Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus (300) and a vehicle (100), which are applied to the technical field of intelligent driving. The vehicle control apparatus (300) comprises a processing unit and a control unit. When in a normal state, the processing unit can generate two pieces of control information on the basis of environmental information of the surroundings of the vehicle (100), one being main control information for controlling the vehicle (100) to travel normally, and the other being a safe escape trajectory for controlling the vehicle (100) to stop at a safe position. The processing unit sends the two pieces of control information to the control unit, and on the basis of the state of health of the processing unit, the control unit can select which control information to use to control the vehicle (100). When the processing unit is normal, the control unit can control, on the basis of the main control information, the vehicle (100) to travel normally. When the processing unit is abnormal, the control unit can control, on the basis of the safe escape trajectory, the vehicle (100) to stop at the safe position, so that safety control over the vehicle (100) can be realized when the processing unit is abnormal.

Description

Vehicle control device and vehicle

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 7, 2023, with application number 202311679670.6 and application name “A Vehicle Control Device and Vehicle”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to vehicle control technology, which is applied to the field of intelligent driving, and in particular to a vehicle control device and a vehicle. Background Art

[0003] Smart-driving vehicles are often equipped with multiple sensors (such as cameras, lidar, ultrasonic radar, etc.). Analysis of some sensor data requires artificial intelligence (AI) neural networks, but AI neural networks require high computing power. The higher the level of the smart-driving vehicle, the more road conditions that need to be analyzed and processed, and the greater the computing load of the AI ​​neural network. Traditional central processing units (CPUs) can no longer handle such a large amount of AI neural network reasoning operations. In addition, smart-driving vehicles may encounter various adverse weather conditions, electromagnetic interference, etc. when operating in an open environment, which places high demands on the reliability of the computing platform of the smart-driving system. According to the safety standards of the automotive industry, the computing platform needs to meet the corresponding automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) requirements.

[0004] Currently, the computing platform of an intelligent driving system is equipped with two heterogeneous chips. One chip has high computing performance and is responsible for intelligent driving-related calculations, such as image processing, AI model inference, and route planning. The other chip has high safety performance, which may have lower computing performance but a higher ASIL rating, and is responsible for outputting vehicle control commands.

[0005] However, in the current solution, if the chip responsible for intelligent driving-related calculations malfunctions and cannot perform normal calculations, the computing platform will not be able to output vehicle control instructions normally, which may cause a safety accident. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a vehicle control device and a vehicle, which can achieve safe control of the vehicle under abnormal conditions.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a vehicle control device, which includes: a processing unit and a control unit.

[0008] The processing unit is used to generate main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and send the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit.

[0009] The control unit is used to control the vehicle according to the main control information when the processing unit is normal, and to control the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory when the processing unit is abnormal.

[0010] Optionally, the vehicle control device is applied to a vehicle. The vehicle control device may be an electronic device, or a processor, chip (system), or circuit for an electronic device, which is not limited in this application.

[0011] In the above scheme, the vehicle control device includes a processing unit and a control unit. Under normal conditions, the processing unit can generate two types of control information based on the environmental information surrounding the vehicle: one is the main control information, which is used to control normal vehicle driving, and the other is the safe escape trajectory, which is used to control the vehicle to stop at a safe location. The processing unit sends both types of control information to the control unit, and the control unit can choose which control information to use for vehicle control based on the health status of the processing unit. When the processing unit is normal, the control unit can control normal vehicle driving based on the main control information. When the processing unit is abnormal, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe location based on the safe escape trajectory.

[0012] Through the above solution, in a normal state, the processing unit will not only generate the main control information for controlling the normal driving of the vehicle, but also generate a safe escape trajectory for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position, and send both the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit. When an abnormality occurs in the processing unit and it is no longer able to provide the main control information, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, thereby achieving safe control of the vehicle in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit. In addition, compared to responding to abnormal situations by designing a redundant processing unit, the solution of the present application does not require the design of redundant processing units, thereby helping to save the cost of achieving safe control of the vehicle in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the processing unit abnormality includes: complete failure of the processing unit, or partial failure of the processing unit.

[0014] A complete failure of the processing unit may mean that all functions of the processing unit fail, and the processing unit is unable to continue to provide information for controlling the vehicle. A partial failure of the processing unit may mean that some functions of the processing unit fail, while other functions of the processing unit remain intact, and the processing unit can continue to provide some information for controlling the vehicle.

[0015] Through the above implementation, the abnormal situation of the processing unit is subdivided into two situations: complete failure of the processing unit and partial failure of the processing unit, so that in each situation, appropriate control information can be used to control the vehicle accordingly, thereby helping to improve the reliability of vehicle control.

[0016] In one possible embodiment, the control unit is also used to obtain first trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensing device, and in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information, where the first trajectory correction information is used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0017] The first trajectory correction information may be auxiliary control information generated by the control unit based on environmental information collected by the sensor device. The first trajectory correction information may reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and may be used to correct the safe escape trajectory, thereby assisting in vehicle control.

[0018] Through the above-described embodiment, in the event of a processing unit anomaly, the control unit can obtain first trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device, thereby maintaining awareness of the vehicle's surroundings. The control unit can also control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information. As the vehicle arrives at a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, further improving safety.

[0019] In another possible embodiment, the processing unit is further configured to, in the event of a partial failure of the processing unit, obtain second trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device and transmit the second trajectory correction information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information, with the second trajectory correction information being used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0020] The second trajectory correction information can be auxiliary control information generated by healthy components (i.e., components that have not failed) in the processing unit based on environmental information collected by the sensor device, or it can be auxiliary control information obtained by the processing unit using its remaining computing power. This second trajectory correction information can reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and can be used to correct a safe escape trajectory, thereby assisting in vehicle control.

[0021] Through the above-described embodiment, in the event of a partial failure of the processing unit, the processing unit can use its remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain the second trajectory correction information. This maintains awareness of the vehicle's surroundings, fully utilizes the processing unit, and reduces computing power waste. The control unit can control the vehicle in conjunction with the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information. As the vehicle approaches a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, the second trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, further improving safety.

[0022] In another possible embodiment, the control unit is further configured to obtain first trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensing device. The processing unit is further configured to, in the event of a partial failure of the processing unit, obtain second trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensing device and transmit the second trajectory correction information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information, and the second trajectory correction information, where the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information are used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0023] Through the above-mentioned embodiment, in the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the control unit can obtain the first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and the processing unit can use the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain the second trajectory correction information. In this way, the perception of the vehicle's surrounding environment can be maintained, and richer trajectory correction information can be obtained. It can also achieve full utilization of the processing unit and reduce computing power waste. The control unit can control the vehicle in combination with the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information. Therefore, when the vehicle is parked in a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, which helps to further improve safety.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or space perception information.

[0025] Obstacles can include static obstacles (such as buildings, traffic signs, overpasses, etc.) and dynamic obstacles (such as pedestrians and other vehicles). Obstacle information can include information such as the obstacle's location and speed, which can be used to reflect the obstacle situation around the vehicle. Spatial perception information can be related to the space around the vehicle and can be used to reflect road boundaries, drivable areas, etc.

[0026] Through the above implementation, the first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or spatial perception information. The obstacle information and / or spatial perception information can more accurately reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and be used to correct the safe escape trajectory, which can further improve the safety of the vehicle driving in abnormal conditions.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the second trajectory correction information includes an environment perception result.

[0028] The environmental perception result can be the result of the processing unit using the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device. For example, the environmental perception result may include information such as the location and speed of an obstacle. Another example is the environmental perception result, which may include information such as road boundaries and drivable areas.

[0029] Through the above implementation, the second trajectory correction information includes the environmental perception result, which can more accurately reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and is used to correct the safe escape trajectory, which can further improve the safety of the vehicle driving in abnormal situations.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the safe escape trajectory includes: a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory. The first safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to stop in its lane, and the second safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to pull over. When the safe escape trajectory includes the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit is further configured to select a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory.

[0031] The first safe escape trajectory may be control information for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position in the lane, and the second safe escape trajectory may be control information for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position on the roadside.

[0032] Through the above embodiment, the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory. In the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, the control unit can control the vehicle to park in the lane according to the first safe escape trajectory, or to park by the side of the road according to the second safe escape trajectory. This provides multiple solutions for dealing with abnormal situations, helping to ensure that the vehicle can be parked safely in abnormal situations.

[0033] In one possible embodiment, the processing unit is further configured to predict environmental information at a next moment based on the current environmental information, determine a first parking position based on the environmental information at the next moment, and perform trajectory planning to obtain a first safe escape trajectory. The first parking position is a position in the lane that is free of obstacles and that the vehicle can reach within the first time period.

[0034] The first parking position may be a safe position in the lane for the vehicle to park. The first time period may be the maximum time the vehicle is allowed to park in the lane under abnormal circumstances. In other words, the vehicle must complete parking in the lane within the first time period after the abnormal situation occurs.

[0035] Through the above embodiment, the processing unit can determine a safe position for the vehicle to park in this lane based on the environmental information around the vehicle, and plan a first safe escape trajectory, so that in an abnormal situation the control unit can control the vehicle to park in this lane according to the first safe escape trajectory, so that the vehicle reaches a safe state.

[0036] In one possible embodiment, the processing unit is further configured to predict environmental information at a next moment based on the current environmental information, determine a second parking location based on the environmental information at the next moment, and perform trajectory planning to obtain a second safe escape trajectory. The second parking location is a location with no roadside obstacles and that the vehicle can reach within the second time period.

[0037] The second parking position may be a safe roadside location for the vehicle to park. The second time period may be the maximum time the vehicle is allowed to pull over under abnormal circumstances. In other words, the vehicle must complete pullover parking within the second time period after the abnormal situation occurs.

[0038] Through the above embodiment, the processing unit can determine a safe location on the roadside for the vehicle to park based on the environmental information around the vehicle, and plan a second safe escape trajectory, so that in an abnormal situation, the control unit can control the vehicle to park on the side of the road according to the second safe escape trajectory, so that the vehicle reaches a safe state.

[0039] In one possible implementation, when a target escape trajectory is selected from a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit is configured to preferentially control the vehicle to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory and predict the duration of the pullover. When the predicted pullover duration exceeds the second duration, the vehicle is controlled to stop in the current lane.

[0040] If the pullover duration exceeds the second time period, it can be considered that the pullover duration has exceeded the safety range, and it can be considered that it may be unsafe for the vehicle to continue to pull over. The control unit can then adjust the vehicle control plan to stop the vehicle in the current lane to prevent safety issues that may arise from continued pullover.

[0041] Through the above embodiment, when the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit controls the vehicle to prioritize pulling over according to the second safe escape trajectory, thereby minimizing the impact on other vehicles in the lane. While the vehicle is pulling over according to the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit can also predict the duration of the pullover. If the predicted pullover duration exceeds the safe range, the control unit can promptly adjust the vehicle control plan to stop the vehicle in the current lane to ensure safe parking.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the control unit is further configured to determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the main control information sent by the processing unit is not received for more than a first time threshold.

[0043] When the processing unit is functioning normally, the processing unit may send primary control information to the control unit at regular intervals, and correspondingly, the control unit may receive primary control information from the processing unit at regular intervals. The first time threshold may be the maximum time interval between two consecutive transmissions of primary control information by the processing unit, or the maximum time interval between two consecutive receptions of primary control information by the control unit. If the control unit fails to receive primary control information from the processing unit for an extended period exceeding the first time threshold, the processing unit may be determined to be abnormal.

[0044] Through the above-mentioned implementation, the control unit can judge the health status of the processing unit based on the reception of the main control information. When the control unit does not receive the main control information from the processing unit for more than the first time threshold, it can be considered that the processing unit has not sent the main control information normally, and the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0045] In another possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to report health information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the health information contains abnormal information.

[0046] The processing unit can detect its own health status and report health information to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit can receive health information from the processing unit, which can be used to indicate the health status of the processing unit. When the health information contains abnormal information, the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0047] Through the above-mentioned implementation, the processing unit can actively report health information to the control unit, and the control unit can judge the health status of the processing unit based on the health information reported by the processing unit. When the health information contains abnormal information, it can be considered that the processing unit has detected its own abnormality, and thus the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0048] In another possible embodiment, the control unit is further configured to send first information to the processing unit. The processing unit is further configured to send second information in response to the first information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to determine that the processing unit is abnormal if the second information is not received within a second time threshold.

[0049] A question-and-answer mechanism exists between the control unit and the processing unit. The control unit can send first information to the processing unit at regular intervals, and the processing unit can correspondingly receive the first information from the control unit at regular intervals. When the processing unit is functioning normally, the processing unit can respond to each received first information and provide feedback with second information. Correspondingly, the control unit can receive second information from the processing unit at regular intervals.

[0050] The second time threshold may be the maximum time interval from when the control unit sends the first information to when the processing unit feeds back the second information. If the control unit does not receive the second information from the processing unit within the second time threshold after sending the first information, the processing unit may be determined to be abnormal.

[0051] Through the above-mentioned embodiment, the control unit can send the first information to the processing unit and judge the health status of the processing unit based on the reception of the second information in response to the first information. When the control unit does not receive the second information from the processing unit within the first time threshold, it can be considered that the processing unit has not normally fed back the response information, and the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0052] In a second aspect, the present application provides a vehicle control method, the vehicle control method comprising:

[0053] The control unit receives the main control information and the safe escape trajectory sent by the processing unit, wherein the main control information and the safe escape trajectory are generated by the processing unit according to the environmental information collected by the sensor;

[0054] The control unit controls the vehicle according to the main control information when the processing unit is normal, and controls the vehicle according to a safe escape trajectory when the processing unit is abnormal.

[0055] Optionally, the vehicle control method is applied to a vehicle.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the processing unit abnormality includes: complete failure of the processing unit, or partial failure of the processing unit.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0058] The control unit obtains first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device;

[0059] In the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, the control unit controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information, where the first trajectory correction information is used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0060] In another possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0061] In the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the processing unit obtains second trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device and sends the second trajectory correction information to the control unit;

[0062] The control unit controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information, where the second trajectory correction information is used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0063] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0064] The control unit obtains first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device;

[0065] In the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the processing unit obtains second trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device and sends the second trajectory correction information to the control unit;

[0066] The control unit controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information, and the second trajectory correction information, where the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information are used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0067] In a possible implementation, the first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or space perception information.

[0068] In a possible implementation, the second trajectory correction information includes an environment perception result.

[0069] In one possible implementation, the safe escape trajectory includes: a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory. The first safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to stop in the lane, and the second safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to pull over. The method further includes:

[0070] When the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit selects a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory.

[0071] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0072] The processing unit predicts the next moment's environmental information based on the current environmental information, determines a first parking position based on the next moment's environmental information, and performs trajectory planning to obtain a first safe escape trajectory. The first parking position is a position where there are no obstacles in the lane and the vehicle can reach within the first time period.

[0073] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0074] The processing unit predicts the next moment's environmental information based on the current environmental information, determines a second parking position based on the next moment's environmental information, and performs trajectory planning to obtain a second safe escape trajectory. The second parking position is a position where there are no roadside obstacles and the vehicle can reach within the second time period.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0076] When a target escape trajectory is selected from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit controls the vehicle to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory first, and predicts the duration of the pull-over. When the predicted duration of the pull-over exceeds the second duration, the vehicle is controlled to stop in the current lane.

[0077] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0078] When the control unit does not receive the main control information sent by the processing unit for more than a first time threshold, it determines that the processing unit is abnormal.

[0079] In another possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0080] The processing unit reports health information to the control unit;

[0081] When the health information includes abnormal information, the control unit determines that the processing unit is abnormal.

[0082] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0083] The control unit sends first information to the processing unit;

[0084] The processing unit sends second information in response to the first information to the control unit;

[0085] When the control unit does not receive the second information for more than a second time threshold, it determines that the processing unit is abnormal.

[0086] In a third aspect, the present application provides a vehicle control device, comprising a processor coupled to a memory and executing computer programs or instructions in the memory to implement the method described in the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect. Optionally, the vehicle control device further comprises a memory. Optionally, the vehicle control device further comprises a communication interface, the processor coupled to the communication interface.

[0087] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method described in the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect is implemented.

[0088] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect is implemented.

[0089] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a chip, comprising a processor configured to execute a computer program or instruction. When the processor executes the computer program or instruction, the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented. Optionally, the chip further comprises a communication interface configured to receive or send signals.

[0090] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a chip, which includes a logic circuit and an input / output interface, and the logic circuit is used to couple with the input / output interface and transmit data through the input / output interface to execute the method described in the above second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect.

[0091] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a vehicle comprising a vehicle control device as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0092] The beneficial effects brought about by the second to eighth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the description of the beneficial effects in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] In addition, in the process of executing the method described in the second aspect and any possible embodiment thereof, the process of sending information and / or receiving information in the above method can be a process in which the processor outputs information and / or a process in which the processor receives input information. When outputting information, the processor can output the information to the transceiver (or communication interface, or sending module) so that the transceiver can transmit it. After the information is output by the processor, it may also need to undergo other processing before it reaches the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives input information, the transceiver (or communication interface, or sending module) receives the information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the information, the information may need to undergo other processing before it is input into the processor.

[0094] Based on the above principle, for example, the information sent in the above method may be information output by the processor. For another example, the information received may be information input by the processor.

[0095] Optionally, in the process of executing the method described in the second aspect and any possible embodiment thereof, the processor may be a processor specifically used to execute these methods, or a processor that executes these methods by executing computer instructions in a memory, such as a general-purpose processor. The memory may be a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which may be integrated with the processor on the same chip or may be separately provided on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory and the configuration of the memory and the processor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application.

[0097] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0098] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of another vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0099] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0100] FIG4 is a flow chart of a vehicle control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0101] FIG5 is a flow chart of another vehicle control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0102] FIG6 is a flow chart of another vehicle control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0103] FIG7 is a flow chart of another vehicle control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0104] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of another vehicle control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0105] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application.

[0107] In this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0108] The terms "first," "second," and the like mentioned in the embodiments of the present application do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and "first," "second," and the like do not necessarily limit differences. In addition, the terms "include," "comprise," "include," and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to the process, method, product, or device.

[0109] The “embodiment” mentioned herein means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It can be understood explicitly and implicitly by those skilled in the art that in the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified and there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the various embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0110] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0111] It should be noted that in this application, "send" can be interpreted as "output" and "receive" can be interpreted as "input." In the phrase "sending information to A," "to A" simply indicates the direction of information transmission, with A being the destination. This does not limit "sending information to A" to direct transmission. Therefore, "sending information to A" can also be interpreted as "outputting information destined for A." Similarly, "receiving information from A" indicates that the source of the information is A, including receiving information directly from A and indirectly receiving information from A through other devices. Therefore, "receiving information from A" can also be interpreted as "inputting information from A."

[0112] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle 100 includes a sensing device 101, a computing platform 102, and an execution device 103. The sensing device 101 is used to collect environmental information around the vehicle 100. The computing platform 102 can be a device with computing capabilities, which is used to process the environmental information collected by the sensing device 101 to obtain control information and send corresponding control instructions to the execution device 103 to cause the execution device 103 to perform corresponding actions, thereby achieving control of the vehicle 100.

[0113] For example, the computing platform 102 may include a first unit and a second unit, wherein the first unit is responsible for processing the environmental information collected by the sensor device 101 to obtain control information, and the second unit is responsible for sending corresponding control instructions to the execution device 103. Optionally, the second unit may also process the environmental information collected by the sensor device 101 to obtain auxiliary control information. In one possible implementation, the first unit may be a system-on-chip (SoC), and the second unit may be a microcontroller unit (MCU).

[0114] Exemplarily, the sensing device 101 may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a camera, a light detection and ranging (Lidar), an ultrasonic sensor (USS), a radio detecting and ranging (radar), and an intelligent front camera (IFC). The radar may be a millimeter-wave radar.

[0115] Exemplarily, the execution device 103 may include but is not limited to a driving unit, a braking unit, a transmission unit, a steering unit, and other units for controlling the driving state of the vehicle 100 .

[0116] It can be understood that the structure of the vehicle in Figure 1 is only an exemplary implementation in the embodiment of the present application. The vehicle in the embodiment of the present application is not limited to the above structure. For example, it can also include more or fewer components as needed.

[0117] 1 , the computing platform 102 may be mounted in the vehicle 100. It should be noted that, in other examples, the computing platform 102 may not be mounted in the vehicle 100. For example, the computing platform 102 may be mounted in a cloud server, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 2 , FIG. 2 further illustrates the structure of vehicle 100 based on FIG. Vehicle 100 may include various subsystems, such as a propulsion system 202 , a sensing system 204 , a control system 206 , one or more peripheral devices 208 , a power source 210 , a computer system 212 , and a user interface 216 . Alternatively, vehicle 100 may include more or fewer subsystems, and each subsystem may include multiple components. Furthermore, each subsystem and component of vehicle 100 may be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0119] Propulsion system 202 may include components that provide powered motion for vehicle 100. In one embodiment, propulsion system 202 may include engine 218, energy source 219, transmission 220, and wheels 221. Engine 218 may be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an air compression engine, or another combination of engines, such as a hybrid engine consisting of a gasoline engine and an electric motor, or a hybrid engine consisting of an internal combustion engine and an air compression engine. Engine 218 converts energy provided by energy source 219 into mechanical energy.

[0120] Examples of energy source 219 include gasoline, diesel, other petroleum-based fuels, propane, other compressed gas-based fuels, ethanol, solar panels, batteries, and other sources of electricity. Energy source 219 can also provide energy to other systems of vehicle 100.

[0121] Transmission 220 can transmit mechanical power from engine 218 to wheels 221. Transmission 220 can include a gearbox, a differential, and a drive shaft. In one embodiment, transmission 220 can also include other components, such as a clutch. The drive shaft can include one or more shafts that can be coupled to one or more wheels 221.

[0122] The sensing system 204 may include several sensors that sense information about the environment surrounding the vehicle 100. For example, the sensing system 204 may include a positioning system 222 (the positioning system may be a global positioning system, a Beidou system, or other positioning systems), an inertial measurement unit 224, a radar 226, a laser rangefinder 228, and a camera 230. The sensing system 204 may also include sensors for monitoring the internal systems of the vehicle 100 (e.g., an in-vehicle air quality monitor, a fuel gauge, an oil temperature gauge, etc.). Sensor data from one or more of these sensors may be used to detect objects and their corresponding characteristics (position, shape, direction, speed, etc.). This detection and recognition is a key function that supports the safe operation of the vehicle 100.

[0123] Positioning system 222 may be used to estimate the geographic location of vehicle 100. Inertial measurement unit 224 may be used to sense changes in position and orientation of vehicle 100 based on inertial acceleration. In one embodiment, inertial measurement unit 224 may be a combination of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

[0124] Radar 226 may utilize radio signals to sense objects within the surrounding environment of vehicle 100. In some embodiments, in addition to sensing objects, radar 226 may also be used to sense the speed and / or heading of the objects.

[0125] The laser rangefinder 228 may utilize laser light to sense objects in the environment in which the vehicle 100 is located. In some embodiments, the laser rangefinder 228 may include one or more laser sources, a laser scanner, and one or more detectors, among other system components.

[0126] The camera 230 may be used to capture multiple images of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 100. The camera 230 may be a still camera or a video camera. The number of cameras 230 may be one or more.

[0127] Control system 206 controls the operation of vehicle 100 and its components. Control system 206 may include various components, including a steering system 232 , a throttle 234 , a brake unit 236 , a computer vision system 240 , a path control system 242 , and an obstacle avoidance system 244 .

[0128] The steering system 232 is operable to adjust the forward direction of the vehicle 100. For example, in one embodiment, it may be a steering wheel system.

[0129] Throttle 234 is used to control the operating speed of engine 218 and, in turn, the speed of vehicle 100 .

[0130] Braking unit 236 is used to control the deceleration of vehicle 100. Braking unit 236 can use friction to slow down wheels 221. In some embodiments, braking unit 236 can convert the kinetic energy of wheels 221 into electric current. Braking unit 236 can also take other forms to slow the rotation speed of wheels 221 to control the speed of vehicle 100.

[0131] The computer vision system 240 can be operated to process and analyze images captured by the camera 230 in order to identify objects and / or features in the environment surrounding the vehicle 100, and / or process and analyze data information captured by the radar 226. Objects and / or features may include traffic signals, road boundaries, and obstacles. The computer vision system 240 can use object recognition algorithms, structure from motion (SFM) algorithms, video tracking, and other computer vision technologies. In some embodiments, the computer vision system 240 can be used to map the environment, track objects, estimate the speed of objects, and the like. Optionally, the functions of the computer vision system 240 can be implemented by the computing platform 102 in Figure 1.

[0132] Route control system 242 is used to determine the driving route of vehicle 100. In some embodiments, route control system 242 may combine data from sensor system 204 and one or more predetermined maps to determine the driving route for vehicle 100. Alternatively, the functionality of route control system 242 may be implemented by computing platform 102 in FIG. 1 .

[0133] The obstacle avoidance system 244 is used to identify, assess, and avoid or otherwise negotiate potential obstacles in the environment of the vehicle 100 .

[0134] In some embodiments, the control system 206 may include additional components other than those shown above, or may replace some of the components shown above with other components, or may reduce some of the components shown above.

[0135] Vehicle 100 interacts with external sensors, other vehicles, other computer systems, or users via peripherals 208. Peripherals 208 may include wireless communication system 246, onboard computer 248, microphone 250, and / or speaker 252.

[0136] In some embodiments, peripheral devices 208 provide a means for a user of vehicle 100 to interact with user interface 216. For example, onboard computer 248 can provide information to the user of vehicle 100. User interface 216 can also operate onboard computer 248 to receive user input. Onboard computer 248 can be operated via a touch screen. In other cases, peripheral devices 208 can provide a means for vehicle 100 to communicate with other devices located within the vehicle. For example, microphone 250 can receive audio (e.g., voice commands or other audio input) from the user of vehicle 100. Similarly, speaker 252 can output audio to the user of vehicle 100.

[0137] The wireless communication system 246 can communicate wirelessly with one or more devices directly or via a communication network. For example, the wireless communication system 246 can use third generation (3G) cellular communications, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), or general packet radio service (GPRS), or fourth generation (4G) cellular communications, such as long term evolution (LTE), or fifth generation (5G) cellular communications. The wireless communication system 246 can communicate with a wireless local area network (WLAN) using wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi). In some embodiments, the wireless communication system 246 can communicate directly with the device using an infrared link, Bluetooth, or ZigBee protocol. The wireless communication system 246 may include one or more dedicated short range communications (DSRC) devices, which may include public and / or private data communications between vehicles and / or roadside stations.

[0138] Power source 210 can provide power to various components of vehicle 100. In one embodiment, power source 210 can be a rechargeable lithium-ion or lead-acid battery. One or more battery packs of such batteries can be configured as a power source to provide power to various components of vehicle 100. In some embodiments, power source 210 and energy source 219 can be implemented together.

[0139] Some or all functions of the vehicle 100 are controlled by a computer system 212. The computer system 212 may include at least one processor 213 that executes instructions 215 stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a memory 214. The computer system 212 may also be a plurality of computing devices that control individual components or subsystems of the vehicle 100 in a distributed manner.

[0140] The processor 213 may be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available central processing unit (CPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other hardware-based processor.

[0141] In various embodiments described herein, the processor may be located remotely from the vehicle and may communicate wirelessly with the vehicle. In other aspects, some of the processes described herein are performed on a processor located within the vehicle, while others are performed by a remote processor.

[0142] In some embodiments, memory 214 may contain instructions 215 (e.g., program logic) that are executable by processor 213 to implement various functions of vehicle 100, including those described above. Memory 214 may also contain additional instructions, including instructions for sending data to, receiving data from, interacting with, and / or sending control to one or more of travel system 202, sensing system 204, control system 206, and peripherals 208.

[0143] In addition to instructions 215, memory 214 may also store data, such as travel routes and other information. This information may be used by vehicle 100 and computer system 212 during operation of vehicle 100 in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and / or manual modes.

[0144] User interface 216 is used to provide information to or receive information from a user of vehicle 100. In some embodiments, user interface 216 may include one or more input / output devices within the set of peripherals 208, such as wireless communication system 246, onboard computer 248, microphone 250, and speaker 252.

[0145] Computer system 212 may control functions of vehicle 100 based on input received from various subsystems (e.g., travel system 202, sensing system 204, and control system 206) and from user interface 216. For example, computer system 212 may utilize input from control system 206 to control steering system 232 to avoid obstacles detected by sensing system 204 and obstacle avoidance system 244. In some embodiments, computer system 212 may be operable to provide control over many aspects of vehicle 100 and its subsystems.

[0146] One or more of the above-mentioned components may be installed or associated separately from the vehicle 100. For example, the memory 214 may be partially or completely separate from the vehicle 100. The above-mentioned components may be communicatively coupled together in a wired and / or wireless manner.

[0147] It should be understood that the above components are only an example. In actual applications, the components in the above modules may be added or deleted according to actual needs. Figure 2 should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0148] It can be understood that the structure of the vehicle in Figure 2 is only an exemplary implementation in the embodiment of the present application. The vehicle in the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to the above structure.

[0149] The vehicles in the embodiments of the present application may include land vehicles, water vehicles, air vehicles, industrial equipment, agricultural equipment, or entertainment equipment, etc. For example, the vehicle is a vehicle in a broad sense, and may be a vehicle (such as a commercial vehicle, a passenger car, a motorcycle, an air vehicle, a train, etc.), an industrial vehicle (such as a forklift, a trailer, a tractor, etc.), an engineering vehicle (such as an excavator, a bulldozer, a crane, etc.), agricultural equipment (such as a lawn mower, a harvester, etc.), amusement equipment, a toy vehicle, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the type of vehicle. For another example, the vehicle may be a vehicle such as an airplane or a ship.

[0150] Based on the vehicle shown in Figures 1 and 2, in order to solve the problem raised in the background technology that when the chip responsible for intelligent driving-related calculations is abnormal, the vehicle control instructions cannot be output normally, which may cause a safety accident, the embodiment of the present application proposes the following solution.

[0151] The embodiments of the present application provide a vehicle control device that can be applied to intelligent driving scenarios, including intelligent assisted driving, automatic driving, and unmanned driving, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0152] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. For example, the vehicle control device 300 can be applied to the vehicle 100 shown in Figure 1 above, and the vehicle control device 300 can correspond to the computing platform 102 in Figure 1 above.

[0153] As shown in FIG3 , the vehicle control device 300 includes a processing unit and a control unit. The processing unit and the control unit can be software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The description of each unit is as follows:

[0154] The processing unit is used to generate main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and send the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit.

[0155] The environmental information may be environmental information surrounding the vehicle, and the sensing device is used to collect environmental information surrounding the vehicle. For example, the environmental information may include relevant information about traffic participants (e.g., location, status, etc.), and traffic participants may include static traffic participants (e.g., buildings, traffic signs, overpasses, etc.) and dynamic traffic participants (e.g., pedestrians, other vehicles, etc.). The primary control information may be control information used to control the normal driving of the vehicle. The safe escape trajectory may be control information used to control the vehicle to stop at a safe location.

[0156] Optionally, the number of the sensing devices may be one or more. Exemplarily, the number of the sensing devices is multiple, and the multiple sensing devices include cameras, laser radars, ultrasonic sensors, millimeter wave radars, and smart front-view cameras.

[0157] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is in communication with the sensor device to obtain environmental information collected by the sensor device, and then generates main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the obtained environmental information.

[0158] It is understandable that as the vehicle's surrounding environment changes, the environmental information collected by the sensor device will also change accordingly, so that the main control information and safe escape trajectory generated by the processing unit based on the environmental information may also change dynamically.

[0159] Optionally, the processing unit may periodically or aperiodically acquire environmental information collected by the sensor device and generate the master control information and the safe escape trajectory based on the acquired environmental information. For example, the processing unit may acquire environmental information collected by the sensor device once every first time interval and generate the master control information and the safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information acquired that time interval. The first time interval may be set based on actual circumstances or needs and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0160] After the processing unit generates the main control information and the safe escape trajectory, it can send the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit so that the control unit can control the vehicle according to the main control information and the safe escape trajectory.

[0161] Optionally, the number of control units can be one or more. When the vehicle control device 300 includes multiple control units, the processing unit can distribute the main control information and safe escape trajectory to each control unit through the same or different data transmission channels, wherein the data transmission channels may include but are not limited to a controller area network (CAN) bus or an Ethernet cable. Each control unit can respectively control a portion of the actuators in the vehicle, for example, one control unit is used to control the drive device, another control unit is used to control the brake device, and another control unit is used to control the steering device, etc.

[0162] The control unit is used to control the vehicle according to the main control information when the processing unit is normal, and to control the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory when the processing unit is abnormal.

[0163] After receiving the main control information and safe escape trajectory from the processing unit, the control unit can select corresponding control information from the main control information and safe escape trajectory to control the vehicle based on the health status of the processing unit. The health status of the processing unit can be either normal or abnormal.

[0164] If the processing unit is functioning normally, it can be assumed that the processing unit can continuously provide reliable primary control information to support normal vehicle operation. Therefore, in this case, the control unit can use the primary control information to control the vehicle. In one possible implementation, the control unit can send corresponding control instructions to relevant actuators of the vehicle based on the primary control information to control normal vehicle operation.

[0165] If the processing unit experiences an anomaly, it can be assumed that the processing unit is unable to continuously provide reliable primary control information to support normal vehicle operation, necessitating emergency response to avoid potential safety issues. Therefore, in this situation, the control unit can employ a safe escape trajectory to control the vehicle. In one possible implementation, the control unit can send corresponding control instructions to the vehicle's relevant actuators based on the safe escape trajectory to control the vehicle to a safe location.

[0166] In the above embodiment, the vehicle control device includes a processing unit and a control unit. Under normal conditions, the processing unit can generate two types of control information based on the environmental information surrounding the vehicle. One is the main control information for controlling the normal driving of the vehicle, and the other is the safe escape trajectory for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe location. The processing unit sends both types of control information to the control unit, and the control unit can choose which control information to use for vehicle control based on the health status of the processing unit. When the processing unit is normal, the control unit can control the normal driving of the vehicle based on the main control information. When the processing unit is abnormal, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe location based on the safe escape trajectory.

[0167] Through the above-mentioned embodiment, in addition to generating the main control information for controlling the normal driving of the vehicle under normal conditions, the processing unit will also generate a safe escape trajectory for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position, and send both the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit. When an abnormality occurs in the processing unit and it is no longer possible to provide the main control information, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, thereby achieving safe control of the vehicle in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit. In addition, compared to responding to abnormal situations by designing a redundant processing unit, the embodiment of the present application does not require the design of a redundant processing unit, thereby helping to save the cost of achieving safe control of the vehicle in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit.

[0168] In a possible implementation, the processing unit abnormality includes: complete failure of the processing unit, or partial failure of the processing unit.

[0169] A complete failure of the processing unit may mean that all functions of the processing unit fail, and the processing unit is unable to continue to provide information for controlling the vehicle. A partial failure of the processing unit may mean that some functions of the processing unit fail, while other functions of the processing unit remain intact, and the processing unit can continue to provide some information for controlling the vehicle.

[0170] For example, a processing unit includes a first component and a second component, where the first component is used for route planning and the second component is used for data processing. If both the first and second components are abnormal, the processing unit is considered completely faulty. If only some of the first and second components are abnormal, while the other components are normal, the processing unit is considered partially faulty, and the normal components in the processing unit can still perform their corresponding functions.

[0171] For example, if the first component is abnormal and the second component is normal, the first component cannot perform its function, but the second component can still process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain a perception result to assist in vehicle control. For another example, if the second component is abnormal and the first component is normal, the second component cannot perform its function. Optionally, the function of the second component can be switched to the first component, that is, the first component processes the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain a perception result to assist in vehicle control.

[0172] For example, the first component may include one or more CPU cores, and the second component may include one or more AI cores. When the first component includes multiple CPU cores, the first component abnormality may be that all of the multiple CPU cores are abnormal, or that some of the CPU cores are abnormal while the other CPU cores are normal. It is understandable that in the case where only some of the CPU cores are abnormal, the other normal CPU cores can implement some functions. For example, the partial function may be to correct a planned route.

[0173] When the second component includes multiple AI cores, the second component failure may occur in all of the multiple AI cores, or in some of the AI ​​cores while others are normal. It is understood that if only some of the AI ​​cores are abnormal, the remaining normal AI cores can perform some functions. For example, this partial function may be processing image data collected by a camera to perform image-based object detection, or processing point cloud data collected by a lidar to perform point cloud-based object detection.

[0174] Optionally, some of the aforementioned functions may be determined based on functional computing power requirements, where the functional computing power requirements include the computing power required to implement each function, and the functional computing power requirements may be pre-configured. Specifically, the processing unit may be provided with a health management module. Upon detecting a partial failure of the processing unit, the health management module may evaluate the functions that can be supported by the processing unit's remaining computing power based on the functional computing power requirements, thereby determining the functions that can still be implemented by the processing unit.

[0175] Through the above implementation, the abnormal situation of the processing unit is subdivided into two situations: complete failure of the processing unit and partial failure of the processing unit, so that in each situation, appropriate control information can be used to control the vehicle accordingly, thereby helping to improve the reliability of vehicle control.

[0176] In one possible embodiment, the control unit is further used to: obtain first trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensing device; and in the event of complete failure of the processing unit, control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information, where the first trajectory correction information is used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0177] The first trajectory correction information may be auxiliary control information generated by the control unit based on environmental information collected by the sensor device. The first trajectory correction information may reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and may be used to correct the safe escape trajectory, thereby assisting in vehicle control.

[0178] In a possible implementation, the control unit is in communication with the sensor device to obtain environmental information collected by the sensor device, and then generates the first trajectory correction information according to the obtained environmental information.

[0179] It is understandable that as the vehicle's surrounding environment changes, the environmental information collected by the sensor device will also change accordingly, so that the first trajectory correction information generated by the control unit based on the environmental information may also change dynamically.

[0180] Optionally, the control unit may periodically or aperiodically acquire environmental information collected by the sensor device and generate the first trajectory correction information based on the acquired environmental information. For example, the control unit may acquire environmental information collected by the sensor device once every second time interval and generate the first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information acquired this time. The second time interval may be set based on actual circumstances or needs and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0181] In the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory. During this process, the control unit can also obtain first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and correct the safe escape trajectory according to the first trajectory correction information to adapt to changes in the vehicle's surrounding environment.

[0182] For example, there is no obstacle on the safe escape trajectory. During the process of the vehicle stopping at a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, if the first trajectory correction information indicates that an obstacle (such as another vehicle) appears on the safe escape trajectory, the control unit can correct the safe escape trajectory so that the vehicle can bypass the obstacle and stop at a safe location.

[0183] Through the above-described embodiment, in the event of a processing unit anomaly, the control unit can obtain first trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device, thereby maintaining awareness of the vehicle's surroundings. The control unit can also control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information. As the vehicle arrives at a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, further improving safety.

[0184] In a possible implementation, the first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or space perception information.

[0185] Obstacles can include static obstacles (such as buildings, traffic signs, overpasses, etc.) and dynamic obstacles (such as pedestrians and other vehicles). Obstacle information can include information such as the obstacle's location and speed, which can be used to reflect the obstacle situation around the vehicle. Spatial perception information can be related to the space around the vehicle and can be used to reflect road boundaries, drivable areas, etc.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the sensor device includes a first type of sensor device, and the control unit obtains obstacle information based on environmental information (referred to as first environmental information) from the first type of sensor device. Optionally, the first type of sensor device includes one or more of an ultrasonic radar, a millimeter-wave radar, and an intelligent forward-looking camera.

[0187] In one example, the first environmental information may be raw information collected by the first type of sensor device (e.g., ultrasonic signals or millimeter wave signals), and the control unit may independently process the raw information to obtain obstacle information. In another example, the first environmental information may be information (e.g., obstacle information) processed by the first type of sensor device from the raw information collected. In other words, the first type of sensor device may directly provide obstacle information, and the control unit may directly obtain the obstacle information.

[0188] In another possible implementation, the sensor device includes a second type of sensor device, and the control unit obtains spatial perception information based on environmental information (referred to as second environmental information) from the second type of sensor device. Optionally, the second type of sensor device includes one or more of a camera and a lidar.

[0189] In one example, the second environmental information may be raw information collected by the second type of sensing device (e.g., image data or point cloud data), and the control unit may independently process the raw information to obtain spatial perception information. In another example, the second environmental information may be information (e.g., spatial perception information) processed by the second type of sensing device from the raw information collected. That is, the second type of sensing device may directly provide spatial perception information, and the control unit may directly obtain the spatial perception information.

[0190] Through the above implementation, the first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or spatial perception information. The obstacle information and / or spatial perception information can more accurately reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and be used to correct the safe escape trajectory, which can further improve the safety of the vehicle driving in abnormal conditions.

[0191] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to, in the event of a partial failure of the processing unit, obtain second trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device and transmit the second trajectory correction information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information, with the second trajectory correction information being used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0192] The second trajectory correction information can be auxiliary control information generated by healthy components (i.e., components that have not failed) in the processing unit based on environmental information collected by the sensor device, or it can be auxiliary control information obtained by the processing unit using its remaining computing power. This second trajectory correction information can reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and can be used to correct a safe escape trajectory, thereby assisting in vehicle control.

[0193] It is understandable that as the vehicle's surrounding environment changes, the environmental information collected by the sensor device will also change accordingly, so that the second trajectory correction information generated by the normal components in the processing unit based on the environmental information may also change dynamically.

[0194] Optionally, the normal component in the processing unit may periodically or aperiodically acquire environmental information collected by the sensor device and generate the second trajectory correction information based on the acquired environmental information. For example, the normal component in the processing unit may acquire environmental information collected by the sensor device once every third time interval and generate the second trajectory correction information based on the acquired environmental information. The third time interval may be set based on actual circumstances or needs and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0195] After obtaining the second trajectory correction information, the processing unit may send the second trajectory correction information to the control unit so that the control unit can use the second trajectory correction information to assist in vehicle control.

[0196] In the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory. During this process, the processing unit can also use the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain second trajectory correction information. The control unit can also correct the safe escape trajectory according to the second trajectory correction information to adapt to changes in the vehicle's surrounding environment.

[0197] For example, there is no obstacle on the safe escape trajectory. During the process of the vehicle stopping at a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, if the second trajectory correction information indicates that an obstacle (such as another vehicle) appears on the safe escape trajectory, the control unit can correct the safe escape trajectory so that the vehicle can bypass the obstacle and stop at a safe location.

[0198] Through the above-described embodiment, in the event of a partial failure of the processing unit, the processing unit can use its remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain the second trajectory correction information. This maintains awareness of the vehicle's surroundings, fully utilizes the processing unit, and reduces computing power waste. The control unit can control the vehicle in conjunction with the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information. As the vehicle approaches a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, the second trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, further improving safety.

[0199] It should be noted that, in addition to being applicable to the above-mentioned intelligent driving scenarios, the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other scenarios where heterogeneous computing exists, such as the cloud computing field. When the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) or neural network processing unit (NPU) of some servers in the system fails, the remaining capacity of the system can be used to provide simplified functions.

[0200] In a possible implementation, the second trajectory correction information includes an environment perception result.

[0201] The environmental perception result can be the result of the processing unit utilizing excess computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device. For example, the environmental perception result can include information such as the location and speed of an obstacle. Another example is information such as road boundaries and drivable areas.

[0202] Through the above implementation, the second trajectory correction information includes the environmental perception result, which can more accurately reflect the vehicle's surrounding environment and is used to correct the safe escape trajectory, which can further improve the safety of the vehicle driving in abnormal situations.

[0203] In one possible implementation, the control unit is further configured to obtain first trajectory correction information based on environmental information collected by the sensor device. The processing unit is further configured to, in the event of a partial failure of the processing unit, obtain second trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device and transmit the second trajectory correction information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to control the vehicle based on the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information, and the second trajectory correction information, where the first and second trajectory correction information are used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

[0204] The specific description of the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information may refer to the relevant description of the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0205] In the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory. During this process, the control unit can also obtain first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device. The processing unit can also use the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain second trajectory correction information. The control unit can also correct the safe escape trajectory based on the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information to adapt to changes in the vehicle's surrounding environment.

[0206] For example, there is originally no obstacle on the safe escape trajectory. During the process of the vehicle stopping at a safe location along the safe escape trajectory, if the first trajectory correction information and / or the second trajectory correction information indicates that an obstacle (such as another vehicle) appears on the safe escape trajectory, the control unit can correct the safe escape trajectory so that the vehicle can bypass the obstacle and stop at a safe location.

[0207] Through the above-mentioned embodiment, in the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the control unit can obtain the first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and the processing unit can use the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain the second trajectory correction information. In this way, the perception of the vehicle's surrounding environment can be maintained, and richer trajectory correction information can be obtained. It can also achieve full utilization of the processing unit and reduce computing power waste. The control unit can control the vehicle in combination with the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information. Therefore, when the vehicle is parked in a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, which helps to further improve safety.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the safe escape trajectory includes: a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory, wherein the first safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to stop in its lane, and the second safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to pull over. When the safe escape trajectory includes the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit is further configured to select a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory.

[0209] The first safe escape trajectory may be control information for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position in the lane, and the second safe escape trajectory may be control information for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position on the roadside.

[0210] In one possible scenario, the safe escape trajectory includes only the first safe escape trajectory. For example, if the processing unit detects, based on the vehicle's surrounding environmental information, that safe parking conditions are available in the vehicle's lane, but not on the roadside, the processing unit may generate only the first safe escape trajectory. Consequently, if the processing unit malfunctions, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop in the vehicle's lane according to the first safe escape trajectory.

[0211] In another possible scenario, the safe escape trajectory includes only the second safe escape trajectory. For example, if the processing unit detects, based on the vehicle's surroundings, that safe parking conditions are not available in the vehicle's lane, but are available on the roadside, the processing unit may generate only the second safe escape trajectory. Therefore, if the processing unit malfunctions, the control unit can control the vehicle to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory.

[0212] In another possible scenario, the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory. For example, based on the environmental information surrounding the vehicle, the processing unit detects that both the vehicle's lane and the roadside meet the conditions for safe parking. In this case, the processing unit can generate the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory. When the safe escape trajectory includes the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit can select a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory. The target escape trajectory can be the first safe escape trajectory or the second safe escape trajectory. Therefore, in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, the control unit can control the vehicle to park in the vehicle's lane according to the first safe escape trajectory, or to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory.

[0213] It should be noted that the number of the first safe escape trajectories may be one or more, and the number of the second safe escape trajectories may be one or more, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0214] Through the above embodiment, the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory. In the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, the control unit can control the vehicle to park in the lane according to the first safe escape trajectory, or to park by the side of the road according to the second safe escape trajectory. This provides multiple solutions for dealing with abnormal situations, helping to ensure that the vehicle can be parked safely in abnormal situations.

[0215] In one possible embodiment, the processing unit is also used to: predict the environmental information at the next moment based on the current environmental information, determine the first parking position and perform trajectory planning based on the environmental information at the next moment, and obtain a first safe escape trajectory, wherein the first parking position is a position where there are no obstacles in the lane and the vehicle can reach within a first time length.

[0216] The above embodiment provides a method for generating a first safe escape trajectory. Among them, the current environmental information can indicate information such as the position and status of traffic participants around the vehicle at the current moment, and the next moment environmental information can indicate information such as the position and status of traffic participants around the vehicle at the next moment. The first parking position can be a safe position in this lane for the vehicle to park. The first duration can be the maximum duration that the vehicle is allowed to park in this lane under abnormal circumstances, that is, the vehicle needs to complete parking in this lane within the first duration after the abnormal situation occurs. It should be understood that the first duration can be pre-agreed or pre-configured, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0217] Exemplarily, the processing unit can determine the starting position based on the current position of the vehicle, and can also determine the first parking position and various safe positions between the starting position and the first parking position based on information such as the position and status of traffic participants around the vehicle at each moment, and then plan the first safe escape trajectory based on the starting position, the first parking position, and the various safe positions between the starting position and the first parking position.

[0218] Through the above embodiment, the processing unit can determine a safe position for the vehicle to park in this lane based on the environmental information around the vehicle, and plan a first safe escape trajectory, so that in an abnormal situation the control unit can control the vehicle to park in this lane according to the first safe escape trajectory, so that the vehicle reaches a safe state.

[0219] In one possible embodiment, the processing unit is also used to: predict the environmental information at the next moment based on the current environmental information, determine the second parking position based on the environmental information at the next moment and perform trajectory planning to obtain a second safe escape trajectory, wherein the second parking position is a position where there are no obstacles on the roadside and the vehicle can reach within the second time length.

[0220] The above embodiment provides a method for generating a second safe escape trajectory. Among them, the current environmental information can indicate information such as the position and status of traffic participants around the vehicle at the current moment, and the next moment environmental information can indicate information such as the position and status of traffic participants around the vehicle at the next moment. The second parking position can be a safe position on the roadside where the vehicle can be parked. The second duration can be the maximum duration that the vehicle is allowed to pull over under abnormal circumstances, that is, the vehicle needs to complete the pullover within the second duration after the abnormal situation occurs. It should be understood that the second duration can be pre-agreed or pre-configured, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0221] Exemplarily, the processing unit can determine the starting position based on the current position of the vehicle, and can also determine the second parking position and various safe positions between the starting position and the second parking position based on information such as the position and status of traffic participants around the vehicle at each moment, and then plan a second safe escape trajectory based on the starting position, the second parking position, and the various safe positions between the starting position and the second parking position.

[0222] Through the above embodiment, the processing unit can determine a safe location on the roadside for the vehicle to park based on the environmental information around the vehicle, and plan a second safe escape trajectory, so that in an abnormal situation, the control unit can control the vehicle to park on the side of the road according to the second safe escape trajectory, so that the vehicle reaches a safe state.

[0223] In one possible implementation, when a target escape trajectory is selected from a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit is configured to preferentially control the vehicle to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory and predict the duration of the pullover. When the predicted pullover duration exceeds the second duration, the vehicle is controlled to stop in the current lane.

[0224] When the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit can preferentially select the second safe escape trajectory as the target escape trajectory, thereby controlling the vehicle to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory in an abnormal situation.

[0225] When the vehicle is pulling over to park according to the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit can also periodically or non-periodically predict the duration of the pull-over. When the predicted pull-over duration exceeds the second duration, it can be considered that the pull-over duration exceeds the safety range, and it can be considered that it may be unsafe for the vehicle to continue to pull over. Therefore, the control unit can adjust the vehicle control plan to make the vehicle stop in the current lane to prevent safety problems that may arise if the vehicle continues to pull over.

[0226] Through the above embodiment, when the safe escape trajectory includes a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit controls the vehicle to prioritize pulling over according to the second safe escape trajectory, thereby minimizing the impact on other vehicles in the lane. While the vehicle is pulling over according to the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit can also predict the duration of the pullover. If the predicted pullover duration exceeds the safe range, the control unit can promptly adjust the vehicle control plan to stop the vehicle in the current lane to ensure safe parking.

[0227] In a possible implementation, the control unit is further configured to: determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the main control information sent by the processing unit is not received for more than a first time threshold.

[0228] The above embodiment provides a method for determining the health status of the processing unit. When the processing unit is normal, the processing unit can send main control information to the control unit once at regular intervals, and correspondingly, the control unit can receive main control information from the processing unit once at regular intervals.

[0229] The first time threshold can be the maximum time interval between two consecutive transmissions of primary control information by the processing unit, or the maximum time interval between two consecutive receptions of primary control information by the control unit. If the control unit fails to receive primary control information from the processing unit after the first time threshold, the processing unit may be determined to be abnormal. It should be understood that the first time threshold can be set based on actual circumstances or needs, and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0230] Through the above-mentioned implementation, the control unit can judge the health status of the processing unit based on the reception of the main control information. When the control unit does not receive the main control information from the processing unit for more than the first time threshold, it can be considered that the processing unit has not sent the main control information normally, and the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0231] In another possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to: report health information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to: determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the health information contains abnormal information.

[0232] The above embodiment provides another method for determining the health status of a processing unit. The processing unit can detect its own health status and report health information to the control unit. In return, the control unit can receive health information from the processing unit, which can be used to indicate the health status of the processing unit. If the health information contains abnormal information, the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0233] Through the above-mentioned implementation, the processing unit can actively report health information to the control unit, and the control unit can judge the health status of the processing unit based on the health information reported by the processing unit. When the health information contains abnormal information, it can be considered that the processing unit has detected its own abnormality, and thus the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0234] In another possible implementation, the control unit is further configured to send first information to the processing unit. The processing unit is further configured to send second information in response to the first information to the control unit. The control unit is further configured to determine that the processing unit is abnormal if the second information is not received within a second time threshold.

[0235] The above embodiment provides another way to determine the health status of a processing unit. A question-and-answer mechanism exists between the control unit and the processing unit. The control unit can send a first message to the processing unit at regular intervals, and the processing unit can correspondingly receive the first message from the control unit at regular intervals. When the processing unit is normal, the processing unit can respond to each received first message and provide a second message as feedback. Correspondingly, the control unit can receive the second message from the processing unit at regular intervals.

[0236] The second time threshold can be the maximum time interval between the control unit sending the first message and the processing unit feeding back the second message. If the control unit does not receive the second message from the processing unit after sending the first message for more than the second time threshold, the processing unit may be determined to be abnormal. It should be understood that the second time threshold can be set based on actual circumstances or needs, and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0237] Through the above-mentioned embodiment, the control unit can send the first information to the processing unit and judge the health status of the processing unit based on the reception of the second information in response to the first information. When the control unit does not receive the second information from the processing unit within the first time threshold, it can be considered that the processing unit has not normally fed back the response information, and the processing unit can be determined to be abnormal.

[0238] The vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above. The method embodiment involved in the embodiment of the present application is described below.

[0239] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flow chart of a vehicle control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The embodiment shown in Figure 4 takes the processing unit and the control unit as the interactive execution subjects as an example to illustrate the method.

[0240] As shown in FIG4 , the vehicle control method may include but is not limited to the following steps S401 to S403 .

[0241] S401: The processing unit generates main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0242] S402: The processing unit sends main control information and a safe escape trajectory to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit receives the main control information and the safe escape trajectory from the processing unit.

[0243] S403, the control unit controls the vehicle according to the main control information when the processing unit is normal, and controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory when the processing unit is abnormal.

[0244] In a possible implementation, the processing unit abnormality includes: complete failure of the processing unit, or partial failure of the processing unit.

[0245] In one possible implementation, the safe escape trajectory includes: a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory, wherein the first safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to stop in its lane, and the second safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to pull over. When the safe escape trajectory includes the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit selects a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory.

[0246] In one possible implementation, the processing unit predicts the environmental information at the next moment based on the current environmental information, determines the first parking position based on the environmental information at the next moment, and performs trajectory planning to obtain a first safe escape trajectory, wherein the first parking position is a position where there are no obstacles in the lane and the vehicle can reach within a first time length.

[0247] In one possible implementation, the processing unit predicts the environmental information at the next moment based on the current environmental information, determines the second parking position based on the environmental information at the next moment, and performs trajectory planning to obtain a second safe escape trajectory, wherein the second parking position is a position where there are no obstacles on the roadside and the vehicle can reach within the second time period.

[0248] In one possible implementation, when selecting a target escape trajectory from a first safe escape trajectory and a second safe escape trajectory, the control unit preferentially controls the vehicle to pull over according to the second safe escape trajectory and predicts the duration of the pullover. When the predicted pullover duration exceeds the second duration, the vehicle is controlled to stop in the current lane.

[0249] In a possible implementation, when the control unit does not receive the main control information sent by the processing unit for more than a first time threshold, the control unit determines that the processing unit is abnormal.

[0250] In a possible implementation, the processing unit reports health information to the control unit, and accordingly, the control unit receives the health information from the control unit. When the health information contains abnormal information, the control unit determines that the processing unit is abnormal.

[0251] In one possible implementation, the control unit sends first information to the processing unit, and the processing unit receives the first information from the control unit. The processing unit sends second information in response to the first information to the control unit, and the control unit receives the second information from the processing unit. If the control unit does not receive the second information for a second time threshold, the control unit determines that the processing unit is abnormal.

[0252] It should be understood that the specific description of the above-mentioned method embodiment can refer to the relevant description in the above-mentioned device embodiment, which will not be repeated here. Through the above-mentioned method embodiment, the processing unit will generate, in addition to the main control information for controlling the normal driving of the vehicle under normal conditions, a safe escape trajectory for controlling the vehicle to stop at a safe position, and send both the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit. When an abnormality occurs in the processing unit and it is unable to continue to provide the main control information, the control unit can control the vehicle to stop at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, thereby being able to achieve safe control of the vehicle in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit. In addition, compared to dealing with abnormal situations by designing a redundant processing unit, the embodiment of the present application can eliminate the need to design redundant processing units, thereby helping to save the cost of achieving safe control of the vehicle in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit.

[0253] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a flowchart of another vehicle control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The embodiment shown in Figure 5 takes the processing unit and the control unit as the interactive execution entities as an example to illustrate the method.

[0254] As shown in FIG5 , the vehicle control method may include but is not limited to the following steps S501 to S504 .

[0255] S501: The processing unit generates main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0256] S502: The processing unit sends main control information and a safe escape trajectory to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit receives the main control information and the safe escape trajectory from the processing unit.

[0257] S503: The control unit obtains first trajectory correction information according to the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0258] S504 , when the processing unit is abnormal, the control unit controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information.

[0259] In a possible implementation, the first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or space perception information.

[0260] It should be understood that for the specific description of the above method embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant description in the above device embodiment, which will not be repeated here. Through the above method embodiment, in the event of an abnormality in the processing unit, the control unit can obtain the first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, so that the perception of the vehicle's surrounding environment can be maintained. The control unit can also control the vehicle in combination with the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information, so that in the process of the vehicle stopping at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, which helps to further improve safety.

[0261] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a flow chart of another vehicle control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The embodiment shown in Figure 6 takes the processing unit and the control unit as the interactive execution subjects as an example to illustrate the method.

[0262] As shown in FIG6 , the vehicle control method may include but is not limited to the following steps S601 to S605 .

[0263] S601: The processing unit generates main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0264] S602: The processing unit sends main control information and a safe escape trajectory to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit receives the main control information and the safe escape trajectory from the processing unit.

[0265] S603 , when the processing unit partially fails, the processing unit obtains second trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0266] S604: The processing unit sends second trajectory correction information to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit receives the second trajectory correction information from the processing unit.

[0267] S605: The control unit controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information.

[0268] In a possible implementation, the second trajectory correction information includes an environment perception result.

[0269] It should be understood that the specific description of the above method embodiment can refer to the relevant description in the above device embodiment, which will not be repeated here. Through the above method embodiment, in the event of partial failure of the processing unit, the processing unit can use the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain the second trajectory correction information, so that the perception of the vehicle's surrounding environment can be maintained, and the processing unit can be fully utilized to reduce the waste of computing power. The control unit can control the vehicle in combination with the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information, so that in the process of the vehicle stopping at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, the second trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, which helps to further improve safety.

[0270] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a flow chart of another vehicle control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The embodiment shown in Figure 7 takes the processing unit and the control unit as the interactive execution subjects as an example to illustrate the method.

[0271] As shown in FIG. 7 , the vehicle control method may include but is not limited to the following steps S701 to S706 .

[0272] S701: The processing unit generates main control information and a safe escape trajectory based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0273] S702: The processing unit sends main control information and a safe escape trajectory to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit receives the main control information and the safe escape trajectory from the processing unit.

[0274] S703: The control unit obtains first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0275] S704 , in the case where the processing unit partially fails, the processing unit obtains second trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device.

[0276] S705: The processing unit sends second trajectory correction information to the control unit. Correspondingly, the control unit receives the second trajectory correction information from the processing unit.

[0277] S706: The control unit controls the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information, and the second trajectory correction information.

[0278] It should be understood that the specific description of the above method embodiment can refer to the relevant description in the above device embodiment, and will not be repeated here. Through the above method embodiment, in the case of partial failure of the processing unit, the control unit can obtain the first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and the processing unit can use the remaining computing power to process the environmental information collected by the sensor device to obtain the second trajectory correction information, so that the perception of the vehicle's surrounding environment can be maintained, and richer trajectory correction information can be obtained. It can also achieve full utilization of the processing unit and reduce computing power waste. The control unit can control the vehicle in combination with the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information, so that in the process of the vehicle stopping at a safe position according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information can be used to assist in vehicle control, which helps to further improve safety.

[0279] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of another vehicle control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle control device 800 may include a memory 801 and a processor 802. Further optionally, the vehicle control device 800 may also include a communication interface 803 and a bus 804. The memory 801, processor 802, and communication interface 803 are connected to each other via bus 804. The communication interface 803 is used to exchange data with other devices.

[0280] Among them, the memory 801 is used to provide storage space, and the storage space can store data such as an operating system and computer programs. The processor 802 is a module that performs arithmetic and logical operations, and can be one or more combinations of processing modules such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a microprocessor (MPU). The processor 802 can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0281] The processor 802 calls the computer program stored in the memory 801 to execute the method steps in the above method embodiment. The specific content can be referred to the above method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0282] In the case where the vehicle control device can be a chip or a chip system, reference may be made to the schematic structural diagram of the chip shown in FIG9 .

[0283] As shown in Figure 9, chip 900 includes a processor 901 and an interface 902. There may be one or more processors 901, and there may be multiple interfaces 902. It should be noted that the functions corresponding to processor 901 and interface 902 can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software, without limitation.

[0284] Optionally, the chip 900 may further include a memory 903 , which is used to store necessary program instructions and data.

[0285] In this application, processor 901 may be configured to call a program implementing the vehicle control method provided in one or more embodiments of this application from memory 903 and execute the instructions contained in the program. Interface 902 may be configured to output the execution results of processor 901. In this application, interface 902 may be specifically configured to output various messages or information from processor 901.

[0286] Regarding the vehicle control method provided in one or more embodiments of the present application, reference may be made to the above-mentioned various method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0287] An embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, which includes the above-mentioned vehicle control device 300 or vehicle control device 800 or chip 900.

[0288] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction runs on a processor, the method shown in the above method embodiment can be implemented.

[0289] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed on a processor, the method shown in the above method embodiment can be implemented.

[0290] It should be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0291] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0292] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0293] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one unit, each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0294] The above is only a specific implementation method of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with this technical field can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application, which should be covered by the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, characterized in that: Applied in a vehicle, the vehicle control device comprises: a processing unit and a control unit; The processing unit is used to generate main control information and a safe escape trajectory according to the environmental information collected by the sensor device, and send the main control information and the safe escape trajectory to the control unit; The control unit is used to control the vehicle according to the main control information when the processing unit is normal, and to control the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory when the processing unit is abnormal.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The abnormality of the processing unit includes: the complete failure of the processing unit, or the partial failure of the processing unit.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The control unit is also used for: Obtaining first trajectory correction information according to the environmental information collected by the sensor device; and In the case where the processing unit is abnormal, the vehicle is controlled according to the safe escape trajectory and the first trajectory correction information, and the first trajectory correction information is used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The processing unit is further configured to obtain second trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device and send the second trajectory correction information to the control unit when the processing unit partially fails; The control unit is further used to control the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory and the second trajectory correction information, and the second trajectory correction information is used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

5. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit is further used to obtain first trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device; The processing unit is further configured to obtain second trajectory correction information based on the environmental information collected by the sensor device and send the second trajectory correction information to the control unit when the processing unit partially fails; The control unit is further used to control the vehicle according to the safe escape trajectory, the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information, and the first trajectory correction information and the second trajectory correction information are used to correct the safe escape trajectory.

6. The device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that The first trajectory correction information includes obstacle information and / or space perception information; and / or the second trajectory correction information includes an environment perception result.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The safe escape trajectory includes: a first safe escape trajectory and / or a second safe escape trajectory, wherein the first safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to park in the lane, and the second safe escape trajectory is used to instruct the vehicle to park by the side of the road; When the safe escape trajectory includes the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit is further configured to select a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The processing unit is also used for: Predicting the next moment's environmental information based on the current environmental information, determining a first parking position based on the next moment's environmental information and performing trajectory planning to obtain the first safe escape trajectory, wherein the first parking position is a position where there are no obstacles in the lane and the vehicle can reach within a first time period; and / or, The environmental information at the next moment is predicted based on the current environmental information, and the second parking position is determined and trajectory planning is performed based on the environmental information at the next moment to obtain the second safe escape trajectory, wherein the second parking position is a position without obstacles on the roadside and which the vehicle can reach within a second time period.

9. The device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that When selecting a target escape trajectory from the first safe escape trajectory and the second safe escape trajectory, the control unit is used to control the vehicle to park by the side of the road preferentially according to the second safe escape trajectory, and predict the duration of the parking by the side of the road. When it is predicted that the duration of the parking by the side of the road exceeds the second duration, the vehicle is controlled to park in the current lane.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The control unit is further configured to determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the main control information sent by the processing unit is not received for a period exceeding a first time threshold; or The processing unit is further used to report health information to the control unit, and the control unit is further used to determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the health information contains abnormal information; or The control unit is further used to send first information to the processing unit, and the processing unit is further used to send second information in response to the first information to the control unit. The control unit is further used to determine that the processing unit is abnormal when the second information is not received after a second time threshold.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that: A vehicle control device comprising the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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