JP2019069774A - Automatic driving control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To forcibly stop a part or all of control under automatic execution at a proper timing in a vehicle capable of automatically executing a part or all of various driving control necessary for traveling without requiring the operation of a driver.SOLUTION: An automatic driving control device mounted in a vehicle includes a driving mode setting section and an automatic control section. The driving mode setting section sets a driving mode of the vehicle to either a high level automation mode or a basic mode. The automatic control section automatically executes an automatic driving operation to be a driving operation set to be automatically executed when the driving mode is set to the high level automation mode and stops at least one of the automatic driving operations under execution when a prescribed required release event occurs.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

  This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-234665 filed with the Japanese Patent Office on November 19, 2014, and the international application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-234665. The entire contents are incorporated by reference into this international application.

  According to the present disclosure, at least a part of the driver's various driving operations necessary for causing the vehicle to travel such as various judgments and operations by the driver can be automatically performed without requiring the driver's operation or the like. The invention relates to a possible automatic operation control device.

  Various techniques for realizing automatic driving of a vehicle have been proposed and partially put to practical use. Patent Document 1 below discloses an autonomous driving vehicle capable of autonomous driving and traveling according to a preset travel plan.

JP, 2012-59274, A

  One of the final goals of the autonomous driving technology is considered to be to set the destination and to allow the passenger to reach the destination without any involvement in traveling after that. However, the current situation is that the level of reliability that can be achieved has not been reached yet.

  In addition, it is desirable that, as the automatic driving technology advances, it is possible to take an appropriate response to the abnormality of the on-vehicle computer for realizing the automatic driving. Specifically, when adopting an automatic driving technology, at least a part of the control being executed automatically is invalidated and left to the driver's operation as required, or the behavior of the vehicle is forced to a safe direction. It is desirable to be able to control.

  In one aspect of the present disclosure, in a vehicle capable of automatically executing at least a part of various operation control necessary for traveling without requiring a driver's operation, at least a part of the control being automatically performed. It is desirable to be able to force stop at an appropriate timing.

The automatic driving control apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle, and includes an ambient information acquiring unit, a driving mode setting unit, an automatic control unit, and a cancellation requirement determining unit.
A surrounding information acquisition part acquires surrounding information which is information around the vehicle. More specifically, the ambient information is information indicating the state of the surroundings of the vehicle, and in order to automatically execute a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for the traveling of the vehicle without requiring the driver's operation. Information necessary for

  The drive mode setting unit sets the drive mode of the vehicle to either the advanced automation mode or the basic mode. The advanced automation mode is an operation mode in which at least a part of the plurality of types of driving operations necessary for traveling the vehicle is automatically executed based on the surrounding information. The basic mode is an operation mode in which the number of types of automatic operation operations, which are operation operations to be performed automatically, is less or zero than in the advanced automation mode.

  The automatic control unit executes the automatic driving operation set in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit. The required cancellation event determination unit determines whether or not a predetermined required cancellation event has occurred, at least when the operation mode is the advanced automation mode. The required release event is a predetermined event for which at least one of the automatic driving operations set to be performed is to be released (stop execution).

  The automatic control operation is set to be performed when the required release event determination unit determines that the required release event has occurred, when the operation mode is set to at least the advanced automation mode. Stop its execution for at least one of

  According to the automatic operation control device configured as described above, the operation mode needs to be set to at least the advanced automation mode (ie, at least one automatic operation operation is set to be performed). When the cancellation event occurs, at least one of the automatic driving operations to be originally performed is canceled from the execution target, and is not performed by the automatic control unit.

Therefore, even if a required release event that may cause the automatic driving operation to be improperly performed may occur, the vehicle can be prevented from unintentionally becoming unstable.
When it is determined that the required cancellation event determination unit has generated the required cancellation event when the automatic control unit is set to the operation mode having at least one automatic operation operation to be performed, All automatic driving operations to be performed in the driving mode may be stopped. That is, when the required release event occurs, the automatic control operation is not performed by the automatic control unit. By doing this, it is possible to more reliably suppress the unintentional running of the vehicle from becoming unstable even when a required release event that may cause the automatic driving operation to be improperly performed may occur. Can.

  Here, the notification unit and the release permission determination unit may be provided. The notification unit notifies the occupant of the vehicle that the required cancellation event has occurred, when the required cancellation event determination unit determines that the required cancellation event has occurred. The release permission determination unit determines whether or not a specific release permission operation has been performed by the vehicle occupant after notification by the notification unit. When the release permission determination unit determines that the release permission operation has been performed, the automatic control unit may stop the execution of the automatic driving operation that should be stopped. Then, if the automatic control unit does not determine that the release permission operation has been performed by the release permission determination unit, the automatic control unit performs a predetermined automatic stop process for stopping the traveling of the vehicle. You may

  In the automatic driving control apparatus configured as described above, when a required release event occurs, notification is performed in advance instead of unconditionally stopping execution of the automatic driving operation. Then, when the intention of the vehicle occupant is displayed in response to the notification, the execution of the automatic driving operation is stopped. By doing this, it is possible to prevent the traveling state of the vehicle from becoming unstable by stopping the execution of the automatic driving operation.

FIG. 1A is a side view of a vehicle of the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the vehicle of the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the vehicle of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3A is an explanatory view showing an automatic operation level in each operation mode, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory view showing that control contents at each automatic operation level may be arbitrarily set. It is an explanatory view for explaining an outline of automatic operation. It is a flow chart of automatic operation level setting processing. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the automatic driving | operation cancellation | release confirmation process in the automatic driving | operation level setting process of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the system monitoring process in the automatic driving | operation cancellation | release confirmation process of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the inside-and-outside behavior monitoring process in the automatic driving | operation cancellation | release confirmation process of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the environment monitoring process in the automatic driving | operation cancellation | release confirmation process of FIG. FIG. 10A is a flowchart of the traveling history recording process, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart showing details of the self-diagnosis process in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the vehicle of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flow chart of control state monitoring processing of a 2nd embodiment.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
(1) Configuration of Vehicle 1 FIG. 1A shows a side view of the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B shows a top view of the vehicle 1. However, FIGS. 1A and 1B briefly illustrate the arrangement of the various cameras, radars, sensors, and the like in the vehicle 1 for the purpose of clearly indicating the arrangement.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is at least a front camera 2, a rear camera 3, a left side camera 4, a right side camera 5, and an indoor camera as cameras for photographing the inside and the outside of the vehicle 1. It has six. Each of the cameras 2 to 6 is a camera capable of capturing a color image and a moving image. Each of the cameras 2 to 6 may be a monocular camera, or may be a stereo camera capable of acquiring information in the depth direction by providing a plurality of lenses.

  The front camera 2 is provided to face forward on the front end side of the ceiling in the vehicle compartment. The front camera 2 can shoot the front of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The rear camera 3 is provided to face the rear on the rear end side of the ceiling in the vehicle compartment. The rear camera 3 can capture the rear of the vehicle 1 in a wide range.

  The left side camera 4 is provided to face the left side on the left side surface of the vehicle 1. The left side camera 4 can capture the left side of the vehicle 1 in a wide range. The right side camera 5 is provided to face the right side on the right side surface of the vehicle 1. The right side camera 5 can capture an image of the right side of the vehicle 1 in a wide range.

  The indoor camera 6 is provided on the front end side of the ceiling of the vehicle room so as to face the rear (vehicle room). The indoor camera 6 can capture at least the upper body of the driver (driver) in the vehicle compartment.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 includes a front radar device 11, a rear radar device 12, a left side radar device 13, and a right side radar device 14. Each of the radar devices 11 to 14 is a millimeter wave radar in the present embodiment. As known, millimeter wave radar is based on the relationship between transmission waves and each reception wave and the relationship between each reception wave by transmitting millimeter wave radio waves and receiving the reflected waves by a plurality of reception antennas. The radar is capable of detecting target information related to targets around the vehicle 1. Target information that can be detected by each of the radar devices 11 to 14 includes the presence or absence of a target in the detection direction, the distance to the target, the direction of the target based on the vehicle 1, the moving speed of the target (for the vehicle 1 Relative speed).

  Specifically, the front radar device 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the front of the vehicle 1. The front radar device 11 can acquire target information on a target in front of the vehicle 1. The rear radar device 12 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and transmits / receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the rear of the vehicle 1. The rear radar device 12 can acquire target information on a target behind the vehicle 1. The left side radar device 13 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the left side of the vehicle 1. The left side radar device 13 can acquire target information on a target on the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the right side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 can acquire target information on a target on the right side of the vehicle 1.

  Moreover, the vehicle 1 is equipped with the solar radiation sensor 16 and the rain sensor 17 as shown to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. The solar radiation sensor 16 is installed in the lower part of the front window 9 in the front of the passenger compartment. The solar radiation sensor 16 can detect the amount of solar radiation with respect to the vehicle 1 and hence the brightness around the vehicle 1. The rainfall sensor 17 is installed at an upper portion of the front window 9 on the vehicle interior side. The rain sensor 17 can detect the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rain.

(2) Electrical Configuration of Vehicle 1 The electrical configuration of the vehicle 1 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is provided with an automatic driving control device 30. The automatic driving control device 30 mainly has a mode switching function and an automatic driving function. The mode switching function is a function to set the operation mode of the vehicle 1 to either the advanced automation mode or the basic mode. The automatic driving function is a function to execute the automatic driving according to the set automatic driving level of the driving mode (see FIG. 3A, details will be described later). The automatic driving control device 30 appropriately switches the operation mode of the vehicle 1 according to various factors such as the traveling state of the vehicle 1, the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1, the state of the driver of the vehicle 1, etc. as described later.

  The types of automatic driving of vehicles include partially automatic driving and fully automatic driving. The partially automatic driving is a type of automatic driving in which a part of various driving operations of the driver necessary to drive the vehicle is automated. Here, the term “automation” means being executable without requiring the driver's operation or the like. The fully automatic driving is an automatic driving in a form in which traveling to the destination is entirely automated without requiring a driver's operation or the like to the set destination. Hereinafter, a parameter indicating the degree of the type and number of driving operations to be automated in the automatic driving is referred to as an automatic driving level. Fully automatic operation has higher automatic operation levels than partially automatic operation. In addition, there are various levels of partially automatic driving depending on the type and number of driving operations to be automated.

  The vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to be capable of not only partially automatic driving but also fully automatic driving by the automatic driving control device 30. The present embodiment is configured such that the driver can arbitrarily change the setting of the automatic driving level, that is, which operation of the various driving operations necessary for traveling is automated and which the driver performs.

  More specifically, in the present embodiment, automatic start / stop control, lane maintenance control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision suppression control as main automatic control functions for realizing fully automatic driving. , And there are seven types of parking control. The automatic driving control device 30 can execute these seven types of automatic control functions, and can execute completely automatic control functions by executing all the seven types of automatic control functions.

  Conversely, partially automatic driving is realized by executing arbitrary six or less of the seven types of automatic control functions. In the present embodiment, which of the seven types of automatic control functions are to be executed in the advanced automation mode can be arbitrarily set.

The specific contents of the seven automatic control functions will be described in detail later.
The automatic operation level becomes higher as the number of functions to be executed among the seven types of automatic control functions increases. Specifically, the automatic operation level is level 0 when none of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed. The automatic operation level when n types of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed is level n. Therefore, in the operation mode of level 0, it is necessary for the driver to judge and operate the control operation corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions. On the other hand, the operation modes of level 1 to level 6 are operation modes in which a part of automatic operation is performed. The operation mode of level 7 is an operation mode in which the fully automatic operation is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the advanced automation mode is an operation mode in which automatic operation at an automatic operation level of level 1 or higher is performed. On the other hand, the basic mode is an operation mode in which the automatic operation level is relatively lower than the advanced automation mode. For example, when the advanced automation mode is level n, the basic mode can be set to any of level n-1 to level 0.

  In the present embodiment, the basic mode is described as the automatic operation level is set to level 0 for the sake of simplicity and clarity of the description. Level 0 is a level at which the driver needs to perform most of the various driving operations required for traveling without all the seven types of automatic control functions being executed.

  The automatic operation control device 30 has a control unit 30a and a memory 30b. The memory 30b specifically includes a ROM, a RAM, and various other storage media (eg, an EEPROM, a flash memory). The control unit 30a realizes various functions including the mode switching function and the automatic driving function described above by executing various programs stored in the memory 30b. The control unit 30a includes at least a CPU.

  Among various programs stored in the memory 30b, there are programs (so-called security software) capable of detecting unauthorized operation from outside, computer virus, unauthorized software, data, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “incorrect factor”) )It is included. The control unit 30a monitors the presence or absence of an illegal factor as needed by making the security software reside during activation. Then, when an illegal factor occurs, various illegal response processing is executed. The fraud handling processing also includes processing for forcibly setting the automatic operation level to level 0 so that the automatic control function is not activated at all. Besides, various specific contents of the fraud handling process can be considered. For example, a warning may be output to the driver by voice or the like, or the vehicle 1 may be forcibly decelerated or stopped. Further, the connection between the control unit 30a and each of the communication units 31 to 35 may be physically cut off so that access from the outside to the automatic driving control device 30 through wireless communication can not be performed.

  The cameras 2 to 6, the radar devices 11 to 14, and the sensors 21 to 23 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B are connected to the automatic driving control device 30. The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 individually controls the operation of each of the cameras 2 to 6, and acquires the photographing result (image data) from each of the cameras 2 to 6 and stores it in the memory 30b. Acquisition and storage of image data are repeated at predetermined time intervals.

  The control unit 30a can recognize various situations inside and outside the vehicle based on the image data of each of the cameras 2-6. For example, from the image data of the indoor camera 6, it is possible to recognize the operation and expression of the occupant (mainly the driver), the line of sight, the state of the eyes, and the like.

  Thereby, the control unit 30a can determine whether the driver exhibits an abnormal behavior based on the image data of the indoor camera 6. The abnormal behavior of the driver referred to here means that the driver may not operate the vehicle 1 normally and may not be able to operate the vehicle 1 because the automatic driving function is not operating normally. It means that it is in one of the two states. Examples of the former include being looking aside, falling asleep, and fainting. A specific example of the latter is that the driver has an expression of surprise, worry or fear.

  In addition, based on the image data of the front camera 2, the control unit 30a controls the forward vehicle, the oncoming vehicle, a vehicle in an adjacent lane traveling diagonally forward, a lane marking, a pedestrian crossing, a pedestrian, an intersection, an intersection Entry of other vehicles into the road, road signs and signals in the direction of travel, contents such as signs, rainfall conditions, snowfall conditions, fog generation conditions, surrounding brightness, and other objects around the vehicle, various images It can be recognized by recognition processing. The recognizable road signs include characters and marks drawn on the road surface of the road.

  Thereby, the control unit 30a can recognize the behavior of the pedestrian, the behavior or the line of sight of the pedestrian, the presence or absence of passing from the oncoming vehicle, the weather condition, and the like based on the image data of the front camera 2. More specifically, as the weather condition, it is possible to recognize that rain or snow is falling by a predetermined amount or more, that a thick fog is generated, and the like. From the behavior of the pedestrian, it can be recognized whether the pedestrian feels anxiety with the vehicle 1 or not. More specifically, it can be determined that the pedestrian feels anxiety with respect to the vehicle 1 when the pedestrian is looking at the vehicle 1 and the expression thereof expresses a certain feeling such as surprise, anxiety, fear or the like. . Moreover, when the gaze of the pedestrian more than predetermined number is orient | assigned to the vehicle 1, it can be recognized that the vehicle 1 may not be operate | moving normally.

  In addition, the control unit 30a recognizes the distance and relative speed to the vehicle ahead, recognizes the traveling condition of the vehicle on the traveling road, and recognizes the contents of the road sign and the signboard based on the image data of the front camera 2. It can be recognized. Therefore, based on the recognition result of the contents of the road sign and the signboard, it is possible to recognize various kinds of sign information such as speed limit, necessity of temporary stop, availability of parking and stopping, and the like. Also, for example, it can be recognized that there are accident-prone zones, school zones, and other specific environments (for example, areas where animals frequently appear and appear).

  Further, based on the image data of the rear camera 3, the control unit 30a is a rear vehicle, a vehicle in an adjacent lane traveling diagonally backward, a surrounding brightness, a pedestrian, a sign drawn on the road surface Information and other objects around the vehicle can be recognized by various image recognition processes.

  As a result, based on the image data of the rear camera 3, for example, the control unit 30a can recognize the relative distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle, the relative speed, and the presence or absence of passing from the rear vehicle. Further, similar to the image data of the front camera 2, the behavior of the pedestrian, the behavior or sight of the pedestrian, the weather condition and the like can be recognized also by the image data of the rear camera 3.

  In addition, the control unit 30a is based on the image data of the left side camera 4 and the right side camera 5, and the vehicles on the side of the vehicle (including front left, left rear, right front and right rear) Road signs, lane markings, pedestrians, ambient brightness, and other objects around the vehicle can be recognized by various image recognition processes.

  Thus, the control unit 30a can recognize, for example, the relative distance and the relative speed between the host vehicle and the side vehicle based on the image data of the side cameras 4 and 5. Further, similar to the image data of the front camera 2, the behavior of the pedestrian, the behavior or sight of the pedestrian, the weather condition and the like can be recognized also by the image data of the side cameras 4 and 5.

  The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 individually controls each of the radar devices 11 to 14, acquires a detection result of a target from each of the radar devices 11 to 14, and stores the result of detection in the memory 30b. Acquisition and storage of detection results from each of the radar devices 11 to 14 are repeated at predetermined time intervals. The control unit 30a calculates and obtains the presence or absence of the target, the distance to the target, the direction of the target, the relative speed of the target viewed from the vehicle 1, and the like based on the detection results of the radar devices 11-14. be able to.

  In addition, from the detection result of the front radar device 11, it is possible to mainly acquire information of a target in front of the vehicle (including the front left and right). From the detection result of the rear radar device 12, information of a target behind the vehicle (including left and right diagonal rear) can be mainly acquired. From the detection results of the left side radar device 13, it is possible to mainly acquire information of a target on the left side (including left front and left rear) of the vehicle. From the detection results of the right side radar device 14, it is possible to mainly acquire information of the target on the right side of the vehicle (including the right front and the rear right).

  In addition, the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 determines the brightness of the traveling environment based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 16, and controls the brightness of the nighttime or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as "nighttime") It can be judged if there is any. The vehicle 1 is provided with a headlight (not shown). The headlights can be turned on and off by the operation of a driver, and can be automatically turned on and off by setting the light mode to the auto mode. When the light mode is set to the auto mode, the control unit 30a automatically turns on the headlights when it is determined that it is night based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 16, and when it is not night Turn off the headlights automatically. Further, in the present embodiment, when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode, the light mode is forcibly set to the ordinal mode.

In addition, the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can determine the presence or absence of rainfall and the amount of rainfall based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 17.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is a component connected to the automatic driving control device 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the wheel speed sensor 18, current sensor 19, steering amount sensor 20, in-vehicle contact sensor 21, engine room temperature sensor 22. , An engine room sound sensor 23, a tire air pressure sensor 24, a suspension sensor 25, a vehicle external sound sensor 26, and an impact sensor 27.

  The wheel speed sensors 18 are respectively provided to the four front, rear, left, and right wheels of the vehicle 1 and output detection signals (wheel speed signals) indicating the rotation speeds of the corresponding wheels. The wheel speed signals from the wheel speed sensors 18 are input to the automatic driving control device 30, respectively.

  The control unit 30 a can detect the rotational speed of each wheel based on the wheel speed signal from each wheel speed sensor 18. Then, it is possible to detect, for example, whether or not a slip has occurred from the detection result.

  The current sensor 19 is provided for one or a plurality of electric wires provided in the vehicle 1 and outputs a detection signal (current detection signal) indicating a current flowing through the electric wires. The current detection signal from the current sensor 19 is input to the automatic driving control device 30.

  Control unit 30 a can detect the current of the corresponding electric wiring based on the current detection signal from current sensor 19. Then, based on the detection result, it is possible to detect, for example, whether or not an overcurrent flows in a specific electrical wiring. Here, the overcurrent is a large current that does not theoretically flow in a state where the vehicle 1 is operating normally. For example, a large current or a surge current that may be generated due to lightning strike can be considered.

  The current sensor 19 may be provided on the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 so that the current flowing through the vehicle body can be detected. By doing so, when the vehicle 1 has a lightning strike, a large current flowing to the ground through the vehicle 1 can be detected. Where and how to install the current sensor 19 may be appropriately determined so as to detect that the vehicle 1 has been struck by lightning.

  The steering amount sensor 20 is provided to detect the steering amount of the steered wheels directly or indirectly. The steering amount sensor 20 may be provided, for example, on a column shaft that connects the steering wheel 10 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) and the steering mechanism. However, the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is provided with an electric power steering device capable of controlling the steering of the steered wheels by a motor, and a rotation for detecting a rotational position (as a result, a steering state) of the motor for steering control. It has a sensor. Therefore, instead of providing the steering amount sensor 20 alone, the rotation sensor may be used as the steering amount sensor 20. That is, the specific configuration and the installation place of the steering amount sensor 20 may be appropriately determined so that the steering amount can be detected.

  The control unit 30 a can detect the steering amount of the steered wheels based on the detection signal from the steering amount sensor 20. Then, from the detection result, for example, it is possible to detect the change state or change rate of the steering amount. Thereby, when the driving level is set such that steering is automatically performed (i.e., the driving level is set such that at least one of lane keeping control, lane change control, and left / right turning control is performed. Can determine whether or not automatic control of steering is properly performed. Specifically, for example, when the change rate of the steering amount is equal to or more than a predetermined value (that is, when the change rate is excessive), it can be determined that the automatic control of the steering is not performed normally. Alternatively, if the vehicle is not traveling along a lane (for example, it is sticking out of a lane marking) or if it goes straight ahead where it should turn right or left, automatic control of steering is not normally performed. It can be judged.

  The in-vehicle contact sensor 21 is a sensor for detecting that the occupant of the vehicle 1 has touched a specific region in the vehicle, and is provided at the specific region (hereinafter also referred to as “specific in-vehicle contact region”). The specific contact area in the vehicle can be determined as appropriate, and for example, a specific area on the seat of the driver, the handle 10 or the vicinity thereof, etc. can be considered.

  As described later, the in-vehicle contact sensor 21 enables the driver to quickly (urgently) cancel the automatic driving when the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is set to level 1 or higher. It is provided. That is, when the driver wants to cancel the automatic driving for some reason when the automatic driving level is level 1 or higher, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled if the driver touches the specific contact site in the vehicle. Therefore, the specific configuration and the installation location of the in-vehicle contact sensor 21 may be appropriately determined so as to detect that the driver has touched the in-vehicle specific contact site.

  In the present embodiment, "cancelled" in the case of automatic driving means that the automatic driving level is set to level 0. However, that is only an example. For example, stopping at least one of the currently executed automatic control functions may be defined as "cancellation" of automatic driving. For example, when an automatic control function is in operation, if the driver feels that the automatic control function may not operate properly and touches a specific contact site in the vehicle, at least one of the automatic control functions or Forcible stop of a plurality of automatic control functions may be defined as "cancellation" of automatic operation.

  The engine room temperature sensor 22 is provided at a predetermined location in or near the engine room of the vehicle 1 and outputs a detection signal according to the temperature of the engine room. The control unit 30 a can detect the temperature of the engine room based on the detection signal from the engine room temperature sensor 22. Then, when the detected temperature of the engine room is excessive (for example, when it is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature threshold), it can be determined that some abnormality has occurred in the engine or its surroundings.

  The engine room sound sensor 23 is provided at a predetermined site in the engine room of the vehicle 1 or in the vicinity of the engine room mainly for the purpose of detecting a sound generated in the engine room, and according to the volume around the installation site. Output the detected signal. The control unit 30a can detect the sound generated in the engine room based on the detection signal from the engine room sound sensor 23. Then, when the detected sound in the engine room is excessive (for example, when the sound volume threshold is higher than a predetermined volume threshold), it can be determined that some abnormality has occurred in the engine or its surroundings.

  The tire pressure sensor 24 is provided on each of the four front, rear, left, and right wheels of the vehicle 1 and outputs a detection signal (air pressure signal) indicating the air pressure of the corresponding wheel tire. Air pressure signals from the tire pressure sensors 24 are respectively input to the automatic operation control device 30.

  The control unit 30 a can detect the air pressure of the tire of each wheel based on the air pressure signal from each tire air pressure sensor 24. Then, based on the detection result, it is possible to detect, for example, whether or not an abnormality (for example, a puncture) has occurred in any of the tires.

  The suspension sensor 25 outputs a detection signal indicating the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension of the vehicle 1 (for example, the amount of expansion and contraction of a shock absorber or a spring). The control unit 30a can detect the behavior (mainly the behavior in the vertical direction) of the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the suspension sensor 25. When the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is set to level 1 or higher, the behavior of the vehicle 1 may be unstable if the automatic control function to be executed is not operating normally. For example, unstable behavior such as sudden start, sudden stop, or sudden turning may occur automatically. Such unstable behavior appears as the behavior of the suspension. Therefore, the control unit 30a can determine the stability of the behavior of the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the suspension sensor 25 (that is, based on the amount of expansion or contraction of the suspension itself or the rate of change thereof). If it is in operation, it can be determined whether the automatic control function is operating normally.

  The external sound sensor 26 is provided mainly for detecting a sound generated around the vehicle 1. The control unit 30 a can detect the type and volume of the sound generated around the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the external sound sensor 26. For example, when another vehicle is playing a horn, it can be detected.

  When an impact is applied to the vehicle 1 from the outside of the vehicle 1, the impact sensor 27 outputs a detection signal according to the level of the impact. The control unit 30 a can detect the presence or absence and the level of an external impact on the vehicle 1 based on the detection signal from the impact sensor 27. The impact to be detected by the impact sensor 27 is a relatively large level of impact such as a collision with another vehicle or a road structure, such as an impact generated by a person outside the vehicle 1 striking the vehicle 1. Includes a wide range of levels of impact, down to low levels of impact.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is connected to the automatic driving control device 30 as shown in FIG. 2, the GPS communication unit 31, the inter-vehicle communication unit 32, the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33, the walk-to-car communication unit 34, The LTE communication unit 35 is provided.

  The GPS communication unit 31 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, and outputs information (GPS information) included in the received radio waves to the automatic driving control device 30. The control unit 30 a of the automatic driving control device 30 can calculate the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the information received by the GPS communication unit 31.

  Moreover, the automatic driving | operation control apparatus 30 is provided with the route guidance function which is one of the various element functions for implement | achieving an automatic driving function. The route guidance function calculates an appropriate route from the current position to the destination based on the current position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the GPS information and the destination set by the driver, and the vehicle 1 takes that route. Is a function of guiding and controlling the vehicle 1 so as to travel to the destination along.

  The route guidance function includes a function of recognizing the road condition around the vehicle 1 (for example, the shape of the route to the destination, the width of the vehicle, etc.), the presence or absence of infrastructure in the traveling direction, and the operation status (for example, It also includes a function to recognize the status, the presence or absence of intersections, the presence or absence of pedestrian crossings, speed limit and restriction information, etc. Control part 30a realizes the above-mentioned guidance control also using these various recognition results.

  The contents of the guidance control of the vehicle 1 in the route guidance function differ depending on the level of automatic driving. For example, the guidance control when the automatic driving level is set to the level 7 of the fully automatic driving is for the automatic control function of a plurality of types (7 types as described above in this embodiment) for realizing the fully automatic driving. The route information necessary for the execution of the automatic control function (information on which direction the vehicle should travel to which route) is provided. Further, for example, when the automatic driving level is set to predetermined levels 1 to 6 (partial automatic driving) lower than the full automatic driving, guidance control includes partial automatic driving among a plurality of types of automatic control functions. Providing route information for necessary automatic control functions and providing guidance (for example, voice guidance) to the driver as needed.

  When the automatic operation level is set to any one of levels 1 to 6, that is, when one or more of the seven types of automatic control functions are set to be executed, the control unit 30a performs guidance control. And at least provide necessary information for the set automatic control function.

  Map data and various other data necessary for the route guidance function are stored in the memory 30 b. The control unit 30a implements the route guidance function (that is, the above-described guidance control) by executing the program for the route guidance function stored in the memory 30b while referring to the various data.

  The inter-vehicle communication unit 32 is a communication module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data to and from other vehicles than the host vehicle. The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can acquire information (for example, traveling direction, traveling speed, position, and the like) of other surrounding vehicles via the inter-vehicle communication unit 32. Conversely, information of the vehicle 1 can be transmitted to other vehicles.

  The control unit 30a can also know the relative relationship between the own vehicle and the amount of the other vehicle by acquiring the position and the traveling state of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication. For example, it is also possible to detect the relative distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, the relative velocity, and the like.

  Further, as information that can be transmitted and received by inter-vehicle communication, there is information on a driving mode. The control unit 30a can also transmit and receive information as to whether the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode or the basic mode, and the level of the automatic operation level in the set operation mode.

  The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is a communication module for receiving various information wirelessly transmitted from the road communication device 81 (see FIG. 4) provided on the road (ground side). Various information received by the road-vehicle communication unit 33 is input to the automatic driving control device 30.

  The road communication device 81 is connected to a server (not shown), receives various types of information from the server, and wirelessly transmits the information to a predetermined area in the vicinity. The server aggregates various types of road traffic information such as various types of infrastructure information (for example, information on traffic signals, road regulation information, various information on other travel routes, etc.) and existence information of other vehicles and pedestrians, etc. Ru. The server transmits the individual road information related to the on-the-road communication device 81 for each on-the-road communication device 81 based on the aggregated road traffic information. The individual road information is information for a vehicle traveling in the communication area of the road communication device 81, and various road traffic information in the communication area, and further ahead than in the area The same kind of traffic information. Each road communication device 81 wirelessly transmits the individual road information transmitted from the server into a predetermined communication area.

  The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can obtain various road traffic information regarding the traveling route around the own vehicle and in the traveling direction via the road-vehicle communication unit 33. Information that can be acquired by the control unit 30a via the road-vehicle communication unit 33 includes travel zones requiring attention for driving, such as accident-prone zones, school zones, zones where animals appear and appear, etc. Section information) is included. The control unit 30a links the acquired section information with the route guidance function to determine whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in the section requiring caution indicated by the section information, and how long it travels to enter the section requiring attention The relative relationship between the caution area and the vehicle 1 can be recognized. As the section information, information on other sections or points other than the section requiring attention may be acquired.

  In addition, the camera 82 is mounted in each road communication device 81 illustrated in FIG. 4. Each camera 82 photographs the road side and transmits the photographed data to the server via the network.

  The server can acquire road traffic information around the camera from the shooting data transmitted from each camera 82. Specifically, the server can recognize the shape of the road, the lane, and the state of the traffic light from the shooting data. The server can also recognize the traveling state and the number of the traveling vehicle. In addition, the server can also determine, based on the shooting data, whether the vehicle in the shooting data is traveling normally. For example, if the vehicle passes without stopping even though the traffic light is red, it can be determined that the vehicle is not traveling normally.

  Further, various information related to the state of the vehicle 1 can also be transmitted from the vehicle 1 via the road-vehicle communication unit 33. The transmission information transmitted from the vehicle 1 is received by the on-road communication device 81 and aggregated in the server. The server can individually recognize and manage the states of a plurality of vehicles including the vehicle 1, and can notify the specific vehicle of the states of other vehicles other than the vehicle, as needed. Therefore, for example, it is also possible to know information such as what level the automatic driving level is set in other vehicles around the own vehicle, that is, how much the automatic control function is operated in other vehicles around.

  The inter-pedestrian communication unit 34 is a communication module for performing wireless communication with a communication terminal (for example, a mobile phone or a smartphone) possessed by a pedestrian on the ground side. Terminal position information transmitted from the communication terminal when the communication terminal carried by the pedestrian is configured to be capable of wirelessly transmitting terminal position information indicating the position of the communication terminal (that is, the position of the pedestrian) Can be received by the inter-pedestrian communication unit 34. The terminal position information received by the pedestrian communication unit 34 is input to the automatic driving control device 30. The automatic driving control device 30 notifies the pedestrian of the position information of the vehicle 1 and the like by wirelessly transmitting various information such as the position information of the vehicle 1 from the inter-pedestrian communication unit 34 to the communication terminal of the pedestrian. You can also.

  The control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 can know the position and the movement of the pedestrian based on the terminal position information received through the inter-walking unit 34. Although the presence or absence and movement of a pedestrian can be detected also by each of the cameras and radar devices described above, the presence or absence of a pedestrian and jumping out of the pedestrian etc. can also be obtained from the information obtained via the inter-vehicle communication unit 34 Can be detected.

  The LTE communication unit 35 is a communication module for realizing wireless communication by LTE, which is a well-known mobile phone communication standard. Control unit 30a acquires various information necessary for the automatic driving of vehicle 1 or updates existing information (for example, update of map data) via LTE communication unit 35 (that is, by LTE wireless communication). be able to. In addition, it is not essential to perform such acquisition and update of various information by LTE radio | wireless communication, and you may make it carry out using other radio | wireless communication.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is connected to the automatic driving control device 30 as an operation unit 36, a display unit 37, a speaker 38, an automatic driving switch 41, and a level setting operation unit. 42, an emergency stop lever 43, and a release reset switch 44.

  The operation unit 36 is an input interface for receiving various input operations on the vehicle 1 by the occupant of the vehicle 1 including the driver. The display unit 37 is an output interface for visually providing various information to the occupants of the vehicle 1 including the driver. Various information including map information in the route guidance function is also displayed on the display unit 37. The speaker 38 outputs voice based on various voice signals output from the automatic driving control device 30.

  The automatic driving switch 41 is a switch for setting the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to the advanced automation mode. The driver of the vehicle 1 needs to switch the automatic driving switch 41 to the ON side in order to set the driving mode to the advanced automation mode and execute the automatic driving. On the other hand, when the automatic operation switch 41 is switched to the off side, the operation mode is set to the basic mode.

  The emergency stop lever 43 is an operation means for forcibly canceling the automatic driving when the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is level 1 or higher (that is, forcibly switching the automatic driving level to the level 0). It is provided in a predetermined part (for example, the sky). If the emergency stop lever 43 is operated while the automatic driving level of the vehicle 1 is set to level 1 or higher, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. The driver operates the emergency stop lever 43 when the driver recognizes that an unauthorized factor such as a computer virus or an illegal operation has occurred, or the driver recognizes that the automatic control function is not operating properly. The automatic driving can be forcibly canceled and the vehicle 1 can be run by the driver's own driving operation.

The level setting operation unit 42 is a user interface for receiving an operation of setting an automatic driving level (details will be described later) by the driver.
The release reset switch 44 is a switch for resetting the release state after the automatic operation is forcibly released and the automatic operation level is forcibly set to level 0. In the present embodiment, as described later, when the automatic driving level is set to level 1 or higher, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled when a predetermined required cancellation event to cancel the automatic driving occurs. Be done. Specifically, an automatic driving cancellation flag described later is set.

  When the automatic operation is forcibly released, the released state is maintained in principle (the set state of the automatic operation release flag is maintained), but pressing the release reset switch 44 causes the release state to be released. It can be reset (reset the automatic operation cancellation flag). When the release state is reset, the operation mode is set to a mode according to the operation state of the automatic operation switch, and the automatic operation level is set according to the set operation mode (set by the level setting operation unit 42 Level)).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a traveling drive control unit 46, a brake control unit 47, and a steering control unit 48 as components connected to the automatic driving control device 30.

  The traveling drive control unit 46 controls an engine and a transmission (not shown) based on various information such as the depression amount of the accelerator pedal (not shown), the operation position of the shift lever (not shown), the vehicle speed, and the engine speed. Thus, the travel of the vehicle 1 is controlled.

  On the other hand, when the automatic operation level is set to level 1 or higher, that is, when any of the above seven types of automatic control functions is executed, the automatic operation control device 30 realizes the automatic control function of the execution target. The control information necessary to do this is output to the traveling drive control unit 46. In this case, even if the accelerator pedal is not depressed, the traveling drive control unit 46 automatically controls the engine and the transmission according to the control information from the automatic driving control device 30. In addition, although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an engine as a drive source for driving | running | working, the automatic driving | operation control apparatus of this indication is with respect to the vehicle provided with driving source (for example, electric motor) other than an engine. Can be applied. In that case, the traveling drive control unit 46 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of controlling the traveling drive source of the vehicle. In addition, when the driving source for traveling other than the engine is provided, the above-mentioned engine room temperature sensor 22 and engine room sound sensor 23 respectively aim to detect the temperature and sound of the driving source for driving or its surroundings. You may install it.

  The brake control unit 47 controls a brake device (not shown) based on the depression amount of the brake pedal (not shown). On the other hand, when the automatic operation level is set to level 1 or higher, that is, when any of the above seven types of automatic control functions is executed, the automatic operation control device 30 realizes the automatic control function of the execution target. The control information necessary to do this is output to the traveling drive control unit 46. In this case, the brake control unit 47 automatically controls the brake device according to the control information from the automatic drive control device 30, even if the brake pedal is not depressed.

  The steering control unit 48 mainly has two functions. One is a so-called electric power steering function. That is, the operation of the handle 10 by the driver is assisted by the motor. The other is an automatic steering function of automatically steering the steered wheels (for example, front wheels) of the vehicle 1 without requiring a driver's operation. The steering of the steered wheels is basically performed by the driver operating the steering wheel 10, but at least one of the above seven types of automatic control functions except automatic start / stop control and inter-vehicle distance control is executed. In this case, the steering control unit 48 automatically controls the steering wheel steering by controlling the motor according to the control information from the automatic driving control device 30, even if the driver is not operating the steering wheel 10. .

(3) Description of Automatic Driving Function In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, the automatic driving control device 30 can acquire and detect various information necessary to realize the above-described automatic driving function.

  As information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, first, there is information (vehicle information) such as the position and speed of the vehicle. The vehicle position can be obtained by calculation based on GPS information. The own vehicle speed can be obtained by calculation based on a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor (not shown), a detection signal from the steering amount sensor 20, a yaw rate signal from a yaw rate sensor (not shown), and the like. The vehicle speed can also be calculated from the rate of change of the vehicle position.

  Further, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also information on surrounding objects. More specifically, vehicles ahead, vehicles behind, vehicles on side, vehicles oncoming, vehicles crossing intersections, pedestrians, bicycles, buildings and fixed installations on the road, obstacles, etc. Information on the relative position, distance, and speed with respect to the vehicle with respect to various objects (including humans and animals) that exist.

  The information on the surrounding objects can be acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 5 and the detection result of each of the radar devices 11 to 14 or the like. Since various techniques for recognizing surrounding objects based on imaging data and detection results of a radar device have been proposed and put into practical use, the description thereof is omitted here.

  Information on surrounding objects can also be acquired by inter-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and inter-vehicle communication. For example, by performing communication between a surrounding vehicle and a vehicle, it is possible to recognize not only surrounding vehicles seen from the own vehicle but also positions and movements of surrounding vehicles present in a blind spot from the own vehicle and not directly visible. . In the road-vehicle communication, as described above, presence information of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians and the like can be acquired. In the inter-pedal communication, as described above, the position and the movement of the pedestrian can be known based on the terminal position information received through the inter-pedal communication unit 34.

  By using any one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and walking-to-vehicle communication, for example, acquiring oncoming vehicle information at the time of normal traveling (especially curve) or right turn Acquisition of motorcycle information on the left side or the rear in order to suppress motorcycle involvement at the time of left turn, acquisition of information on vehicles on the side (rear side) at the time of lane change, front to prevent rear collision or rear collision Acquire vehicle information, acquire information on other vehicles traveling on the intersection side to suppress collisions at intersections, or acquire information on pedestrians etc. to suppress collisions with pedestrians etc. Can be

  In addition, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also information on various road displays drawn directly on the road, such as lane markings (including parking markings), pedestrian crossings, and stop lines. The information on the road display includes the position and contents of the road display. The information on the road display can be obtained based on the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 6. Since various techniques for recognizing on-road display from shooting data are proposed and put into practical use, the description thereof is omitted here.

  The information on the road display in the traveling direction can also be acquired by road-vehicle communication. In addition, although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is not provided, it is also possible to acquire the information regarding various road display using a laser radar.

  In addition, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, information related to traffic lights, crossings, signs (including signs), intersections, junctions / divisions, sidewalks, obstacles, dangerous areas, other ground structures, etc. Also referred to as “infrastructure related information”. The infrastructure related information includes the presence or absence of various objects described above, the information of the color in the case of a traffic signal, the operation state in the case of a level crossing, the display content in the case of a sign or a signboard, etc. . The infrastructure related information can also be recognized and acquired based on the imaging data of each of the cameras 2 to 6, and can also be acquired by road-vehicle communication. Also, various types of infrastructure information can be acquired from the above-described route guidance function based on GPS information, map data, and the like.

  Further, as information that can be used to realize the automatic driving function, there is also regulatory information. For example, when travel restrictions due to construction, accidents, natural disasters, and the like are implemented in the traveling direction, the restriction information can be acquired by road-vehicle communication.

  Various kinds of information necessary for realizing the automatic driving function (in the present embodiment, the seven types of automatic control functions described above) such as the information on the surrounding objects, the information on the road display, the infrastructure related information, and the regulation information. Information on the surroundings of the vehicle 1 in particular corresponds to an example of the ambient information of the present disclosure.

  The automatic driving control device 30 acquires various information described above, and based on the information, controls the traveling drive control unit 46, the brake control unit 47, the steering control unit 48, and other necessary on-vehicle devices etc. Driving can be realized. Specifically, the seven types of automatic control functions described above can be performed. As described above, the seven types of automatic control functions in the present embodiment are automatic start / stop control, lane maintenance control, inter-vehicle distance control, lane change control, right / left turn control, collision suppression control, and parking control.

  The automatic start / stop control is control for automatically stopping the vehicle 1 when the condition to be stopped is satisfied during traveling, and automatically stopping the vehicle 1 when the condition to be stopped is canceled after the stop. is there. This control is performed using information on surrounding objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14 as well as vehicle information, infrastructure related information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, and regulation information. By this automatic start / stop control, for example, when the color of the traffic light is blue at an intersection etc., it is allowed to travel as it is and stopped if it is red or yellow. Control is performed to stop the vehicle when it is recognized, or to start it again after stopping it once it has not come down. In addition, it is automatically stopped also when an obstacle etc. are recognized ahead.

  The lane keeping control is a control configured to automatically steer the steered wheels so that the vehicle travels along the lane without departing from the lane markings. This control is performed in cooperation with the route guidance function using information on the road display (especially the vehicle division line) obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14 in addition to the vehicle information.

  The inter-vehicle distance control performs speed control to keep the inter-vehicle distance to other vehicles constant when the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the host vehicle, and at the set vehicle speed when no other vehicle exists ahead It is control to make it run. This control is performed mainly using information on surrounding objects (in particular, forward vehicles) obtained from the cameras 2 to 5 and the radar sensors 11 to 14 in addition to the vehicle information.

  Lane change control detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane of the change destination when lane change (steering for lane change) becomes necessary, and other vehicles are detected according to the presence, position, speed, etc. of other vehicles. Control to automatically change the lane while controlling the driving force / braking force and steering so as not to collide with the vehicle. This control can be obtained by information on surrounding objects (in particular, other vehicles in adjacent lanes) obtained from the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14 and information on vehicle division lines, as well as vehicle information. This is performed using information of another vehicle (a traveling vehicle in an adjacent lane) or the like.

  Control to turn left or right automatically turns right or left without colliding with an oncoming vehicle, a vehicle traveling on a crossroads, other vehicles around the host vehicle, pedestrians, etc. when a right turn or left turn is required. It is. This control includes information on surrounding objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, information on other vehicles obtained through inter-vehicle communication, pedestrians obtained through inter-vehicle communication, etc. The information is used to

  The collision prevention control is control for automatically steering or braking / stopping the vehicle so as not to collide with the obstacle, when the obstacle exists on the road in the vehicle traveling direction. It is performed using information on surrounding objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, infrastructure related information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, regulation information, and the like.

  The parking control calculates a traveling locus to the target parking position when a specific target parking position (for example, in a parking section of a specific parking lot) is set as a destination, and drives the vehicle along the traveling locus. It is a control that controls the force / braking force and the steering to automatically park.

  The driver or the like can arbitrarily set which one of the seven types of control functions is to be executed, that is, the automatic driving level. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the automatic operation level can be arbitrarily set in both the advanced automation mode and the basic mode. However, for the basic mode, level 7 can not be set, and any of level 0 to level 6 can be set. On the other hand, in the advanced automation mode, level 0 can not be set, and any of level 1 to level 7 can be set. Furthermore, the level of the basic mode can be set within a range of levels lower than the level of the advanced automation mode. Conversely, the level of the advanced automation mode can be set within the range of levels higher than the level of the basic mode.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, control A (for example, lane keeping control) is executed at level 1. At level 2, control B (for example, inter-vehicle distance control) is executed in addition to control A. At level 3, control C (for example, automatic start / stop control) is executed in addition to control A and B. At level 4, in addition to the controls A, B and C, the control D (for example, collision suppression control) is executed. At level 5, control E (for example, lane change control) is executed in addition to the controls A, B, C, and D. At level 6, in addition to the controls A, B, C, D, E, a control F (for example, a left / right control) is executed. At level 7, in addition to the controls A, B, C, D, E, F, the control G (for example, parking control) is executed. That is, the higher the level, the more types of automatic control functions to be executed.

  The level setting for each operation mode can be performed by operating the level setting operation unit 42 provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat individually for each operation mode. In the present embodiment, the automatic operation level in the basic mode is set to level 0 by default, and the automatic operation level in the advanced automation mode is set to level 1 by default. Then, the automatic driving level currently set can be arbitrarily set and changed for each driving mode. For example, when the basic mode is set to level 0, the advanced automation mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 1 to 7. Also, for example, when the basic mode is set to level 1, the advanced automation mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between levels 2 to 7. Also, for example, when the advanced automation mode is set to level 4, the basic mode can be arbitrarily set and changed between level 0 and level 3.

  Note that which automatic control function is to be executed at which level is not limited to the content illustrated in FIG. 3A. For example, it is not essential that the number of automatic control functions to be executed increases by one each time the level goes up. The level at which which automatic control function is to be performed may be determined as appropriate.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3B, the contents of control A to control G are shown as shown in FIG. The driver may be set arbitrarily.

  In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, when the automatic driving switch 41 is turned off, the driving mode is set to the basic mode. On the other hand, when the automatic operation switch 41 is turned on, the operation mode becomes the advanced automation mode under certain conditions. When it is set to execute lane change control, right-left turn control, and parking control, it is necessary to set a destination (a target parking position in the case of parking control). Specifically, the route guidance function may be activated and a destination may be input through the touch panel. The automatic driving when the destination is set is basically performed along the route to the calculated destination while confirming the position of the host vehicle in cooperation with the route guidance function. .

  Various control examples in the advanced automation mode when the automatic operation level in the advanced automation mode is set to level 7 will be described using FIG. Each of the vehicles 61 to 67 shown in FIG. 4 has the same configuration as the vehicle 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A vehicle traveling in the communication area of the on-street communication device 81 can receive individual road information from the on-street communication device 81. At least four vehicles 61, 65, 66, and 67 among the vehicles in FIG. 4 can receive individual road information from at least two on-road communication devices 81a and 81b in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, it is possible to acquire information of the traffic signal 71 ahead, information of the oncoming vehicle 62, information of the pedestrian 76, and the like.

  In addition, at least the vehicle 63 can receive individual road information from at least the road communicator 81c in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, it is possible to obtain information such as the presence of the stop sign 73 (that is, that it should be stopped) and that the other vehicle 64 is approaching from the right side.

  In addition, at least the vehicle 64 can receive individual road information from at least the road communicator 81 d in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, information such as the fact that another vehicle 63 is approaching can be obtained from the left side.

  In addition, at least the vehicle 62 can receive individual road information from at least the road communicator 81e in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, the information of the traffic signal 72 ahead, the presence of the oncoming vehicle 61 trying to turn right, the presence of a pedestrian crossing in the left turn direction, the presence of a pedestrian 76 on the pedestrian crossing, etc. You can get it.

  In addition, each vehicle 61 to 66 can obtain various information from each camera 2 to 6 and each radar device 11 to 14 provided by itself, and can also obtain various information by inter-vehicle communication or inter-vehicle communication. Can. For example, the vehicle 65 can detect the vehicle 67 in the front and the vehicle 66 in the right side by means of a camera or a radar device, so that the vehicle 65 travels while appropriately maintaining the distance between the vehicle 67 in front and If necessary, the lane change can be made at an appropriate timing while considering the positional relationship with the vehicle 66 on the right side. In addition, the vehicle 65 can also detect the jumping out of the pedestrian 77 by a camera or a radar device, and in that case, appropriate deceleration is performed so as not to collide with the pedestrian 77 while considering the distance to the vehicle 65 behind. Control can be performed.

  Thus, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 automatically travels the route to the destination using various information such as various information obtained by the vehicle and various information obtained from the roadside. Can. Specifically, each of the vehicles 61 to 66 mainly controls the traveling drive control unit 46, the brake control unit 47, and the steering control unit 48 so that the other vehicles, pedestrians, and others can follow along the traveling route. It is possible to travel automatically as appropriate so as not to touch road structures and to follow traffic lights, traffic rules, and the like.

(4) Automatic Driving Level Setting Process Next, the automatic driving level setting process performed by the control unit 30a of the automatic driving control device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The automatic driving level setting process shown in FIG. 5 switches the operation mode of the vehicle 1 to either the advanced automation mode or the basic mode, and determines whether the automatic driving should be canceled when the automatic driving level is level 1 or higher. This is a process for forcibly setting the automatic operation level to level 0 when it is determined that the automatic operation level should be canceled.

  When activated by turning on a power switch (for example, ignition switch) (not shown) of the vehicle 1, the control unit 30 a reads the program of the automatic driving level setting process of FIG. 5 from the memory 30 b and repeatedly executes in a predetermined control cycle. Do.

  When the automatic driving level setting process of FIG. 5 is started, the control unit 30a determines in S10 whether the automatic driving cancellation flag is set. The automatic driving cancellation flag is a flag that is set when it is determined that the automatic driving is to be canceled, and more specifically, is set in S119 of FIG. 6 described later.

  If the automatic driving cancellation flag is set (S10: YES), the automatic driving level is set to level 0 in S70. That is, regardless of whether the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode or the basic mode, the automatic operation level is forcibly set to level 0 so that all the seven types of automatic control functions described above are not executed. Then, by performing a predetermined error notification in S80, the occupant of the vehicle 1 is notified that the automatic driving has been forcibly canceled, and the automatic driving level setting process is ended.

  While this automatic operation cancellation flag is set, all seven types of automatic control functions do not operate, so the driving operation corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions can be performed (automatically performed by each automatic control function) The driver must do all the The automatic operation cancellation flag can be reset by pressing the cancellation reset switch 44 as described above.

  If it is determined in S10 that the automatic operation cancellation flag is not set (S10: NO), it is determined in S20 whether or not the emergency stop flag is set. The emergency stop flag is a flag that is set when it is determined that the vehicle 1 should be stopped urgently, and more specifically, is a flag that is set in S120 of FIG. 6 described later.

  If the emergency stop flag is set (S20: YES), an emergency stop process is executed in S90. The emergency stop process is a process for stopping the vehicle 1 as quickly as possible while maintaining safety. The specific processing content of the emergency stop processing may appropriately determine the content that can be stopped as early as possible while maintaining the safety. For example, processing is performed such that the vehicle 1 is decelerated while being decelerated while being decelerated while being monitored by each camera or each radar device so as not to contact an object outside the vehicle (including other vehicles and pedestrians) Contents can be considered.

  If the emergency stop flag is not set in S20 (S20: NO), it is determined in S30 whether the automatic operation switch 41 is turned on. If the automatic operation switch 41 is on (S30: YES), the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode in S40, and the process proceeds to S60. If the automatic operation switch 41 is off (S30: NO), the operation mode is set to the basic mode in S50, and the process proceeds to S60.

  When the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode in S40, the control unit 30a executes an automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the advanced automation mode in S55. For example, when level 6 is set as the advanced automation mode, six types of automatic control functions (see FIG. 3A) of control AF are executed. Further, for example, when level 7 is set as the advanced automation mode, fully automatic operation is realized by executing all seven types of automatic control functions of control A to G. Moreover, execution of the automatic control function of S55 is performed based on the various information acquired while acquiring various information including the above-mentioned ambient information as needed.

  When the operation mode is set to the basic mode in S50, the control unit 30a executes an automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the basic mode in S50. For example, when level 1 is set as the basic mode, the automatic control function of control A (see FIG. 3A) is executed. The execution of the automatic control function in this case is also performed based on the acquired various information while acquiring various information including the above-mentioned ambient information as necessary. However, when level 0 is set as the basic mode, all automatic control functions are not executed.

  In S60, an automatic operation cancellation confirmation process is performed. There are two main purposes of this automatic operation cancellation confirmation process. First, if the level of automatic operation is set to level 1 or higher, it is necessary to determine whether the level of automatic operation needs to be forcibly set to level 0 and to set level 0 forcibly. In one case, the automatic operation cancellation flag is set. Another purpose is to determine whether it is necessary to make an emergency stop of the vehicle 1 when the automatic driving level is set to a level 1 or higher, and to make an emergency stop it is necessary to make an emergency stop flag It is to set.

  The details of the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of S60 are as shown in FIG. When the control unit 30a proceeds to the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of S60, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 30a determines whether the automatic driving level set in the current driving mode is level 1 or higher in S111. If the automatic operation level is not level 1 or higher (ie, level 0) (S111: NO), the automatic operation cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 is terminated, and the automatic operation level setting process of FIG. 5 is terminated.

  If the automatic operation level set in the current operation mode is 1 or more (S111: YES), system monitoring processing is executed in S112. The system monitoring process of S112 monitors the operating state of the vehicle 1 (including the execution state of the automatic control function), and a predetermined event (required cancellation event) has occurred in which the automatic driving level should be forcibly switched to level 0. It is the process for judging whether or not. Details of the system monitoring process of S112 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In S113, internal and external behavior monitoring processing is performed. The internal and external behavior monitoring process of S113 should monitor the behavior of the vehicle occupant in the compartment of the vehicle 1 and the behavior of pedestrians and other vehicles outside the vehicle 1 and forcibly switch the automatic driving level to level 0. This is a process for determining whether or not a required cancellation event has occurred. Details of the inside and outside behavior monitoring process of S113 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  At S114, an environment monitoring process is performed. The environment monitoring process of S114 is a process for monitoring the environment around the vehicle 1 and determining whether or not a required release event to forcibly switch the automatic driving level to level 0 has occurred. Details of the environment monitoring process of S114 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In S115, a self-diagnosis process is performed. The self-diagnosis process of S115 is a process for performing self-diagnosis by comparing whether the execution state of the automatic control function by the control unit 30a itself is normal with the past execution result. Details of the self-diagnosis process of S115 will be described later using FIG. 10B.

  In S116, as a result of each of the processes of S112 to S115, it is determined whether or not any one of the processes has been determined that the required cancellation event has occurred. When it is not determined that the required cancellation event has occurred (S116: NO), the automatic operation cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 is ended. If it is determined that the required cancellation event has occurred even in any one of the processes of S112 to S115 (S116: YES), automatic driving cancellation notice is notified to the occupant of the vehicle 1 in S117. . This notification is a notification for notifying the occupant in advance of the occurrence of the necessity of canceling the automatic driving to cancel the automatic driving based on the occurrence of the required cancellation event. This notification may be performed by various methods capable of causing the occupant of the vehicle 1 to recognize that the automatic driving is to be released due to the occurrence of the required release event. As a specific notification method, for example, a method of generating a predetermined message by voice, visually transmitting a message to an occupant using the display unit 37, vibrating a seat, or the like is adopted. You may

  In S118, it is determined whether the automatic driving can be canceled. In other words, is it possible that the driver can carry out the driving operation if the driving operation which has been performed automatically is not automatically performed by canceling the automatic driving? It is processing to judge whether or not. It may be decided as appropriate based on what to judge whether or not the automatic driving can be canceled. For example, the determination may be made based on whether or not a specific release permission operation is performed by the driver based on the state or behavior of the driver. The release permission operation is an operation that indicates that the driver is in a state where he can perform the driving operation. The release permission operation also includes a stationary state in which the driver is stationary in a specific state. As the release permission operation, for example, the driver holds the handle 10 with at least one hand, the driver holds the handle 10 with both hands, the driver's eyes are open, the driver's gaze looks like Set at least one of multiple operations and states, such as facing the front of the vehicle and that the driver's behavior is normal (for example, a state where a positive determination is made in the determination process of S204 described later). It is also good. The control unit 30a may determine whether the release permission operation is being performed based on, for example, the image data of the indoor camera 6.

  If it is determined that the automatic operation can be canceled (S118: YES), an automatic operation cancellation flag is set in S119. Thereby, when the determination processing of S10 of FIG. 5 is executed next, an affirmative determination is made to advance to S70, and the automatic driving level is forcibly set to the level 0.

  If it is determined in S118 that the automatic driving can not be canceled (S118: NO), an emergency stop flag is set in S120. Accordingly, when the determination process of S20 of FIG. 5 is executed next, the determination is affirmative and the process proceeds to S90, and the emergency stop process is performed.

  Next, the system monitoring process of S112 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 will be specifically described using FIG. If it progresses to the system monitoring process of S112, as shown in FIG. 7, it will be judged by S161 whether distance with another vehicle is normal. The distance to another vehicle can be detected based on the detection result of the other vehicle around the own vehicle by each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each of the radar devices 11 to 14. It can also be detected based on the position information of the other vehicle acquired via inter-vehicle communication and the position information of the own vehicle.

  The determination as to whether the distance to another vehicle is normal may, for example, set a threshold for the distance, and if the distance to the other vehicle is equal to or greater than the threshold, it may be determined as normal. In this case, the threshold may be set individually according to the position of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle (for example, which one of the front, the rear, and the side of the host vehicle). Of course, it may be determined whether the distance to another vehicle is normal or not by a method other than the above example.

  If the distance to another vehicle is not normal (S161: NO), the process proceeds to S169. If the distance to another vehicle is not normal, the possibility of collision with another vehicle is increased. And as the cause, it is possible that the automatic control function may not operate normally. Therefore, if the distance to another vehicle is not normal, in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S169 that a required cancellation event has occurred. That is, the fact that the distance to another vehicle is not normal is one of the required cancellation events.

  If the distance to the other vehicle is normal (S161: YES), it is determined in S162 whether the relative velocity to the other vehicle is normal. The relative velocity with another vehicle can also be detected based on the detection result of the other vehicle around the own vehicle by each of the cameras 2 to 5 and each radar device 11 to 14 similarly to the distance to the other vehicle.

  The determination of whether or not the relative velocity with another vehicle is normal may set a threshold of the relative velocity, for example, and may be determined as normal when the relative velocity with the other vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold . In this case, the threshold may be set individually according to the position of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle (for example, which one of the front, the rear, and the side of the host vehicle). Of course, it may be determined whether or not the relative speed with another vehicle is normal by a method other than the above example.

  If the relative speed with another vehicle is not normal (S162: NO), the process proceeds to S169. If the relative speed with another vehicle is not normal, it may collide with another vehicle. There is also the possibility that it does not follow the flow of traffic around it. And as the cause, it is possible that the automatic control function may not operate normally. Therefore, if the relative speed with another vehicle is not normal, in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S169 that a required cancellation event has occurred. That is, the fact that the relative speed with another vehicle is not normal is one of the required cancellation events.

  If the relative speed with another vehicle is normal (S162: YES), it is determined in S163 whether the behavior of the suspension is normal. The behavior of the suspension can be detected based on the detection result of the suspension sensor 25.

  For example, a threshold may be set for the amount of expansion and contraction of the suspension, and it may be determined as normal if the amount of expansion and contraction is equal to or less than the threshold. Alternatively, for example, a threshold may be set for the rate of change of the amount of expansion and contraction, and it may be determined as normal when the rate of change of the amount of expansion and contraction is equal to or less than the threshold. When a plurality of suspension sensors 25 are provided, how to make a comprehensive judgment based on the detection results from the plurality of suspension sensors 25 may be appropriately determined. For example, if the amount of expansion or contraction of any one of the plurality of suspension sensors 25 exceeds the threshold, it may be determined that the behavior of the suspension is abnormal.

  If the behavior of the suspension is not normal (S163: NO), the process proceeds to S169. If the behavior of the suspension is not normal, it may be that the automatic control function is not working properly. That is, when the automatic control function is not properly operated, unstable behavior such as sudden start, sudden stop, and sudden turning may occur, which may cause the suspension to greatly expand and contract. Therefore, if the behavior of the suspension is not normal, in order to forcibly release the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S169 that the required release event has occurred. That is, that the behavior of the suspension is not normal is one of the required release events.

  If the behavior of the suspension is normal (S163: YES), it is determined in S164 whether or not the engine compartment is normal. Specifically, it is determined whether the state in the engine room is such that the temperature in the engine room is normal and no noise is generated. The temperature in the engine room can be detected based on the detection result of the engine room temperature sensor 22, and the sound generated from the engine room can be detected based on the detection result of the engine room sound sensor 23.

  For example, a temperature threshold is set for the temperature in the engine room, a volume threshold is set for the sound in the engine room, and the temperature in the engine room is a temperature. If the sound in the engine room is equal to or less than the threshold value and the sound in the engine room is equal to or less than the sound volume threshold, it may be determined as normal. With regard to the sound in the engine room, the sound quality may be analyzed, and it may be determined that the engine room is abnormal if the sound quality equivalent to the sound quality that may occur when an abnormality occurs is detected.

  If the engine room is not normal (S164: NO), the process proceeds to S169. If the engine compartment is not normal, it may be that the automatic control function is not working properly. That is, when the automatic control function does not operate normally, the automatic operation control device 30 can not control the traveling drive control unit 46 normally, and as a result, the traveling drive control unit 46 can not normally control the engine, the transmission, etc. It is possible that it may become. Therefore, if the engine room is not normal, it is determined that the required release event has occurred in S169 in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and leave the driver's own operation of the vehicle 1. That is, that the engine room is not normal is one of the required release events.

  If the engine room is normal (S164: YES), it is determined in S165 whether or not an abnormal current is generated. The abnormal current here means the above-mentioned overcurrent (for example, an excessive current that may occur at the time of lightning strike). It can be determined based on the detection result of the current sensor 19 whether the abnormal current is generated or not. For example, a threshold may be set for the current to be detected, and when the detected current is equal to or greater than the threshold, it may be determined that an abnormal current has occurred.

  If an abnormal current is generated (S165: YES), the process proceeds to S169. If an abnormal current is generated, the automatic control function may not operate normally due to the abnormal current. Therefore, when an abnormal current occurs, in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S169 that the required cancellation event has occurred. That is, occurrence of abnormal current due to various factors such as lightning strike is one of the required cancellation events.

  If no abnormal current is generated (S165: NO), it is determined in S166 whether or not a tire puncture has occurred. Whether or not a tire puncture has occurred can be detected based on the detection result of the tire pressure sensor 24.

  For example, a threshold is set for the air pressure, and a puncture is generated when the air pressure is less than or equal to the threshold even in any one of the four tires. It may be determined that

  If a puncture has occurred (S166: YES), the process proceeds to S169. When a puncture occurs, there is a possibility that the automatic control function can not normally control the vehicle 1 due to the puncture. Therefore, if a puncture occurs, it is determined in S169 that the required release event has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and leave the driver to operate the vehicle 1 by himself. That is, the occurrence of tire puncture is one of the required cancellation events.

  If a tire puncture has not occurred (S166: NO), it is determined in S167 whether a slip has occurred. Whether or not a slip has occurred can be detected based on the detection result of the wheel speed sensor 18 of each wheel. For example, the detection results of the wheel speed sensors 18 may be compared to determine that a slip has occurred when the difference between the largest wheel speed and the smallest wheel speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

  If a slip has occurred (S167: YES), the process proceeds to S169. If a slip occurs, there is a possibility that the automatic control function can not normally control the vehicle 1 due to the slip. Therefore, when a slip occurs, in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S169 that the required cancellation event has occurred. That is, the occurrence of the slip is one of the required cancellation events.

  If the slip has not occurred (S167: NO), it is determined in S168 whether the steering state is normal. The steering state can be detected based on the detection result of the steering amount sensor 20. For example, a threshold may be set for the amount of steering based on the neutral position, and it may be determined that the amount of steering from the neutral position is equal to or less than the threshold. Good. Alternatively, for example, a threshold may be set for the rate of change of the steering amount, and when the rate of change of the steering amount is equal to or less than the threshold, it may be determined as normal.

  If the steering state is not normal (S163: NO), the process proceeds to S169. If the steering state is not normal, it may be considered that the automatic control function is not operating normally. Therefore, if the steering state is not normal, in order to forcibly release the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S169 that the required release event has occurred. That is, the fact that the steering state is not normal is one of the required cancellation events.

If the steering state is normal (S168: YES), the system monitoring process of FIG. 7 (ie, the process of S112 of FIG. 6) is ended.
Next, the internal / external behavior monitoring process of S113 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. When the process proceeds to the inside and outside behavior monitoring process of S113, as shown in FIG. 8, it is determined in S201 whether or not the occupant of the vehicle 1 has detected contact with a specific in-vehicle contact area. The presence or absence of the contact to the in-vehicle specific contact site can be determined based on the detection result of the in-vehicle contact sensor 21.

  If the contact to the in-vehicle specific contact site is detected (S201: YES), the process proceeds to S210. In the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, in the instruction manual, if it feels abnormal or feels uneasy about the operating state of the automatic control function, either touch a specific contact site in the vehicle or operate the emergency stop lever 43. It is described that it is possible to forcibly cancel the automatic operation at Therefore, the fact that the contact to the in-vehicle specific contact site is detected can be determined as an indication by the occupant of the vehicle 1 that the driver wants to forcibly cancel the automatic driving.

  Therefore, when the contact to the in-vehicle specific contact site is detected, it is determined that the required release event has occurred in S210 in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1. That is, it is one of the required release events that the contact to the in-vehicle specific contact site is detected.

  If the contact to the in-vehicle specific contact site is not detected (S201: NO), it is determined in S202 whether or not the emergency stop lever 43 is operated. If the emergency stop lever 43 is operated (S202: YES), the process proceeds to S210. When the emergency stop lever 43 is operated, it can be determined that the occupant of the vehicle 1 has made an indication of intention to forcibly cancel the automatic driving.

  Therefore, when the emergency stop lever 43 is operated, in order to forcibly release the automatic driving and leave the driving operation of the vehicle 1 to the driver itself, it is determined in S210 that the required release event has occurred. That is, operation of the emergency stop lever 43 is one of the required release events.

  If the emergency stop lever 43 is not operated (S202: NO), it is determined in S203 whether an external impact is detected. The external impact referred to here includes, as described above, from a large impact such as a collision of another vehicle to a small impact such as an external person such as a pedestrian hitting the vehicle 1.

  The presence or absence of an external impact can be determined based on the detection result of the impact sensor 27. If an external impact is detected (S203: YES), the process proceeds to S210. If the impact from the outside is detected, there is a possibility that the vehicle 1 is damaged and the vehicle 1 can not travel normally. Also, because the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 is not normally operated and the vehicle 1 causes an abnormal behavior or a person outside the vehicle notices that the driver of the vehicle 1 has made a mistake, a person outside the vehicle can It is also conceivable that the occupants of the vehicle 1 are alerted by hitting the vehicle 1 or the like.

  Therefore, when an impact from the outside is detected, it is determined in S210 that a required cancellation event has occurred in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and leave the driving operation of the vehicle 1 to the driver itself. That is, detection of an external impact is one of the required release events.

  If no external impact is detected (S203: NO), it is determined in S204 whether the behavior of the driver is normal. The behavior of the driver can be recognized by analyzing the shooting data of the indoor camera 6. And, for example, the driver's behavior is abnormal when the driver is looking aside continuously for more than a certain period of time, the driver's eyes are closed for more than a certain period of time, or the driver has an expression of surprise, worry or fear It can be determined that Of course, whether or not the driver's behavior is normal may be determined based on other determination criteria.

  If it is determined that the driver's behavior is not normal (S204: YES), the process proceeds to S210. If it is determined that the driver's behavior is not normal, there may be a possibility that the driver has made a change, or that the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 can not normally operate.

  Therefore, when it is determined that the driver's behavior is not normal, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled and the driver himself or herself is given the driving operation of the vehicle 1, or the emergency release event is required in S210 to stop the vehicle 1 urgently. It is judged that That is, it is one of the required cancellation events that the driver's behavior is judged not to be normal.

  If it is determined that the driver's behavior is normal (S204: NO), it is determined in S205 whether or not the pedestrian is looking at the subject vehicle. Whether or not the line of sight is directed from the pedestrian can be determined by analyzing the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5 as described above.

  If the line of sight is directed from the pedestrian (S205: YES), whether or not the line of sight of the pedestrian of a predetermined number or more is directed to the host vehicle in S208 (ie, the attention from the pedestrian is high or not Or) to judge. If the number of pedestrians turning their eyes at the subject vehicle is less than the predetermined number (i.e., the degree of attention is not high) (S208: NO), the process proceeds to S209.

  In S209, it is determined whether the behavior of the pedestrian who is looking at the subject vehicle is normal. The criteria for determining whether or not the behavior of the pedestrian who is looking at the subject vehicle is normal may be determined as appropriate. For example, the pedestrian's behavior may be determined to be abnormal when the pedestrian's facial expression is a certain expression or behavior such as surprise, anxiety or fear.

  If it is determined in S208 that the line of sight of a predetermined number of pedestrians is directed to the vehicle (S208: YES), it is determined in S209 that the behavior of the pedestrian pointing the line at the vehicle is not normal. If it has (S209: NO), the process proceeds to S210.

  The fact that the line of sight of many pedestrians is concentrated on the vehicle means that the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 is not properly operated, causing the vehicle 1 to behave abnormally or causing a problem in the driver of the vehicle 1 It is possible that it is possible. In addition, even if the number of pedestrians turning their line of sight to the own vehicle is small, if the behavior of the pedestrian is abnormal, the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 does not operate normally and the vehicle 1 behaves abnormally. It is possible that the driver of the vehicle 1 may have a problem.

  Therefore, when the line of sight of many pedestrians is concentrated, or when the behavior of the pedestrian turning the line of sight is abnormal, the driver is forced to cancel the automatic driving and leave the driving operation of the vehicle 1 to the driver himself. Or, in order to stop the vehicle 1 urgently, in S210, it is determined that the required release event has occurred. That is, the concentration of the line of sight of many pedestrians and the abnormal behavior of the pedestrian turning the line of sight are all one of the required release events.

  If the line of sight of the pedestrian is not directed to the host vehicle (S205: NO), and if the line of sight of the pedestrian is directed but the number is small and the behavior of the pedestrian is normal ( S209: YES), proceed to S206.

  In S206, it is determined whether the vehicle has passed from another vehicle (mainly an oncoming vehicle or a rear vehicle). Whether or not it has passed from another vehicle can be determined mainly by analyzing shooting data of the front camera 2 and the rear camera 3. When passing from another vehicle (S206: YES), the process proceeds to S210.

  Passing from another vehicle means that the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 is not functioning properly and the vehicle 1 is causing an abnormal behavior, and the driver of the other vehicle notices the abnormal behavior and calls attention. There is a possibility that he has given me. Therefore, when passing from another vehicle, it is determined that the required cancellation event has occurred in S210 in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and leave the driving operation of the vehicle 1 to the driver itself or to cause the vehicle 1 to stop urgently. Do. In other words, passing from another vehicle is one of the required cancellation events.

  If the vehicle is not passing from another vehicle (S206: NO), it is determined in S207 whether a horn has been rang from another vehicle. Whether the horn has been rang from another vehicle can be determined mainly based on the detection result of the vehicle outside sound sensor 26. When the horn is sounded from another vehicle (S207: YES), the process proceeds to S210.

  The fact that the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 is not working properly causes the vehicle 1 to behave abnormally, and the driver of the other vehicle notices the abnormal behavior, which means that the automatic control function of the vehicle 1 is not functioning properly. There is a possibility that he did. Therefore, when a horn is squeezed from another vehicle, a cancellation event has occurred at S210 in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and leave the driver 1 to operate the vehicle 1 or to stop the vehicle 1 urgently. I will judge. In other words, it is one of the required cancellation events that the other cars make a horn.

  Next, the environment monitoring process of S114 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of FIG. 6 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. If it progresses to the environment monitoring process of S114, as shown in FIG. 9, it will be judged by S251 whether the weather around the vehicle 1 is a heavy rain state. It can be determined based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 17, for example, by setting a threshold for the detection amount and comparing it with the threshold. Of course, it may be determined whether it is in a heavy rain condition by another method. For example, rainfall may be analyzed and determined from shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5.

If it is determined that the heavy rain state (S251: YES), the process proceeds to S256. If it is not determined that the heavy rain state (S251: NO), the process proceeds to S252.
In S252, it is determined whether the weather around the vehicle 1 is in a heavy snow condition. The determination as to whether or not there is a heavy snow condition may be made, for example, by analyzing the amount of snowfall from the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5. Of course, it may be determined whether it is in a heavy snow condition by another method.

If it is determined that the heavy snow state is present (S252: YES), the process proceeds to S256. If it is not determined that the heavy snowfall state (S252: NO), the process proceeds to S253.
In S253, it is determined whether the surroundings of the vehicle 1 are in a thick fog state. The determination as to whether or not the fog condition is the same as the heavy snow condition determination method may be made by analyzing the fog generation condition from the shooting data of each of the cameras 2 to 5, for example. Of course, it may be determined whether or not the fog condition is present by another method.

If it is determined that the fog condition is high (S253: YES), the process proceeds to S256. If it is not determined that the fog condition is high (S253: NO), the process proceeds to S254.
When it is judged that it is a heavy rain condition, it is judged that it is a heavy snow condition, and when it is judged that it is a thick fog condition (hereinafter collectively referred to as "bad weather"), the visibility in front of the vehicle is bad and the automatic control function is normal. May not work. Therefore, in the case of bad weather, in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1, it is determined in S256 that the required cancellation event has occurred. That is, bad weather is one of the required cancellation events.

  In S254, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in the caution area. As described above, the caution area in the present embodiment includes at least an accident-prone zone, a school zone, a zone where animals are likely to appear, and the like. It can be judged based on the section information obtained via road-to-vehicle communication whether or not the section requiring caution is being traveled. Alternatively, in the case where a signboard or a road sign indicating a caution area is included in the imaging data of the front camera 2, the determination can be made based on that.

  If it is determined that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the caution area (S254: YES), the process proceeds to S256. When the vehicle 1 is traveling in the caution area, it may be preferable for the driver to drive while paying attention to the traveling direction rather than relying on the automatic control function. Therefore, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the caution area, in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and leave the driving operation of the vehicle 1 to the driver itself, it is determined in S256 that the necessity cancellation event has occurred. That is, the fact that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the caution area is one of the cancellation requirements events.

  If the vehicle 1 is not traveling in the caution area (S254: NO), the process proceeds to S255. In S255, it is determined whether the average value of the automatic driving levels of the other surrounding vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "surrounding average level") is less than or equal to a predetermined level (for example, less than or equal to level 1). If the ambient average level is higher than the predetermined level (S255: NO), the environment monitoring process is ended. On the other hand, if the ambient average level is less than or equal to the predetermined level (S255: YES), the process proceeds to S256.

  The surrounding average level can be derived by acquiring the automatic driving level set in each of the other vehicles from the other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle and performing an average calculation of the acquired automatic driving levels. The automatic driving levels of other vehicles around the host vehicle can be acquired directly by inter-vehicle communication or indirectly acquired by road-vehicle communication.

  If the ambient average level is below the predetermined level, it means that many of the other vehicles in the vicinity keep the automatic driving level low. This means that drivers of many other vehicles are likely to be driving in their own driving operation without relying on the automatic control function. The fact that many drivers do not rely on the automatic control function does not mean that the area where you are currently driving is, for some reason, an area where it is preferable to drive by the driver's own driving operation rather than automatic driving. It is thought that there is.

  Therefore, if the surrounding average level is equal to or lower than the predetermined level, it is determined that the required cancellation event has occurred in S256 in order to forcibly cancel the automatic driving and entrust the driver with the driving operation of the vehicle 1. That is, that the ambient average level is below the predetermined level is one of the required cancellation events.

  Next, although the self-diagnosis processing of S115 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation processing of FIG. 6 will be described, first, the travel history recording processing shown in FIG. 10A will be described prior to the description of the self-diagnosis processing.

  In the traveling history recording process of FIG. 10A, various specific control operations performed when the vehicle 1 travels (however, control operations performed automatically in the automatic control function) are linked with the position where the specific control operation is performed. It is processing to memorize as history. The type and number of specific control operations to be stored as a history may be determined as appropriate. For example, an operation to temporarily stop while traveling, an operation to decelerate despite the absence of another vehicle ahead, or the like may be determined as the specific control operation.

  If the automatic control function is operating normally, the vehicle 1 should be automatically stopped where there is a stop road sign and its stop line. Also, in front of the pedestrian crossing, the vehicle should be decelerated for safety, even if there are no vehicles ahead. On the other hand, when the automatic control function does not operate normally, it is possible to pass without stopping even though there is a road sign for temporary stop, or to pass without decelerating even if there is a pedestrian crossing There is sex. That is, if the automatic control function is not working properly, even if you travel the same place as you have traveled before, you may travel differently than before.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the past travel history is stored in association with the position, and a travel operation different from the past is performed as compared to the past operation state when traveling the same place next time (for example, In the past, the vehicle has been temporarily stopped, but is bypassed this time), it is determined that the automatic control function is not operating normally and automatic operation should be canceled.

  When the operation is started, the control unit 30a executes the traveling history recording process of FIG. 10A in parallel with the automatic driving level setting process of FIG. When the traveling history recording process of FIG. 10A is started, the control unit 30a determines in S301 whether the vehicle 1 has traveled a predetermined distance. The determination in S301 is continued until the vehicle travels a fixed distance. If the vehicle travels a fixed distance (S301: YES), the process proceeds to S302.

  In S302, the specific control operation performed in the traveling section of the predetermined distance is stored as the specific control information together with the position information at which the specific control operation is performed. If the specific control operation at the same position is already stored, the stored content is updated. After storing the specific control information performed in the travel section of the predetermined distance, the process returns to S301. As described above, each time a certain distance travels, storage processing of the specific control information is performed for the travel section of the certain distance.

  Subsequently, the self-diagnosis processing of S115 of FIG. 6 will be described using FIG. 10B. If it progresses to the self-diagnosis process of S115, as shown to FIG. 10B, it will be judged by S351 whether the present driving | running | working position has drive | worked in the past. This determination can be made by comparing the current position based on the GPS information with the position information linked to the specific control information stored in the memory 30b.

  If the current traveling position is not linked to any one of the specific control information stored in the memory 30b, it is determined that the current traveling position has not traveled in the past (S351: NO), End self-diagnosis processing. If the current traveling position matches or is close to the position information linked to any of the specific control information stored in the memory 30b, the current traveling position has also traveled in the past It judges that there is (S351: YES), it progresses to S352.

  At S352, the past specific control information corresponding to the current traveling position is read from the memory 30b. That is, it is checked what kind of specific control operation has been performed in the past at the place where the vehicle is currently traveling. In S353, it is determined whether the current traveling state is traveling different from the past. More specifically, it is determined whether the specific control operation performed in the past at the same place has been performed this time. When traveling different from the past, that is, when the specific control operation performed at the same place in the past is not performed this time (S353: YES), the process proceeds to S354, and it is determined that the required release event has occurred. When traveling different from the past is not performed, that is, when the specific control operation performed at the same place in the past is performed this time (S 353: NO), the self-diagnosis processing is ended.

(5) Effects of the First Embodiment According to the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment described above, automatic driving is canceled when the automatic driving level is equal to or higher than level 1 (that is, when the automatic control function is activated). It is determined whether or not a required cancellation event has occurred (S112 to S115 in FIG. 6). Then, when a required release event occurs, the automatic operation level is forcibly set to level 0. That is, when the required release event occurs, the operation of the automatic control function is completely stopped regardless of the setting state of the driving mode, and the driving operation of the vehicle 1 is left to the driver.

  Therefore, when the required cancellation event occurs, the vehicle 1 can be made to travel by the driver's own driving operation. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unstable operation of the vehicle 1 caused by a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function.

Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that each event is judged one by one on the assumption of a large number of events considered to be required cancellation events.
Specifically, as shown in S161 of FIG. 7, the distance to another vehicle is determined, and when the distance to the other vehicle is not normal, the automatic driving is forcibly released. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 is about to collide with another vehicle due to a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function, this can be avoided by the driver's own driving operation.

  Further, as shown in S162 of FIG. 7, the relative speed with the other vehicle is determined, and when the relative speed with the other vehicle is not normal, the automatic driving is forcibly released. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 is about to collide with another vehicle due to a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function, this can be avoided by the driver's own driving operation. In addition, even if the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is different from the speed of many vehicles around it due to a malfunction of the automatic control function or the like and does not follow the flow of traffic around it, the driver's own driving operation It becomes possible to avoid.

  Further, as shown in S163 of FIG. 7, the behavior of the suspension is determined, and when the behavior is not normal, the automatic operation is forcibly released. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 exhibits an abnormal behavior due to a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function, this can be avoided by the driver's own driving operation.

  Further, as shown in S164 of FIG. 7, the state (temperature and sound) of the engine room is determined, and if not normal, the automatic operation is forcibly canceled. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the engine room due to a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function, it is possible to minimize the influence by the driver's own driving operation.

  Further, as shown in S165 of FIG. 7, when an abnormal current is generated in the electric wiring in the vehicle 1 (however, the electric wiring provided with the current sensor 19), the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if an excessive current flows due to lightning strike or the like, it is possible to prevent the automatic control function from malfunctioning and the traveling state of the vehicle 1 becoming unstable.

  Further, as shown in S166 and S167 of FIG. 7, when the tire punctures or slips, the automatic operation is forcibly released. Therefore, when the reliability of traveling by the automatic control function is lowered due to the tire being punctured or slipping, the vehicle 1 is appropriately operated by the driver's own operation (for example, the vehicle is stopped while decelerating slowly, or the slip) It is possible to smoothly return from the state.

  Further, as shown in S168 of FIG. 7, when the steering state of the steered wheels is not normal, the automatic driving is forcibly released. Therefore, even if the steered wheels of the vehicle 1 exhibit abnormal behavior due to a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function, this can be avoided by the driver's own driving operation.

  In addition, as shown in S201 and S202 in FIG. 8, when contact with a specific contact site inside the vehicle is detected by the occupant and when the emergency stop lever is operated by the occupant, both of them forcibly cancel automatic driving. It is like that. Therefore, the driver can quickly cancel the automatic driving by his / her own intention when there is a situation where it is desired to cancel the automatic driving, for example, the behavior of the vehicle 1 becomes unstable.

  Further, as shown in S203 of FIG. 8, when an external impact is detected, the automatic operation is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the automatic control function may not operate normally due to an external impact, the driver can operate the vehicle 1 appropriately by the driver's own driving operation.

  In addition, as shown in S204 of FIG. 8, when the driver's behavior is not normal (for example, when the driver is making an expression of surprise or fear), the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if the running condition of the vehicle 1 becomes unstable so that the driver expresses an expression of surprise or fear due to a malfunction or the like of the automatic control function, the driver's own driving operation can quickly avoid this. Is possible.

  In addition, as shown in S205, S206, and S207 of FIG. 8, the line of sight is collected from the pedestrian, or the pedestrian who is looking at the own vehicle exhibits an abnormal behavior (for example, pointing at the own vehicle and expressing a surprise expression) If you get a horn from another car or pass from another car, you are forced to cancel the automatic driving. This means that the pedestrian or other vehicle may cause some action on the vehicle, which may cause the traveling condition of the vehicle to become unstable, which may be caused by the automatic control function. It is because a malfunction etc. are considered.

  Further, as shown in S251 to S253 of FIG. 9, in the case of bad weather such as heavy rain, heavy snow, thick fog, etc., the automatic operation is forcibly canceled. Therefore, even if there is a possibility that the automatic control function does not operate normally and the traveling of the vehicle 1 becomes unstable due to bad weather, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled and the vehicle 1 is appropriately operated by the driver's own driving operation. It is possible to drive the

  Further, as shown in S254 of FIG. 9, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the caution area, the automatic driving is forcibly canceled. As a result, the caution area can be appropriately traveled by the driver's own driving operation without relying on the automatic control function.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the vehicle has traveled again in the place where it has traveled in the past, the automatic control function normally operates when the specific control operation performed in the past is not performed this time. It is considered that the automatic operation is forced to cancel, assuming that it is not. Therefore, it is possible to prevent in advance the problem that may occur due to the malfunction of the automatic control function.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the required release event occurs, the occupant is notified that the automatic driving is to be canceled instead of the automatic driving being unconditionally canceled (S117 in FIG. 6). Then, when it is confirmed that the driver is ready to cancel the automatic driving, such as when there is a predetermined reaction from the occupant (YES in S118 of FIG. 6), the automatic driving is canceled. Therefore, it is possible to release the automatic driving smoothly and appropriately and connect it to the driving operation by the driver.

  On the other hand, even if the driver is notified that the automatic driving is to be canceled, if the passenger does not have a predetermined response (NO in S118), the vehicle 1 is automatically stopped in an emergency. Therefore, for example, when it becomes difficult to drive the vehicle 1 by the driver, for example, when the driver falls asleep or faints, the vehicle 1 can be stopped quickly and appropriately, and an unexpected situation may occur. It can be suppressed.

  The control unit 30a corresponds to an example of a surrounding information acquisition unit, an operation mode setting unit, an automatic control unit, a required event determination unit, a notification unit, and a release permission determination unit. The processes of S40 and S50 in FIG. 5 correspond to an example of the process of the operation mode setting unit. Moreover, the process of S55 of FIG. 5 is corresponded to an example of a process of a periphery information acquisition part. The processes of S55 of FIG. 5 and S118 to S120 of FIG. 6 correspond to an example of the process of the automatic control unit. Moreover, the process of S120 of FIG. The processes of S112, S113, S114, and S115 in FIG. 6 correspond to an example of the process of the required release event determining unit. The process of S117 of FIG. 6 corresponds to an example of the process of the notification unit, and the process of S118 of FIG. 6 corresponds to an example of the process of the release permission determining unit.

Second Embodiment
The electrical configuration of the vehicle of the second embodiment is shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 11, about the component same as the vehicle 1 of 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol as 1st Embodiment is attached | subjected, and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The vehicle of the second embodiment includes an automatic driving control device 101 and a monitoring device 102, as shown in FIG. The automatic driving control apparatus 101 basically has the same configuration as that of the automatic driving control apparatus 101 of the first embodiment except that it has a function of performing data communication with the monitoring apparatus 102 via the network 100, and similarly Operate. That is, the control unit 101a of the automatic driving control device 101 executes an automatic driving level setting process (see FIG. 5) in the same manner as the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment in accordance with various programs stored in the memory 101b. It also executes an automatic control function based on the set automatic operation level.

  In FIG. 11, the cameras 2 to 6, the radar devices 11 to 14, and the sensors 16 to 27 in the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. ing. Moreover, in FIG. 11, each communication part 31-35 in the vehicle 1 of 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is collectively shown as the communication means group 112. As shown in FIG.

  The automatic driving control apparatus 101 according to this embodiment further periodically monitors, via the network 100, an execution state (result of control calculation) of the automatic control function according to the automatic driving level as one of the control information. Send to 102. In addition, if the required driving cancellation event occurs as a result of the automatic driving level setting process, the automatic driving control apparatus 101 sets at least that effect (the fact that the required cancellation event has occurred) as one of the control information It transmits to the monitoring apparatus 102 regularly via 100.

  The monitoring device 102 is provided to monitor whether or not various controls by the automatic driving control device 101 operate normally. That is, the monitoring device 102 basically has the same configuration as the automatic driving control device 101, and like the automatic driving control device 101, the control unit 102a performs automatic control based on the automatic driving level set. Perform function control operations.

  That is, although the monitoring apparatus 102 does not actually execute the automatic control function, the control calculation of the automatic control function is performed in the same manner as the automatic driving control apparatus 101. That is, both the automatic driving control device 101 and the monitoring device 102 execute control calculations necessary to realize the automatic control function according to the set automatic driving level.

  Therefore, on the premise that the operation of the monitoring device is normal, if the automatic operation control device 101 is normal, the results of both control calculations should be the same. On the other hand, when the automatic driving control apparatus 101 is in an abnormal state and the automatic control function does not operate normally, the control calculation results of the two are different (the calculation result of the automatic driving control apparatus 101 is not normal )).

  Therefore, the monitoring apparatus 102 compares the control calculation result of its own with the control calculation result by the automatic driving control apparatus 101, and when the two do not match, the automatic control function by the automatic driving control apparatus 101 is forcibly forced. Let it go. Specifically, the control unit 102a of the monitoring apparatus 102 executes a control state monitoring process shown in FIG.

  When the control state monitoring process of FIG. 12 is started, the control unit 102a of the monitoring apparatus 102 executes an arithmetic process of an automatic control function corresponding to the set automatic operation level in S501. In S502, the calculation result of the control calculation of the automatic control function in the automatic driving control apparatus 101 is acquired from the automatic driving control apparatus 101 via the network 100.

  In S503, the calculation result of its own calculated in S501 is compared with the calculation result in the automatic driving control device 101 acquired in S502, and it is determined whether or not both are in agreement. If the two do not match (S 503: NO), it is determined that the calculation result by the automatic driving control device 101 is not normal, and in S 508, forced cancellation for forcibly canceling the automatic control function by the automatic driving control device 101 Execute the process

  Various specific contents of the forced release process of S508 can be considered. For example, by instructing the traveling drive control unit 46, the brake control unit 47, and the steering control unit 48 to ignore the control command by the automatic driving control device 101 from the monitoring device 102, each of the control units 46 48 may operate independently of the automatic driving control device 101 (that is, the automatic driving may be canceled).

  Alternatively, for example, the automatic driving control apparatus 101 may be forced to release the automatic driving by transmitting the determination information to the effect that the calculation results do not match to the automatic driving control apparatus 101 via the network 100.

  Also, for example, between the automatic driving control device 101 and the traveling drive control unit 46, between the automatic driving control device 101 and the brake control unit 47, and between the automatic driving control device 101 and the steering control unit 48, respectively. Alternatively, a switch may be provided to connect or disconnect the electrical connection between the two. Then, at least one of the switches may be turned off (that is, the electrical connection state may be cut off) to prevent the automatic operation control device 101 from performing control.

  In addition, as a cause that the calculation result by the automatic driving control device 101 is not normal, it can be considered that the automatic driving control device 101 is illegally accessed from the outside. Therefore, a switch is provided between the communication means group 112 and the automatic operation control device 101 for connecting or disconnecting the electrical connection between the two, and the switch is turned off (that is, the electrical connection is disconnected). You may not be physically accessible from the outside.

  If the calculation results match in S503 (S503: YES), it is determined in S504 whether or not a required release event has occurred. Specifically, by performing the same process as each process of S112 to S115 in the automatic driving cancellation confirmation process of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the presence or absence of occurrence of the required cancellation event is determined.

  In S505, when the necessity release event for judging whether the necessity release event has occurred or not has not occurred based on the judgment result of S504 (S505: NO), the control state monitoring process is ended. If the required release event has occurred (S505: YES), in S506, the determination result of the presence or absence of the required release event in the automatic driving control apparatus 101 is acquired from the automatic driving control apparatus 101 via the network 100.

  In S507, based on the acquisition result in S506, it is determined in the automatic driving control device 101 whether the occurrence of the required release event is determined. When the occurrence of the required cancellation event is determined also in the automatic driving control device 101, it is determined that the automatic driving control device 101 is operating normally, and the control state monitoring process is ended. On the other hand, when the occurrence of the required release event is not determined in the automatic driving control device 101, it is determined that the automatic driving control device 101 is not operating normally due to any factor, and the process proceeds to S508 and forced cancellation is performed as described above. Execute the process

  According to the vehicle of the second embodiment described above, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, in the second embodiment, the monitoring device 102 is provided separately from the automatic driving control device 101. Then, the control device 102 also performs substantially the same control calculation as that of the automatic driving control device 101, compares the calculation result with the calculation result of the automatic driving control device 101, and determines whether or not both match. Accordingly, it is determined whether the automatic driving control device 101 is operating normally.

  That is, whether the operation of one of the computers (in this case, the automatic driving control device 101) is normal or not by making the two independent computers execute the same control calculation respectively and see if the calculation results of the two coincide. To make decisions.

  Then, if the calculation results of the two do not match, the monitoring device 102 executes the forced release process (S508 in FIG. 12) to forcibly release the automatic operation. In addition, it is the same as that of 1st Embodiment that the automatic driving | operation control apparatus 101 cancels | releases an automatic driving | operation itself when a required cancellation | release event generate | occur | produces. In the second embodiment, the monitoring device 102 also performs a forced release process for releasing the automatic operation. Therefore, when the situation which should cancel automatic operation arises, automatic operation can be canceled more certainly.

[Other embodiments]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this indication was described, this indication can take various forms, without being limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

  (1) The specific example of the required cancellation event described in each of the above embodiments is merely an example. With regard to other events that are considered to be required to cancel the automatic driving other than the above, the occurrence or non-occurrence of the other events may be determined, and the automatic driving may be canceled if it is occurring.

  For example, in the first embodiment, an example in which the automatic driving is canceled when the driver makes an abnormal behavior is shown, but the automatic driving may be canceled based on the behavior of another passenger other than the driver. .

  Further, not only the behavior of the occupant (including the driver) but also whether or not to cancel the automatic driving may be determined according to the content of the story of the occupant. For example, when someone says "an ambulance approaches from behind!", Automatic driving may be canceled and left to the driver's driving operation. That is, the automatic driving may be canceled in response to a specific word or sentence.

  In addition, the running condition of the vehicle is monitored on the infrastructure side, and if the running condition is unstable (that is, there is a possibility that the automatic control function is not operating properly), the effect is given to the corresponding vehicle The notification may be made via communication or the like. Then, on the vehicle side, when the above notification is received from the infrastructure side, the automatic driving may be forcibly canceled.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the automatic driving level is forcibly set to the level 0 when any required release event occurs when the automatic driving level is the level 1 or higher, but the predetermined level is higher than the level 1 The automatic operation level may be set to 0 (ie, ignored if it is less than the level n) when the required release event occurs when the level n or more is exceeded. Alternatively, when the operation mode is the advanced automation mode, the automatic operation level is forcibly set to level 0 when the required release event occurs, and the basic mode is set even if the operation mode requires the cancellation required May be maintained.

  In addition, it is not essential to set the automatic operation level to level 0 when the required release event occurs, and it may be lowered to at least a level lower than the current automatic operation level. For example, it may be switched to the basic mode when a release event occurs in the advanced automation mode.

  (3) The camera and the radar device necessary for realizing the automatic driving may be provided anywhere in the vehicle 1 and may be provided in any number. The installation locations and the number of cameras and radar devices may be determined appropriately so as to realize a desired automatic control function. Moreover, the vehicle-mounted apparatus required in order to implement | achieve an automatic driving | operation is not limited to the various apparatuses shown to FIG. 1, FIG.

  (4) In addition, the function possessed by one component in the above embodiment may be distributed as a plurality of components, or the function possessed by a plurality of components may be integrated into one component. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be replaced with a known configuration having the same function. In addition, part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. In addition, at least a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of the other above-described embodiment. In addition, all the aspects contained in the technical thought specified only by the words described in the claim are an embodiment of this indication.

[Technical thought understood from the embodiment]
At least the following technical ideas can be understood from the various embodiments described above in detail.
(A) An automatic operation control device mounted on a vehicle,
An ambient information acquiring unit that acquires ambient information that is information around the vehicle;
An advanced automation mode for automatically executing at least a part of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for traveling of the vehicle based on the surrounding information, and the driving operation for automatically performing the operation mode of the vehicle An operation mode setting unit configured to set any one of a basic mode in which the type of automatic operation operation is less than or zero in the advanced automation mode;
An automatic control unit that executes the automatic driving operation set in the operation mode based on the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit;
When the operation mode is set to an operation mode having at least one of the automatic operation operations to be performed, a predetermined key to release at least one of the automatic operation operations set in the operation mode A required cancellation event judgment unit that judges whether or not a cancellation event has occurred;
Equipped with
The automatic control unit is determined by the required cancellation event determination unit that the required cancellation event has occurred when the operation mode is set to an operation mode having at least one of the automatic operation operations to be performed. And stop the execution of at least one of the set automatic driving operations.
Automatic operation control device.

  In the automatic operation control device of the above configuration, when the operation mode is set to the advanced automation mode, the operation mode is set to the basic mode as well as the operation of the operation to be canceled is determined by the cancellation event judging unit Even in the case where the basic mode is set to execute at least one of a plurality of types of automatic driving operations, the determination of the occurrence of the requirement release event by the requirement release event determining unit is performed. It will be.

  That is, regardless of the type of operation mode being set, if it is set to execute even one of the plurality of types of automatic driving operations, whether or not the required cancellation event has occurred by the required cancellation event judgment unit A judgment is made. When it is determined that the required release event has occurred, at least one of the execution target automatic driving operations is stopped.

  The required cancellation event may be an event that may occur due to the automatic driving operation being executed not being normally executed, or when the automatic driving operation is normally executed but the event occurs. It is an event that may cause trouble in the execution of the automatic driving operation.

  The required cancellation event may be preset to one or more. When a plurality of required cancellation events are set, the required cancellation event determination unit may determine the presence or absence of each of the plurality of required cancellation events, or a part of the plurality of required cancellation events. The occurrence of occurrence may be determined for the target. In the latter case, which of the plurality of required release events are to be determined may be determined as appropriate. For example, based on the automatic driving operation set to be performed in the current driving mode, a required cancellation event that occurs when the automatic driving operation is not properly executed, and the automatic driving operation are disturbed. At least one of the possible required cancellation events may be included in the determination.

Further, the timing at which the required cancellation event judgment unit judges the occurrence of the required cancellation event itself may be determined appropriately other than the above. For example, according to the number and type of automatic driving operations set to be performed in the current driving mode, the required cancellation event judgment unit should judge whether or not the required cancellation event should occur, and if it should be judged In particular, it may be determined at which timing to be determined.
(B) In the above (A),
At least one operation state that may occur when there is a possibility that the automatic driving operation set for execution is not normally performed as the operation state of the vehicle as the release required event. An automatic driving control apparatus, wherein at least one of the at least one operation state in which the automatic driving operation set to be executed may not be normally executed is set. .

Thus, the automatic driving operation in progress should be stopped by appropriately setting the operation state of the vehicle in which the automatic driving operation may not be normally executed (or not performed properly) as the required release event. It can be judged appropriately whether it is or not.
(C) In the above (A) or (B),
As the release event, an occupant of the vehicle exhibits a first specific behavior, a person around the vehicle exhibits a second specific behavior, and the other around the vehicle. An automatic driving control apparatus in which at least one of the specific third operation of the vehicle is set.

When the automatic driving operation under execution is not normally performed, the influence is reflected in the operation state of the vehicle, while the occupant of the vehicle shows a specific behavior (for example, expression of surprise or anxiety), or the surroundings of the vehicle People show specific behavior (for example, many people's gaze concentrates or points their finger at the vehicle), and other vehicles (more specifically, the passengers of other vehicles) show their own vehicles. There is a possibility that a specific action (eg, ringing, passing, etc.) may be performed. Therefore, by appropriately setting at least one of the first behavior, the second behavior, and the third behavior as the required release event, it is appropriately determined whether or not to stop the automatic driving operation under execution. Can.
(D) In any one of the above (A) to (C),
The automatic driving control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environment around the vehicle is a preset specific environment as the required release event.

  The specific environment means an environment in which an automatic driving operation in progress may not be normally performed, or an environment in which one or more automatic driving operations should not be performed, for example, heavy rain or fog Bad weather such as can be considered. Further, for example, a case may be considered where the vehicle travels in a zone such as a school zone or an accident-prone zone where it is considered preferable to leave the driver's own driving operation rather than automatic driving.

  By setting the presence of the vehicle in such a specific environment as the required release event, it can be appropriately determined whether or not the automatic driving operation being executed should be stopped.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... vehicle, 2 ... front camera, 3 ... rear camera, 4 ... left side camera, 5 ... right side camera, 6 ... indoor camera, 9 ... front window, 10 ... steering wheel, 11 ... front radar apparatus, 12 ... rear radar Device 13 Left side radar device 14 Right side radar device 16 Solar radiation sensor 17 Rainfall sensor 18 Wheel speed sensor 19 Current sensor 20 Steering amount sensor 21 In-vehicle contact sensor 22 ... Engine room temperature sensor, 23 ... Engine room sound sensor, 24 ... Tire pressure sensor, 25 ... Suspension sensor, 26 ... Car external sound sensor, 27 ... Impact sensor, 30, 101 ... Automatic operation control device, 30a, 101a, 102a ... Control unit, 30b, 101b, 102b ... memory, 31 ... GPS communication unit, 32 ... inter-vehicle communication unit, 33 ... road-to-vehicle communication unit, 34 ... Inter-vehicle communication unit, 35: LTE communication unit, 36: operation unit, 37: display unit, 38: speaker, 41: automatic operation switch, 42: level setting operation unit, 43: emergency stop lever, 44: release reset switch, 46 ... driving control unit 47: brake control unit 48: steering control unit 81: road communication device 82: camera 100: network 102: monitoring device 111: detection means group 112: communication means group.

Claims (3)

An automatic operation control device mounted on a vehicle,
An ambient information acquisition unit configured to acquire ambient information that is information about the vehicle;
An advanced automation mode for automatically executing at least a part of a plurality of types of driving operations necessary for traveling of the vehicle based on the surrounding information, and the driving operation for automatically performing the operation mode of the vehicle An operation mode setting unit configured to set to any one of a basic mode in which the type of automatic operation operation is less than or zero from the advanced automation mode;
An automatic control unit configured to execute the automatic driving operation set in the operation mode based on the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit;
As at least when the operation mode is the advanced automation mode, it is determined whether or not a predetermined required release event to release at least one of the automatic operation operations set in the advanced automation mode has occurred. The required cancellation event judgment unit configured;
Equipped with
The automatic control unit is set to be executed when the required release event determination unit determines that the required release event has occurred, when the operation mode is set at least in the advanced automation mode. Configured to stop its execution for at least one of said automated driving operations,
Automatic operation control device. The automatic operation control device according to claim 1, wherein
The automatic control unit is determined by the required cancellation event determination unit that the required cancellation event has occurred when the operation mode is set to an operation mode having at least one of the automatic operation operations to be performed. In this case, it is configured to stop all the automatic driving operations to be performed in the driving mode.
Automatic operation control device. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
A notification unit configured to notify an occupant of the vehicle that the required cancellation event has occurred, when the required cancellation event determination unit determines that the required cancellation event has occurred;
A release permission determination unit configured to determine whether a specific release permission operation has been performed by an occupant of the vehicle after notification by the notification unit;
Equipped with
The automatic control unit stops the execution of the automatic driving operation that should be stopped when it is determined by the release permission determination unit that the release permission operation has been performed, and the release permission determination unit When it is not determined that the release permission operation has been performed, a predetermined automatic stop process for stopping the traveling of the vehicle is performed.
Automatic operation control device.