阅读说明：本技术 车辆控制系统及车辆控制方法 (Vehicle control system and vehicle control method ) 是由 落田纯 加纳忠彦 弘间拓二 辻完太 向井拓幸 于 2017-06-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：车辆控制系统(1)具备：第一致动器,其进行本车辆的驱动、制动及转向中的至少任一方；第一控制部(140),其通过控制所述第一致动器来进行所述本车辆的行驶控制；第二致动器,其进行所述本车辆的驱动、制动及转向中的至少任一方；第二控制部(240),其通过控制所述第二致动器来进行所述本车辆的行驶控制；以及通信线(L1),其介于所述第一控制部与所述第二控制部之间,所述第一控制部(140)判定所述第一致动器的动作状态是否满足规定的条件,在判定出所述第一致动器的动作状态满足规定的条件的情况下,与判定出不满足所述规定的条件的情况相比,限制所述第一致动器的控制,并且经由所述通信线(L1)向所述第二控制部(240)发送规定的信号,所述第二控制部(240)在经由所述通信线(L1)从所述第一控制部(140)接收到所述规定的信号的情况下,通过控制所述第二致动器,代替所述第一控制部(140)的功能的至少一部分来进行所述本车辆的行驶控制。(A vehicle control system (1) is provided with: a first actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the vehicle; a first control unit (140) that controls the first actuator to control the travel of the host vehicle; a second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle; a second control unit (240) that controls the second actuator to control the travel of the host vehicle; and a communication line (L1) interposed between the first control unit and the second control unit, wherein the first control unit (140) determines whether or not the operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition, and when it is determined that the operating state of the first actuator satisfies the predetermined condition, the first control unit limits the control of the first actuator and transmits a predetermined signal to the second control unit (240) via the communication line (L1) as compared to when it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, and wherein the second control unit (240) controls the second actuator to perform travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of the function of the first control unit (140) when the predetermined signal is received from the first control unit (140) via the communication line (L1).)

1. A control system for a vehicle, wherein,

the vehicle control system includes:

a first actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the vehicle;

a first control unit that controls the first actuator to control the travel of the host vehicle;

a second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle;

a second control unit that controls the second actuator to control the traveling of the host vehicle; and

a communication line interposed between the first control unit and the second control unit,

the first control unit determines whether or not an operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition,

the first control unit limits control of the first actuator and transmits a predetermined signal to the second control unit via the communication line when it is determined that the operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition, compared to when it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied,

the second control unit controls the second actuator to perform travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of the function of the first control unit by receiving the predetermined signal from the first control unit via the communication line.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1,

the first actuator includes two or more of a drive actuator for driving the host vehicle, a brake actuator for braking the host vehicle, and a steering actuator for steering the host vehicle,

the first control unit restricts the operation of the first actuator, when determining that the operating state of any of the actuators included in the first actuator satisfies the predetermined condition, as compared with a case where determining that the operating states of all of the actuators included in the first actuator do not satisfy the predetermined condition.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the second control unit restricts the operation of the second actuator having a function identical or similar to that of the first actuator controlled by the first control unit, when the predetermined signal is not received from the first control unit via the communication line.

4. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the vehicle control system further includes:

a first power supply that supplies electric power to the first actuator; and

a second power supply that is different from the first power supply and supplies electric power to the second actuator,

the second actuator includes two or more of a drive actuator that drives the host vehicle, a brake actuator that brakes the host vehicle, and a steering actuator that steers the host vehicle.

5. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the vehicle control system further includes:

a detection unit that detects a behavior of the host vehicle; and

a behavior suppression section that suppresses a behavior of the own vehicle by controlling the first actuator or the second actuator according to the behavior detected by the detection section,

the first control unit stops control of the first actuator when the first actuator is controlled by the behavior suppression unit, or

The second control unit stops the control of the second actuator when the second actuator is controlled by the behavior suppression unit.

6. A control system for a vehicle, wherein,

the vehicle control system includes:

a first control unit that performs travel control of the vehicle;

a first acquisition unit that acquires information related to travel control performed by the first control unit;

a second control unit that performs travel control of the host vehicle;

a second acquisition unit that acquires information related to travel control performed by the second control unit; and

a communication line interposed between the first control unit and the second control unit,

the first control unit determines whether or not a state of the host vehicle related to travel control satisfies a predetermined condition based on the information acquired by the first acquisition unit,

the first control unit limits the travel control and transmits a predetermined signal to the second control unit via the communication line when it is determined that the state of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, compared to when it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied,

the second control unit performs travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of the function of the first control unit, based on the information acquired by the second acquisition unit, when the predetermined signal is received from the first control unit via the communication line.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 6,

the first acquisition unit acquires a part or all of information relating to the surrounding environment of the host vehicle, information relating to the traveling state of the host vehicle, and information relating to a driving operation performed by a passenger of the host vehicle,

the first control unit determines whether or not the state of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition based on the information acquired by the first acquisition unit,

the information acquired by the first acquisition unit is transmitted to the second control unit when the state of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, and the information acquired by the first acquisition unit is not transmitted to the second control unit when the state of the host vehicle does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

8. A control method for a vehicle, wherein,

the vehicle control method causes a first on-board computer to perform:

performing travel control of the host vehicle by controlling a first actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle;

determining whether or not an operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition; and

when it is determined that the operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition, control of the first actuator is restricted and a predetermined signal is transmitted to the second on-board computer connected to the communication line via the communication line interposed between the first on-board computer and the second on-board computer, compared to when it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied,

the vehicle control method causes the second on-board computer to perform:

performing travel control of the host vehicle by controlling a second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle; and

when the predetermined signal is received from the first on-board computer via the communication line, the second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle is controlled, and thus the running control of the host vehicle is performed in place of at least a part of the function of the first on-board computer.

9. A control method for a vehicle, wherein,

the vehicle control method causes a first on-board computer to perform:

performing travel control of the vehicle;

acquiring information related to travel control of the host vehicle;

determining whether or not a state of the host vehicle related to travel control satisfies a predetermined condition based on the acquired information; and

in a case where it is determined that the state of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, the travel control is restricted and a predetermined signal is transmitted to the second on-board computer connected to the communication line via the communication line interposed between the first on-board computer and the second on-board computer, as compared to a case where it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied,

the vehicle control method causes the second on-board computer to perform:

acquiring information related to travel control of the host vehicle; and

when the predetermined signal is received from the first vehicle-mounted computer via the communication line, travel control of the host vehicle is performed based on the acquired information in place of at least a part of the function of the first vehicle-mounted computer.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a vehicle control system and a vehicle control method.

Background

Conventionally, the following techniques are known: a primary CPU (central Processing unit) controls the hydraulic pressure in the wheel cylinders of the front left wheel and the rear right wheel of the vehicle, a secondary CPU controls the hydraulic pressure in the wheel cylinders of the front right wheel and the rear left wheel of the vehicle, and when one CPU has an abnormality, the other CPU controls a control target to be controlled by the CPU on the side where the abnormality has originally occurred (for example, see patent literature 1).

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-207662

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the conventional technology, sufficient consideration has not been given to a case where a system for performing travel control of a host vehicle such as automatic driving and driving assistance is configured to be redundant.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control system and a vehicle control method that can stably and continuously perform travel control by adopting a redundant configuration.

Means for solving the problems

(1): a vehicle control system is provided with: a first actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the vehicle; a first control unit that controls the first actuator to control the travel of the host vehicle; a second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle; a second control unit that controls the second actuator to control the traveling of the host vehicle; and a communication line interposed between the first control unit and the second control unit, wherein the first control unit determines whether or not the operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein the first control unit, when determining that the operating state of the first actuator satisfies the predetermined condition, restricts control of the first actuator and transmits a predetermined signal to the second control unit via the communication line, as compared to when determining that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, and wherein the second control unit, when receiving the predetermined signal from the first control unit via the communication line, controls the second actuator, thereby performing travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of the function of the first control unit.

(2): in the vehicle control system described in (1), the first actuator includes two or more of a drive actuator that drives the host vehicle, a brake actuator that brakes the host vehicle, and a steering actuator that steers the host vehicle, and the first control unit restricts the operation of the first actuator in a case where it is determined that the operating state of any of the actuators included in the first actuator satisfies the predetermined condition, as compared with a case where it is determined that the operating states of all of the actuators included in the first actuator do not satisfy the predetermined condition.

(3): in the vehicle control system according to (1) or (2), the second control unit may limit the operation of the second actuator having the same function as the first actuator controlled by the first control unit, when the predetermined signal is not received from the first control unit via the communication line.

(4): the vehicle control system described in any one of (1) to (3), further comprising: a first power supply that supplies electric power to the first actuator; and a second power supply that is different from the first power supply and supplies electric power to the second actuator, wherein the second actuator includes two or more of a drive actuator that drives the host vehicle, a brake actuator that brakes the host vehicle, and a steering actuator that steers the host vehicle.

(5): the vehicle control system according to any one of (1) to (4), further comprising: a detection unit that detects a behavior of the host vehicle; and a behavior suppression unit that suppresses the behavior of the host vehicle by controlling the first actuator or the second actuator according to the behavior detected by the detection unit, wherein the first control unit stops the control of the first actuator when the first actuator is controlled by the behavior suppression unit, or the second control unit stops the control of the second actuator when the second actuator is controlled by the behavior suppression unit.

(6): a vehicle control system is provided with: a first control unit that performs travel control of the vehicle; a first acquisition unit that acquires information related to travel control performed by the first control unit; a second control unit that performs travel control of the host vehicle; a second acquisition unit that acquires information related to travel control performed by the second control unit; and a communication line interposed between the first control unit and the second control unit, wherein the first control unit determines whether or not a state of the host vehicle related to travel control satisfies a predetermined condition based on the information acquired by the first acquisition unit, wherein when the first control unit determines that the state of the host vehicle satisfies the predetermined condition, the first control unit restricts the travel control and transmits a predetermined signal to the second control unit via the communication line, as compared to when the predetermined condition is determined not to be satisfied, and wherein when the second control unit receives the predetermined signal from the first control unit via the communication line, the second control unit performs the travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of a function of the first control unit based on the information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

(7): in the vehicle control system described in (6), the first acquisition unit acquires a part or all of information relating to the surrounding environment of the host vehicle, information relating to the traveling state of the host vehicle, and information relating to a driving operation performed by a passenger of the host vehicle, the first control unit determines whether or not the state of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition based on the information acquired by the first acquisition unit, transmits the information acquired by the first acquisition unit to the second control unit when the state of the host vehicle satisfies the predetermined condition, and does not transmit the information acquired by the first acquisition unit to the second control unit when the state of the host vehicle does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

(8): a vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle control method causes a first on-board computer to perform: performing travel control of the host vehicle by controlling a first actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle; determining whether or not an operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition; and limiting control of the first actuator and transmitting a predetermined signal to a second on-board computer connected to the communication line via a communication line interposed between the first on-board computer and the second on-board computer, in a case where it is determined that an operating state of the first actuator satisfies a predetermined condition, as compared to a case where it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the vehicle control method causing the second on-board computer to perform: performing travel control of the host vehicle by controlling a second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle; and controlling a second actuator that performs at least one of driving, braking, and steering of the host vehicle when the predetermined signal is received from the first on-board computer via the communication line, thereby performing travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of a function of the first on-board computer.

(9): a vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle control method causes a first on-board computer to perform: performing travel control of the vehicle; acquiring information related to travel control of the host vehicle; determining whether or not a state of the host vehicle related to travel control satisfies a predetermined condition based on the acquired information; and limiting the travel control and transmitting a predetermined signal to a second on-board computer connected to the communication line via a communication line interposed between the first on-board computer and the second on-board computer, in a case where it is determined that the state of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, as compared to a case where it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the vehicle control method causing the second on-board computer to perform: acquiring information related to travel control of the host vehicle; and performing travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of a function of the first on-board computer on the basis of the acquired information when the predetermined signal is received from the first on-board computer via the communication line.

Effects of the invention

The structure according to any one of (1) to (9) is configured as follows: when the first control unit determines that the operating state of the first actuator satisfies the predetermined condition, the first control unit restricts control of the first actuator and transmits a predetermined signal to the second control unit via the communication line, as compared to when it determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, and when the second control unit receives the predetermined signal from the first control unit via the communication line, the second control unit controls the second actuator to perform travel control of the host vehicle in place of at least a part of the function of the first control unit, thereby enabling stable and continuous travel control.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the navigation device 110.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the first control device 140.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a case where the first own vehicle position recognition unit 144 recognizes the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M with respect to the travel lane L1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a processing procedure of the automatic driving.

Fig. 6 is a configuration diagram of the second control device 240.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes performed by the first control device 140 or the second control device 240.

Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the case where the substitution control is performed.

Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the case where the substitution control is performed.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the case where the substitution control is performed.

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the case where the substitution control is performed.

Fig. 12 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system 1 according to a modification of the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of a vehicle control system and a vehicle control method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[ integral Structure ]

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. A vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as a host vehicle M) on which the vehicle control system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheel, three-wheel, four-wheel or the like vehicle, and a driving source thereof is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using generated power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

The vehicle control system 1 includes, for example, an autonomous driving control system 100, a driving support control system 200, a first power supply PS1 that supplies electric power to the autonomous driving control system 100, and a second power supply PS2 that supplies electric power to the driving support control system 200. The automatic driving control system 100 and the driving support control system 200 have redundant configurations in order to mutually assume the functions of one system. In addition, the first power supply PS1 and the second power supply PS2 are provided independently of each other.

[ Structure on the automatic Driving control System side ]

The automatic driving control system 100 includes, for example, a first camera 102, a detector 104, an object recognition device 106, a first vehicle sensor 108, a navigation device 110, a recommended lane determining device 120, a driving force output device 130, an electric servo brake device 131, a shift control device 132, a first display device 133, a lighting device 134, a communication gateway 135, a first steering ECU300a for driving an electric motor of the electric power steering device 300, and a first control device 140. One of the first control device 140 and a second control device 240 described later is an example of a "first control unit", and the other is an example of a "second control unit". The first camera 102, the detector 104, the object recognition device 106, the first vehicle sensor 108, the recommended lane determining device 120, and an operation detecting unit of a driving operation member described later are examples of a "first acquiring unit" or a "second acquiring unit" in combination.

The running driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, the first display device 133, the communication gateway 135, the first steering ECU300a, and the first control device 140 are connected to each other via a common first bus BS1, and other sensors and devices are connected to each other via other communication lines. The first bus BS1 and the other communication lines are multiplex communication lines such as can (controller Area network) communication lines or serial communication lines. The first controller 140 is electrically connected to a second bus BS2 described later.

The first camera 102 is a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a ccd (charge Coupled device) or a cmos (complementary Metal Oxide semiconductor). The first camera 102 is attached to an arbitrary portion of the vehicle M. When photographing forward, the first camera 102 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the rear surface of the interior mirror, and the like. The first camera 102 repeatedly images the periphery of the host vehicle M periodically, for example. The first camera 102 may also be a stereo camera.

The first camera 102 includes, for example, a camera ecu (electronic Control unit)102 a. The camera ECU102a includes more than one microcontroller. Camera ECU102a controls various devices connected to first bus BS1 in addition to the control performed by first control device 140. Specific control contents will be described later.

The detector 104 is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that measures scattered Light with respect to the irradiation Light and detects the distance to the object. The probe 104 is provided on, for example, a front end side of a vehicle such as an interior of a front grille, a front bumper, and a headlight, a rear end side of a vehicle such as a trunk lid, and a side surface side of a vehicle such as a door mirror and a side lamp. The detector 104 may be provided in an engine hood, a roof, or the like.

The object recognition means 106 is realized by, for example, an ECU including one or more microcontrollers. The object recognition device 106 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of the first camera 102 and the probe 104, for example, to recognize the position, the type, the speed, the moving direction, and the like of the nearby vehicle. The object recognition device 106 may recognize not only the surrounding vehicle but also a type of object such as a guardrail, a utility pole, or a pedestrian.

The object recognition device 106 repeatedly acquires information indicating the detection result from each sensor at a detection cycle of each of the first camera 102 and the detector 104 or at a cycle longer than the detection cycle, and recognizes the position, type, speed, moving direction, and the like of an object such as a neighboring vehicle. Then, the object recognition device 106 outputs information indicating the recognition result to the first control device 140.

The first vehicle sensor 108 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the own vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects an angular velocity about a vertical axis, an orientation sensor that detects the orientation of the own vehicle M, and the like. The first vehicle sensor 108 outputs information indicating the detection result to the first control device 140.

The navigation device 110 determines a route to a destination set by a passenger, for example. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the navigation device 110. The Navigation device 110 includes, for example, a communication unit 112, an hmi (human machine interface)114, a gnss (global Navigation Satellite system) receiver 116, and a Navigation control unit 118.

The communication unit 112 communicates with the navigation server via a wireless base station using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), dsrc (dedicated Short Range communication), or the like.

The HMI114 includes, for example, a touch panel display device, a speaker, a microphone, a switch, a key, and the like. The GNSS receiver 116 measures the position of the own vehicle (the position of the own vehicle M) based on radio waves coming from GNSS satellites (for example, GPS satellites). The navigation control unit 118 includes, for example, a CPU and various storage devices, and controls the entire navigation device 110. A navigation map (map information) is stored in the storage device. The navigation map is a map in which roads are represented by nodes and lines.

The navigation control unit 118 refers to the navigation map and determines a route from the position of the own vehicle M measured by the GNSS receiver 116 to the destination specified by the HMI 114. The navigation control unit 118 may transmit the position and destination of the vehicle M to a navigation server (not shown) using the communication unit 112, and acquire a route returned from the navigation server.

The description returns to fig. 1. The recommended lane determining device 120 includes, for example, an mpu (micro Processing unit) and various storage devices. The storage device stores high-precision map information more detailed than a navigation map. The high-accuracy map information includes, for example, information such as a road width, a gradient, a curvature, positions of a junction point and a branch point, and a reference speed (e.g., legal speed) for each lane. The recommended lane determining device 120 determines a recommended lane that is preferable for traveling along the route input from the navigation device 110, and outputs information (part of high-accuracy map information) on the route for which the recommended lane is determined to the first control device 140.

The running driving force output device 130 outputs running driving force (torque) for running the host vehicle M to the driving wheels. The traveling driving force output device 130 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, a motor, a transmission, and the like, and a power ECU that controls them. The power ECU controls the above configuration based on information input from first control device 140 and camera ECU102a or information input from driving operation elements (not shown).

For example, an operation detection unit that detects an operation amount of each operation element is attached to the driving operation element. The operation detection unit detects the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal or a brake pedal, the position of a shift lever, the steering angle of a steering wheel, and the like. The operation detection unit outputs a detection signal indicating the detected operation amount of each operation element to the automatic driving control system 100, or one or both of the traveling drive force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, and the electric power steering device 300.

The power ECU adjusts the timing of ignition of the fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine, for example, by controlling the spark plug. In addition, the power ECU adjusts the fuel injected from the fuel injector to the internal combustion engine by, for example, supplying electric power to a solenoid provided in the fuel injector to drive a plunger passing through the solenoid. The power ECU adjusts the flow rate of the outside air supplied to the internal combustion engine by controlling an actuator that changes the opening degree of a throttle valve, for example. The power ECU adjusts the amount of power generation by controlling the motor, for example.

The electric servo brake device 131 includes, for example, a caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor so that a braking torque corresponding to a braking operation is output to each wheel, in accordance with information input from the first control device 140, the camera ECU102a, or information input from the driving operation member. The electric servo brake device 131 can be used as a backup for a mechanism for transmitting the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operation tool to the hydraulic cylinder via the master cylinder. The electric servo brake device 131 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder by controlling the actuator in accordance with information input from the first control device 140 and the camera ECU102 a.

The shift control device 132 includes, for example, a range changing mechanism that changes a shift range by switching a combination of gears of a transmission included in the traveling driving force output device 130, an actuator such as a motor that drives the range changing mechanism, and a shift control ECU that controls the actuator. For example, the shift control ECU controls the actuator in accordance with information input from the first control device 140 and the camera ECU102a to drive the range changing mechanism, and fixes the drive shaft inside the transmission to change the shift range to the parking range.

The first Display device 133 is, for example, a Head-Up Display (HUD) that displays an image on a front windshield.

The illumination device 134 switches various lamps such as a head lamp, a tail lamp, a turn signal lamp (hazard lamp), and an LED lamp provided in a door mirror to an on state or an off state, or controls the direction of light irradiation (beam direction) from the head lamp. The lighting device 134 is connected to a second display device 212 of the driving support control system 200, which will be described later, via a predetermined communication line between the systems.

The communication gateway 135 includes a processor such as a CPU, a microcontroller, and various storage devices, and relays the first bus BS1 and a second bus BS2 described later. For example, when the communication protocol of the first bus BS1 is different from that of the second bus BS2, the communication gateway 135 converts information received from one bus into information according to the communication protocol of the other bus, and transmits the converted information to the other bus. When information is transmitted from one bus to the other bus, the communication gateway 135 mediates the transmission when information is already transmitted to the bus of the transmission destination. For example, when the bus of the transmission destination is the first bus BS1 and the first control device 140 has the access right of the first bus BS1, the communication gateway 135 transmits a request for information transmission to the first control device 140, and when a response of permission is received from the first control device 140, transmits information received from the second bus BS2 to the first bus BS 1.

The first steering ECU300a drives an electric motor included in the electric power steering apparatus 300. The electric power steering device 300 includes, for example, a steering wheel, an electric motor, a first steering ECU300a, and a second steering ECU300b described later. In an electric motor, for example, two different stators are provided for a common rotor. First steering ECU300a controls an inverter connected to one of the two stators to rotate a rotor and drive an electric motor. At this time, the first steering ECU300a drives the electric motor by an operation amount corresponding to the steering angle of the steering wheel. The electric motor changes the orientation of the steering wheel by applying a force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism, for example.

[ Structure of the first control device ]

The configuration of the first control device 140 will be described below. The first control device 140 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and an MPU, an HDD, a flash memory, a ram (random Access memory), a rom (read Only memory), and other storage devices, and executes various processes. The first control device 140 is connected to the second control device 240 via a first communication line L1 conforming to the ethernet (registered trademark) standard, for example. The first communication line L1 is not limited to the ethernet standard, and may be based on a standard with a relatively high transmission rate.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the first control device 140. The first control device 140 includes, for example, a first external world recognition unit 142, a first vehicle position recognition unit 144, an action plan generation unit 146, a travel control unit 148, a switching control unit 150, and a first determination unit 152. Some or all of these components are realized by a processor executing a program (software) stored in a storage device, for example. Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as lsi (large scale integration), asic (application Specific Integrated circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or the like, or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware.

The first external world recognition unit 142 recognizes the state of the object such as a nearby vehicle, such as a position, a speed, and an acceleration, for example, based on information input from the first camera 102 and the probe 104 via the object recognition device 106. The "state" of the object may also include acceleration, jerk, etc. of the object. In addition, in the case where the object is a nearby vehicle, the "state" of the object may include, for example, whether the nearby vehicle is performing a lane change or an action state of whether the lane change is being performed.

The first external world identification unit 142 may acquire the detection results of the second camera 202 and the radar 204 on the driving support control system 200 side via the first communication line L1 to identify the state of the object such as the peripheral vehicle, such as the position, speed, and acceleration.

The first vehicle position recognition unit 144 recognizes, for example, a traveling lane on which the host vehicle M is currently traveling, and a relative position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. The first vehicle position recognition unit 144 refers to, for example, high-accuracy map information showing the route of the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination device 120, and compares the pattern of road dividing lines (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and broken lines) that determines the route of the recommended lane with the pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M that is recognized from the image captured by the first camera 102, thereby recognizing which lane is the traveling lane among the one or more lanes included in the route. The first vehicle position recognition unit 144 recognizes, for example, the position and posture of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a case where the first own vehicle position recognition unit 144 recognizes the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M with respect to the travel lane L1. The first vehicle position recognition unit 144 recognizes, for example, a deviation OS of a reference point (for example, the center of gravity) of the host vehicle M from the center CL of the traveling lane and an angle θ formed by the traveling direction of the host vehicle M with respect to a line connecting the center CL of the traveling lane as the relative position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane L1. Instead, the first vehicle position recognition unit 144 may recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle M with respect to the arbitrary side end portion of the vehicle lane L1, as the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. The relative position of the host vehicle M recognized by the first host vehicle position recognition unit 144 is provided to the recommended lane determining device 120 and the action plan generating unit 146.

The action plan generating unit 146 determines the events to be sequentially executed during the autonomous driving so as to travel on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determining device 120, and can cope with the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M. Examples of the events include a lane keeping event for keeping only a lane, a constant speed driving event for driving on the same driving lane at a constant speed, a lane change event for changing the driving lane of the host vehicle M, an overtaking event for overtaking a preceding vehicle, a follow-up driving event for driving by following a preceding vehicle, a merging event for merging vehicles at a merging point, a branch event for advancing the host vehicle M to a lane on the destination side at a branch point of a road, an emergency stop event for making the host vehicle M stop urgently, and a switching event for switching to manual driving to end automatic driving. In addition, there is a case where actions for avoiding are planned based on the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M (the presence of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, lane narrowing due to road construction, and the like) during execution of these events.

The action plan generating unit 146 generates a target track when the host vehicle M will travel on the route determined by the route determining unit 53 in the future, based on the determined event (the set of a plurality of events planned in association with the route). The target track represents a track in which points (hereinafter, referred to as track points) to which the vehicle M should arrive are sequentially arranged. The track point is a point to which the host vehicle M should arrive at every predetermined travel distance, and a target speed at every predetermined sampling time (for example, several fractions of sec) is determined as a part (an element) of the target track. The target speed may include elements such as a target acceleration and a target jerk. The track point may be a position to which the vehicle M should arrive at a predetermined sampling time. In this case, the target speed is determined by the interval of the track points.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a processing procedure of the automatic driving. First, as described in the above paragraph, the navigation device 110 determines a route on the navigation map. This path is, for example, a rough path without distinction of lanes. Next, as shown in the middle, the recommended lane determining device 120 determines a recommended lane that is easy to travel along the route on the high-precision map. Then, as described in the following paragraph, the action plan generating unit 146 plans various events on the determined recommended lane route, and generates the target trajectory based on the events.

When the planned event is a lane keeping event, the action plan generating unit 146 generates a target track in which a track point is arranged at the center of the lane so as to keep the own lane. The target speed at this time may be the same as a reference speed such as a legal speed, for example.

When the planned event is a follow-up travel event, the action plan generating unit 146 generates a target trajectory in which the target speed is determined so that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle M is constant, and the trajectory point is arranged at the center of the lane so as to maintain the host lane, for example. In particular, when the speed of the preceding vehicle is low and stops frequently as in the case of congestion, the action plan generating unit 146 may set the target speed to zero in accordance with the stop of the preceding vehicle and may determine the target speed so as to be constant with the speed when the preceding vehicle starts.

When the planned event is a lane change event, for example, the action plan generating unit 146 derives a plurality of curves (for example, spline curves) from the host vehicle M to the adjacent lanes, and determines, as the target trajectory, a curve in which the lateral acceleration (the acceleration in the vehicle width direction) generated when the host vehicle M travels along the target trajectory is equal to or less than a threshold value, when the plurality of derived curves are set as the target trajectory. The target speed at this time is determined based on, for example, headway of an adjacent lane.

[ control of vehicle by travel control section ]

The travel control unit 148 performs speed control (acceleration/deceleration control) and steering control of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 146 at a predetermined timing. For example, the speed control by the travel control unit 148 controls a part or all of the travel driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, and the shift control device 132 connected to the first bus BS 1. The steering control by the travel control unit 148 controls the electric power steering apparatus 300 connected to the first bus BS 1. The speed control and the steering control are examples of the "running control".

For example, the travel control unit 148 determines the control amounts of the travel driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, and the shift control device 132 based on the target speed indicated by the target track.

For example, the travel control unit 148 determines the control amount of the electric power steering apparatus 300 so as to provide the wheels with a displacement corresponding to the target steering angle indicated by the target track.

For example, the travel control unit 148 controls the first display device 133 and the lighting device 134 in accordance with speed control and steering control. For example, the travel control unit 148 causes the first display device 133 to display the speed, the target trajectory, the route, the recommended lane, and the like of the host vehicle M, and causes various lamps of the lighting device 134 to be turned on in accordance with the speed control and the steering control.

Further, when controlling a part or all of the traveling driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, and the electric power steering device 300, the traveling control unit 148 suspends the control of the devices to be controlled when the devices themselves start the operation of the control for the purpose of stabilizing the unstable behavior of the vehicle, and resumes the control when the operations of these devices are ended. For example, when the brake ECU of the electric servo brake device 131 starts controlling the electric motor while the electric servo brake device 131 is controlled, the travel control unit 148 interrupts the control of the electric servo brake device 131 and waits until the operation of the electric servo brake device 131 is completed. When the operation of electric servo brake device 131 is completed, travel control unit 148 restarts control of electric servo brake device 131 based on the target trajectory.

The switching control unit 150 switches the driving mode of the host vehicle M based on the action plan generated by the action plan generating unit 146. The driving modes include, for example, an automatic driving mode, a driving support mode, and a manual driving mode.

The automatic driving mode is a driving mode in which the travel driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, the electric power steering device 300, and the like are controlled by the travel control unit 148 of the first control device 140, for example.

The driving support mode is, for example, a driving mode in which the driving support control unit 246 of the second control device 240 described later controls the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210, the electric parking brake device 211, the electric power steering device 300, and the like, or a driving mode in which any one of the first control device 140, the camera ECU102a, or the camera ECU202a controls the driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, the electric power steering device 300, and the like as support control for driving operation of the passenger body of the host vehicle M.

The manual driving mode is a driving mode in which the driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, the electric power steering device 300, and the like are controlled by the passenger operating a driving operation member such as a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and the like, for example.

For example, the switching control unit 150 switches the driving mode from the manual driving mode or the driving support mode to the automatic driving mode at a predetermined point of start of the automatic driving. The switching control unit 150 switches the driving mode from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode or the driving support mode at a predetermined point (for example, a destination) at which the automatic driving is to be ended.

The switching control unit 150 may switch the driving mode, which is executed in accordance with an operation of a switch or the like included in the HMI114, to another driving mode, for example.

Further, the switching control unit 150 may switch the driving mode from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode based on a detection signal input from the driving operation member. For example, when the operation amount indicated by the detection signal exceeds the threshold value, that is, when the driving operation element is operated by the operation amount exceeding the threshold value from the passenger, the switching control unit 150 switches the driving mode from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. For example, when the driving mode is set to the automatic driving mode, the switching control unit 150 switches the driving mode from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when the steering wheel, the accelerator pedal, or the brake pedal is operated by the passenger by an operation amount exceeding a threshold value.

In the manual driving mode, an input signal (a detection signal indicating how much the operation amount is) from the driving operation member is output to the traveling driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, and the electric power steering device 300. Hereinafter, the running driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, and the shift control device 132 connected to the first bus BS1, the vehicle behavior stabilizing device 210 and the electric parking brake device 211 connected to the second bus BS2, which will be described later, and the various motors of the electric power steering apparatus 300 connected to both the first bus BS1 and the second bus BS2, and the drive mechanisms and the like attached thereto will be simply described as "actuators". One of the actuator on the automatic driving control system 100 side and the actuator on the driving support control system 200 side is an example of the "first actuator", and the other is an example of the "second actuator".

The first determination unit 152 determines whether or not the operating states of various sensors and actuators on the automatic driving control system 100 side satisfy predetermined conditions. The predetermined condition is, for example, a case where the current performance of the sensor or the actuator is lower than the original performance for various reasons. The "case where the current performance of the sensor or the actuator is lower than the original performance due to various factors" includes, for example, a case where the sensor or the actuator itself is not in the original state due to aging degradation or the like, a case where information that should be obtained from various sensors is not obtained due to a communication failure, and a case where the actuator to be controlled performs an operation not instructed.

The first determination unit 152 determines whether or not the operating states of the various sensors and actuators on the driving support control system 200 side satisfy predetermined conditions, for example, based on information received from the second control device 240 via the second communication line L2. The second communication line L2 is, for example, a CAN communication line or the like.

For example, when the first determination unit 152 determines that the operating state of any one of the various sensors and actuators on the automated driving control system 100 side satisfies the predetermined condition, the travel control unit 148 stops the control of the travel driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, and the electric power steering device 300, and outputs the substitute control command signal to the second control device 240 via the second communication line L2 that connects the first control device 140 and the second bus BS2 on the driving support control system 200 side. The alternative control command signal is, for example, a signal for receiving the control right of the host vehicle M from one system side to the other system side, and causing the system on which the control right is received to perform control (hereinafter, referred to as alternative control) for replacing the vehicle control to be performed by the system on which the control right is given. The substitute control command signal is an example of "predetermined signal".

For example, when the first determination unit 152 determines that the operating state of any one of the various sensors and actuators on the driving support control system 200 side satisfies the predetermined condition, that is, when the substitute control command signal is received from the driving support control system 200 via the second communication line L2, the travel control unit 148 performs, as the substitute control, the speed control and the steering control using the sensor or actuator on the own system side that is the same as or similar to the sensor or actuator that satisfies the predetermined condition, among the sensors and actuators on the driving support control system 200 side.

[ control of vehicle by ECU of first Camera ]

In addition to the speed control and the steering control by the first control device 140 described above, the camera ECU102a of the first camera 102 controls various devices connected to the first bus BS 1.

The camera ECU102a detects a neighboring vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a preceding vehicle) present in front of the host vehicle M from an image captured by the first camera 102, for example, and when a time-to-collision TTC obtained by dividing the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle M by the relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle M is equal to or less than a first predetermined time, controls the first display device 133 connected to the first bus BS1 to notify the passenger of the host vehicle M that the preceding vehicle has relatively approached.

For example, when the time-to-rich collision TTC with the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than a second predetermined time shorter than the first predetermined time, camera ECU102a controls a part or all of traveling drive force output device 130, electric servo brake device 131, or shift control device 132 connected to first bus BS1 to decelerate host vehicle M.

Further, for example, when the preceding vehicle that is stopped or traveling slowly starts at a constant speed or more or when the preceding vehicle is separated by a constant distance or more, the camera ECU102a controls the first display device 133 connected to the first bus BS1 to notify the passenger of the host vehicle M that the preceding vehicle starts.

Camera ECU102a detects a sign provided near the road and a road sign drawn on the road surface from the image captured by first camera 102, for example, and displays the sign and the road sign on first display device 133 connected to first bus BS 1.

The camera ECU102a detects the presence or absence of lighting of various lamps such as headlights and tail lights of the nearby vehicle from the image captured by the first camera 102. For example, when recognizing that the headlights of the oncoming vehicle and the tail lights of the leading vehicle are not lit, the camera ECU102a controls the lighting device 134 connected to the first bus BS1 via the first display device 133 to switch the headlights of the own vehicle M to the high beams.

[ Structure on the side of drive support control System ]

The configuration of the driving support control system 200 will be described below. The driving support control system 200 includes, for example, a second camera 202, a radar 204, a second vehicle sensor 206, a vehicle behavior stabilization device 210, an electric parking brake device 211, a second display device 212, a second steering ECU300b for driving an electric motor of the electric power steering device 300, and a second control device 240. The second camera 202 and the radar 204 are another example of the "first acquisition unit" or the "second acquisition unit".

The vehicle behavior stabilizing device 210, the electric parking brake device 211, the second display device 212, the second steering ECU300b, and the second control device 240 are connected to each other via a common second bus BS2, and other sensors and devices are connected to each other via other communication lines. The second bus BS2 and other communication lines are multiplex communication lines such as CAN communication lines or serial communication lines.

The second camera 202 is a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS. The second camera 202 is attached to an arbitrary portion of the vehicle M. When photographing forward, the second camera 202 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the rear surface of the vehicle interior mirror, and the like. The second camera 202 repeatedly images the periphery of the host vehicle M periodically, for example. The second camera 202 may also be a stereo camera. The second camera 202 is an example of a "detection unit".

The second camera 202 includes, for example, a camera ECU202 a. The camera ECU202a includes one or more microcontrollers. In addition to the control by the second control device 240, the camera ECU202a controls various devices connected to the second bus BS 2. Specific control contents will be described later.

The radar 204 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar 204 is provided on, for example, a front end side of a vehicle such as an interior of a front grille, a front bumper, and a headlight, a rear end side of a vehicle such as a trunk lid, and a side surface side of a vehicle such as a door mirror and a side lamp. The radar 204 may also detect the position and velocity of the object by FM-cw (frequency Modulated Continuous wave) method. The radar 204 is another example of the "detection unit".

The radar 204 includes, for example, a radar ECU204 a. The radar ECU204a includes one or more microcontrollers. In addition to the control by the second control device 240, the radar ECU204a controls various devices connected to the second bus BS 2. Specific control contents will be described later.

The second vehicle sensor 206 includes, for example, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a yaw rate sensor for detecting an angular velocity about a vertical axis, an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of the host vehicle M, and the like. The second vehicle sensor 206 outputs information indicating the detection result to the second control device 240.

The vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 has, for example, a function of suppressing occurrence of a skid due to locking of wheels when a brake is applied on an emergency brake or a low friction road, a function of suppressing spin of the wheels at the time of starting or stopping, and a function of suppressing occurrence of a side slip by controlling the posture of the host vehicle M at the time of turning. For example, the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 includes a dedicated ECU (hereinafter, referred to as a behavior stabilization ECU). The vehicle behavior stabilizing device 210 and the radar ECU204a together are an example of a "behavior suppression unit".

For example, the behavior stabilization ECU controls an electric motor that drives a pump as a coasting reduction function, and releases locking by pumping brake fluid (oil) from a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to a caliper of a locked wheel by the pump, thereby reducing the hydraulic pressure. A caliper, a hydraulic cylinder, and the like are shared with the electric servo brake device 131.

For example, as the idle reduction function, the behavior stabilization ECU controls one or both of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to reduce the driving force in order to reduce the rotation speed or the rotation speed of the drive wheel when a detection value detected by a sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation speed or the rotation speed of the drive wheel is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The internal combustion engine and the motor are shared with the traveling drive force output device 130. The behavior stabilization ECU may control the electric motor so as to transmit the hydraulic pressure to a caliper of a brake pad corresponding to a drive wheel (idling drive wheel) whose rotation speed or rotation speed is equal to or higher than a threshold value, and may apply the brake to suppress idling of the drive wheel.

For example, as the sideslip suppressing function, the behavior stabilizing ECU controls one or both of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to reduce the driving force and controls the electric motor to decelerate the vehicle M so that the hydraulic pressure is transmitted to the brake caliper of the brake pad corresponding to the drive wheel or the other wheel when the vehicle turns at an angle equal to or greater than a certain steering angle.

The electric parking brake device 211 includes, for example, a dedicated ECU (hereinafter, referred to as a parking brake ECU). The parking brake ECU controls the electric motor so as to transmit a hydraulic pressure to a brake caliper of a brake pad corresponding to the rear wheel, for example, and applies a braking force to the wheels to stop the vehicle M.

The second display device 212 is various display devices such as an lcd (liquid Crystal display) and an organic el (electroluminescence) display. The second display device 212 is, for example, a control panel provided on the front surface of the driver's seat, and functions as an instrument panel for displaying a speedometer, an odometer, a tachometer, a fuel gauge, a direction indicator lamp, and the like.

The second steering ECU300b drives an electric motor included in the electric power steering apparatus 300. The second steering ECU300b drives the electric motor by rotating the rotor by controlling the inverter connected to the stator of the other of the two stators of the electric motor (the stator that is not the control target of the first steering ECU300 a).

[ Structure of second control device ]

The configuration of the second control device 240 will be described below. The second control device 240 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and an MPU, and various storage devices such as an HDD, a flash memory, a RAM, and a ROM, and executes various processes. The second controller 240 is connected to the first controller 140 via the first communication line L1.

Fig. 6 is a configuration diagram of the second control device 240. The second control device 24 includes, for example, a second external world recognition unit 242, a second vehicle position recognition unit 244, a travel support control unit 246, and a second determination unit 248. Some or all of these components are realized by a processor executing a program (software) stored in a storage device, for example. Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or the like, or may be realized by cooperation of software and hardware.

The second external recognition unit 242 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of an object such as a nearby vehicle, for example, based on the detection results of the second camera 202 and the radar 204.

The second external recognition unit 242 may recognize the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of the object such as the surrounding vehicle by taking the detection results of the first camera 102 and the probe 104 on the automatic driving control system 100 side through the first communication line L1.

The second vehicle position recognition unit 244 recognizes, for example, a traveling lane on which the host vehicle M is currently traveling, and the relative position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the traveling lane. For example, the second vehicle position recognition unit 244 recognizes the traveling lane from the road dividing line around the host vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the second camera 202, and further recognizes the position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the recognized traveling lane.

[ vehicle control by the travel support control unit ]

The travel support control unit 246 performs speed support control (deceleration control) and steering support control of the host vehicle M based on the relative distance, relative speed, collision allowance time TTC, and the like between the object and the host vehicle M recognized by the second external recognition unit 242. For example, the speed support control by the driving support control unit 246 controls one or both of the vehicle behavior stabilizing device 210 and the electric parking brake device 211 connected to the second bus BS 2. The steering assist control by the driving assist control unit 246 controls the electric power steering apparatus 300 connected to the second bus BS 2.

The travel support control unit 246 may perform the speed support control and the steering support control based on the position and the posture of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane, which are recognized by the second vehicle position recognition unit 244. The speed assist control and the steering assist control are another example of the "travel control".

When a part or all of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210, the electric parking brake device 211, or the electric power steering device 300 is controlled, the travel support control unit 246 suspends the control of the device itself as the control target when the device itself starts the operation of the control for stabilizing the unstable behavior of the vehicle, and resumes the control when the operation of these devices is ended. For example, when the behavior stabilization ECU of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 starts controlling the electric motor, the internal combustion engine, the electric motor, or the like while the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 is being controlled, the travel support control unit 246 interrupts the control of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 and waits until the operation of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 is completed. When the operation of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 is ended, the travel support control unit 246 restarts the control of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 based on the relative distance, the relative speed, the collision allowance time TTC, and the like between the object and the host vehicle M.

The second determination unit 248 determines whether or not the operation states of various sensors and actuators on the driving support control system 200 side satisfy predetermined conditions.

The second determination unit 248 determines whether or not the operation states of various sensors and actuators on the automatic driving control system 100 side satisfy predetermined conditions, for example, based on information received from the first control device 140 via the first communication line L1.

For example, when the second determination unit 248 determines that any one of the operation states of the various sensors and actuators on the driving support control system 200 side satisfies the predetermined condition, the travel support control unit 246 stops the control of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210, the electric parking brake device 211, and the electric power steering device 300, and outputs the substitute control command signal to the first control device 140 via the second communication line L2.

For example, when the second determination unit 248 determines that the operating state of any of the various sensors and actuators on the automated driving control system 100 side satisfies the predetermined condition, that is, when the substitute control command signal is received from the automated driving control system 100 via the second communication line L2, the travel support control unit 246 performs, as the substitute control, the speed support control and the steering support control using the same or similar type of sensor or actuator on the own system side as the sensor or actuator on the automated driving control system 100 side that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[ control of vehicle by ECU of second Camera ]

The camera ECU202a of the second camera 202 controls various devices connected to the second bus BS2 in addition to the speed assist control and the steering assist control by the travel assist control unit 246.

The camera ECU202a, for example, when a dividing line of the own lane in which the own vehicle M is traveling is detected from the image captured by the second camera 202 and the own vehicle M appears to be departing from the own lane, causes the second display device 212 connected to the second bus BS2 to display a predetermined image and vibrates the steering wheel, thereby promoting the attention of the passenger of the driver seat. Further, the camera ECU202a controls the electric motor of the electric power steering device 300 to change the direction of the steered wheels toward the center of the lane and assists the host vehicle M to return into the host vehicle lane when the steering wheel is vibrated and the operation of the steering wheel by the passenger is not performed. For example, when it is detected from the image captured by the second camera 202 that the vehicle M is greatly deviated from the center of the own lane, the camera ECU202a mediates the control amount of the electric motor calculated by other functional units such as the radar ECU204a and the second control device 240, and calculates the control amount of the electric motor corresponding to the amount of the control of the vehicle (the camera ECU202 a). The camera ECU202a controls the electric motor by a control amount calculated in consideration of compatibility with other functional units, and applies a braking force to the wheels by transmitting a hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper of the brake pads corresponding to the drive wheels, thereby decelerating the vehicle M. Further, the camera ECU202a may calculate a control amount of the electric motor for suppressing lane departure and transmit information indicating the calculated control amount to the second control device 240. Receiving this information, second control device 240 mediates the control amount calculated by itself and the control amount calculated by camera ECU202a, and calculates the control amount of the electric motor again. Then, the second control device 240 controls the electric motor by the calculated control amount, and transmits the hydraulic pressure to the caliper of the brake pad corresponding to the drive wheel to apply the braking force to the wheel. Note that the mediation in controlling the electric motor may be performed by the first control device 140 instead of the camera ECU202a and the second control device 240. The lane departure is suppressed by such control.

[ control of vehicle by ECU of Radar ]

The radar ECU204a of the radar 204 controls various devices connected to the second bus BS2 in addition to the speed assist control and the steering assist control by the travel assist control unit 246.

For example, when the peripheral vehicle is detected diagonally behind the host vehicle M that is blind when viewed from the passenger of the driver, the radar ECU204a controls the lighting device 134 connected to the second bus BS2 via the second display device 212, thereby turning on or blinking the LED lamp provided in the door mirror. This notifies the driver's seat passenger that there is a nearby vehicle diagonally behind the host vehicle M.

Further, for example, when the peripheral vehicle is detected behind the host vehicle M in the adjacent lane at the destination of the lane change and rapidly approaches the host vehicle M while the host vehicle M is changing lanes from the host vehicle M to the adjacent lane, the radar ECU204a controls the illumination device 134 to turn on or blink the LED lamp provided in the door mirror. Thereby promoting the attention of the passengers.

Further, for example, when the host vehicle M detects a nearby vehicle approaching from the side of the host vehicle M while the host vehicle M is traveling in reverse, the radar ECU204a controls the illumination device 134 to turn on or blink the LED lamp provided on the door mirror. Thereby promoting the attention of the passengers. In the various controls described above, the radar ECU204a may turn on or flash an LED lamp provided in the door mirror, instead of or in addition to this, cause the second display device 212 and the first display device 133 to output predetermined information in the form of an image or the like.

[ treatment procedure ]

The flow of processing performed by each control device before the substitute control command signal is output will be described below with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes performed by the first control device 140 or the second control device 240. The following describes, as an example, a case where the first control device 140 executes the processing of the flowchart.

First, the first determination unit 152 determines whether or not the substitute control designation signal is received from the driving support control system 200 side (step S100).

When determining that the substitute control designation signal has not been received, first determination unit 152 determines whether or not the detection performance of any sensor on the automatic drive control system 100 side has degraded (step S102). When the first determination unit 152 determines that the detection performance of any sensor has degraded, the travel control unit 148 proceeds to the process of S110 described later.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the detection performance of any sensor is not degraded, the first determination unit 152 further determines whether or not the performance of any actuator on the automatic driving control system 100 side is degraded (step S104).

When the first determination unit 152 determines that the performance of any actuator is not degraded, the action plan generation unit 146 generates a target trajectory, and the travel control unit 148 controls the travel driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, and the electric power steering device 300 based on the target trajectory (step S106).

Next, the travel control unit 148 transmits, to the second control device 240 via the first communication line L1, part or all of the information output by the object recognition device 106, the map information (high-accuracy map information) including the route of the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determining device 120, the information indicating the detection result of the first vehicle sensor 108, and the detection signal detected by the operation detecting unit of the driving operation device (step S108). Thus, the second control device 240 can share various information used by the first control device 140.

On the other hand, when the first determination unit 152 determines that the performance of any of the actuators is degraded, the travel control unit 148 stops the control of the travel driving force output device 130, the electric servo brake device 131, the shift control device 132, and the electric power steering device 300 (step S110). While the travel control unit 148 stops the control of these devices, the camera ECU102a of the first camera 102 may control these devices.

Then, the travel control unit 148 transmits an alternative control designation signal to the second control device 240 of the driving support control system 200 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1 (step S112).

In the process of S100 described above, when the first determination unit 152 determines that the alternative control designation signal is received from the driving support control system 200 side, the travel control unit 148 performs the alternative control (step S114). This completes the processing of the flowchart.

Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the case where the substitution control is performed. As shown in the illustrated example, when the performance of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 on the driving support control system 200 side is degraded, the second determination unit 248 of the second control device 240 determines that the operating state of the actuator of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel support control unit 246 transmits the substitute control command signal to the first control device 140 via the second communication line L2. The substitute control command signal includes, for example, information (for example, identification information of a sensor or an actuator, or the like) relating to a sensor or an actuator of which the operating state is determined to satisfy a predetermined condition, among the sensors or actuators on the driving support control system 200 side. When receiving such an alternative control command signal, the travel control unit 148 performs speed control or steering control using devices including sensors or actuators corresponding to the sensors or actuators that satisfy predetermined conditions on the driving support control system 200 side. In the illustrated example, since the performance of the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 is degraded, the travel control unit 148 performs speed control (deceleration control) using the electric servo brake device 131 having a function of deceleration control instead of the sideslip suppression function.

At this time, when camera ECU102a separately controls electric servo brake device 131, running control unit 148 mediates control in accordance with the substitute control command signal. For example, when the alternative control command signal is received while the electric servo brake device 131 is controlled by the camera ECU102a, the travel control unit 148 prioritizes the control performed by the camera ECU102a, and controls the electric servo brake device 131 as the alternative control according to the alternative control command signal at the time point when the control is finished.

On the other hand, when the performance of the actuator of electric servo brake device 131 on the automated driving control system 100 side is degraded, first determination unit 152 of first control device 140 determines that the operating state of the actuator of electric servo brake device 131 satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel control unit 148 transmits the substitute control command signal to the second control device 240 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1. Upon receiving the signal, the travel support control unit 246 performs speed control (deceleration control) using the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 having the same or similar function to the deceleration function of the electric servo brake device 131.

At this time, when the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 is separately controlled by the camera ECU202a and the radar ECU204a, the driving support controller 246 mediates the control in accordance with the substitute control command signal. For example, when the alternative control command signal is received while the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 is controlled by the radar ECU204a, the travel support controller 246 prioritizes the control by the radar ECU204a, and controls the vehicle behavior stabilization device 210 as the alternative control according to the alternative control command signal at the time point when the control is finished.

Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the case where the substitution control is performed. As shown in the illustrated example, when the performance of the electric parking brake device 211 on the driving assistance control system 200 side is degraded, the second determination unit 248 of the second control device 240 determines that the operating state of the actuator of the electric parking brake device 211 satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel support controller 246 transmits the substitute control command signal to the first control device 140 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1. Upon receiving this signal, travel control unit 148 stops vehicle M using shift control device 132 having a function (a function of changing the shift range to the parking range) that is the same as or similar to the function of electric parking brake device 211 to continuously stop vehicle M.

At this time, when the camera ECU102a controls the shift control device 132 separately, the travel control unit 148 mediates the control according to the substitute control command signal. For example, when the alternative control command signal is received while the shift control device 132 is controlled by the camera ECU102a, the travel control unit 148 prioritizes the control performed by the camera ECU102a, and controls the shift control device 132 as the alternative control according to the alternative control command signal at the time point when the control is finished.

On the other hand, when the performance of the actuator of the shift control device 132 on the automated driving control system 100 side is degraded, the first determination unit 152 of the first control device 140 determines that the operating state of the actuator of the shift control device 132 satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel control unit 148 transmits the substitute control command signal to the second control device 240 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1. Upon receiving the signal, the driving assistance control unit 246 stops the own vehicle M using the electric parking brake device 211 having the same or similar function as that of the shift control device 132.

At this time, when the camera ECU202a and the radar ECU204a separately control the electric parking brake device 211, the driving support controller 246 mediates the control in accordance with the substitute control command signal. For example, when the alternative control command signal is received while the electric parking brake device 211 is controlled by the radar ECU204a, the driving support control unit 246 prioritizes the control by the radar ECU204a, and controls the electric parking brake device 211 as the alternative control according to the alternative control command signal at the time point when the control is finished.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the case where the substitution control is performed. As in the illustrated example, when the performance of the second steering ECU300b of the electric power steering apparatus 300 is degraded, the second determination unit 248 of the second control apparatus 240 determines that the operating state of the inverter that is the control target of the second steering ECU300b or the stator that receives the electric power supply from the inverter satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel support controller 246 transmits the substitute control command signal to the first control device 140 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1. Receiving the signal, the travel control portion 148 performs steering control using the first steering ECU300a having the same or similar function as the second steering ECU300 b.

At this time, when camera ECU102a controls first steering ECU300a separately, travel control unit 148 mediates the control in accordance with the substitute control command signal. For example, when the alternative control command signal is received while the first steering ECU300a is controlled by the camera ECU102a, the travel controller 148 prioritizes the control performed by the camera ECU102a, and controls the first steering ECU300a as the alternative control in accordance with the alternative control command signal at the time point when the control is finished.

On the other hand, when the performance of first steering ECU300a on the automatic steering control system 100 side is degraded, first determination unit 152 of first control device 140 determines that the operating state of the inverter that is the control target of first steering ECU300a or the stator that receives the supply of electric power from the inverter satisfies a predetermined condition. In this case, the travel control unit 148 transmits the substitute control command signal to the second control device 240 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1. Receiving this signal, the travel assist control portion 246 performs steering control using the second steering ECU300b having the same or similar function as the first steering ECU300 a.

At this time, when the camera ECU202a and the radar ECU204a separately control the second steering ECU300b, the driving support controller 246 mediates the control in accordance with the substitute control command signal. For example, when the alternative control command signal is received while the second steering ECU300b is controlled by the radar ECU204a, the travel support controller 246 prioritizes the control by the radar ECU204a and controls the second steering ECU300b as the alternative control in accordance with the alternative control command signal at the time point when the control is finished.

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the case where the substitution control is performed. As shown in the illustrated example, when the performance of the radar 204 on the driving support control system 200 side is degraded, the second determination unit 248 of the second control device 240 determines that the operation state of the radar 204 satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel support control unit 246 transmits the substitute control command signal to the first control device 140 via the second communication line L2. Upon receiving the signal, the travel control unit 148 performs speed control and steering control using the probe 104 having the same or similar function as that of detecting the position of the object of the radar 204.

On the other hand, when the performance of the probe 104 on the automatic driving control system 100 side is degraded, the first determination unit 152 of the first control device 140 determines that the operation state of the probe 104 satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, the travel control unit 148 transmits the substitute control command signal to the second control device 240 via the second communication line L2 or the first communication line L1. Upon receiving the signal, the travel support control unit 246 performs speed control and steering control using the radar 204 having the same or similar function as that of the probe 104. Note that the relationship between the first camera 102 and the second camera 202 is the same as the relationship between the detector 104 and the radar 204.

In the above description, the travel assist control unit 246 has been described as giving priority to the control by the ECU over the control by itself when the substitute control command signal is received when the control by the ECU is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the driving support control unit 246 may change the priority ranking of each control according to the possibility of contact with an obstacle and the state of the host vehicle M.

According to the embodiment described above, it is determined whether or not the operating state of the actuator of each device on the automatic drive control system 100 side (or the drive assist control system 200 side) satisfies the predetermined condition, and when it is determined that the operating state of the actuator satisfies the predetermined condition, the control of the actuator is restricted as compared with the case where it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, and the substitute control command signal is transmitted to the second control device 240 on the drive assist control system 200 side (or the first control device 140 on the automatic drive control system 100 side) via the second communication line L2, and the control device that receives the substitute control command signal performs the travel control of the vehicle M by controlling the actuator of each device on the own system side in place of at least a part of the functions of the control device on the other system side. This makes it possible to obtain a redundant configuration and to stably and continuously perform travel control.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since the devices and sensors to be controlled and the bus connecting them are independent of each other between the automatic driving control system 100 and the driving support control system 200, even when the detection performance of the sensors on the automatic driving control system 100 side is lowered or the performance of the actuators is lowered, for example, the driving support control system 200 is not affected, and the alternative control of the travel control that the automatic driving control system 100 should originally perform can be performed on the driving support control system 200 side.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, in each system, when any one of the actuators of the plurality of devices satisfies the predetermined condition, the control of the actuators of all the devices in the system is stopped (restricted), and therefore the travel control of the host vehicle M can be performed by a simple control method. As a result, the processing load of the entire vehicle control system 1 can be reduced.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, when the other control device controls a certain actuator without transmitting an alternative control command signal from the other control device to the one control device, the one control device restricts the operation of the actuator having the same or similar function to the actuator controlled by the other control device, and therefore the same actuator is not controlled by both systems. As a result, the running control can be continued more stably without causing control interference.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since each system is operated by electric power supplied from an independent power supply, even when the performance of one power supply is degraded, the travel control can be continued by a system connected to the other power supply as a backup.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle behavior stabilizing device 210 is controlled by the camera ECU202a and the radar ECU204a, the driving support control unit 246 gives priority to the control by the camera ECU202a and the radar ECU204a, or changes the priority ranking of each control according to the possibility of contact with an obstacle and the state of the host vehicle M, so that the vehicle behavior stabilizing device 210 is controlled (mediated) as the substitute control according to the substitute control command signal at the time point when the prioritized control is ended, and therefore the behavior of the vehicle can be stabilized quickly, and the occurrence of control interference can be suppressed. As a result, the running control can be continued more stably.

< modification example >

Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the object recognition device 106, the first vehicle sensor 108, and the recommended lane determining device 120 are directly connected to the first control device 140 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the object recognition device 106, the first vehicle sensor 108, and the recommended lane decision device 120 may be connected to the first bus BS 1.

Fig. 12 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control system 1 according to a modification of the embodiment. As shown in the illustrated example, the object recognition device 106, the first vehicle sensor 108, and the recommended lane determining device 120 are connected to the first bus BS 1. In this case, the first control device 140 acquires various information from these devices via the first bus BS 1. When the substitute control command signal is not received from the driving support control system 200 and neither of the sensors nor the actuators on the automatic driving control system 100 side satisfies the predetermined condition, the first control device 140 transmits various information acquired via the first bus BS1 to the second control device 240 via the first communication line L1. Thus, the second control device 240 can share various information used by the first control device 140.

The communication gateway 135 may transmit information output from the object recognition device 106, the first vehicle sensor 108, and the recommended lane determining device 120 to the first bus BS1 directly to the second bus BS2 on the driving support control system 200 side without passing through the first control device 140.

In the above example, the method of transmitting information from the automatic driving control system 100 side to the driving support control system 200 side has been described, but the same method is applied to the method of transmitting information from the driving support control system 200 side to the automatic driving control system 100 side. That is, when the substitute control command signal is not received from the automatic drive control system 100 and any of the sensors and actuators on the drive support control system 200 side does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the first control device 140 may transmit various information acquired via the second bus BS2 to the first control device 140 via the first communication line L1, or the communication gateway 135 may transmit information output from the second camera 202, the radar 204, and the second vehicle sensor 206 to the second bus BS2 directly to the first bus BS1 on the automatic drive control system 100 side without passing through the second control device 240.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals:

1 · vehicle control system, 100 … automatic driving control system, 102 … first camera, 102a … camera ECU, 104 … detector, 106 … object recognition device, 108 … first vehicle sensor, 110 … navigation device, 112 … communication unit, 114 … HMI, 116 … GNSS receiver, 118 … navigation control unit, 120 … recommended lane determination device, 130 … driving force output device, 131 … electric servo brake device, 132 … shift control device, 133 … first display device, 134 … lighting device, 135 … communication gateway, 140 … first control device, 142, … first external recognition unit, 144 … first vehicle position recognition unit, 36146 action plan generation unit, 148 … drive control unit, 150 … switching control unit, 152 … first determination unit, BS … first bus, 200 … driving control support system, 202 … second camera ECU, 202a … camera 204, radar … camera, … camera 204, … camera, …, 204a … radar ECU, 206 … second vehicle sensor, 210 … vehicle behavior stabilizing device, 211 … electric parking brake device, 212 … second display device, 240 … second control device, 242 … second external recognition unit, 244 … second vehicle position recognition unit, 246 … driving assistance control unit, 248 … second determination unit, BS2 … second bus, 300 … electric power steering device, 300a … first steering ECU, 300b … second steering ECU, PS1 … first power supply, PS2 … second power supply.