WO2025062624A1 - Driving control method and driving control device - Google Patents

Abstract

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

Description

Operation control method and operation control device

Related to a vehicle driving control method and driving control device.

A driving assistance technology is known that offsets the target course of the vehicle in a direction away from the other vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle and another vehicle will be side-by-side.

JP 2020-197828 A

However, with conventional technology, erroneous detection by the sensor can disrupt the vehicle's behavior.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to prevent the vehicle's behavior from being disrupted by erroneous detection by the sensor.

The present invention solves the above problem by controlling the execution of an evasive maneuver that separates the vehicle from the vehicle behind when a specific evasive condition is met, by making it easier to execute an evasive maneuver when detection information acquired from a camera and a radar device satisfies the evasive condition than when only detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the evasive condition, and by making it easier to execute an evasive maneuver when only detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the evasive condition than when only detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the evasive condition.

The present invention can prevent the vehicle's behavior from being disrupted by erroneous detection by the sensor.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the operation control system. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for avoidance driving control. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining avoidance driving. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the ease of implementing avoidance driving.

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

As the perception system devices, the driving control system 100 is equipped with one or more sensors 2, an own vehicle information acquisition device 3, an other vehicle information acquisition device 4, and a rear vehicle recognition device 5. The processor 10 acquires observed values from each of the perception system devices, and uses known methods to determine the state and changes in the position, attitude, and motion (speed, acceleration, etc.) of objects including the own vehicle and other vehicles.

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

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

The driving control system 100 has map information 6 and lane information 61 as information system devices. The map information 6 and lane information 61 are recorded in a storage device that the processor 10 can access via the communication device 30 and an external server. The map information 6 is high-precision map information that includes lane information 61 that is referenced when performing autonomous lane change control. The lane information 61 includes identification information that identifies each of the multiple lanes that belong to a road. The navigation device 7 refers to the map information 6 and calculates a route to a set destination. This route includes a target trajectory. The calculated route and target trajectory are provided to the vehicle controller 200 and used for autonomous driving control.

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

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

The processor 10 executes each function by working in cooperation with the software and each piece of hardware shown in Figure 1 to realize at least a function for determining whether the avoidance conditions are satisfied or not, a function for determining the ease of executing avoidance driving, and an automatic driving function for executing driving control including avoidance driving according to the ease of execution.

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

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

When a rear vehicle is detected (YES in S4), the processor 10 reads a predefined avoidance condition and judges whether or not the detection information of the sensor 2 satisfies the avoidance condition (S5). The avoidance condition is a condition for judging whether or not avoidance driving to separate the host vehicle from the rear vehicle can be performed. The avoidance condition is predefined based on the proximity between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle. The proximity is a risk index that indicates the degree of proximity between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle. The higher the proximity, the closer the host vehicle and the rear vehicle are, and the lower the proximity, the farther the host vehicle and the rear vehicle are.
When the avoidance condition is defined by the approach degree, the avoidance condition is determined to be satisfied when the approach risk indicated by the approach degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (high approach risk state). Since the rear vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane approaches the host vehicle while moving laterally, the approach degree may be defined using the lateral distance, lateral speed, and lateral acceleration. The approach degree can be expressed using thresholds defined by index values known at the time of filing using the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle, the lateral distance along the lane width, the TTC value, and their reciprocals and derivatives. The TTC is an index value based on the time of contact between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle under the assumption that the current relative speed is maintained.

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

The processor 10 classifies the determination result of whether the avoidance condition is satisfied into the following three patterns. The classification is performed from the viewpoint of whether the sensor 2 that outputs the detection information that is determined to satisfy the avoidance condition is only the camera 21, only the radar device 22, or both the camera 21 and the radar device 22. The avoidance condition includes an avoidance condition related to the imaging information of the camera 21 and an avoidance condition related to the observation information of the radar device 22. In other words, the processor 10 determines whether the event that the avoidance condition is satisfied is an event in which the detection information of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 satisfy each avoidance condition, an event in which only the detection information of the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition related to the observation information of the radar device 22, or an event in which only the detection information of the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition related to the imaging information of the camera 21. The patterns P1, P2, and P3 of each event will be described.
<Pattern P1: Satisfied by detection information (both) of camera 21 and radar device 22>
In pattern P1, the judgment result is that the detection information acquired from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition, and the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition. In other words, the approach degree based on the imaging information of the camera 21 is equal to or greater than the threshold value set for the imaging information, and the approach degree based on the observation information of the radar device 22 is equal to or greater than the threshold value set for the observation information. This is the case where the avoidance condition is satisfied in both the detection result of the camera 21 and the detection result of the radar device 22.
<Pattern P2: Satisfied with only the detection information from the radar device 22>
In pattern P2, the judgment result is that only the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition. The detection information acquired from the camera 21 does not satisfy the avoidance condition. The approach degree based on the imaging information of the camera 21 is less than the threshold set for the imaging information (not satisfied), and the approach degree based on the observation information of the radar device 22 is equal to or greater than the threshold set for the observation information (satisfied).
<Pattern P3: Satisfied with only the detection information from camera 21>
In pattern P3, the judgment result is that only the detection information acquired from the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition. The detection information acquired from the radar device 22 does not satisfy the avoidance condition. The approach degree based on the imaging information of the camera 21 is equal to or greater than the threshold set for the imaging information (satisfied), and the approach degree based on the observation information of the radar device 22 is less than the threshold set for the observation information (not satisfied).

The processor 10 sets different "ease of execution" for the avoidance driving depending on the analyzed patterns P1, P2, P3 of the determination result of the satisfaction of the avoidance conditions. The ease of execution is the ease with which the avoidance driving is executed, and is defined as the level of ease of the avoidance driving. Considering the series of steps in which the execution command is generated with the satisfaction of the avoidance conditions as a trigger, and the avoidance driving is executed and completed, the "ease of execution" uses the speed of starting the avoidance driving and the speed of the execution process of the avoidance driving (the shortness of time required for the avoidance driving) as evaluation indexes.
If the detection information of the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition (YES in S6) and the detection information of the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition (YES in S7), the processor 10 sets the ease of execution of evasive maneuver to level E1 (S8) and proceeds to S11. If the detection information of the camera does not satisfy the avoidance condition (NO in S6) and only the detection information of the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition (YES in S7'), the processor 10 sets the ease of execution of evasive maneuver to level E2 (<E1) (S9) and proceeds to S11. If the detection information of the camera satisfies the avoidance condition (YES in S6) and the detection information of the radar device 22 does not satisfy the avoidance condition (NO in S7), the processor 10 sets the ease of execution of evasive maneuver to level E3 (<E2) (S10) and proceeds to S11. If it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met (YES in S5), but the detection information from the camera 21 and the radar device 22 does not indicate that the avoidance conditions are met (NO in S6, NO in S7'), the process returns to S1 and the determination is made again.
With this process, when the content of the avoidance condition satisfaction is pattern P1, the ease of execution of level E1 is associated, when it is pattern P2, the ease of execution of level E2 is associated, and when it is pattern P3, the ease of execution of level E3 is associated. The respective levels E of execution have the relationship of level E1>level E2>level E3. The ease of execution of avoidance maneuver at level E1 is the highest, and avoidance maneuver is most likely to be executed. The ease of execution of avoidance maneuver at level E3 is the lowest, and avoidance maneuver is least likely to be executed. The ease of execution of avoidance maneuver at level E2 is a medium degree, lower than level E1 and higher than level E3.
In other words, when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are satisfied based on both the detection information acquired from the camera 21 and the radar device 22 (pattern P1), a level E1 (> level E2) is set at which evasive maneuvering is more likely to be performed than when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are satisfied based only on the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 (pattern P2), and when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are satisfied based only on the detection information acquired from the radar device 22 (pattern P2), a level E2 (> level E3) is set at which evasive maneuvering is more likely to be performed than when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are satisfied based only on the detection information acquired from the camera 21 (pattern P3).

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

4 shows a time chart from when information satisfying the avoidance condition is acquired to when the avoidance operation is completed. Here, the data processing time in the processor 10 is ignored. The timing T2 when the detection information satisfying the avoidance condition is acquired is the timing when the execution of the avoidance operation is decided.
After it is decided to perform the evasive maneuver, the evasive maneuver is started at a timing TS after the waiting time TR2 has elapsed. The waiting time T2 is set as a time for confirmation, rather than starting the movement of the host vehicle immediately after the decision. The execution time TR3 from the timing TS at which the evasive maneuver is started to the timing T3 at which the evasive maneuver is completed is the time for the host vehicle V1 to move to the destination calculated to avoid the rear vehicle V2. The start timing of the evasive maneuver can be determined by the start of a lateral position change to separate the host vehicle V1 from the rear vehicle V2, the start of steering control, a change in the angle of the wheels, etc. The completion timing of the evasive maneuver can be determined by the completion of the movement of the targeted lateral position, the completion of steering control, and the direction of the wheels becoming the vehicle length direction. The start timing of the evasive maneuver involving a lane change can be determined by the above, in addition, by one or two front wheels crossing the lane. In addition to the above, the timing of the completion of an evasive maneuver involving a lane change can be determined by the following: one or two rear wheels have crossed the lane, the reference position of the vehicle body (such as the center of gravity) has entered the new lane, all or part of the vehicle body belongs to the new lane, the orientation of the vehicle body has returned from the left or right direction (when turning) to a straight direction, and the posture of the vehicle body after steering matches the direction of the lane.

　The ease of performing evasive maneuvering, that is, the ease of performing, will be explained in detail. When evasive maneuvering is easy to perform (high ease of performing), it means that the time spent on evasive maneuvering is relatively short. When evasive maneuvering is difficult to perform (low ease of performing), it means that the time spent on evasive maneuvering is relatively long. The time spent on evasive maneuvering refers to the total time TR1 from the timing T2 when detection information that satisfies the avoidance conditions shown in Figure 4 is acquired to the timing T3 when evasive maneuvering is completed. Furthermore, when evasive maneuvering is easy to perform (high ease of performing), it means that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively early (early, swiftly), and that evasive maneuvering is performed relatively quickly (quickly, fast). When evasive maneuvering is performed early, it means that the waiting time TR2 from the timing T2 when detection information that satisfies the avoidance conditions in Figure 4 is acquired to the timing TS when evasive maneuvering begins is short. On the other hand, the avoidance operation is difficult to execute (low execution ease) means that the avoidance operation is executed relatively late and that the avoidance operation is executed relatively slowly. The avoidance operation is executed late means that the waiting time TR2 from the timing T2 when the information satisfying the avoidance condition in FIG. 4 is acquired to the timing TS when the avoidance operation starts is long. The waiting time TR2 is a time provided for a process to check the reliability of the detection information, such as whether noise is included in the detection information, before the avoidance operation starts. By shortening the waiting time TR2, the vehicle can start moving quickly during the avoidance operation. The avoidance operation is executed quickly means that the execution time TR3 from the timing TS when the avoidance operation starts to the timing T3 when the avoidance operation is completed in FIG. 4 is short. An avoidance operation in which any of the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, or the execution time TR3 is relatively short is evaluated as being easy to execute (high execution ease), and an avoidance operation in which any of the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, or the execution time TR3 is relatively long is judged as being difficult to execute (low execution ease). An avoidance operation that is easy to execute (high execution ease) means that the avoidance operation is executed early (the waiting time TR2 is short) or that the avoidance operation is executed quickly (the execution time TR3 is short). Conversely, an avoidance operation that is difficult to execute (low execution ease) means that the execution of the avoidance operation is delayed (the waiting time TR2 is long) or that the avoidance operation is executed slowly (the execution time TR3 is long). An avoidance operation that is easy to execute (high execution ease) means that the total time TR1 required to complete the execution of the avoidance operation is relatively short. Conversely, an avoidance operation that is difficult to execute (low execution ease) means that the total time TR1 is relatively long. By shortening the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3, the overall time TR1 can be shortened. Note that, in cases where careful confirmation or cautious driving is required, it is preferable to make it difficult to execute avoidance maneuvers (to lower the ease of execution).

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

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

Similarly, the execution time TR3(1) from the timing TS when the execution of the avoidance operation of the level E1 set in the pattern P1 starts to the timing T3 when the execution of the avoidance operation is completed is shorter than the execution time TR3(2) of the avoidance operation of the level E2 set in the pattern P2. The execution time TR3(2) of the avoidance operation of the level E2 set in the pattern P2 is shorter than the execution time TR3(3) of the avoidance operation of the level E3 set in the pattern P3. The relationship of the execution times TR3 is TR3(1)<TR3(2)<TR3(3).
The execution time TR3 in the avoidance driving can be shortened by increasing the moving speed of the vehicle V1, particularly the moving speed (lateral speed) along the lateral direction, which is the road width direction in which the rear vehicle V2 traveling in the adjacent lane approaches the vehicle V1. Specifically, the lateral moving speed can be improved by increasing the speed, turning speed, and turning acceleration, and the vehicle V1 can move to the target avoidance position in a short time. Therefore, the lateral movement speed VL(1) of the vehicle V1 defined in the execution of the avoidance driving in the avoidance driving of the level E1 set in the pattern P1 is higher than the lateral movement speed VL(2) in the avoidance driving of the level E2 set in the pattern P2. In addition, the lateral movement speed VL(2) of the level E2 set in the pattern P2 is higher than the lateral movement speed VL(3) of the level E3 set in the pattern P3. In other words, the lateral movement speed VL has a relationship of VL(1)>VL(2)>VL(3).

Incidentally, the driving control device 1 of this embodiment includes a camera 21 and a radar device 22 as the sensor 2. The camera 21 and the radar device 22 detect and measure distance to an object based on their respective detection characteristics. Even if the camera 21 and the radar device 22 have high performance, false detection is inevitable depending on the detection environment. In addition, the detection information of the camera 21 has a characteristic that it is more susceptible to noise than the detection information of the radar device 22 and has a relatively low measurement accuracy of the vertical distance. According to an experiment by the inventors, the distance measurement performance of the camera 21 in the automatic driving control tends to be relatively inferior to that of the radar device 22. In particular, the radar device 22 tends to have a better distance measurement performance than the camera 21 for distant objects.
The inventors focus on the detection characteristics of the camera 21 and the radar device 22, and analyze a pattern P of events that satisfy the avoidance conditions from the standpoint of whether the sensor 2 that provided detection information that satisfies the avoidance conditions is both the camera 21 and the radar device 22, only the radar device 22, or only the camera 21. They then associate each pattern P with a level E that indicates the ease of evasive driving (ease of execution).

In the present invention, when the detection information of both the camera 21 and the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition, it is determined that the reliability is higher than when the detection information of only the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition, and the highest ease of execution (ease of execution) of the avoidance operation is associated with it. When only the detection information of the radar device 22 satisfies the avoidance condition, it is determined that the reliability is higher than when only the detection information of the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition, and the ease of execution (ease of execution) of the avoidance operation is set relatively high. In this way, the reliability of the detection information is evaluated in stages based on the type (camera 21 and/or radar device 22) of the sensor 2 that outputs the detection information that satisfies the avoidance condition and the combination thereof, and the avoidance operation can be performed at different levels of ease of execution E depending on the evaluation result. In the present invention, the event of satisfying the avoidance condition is classified into a plurality of patterns P, the reliability of the event is evaluated for each pattern P, and the level of ease of execution E is set in stages according to the reliability of each event.
When both the detection information of the camera 21 and the detection information of the radar device 22 satisfy the avoidance conditions, the ease of execution of the avoidance driving is increased, so that the vehicle V1 can be made to perform avoidance driving with good response performance and quick operation. In particular, when the avoidance driving involves a lane change with a large amount of lateral movement, the vehicle can feel agility and quick movement. On the other hand, when the satisfaction of the avoidance conditions is determined based only on the detection information of the camera 21, which has a relatively high possibility of false detection, the ease of execution of the avoidance driving is lowered, so that the vehicle can be prevented from being moved and avoidance driving can be prevented from being performed based on the false detection of the camera 21. In this way, the detection results are analyzed based on the result of satisfaction/non-satisfaction of the avoidance conditions based on the detection information of the camera 21 and the result of satisfaction/non-satisfaction of the avoidance conditions based on the detection information of the radar device 22, and the patterns P1, P2, and P3 are associated with each other, and the order of the ease of execution according to the patterns P1-P3 is defined, so that avoidance driving control can be performed taking into account the detection characteristics of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 used in combination.
Simply confirming and supplementing the detection information of the camera 21 with the detection information of the radar device 22 predicts that the avoidance driving will be performed in the same manner. In the present invention, the conclusion that the avoidance conditions are satisfied is divided into patterns P1, P2, and P3, and the ease of performing the avoidance driving E1, E2, and E3 are gradually associated with these patterns P1, P2, and P3, thereby reducing the number of situations in which the start of the avoidance driving is delayed or the movement speed is suppressed. In driving that includes lateral movement such as avoidance driving, it is essential to check the space of the movement destination and wait for the start of the movement in advance, so avoidance driving requires accurate judgment and quick movement. According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the frequency with which quick avoidance driving is performed while maintaining the configuration of the sensor 2.

The avoidance driving is likely to be performed means that the avoidance driving is started early and completed in a short time. When the avoidance conditions are satisfied by the detection information of both the camera 21 and the radar device 22, the waiting time TR2 is shortened compared to when the avoidance conditions are satisfied by the detection information of the camera 21 or the radar device 22, so that the avoidance driving can be started promptly without missing an opportunity for lateral movement. In addition, after the driving is started, the avoidance driving can be performed promptly by shortening the execution time TR3. In addition, the execution time TR3 can be shortened by increasing the speed of lateral movement during the avoidance driving. As a result, the overall time TR1 is shortened, and the host vehicle V2 can respond sensitively to the detection result and perform the avoidance driving with smooth and prompt movement without hesitation.
On the other hand, when the avoidance conditions are satisfied only by the detection information of the camera 21, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and the execution time TR3 can be set relatively longer than when the avoidance conditions are satisfied by the detection information of the radar device 22 (patterns P1 and P2). When the reliability is relatively low, careful avoidance driving can be performed by checking the detection information in advance and taking time to perform avoidance driving at a low speed.
Furthermore, in the case where the avoidance conditions are satisfied solely by the detection information of the radar device 22 (pattern P2), the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and the execution time TR3 are set longer than the respective times for pattern P2 and shorter than the respective times for pattern P3, thereby making it possible to realize avoidance driving with a degree of ease of execution that varies in stages according to the reliability.

In S12 of FIG. 2, the processor 10 performs a correction process for the content of the evasive maneuver. In this correction process, the content of the evasive maneuver is changed according to the level. Specifically, the content of the evasive maneuver is corrected by extending or shortening the total time TR1, waiting time TR2, and execution time TR3 in the evasive maneuver, or by improving or decreasing the evasive speed or evasive turning degree.

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

Even if the camera 21 and the radar device 22 have high performance, it is inevitable that false detection will occur depending on the detection environment. The detection information of the camera 21 is prone to noise, and has a characteristic that the measurement accuracy of distant positions is relatively low. In addition, the detection accuracy of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 may be affected by weather. The image captured by the camera 21 may have whiteout due to the effects of high-intensity sunlight, its reflected light, and snowfall, and object recognition and position measurement may not be accurate. The irradiation and reception of electromagnetic waves by the radar device 22 may be affected by rain and snowfall, and object recognition and position measurement may not be accurate. In addition, if the rear vehicle V2 is a saddle-type vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle with a small vehicle width, the camera 21 may not be able to capture the target accurately, and the radar device 22 may not be able to receive sufficient reflected waves and may not be able to accurately recognize and measure the distance to the target. If the rear vehicle V2 is a truck with a large width and length, it may not fit within the field of view of the camera 21 and only a portion of it may be recognized, making it impossible to capture the image accurately. The radar device 22 may also not be able to receive reflected waves from the object boundary and may not be able to accurately recognize and measure the distance to the entire object.
In this way, the detection accuracy of the sensor 2 differs depending on the environment, and also differs depending on the type of sensor 2 (camera 21, radar device 22).
The environmental conditions (weather conditions and/or the vehicle type of the rear vehicle V2) that affect the detection accuracy of the camera 21 and the radar device 22 are defined in advance. The processor 10 calculates the reliability of the detection information when an influencing environment is detected. The weather conditions can be acquired from an external server via the communication device 30. Rain and snowfall can be detected by the operation of the wipers equipped in the host vehicle V1. Sunlight and reflected light can be acquired from a light meter equipped in the host vehicle V1. Whether the rear vehicle V2 is a motorcycle can be determined by a pattern matching method based on an image of the object. Whether the rear vehicle V2 is a truck can be determined by learning image features such as the object boundary not being within the angle of view of the camera 21 and the object boundary based on the received waves of the radar device 22 not being continuous.
When it is predicted that the detection accuracy will decrease due to external factors such as weather conditions and the type of the rear vehicle V2, the content of the avoidance driving can be corrected according to the reliability of the detection information. When the reliability decreases due to an external factor, the overall time TR1, the waiting time TR2, and/or the execution time TR3 can be shortened to perform the avoidance driving that eliminates the influence of the external factor.

In the second correction process, the processor 10 corrects the content of the avoidance driving related to the ease of executing the avoidance driving (execution ease) based on the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2. Whether the camera 21 or the radar device 22 has a limit to the detectable distance, the detection accuracy decreases as the object becomes farther. For this reason, the processor 10 evaluates the reliability of the detection information according to the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2, and corrects the content of the avoidance driving by changing the ease of executing the avoidance driving (execution ease). Specifically, when the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 is long, the processor 10 lengthens the total time TR1 from the timing T2 at which the information of the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance condition is acquired to the timing T3 at which the execution of the avoidance driving is completed, the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3 included therein, compared to when the relative distance is short. The content of this correction includes making the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3 included therein longer when the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2 is short than when the relative distance is long.
As a result, when it is predicted that the detection accuracy will decrease due to the characteristics of the camera 21 or the radar device 22, it is possible to correct the content of the feasibility of avoidance driving according to the distance that affects the reliability of the detection information of the camera 21 or the radar device 22. When it is predicted that the reliability of the detection information of the camera 21 or the radar device 22 will be affected by the distance, it is possible to execute avoidance driving that eliminates the effect of distance on the detection information of the camera 21 or the radar device 22 by shortening the overall time TR1.
In this correction process, the longer the relative distance measured based on the detection information of the camera 21 or the radar device 22, the longer the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 included therein and/or the execution time TR3 may be changed, and the shorter the relative distance, the shorter the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 included therein and/or the execution time TR3 may be changed.
Incidentally, the detection accuracy of the camera 21 tends to be lower for distant objects than for nearby objects. Experiments have shown that the detection accuracy for distant objects is lower for the camera 21 than for the radar device 22. For this reason, the above correction process may be executed only when it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met based only on the information acquired from the camera 21 (pattern P3). When only the detection information from the camera 21 meets the avoidance conditions, the length of the waiting time TR2 can be adjusted according to the relative distance between the host vehicle V1 and the rear vehicle V2.

In the third correction process, if it is determined that the avoidance conditions are met based only on the information obtained from camera 21 (pattern P3), processor 10 corrects the content of the avoidance maneuver related to the ease of execution (ease of execution) of the avoidance maneuver, taking into consideration whether the vertical approach or the lateral approach in the detection information of camera 21 met the avoidance conditions. If only the detection information of camera 21 meets the avoidance conditions, processor 10 extracts vertical distance information and lateral distance information from the detection information. In the avoidance conditions, the approach thresholds set for the detection information of camera 21 include a threshold for vertical information and a threshold for lateral information, respectively. Processor 10 determines whether the lateral (vehicle width) approach in the detection information of camera 21 met the avoidance conditions based on the lateral threshold, or whether the vertical approach met the avoidance conditions based on the vertical threshold. Then, when the degree of approach in the vertical direction (vehicle length direction) in the detection information of the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition based on the vertical threshold, the processor 10 lengthens the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3 included therein, from the timing T2 when the information of the rear vehicle V2 that satisfies the avoidance condition is acquired to the timing T3 when the execution of the avoidance maneuver is completed, compared to when the degree of approach in the horizontal direction (vehicle width direction) in the detection information of the camera 21 satisfies the avoidance condition based on the horizontal threshold. The content of this correction includes shortening the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3 included therein, when the degree of approach in the horizontal direction (vehicle width direction) satisfies the avoidance condition based on the horizontal threshold, compared to when the avoidance condition based on the vertical threshold is satisfied.

According to experiments by the inventors, the detection accuracy of the camera 21 in the horizontal direction tends to be higher than its detection accuracy in the vertical direction. Although the detection accuracy of the angle (existence direction) at which an object exists based on the detection information of the camera 21 is high, the detection accuracy of the distance to the object cannot be said to be high. For this reason, the detection information in the vertical direction and the detection information in the horizontal direction are extracted from the detection information of the camera 21, and a relative evaluation is given to the reliability of the detection information in each direction. The detection information in the horizontal direction is evaluated to be more reliable than the detection information in the vertical direction, and the content of the avoidance driving related to the ease of execution is changed based on this evaluation.
As a result, in a case where the detection accuracy of the camera 21 in the vertical direction is predicted to be lower than that in the horizontal direction, taking into consideration that the direction of the detection information of the camera 21 affects the reliability of the detection information, the content of the avoidance operation can be changed according to the direction of the detection information (vertical direction/horizontal direction) that affects the reliability of the detection information of the camera 21. When the detection information of the camera 21 that satisfies the avoidance condition is horizontal information, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3 included therein are shortened, and when the detection information of the camera 21 that satisfies the avoidance condition is vertical information, the total time TR1, the waiting time TR2 and/or the execution time TR3 included therein are lengthened. As a result, it is possible to perform an avoidance operation that eliminates the influence of the direction in the detection information of the camera 21.

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

　100... Driving control system, 1... Driving control device, 10... Processor, 11... CPU, 12... ROM, 13... RAM, 20... Input/output device, 30... Communication device, 2... Sensor, 21... Camera, 22... Radar device, 3... Vehicle information acquisition device, 4... Other vehicle information acquisition device, 5... Rear vehicle recognition device, 6... Map information, 7... Navigation device, 200... Vehicle controller, 210... Steering control device, 220... Drive control device

Claims (9)

A driving control method for controlling driving of a vehicle, which is used in a driving control device having a sensor including a camera and a radar device, and a processor, comprising:
The processor acquires detection information regarding a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle in an adjacent lane using the sensor,
When the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, the host vehicle is caused to perform an avoidance operation to separate the host vehicle from the rear vehicle;
When the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition and the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition, the avoidance driving is more likely to be performed than when only the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition,
A driving control method that makes it easier for the avoidance driving to be performed when only the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition than when only the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition. The driving control method according to claim 1, wherein the processor shortens the time from when the detection information that satisfies the avoidance condition is obtained to when the avoidance maneuver is completed, thereby making it easier to execute the avoidance maneuver. The driving control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor shortens the time from when the detection information that satisfies the avoidance condition is obtained to when the avoidance maneuver is started, thereby making it easier to execute the avoidance maneuver. The driving control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor shortens the time from the start to the completion of the execution of the avoidance maneuver, thereby making it easier to execute the avoidance maneuver. The driving control method according to claim 4, wherein the processor increases the speed of lateral movement of the host vehicle when the avoidance driving is performed. The driving control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor calculates the reliability of the detection information acquired from the sensor based on weather conditions and/or vehicle type conditions of the rear vehicle, and makes it easier to execute the avoidance maneuver when the reliability is relatively high than when the reliability is relatively low. The driving control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processor makes it less likely that the avoidance maneuver is performed when the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle is relatively long than when the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle is relatively short. The driving control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the avoidance condition is defined based on the degree of proximity between the rear vehicle and the vehicle, and the processor, in a case where only the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition, makes it less likely that the avoidance maneuver will be performed if the vertical proximity in the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition based on the vertical threshold value, compared to a case where the lateral proximity in the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition based on the lateral threshold value. A driving control device that includes a sensor including a camera and a radar device, and a processor, and controls driving of a vehicle,
The processor acquires detection information regarding a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle in an adjacent lane using the sensor,
When the detection information satisfies a predetermined avoidance condition, the host vehicle is caused to perform an avoidance operation to separate the host vehicle from the rear vehicle;
When the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition and the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition, the avoidance driving is more likely to be performed than when only the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition,
A driving control device that makes it easier for the avoidance driving to be performed when only the detection information acquired from the radar device satisfies the avoidance condition than when only the detection information acquired from the camera satisfies the avoidance condition.

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