JP6929808B2 - Automatic operation control device and automatic operation control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control method, and is particularly suitable for use in an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control method for controlling the automatic driving of a sidewalk traveling vehicle traveling on a sidewalk by automatic driving. ..

Conventionally, there are sidewalk vehicles such as electric wheelchairs and senior cars. The sidewalk traveling vehicle is a vehicle traveling on the sidewalk with the passenger on board, and in many cases, a person having difficulty in walking such as an elderly person gets on board and supports the movement of the passenger. Further, in recent years, technologies related to automatic driving of automobiles traveling on public roads (hereinafter referred to as "public road automobiles" for convenience to distinguish them from sidewalk automobiles traveling on sidewalks) have been actively developed, and various technologies have been developed. ing. Under these circumstances, there is a need for sidewalk-traveling vehicles that travel on sidewalks to be able to travel on sidewalks by automatic driving.

Patent Document 1 describes the following techniques for a system (wheelchair automatic driving system) that controls automatic driving of a sidewalk traveling vehicle (wheelchair). That is, in Patent Document 1, while the sidewalk traveling vehicle is moving along the route, when an obstacle is detected during the movement, an operation of avoiding the obstacle is executed, and the traffic light (traffic signal) is red. In the case of a traffic light, a technique for stopping a sidewalk-traveling vehicle is described. According to Patent Document 1, the sidewalk traveling vehicle can travel on the route to the destination while avoiding obstacles and according to the control according to the state of the traffic light.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-024391

Here, the route that the sidewalk traveling vehicle travels by automatic driving may include a route that crosses the public road on which the public road vehicle travels. When the crossing of a public road is controlled by a traffic light, the sidewalk traveling vehicle needs to operate according to the state of the traffic light, as described in Patent Document 1. That is, when the traffic light is in a state of restricting the crossing of a public road, the sidewalk traveling vehicle needs to stop once and wait until the state of permitting the crossing is reached.

When a public road vehicle that performs automatic driving stops according to the state of a traffic light, the movement of the public road vehicle in the left-right direction is restricted by the traveling lane, and the movement toward the front of the public road vehicle is restricted by the stop line and other vehicles in front. Therefore, basically, the appropriate position where the public road vehicle should stop is automatically determined. That is, the position where the public road vehicle should stop is the position corresponding to the stop line provided in the traveling lane when the public road vehicle is at the head of the convoy, and when it is not at the head, the driving lane is running. At a position separated from other vehicles existing in front by a certain distance.

On the other hand, on the sidewalk, there are no traveling lanes on which the sidewalk traveling vehicle travels, stop lines that can be used when the sidewalk traveling vehicle stops, and the like. Therefore, the position where the sidewalk-traveling vehicle should be stopped is not automatically determined, and it is necessary to determine an appropriate position according to the situation each time the sidewalk-traveling vehicle needs to be stopped. In particular, when a sidewalk-traveling vehicle stops according to the state of a traffic light, a person moving on the sidewalk (pedestrian, a person riding a bicycle, a person riding on another sidewalk-traveling vehicle) is around the sidewalk-traveling vehicle. Etc.) and some pedestrians wait until the state of the traffic light changes, and it is necessary to stop the sidewalk-traveling vehicle at an appropriate position in consideration of such unique circumstances. However, conventionally, there has been no technique for stopping a sidewalk-traveling vehicle at an appropriate position based on the presence of a migrant when the sidewalk-traveling vehicle stops according to the state of a traffic light.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and stops a sidewalk-traveling vehicle traveling on a sidewalk by automatic driving when a traffic light is in a state of restricting crossing of the road. At that time, the purpose is to enable the vehicle to be stopped at an appropriate position in consideration of the presence of migrants around the sidewalk traveling vehicle.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the automatic driving control device according to the present invention needs to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle when the traffic light provided on the planned crossing road is in the crossing restriction state which restricts the crossing. In some cases, a migrant waiting area formed by one or more migrants waiting to enter the planned crossing road and the body of a sidewalk-traveling vehicle stopped at the standby position provide a passage for migrants moving on the sidewalk. The position that is not blocked is determined as the standby position where the sidewalk traveling vehicle should wait until the state of the traffic light changes, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle is stopped at this standby position.

When the state of the traffic light restricts the crossing of the road and the sidewalk-traveling vehicle stops until the state of the traffic light changes, some migrants wait until the state of the traffic light changes, similar to the sidewalk-traveling vehicle. In addition, there may be migrants moving on the sidewalk without such a wait. Then, both the moving person who waits until the state of the traffic light changes and the body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle which stops can be a physical obstacle to the movement of the moving person who moves on the sidewalk without performing such waiting. ..

Based on the above, according to the present invention configured as described above, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle is stopped, the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle that waits until the state of the traffic light changes, and the moving person who waits for the same reason. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the movement of the migrant who moves on the sidewalk from being hindered without performing such a waiting. That is, according to the present invention configured as described above, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle is stopped according to the state of the traffic light, until the moving person moving on the sidewalk or the state of the traffic light changes around the sidewalk traveling vehicle. It is possible to stop the sidewalk-traveling vehicle at an appropriate position in consideration of the peculiar circumstances that some migrants may be on standby.

It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the automatic operation control device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the shooting range of the forward-shooting camera. It is a figure which shows the contents of a migrant database and a traffic light state information. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 1st example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 1st example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 1st example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 2nd example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 2nd example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 2nd example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 3rd example. It is a figure which shows typically the state around the intersection which concerns on 3rd example. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the automatic operation control apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the automatic operation control device 1 according to the present embodiment. The automatic driving control device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device that controls the automatic driving of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. The sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is a vehicle that travels on the sidewalk with the passenger on board and supports the movement of the passenger, and is, for example, an electric wheelchair or a senior car. In particular, in the present embodiment, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 can travel on the sidewalk by automatic driving. It is assumed that the physical environment and the legal environment necessary for the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 to automatically drive on the sidewalk have been properly prepared. In the following description, the migrant means a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk, a person riding a bicycle traveling on the sidewalk, a person riding another sidewalk traveling vehicle traveling on the sidewalk, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, a forward photographing device 4, an automatic driving execution device 5, a sensor unit 6, a storage device 7, and a wireless communication device 8 are connected to the automatic driving control device 1.

The forward photographing device 4 is a camera provided in the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a shooting range HN of the front shooting camera 4. In FIG. 2, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 with respect to the vehicle body are as shown by arrows in the figure. As shown in FIG. 2, the forward photographing camera 4 is provided at the front portion of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and photographs a photographing range HN extending in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. The forward photographing device 4 according to the present embodiment is a stereo camera, has two cameras separated in the horizontal direction, and performs shooting by executing shooting at a predetermined cycle in synchronization with each of the two cameras. Generate and output an image. In the following, a pair of captured images generated by the two cameras of the forward photographing device 4 at one timing may be simply referred to as “photographed images”.

The automatic driving execution device 5 is connected to various ECUs and the like that control various mechanisms (motor, brake, steering, etc.) related to the running of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, and under the control of the automatic driving control unit 14 described later, various ECUs are operated. Control and execute automatic operation.

The sensor unit 6 includes a sensor that detects the state of the sidewalk vehicle 2 (speed, position, direction of travel, braking state, steering state, etc.) and the environment around the sidewalk vehicle 2 (presence or absence of obstacles, etc.). Various sensors necessary to realize automatic driving of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, such as sensors that detect the distance to obstacles, the physical structure of the sidewalk, the white line on the sidewalk, the contents of the signs provided on the sidewalk, etc. To be equipped with. The sensor constituting the sensor unit 6 includes a front photographing device 4, but for convenience of explanation, the sensor unit 6 and the front photographing device 4 are distinguished from each other.

The storage device 7 has a non-volatile memory and stores various information non-volatilely. In particular, the storage device 7 stores the sidewalk map information 7a and the guidance route information 7b. Here, in the present embodiment, the road network composed of the sidewalks on which the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 can travel by automatic driving is a node set for each connection point in the road network, and between the nodes. It is defined by the links set for each sidewalk section.

The sidewalk map information 7a includes information about the node. The information about the node is related to the node necessary for automatic driving by the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, such as information indicating the position of the node on the map, information indicating the link to be connected, and information regarding the traveling regulation at the connection point corresponding to the node. Contains all the information. Further, the sidewalk map information 7a includes information regarding the link. Information about the link includes information indicating the width of the sidewalk section corresponding to the link, information indicating the shape of the sidewalk section, information indicating the direction in which the sidewalk section corresponding to the link extends, information indicating the connecting node, and the link. It includes all the information related to the links necessary for automatic driving by the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, such as information on traveling restrictions in the corresponding sidewalk section.

The guidance route information 7b includes information representing the route from the starting point to the destination by the combination of the link and the node constituting the route. Although the details are omitted, the passenger (may be another person) sets the departure point and the destination by a predetermined means to search for the guidance route, and stores the guidance route information 7b based on the search result. It can be stored in 7.

The wireless communication device 8 is a device having a function of wirelessly communicating with a roadside unit (described later) in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication standard.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic operation control device 1 includes a photographed image acquisition unit 10, a moving person state detection unit 11, a traffic light state detection unit 12, a standby position determination unit 13, and an automatic operation control unit 14 as functional configurations. ing. Each of the above functional blocks 10 to 14 can be configured by any of hardware, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and software. For example, when configured by software, each of the functional blocks 10 to 14 is actually configured to include a computer CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and is a program stored in a recording medium such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory. Is realized by the operation of. Further, the automatic driving control device 1 includes a mobile storage unit 20 and a traffic light state storage unit 21 as storage means. The data stored in the mobile storage unit 20 and the traffic light state storage unit 21 will be described later.

The captured image acquisition unit 10 inputs and acquires captured images output by the forward photographing device 4 at a predetermined cycle while the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is traveling by automatic driving. The captured image acquisition unit 10 outputs the captured image acquired in a predetermined cycle to the moving person state detection unit 11 in a predetermined cycle.

The migrant state detection unit 11 detects the state of a migrant in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. Hereinafter, the processing of the migrant state detection unit 11 will be described in detail. The migrant state detection unit 11 inputs and acquires a photographed image from the photographed image acquisition unit 10 at a predetermined cycle. Each time the migrant state detection unit 11 acquires a photographed image, the migrant state detection unit 11 executes the following processing based on the acquired photographed image. That is, the migrant state detection unit 11 performs face recognition on the captured image and monitors whether or not a new image of the migrant's head appears in the captured image. Images of the head include images of the anterior, lateral and occipital regions of the head. Therefore, even a moving person photographed by the front photographing device 4 with his / her back facing the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is also a target of detection when a new head image appears in the photographed image. It should be noted that the monitoring of whether or not a new head image appears in the captured image is appropriately performed by the existing technology related to face recognition.

When it is detected that a new image of the head of a migrant appears in the captured image, the migrant state detection unit 11 has identification information of a value unique to the migrant (hereinafter, "migrator identification information"). ) Is added, and one record corresponding to the mover is newly registered in the mover database 20a stored in the mover storage unit 20, and thereafter, based on the captured images acquired at a predetermined cycle. , Update the contents of this record.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the contents of one record in the migrant database 20a. As shown in FIG. 3A, one record in the mover database 20a has key information, head image area information, mover relative position information, and a stop flag.

The key information is information having the mover identification information as a value. The mover state detection unit 11 uses the value of the key information of the newly registered record as the mover identification information given to the corresponding mover.

The head image area information is information indicating the area of the image of the head of the corresponding moving person in the captured image. Each time the migrant state detection unit 11 acquires a captured image, the migrant state detection unit 11 identifies a region of the head image in the captured image (for example, the coordinates of each vertex of a rectangular region surrounding the head image), and the head image. The value of the area information is updated so as to be information indicating the area of the head image in the captured image.

The mover relative position information is information indicating the relative position of the mover with respect to the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the relative position of the migrant with respect to the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is a virtual axis extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 with the position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 as the origin. It is represented by the coordinates of a mover in a virtual coordinate system having a Y-axis and a virtual axis extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 as an X-axis. The migrant state detection unit 11 detects the relative position of the migrant with respect to the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 by the following method each time the captured image is acquired, and sets the value of the migrant relative position information with respect to the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. Update the information to indicate the relative position of the mover.

That is, the moving person state detection unit 11 measures the distance between the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and the moving person by using the image of the moving person's head included in the captured image. The distance measurement of the separation distance is appropriately performed based on the existing technique utilizing the difference (parallax) in the positions of the images of the head in the pair of captured images. Next, the mover state detection unit 11 sets the virtual coordinate system based on the "distance distance between the mover and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2" and the "position of the image of the mover's head in the captured image". Identify the coordinates of the mover. The method of detecting the relative position of the moving person with respect to the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is not limited to the illustrated method, and may be any method.

The stop flag is a flag indicating whether or not the migrant is in a stopped state, and takes an on value when it is stopped and an off value when it is not stopped. The migrant state detection unit 11 continuously analyzes the captured images acquired at a predetermined cycle, determines whether or not the migrant is in a moving state, and updates the value of the stop flag based on the determination result. ..

More specifically, the migrant state detection unit 11 monitors the transition of the position of the image of the migrant's head in the captured image acquired at a predetermined cycle. Then, the moving person state detection unit 11 recognizes the movement mode (moving direction, speed, acceleration, inclination, etc.) of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 based on the input from the sensor unit 6, and recognizes the sidewalk traveling vehicle. Reflecting the mode of movement of 2, it is determined whether or not the transition of the position of the image of the head of the mover in the captured image acquired at a predetermined cycle is caused only by the movement of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. When the transition of the position of the image of the head of the migrant in the captured image is caused only by the movement of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, it means that the migrant is stopped. Further, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 determines whether or not the migrant is stopped at the present time based on the determination result, and if it is determined that the migrant is stopped, the stop flag is set to the ON value and the vehicle moves. If it is determined that the person is not stopped (= moving), the stop flag is set to the off value. The method for determining whether or not the migrant is in a stopped state is not limited to the illustrated method, and may be any method.

When the migrant state detection unit 11 registers a record in the migrant database 20a for one migrant and then disappears from the captured image from the image of the head of the one migrant (= the one migrant). , When it is in a state where it does not exist in the shooting range HN), the record about the one mover is deleted from the mover database 20a. As a result of the above processing being performed by the migrant state detection unit 11, records are registered in the migrant database 20a for each of the migrants existing in the shooting range HN, and further, the head image area information and the relative position are obtained. The information and stop flag values are updated in real time to reflect the state of the mover.

The traffic light state detection unit 12 detects the state of the traffic light provided in the crossing passage on the road (hereinafter, referred to as “planned crossing road”) to be crossed by the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. The crossing passage is a passage through which the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 actually passes when crossing the planned crossing road. When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 crosses the planned crossing road through the pedestrian crossing, the pedestrian crossing corresponds to the pedestrian crossing. Further, the traffic light provided in the crossing passage means that when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 crosses the planned crossing road through the crossing passage, the crossing is permitted / not permitted (= permission / non-permission to enter the crossing passage). ) Means a traffic light that regulates. Hereinafter, the traffic light provided in the crossing passage is referred to as a "crossing passage traffic light". Hereinafter, the processing of the traffic light state detection unit 12 will be described in detail.

The traffic light state detection unit 12 recognizes the current position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 based on the input from the sensor unit 6 while the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is traveling on the sidewalk by automatic driving, and the storage device 7 stores the current position. Based on the sidewalk map information 7a and the guidance route information 7b, it is monitored whether or not the distance between the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and the cross passage to be passed next is a predetermined predetermined distance.

When it is detected that the distance between the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and the crossing passage to be passed next has reached a predetermined distance, the traffic light state detection unit 12 registers the traffic light state information in the traffic light state storage unit 21. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the contents of the traffic light state information. As shown in FIG. 3B, the traffic light state information includes the traffic light current state information and the state duration information. The contents of this information will be described later. Further, the traffic light state detection unit 12 controls the wireless communication device 8 to transmit a traffic light state response request signal to the roadside unit provided corresponding to the crossing passage at a predetermined cycle, and responds to the signal. Based on the response, the content of the traffic light state information registered in the traffic light state storage unit 21 is updated.

More specifically, when it is detected that the distance between the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and the crossing passage to be passed next is a predetermined distance, the traffic light state detection unit 12 is a roadside machine provided corresponding to the crossing passage. In response to the above, a traffic light state response request signal is transmitted at a predetermined cycle. The traffic light state response request signal is a signal that includes identification information of the cross-passage signal and requests a response of information about the cross-passage signal. The information about the cross-passage traffic light includes information indicating the current state of the traffic light and the time required from the present time to "the timing when the traffic light shifts from the current state to the next state" (hereinafter referred to as "state duration"). Contains information indicating. In the present embodiment, the traffic light takes either a crossing permission state that permits crossing or a crossing restriction state that restricts crossing. In a general traffic light having a green light, a yellow light, and a red light, the green light corresponds to the crossing permitted state, and the yellow light and the red light correspond to the crossing restricted state. Therefore, for example, in a general traffic light having a green light, a yellow light, and a red light, when the current state of the traffic light is a green light (crossing permitted state), the state duration is set to the yellow light (crossing restricted state) from the present time. It means the time it takes to become.

When the roadside unit provided corresponding to the crossing aisle receives the traffic light status response request signal, it transmits a traffic light status signal for the crossing aisle signal in response to the signal. The traffic light status signal for the cross-passage signal includes information indicating the current state of the cross-passage signal and information indicating the state duration. When the traffic signal state signal is received as a response to the traffic light state response request signal, the traffic light state detection unit 12 registers the traffic light in the traffic light state storage unit 21 based on the information indicating the current state of the crossing passage signal included in the signal. The value of the traffic light current state information of the state information is updated, and the value of the state duration information of the traffic light state information registered in the traffic light state storage unit 21 is updated based on the information indicating the state duration included in the signal.

When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 passes through the cross passage, the traffic light state detection unit 12 deletes the traffic light state information from the traffic light state storage unit 21. When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 approaches the crossing passage as a result of the above processing performed by the traffic light state detecting unit 12, the traffic light state information corresponding to the crossing passage signal is registered in the traffic light state storage unit 21 and is registered in the information. The values of the included traffic light current state information and state duration information are updated in real time to reflect the state of the crosswalk traffic light.

In the present embodiment, when the distance between the crossing passage of the planned crossing road and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is shorter than a predetermined distance, the roadside unit provided corresponding to the crossing passage and the wireless communication device 8 wirelessly communicate with each other. Communication is possible. Further, in the present embodiment, roadside units are installed corresponding to each of the crossing passages through which the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 may pass, and each roadside unit receives a traffic light status response request signal. Correspondingly, a function of transmitting a traffic light state signal including information about the traffic light of the identification information included in the signal is implemented.

The method by which the traffic light state detection unit 12 detects the state of the cross-passage traffic light is not limited to the illustrated method, and may be any method. For example, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 may be provided with a function of accessing a server via a network, and the signal state detection unit 12 may acquire information on the state of the crossing passage signal from a predetermined server on the network.

When the standby position determining unit 13 needs to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 due to the crosswalk traffic light being restricted to crossing when entering the crossing passage of the planned crossing road, the crosswalk traffic light permits the crossing. Until the state is reached, the standby position where the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 should stop is determined. In determining the standby position, the standby position determination unit 13 is formed by one or a plurality of migrants waiting to enter the crosswalk of the planned crosswalk when the crosswalk signal is in the crosswalk restricted state. The position where the passage of the migrant who moves on the sidewalk is not blocked while the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped is determined as the standby position by the moving person waiting area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stopped at the standby position. Hereinafter, the processing of the standby position determination unit 13 will be described with reference to three specific examples of the first to third examples.

<First example>
Hereinafter, the processing of the standby position determination unit 13 in the first example will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a state around the intersection according to the first example. In FIG. 4, the direction (north, south, east, and west) shall follow the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. As shown in FIG. 4, in the first example, the first sidewalk D1 extending from east to west exists, and further, the second sidewalk D2 extending from north to south exists. The first sidewalk D1 and the second sidewalk D2 overlap at the end of each sidewalk, and an overlapping area J1 is formed in the area where the sidewalks overlap. The overlapping area J1 faces the first public road C1 extending east-west along the first sidewalk D1 and the second public road C2 extending north-south along the second sidewalk D2. The first public road C1 is provided with a first pedestrian crossing H1 for crossing the first public road C1. The first pedestrian crossing H1 extends northward from the overlapping area J1. Further, the second public road C2 is provided with a second pedestrian crossing H2 for crossing the second public road C2. The second pedestrian crossing H2 extends westward from the overlapping area J1. Corresponding to the first pedestrian crossing H1, a first traffic light G1 that regulates permission / non-permission of crossing the first public road C1 (permission / non-permission of entry into the first pedestrian crossing H1) is provided. Further, corresponding to the second pedestrian crossing H2, a second traffic light G2 that regulates permission / non-permission of crossing the second public road C2 (permission / non-permission of entry into the second pedestrian crossing H2) is provided. ..

Then, in the first example, with respect to the movement support device 2 located at the position P1 and whose traveling direction is toward the west, as shown in the path KR1 of FIG. 4, the first sidewalk D1 is advanced to the overlapping region J1. It is assumed that the route that enters, further advances within the overlapping area J1, enters the second pedestrian crossing H2, and passes through the second pedestrian crossing H2 is the guidance route. In the case of this example, the second pedestrian crossing H2 corresponds to the pedestrian crossing, and the second traffic light G2 corresponds to the pedestrian crossing signal. The standby position determination unit 13 recognizes the position and shape of the sidewalk, the pedestrian crossing, the overlapping area, and the like based on the sidewalk map information 7a stored in the storage device 7.

By the way, the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not the distance between the position of the overlapping region J1 and the current position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 has reached a predetermined threshold while the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is traveling on the first sidewalk D1. To monitor. The predetermined threshold value is a distance at which the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 can be smoothly stopped with a margin when the crossing passage signal (second signal G2 in this example) is in the crossing restricted state. When the separation distance between the position of the overlapping region J1 and the current position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 becomes a predetermined threshold value, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the second traffic light based on the traffic light state information stored in the traffic light state storage unit 21. It is determined whether or not the state of G2 is the crossing restriction state. When the state of the second traffic light G2 is the crossing restricted state, it is necessary to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and wait until the state of the second traffic light G2 becomes the crossing permitted state. When the state of the second traffic light G2 is the crossing restriction state, the standby position determination unit 13 executes the standby position determination process.

The standby position determination unit 13 performs the following standby position determination process when the second traffic light G2 is currently in a crossing restricted state, but immediately becomes a crossing permission state and it is not necessary to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. Do not execute. Further, even if the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing permitted state at the present time, the crossing is immediately restricted, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is in the second pedestrian crossing before the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing restricted state. There may be cases where the vehicle cannot enter H2. In this case, the mover standby area (described later) formed when the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing restricted state has not yet been formed, and the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing restricted state. At that time, it is also unknown in what mode the mobile waiting area (described later) is formed. Therefore, the standby position determining unit 13 does not execute the following processing. In this case, the standby position determination unit 13 determines an appropriate position as the standby position in consideration of the surrounding conditions.

Hereinafter, the standby position determination process will be described in detail. In the standby position determination process, first, the standby position determination unit 13 determines whether or not a mover standby area is formed in the overlapping area J1. The moving person waiting area is an area formed by a moving person (hereinafter, referred to as “waiting moving person”) who waits for entry into the crossing passage when the crossing passage signal is in a crossing restricted state. In the case of this example, the pedestrian crossing waiting area is an area formed by a pedestrian crossing waiting to enter the second pedestrian crossing H2 when the second traffic light G2, which is a pedestrian crossing signal, is in a pedestrian crossing restricted state. be. The migrant waiting area may be formed by one waiting migrant or may be formed by a plurality of waiting migrants.

Here, when the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing restricted state, there is a possibility that a migrant who wishes to pass the second pedestrian crossing H2 is waiting in front of the second pedestrian crossing H2. Then, each area where the waiting mover is located becomes a physical obstacle to the movement of the mover who moves without waiting. In addition, when there are a plurality of migrants on standby and the plurality of migrants are gathered in a state of being close to each other to some extent, the area surrounding the set of the plurality of migrants is passed by the migrants who move without waiting. It is an area where you cannot pass, or it is difficult for a mover who moves without waiting to pass through, and it is an area where you can avoid passing through. Therefore, such an area also becomes a physical obstacle to movement for a mover who moves without waiting. The migrant waiting area is an area formed by a single migrant who is on standby or a set of a plurality of migrants who are on standby, and is an obstacle to the movement of migrants who move without waiting. Means an area.

Here, it is assumed that the standby migrant tries to stand by at a position as close as possible to the boundary between the second pedestrian crossing H2 and the overlapping area J1 until the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing permission state. This is because the closer to the boundary between the pedestrian crossing H2 and the overlapping area J1, the sooner the second pedestrian crossing H2 can be entered when the state of the second traffic light G2 changes. Therefore, when waiting, if there is a space at a position along the boundary between the second pedestrian crossing H2 and the overlapping area J1, the waiting mover waits in that space, and such a space is not available. In this case, it is assumed that the person tries to wait at a position as close as possible to the boundary behind other waiting movers who are already in line. As a result, when there are a plurality of waiting migrants, in many cases, the waiting migrants first wait so as to line up along the boundary between the second pedestrian crossing H2 and the overlapping area J1, and the number of standby migrants increases. According to this, wait so that a line is gradually formed on the side away from the boundary.

Based on the above, when determining whether or not a mover waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1, the standby position determining unit 13 is located near the boundary between the second pedestrian crossing H2 and the overlapping area J1 in the overlapping area J1. If there is one "stopping" mover, or if there are multiple "stopping" movers that gather in close proximity, then a mover waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1. judge. On the other hand, when such a mover does not exist, the standby position determination unit 13 determines that the mover waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area J1. The standby position determination unit 13 determines the position of the overlapping area J1 with respect to the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, the position of the moving person existing in the overlapping area J1, and each moving person based on the sidewalk map information 7a and the moving person database 20a. Accurately recognize the presence or absence of movement.

When it is determined that the moving person waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area J1, the standby position determining unit 13 determines the position (overlapping area J1 and the second pedestrian crossing) before entering the second pedestrian crossing H2 in the overlapping area J1. The position on the side of the overlapping area J1 at the boundary with H2) is determined as the standby position. FIG. 5A shows the standby position P2 thus determined in the first example. The standby position P2 is close to the boundary between the overlapping area J1 and the second pedestrian crossing H2. Therefore, by stopping the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at the standby position P2, when the state of the second traffic light G2 shifts to the crossing permitted state, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 can smoothly enter the second pedestrian crossing H2. Is possible.

When it is determined that the moving person waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1, the waiting position determining unit 13 determines the moving person waiting area formed in the overlapping area J1 based on the sidewalk map information 7a and the moving person database 20a. Identify. When the mover waiting area is formed by a plurality of waiting movers, the standby position determining unit 13 specifies an area surrounding the outer edge of the set of the plurality of waiting movers as the mover waiting area. Further, when the waiting position determination unit 13 is formed by one waiting moving person, the waiting position determining unit 13 specifies an area surrounding the position of the one waiting moving person as a moving person waiting area. FIG. 4 shows an example of a mover waiting area formed by a plurality of waiting movers in the first example.

After identifying the mover waiting area in the overlapping area J1, the standby position determining unit 13 determines the position following the moving person waiting area in the overlapping area J1 as the first candidate position, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle is set to this first candidate position. When 2 is stopped, it is determined whether or not the passage of a mover who moves without waiting (hereinafter referred to as "non-standby mover") is blocked. That is, in the first example, the position following the mover waiting area is the candidate position. The position P3 in FIG. 5B shows the first candidate position according to this example.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing restricted state in the first example, a non-standby mover may move along the track KD1. Then, as described above, the moving person waiting area is an area that hinders the movement of the non-waiting person. Further, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is a physical object, and the area where the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is located is also an area that hinders the movement of the non-standby mover. Based on this, "when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the first candidate position, the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked" means the first candidate position (= the position following the mover waiting area). When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped, the passage of the non-waiting migrant passing through the track KD1 is not secured in the overlapping area J1, and the migrant waiting area and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 become obstacles to movement. This means that non-standby movers cannot move smoothly. In the first example, when the second traffic light G2 is in the crossing restricted state, the pedestrian crossing standby area is formed at a position closer to the second pedestrian crossing H2, and therefore follows the tracks KD2 and KD3 of the non-standby pedestrian crossing. For movement, basically, a passage is secured.

The standby position determination unit 13 determines whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the first candidate position in the overlapping area J1 by the following method. Explaining with reference to FIG. 5B, the standby position determination unit 13 refers to the sidewalk map information 7a and acquires the length W1 (hereinafter referred to as “sidewalk width W1”) in the width direction Y1 of the second sidewalk D2. do. Further, the standby position determining unit 13 acquires the length R1 (hereinafter referred to as “area length R1”) in the width direction Y1 of the migrant waiting area based on the migrant database 20a. Further, the standby position determining unit 13 acquires the length L1 (hereinafter referred to as “body length L1”) of the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 in the front-rear direction. The vehicle body length L1 is a fixed value and is registered in advance. The vehicle body length L1 corresponds to the length in the width direction Y1 of the vehicle body when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stops at the first candidate position.

Then, the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not the following [Equation 1] is satisfied.
[Equation 1] Sidewalk width W1- (area length R1 + vehicle body length L1)> migrant passage width SP
In [Equation 1], the mover passage width SP means the size of the width of the passage required for the non-standby mover to smoothly move on the sidewalk along the track KD1. Of course, the value of each parameter on the left side may include some margin. When [Equation 1] is established, even when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the first candidate position in the overlapping area J1, a space corresponding to the width SP of the migrant passage is secured. Therefore, when [Equation 1] is satisfied, the standby position determination unit 13 determines that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the first candidate position, and [ If Equation 1] does not hold, it is determined that the passage of the non-waiting mover is blocked.

When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the first candidate position and it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the first candidate position as the standby position. FIG. 5B shows the standby position P3 (= first candidate position) determined in this way, and also shows the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 that stops at the standby position P3. In FIG. 5B, reference numeral Q1 indicates a value on the left side of [Equation 1] (that is, value Q1 = sidewalk width W1- (region length R1 + vehicle body length L1)). As shown in FIG. 5 (B), even when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the standby position P3, there is a space behind the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 having a width of Q1 that exceeds the migrant aisle width SP. The passage of the non-standby mover who is secured and moves along the track KD1 is not blocked. Further, the standby position P3 is a position as close as possible to the boundary between the overlapping region J1 and the second pedestrian crossing H2. Therefore, by stopping the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at the standby position P3, when the state of the second traffic light G2 shifts to the crossing permission state, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is immediately moved together with the standby moving person waiting in the overlapping area J1. Can enter the second pedestrian crossing H2.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped so as to follow the mover standby area, the standby position determination unit 13 performs the following procedure. On the sidewalk D1, the position before entering the overlapping area J1 is determined as the standby position.

That is, first, the standby position determination unit 13 determines whether or not a mover standby area is formed on the front side of the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1. In the case of the first example, when there are a large number of waiting movers in the overlapping area J1, another movement is made on the first sidewalk D1 independently of the one moving person waiting area formed in the overlapping area J1. A person waiting area may be formed. FIG. 6B shows a migrant waiting area formed on the first sidewalk D1. Hereinafter, the mover waiting area formed on the first sidewalk D1 is referred to as a “other mover waiting area”, and is distinguished from the moving person waiting area formed on the overlapping area J1.

When the other mover waiting area is not formed on the front side of the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1, the standby position determining unit 13 is on the front side of the overlapping area J1 and overlaps with the first sidewalk D1. Arbitrary position along the boundary with and is determined as a standby position. FIG. 6A shows the standby position P4 determined in this way, and also shows the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 that stops at the standby position P4. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stops at the standby position P4, a space is formed behind the mover waiting area formed in the overlapping area J1 and moves along the track KD1. A passage for waiting migrants is secured.

As shown in FIG. 4, it is necessary to secure a passage for non-standby movers moving along the tracks KD2 and KD3 on the first sidewalk D1. Based on this, when the other mover waiting area is not formed on the first sidewalk D1 and an arbitrary position on the front side of the overlapping area J1 is determined as the waiting position, as in the example of FIG. 6 (A). , It is desirable that the position closer to one end of the width direction Y2 of the first sidewalk D1 is the standby position.

On the other hand, when the other mover waiting area is formed on the front side of the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1, the standby position determination unit 13 is determined by the other mover waiting area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. A position where the passage of the migrant who moves on the first sidewalk D1 is not blocked is determined as a standby position. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in the first example, a non-standby mover may move along the trajectories KD2 and KD3. Therefore, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped on the front side of the overlapping region J1 on the first sidewalk D1, it moves along the tracks KD2 and KD3 by the other moving person waiting area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. It is necessary to prevent the non-standby mover's passage from being blocked so that the non-standby mover can move smoothly along the tracks KD2 and KD3. When the other mover waiting area is formed on the first sidewalk D1, it is formed in a state of being closer to one end of the width direction Y2 of the first sidewalk D1 in consideration of the movement of the non-waiting mover. It is assumed that it will be done.

Based on the above, the standby position determination unit 13 first determines, on the first sidewalk D1, a position arranged in the width direction Y2 with respect to the other mover standby area as the first'candidate position, and sets the position as the first'candidate position. When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped, it is determined by the following method whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked. In FIG. 6B, the position P5 indicates the first'candidate position. Explaining with reference to FIG. 6B, the standby position determination unit 13 refers to the sidewalk map information 7a and acquires the length W2 (hereinafter referred to as “sidewalk width W2”) in the width direction Y2 of the first sidewalk D1. do. Further, the standby position determination unit 13 acquires the length R2 (hereinafter referred to as “area length R2”) in the width direction Y2 of the other mover waiting area based on the mover database 20a. Further, the standby position determining unit 13 acquires the left-right length L2 (hereinafter referred to as “body length L2”) of the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. The vehicle body length L2 corresponds to the length in the width direction Y2 of the vehicle body when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stops at the first candidate position.

Then, the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not the following [Equation 2] is satisfied.
[Equation 2] Sidewalk width W2- (area length R2 + vehicle body length L2)> migrant passage width SP
In [Equation 2], the mover passage width SP means the size of the width of the passage required for the non-standby mover to smoothly pass the first sidewalk D1 along the tracks KD2 and KD3. There is. Of course, the value of each parameter on the left side may include some margin. When [Equation 2] is established, even if the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped in line with another mover waiting area at a position in front of the overlapping area J1 of the first sidewalk D1, the mover passage width SP It means that the space for the minute is secured. Therefore, when the [Equation 2] is established, the standby position determining unit 13 determines that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the 1st candidate position. If [Equation 2] does not hold, it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked.

When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the 1st candidate position and it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the 1st candidate position as the standby position. do. FIG. 6B shows the standby position P5 (= 1st candidate position) determined in this way, and also shows the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 that stops at the standby position P5. In FIG. 6B, the reference numeral Q2 indicates the value on the left side of [Equation 2] (that is, the value Q2 = sidewalk width W2- (region length R2 + vehicle body length L2)). As shown in FIG. 6B, even when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the standby position P5, there is a space on the side of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 having a width of Q2, which exceeds the migrant aisle width SP. Is secured, and the passage of the non-standby mover moving along the tracks KD2 and KD3 is not blocked.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the first candidate position, the standby position determination unit 13 is a position following the other mover waiting area. Is determined as the standby position. FIG. 6C shows the standby position P6 determined in this way, and also shows the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 that stops at the standby position P6. As described above, the other migrant waiting area is located at one end of the width direction Y2 of the first sidewalk in the first sidewalk D1 in front of the overlapping area J1 in consideration of the movement of the non-waiting migrant. It is assumed that it is formed in a close state. Therefore, by stopping the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at the standby position P6, the space formed on the side of the other mover standby area is secured as it is, and the non-standby moving along the tracks KD2 and KD3 A passage for migrants is secured.

<Modification of the first example>
Next, a modified example of the first example will be described. In the first example described above, in the standby position determination unit 13, when the moving person waiting area exists in the overlapping area J1 and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is followed by the moving person waiting area, the passage of the non-waiting person moves. When it was not blocked, the position following the mover waiting area was determined as the waiting position. In this regard, the following configuration may be used. That is, the standby position determination unit 13 enters the second pedestrian crossing H2 in the overlapping area J1 when the moving person waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area J1 in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 moving forward on the first sidewalk D1. The front position is determined as the standby position (see FIG. 5 (A)). On the other hand, when the migrant waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1 in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 moving forward on the first sidewalk D1, the standby position determining unit 13 is before entering the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1. The position of is determined as the standby position. When determining the position before entering the overlapping area J1 as the standby position, the standby position determination unit 13 performs the process described in the first example to secure a passage for the non-standby mover. Is determined as the standby position (see FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C).

According to the modified example of the first example, the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked by the mover waiting area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 by a simple process as compared with the case of the first example. It is possible to determine the position as the standby position.

<Second example>
Next, the processing of the standby position determining unit 13 in the second example will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a state around the cross passage according to the second example. As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 7 and 4, the conditions of the sidewalk, public road, and pedestrian crossing in the second example are the same as those in the first example. On the other hand, in the second example, with respect to the pedestrian crossing vehicle 2 traveling in the traveling direction (westward direction) at the position P1 of the first sidewalk D1, the first sidewalk D1 is advanced as shown in the route KR2 of FIG. The guidance route is a route that enters the overlapping area J1, turns right in the overlapping area J1, enters the first pedestrian crossing H1, and passes through the first pedestrian crossing H1. In the case of this example, the first public road C1 corresponds to the planned crossing road, the first pedestrian crossing H1 corresponds to the pedestrian crossing, and the first traffic light G1 (the traffic light corresponding to the first pedestrian crossing H1) is the pedestrian crossing signal. Corresponds to.

As in the first example, the standby position determining unit 13 limits the crossing of the first traffic light G1 when the distance between the position of the overlapping region J1 and the current position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 reaches a predetermined threshold value. It is determined whether or not it is in the state, and if it is in the crossing restriction state, the standby position determination process is executed.

In the standby position determination process according to the second example, first, the standby position determination unit 13 determines whether or not a mover standby area is formed in the overlapping area J1. In the case of this example, the mover standby area is an area formed by a mover who waits for the state of the traffic light to change as the first traffic light G1 is in the crossing restricted state. Here, in the second example, when the first traffic light G1 is in the crossing restricted state, it is assumed that the standby mover who waits until the first traffic light G1 is in the crossing permission state waits in the following mode. That is, the waiting migrants first wait so as to line up along the boundary between the first pedestrian crossing H1 and the overlapping area J1, and as the number of people increases, a line is gradually formed on the side away from the boundary. It is supposed to wait for. Therefore, the mover waiting area formed by the waiting mover is formed at a position closer to the boundary between the first pedestrian crossing H1 and the overlapping area J1 in the overlapping area J1. FIG. 7 shows an example of the mover waiting area formed in this example.

When it is determined that the moving person waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area J1, the standby position determining unit 13 determines the position (overlapping area J1 and the first pedestrian crossing) before entering the first pedestrian crossing H1 in the overlapping area J1. The position on the side of the overlapping region J1 at the boundary with H1) is determined as the standby position. FIG. 8A shows the standby position P7 determined in this way. The standby position P7 is close to the boundary between the overlapping area J1 and the first pedestrian crossing H1. Therefore, by stopping the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at the standby position P7, when the state of the first traffic light G1 shifts to the crossing permitted state, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 can smoothly enter the first pedestrian crossing H1. Is possible.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the moving person waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1, the waiting position determining unit 13 identifies the moving person waiting area formed in the overlapping area J1. Next, the standby position determination unit 13 determines, in the overlapping region J1, a position continuous with respect to the moving person standby region on the opposite side of the crossing direction Y3 (see FIGS. 7 and 8 (B)) as the second candidate position. Then, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position, it is determined whether or not the passage of the waiting migrant is blocked. The position P8 in FIG. 8B indicates a second candidate position.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, in the second example, a non-standby mover may move along the orbit KD4. Based on this, "when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position, the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked" means that the second candidate position (= crossing the mover waiting area). When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped in the position (continuing to the opposite side of the direction Y3), the passage of the non-waiting migrant passing through the track KD4 is not secured in the overlapping area J1, and the pedestrian waiting area and the sidewalk traveling are not secured. This means that the automobile 2 becomes an obstacle to movement and the non-standby mover cannot smoothly move along the track KD4. In the second example, when the first traffic light G1 is in the crossing restricted state, the mover standby area is formed at a position closer to the first pedestrian crossing H1 in the overlapping area J1, so that the track KD5 of the non-standby mover, For movement along the KD6, a passage is basically secured.

The standby position determination unit 13 determines whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position by the following method. Explaining with reference to FIG. 8B, the standby position determining unit 13 has a length W2 (sidewalk width W2) in the width direction Y2 of the first sidewalk D1 and a length Y2 in the width direction of the migrant standby area. Acquire R3 (hereinafter referred to as "area length R3"). Further, the standby position determining unit 13 acquires the length L3 (hereinafter referred to as “body length L3”) of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 in the width direction Y2 when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position. The standby position determining unit 13 calculates the vehicle body length L3 by calculation in consideration of the direction when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped.

Then, the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not the following [Equation 3] is satisfied.
[Equation 3] Sidewalk width W2- (area length R3 + vehicle body length L3)> migrant passage width SP
In addition, in [Equation 3], the mover passage width SP means the size of the width of the passage required for the non-standby mover to smoothly pass along the track KD4. Of course, the value of each parameter on the left side may include some margin. When [Equation 3] is satisfied, even when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position, a space corresponding to the width SP of the migrant passage is secured. Therefore, when [Equation 3] is established, the standby position determining unit 13 determines that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked even if the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position, and [Equation] If 3] is not satisfied, it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked.

When the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position and it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the second candidate position as the standby position. FIG. 8B shows the standby position P8 (= second candidate position) determined in this way, and also shows the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 that stops at the standby position P8. In FIG. 8B, the reference numeral Q3 indicates the value on the left side of [Equation 3] (that is, the value Q3 = sidewalk width W2- (region length R3 + vehicle body length L3)). As shown in FIG. 8B, even when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the standby position P8, a space having a width of Q3, which is a value exceeding the migrant aisle width SP, is located on the side of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. Is secured, and the passage of the non-standby mover moving along the track KD4 is not blocked.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the second candidate position, the standby position determination unit 13 performs the following procedure on the first sidewalk D1. The position before entering the overlapping area J1 is determined as the standby position. That is, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the position before entering the overlapping area J1 of the first sidewalk D1 and the position behind the moving person waiting area formed in the overlapping area J1 as the standby position.

In this case, as in this example, when turning right in the overlapping area J1 and entering the first pedestrian crossing H1, the standby position is set on the first sidewalk D1 with respect to the traveling direction of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. The position is closer to the right side (the position closer to the boundary side between the first pedestrian crossing H1 and the overlapping area J1). This is because the mover waiting area formed by the non-standby movers who stand by due to the state of the first traffic light G1 is formed at a position closer to the first pedestrian crossing H1. FIG. 9 shows the standby position P9 thus determined in the second example, and also shows the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stopped at the standby position P9. As shown in FIG. 9, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stops at the standby position P9, a space is formed on the side of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 on the first sidewalk D1, and a non-standby mover moving on the first sidewalk D1. A passage is secured.

<Modification of the second example>
Next, a modified example of the second example will be described. In the second example described above, in the standby position determination unit 13, when the moving person waiting area exists in the overlapping area J1 and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is made continuous with the moving person waiting area, the passage of the non-waiting person moves. When it is not blocked, the position continuous with the moving person waiting area is set as the waiting position, and in other cases, the position before entering the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1 is determined as the waiting position. In this regard, the following configuration may be used.

That is, the standby position determination unit 13 enters the first pedestrian crossing H1 in the overlapping area J1 when the moving person waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area J1 in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 moving forward on the first sidewalk D1. The front position is determined as the standby position (see FIG. 8 (A)). On the other hand, when the migrant waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1 in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 moving forward on the first sidewalk D1, the standby position determining unit 13 is before entering the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1. The position of is determined as the standby position. When determining the position before entering the overlapping area J1 as the standby position, the standby position determination unit 13 performs the process described in the second example to perform an appropriate position so that the passage of the standby mover is not blocked. Is determined as the standby position (see FIG. 9).

According to the modified example of the second example, the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked by the mover waiting area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 by a simple process as compared with the case of the second example. It is possible to determine the position as the standby position.

<Third example>
Next, the processing of the standby position determining unit 13 in the third example will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a state around the cross passage according to the third example. As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 10 and 4, the conditions of the sidewalk and the public road in the third example are the same as those in the first example. On the other hand, the intersection according to the third example is a so-called scrambled intersection, and a third pedestrian crossing H3 extending northwest from the overlapping area J1 is provided. Further, a third traffic light G3 is provided corresponding to the third pedestrian crossing H3. The states of the first traffic light G1, the second traffic light G2, and the third traffic light G3 change in synchronization with each other, and at the same time, the crossing permission state is set and the crossing restriction state is set at the same time. When the three traffic lights are in the crossing permission state, the migrant waiting in the overlapping area J1 goes on the public road via any of the first pedestrian crossing H1, the second pedestrian crossing H2, and the third pedestrian crossing H3. You can cross.

Under such a situation, the standby position determining unit 13 executes the following processing for the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 traveling westward from the position P1 on the first sidewalk D1. That is, in the standby position determination process, when the mover standby area is not formed in the overlapping area J1, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the standby position by a method according to the methods described in the first and second examples. decide. That is, when the pedestrian crossing is the first pedestrian crossing H1, the standby position determination unit 13 sets the position as close as possible to the boundary between the first pedestrian crossing H1 and the overlapping area J1 as the standby position (see reference numeral P10 in FIG. 10). When the pedestrian crossing is the second pedestrian crossing H2, the standby position is set as close as possible to the boundary between the second pedestrian crossing H2 and the overlapping area J1 (see reference numeral P11 in FIG. 10), and the pedestrian crossing is the third pedestrian crossing H3. In this case, a position as close as possible to the boundary between the third pedestrian crossing H3 and the overlapping area J1 is set as the standby position (see reference numeral P12 in FIG. 10).

On the other hand, when the moving person waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1, the waiting position determining unit 13 executes the following processing. Here, in the third example, it is assumed that a mover waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1 in the following manner. That is, first, by arranging the waiting movers along the boundary between the overlapping area J1 and the public road (first public road C1 and second public road C2), an L-shaped mover waiting area along the boundary is formed. It is assumed that it will be done. Then, as the number of waiting movers increases, it is assumed that the layer of the mover waiting area becomes thicker toward the opposite side of the boundary. This is because at the scrambled intersection according to the third example, each of the waiting migrants tries to wait as close as possible to the pedestrian crossing that they are going to pass. 11 (A) to 11 (C) show an example of a mover waiting area formed in the overlapping area J1 in this example. As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C, in the case of the third example, the pedestrian crossing area is the first portion B1 (first portion B1) formed corresponding to the boundary between the second public road C2 and the overlapping area J1. A portion of the pedestrian crossing waiting area formed by waiting pedestrian crossings H2 and the third pedestrian crossing H3) and the boundary between the first public road C1 and the overlapping area J1. It can be roughly divided into a second part B2 (a part of a pedestrian crossing waiting area formed by a waiting pedestrian crossing H1 and a third pedestrian crossing H3).

When a mover waiting area is formed in the overlapping area J1, the waiting position determining unit 13 first determines a position as close as possible to the crossing passage as a third candidate position, and places the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at this third candidate position. When the vehicle is stopped, it is determined whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked. In the case of the third example, since there is a possibility that a non-standby mover moves along the track KD7 (see FIG. 10), the standby position determination unit 13 stops the sidewalk traveling vehicle at the third candidate position. In addition, it is determined whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover moving along the track KD7 is blocked. The position P13 in FIG. 11 (A) shows the third candidate position when the pedestrian crossing is the second pedestrian crossing H2, and the position P14 in FIG. 11 (B) is the third candidate when the pedestrian crossing is the third pedestrian crossing H3. The position is shown, and the position P15 in FIG. 11C shows the third candidate position when the pedestrian crossing is the first pedestrian crossing H1.

Then, the standby position determination unit 13 determines in the first and second examples whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the third candidate position. Execute by applying the method described. To elaborate with reference to FIG. 11A, first, the standby position determining unit 13 has a length W1 (sidewalk width W1) in the width direction Y1 of the second sidewalk D2 and a length Y1 in the width direction of the first portion B1. The length R1'(region length R1') and the length L1 (body length L1) of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 in the front-rear direction are acquired. Then, the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not the following [Equation 1'] is satisfied.
[Equation 1'] Sidewalk width W1- (Area length R1'+ Body length L1)> Mover passage width SP

Further, the standby position determining unit 13 includes a length W2 (sidewalk width W2) in the width direction Y2 of the first sidewalk D1, a length R2'(area length R2') in the width direction Y2 of the second portion B2, and a sidewalk. The length L2 (body length L2) in the left-right direction of the vehicle body of the traveling vehicle 2 is acquired. Then, the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not the following [Equation 2'] is satisfied.
[Equation 2'] Sidewalk width W2- (Area length R2'+ Body length L2)> Mover passage width SP

When both [Equation 1'] and [Equation 2'] are satisfied, the standby position determining unit 13 determines that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked, and determines that [Equation 1'] and [Equation 2'] are not blocked. ], If at least one of them does not hold, it is determined that the passage of the non-standby activator is blocked. When both [Equation 1'] and [Equation 2'] are satisfied, the passage for the non-standby mover is secured even when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the third candidate position (position P13). This is because the non-standby mover can move smoothly along the orbit KD7. Although the method of determining whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked has been described above with reference to FIG. 11 (A), the standby position determining unit 13 has been described in FIGS. 11 (B) and 11 (B). ), The above determination is made by the same method.

When the standby position determination unit 13 determines that the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the third candidate position as the standby position. In the case of the example of FIG. 11A, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the position P13 as the standby position. On the other hand, when the standby position determination unit 13 determines that the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the position before entering the overlapping area J1 on the first sidewalk D1 as the standby position. At that time, the standby position determination unit 13 determines the position behind the second portion B2 as the standby position in order to secure the passage for the non-standby mover on the first sidewalk D1. The position P16 in FIG. 11A indicates a standby position determined in this way.

The processing of the standby position determining unit 13 has been described above with reference to the first to third examples. After determining the standby position, the standby position determination unit 13 notifies the automatic operation control unit 14 of information indicating the standby position.

The automatic driving control unit 14 controls the automatic driving execution device 5 based on the input from the sensor unit 6, the sidewalk map information 7a and the guidance route information 7b stored in the storage device 7, and the automatic driving execution device 5. Let the automatic operation be executed. In particular, the automatic operation control unit 14 according to the present embodiment controls the automatic operation execution device 5 to determine the standby position when the standby position is determined by the standby position determination unit 13 and the notification of the information indicating the standby position is received. Stop the sidewalk driving vehicle 2.

Next, the operation of the automatic operation control device 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operations of the standby position determination unit 13 and the automatic operation control unit 14 of the automatic operation control device 1. In the flowchart of FIG. 12, for the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 traveling on the first sidewalk, the standby position is determined by the standby position determining unit 13 after the current position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 and the position of the overlapping region are approaching, and the standby position is automatically determined. The operation control unit 14 shows the operation until the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the standby position. It is assumed that the moving person database 20a is updated by the moving person state detecting unit 11 and the traffic light state information is registered, updated, and deleted by the traffic light state detecting unit 12 continuously and appropriately.

As shown in FIG. 12, the standby position determining unit 13 monitors whether or not the distance between the position of the overlapping region and the current position of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 has reached a predetermined threshold value (step SA1). When the separation distance reaches a predetermined threshold value (step SA1: YES), the standby position determining unit 13 is in a crossing restricted state based on the signal state information stored in the signal state storage unit 21. Whether or not it is determined (step SA2). When the crossing is not restricted (step SA2: NO), the standby position is not determined, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is not stopped before entering the crossing passage. As described above, in the standby position determination unit 13, when the crossing passage signal is currently in the crossing restricted state, but the crossing permission state is immediately reached and it is not necessary to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2, step SA2 is performed. Judge that it is not in the crossing restricted state. Further, even if the crossing passage signal is in the crossing permission state at the present time, the crossing is immediately restricted, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 cannot enter the crossing before the crossing passage signal is in the crossing restriction state. Also, in step SA2, it is determined that the crossing restriction state is not achieved. In this case, the standby position determination unit 13 determines an appropriate position as the standby position in consideration of the surrounding conditions.

On the other hand, when the state of the crossing passage signal is the crossing restricted state (step SA2: YES), the standby position determining unit 13 determines whether or not a migrant waiting area is formed in the overlapping area (step SA3). When the mover waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area (step SA3: NO), the waiting position determining unit 13 determines the position before entering the crossing aisle as the waiting position in the overlapping area (step SA4). After the processing of step SA4, the processing procedure shifts to step SA13. When the mover waiting area is formed in the overlapping area (step SA3: YES), the waiting position determining unit 13 determines the moving person waiting area formed in the overlapping area based on the sidewalk map information 7a and the moving person database 20a. (Step SA5).

Next, the standby position determination unit 13 determines whether or not the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the candidate position (step SA6). When the passage of the non-standby mover is not blocked (step SA6: NO), the standby position determination unit 13 determines the candidate position as the standby position (step SA7). After the processing of step SA7, the processing procedure shifts to step SA13. As a result, in the case of the first example, the position P3 shown in FIG. 5 (B) becomes the standby position, in the case of the second example, the position P8 shown in FIG. 8 (B) becomes the standby position, and in the case of the third example. In the above, the positions P13 to P15 shown in each of FIGS. 11 (A) to 11 (C) are standby positions. However, in each of the figures of FIGS. 11A to 11C, it is assumed that both [Equation 1'] and [Equation 2'] are satisfied at the third candidate position.

On the other hand, when the passage of the non-standby mover is blocked (step SA6: YES), the standby position determination unit 13 determines the standby position by the following processes of steps SA8 to SA12. The standby position is set to a position in front of the overlapping area on the first sidewalk by the processing of steps SA8 to SA12.

In step SA8, after the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 has entered the overlapping area, the standby position determining unit 13 is planning to go straight and enter the crossing passage (in the case of the first example), or after entering the crossing passage. , It is determined whether the vehicle is going to turn and enter the crosswalk without going straight (in the case of the second example and the third example) (step SA8).

When going straight after entering the crossing road (step SA8: YES), the waiting position determining unit 13 determines whether or not another moving person waiting area is formed on the front side of the overlapping area on the first sidewalk (step SA8: YES). Step SA9). When the other mover waiting area is not formed (step SA9: NO), the waiting position determining unit 13 is located on the front side of the overlapping area and at an arbitrary position along the boundary between the first sidewalk and the overlapping area. It is determined as a standby position (step SA10) (see FIG. 6 (A)). After the processing of step SA10, the processing procedure shifts to step SA13.

When the other-moving person waiting area is formed (step SA9: YES), the standby position determining unit 13 is a moving person who moves on the first sidewalk by the other-moving person waiting area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. A position where the passage is not blocked is determined as a standby position (step SA11) (see FIGS. 6B and 6C). After the processing of step SA11, the processing procedure shifts to step SA13.

In step SA8, when it is determined that the user does not plan to go straight and enter the crossing passage (step SA8: NO), the standby position determining unit 13 sets the position behind the mover standby area formed in the overlapping area as the standby position. (Step SA12) (see FIGS. 9 and 11 (A)). After the processing of step SA12, the processing procedure shifts to step SA13.

In step SA13, the automatic driving control unit 14 controls the automatic driving execution device 5 to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at the standby position determined by the standby position determining unit 13.

As described in detail above, in the automatic operation control device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped due to the crossing restriction state of the traffic light, the traffic light provided on the planned crossing road restricts the crossing. Non-standby movement due to the mover waiting area formed by one or more movers waiting to enter the planned crossing road due to the state and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 stopped at the standby position. A position where the passage of the person is not blocked is determined as a standby position, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at the standby position.

According to this configuration, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped, such a standby is performed by the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 that waits until the state of the traffic light changes, and the moving person who waits for the same reason. It is possible to prevent the movement of a migrant who moves on the sidewalk without being hindered. That is, according to the above configuration, when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped according to the state of the traffic light, a moving person who moves on the sidewalk or a moving person who waits until the state of the traffic light changes around the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. It is possible to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 at an appropriate position in consideration of the peculiar circumstances that may occur. This reduces the smooth movement of the migrant, reduces the discomfort that can occur to the migrant when the movement is hindered, and reduces the psychological burden on the occupant that can occur if the migrant is inconvenienced. Can be realized.

In the above embodiment, the operation of the automatic driving control device 1 when the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is stopped at an intersection has been described in three cases, but the present invention may be applied to cases other than the illustrated cases. Of course. Further, in the above embodiment, the migrant state detection unit 11 analyzes the captured image using face recognition and detects the state of the migrant located in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2. In this regard, it is not always necessary to analyze the captured image using a technique called face recognition, and the captured image can be analyzed using various image processes to detect the state of the migrant.

Further, in the above embodiment, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 is a vehicle traveling on the sidewalk with the passenger on board. In this regard, the sidewalk traveling vehicle 2 does not necessarily have to be a vehicle traveling with the passenger on board. For example, it can be applied to an automobile carrying luggage and carrying luggage unmanned. That is, the present invention can be widely applied to the control of automatic driving of a sidewalk traveling vehicle traveling on a sidewalk regardless of whether it is manned or unmanned.

In addition, the above-described embodiment is merely an example of embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or its main features.

1 Automatic driving control device 2 Sidewalk driving vehicle 5 Automatic driving execution device 11 Moving person status detection unit 12 Traffic light status detection unit 13 Standby position determination unit 14 Automatic driving control unit

Claims (14)

It is an automatic driving control device that controls the automatic driving of a sidewalk traveling vehicle that travels on the sidewalk by automatic driving.
A mover state detection unit that detects the state of a mover in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle,
A traffic light status detector that detects the status of the traffic light provided on the road to be crossed, which is the road to be crossed.
When it is necessary to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle due to the traffic light provided on the planned crossing road being in a crossing restricted state for restricting the crossing of the planned crossing road, the moving person state detection unit detects it. Based on the state of the migrant in front of the sidewalk-traveling vehicle, a standby position determining unit that determines a standby position in which the sidewalk-traveling vehicle should wait until the traffic light is in a state of permitting crossing.
While controlling the automatic driving execution device to cause the sidewalk traveling vehicle to execute automatic driving, when the standby position is determined by the standby position determining unit, the automatic driving execution device is controlled to move to the standby position. Equipped with an automatic driving control unit that stops pedestrian vehicles
The standby position determining unit
When determining the waiting position, the traffic light provided on the planned crossing road is formed by one or a plurality of migrants waiting to enter the planned crossing road when the crossing restricted state is reached. The automatic operation is characterized in that the position where the passage of the migrant who moves on the sidewalk is not blocked by the migrant standby area and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle stopped at the standby position is determined as the standby position. Control device. The standby position determining unit
The overlapping area, which is an area where the second sidewalk extending in the direction in which the sidewalk traveling vehicle advances on the first sidewalk and intersects with the first sidewalk and the first sidewalk overlap, and is an area facing the planned crossing road. When the migrant waiting area is formed in the overlapping area in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle traveling on the first sidewalk in the case of further advancing and passing through to enter the planned crossing road.
When the sidewalk traveling vehicle is stopped following the mover waiting area, if the passage of the mover moving on the sidewalk is not blocked, the position following the mover waiting area is set as the standby position. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1, wherein when the determination is made and the passage of the migrant is blocked, the position before entering the overlapping area on the first sidewalk is determined as the standby position. .. The standby position determining unit
From the length in the width direction of the second sidewalk, the length of the migrant waiting area in the width direction, and the width direction of the vehicle body when the pedestrian vehicle stops following the migrant waiting area. When the value obtained by subtracting the total value of the lengths of the above is larger than the width of the passage required for the passage of the mover, the position following the mover waiting area is determined as the waiting position. Item 2. The automatic operation control device according to Item 2. The standby position determining unit
When the position before entering the overlapping area is determined as the standby position, and if another mover waiting area is formed on the first sidewalk, the other mover waiting area and the sidewalk traveling vehicle are formed. The automatic driving control device according to claim 2, wherein a position in which the passage of a mover moving on the first sidewalk is not blocked is determined as the standby position by the vehicle body. The standby position determining unit
From the length in the width direction of the first sidewalk, the length of the other migrant waiting area in the width direction, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle are lined up in the width direction with respect to the other migrant waiting area. If the value obtained by subtracting the total value of the lengths of the vehicle body in the width direction when the vehicle is stopped is larger than the width of the passage required for the passage of the migrant, the width direction is relative to the other migrant standby area. The automatic operation control device according to claim 4, wherein a position arranged in line with is determined as the standby position, and when it is small, a position following the other migrant standby area is determined as the standby position. The standby position determining unit
Within the overlapping area, which is an area where the sidewalk traveling vehicle advances on the first sidewalk and the second sidewalk extending in the direction intersecting the first sidewalk and the first sidewalk overlap, and is an area facing the planned crossing road. In the case of entering the planned crossing road by turning in the overlapping area after entering the sidewalk, the migrant waiting area is formed in the overlapping area in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle advancing on the first sidewalk. case,
When the sidewalk traveling vehicle is stopped at a position continuous with the crossing direction of the planned crossing road with respect to the moving person waiting area, the passage of the moving person moving on the sidewalk is not blocked. A position continuous with the crossing direction with respect to the moving person waiting area is determined as the waiting position, and when the moving person's passage is blocked, before entering the overlapping area on the first sidewalk. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1, wherein the position is determined as the standby position. The standby position determining unit
From the length in the width direction of the first sidewalk, the length of the migrant waiting area in the width direction, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle continuously in the direction opposite to the crossing direction with respect to the migrant waiting area. When the value obtained by subtracting the total value of the lengths of the vehicle body in the width direction when the vehicle is stopped is larger than the width of the passage required for the passage of the migrant, it is opposite to the crossing direction with respect to the migrant standby area. The automatic operation control device according to claim 6, wherein a position continuous to the side is determined as the standby position. The standby position determining unit
When the position before entering the overlapping area is determined as the waiting position, the position before entering the overlapping area and the position behind the moving person waiting area in the overlapping area is determined as the waiting position. The automatic operation control device according to claim 6, wherein the automatic operation control device is characterized. The standby position determining unit
The overlapping area, which is an area where the second sidewalk extending in the direction in which the sidewalk traveling vehicle advances on the first sidewalk and intersects with the first sidewalk and the first sidewalk overlap, and is an area facing the planned crossing road. In the case of going further forward and passing and entering the planned crosswalk
When the migrant waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle advancing on the first sidewalk, the position before entering the planned crossing road in the overlapping area is determined as the waiting position. death,
When the moving person waiting area is formed in the overlapping area in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle advancing on the first sidewalk, the position before entering the overlapping area on the first sidewalk is determined as the waiting position. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1. The standby position determining unit
When the position before entering the overlapping area is determined as the standby position, and if another mover waiting area is formed on the first sidewalk, the other mover waiting area and the sidewalk traveling vehicle are formed. The automatic driving control device according to claim 9, wherein a position in which the passage of a mover moving on the first sidewalk is not blocked is determined as the standby position by the vehicle body. The standby position determining unit
From the length in the width direction of the first sidewalk, the length of the other migrant waiting area in the width direction, and the sidewalk traveling vehicle are lined up in the width direction with respect to the other migrant waiting area. If the value obtained by subtracting the total value of the lengths of the vehicle body in the width direction when the vehicle is stopped is larger than the width of the passage required for the passage of the migrant, the width direction is relative to the other migrant standby area. The automatic operation control device according to claim 10, wherein a position arranged in line with is determined as the standby position, and when it is small, a position following the other migrant standby area is determined as the standby position. The standby position determining unit
Within the overlapping area, which is an area where the second sidewalk extending in the direction in which the sidewalk traveling vehicle advances on the first sidewalk and intersects with the first sidewalk and the first sidewalk overlap, and is an area facing the planned crossing road. In the case of entering the planned crosswalk by turning within the overlapping area after entering
When the migrant waiting area is not formed in the overlapping area in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle advancing on the first sidewalk, the position before entering the planned crossing road in the overlapping area is determined as the waiting position. death,
When the moving person waiting area is formed in the overlapping area in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle advancing on the first sidewalk, the position before entering the overlapping area on the first sidewalk is determined as the waiting position. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1. The standby position determining unit
When the position before entering the overlapping area is determined as the waiting position, the position before entering the overlapping area and following the moving person waiting area in the overlapping area is determined as the waiting position. 12. The automatic operation control device according to claim 12. Provided on the migrant state detection unit that controls the automatic driving of the sidewalk traveling vehicle that automatically drives on the sidewalk and detects the condition of the migrant in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle, and on the planned crossing road that is the road to be crossed. It is an automatic operation control method by an automatic operation control device including a signal state detection unit for detecting the state of the signal.
The standby position determination unit of the automatic operation control device
When it is necessary to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle due to the crossing restricted state in which the traffic light provided on the planned crossing road is in the crossing restricted state for restricting the crossing of the planned crossing road, the moving person state detection unit detects it. Based on the state of the migrant in front of the sidewalk traveling vehicle, the traffic light provided on the planned crossing road waits for entry to the planned crossing road when the crossing restricted state is reached. Alternatively, the traffic light sets a position where the passage of the migrant who moves on the sidewalk is not blocked by the migrant standby area formed by a plurality of migrants and the vehicle body of the sidewalk traveling vehicle stopped at the standby position. The step of determining the waiting position for the sidewalk-traveling vehicle to wait until the crossing is permitted, and
A step in which the automatic driving control unit of the automatic driving control device controls the automatic driving execution device to stop the sidewalk traveling vehicle at the standby position determined by the standby position determining unit.
An automatic driving control method characterized by including.

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