JP2023082476A - Sensor control system and sensor control method - Google Patents

Abstract

【Theme】
Implements changes to the required sensor setting range without delay.
[Solution]
A sensor control system for controlling sensors provided in a vehicle traveling along a predetermined route, comprising: a sensor setting determination unit that determines a point at which the sensor setting is to be changed from a route condition or a target speed pattern; A sensor control system, comprising: a sensor setting changing unit that changes the setting of the sensor when the vehicle reaches the vehicle.
[Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to a sensor control system and a sensor control method, and is suitable for application to a sensor control system and a sensor control method for controlling sensors mounted on a running vehicle.

In Patent Document 1, the problem is "to provide an information processing device and a processing method that can perform processing according to the running situation of a vehicle" (see paragraph [0005] of Patent Document 1). Processing conditions such as the processing, the target of processing to be executed, the necessity of processing, the priority of processing, or the cycle of processing are changed based on the driving situation.” (See paragraph [0006] of Patent Document 1. ) is described.

WO2010/038851

However, in Patent Literature 1, the time taken to change the processing conditions is not taken into consideration, and there is a possibility that the processing according to the driving situation cannot be performed immediately after the processing conditions are changed.

In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a sensor control system for controlling sensors provided in a vehicle traveling on a predetermined route, wherein a point at which the sensor setting is to be changed is set as a route condition or a target. The sensor control system is characterized by comprising a sensor setting determining section that determines from a speed pattern, and a sensor setting changing section that changes the setting of the sensor when the vehicle reaches the point.

In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a sensor control method using a sensor control system for controlling sensors provided in a vehicle traveling on a predetermined route, wherein the sensor control system comprises the A sensor control method, wherein a point at which a sensor setting is to be changed is determined from a route condition or a target speed pattern, and the sensor control system changes the sensor setting when the vehicle reaches the point. .

According to the above means, it is possible to realize a change to the required sensor setting range without delay.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the sensor control system in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the data format of route conditions in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between each speed and braking distance in 1st Embodiment, and the example of the braking distance calculated from the speed of each point. It is a figure which shows an example of each condition in 1st Embodiment, and the setting of the detection range in that case. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for changing a detection range according to the first embodiment; It is a figure which shows the structural example of the sensor control system in 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data format of surrounding environment in the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for changing sensitivity related to position estimation according to the second embodiment; FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment For sensors mounted on a running vehicle, it is important to perform appropriate sensor settings according to the situation.

For example, in an obstacle detection function using a camera or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), it is necessary to increase the detection distance by increasing the zoom magnification and focal length in order to detect obstacles at a distance. In particular, when a moving body (vehicle) has a long braking distance, such as a railway, a longer detection distance is required compared to other moving bodies such as automobiles.

However, the longer the detection distance, the narrower the sensor's viewing angle, that is, the detection area, and the lower the point cloud density in LiDAR. occurs.

One solution to this problem is to improve both the detection distance and the viewing angle by installing a sensor with a narrow viewing angle but a long detection distance and a sensor with a short detection distance but a wide viewing angle. be done. Further, Patent Document 1 describes a method of changing the vehicle detection distance to different values for a general road and a highway in a single sensor.

However, when changing the detection distance, there is a delay time until the change is completed, such as focus adjustment and calibration, so there is a possibility that the required detection range cannot be met immediately after the change. Therefore, it may not be possible to make the required changes to the sensor settings in a timely manner without delay.

In the first embodiment, a method will be described in which the point at which the detection range of the sensor is to be changed is determined from the route conditions or the target speed pattern, and the change of the detection range is completed by the time the point to be changed is reached. Changing the detection range in this embodiment includes both changing the detection area and changing the detection distance, and at least one of them may be changed. The detection distance in this embodiment is a length index indicating how far away an obstacle is to be detected, and the detection area is an index of the viewing angle of the sensor that detects obstacles. The detection distance and the detection area are basically in a trade-off relationship. If the zoom magnification is increased, the detection distance can be extended, but the detection area is narrowed.

First, the configuration of the sensor control system and the role of each component will be described with reference to FIG. The obstacle detection unit 101 , the route condition storage unit 102 , the detection setting determination unit 104 , and the detection setting change unit 105 may be installed inside or outside the vehicle 103 . When installed outside, information may be transmitted using radio or the like.

The obstacle detection unit 101 has a function of detecting surrounding obstacles. Examples of the obstacle detection unit 101 include a camera, LiDAR, and an ultrasonic sensor. However, other sensors may be used as long as they have a function of detecting surrounding obstacles.

Further, the obstacle detection unit 101 can change the detection range of the obstacle detection function by changing detection settings such as zoom magnification and focal length. This change may be made by either hardware processing such as changing the focal length or software processing such as changing the target area in image processing. In the case of processing on hardware, a delay time may occur when changing the detection range.

The route condition storage unit 102 has a function of storing predetermined route conditions. The route conditions include at least one of speed limit information, curve curvature information, information on facilities installed along the route, such as station positions and railroad crossing positions, or information on the risk of intrusion from the side at each point. or An example of the data format of route conditions is shown in FIG.

The vehicle 103 is a vehicle that runs on a predetermined route such as a railroad vehicle, a bus, or an LRT (Light Rail Transit), or runs on a dedicated track.

The detection setting determination unit 104 determines the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 101 and the detection range based on the speed limit information and curve curvature information output from the route condition storage unit 102, along-line facility information such as station positions and railroad crossing positions. It has a function to determine the point at which to start changing the (hereinafter referred to as the detection change point).

The value of the detection range that can be determined by the detection setting determining unit 104 when changing the detection range may be set according to the braking distance calculated from the speed at each point of the vehicle 103 . Even at the same speed, the braking distance may vary depending on the vehicle conditions and the weather, so the braking distance is calculated in consideration of the vehicle conditions and the weather.

FIG. 3 shows the relationship between each speed and braking distance, and an image diagram of the braking distance calculated from the speed at each point.

Here, as an example, an image diagram in which the braking distance is calculated based on the speed limit at each point is shown. In FIG. 3A, the horizontal axis is the speed of the vehicle 103, and the vertical axis is the braking distance. At this time, as the speed increases, the braking distance also increases quadratically. In the upper part of FIG. 3(b), the horizontal axis indicates the position on the predetermined route, and the vertical axis indicates the speed limit set at each position. At this time, it is possible to calculate the braking distance corresponding to the speed limit at each position shown in the upper part of FIG. 3(b) from the relationship between each speed and braking distance in FIG. 3(a). Calculation results are shown in the lower part of FIG. 3(b). In the lower part of FIG. 3(b), the horizontal axis indicates the position on the predetermined route, and the vertical axis indicates the braking distance calculated at each position. Such calculation of the braking distance is performed, for example, by the detection setting determination unit 104, but may be performed by another processing unit (not shown in FIG. 1). Then, the detection setting determination unit 104 determines a change in the detection range according to the braking distance thus calculated.

In the above example, the speed used to calculate the braking distance is the speed limit, but in consideration of safety margins such as brake response delays, the speed used to calculate the braking distance should be higher than the speed limit. can be set to a value. Also, the speed used when calculating the braking distance may be a target speed pattern that is more accurate speed information than the speed limit. By using the target speed pattern, it is possible to secure a wider detection area without having an extra margin in the detection distance, and as a result, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy.

In the above description, a method of calculating the detection range from only the speed limit information and the target speed pattern was described. In addition to this, it may be set in consideration of the intrusion risk estimated from the curvature information and the facility information along the way. It is expected that the detection range will be set to a more appropriate value according to the situation by setting it in consideration of these conditions.

Specifically, in a section with a large curvature, unlike a straight section where a long distance can be seen, if a long distance cannot be seen due to a curve, setting the detection distance to the short distance and the detection area to a wide angle can be considered. In addition, in areas where there is a high risk of intrusion into the lane from the side, such as stations, railroad crossings, and depots, it is conceivable to set the detection distance to a short distance and the detection area to a wide angle. FIG. 4 shows a setting example of each condition and detection distance and detection area.

The conditions used for setting the detection range are not limited to the conditions shown in FIG. 4, and other conditions such as time of day, weather conditions, and seasonal conditions may also be taken into consideration. For example, it is conceivable to set the risk of intrusion from the side at a certain point to a higher value according to the number of passengers, instead of setting it to a uniform value throughout the time period. In this case, specifically, the intrusion risk is set to be high during periods of high movement, such as commuting times and commuting times. Such an intrusion risk setting may be performed by an administrator or the like in advance before setting the detection range, or may be performed by any processing unit (the detection setting determination unit 104 or a setting unit (not shown)) in the sensor control system. department, etc.) may be set as appropriate.

The detection change point is obtained by reversely looking up the target speed pattern for the processing time required for the change from the point where the route conditions such as the speed limit information and curve curvature information output from the route condition storage unit 102 change. The point where the preceding vehicle 103 travels is determined. That is, the detection setting determination unit 104 sets a detection change point at which the change process is started so that the change in the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 101 is completed before the vehicle 103 reaches a point where the route conditions change. decide.

In addition, in order to reduce the increase in the number of changes, at points where the change in the detection range is small or the length of the section to be changed is short, and the change is not essential for safety, the change is implemented instead of being a detection change point. You don't have to.

The detection setting change unit 105 refers to the position and speed output from the vehicle 103, and changes the detection range determined by the detection setting determination unit 104 when the vehicle 103 reaches the detection change point determined by the detection setting determination unit 104. has the ability to initiate changes to

The above is the description of the configuration of the sensor control system and the role of each component.

Next, the procedure for changing the detection range in the sensor control system when using the method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The detection setting determination unit 104 uses the route conditions output from the route condition storage unit 102 to determine the detection range and detection change points of the obstacle detection unit 101 (step S11). There may be more than one detected change point.

It is conceivable that the timing of performing the processing of step S11 is performed before the vehicle departs. I do not care.

In step S12, the detection setting change unit 105 refers to the position and speed output from the vehicle 103. If the current position of the vehicle 103 has not yet reached the detection change point, the current position changes to the detection change point in step S13. If the point is reached, the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S13, the vehicle 103 does not change the detection range and proceeds for the operation period of the sensor control system, and then returns to step S12.

In step S14, the detection setting change unit 105 starts changing the detection range determined by the detection setting determination unit 104 in the obstacle detection unit 101, confirms the end of the change, and proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the detection setting change unit 105 determines whether there is a detection change point other than the point at the start stage in the previous step S14 in the section from the current position of the vehicle 103 to a target point such as a stop station or a bus stop. If there is another detected change point, the process returns to step S12, and if there is no other detected change point, the process is terminated.

It should be noted that, in the determination of step S15, even if the process has been completed once, if the route conditions such as changes in the speed limit due to operation conditions change, the process of this flowchart may be performed again from step S11.

The above is the description of the procedure for changing the detection range in the sensor control system.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the point at which the detection range of the sensor is to be changed is determined from the route conditions or the target speed pattern, and the change of the detection range is completed by the time the change point is reached. , it is possible to achieve a change to the required detection range without delay while satisfying the required detection range.

(2) Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, the position estimating unit 201 is newly added in place of the obstacle detecting unit 101 to the configuration of the sensor control system according to the first embodiment. It is a sensor control system in which a sensitivity determination unit 204 is added instead of the determination unit 104 and a sensitivity change unit 205 is added instead of the detection setting change unit 105 . In the first embodiment, an application example of the present invention has been described for the obstacle detection function. will be described in a second embodiment.

An example of a sensor that realizes a position estimation function is a position estimation sensor using satellite observation such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). For example, in GNSS, if the sensitivity of the antenna is changed to high, the number of GNSS satellites that can be used for position estimation increases at the cost of increasing noise. It has the property that noise decreases instead of decreasing.

Specifically, the number of GNSS satellites that can be observed increases in areas such as rice fields where there are few surrounding buildings and the sky is open. can be made On the other hand, in areas such as city centers and near factories where there are many surrounding buildings and the sky is shielded, the number of GNSS satellites that can be used for position estimation decreases, that is, the probability that position estimation becomes impossible increases. In this case, by increasing the sensitivity, it is possible to increase the number of GNSS satellites that can be used for position estimation and reduce the probability that position estimation will not be possible. Therefore, changing the antenna sensitivity according to vehicle conditions contributes to the improvement of the position estimation function.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, it is a task to accurately grasp in advance the sensor sensitivity change point and timing, and the point at which the sensor sensitivity setting is changed is determined from the route conditions or the target speed pattern and changed. A method for completing the change of the sensor sensitivity setting before reaching the point will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a sensor control system according to the second embodiment. However, in the sensor control system according to the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof is omitted since it is as described above. .

In the sensor control system according to the second embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the sensor control system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. It is a sensor control system in which a sensitivity determination unit 204 is added instead of the detection setting determination unit 104 and a sensitivity change unit 205 is added instead of the detection setting change unit 105 . In the following, the added position estimation unit 201, sensitivity determination unit 204, and sensitivity change unit 205 will be mainly described.

The position estimation unit 201 has a function of estimating the current position of the vehicle 103 using sensors. In this embodiment, an example using GNSS as the position estimation unit 201 will be described. However, other sensors may be used as long as they have a function of estimating the position, such as map matching, such as LiDAR and cameras. Also, the position estimation unit 201 has a function of changing the antenna sensitivity in the case of GNSS.

The route condition storage unit 102 stores, as route conditions, information about the surrounding environment at each point on the route in addition to the information described in the first embodiment. An example of the data format of the surrounding environment is shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the number of surrounding buildings at each point is shown in four levels of "very large", "large", "few", and "very few". For example, at the point 0m, the surrounding buildings are indicated as "pretty much", while at the point 1002m, they are indicated as "pretty few". FIG. 7 is merely an example, and any information that describes the surrounding environment that affects the setting of the sensor sensitivity may be used.

The sensitivity determining unit 204 determines the sensitivity of the position estimating unit 201 and the point at which to start changing the sensitivity based on the speed limit information and curve curvature information output from the route condition storage unit 102, along-line facility information such as station positions and railroad crossing positions. (hereinafter referred to as a sensitivity change point).

Specifically, in sections where there are few surrounding buildings and the sky is open, the sensitivity is lowered to reduce noise and improve the accuracy of position estimation. In this section, the sensitivity is increased to increase the number of GNSS satellites that can be used for position estimation, thereby reducing the probability that position estimation will not be possible.

The sensitivity change point is obtained by reverse lookup of the target speed pattern for the processing time required for the change from the point where the surrounding environment changes, which is output from the route condition storage unit 102, to the point where the vehicle 103 travels before the processing time. decide. That is, the sensitivity determination unit 204 determines the sensitivity change point at which the change processing is started so that the change of the sensitivity of the position estimation unit 201 is completed before the vehicle 103 reaches the point where the route conditions change.

In addition, in order to reduce the increase in the number of changes, at points where the change in sensitivity is small or the length of the section to be changed is short, and the change is not essential for safety, the change is implemented without being set as the point where the sensitivity is changed. It doesn't have to be.

The sensitivity changing unit 205 refers to the position and speed output from the vehicle 103, and changes the sensitivity to that determined by the sensitivity determining unit 204 when the vehicle 103 reaches the sensitivity change point determined by the sensitivity determining unit 204. It has the ability to start.

The above is the description of the configuration newly added in this embodiment and the role of each component.

Next, a procedure for changing the sensitivity related to position estimation in the sensor control system when using the method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S<b>21 , the sensitivity determination unit 204 determines the sensitivity of the position estimation unit 201 and the sensitivity change point using the route conditions including the surrounding environment information output from the route condition storage unit 102 or the target speed pattern. There may be more than one sensitivity change point.

It is conceivable that the timing of executing the processing of step S21 is before the vehicle departs. I do not care.

In step S22, the sensitivity changing unit 205 refers to the position and speed output from the vehicle 103. If the current position of the vehicle 103 has not yet reached the sensitivity change point, the current position reaches the sensitivity change point in step S23. is reached, the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S23, the vehicle 103 advances for the operation period of the sensor control system without changing the sensitivity, and then returns to step S22.

In step S24, the sensitivity changing unit 205 starts changing the sensitivity to that determined by the sensitivity determining unit 204 in the position estimating unit 201. After confirming the end of the change, the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, the sensitivity change unit 205 determines whether or not there is a sensitivity change point other than the point at the start stage in the previous step S24 in the section from the current position of the vehicle 103 to the target point such as a stop station or a bus stop. If there is a sensitivity change point, the process returns to step S22, and if there is no other sensitivity change point, the process is terminated.

It should be noted that, in the judgment of step S25, even if the process has been completed once, if the route conditions such as the speed limit change due to the operation status change, the process of this flowchart may be performed again from step S21.

The above is the description of the procedure for changing the sensitivity related to position estimation in the sensor control system.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the accuracy of position estimation is improved by lowering the sensitivity of the sensor in sections with few surrounding buildings, and the sensitivity of the sensor is increased in sections with many surrounding buildings. can reduce the probability that the position cannot be estimated. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the sensor sensitivity according to the vehicle condition, and the position estimation function can be improved.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to each embodiment described above, and includes various modifications. For example, each of the above-described embodiments has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. It is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations in a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

In addition, some or all of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing procedures, etc. may be realized by hardware by, for example, designing integrated circuits. etc. may be realized by software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in recording devices such as memories, hard disks, SSDs (Solid State Drives), or recording media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

In addition, the control lines and information lines in the drawings indicate those considered necessary for explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown on the product. In fact, it may be considered that almost all configurations are interconnected.

101 Obstacle detection unit 102 Route condition storage unit 103 Vehicle 104 Detection setting determination unit 105 Detection setting change unit 201 Position estimation unit 204 Sensitivity determination unit 205 Sensitivity change unit

Claims (15)

In a sensor control system that controls sensors installed in a vehicle that travels on a predetermined route,
a sensor setting determination unit that determines a point at which the sensor setting is changed from a route condition or a target speed pattern;
a sensor setting changing unit that changes settings of the sensor when the vehicle reaches the point;
A sensor control system comprising: The sensor control system of claim 1, wherein
The sensor is a sensor that detects obstacles,
The sensor setting determination unit determines a point at which the obstacle detection range of the sensor is changed from a route condition or a target speed pattern,
The sensor control system, wherein the sensor setting changing unit changes the obstacle detection range when the vehicle reaches the point. The sensor control system of claim 2, wherein
The sensor control system, wherein the route conditions include speed limit information, curve curvature information, and route facility information indicating facility information installed along the route. The sensor control system of claim 2, wherein
A sensor control system, wherein the route conditions include speed limit information. The sensor control system of claim 2, wherein
A sensor control system, wherein the route conditions include curve curvature information. The sensor control system of claim 2, wherein
The sensor control system, wherein the route condition includes information on facilities installed along the route along the route. In the sensor control system according to claim 3 or 5,
The sensor control system, wherein the sensor setting determination unit determines a change in the obstacle detection range using a route entry risk estimated from the curve curvature information. In the sensor control system according to claim 3 or 6,
The sensor control system, wherein the sensor setting decision unit decides to change the obstacle detection range using a route intrusion risk estimated from the wayside facility information. In the sensor control system according to claim 7 or 8,
The sensor control system, wherein the risk of intrusion into the route is set high according to the number of passengers in the vehicle. In the sensor control system according to claim 3 or 4,
The sensor control system, wherein the sensor setting determination unit determines a change in the obstacle detection range using a braking distance of the vehicle calculated from a speed of the vehicle at a predetermined point. The sensor control system of claim 10, wherein
A sensor control system, wherein the braking distance is calculated from the speed limit information or the target speed pattern. The sensor control system of claim 1, wherein
The sensor is a sensor that performs position estimation,
The sensor setting determination unit determines a point at which the sensitivity setting of the sensor is changed from a route condition or a target speed pattern,
The sensor control system, wherein the sensor setting changing unit changes the sensitivity of the sensor when the vehicle reaches the point. 13. The sensor control system of claim 12, wherein
The route conditions include at least one of information about the surrounding environment at each point on the route, speed limit information, curve curvature information, or facility information along the route indicating facility information installed along the route; A sensor control system comprising: 14. The sensor control system of claim 13, wherein
The sensor control system, wherein the sensor setting determination unit determines a change in sensitivity of the sensor using information about the surrounding environment. In a sensor control method using a sensor control system for controlling sensors provided in a vehicle traveling on a predetermined route,
The sensor control system determines a point at which the sensor setting is changed from a route condition or a target speed pattern,
A sensor control method, wherein the sensor control system changes the setting of the sensor by the time the vehicle reaches the point.

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