JP2000311300A - Remote controller for automatic following traveling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a remote controller for an automatic following traveling system which allows a driver to operate a leading vehicle from any vehicle forming a convoy without having to change from the leading vehicle to the last following vehicle in the case of shifting the convoy from forward traveling to backward traveling. SOLUTION: The rear image of the last vehicle 2a is transmitted to a leading vehicle 1 in which a driver gets, and the driver operates the vehicle 1 while watching rear video of the leading vehicle projected by a display device 15. A driving operation signal in the case of operating the leading vehicle is transmitted to the last vehicle 2a, and the vehicle 2a is subjected to a remote operation by it. That is, the driver can remotely operate the leading vehicle as if the driver drives in the leading vehicle while watching video transferred to the display device even though the drivers is in any following vehicle forming a convoy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control device for an automatic following system in which a leading vehicle is remotely controlled by a driver who rides the following vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been proposed an automatic following system in which a plurality of unmanned following vehicles are automatically followed by a manned leading vehicle driven by a driver. According to this automatic following system, there is an advantage that the second and subsequent vehicles can save labor during driving.

The present applicant has previously filed an application for an automatic following system capable of following at a high speed and having a high tracking accuracy with respect to the traveling locus of a preceding vehicle as Japanese Patent Application No. 10-278084.

[0004] The automatic following system of the above-mentioned application combines the travel locus (X, Y, θ) of the leading vehicle in manned driving with the operation amount (each operation amount of the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel) as an unmanned vehicle. The following is transmitted to the following vehicle to be driven, and the following vehicle obtains the current position in order to select the operation amount to follow at the present time, obtains the target position of the corresponding leading vehicle, and performs the operation corresponding to the target position. In addition to performing feedforward control using the amount as the current operation amount, feedback control based on the deviation between the target position and the current position is performed.

[0005]

By the way, the above-mentioned automatic follow-up traveling system is to make a plurality of unmanned follow-up vehicles automatically follow a manned leading vehicle driven by a driver. When driving the platoon forward, the driver must ride the first car in the platoon that will be the leading car and drive.When driving the platoon backward, the driver must use the leading car in the platoon. It is presupposed that each person rides on the last vehicle and drives.

Therefore, when the platoon shifts from forward running to reverse running, the driver must change from the first vehicle to the last vehicle, which places a heavy burden on the driver and takes time. In addition, if the platoon moves forward again after the completion of the reverse driving, the driver needs to change from the last vehicle to the first vehicle again, and the burden on the driver becomes greater. On the other hand, in order to eliminate the driver transfer as described above, the driver only needs to get on both the leading vehicle and the reverse vehicle in advance, but in this case, two drivers are required to perform platooning. It becomes wasteful.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object, for example, when a platoon shifts from forward running to reverse running, a driver switches from the first vehicle to the last vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control device of an automatic following system that does not need to be able to control a leading vehicle from any vehicle forming a row.

[0008]

The invention according to claim 1 is
A leading vehicle (a leading vehicle may be a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle; for example, the trailing vehicle 2a corresponds to the trailing vehicle 2a in the embodiment) includes a trailing vehicle (for example, the trailing vehicle 2 and the leading vehicle 1 in the embodiment). A remote control device of an automatic following system that is automatically controlled to form a platoon, wherein a communication unit (for example, the communication unit 28 of the embodiment) is provided between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle.
And transmitting, by the communication means, a follower vehicle on which a driver gets on, by using a camera (e.g., the camera 31 of the embodiment) provided in the leading vehicle, and a forward image of the leading vehicle in the traveling direction. In the following vehicle, the received image of the camera is displayed by display means (for example, the display device 15 of the embodiment) provided in the following vehicle, and a driving operation signal of the following vehicle operated by the driver is provided. Is transmitted to the leading vehicle via the communication means by remote control means (for example, the remote control program 25 of the embodiment), and based on the received drive operation signal of the following vehicle, the remote drive means (for example, of the embodiment) The leading vehicle is remotely controlled by a remote driving program 24).

In the present invention, an image ahead of the leading vehicle in the traveling direction is transmitted to the following vehicle on which the driver gets in, and the driver looks at the image ahead of the leading vehicle in the traveling direction of the leading vehicle and is displayed on the display means. Steer. The driving operation signal at the time of driving the following vehicle is transmitted to the leading vehicle, whereby the leading vehicle is remotely driven. In other words, the driver can remotely control the leading vehicle as if he / she is riding in the leading vehicle while watching the image displayed on the display means, regardless of the following vehicles forming the platoon. . Then, when the leading vehicle is steered, each of the following vehicles, including the following vehicle on which the driver is riding, automatically travels so as to follow the leading vehicle.

[0010] The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the leading vehicle is the last car of the platoon, and the driver gets on the first car of the platoon and the platoon moves backward. The last car in the row is remotely controlled by a driver who has boarded the first car.

According to the present invention, when the driver moves on from the forward running to the reverse running while the driver is riding in the leading vehicle and performing a normal forward platooning, the driver stays in the leading vehicle while riding. The last car, which is the leading car, can be remotely controlled. In other words, the driver can travel backward while riding on the first car, and it is not necessary for the driver to switch from the first car to the last car.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a formation state of a row of electric vehicles performing platoon following travel. The electric vehicle includes a leading vehicle 1 driven by a driver and a following vehicle 2 following the leading vehicle 1.
2 (there may be a single vehicle or a plurality of vehicles, but here, a case where there are three following vehicles is shown).

The leading vehicle 1 and the following vehicle 2 are electric vehicles that are driven by an electric motor, and are configured to be capable of manned traveling and unmanned traveling, respectively. Control ECU for driving force (el
The motor is supplied to a motor that is controlled via an ectronic control unit, and the driving wheels are rotated by the rotation of the motor to travel.

Each of the electric vehicles such as the leading vehicle 1 and the following vehicle 2 is provided with a control ECU 10 for performing overall control for traveling separately from the control ECU for driving force. The vehicles 1 and 2 shown here are leading vehicles (vehicles having a function of leading a platoon during traveling in a platoon, and a leading vehicle in forward traveling, and a trailing vehicle in backward traveling. The vehicle has both a function as a leading vehicle and a function as a following vehicle without distinction from a vehicle for a leading vehicle) or a vehicle for a following vehicle. Therefore,
The control ECU 10 also has both a control function as a leading vehicle and a control function as a following vehicle. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the vehicle is traveling backward for convenience of explanation, and when the last vehicle 2a is the leading vehicle and the leading vehicle 1 is the following vehicle, remote control and control using any sensor or control program are performed. This indicates whether to perform automatic follow-up control, and shows only parts and devices necessary for control in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control ECU 1 for the leading vehicle
0, an accelerator sensor 11 for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, a brake sensor 12 for detecting the amount of depression of the brake pedal, a steering sensor 13 for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel, a power transmission of the vehicle. Shift position sensor 1 for detecting the shift position of the unit
4, a display device 15 for displaying an image captured by a camera 31, which will be described later, and a platoon instruction device 16 for designating a vehicle to be operated when remotely operated are connected.

An accelerator motor 17, a brake device 18, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) 19 are connected to the control ECU 10. These driving output units 17, 18, and 19 are provided for normal driving, that is, when the electric vehicle is directly driven by the driver, for example,
The output of the accelerator motor 17 is controlled via the control ECU 10 by a signal issued from the accelerator sensor 12,
The brake device 18 is controlled via a control ECU 10 by a signal emitted from the brake sensor 12, and the EPS 1
9 is controlled via a control ECU 10 by a signal emitted from the steering sensor 13.

The control ECU 10 further stores a platoon lead program 21, a platoon following program 22, an automatic driving program 23, a remote driving program 24, a remote control program 25, a system control program 26, and a communication program 27 as appropriate. Is remembered by In FIG. 2, these programs are distinguished from those encircled by solid lines and those encircled by broken lines. The broken lines indicate programs that are not used at the moment.

The platoon lead program 21 is a program in which, for example, the control content of the lead vehicle when the vehicle functions as a lead vehicle of the platoon is written. Specifically, the running locus (X, Y, θ) and the amount of operation of the operation unit (accelerator, brake, steering) by the driver and the like are written in pairs, and the control content when transmitting the data to a following vehicle that is driven unmanned via communication means 28 described later is written. ing.

The platoon following program 22 has written therein the control contents of the following vehicle 2 when the vehicle functions as the following vehicle 2 of the platoon. In order to select the operation amount, the current position of the vehicle is determined, and the target position of the corresponding leading vehicle is determined, and feedforward control is performed with the operation amount paired with the target position as the current operation amount. In addition, control contents for performing feedback control based on the deviation between the target position and the current position are written.

In the automatic driving program 23, when the vehicle forms a row with the immediately preceding vehicle, the control content for automatically driving from the current position to a predetermined position behind the preceding vehicle is written. Specifically, the relative positional relationship between the own vehicle position and the preceding vehicle is detected by a measuring device such as a radar 29 described later, and a path from the own vehicle position to a predetermined position behind the preceding vehicle is detected. A map is created, and the vehicle is operated according to the route map using the operation unit (accelerator,
The contents of automatic driving while operating brakes and steering) are written.

The remote operation program 24 is a program in which the contents of control when the vehicle is remotely controlled are written. Specifically, a video taken by a camera 31 mounted on the vehicle is displayed by the driver. Transmits to the vehicle for remote operation via the communication means 28, and transmits a driving operation signal of an operation unit (accelerator, brake, steering) of the vehicle operated by the driver from the vehicle for remote operation to the communication means. 28, and the content of remote-controlled driving of the vehicle based on the driving operation signal is written.

The remote control program 25 is a program in which the content of control when the driver in the vehicle remotely controls another vehicle is written. The image from the camera sent from the vehicle to be steered is displayed on the display device 1 of the vehicle.
5, the content of transmitting the driving operation signal of the operation unit of the vehicle operated by the driver to the vehicle to be remotely controlled by the communication means 28 is written. In this case, the amount of operation of the driver's operation unit (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, steering wheel) is not output to the device of the own vehicle.

The system control program 26 includes a control EC
When the vehicle is controlled in U10, the content of the total control for instructing which of the programs 21 to 25 to use for the control is written.

The communication program 27 is used to determine the traveling trajectory (X, Y, θ) of the vehicle between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle when the vehicle performs platooning or remote control operation.
And control information for transmitting and receiving operation information of the operation unit (accelerator, brake, steering) by the driver, video information of the camera 31, information for operating the brake device 18 and the EPS 19, and the like. .

Further, communication means 28 is connected to the control ECU 10. The communication means 28 is for executing the control contents of the communication program 27,
Specifically, a transceiver and an antenna for inter-vehicle communication,
It consists of a GPS antenna for receiving radio waves from PS satellites and the like.

A radar device 29 is connected to the control ECU 10 of the last vehicle 2a, which is the leading vehicle in this embodiment. The radar device 29 can detect a relative distance and a difference in direction between the vehicle and a vehicle ahead of the vehicle. The control ECU 10 of the last vehicle 2a is connected to a GPS 30 for measuring the current position of the vehicle and a camera 31 for photographing the rear of the vehicle.

Next, a remote control method using the automatic tracking system having the above configuration will be described. A driver is riding in the leading vehicle 1, and the leading vehicle 1 is directly driven by the driver, while the following vehicle 2 is controlled to automatically follow the leading vehicle 1 to form a platoon. .

From this state, the driver sets the transmission gear of the power transmission system of the leading vehicle 1 to reverse,
Instructs reverse travel. Control ECU 1 for leading car
At 0, the system control program 20 shifts to the reverse running mode in response to a detection signal for detecting that the shift gear has been switched to reverse by the shift position sensor 14 or an instruction signal from the platoon instruction device 16.

The control ECU 10 of the leading vehicle 1 notifies the following vehicles 2 via the communication program 27 and the communication means 28 of the backward running mode by wireless communication. Each of the following vehicles 2 that has been notified of the start of the reverse running switches to the reverse running mode, and sets the transmission gear to reverse.

At this point, the last car 2a of the platoon switches from the following vehicle to the leading vehicle, and the leading car 1 of the platoon switches from the leading vehicle to the following vehicle. The last wheel 2a transmits the video captured by the camera 31 that projects the rear of the vehicle to the communication program 2
7 and wireless communication to the leading vehicle 1 via the communication means 28 in real time. Then, the leading car 1 displays the image of the camera 31 sent thereto on the display device 15.

The driver operates the steering wheel, the accelerator pedal, and the brake pedal of the leading car 1 while watching the image displayed on the image device. When the leading vehicle 1 is in the reverse driving mode, the remote control program 25 and the platoon program 22 function, and when the remote control program 25 functions, the driver's operation units (accelerator pedal, brake pedal,
The operation amount of the steering wheel is not output to the device of the own vehicle, but is transmitted to the last vehicle via the communication program 27 and the communication means 28.

The control ECU 10 of the last vehicle calculates a control amount based on the operation amount received according to the remote operation program 24, and calculates an accelerator motor 17, a brake device 18,
An electric signal is output to SP19 to control them.
According to the above control, the driver who has boarded the leading car 1 does not change from the leading car 1 to the trailing car 2a, and checks the rear of the trailing car 2a with the video displayed on the display device 15 while checking the image. The rear wheel 2a can be driven backward by remote control.

Further, based on the platoon leading program 21, the last vehicle 2 a transmits the traveling locus of the own vehicle and the operation amount of the operation unit to another platoon vehicle via the communication program 27 and the communication means 28. According to the trajectory information and the like sent from the last vehicle 2a, the other platoon vehicles are operated based on the platoon following program 22 and the accelerator motor 17, the brake device 1
8. The EPS 19 is controlled, and the vehicle is driven to follow the last vehicle 2a in the reverse running.

In the above embodiment, the remote control device of the automatic following system according to the present invention will be described.
In the case of traveling backward, the case where the driver riding in the leading car 1 remotely controls the vehicle 2a located at the end of the row is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. When traveling forward, the driver who rides on the last car 2a remotely controls the first car 1 or the driver who rides on the vehicle located in the middle part of the platoon has the first car 1
Of course, the present invention is also applicable to the case where the last wheel 2a is remotely controlled.

[0035]

According to the remote control device of the automatic tracking system according to the first aspect, the driver can view the image displayed on the image means while watching the image displayed on any of the following vehicles forming the platoon. It is possible to remotely control the leading vehicle as if it were riding on the leading vehicle, and the driver does not necessarily need to get on the leading vehicle.

According to the remote control device of the automatic tracking system according to the second aspect, when the driver gets on the leading car and performs the normal forward platooning, the platoon shifts from the forward running to the backward running. In this case, the driver can remotely control the trailing vehicle, which is the leading vehicle, while staying in the leading vehicle. In other words, the driver can travel backward while riding on the first car, and it is not necessary for the driver to switch from the first car to the last car.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a situation in which a remote control device of an automatic following system according to an embodiment of the present invention performs a following run.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating contents of a remote control device of the automatic tracking system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... leading car, 2 ... following car, 2a ... last car (leading car), 15 ... display device (display means), 21 ... platoon lead program, 22 ... platoon following program, 24 ... Remote operation program (remote operation means), 25 ... remote operation program (remote operation means), 27 ... communication program, 28 ... communication means, 31 ... camera,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) F02D 29/02 301 G05D 1/00 B G05D 1/00 B60R 21/00 624G // B62D 109: 00 624C 113 : 00 626G 137: 00 630G

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A remote control device for an automatic following system in which a following vehicle is automatically controlled to form a platoon with respect to a leading vehicle, wherein a communication means is provided between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle. An image in front of the leading vehicle in the traveling direction, which is taken by a camera provided on the leading vehicle, is transmitted to the following vehicle on which the driver gets on by the communication means, and the following vehicle is provided on the following vehicle. The received image of the camera is displayed by the display means, and a driving operation signal of a following vehicle operated by the driver is transmitted to the leading vehicle via the communication means by the remote control means, A remote control device for an automatic following system, wherein the leading vehicle is remotely controlled by remote driving means based on a driving operation signal of the following vehicle. 2. The leading vehicle is the last vehicle in a platoon,
2. The automatic following method according to claim 1, wherein the driver gets on the first car of the platoon, and when the platoon moves backward, the last car of the platoon is remotely controlled by the driver on the first car. Remote control device for driving system.