JPWO2020262520A1 - Road management device for autonomous vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

We will provide a road management device for autonomous vehicles that can reduce the scale of equipment on dedicated roads, improve convenience, and increase the amount of transportation. The automatic driving vehicle exclusive road management device of the present invention attempts to enter the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed driving road in the automatic driving vehicle vehicle width authentication area provided between the mixed driving road and the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road. If it is confirmed that the vehicle to be used is an automatic driving slim vehicle, the vehicle is allowed to enter the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road, and the vehicle trying to enter the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road is the automatic driving slim vehicle. If it is not confirmed that the vehicle is not, it is configured to prohibit the vehicle from entering the self-driving vehicle exclusive road. A mixed road is a road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths travel in a mixed state. The self-driving slim vehicle-only road is a road on which only vehicles having a narrow width among a plurality of types of vehicles travel. The self-driving slim vehicle has a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width. The slim vehicle width is set to 7 feet or less.

Description

The present invention relates to a road management device dedicated to autonomous vehicles.

Currently, various methods for autonomous driving of automobiles have been proposed. For example, a road dedicated to autonomous vehicles is constructed, and an autonomous vehicle having an automatic driving function is operated on the dedicated road. Further, on a general road, a general vehicle that can be manually driven travels by manual driving. Here, a vehicle operation method and a vehicle operation system for a dedicated road have been proposed so that a general vehicle can enter a dedicated road for autonomous vehicles (for example, Patent Document 1).

On the self-driving vehicle dedicated road described in Patent Document 1, dedicated vehicles such as a dedicated road shuttle bus and a dedicated road truck are traveling by regular operation. Here, the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles is formed so that at least a part of the road is double-tracked. Further, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of types of vehicles such as a city bus, a demand bus, a taxi, a hire, and a passenger car are manually driven on a general road. In such a case, a general vehicle traveling on a general road by manual driving enters the automatic driving exclusive road, so that the automatic driving exclusive vehicle and the general vehicle coexist on the automatic driving exclusive road. In Patent Document 1, the entry of a plurality of types of general vehicles into a dedicated road is controlled so as not to interfere with the scheduled operation of dedicated vehicles such as buses and trucks.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-030782

An object of the present invention is to provide a road management device for self-driving vehicles, which can suppress the scale of equipment for a road dedicated to self-driving vehicles, improve convenience, and increase the amount of transportation.

In the system of Patent Document 1, the dedicated road is configured so that not only a dedicated vehicle but also a general vehicle can travel. The driving of a general vehicle is performed by the driver. Therefore, it is difficult for a dedicated vehicle to grasp the traveling route of a general vehicle in advance. As a result, in order to enable traveling in a mixed state of the dedicated vehicle and the general vehicle on the dedicated road, it is necessary to secure a wide distance between the dedicated vehicle and the general vehicle during traveling. Therefore, it is difficult to increase the amount of transportation on the entire private road. Further, in the system of Patent Document 1, the dedicated vehicles are buses and trucks. Such a large vehicle is suitable when many passengers or luggage (hereinafter, also referred to as passengers) move from one starting point to one destination. However, if the departure place and / or destination of each passenger or the like is different, the convenience will be reduced. In addition, when the usage time of passengers and the like is different for buses and trucks, the utilization rate of passengers and the like in vehicles decreases. Therefore, it may be difficult to increase the amount of transportation. The present inventors have conducted a study from the above viewpoints, and by making it possible for only an autonomous driving vehicle having a small vehicle width to travel on a dedicated road, it is possible to achieve both improvement in convenience and an increase in the amount of transportation. I came up with something. Since only self-driving vehicles can travel, the distance between vehicles can be shortened. In addition, the width of the vehicle is small. Therefore, many vehicles can be driven on the exclusive road. Each vehicle can individually travel to different destinations. As a result, it is possible to improve convenience and increase the amount of transportation.

However, if only self-driving vehicles having a small vehicle width can travel on the dedicated road, the number of vehicles traveling on the dedicated road will increase. This creates new challenges. The problem is how smoothly, from a mixed road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths are traveling in a mixed state, an autonomous driving vehicle having a small vehicle width is selected and entered into a dedicated road. This problem is a problem peculiar to a case where only an autonomous driving vehicle having a small vehicle width is allowed to enter a dedicated road from a mixed road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths are traveling in a mixed state.

For this problem, for example, the following countermeasures (α) and (β) can be considered.

(Α) Install a gate that can be opened and closed at the boundary between the mixed road and the exclusive road. By installing surveillance cameras, sensors, communication devices, etc. so as to cover all lanes of the mixed road, the condition of all vehicles traveling on the mixed road can be grasped. When an autonomous vehicle with a small width tries to enter the gate, it opens the gate. On the other hand, when a vehicle that is not allowed to enter tries to enter the gate, the gate is closed. According to the method (α) above, since the state of all vehicles traveling on the mixed road is known, it is possible to smoothly select the vehicles permitted to enter. However, a large-scale facility is required to constantly grasp the state of all vehicles traveling on the mixed road by installing a camera or the like so as to cover all the lanes of the mixed road. There is a risk that the scale of equipment for private roads will increase.

(Β) Install a gate that can be opened and closed at the boundary between the mixed road and the exclusive road. A surveillance camera, a sensor, a communication device, or the like is used to determine whether or not the vehicle arriving in front of the gate is an autonomous driving vehicle having a small vehicle width. If it is determined that the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle with a small width, the gate is opened. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the vehicle is an autonomous driving vehicle having a small vehicle width, processing such as guidance for returning the vehicle to the original road is performed without opening the gate. According to the method (β) above, it is possible to suppress an increase in the scale of equipment for a dedicated road. However, since many self-driving vehicles having a small vehicle width are to enter the dedicated road, a long convoy is formed in front of the gate, which may make it difficult to improve convenience. Further, if smooth approach cannot be realized, it becomes difficult to increase the amount of transportation. Although a gate is also installed in Patent Document 1, the gate in Patent Document 1 is a gate for a general vehicle to enter a dedicated road on which an autonomous driving vehicle and a general vehicle travel, and has the above-mentioned problems. Does not even have the relevance of.

As mentioned above, it is difficult for either of the above measures (α) or (β) to satisfy all of the measures for suppressing the increase in equipment scale, improving convenience, and increasing the amount of transportation for autonomous vehicle exclusive roads. Is.

The road management device for autonomous vehicles of the present invention completed based on the above findings has the following configurations.
(1) It is managed that a vehicle enters from a mixed road different from the self-driving vehicle dedicated road, which is formed so as to have at least a part of a double line and only a vehicle to be automatically driven travels. It is a road management device dedicated to self-driving vehicles.
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
Automatic driving provided between a mixed road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths travel in a mixed state and an automatic driving slim vehicle dedicated road in which only a vehicle having a narrow vehicle width among the multiple types of vehicles travels. In the driving vehicle width certification area
When it is confirmed that the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is an self-driving slim vehicle having a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width set to 7 feet or less, the above-mentioned Allowing vehicles to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road,
If it is not confirmed that the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road is the self-driving slim vehicle, the vehicle is prohibited from entering the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road. Has been done.

According to the above configuration, there is a mixed road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths travel in a mixed state, and an autonomous driving slim vehicle dedicated road in which only a vehicle having a narrow vehicle width among the plurality of types of vehicles travels. An area for certifying the width of the self-driving vehicle is provided between them. In the autonomous driving vehicle width authentication area, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle trying to enter the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road is an autonomous driving slim vehicle. The self-driving vehicle width authentication area is provided so as to be distinguished from the mixed road so as to leave a part or all of the mixed road, for example. Therefore, a vehicle other than the self-driving slim vehicle can pass through the self-driving vehicle width certification area without traveling on the self-driving vehicle width certification area by traveling on the remaining mixed road. Vehicles other than the self-driving slim vehicle can pass through the self-driving vehicle width authentication area, so that congestion can be prevented or alleviated. It is excellent in convenience and can increase the amount of transportation. Since vehicles that pass by can be excluded from the confirmation target, the scale of equipment can be suppressed. It is possible to improve convenience and increase the amount of transportation.

On the other hand, the self-driving slim vehicle enters the self-driving vehicle width authentication area from the mixed road and runs. For example, a vehicle other than the self-driving slim vehicle may enter the self-driving vehicle width authentication area from the mixed road and travel. The self-driving vehicle exclusive road management device confirms whether or not the vehicle attempting to enter the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed driving road is an autonomous driving slim vehicle in the autonomous driving vehicle width authentication area. Since the confirmation is performed within the area, unlike the confirmation in front of the gate, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the autonomous driving slim vehicles form a long convoy in order to enter the road dedicated to the autonomous driving slim vehicle. Since smooth approach is possible, it is excellent in convenience and the amount of transportation can be increased. Since the existence range of the vehicle to be confirmed can be limited to the width authentication area of the autonomous driving vehicle, the scale of the equipment can be suppressed.

Therefore, according to the configuration of (1) above, it is possible to suppress the scale of equipment for the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles, improve convenience, and increase the amount of transportation.

The self-driving vehicle dedicated road management device does not necessarily require the vehicle to pass over the area while traveling in the self-driving vehicle width authentication area. The self-driving vehicle dedicated road management device may be provided in the self-driving vehicle width authentication area so as to request a temporary stop on the area. For example, when an operation for approval of switching from manual driving to automatic driving is performed by a user of an automatic driving slim vehicle in the area of automatic driving vehicle width authentication, the automatic driving slim vehicle is transferred to the automatic driving slim vehicle dedicated road. When permitting entry, the self-driving vehicle dedicated road management device may be configured to require a temporary stop of the self-driving slim vehicle within the self-driving vehicle width authentication area. In addition, the self-driving vehicle width certification area should check other matters when checking whether the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed driving road is a self-driving slim vehicle. It may be configured. Such matters include, for example, whether or not to encourage or instruct maintenance, and whether or not to stop automatic operation. The promotion or instruction of maintenance is performed, for example, by communicating with the slim vehicle for automatic driving so that the display or the like provided in the slim vehicle for automatic driving presents information on the promotion or instruction for maintenance. The automatic driving is stopped, for example, by sending a stop instruction by communicating with the automatic driving slim vehicle. Specifically, the road management device for autonomous vehicles may be configured to perform one process selected from the following combinations of processes as a result of the above confirmation. An example of the above combination is (I) a process of permitting entry without presenting maintenance, (II) a process of presenting maintenance and permitting entry, and (III) a process of presenting maintenance and prohibiting entry. Processing, including. An example of the above combination is (I) a process of permitting entry without presenting maintenance, (II) a process of prohibiting entry without presenting maintenance, and (III) a process of presenting maintenance and prohibiting entry. Processing, including. Further, the self-driving vehicle dedicated road management device is, for example, when the self-driving slim vehicle is allowed to automatically drive in the self-driving vehicle width authentication area and then the entry is prohibited as a result of the above confirmation, the self-driving vehicle is automatically driven. You may perform a process of stopping the entry and prohibiting the entry.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(2) The road management device for autonomous vehicles of (1).
The self-driving vehicle width certification area is at least a single-lane road, and one lane has a width equal to or less than the slim vehicle width and larger than the vehicle width of the self-driving slim vehicle.

According to the configuration of (2) above, the self-driving vehicle vehicle width authentication area is an area for selecting an autonomous driving slim vehicle, that is, an area for a vehicle having a narrow vehicle width. Therefore, even if the width of the vehicle width authentication area for the autonomous driving vehicle is narrowed, the influence on the convenience and the amount of transportation can be suppressed, and the increase in size of the equipment can be suppressed or prevented. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress or prevent the increase in size of the equipment while improving the convenience and increasing the transportation amount.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(3) The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to (1) or (2).
The mixed-running road is a group in which a plurality of types of vehicles traveling in a mixed state on the mixed-running road are composed of a non-automatic driving slim vehicle, an automatic driving non-slim vehicle, and a non-automatic driving non-slim vehicle in addition to the automatic driving slim vehicle. The non-automatic driving slim vehicle is set to include at least one vehicle selected from, the non-automatic driving slim vehicle has a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width and does not have an automatic driving function, and the automatic driving non-slim vehicle. Has a vehicle width larger than the slim vehicle width and has an automatic driving function, and the non-automatic driving non-slim vehicle has a vehicle width larger than the slim vehicle width and has an automatic driving function. No.

According to the configuration of (3) above, vehicles having a large vehicle width or not having an automatic driving function are excluded, and only an automatic driving slim vehicle can enter the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road. Autonomous driving slim vehicle Many autonomous driving slim vehicles can run on the dedicated road, and it is possible to improve convenience and increase the amount of transportation more effectively.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(4) A road management device dedicated to an autonomous vehicle according to any one of (1) to (3).
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
An accuracy information acquisition unit for acquiring accuracy information regarding the accuracy of vehicle control by the automatic driving, and
Based on the accuracy information acquired by the accuracy information acquisition unit, the accuracy determination unit determines whether or not the accuracy of vehicle control by the automatic driving meets the criteria for traveling on the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road. Have and
Confirmation of whether or not the vehicle attempting to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle includes confirmation of whether or not the accuracy satisfies the criteria.

According to the configuration (4) above, only the autonomous driving slim vehicle having a certain level of automatic driving control performance can enter the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road, and other vehicles can be excluded. The area in which the vehicle travels on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles can be narrowed according to the accuracy of the autonomous driving control of the vehicle. It is also possible to reduce the distance between vehicles. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the equipment scale of the dedicated road while improving convenience and increasing the amount of transportation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(5) The road management device for autonomous vehicles of (4).
The accuracy information acquisition unit
In the self-driving vehicle width authentication area, the accuracy information is acquired based on the traveling state of the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road.

According to the configuration of (5) above, the merits obtained by the configuration of (4) above can always be maintained at the same level. That is, while an autonomous driving slim vehicle having a certain level of automatic driving control performance is traveling on a mixed road such as a general road for a long period of time, in the autonomous driving slim vehicle, the sensor deteriorates over time and the outer shape of the vehicle changes. , There is a risk of weight bias due to loading. Such a phenomenon may cause a decrease in automatic driving control performance. Therefore, in the configuration of (5) above, the accuracy information acquisition unit obtains accuracy information based on the traveling state of the vehicle trying to enter the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed driving road in the autonomous driving vehicle width authentication area. get. Timely accuracy information can be obtained from the vehicle immediately before approaching. Based on the accuracy information obtained in a timely manner, it is determined whether or not the accuracy of vehicle control meets the criteria. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the entry of the self-driving slim vehicle into the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road according to the deterioration situation. In addition, the self-driving vehicle dedicated road management device, for example, when it is determined that the accuracy of vehicle control does not meet the standard, instructs the self-driving slim vehicle to perform maintenance, etc. by communicating with the self-driving slim vehicle. May be configured to do. When the accuracy of control does not meet the standard due to deterioration, the controllability of the self-driving slim vehicle can be maintained by eliminating the entry of the self-driving slim vehicle. As a result, excellent convenience can be maintained and a decrease in the amount of transportation can be suppressed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(6) A road management device dedicated to an autonomous vehicle according to any one of (1) to (5).
The self-driving slim vehicle includes an automatic / manual driving slim vehicle configured to perform automatic driving on the road dedicated to the self-driving slim vehicle while manually driving on the mixed road.
The automatic driving slim vehicle has an automatic driving start operation unit that consents to the start of automatic driving by the operation of a user riding on the slim vehicle for both automatic / manual driving.
Confirmation of whether or not the vehicle attempting to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle includes confirmation of whether or not the user has consented to the start of automatic driving.

According to the configuration of (6) above, in the autonomous driving vehicle width authentication area, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle, and the user consents to start automatic driving. A function of securing time for the user to determine whether or not to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road is added to the self-driving vehicle width authentication area. By adding two functions to one area, convenience can be improved and the scale of equipment on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles can be further suppressed.

The self-driving slim vehicle is configured to perform automatic driving at least on the self-driving slim vehicle-dedicated road and the self-driving vehicle-dedicated road. A slim vehicle for both automatic and manual driving is a type of slim vehicle for automatic driving. Self-driving slim vehicles Vehicles traveling on dedicated roads are limited to self-driving slim vehicles. Self-driving vehicles Vehicles traveling on dedicated roads are limited to self-driving vehicles. The vehicle traveling on the self-driving vehicle dedicated road may be limited to the self-driving slim vehicle, and may include an autonomous vehicle other than the self-driving slim vehicle (for example, an autonomous driving bus having a large vehicle width). That is, the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road is connected to the autonomous driving vehicle width authentication area, but only the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road always exists beyond the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road. No need. Beyond the self-driving slim vehicle-only road, there is a wider self-driving vehicle-only road, and on the self-driving vehicle-only road, the self-driving slim vehicle and other self-driving vehicles (larger vehicle width) It may be running with an autonomous driving bus, an autonomous driving truck, etc.).

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(7) The road management device for autonomous vehicles of (1).
The self-driving vehicle dedicated road management device internally stores or acquires the vehicle ID of the registered vehicle by being determined to correspond to the self-driving slim vehicle by inspection at the time of shipment and inspection.
In the confirmation of whether or not the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle, the vehicle ID of the vehicle matches the vehicle ID of the registered vehicle. Includes confirmation of whether or not.

According to this configuration, it is possible to easily select an autonomous driving slim vehicle from a plurality of types of vehicles. It is possible to reduce the scale of equipment on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles. By performing smooth sorting, it is possible to improve convenience and increase the amount of transportation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(8) The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to (5).
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
In the self-driving vehicle width authentication area, the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is configured to run by automatic driving according to a test pattern.
The accuracy information acquisition unit
It is configured to acquire the accuracy information based on the running state of the self-driving slim vehicle traveling along the test pattern.

According to this configuration, it is possible to confirm whether or not a certain level of automatic driving control performance is maintained by causing the automatic driving slim vehicle to run according to the test pattern. By running the test pattern, more detailed evaluation results can be obtained as accuracy information. Therefore, when the control accuracy does not meet the standard, the entry of the self-driving slim vehicle into the road dedicated to the self-driving slim vehicle is excluded, while the difference between the control accuracy and the standard satisfies the standard. In this case (when the control accuracy barely meets the standard), it is possible to give instructions such as maintenance to the autonomous driving slim vehicle by communicating with the autonomous driving slim vehicle. As described above, according to this configuration, it is possible to make a more detailed comparison between the control accuracy and the reference, and as a result, for example, it is possible to perform a process other than the exclusion of the intrusion according to the comparison result. As a result, excellent convenience and an improved transfer amount can be maintained.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(9) A road management device dedicated to an autonomous vehicle according to any one of (1) to (8).
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
A parameter acquisition unit that acquires at least one parameter relating to the physical state of the self-driving slim vehicle that affects the running state of the self-driving slim vehicle on at least one of the mixed road or the self-driving vehicle width authentication area. Prepare,
The confirmation of whether or not the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle is based on the at least one parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition unit. Includes confirmation of whether or not it is possible to enter the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road.

According to this configuration, for example, it is possible to detect a case where sensors (cameras, infrared rays) necessary for automatic driving are temporarily deteriorated due to contamination or the like while traveling on a mixed road such as a general road. If the control accuracy does not meet the standard when the test pattern as described above is run, the entry of the autonomous driving slim vehicle into the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road is excluded, while the control accuracy is the standard, for example. If the difference meets the criteria within the specified range (when the control accuracy barely meets the criteria), it is possible to give instructions such as maintenance to the autonomous driving slim vehicle by communicating with the autonomous driving slim vehicle. It is possible. As described above, according to this configuration, it is possible to detect a temporary functional deterioration with respect to the automatic operation, and as a result, for example, depending on the result, it is possible to perform a process other than the exclusion of the intrusion. As a result, excellent convenience and an improved transfer amount can be maintained. The parameters related to the physical state of the self-driving slim vehicle that affect the running state of the self-driving slim vehicle include, for example, the external dimensions of the vehicle, the load weight, the number of occupants, the inclination of the vehicle, and the like. Further, such a parameter may be, for example, a parameter related to the fouling state of the sensors. Examples of the sensors include a camera and an infrared sensor. The parameters are related to, for example, the presence or absence of fouling, the degree of fouling, the fouled area, and the like. According to this configuration, whether or not an autonomous driving slim vehicle can be permitted to enter an autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road based on the relevant parameter while traveling on a mixed driving road or an autonomous driving vehicle width authentication area. It is confirmed. The acquisition of parameters may be performed during automatic operation or during manual operation. The parameters are acquired by a conventionally known device such as a camera or an infrared sensor.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(10) A road management device dedicated to an autonomous vehicle according to any one of (1) to (9).
The self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road has a gate at a connection point with the self-driving vehicle width authentication area.
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
The gate is configured to open when the self-driving slim vehicle entering the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the self-driving vehicle width authentication area is permitted to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road. Has been done.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent erroneous entry into the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles. Convenience can be further improved.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(11) A road management device dedicated to an autonomous vehicle according to any one of (1) to (10).
The self-driving slim vehicle includes an input unit for inputting a destination of the self-driving slim vehicle by the operation of a user riding on the self-driving slim vehicle.
Confirmation of whether or not the vehicle attempting to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle includes confirmation of whether or not the destination has been input.

According to this configuration, the user's intention can be confirmed more clearly. Convenience can be further improved. The timing of inputting the destination is not particularly limited, and may be within the self-driving vehicle width authentication area or on a mixed road.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the road management device for autonomous vehicles can adopt the following configuration.
(12) A road management device dedicated to an autonomous vehicle according to any one of (1) to (11).
The self-driving slim vehicle has a capacity of 2 or less in the width direction and a total capacity of 10 or less.

According to this configuration, it is possible to miniaturize an autonomous driving slim vehicle. As a result, one lane of the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road can be made smaller than one lane of the existing road. For example, one lane of an autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road can be made into a width obtained by dividing one lane of an existing road into two or more. As a result, the scale of equipment on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles can be reduced.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of defining only specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any or all combinations of one or more related listed components. As used herein, the use of the terms "including, including," "comprising," or "having," and variations thereof, is a feature, process, operation, described. It identifies the presence of elements, components and / or their equivalents, but can include one or more of steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the terms "attached", "connected", "combined" and / or their equivalents are widely used, direct and indirect attachment, connection and Includes both bonds. Further, "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or connections, but can include direct or indirect electrical connections or connections. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have meaning consistent with the relevant technology and in the context of the present disclosure and are expressly defined herein. Unless it is, it will not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense. It is understood that a number of techniques and processes are disclosed in the description of the present invention. Each of these has its own interests, and each may be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Therefore, for clarity, this description refrains from unnecessarily repeating all possible combinations of individual steps. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that all such combinations are within the scope of the present invention and claims.

This specification describes a new road management device for autonomous vehicles. In the following description, for purposes of illustration, a number of specific details are given to provide a complete understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without these particular details. The present disclosure should be considered as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments set forth in the drawings or description below.

The self-driving slim vehicle has a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width. Since the slim vehicle width is set to 7 feet or less, the width of the self-driving slim vehicle is less than 7 feet. Self-driving slim vehicles perform self-driving at least on the roads dedicated to self-driving vehicles. Self-driving slim vehicles can travel on both mixed roads and self-driving vehicle-only roads. Self-driving slim vehicles may be configured for manual driving on mixed roads, may also be configured for automatic driving on mixed roads, and either automatic or manual driving on mixed roads. May be configured to be selectable by the user. Self-driving slim vehicles drive autonomously during self-driving. Therefore, for example, precise position control by automatic operation is possible. As a result, the difference between the width of the road dedicated to the self-driving slim vehicle and the width of the self-driving slim vehicle can be reduced. The self-driving slim vehicle is a smaller vehicle than, for example, a bus or a truck. Two self-driving slim vehicles can travel side by side, for example, in the width of a road on which a bus and a truck travel. Double-track self-driving slim vehicle-only roads can be placed in areas where buses and trucks travel. For the self-driving slim vehicle, for example, the configuration disclosed in International Publication No. 2020/095491 can be adopted.

In the self-driving slim vehicle, manual driving by the user may be prohibited on the road dedicated to the self-driving vehicle, and automatic driving may be performed based on the user's demand. That is, the self-driving slim vehicle may be used for the sharing service. The user's demand is, for example, a call and / or destination demand. Since the user can call the vehicle, the waiting time can be shortened. In addition, the user can go to the destination without getting off the train, and can have express delivery. For this reason, it is possible to suppress a situation in which a vehicle that does not meet the user's demand occupies the self-driving vehicle exclusive road, such as operation according to a timetable. Therefore, the scale of equipment on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles can be suppressed more effectively. It is possible to shorten the waiting time and improve the express delivery. It is possible to improve convenience and increase the amount of transportation.

The self-driving slim vehicle is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle, a saddle-mounted vehicle, or the like. The self-driving slim vehicle has a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width. The self-driving slim vehicle is, for example, a vehicle having a capacity of 2 people in each width direction and a total capacity of 10 people or less. The total capacity is the number of users who can get on the vehicle. Examples of the self-driving slim vehicle include a straddled vehicle and a sit-in type vehicle. Examples of the self-driving slim vehicle include a vehicle that can be driven by an engine, a vehicle that can be driven by an electric motor, and a vehicle that can be driven by an engine and an electric motor. Examples of the self-driving slim vehicle include a scooter type, a moped type, an off-road type, and an on-road type motorcycle. The self-driving slim vehicle may be a three-wheeled vehicle or a four-wheeled vehicle. In the case of a self-driving tricycle, the self-driving slim vehicle may have two front wheels and one rear wheel, or may have one front wheel and two rear wheels. The width direction is a direction that intersects with the direction in which the self-driving slim vehicle travels. The user is a person who uses an autonomous driving slim vehicle. The user includes a occupant of the self-driving slim vehicle and a person who is not in the self-driving slim vehicle but is calling the self-driving slim vehicle by inputting a destination. Confirmation of whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle includes confirmation of whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous driving vehicle and confirmation of whether or not the vehicle width is less than the slim vehicle width. These two confirmations may be performed collectively or separately, as in the confirmation by the vehicle ID in the embodiment described later. For example, confirmation of whether or not the vehicle is autonomous driving is performed by communication with the autonomous driving slim vehicle, while the vehicle width can be physically confirmed by using a gate. Since it is intended for self-driving slim vehicles, the gate width can be reduced.

A vehicle having a capacity of two or less in the width direction is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle having a total capacity of two or more. A vehicle having a capacity of 2 or less in the width direction may be, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle having a total capacity of 5 people. The vehicle having a capacity of two or less in the width direction may be, for example, a bus.

The automatic driving control device is installed in, for example, an automatic driving slim vehicle. The automatic driving control device may be provided at a position away from the vehicle. The automatic driving control device may be, for example, a central control device that controls a plurality of automatic driving slim vehicles. Vehicles that are automatically driven on a road dedicated to autonomous driving include vehicles that are exclusively for autonomous driving and vehicles that are used for both automatic and manual driving. The vehicle dedicated to autonomous driving has an automatic driving function but does not have a manual driving function. A vehicle for both automatic / manual driving is a vehicle that is manually driven by an occupant's driving operation on a mixed road.

Autonomous driving is driving in which no human operation intervenes in the running motion of the vehicle. Autonomous driving is performed by an automatic driving system provided in the vehicle. Part of the autonomous driving may be performed by a control device located away from the vehicle. Such a control device may be included in a road management device dedicated to autonomous vehicles. Autonomous driving in a broad sense can be divided into five levels. Details of each level are defined, for example, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In the present specification, automatic driving is, for example, driving without human operation, and refers to level 4 and / or level 5. However, the operation in which the occupant presses the emergency stop button for emergencies provided in the vehicle in an emergency may be in the category permitted even in automatic driving.

Manual driving is, for example, driving in which a human operation intervenes in the running motion of the vehicle. The manual operation may be, for example, an automatic operation on the condition that a human operation intervenes. In the present specification, the manual operation is an operation involving human operation, and refers to automatic operation of levels 1 to 3 and complete manual operation (level 0).

The slim vehicle width is set to 7 feet (2.1336 meters) or less. The slim vehicle width may be set to, for example, 6 feet or less, 5 feet or less, 1.5 meters or less, or 1.4 meters or less. The slim vehicle width can be set to any of the above values based on, for example, about half or approximately half of the road width of the mixed road. The slim vehicle width may be set according to the traffic conditions (for example, road width) of each country. For example, a typical road width in the United States is 12 feet. If you add the shoulder width (2 feet) to the road width of 12 feet on a US road and use half the value as the reference value, the reference value is 7 feet. Since the self-driving slim vehicle has a vehicle width smaller than the slim vehicle width, for example, it can travel in two rows in one lane of a mixed road.

The self-driving vehicle exclusive road is a road that only self-driving vehicles can pass. The self-driving vehicle can travel on the road dedicated to the self-driving vehicle in a plurality of rows. However, the self-driving vehicle may travel in a single row on the road dedicated to the self-driving vehicle. The road dedicated to self-driving vehicles is not limited to the area stipulated by laws and regulations that only self-driving vehicles can pass. For example, even if the road dedicated to autonomous driving is not defined as an area dedicated to autonomous driving by law, it is actually used as a road dedicated to autonomous driving by allowing only vehicles that are automatically driven to pass. It may be a road that is being driven. The self-driving vehicle exclusive road may be formed so as to be a double track as a whole. Further, the road for exclusive use of the autonomous driving vehicle may be formed so that a part thereof becomes a double track. Double track means two or more lanes. It should be noted that the lanes do not necessarily have to be visually displayed on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles.

A mixed road is a road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths travel in a mixed state. Mixed roads are distinguished from self-driving vehicle-only roads. Vehicles in the mixed state are not connected to each other. Further, when the self-driving slim vehicle is traveling in a mixed state together with other vehicles, the self-driving slim vehicle is not physically fixed or connected to the other vehicle. Other vehicles referred to here include other self-driving vehicles. It is not physically connected to other vehicles and can be individually directed to different destinations, which is highly convenient. The mixed road includes a general road, but is not limited to a general road, and may be, for example, a toll road, an expressway, or a private road. A mixed road is, for example, an area that is not stipulated by laws and regulations as only self-driving vehicles can pass through. For example, the above-mentioned level 1 to 3 autonomous vehicles may travel on the mixed road. The mixed-running road may be configured so that autonomous vehicles having different vehicle widths travel, while the autonomous driving slim vehicle-dedicated road may be configured such that only the autonomous driving slim vehicle travels.

Under the environment according to the present invention, roads are classified into mixed roads and roads dedicated to autonomous vehicles. The self-driving slim vehicle-only road is an example of a self-driving vehicle-only road. That is, the automatic driving vehicle exclusive road is an automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road and an automatic driving vehicle exclusive road other than the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road (that is, an automatic driving vehicle exclusive road having a wider width than the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road). ) Is included in the concept. The self-driving slim vehicle-only road has, for example, a lane width narrower than the lane width of the mixed road. The self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road has, for example, a lane width equal to or less than the slim vehicle width. The self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road has a lane width wider than the width of the self-driving slim vehicle. Autonomous driving vehicle exclusive roads other than the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road have, for example, the same or substantially the same lane width as the lane width of the mixed road. On the self-driving vehicle-dedicated road other than the self-driving slim vehicle-dedicated road, not only the self-driving slim vehicle but also the self-driving vehicle having a wider vehicle width than the self-driving slim vehicle may travel. However, the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road is a road for only the self-driving slim vehicle to travel. Under the environment according to the present invention, all or a part of the self-driving vehicle exclusive road is an autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road. A road dedicated to self-driving slim vehicles is provided at a place where the self-driving slim vehicle enters the road dedicated to self-driving vehicles from the mixed road. Therefore, the self-driving slim vehicle enters the self-driving vehicle dedicated road by traveling in the order of the mixed driving road, the self-driving vehicle width authentication area, and the self-driving slim vehicle dedicated road. Self-driving vehicle-only roads are configured to be at least partially double-tracked. All or part of the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road may be double-tracked, and all or part of the autonomous driving vehicle exclusive road other than the autonomous driving slim vehicle exclusive road may be double-tracked. An autonomous driving slim vehicle that has entered an autonomous vehicle exclusive road will travel on a double track portion at least a part of the autonomous vehicle exclusive road. Many self-driving slim vehicles can run, and smooth and large-volume transportation is possible.

The self-driving vehicle width authentication area is at least an area set on the road surface. The self-driving vehicle width authentication area may be set to include the road surface and include a space above the road surface that overlaps the road surface when viewed from a bird's-eye view. The self-driving vehicle width authentication area is an area in which the vehicle can travel on the upper surface or the inside thereof. For example, a vehicle that is at least partially present on the road surface, or a vehicle that is at least partially included in the space above the road surface corresponds to a vehicle included in the self-driving vehicle width authentication area. The self-driving vehicle width authentication area has a length including at least a plurality of self-driving slim vehicles arranged in the direction of travel. The self-driving vehicle width authentication area is connected to the mixed road in a manner distinct from the mixed road so as to leave all or a part of the mixed road, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (j). A branching part that branches into the starting part, a direction returning to the mixed road at the end of the starting part, and a direction connecting to the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road, and extending from the starting part to the branching part along the traveling direction of the vehicle. It has a running part. A part of a mixed road refers to, for example, a part of lanes when the mixed road is a double track. All of the mixed roads refer to, for example, all lanes when the mixed road is a single track or a double track. The lane of the mixed-running road refers to a lane having a width set for the mixed-running road, and may be wider or the same as the lane width of the self-driving slim vehicle dedicated road described later. The remaining part or all of the mixed road is provided so that a plurality of types of vehicles having different widths can pass through in a mixed state. An example of an autonomous vehicle width authentication area that is distinguished from a mixed road is provided so as to branch or separate from the mixed road so as to leave a part or all of the mixed road (for example, FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (a). d), (f) to (i)). Branching means that the road surface is divided so that each lane extends in a different direction (see, for example, FIGS. 1 (a) to (b) and (f) to (g)). Separation means that each lane extends in the same direction but is separated from each other so as to hinder movement between lanes (for example, FIGS. 1 (c) to (d), (h) to (i)). reference). The self-driving vehicle width certification area as an example to be distinguished from the mixed road is provided so that the other part of the mixed road is changed to the self-driving vehicle width certification area while leaving a part of the mixed road (Fig.). 1 (e), (j)). At least two combinations of branching, separation and modification may be applied to one self-driving vehicle width authentication area.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1J, the self-driving vehicle width authentication area is set to a part in the vehicle traveling direction. The lane itself (the entire lane in the vehicle traveling direction) does not fall under the self-driving vehicle width certification area. The self-driving vehicle width authentication area shown in FIGS. 1 (e) and 1 (j) is set as a part of the lane in the vehicle traveling direction. In the vehicle traveling direction, the length of the self-driving vehicle width authentication area is, for example, longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the two self-driving slim vehicles. The length of the self-driving vehicle width authentication area may be, for example, 10 m or more. The length of the self-driving vehicle width authentication area may be, for example, 1 km or less. The length of the self-driving vehicle width authentication area is defined starting from a position where the width of at least one lane is secured. Therefore, for example, the tapered portion generated in the portion that branches or separates from the mixed road is not included in the length. The length of the self-driving vehicle width authentication area is defined with the above-mentioned branch portion as the end point.

The traveling position data is, for example, data representing an absolute position on the earth. However, the traveling position data may be, for example, data representing a relative position with respect to a specific position in the area dedicated to automatic driving.

The vehicle ID is identification information for identifying individual vehicles. The vehicle ID is represented as identification data. The vehicle ID is, for example, information shown on a license plate. The vehicle ID may be, for example, a chassis number or identification information uniquely assigned by the management device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the equipment scale of a dedicated road, improve convenience, and increase the amount of transportation. It is possible to provide a dedicated road management device to manage.

1 (a) to 1 (j) are schematic views schematically showing a traffic system including a road management device dedicated to an autonomous driving vehicle according to an embodiment, respectively. It is a block diagram which shows typically the road management device for self-driving vehicle and the self-driving slim vehicle in the traffic system of FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process executed by the road management apparatus for self-driving vehicles. 4 (a) to 4 (d) are flowcharts for explaining an example of the confirmation process.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The traffic system 1 shown in FIG. 1A includes a road management device 10 dedicated to an autonomous vehicle (hereinafter, also referred to as an apparatus 10), an autonomous driving slim vehicle 20, a non-autonomous driving slim vehicle 27, and an autonomous driving non-slim vehicle. 28, non-automatic driving non-slim vehicle 29, automatic driving slim vehicle dedicated road 30S (hereinafter, also referred to as dedicated road 30S), automatic driving vehicle vehicle width certification area 32 (hereinafter, also referred to as certification area 32), mixed running Includes road 40 and.

The device 10 manages the self-driving slim vehicle 20 to enter the self-driving vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road 40. The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 according to the present embodiment has a manual driving function and an automatic driving function. The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is configured to be able to switch between a manual driving driving mode in which the vehicle travels by the manual driving function and an automatic driving driving mode in which the vehicle travels by the automatic driving function. The device 10 and the self-driving slim vehicle 20 are configured to communicate with each other.

The private road 30S is an example of a private road for autonomous vehicles. The self-driving vehicle exclusive road is a road on which the self-driving slim vehicle 20 travels by automatic driving. The self-driving vehicle exclusive road is a road on which the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is prohibited from traveling by manual driving. Vehicles that do not have an automatic driving function cannot drive on the road dedicated to autonomous vehicles. The road for autonomous vehicles is formed so that at least a part of the road is double-tracked. The private road 30S is separated from the mixed road 40. The lane 30SL of the private road 30S is narrower than the lane 40L of the mixed road 40. The road width of the exclusive road 30S (one way) is narrower than the road width of the mixed road 40 (one way).

The mixed driving road 40 is a road on which the self-driving slim vehicle 20 can travel by automatic driving or manual driving. In the present embodiment, the self-driving slim vehicle 20 travels on the mixed road 40 by manual driving. In the present embodiment, the mixed road 40 has two lanes each way, for a total of four lanes. On the mixed road 40, the self-driving slim vehicle 20 may travel by self-driving. On the mixed road 40, a plurality of types of vehicles 20, 27 to 29, travel in a mixed state. Other types of vehicles 27-29 include at least one vehicle selected from the group consisting of non-autonomous driving slim vehicles 27, self-driving non-slim vehicles 28 and non-autonomous driving non-slim vehicles 29. Since multiple types of vehicles are traveling in a mixed state, no vehicle type is assigned to each lane. However, a vehicle that can travel may be assigned to some lanes. The non-autonomous driving slim vehicle 27 is, for example, a manually driven motorcycle. The self-driving non-slim vehicle 28 is, for example, a truck, a bus, or a passenger car that is self-driving. The non-autonomous driving non-slim vehicle 29 is, for example, a manually driven truck, bus, or passenger car.

The authentication area 32 is provided between the mixed road 40 and the exclusive road 30S. The authentication area 32 branches from the mixed road 40 so as to leave a part or all of the mixed road 40, and then further branches into at least two, one returning to the mixed road 40 and the other connecting to the exclusive road 30S. It is configured to be. The authentication area 32 has two lanes.

The device 10 can communicate with the vehicles 20, 27 to 29 in the self-driving vehicle width authentication area 32, and the vehicle trying to enter the exclusive road 30S from the mixed road 40 in the authentication area 32 is the self-driving slim vehicle 20. Check if it is. When it is confirmed that the vehicle is the self-driving slim vehicle 20, the device 10 permits the self-driving slim vehicle 20 to enter the dedicated road 30S. On the other hand, if it is not confirmed that the vehicle is the self-driving slim vehicle 20, the vehicle is another type of vehicle 27-29. The device 10 prohibits other types of vehicles 27 to 29 from entering the private road 30S. In this embodiment, the gate 32 is not provided. Permit / prohibition of vehicle entry to the exclusive road 30S is performed by presenting the course to the vehicle by communication. By communication between the device 10 and the vehicle, the path to the exclusive road 30S is presented to the self-driving slim vehicle 20 that is permitted to enter. On the other hand, for vehicles that are not allowed to enter, a route to the mixed road 40 is presented. Further, in the present embodiment, the camera 42 is not provided. In the present embodiment, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 by communicating with the vehicle.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, a gate 33 is provided at a connection point between the authentication area 32 and the dedicated road 30S. The gate 33 can communicate with the device 10. The opening and closing of the gate 33 is controlled by the device 10. Vehicle entry is permitted / prohibited by opening and closing the gate 33. The private road 30S has two lanes for the self-driving slim vehicle 20. On the other hand, the mixed road 40 has one lane each way.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 (c), a camera 42 for photographing a vehicle on the self-driving vehicle width authentication area 32 is provided. The camera 42 can communicate with the device 10. The authentication area 32 is separated from the mixed road 40 so as to leave at least a part of the mixed road 40, and then further branches into at least two, one returning to the mixed road 40 and the other connected to the dedicated road 30S. It is configured as follows. The authentication area 32 has two lanes for the self-driving slim vehicle 20. The mixed road 40 has two lanes each way.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the mixed road 40 has one lane each way. The authentication area 32 is configured in the same manner as in FIG. 1 (c), and has two lanes for the self-driving slim vehicle 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 (e), the mixed road 40 has two lanes each way. In the authentication area 32, the other part of the mixed road 40 is changed to the authentication area 32 so as to leave a part of the mixed road 40. The authentication area 32 is branched into a portion returning to the mixed driving road 40 and a portion connected to the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road 30S.

Each of FIGS. 1 (f) to 1 (i) is the same as that of FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d) except that the authentication area 32 and the exclusive road 30S are in one lane. FIG. 1 (j) is different from FIG. 1 (e) in that the exclusive road 30S has one lane, but is the same as FIG. 1 (e) in other respects. The authentication area 32 of FIG. 1 (j) has two lanes for the self-driving slim vehicle 20 (that is, one lane of the self-driving road 40) in the mixed road 40, while the self-driving after branching from the mixed road 40. It has one lane for the slim vehicle 20. The embodiment is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (j).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the device 10 and the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 in the traffic system 1 of FIG.

The device 10 includes a vehicle authentication unit 11, a vehicle inspection unit 12, an entry permission unit 13, a travel inspection unit 14, and a travel permission unit 15. The vehicle authentication unit 11 communicates with the self-driving slim vehicle 20 and collates the vehicle ID of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 with the registered vehicle ID. The vehicle inspection unit 12 analyzes the information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 acquired from the camera 42 provided on the mixed road 40 and compares it with the self-driving performance information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20. When the vehicle authentication unit 11 and the vehicle inspection unit 12 permit the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 to enter the dedicated road 30S, the approach permission unit 13 transmits an entry permission signal to the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 to the dedicated road 30S. .. As a result, in the automatic driving slim vehicle 20, the user can input an instruction for consenting to start automatic driving. When the user inputs the instruction, a signal is transmitted from the self-driving slim vehicle 20 to the device 10. By receiving the signal, the device 10 can receive an instruction for consenting the start of automatic operation by the user. The traveling inspection unit 14 inspects whether or not the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 is capable of autonomous driving traveling at a predetermined level based on the driving of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 in the authentication area 32. More specifically, the device 10 automatically drives the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 in the authentication area 32 according to the test pattern. The traveling inspection unit 14 determines whether or not the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 has traveled according to the test pattern based on the driving information from the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 and the output data of the sensor or the camera arranged in the authentication area 32. .. The test pattern comprises, for example, a specific amount of acceleration, left / right rotation, deceleration, stop, or a combination thereof. The test pattern changes each time the self-driving slim vehicle 20 passes through the certification area 32. Thereby, for example, it is possible to suppress passing the test by manual running. The travel permission unit 15 determines whether or not to permit the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 to travel on the dedicated road 30S based on the information from the travel inspection unit 14. The device 10 is composed of a computer. The device 10 includes a processor (not shown), a storage device, and a data input / output device (not shown). The device 10 also includes a communication device that performs wireless communication. The functions of each part of the device 10 are realized by executing the program stored in the storage device by the processor. However, the hardware of the device 10 is not limited to this, and may be configured by, for example, a combination of electronic circuits specialized in the functions of each part.

The gate 33 is an example of a device for prohibiting a vehicle from entering the private road 30S. The form of the gate 33 is not particularly limited.

The camera 42 is an example of a device for confirming that the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle 20. The camera 42 is also an example of a device for acquiring parameters related to the physical state of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 that affects the running state of the self-driving slim vehicle 20. The camera 42 is, for example, a 3D camera. The camera 42 photographs the self-driving slim vehicle 20 traveling on the mixed road 40. The camera 42 sends an image of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 to the device 10 (vehicle inspection unit 12). The image is, for example, a moving image or a still image.

The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 has an automatic driving control device 201. The automatic operation control device 201 is configured to support at least level 4 automatic operation. Further, the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is configured to travel by manual driving on the mixed road 40. The self-driving slim vehicle 20 can also be driven by self-driving even on the mixed road 40. The automatic driving on the mixed road 40 is, for example, automatic driving according to levels 1 to 3. In this case, the automatic driving control device of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is configured to be able to switch between automatic driving according to level 4 and automatic driving according to levels 1 to 3.

The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 has an automatic driving start button 216 for starting automatic driving. The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 in the present embodiment is an example of a slim vehicle for both automatic / manual driving. The automatic operation start button 216 is an example of an automatic operation start operation unit. The automatic driving start button 216 is operated by the user of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 when receiving a signal from the device 10 that the entry to the dedicated road 30S is permitted. As a result, the automatic driving of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 starts. The self-driving slim vehicle 20 that has started self-driving enters the exclusive road 30S. The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is automatically controlled by the automatic driving control device 201 and travels on the dedicated road 30S. The autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 is configured to have a destination input unit 217 capable of inputting a destination when the driving vehicle and the passenger automatically drive. The destination input unit 217 is an example of an input unit. The autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 may be configured so that the user can input information such as a desired arrival time at the destination and an automatic driving schedule together with the destination data at the time of automatic driving. The automatic operation control device 201 is composed of a computer. The automatic operation control device 201 includes a processor, a storage device, and a data input / output device (not shown). The automatic driving control device 201 also includes a communication device that performs wireless communication. By executing the program stored in the storage device by the processor, the functions of each part of the automatic operation control device 201 are realized. However, the hardware of the automatic driving control device 201 is not limited to this, and may be configured by, for example, a combination of electronic circuits specialized in the functions of each part.

Further, the vehicle 20 includes a power train control unit 206, a steering control unit 207, and a brake control unit 208. The power train control unit 206, the steering control unit 207, and the brake control unit 208 are communicably connected to the automatic driving control device 201. The power train control unit 206 controls the traveling speed of the vehicle 20 according to the control signal from the automatic driving control device 201. Specifically, the power train control unit 206 controls the traveling speed by adjusting the throttle valve of the vehicle 20, the fuel injection device, and in some cases, the electric motor and the transmission device. The steering control unit 207 controls the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 according to a control signal from the automatic driving control device 201. Specifically, the steering actuator of the vehicle 20 is adjusted to control the traveling direction. The brake control unit 208 decelerates the traveling speed of the vehicle 20 according to the control signal from the automatic driving control device 201. Specifically, the brake actuator of the vehicle 20 is adjusted to decelerate the vehicle 20.

The self-driving slim vehicle 20 of FIG. 2 has a manual driving function for performing manual driving on the mixed driving road 40 and automatic driving for performing automatic driving on the self-driving vehicle dedicated road at the time of shipment and / or inspection of the vehicle. It is inspected whether or not it has both a driving function and a driving function. When it is determined that the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is a vehicle having a manual driving function and an automatic driving function, the vehicle ID of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is recorded in the device 10. Further, it is recorded as vehicle information that the vehicle 20 also has a manual driving function and an automatic driving function.

The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 of FIG. 2 is also inspected at the time of shipment and / or inspection of the vehicle to see if the automatic driving function for performing automatic driving on the dedicated road 30S has a predetermined standard. NS. When the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 has a predetermined level of automatic driving function, it is recorded in the device 10 as automatic driving performance information. Further, it is recorded as vehicle information that the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 also has a predetermined level of automatic driving function. The automatic driving performance of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is determined by, for example, the grade of the automatic driving control device 201 (particularly the software grade), the performance of communication devices and sensors, the state and external shape of actuators and traveling devices, the allowable number of passengers, and the like. Will be done. The vehicle ID and other information are input to, for example, a computer (not shown) provided at the vehicle shipping location and inspection location. By communicating between the computer and the device 10, vehicle ID data and other information data are transmitted to the device 10. The vehicle ID and other information input to a computer (not shown) provided at the shipping place and the inspection place of the vehicle may be recorded in the device 10 through an external recording medium.

Even if the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is a vehicle having an automatic driving function, there may be a difference in the performance of the automatic driving function in each vehicle. In particular, if the grade of the automatic driving control device 201 that manages the automatic driving function, the communication device and the sensor, and the outer shape of the actuator and the traveling device are different, the performance of the automatic driving function may differ in each vehicle. Further, if the outer shape of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is different, the aerodynamic characteristics during traveling may change, and the performance of the automatic driving function may differ. Further, the performance of the automatic driving function may differ depending on the number of passengers. Therefore, a vehicle that does not have a predetermined standard of automatic driving performance is prevented from entering the exclusive road 30S.

The self-driving slim vehicle 20 is configured to be able to communicate with the device 10. The self-driving slim vehicle 20 is configured to be capable of inter-vehicle communication with other surrounding vehicles. The other vehicles referred to here refer to the self-driving slim vehicle 20 which is the same type of vehicle and the vehicles 27 to 29 of different types.

The automatic driving slim vehicle 20 includes an automatic driving control device 201. The automatic driving control device 201 includes a traveling position data calculation unit 202, a traveling position data transmitting unit 203, a traveling position data acquisition unit 204, and a traveling control unit 205.

The traveling position data calculation unit 202 calculates the traveling position data of the self-driving slim vehicle 20. The traveling position data is, for example, data representing an absolute position on the earth. Further, for example, data representing a relative position with respect to a specific position may be used. Specifically, the traveling position data includes data such as which position the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 is currently traveling. The traveling position data calculation unit 202 calculates the traveling position data by referring to the MPU (high-precision map) or the like based on the traveling position acquired by the GPS receiver, for example. Further, the traveling position data calculation unit 202 calculates the relative position of surrounding vehicles, the inter-vehicle distance, and the like by using a small stereo camera, a surround eye camera, a millimeter wave radar, and the like.

The traveling position data transmission unit 203 transmits the calculated current traveling position data and the like to the device 10. The traveling position data and the like may be transmitted to other vehicles 20, 27 to 29 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The device 10 stores data representing the position of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 and the like.

The traveling position data acquisition unit 204 acquires the calculated current traveling position data and the like. Further, the traveling position data acquisition unit 204 acquires the current traveling position data from the other vehicles 20, 27 to 29. Travel speed data and destination data may be acquired from other vehicles 20, 27 to 29.

The travel control unit 205 controls the automatic driving of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20. For example, after the automatic driving is started in the authentication area 32, various parameters for running such as speed and position are set based on the positional relationship with other vehicles 20, 27 to 29, and based on the parameters. Control automatic driving. On the exclusive road 30S, various parameters are set based on the positional relationship with the other automatic driving slim vehicle 20, and automatic driving based on the parameters is controlled.

In the above example, the case where the automatic driving control device 201 is mounted on the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 has been described. However, other forms can be adopted. For example, the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 collects information on the surrounding environment by a sensor or the like, and collects information on the surrounding environment by ITS and / or vehicle-to-vehicle communication, so that the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 can be automatically driven. May be good. Further, for example, central control control may be performed on the self-driving slim vehicle 20. The mode of automatic operation is not particularly limited.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing executed by the apparatus 10. The process is performed on the vehicle by communicating with the vehicle each time any one of the vehicles 20, 27 to 29 enters the authentication area 32. In addition, this flowchart shows the processing example which concerns on one Embodiment. The process executed by the device 10 is not limited to this processing example.

First, the device 10 performs a process for confirming whether or not the vehicle trying to enter the exclusive road 30S is the self-driving slim vehicle 20 (step S120). The confirmation process will be described later.

Next, the device 10 determines whether or not the vehicle trying to enter the exclusive road 30S is the self-driving slim vehicle 20 based on the result of the confirmation process (step S103). When it is determined that the vehicle is the self-driving slim vehicle 20, the device 10 performs a process of permitting the self-driving slim vehicle 20 to enter the self-driving slim vehicle dedicated road 30S (step S112). The device 10 permits entry, for example, by opening or keeping the gate 33 open. The device 10 communicates with, for example, the self-driving slim vehicle 20 and causes the self-driving car to perform automatic driving so as to guide the vehicle to the dedicated road 30S. In S112, in addition to the process of permitting entry, the device 10 performs a process of causing the display or the like of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 to present information on promotion of maintenance or instructions by communicating with the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20. May be good. The self-driving slim vehicle 20 can enter the dedicated road 30S, and the user can know that the maintenance of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 should be performed early. Further, in step S112, the device 10 provides information on promotion or instruction of maintenance of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 on a display or the like provided by the device 10 or capable of communicating with the device 10 or receiving a signal from the device 10. It is also possible to perform the process of presenting. As a result, the system administrator can know that the maintenance of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 should be performed as soon as possible.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is not the self-driving slim vehicle 20, the device 10 performs a process of prohibiting the entry into the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road 30S (step S115). The device 10 prohibits entry, for example, by closing or keeping the gate 33 closed. The device 10 communicates with the vehicle, for example, and presents the user of the vehicle with a course so as to leave the vehicle on the mixed road 40. When the vehicle is an autonomous driving vehicle, the device 10 communicates with the vehicle, for example, and causes the device 10 to automatically drive the vehicle so as to return to the mixed road 40. In S115, in addition to the process of prohibiting entry, the device 10 performs a process of causing the display or the like of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 to present information on promotion of maintenance or instructions by communicating with the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20. May be good. Although the self-driving slim vehicle 20 cannot enter the dedicated road 30S, the user can know that maintenance of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is required to enter the dedicated road 30S. Further, in step S112, the device 10 provides information on promotion or instruction of maintenance of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 on a display or the like provided by the device 10 or capable of communicating with the device 10 or receiving a signal from the device 10. It is also possible to perform the process of presenting. As a result, the system administrator can know that the maintenance of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is necessary. After the process of step S112 or step S115, this process ends.

Next, the confirmation process will be described. Examples of the confirmation process include the examples shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, but the confirmation process is not limited to these examples.

In the example shown in FIG. 4A, first, in step S101, the device 10 (vehicle authentication unit 11) communicates with the vehicle that has entered the authentication area 32 to acquire the vehicle ID. In step S102, the device 10 (vehicle authentication unit 11) compares the acquired vehicle ID with the registered vehicle ID. As described above, the vehicle ID is registered at the time of shipment and / or inspection of the vehicle. It may be registered in the device 10 or may be registered in another device capable of communicating with the device 10. If the acquired vehicle ID and the vehicle ID registered as the self-driving slim vehicle 20 match in step S102, it means that the vehicle is confirmed to be the self-driving slim vehicle 20. On the other hand, if the acquired vehicle ID and the vehicle ID registered as the self-driving slim vehicle 20 do not match, it means that the vehicle is not confirmed to be the self-driving slim vehicle 20. After that, this routine is terminated, and the process returns to the process shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 4B, if the vehicle IDs do not match after the processing in step S102 shown in FIG. 4A (step S121: NO), this routine is terminated and the process proceeds to FIG. return. On the other hand, if the vehicle IDs match (step S121: YES), the process proceeds to the next process. In step S106, the device 10 (entry permission unit 13) transmits a signal for requesting an operation by the user to the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20. When the self-driving slim vehicle 20 receives an operation request signal from the device 10, the self-driving slim vehicle 20 presents an instruction requesting the user to stop. Information is presented, for example, visually or audibly. When the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is stopped by the user's stop operation in response to the presentation of the information, information indicating an instruction for requesting the user to operate the automatic driving start button 216 and input the destination is presented. In the automatic driving slim vehicle 20, the user who responds to the presentation of the information operates the automatic driving start button 216 and inputs the destination. By operating the automatic operation start button 216, the user's consent to start automatic operation is input. The ON of the automatic operation start button 216 and the input destination are transmitted to the device 10 (step S107). The self-driving slim vehicle 20 enters the self-driving mode. The device 10 shifts the self-driving slim vehicle 20 to the self-driving mode. After that, this subroutine is terminated, and the process returns to the process shown in FIG. If the user does not want automatic driving, the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 can return to the mixed driving road 40 from the authentication area 32 by a manual driving operation by the user. After that, this routine is terminated, and the process returns to the process shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 4C, if the vehicle IDs match in step S121 shown in FIG. 4B, then in step S104, the device 10 (vehicle inspection unit 12) performs an automatic driving pre-inspection. conduct. The self-driving pre-inspection is performed to acquire at least one parameter regarding the physical state of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 that affects the running state of the self-driving slim vehicle 20. In the present embodiment, the device 10 (vehicle inspection unit 12) photographs the self-driving slim vehicle 20 with the camera 42 and acquires the image information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20. At this time, the computer of the device 10 functions as a parameter acquisition unit.

In step S105, the device 10 (vehicle inspection unit 12) determines from the acquired image information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 whether or not the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is in a state where it can enter the dedicated road 30S. do. For example, by recognizing the outer shape of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 from the acquired image and comparing the recognized outer shape with the pre-registered outer shape, it is determined whether or not the outer shape of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 has changed. .. Further, the vehicle inspection unit 12 recognizes the number of occupants of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 based on the acquired image, and automatically compares the recognized number of occupants with the number of occupants registered in advance. It is determined whether or not the number of occupants of the driving slim vehicle 20 is appropriate. If the vehicle inspection unit 12 determines in step S105 that the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is in a state where it can enter the dedicated road 30S, the process proceeds to step S106. The processing after step S106 is as shown in FIG. 4 (b). On the other hand, in step S105, when the vehicle inspection unit 12 determines that the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is not in a state where it can enter the exclusive road 30S, this routine is terminated and the process is returned to FIG. In this case, it is not confirmed that the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 capable of traveling on the exclusive road 30S.

In the example shown in FIG. 4 (d), after the device 10 shifts the automatic operation slim 20 to the automatic operation mode in step S107 shown in FIG. 4 (c), then in step 109, the device 10 (travel inspection unit) 14) transmits an instruction regarding a test pattern for performing an automatic driving driving inspection of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 to the automatic driving slim vehicle 20. When the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 receives the instruction, the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 performs automatic driving based on the test pattern in the authentication area 32. The operation instruction consists of, for example, a specific amount of acceleration, turning, deceleration, stopping, or a combination thereof.

In step S110, the device 10 (travel inspection unit 14) acquires the accuracy information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20. The accuracy information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 is, for example, positioning information such as GPS of the self-driving slim vehicle 20, current position information of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 by road-to-vehicle communication, and the self-driving slim vehicle 20 photographed by the camera 42. Obtained based on image information and the like. That is, for example, the device 10 acquires the deviation between the running state of the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 and the test pattern based on these information, and based on the data, obtains accuracy information regarding the accuracy of vehicle control by automatic driving. get. At this time, the computer of the device 10 functions as an accuracy information acquisition unit.

In step S111, the device 10 (travel inspection unit 14) determines, based on the acquired accuracy information, whether or not the accuracy of vehicle control by automatic driving satisfies the standard for traveling on the exclusive road 30S. At this time, the computer of the device 10 functions as an accuracy determination unit. If it is determined in step S111 that the accuracy satisfies the criteria, this routine is terminated and the process returns to the process of FIG. In this case, it is confirmed that the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 capable of traveling on the exclusive road 30S.

If the device 10 (travel inspection unit 14) determines in step S111 that the accuracy does not satisfy the standard, the flow proceeds to step S113. In step S113, the device 10 (travel permission unit 15) transmits an instruction to stop the automatic driving to the automatic driving slim vehicle 20. When the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 receives the instruction, the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 stops the automatic driving. After that, this routine is terminated, and the process returns to the process shown in FIG. In this case, it is not confirmed that the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle 20 capable of traveling on the exclusive road 30S. The user can manually drive the self-driving slim vehicle 20 and return to the mixed road 40. The process of S113 stops the automatic driving of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 when the device 10 prohibits the entry of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 into the dedicated road 30S after the automatic driving of the automatic driving slim vehicle 20 is started. This is an example of the processing that is being performed.

The above-mentioned confirmation process is an example of the embodiment and is not limited. For example, instead of or in addition to the acquisition and comparison of vehicle IDs (steps S101 and S102), the device 10 communicates with the autonomous driving control device 201 mounted on the autonomous driving slim vehicle 20, and the vehicle is an autonomous driving slim vehicle. You may confirm that it is the vehicle 20. In the example shown in FIG. 4D, the accuracy information is acquired from the run based on the test pattern, but the device 10 does not provide the test pattern, and the accuracy information may be acquired from the normal automatic driving run. .. The confirmation of whether or not the vehicle trying to enter the exclusive road 30S is the self-driving slim vehicle 20 may include at least one of the following confirmations in addition to the confirmation of the vehicle width and the presence or absence of automatic driving. The order of processing for confirmation is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate.
・ Confirmation of whether the vehicle control accuracy by automatic driving meets the standard for driving on the dedicated road 30S,
・ Confirmation of whether or not the user has consented to start automatic driving,
・ Confirmation of whether the vehicle ID and the registered vehicle ID match,
-Confirmation of whether or not it is possible to enter the exclusive road 30S based on at least one parameter regarding the physical state of the self-driving slim vehicle 20 that affects the running state of the self-driving slim vehicle 20.
-Confirm whether the destination has been entered.

1 Transportation system 10 Road management device for automatic driving vehicles 20 Automatic driving slim vehicle 27 Non-automatic driving slim vehicle 28 Automatic driving non-slim vehicle 29 Non-automatic driving Non-slim vehicle 30S Automatic driving slim vehicle dedicated road 30SL (Automatic driving slim vehicle dedicated road 30SL ) Lane 32 Autonomous vehicle Vehicle width authentication area 33 Gate 40 Mixed road 40L (Mixed road) lane 42 Camera

Claims (6)

Automatic that manages the entry of vehicles from a mixed road different from the self-driving vehicle dedicated road into the self-driving vehicle dedicated road, which is formed so that at least a part of the line is a double line and only vehicles that are automatically driven travel. It is a road management device dedicated to driving vehicles,
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
Automatic driving provided between a mixed road in which a plurality of types of vehicles having different vehicle widths travel in a mixed state and an automatic driving slim vehicle dedicated road in which only a vehicle having a narrow vehicle width among the multiple types of vehicles travels. In the driving vehicle width certification area
When it is confirmed that the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is an self-driving slim vehicle having a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width set to 7 feet or less, the above-mentioned Allowing vehicles to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road,
If it is not confirmed that the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road is the self-driving slim vehicle, the vehicle is prohibited from entering the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road. Has been done. The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to claim 1.
The self-driving vehicle width certification area is at least a single-lane road, and one lane has a width equal to or less than the slim vehicle width and larger than the vehicle width of the self-driving slim vehicle. The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to claim 1 or 2.
The mixed-running road is a group in which a plurality of types of vehicles traveling in a mixed state on the mixed-running road are composed of a non-automatic driving slim vehicle, an automatic driving non-slim vehicle, and a non-automatic driving non-slim vehicle in addition to the automatic driving slim vehicle. The non-automatic driving slim vehicle is set to include at least one vehicle selected from, the non-automatic driving slim vehicle has a vehicle width less than the slim vehicle width and does not have an automatic driving function, and the automatic driving non-slim vehicle. Has a vehicle width larger than the slim vehicle width and has an automatic driving function, and the non-automatic driving non-slim vehicle has a vehicle width larger than the slim vehicle width and has an automatic driving function. No. The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The road management device for autonomous vehicles is
An accuracy information acquisition unit for acquiring accuracy information regarding the accuracy of vehicle control by the automatic driving, and
Based on the accuracy information acquired by the accuracy information acquisition unit, the accuracy determination unit determines whether or not the accuracy of vehicle control by the automatic driving meets the criteria for traveling on the automatic driving slim vehicle exclusive road. Have and
Confirmation of whether or not the vehicle attempting to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle includes confirmation of whether or not the accuracy satisfies the criteria. The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to claim 4.
The accuracy information acquisition unit
In the self-driving vehicle width authentication area, the accuracy information is acquired based on the traveling state of the vehicle trying to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road. The road management device for autonomous vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The self-driving slim vehicle includes an automatic / manual driving slim vehicle configured to perform automatic driving on the road dedicated to the self-driving slim vehicle while manually driving on the mixed road.
The automatic driving slim vehicle has an automatic driving start operation unit that consents to the start of automatic driving by the operation of a user riding on the slim vehicle for both automatic / manual driving.
Confirmation of whether or not the vehicle attempting to enter the self-driving slim vehicle exclusive road from the mixed road is the self-driving slim vehicle includes confirmation of whether or not the user has consented to the start of automatic driving.

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