JP2021189871A - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generate a high-precision map without causing trouble to a driver. SOLUTION: This is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, and has a peripheral environment recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding environment of the own vehicle and outputs recognition information, and an own vehicle position information that estimates the position of the own vehicle and outputs the recognition information. The own vehicle position estimation unit, the map information generation unit that generates map information based on the recognition information and the own vehicle position information, the map information storage unit that stores the map information, and the generation start of the map information. The map information generation start determination unit has a map information generation start determination unit, and the map information generation start determination unit detects the passage of a preset arbitrary point, and the map information generation unit has the map information. Starts to generate. [Selection diagram] FIG. 8

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that generates map information from the surrounding environment of the own vehicle.

Recognize objects around your vehicle (vehicles, pedestrians, structures, etc.), road markings and road signs (road markings such as lane markings, signs such as stops, etc.) using external recognition sensors such as in-vehicle cameras and radars. Various techniques for this have been proposed. Further, an automatic driving technology has been developed that controls the own vehicle by using these technologies and assists the driver's driving operation to drive to the destination.

In addition to external recognition technology, high-precision maps are also required for such automatic driving. The high-precision map contains more detailed and accurate information than the map of the conventional navigation device, and includes, for example, the type and position of the lane boundary line, the type and position of road markings and signs, and the position of a signal. However, since high-precision maps are created with priority given to highways, metropolitan areas, and other roads and areas with a large population, automatic driving is performed in areas with a small population and alleys around private residences. Difficult to meet needs.

As a technique for solving such a problem of high-precision map, there are the following prior arts. In Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-197453), route information indicating a route traveled by a vehicle equipped with a sensor and sensor information collected by the sensor while traveling along the route are associated with identification information. A collecting unit to collect, and a generating unit to generate map information for a vehicle having an autonomous traveling function to autonomously travel on the route indicated by the route information based on the route information and the sensor information collected by the collecting unit. The map information includes a providing unit that provides the map information generated by the generation unit to the target specified by the identification information, and the map information includes information about the target specified by the identification information. An information processing apparatus characterized by this is described (see claim 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-197453

The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 travels in a place where there is no high-precision map, collects route information and sensor information at that time, and generates a high-precision map from these information, and the driver can generate the high-precision map. It is possible to drive on the road where you want to carry out autonomous driving, generate a high-precision map, and enable autonomous driving. However, it is difficult to collect all the information necessary for a high-precision map in one run, and it is necessary to run the same road multiple times. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation is troublesome because it is necessary to set whether or not to collect information every time the driver travels on the road where he / she wants to carry out automatic driving.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to generate a high-precision map without causing trouble to the driver in order to enable automatic driving in a place where there is no high-precision map. ..

A typical example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows. That is, a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, a peripheral environment recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding environment of the own vehicle and outputs recognition information, and a self that estimates the position of the own vehicle and outputs the position information of the own vehicle. A vehicle position estimation unit, a map information generation unit that generates map information based on the recognition information and the own vehicle position information, a map information storage unit that stores the map information, and a determination to start generation of the map information. The map information generation start determination unit has a map information generation start determination unit, and the map information generation start determination unit generates the map information based on the fact that the map information generation start determination unit detects the passage of a preset arbitrary point. It is characterized by starting.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of the user when learning the high-precision map and improve the convenience. Issues, configurations and effects other than those mentioned above will be clarified by the description of the following examples.

It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle control device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle control device in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the process of switching an operation mode in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the map learning process in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the driving support process in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the processing content of the map information generation start end determination part. It is a figure for demonstrating the map information generation timing. It is a figure for demonstrating the map information generation timing. It is a figure for demonstrating the map information generation timing. It is a figure for demonstrating the map information generation timing. It is a figure for demonstrating the learning state of a map. It is a figure which shows an example of information notification to a user by a display device. It is a figure for demonstrating the method of deciding the content of driving support. It is a figure which shows an example of information notification to a user by a display device.

Hereinafter, examples will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Example)
1 and 2 are schematic configuration diagrams of a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The control device 100a exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a computer that controls the own vehicle, and by executing a program stored in a storage medium (not shown), the surrounding environment recognition unit 1 and the own vehicle position estimation unit are executed. 2. It functions as a map information generation unit 3, a map information generation start / end determination unit 4, a map information storage unit 5, a user setting input unit 6, an HMI control unit 7, a traveling track generation unit 8, and a vehicle control unit 9. It should be noted that the reason why the configurations are described separately in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that different operations are performed in the two operation modes (during map learning and driving support) described in the flowchart of FIG.

The control device 100a includes a steering device 111, a drive device 112, a braking device 113, and a transmission device 114 of the own vehicle, an external environment recognition device 101, an absolute position measurement device 102, a sound generator 115, and a display provided in the own vehicle. It is connected to the device 116. Further, the control device 100a is connected to a transmission line such as a CAN (not shown) or a dedicated line of the own vehicle, and vehicle information such as the vehicle speed, steering angle, and shift position of the own vehicle via these transmission lines. And user operation information such as switch input and touch panel input are input.

The external environment recognition device 101 is a device that acquires information on the surrounding environment of the own vehicle, and is, for example, four in-vehicle cameras that capture the surrounding environment of the front, rear, right side, and left side of the own vehicle, respectively. .. The image obtained by the in-vehicle camera is output as analog data or A / D converted to the control device 100a via a transmission line such as a dedicated line. In addition to the in-vehicle camera, a stereo camera can be used as another in-vehicle camera. In addition to the in-vehicle camera, a radar that measures the distance to an object using millimeter waves or laser light, and a sonar that measures the distance to an object using ultrasonic waves. Etc. can be used. These devices such as an in-vehicle camera output information such as the distance to the detected object and its direction to the control device 100a via a transmission line such as a dedicated line.

The absolute position measuring device 102 is a device that acquires absolute position information on a map of the own vehicle, and is, for example, a GNSS (satellite positioning system) such as GPS or GLONASS. The position information obtained by GNSS is output to the control device 100a via a transmission line such as CAN or a dedicated line. In addition to GNSS, the position information of the own vehicle may be acquired by using road-to-vehicle communication or the like.

The steering device 111 includes an electric power steering, a hydraulic power steering, and the like that can control the steering angle by an electric or hydraulic actuator or the like by a drive command from the outside.

The drive device 112 includes an engine system that can control engine torque with an electric throttle or the like by an external drive command, an electric power train system that can control a driving force of a motor or the like by an external drive command, and the like.

The braking device 113 is composed of an electric brake, a hydraulic brake, or the like whose braking force can be controlled by an electric or hydraulic actuator or the like by an external braking command.

The transmission 114 is composed of a transmission or the like that can switch between forward and reverse by an electric or hydraulic actuator or the like in response to a shift command from the outside.

The sound generator 115 is composed of a speaker or the like, and functions as an information notification unit that outputs an alarm, voice guidance, or the like to the driver.

The display device 116 includes a display such as a navigation device, a meter panel, a warning light, and the like. The display device 116 functions as an information notification unit that notifies information such as an operation screen of the control device 100a and a warning screen that visually informs the driver that there is a danger that the own vehicle collides with an obstacle.

The surrounding environment recognition unit 1 uses image data and distance measurement information captured around the own vehicle input from the external environment recognition device 101 to road surfaces such as stationary solid objects, moving objects, and lane boundaries around the own vehicle. It has a determination function of detecting the shape and position of an object such as a paint or a sign, and further detecting unevenness of the road surface to determine whether or not the vehicle can travel on the road surface. The stationary three-dimensional object is, for example, a structure such as a guardrail, a wall, a pole, a pylon, a curb, a bollard, or a parked vehicle. The moving body is, for example, a pedestrian, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a vehicle, or the like. Hereinafter, the stationary three-dimensional object and the moving object are collectively referred to as an obstacle. The shape and position of the object may be detected by pattern matching, but may be detected by using other techniques.

Further, the surrounding environment recognition unit 1 travels, for example, when traveling on a general road, based on the information on the shape and position of the detected object and the determination result of whether or not the own vehicle can travel on the road surface. Detects possible lane positions and turnable spaces at intersections. Further, in the case of a parking lot, a parkable space that is a space where the own vehicle can be parked, a travelable space that is a space that can be turned to park in the parkable space, and the like are detected. The travelable space is defined by using the width of the passage, the distance to the obstacle in front of the own vehicle, the position of the obstacle (parked vehicle) adjacent to the parkable space, and the like.

The own vehicle position estimation unit 2 estimates the own vehicle position on the map by using the detected absolute position information, dead reckoning, and the like. Dead reckoning is a method of estimating the position of the own vehicle by using information such as the number of revolutions of each wheel of the own vehicle, the vehicle speed, the steering angle, and the yaw rate, and is known as a known technique. In addition, the method for estimating the position of the own vehicle on the map here differs depending on the available maps. When the map is not a high-precision map like a map of a conventional navigation device, the position of the own vehicle is estimated by using, for example, a map matching method which is a known technique. In the case of a high-precision map, the high-precision of the own vehicle is based on the road surface paint and signs such as the lane boundary line detected by the surrounding environment recognition unit 1, and other obstacles and landmarks stored on the high-precision map. Estimate the position of your vehicle on the map.

The map information generation unit 3 generates a high-precision map from the detected surrounding environment and information on the position of the own vehicle. Specifically, a high-precision map based on the vehicle position estimated by the vehicle position estimation unit 2 for information such as road surface paints and signs such as lane boundaries detected by the surrounding environment recognition unit 1 and obstacles and landmarks. Learn up. As a learning means, for example, there is a method of registering information in a high-precision map as information with higher reliability as information detected at the same place a plurality of times. Further, as the generated map information, the learning progress information for grasping the learning situation is calculated for each predetermined section and stored as additional information in the map information. Here, the predetermined section is, for example, a section between intersections of roads, a section of a predetermined distance (for example, 100 m), a section to which identification information is given in a map of a conventional navigation device, and the like. Further, the learning progress is increased every time the vehicle travels in a predetermined section, and the section not traveled for a predetermined period (for example, one week) is decreased, so that the operation while maintaining the freshness of the map information becomes possible.

The map information generation start / end determination unit 4 determines the generation start and generation end of the map information based on the information on the position of the own vehicle and the contents set by the user operation. One is a judgment method that does not depend on user operation. When it is detected from the travel history of the own vehicle position that the vehicle has traveled the same route or the same section multiple times (for example, twice or more), the road is frequently used by the user. When the judgment is made and the point where the same road is entered next time is detected, the map information of the road is generated. The second is a judgment method that depends on the user operation. It detects that the user has performed an operation (for example, setting a learning start point, setting a destination, etc.) and has passed a point set based on the operation. Generate map information. Further, the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 stops the generation of map information when it arrives at the destination, leaves the route of the travel history, or leaves the range set by the user. What is common to the above is to detect the passage of an arbitrary point (map information generation start point) and determine the map information generation timing. By automatically generating the map information in this way, it is possible to eliminate the annoyance to the user and improve the convenience.

The map information storage unit 5 stores the map information generated by the map information generation unit 3. Here, the map of the conventional navigation device and the map information generated by the map information generation unit 3 may be stored in the same place or may be stored separately. The map information storage unit 5 may store newly generated map information in the oldest generated map information storage area after the storage area is filled with map information.

The user setting input unit 6 inputs user operation information such as switch input and touch panel input, and receives setting information such as learning start point setting, destination setting, learning ceria setting, and route setting.

The HMI control unit 7 appropriately generates information for notifying the user according to the situation, and outputs the information to the sound generator 115 and the display device 116.

The traveling track generation unit 8 generates a track for moving the own vehicle from the current position of the own vehicle to the target position. Further, the target speed of traveling on the generated track is calculated using information such as the speed limit of the map information, the curvature of the track, the traffic light, the stop position, and the speed of the preceding vehicle. For example, when driving on a general road, a destination is set using a navigation device or the like, and the track is based on information such as the positional relationship between the vehicle and obstacles and the lane position when traveling toward the destination. To generate. In the case of a parking lot, a target parking position for parking the own vehicle is set in the parkable space based on the positional relationship between the own vehicle and an obstacle, and a track to that point is generated.

The vehicle control unit 9 controls the travel of the own vehicle along the target track generated by the travel track generation unit 8. The vehicle control unit 9 calculates a target steering angle and a target speed based on the target trajectory. When a collision between the own vehicle and an obstacle is predicted, the target steering angle and the target speed are calculated so that the own vehicle does not collide with the obstacle. Then, the vehicle control unit 9 outputs the target steering torque for realizing the target steering angle to the steering device 111. Further, the vehicle control unit 9 outputs the target engine torque and the target brake pressure for achieving the target speed to the drive device 112 and the braking device 113. Further, when it is necessary to change the traveling direction of the own vehicle, a shift command is output to the transmission 114.

Next, the processing procedure of the control device 100a will be described with reference to the flowchart.

3 to 5 are flowcharts showing an example of the processing procedure of the control device 100a.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the process of switching the operation mode.

In the process S301 of FIG. 3, the process is changed based on the current operation mode. If the operation mode is map learning, the process proceeds to the map learning process of the process S302, and if the operation mode is during the driving support, the process proceeds to the operation support process of the process S303.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the details of the map learning process of the process S302 of FIG.

In the process S401 of FIG. 4, the control device 100a acquires the recognition result of the external environment from the external environment recognition device 101.

In the process S402, the control device 100a acquires the measurement result of the absolute position from the absolute position measuring device 102.

In the process S403, the peripheral environment recognition unit 1 detects road surface paints such as lane boundaries around the own vehicle, signs, obstacles, landmarks, etc., based on the external environment recognition result acquired in the process S401.

In the process S404, the own vehicle position estimation unit 2 uses the detection result of the surrounding environment recognition unit 1 and the map information and vehicle information (rotation of each wheel) of the map information storage unit 5 based on the absolute position measurement result acquired in the process S402. Estimate the position of the own vehicle using the number, vehicle speed, steering angle, yaw rate, etc.).

The process S405 determines the start and end of generation of map information based on the information on the position of the own vehicle and the contents set by the user operation.

In the process S406, it is determined whether or not the determination result of the process S405 is the map information generation timing, and if it is the map information generation timing, the process proceeds to the process S407, and if it is not the map information generation timing, the process proceeds to the process S409.

In the process S407, a high-precision map is generated from the detected information on the surrounding environment and the position of the own vehicle, the process proceeds to the process S408, and the generated map information is stored.

In the process S409, the content of the notification to the user is updated. For example, when it is determined in the process S406 that it is the map information generation timing, the user is notified that the map information is being learned and the learning state of the map information is being notified by using the sound generator 115 or the display device 116.

In the process S410, it is determined whether or not there is a driving support intention display from the switch operation from the user, and if there is a driving support intention display, the process proceeds to the process S411, and if there is no driving support intention display, the process ends. ..

In the process S411, the content of the driving support is determined. The contents of driving support are, for example, automatic driving level 2 (automatic driving that the driver needs to constantly monitor), automatic driving level 3 (automatic driving under certain conditions, and the driver takes charge of driving operation in an emergency). , Automatic driving level 4 (automatic driving within a limited area, no driver's driving operation is required) and the like.

In the process S412, the operation mode is changed during the operation support.

In the process S413, the operation support content determined in the process S411 is notified to the user by using the sound generator 115 or the display device 116, and the process ends.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of the driving support process of the process S303 of FIG.

Since the processes S501 to S504 in FIG. 5 are the same processes as the processes S401 to S404 in FIG. 4, the description thereof will be omitted.

In the process S505, a track for moving the own vehicle from the current own vehicle position to the target position is generated.

In the process S506, the target steering angle, the target speed, and the appropriate shift position for traveling on the target track generated by the process S505 are calculated.

In the process S507, control parameters for outputting the target steering angle, the target speed, and the appropriate shift position calculated in the process S506 to each of the steering device 111, the drive device 112, the braking device 113, and the transmission device 114 are calculated. .. For example, the control parameter output to the steering device 111 has a target steering torque for realizing the target steering angle, but depending on the configuration of the steering device 111, the target speed steering angle may be output directly. Further, the control parameters output to the drive device 112 and the braking device 113 include the target engine torque and the target braking pressure for achieving the target speed, but the target speed is directly determined depending on the configuration of the drive device 112 and the braking device 113. It may be output.

In the process S508, the control parameters calculated in the process S507 are output to each of the steering device 111, the drive device 112, the braking device 113, and the transmission device 114.

In the process S509, it is determined whether or not the target position has been reached, and if the target position is reached, the process proceeds to the process S510, and if the target position is not reached, the process proceeds to the process S511.

In the process S510, the operation mode is changed during map learning.

In the process S511, when the target position is reached in the process S509, the guidance for ending the driving support is given to the user, and when the target position is not reached, the guidance during the driving support is given to the user by using the sound generator 115 or the display device 116. Notify and end processing.

By executing the process described above, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of the user when learning the high-precision map, improve the convenience, and provide driving support using the high-precision map.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10, specific processing contents of the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 (details of the processing S405 of FIG. 4) will be described.

FIG. 6 shows a road environment in which the roads in the left-right direction on the diagram from H1 to H4 and the roads in the vertical direction on the diagram from V1 to V5 intersect, respectively. In the illustrated road environment, an identifier (ID) is assigned to each of the roads between intersections as predetermined sections. For example, in the H1 road, the section between the V1 road and the V2 road is defined as ID: H1-1-2.

FIG. 6 shows a situation in which the own vehicle 600 is traveling from the point B to the point A along the route 601. The map information generation start / end determination unit 4 stores the route traveled by the own vehicle 600. For example, if the user travels on the route 601 of FIG. 6 a plurality of times (for example, twice or more), the user determines that the route 601 is frequently used, and maps the points where the vehicle 600 gets on the route 601 during the third and subsequent travels. It is set as the information generation start point, and learning of map information is started when the map information generation start point is passed, and map information is learned after the map information generation start point. In addition, although the number of trips may be counted for multiple runs, the route is divided into predetermined sections (for example, sections for each street sandwiched between intersections), and the number of runs is counted for each divided section. Then, the section frequently used by the user may be determined.

FIG. 7 shows a situation in which the own vehicle 700 is traveling along the route 701 from the position of the own vehicle 700 to the point A. When the user inputs a position (for example, by operating a switch) for learning map information at the position of the own vehicle 700 in FIG. 7, the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 starts learning at the position where learning is started (this position is the start of map information generation). (As a point) is memorized, learning of map information is started when the map information generation start point is passed, and map information is learned after the map information generation start point. When traveling on the learned route from the next time onward, when the passage of the map information generation start point stored in the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 is determined, the learning of the map information is started without waiting for a new operation by the user. ..

FIG. 8 shows a situation in which the vehicle is traveling from the position of the vehicle 800 and the position of the vehicle 810 to the point A. In FIG. 8, the own vehicle 800 and the own vehicle 810 (the reason why they are given different numbers is to clarify the position of the own vehicle, and the own vehicle 800 and the own vehicle 810 are the same vehicle), respectively. Travels along Route 801 and Route 811 from the position of the own vehicle 800 and the position of the own vehicle 810 in FIG. 8 to the point A. At the point A, the home or the like is registered in advance by the user, and the range of the distance X (the distance X may be set in advance by the user or may be a specified value) around the point A is the learning target of the map information. Set to range. The map information generation start / end determination unit 4 determines the learning start at the position where the own vehicle has entered the learning target range (the boundary point of this learning target range is set as the map information generation start point), and within the learning target range. Generate map information. In FIG. 8, when the position of the own vehicle 800 or the own vehicle 810 (map information generation start point) is reached, the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 determines the learning start.

FIG. 9 shows a situation in which the vehicle is traveling from the position of the vehicle 900 and the position of the vehicle 910 to the point A. In FIG. 9, the own vehicle 900 and the own vehicle 910 (the reason why they are given different numbers is to clarify the position of the own vehicle, and the own vehicle 900 and the own vehicle 910 are the same vehicle), respectively. Travels along Route 901 and Route 911 from the position of the own vehicle 900 and the position of the own vehicle 910 in FIG. 9 to the point A. When the user sets the area for which map information is to be learned in advance as a dotted rectangular 920, the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 sets the position where the own vehicle has entered the learning target area (the boundary point of this learning target range is map information). The start of learning is determined at the generation start point), and map information is generated within the learning target range. In FIG. 9, when the position of the own vehicle 900 or the own vehicle 910 (map information generation start point) is reached, the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 determines the learning start. The learning target area may be a rectangular area or an arbitrary shape as shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 shows a situation in which the vehicle travels on a route from the position of the own vehicle 1000 and the position of the own vehicle 1010 to the point B to the point A. In FIG. 10, in a situation where the route 1020 that has provided route guidance between the points A and B is stored, the map information generation start / end determination unit 4 owns the vehicle on the stored route 1020. When it is determined that the vehicle has boarded (the position where the own vehicle has boarded the memorized route is set as the map information generation start point), the learning start is determined and the map information is generated. Specifically, in FIG. 10, when it is determined that the own vehicle 1000 has entered the route 1020 on the traveling route 1001, it is determined that learning has started, and map information is generated on the route. Further, when it is determined that the own vehicle 1010 has entered the route 1020 on the traveling route 1011, it is determined that learning has started, and map information is generated on the route. At the time of setting the route guidance, it may be possible to set whether to learn about the route in the second and subsequent trips. Further, when setting the route guidance, it may be possible to set whether to learn about the route from the first run.

As described above, the vehicle control device 100a of the present embodiment determines to start learning the map information when the map information generation start point is passed, so that the user's trouble when learning the high-precision map is eliminated. However, it is possible to improve convenience.

Next, the learning state of the map will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The generated map stores learning progress information indicating the degree of learning for each predetermined section as additional information. In this example, the learning progress is in three stages (low, medium, high) for each section. .. The learning progress increases every time a predetermined section is run, and the section that has not been run for a predetermined period (for example, one week) and has not been learned most recently decreases. For example, when the point A is the home of the user, as shown in FIG. 11, since the traveling frequency is high around the point A, the learning progress is high. In addition, the content of driving support may be associated and managed for each learning progress. In this example, low learning progress corresponds to automatic driving level 2, high learning progress corresponds to automatic driving level 3, and high learning progress corresponds to automatic driving level 4.

FIG. 12 shows an example of information notification to the user by the display device 116. On the screen 1201 illustrated in FIG. 12, the status of the learning progress shown in FIG. 11 and the driving support content associated therewith are displayed on the screen in an easy-to-understand manner. On the screen 1201, the same information as in FIG. 11 showing the state of learning progress is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the learning progress is set as the road learning state and the legend is displayed together with the driving support content, but either the learning progress or the driving support content may be displayed. The mark 1200 indicates the position of the own vehicle. The learning progress and the driving support content may be notified by voice using the sound generator 115 instead of the display device 116.

Next, a method of determining the content of the driving support in the process S411 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG. When driving support is started at the position of the own vehicle 1300 in FIG. 13 and the vehicle travels to the point A along the route 1301, the route 1301 has two sections of learning progress (during learning progress and high learning progress). In the section where the learning progress is in progress, the driving support of the automatic driving level 3 can be implemented, and in the section where the learning progress is high, the driving support of the automatic driving level 4 can be implemented. In this case, for example, the following two methods can be adopted. The first is a method of providing driving support according to the automatic driving level for each section. When following route 1301, driving support is first provided at automatic driving level 3, and then the ID is H2_2-3. Switch from the section to automatic driving level 4. In this first method, the automatic driving level may be switched from the lower one to the higher one, but the automatic driving level may be switched from the higher one to the lower one. The second method is to adopt the lowest automatic driving level without switching the automatic driving level on the route. When following route 1301, driving support is provided to the destination (point A) at automatic driving level 3. implement. Further, when the driving support is started at the position of the own vehicle 1310 in FIG. 13 and the vehicle travels to the point A along the route 1311, the two methods can be similarly adopted. The user may set these two methods in advance, or may select either of them when starting the driving support.

Next, a method of notifying the user of driving that can realize driving support at an early stage will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 shows an example of information notification to the user by the display device 116. The learning state of the road described with reference to FIG. 12 is displayed on the screen 1401, and the mark 1400 is the current position of the own vehicle. For example, in order to realize driving support of automatic driving level 4 at an early stage, it is sufficient to preferentially drive in a section having a high learning progress (that is, by repeating driving in a section during the learning progress), the high learning progress can be achieved at an early stage. Therefore, since it is sufficient to drive the route 1402 as shown in FIG. 14 from the current learning progress, it is a recommended route that can display the route 1402 on the screen 1401 and realize the automatic driving level 4 to the user at an early stage. Notify that. However, in order to calculate such a route, it is necessary to consider the distance to the destination, the road width, and the traffic congestion situation. Therefore, the priority of route selection is given to the known route guidance method used in the conventional navigation device. It is advisable to consider the learning progress. Further, although FIG. 14 shows a method of displaying the recommended route for the automatic driving level 4, the target driving support may be the automatic driving level 3 or the automatic driving level 2, and it is specified even if the user sets it in advance. It may be a value. The recommended route and the automatic operation level may be notified by voice using the sound generator 115 instead of the display device 116.

Further, unlike the above, a route in which a high automatic driving level can be implemented may be preferentially selected. By selecting a route that can implement a high level of autonomous driving, the user can easily drive the vehicle.

As described above, according to the vehicle control device of this embodiment, the driver's operation is unnecessary or only the first operation is required, and then the learning is automatically performed. Therefore, when learning a high-precision map. It is possible to eliminate the annoyance of users, improve convenience, and provide driving support using high-precision maps.

Although the present embodiment has been described by taking some patterns as examples, the present invention can be applied to other patterns. In addition, it can be carried out in various ways as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

As described above, the vehicle control device 100a of the embodiment of the present invention has the peripheral environment recognition unit 1 that recognizes the surrounding environment of the own vehicle and outputs the recognition information, and the own vehicle by estimating the position of the own vehicle. Own vehicle position estimation unit 2 that outputs position information, map information generation unit 3 that generates map information based on recognition information and own vehicle position information, map information storage unit 5 that stores map information, and map information. The map information generation start / end determination unit 4 is provided with a map information generation start / end determination unit (map information generation start / end determination unit 4) for determining the start of generation of the map information. Since the map information generation is started based on the detection of the passage of the point (map information generation start point), the user's trouble when learning the high-precision map can be eliminated, the convenience can be improved, and the high level. Driving support using an accurate map can be implemented.

Further, the vehicle control device 100a further includes a user setting input unit 6 that receives input of setting information from the user, and an arbitrary point (map information generation start point) is set based on the setting information, so that the map information can be obtained. The area to be generated can be set accurately according to the user's intention. Further, after the user inputs the setting information once, the generation of the map information is automatically started, so that the troublesomeness of the user can be eliminated.

Further, any point (map information generation start point) is a point on the map set by the user by the user setting input unit 6, a point at a predetermined distance from the destination set by the user, a boundary point of the area set by the user, and the like. Since at least one of the points on the route set by the user is set, map information can be generated in an area suitable for the user's wishes and uses.

Further, the vehicle control device 100a further includes a vehicle control unit 9 that controls the running of the vehicle, and a learning progress indicating the degree of learning is added to the map information generated by the map information generation unit 3, and the vehicle control Since the part 9 changes the content of the driving support based on the learning progress, it is possible to provide a high level of automatic driving on the road with a high learning progress, and it is possible to call attention to the user according to the level of the provided automatic driving. Accidents can be prevented.

Further, the map information generation unit 3 increases the learning progress of the section in which the own vehicle has traveled, and decreases the learning progress of the section in which the own vehicle has not traveled for a predetermined period. Since the calculation is performed, it is possible to detect an object that cannot be detected in one run in a plurality of runs and improve the accuracy of the map information. In addition, old information can be discarded and map information according to the new situation can be provided.

Further, since the vehicle control unit 9 changes the content of the driving support for each section based on the learning progress for each section included in the route for implementing the driving support, the vehicle control unit 9 changes the content of the driving support for each section, so that the level is high for each section according to the driver's intention. Can provide driving assistance.

Further, the vehicle control unit 9 supports driving of the route at the lowest automatic driving level among the automatic driving levels of each section included in the route, based on the learning progress of each section included in the route for which driving support is performed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the driver by switching the driving support level and prevent accidents.

Further, an information notification unit (sound generator 115, display device 116) for notifying the user of information is further provided, and the information notification units 115 and 116 are the learning progress for each section and the content of the driving support corresponding to the learning progress. Since at least one of them is notified to the user, the division of roles between the driver and the vehicle becomes clear, and accidents can be prevented.

Further, the vehicle control unit 9 compares the learning progress of each section, selects a recommended route such that the level of driving support increases at an early stage, and the information notification units 115 and 116 select the selected recommended route by the user. Therefore, it is expected that the learning progress will be improved promptly, and a high level of driving support can be provided at an early stage.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, but includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the scope of the attached claims. For example, the above-described examples have been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Further, a part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Further, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, other configurations may be added / deleted / replaced with respect to a part of the configurations of each embodiment.

Further, each configuration, function, processing unit, processing means, etc. described above may be realized by hardware by designing a part or all of them by, for example, an integrated circuit, and the processor realizes each function. It may be realized by software by interpreting and executing the program to be executed.

Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a memory, a hard disk, a storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

In addition, the control lines and information lines show what is considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines necessary for mounting. In practice, it can be considered that almost all configurations are interconnected.

1 Peripheral environment recognition unit 2 Own vehicle position estimation unit 3 Map information generation unit 4 Map information generation start / end determination unit 5 Map information storage unit 6 User setting input unit 7 HMI control unit 8 Travel track generation unit 9 Vehicle control unit 100a Control device 101 External environment recognition device 102 Absolute position measurement device 111 Steering device 112 Drive device 113 Braking device 114 Speed change device 115 Sound generator 116 Display device

Claims (10)

A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle.
The peripheral environment recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding environment of the own vehicle and outputs the recognition information,
The own vehicle position estimation unit that estimates the position of the own vehicle and outputs the own vehicle position information,
A map information generation unit that generates map information based on the recognition information and the vehicle position information,
A map information storage unit that stores the map information and
It has a map information generation start determination unit for determining the start of map information generation, and has.
The map information generation unit is a vehicle control device, characterized in that the map information generation start determination unit starts generating the map information based on the detection of the passage of a preset arbitrary point. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.
It also has a user setting input unit that receives input of setting information from the user.
A vehicle control device characterized in that the arbitrary point is set based on the setting information. The vehicle control device according to claim 2.
The arbitrary point is on a point on a map set by the user by the user setting input unit, a point at a predetermined distance from a destination set by the user, a boundary point of an area set by the user, and a route set by the user. A vehicle control device characterized by being at least one of the above points. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.
Further equipped with a vehicle control unit that controls the running of the vehicle,
A learning progress indicating the degree of learning is added to the map information generated by the map information generation unit.
The vehicle control unit is a vehicle control device characterized in that the content of driving support is changed based on the learning progress. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.
The map information generation unit increases the learning progress of the section in which the own vehicle has traveled, and decreases the learning progress of the section in which the own vehicle has not traveled for a predetermined period. A vehicle control device characterized by calculating. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.
The vehicle control unit is a vehicle control device characterized in that the content of driving support for each section is changed based on the learning progress for each section included in the route for implementing driving support. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.
The vehicle control unit provides driving support for the route at the lowest automatic driving level among the automatic driving levels for each section included in the route, based on the learning progress for each section included in the route for which driving support is performed. A vehicle control device characterized by The vehicle control device according to claim 6 or 7.
It also has an information notification unit that notifies the user of information.
The information notification unit is a vehicle control device that notifies the user of at least one of the learning progress for each section and the content of the driving support corresponding to the learning progress. The vehicle control device according to claim 8.
The vehicle control unit compares the learning progress for each section, selects a recommended route that increases the learning progress at an early stage, and selects a recommended route.
The information notification unit is a vehicle control device that notifies the user of the selected recommended route. A vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle.
Surrounding environment recognition procedure that recognizes the surrounding environment of the own vehicle and outputs recognition information,
The vehicle position estimation procedure that estimates the position of the vehicle and outputs the vehicle position information,
Map information generation start determination procedure to determine the start of map information generation, and
A map information generation procedure for generating the map information based on the recognition information and the vehicle position information, and a map information generation procedure.
It has a map information storage procedure for storing the map information, and
The map information generation procedure is a vehicle control method characterized in that the map information generation start determination procedure starts the generation of the map information based on the detection of the passage of a preset arbitrary point.

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