Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

This vehicle control device is provided with: a recognition unit that recognizes external environment information about the surroundings of a host vehicle, and detects an evacuation candidate area for the host vehicle to escape to when the host vehicle passes by an oncoming vehicle; a usability determination unit that determines whether or not the evacuation candidate area detected by the recognition unit is usable; and an evacuation area setting unit that sets, as an evacuation area, an evacuation candidate area determined by the usability determination unit to be usable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a road where it is difficult for vehicles to pass by each other, an assistance system for assisting passing through is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that "a vehicle determines whether it is possible to pass by another vehicle based on the state around the vehicle, information on the size of the vehicle body of another vehicle, and the size of the vehicle body of the vehicle. Further, when the vehicle determines that it is impossible to pass by another vehicle, the vehicle searches for a first evacuation candidate area where the vehicle can evacuate based on the state around the vehicle detected along the traveling trajectory of the vehicle by a detection device."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, when it is difficult for oncoming vehicles to pass by each other, an evacuation candidate area where the vehicle can evacuate is searched based on the state around the vehicle. However, since the technique described in Patent Document 1 searches for an evacuation candidate area only based on the size of the vehicle body and the surrounding free space information, there is a possibility that the searched evacuation candidate area is not appropriate as an evacuation place such as a private land or a prohibited entry area.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to select an appropriate evacuation place on a road where it is difficult for oncoming vehicles to pass by each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention comprises: a recognition unit that recognizes external information around the vehicle and detects candidate areas for moving the vehicle to avoid an oncoming vehicle; a usability determination unit that determines whether the candidate areas for moving the vehicle detected by the recognition unit are usable; and an evacuation area setting unit that sets the candidate areas for moving that the usability determination unit has determined to be usable as evacuation areas. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention with the above configuration, it is possible to select an appropriate place to pull over on a road where it is difficult to pass an oncoming vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the passing maneuver of oncoming vehicles. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the data structure of the usability determination table in the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows a specific example of the external environment detected in the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the procedure for vehicle control processing in a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a vehicle system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the data structure of the usability determination table in the vehicle control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. The present invention is applicable, for example, to a vehicle control computing device that can communicate with an in-vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) or Autonomous Driving (AD).

[0011] <First Embodiment> First, the configuration of the vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle system 100 includes a vehicle control device 10, map information 11, GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) 12, sensors 13, and actuators 17. The map information 11, GPS 12, and sensors 13 are each connected to the vehicle control device 10. The vehicle control device 10 is further connected to the actuators 17. Note that in Figure 1, only the components related to the vehicle system 100 and the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment are shown, and the illustration and description of other components are omitted.

[0012] Map information 11 includes, for example, standard (SD) maps widely used on public roads, pre-generated high-precision surrounding maps, and maps generated from measurement results of sensors 13 (self-generated maps). Here, it is assumed that map information 11 is registered in the vehicle control device 10 in advance. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and map information 11 may be acquired from an external source (see the second embodiment described later). Map information 11 includes at least land information indicating what kind of land the vacant area is, for example, information such as private land, road shoulder, parking lot of a private house, or commercial land. Note that the land information for the vacant area is not limited to the above information and may include other information.

[0013] The GPS 12 detects the vehicle's position coordinates and outputs them to the vehicle control device 10. The sensors 13 include external cameras (Camera), millimeter-wave radar (Radar), LiDAR, and ultrasonic sensors (Sonar) that can detect external information, such as information about objects around the vehicle and information about the drivable area. The sensors 13 are not limited to the above-mentioned devices; any device capable of detecting external information around the vehicle may be used. Here, information about objects around the vehicle includes, for example, moving objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles, as well as stationary objects such as traffic signals, road markings, lane markings, and pylons. The actuator 17 is a drive device that drives the vehicle's accelerator, brakes, steering, etc., to change the vehicle's direction of travel, speed, etc.

[0014] [Vehicle control system] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 10 comprises a recognition unit 14, a decision unit 15, and an operation unit 16. The recognition unit 14, the decision unit 15, and the operation unit 16 are connected in this order. The recognition unit 14 acquires map information 11, GPS 12, and output information from sensors 13, and based on the acquired information, detects the driving location and drivable area, and outputs it to the decision unit 15. The recognition unit (recognition unit 14) also recognizes external information around the vehicle based on the acquired map information 11, GPS 12, and output information from sensors 13, and detects candidate areas for the vehicle to move out of the way when passing an oncoming vehicle. The candidate areas for the vehicle to move out of the way are open areas other than roads adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Here, the open areas include a certain area of ​​land where the vehicle can stop. The certain area of ​​land also includes sidewalks adjacent to roads, land owned by buildings adjacent to roads, and private land adjacent to roads.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the recognition unit 14 includes an availability determination unit 18 and a retraction area setting unit 19. In the configuration example shown in Figure 1, the availability determination unit 18 and the retraction area setting unit 19 are internal components of the recognition unit 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. The availability determination unit 18 and the retraction area setting unit 19 may also be external components of the recognition unit 14.

[0016] Based on at least one of the pre-registered map information 11 and the external information recognized by the recognition unit 14, the usability determination unit (usability determination unit 18) determines the usability of the evacuation candidate area detected by the recognition unit (recognition unit 14). When there are a plurality of evacuation candidate areas, the usability determination unit (usability determination unit 18) determines the usability of the evacuation candidate areas based on the usage priorities corresponding to the respective feature information of the plurality of evacuation candidate areas set in advance. Here, the feature information of the evacuation candidate area is a determination item in the usability determination table T300 (see FIG. 3 described later). The feature information of the evacuation candidate area includes at least one of the land information of the evacuation candidate area (see "determination item_1" in FIG. 3 described later) and information on obstacles installed in the evacuation candidate area (see "determination item_2" in FIG. 3 described later). The information on obstacles includes information on signs indicating whether entry into the evacuation candidate area is possible and information on obstacles for preventing entry into the evacuation candidate area.

[0017] The evacuation area setting unit (evacuation area setting unit 19) sets the evacuation candidate area determined by the usability determination unit 18 as the evacuation area, and outputs the information of the set evacuation area to the determination unit 15.

[0018] The determination unit 15 acquires information such as the position of the host vehicle, the driving location, and the drivable area from the recognition unit 14, determines the movement of the host vehicle such as acceleration and deceleration based on the acquired various information, and outputs the determination result to the operation unit 16. In addition, the determination unit 15 determines the driving direction, driving speed, etc. of the host vehicle so as to proceed to the evacuation area based on the information of the evacuation area set by the evacuation area setting unit 19, and outputs the determination result to the operation unit 16.

[0019] Based on the determination results of the driving direction, driving speed, acceleration, and deceleration of the host vehicle determined by the determination unit 15, the operation unit 16 outputs an instruction to drive the accelerator, brake, steering, etc. of the vehicle to the actuator 17. The actuator 17 is operated according to the instruction of the operation unit 16.

[0020] Next, the passing maneuver of oncoming vehicles will be explained. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the passing maneuver of oncoming vehicles. Vehicles 1 and 2 shown in Figure 2 are vehicles traveling on the same road W1 in opposite directions. Areas E1 and E2 are open areas adjacent to road W1. In this embodiment, "passing" means that vehicles 1 and 2 pass each other, and does not include traveling in the same direction, such as overtaking another vehicle ahead.

[0021] In the passing scenario shown in Figure 2, the recognition unit 14 of the vehicle control device 10 of vehicle 1 detects areas E1 and E2 as candidate areas for evacuation. The usability determination unit 18 of the recognition unit 14 determines whether areas E1 and E2 are usable. Based on the characteristic information of each area E1 and E2 and the corresponding usage priority, the usability determination unit 18 determines which of areas E1 and E2 to use and outputs the result of the determination to the evacuation area setting unit 19. Based on the determination result of the usability determination unit 18, the evacuation area setting unit 19 sets the evacuation area and outputs the information of the evacuation area to the determination unit 15. The determination unit 15 then determines the route from the current position of vehicle 1 to the evacuation area (for example, routes R1 and R2 in the figure), the driving speed, etc., and outputs the determination result to the operation unit 16. The operation unit 16 controls the actuator 17 based on the determination result of the determination unit 15, thereby controlling the vehicle 1 to move to area E1 or area E2 using either path R1 or path R2.

[0022] The areas E1 and E2 shown in Figure 2, which are candidate areas for vehicle evacuation, are rectangular open areas on the left side of the road W1 along the direction of travel of vehicle 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The candidate areas for vehicle evacuation may be on either the left or right side of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Furthermore, the shape of the candidate areas for vehicle evacuation is not limited to a rectangle, and any shape is possible. In addition, the candidate areas for vehicle evacuation may be areas where a vehicle can be stopped temporarily or permanently, such as a private parking lot, a store parking lot, a roadside strip, or a sidewalk. However, the candidate areas for vehicle evacuation are not limited to private parking lots, store parking lots, roadside strips, or sidewalks.

[0023] Next, an example of the data structure of the availability determination table in the vehicle control device 10 will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the availability determination table in the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the availability determination table T300 includes "evacuation area map information" and "evacuation area boundary information". The "evacuation area map information" is static information for determining candidate evacuation areas based on map information 11, and includes the columns "Decision Item_1", ​​"Availability_1", and "Usage Priority_1". The "evacuation area boundary information" is dynamic information for determining candidate evacuation areas based on detection information from sensors 13, and includes the columns "Decision Item_2", "Availability_2", and "Usage Priority_2". Note that the configuration of the availability determination table T300 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include information other than "evacuation area map information" and "evacuation area boundary information", such as size information of candidate evacuation areas.

[0025] The "Decision Item_1" in the "Evacuation Area Map Information" stores land information for the vacant area included in the map information 11, that is, land information for the evacuation candidate area, such as "private land," "commercial land," "road shoulder," and "no entry." Note that the land information is not limited to the above-mentioned information, and may include any information that indicates what kind of land the evacuation candidate area is.

[0026] The "Availability_1" column in the "Evacuation Area Map Information" contains information indicating whether or not an evacuation candidate area with land information stored in "Judgment Item_1" is available. For example, if an evacuation candidate area with land information stored in "Judgment Item_1" is available, "○" is stored. If an evacuation candidate area with land information stored in "Judgment Item_1" is unavailable, "×" is stored. Note that the information stored in "Availability_1" is not limited to "○" and "×"; any information that can represent the availability of an evacuation candidate area may be used.

[0027] The "Usage Priority_1" field in the "Evacuation Area Map Information" stores the usage priority corresponding to the land information stored in "Judgment Item_1," such as "1," "2," "3," or "-." Here, it is assumed that a smaller value stored in "Usage Priority_1" indicates a higher priority, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a larger value stored in "Usage Priority_1" may be considered to indicate a higher priority. "-" is the "Usage Priority_1" value corresponding to land information that cannot be used ("Usability_1" is "×"). Note that the information stored in "Usage Priority_1" is not limited to numerical values ​​such as "1," "2," or "3," but may be any information that can represent priority.

[0028] The "Decision Item_2" of the "Evacuation Area Outside Information" stores information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle detected by the sensors 13 (see Figure 4 below), such as "step," "pylon," "chain," and "sign." Note that "Decision Item_2" is not limited to the above-mentioned information; it may also include any information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle detected by the sensors 13.

[0029] The "Availability_2" column in "Backup Area External Information" stores information indicating whether or not a candidate backup area having the external information stored in "Decision Item_2" is available. For example, if a candidate backup area having the external information stored in "Decision Item_2" is available, "○" is stored. If a candidate backup area having the external information stored in "Decision Item_2" is unavailable, "×" is stored. Note that the information stored in "Availability_2" is not limited to "○" and "×", and may be any information that can represent the availability of a candidate backup area.

[0030] The "Usage Priority_2" field in the "Evacuation Area Map Information" stores the usage priority corresponding to the external information stored in "Decision Item_2," such as "1," "2," "3," or "-." Since "Usage Priority_2" is the same as "Usage Priority_1," a redundant explanation is omitted.

[0031] The above-described examples of "evacuation area map information" and "evacuation area boundary information" having "Usage Priority 1" and "Usage Priority 2," respectively, are not limited to these examples. A single usage priority may be assigned to "evacuation area map information" and "evacuation area boundary information," for example, a usage priority that integrates "Usage Priority 1" and "Usage Priority 2."

[0032] In this embodiment, the usability determination unit 18 of the recognition unit 14 first determines the land information of the evacuation candidate area and determines whether the evacuation candidate area is usable based on the "determination item_1" and "usability_1" of the usability determination table T300. If the "usability_1" corresponding to the land information of the evacuation candidate area is "○", the usability determination unit 18 determines that the evacuation candidate area is usable. Next, if there are multiple evacuation candidate areas that have been determined, the usability determination unit 18 determines the priority order of the multiple evacuation candidate areas based on the "usage priority_1" of the usability determination table T300.

[0033] Here, if the vehicle does not have sensors 13, the usability determination unit 18 selects the evacuation candidate area with the highest usability priority based on "usage priority_1". On the other hand, if the vehicle does have sensors 13, the usability determination unit 18 determines the priority of multiple evacuation candidate areas based on "usage priority_1", and then determines whether the evacuation candidate area is usable based on dynamic information ("evacuation area external information"). The usability determination unit 18 determines whether the evacuation candidate area is usable based on the external information detected by the sensors 13, the "determination item_2" and "usability_2" of the usability determination table T300. If the "usability_2" corresponding to the vehicle's external information is "○", the usability determination unit 18 determines that the evacuation candidate area is usable. Next, if there are multiple candidate backup areas that have been determined, the availability determination unit 18 selects the backup area with the highest availability priority based on "Usage Priority_2" in the availability determination table T300.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, if a vehicle does not have map information 11 and only has sensors 13, the usability determination unit 18 may perform the determination process for a candidate evacuation area based solely on dynamic information ("evacuation area outside information").

[0035] By using the usability determination table T300, the vehicle control device 10 automatically determines whether a candidate evacuation area is appropriate, eliminating the need for driver intervention and thus eliminating waiting time caused by driver operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations where two vehicles face each other and one has no choice but to reverse, and passing maneuvers can be performed smoothly. Furthermore, by using the usability determination table T300, it is possible to determine usability not only based on a single item but also in a variety of scenarios. In addition, by setting a priority item for use, even when multiple candidate evacuation areas are detected, passing maneuvers can be performed using the optimal evacuation location. For example, when three locations are detected as multiple candidate evacuation areas—private property, store land, and road shoulder—a single-item determination alone would result in a usability decision for all but private property. However, by using the usability determination table T300, the road shoulder with the highest priority for use is selected as the optimal evacuation area, making it possible to select the most suitable area for passing maneuvers.

[0036] Figure 4 shows specific examples of the external environment detected by the sensors 13 on the vehicle. Figure 4 shows a sign 103 and a chain 104 indicating "No Entry".

[0037] [Vehicle control processing procedure] Next, the procedure for vehicle control processing in the vehicle control device 10 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for vehicle control processing in the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment. The process described below is started periodically or at predetermined timings by the vehicle control device 10 and executed repeatedly.

[0038] First, the recognition unit 14 determines whether or not it has recognized an oncoming vehicle (step S100).

[0039] In the process of step S100, if the recognition unit 14 determines that it has not recognized an oncoming vehicle (NO determination in step S100), it repeats the process of step S100.

[0040] On the other hand, in the process of step S100, if the recognition unit 14 determines that it has recognized an oncoming vehicle (YES determination in step S100), it determines whether or not its own vehicle needs to move out of the way (step S101). In this process, if the recognition unit 14 determines that it is possible to pass the oncoming vehicle based on the size of its own vehicle, the size of the recognized oncoming vehicle, and the width of the road, it determines that it is not necessary to move out of the way, and step S101 is a NO determination. On the other hand, if the recognition unit 14 determines that it is impossible to pass the oncoming vehicle based on the size of its own vehicle, the size of the detected oncoming vehicle, and the width of the road, it determines that it is necessary to move out of the way, and step S101 is a YES determination.

[0041] In the process of step S101, if the recognition unit 14 determines that there is no need to evacuate (NO determination in step S101), it returns to the process of step S100 and repeats the process from step S100 to step S101.

[0042] On the other hand, in the process of step S101, if the recognition unit 14 determines that it is necessary to move the vehicle (YES determination in step S101), it detects a candidate area for moving the vehicle (step S102). In this process, the recognition unit 14 detects an empty area around the vehicle and designates it as a candidate area for moving the vehicle, based on the surrounding information detected by the map information 11 and the sensors 13.

[0043] Next, the recognition unit 14 executes steps S103 to S107 (a loop for several candidate areas of the candidate area

[0044] In step S103, a loop is initiated through the process of retrieving candidate regions. In step S104, the availability determination unit 18 of the recognition unit 14 refers to the availability determination table T300.

[0045] Next, in step S105, the availability determination unit 18 determines, based on the availability determination table T300, whether the backup candidate area is available and whether its usage priority is the highest among the multiple backup candidate areas.

[0046] In step S105, if the availability determination unit 18 determines that a candidate backup area is available and that its priority for use is the highest among multiple candidate backup areas (YES determination in step S105), the backup area setting unit 19 sets the candidate backup area as a backup area (step S106). In this process, the backup area setting unit 19 also outputs information about the set backup area to the determination unit 15.

[0047] On the other hand, in the process of step S105, if the availability determination unit 18 determines that the backup candidate area is unavailable or that its usage priority is not the highest among multiple backup candidate areas (NO determination in step S105), or after the process of step S106, the determination process for the next backup candidate area (a process included in the loop for backup candidate areas) is executed.

[0048] After the determination process for all candidate areas for saving has been executed, the loop for determining which areas to save is terminated (step S107).

[0049] Next, the determination unit 15 determines whether or not a backup area has been set (step S108). In this process, if the determination unit 15 receives backup area information from the backup area setting unit 19, it determines that a backup area has been set, and step S108 becomes a YES determination. On the other hand, if the determination unit 15 does not receive backup area information from the backup area setting unit 19, it determines that no backup area has been set, and step S108 becomes a NO determination.

[0050] In step S108, if the determination unit 15 determines that a retraction area has been set (step S108 is determined to be YES), it controls the vehicle to stop in the retraction area (step S109). In this process, the determination unit 15 determines the route from the vehicle's current position to the retraction area, the driving speed, etc., based on the retraction area set by the retraction area setting unit 19, and outputs the determination result to the operation unit 16. Based on the determination result of the determination unit 15, the operation unit 16 controls the actuator 17 to stop in the retraction area.

[0051] On the other hand, in step S108, if the determination unit 15 determines that there is no designated escape area (step S108 is determined to be NO), it controls the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions (step S110). In this process, the determination unit 15 may, for example, control the vehicle to move to the left side of the road and stop, or control it to reverse and move off the road, based on the surrounding conditions.

[0052] After processing in step S109 or step S110, the vehicle control process returns to step 100.

[0053] When the vehicle is operating autonomously, the vehicle control device 10 controls the vehicle's movement to move into a designated evacuation area. When the vehicle is not operating autonomously, the vehicle control device 10 presents the driver with information about the evacuation area set by the recognition unit 14 by displaying it on a display panel installed in the vehicle.

[0054] Next, the hardware configuration of the vehicle control device 10 will be described. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment. In addition to the components shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10b, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10c, a storage device 10d, and an input / output interface 10e, as shown in Figure 6. The CPU 10a, ROM 10b, RAM 10c, storage device 10d, and input / output interface 10e are connected by a bus 10f so that they can send and receive information data from each other.

[0055] The CPU 10a controls the operation of each part within the vehicle control device 10. For example, the CPU 10a controls the operation of each functional component of the vehicle control device 10 shown in Figure 1. Specifically, for example, the CPU 10a controls the vehicle control processing shown in Figure 5. Note that a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may be used instead of the CPU 10a, or the CPU 10a and GPU may be used in combination.

[0056] ROM10b is composed of a storage medium such as non-volatile memory and stores programs and data that the CPU10a executes and references.

[0057] RAM10c is composed of a storage medium such as volatile memory, and temporarily stores information (data) necessary for each process performed by CPU10a.

[0058] The storage device 10d is a computer-readable, non-transient recording medium that stores programs executed by the CPU 10a, and is composed of a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage device 10d stores programs for the CPU 10a to control various parts, an OS (Operating System), controller programs, and data. The storage device 10d also stores map information 11, etc. Some of the programs and data stored in the storage device 10d may be stored in ROM 10b. Furthermore, the computer-readable, non-transient recording medium that stores programs executed by the CPU 10a is not limited to an HDD, but may be a recording medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM.

[0059] The input / output interface 10e, under the control of the CPU 10a, transmits and receives information data to and from external devices such as the GPS 12 and sensors 13 shown in Figure 1.

[0060] [effect] As described above, when it is difficult for the vehicle to pass an oncoming vehicle, the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment detects potential escape areas around the vehicle and selects the optimal escape area based on the usability determination table T300 and sets it as an escape area. The usability determination table T300 includes static information (escape area map information) for determining potential escape areas based on map information 11, dynamic information (escape area external information) for determining potential escape areas based on detection information from sensors 13, and the usability priority of the potential escape areas. Based on the information in the usability determination table T300, the vehicle control device 10 selects the usable and highest-priority potential escape area and sets it as an escape area. Therefore, according to the vehicle control device 10 of the present invention, it is possible to select an appropriate escape location on a road where it is difficult for the vehicle to pass an oncoming vehicle.

[0061] <Second Embodiment> Here, a vehicle system 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle system 200 according to this embodiment. As can be seen by comparing Figure 7 with Figure 1, the vehicle system 200 has each component of the vehicle system 100 shown in Figure 1, and further includes an update unit 20 and a communication unit 21.

[0062] The update unit 20 is installed inside the vehicle control device 10 and connected to the judgment unit 15. The update unit 20 is also connected to the communication unit 21, which is installed outside the vehicle control device 10. The update unit 20 receives information about the evacuation area from the judgment unit 15. After the vehicle has moved to an evacuation area set by the evacuation area setting unit (evacuation area setting unit 19), the update unit (update unit 20) updates the map information 11 so that the information about the evacuation area is included in the map information 11. The update unit 20 also outputs the updated map information 11 to the communication unit 21.

[0063] The communication unit 21 transmits the map information 11 updated by the update unit 20 to the vehicle management server 30, which manages its own vehicle, via wireless communication or the like. The vehicle management server 30 manages the map information 11, which includes information on evacuation areas received from the vehicle control devices 10 of all the vehicles it manages. The communication unit 21 may also acquire the map information 11 managed by the vehicle management server 30. The map information 11 acquired from the vehicle management server 30 also includes the usage history of evacuation areas by other vehicles. Therefore, when the recognition unit 14 of the vehicle control device 10 determines a candidate evacuation area based on the map information 11 acquired by the communication unit 21, it can also refer to the usage history of evacuation areas by other vehicles.

[0064] Furthermore, the communication unit 21 can also acquire shared information transmitted from other vehicles, for example, via V2X (Vehicle to X) communication. Note that the information received by the communication unit 21 from external sources is not limited to the information described above; any information that can be used in the process of determining the candidate area for evacuation may be received.

[0065] [effect] As described above, in the vehicle system 200 according to this embodiment, when setting an evacuation area, the vehicle control device 10 uses not only the availability determination table T300 but also various information that can be used in the evacuation candidate area determination process, which is acquired from an external source by the communication unit 21. By using more information to perform the evacuation candidate area determination process, the vehicle control device 10 of the vehicle system 200 according to this embodiment can select an appropriate evacuation location with higher accuracy. Furthermore, since the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with an update unit 20, it can also transmit map information 11 containing information on evacuation areas used by its own vehicle to the vehicle management server 30 and link with other vehicles via the vehicle management server 30.

[0066] <Third Embodiment> Here, a vehicle system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the usability determination table T301 in the vehicle control device 10 of the vehicle system according to this embodiment. As can be seen by comparing Figure 8 with Figure 3, in this embodiment, the information in the usability determination table T301 is not divided into "evacuation area map information" and "evacuation area boundary information," but rather "evacuation area map information" and "evacuation area boundary information" are combined into "evacuation area information." In other words, in the usability determination table T301 according to this embodiment, static information and dynamic information are mixed together.

[0067] [effect] When the sensors 13 can detect external environmental information with high accuracy, the map information 11 can be recognized by the sensors 13. Therefore, by using the availability determination table T301 according to this embodiment, the vehicle control processing in the vehicle control device 10 can be executed at high speed.

[0068] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other applications and modifications can be taken as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are detailed and specific explanations of the configuration of the vehicle control device and vehicle system in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace some of the configurations of the embodiments described here with the configurations of other embodiments, and it is also possible to add the configurations of other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of each embodiment with other configurations. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10...Vehicle control device, 11...Map information, 12...GPS, 13...Sensors, 14...Recognition unit, 15...Decision unit, 16...Operation unit, 17...Actuator, 18...Availability determination unit, 19...Evacuation area setting unit, 20...Update unit, 21...Communication unit, 100, 200...Vehicle system

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes external information around the vehicle and detects candidate areas for the vehicle to move out of the way when passing an oncoming vehicle, A usability determination unit that determines whether the candidate area for evacuation detected by the recognition unit is usable, The system includes a retraction area setting unit that sets the retraction candidate area, which has been determined to be usable by the usability determination unit, as a retraction area. Vehicle control system.

2. The usability determination unit determines whether the evacuation candidate area is usable based on at least one of the pre-registered map information and the external information recognized by the recognition unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. If there are multiple candidate areas for saving, the availability determination unit determines whether the candidate area for saving is available based on the pre-set availability priority corresponding to the characteristic information of each of the multiple candidate areas for saving. The vehicle control device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned candidate evacuation area is an open area other than the road adjacent to the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. The characteristic information includes at least one of the land information of the candidate evacuation area and information of obstacles to be installed in the candidate evacuation area. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.

6. The information relating to the obstacles includes information relating to signs indicating whether or not entry into the candidate evacuation area is permitted, and information relating to obstacles that prevent entry into the candidate evacuation area. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned vacant area includes a certain area of ​​land. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.

8. The aforementioned area of ​​land includes sidewalks adjacent to the road, land owned by buildings adjacent to the road, and private land adjacent to the road. The vehicle control device according to claim 7.

9. After the vehicle moves to the designated evacuation area set by the evacuation area setting unit, the update unit updates the map information to include the information of the evacuation area in the map information. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

10. The system includes a communication unit that transmits the updated map information from the update unit to a vehicle management server that manages the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned communication unit acquires map information managed by the vehicle management server. The vehicle control device according to claim 10.

12. A vehicle control method performed by a vehicle control device comprising a recognition unit, a usability determination unit, and a retraction area setting unit, The recognition unit recognizes external information around the vehicle and detects candidate areas for moving the vehicle to avoid an oncoming vehicle. The usability determination unit determines whether the candidate area for retraction detected by the recognition unit is usable, The steps include: the retraction area setting unit setting the candidate retraction area that the usability determination unit has determined to be usable as a retraction area. Vehicle control method.

Images