Driving control method and driving control device

Abstract

A driving control method executed using a driving control device provided with a processor 10, wherein the processor 10: causes a host vehicle V1 to perform avoidance driving when a prescribed avoidance condition is satisfied; when it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied on the basis of detection information acquired from a camera 21 and detection information acquired from a radar device 22, makes it easier to perform the avoidance driving than when it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied on the basis of only the detection information acquired from the radar device 22; and when it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied on the basis of only the detection information acquired from the radar device 22, makes it easier to perform the avoidance driving than when it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied on the basis of only the detection information acquired from the camera 21.

Description

Operation control method and operation control device

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A driving assistance technique is known that, when it is determined that the host vehicle and another vehicle will be side-by-side, offsets the target course of the host vehicle in a direction away from the other vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-197828

[0004] However, with conventional technology, the behavior of the vehicle may become unstable due to erroneous detection by the sensor.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent the behavior of the vehicle from being disturbed due to erroneous detection by a sensor.

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by controlling the execution of evasive maneuvering to separate one's own vehicle from a vehicle behind when predetermined evasive conditions are met, by making it easier to execute evasive maneuvering when detection information acquired from a camera and a radar device satisfies the evasive conditions than when only detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the evasive conditions, and by making it easier to execute evasive maneuvering when only detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the evasive conditions than when only detection information acquired from a camera satisfies the evasive conditions.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the behavior of the host vehicle from being disturbed due to erroneous detection by the sensor.

[0008] It is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a driving control system.It is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of avoidance driving control.It is a diagram for explaining avoidance driving.It is a diagram for explaining the ease of execution of ... avoidance driving.It is a diagram for explaining the avoidance driving.It is a diagram for explaining the

[0009] 1 shows the configuration of a driving control system 100 equipped with a vehicle driving control device 1 according to this embodiment. The driving control method is implemented using the devices (hardware) of the perception system, judgment and control system, and information system of the driving control system 100, which includes a processor 10 of the driving control device 1.

[0010] As perceptual system devices, the driving control system 100 includes one or more sensors 2, a host vehicle information acquisition device 3, a second vehicle information acquisition device 4, and a rear vehicle recognition device 5. The processor 10 acquires observed values ​​from each perceptual system device and uses known techniques to determine the state and changes in the position, attitude, and movement (speed, acceleration, etc.) of objects including the host vehicle and second vehicles.

[0011] A plurality of sensors 2 are provided on the vehicle, forming a sensor group that cooperates with each other. The sensors 2 detect the presence or absence of objects, including other vehicles, in the entire surroundings of the vehicle, the distance to the objects, and the relative speed and relative acceleration of the objects. The detection information acquired by the sensors 2 is provided to the processor 10. The sensors 2 include one or more cameras 21 arranged on the vehicle. The single or multiple cameras 21 capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle in all directions. The cameras 21 include image sensors with imaging elements such as CCDs, ultrasonic cameras, and infrared cameras. The cameras 21 include at least a front camera that captures images in front of the vehicle, a rear camera that captures images behind or on the rear sides of the vehicle, and left and right side cameras that capture images of the left and right sides, and the front and rear of the left and right sides of the vehicle. The type of the cameras 21 is not limited as long as they can capture images in all directions of the vehicle. A single camera 21 mounted on a base with a rotation mechanism may be used, or multiple other cameras 21 may be used in combination. The sensors 22 include a radar device 22 that detects (measures distance to) the presence, position, and position changes of objects around the vehicle. The radar device 22 measures the distance and direction to an object by emitting electromagnetic waves toward the object and measuring the reflected waves. The radar device 22 includes a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar (LRF), a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) unit, an ultrasonic radar, and a sonar. The sensor 2 includes a global positioning system (GPS) unit, a gyro sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and the like, and detects the position of the vehicle at each timing. Each sensor 2 can also acquire information from an in-vehicle device or an external device depending on its function. Each sensor 2 transmits the acquired detection information to the host vehicle information acquisition device 3, the other vehicle information acquisition device 4, the rear vehicle recognition device 5, or the processor 10 in response to a request or command. The processor 10 may acquire the detection information directly from the camera 21 and the radar device 22, or via the host vehicle information acquisition device 3, the other vehicle information acquisition device 4, or the rear vehicle recognition device 5, which will be described later.

[0012] The host vehicle information acquisition device 3 calculates the current position, posture, speed, acceleration, behavior, and direction of travel of the host vehicle based on the detection information acquired from the sensor 2, and provides the calculated information to the processor 10. The other vehicle information acquisition device 4 calculates the position, posture, speed, acceleration, behavior, and direction of travel of objects, including other vehicles, around the host vehicle based on the detection information acquired from the sensor 2, and provides the calculated information to the processor 10. The rear side vehicle recognition device 5 recognizes other vehicles traveling behind the host vehicle in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle's lane based on the detection information acquired from the sensor 2, and recognizes these as "rear side vehicles." Rear side vehicles are located to the rear side of the host vehicle. Only other vehicles that exist within a predetermined distance that the host vehicle should recognize may be recognized as rear side vehicles. The recognition result of the rear side vehicle is provided to the processor 10 as rear side vehicle information. The rear vehicle information includes one or more of the following: the presence of the rear vehicle, the position of the rear vehicle, the lateral position of the rear vehicle in the lane (position in the road width direction), the lateral position of the rear vehicle relative to the lane markings, the speed of the rear vehicle, the acceleration of the rear vehicle, and the vehicle model of the rear vehicle. The vehicle model of the rear vehicle may be a saddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle or tricycle, a large vehicle, a standard-sized vehicle, or a truck. The type of the rear vehicle can be determined from the shape characteristics of the rear vehicle, such as its width and / or height, and size. The host vehicle information, other vehicle information, and rear vehicle information may be determined by the processor 10 based on the detection information of the sensor 2.

[0013] The driving control system 100 has map information 6 and lane information 61 as information-related devices. The map information 6 and lane information 61 are stored in a storage device accessible by the processor 10 via the communication device 30 and an external server. The map information 6 is high-precision map information that includes the lane information 61, which is referenced when executing autonomous lane change control. The lane information 61 includes identification information that identifies each of multiple lanes belonging to a road. The navigation device 7 references the map information 6 and calculates a route to a set destination. This route includes a target trajectory. The calculated route and target trajectory are provided to the vehicle controller 200 and used for autonomous driving control.

[0014] The vehicle controller 200 includes a steering control device 210 and a drive control device 220. The vehicle controller 200 acquires command values ​​for autonomous driving control according to a driving plan formulated by the processor 10 of the driving control device 1, and controls the host vehicle to travel along a route to a destination. The route is composed of a series of target trajectories associated with command values. The target trajectory includes an avoidance trajectory for avoidance driving. The avoidance trajectory is calculated based on a target lateral position for avoiding a rear vehicle. The command values ​​for driving control are generated by the vehicle controller 200 or the processor 10. The command values ​​include a set speed for driving the vehicle, and the vehicle controller 200 drives the host vehicle according to the set speed. The set speed may be automatically set according to a predetermined standard based on information detected by the sensor 2, such as the distance to the leading vehicle and the relative speed and relative acceleration relative to the leading vehicle, subject to legal regulations, or may be set by the driver via the input / output device 20. The vehicle controller 200 inputs longitudinal and lateral forces for controlling the driving position of the host vehicle based on the command values. According to these inputs, the behavior of the vehicle body and the behavior of the wheels are controlled so that the vehicle autonomously travels along a route to the destination. Based on these controls, at least one of the drive actuator and the brake actuator of the drive mechanism of the vehicle body controlled by the drive control device 220 and the steering actuator of the steering control device 210, which is activated as needed, operate autonomously, and autonomous driving control is executed to make the vehicle autonomously travel along a target trajectory. Of course, the vehicle controller 200 can also perform driving according to command values ​​based on manual operation by the driver input via the input / output device 20.

[0015] The driving control system 100 includes a driving control device 1 and a vehicle controller 200 as devices in the judgment and control system. The driving control device 1 controls autonomous driving, causing the vehicle to travel along a target trajectory. The target trajectory includes an avoidance trajectory for avoidance driving. The processor 10 included in the driving control device 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12 that stores a program for controlling autonomous driving, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that executes the program stored in the ROM 12, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 that functions as an accessible storage device. The processor 10 implements this driving control method using each piece of hardware in the driving control system 100.

[0016] The processor 10 executes each function by working in cooperation with software for realizing at least a function of determining whether the avoidance conditions are satisfied or not, a function of determining the ease of performing avoidance driving, and an automatic driving function of performing driving control including avoidance driving depending on the ease of performing, and each hardware shown in Figure 1.

[0017] The process of autonomous avoidance driving executed in autonomous driving control will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 2. Avoidance driving in this embodiment is performed by the host vehicle to avoid approaching the rear vehicle, which is another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle on a lane adjacent to the host vehicle's driving lane. The rear vehicle may change its lateral position to approach the host vehicle. Although this is undesirable, there are cases where the rear vehicle changes lanes from an adjacent lane to the host vehicle's driving lane without sufficient lane-changing space being secured, or where the rear vehicle changes its lateral position or changes lanes without noticing the presence of the host vehicle. In such cases, the driving control device 1 executes avoidance driving to avoid the rear vehicle through autonomous control. This avoidance driving includes lateral movement of the host vehicle along the width direction of the driving lane.

[0018] The processor 10 acquires detection information from the sensor 2, which includes the camera 21 and the radar device 22 (S1). The detection information includes detection information based on imaging information from the camera 21 and detection information based on observation information from the radar device 22. Each piece of detection information includes an identifier that distinguishes the sensor 2 that performed the detection. The processor 10 distinguishes between the detection information from the camera 21 and the detection information from the radar device 22 by referring to the identifier. The processor 10 acquires host vehicle information, such as the current position and speed of the host vehicle, from the host vehicle information acquisition device 3 as necessary (S2). The processor 10 acquires lane information for the current host vehicle's traveling lane as part of the host vehicle information by referring to the detection information from the sensor 2 or the lane information 61 in the map information 6 (S2). The traveling lane is included in the route to the destination, and this route may be obtained from the navigation device 7. The position of the traveling lane and the positions of lane markers may be obtained from the detection information from the sensor 2. The processor 10 acquires other vehicle information, such as the presence or absence of other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle, their positions (distance), relative speed, and relative acceleration (S3). The other vehicle includes a rear vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane behind the host vehicle. The processor 10 obtains a determination from the rear vehicle recognition device 5 as to whether or not a rear vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to the lane behind the host vehicle exists, i.e., whether or not a rear vehicle has been detected (S4). The rear vehicle is a vehicle to be avoided in the driving control of the host vehicle, and therefore may be a vehicle whose distance from the host vehicle or time to collision (hereinafter referred to as TTC: Time-To-Collision) is within a predetermined range. The processor 10 observes objects on the rear side based on the detection information from the sensor 2 until the rear vehicle is detected (NO in S4). The recognition process for the rear vehicle may be performed by the processor 10.

[0019] When a rear vehicle is detected (YES in S4), the processor 10 reads a predefined avoidance condition and determines whether the detection information of the sensor 2 satisfies the avoidance condition (S5). The avoidance condition is a condition for determining whether or not to perform avoidance maneuver to separate the host vehicle from the rear vehicle. The avoidance condition is predefined based on the proximity between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle. The proximity is a risk index indicating the degree of proximity between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle. The higher the proximity, the closer the host vehicle and the rear vehicle are, and the lower the proximity, the farther the host vehicle and the rear vehicle are. When the avoidance condition is defined by the proximity, the avoidance condition is determined to be satisfied when the risk of approach indicated by the proximity is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (high approach risk). Because a rear vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane approaches the host vehicle while moving laterally, the proximity may be defined using the lateral distance, lateral speed, and lateral acceleration. The degree of proximity can be expressed using a threshold defined by an index value known at the time of filing, which uses the distance between the host vehicle and the vehicle behind, the lateral distance along the lane width, the TTC value, their reciprocal or differential value, etc. The TTC is an index value based on the time it takes for the host vehicle and the vehicle behind to come into contact, assuming that the current relative speed is maintained.

[0020] When it is determined that the avoidance conditions are satisfied (YES in S5), the processor 10 analyzes the type of sensor 2 that provided the detection information that satisfied the avoidance conditions. From the detection information that satisfied the avoidance conditions, the processor 10 extracts detection information based on image information from the camera 21 and also extracts detection information based on observation information from the radar device 22, and analyzes whether the detection information that satisfied the avoidance conditions is detection information from the camera 21, detection information from the radar device 22, or detection information from both.

[0021] The processor 10 classifies the determination result of whether the avoidance condition is satisfied into the following three patterns. The classification is performed from the perspective of whether the sensor 2 that outputted the detection information that is determined to satisfy the avoidance condition is only the camera 21, only the radar device 22, or both the camera 21 and the radar device 22. The avoidance condition includes an avoidance condition related to the image information of the camera 21 and an avoidance condition related to the observation information of the radar device 22. In other words, the processor 10 determines whether the event that the avoidance condition is satisfied is an event in which the detection information of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 satisfy each of the avoidance conditions, an event in which only the detection information of the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition related to the observation information of the radar device 22, or an event in which only the detection information of the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition related to the image information of the camera 21. Each of the event patterns P1, P2, and P3 will be described below. <Pattern P1: Satisfied by (Both) Detection Information from Camera 21 and Radar Device 22> In pattern P1, the judgment result is that the detection information acquired from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition, and the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition. In other words, the proximity based on the imaging information from the camera 21 is equal to or greater than the threshold set for the imaging information, and the proximity based on the observation information from the radar device 22 is equal to or greater than the threshold set for the observation information. This is the case when the avoidance condition is satisfied by both the detection results from the camera 21 and the radar device 22. <Pattern P2: Satisfied by Only Detection Information from the Radar Device 22> In pattern P2, the judgment result is that only the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition. The detection information acquired from the camera 21 does not satisfy the avoidance condition. The proximity based on the imaging information from the camera 21 is less than the threshold set for the imaging information (not satisfied), and the proximity based on the observation information from the radar device 22 is equal to or greater than the threshold set for the observation information (satisfied). <Pattern P3: Satisfied by Detection Information from Camera 21 Only> In pattern P3, the determination result is that only the detection information acquired from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition. The detection information acquired from the radar device 22 does not satisfy the avoidance condition.The degree of proximity based on the imaging information of camera 21 is greater than or equal to the threshold set for the imaging information (satisfied), and the degree of proximity based on the observation information of radar device 22 is less than the threshold set for the observation information (not satisfied).

[0022] The processor 10 sets a different "ease of execution" for the avoidance driving depending on the analyzed patterns P1, P2, and P3 of the determination result of whether the avoidance conditions are satisfied. The ease of execution is the ease with which the avoidance driving can be executed, and is defined as the level of ease of the avoidance driving. Considering the series of steps in which the satisfaction of the avoidance conditions is triggered to generate an execution command, and the avoidance driving is executed and completed, the "ease of execution" is an evaluation index that indicates how quickly the avoidance driving can be started and how quickly the avoidance driving is executed (how short the time required for the avoidance driving). If the detection information from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance conditions (YES in S6) and the detection information from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance conditions (YES in S7), the processor 10 sets the ease of execution of the avoidance driving to level E1 (S8) and proceeds to S11. If the detection information from the camera does not satisfy the avoidance conditions (NO in S6) but only the detection information from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance conditions (YES in S7'), the processor 10 sets the ease of performing evasive maneuvering to level E2 (<E1) (S9) and proceeds to S11. If the detection information from the camera satisfies the avoidance conditions (YES in S6) but the detection information from the radar device 22 does not satisfy the avoidance conditions (NO in S7), the processor 10 sets the ease of performing evasive maneuvering to level E3 (<E2) (S10) and proceeds to S11. If it is determined that the avoidance conditions are satisfied (YES in S5) but it is not possible to determine whether the avoidance conditions are satisfied from the detection information from the camera 21 and the radar device 22 (NO in S6, NO in S7'), the processor 10 returns to S1 and makes the determination again. By this process, when the content of the avoidance condition fulfillment is pattern P1, the ease of execution of level E1 is associated, when it is pattern P2, the ease of execution of level E2 is associated, and when it is pattern P3, the ease of execution of level E3 is associated. The ease of execution levels E have the relationship of level E1 > level E2 > level E3. The ease of execution of avoidance driving at level E1 is the highest, and avoidance driving is most likely to be executed. The ease of execution of avoidance driving at level E3 is the lowest, and avoidance driving is least likely to be executed. The ease of execution of avoidance driving at level E2 is a medium degree, lower than level E1 and higher than level E3.In other words, when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met based on both the detection information acquired from the camera 21 and the radar device 22 (pattern P1), a level E1 (> level E2) is set at which it is easier to perform evasive driving than when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met based only on the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 (pattern P2), and when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met based only on the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 (pattern P2), a level E2 (> level E3) is set at which it is easier to perform evasive driving than when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met based only on the detection information acquired from the camera 21 (pattern P3).

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the movements of the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 from the decision to execute evasive maneuvering until its completion. The direction indicated by the arrow Y is the longitudinal direction along the traveling direction of the host vehicle V1, and the direction indicated by the arrow X is the lateral direction along the width direction or road width direction of the host vehicle V1. FIG. 3(a) shows the host vehicle V1 (T1) and the rear vehicle V2 (T1) at timing T1. The host vehicle V1 (T1) is traveling in lane L3, and the rear vehicle V2 (T1) is traveling in the adjacent lane L2 behind the host vehicle V1. FIG. 3(b) shows the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) at timing T2. The processor 10 calculates the proximity between the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2) to determine whether the avoidance condition is satisfied or not. The proximity indicates the risk of approaching the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 and is a requirement for defining the avoidance condition. The proximity is calculated based on the distance D, the lateral distance DX, or the longitudinal distance DY between the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2). The processor 10 compares the proximity threshold defined by distance with the actual measured distance to determine whether the avoidance condition is met or not. The proximity may be calculated as a risk assessment value using TTC, which takes into account the relative speed between the host vehicle V1 (T2) and the rear vehicle V2 (T2). The processor 10 compares the proximity threshold defined using TTC with an index value using TTC based on the actual measured value to determine whether the avoidance condition is met or not. The proximity threshold can be set depending on the type of sensor 2. The proximity is not limited to these, and may be calculated based on the distance from the center position of the host vehicle V1's lane to the rear vehicle V2 (the deviation from the lane of the host vehicle V1) or the distance from the center position of the lane of the rear vehicle V2 to the center position of the rear vehicle V2 (the deviation from the lane of the rear vehicle V2). Acquisition of detection information that satisfies this avoidance condition triggers the execution of evasive maneuvering. In the avoidance condition, the threshold value of the proximity for the detection information from the camera 21 may be the same as or different from the threshold value of the proximity for the detection information from the radar device 22. FIG. 3(c) shows a situation in which evasive maneuvering is performed to distance the host vehicle V1 (T2) from the rear vehicle V2 (T2). The evasive maneuvering involves movement to distance the host vehicle V1 (T2) from the rear vehicle V2, and therefore includes lateral movement. The evasive maneuvering includes lateral movement within the same lane, lateral movement to change lanes to an adjacent lane, and lateral movement to the shoulder of the road.3(c) shows the host vehicle V11 (T3) after completion of evasive driving control in which the host vehicle V11 moves laterally within the driving lane L3, and the host vehicle V12 (T3) after completion of evasive driving control in which the host vehicle V12 moves laterally to the adjacent lane L4. The processor 10 may execute evasive driving to shift the lateral position V1X2 of the host vehicle V1 (T2) to a lateral position V11X3 within the lane L3 in which the host vehicle V1 (T2) is traveling, or may execute evasive driving to move the host vehicle V1 (T2) from the lateral position V1X2 in the lane L3 in which the host vehicle V1 (T2) is traveling to a lateral position V12X3 in the lane L4 adjacent to the lane L3.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a time chart from the acquisition of information satisfying the avoidance conditions to the completion of evasive maneuvering. Here, the data processing time in the processor 10 is ignored. The timing T2 when the detection information satisfying the avoidance conditions is acquired is the timing when it is decided to perform evasive maneuvering. After the decision to perform evasive maneuvering is made, evasive maneuvering begins at timing TS after a waiting time TR2 has elapsed. The waiting time T2 is set as a confirmation time, rather than the start of movement of the host vehicle immediately after the decision. The execution time TR3 from timing TS when evasive maneuvering begins to timing T3 when evasive maneuvering is completed is the time it takes for the host vehicle V1 to move to the destination calculated to avoid the rear vehicle V2. The start timing of evasive maneuvering can be determined by the start of a lateral position change to separate the host vehicle V1 from the rear vehicle V2, the start of steering control, a change in wheel angle, etc. The completion timing of evasive maneuvering can be determined by the completion of the target lateral position change, the completion of steering control, and the direction of the wheels becoming the vehicle longitudinal direction. The timing of the start of evasive maneuvering involving lane changes can be determined by the fact that one or two front wheels have crossed the lane in addition to the above. The timing of the completion of evasive maneuvering involving lane changes can be determined by the fact that one or two rear wheels have crossed the lane in addition to the above, that the reference position of the vehicle body (center of gravity, etc.) has entered the new lane, that all or part of the vehicle body belongs to the new lane, that the orientation of the vehicle body has returned from a left-right direction (when turning) to a straight-ahead direction, and that the posture of the vehicle body after steering is aligned with the direction of the lane.

[0025] The ease of performing evasive maneuvering, i.e., the ease of performing it, will be described in detail. Ease of performing evasive maneuvering (high ease of performing it) means that the time spent on evasive maneuvering is relatively short. Difficulty performing evasive maneuvering (low ease of performing it) means that the time spent on evasive maneuvering is relatively long. The time spent on evasive maneuvering refers to the total time TR1 from timing T2 when detection information satisfying the avoidance conditions shown in FIG. 4 is acquired to timing T3 when evasive maneuvering is completed. Furthermore, ease of performing evasive maneuvering (high ease of performing it) means that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively early (early, swiftly) and that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively quickly (quickly, fast). Early performance of evasive maneuvering means that the waiting time TR2 from timing T2 when detection information satisfying the avoidance conditions shown in FIG. 4 is acquired to timing TS when evasive maneuvering begins is short. On the other hand, difficulty performing evasive maneuvering (low ease of performing it) means that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively late (lately) and that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively slowly. Delayed execution of evasive maneuvering means that the waiting time TR2 from the timing T2 at which information satisfying the avoidance conditions in FIG. 4 is acquired to the timing TS at which evasive maneuvering begins is long. The waiting time TR2 is a time set aside for processing to check the reliability of the detection information, such as whether noise is included in the information, before evasive maneuvering begins. By shortening the waiting time TR2, the host vehicle can begin moving more quickly during evasive maneuvering. Rapid execution of evasive maneuvering means that the execution time TR3 from the timing TS at which evasive maneuvering begins to the timing T3 at which evasive maneuvering ends in FIG. 4 is short. Avoidant maneuvering with a relatively short overall time TR1, waiting time TR2, or execution time TR3 is evaluated as being easy to execute (high ease of execution), while avoidant maneuvering with a relatively long overall time TR1, waiting time TR2, or execution time TR3 is determined as being difficult to execute (low ease of execution). The fact that avoidance driving is likely to be performed (high ease of execution) means that avoidance driving is performed early (waiting time TR2 is short) and that avoidance driving is performed quickly (execution time TR3 is short).Conversely, "it is difficult to perform evasive maneuvering (low ease of execution)" means that the execution of evasive maneuvering is delayed (long waiting time TR2) or that the execution of evasive maneuvering is performed slowly (long execution time TR3). "It is easy to perform evasive maneuvering (high ease of execution)" means that the total time TR1 required to complete the execution of evasive maneuvering is relatively short. Conversely, "it is difficult to perform evasive maneuvering (low ease of execution)" means that the total time TR1 is relatively long. By shortening the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3, the total time TR1 can inevitably be shortened. Note that, in cases where careful confirmation or cautious driving is required, it is preferable to make it difficult to perform evasive maneuvering (low ease of execution).

[0026] Returning to S11 of FIG. 2, processor 10 acquires the details of the avoidance maneuver associated with the execution ease levels E1, E2, and E3 set according to the event patterns P1, P2, and P3 in which the avoidance conditions are satisfied. In the avoidance maneuver at level E1 set for pattern P1, the total time TR1(1), which is measured from timing T2 when information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is acquired to timing T3 when the execution of the avoidance maneuver is completed, is shorter than the total time TR1(2) in the avoidance maneuver at level E2 set for pattern P2. The total time TR1(2) in the avoidance maneuver at level E2 set for pattern P2 is shorter than the total time TR1(3) in the avoidance maneuver at level E3 set for pattern P3. The relationship of the total time TR1 is TR1(1) < TR1(2) < TR1(3).

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the total time TR1 includes a waiting time TR2 and an execution time TR3. Reducing the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 reduces the total time TR1. In the level E1 evasive maneuver set in pattern P1, the waiting time TR2(1), which is from the timing T2 when information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is acquired to the timing TS when the execution of the evasive maneuver begins, is shorter than the waiting time TR2(2) in the level E2 evasive maneuver set in pattern P2. In addition, the waiting time TR2(2) in the level E2 evasive maneuver set in pattern P2 is shorter than the waiting time TR2(3) in the level E3 evasive maneuver set in pattern P3. In other words, the relationship of the waiting time TR2 is TR2(1)<TR2(2)<TR2(3).

[0028] Similarly, the execution time TR3(1) of the evasive maneuver at level E1 set in pattern P1, from the timing TS at which the evasive maneuver begins to the timing T3 at which the evasive maneuver is completed, is shorter than the execution time TR3(2) of the evasive maneuver at level E2 set in pattern P2. The execution time TR3(2) of the evasive maneuver at level E2 set in pattern P2 is shorter than the execution time TR3(3) of the evasive maneuver at level E3 set in pattern P3. The execution time TR3 has the relationship TR3(1) < TR3(2) < TR3(3). The execution time TR3 of the evasive maneuver can be shortened by increasing the movement speed of the host vehicle V1, particularly the movement speed (lateral speed) along the lateral direction, which is the direction of the road width as the rear vehicle V2 traveling in the adjacent lane approaches the host vehicle V1. Specifically, by increasing the speed, turning speed, and turning acceleration, the lateral movement speed can be improved, allowing the host vehicle V1 to move to the desired evasive position in a short time. Therefore, the lateral movement speed VL(1) of the host vehicle V1 defined in the execution of evasive maneuvering at level E1 set in pattern P1 is higher than the lateral movement speed VL(2) in the evasive maneuvering at level E2 set in pattern P2. In addition, the lateral movement speed VL(2) at level E2 set in pattern P2 is higher than the lateral movement speed VL(3) at level E3 set in pattern P3. In other words, the relationship of the lateral movement speeds VL is VL(1) > VL(2) > VL(3).

[0029] The driving control device 1 of this embodiment includes a camera 21 and a radar device 22 as sensors 2. The camera 21 and the radar device 22 detect and measure distances to objects based on their respective detection characteristics. Even if the camera 21 and the radar device 22 have high performance, false detections are inevitable depending on the detection environment. Furthermore, the detection information of the camera 21 is more susceptible to noise than the detection information of the radar device 22, and has characteristics such as relatively low accuracy in measuring vertical distances. According to experiments conducted by the inventors, the distance measurement performance of the camera 21 in autonomous driving control tends to be relatively inferior to that of the radar device 22. In particular, the radar device 22 tends to have better distance measurement performance for distant objects than the camera 21. The inventors focused on the detection characteristics of the camera 21 and the radar device 22, and analyzed the pattern P of events that satisfy the avoidance conditions from the perspective of whether the sensor 2 that provided detection information that satisfies the avoidance conditions was both the camera 21 and the radar device 22, only the radar device 22, or only the camera 21, and associated each pattern P with each level E that indicates the ease of evasive driving (ease of execution).

[0030] In the present invention, when the detection information from both the camera 21 and the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance conditions, the reliability is determined to be higher than when the detection information from only the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance conditions, and the highest ease of execution (executability) of evasive maneuvering is associated with this. When only the detection information from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance conditions, the reliability is determined to be higher than when only the detection information from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance conditions, and the ease of execution (executability) of evasive maneuvering is set relatively high. As a result, the reliability of the detection information is evaluated in stages based on the type (camera 21 and / or radar device 22) of the sensor 2 that output the detection information that satisfies the avoidance conditions, or the combination thereof, and evasive maneuvering can be performed at different execution ease levels E depending on the evaluation results. In the present invention, events that satisfy the avoidance conditions are classified into multiple patterns P, the reliability of the event is evaluated for each pattern P, and the execution ease level E is set in stages according to the reliability of each event. When both the detection information from the camera 21 and the detection information from the radar device 22 satisfy the avoidance conditions, the ease of execution of evasive maneuvering is increased, allowing the host vehicle V1 to perform evasive maneuvering with good response performance and agile action. In particular, when the evasive maneuvering involves a lane change with a large lateral movement, the host vehicle V1 can feel agile and fast moving. On the other hand, when the satisfaction of the avoidance conditions is determined based solely on the detection information from the camera 21, which has a relatively high possibility of false detection, the ease of execution of evasive maneuvering is lowered, thereby preventing the vehicle from being moved and evasive maneuvering from being performed based on a false detection from the camera 21. In this way, by analyzing the detection results based on the satisfaction / non-satisfaction of the avoidance conditions based on the detection information from the camera 21 and the satisfaction / non-satisfaction of the avoidance conditions based on the detection information from the radar device 22, associating the patterns P1, P2, and P3, and defining the order of the ease of execution according to the patterns P1-P3, evasive maneuvering control can be performed taking into account the detection characteristics of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 used together. If the detection information from the camera 21 is simply confirmed and supplemented with the detection information from the radar device 22, it is predicted that the driver will drive in the same manner to avoid the collision.In the present invention, the conclusion that the avoidance conditions are satisfied is divided into patterns P1, P2, and P3, and the ease of executing avoidance maneuvers E1, E2, and E3 are gradually associated with these patterns P1, P2, and P3, thereby reducing the number of situations in which the start of avoidance maneuvers is delayed or the movement speed is suppressed. Avoidance maneuvers that involve lateral movement, such as avoidance maneuvers, require prior processing to confirm the space at the destination and wait before starting to move, so avoidance maneuvers require accurate judgment and agile movement. According to the present invention, the frequency with which agile avoidance maneuvers are executed can be improved while maintaining the configuration of sensor 2.

[0031] "Essential execution of evasive maneuvering" means that evasive maneuvering is initiated early and completed in a short time. When the avoidance conditions are satisfied by detection information from both the camera 21 and the radar device 22, the waiting time TR2 is shorter than when the avoidance conditions are satisfied by detection information from either the camera 21 or the radar device 22, allowing evasive maneuvering to be initiated promptly without missing an opportunity for lateral movement. Furthermore, by shortening the execution time TR3 after starting maneuvering, evasive maneuvering can be executed promptly. Furthermore, by increasing the speed of lateral movement during evasive maneuvering, the execution time TR3 can be shortened. As a result, the overall time TR1 is shortened, and the host vehicle V2 can respond sensitively to the detection results and execute evasive maneuvering with smooth, agile movements without hesitation. On the other hand, when the avoidance conditions are satisfied only by detection information from the camera 21, the overall time TR1, waiting time TR2, and execution time TR3 can be set relatively longer than when the avoidance conditions are satisfied by detection information from the radar device 22 (patterns P1 and P2). When the reliability is relatively low, careful avoidance driving can be performed by checking the detection information in advance and taking time to drive away from the obstacle at a low speed. Furthermore, when the avoidance conditions are met only by the detection information of the radar device 22 (pattern P2), avoidance driving can be realized with a graded ease of execution according to the reliability by making the total time TR1, waiting time TR2, and execution time TR3 longer than those for pattern P2 and shorter than those for pattern P3.

[0032] 2, the processor 10 performs a correction process for the details of the avoidance driving. In this correction process, the details of the avoidance driving are changed according to the level. Specifically, the details of the avoidance driving are corrected by extending or shortening the total time TR1, waiting time TR2, and execution time TR3 of the avoidance driving, or by improving or decreasing the avoidance speed or the avoidance turning degree.

[0033] In the first correction process, the processor 10 corrects the details of the evasive maneuver related to the ease of execution (ease of execution) of the evasive maneuver, taking into account weather conditions and / or vehicle conditions of the rear vehicle V2. The processor 10 calculates the reliability of the detection results from the sensor 2, including the camera 21 and the radar device 22, and when the calculated reliability is relatively low, the processor 10 lengthens the overall time TR1 from the timing T2 at which information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is acquired to the timing T3 at which the execution of the evasive maneuver is completed, compared to when the calculated reliability is relatively high. Specifically, the processor 10 lengthens the waiting time TR2 and / or execution time TR3 included in the overall time TR1. In this process, the lower the calculated reliability, the longer the overall time TR1 and the waiting time TR2 and / or execution time TR3 included therein may be.

[0034] Even if the camera 21 and the radar device 22 have high performance, false detections are unavoidable depending on the detection environment. The detection information of the camera 21 is prone to noise, and the measurement accuracy of distant positions is relatively low. Furthermore, the detection accuracy of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 may be affected by weather. Images captured by the camera 21 may be overexposed due to bright sunlight, its reflected light, and snow accumulation, which may prevent accurate object recognition and position measurement. The emission and reception of electromagnetic waves by the radar device 22 may be affected by rain and snowfall, which may prevent accurate object recognition and position measurement. Furthermore, if the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-type vehicle such as a narrow motorcycle, the camera 21 may not be able to accurately capture the target, and the radar device 22 may not be able to receive sufficient reflected waves, preventing accurate recognition and distance measurement of the target. If the rear vehicle V2 is a truck with a large width and length, it may not fit within the camera 21's field of view and only a portion of the vehicle may be recognized, resulting in an inaccurate image. The radar device 22 may also be unable to receive reflected waves from the object boundary, preventing accurate recognition and distance measurement of the entire object. Thus, the detection accuracy of the sensor 2 varies depending on the environment, and the type of sensor 2 (camera 21, radar device 22) also affects the detection accuracy. Environmental conditions (weather conditions and / or the vehicle type of the rear vehicle V2) that affect the detection accuracy of the camera 21 and radar device 22 are predefined. The processor 10 calculates the reliability of the detection information when an influencing environment is detected. Weather conditions can be obtained from an external server via the communication device 30. Rain and snow can be detected by the operation of the windshield wipers equipped on the host vehicle V1. Sunlight and reflected light can be obtained from a light meter equipped on the host vehicle V1. Whether the rear vehicle V2 is a motorcycle can be determined using a pattern matching method based on an image of the object. Whether the rear vehicle V2 is a truck or not can be determined by learning image features such as the object boundary not being within the field of view of the camera 21 or the object boundary not being continuous based on the waves received by the radar device 22. If it is predicted that the detection accuracy will decrease due to external factors such as weather conditions or the type of vehicle of the rear vehicle V2, the content of the evasive driving can be corrected according to the reliability of the detection information.When the reliability is reduced due to an external factor, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 can be shortened to perform avoidance operation that eliminates the influence of the external factor.

[0035] In the second correction process, the processor 10 corrects the details of the evasive maneuver related to the ease of executing the evasive maneuver (the degree of ease of execution) based on the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2. Both the camera 21 and the radar device 22 have a limit to the detectable distance, and the detection accuracy decreases as the object becomes farther away. Therefore, the processor 10 evaluates the reliability of the detection information according to the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 and corrects the details of the evasive maneuver by changing the ease of executing the evasive maneuver (the degree of ease of execution). Specifically, when the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 is long, the processor 10 lengthens the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and / or the execution time TR3 included therein, from the time T2 when information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is acquired to the time T3 when the execution of the evasive maneuver is completed, compared to when the relative distance is short. This correction includes lengthening the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and / or the execution time TR3 included therein when the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 is short compared to when the relative distance is long. This allows the feasibility of evasive maneuvering to be corrected according to the distance that affects the reliability of the detection information from the camera 21 or the radar device 22 when it is predicted that the detection accuracy will be reduced due to the characteristics of the camera 21 or the radar device 22. When it is predicted that the reliability of the detection information from the camera 21 or the radar device 22 will be affected by the distance, shortening the total time TR1 allows evasive maneuvering to be performed while eliminating the effect of distance on the detection information from the camera 21 or the radar device 22. In this correction process, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and / or the execution time TR3 included therein may be lengthened as the relative distance measured based on the detection information from the camera 21 or the radar device 22 is longer, or the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and / or the execution time TR3 included therein may be shortened as the relative distance is shorter. Incidentally, the detection accuracy of the camera 21 tends to be relatively lower for distant objects than for nearby objects. Experiments have shown that the detection accuracy of the camera 21 for distant objects is lower than that of the radar device 22.For this reason, the correction process may be performed only when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met (pattern P3) based solely on information acquired from the camera 21. When the avoidance conditions are met solely based on the information detected by the camera 21, the length of the waiting time TR2 can be adjusted according to the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2.

[0036] In the third correction process, if it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied based solely on the information acquired from the camera 21 (pattern P3), the processor 10 corrects the details of the avoidance maneuver related to the ease of execution (executability) of the avoidance maneuver, taking into consideration whether the vertical proximity or the lateral proximity in the detection information from the camera 21 satisfied the avoidance condition. When only the detection information from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition, the processor 10 extracts vertical distance information and lateral distance information from the detection information. In the avoidance condition, the proximity thresholds set for the detection information from the camera 21 include a threshold for the vertical information and a threshold for the lateral information. The processor 10 determines whether the lateral proximity (vehicle width direction) in the detection information from the camera 21 satisfied the avoidance condition based on the lateral threshold, or whether the vertical proximity satisfied the avoidance condition based on the vertical threshold. When the degree of proximity in the longitudinal direction (vehicle length direction) in the detection information from camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition based on the longitudinal threshold, processor 10 lengthens the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 included therein, from timing T2 when information about the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance condition is acquired to timing T3 when the execution of the evasive maneuver is completed, compared to when the degree of proximity in the lateral direction (vehicle width direction) in the detection information from camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition based on the lateral threshold. The content of this correction includes shortening the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 included therein, when the degree of proximity in the lateral direction (vehicle width direction) satisfies the avoidance condition based on the lateral threshold, compared to when the avoidance condition based on the longitudinal threshold is satisfied.

[0037] According to experiments conducted by the inventors, the camera 21 tends to have higher detection accuracy in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. While the detection accuracy of the angle (existence direction) at which an object exists based on the detection information from the camera 21 is high, the detection accuracy of the distance to the object cannot be said to be high. Therefore, vertical and horizontal detection information are extracted from the detection information from the camera 21, and a relative evaluation is given to the reliability of the detection information for each direction. The horizontal detection information is evaluated as being more reliable than the vertical detection information, and the content of the avoidance maneuver related to the feasibility is changed based on this evaluation. In this way, when the detection accuracy of the camera 21 is predicted to be lower than the detection accuracy in the horizontal direction, the content of the avoidance maneuver can be changed depending on the direction (vertical / horizontal) of the detection information, which affects the reliability of the detection information from the camera 21, taking into account that the direction of the detection information from the camera 21 affects the reliability of the detection information. When the detection information from the camera 21 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is horizontal information, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 included therein are shortened, and when the detection information from the camera 21 that satisfies the avoidance conditions is vertical information, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and / or the execution time TR3 included therein are lengthened. This makes it possible to perform avoidance driving that eliminates the influence of direction in the detection information from the camera 21.

[0038] In S13 of FIG. 2, the processor 10 causes the vehicle controller 200 to perform autonomous avoidance driving based on the determined content.

[0039] 100... driving control system, 1... driving control device, 10... processor, 11... CPU, 12... ROM, 13... RAM, 20... input / output device, 30... communication device, 2... sensor, 21... camera, 22... radar device, 3... vehicle information acquisition device, 4... other vehicle information acquisition device, 5... rear vehicle recognition device, 6... map information, 7... navigation device, 200... vehicle controller, 210... steering control device, 220... drive control device

Claims

1. A driving control method for controlling driving of a host vehicle, used in a driving control device equipped with a sensor including a camera and a radar device, and a processor, wherein the processor uses the sensor to acquire detection information on a vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, and when the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, causes the host vehicle to perform an evasive maneuver to distance the host vehicle from the vehicle traveling behind the rear vehicle, and when the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition and the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition, the evasive maneuver is made more likely to be performed than when only the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition, and when only the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition, the evasive maneuver is made more likely to be performed than when only the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition.

2. A driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein the processor makes it easier to execute the avoidance driving by shortening the time from obtaining the detection information that satisfies the avoidance condition to completing the execution of the avoidance driving.

3. A driving control method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor makes it easier to execute the avoidance maneuver by shortening the time from obtaining the detection information that satisfies the avoidance condition to starting execution of the avoidance maneuver.

4. A driving control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor makes it easier to execute the avoidance maneuver by shortening the time from the start to the completion of the execution of the avoidance maneuver.

5. A driving control method according to claim 4, wherein the processor increases a speed of lateral movement of the host vehicle when the avoidance driving is being performed.

6. A driving control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor calculates the reliability of the detection information obtained from the sensor based on weather conditions and / or vehicle type conditions of the rear vehicle, and makes it easier for the avoidance maneuver to be executed when the reliability is relatively high than when the reliability is relatively low.

7. A driving control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processor makes it less likely that the avoidance maneuver will be performed when the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle is relatively long than when the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle is relatively short.

8. A driving control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the avoidance condition is defined based on the degree of proximity between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle, and the processor makes it less likely that the evasive maneuver will be performed when only the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition and the degree of vertical proximity in the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition based on the vertical threshold value than when the degree of lateral proximity in the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition based on the lateral threshold value.

9. A driving control device comprising a sensor including a camera and a radar device, and a processor, for controlling driving of the host vehicle, wherein the processor uses the sensor to acquire detection information on a vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, and when the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, causes the host vehicle to perform an evasive maneuver to distance the host vehicle from the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle traveling

Images