Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a control device that can appropriately control peripheral vehicles when a vehicle has suddenly braked. A control device (100) according to the present disclosure comprises: a first vehicle information acquisition unit (101) that acquires first vehicle information relating to the condition of a first vehicle included in a car group; a second vehicle information acquisition unit (102) that acquires, for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the car group, second vehicle information relating to the condition of each second vehicle positioned in the periphery of the first vehicle; and a control unit (105) that, when the deceleration of the first vehicle has reached a threshold value or higher, controls the plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle positioned in the rear among the plurality of second vehicles, on the basis of the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.

Description

CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There are known techniques for preventing automobile collisions by using driving assistance devices such as automatic braking devices and vehicle-to-vehicle communication devices.

[0003] As a related technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a cruise control device that can generate a cruise plan for slowing down and stopping a vehicle based on a received earthquake early warning. When there is a risk of a rear-end collision or collision with another vehicle due to obstacles around the vehicle, the cruise control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 generates a different cruise plan for avoiding the collision or collision. Furthermore, when the vehicle begins to strongly decelerate, the cruise control device transmits an emergency stop signal to the other vehicle, causing the other vehicle to stop.

[0004] JP 2012-123835 A

[0005] Suppose a vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle suddenly brakes to an emergency stop. In this case, the host vehicle can avoid a collision with the vehicle in front by applying sudden brakes using technologies such as collision detection and emergency braking control. However, the sudden braking of the host vehicle also forces the following vehicle traveling further behind the host vehicle to suddenly brake. If the following vehicle brakes too late, the host vehicle may be rear-ended by the following vehicle.

[0006] In this way, when there are multiple vehicles behind a vehicle that has made an emergency stop, it is necessary to take appropriate control not only for the vehicle immediately behind the vehicle that has made the emergency stop, but also for the vehicles further behind it to avoid an accident. Patent Document 1 does not mention this problem.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device, a control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that can appropriately control surrounding vehicles when a vehicle applies sudden braking.

[0008] The control device according to the present disclosure comprises: a first vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring first vehicle information relating to the status of a first vehicle included in a group of vehicles; a second vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the group of vehicles; and a control means for controlling the plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located at the rear of the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0009] The control method disclosed herein involves acquiring first vehicle information regarding the status of a first vehicle included in a group of vehicles, acquiring second vehicle information regarding the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the group of vehicles, and, when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, controlling the plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located at the rear of the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.

[0010] The non-transitory computer-readable medium disclosed herein stores a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of acquiring first vehicle information regarding the status of a first vehicle included in a group of vehicles; a process of acquiring second vehicle information regarding the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the group of vehicles; and a process of controlling a plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located at the rear of the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0011] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a control device, a control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that are capable of appropriately controlling surrounding vehicles when a vehicle applies sudden braking.

[0012] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the control device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a control system according to a second embodiment; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to a second embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of environmental information according to the second embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of control setting information according to the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram for specifically explaining processing performed by the control device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing control processing performed by the control device according to the second embodiment; and FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that realizes the control device according to the second embodiment.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals. For clarity of explanation, duplicated explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0014] First Embodiment First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 100 according to this embodiment. The control device 100 includes a first vehicle information acquisition unit 101, a second vehicle information acquisition unit 102, and a control unit 105.

[0015] The first vehicle information acquisition unit 101 acquires first vehicle information relating to the status of a first vehicle included in the vehicle group. The second vehicle information acquisition unit 102 acquires second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group. When the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit 105 controls a plurality of second vehicles including a specific vehicle located behind the plurality of second vehicles based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.

[0016] The control device 100 includes a processor, a memory, and a storage device (not shown). The storage device stores a computer program that implements the processing according to this embodiment. The processor can load the computer program from the storage device into the memory and execute the computer program. In this way, the processor realizes the functions of the first vehicle information acquisition unit 101, the second vehicle information acquisition unit 102, and the control unit 105.

[0017] Alternatively, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 101, the second vehicle information acquisition unit 102, and the control unit 105 may each be realized by dedicated hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and a program.

[0018] Next, the processing performed by the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the control device 100. First, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 101 acquires first vehicle information (S101). Next, the second vehicle information acquisition unit 102 acquires second vehicle information for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group (S102). Then, when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit 105 controls a plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located behind the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information (S103).

[0019] By performing such processing, the control device 100 according to this embodiment can appropriately control multiple second vehicles located in the vicinity when a first vehicle applies sudden braking.

[0020] Second Embodiment Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment, which is a specific example of the first embodiment described above.

[0021] (Outline of Control System 1) First, an outline of the control system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. The control system 1 is a system that can control a plurality of vehicles located around a vehicle when the vehicle applies sudden braking.

[0022] 3 is a diagram showing the control system 1 as viewed from above. As shown in the figure, vehicles A to G are shown traveling on a road with two lanes on each side. The outline arrows shown at the top of the figure indicate the direction of travel of vehicles A to G. In addition, in the lane opposite the lane on which vehicles A to G are traveling, multiple vehicles are shown traveling in the direction indicated by the outline arrows shown at the bottom of the figure.

[0023] Of vehicles A to G traveling toward the top of the figure, vehicles A to E make up vehicle group α. Here, a vehicle group is a group of multiple vehicles. A vehicle group may include, for example, vehicles located within a predetermined range from a reference vehicle that serves as a reference. A vehicle group may include, for example, vehicles located within a predetermined range behind the reference vehicle, with the reference vehicle at the front.

[0024] The reference vehicle may be, for example, the vehicle itself. The reference vehicle may also be a vehicle that has transitioned to a predetermined situation. The predetermined situation may be, for example, an emergency stop or sudden braking. These predetermined situations may be identified by detecting the deceleration of the vehicle and determining whether the deceleration is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The threshold value may be set in advance. The threshold value may be fixed or may be changed as appropriate.

[0025] The predetermined situation is not limited to an emergency stop or sudden braking, and may be other situations. For example, the predetermined situation may be a situation in which the vehicle sways significantly from side to side. The predetermined situation is not limited to this, and may include various situations that may affect the driving of surrounding vehicles. The predetermined situation may be detected using sensors provided in each vehicle. Alternatively, the predetermined situation may be detected by notifying other vehicles that a transition to the predetermined situation has occurred.

[0026] Here, vehicle A equipped with the control device 10 is set as a reference vehicle, and a case where vehicle A applies sudden braking will be mainly described as an example. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, vehicle group α will be described as including vehicle A and vehicles B to E. Vehicles B to E are vehicles located behind vehicle A and within a predetermined range from vehicle A. The control device 10 can be installed in at least one of the multiple vehicles that make up the vehicle group. Here, an example is shown in which vehicle A is equipped with the control device 10, but some or all of vehicles B to E may also be equipped with the control device 10.

[0027] Each of the vehicles A to E is equipped with an inter-vehicle communication device or the like, and is configured to be able to communicate with one another via a network (not shown). By communicating with one another, the vehicles A to E can share information about each other's status. The status of a vehicle may include, for example, the vehicle's driving status. The driving status is information indicating, for example, an emergency stop of the vehicle, sudden braking, or the like. The driving status may also be information indicating the status of other vehicles.

[0028] By sharing each other's status, vehicles A to E can instantly take appropriate action if a vehicle in vehicle group α makes an emergency stop. For example, when vehicle A makes an emergency stop, the control device 10 performs a predetermined control process to control vehicles B to E as shown by the black arrows in the figure. When the control device 10 detects sudden braking by vehicle A, it calculates an optimal solution for the action of each vehicle in vehicle group α. The control device 10 transmits information about the calculated optimal action to each vehicle in vehicle group α. Vehicles B to E operate safely in accordance with the control of the control device 10. The process performed by the control device 10 will be described in detail below.

[0029] Next, the configuration of vehicle A will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of vehicle A. Here, the description will be given using vehicle A, but the other vehicles B to E may also have a similar configuration. As shown in the figure, vehicle A has a control device 10 and a sensor group 20.

[0030] (Configuration of sensor group 20) The sensor group 20 is a group of sensors provided in the vehicle A. The sensor group 20 includes a camera 21, a distance measurement sensor 22, an acceleration sensor 23, a vehicle speed sensor 24, and a position detection sensor 25. These sensors output their respective detection results to the control device 10.

[0031] The camera 21 is an imaging device that takes images from vehicle A in a predetermined direction and acquires captured images of the periphery of vehicle A. The camera 21 may be provided, for example, above the front of the driver's seat, above the front of the passenger seat, or in another position of vehicle A. The camera 21 may also capture images of the front, rear, right side, or left side of the vehicle. The sensor group 20 may include multiple cameras 21. For example, the camera 21 captures images of vehicles, obstacles, people, road surfaces, etc. that are present in the periphery of vehicle A.

[0032] The ranging sensor 22 is a sensor that measures the distance to an object present in the vicinity of the vehicle A. The ranging sensor 22 measures the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle A and another vehicle. The ranging sensor 22 may be, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) sensor. The ranging sensor 22 may also be a stereo camera, a ToF (Time of Flight) camera, a millimeter-wave radar, or the like. The ranging sensor 22 may also have the function of the camera 21 described above.

[0033] The acceleration sensor 23 measures the acceleration of vehicle A. The acceleration sensor 23 can measure the acceleration in the forward / backward direction, the left / right direction, and the up / down direction of vehicle A. The vehicle speed sensor 24 measures the speed of vehicle A. The position detection sensor 25 detects the current position of vehicle A. The position detection sensor 25 receives positioning signals transmitted from multiple artificial satellites such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and performs positioning based on these positioning signals.

[0034] The above-described sensors are merely examples, and vehicle A may be equipped with other sensors. Furthermore, vehicle A may be configured to include only some of the above-described sensors.

[0035] (Configuration of control device 10) The control device 10 will be described with continued reference to Fig. 4. The control device 10 includes a first vehicle information acquisition unit 11, a second vehicle information acquisition unit 12, an environmental information acquisition unit 13, a control setting unit 14, a control unit 15, a communication unit 16, and a storage unit 19.

[0036] The first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 is an example of the above-mentioned first vehicle information acquisition unit 101. The first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 acquires first vehicle information related to the status of a first vehicle included in a vehicle group. In this example, the first vehicle is vehicle A, which is a reference vehicle of vehicle group α. Therefore, the first vehicle information is information related to the status of vehicle A.

[0037] The first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 may acquire, as the first vehicle information, information detected by the sensor group 20. For example, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 acquires, based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 23, that vehicle A has applied sudden braking as the first vehicle information. Specifically, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 uses the detection result of the acceleration sensor 23 to determine whether deceleration has occurred per unit time at a rate equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If deceleration has occurred at a rate equal to or greater than the threshold, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 determines that sudden braking has occurred.

[0038] Furthermore, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 may perform a predetermined process using information detected by the sensor group 20 and acquire the first vehicle information based on the result. For example, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 may perform an image recognition process on an image of the area ahead of the vehicle A acquired by the camera 21. The first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 may detect that the vehicle A has made an emergency stop based on the result of the image recognition process and acquire the detection result as the first vehicle information.

[0039] Here, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 acquires information about the status of vehicle A (host vehicle) as the first vehicle information, but is not limited to this. If the first vehicle is another vehicle, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the first vehicle information from the other vehicle. For example, assume that vehicle B is equipped with the control device 10. Vehicle B can acquire the first vehicle information indicating the status of vehicle A by receiving an emergency stop signal from vehicle A, which is the first vehicle.

[0040] The second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 is an example of the above-mentioned second vehicle information acquisition unit 102. The second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquires second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group.

[0041] The second vehicle may be a vehicle traveling in the same lane as the first vehicle, or a vehicle traveling in a different lane. The second vehicle may be located behind, to the side of, or in front of the first vehicle. The second vehicle may be moving or stopped. Here, the second vehicle refers to each of the vehicles B to E other than vehicle A in vehicle group α. Therefore, the second vehicle information is information regarding the status of each of vehicles B to E.

[0042] For example, the second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquires at least one of the position, speed, and inter-vehicle distance of the second vehicle as the second vehicle information. The second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 may acquire multiple of these as the second vehicle information, or may acquire information other than these as the second vehicle information.

[0043] The environmental information acquisition unit 13 acquires environmental information that indicates the environment around the vehicle group. The environmental information is information that may affect the driving of the vehicles included in the vehicle group. The environmental information may be, for example, information about roads or information about the vehicles.

[0044] The environmental information acquisition unit 13 may acquire environmental information based on information detected by the sensor group 20. For example, the environmental information acquisition unit 13 acquires, as environmental information, weather, road surface conditions, and the like based on images captured by the camera 21. The environmental information acquisition unit 13 may also acquire surrounding traffic information and the like via a communication network (not shown). The environmental information acquisition unit 13 may store the acquired environmental information in the storage unit 19 as environmental information 191. The environmental information acquisition unit 13 may update the environmental information 191 at predetermined time intervals.

[0045] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the environmental information 191. As shown in the figure, the environmental information 191 includes, for example, the number of vehicles included in the vehicle group, weather, road surface conditions, surrounding traffic information, or the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling. For example, the environmental information 191 includes information on the road surface conditions, such as "wet" or "icy." By including such information in the environmental information 191, the control setting unit 14, which will be described later, can change the control method for the multiple second vehicles depending on the road surface conditions.

[0046] Returning to FIG. 4 , the explanation will be continued. The control setting unit 14 sets a control method for the plurality of second vehicles. The control setting unit 14 sets a control method for the plurality of second vehicles based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information. The control setting unit 14 can set the control method by calculating an optimal solution for the operation of each of the plurality of second vehicles. The control setting unit 14 may also set the control method based further on environmental information. In this way, the control setting unit 14 can set the control method based on the first vehicle information, the second vehicle information, and the environmental information.

[0047] The control setting unit 14 stores the set control method in the storage unit 19 as control setting information 192. Note that the control setting information 192 may be stored in a location other than the control device 10.

[0048] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the control setting information 192. The control setting information 192 is information that associates vehicle information 192a indicating the vehicle status with a control method 192b. The vehicle information 192a corresponds to the first vehicle information and second vehicle information described above. The control method 192b indicates the control method corresponding to the vehicle information 192a.

[0049] The vehicle information 192a may include, for example, information about the speed of each vehicle in the vehicle group α, the distance to the preceding vehicle, the distance to the following vehicle, and the position of the vehicle. The control setting unit 14 determines an appropriate action for each vehicle in the vehicle group α based on the vehicle information 192a and sets a control method 192b.

[0050] Here, the appropriate operation refers to an operation of each vehicle in the vehicle group α to safely stop or safely continue traveling. For example, the control setting unit 14 sets an operation such as "stopping by controlling the brakes," "slowing down," "changing lanes," or "no control" as the control method 192b. The control setting unit 14 may set the control method 192b so that the control unit 15, which will be described later, can distinguish between different control methods in accordance with a predetermined reference value.

[0051] Furthermore, the control setting unit 14 may set the control method 192b by taking into account the environmental information 191 in addition to the vehicle information 192a. In this case, the reference value set for the control method 192b also varies depending on the environmental information 191. For example, the control setting unit 14 sets the control method 192b on the condition that the distance to the preceding vehicle is less than a reference value. The control setting unit 14 can change the reference value depending on the environmental information 191. This allows the control setting unit 14 to set the control method 192b in accordance with changes in the environmental information 191.

[0052] Returning to Fig. 4, the explanation will be continued. The control unit 15 is an example of the control unit 105 described above. When the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit 15 controls a plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located at the rear, among the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information. "When the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold" refers to, for example, when the first vehicle makes an emergency stop or applies the brakes suddenly.

[0053] The specific vehicle is, for example, the vehicle located at the rear end of the vehicle group. The control unit 15 can identify the rearmost vehicle of the vehicle group based on the position information of each of the multiple second vehicles included in the second vehicle information. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the control unit 15 identifies vehicle C, which is located at the rear end of vehicles A to E included in vehicle group α. By identifying the rearmost vehicle, the control unit 15 can control vehicles B to E while taking into consideration the safety of not only vehicle B immediately behind vehicle A, but also the safety of the rearmost vehicle C. Note that the control unit 15 may identify the specific vehicle for each lane.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit 15 may identify a vehicle other than the last vehicle as a specific vehicle. For example, the control unit 15 may identify a second vehicle that is separated from the first vehicle by one or more vehicles as a specific vehicle. For example, the control unit 15 may identify a second vehicle that is located near the boundary of the vehicle group at a distance from the first vehicle as a specific vehicle.

[0055] The control unit 15 also determines whether a vehicle located immediately behind the first vehicle among the plurality of second vehicles can stop safely, and controls the plurality of second vehicles according to the determination result. Furthermore, when the control unit 15 determines that a vehicle located immediately behind the first vehicle among the plurality of second vehicles cannot stop safely, the control unit 15 further determines whether the vehicle can change lanes safely, and controls the plurality of second vehicles according to the determination result.

[0056] The control unit 15 may refer to control setting information for controlling the plurality of second vehicles and control the plurality of second vehicles based on the control setting information. The control unit 15 controls the plurality of second vehicles by referring to control setting information 192 stored in advance in the storage unit 19.

[0057] Here, the control setting information 192 is set based on the environmental information 191. Therefore, the control unit 15 can control the multiple second vehicles based on the environmental information in addition to the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information. In this way, the control unit 15 can control the multiple second vehicles in accordance with the environmental information so that each of the second vehicles safely stops.

[0058] The communication unit 16 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication with a plurality of second vehicles. The communication unit 16 may be configured to be capable of performing wireless communication such as mobile communication or short-range wireless communication. For example, the communication unit 16 may be configured to be capable of connecting to the Internet.

[0059] The storage unit 19 stores the above-described environmental information 191 and control setting information 192. The storage unit 19 may also store a computer program in which the processing of the control method according to this embodiment is implemented.

[0060] The configuration of the control system 1 has been described above. Note that the configuration of the control system 1 described above is merely an example and may be modified as appropriate. For example, when some or all of the components of the control device 10 are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each is connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the functions of the control device 10 may be provided in a SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0061] In addition, for example, in the above description, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 and the second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquire information from the sensor group 20 equipped in the vehicle A, but this is not limited to this. For example, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 and the second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 may acquire information from infrastructure such as equipment (e.g., traffic lights) installed near the road.

[0062] (Processing of control device 10) Next, the processing performed by the control device 10 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a diagram for specifically describing the processing performed by the control device 10. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the control processing performed by the control device 10. Note that the following description will be given with appropriate reference to Figs. 4 to 6 described above.

[0063] 7 is a diagram showing a top view of vehicle group α, which is the control target of the control device 10. Vehicle group α corresponds to vehicle group α shown in FIG. 3. As in FIG. 3, the direction indicated by the outline arrow at the top is the traveling direction of vehicles A to E. Also, as shown in the figure, an obstacle 5 is present in front of vehicle A. Here, an example will be described in which the control device 10 controls vehicles B to E when vehicle A equipped with the control device 10 makes an emergency stop.

[0064] In addition, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 and the second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 (both see Figure 4) of the control device 10 acquire the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information, respectively, at a predetermined time interval, and store the acquired information in the memory unit 19.

[0065] The process flow will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8. First, vehicle A makes an emergency stop (S10). Based on information acquired from the sensor group 20, the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 acquires first vehicle information indicating that the deceleration of vehicle A has reached or exceeded a threshold value.

[0066] For the sake of explanation, the vehicle located behind vehicle A that has made an emergency stop will be referred to as "vehicle X" below. The control unit 15 of the control device 10 identifies vehicle X based on the position information of vehicles A to E indicated by the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information. If there are multiple vehicles behind vehicle A, the control unit 15 identifies one vehicle located immediately behind vehicle A as vehicle X. The control unit 15 first performs this processing by focusing on vehicle X. Here, the control unit 15 identifies vehicle B as vehicle X.

[0067] Next, the control unit 15 determines whether or not the vehicle X (vehicle B) located behind the vehicle A can stop safely (S11). The control unit 15 can determine whether or not the vehicle X (vehicle B) can stop safely based on the environmental information 191 (see FIG. 5) and the control setting information 192 (see FIG. 6).

[0068] Here, it is assumed that it is determined that the vehicle X (vehicle B) cannot stop safely (NO in S11). The control unit 15 refers to the environmental information 191 and the control setting information 192 and determines whether the vehicle X (vehicle B) can safely change lanes to the left or right (S15).

[0069] If it is determined that vehicle X (vehicle B) cannot change lanes safely (NO in S15), the control unit 15 instructs vehicles surrounding vehicle A to move (S16). In the example of FIG. 7, the control unit 15 first instructs vehicle D to move forward. As a result, vehicle D moves forward as shown by the arrow (i) in the figure. The control unit 15 also instructs vehicle E to stop. The control unit 15 repeats the processes of steps S15 and S16 until vehicle X (vehicle B) can change lanes safely.

[0070] In step S15, if it is determined that vehicle X (vehicle B) can change lanes safely (YES in S15), the control unit 15 instructs vehicle A to change lanes (vehicle B) (S17). As a result, vehicle X (vehicle B) changes lanes as shown by the arrow (ii) in the figure. This allows vehicle X (vehicle B) to avoid danger such as a collision.

[0071] Next, the control unit 15 changes the vehicle X that has been the focus of the processing to a vehicle further behind (S14). Here, the control unit 15 identifies vehicle C, which is located further behind vehicle B, as the new vehicle X. The control unit 15 returns to step S11 and repeats the processing for vehicle X (vehicle C).

[0072] As in the case of vehicle B described above, the control unit 15 determines whether vehicle X (vehicle C) located behind vehicle A can stop safely (S11). Here, it is assumed that the control unit 15 determines that vehicle X (vehicle C) can stop safely (YES in S11).

[0073] The control unit 15 instructs vehicle A to stop vehicle X (vehicle C) (S12). Next, the control unit 15 refers to the environmental information 191 and the control setting information 192 and determines whether vehicle X (vehicle C) is at the rear of vehicle group α (S13). Note that although the control unit 15 determines whether vehicle X (vehicle C) is at the rear here, it may also determine whether vehicle X (vehicle C) is a specific vehicle located at the rear of multiple surrounding vehicles.

[0074] If it is determined that vehicle X (vehicle C) is not the last vehicle (NO in S13), the control unit 15 changes vehicle X to a vehicle further back (S14), returns to step S11, and repeats the process. In this way, the control unit 15 can focus on the vehicle immediately after vehicle A to the last vehicle of vehicle group α as the processing target, and perform processing on each vehicle in turn. In the example of FIG. 7, the control unit 15 determines that vehicle X (vehicle C) is the last vehicle (YES in S13), and ends the process.

[0075] As described above, in the control system 1 according to this embodiment, first vehicle information relating to the status of a first vehicle included in a vehicle group and second vehicle information relating to the status of multiple second vehicles positioned around the first vehicle are acquired in the control device 10. When the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the control device 10 controls multiple second vehicles, including a specific vehicle positioned at the rear of the multiple second vehicles (for example, the rearmost vehicle of the vehicle group), based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.

[0076] As a result, the control system 1 uses the vehicle group network to notify surrounding vehicles that its own vehicle has applied the brakes suddenly, thereby detecting a risk of a collision or other such danger at an early stage and enabling surrounding vehicles to safely stop. In this way, it is possible to bring all vehicles in the vehicle group to a safe emergency stop, taking into consideration not only the vehicle directly behind the suddenly stopped vehicle, but also the vehicles following behind that vehicle. This allows the control system 1 to prevent a chain reaction of following vehicles.

[0077] Furthermore, the control device 10 does not simply stop the surrounding vehicles in response to an emergency stop signal, but can set an appropriate control method in the control setting unit using environmental information, etc. Since the control device 10 can communicate the appropriate control method with the surrounding vehicles, it can perform safe and appropriate control on vehicles away from the suddenly stopped vehicle without instructing them to make unnecessary sudden stops.

[0078] <Example of Hardware Configuration> Each functional component of the control device 10 may be realized by hardware that realizes the functional component (e.g., a hardwired electronic circuit, etc.), or may be realized by a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a combination of an electronic circuit and a program that controls it, etc.). Below, a case where each functional component of the control device 10 is realized by a combination of hardware and software will be further described.

[0079] 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 900 that realizes the control device 10. The computer 900 may be a dedicated computer designed to realize the control device 10, or may be a general-purpose computer. The computer 900 may also be a portable computer such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0080] For example, by installing a predetermined application on the computer 900, the computer 900 realizes each function of the control device 10. The application is configured by a program for realizing the functional components of the control device 10.

[0081] The computer 900 has a bus 902, a processor 904, a memory 906, a storage device 908, an input / output interface 910, and a network interface 912. The bus 902 is a data transmission path for the processor 904, the memory 906, the storage device 908, the input / output interface 910, and the network interface 912 to transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 904 and other components to each other is not limited to a bus connection.

[0082] The processor 904 is a variety of processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a quantum processor (quantum computer control chip). The memory 906 is a main storage device realized using a random access memory (RAM) or the like. The storage device 908 is an auxiliary storage device realized using a hard disk, a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, a read only memory (ROM), or the like.

[0083] The input / output interface 910 is an interface for connecting the computer 900 with input / output devices. For example, the input / output interface 910 is connected to an input device such as a keyboard and an output device such as a display device.

[0084] The network interface 912 is an interface for connecting the computer 900 to a network. This network may be a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0085] The storage device 908 stores programs (programs that realize the above-mentioned applications) that realize the functional components of the control device 10. The processor 904 reads these programs into the memory 906 and executes them to realize the functional components of the control device 10.

[0086] Each processor executes one or more programs containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the algorithms described with reference to the figures. The programs contain instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The programs may be stored on various types of non-transitory computer-readable or tangible storage media. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The programs may also be transmitted over various types of transitory computer-readable or communication media. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0087] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0088] For example, in the above description, an example was used in which vehicle A making an emergency stop is equipped with the control device 10, but this is not limited to this. A vehicle other than vehicle A may be equipped with the control device 10, and the control device 10 may perform the above-mentioned processing. In this case, the control device 10 acquires information about the status of vehicle A as first vehicle information in the first vehicle information acquisition unit 11. The control device 10 also acquires information about the status of multiple second vehicles including the host vehicle as second vehicle information. The control device 10 controls the multiple second vehicles including the host vehicle based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.

[0089] In addition, although the above description uses an example in which the control device 10 is mounted in a vehicle, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a server connected to a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle fleet via a network (not shown) may be configured to have the functions of the control device 10.

[0090] In this case, the first vehicle transmits first vehicle information to the server. Furthermore, each of the multiple second vehicles transmits second vehicle information to the server. The first vehicle information acquisition unit 11 of the server acquires the first vehicle information from the first vehicle. Furthermore, the second vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquires second vehicle information from each of the multiple second vehicles. Then, when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the server controls multiple second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located behind the multiple second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.

[0091] In this way, the vehicle-side device can perform appropriate operations by transmitting the first vehicle information or the second vehicle information to the server and receiving instructions from the server. Note that the server may be configured to perform other processes in the same manner as the control device 10 described above.

[0092] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Supplementary Note 1) A control device comprising: a first vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring first vehicle information relating to the status of a first vehicle included in a vehicle group; a second vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group; and a control means for controlling the plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located behind the first vehicle, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information when deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold. (Supplementary Note 2) The control device described in Supplementary Note 1, wherein the second vehicle information includes at least one of the position, speed, and inter-vehicle distance from another vehicle of the second vehicle. (Supplementary Note 3) The control device described in Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the control means determines whether a vehicle located immediately behind the first vehicle among the plurality of second vehicles can stop safely, and controls the plurality of second vehicles according to the determination result. (Supplementary Note 4) The control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein, when the control means determines that a vehicle among the plurality of second vehicles located immediately behind the first vehicle cannot stop safely, the control means further determines whether the vehicle can change lanes safely and controls the plurality of second vehicles in accordance with the determination result. (Supplementary Note 5) The control device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 4, further comprising: environmental information acquisition means for acquiring environmental information indicating an environment around the vehicle group, and the control means controls the plurality of second vehicles further based on the environmental information. (Supplementary Note 6) The control device according to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the environmental information includes at least one of the number of vehicles included in the vehicle group, weather, road surface conditions, surrounding traffic information, and type of road being traveled. (Supplementary Note 7) A control method comprising: acquiring first vehicle information relating to the status of a first vehicle included in a group of vehicles; acquiring second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the group of vehicles; and, when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, controlling a plurality of second vehicles including a specific vehicle located at the rear of the plurality of second vehicles based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information.(Supplementary Note 8) The control method according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the second vehicle information includes at least one of the position, speed, and inter-vehicle distance of the second vehicle. (Supplementary Note 9) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of acquiring first vehicle information related to the status of a first vehicle included in a vehicle group; a process of acquiring second vehicle information related to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group; and a process of controlling the plurality of second vehicles including a specific vehicle located behind the plurality of second vehicles based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold. (Supplementary Note 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the second vehicle information includes at least one of the position, speed, and inter-vehicle distance of the second vehicle.

[0093] 1 Control system 5 Obstacle 10 Control device 11 First vehicle information acquisition unit 12 Second vehicle information acquisition unit 13 Environmental information acquisition unit 14 Control setting unit 15 Control unit 16 Communication unit 19 Memory unit 20 Sensor group 21 Camera 22 Distance measurement sensor 23 Acceleration sensor 24 Vehicle speed sensor 25 Position detection sensor 100 Control device 101 First vehicle information acquisition unit 102 Second vehicle information acquisition unit 105 Control unit 191 Environmental information 192 Control setting information 192a Vehicle information 192b Control method 900 Computer 902 Bus 904 Processor 906 Memory 908 Storage device 910 Input / output interface 912 Network interface A to G Vehicle α Vehicle group

Claims

1. a first vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring first vehicle information relating to the status of a first vehicle included in the vehicle group; a second vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group; and a control means for controlling the plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located behind the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value. Control device.

2. The second vehicle information includes at least one of a position, a speed, and a distance between the second vehicle and another vehicle. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. The control means determines whether a vehicle located immediately behind the first vehicle among the plurality of second vehicles can be stopped safely, and controls the plurality of second vehicles according to the determination result. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the control means determines that one of the second vehicles located immediately behind the first vehicle cannot stop safely, the control means further determines whether the vehicle can change lanes safely and controls the second vehicles according to the determination result. The control device according to claim 3 .

5. further comprising an environmental information acquisition means for acquiring environmental information indicating an environment around the vehicle group; The control means controls the plurality of second vehicles further based on the environmental information. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The environmental information includes at least one of the number of vehicles included in the vehicle group, weather, road surface conditions, surrounding traffic information, and the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling. The control device according to claim 5 .

7. acquiring first vehicle information relating to a status of a first vehicle included in the vehicle group; acquiring second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group; When the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the plurality of second vehicles including a specific vehicle located behind the plurality of second vehicles are controlled based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information. Control method.

8. The second vehicle information includes at least one of a position, a speed, and a distance between the second vehicle and another vehicle. The control method according to claim 7.

9. A process of acquiring first vehicle information relating to a situation of a first vehicle included in the vehicle group; acquiring second vehicle information relating to the status of second vehicles located around the first vehicle for each of a plurality of second vehicles included in the vehicle group; a process of controlling the plurality of second vehicles, including a specific vehicle located behind the plurality of second vehicles, based on the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information when the deceleration of the first vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

10. The second vehicle information includes at least one of a position, a speed, and a distance between the second vehicle and another vehicle. The program according to claim 9.