip. Subsequently, the first chip can verify the second environmental sensing result based on the first environmental sensing result output from the second chip. Alternatively, the second chip can store the first environmental sensing result in a register and trigger an interrupt signal to the first chip, causing the first chip to read the first environmental sensing result from the register.

[0059] In some embodiments, the ratio between the determined similarity and the preset similarity can be calculated without comparing their magnitudes. If the calculated ratio is greater than the preset ratio, the verification result indicates that the verification of the second environmental sensing result has passed. If the calculated ratio is less than or equal to the preset ratio, the verification result indicates that the verification of the second environmental sensing result has failed. For example, the preset ratio can be 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, etc., and these will not be listed here.

[0060] In step 330, in response to the verification result indicating that the verification of the second environmental sensing result has been passed, the first chip controls the vehicle's driving state based on the second environmental sensing result.

[0061] A method for controlling the vehicle's driving state by the first chip based on the second environmental sensing result, as selectable, can be found in the related introduction to step 230 above, and a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0062] Furthermore, since both the first and second environmental sensing results are obtained by performing environmental sensing on the vehicle, the first and second environmental sensing results are theoretically identical. In light of this, by comparing the first and second environmental sensing results, it is possible to determine whether they actually match or not, and then determine whether the second environmental sensing result has passed verification. For example, if the similarity between the first and second environmental sensing results is high, it can be determined that the second environmental sensing result has passed verification. If the second environmental sensing result has passed verification, it can be determined that the accuracy of the second environmental sensing result meets the requirements, and the second environmental sensing result, whose accuracy meets the requirements, can be used to control the vehicle's driving state, which is advantageous in ensuring driving safety.

[0063] In other words, if the verification result indicates that the verification of the second environmental sensing result has been passed, the first chip generates a first control command based on the second environmental sensing result and outputs the first control command. The vehicle control unit then receives the first control command output from the first chip and controls the vehicle's operating state with the first control command.

[0064] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include step 410, as shown in Figure 4.

[0065] In step 410, during the process of controlling the vehicle's driving state using the second chip, the first resource of the second chip is used to control the vehicle's cockpit in response to the first resource of the second chip being idle.

[0066] Optionally, the second chip can be a high-performance system-on-a-chip (SOC) and have sufficient resources. For example, the second chip can have sufficient hardware and software resources.

[0067] If the current state of the first chip is unavailable, the intelligent cockpit function of the second chip can be restricted, and the resources (hardware resources) of the second chip can be preferentially allocated to controlling the vehicle's driving state. In the process of the second chip controlling the vehicle's driving state, if the resources of the second chip are not fully occupied, these unused resources become the first resources, which are the idle state of the second chip. For example, if 80% of the resources of the second chip are occupied in the process of the second chip controlling the vehicle's driving state, the remaining 20% ​​of resources can be designated as the first resources, which are the idle state of the second chip. Then, the vehicle's cockpit can be controlled by the first resources of the second chip. This allows the intelligent driving function and the intelligent cockpit function to be used simultaneously, enabling more effective use of the resources and computing power of the second chip and improving the user experience.

[0068] In other words, if the current operating state of the first chip is unavailable, the second chip generates and outputs a second control command based on the second resource (a resource preferentially provided by the second chip for controlling the vehicle's driving state) and generates and outputs a second cockpit control command based on the first resource. The vehicle control unit can control the vehicle's driving state based on the second control command and control the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command. The second chip can also directly control the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command. The second cockpit control command can be used to implement several sub-functions in the cockpit control function. Here, the second resource and the first resource constitute all the resources of the first chip.

[0069] If the current operating state of the first chip is available, the first chip outputs a first control command, and the vehicle control unit uses the first control command to realize intelligent driving functions. In this case, the second chip can output a first cockpit control command, and the vehicle control unit receives the first cockpit control command generated by the second chip and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the first cockpit control command to realize cockpit control functions.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include steps 510 and 520, as shown in Figure 1.

[0071] In step 510, the first chip is restarted in response to the fact that the current state is the second state.

[0072] If the current state of the first chip is the second state, a hardware restart can be performed on the first chip. If the hardware restart of the first chip is completed successfully, a hardware self-test can be performed on the first chip. For example, a hardware self-test can be performed on the first chip using the Built-in Self-Test (BIST) algorithm. If the hardware self-test of the first chip is completed successfully, it can be determined that the hardware of the first chip is functioning correctly, and in this case, a software restart can be performed on the first chip.

[0073] In step 520, after the first chip has successfully restarted, the system switches to controlling the vehicle's driving state using the first chip.

[0074] Selectively, if the software restart of the first chip is completed successfully, it can be determined that the restart of the entire first chip has been completed successfully, and the first chip is restored to a state where it can operate normally. At that point, the control of the vehicle's driving state by the second chip is stopped, and control of the vehicle's driving state is switched back to the first chip.

[0075] Here, steps 510 to 520 above can be performed by the vehicle control unit. That is, if the current operating state of the first chip is unavailable, the vehicle control unit restarts the first chip. After the first chip has restarted successfully, the first chip re-outputs the first control command. At this time, the vehicle control unit re-receives the first control command output from the first chip and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the first control command.

[0076] If the first chip fails to restart its software, it is explained that the first chip is still not functioning properly, and the second chip can continue to control the vehicle's driving state, allowing the first chip to be restarted again.

[0077] In the embodiments of this disclosure, when the current state of the first chip is the second state, the second chip can control the vehicle's driving state, and a restart operation can be performed to attempt to restore the first chip to a normal state. Once the first chip is restored to a state in which it can operate normally, the control of the vehicle's driving state can be switched to the first chip, and at this time, the resources of the second chip can be preferentially provided to the control of the vehicle's cockpit. Since the first chip is a chip specifically designed to support intelligent driving functions, it is advantageous in ensuring the reliability of intelligent driving, avoiding limitations on intelligent cockpit functions as much as possible, and ensuring a good user experience.

[0078] Based on the above, by using the embodiments of this disclosure, it is possible to effectively control the driving state and the cockpit of a vehicle, avoid uncontrollable situations in intelligent driving, and ensure driving safety and user experience.

[0079] In yet another exemplary embodiment relating to this disclosure, the vehicle control method includes steps 60a to 60l.

[0080] In step 60a, the vehicle control unit determines the current operating state of the first chip based on the state indication information generated by the first chip to indicate the current operating state of the first chip.

[0081] In this step, the first chip monitors and measures its current operating state in real time and generates corresponding state instruction information. When the first chip outputs the state instruction information and the vehicle control unit receives the state instruction information, the current operating state of the first chip can be determined.

[0082] In step 60b, in response to the current operating state being available, the process proceeds to step 60c. In response to the current operating state being unavailable, the vehicle control unit outputs status information corresponding to the unavailable state to the second chip, and the process proceeds to step 60h.

[0083] In step 60c, the second chip obtains a first quantity of data collected by the first sensor. Based on the first quantity of data collected by the first sensor, the second chip generates a first environmental sensing result.

[0084] In this step, since the second chip did not receive status indication information corresponding to the unavailable state output from the vehicle control unit, the second chip determines that the current operating state of the first chip is an available state. In this case, the second chip acquires a first quantity from the data collected by the first sensor and generates the first environmental sensing result.

[0085] In step 60d, the first chip receives data collected by the second sensor and generates a second environmental sensing result based on the data collected by the second sensor.

[0086] In this step, the second chip, which is in an usable state, receives data collected by the second sensor and generates a second environmental sensing result.

[0087] In step 60e, the first chip receives the first environmental sensing result output from the second chip, where the first chip is connected to the second chip. Based on the first environmental sensing result, the first chip verifies the second environmental sensing result and obtains a verification result. In response to the verification result indicating that it has passed the verification of the second environmental sensing result, the first chip generates and outputs a first control command based on the second environmental sensing result.

[0088] In this step, the first chip compares the first environmental sensing result with the second environmental sensing result to obtain a verification result. If the verification is successful, the second environmental sensing result is considered accurate, and the first control command is generated and output based on the second environmental sensing result.

[0089] In step 60f, the vehicle control unit receives the first control command output from the first chip and controls the vehicle's operating state based on the first control command.

[0090] In this step, the vehicle control unit controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the first control command output from the first chip. When the first chip is available, the vehicle control unit implements intelligent driving functions on the first chip.

[0091] In step 60g, the vehicle control unit receives the first cockpit control command generated by the second chip and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the first cockpit control command.

[0092] In this step, the vehicle control unit controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the first cockpit control command output from the second chip. When the first chip is available, the vehicle control unit implements the cockpit control function using the second chip.

[0093] In step 60h, the second chip receives status information corresponding to the unavailable state, obtains a second quantity from the data collected by the first sensor, and the second quantity is greater than the first quantity. Based on the data collected by the first sensor for the second quantity, the second chip generates the first environmental sensing result.

[0094] In this step, the second chip receives status indication information corresponding to the unavailable state output from the vehicle control unit, and the second chip determines that the current operating state of the first chip is unavailable. In this case, the second chip acquires a second quantity from the data collected by the first sensor and generates the first environmental sensing result.

[0095] In step 60i, the vehicle control unit receives a second control command generated by the second chip based on the first environmental sensing result, and controls the vehicle's operating state based on the second control command.

[0096] In this step, if the second chip resources are not fully occupied, the second chip's second resources generate a second control command based on the first environment sensing result and output the second control command. The vehicle control unit receives the second control command output from the second chip and controls the vehicle's operating state based on the second control command. In this way, if the first chip is unavailable, the vehicle control unit implements intelligent driving functions using the second chip.

[0097] In step 60j, the vehicle control unit receives a second cockpit control command generated by the second chip based on the second resource, and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command.

[0098] In this step, the second chip generates and outputs a second cockpit control command based on the first resource. The vehicle control unit receives the second cockpit control command output from the second chip and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command. In this way, even if the first chip is unavailable, the vehicle control unit can implement cockpit functions using the second chip.

[0099] In step 60k, the vehicle control unit restarts the first chip. In this step, the vehicle control unit controls the first chip to restart it.

[0100] In step 60l, after the first chip has been successfully restarted, the vehicle control unit receives the first control command output from the first chip again and controls the vehicle's operating state based on the first control command.

[0101] In this step, after the first chip has been successfully restarted, the first chip is restored to a usable state and outputs status information to the vehicle control unit. The first chip regenerates the first control command, and the vehicle control unit receives the first control command output from the first chip again and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the first control command. Specifically, steps 60a to 60g can be referenced, and a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0102] The magnitude of the step numbers in the above embodiment does not indicate the execution order, and the execution order of each process is not limited to the implementation process of the embodiment of the present invention, but can be determined by its function and inherent logic.

[0103] (Example device) Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle control device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The device shown in Figure 6 is The first chip 610 supports intelligent driving functions, The second chip 620 is at least for supporting intelligent cockpit functions, The system may include a driven module 630 (which may also be called a "vehicle control unit") for controlling the vehicle's driving state by driving the first chip 610 in response to the current state of the first chip 610 being a first state, and controlling the vehicle's driving state by driving the second chip 620 in response to the current state of the first chip 610 being a second state.

[0104] Optionally, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle, and the driven module 630 may include a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) for the electric vehicle. The driven module 630 is electrically connected to the first chip 610 and the second chip 620. For example, the driven module 630 can be electrically connected to the first chip 610 and the second chip 620 via a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus.

[0105] Optionally, the first chip 610 can acquire data collected by the sensor device 600 in order to acquire the second sensor data described above. Here, the sensor device 600 may include a millimeter-wave radar, a laser radar and / or a camera. Based on the second sensor data, the first chip 610 can perform sensing operations and planning operations. If we assume that the driving path planned by the first chip 610 at time t1 is L1, and the driving path planned by the first chip 610 at time t2, which is later than time t1 but very close to time t1, is L2, and that the difference between L1 and L2 is too large to overlap at all, then we can determine that the software of the first chip 610 cannot operate normally. If we assume that based on the image data corresponding to the camera in the second sensor data there is an obstacle within a certain distance range in front of the vehicle, but based on the point cloud data corresponding to the laser radar in the second sensor data it is determined that there is no obstacle within a certain distance range in front of the vehicle, then we can determine that the software of the first chip 610 cannot operate normally. Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether the current state of the first chip 610 is the first state or the second state. The first chip 610 can transmit state indication information to the driven module 630 to indicate the current state of the first chip 610.

[0106] When the current state of the first chip 610 is the first state, the driven module 630 receives a control command from the first chip 610 and, based on the received control command, controls the vehicle's braking system 640, steering system 650, engine system 660, etc., to cause the vehicle to brake, change direction, adjust speed, etc.

[0107] If the current state of the first chip 610 is the second state, the driven module 630 can receive a control command from the second chip 620 and control the vehicle's braking system 640, steering system 650, engine system 660, etc., according to the received control command, so that the vehicle can brake, change direction, adjust speed, etc.

[0108] In some embodiments, the vehicle may not be an electric vehicle, but for example, a fuel-powered vehicle, in which case the driven module 630 may not be a VCU, but a fuel-powered vehicle controller capable of controlling the braking system 640, the steering system 650, the engine system 660, etc.

[0109] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first chip 610 can be considered as a master chip, and the second chip 620 can be considered as a slave chip. When the master chip is functioning normally, the master chip can control the vehicle's driving state, and when the master chip is not functioning normally, the slave chip can control the vehicle's driving state. In this way, by utilizing a hot backup strategy to effectively control the vehicle's driving state, it is possible to avoid loss of control of intelligent driving and ensure driving safety. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the master chip is a chip specifically for supporting autonomous driving functions, and the slave chip is not a chip specifically for supporting autonomous driving functions, but can be a chip that supports at least intelligent cockpit functions. In other words, in the embodiments of this disclosure, hot backup can be achieved by multiplexing chips related to intelligent cockpit functions, thus avoiding loss of control of intelligent driving and ensuring driving safety at low cost.

[0110] In several selectable examples, the driven module 630, in response to its current operating state being unavailable, outputs status indicator information corresponding to the unavailable state to the second chip 620, receives a second control command output from the second chip 620, and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command.

[0111] In several selectable examples, the second chip 620 acquires data collected by the first sensor, generates a first environmental sensing result based on the data collected by the first sensor, and the driven module 630 receives a second control command generated by the second chip 620 based on the first environmental sensing result in response to the current operating state being unavailable.

[0112] In several selectable examples, if the second chip 620 does not receive status indicator information corresponding to an unusable state, it obtains a first quantity from the data collected by the first sensor. Alternatively, if the second chip 620 receives status indicator information corresponding to an unusable state, it obtains a second quantity from the data collected by the first sensor, and the second quantity is greater than the first quantity.

[0113] In several selectable examples, the first chip 610 acquires data collected by the second sensor, generates a second environmental sensing result based on the data collected by the second sensor, receives the first environmental sensing result output from the second chip 620 connected to the first chip 610, verifies the second environmental sensing result based on the first environmental sensing result and obtains a verification result, and in response to the verification result indicating that the verification of the second environmental sensing result has passed, generates and outputs a first control command based on the second environmental sensing result.

[0114] In several selectable examples, the driven module 630 receives a first cockpit control command generated by the second chip 620 in response to its current operating state being unavailable, and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the first cockpit control command.

[0115] In several selectable examples, the driven module 630, in response to its current operating state being unavailable, receives a second control command generated by the second chip 620 based on a second resource, receives a second cockpit control command generated by the second chip 620 based on a first resource, and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command.

[0116] In several selectable examples, the driven module 630 restarts the first chip 610 in response to the current operating state being unavailable, and after the first chip 610 has restarted successfully, it re-receives the first control command output from the first chip 610 and controls the vehicle's operating state based on the first control command.

[0117] In the vehicle control device according to the exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a detailed description of each module can be found by referring to the exemplary method described above, and a detailed description is omitted here.

[0118] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control device according to some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The vehicle is provided with a first chip for supporting intelligent driving functions and a second chip for supporting at least intelligent cockpit functions. The device shown in Figure 7 is A confirmation module 710 for determining the current state of the first chip, In response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being the first state, the first chip controls the vehicle's driving state with the first control module 720, The system may also include a second control module 730 for controlling the vehicle's driving state via a second chip in response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being a second state.

[0119] In some of the selectable examples, as shown in Figure 8, the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is A first invocation module 810 for invocation of a second chip and acquiring first sensor data, A second invocation module 820 for invocation of a second chip and generating a first environmental sensing result based on the first sensor data, The system may further include a second control module 730 for controlling the vehicle's driving state using the second chip, based on the first environment sensing result generated by the second invocation module 820 invoking the second chip in response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being a second state.

[0120] In some of the selectable examples, the first invocation module 810 is: In response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being the first state, the second chip is invocation to generate a first environment sensing result based on the first data corresponding to the first sensor among the first sensor data, the first invocation submodule Or, In response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being the second state, a second invocation submodule is provided to invocation a second chip and generate a first environment sensing result based on all of the data from the first sensor data.

[0121] In some of the selectable examples, as shown in Figure 9, the first control module 720 is: In response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being the first state, the third invocation submodule 910 invocations the first chip to acquire second sensor data and generates a second environment sensing result based on the second sensor data. A verification submodule 920 is used to verify the second environment sensing result obtained by the third invocation submodule 910 after it has invoked the first chip, based on the first environment sensing result generated by the second invocation module 820 after it has invoked the second chip, and to obtain the verification result. The system includes a control submodule 930 for controlling the vehicle's driving state by the first chip based on the second environment sensing result obtained by the first chip, in response to the verification result obtained by the verification submodule 920 indicating that the verification of the second environment sensing result has been passed, which is obtained by the third invocation submodule 910 invoking the first chip.

[0122] In some of the selectable examples, as shown in Figure 10, the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is In the process of controlling the vehicle's driving state using the second chip, a third control module 1010 may be further provided for controlling the vehicle's cockpit using the first resource of the second chip in response to the first resource of the second chip being in an idle state.

[0123] In some of the selectable examples, as shown in Figure 10, the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is In response to the current state determined by the determination module 710 being the second state, a restart module 1020 is provided to restart the first chip, The system may further include a switching module 1030 for switching to vehicle driving state control by the first chip after the restart module 1020 has successfully restarted the first chip.

[0124] In the apparatus of this disclosure, the various selectable embodiments, selectable forms, and selectable examples disclosed above can all be flexibly selected and combined as needed to achieve the corresponding functions and effects, and are not listed individually in this disclosure.

[0125] (Example electronic device) Figure 11 shows a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1100 comprising one or at least one processor 1110 and memory 1120.

[0126] The processor 1110 can be a central processing unit (CPU) or another form of processing unit having data processing capability and / or instruction execution capability, and can control other components in the electronic device 1100 to perform a desired function.

[0127] The memory 1120 may include one or more computer program products, which may include various forms of computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory (cache). Non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. The computer-readable storage media may store one or more computer program instructions, and the processor 1110 may perform the methods of each embodiment of the present disclosure and / or other desired functions by executing one or more computer program instructions.

[0128] As an example, the electronic device 1100 may further include an input device 1130 and an output device 1140 connected to each other via a bus system and / or other form of connection mechanism (not shown).

[0129] This input device 1130 may include, for example, a keyboard, mouse, various sensors, a touchscreen, etc.

[0130] This output device 1140 can output various types of information to the outside. This output device 1140 may include, for example, a display, a speaker, a printer, a communication network, and remote output devices connected thereto.

[0131] For the sake of simplification, Figure 11 shows only some of the components of the electronic device 1100 relevant to this disclosure, omitting components such as buses and input / output interfaces. The electronic device 1100 may further include any other appropriate components depending on the specific application.

[0132] (Examples of computer program products and computer-readable storage media) Embodiments of this disclosure can provide a computer program product including computer program instructions, in addition to the methods and apparatus described above. When these computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the processor is caused to perform steps of the methods relating to various embodiments of this disclosure as described in the “Exemplary Methods” portion of this specification.

[0133] Computer program products can be created using one or any combination of programming languages ​​to produce program code for performing the operations of the embodiments of this disclosure, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C language or similar programming languages. The program code may run entirely on a user computing device, partially on a user device, run as a standalone software package, run partially on a user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or run entirely on a remote computing device or a server.

[0134] Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure can further provide a computer-readable storage medium in which computer program instructions are stored. When the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the processor is caused to perform steps of the methods relating to various embodiments of the present disclosure as described in the “Exemplary Methods” portion of this specification.

[0135] Any combination of one or more readable media can be used as the computer-readable storage medium. The readable media can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (non-exclusive list) of readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0136] While the basic principles of this disclosure have been explained above with reference to specific examples, the advantages, merits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely illustrative and not limiting, and these advantages, merits, and effects are not necessarily present in every example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details of the above disclosure are merely illustrative and easy-to-understand effects and are not limiting, and the above details do not necessarily limit this disclosure to being realized by the above specific details.

[0137] Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations to this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if such modifications and alterations of the present application fall within the claims of this disclosure and the equivalent art thereto, this disclosure also includes such modifications and alterations.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method applied to a vehicle, The vehicle is provided with a first chip for supporting intelligent driving functions and a second chip for supporting at least intelligent cockpit functions. The aforementioned vehicle control method is The vehicle control unit determines the current operating state of the first chip based on state instruction information generated by the first chip to indicate the current operating state of the first chip, The vehicle control unit receives a first control command output from the first chip in response to the current operating state being in an usable state, and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the first control command. If the current operating state is usable, the second chip acquires a first quantity of data collected by the first sensor; if the current operating state is unavailable, the second chip acquires a second quantity of data collected by the first sensor, wherein the second quantity is greater than the first quantity. The vehicle control unit receives a second control command output from the second chip in response to the current operating state being unavailable, and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command, including the step of: A vehicle control method characterized by the following:

2. The vehicle control unit, in response to the current operating state being an unavailable state, receives a second control command output from the second chip, and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command, The vehicle control unit, in response to the fact that the current operating state is an unusable state, outputs state instruction information corresponding to the unusable state to the second chip; The vehicle control unit includes the step of receiving a second control command output from the second chip and controlling the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command. The vehicle control method according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned vehicle control method is The second chip acquires the data collected by the first sensor, The second chip further includes the step of generating a first environmental sensing result based on data collected by the first sensor, The vehicle control unit receives a second control command output from the second chip in response to the current operating state being an unavailable state, The vehicle control unit includes the step of receiving a second control command generated by the second chip based on the first environmental sensing result in response to the current operating state being an unavailable state, The vehicle control method according to feature 2.

4. The step of the second chip acquiring the data collected by the first sensor is: If the second chip does not receive status indicator information corresponding to the unusable state, the steps include obtaining the first quantity from the data collected by the first sensor, The second chip, upon receiving status indicator information corresponding to the unavailable state, includes the step of acquiring a portion of the second quantity from the data collected by the first sensor, The vehicle control method according to feature 3.

5. The aforementioned vehicle control method is In response to the vehicle control unit being in an usable state, before receiving the first control command output from the first chip, The first chip receives data collected by the second sensor and generates a second environmental sensing result based on the data collected by the second sensor. The first chip receives the first environmental sensing result output from the second chip, The first chip verifies the second environmental sensing result based on the first environmental sensing result and obtains a verification result, The first chip further includes the step of generating and outputting the first control command based on the second environment sensing result in response to the verification result indicating that it has passed the verification of the second environment sensing result, The vehicle control method according to feature 3.

6. The aforementioned vehicle control method is The vehicle control unit further includes the step of receiving a first cockpit control command generated by the second chip in response to the current operating state being in an available state, and controlling the vehicle's cockpit based on the first cockpit control command. The vehicle control method according to feature 1.

7. The aforementioned vehicle control method is The vehicle control unit further includes the steps of: in response to the current operating state being unavailable, the second chip receiving the second control command generated based on the second resource, the second chip receiving the second cockpit control command generated based on the first resource, and controlling the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command. The vehicle control method according to feature 1.

8. The aforementioned vehicle control method is The vehicle control unit, in response to the current operating state being an unavailable state, restarts the first chip. The vehicle control unit further includes the step of, after the first chip has been successfully restarted, receiving the first control command output from the first chip again and controlling the driving state of the vehicle based on the first control command, The vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A vehicle control device applied to a vehicle, A first chip to support intelligent driving functions, At least a second chip to support intelligent cockpit functions, A vehicle control unit comprises: a vehicle control unit that determines the current operating state of the first chip based on state instruction information generated by the first chip to indicate the current operating state of the first chip; receives a first control command output from the first chip in response to the current operating state being an available state; controls the driving state of the vehicle based on the first control command; receives a second control command output from the second chip in response to the current operating state being an unavailable state; and controls the driving state of the vehicle based on the second control command. If the current operating state is usable, the second chip acquires a first quantity of data collected by the first sensor; if the current operating state is unavailable, the second chip acquires a second quantity of data collected by the first sensor, and the second quantity is greater than the first quantity. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

10. The vehicle control unit, in response to the current operating state being an unavailable state, outputs status instruction information corresponding to the unavailable state to the second chip, receives a second control command output from the second chip, and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the second control command. The vehicle control device according to feature 9.

11. The second chip acquires data collected by the first sensor and generates a first environmental sensing result based on the data collected by the first sensor. In response to the fact that the current operating state is unavailable, the vehicle control unit receives a second control command generated by the second chip based on the first environmental sensing result. The vehicle control device according to claim 10.

12. If the second chip does not receive status indicator information corresponding to the unavailable state, it acquires the first quantity from the data collected by the first sensor. When the second chip receives status indicator information corresponding to the unavailable state, it acquires the second quantity from the data collected by the first sensor. The vehicle control device according to feature 11.

13. The first chip acquires data collected by the second sensor, generates a second environmental sensing result based on the data collected by the second sensor, receives the first environmental sensing result output from the second chip, verifies the second environmental sensing result based on the first environmental sensing result and obtains a verification result, and in response to the verification result indicating that the verification of the second environmental sensing result has passed, generates and outputs the first control command based on the second environmental sensing result. The vehicle control device according to feature 11.

14. The vehicle control unit, in response to the current operating state being in an available state, receives a first cockpit control command generated by the second chip and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the first cockpit control command. The vehicle control device according to feature 9.

15. In response to the fact that the current operating state is unavailable, the vehicle control unit receives the second control command generated by the second chip based on the second resource, The second chip receives a second cockpit control command generated based on the first resource, and controls the vehicle's cockpit based on the second cockpit control command. The vehicle control device according to feature 9.

16. The vehicle control unit, in response to the current operating state being unavailable, restarts the first chip, and after the first chip has restarted successfully, it re-receives the first control command output from the first chip and controls the operating state of the vehicle based on the first control command. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 9 to 15.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, A computer program for performing the vehicle control method described in any one of claims 1 to 7 is stored. A computer-readable storage medium characterized by the following features.

18. An electronic device comprising a processor and a memory for storing instructions that the processor can execute, The processor reads and executes the executable instructions from the memory to perform the vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

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