JP2020032860A - Vehicle control device, automatic operation control system, and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve the security of automatic operation.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device according to an embodiment, which is mounted in a vehicle, comprises: an automatic operation execution unit that executes automatic operation for the vehicle in a predetermined area; a sign data acquisition unit that, based on sensor data obtained by a sensor that detects a circumstance around the vehicle, acquires sign data about a sign provided in the predetermined area; and a switching control unit which switches whether or not to permit execution of automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit according to a similarity between the sign data acquired by the sign data acquisition unit and first normal sign data acquired separately from the sign data, as normal sign data regarding a first sign.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, an automatic driving control system, and a vehicle control method.

  Conventionally, a technique for realizing automatic driving of a vehicle in a predetermined area is known. In such a technology, a control device is provided which controls the automatic driving of the vehicle by providing the vehicle with a position to be reached by the vehicle, a route to the position, and the like through communication.

JP 2017-182263 A

  In the above-described technology, for example, when an unexpected situation such as hijacking of communication between the vehicle and the control device occurs, it is assumed that the vehicle behaves incorrectly with automatic driving. Therefore, it is desired to improve the security of automatic driving so as to cope with such an unexpected situation.

  Therefore, one of the problems of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device, an automatic driving control system, and a vehicle control method that can improve the security of automatic driving.

  A vehicle control device as an example of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, and an automatic driving execution unit that executes automatic driving of the vehicle in a predetermined area, and a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle. A sign data acquisition unit that acquires sign data related to a sign provided in a predetermined area based on the sensor data obtained by the sign data, a sign data acquired by the sign data acquisition unit, and regular sign data related to the first sign. A switching control unit that switches whether or not to permit execution of the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit in accordance with the similarity between the first regular sign data acquired separately from the sign data.

  According to the above-described vehicle control device, unless both the first sign installed in the predetermined area and the first regular sign data are falsified, the automatic driving of the vehicle is stably executed. The security of automatic driving can be improved.

  In the above-described vehicle control device, the switching control unit controls the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit only when the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit and the first regular sign data are similar at a predetermined level or more. Permits execution of driving. According to such a configuration, automatic driving is permitted only when the sign data similar to the first regular sign data is accurately acquired, so that the security of automatic driving can be improved.

  In this case, the switching control unit, when the sign data acquisition unit cannot acquire the sign data from the sensor data indicating the current surrounding situation of the vehicle obtained by the sensor, Prohibit execution. According to such a configuration, the automatic driving is prohibited when the sign data to be compared with the regular sign data cannot be acquired in the first place, so that the security of the automatic driving can be improved.

  In the above-described vehicle control device, the switching control unit may include the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit during the execution of the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit, and a regular sign related to the second sign different from the first sign. When the data is similar to the second regular sign data obtained separately from the sign data at a predetermined level or more, the vehicle is located at a position corresponding to the second sign present in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Before proceeding to step, the execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit is prohibited. According to such a configuration, the execution of the automatic driving can be positively prohibited as necessary by using the second sign, so that the security of the automatic driving can be improved.

  In this case, the vehicle control device controls the vehicle control so as to control the automatic driving of the vehicle in the predetermined area by using the map data of the predetermined area including the first regular sign data and the second regular sign data. The apparatus further includes a map data acquisition unit that is acquired by communicating with a control device provided so as to be able to communicate with the device. According to such a configuration, the first regular sign data and the second sign data can be easily obtained by communication.

  In this case, the switching control unit permits the automatic operation execution unit to execute the automatic operation only while the communication with the control device is established. According to such a configuration, for example, execution of automatic driving is permitted only when communication between the vehicle control device and the control device is established and the vehicle is under the control of the control device. Can be improved.

  In the above-described vehicle control device, the automatic driving execution unit automatically moves the vehicle stopped in the first area in the parking lot as the predetermined area from the first area to the parking area according to a predetermined instruction. Automatic parking in which the vehicle parked in the parking area exits in response to a predetermined call and automatically moves from the parking area to the second area in the parking area and stops. Valet parking is performed as automatic driving. According to such a configuration, security of automatic valet parking can be improved.

  An automatic driving control system as another example of the present disclosure includes a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle and a control device communicably provided with the vehicle control device so as to control automatic driving of the vehicle in a predetermined area. And a vehicle control device, based on sensor data obtained by an automatic driving execution unit that executes automatic driving of the vehicle in a predetermined area and a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle, to a predetermined area. A sign data acquisition unit for acquiring sign data relating to the sign provided, a sign data acquired by the sign data acquisition unit, and a first regular sign acquired separately from the sign data as regular sign data concerning the first sign A switching control unit that switches whether or not to permit execution of automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit in accordance with the degree of similarity with the sign data.

  According to the above-described automatic driving control system, automatic driving of the vehicle is stably executed unless both the first sign installed in the predetermined area and the first regular sign data are falsified. Therefore, the security of automatic driving can be improved.

  In the automatic driving control system described above, the control device closes the entrance and exit by controlling an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the entrance and exit of the predetermined area when the vehicle that is performing the automatic operation is present in the predetermined area. When the vehicle that is driving does not exist in the predetermined area, the opening / closing mechanism is controlled to open the doorway. According to such a configuration, by opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism according to the situation, it is possible to physically suppress the vehicle from going out of the predetermined area while being in the automatic driving mode, thereby improving security. Can be.

  In this case, the control device closes the entrance and exit by controlling the opening and closing mechanism when the vehicle performing the automatic operation is present in the area near the entrance and exit in the predetermined area, and executes the automatic operation. When the vehicle does not exist in the area near the entrance, the opening / closing mechanism is controlled to open the entrance. According to such a configuration, by opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism according to whether or not the vehicle is present in the area near the entrance, it is possible to efficiently prevent the vehicle from going out of the predetermined area with automatic driving. Can be suppressed.

  A vehicle control method as still another example of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, and includes an automatic driving execution step of executing automatic driving of the vehicle within a predetermined area. Based on sensor data obtained by a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle, a sign data acquisition step of acquiring sign data related to a sign provided in a predetermined area, and sign data acquired in the sign data acquisition step; According to the degree of similarity with the first regular sign data acquired separately from the sign data as regular sign data relating to the first sign, it is determined whether or not to permit execution of automatic driving in the automatic driving execution step. Switching control step.

  According to the vehicle control method described above, unless both the first sign installed in the predetermined area and the first regular sign data are falsified, the automatic driving of the vehicle is stably executed. The security of automatic driving can be improved.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the concept of automatic parking in the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the concept of automatic leaving in the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram illustrating a system configuration of the vehicle control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram illustrating functions of the control device and the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the role of the first marker according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the role of the second marker according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic diagram for explaining the role of the opening and closing mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is an exemplary and schematic sequence diagram illustrating a flow of a process executed by the control device and the vehicle control device according to the embodiment at the time of automatic parking. FIG. 10 is an exemplary and schematic sequence diagram illustrating a flow of processing executed by the control device and the vehicle control device according to the embodiment at the time of automatic unloading. FIG. 11 is an exemplary and schematic flowchart illustrating a switching process of permitting / prohibiting automatic driving, which is executed by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is an exemplary and schematic flowchart illustrating an opening / closing process of the opening / closing mechanism, which is executed by the control device according to the embodiment.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. A configuration of the embodiment described below, and an operation and a result (effect) provided by the configuration are merely examples, and are not limited to the following description.

  First, an outline of an automatic valet parking system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, the automatic valet parking system is an example of automatic driving including automatic parking and automatic exit as described below in a parking lot P having one or more parking areas R defined by a dividing line L such as a white line. It is an automatic operation control system for realizing automatic valet parking.

  FIG. 1 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the concept of automatic parking in the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the concept of automatic exit from the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment. It is an exemplary and typical figure for explanation.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic parking means that after an occupant X gets off the vehicle V in the getting-off area P1 in the parking lot P, the vehicle V stopped in the getting-off area P1 gets off in accordance with a predetermined instruction. This is an automatic operation of automatically moving from P1 to an empty parking area R and parking (see arrow C1). The getting-off area P1 is an example of a “first area”.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic exit means that, after the automatic parking is completed, the vehicle V stopped in the parking area R exits in response to a predetermined call and is switched from the parking area R to a predetermined second area. Automatically move to the boarding area P2 and stop (see arrow C2). The boarding area P2 is an example of a “second area”.

  In the embodiment, the predetermined instruction executed at the time of automatic parking and the predetermined call executed at the time of automatic parking are both realized by the operation of the terminal device T by the occupant X, for example. In the embodiment, the getting-off area P1 can be used as a boarding area, and the getting-off area P2 can be used as a getting-off area. The getting-off area P1 and the boarding area P2 are provided near the entrance 800 of the parking lot P. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in the embodiment, an opening / closing mechanism 801 (see FIG. 8) described later is provided at the entrance 800.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment includes a control device 101 provided in a parking lot P, and a vehicle control system 102 mounted in the vehicle V. are doing. The control device 101 and the vehicle control system 102 are configured to be able to communicate with each other by wireless communication.

  The control device 101 has a function of controlling the automatic driving of the vehicle V in the parking lot P. More specifically, the control device 101 has a function of managing map data of the parking lot P and providing the map data to the vehicle V (vehicle control system 102). The map data is data including regular marking data on a road marking fixedly installed on the road surface of the parking lot P, such as a lane marking L and a marker M. From the regular marking data on the marking line L, the position of the tip of the marking line L and the direction in which the marking line L extends can be specified. From the regular marking data on the marker M, the setting position of the marker M and the marker The pattern or the like of M can be specified.

  In addition, the control device 101 includes data output from various on-site sensors (not shown) provided in the parking lot P, including image data obtained from one or more surveillance cameras 103 for imaging the situation in the parking lot P. And monitors the situation in the parking lot P based on the obtained data, and manages the parking lot P including management of the vacancy of the parking area R based on the monitoring result. . Hereinafter, information received by the control device 101 to monitor the situation in the parking lot P may be collectively referred to as sensor data.

  Note that, in the embodiment, the number and arrangement of the getting-off area P1, the boarding area P2, the parking area R, and the monitoring camera 103 in the parking lot P are not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. The technology of the embodiment is applicable to parking lots having various configurations different from the parking lot P shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

  In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are two types of markers M, a first marker M1 having a striped pattern and a second marker M2 having a cross pattern. The first marker M1 is an example of a “first sign”, and the second marker M2 is an example of a “second sign”. These two types of markers M have different roles from each other, but the details of those roles will be described later, so that further description is omitted here.

  Next, a hardware configuration of the control device 101 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The hardware configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and the hardware configuration of the control device 101 according to the embodiment can be variously set (changed).

  FIG. 3 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control device 101 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 101 according to the embodiment has the same hardware configuration as a general information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer).

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, the control device 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 302, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 303, a communication interface (I / F) 304, An input / output interface (I / F) 305 and an SSD (Solid State Drive) 306 are provided. These pieces of hardware are connected to each other via a bus 350.

  The CPU 301 is a hardware processor that controls the control device 101 overall. The CPU 301 reads out various control programs (computer programs) stored in the ROM 302 and the like, and implements various functions according to the instructions specified in the various control programs.

  The ROM 302 is a non-volatile main storage device that stores parameters and the like necessary for executing the various control programs described above.

  The RAM 303 is a volatile main storage device that provides a work area for the CPU 301.

  The communication interface 304 is an interface that implements communication between the control device 101 and an external device. For example, communication interface 304 implements transmission and reception of signals by wireless communication between control device 101 and vehicle V (vehicle control system 102).

  The input / output interface 305 is an interface that realizes connection between the control device 101 and an external device. As the external device, for example, an input / output device used by an operator of the control device 101 can be considered.

  The SSD 306 is a rewritable nonvolatile auxiliary storage device. In the control device 101 according to the embodiment, a hard disk drive (HDD) may be provided as an auxiliary storage device instead of the SSD 306 (or in addition to the SSD 306).

  Next, a system configuration of the vehicle control system 102 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the system configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the system configuration of the vehicle control system 102 according to the embodiment can be variously set (changed).

  FIG. 4 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram illustrating a system configuration of the vehicle control system 102 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle control system 102 includes a braking system 401, an acceleration system 402, a steering system 403, a transmission system 404, an obstacle sensor 405, a traveling state sensor 406, and a communication interface (I / F) 407, a vehicle-mounted camera 408, a monitor device 409, a vehicle control device 410, and a vehicle-mounted network 450.

  The braking system 401 controls the deceleration of the vehicle V. The braking system 401 has a braking unit 401a, a braking control unit 401b, and a braking unit sensor 401c.

  The braking unit 401a is a device for slowing down the vehicle V, including, for example, a brake pedal.

  The braking control unit 401b is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) configured by a computer having a hardware processor such as a CPU. The braking control unit 401b controls an amount of deceleration of the vehicle V by driving an actuator (not shown) based on an instruction from the vehicle control device 410 and operating the braking unit 401a.

  The braking unit sensor 401c is a device for detecting a state of the braking unit 401a. For example, when the braking unit 401a includes a brake pedal, the braking unit sensor 401c detects the position of the brake pedal or the pressure acting on the brake pedal as the state of the braking unit 401a. The braking unit sensor 401c outputs the detected state of the braking unit 401a to the in-vehicle network 450.

  The acceleration system 402 controls the acceleration of the vehicle V. The acceleration system 402 has an acceleration unit 402a, an acceleration control unit 402b, and an acceleration unit sensor 402c.

  The acceleration unit 402a is a device for accelerating the vehicle V, including, for example, an accelerator pedal.

  The acceleration control unit 402b is, for example, an ECU configured by a computer having a hardware processor such as a CPU. The acceleration control unit 402b controls an acceleration of the vehicle V by driving an actuator (not shown) based on an instruction from the vehicle control device 410 and operating the acceleration unit 402a.

  The acceleration unit sensor 402c is a device for detecting the state of the acceleration unit 402a. For example, when the acceleration unit 402a includes an accelerator pedal, the acceleration unit sensor 402c detects the position of the accelerator pedal or the pressure acting on the accelerator pedal. The acceleration unit sensor 402c outputs the detected state of the acceleration unit 402a to the in-vehicle network 450.

  The steering system 403 controls the traveling direction of the vehicle V. The steering system 403 includes a steering unit 403a, a steering control unit 403b, and a steering unit sensor 403c.

  The steering unit 403a is a device for turning steered wheels of the vehicle V, including, for example, a steering wheel and a steering wheel.

  The steering control unit 403b is an ECU configured by a computer having a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. The steering control unit 403b controls an advancing direction of the vehicle V by driving an actuator (not shown) based on an instruction from the vehicle control device 410 and operating the steering unit 403a.

  The steering unit sensor 403c is a device for detecting a state of the steering unit 403a. For example, when the steering unit 403a includes a steering wheel, the steering unit sensor 403c detects the position of the steering wheel or the rotation angle of the steering wheel. When the steering unit 403a includes a steering wheel, the steering unit sensor 403c may detect the position of the steering wheel or the pressure acting on the steering wheel. The steering unit sensor 403c outputs the detected state of the steering unit 403a to the in-vehicle network 450.

  The transmission system 404 controls the speed ratio of the vehicle V. The transmission system 404 includes a transmission unit 404a, a transmission control unit 404b, and a transmission unit sensor 404c.

  The transmission unit 404a is a device for changing the speed ratio of the vehicle V including, for example, a shift lever.

  The shift control unit 404b is, for example, an ECU configured by a computer having a hardware processor such as a CPU. The shift control unit 404b drives an actuator (not shown) based on an instruction from the vehicle control device 410 to operate the shift unit 404a, thereby controlling the speed ratio of the vehicle V.

  The transmission sensor 404c is a device for detecting the state of the transmission 404a. For example, when the transmission 404a includes a shift lever, the transmission sensor 404c detects the position of the shift lever or the pressure acting on the shift lever. The transmission unit sensor 404c outputs the detected state of the transmission unit 404a to the in-vehicle network 450.

  The obstacle sensor 405 is a device for detecting information about an obstacle that may exist around the vehicle V. The obstacle sensor 405 includes, for example, a distance measuring sensor such as a sonar for detecting a distance to an obstacle. The obstacle sensor 405 outputs the detected information to the in-vehicle network 450.

  The traveling state sensor 406 is a device for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle V. The traveling state sensor 406 includes, for example, a wheel speed sensor that detects the wheel speed of the vehicle V, an acceleration sensor that detects the longitudinal or lateral acceleration of the vehicle V, and a gyro that detects the turning speed (angular speed) of the vehicle V. Includes sensors and so on. The traveling state sensor 406 outputs the detected traveling state to the in-vehicle network 450.

  The communication interface 407 is an interface that realizes communication between the vehicle control system 102 and an external device. For example, the communication interface 407 realizes transmission and reception of signals between the vehicle control system 102 and the control device 101 by wireless communication, transmission and reception of signals between the vehicle control system 102 and the terminal device T by wireless communication, and the like. The communication interface 407 is connected to the CPU 410a of the vehicle control device 410.

  The in-vehicle camera 408 is a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle V by imaging a situation around the vehicle V. For example, a plurality of in-vehicle cameras 408 are provided so as to capture an image of a region including a road surface in front, behind, and side (both right and left) of vehicle V. The image data obtained by the in-vehicle camera 408 is used for monitoring the situation around the vehicle V (including detection of obstacles). In-vehicle camera 408 outputs the obtained image data to vehicle control device 410. In the following, data obtained from various types of in-vehicle sensors including the in-vehicle camera 408 provided in the vehicle control system 102 may be collectively referred to as sensor data.

  The monitor device 409 is provided on a dashboard or the like in the cabin of the vehicle V. The monitor device 409 has a display unit 409a, an audio output unit 409b, and an operation input unit 409c.

  The display unit 409a is a device for displaying an image according to an instruction from the vehicle control device 410. The display unit 409a includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (OELD: Organic Electroluminescent Display), and the like.

  The sound output unit 409b is a device for outputting sound in response to an instruction from the vehicle control device 410. The audio output unit 409b is configured by, for example, a speaker.

  The operation input unit 409c is a device for receiving an input of an occupant in the vehicle V. The operation input unit 409c includes, for example, a touch panel provided on a display screen of the display unit 409a, a physical operation switch, and the like. Operation input unit 409c outputs the received input to vehicle-mounted network 450.

  The vehicle control device 410 is a device for totally controlling the vehicle control system 102. Although the details will be described later, the vehicle control device 410 has a function of estimating the current position of the vehicle V and a function of executing travel control of the vehicle V in consideration of the estimated current position. The function realizes automatic driving in the parking lot P.

  The vehicle control device 410 is configured as an ECU having a CPU 410a, a ROM 410b, a RAM 410c, an SSD 410d, a display control unit 410e, and a voice control unit 410f.

  The CPU 410a is a hardware processor that controls the vehicle control device 410 as a whole. The CPU 410a reads various control programs (computer programs) stored in the ROM 410b or the like, and implements various functions according to the instructions specified in the various control programs.

  The ROM 410b is a nonvolatile main storage device that stores parameters and the like necessary for executing the various control programs described above.

  The RAM 410c is a volatile main storage device that provides a work area for the CPU 410a.

  The SSD 410d is a rewritable nonvolatile auxiliary storage device. In the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, an HDD may be provided as an auxiliary storage device instead of the SSD 410d (or in addition to the SSD 410d).

  The display control unit 410e mainly performs image processing on image data obtained from the vehicle-mounted camera 408 and generation of image data to be output to the display unit 409a of the monitor device 409 among various processes executed by the vehicle control device 410. Etc.

  The audio control unit 410f mainly performs generation of audio data to be output to the audio output unit 409b of the monitor device 409 among various processes executed by the vehicle control device 410.

  The in-vehicle network 450 includes a braking system 401, an acceleration system 402, a steering system 403, a transmission system 404, an obstacle sensor 405, a traveling state sensor 406, an operation input unit 409c of a monitor device 409, and a vehicle control device. And 410 are communicably connected.

  By the way, in a configuration in which the automatic operation of the vehicle V is realized under the control of the control device 101, such as the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment, an unexpected operation such as takeover of communication between the vehicle V and the control device 101 is performed. When the situation described above occurs, it is assumed that the vehicle V behaves incorrectly with automatic driving. Therefore, it is desired to improve the security of automatic driving so as to cope with such an unexpected situation.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, the security of the automatic driving is improved by providing the control device 101 and the vehicle control device 410 with functions as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 5 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram illustrating functions of the control device 101 and the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment. The functions shown in FIG. 5 are realized by cooperation between software and hardware. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the function of the control device 101 is realized as a result of the CPU 301 reading and executing a predetermined control program stored in the ROM 302 or the like, and the function of the vehicle control device 410 is realized by the CPU 410a This is realized as a result of reading and executing a predetermined control program stored in the storage device. In the embodiment, at least a part of the functions illustrated in FIG. 5 may be realized by dedicated hardware (circuit).

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the control device 101 according to the embodiment includes a communication control unit 511, a sensor data acquisition unit 512, a parking lot data management unit 513, a guidance route generation unit 514, and an opening / closing mechanism control unit 515. And

  Communication control unit 511 controls wireless communication performed with vehicle control device 410. For example, the communication control unit 511 performs authentication of the vehicle control device 410 by transmitting and receiving predetermined data to and from the vehicle control device 410, and outputs data from the vehicle control device 410 when automatic parking and automatic parking are completed. The control unit 410 receives a predetermined completion notification and transmits map data of the parking lot P and a guidance route to be described later to the vehicle control device 410 as necessary.

  The sensor data acquisition unit 512 acquires sensor data from various on-site sensors including the monitoring camera 103 provided in the parking lot P. The sensor data (particularly image data obtained from the surveillance camera 103) obtained by the sensor data obtaining unit 512 can be used, for example, to grasp the availability of the parking area R.

  The parking lot data management unit 513 manages data (information) about the parking lot P. For example, the parking lot data management unit 513 manages the map data of the parking lot P, grasps the vacant state of the parking area R, and obtains information on the vehicle V that is performing automatic driving in the parking lot P (for example, automatic driving For example, the presence or absence of the running vehicle V is grasped.

  The guidance route generation unit 514 generates a guidance route to instruct the vehicle control device 410 when the automatic parking and the automatic leaving are performed. More specifically, when automatic parking is performed, the guidance route generation unit 514 generates a schematic route from the disembarkation area P1 to one vacant parking area R as a guidance path, and automatic exit is performed. When this is performed, a rough route from the parking area R where the vehicle V is currently parked to the boarding area P2 is generated as a guidance route.

  The opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 controls an opening / closing mechanism 801 (see FIG. 8) provided at the entrance 800 of the parking lot P. Note that the control executed by the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 will be described later in detail, and thus further description is omitted here.

  On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment includes, as functional components, a communication control unit 521, a sensor data acquisition unit 522, a sign data acquisition unit 523, and a map data acquisition unit 524. , A position estimation unit 525, a route acquisition unit 526, an automatic operation execution unit 527, and a switching control unit 528. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 5, all of these functions are realized in the vehicle control device 410 as a single ECU, but in the embodiment, these functions are distributed to a plurality of ECUs. It may be realized.

  The communication control unit 521 controls wireless communication performed with the control device 101. For example, the communication control unit 521 performs authentication of the vehicle control device 410 by transmitting and receiving predetermined data to and from the control device 101, and transmits a predetermined completion notification when automatic parking and automatic exit are completed. The control unit 101 transmits the data to the control apparatus 101 or receives map data and a guidance route of the parking lot P from the control device 101 as necessary.

  The sensor data acquisition unit 522 acquires sensor data obtained by various on-board sensors provided in the vehicle control system 102. Hereinafter, a case where image data obtained by the on-board camera 408 is used as the sensor data will be mainly described. It is assumed that the image data includes information indicating a condition of a road surface around the vehicle V.

  The sign data acquisition unit 523 performs an image recognition process based on the image data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 522, and thereby the road surface installed on the road surface of the parking lot P such as the lane marking L or the marker M described above. Obtain (computed) sign data for the sign.

  The map data acquisition unit 524 acquires the map data of the parking lot P from the control device 101 via the communication control unit 521. As described above, the map data includes regular sign data related to road marking. The regular sign data included in the map data is invariant data determined according to the design of the parking lot P, unlike the sign data obtained as a result of the image recognition processing by the sign data acquisition unit 523.

  The position estimating unit 525 collates the calculated sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 with the regular sign data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring unit 524, thereby checking the vehicle V The actual position of is estimated.

  More specifically, the position estimating unit 525 first estimates the calculated actual position of the vehicle V by a method called odometry using the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquiring unit 522. Then, the position estimating unit 525 calculates a relative position of the road marking with respect to the vehicle V based on the calculated sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523, and is estimated based on the relative position and the odometry. The calculated absolute position of the road marking is calculated based on the calculated actual position of the vehicle V. Then, the position estimating unit 525 collates the calculated absolute position of the road marking with the regular absolute position of the road marking specified based on the regular marking data, and estimates the vehicle V based on the odometry. The (regular) actual position of the vehicle V is estimated by correcting the calculated actual position as necessary.

  The route acquisition unit 526 acquires a guidance route as a traveling route to be followed in the automatic driving of the vehicle V from the control device 101 via the communication control unit 521.

  The automatic driving execution unit 527 executes the automatic driving in the parking lot P by controlling the running state of the vehicle V via the braking system 401, the acceleration system 402, the steering system 403, the transmission system 404, and the like. For example, the automatic driving execution unit 527 performs, as automatic driving, start control from the getting-off area P1, running control from the getting-off area P1 to the parking area R (including parking control), and running from the parking area R to the boarding area P2. Control (including exit control), stop control for the boarding area P2, and the like are executed.

  More specifically, the automatic driving execution unit 527 controls the traveling state of the vehicle V based on the guidance route acquired by the route acquisition unit 526 and the actual position of the vehicle V estimated by the position estimation unit 525. Thereby, the automatic driving based on the guidance route is executed. Note that the automatic driving execution unit 527 can use data output from various vehicle-mounted sensors provided in the vehicle control system 102, including image data obtained by the vehicle-mounted camera 408, for control. Thereby, the automatic driving execution unit 527 can execute the automatic driving while adjusting the guidance route according to the change of the situation during the automatic driving.

  Here, in the embodiment, the switching control unit 528 separately acquires the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 and the sign data as regular sign data relating to the first marker M1 (see FIG. 1). In accordance with the degree of similarity with the first regular sign data, whether or not to permit execution of automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit 527 is switched. More specifically, the switching control unit 528 determines that the automatic driving execution unit 527 is to operate only when the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 and the first normal sign data are similar at a predetermined level or more. Allow execution of automatic operation.

  That is, in the embodiment, the automatic driving is executed only while the first marker M1 (see FIG. 1) is relatively accurately recognized by the image recognition processing, and otherwise the automatic driving is prohibited. When the automatic driving is prohibited, an emergency stop of the vehicle V is executed. As a result, unless both the first marker M1 installed in the parking lot P and the first regular sign data are falsified, the automatic driving of the vehicle V is stably executed. Security can be improved.

  As described above, in the embodiment, the first marker M1 (see FIG. 1) has a role as a basis for estimating (correcting) the actual position of the vehicle V, and also has a role of improving security of automatic driving. I have.

  FIG. 6 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the role of the first marker M1 according to the embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the vehicle V including the vehicle control system 102 is traveling in a direction intersecting three lane markings L located on the left side of the vehicle V. In each of the two spaces provided between the three division lines L, one first marker M1 is installed.

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, the imaging range of the vehicle-mounted camera 408 provided on the left side (for example, the side mirror) of the vehicle V corresponds to the area A61 including the first marker M1. Therefore, if image recognition processing such as white line detection processing is performed on the image data corresponding to the area A61, the sign data regarding the position of the first marker M1 and the direction of the stripe pattern of the first marker M1 is obtained. Can be obtained. Then, if the acquired sign data is collated with the first regular sign data extracted from the map data, an accurate actual position of the vehicle V is estimated, and switching between automatic driving permission / prohibition is executed. can do.

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, two first markers M1 are used for estimating the accurate actual position of the vehicle V and switching between permitting / prohibiting automatic driving. However, in the embodiment, the number of the first markers M1 used for these processes may be one, or may be three or more.

  Further, in the embodiment, the estimation of the actual actual position of the vehicle V and the switching of the permission / prohibition of the automatic driving may be realized by different signs. The signs used in these processes are not limited to those installed on the road surface, and may be, for example, signs installed on a ceiling or a wall.

  By the way, there is a place in the parking lot P where it is appropriate to prohibit automatic driving actively. For example, the disembarkation area P1 and the boarding area P2 (see FIG. 1) are areas in which the automatic driving by the vehicle control device 410 and the manual driving by the occupant X are normally switched, so that the automatic driving is actively prohibited. Is the right place boundary.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic driving is actively performed at the end of the dismounting area P1 and the boarding area P2 on the opposite side to the parking area R side where the automatic driving is performed. The second marker M2 having a role of prohibiting is set. Since the role of the second marker M2 is different from that of the first marker M1, it is necessary to make the pattern different from that of the first marker M1. Here, an example will be described in which the first marker M1 has a stripe pattern and the second marker M2 has a cross pattern. However, in the embodiment, the first marker M1 and the second marker M2 are different from each other. As long as it has a pattern, it may have any pattern.

  As described below, the switching control unit 528 outputs the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 during the execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit 527 and the sign data as the regular sign data relating to the second marker M2. When the second normal sign data acquired separately from the data is similar at a predetermined level or more, the vehicle V corresponds to the second marker M2 existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle V. Before proceeding to the position, execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit 527 is prohibited.

  FIG. 7 is an exemplary and schematic diagram for explaining the role of the second marker M2 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the second marker M2 is grounded at a predetermined position on the lane marking L71 constituting the boarding area P2.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the vehicle V is provided with a vehicle control system 102 and is in the field of view of a vehicle-mounted camera 408 provided at a front end (for example, a front bumper). Therefore, if image recognition processing is performed on image data obtained from the on-board camera 408 provided at the front end of the vehicle V, the position of the second marker M2, the cross pattern of the second marker M2, Sign data can be obtained. Then, if the acquired sign data is compared with the second regular sign data extracted from the map data, the automatic driving of the vehicle V in the boarding area P2 is prohibited unless both of the data are falsified. can do. Thereby, the security of the automatic driving can be improved by prohibiting the automatic driving of the vehicle V as required.

  In the embodiment, in addition to the technology using the first marker M1 and the second marker, a technology for improving security of automatic driving is mounted.

  For example, in the embodiment, the switching control unit 528 is configured to permit the automatic driving execution unit 527 to execute the automatic driving only while the communication with the control device 101 is established. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the vehicle V from exhibiting improper behavior in the automatic driving due to the interruption of the communication with the control device 101, so that the security of the automatic driving can be improved.

  Further, in the embodiment, a technology for improving security of automatic driving is also mounted on the control device 101 side. More specifically, in the embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101 improves security by controlling an opening / closing mechanism 801 that opens and closes the entrance 800 of the parking lot P as described below.

  FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic diagram for explaining the role of the opening / closing mechanism 801 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, in the embodiment, the doorway 800 of the parking lot P is operable to protrude upward (in the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the road surface RS and downward with respect to the road surface RS. An opening / closing mechanism 801 operable to be buried (in the direction of arrow A2) is provided. The opening / closing mechanism 801 operates under the control of the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101.

  Here, by the function of the vehicle control device 410 as described above, the possibility that the vehicle V goes out of the parking lot P with automatic driving is basically suppressed to zero. However, when there is at least one vehicle V performing the automatic driving in the parking lot P, the possibility that the vehicle V goes out of the parking lot P with the automatic driving is not completely zero. . On the other hand, when the vehicle V performing the automatic driving does not exist in the parking lot P, the possibility that the vehicle V goes out of the parking lot P with the automatic driving is completely zero.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101 controls the opening / closing mechanism 801 to close the entrance 800 when the vehicle V that is performing automatic driving is present in the parking lot P, When the driving vehicle V does not exist in the parking lot P, the opening / closing mechanism 800 is controlled to open the entrance 800. Accordingly, by opening and closing the opening and closing mechanism 801 according to the situation, it is possible to physically suppress the vehicle V from going out of the parking lot P while being automatically driven, thereby improving security.

  More specifically, in the embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101 determines whether the vehicle V that is performing automatic driving is located in the area near the entrance 800 in the parking lot P, By controlling the opening / closing mechanism 801, the entrance / exit 800 is closed, and when the vehicle V that is performing the automatic operation does not exist in the area near the entrance / exit 800, the opening / closing mechanism 800 is controlled to open the entrance / exit 800. Thus, by opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism 801 in accordance with whether or not the vehicle V is present in the area near the entrance 800, the vehicle V is efficiently prevented from going out of the parking lot with automatic driving. be able to. The areas near the entrance 800 are, for example, the getting-off area P1 and the boarding area P2.

  In the embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 detects the presence / absence of the occupant X in the vehicle V near the entrance 800 based on the image data obtained from the monitoring camera 103 and the like. May be opened and the opening / closing mechanism 801 may be closed in the absence. According to such control, the presence or absence of the risk that the vehicle V goes out of the parking lot P while driving automatically is determined according to the presence / absence of the occupant X, and the entrance 800 is appropriately opened and closed according to the determination result. be able to.

  In the embodiment, the structure of the opening / closing mechanism 801 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. What is the structure of the opening / closing mechanism 801 as long as the opening / closing mechanism 801 has a structure that can prevent the vehicle V from going out of the parking lot P with automatic driving according to the situation under the control of the control device 101. May be provided.

  Next, processing executed in the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 9 is an exemplary and schematic sequence diagram illustrating a flow of processing executed by the control device 101 and the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment at the time of automatic parking. The processing sequence shown in FIG. 9 starts when the occupant X operates the terminal device T in the getting-off area P1 to give a predetermined instruction to trigger automatic parking.

  In the processing sequence illustrated in FIG. 9, first, in S901, the communication control unit 511 of the control device 101 and the communication control unit 521 of the vehicle control device 410 establish communication. When communication is established in S901, authentication by transmission and reception of identification information (ID), transfer of operation authority for realizing automatic operation under monitoring of the control device 101, and the like are performed.

  When the communication is established in S901, the control device 101 transmits the map data of the parking lot P to the vehicle control device 410 via the communication control unit 511 in S902.

  Then, in S903, the parking lot data management unit 513 of the control device 101 confirms the vacancy of the parking area R based on the information acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 512, and determines one vacant parking area R. , The target parking area given to the vehicle V.

  Then, in S904, the guidance route generation unit 514 of the control device 101 generates a guidance route from the dismount area P1 to the target parking area specified in S903, which the vehicle V should follow during automatic parking.

  Then, in S905, the control device 101 transmits the guidance route generated in S904 to the vehicle control device 410 via the communication control unit 511.

  On the other hand, the position estimating unit 525 of the vehicle control device 410 estimates the initial position in the getting-off area P1 in S906 after the map data transmitted from the control device 101 in S902 is received via the communication control unit 521. . The initial position is the current position (actual position) of the vehicle V in the dismounting area P1, which is the starting point of the start from the dismounting area P1. As in the estimation of the actual position during the automatic driving described above, the result of the image recognition processing based on the image data obtained by the onboard camera 408 can be used for the estimation of the initial position. Note that, in the example illustrated in FIG. 9, the processing of S906 is performed before the processing of S905, but the processing of S906 may be performed after the processing of S905.

  When the initial position is estimated in S906 and the guidance route transmitted from the control device 101 in S905 is received via the communication control unit 521, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 returns to S906 in S907. Based on the initial position and the like estimated in the above, an actual traveling route to be followed at the time of actual automatic parking is generated based on the guidance route.

  Then, in S908, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 executes start control from the getting-off area P1.

  Then, in S909, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 executes the traveling control along the traveling route generated in S907. The processing of S909 is executed with the above-described estimation of the actual position using the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523.

  Then, in S910, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 executes the parking control to the target parking area.

  Then, when the parking control in S910 is completed, the vehicle control device 410 transmits a notification of parking completion to the control device 101 via the communication control unit 521 in S911.

  As described above, automatic parking in automatic valet parking is realized.

  Note that, in the processing of S908 to S910, the sign data acquired by the sign data acquisition unit 523 is similar to the first regular sign data at a predetermined level or more, and is equal to or more than the second normal sign data. The processing is completed when the levels are not similar and the communication established in S901 is still established.

  FIG. 10 is an exemplary and schematic sequence diagram illustrating a flow of processing executed by the control device 101 and the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment at the time of automatic unloading. The processing sequence shown in FIG. 10 starts when the occupant X operates the terminal device T in the boarding area P2 and makes a predetermined call that triggers automatic exit.

  In the processing sequence shown in FIG. 10, first, in S1001, the communication control unit 511 of the control device 101 and the communication control unit 521 of the vehicle control device 410 establish communication. When communication is established in S1001, authentication by transmission and reception of identification information (ID), transfer of operation authority for realizing automatic operation under monitoring of the control device 101, and the like are performed as in S901 shown in FIG. Be executed.

  When communication is established in S1001, the control device 101 transmits map data of the parking lot P to the vehicle control device 410 via the communication control unit 511 in S1002.

  Then, the parking lot data management unit 513 of the control device 101 determines that the vehicle V equipped with the communication partner vehicle control device 410 is currently located in S1003 based on the information acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 512 and the like. Check the parking area R.

  Then, in S1004, the guidance route generation unit 514 of the control device 101 generates a guidance route from the parking area R confirmed in S1003 to the boarding area P2 to be followed by the vehicle V at the time of automatic departure.

  Then, in S1005, control device 101 transmits the guidance route generated in S1004 to vehicle control device 410 via communication control unit 511.

  When the guidance route transmitted from the control device 101 is received via the communication control unit 521 in S1005, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 determines in S1007 the guidance route to be followed at the time of actual automatic retrieval. Generate an actual traveling route based on the route.

  Then, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 executes the exit control from the parking area R in S1008.

  Then, in S1009, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 executes the traveling control along the traveling route generated in S1007. This traveling control is also executed with the above-described estimation of the actual position using the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523, similarly to the traveling control in S909 shown in FIG.

  Then, in S1010, the automatic driving execution unit 527 of the vehicle control device 410 executes the stop control to the boarding area P2.

  Then, when the stop control in S1010 is completed, the vehicle control device 410 transmits a notice of completion of leaving the vehicle to the control device 101 via the communication control unit 521 in S1011.

  As described above, automatic leaving in automatic valet parking is realized.

  Note that the processing in S1008 to S1010 is similar to the processing in S908 to S910 shown in FIG. 9 in that the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 is similar to the first normal sign data at a predetermined level or more. If the communication is not similar to the second regular sign data at a predetermined level or more and the communication established in S901 is still established, the process is completed.

  FIG. 11 is an exemplary and schematic flowchart showing a switching process of permitting / prohibiting automatic driving, which is executed by the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment. The series of processing shown in FIG. 11 is repeatedly executed while the automatic driving of the vehicle V is being executed in S908 to S910 shown in FIG. 9 and S1008 to S1010 shown in FIG.

  In the processing flow illustrated in FIG. 11, first, in S1101, the switching control unit 528 of the vehicle control device 410 determines whether communication with the control device 101 has been established.

  If it is determined in S1101 that communication with the control device 101 has been established, the process proceeds to S1102. Then, in S1102, the sensor data obtaining unit 522 of the vehicle control device 410 obtains sensor data including image data as an imaging result of the onboard camera 408.

  Then, in S1103, the sign data acquisition unit 523 of the vehicle control device 410 performs predetermined image recognition processing on the image data of the sensor data acquired in S1102, thereby acquiring sign data related to the road sign. An attempt is made to determine whether or not the sign data has been obtained from the image data.

  If it is determined in S1103 that the sign data has been acquired, the process proceeds to S1104. Then, in S1104, the switching control unit 528 of the vehicle control device 410 determines whether or not the sign data acquired in S1103 and the first regular sign data included in the map data are similar at a predetermined level or more. to decide.

  If it is determined in S1104 that the sign data is similar to the first regular sign data, the process proceeds to S1105. Then, in S1105, the switching control unit 528 of the vehicle control device 410 permits the automatic driving execution unit 527 to execute the automatic driving. Then, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S1104 that the sign data is not similar to the first regular sign data, the process proceeds to S1106. Then, in S1106, the switching control unit 528 of the vehicle control device 410 determines whether or not the sign data acquired in S1103 and the second regular sign data included in the map data are similar at a predetermined level or higher. to decide.

  If it is determined in S1106 that the sign data is not similar to the second regular sign data, the process returns to S1103. On the other hand, if it is determined in S1106 that the sign data is similar to the second regular sign data, the process proceeds to S1107.

  In the processing flow shown in FIG. 11, when it is determined in S1101 that communication with the control device 101 has not been established, and when it is determined in S1103 that the sign data has not been acquired, the processing flow proceeds to S1107. Advances.

  In S1107, the switching control unit 528 of the vehicle control device 410 prohibits the automatic driving execution unit 527 from executing the automatic driving. Then, the process ends.

  In this way, by the function of the vehicle control device 410, the permission / prohibition of the automatic driving is switched according to the situation, and the security of the automatic driving can be improved.

  FIG. 12 is an exemplary and schematic flowchart showing the opening / closing process of the opening / closing mechanism 801 executed by the control device 101 according to the embodiment. The processing flow shown in FIG. 12 is always repeatedly executed regardless of the processing sequence shown in FIG. 9 or the processing sequence shown in FIG.

  In the processing flow illustrated in FIG. 12, first, in S1201, the parking lot data management unit 513 of the control device 101 executes the automatic driving in the parking lot P or the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 512. The status of the area near the entrance 800 in the parking lot P is confirmed based on the presence or absence of communication with the vehicle V present. The area near the entrance 800 is, for example, the getting-off area P1 and the boarding area P2.

  Then, in S1202, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101 determines whether or not the vehicle V performing the automatic driving is present in the area near the entrance 800 based on the confirmation result in S1201. .

  If it is determined in S1202 that the vehicle V that is performing automatic driving is present in the area near the entrance 800, the process proceeds to S1203. Then, in S1203, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101 controls the opening / closing mechanism 801 provided at the entrance 800 of the parking lot P to close the entrance 800. When the opening / closing mechanism 801 has already closed the entrance 800, the state is maintained as it is. Then, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S1202 that the vehicle V performing the automatic driving is not present in the area near the entrance 800, the process proceeds to S1204. Then, in S1204, the opening / closing mechanism control unit 515 of the control device 101 controls the opening / closing mechanism 801 provided at the entrance 800 of the parking lot P to open the entrance 800. When the opening / closing mechanism 801 has already opened the entrance 800, the state is maintained as it is. Then, the process ends.

  Thus, the security of automatic driving can be improved by physically opening and closing the entrance 800 of the parking lot P by the function of the control device 101. In the embodiment, the criterion for opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism 801 may be the presence / absence of the occupant X in the vehicle V near the entrance 800 detected based on image data obtained from the monitoring camera 103 or the like. Is as described above.

  As described above, the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment includes the automatic driving execution unit 527, the sign data acquisition unit 523, and the switching control unit 528. The automatic driving execution unit 527 executes automatic driving of the vehicle V in the parking lot P as a predetermined area. The sign data acquisition unit 523 acquires sign data related to a sign provided in the parking lot P based on sensor data obtained by a vehicle-mounted sensor including the vehicle-mounted camera 408 provided for detecting a situation around the vehicle V. I do. The switching control unit 528 determines whether the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 is different from the first regular sign data acquired separately from the sign data as the regular sign data for the predetermined first marker M1. In accordance with the degree of similarity, whether to permit execution of automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit 527 is switched.

  According to the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, the automatic operation of the vehicle V is stable unless both the first marker M1 installed in the parking lot P and the first regular sign data are falsified. Therefore, the security of automatic driving can be improved.

  In the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, the switching control unit 528 performs the automatic control only when the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 and the first normal sign data are similar at a predetermined level or more. The execution of the automatic operation by the operation execution unit 527 is permitted. According to such a configuration, automatic driving is permitted only when the sign data similar to the first regular sign data is accurately acquired, so that the security of automatic driving can be improved.

  Further, in the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, the switching control unit 528 includes sensor data (image data thereof) indicating a current surrounding situation of the vehicle V obtained by an on-board sensor including the on-board camera 408. Therefore, when the sign data acquisition unit 523 cannot acquire the sign data, the execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit 527 is prohibited. According to such a configuration, the automatic driving is prohibited when the sign data to be compared with the regular sign data cannot be acquired in the first place, so that the security of the automatic driving can be improved.

  In the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, the switching control unit 528 determines whether the first marker M1 and the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit 523 during the execution of the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit 527. If the second normal sign data obtained separately from the sign data as the normal sign data relating to the different predetermined second marker M2 is similar at a predetermined level or more, the vehicle V becomes the vehicle V Before the vehicle travels to the position corresponding to the second marker M2 existing in the traveling direction of the above, the execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit 527 is prohibited. According to such a configuration, the execution of the automatic driving can be positively prohibited as necessary by using the second marker M2, so that the security of the automatic driving can be improved.

  Further, the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment controls the automatic driving of the vehicle V in the parking lot P based on the map data of the parking lot P including the first regular marking data and the second regular marking data. Further, a map data acquisition unit 524 acquired by communication with the control device 101 communicably provided with the vehicle control device 410 is further provided. According to such a configuration, the first regular sign data and the second regular sign data can be easily obtained by communication.

  In the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, the switching control unit 528 permits the automatic driving execution unit 527 to execute the automatic driving only while the communication with the control device 101 is established. According to such a configuration, for example, only when the communication between the vehicle control device 410 and the control device 101 is established and the vehicle V is under the control of the control device 101, the execution of the automatic driving is permitted. Driving security can be improved.

  In the vehicle control device 410 according to the embodiment, the automatic driving execution unit 527 automatically switches the vehicle V stopped in the disembarkation area P1 in the parking lot P from the disembarkation area P1 to the parking area R in accordance with a predetermined instruction. Automatic parking in which the vehicle moves and parks, and automatic parking in which the vehicle V stopped in the parking area R exits in response to a predetermined call and automatically moves from the parking area R to the boarding area P2 in the parking lot P and stops. And automatic valet parking including is performed as automatic driving. According to such a configuration, security of automatic valet parking can be improved.

  Furthermore, in the automatic valet parking system as the automatic driving control system according to the embodiment, the control device 101 closes the entrance 800 of the parking lot P when the vehicle V performing the automatic driving is present in the parking lot P. By controlling the opening / closing mechanism 801 that opens and closes, the doorway 800 is closed, and when the vehicle V that is performing automatic driving does not exist in the parking lot P, the doorway 800 is controlled by controlling the opening / closing mechanism 801. According to such a configuration, by opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism 801 according to the situation, it is possible to physically suppress the vehicle V from going out of the parking lot P with automatic driving, thereby improving security. Can be done.

  More specifically, in the automatic valet parking system according to the embodiment, when the vehicle V that is performing automatic driving is present in a region near the entrance 800 in the parking lot P, the control device 101 controls the opening and closing mechanism. By controlling the opening / closing mechanism 801, the entrance / exit 800 is closed, and when the vehicle V that is performing the automatic operation does not exist in the area near the entrance / exit 800, the opening / closing mechanism 800 is controlled to open the entrance / exit 800. According to such a configuration, by opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism 801 in accordance with whether or not the vehicle V exists in the area near the entrance 800, the vehicle V exits from the parking lot P while being automatically driven. Can be suppressed efficiently.

<Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, a case is described in which the technology of the present disclosure is applied to an automatic valet parking system. However, the technology of the present disclosure can be applied to an automatic driving control system other than the automatic valet parking system as long as the automatic driving control system realizes automatic driving of a vehicle in a predetermined area.

  In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which map data is acquired from the control device 101 by communication is exemplified. However, as a modification, a configuration in which map data is stored in the vehicle control device 410 in advance is also conceivable.

  Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the vehicle control device 410 generates a traveling route based on the guidance route acquired by communication from the control device 101 is illustrated. However, as a modified example, a configuration is also conceivable in which a traveling route is appropriately generated only on the vehicle control device 410 side based on sensor data obtained from various types of in-vehicle sensors provided in the vehicle control system 102 including the on-vehicle camera 408.

  In the above-described embodiment, the marker M having a rectangular shape (more specifically, a square shape) is illustrated. However, the shape of the marker M may be another shape (such as a polygon or a circle). In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which two types of markers M, that is, a first marker M1 and a second marker M2 are present is illustrated. However, the types of the markers M may be three or more. In this case, it is possible to assign different roles to the three or more types of markers M, respectively.

  In the above-described embodiment, the marker M having information (shape, pattern, and the like) that can be identified by human eyes is exemplified. However, the marker M is not limited to a sign having information that can be identified by human eyes. For example, as a modified example, a configuration in which information that cannot be identified by human eyes but is identifiable in the vehicle-mounted camera 408 has the same role as the marker M according to the embodiment can be considered.

  As one of the modifications as described above, a sign in which the watermark information that cannot be recognized by the human eye but is identifiable in the in-vehicle camera 408 has the same role as the marker M according to the embodiment. Configurations are possible. Further, as another modified example described above, the in-vehicle camera 408 is configured as an infrared camera, and a sign in which information that can be detected only by infrared rays is embedded has the same role as the marker M according to the embodiment. It is also conceivable to have a configuration.

  In the above-described modified example, for example, when the vehicle control device 410 cannot acquire the above-described watermark information or information that can be detected only by infrared rays from the image data obtained by the on-board camera 408, the vehicle control device 410 executes the automatic driving. Ban. According to such a configuration, it is difficult to realize the takeover of the automatic driving of the vehicle V by simply forging the sign visually recognized by the third party as it is. In other words, it is difficult to forge the sign, so that it is difficult for a third party to take over the automatic driving of the vehicle V, and security can be improved.

  As described above, the embodiments and the modifications of the present invention have been described. However, the above-described embodiments and the modifications are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described novel embodiments and modifications can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above-described embodiments and modified examples are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

101 Control device 408 In-vehicle camera (sensor)
410 Vehicle control device 523 Sign data acquisition unit 524 Map data acquisition unit 527 Automatic operation execution unit 528 Switching control unit M Marker (Sign)
L division line (sign)
M1 first marker (first sign)
M2 Second marker (second sign)
P Parking (predetermined area)
P1 getting off area (first area)
P2 riding area (second area)
R Parking area V Vehicle

Claims (11)

A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle,
An automatic driving execution unit that executes automatic driving of the vehicle in a predetermined area,
A sign data acquisition unit that acquires sign data related to a sign provided in the predetermined area based on sensor data obtained by a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle;
According to the similarity between the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit and first regular sign data acquired separately from the sign data as regular sign data relating to the first sign, A switching control unit that switches whether to permit execution of the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit,
A vehicle control device comprising: The switching control unit is configured to perform the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit only when the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit and the first normal sign data are similar at a predetermined level or more. Allow the execution of
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The switch control unit, obtained from the sensor, from the sensor data indicating the current surrounding situation of the vehicle, when the sign data acquisition unit can not acquire the sign data, the automatic driving execution unit Prohibiting the execution of the automatic driving,
The vehicle control device according to claim 2. The switching control unit is configured to: the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit during execution of the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit; and regular sign data related to a second sign different from the first sign. If the second normal sign data obtained separately from the sign data is similar at a predetermined level or more, the vehicle corresponds to the second sign present in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Before proceeding to the position where the automatic operation is performed, prohibiting execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The vehicle control device includes: map data of the predetermined area including the first regular sign data and the second regular sign data; and the vehicle control device configured to control the automatic driving of the vehicle in the predetermined area. Further comprising a map data acquisition unit to acquire by communication with a control device provided communicable,
The vehicle control device according to claim 4. The switching control unit permits execution of the automatic operation by the automatic operation execution unit only while communication with the control device is established,
The vehicle control device according to claim 5. The automatic driving execution unit is configured to automatically move and park the vehicle stopped in the first area in the parking lot as the predetermined area from the first area to the parking area according to a predetermined instruction. Automatic valet parking including parking and automatic parking in which a vehicle stopped in the parking area exits in response to a predetermined call and automatically moves from the parking area to a second area in the parking area and stops there. Is executed as the automatic operation,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. A vehicle control device mounted on the vehicle,
A control device provided so as to be able to communicate with the vehicle control device so as to control automatic driving of the vehicle in a predetermined area,
With
The vehicle control device includes:
An automatic operation execution unit that executes the automatic operation of the vehicle in the predetermined area;
A sign data acquisition unit that acquires sign data related to a sign provided in the predetermined area based on sensor data obtained by a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle;
According to the similarity between the sign data acquired by the sign data acquiring unit and first regular sign data acquired separately from the sign data as regular sign data relating to the first sign, A switching control unit that switches whether to permit execution of the automatic driving by the automatic driving execution unit,
An automatic operation control system comprising: When the vehicle that is performing the automatic driving is present in the predetermined area, the control device controls an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes an entrance and exit of the predetermined area to close the entrance and exit, and the automatic operation When the vehicle that is executing is not present in the predetermined area, controls the opening and closing mechanism to open the entrance.
An automatic operation control system according to claim 8. The control device controls the opening / closing mechanism to close the entrance when the vehicle that is performing the automatic operation is present in an area near the entrance in the predetermined area, and performs the automatic operation. When the running vehicle does not exist in the area near the entrance, controlling the opening and closing mechanism to open the entrance.
The automatic operation control system according to claim 9. An automatic driving execution step of executing automatic driving of the vehicle in a predetermined area,
A sign data acquisition step of acquiring sign data related to a sign provided in the predetermined area based on sensor data obtained by a sensor that detects a situation around the vehicle;
In accordance with the similarity between the sign data acquired in the sign data acquiring step and first normal sign data acquired separately from the sign data as regular sign data for the first sign, A switching control step of switching whether to permit execution of the automatic driving in the automatic driving execution step,
A vehicle control method comprising:

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