JP7594064B2 - Autonomous driving vehicle, control method, and autonomous driving program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a control device used to remotely monitor multiple self-driving vehicles that are configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicles drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which the vehicles are remotely controlled by a remote control device, a control method and control program for the control device, and a control system that includes the control device.

In recent years, technological development has been carried out on autonomous vehicles that can be driven completely autonomously without the need for a driver, and there are plans and practical experiments being carried out to use such autonomous vehicles to deliver packages. In addition, remote vehicle operation systems for operating vehicles in remote locations are also being developed.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the vehicle in the vehicle remote control system is equipped with an imaging unit that captures images in all directions, a steering angle sensor that detects the angle of the front wheels, a vehicle speed sensor, a steering unit that changes the direction of the front wheels, a drive unit that drives the rear wheels, a braking unit that brakes the rear wheels, a lateral G sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a vehicle control unit that controls each unit, a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with a remote control room in a remote location, and a switching unit that switches between operation by the driver unit (not used here) and operation by the remote control room, and receives input values for steering, driving, and braking from the driver in the remote control room via wireless communication, and sends signals indicating the vehicle's behavior and surrounding conditions to the remote control room.

JP 2004-206218 A

However, while the above-mentioned conventional technologies disclose remote control of normal vehicles that can be operated by a driver, i.e., vehicles that are manually driven and not autonomous, there is no consideration given to how to control the other autonomous vehicles when a remote driver needs to remotely operate an autonomous vehicle while remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles, and further improvements are needed regarding the control of the other autonomous vehicles.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a control device, a control method, a control program, and a control system that can realize a situation in which a remote operator can easily concentrate on remotely operating an autonomous vehicle that is the target of remote operation while remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles.

A control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a control device used to remotely monitor a plurality of autonomous vehicles configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the autonomous vehicles drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which the autonomous vehicles are remotely controlled by a remote control device, and identifies non-target vehicles among the plurality of autonomous vehicles other than a target vehicle that is the subject of remote control when a predetermined event occurs, and when the target vehicle is controlled to drive in the remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control, and transmits the remote control avoidance control command to at least some of the non-target vehicles.

According to the present disclosure, when a remote operator is remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles, it is possible to realize a situation in which the remote operator can easily concentrate on remotely operating the autonomous vehicle that is the target of remote operation.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the autonomous driving vehicle shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the remote control device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a remote control avoidance control process performed by the control device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device of a control system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a remote control avoidance control process performed by the control device shown in FIG. 6 .

(Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure)
As described above, when a remote operator is remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles, one autonomous vehicle may have an accident or may be unable to travel autonomously. For example, when environmental conditions deteriorate due to bad weather such as snow, rain, and wind, when the roads are congested with many people, when a large number of obstacles such as garbage are scattered on the road, or when an on-board sensor or the like breaks down, the autonomous vehicle may misrecognize objects such as signs and obstacles on the road, or may be unable to grasp its own position, making it impossible for the sensor to accurately sense, and therefore unable to travel autonomously.

When the above situation occurs, the remote pilot must switch the autonomous vehicle from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode and remotely control it. At this time, if the remote pilot starts remote control of the autonomous vehicle, the remote pilot will not be able to monitor other autonomous vehicles, and furthermore, will not be able to respond even if the above situation occurs in another autonomous vehicle and remote control is requested. Therefore, if the other autonomous vehicle is in a situation requiring remote control, the remote pilot must wait until remote control is possible, so it is necessary to prevent the other autonomous vehicle from being in a situation requiring remote control.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present disclosure, for example, when remote control of one of multiple autonomous vehicles being remotely monitored is started, a command is sent to the other autonomous vehicles to drive autonomously so as to reduce the likelihood of a situation requiring remote control occurring. As a result, it is possible to reduce the likelihood that the other autonomous vehicles will get into a situation requiring remote control when remotely controlled, and also to reduce the likelihood that the other autonomous vehicles will get into a situation where they have to wait for remote control while driving.

In other words, a control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a control device used to remotely monitor a plurality of autonomous vehicles configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the autonomous vehicles drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which the autonomous vehicles are remotely controlled by a remote control device, and when a predetermined event occurs, identifies non-target vehicles among the plurality of autonomous vehicles other than a target vehicle that is the subject of remote control, and when the target vehicle is controlled to drive in the remote control mode in response to the control of the remote control device, creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control, and transmits the remote control avoidance control command to at least some of the non-target vehicles.

According to this configuration, when a predetermined event occurs, non-target vehicles other than the target vehicle that is the target of remote control are identified among the multiple autonomous vehicles, and when the target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, a remote control avoidance control command is created to cause the non-target vehicles to run autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control, and the created remote control avoidance control command is transmitted to at least some of the non-target vehicles. This reduces the possibility that a non-target vehicle that receives a remote control avoidance control command will get into a situation that requires remote control when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, and reduces the possibility that a non-target vehicle that receives a remote control avoidance control command will get into a situation where it has to wait for remote control while traveling. As a result, a situation can be realized in which, when a remote driver is remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles, the remote driver can easily concentrate on remotely controlling the autonomous vehicle that is the target of remote control.

The remote control avoidance control command may include a remote control suppression control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so as to reduce the possibility that the non-target vehicle will require remote control from the current possibility.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, a remote control suppression control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously so as to lower the possibility that the non-target vehicle will require remote control from the current possibility, and the created remote control suppression control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. This reliably reduces the possibility that the non-target vehicle will fall into a situation requiring remote control when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, and reliably reduces the possibility that the non-target vehicle will fall into a situation where it has to wait for remote control while traveling.

The remote steering suppression control command may include a speed suppression control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive at a speed lower than the current speed.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, a speed suppression control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously at a speed lower than the current speed, and the created speed suppression control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle, so that the non-target vehicle can be run at a safe low speed when the target vehicle is remotely controlled.

The remote control inhibition control command may include an autonomous driving maintenance control command for causing the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously so as to reduce the possibility that the non-target vehicle will not be able to drive autonomously below the current possibility.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, an autonomous driving maintenance control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously so as to reduce the possibility that the non-target vehicle will not be able to run autonomously compared to the current possibility, and the created autonomous driving maintenance control command is sent to the non-target vehicle. This reliably reduces the possibility that the non-target vehicle will fall into a situation requiring remote control when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, and reliably reduces the possibility that the non-target vehicle will fall into a situation where it has to wait for remote control while traveling.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command may include a center driving control command for autonomously driving the non-target vehicle so as to drive in the center lane of the multiple lanes when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road with multiple lanes.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, if the non-target vehicle is running on a road with multiple lanes, a center side driving control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously in the center lane of the multiple lanes, and the created center side driving control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. Therefore, when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, even if the non-target vehicle is running on a road with multiple lanes, the non-target vehicle can be made to run in the center lane where there are fewer obstacles, etc.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command may include a road width expansion control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive on a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road whose width is narrower than a predetermined value.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, if the non-target vehicle is running on a road narrower than a predetermined value, a width increase control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously on a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and the created width increase control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. Therefore, even if the non-target vehicle is running on a road whose width is narrower than the predetermined value when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, the non-target vehicle can be made to run on a safe, wide road where remote control is unlikely to be required.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command may include a route change control command for autonomously driving the non-target vehicle so that the non-target vehicle does not drive through a driving avoidance area of a predetermined range that includes the point where the driving mode of the target vehicle is switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, a route change control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously so that the non-target vehicle does not run through a driving avoidance area including the point where the driving mode of the target vehicle was switched from autonomous driving mode to remote control mode, and the created route change control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. Therefore, when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, the non-target vehicle can be made to run on a safe route that is unlikely to require remote control, without running through a driving avoidance area including the point where remote control of the target vehicle became necessary.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command may include a replenishment promotion control command for causing the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously so as to promote the replenishment of fuel or electricity for driving the non-target vehicle.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, a refueling promotion control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously so as to promote the refueling of fuel or electricity for running the non-target vehicle, and the created refueling promotion control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. Therefore, when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, the non-target vehicle can be refueled with fuel or electricity and the non-target vehicle can be stopped.

The remote control avoidance control command may include a remote control standby control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so that immediate remote control of the non-target vehicle is possible when the non-target vehicle requires remote control.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, a remote control standby control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously so that the non-target vehicle can be remotely controlled immediately if the non-target vehicle requires remote control, and the created remote control standby control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle, so that the non-target vehicle can be remotely controlled immediately when the target vehicle is remotely controlled.

The remote control standby control command may include a side road side driving control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive in a lane opposite the center line of the multiple lanes when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road with multiple lanes.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, if the non-target vehicle is running on a road with multiple lanes, a side road side driving control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously in the lane opposite the center line of the multiple lanes, and the created side road side driving control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. Therefore, when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, even if the non-target vehicle is running on a road with multiple lanes, the non-target vehicle can be made to run in the lane opposite the center line, and the non-target vehicle can be stopped immediately.

The remote control standby control command may include a road width widening control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously travel on a road whose width is equal to or greater than a predetermined value when the non-target vehicle is traveling on a road whose width is narrower than a predetermined value.

According to this configuration, when the identified target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, if the non-target vehicle is running on a road narrower than a predetermined value, a width increase control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously on a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and the created width increase control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle. Therefore, even if the non-target vehicle is running on a road whose width is narrower than the predetermined value when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, the non-target vehicle can be made to run on a wider road, and the non-target vehicle can be stopped immediately.

The remote control device may include a plurality of remote control devices, and the remote control avoidance control command may be created when the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the plurality of remote control devices falls below a predetermined first threshold value.

According to this configuration, when the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the multiple remote control devices falls below a predetermined first threshold, a remote control avoidance control command is created. Therefore, when there are sufficient unused remote control devices and the situation is such that the next remote control can be handled, smooth driving of the non-target vehicles can be achieved without sending a remote control avoidance control command. At the same time, only when there are not sufficient unused remote control devices and the situation is such that the next remote control cannot be handled, a remote control avoidance control command is sent, thereby reducing the possibility that the non-target vehicles will be in a situation where they require remote control when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, and reducing the possibility that the non-target vehicles will be in a situation where they have to wait for remote control while driving.

When the number of the unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the first threshold and exceeds a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, a remote control suppression control command may be created as the remote control avoidance control command to cause the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously so as to reduce the possibility that the non-target vehicle will require remote control to a lower probability than the current possibility, and when the number of the unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the second threshold, a remote control standby control command may be created as the remote control avoidance control command to cause the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously so that the non-target vehicle can be immediately remotely controlled if it requires remote control.

According to this configuration, when the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the first threshold but exceeds a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, a remote control suppression control command is created as a remote control avoidance control command to cause the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so as to make the possibility that the non-target vehicle will need remote control lower than the current possibility, and when the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the second threshold, a remote control standby control command is created as a remote control avoidance control command to cause the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so that the non-target vehicle can be remotely controlled immediately if the non-target vehicle needs remote control. Therefore, when the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the first threshold but exceeds the second threshold, there is a certain amount of leeway in the number of unused remote control devices, and the situation is such that the non-target vehicle can be remotely controlled to a certain extent, the non-target vehicle can be driven so as to reduce the possibility of needing remote control, and when the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the second threshold and there is not much leeway in the number of unused remote control devices, the non-target vehicle can be driven so as to be remotely controlled immediately.

The remote control device may include a plurality of remote control devices, and the non-target vehicle to which the remote control avoidance control command is sent may be changed depending on the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the plurality of remote control devices.

According to this configuration, the non-target vehicles to which the remote control avoidance control command is sent are changed depending on the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the multiple remote control devices. Therefore, if there is a certain amount of leeway in the number of unused remote control devices, the remote control avoidance control command is sent only to non-target vehicles that are suitable for executing the remote control avoidance control command, reducing the need for remote control of non-target vehicles to a certain extent and enabling smooth driving of other non-target vehicles. Also, if there is not a certain amount of leeway in the number of unused remote control devices, the remote control avoidance control command is sent to all non-target vehicles, reliably reducing the need for remote control of non-target vehicles.

When the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, the remote control avoidance control command may be preferentially transmitted to non-task-executing vehicles among the non-target vehicles that are not executing a predetermined task.

According to this configuration, when the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, remote control avoidance control commands are preferentially sent to non-task-executing vehicles among non-target vehicles that are not executing a predetermined task. As a result, the task efficiency of non-target vehicles can be maintained overall, and the need for remote control of non-target vehicles can be reduced.

When the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, the remote control avoidance control command may be preferentially transmitted to non-target vehicles located in an area where the likelihood of requiring remote control is higher than usual.

According to this configuration, when the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, remote control avoidance control commands are preferentially sent to non-target vehicles located in areas where there is a higher than normal probability of remote control being required. This allows remote control avoidance control commands to be issued preferentially to non-target vehicles located in areas where there is a higher probability of remote control being required, and prevents the driving efficiency of non-target vehicles from being reduced by issuing remote control avoidance control commands more than necessary.

If the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, the remote control avoidance control command may be preferentially transmitted to non-manually driven vehicles that cannot be manually driven among the non-target vehicles.

According to this configuration, when the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, remote control avoidance control commands are preferentially sent to non-manually driven vehicles that cannot be manually driven among non-target vehicles. This makes it possible to prevent remote control avoidance control commands from being issued to vehicles that can be manually driven more than to non-manually driven vehicles, and to prevent the driving efficiency of non-target vehicles from being reduced by issuing remote control avoidance control commands more than necessary.

The present disclosure can be realized not only as a control method for executing the characteristic processing as described above, but also as a control device or control system having a characteristic configuration corresponding to the characteristic processing executed by the control method. It can also be realized as a computer program that causes a computer to execute the characteristic processing included in such a control method. Therefore, the same effect as the above control method can be achieved in the following other aspects as well.

A control device according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a control device used to remotely monitor a plurality of autonomous vehicles configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the autonomous vehicles drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which the autonomous vehicles are remotely controlled by a remote control device, and includes an identification unit that identifies non-target vehicles among the plurality of autonomous vehicles other than a target vehicle that is to be remotely controlled when a predetermined event occurs, a creation unit that creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control when the target vehicles are controlled to drive in the remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, and a communication unit that transmits the remote control avoidance control command to at least some of the non-target vehicles.

A control system according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of autonomous vehicles configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the autonomous vehicles drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which the autonomous vehicles are remotely controlled by a remote control device, a control device used to remotely monitor the plurality of autonomous vehicles, and a remote control device that remotely controls a target vehicle among the plurality of autonomous vehicles to be remotely controlled. The control device includes an identification unit that identifies non-target vehicles among the plurality of autonomous vehicles other than the target vehicle that is the target vehicle to be remotely controlled when a predetermined event occurs, a creation unit that creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control when the target vehicle is controlled to drive in the remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, and a communication unit that transmits the remote control avoidance control command to at least some of the non-target vehicles.

A control program according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a control program for causing a computer to function as a control device used to remotely monitor a plurality of autonomous vehicles configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the autonomous vehicles drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which the autonomous vehicles are remotely controlled by a remote control device, and causes the computer to execute a process of identifying non-target vehicles among the plurality of autonomous vehicles other than a target vehicle that is the subject of remote control when a predetermined event occurs, creating a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control when the target vehicles are controlled to drive in the remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, and transmitting the remote control avoidance control command to at least some of the non-target vehicles.

Needless to say, such computer programs can be distributed on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or via a communication network such as the Internet. In addition, some of the components of the device or system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and the other components may be distributed across multiple computers to form a system.

Note that the embodiments described below are all intended to show a specific example of the present disclosure. The numerical values, shapes, components, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in an independent claim that shows the highest concept are described as optional components. Furthermore, in all embodiments, the contents of each can be combined. Furthermore, various modified examples that make changes to each embodiment of the present disclosure within the scope conceived by a person skilled in the art are also included in the present disclosure, so long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure.

The following describes an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The control system shown in FIG. 1 includes a control device 1, a plurality of autonomous vehicles 21-2i, a plurality of remote control devices 31-3j, and a plurality of display devices 41-4k (where i, j, and k are any positive integers). In this embodiment, the autonomous vehicles 21-2i, the plurality of remote control devices 31-3j, and the plurality of display devices 41-4k are described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and one autonomous vehicle, one remote control device, and one display device may be used.

The control device 1, the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i, the multiple remote control devices 31-3j, and the multiple display devices 41-4k are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a specified wired or wireless network 5 such as the Internet or a dedicated line.

Each of the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i performs autonomous driving at level 4 (High Driving Automation) or level 5 (Full Driving Automation) as defined in J3016 defined by SAE International of the United States, and travels in an unmanned state. Note that the autonomous vehicles 21-2i are not limited to the above examples, and may be, for example, autonomous vehicles performing autonomous driving at levels 1-3 or normal vehicles performing driving at level 0 (manually driven vehicles manually driven by a driver).

The autonomous vehicles 21-2i are configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which they drive autonomously and a remote control mode in which they are remotely controlled by remote control devices 31-3j. The autonomous vehicles 21-2i are vehicles that perform a predetermined task in the autonomous driving mode. Examples of the predetermined task include a task of a delivery service such as home delivery, or a task of a delivery service such as a taxi service.

In a normal task execution state, the autonomous vehicles 21-2i are set to an autonomous driving mode and drive autonomously. The autonomous vehicles 21-2i capture images related to their own driving conditions.

The multiple display devices 41-4k display images captured by the autonomous vehicles 21-2i in remote locations. When the multiple remote operators P1-Pl (where l is any positive integer) are not remotely controlling the autonomous vehicles 21-2i using the multiple remote control devices 31-3j, they remotely monitor the running state of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i in remote locations while watching the images of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i displayed on the display devices 41-4k. The number of remote operators P1-Pl is not particularly limited to the above example, and may be one person. In addition, it is not necessary to perform remote monitoring while watching the images of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i. For example, remote monitoring may be performed by displaying information in which the vehicle positions are mapped on a map, and any display may be used as long as it is used for remotely monitoring the autonomous vehicles 21-2i.

Meanwhile, when a specified event occurs, the autonomous vehicles 21-2i transmit a remote control request to the control device 1, requesting a switch from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. If the remote operators P1-Pl are able to remotely control the vehicles using the remote control devices 31-3j, the control device 1 accepts the remote control request and switches the driving mode of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode.

The method of transmitting the remote control request is not limited to the above example, and various modifications are possible, such as, for example, when the remote operators P1-Pl are remotely monitoring the driving status of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i displayed on the display devices 41-4k, the remote operators P1-Pl may determine the need for remote control and use the display devices 41-4k or remote control devices 31-3j to transmit a remote control request for the autonomous vehicles that they determine require remote control to the control device 1.

After being switched to the remote control mode, the autonomous vehicles 21-2i transmit vehicle information including vehicle state information related to the vehicle body, such as vehicle speed, current position, steering angle, etc., and surrounding environment information obtained by photographing the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i, to the control device 1 and the remote control devices 31-3j periodically or at a predetermined timing so that the remote drivers P1-Pl can remotely control the autonomous vehicles. In addition, the autonomous vehicles 21-2i transmit task information indicating the task they are currently performing to the control device 1, and the vehicle information storage unit 132 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, stores the task information as vehicle information. In addition, the vehicle information storage unit 132 pre-stores, as vehicle information, map information related to the roads on which the autonomous vehicles 21-2i are traveling, and information indicating whether the autonomous vehicles 21-2i are non-manually driven vehicles that cannot be manually driven.

The control device 1 is composed of, for example, a cloud server equipped with a processor, memory, an external storage device, and a communication device. The control device 1 receives and stores vehicle information from the autonomous vehicles 21 to 2i.

The remote control devices 31-3j receive and display vehicle information from the autonomous vehicles 21-2i, and the remote drivers P1-Pl use the remote control devices 31-3j to remotely control the autonomous vehicles 21-2i. The remote control devices 31-3j transmit remote control commands input by the remote drivers P1-Pl to the autonomous vehicles 21-2i. When the autonomous vehicles 21-2i receive remote control commands from the remote control devices 31-3j, they travel in remote control mode in accordance with the commands.

Here, the occurrence of the above-mentioned specified event refers to a situation where the autonomous vehicles 21-2i require remote control, specifically, when an accident occurs in the autonomous vehicles 21-2i, when the autonomous vehicles 21-2i are unable to travel in the autonomous driving mode, etc. For example, when the environmental conditions deteriorate due to bad weather such as snow, rain, wind, etc., when the roads are congested with many people, when a large number of obstacles such as garbage are scattered on the road, or when the sensor unit 214 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, breaks down, the autonomous vehicles 21-2i will misrecognize objects such as signs and obstacles on the road, or will be unable to grasp their own position, resulting in a situation where the autonomous vehicles 21-2i will be unable to travel in the autonomous driving mode.

If the above event occurs in the autonomous vehicle 21, and for example the remote operator P1 is one of the remote operators capable of remote control, when the remote operator P1 starts remote control of the autonomous vehicle 21 using the remote control device 31, the remote operator P1 will no longer be able to see the display devices 41-4k that display the traveling states of the other autonomous vehicles 22-2i, and will no longer be able to perform remote monitoring using the display devices 41-4k. Furthermore, in this state, if the above event also occurs in the other autonomous vehicles 22-2i and a remote control request is transmitted, the remote operator P1 will not be able to remotely control the other autonomous vehicles 22-2i.

For this reason, the control device 1 identifies a target vehicle to be remotely controlled from among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i when a specified event occurs, and when the target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device 31-3j, creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles other than the target vehicle among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i to run autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control, and transmits the created remote control avoidance control command to at least some of the non-target vehicles.

Specifically, the control device 1 transmits the created remotely controlled avoidance control command to all non-target vehicles, and the non-target vehicles determine whether or not to execute the received remotely controlled avoidance control command. If the remotely controlled avoidance control command is suitable for their own situation, the remotely controlled avoidance control command is executed, and if the remotely controlled avoidance control command is not suitable for their own situation, the remotely controlled avoidance control command is not executed. In this case, it is preferable that the remotely controlled avoidance control command includes information indicating the conditions under which non-target vehicles are subject to the remotely controlled avoidance control command.

For example, if the remote control avoidance control command is a width increase control command (a command to move from a narrow road to a wide road) described below, the control device 1 transmits the width increase control command to all non-target vehicles, and among the non-target vehicles, non-target vehicles traveling on narrow roads execute the width increase control command, and non-target vehicles traveling on wide roads do not execute the width increase control command.

The control device 1 may also identify non-target vehicles to which the remotely controlled avoidance control command is to be sent, and transmit the remotely controlled avoidance control command only to the identified non-target vehicles. For example, if the remotely controlled avoidance control command is a road width increase control command, which will be described later, the control device 1 may refer to the vehicle information storage unit 132 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, to identify, from the vehicle positions and map information of the non-target vehicles, vehicles that are traveling on narrow roads, and transmit the road width increase control command only to those vehicles.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 1 shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the autonomous vehicle 21 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the remote control device 31 shown in Figure 1. Note that in Figures 3 and 4, the illustration is simplified and only the autonomous vehicle 21 and the remote control device 31 of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i and the remote control devices 31-3j are shown, but the other autonomous vehicles 22-2i and the other remote control devices 32-3j are also configured and operate in the same way as the autonomous vehicle 21 and the remote control device 31. Therefore, in the following explanation, the configuration and operation of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i and the remote control devices 31-3j will be explained using the autonomous vehicle 21 and the remote control device 31.

The control device 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a memory unit 13. The control unit 12 includes a request receiving unit 121, a vehicle identification unit 122, and a control command creating unit 123. The memory unit 13 includes a device information memory unit 131, a vehicle information memory unit 132, and a control program memory unit 133.

The autonomous vehicle 21 shown in FIG. 3 includes a communication unit 211, an image capture unit 212, a position measurement unit 213, a sensor unit 214, a drive unit 215, a control unit 216, and a memory unit 217. The control unit 216 includes a communication control unit 261 and a driving control unit 262. The memory unit 217 includes a map information memory unit 271, a route information memory unit 272, and an autonomous driving program memory unit 273.

The remote control device 31 shown in FIG. 4 includes a communication unit 311, an output unit 312, an input unit 313, a control unit 314, and a storage unit 315. Note that the configuration of the remote control device 31 is not particularly limited to this example, and the remote control device 31 may be configured to include some or all of the functions of the control device 1.

The control unit 216 of the autonomous vehicle 21 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and functions as a communication control unit 261 and a driving control unit 262. The memory unit 217 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory and functions as a map information memory unit 271, a route information memory unit 272, and an autonomous driving program memory unit 273. The communication control unit 261 controls the communication unit 211, the photographing unit 212, the position measurement unit 213, the sensor unit 214, etc.

The photographing unit 212 is composed of, for example, a plurality of cameras for photographing the surroundings of the autonomous vehicle 21, and is attached to the front, rear, right side, and left side of the autonomous vehicle 21. The photographing unit 212 outputs photographic information of the surroundings of the autonomous vehicle 21 to the control unit 216 and the communication unit 211 as surrounding environment information.

The photographing unit 212 is not limited to the above example, and the mounting position and number of cameras may be changed as long as the configuration is capable of photographing the surroundings of the autonomous vehicle 21. For example, the right side (or left side) cameras may be mounted in two locations, the front right (or front left) and rear right (or rear left) of the vehicle. As another configuration example, one omnidirectional camera may be mounted in the center of the vehicle.

The photographing information captured by the photographing unit 212 is transmitted to the remote control device 31 via the communication unit 211 as surrounding environment information, and when the remote driver P1 remotely controls the autonomous vehicle 21 using the remote control device 31, the remote driver P1 confirms the surrounding environment information and performs remote control. It is preferable that the photographing information captured by the photographing unit 212 is photographing information in which not only visual information but also auditory information is recorded. In this case, the photographing unit 212 is composed of, for example, a camera and a microphone.

The position measurement unit 213 is composed of, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and periodically measures and acquires vehicle position information indicating the current position of the autonomous vehicle 21, and outputs the vehicle position information to the control unit 216 and the communication unit 211 as vehicle state information. The vehicle position information is expressed, for example, by latitude and longitude.

The sensor unit 214 senses information on the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle 21 and information on the state of the autonomous vehicle 21, and outputs the sensed sensor information as surrounding environment information to the control unit 216 and the communication unit 211. As the sensor unit 214 that senses information on the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle 21, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or a millimeter wave radar can be used.

LIDAR detects the distance and relative speed of surrounding objects by emitting an infrared laser and measuring the time it takes for the laser to reflect off an object and return. This allows it to read the three-dimensional structure of the surrounding environment.

Millimeter-wave radar also performs measurements similar to LIDAR, but uses radio waves instead of infrared lasers to perform the measurements. LIDAR uses infrared rays and can be used at night, but its functionality is reduced in bad weather. Millimeter-wave radar uses radio waves, so although its resolution is inferior to LIDAR, it can detect regardless of the weather, and millimeter-wave radar can complement measurements that LIDAR cannot make.

The sensor information sensed by the sensor unit 214, which senses information on the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle 21, is used when the autonomous vehicle 21 is traveling autonomously when the traveling mode of the autonomous vehicle 21 is the autonomous traveling mode, and when the traveling mode of the autonomous vehicle 21 is the remote control mode, the sensor information is sent to the remote control device 31 together with the photographing information photographed by the photographing unit 212 as surrounding environment information.

The sensor unit 214 that senses the state of the autonomous vehicle 21 includes a steering angle sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an odometer, an inertial sensor, and the like. The steering angle sensor detects the angle of the front wheels. The vehicle speed sensor detects the moving speed of the autonomous vehicle 21. The odometer measures the number of tire rotations to measure the distance traveled by the autonomous vehicle 21. The inertial sensor is a sensor that detects inertial momentum and is composed of a three-axis angular velocity sensor and a three-directional acceleration sensor, and detects the behavior of the autonomous vehicle 21.

The sensor information sensed by the sensor unit 214 is used when the autonomous vehicle 21 is traveling autonomously when the autonomous vehicle 21 is in the autonomous traveling mode, and is transmitted to the remote control device 31 as vehicle status information related to the vehicle body of the autonomous vehicle 21 when the autonomous vehicle 21 is in the remote control mode.

Under the control of the communication control unit 261, the communication unit 211 performs wireless communication with the control device 1 and the remote control device 31, and transmits vehicle information to the control device 1 and the remote control device 31, including vehicle state information related to the vehicle body such as the vehicle speed, current position, and steering angle of the autonomous vehicle 21, and surrounding environment information obtained by photographing the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle 21. The communication unit 211 also receives a remote control command from the remote control device 31 instructing the autonomous vehicle 21 to run in remote control mode. Note that the communication unit 211 may be a general wireless communication device, or may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a mobile phone, a PHS (personal handyphone system), or the like.

When the autonomous vehicle 21 is an engine vehicle, the drive unit 215 is composed of, for example, an engine and a transmission. When the autonomous vehicle 21 is a battery vehicle in the narrow sense, the drive unit 215 is composed of, for example, a drive motor and a transmission. Both the engine and the drive motor are started and stopped via an ignition switch. Furthermore, the drive unit 215 also includes an accelerator device and a brake device, and accelerates and decelerates the vehicle.

The map information storage unit 271 stores map information in advance. The map information is composed of, for example, road data related to road links, intersection data related to intersections, data related to facilities, and feature data indicating display objects installed or formed on roads. The map information is used when generating route information used by the autonomous vehicle 21 when autonomously driving in the autonomous driving mode.

The route information storage unit 272 stores route information indicating the route from the departure point to the destination of the autonomous vehicle 21. The route information can be generated by an existing route generation program or the like, and the autonomous vehicle 21 can acquire the route information generated by an external server or the like by receiving it from a server. The autonomous vehicle 21 may also have a predetermined route generation program and execute the route generation program to generate route information and store it in the route information storage unit 272.

The autonomous driving program storage unit 273 prestores various programs for driving the autonomous vehicle 21 in the autonomous driving mode and the remote control mode.

The driving control unit 262 executes the autonomous driving program stored in the autonomous driving program storage unit 273. The driving control unit 262 controls the drive unit 215 in accordance with the autonomous driving program based on the photographing information photographed by the photographing unit 212, the vehicle position information indicating the vehicle position of the autonomous driving vehicle 21 measured by the position measurement unit 213, and the sensor information sensed by the sensor unit 214, etc.

Specifically, the driving control unit 262 controls the drive unit 215, etc. to drive the autonomous vehicle 21 autonomously in the autonomous driving mode, or controls the drive unit 215, etc. to drive the autonomous vehicle 21 in the remote control mode according to remote control by the remote control device 31.

The driving control unit 262 also detects that the above-mentioned specified event has occurred in the autonomous vehicle 21 from the vehicle state information and the surrounding environment information, and uses the communication unit 211 to send a remote control request to the control device 1 to switch from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode.

The communication unit 311 of the remote control device 31 communicates with the autonomous vehicle 21 and receives vehicle information from the autonomous vehicle 21, including vehicle state information related to the vehicle body such as the vehicle speed, current position, and steering angle of the autonomous vehicle 21, and surrounding environment information obtained by photographing the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle 21. The communication unit 311 may be a general communication device, or may be a wide area network (WAN), wireless LAN, mobile phone, PHS, or the like.

The output unit 312 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays vehicle state information related to the vehicle body, such as the vehicle speed, current position, and steering angle of the autonomous vehicle 21, and surrounding environment information obtained by photographing the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle 21, received from the autonomous vehicle 21 via the communication unit 311. A publicly known display method can be used to display the vehicle state information and the surrounding environment information, and for example, the information may be displayed simultaneously on one display, or each piece of information may be displayed on a separate display. In addition, if the surrounding environment information is photographed information photographed by multiple cameras, the photographed information photographed by each camera may be displayed separately, or the photographed information photographed by each camera may be integrated and the integrated photographed information may be displayed. The output unit 312 may be used as the display devices 41 to 4k, in which case the output unit 312 and the display devices 41 to 4k are the same device.

When the control device 1 accepts the remote control request, it transmits an instruction to accept the remote control request to the remote control device 31 that can be remotely controlled, and the communication unit 311 receives the instruction to accept the remote control request and outputs it to the control unit 314. The control unit 314 reads the identification information of the remote control device 31 from the memory unit 315, and transmits the read identification information to the control device 1 using the communication unit 311.

The input unit 313 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, etc., and is used by the remote pilot P1 to perform various operations. The remote pilot P1 inputs, via the input unit 313, command steering amounts and the like that specify the vehicle speed and steering amount of the autonomous vehicle 21 as driving instructions for remotely driving the autonomous vehicle 21. The input unit 313 may be composed of the same driving environment as when actually driving the vehicle, for example, a steering wheel, brakes, accelerator, etc. In this case, the remote pilot P1 can input driving instructions with the feeling of actually driving the vehicle.

The storage unit 315 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory, and stores various information such as a remote control application program for remotely controlling the autonomous vehicle 21, information received from the autonomous vehicle 21, and information input by the remote operator P1. The control unit 314 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and executes the remote control application program in the storage unit 315 and controls the communication unit 311, output unit 312, input unit 313, etc., thereby performing various controls of the remote control device 31.

The remote operator P1 remotely controls the autonomous vehicle 21 using the input unit 313 while checking the information displayed on the output unit 312. Under the control of the control unit 314, the communication unit 311 transmits a remote control command to the autonomous vehicle 21 for remotely controlling the autonomous vehicle 21, including driving instructions for the autonomous vehicle 21 inputted by the input unit 313.

The memory unit 13 of the control device 1 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory, and functions as a device information memory unit 131, a vehicle information memory unit 132, and a control program memory unit 133.

The device information storage unit 131 prestores the identification number of each remote control device 31-3j. Here, various information can be used as the identification number as long as it can individually identify each remote control device 31-3j. For example, the IP address (Internet Protocol address) of each remote control device 31-3j can be used. The communication unit 11 receives identification information for identifying the remote control device from the remote control device used for remote control and stores it in the device information storage unit 131.

The vehicle information storage unit 132 prestores the identification number of each autonomous vehicle 21-2i. Here, various information can be used as the identification number as long as it can individually identify each autonomous vehicle 21-2i. For example, the IP address of each autonomous vehicle 21-2i can be used. The communication unit 11 receives vehicle information from the autonomous vehicles 21-2i and stores it in the vehicle information storage unit 132.

The control unit 12 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and functions as a request receiving unit 121, a vehicle identification unit 122, and a control command creating unit 123 by executing a predetermined control program stored in the control program storage unit 133.

The communication unit 11 receives a remote control request from one of the autonomous vehicles 21 to 2i and outputs the request to the request receiving unit 121.

The request acceptance unit 121 determines whether or not it is possible to accept a remote control request from an autonomous vehicle. Specifically, the request acceptance unit 121 refers to the device information storage unit 131 to determine whether or not there is an identification number other than the identification number of the remote control device currently being used for remote control among the identification numbers of all remote control devices 31 to 3j. If there is an identification number other than the identification number of the remote control device currently being used for remote control, that is, an identification number of a remote control device not being used for remote control, the request acceptance unit 121 determines that it is possible to accept the remote control request, and if there is no identification number of a remote control device not being used for remote control, it determines that it is not possible to accept the remote control request.

When the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request cannot be accepted, it uses the communication unit 11 to send a stop control command to the autonomous vehicle that sent the remote control request, instructing it to stop, and the autonomous vehicle stops in accordance with the stop control command. Note that the method of dealing with the situation when the remote control request cannot be accepted is not limited to the above example, and other methods of dealing with the situation may be used.

On the other hand, if the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request can be accepted, it uses the communication unit 11 to transmit a remote control instruction to an unused remote control device that is not being used for remote control, instructing the remote control device to remotely control the autonomous vehicle that sent the remote control request, and accepts the remote control request. The communication unit 311 of the unused remote control device receives the remote control instruction and outputs it to the output unit 312. The output unit 312 displays the remote control instruction, and the driver uses the input unit 313 to remotely control the autonomous vehicle that sent the remote control request.

The request acceptance unit 121 also stores the identification number of the autonomous vehicle that it has determined can accept the remote control request, i.e., the target vehicle to be remotely controlled, in the vehicle information storage unit 132, and notifies the vehicle identification unit 122 of the result of its determination that the remote control request can be accepted.

When the above-mentioned specified event occurs, i.e., when an autonomous vehicle in which a specified event has occurred transmits a remote control request and the remote control request is accepted, the vehicle identification unit 122 identifies non-target vehicles other than the target vehicles that are to be remotely controlled among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i, and notifies the control command creation unit 123 of the identified non-target vehicles. Specifically, the vehicle identification unit 122 refers to the vehicle information storage unit 132, identifies autonomous vehicles having identification numbers other than the identification numbers of the target vehicles from among the identification numbers of all autonomous vehicles 21-2i as non-target vehicles, and notifies the control command creation unit 123 of the identification numbers of the non-target vehicles.

When the target vehicle is controlled to travel in a remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, the control command creation unit 123 creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicle to travel autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicle requires remote control, and outputs the remote control avoidance control command to the communication unit 11.

The communication unit 11 transmits the created remote control avoidance control command to the non-target vehicle. Note that the timing of transmitting the remote control avoidance control command is not particularly limited to this example, and any timing can be used as long as it is after the request acceptance unit 121 has determined that the remote control request can be accepted.

Of the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i, the target vehicles run in remote control mode in response to the operation of a remote control device, while the remaining non-target vehicles run in autonomous driving mode in accordance with remote control avoidance control commands to avoid situations that require remote control.

Next, we will explain in detail the remote control avoidance control command created by the control command creation unit 123.

For example, the remote control avoidance control command includes a remote control suppression control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so as to reduce the likelihood that the non-target vehicle will require remote control from a current likelihood, and the remote control suppression control command includes a speed suppression control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so as to drive at a speed lower than a current speed.

In this case, the control command creation unit 123 creates a speed suppression control command as an example of a remote control suppression control command, and the non-target vehicle follows the speed suppression control command to travel at a speed lower than the current speed, for example, 5 km/h lower than the legal speed. Note that the remote control suppression control command is not limited to the above example, and various modifications are possible, such as reducing the acceleration during acceleration by a predetermined value, decelerating the speed by a predetermined value when turning on a road, and prohibiting overtaking other vehicles.

The remote operation suppression control command also includes an autonomous driving maintenance control command for causing the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously so as to reduce the possibility that the non-target vehicle will not be able to drive autonomously below the current possibility, and the autonomous driving maintenance control command includes a center side driving control command for causing the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously in the lane on the center line side of the multiple lanes when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road with multiple lanes. In this case, the control command creation unit 123 creates a center side driving control command as an example of an autonomous driving maintenance control command, and the non-target vehicle drives in the lane on the center line side of the multiple lanes (in the case of three or more lanes, a lane other than the leftmost lane).

In the left lane, there is a high possibility that there are parked vehicles, bicycles and motorbikes, and pedestrians may be walking on the roadway, and when driving in the left lane, the sensor unit 214 detects many types of objects. As a result, there may be cases where the sensor unit 214 is unable to sense accurately or is unable to accurately recognize objects from the sensing data, which may result in the vehicle being unable to drive in autonomous driving mode and the likelihood of requiring remote control is relatively high. Therefore, by driving in the lane closest to the center line among multiple lanes, the possibility that non-target vehicles will be unable to drive autonomously can be reduced.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command also includes a road width increase control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive on a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road whose width is narrower than a predetermined value. In this case, the control command creation unit 123 creates a road width increase control command as an example of an autonomous driving maintenance control command, and the non-target vehicle changes its route to a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

When driving on narrow roads, it is more difficult to perform various avoidance maneuvers compared to wide roads. Therefore, even if a small obstacle is detected, it is difficult for non-target vehicles to make autonomous decisions and drive, and there is a relatively high possibility that remote control will be required. Therefore, by changing the route to a road with a width equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the possibility that non-target vehicles will not be able to drive autonomously can be reduced. Note that the width expansion control command is not limited to the above example, and road type may be used instead of width. For example, various changes are possible, such as instructing a non-target vehicle driving on a residential road to change route to drive on a main road.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command also includes a route change control command for autonomously driving the non-target vehicle so that the non-target vehicle does not drive through a driving avoidance area of a predetermined range including the point where the driving mode of the target vehicle was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remotely controlled mode. In this case, the control command creation unit 123 refers to the vehicle information storage unit 132 to detect the point where the driving mode of the target vehicle was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remotely controlled mode, and creates a route change control command as an example of an autonomous driving maintenance control command, and the non-target vehicle changes its route so as not to drive through the driving avoidance area including the point where the driving mode of the target vehicle was switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remotely controlled mode.

The control command creation unit 123 may determine whether or not to send a route change control command depending on the cause of the target vehicle's driving mode being switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode. For example, if the cause is a failure of the sensor unit 214 of the target vehicle, the control command creation unit 123 does not send a route change control command. This is because if the sensor unit 214 of the non-target vehicle is not broken, there is no need to switch to remote control mode even if the non-target vehicle is driving through this location.

On the other hand, if the above-mentioned cause is not a failure of the sensor unit 214 of the target vehicle but an inability to perform accurate sensing, the control command creation unit 123 transmits a route change control command. This is because even non-target vehicles are likely to switch to remote control mode. In addition, since accurate sensing may not be possible due to the type or arrangement of each sensor in the sensor unit 214, the control command creation unit 123 may transmit a route change control command only to non-target vehicles whose sensor unit 214 is the same or similar to the target vehicle, for example, vehicles with the same model number, vehicles of the same model, vehicles with the same sensing method, etc.

Furthermore, the vehicle information storage unit 132 may store remote control switching point history information indicating a history of points where the driving mode of the target vehicle has been switched from the autonomous driving mode to the remote control mode in the past, and the control command creation unit 123 may transmit a route change control command to change the route based on the remote control switching point history information in the vehicle information storage unit 132. Furthermore, when a remote control request is received from another non-target vehicle, the control command creation unit 123 may transmit a route change control command to change the route so as not to include the position of that vehicle.

The autonomous driving maintenance control command also includes a replenishment promotion control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so as to promote the replenishment of fuel or electricity for driving the non-target vehicle. In this case, the control command creation unit 123 creates a replenishment promotion control command as an example of the autonomous driving maintenance control command, and the non-target vehicle drives to replenish fuel or electricity so as to promote the replenishment of fuel or electricity. This is because the non-target vehicle stops to replenish fuel or electricity, and by increasing the number of stopped non-target vehicles, it is possible to reduce the number of non-target vehicles that may require remote operation. For example, if the non-target vehicle is an electric vehicle, the non-target vehicle may store a threshold value of the remaining battery capacity for charging in the memory unit 217, and when a replenishment promotion control command is received, the driving control unit 262 may increase the threshold value of the remaining battery capacity to more actively charge.

The control command creation unit 123 may also select specific vehicles from among the non-target vehicles and transmit a replenishment promotion control command. For example, it may select non-target vehicles with low remaining battery capacity, non-target vehicles with a nearby charging location, or non-target vehicles with a charging location near the planned driving route. The number of non-target vehicles to be selected may be all or any number of vehicles that meet the above conditions, or the top few vehicles may be selected.

The remote control avoidance control command also includes a remote control standby control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive so that immediate remote control of the non-target vehicle is possible when the non-target vehicle requires remote control. The remote control standby control command includes a side road side driving control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive in the lane opposite the center line of the multiple lanes when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road with multiple lanes.

In this case, the control command creation unit 123 creates a side road side driving control command as an example of a remote control standby control command, and when the non-target vehicle is traveling on a road with multiple lanes, it drives in the lane opposite the center line. For example, when the non-target vehicle is traveling on a road with multiple lanes, it is controlled to drive in the left lane. Therefore, even if it becomes necessary to stop and wait when remote control is required, it can be stopped on the shoulder of the road immediately, and stopping can be prevented from blocking the progress of vehicles behind.

The remote control standby control command also includes a road width increase control command for causing the non-target vehicle to autonomously drive on a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value when the non-target vehicle is driving on a road whose width is narrower than a predetermined value. In this case, the control command creation unit 123 creates a road width increase control command as an example of a remote control standby control command, and the non-target vehicle changes its route to a road whose width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. This is because, when a non-target vehicle stops on a narrow road, it may cause a nuisance to other vehicles, such as by blocking the progress of vehicles behind, but this possibility is relatively low when the road is wide.

The control command creation unit 123 may transmit each of the above remotely controlled avoidance control commands individually depending on the situation of the non-target vehicle, or may transmit multiple remotely controlled avoidance control commands in any combination.

Next, the remote control avoidance control process performed by the control device 1 configured as described above will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the remote control avoidance control process performed by the control device 1 shown in Figure 1.

First, when the above-mentioned specified event occurs in one of the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i and the autonomous vehicle transmits a remote control request, the communication unit 11 of the control device 1 receives the remote control request and outputs it to the request receiving unit 121 (step S11).

Next, the request acceptance unit 121 refers to the device information storage unit 131 to determine whether the remote control request can be accepted (step S12). If the remote control request cannot be accepted (NO in step S12), the request acceptance unit 121 transmits a stop control command to the target vehicle that transmitted the remote control request from the communication unit 11 (step S17) and ends the process. At this time, the target vehicle that transmitted the remote control request stops in accordance with the stop control command.

On the other hand, if the remote control request can be accepted (YES in step S12), the request acceptance unit 121 accepts the remote control request from the target vehicle, uses the communication unit 11 to send a remote control instruction to the unused remote control device to remotely control the target vehicle, and notifies the vehicle identification unit 122 of the result that it has been determined that the remote control request can be accepted (step S13).

At this time, the output unit 312 of the unused remote control device that received the remote control instruction displays the remote control instruction, and after the operator confirms the remote control instruction, the input unit 313 transmits the remote control command input by the operator to the target vehicle, and the target vehicle that transmitted the remote control request is remotely controlled.

Next, the vehicle identification unit 122 refers to the vehicle information storage unit 132 to identify non-target vehicles among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i other than the target vehicle that is to be remotely controlled, and notifies the control command creation unit 123 of the identified non-target vehicles (step S14).

Next, the control command creation unit 123 creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicle to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicle requires remote control, and outputs the remote control avoidance control command to the communication unit 11 (step S15).

Next, the communication unit 11 transmits the created remote control avoidance control command to the non-target vehicle (step S16) and ends the process. At this time, the non-target vehicle drives in autonomous driving mode in accordance with the remote control avoidance control command, and avoids situations that require remote control.

In this embodiment, the above remote control avoidance control process identifies non-target vehicles other than the target vehicle that is the subject of remote control among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i when a specified event occurs, and when the target vehicle is controlled to run in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device 31-3j, a remote control avoidance control command is created to cause the non-target vehicle to run autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicle requires remote control, and the created remote control avoidance control command is transmitted to the non-target vehicle.

Therefore, when a target vehicle is remotely controlled, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a non-target vehicle will fall into a situation requiring remote control, and to reduce the possibility that a non-target vehicle will fall into a situation where it is waiting to be remotely controlled while traveling. As a result, when a remote operator is remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i using display devices 41-4k, it is possible to realize a situation in which the remote operator can easily concentrate on remotely controlling the autonomous vehicle that is the target of remote control.

(Embodiment 2)
Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device of a control system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The control system of this embodiment differs from the control system shown in Fig. 1 in that the control device 1 shown in Fig. 2 is changed to a control device 1a shown in Fig. 6, and other points are similar, so that the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

In addition, since the control system of this embodiment also uses multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i and multiple remote control devices 31-3j shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, illustrations and detailed explanations will be omitted, and Figures 1, 3 and 4 will be used instead as necessary for explanation.

The control device 1a shown in FIG. 6 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12a, and a memory unit 13a. The control unit 12a includes a request acceptance unit 121, a vehicle identification unit 122, a control command creation unit 123a, and a device number calculation unit 124. The memory unit 13a includes a device information memory unit 131, a vehicle information memory unit 132, and a control program memory unit 133a.

The storage unit 13a is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory, and functions as a device information storage unit 131, a vehicle information storage unit 132, and a control program storage unit 133a.

The control unit 12a is composed of, for example, a CPU, and functions as a request receiving unit 121, a vehicle identification unit 122, a control command creating unit 123a, and a device number calculating unit 124 by executing a predetermined control program stored in the control program storage unit 133a.

The communication unit 11 receives a remote control request from one of the autonomous vehicles 21-2i and outputs it to the request acceptance unit 121 and the device number calculation unit 124. The communication unit 11 receives identification information for identifying the remote control device used for remote control from the remote control device and stores it in the device information storage unit 131. The communication unit 11 receives vehicle information from the autonomous vehicles 21-2i and stores it in the vehicle information storage unit 132.

The device number calculation unit 124 calculates the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the multiple remote control devices 31 to 3j. Specifically, the device number calculation unit 124 refers to the device information storage unit 131, and calculates the number of identification numbers other than the identification numbers of remote control devices currently being used for remote control, from among the identification numbers of all remote control devices 31 to 3j, thereby calculating the number of unused remote control devices.

The device number calculation unit 124 also determines whether the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold, for example, four or less. If the number of unused remote control devices is not equal to or less than the first threshold, the device number calculation unit 124 instructs the request acceptance unit 121 to execute only processing for the remote control request, the request acceptance unit 121 executes only processing for the remote control request, and the control command creation unit 123a does not create a remote control avoidance control command. On the other hand, if the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the first threshold, the device number calculation unit 124 notifies the request acceptance unit 121 of the number of unused remote control devices.

The request acceptance unit 121 determines whether or not the remote control request can be accepted based on the notified number of unused remote control devices. For example, if the number of unused remote control devices is 0, the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request cannot be accepted, and if the number of unused remote control devices is 1 or more, the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request can be accepted.

When the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request cannot be accepted, it uses the communication unit 11 to send a stop control command to the autonomous vehicle that sent the remote control request, instructing it to stop, and the autonomous vehicle stops in accordance with the stop control command. Note that the method of dealing with the situation when the remote control request cannot be accepted is not limited to the above example, and other methods of dealing with the situation may be used.

On the other hand, if the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request can be accepted, it uses the communication unit 11 to send a remote control instruction to one of the unused remote control devices to remotely control the autonomous vehicle that sent the remote control request, and accepts the remote control request. The communication unit 311 of the one remote control device not being used for remote control receives the remote control instruction and outputs it to the output unit 312. The output unit 312 displays the remote control instruction, and the remote driver uses the input unit 313 to remotely control the autonomous vehicle that sent the remote control request.

The request acceptance unit 121 also stores the identification number of the autonomous vehicle that it has determined can accept the remote control request, i.e., the target vehicle to be remotely controlled, in the vehicle information storage unit 132, notifies the vehicle identification unit 122 and the control command creation unit 123a of the result of determining that the remote control request can be accepted, and notifies the control command creation unit 123a of the number of unused remote control devices.

When the above-mentioned predetermined event occurs, that is, when an autonomous vehicle in which a predetermined event has occurred transmits a remote control request and the remote control request is accepted, the vehicle identification unit 122 identifies non-target vehicles other than the target vehicle that is to be remotely controlled among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i, and notifies the control command creation unit 123a of the identified non-target vehicles. Specifically, the vehicle identification unit 122 refers to the vehicle information storage unit 132, identifies autonomous vehicles having identification numbers other than the identification numbers of the target vehicles from among the identification numbers of all autonomous vehicles 21-2i as non-target vehicles, and notifies the control command creation unit 123a of the identification numbers of the non-target vehicles. Note that, if there is an autonomous vehicle already being remotely controlled, it is preferable that the vehicle identification unit 122 identifies vehicles other than the target vehicle that is to be remotely controlled and the autonomous vehicle already being remotely controlled as non-target vehicles.

When the target vehicle is controlled to travel in a remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, the control command creation unit 123a creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicle to travel autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicle requires remote control, in accordance with the number of unused remote control devices, and outputs the remote control avoidance control command to the communication unit 11.

The communication unit 11 transmits the created remote control avoidance control command to the non-target vehicle. Note that the timing of transmitting the remote control avoidance control command is not particularly limited to this example, and any timing can be used as long as it is after the request acceptance unit 121 has determined that the remote control request can be accepted.

Of the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i, the target vehicle runs in remote control mode in response to the operation of the remote control device, and the non-target vehicle that receives the remote control avoidance control command runs in autonomous driving mode in accordance with the remote control avoidance control command, avoiding situations that require remote control.

Next, we will explain in detail the remote control avoidance control commands that are created by the control command creation unit 123a according to the number of unused remote control devices.

First, when the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the multiple remote control devices 31 to 3j falls below a predetermined first threshold, for example, four, the control command creation unit 123a creates a remote control avoidance control command and transmits the created remote control avoidance control command to the non-target vehicle from the communication unit 11. As this remote control avoidance command, the various remote control avoidance commands of embodiment 1 can be used.

In addition, when the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the first threshold but exceeds a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, the control command creation unit 123a may create, as a remote control avoidance control command, a remote control suppression control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to reduce the possibility that the non-target vehicles will require remote control from the current possibility, and when the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the second threshold, may create, as a remote control avoidance control command, a remote control standby control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so that the non-target vehicles can be immediately remotely controlled if they require remote control, and may transmit the created remote control avoidance control command to the non-target vehicles from the communication unit 11.

For example, if the number of unused remote control devices is five or more, the control command creation unit 123a does not transmit a remote control avoidance control command; if the number is two to four, the control command creation unit 123a creates and transmits the above-mentioned center side driving control command as a remote control inhibition control command; if the number is one, the control command creation unit 123a creates and transmits a side road side driving control command as a remote control standby control command.

The control command creation unit 123a may also change the non-target vehicles to which the remote control avoidance control command is sent depending on the number of unused remote control devices, and transmit the remote control avoidance control command to the changed non-target vehicles from the communication unit 11.

In addition, when the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, the control command creation unit 123a may read task information from the vehicle information storage unit 132, identify non-task-performing vehicles that are not performing a predetermined task among the non-target vehicles, and transmit a remote control avoidance control command preferentially to the identified non-task-performing vehicles from the communication unit 11. Here, examples of the predetermined tasks include tasks for delivery services of goods such as home delivery, and tasks for delivery services of people such as taxi services.

For example, if the number of unused remote control devices is five or more, the control command creation unit 123a does not send a remote control avoidance control command; if there are two to four, the control command creation unit 123a does not send a remote control avoidance control command to the executing vehicles that are performing a delivery task for goods or people, but creates and sends a remote control avoidance control command to the non-executing vehicles that are not performing a delivery task for goods or people; and if there is one, the control command creation unit 123a creates and sends a remote control avoidance control command to all non-target vehicles. In this case, overall, task efficiency can be maintained while the possibility of remote control being required can be reduced.

When creating and transmitting a remote-controlled avoidance control command to a non-executing vehicle, the control command creation unit 123a may also create and transmit a remote-controlled avoidance control command to the executing vehicle. In this case, the executing vehicle may ignore the remote-controlled avoidance control command for the time being and follow the remote-controlled avoidance control command after completing the task. When creating and transmitting a remote-controlled avoidance control command to the executing vehicle, the control command creation unit 123a may also notify a person related to the task, for example, a passenger in the case of a taxi, or a recipient at the delivery destination in the case of home delivery, that a remote-controlled avoidance control command has been transmitted.

In addition, when the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, the control command creation unit 123a may preferentially transmit remote control avoidance control commands from the communication unit 11 to vehicles located in areas where the possibility of remote control being required is higher than usual among non-target vehicles. This is because residential roads are narrower and have more people and bicycles than main roads and expressways, and non-target vehicles are more likely to be in complex situations where many objects are detected and are more likely to require remote control, so that remote control avoidance control commands are preferentially transmitted to non-target vehicles traveling in the area. Here, the control command creation unit 123a can refer to the vehicle information storage unit 132 to determine areas where remote control is more likely to be required based on, for example, the past position history of target vehicles where remote control has occurred, as areas where the possibility of remote control being required is higher than usual, and identify vehicles located in areas where the possibility of remote control being required is higher than usual among non-target vehicles.

For example, if there are five or more unused remote control devices, the control command creation unit 123a does not send a remote control avoidance control command; if there are two to four unused remote control devices, the control command creation unit 123a creates and sends a remote control avoidance control command only to non-target vehicles traveling in areas where remote control is likely to be required (e.g., residential roads); and if there is only one unused remote control device, the control command creation unit 123a creates and sends a remote control avoidance control command to all non-target vehicles. In this case, by preferentially sending remote control avoidance control commands from areas where remote control is likely to be required, it is possible to avoid issuing more remote control avoidance control commands than necessary, which would reduce the driving efficiency of non-target vehicles.

In addition, when the number of unused remote control devices is within a predetermined range, the control command creation unit 123a may refer to the vehicle information storage unit 132 to identify non-manually driven vehicles that cannot be manually driven among the non-target vehicles, and transmit remote control avoidance control commands preferentially to the identified non-manually driven vehicles from the communication unit 11. This is because a manually driven vehicle that can be manually driven can be driven by a driver even if it cannot be remotely controlled, but a non-manually driven vehicle that cannot be manually driven cannot be driven by a driver.

For example, if the number of unused remote control devices is five or more, the control command creation unit 123a does not transmit a remote control avoidance control command; if there are two to four unused remote control devices, the control command creation unit 123a creates and transmits a remote control avoidance control command only to non-manually driven vehicles that cannot be manually driven among the non-target vehicles; if there is one unused remote control device, the control command creation unit 123a creates and transmits a remote control avoidance control command to all non-target vehicles. In this case, the control command creation unit 123a transmits fewer remote control avoidance control commands to manually driven vehicles than to non-manually driven vehicles, so that it is possible to avoid reducing the driving efficiency of manually driven vehicles by transmitting remote control avoidance control commands more than necessary.

In addition, for non-target vehicles that also have a manual driving function and have a driver, the control command creation unit 123a may not send a remote control avoidance control command, but may instead send a message to the effect that remote control is not possible immediately. The control command creation unit 123a may also inquire of the driver whether or not to drive in accordance with the remote control avoidance control command. In addition, when it becomes necessary to switch to remote control, the control command creation unit 123a may notify the driver to wait until remote control is possible, or to switch to manual driving.

Next, the remote control avoidance control process performed by the control device 1a configured as described above will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the remote control avoidance control process performed by the control device 1a shown in Figure 6.

First, when the above-mentioned specified event occurs in one of the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i and the autonomous vehicle transmits a remote control request, the communication unit 11 of the control device 1a receives the remote control request and outputs it to the request acceptance unit 121 and the device number calculation unit 124 (step S21).

Next, the device number calculation unit 124 refers to the device information storage unit 131 to calculate the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the multiple remote control devices 31 to 3j (step S22).

Next, the device number calculation unit 124 determines whether the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold (step S23). If the number of unused remote control devices is not equal to or less than the first threshold (NO in step S23), that is, if there is a surplus in the number of available remote control devices, the device number calculation unit 124 instructs the request acceptance unit 121 to execute only the processing for the remote control request, and the request acceptance unit 121 accepts the remote control request from the target vehicle and uses the communication unit 11 to transmit a remote control instruction to one unused remote control device to remotely control the target vehicle (step S30), and ends the processing without transmitting a remote control avoidance control command.

At this time, the output unit 312 of the remote control device that received the remote control instruction displays the remote control instruction, and after the operator confirms the remote control instruction, the input unit 313 transmits the remote control command input by the operator to the target vehicle, and the target vehicle that transmitted the remote control request is remotely controlled.

On the other hand, if the number of unused remote control devices is equal to or less than the first threshold (YES in step S23), the device number calculation unit 124 notifies the request acceptance unit 121 of the number of unused remote control devices, and the request acceptance unit 121 determines whether or not the remote control request can be accepted based on the number of unused remote control devices (step S24). For example, if the number of unused remote control devices is 0, the request acceptance unit 121 determines that the remote control request cannot be accepted, and if the number of unused remote control devices is 1 or more, it determines that the remote control request can be accepted.

If the remote control request cannot be accepted (NO in step S24), the request acceptance unit 121 sends a stop control command to the target vehicle that sent the remote control request from the communication unit 11 (step S29) and ends the processing. At this time, the target vehicle that sent the remote control request stops in accordance with the stop control command.

On the other hand, if the remote control request can be accepted (YES in step S24), the request acceptance unit 121 accepts the remote control request from the target vehicle, uses the communication unit 11 to send a remote control instruction to one unused remote control device to remotely control the target vehicle, and notifies the vehicle identification unit 122 and the control command creation unit 123a of the result of determining that the remote control request can be accepted, and notifies the control command creation unit 123a of the number of unused remote control devices (step S25).

At this time, the output unit 312 of the remote control device that received the remote control instruction displays the remote control instruction, and after the operator confirms the remote control instruction, the input unit 313 transmits the remote control command input by the operator to the target vehicle, and the target vehicle that transmitted the remote control request is remotely controlled.

Next, the vehicle identification unit 122 identifies non-target vehicles other than the target vehicle that is the subject of remote control among the multiple autonomous vehicles 21-2i, and notifies the control command creation unit 123a of the identified non-target vehicles (step S26).

Next, the control command creation unit 123a creates a remote control avoidance control command for causing the non-target vehicles to drive autonomously so as to avoid a situation in which the non-target vehicles require remote control, depending on the number of unused remote control devices, and outputs the remote control avoidance control command to the communication unit 11, and also designates the non-target vehicles to which the remote control avoidance control command should be sent and notifies the communication unit 11 (step S27).

Next, the communication unit 11 transmits the created remote-controlled avoidance control command to the specified non-target vehicle (step S28), and ends the process. At this time, the non-target vehicle that received the remote-controlled avoidance control command drives in autonomous driving mode in accordance with the remote-controlled avoidance control command, and avoids situations that require remote control.

In this embodiment, the above remote control avoidance control process creates a remote control avoidance control command when the number of unused remote control devices that are not being used for remote control among the multiple remote control devices 31 to 3j falls below a predetermined first threshold. Therefore, when there are sufficient unused remote control devices and the situation is such that the next remote control can be handled, the non-target vehicle can travel smoothly without sending a remote control avoidance control command. In addition, the remote control avoidance control command is sent only when there are not sufficient unused remote control devices and the situation is such that the next remote control cannot be handled. This reduces the possibility that the non-target vehicle will be in a situation where it requires remote control when the target vehicle is remotely controlled, and reduces the possibility that the non-target vehicle will be in a situation where it has to wait for remote control while traveling.

The control device, control method, control program, and control system disclosed herein can realize a situation in which a remote operator can easily concentrate on remotely controlling the autonomous vehicle that is the target of remote control while remotely monitoring multiple autonomous vehicles, and are therefore useful as a control device, control method, control program, and control system used to remotely monitor multiple autonomous vehicles configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle drives autonomously and a remote control mode in which the vehicle is remotely controlled by a remote control device.

1, 1a Control device 11 Communication unit 12, 12a Control unit 13, 13a Memory unit 121 Request acceptance unit 122 Vehicle identification unit 123, 123a Control command creation unit 124 Device number calculation unit 131 Device information memory unit 132 Vehicle information memory unit 133, 133a Control program memory unit 21 to 2i Autonomous driving vehicle 211 Communication unit 212 Photography unit 213 Position measurement unit 214 Sensor unit 215 Drive unit 216 Control unit 217 Memory unit 261 Communication control unit 262 Travel control unit 271 Map information memory unit 272 Route information memory unit 273 Autonomous driving program memory unit 31 to 3j Remote control device 311 Communication unit 312 Output unit 313 Input unit 314 Control unit 315 Storage unit 41~4k Display device

Claims (5)

An autonomous vehicle that is configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle travels autonomously and a remote control mode in which the vehicle is remotely controlled by a remote control device,
a communication unit that receives a remote control avoidance control command for causing the vehicle to autonomously drive so as to avoid a situation requiring remote control when the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode;
a control unit that, when the remote-controlled avoidance control command is received by the communication unit, determines whether or not the remote-controlled avoidance control command is suitable for the vehicle's own situation, and determines whether or not to execute the remote-controlled avoidance control command depending on whether or not the vehicle's own situation is suitable for executing the remote-controlled avoidance control command.
Self-driving vehicles. The remote control avoidance control command includes information indicating a condition under which a non-target vehicle is to be subject to the remote control avoidance control command.
The autonomous vehicle according to claim 1. The remote control avoidance control command includes a road width widening control command for causing the autonomous vehicle to autonomously drive on a road width equal to or greater than a predetermined value when the autonomous vehicle is traveling on a road width narrower than a predetermined value,
When the control unit receives the width widening control command while the vehicle is traveling on a road whose width is narrower than the predetermined value, the control unit determines that the situation is suitable for executing the width widening control command, and executes the width widening control command.
3. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle autonomously drives and a remote control mode in which the vehicle is remotely controlled by a remote control device, comprising:
When the driving mode is the autonomous driving mode, receiving a remote control avoidance control command for autonomous driving to avoid a situation requiring remote control;
When the remotely controlled avoidance control command is received, determining whether the remotely controlled avoidance control command is suitable for the vehicle's own situation, and determining whether to execute the remotely controlled avoidance control command depending on whether the vehicle's own situation is suitable for executing the remotely controlled avoidance control command.
Control methods. An autonomous driving program for an autonomous vehicle configured to be switchable between an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle travels autonomously and a remote control mode in which the vehicle is remotely controlled by a remote control device,
When the driving mode is the autonomous driving mode, receiving a remote control avoidance control command for autonomous driving to avoid a situation requiring remote control;
When the remotely controlled avoidance control command is received, determining whether the remotely controlled avoidance control command is suitable for the vehicle's own situation, and determining whether to execute the remotely controlled avoidance control command depending on whether the vehicle's own situation is suitable for executing the remotely controlled avoidance control command.
Autonomous driving program.