JP7745408B2 - Automatic driving control device, automatic driving control system, automatic driving control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic driving control device, an automatic driving control system, and an automatic driving control method.

One example of technology for controlling the driving of an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving is the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. With the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a user in an autonomous vehicle sets the direction of a destination and causes the autonomous vehicle to drive autonomously toward the set destination. Then, while the autonomous vehicle is driving toward the destination, the user sets a final destination and causes the autonomous vehicle to drive autonomously along a route to reach the final destination.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-086458

In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a user in an autonomous vehicle sets the direction of the destination, and then the autonomous vehicle is put into operation. As a result, the autonomous vehicle remains stopped on the road while the direction of the destination is being set. This makes it difficult to shorten the time required from when a user gets in the autonomous vehicle until the autonomous vehicle starts moving.

In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an automatic driving control device, an automatic driving control system, and an automatic driving control method that can shorten the time required from when a user gets into an automatic driving vehicle until the vehicle starts moving.

One aspect of the present invention provides an autonomous driving control method, an autonomous driving control system, and an autonomous driving control device in which a computer performs the following processes: authenticating a user who is riding in an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving; acquiring the authenticated user's driving history from the boarding location where the authenticated user previously boarded the autonomous vehicle to the disembarking location where the user disembarked; estimating a destination area that includes the disembarking location based on the acquired driving history; driving the autonomous vehicle toward the destination area; prompting the user to set a destination that will be the current disembarking location when the autonomous vehicle starts; accepting the user's operation to set the destination; and starting the autonomous vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination.

The present invention makes it possible to provide an autonomous driving control method, an autonomous driving control system, and an autonomous driving control device that can shorten the time required from when a user gets into an autonomous driving vehicle until the vehicle starts moving.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an automatic driving control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a controller provided in the autonomous driving vehicle in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a bird's-eye view showing a situation in which an autonomous vehicle passes through an intersection. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of icons are displayed on the screen of a touch panel. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an automatic driving control method in the first embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical or similar parts will be designated by identical or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. The drawings are schematic and may differ from the actual product. The embodiments shown below exemplify devices and methods that embody the technical concept of the present invention, but the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the devices and methods exemplified in the following embodiments. The technical concept of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope described in the claims.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(composition)
The configuration of an automatic driving control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The autonomous driving control system 1 is a system in which a user 5 of an autonomous vehicle 3 boards the autonomous vehicle 3 at a boarding point such as a taxi stand near a station, a hospital, or an accommodation facility, and the autonomous vehicle 3 drives autonomously to the destination where the user 5 disembarks.
The autonomously driven vehicle 3 that the user 5 rides in is not limited to an autonomously driven vehicle 3 parked at a boarding location, but may also be an autonomously driven vehicle 3 that is traveling on a road without the user 5 on board (a so-called "driving vehicle"). In this case, the location where the autonomously driven vehicle 3 that is traveling on a road without the user 5 on board is stopped is referred to as the "boarding location."
The automatic driving control system 1 also includes a center device 2, an in-vehicle device 30 mounted on an automatic driving vehicle 3, and a user terminal 4 carried by a user 5.

<Center device>
The center device 2 includes a communication device 20 , a map database (denoted as “map DB” in the drawing) 21 , and a server device 22 .
The communication device 20 provides a communication function between the server device 22 and an external device. The communication method used by the communication device 20 is, for example, wired communication or wireless communication via a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, road-to-vehicle communication with the on-board device 30 of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, or the like.
Server device 22 transmits and receives data to and from in-vehicle device 30 and user terminal 4 via communication device 20. Server device 22 may also receive data from a vehicle dispatch system, other public transportation systems, or infrastructure via communication device 20. Note that the vehicle dispatch system is a system that provides a vehicle dispatch service that dispatches an autonomously driven vehicle 3 in response to vehicle dispatch request information in which a user 5 requests the dispatch of an autonomously driven vehicle 3.

The map database 21 stores map information for the area where the autonomous driving control system 1 provides services. In addition to road information about roads in the area where the autonomous driving control system 1 provides services, the map information may also include locations that can be used as locations where users 5 board the autonomous vehicle 3 (boarding locations). Furthermore, the map information may also include geographic information about parking spaces where the vehicle can be parked at the boarding location.

The server device 22 includes a processor 23 and a storage device 24. The processor 23 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). The storage device 24 may include a register, a cache memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory) used as a main memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 24 may also include a non-transitory tangible storage medium such as a memory.
The functions of the server device 22 are realized, for example, by the processor 23 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 24 .

<Autonomous vehicles>
The automatically driven vehicle 3 is, for example, an electric vehicle equipped with an electric motor as a drive source, an engine vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as drive sources.
Furthermore, the autonomously driven vehicle 3 is a vehicle that can autonomously drive to the destination of the user 5 and transport the user 5 based on the results of detection of the surrounding environment and vehicle driving conditions by sensors 31, a positioning device 32, and a map database (denoted as "map DB" in the figure) 33. In other words, the entity that drives the autonomously driven vehicle 3 is a driving control device that can control the driving of the autonomously driven vehicle 3. Note that instead of the map database 33, map information stored in the map database 21 may be used.

The on-board device 30 of the autonomously driving vehicle 3 includes a sensor 31, a positioning device 32, a map database 33, a communication device 34, a human-machine interface (hereinafter referred to as "HMI") 35, a controller 36, and an actuator 37.
The sensors 31 include object sensors that detect objects present around the autonomously driven vehicle 3, and vehicle sensors that detect various information (vehicle state) obtained from the autonomously driven vehicle 3.

The object sensor detects the surrounding environment of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, such as the relative position and distance between the autonomously driven vehicle 3 and objects present around the autonomously driven vehicle 3, and the direction in which the objects are located. The object sensor may also include, for example, a camera that captures images of the surrounding environment of the autonomously driven vehicle 3. The object sensor may also include, for example, a distance measuring device such as a laser range finder (LRF), radar, or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser radar. The object sensor also outputs surrounding environment information, which is information including the detected surrounding environment of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, to the controller 36.

The vehicle sensors may include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of each tire equipped on the autonomously driven vehicle 3, and a three-axis acceleration sensor (G sensor) that detects the acceleration (including deceleration) of the autonomously driven vehicle 3 in three axial directions. The vehicle sensors may also include, for example, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle (including the turning angle), a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity generated in the autonomously driven vehicle 3, and a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate. Furthermore, the vehicle sensors output vehicle state information, which is information including the detected vehicle state of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, to the controller 36.

The positioning device 32 measures the current position and attitude of the autonomously driven vehicle 3. The positioning device 32 includes, for example, a Global Navigation System (GNSS) receiver. The GNSS receiver is, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and receives radio waves from multiple navigation satellites to measure the current position of the autonomously driven vehicle 3. The positioning device 32 may also include, for example, an inertial navigation system. Furthermore, the positioning device 32 outputs current position information, which is information on the measured current position and attitude, to the controller 36.
The map database 33 stores map information. The map information includes, for example, map data for navigation (hereinafter simply referred to as a "navigation map") and high-precision map data suitable as a map for automated driving (hereinafter simply referred to as a "high-precision map").

The communication device 34 provides a communication function between the in-vehicle device 30 and an external device. The communication method used by the communication device 34 is, for example, wireless communication using a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, road-to-vehicle communication, or the like.
The in-vehicle device 30 transmits and receives data between the server device 22 of the center device 2 and the controller 43 of the user terminal 4 via the communication device 34 .

The HMI 35 is an interface device that exchanges information between the in-vehicle device 30 and the occupant of the autonomously driven vehicle 3. The HMI 35 includes a display device that can be seen by the occupant of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, as well as a speaker and a buzzer for outputting warning sounds, notification sounds, and audio information.
The HMI 35 also includes operators and a voice input device that accept operational inputs from the occupant to the in-vehicle device 30. The operators may be mechanical interface devices such as buttons, switches, levers, dials, and keyboards, or may be buttons, switches, levers, dials, keyboards, and the like displayed on a touch panel screen.

The controller 36 is an electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the operation of the in-vehicle device 30. The controller 36 is also an electronic control unit that performs automatic driving control of the automatically driving vehicle 3, and forms an automatic driving control device.
The controller 36 includes a processor 38 and peripheral components such as a storage device 39. The processor 38 may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 39 may include a non-transitory tangible storage medium such as a register, a cache memory, or a memory such as a ROM or RAM used as a main storage device.

The functions of the controller 36 are realized, for example, by the processor 38 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 39. Note that specific processing performed by the controller 36 will be described later.
The actuator 37 operates the steering device, drive device, and braking device of the autonomously driven vehicle 3 in response to control signals from the controller 36 to generate vehicle behaviors of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, thereby automatically driving the autonomously driven vehicle 3. The actuator 37 also includes a steering actuator, an accelerator opening actuator, and a brake control actuator.

<User terminal>
The user terminal 4 is carried by a user 5 and used when using the autonomously driven vehicle 3.
The user terminal 4 also includes a positioning device 40 , a communication device 41 , a human-machine interface (hereinafter referred to as “HMI” in the following description and drawings) 42 , and a controller 43 .
The positioning device 40 measures the current location of the user terminal 4 (i.e., the current location of the user 5). The positioning device 40 may include, for example, a global positioning system receiver. The GNSS receiver may be, for example, a global positioning system receiver. The positioning device 40 also outputs current location information, which is information including the measured current location, to the controller 43.

The communication device 41 provides a communication function between the user terminal 4 and an external device. The communication method used by the communication device 41 may be, for example, wireless communication using a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, or the like.
The user terminal 4 transmits and receives data between the server device 22 of the center device 2 and the in-vehicle device 30 of the autonomously driven vehicle 3 using the communication device 41.

The HMI 42 is an interface device that exchanges information between the user terminal 4 and the user 5. The HMI 42 includes a display device that can be seen by the user 5, and a speaker and buzzer that output alarm sounds, notification sounds, and audio information.
The HMI 42 also includes an operator and a voice input device that accepts operation inputs from the user 5. The operator may be a mechanical interface device such as a button, switch, lever, dial, or keyboard, or may be a button, switch, lever, dial, or keyboard displayed on a touch panel screen.

The controller 43 is an electronic control unit that controls the operation of the user terminal 4. The controller 43 includes a processor 44 and peripheral components such as a storage device 45. The processor 44 may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 45 may include non-transitory tangible storage media such as registers, cache memory, and memories such as ROM and RAM used as main storage devices.
The functions of the controller 43 are realized, for example, by the processor 44 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 45 .

(Overview of the operation of the automated driving control system)
An outline of the operation of the automatic driving control system 1 will be described below.
When a user 5 gets into a parked autonomous vehicle 3, the in-vehicle device 30 performs a process to authenticate the user 5 getting into the autonomous vehicle 3.
Meanwhile, the server device 22 executes a process of detecting the driving history of the user 5 authenticated by the in-vehicle device 30 from the boarding location where the user boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to the disembarking location where the user disembarked.

The in-vehicle device 30 then performs a process of acquiring from the server device 22 the driving history of the authenticated user 5 from the boarding location where the authenticated user 5 previously boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to the disembarking location where the authenticated user 5 disembarked, and a process of estimating the destination area, which is an area including the disembarking location, based on the acquired driving history. Note that, for example, if the driving history of the user 5 is stored in the storage device 39, the in-vehicle device 30 may perform a process of acquiring the driving history from the storage device 39 instead of the process of acquiring the driving history from the server device 22.
The in-vehicle device 30 also performs a process to determine whether or not the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3. Furthermore, when the in-vehicle device 30 determines that the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3, it performs a process to start the autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area, and a process to make the started autonomously driven vehicle 3 travel toward the destination area. Then, when the autonomously driven vehicle 3 has started, the in-vehicle device 30 performs a process to prompt the user 5 to set a destination that will be the current disembarkation location, and a process to accept the operation to set the destination by the user 5. Furthermore, before accepting the operation to set the destination, the in-vehicle device 30 executes a process to start the autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area.

(Configuration of controller equipped in autonomous driving vehicle)
The controller 36 provided in the autonomously driven vehicle 3 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the controller 36 includes a user authentication unit 60 , an information acquisition unit 61 , a ride detection unit 62 , a travel route calculation unit 63 , a vehicle behavior control unit 64 , and an output information control unit 65 .

<User authentication section>
When the in-vehicle device 30 performs a process of authenticating the user 5, the user authentication unit 60 authenticates the user 5 riding in the autonomously driving vehicle 3, for example, by using software that links with an application installed on the user terminal 4 via the communication device 34. The user authentication unit 60 may be configured to authenticate the user 5, for example, by scanning an ID card carried by the user 5 or by recognizing an RFID tag carried by the user 5. The user authentication unit 60 may also be configured to capture an image of the user 5's face using a camera installed inside or outside the vehicle, and authenticate the user 5 by image recognition of the captured face.
When authenticating the user 5, the identification information (e.g., name, ID, gender, age, etc.) of the user 5 who boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3 is acquired. The identification information of the user 5 is stored in the storage device 45 via an application or the like, for example, before the user 5 boards the autonomously driven vehicle 3. Then, the user authentication unit 60 outputs user information, which is information including the identification information of the authenticated user 5, to the information acquisition unit 61.

<Information acquisition department>
The information acquisition unit 61 performs a process of acquiring a driving history, and outputs driving history information, which is information including the acquired driving history, to the driving route calculation unit 63.
The process of acquiring the driving history involves performing at least one of the following processes (A1) and (A2).

Process (A1) is a process of referencing user information and acquiring a driving history of a user 5 authenticated by the user authentication unit 60 from a boarding location where the user boarded an autonomously driven vehicle 3 to a disembarking location where the user disembarked. When acquiring the driving history of a user 5 authenticated by the user authentication unit 60, the driving history is acquired from, for example, data stored in the storage device 39 or the storage device 24 of the server device 22.
Process (A2) is a process for acquiring, for other users with attributes similar to the user, the driving history of the other users from the boarding location where they boarded an autonomously driven vehicle in the past to the disembarking location where they disembarked. "Attributes" are, for example, at least one of age, generation (generation), gender, family composition (which may include the ages and genders of family members), boarding location, and destination. When acquiring the driving history of the other users, for example, the driving history of the other users from the boarding location where they boarded an autonomously driven vehicle in the past to the disembarking location is acquired from the storage device 24 of the server device 22.

<Occupancy detection unit>
When performing the process of determining whether or not the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3, the boarding detection unit 62 determines whether or not the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3, for example, by using a sensor or the like arranged on a seat belt equipped on the autonomously driven vehicle 3. Furthermore, when the boarding detection unit 62 determines that the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3, it outputs boarding confirmation information, which is information including the determination result that the user 5 has boarded, to the driving route calculation unit 63 and the vehicle behavior control unit 64.

<Driving route calculation unit>
When performing the process of estimating the destination area, the driving route calculation unit 63 references the current location information and driving history information, and estimates the destination area, which is the area including the drop-off point, using the map information in the map database 21 and the map database 33. Note that if the user 5 authenticated by the user authentication unit 60 has no driving history, such as when the user 5 gets into the autonomously driven vehicle 3 for the first time, the destination area is estimated based only on the driving history of other users acquired in process (A2).
In the process of estimating the destination area based on the driving history of user 5, for example, if the driving history of user 5 includes a drop-off location that has been traveled to more frequently from the boarding location than other drop-off locations, the area including the drop-off location that has been traveled to more frequently is estimated as the destination area. In this case, for example, if the driving history of user 5 includes more travels from the boarding location to home and the drop-off location to work than other driving histories (for example, driving histories of travel from home to a store or from work to a store), the area including the work place is estimated as the destination area.
Note that the process of estimating the destination area may include processing that takes into account the day of the week and time. That is, for example, if there is a lot of driving history of traveling from home to work in the morning on weekdays and a lot of driving history of traveling back and forth between home and a store in the morning on holidays, the destination area may be estimated by taking the day of the week and time into account. Specifically, when the user 5 boards the autonomously driven vehicle 3 on a weekday morning and specifies their home as the boarding location, the driving route calculation unit 63 estimates an area that includes their workplace as the destination area. On the other hand, when the user 5 boards the autonomously driven vehicle 3 on a holiday morning and specifies their home as the boarding location, the driving route calculation unit 63 estimates an area that includes the store as the destination area.

In the process of estimating a destination area based on the travel history of other users, for example, assume that user 5 is a woman in her 40s and the other users are also women in their 40s. In this case, if the travel history of the other users includes a drop-off location that has been traveled to more frequently from the boarding location than other drop-off locations, the area including the drop-off location that has been traveled to more frequently is estimated as the destination area. Also, in this case, for example, if the travel history of the other users includes a drop-off location that is a shop more often than other travel history (for example, a drop-off location that is a beauty salon), the area including the shop is estimated as the destination area.
Having estimated the destination area, the driving route calculation unit 63 calculates a tentative driving route and outputs tentative driving route information, which is information including the calculated tentative driving route, to the vehicle behavior control unit 64. The tentative driving route is the driving route that the autonomously driven vehicle 3 will travel from the current location where the user 5 gets into the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to the estimated destination area.

Furthermore, when calculating the tentative driving route, the driving route calculation unit 63 detects a low-speed lane among the multiple driving lanes, which is a driving lane in which the autonomously driven vehicle 3 can be driven at a slower speed than the other driving lanes, from the time the autonomously driven vehicle 3 starts until the operation to set the destination is accepted.Then, the driving route calculation unit 63 calculates the tentative driving route as a driving route that includes the detected low-speed lane.
In Japan, for example, the left lane is detected as the low-speed lane, but surrounding environment information may be referenced to acquire the surrounding environment of the autonomously driven vehicle 3, and a lane with a slow flow of other vehicles (vehicle speed) may be detected as the low-speed lane. Furthermore, among roads that can be traveled from the boarding point to the destination area, narrow roads (roads with low speed limits) may be detected as the low-speed lane.

In addition, when the driving route calculation unit 63 receives input of intersection route information described below while the autonomous vehicle 3 is driving, it changes and calculates a tentative driving route according to the direction of travel set by the user 5.
Furthermore, when calculating the tentative driving route, the driving route calculation unit 63 calculates the tentative driving route as a driving route that includes roads that have many locations where the driving direction can be changed among roads that can be driven between the boarding location and the destination area. The calculation of the tentative driving route that includes roads that have many locations where the driving direction can be changed is performed between the time when the user 5 is prompted to operate to set a destination and the time when the user accepts the operation to set the destination. At this time, for example, if there is a no-turn lane on a road that can be driven between the boarding location and the destination area, the tentative driving route is calculated as a driving route that does not include the no-turn lane.

Furthermore, if a preset threshold time has elapsed since the user 5 was prompted to set a destination and the user has not accepted the operation to set a destination, the driving route calculation unit 63 detects the nearest possible stopping point at the time the threshold time has elapsed. In addition, the driving route calculation unit 63 calculates a tentative driving route as a driving route from the current position of the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to the detected possible stopping point. The "nearest possible stopping point" is, for example, a taxi stand near a station or a boarding point such as a hospital or accommodation facility.
Furthermore, when the driving route calculation unit 63 accepts an operation by the user 5 to set a destination, it receives input of destination information (described later) and calculates, as an actual driving route, a driving route that the automatically driven vehicle 3 will take from the current position of the automatically driven vehicle 3 to the destination included in the destination information. Then, it outputs actual driving route information, which is information including the calculated actual driving route, to the vehicle behavior control unit 64.

<Vehicle behavior control unit>
The vehicle behavior control unit 64 refers to the surrounding environment information, current location information, boarding confirmation information, and tentative driving route information, and when the user 5 gets into the autonomously driven vehicle 3, causes the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to start moving toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination. As a result, the vehicle behavior control unit 64 performs processing to cause the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to start moving toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination.
Furthermore, when the vehicle behavior control unit 64 receives the input of this driving route information, it performs processing to make the automatically driven vehicle 3, which is driving toward the destination area, drive toward the destination.

Furthermore, while the autonomous vehicle 3 is traveling, the vehicle behavior control unit 64 operates the actuator 37 based on the surrounding environment information and vehicle state detected by the sensor 31 and the map information in the map database 21 and the map database 33, thereby controlling the traveling state of the autonomous vehicle 3.
In addition, when the threshold time has elapsed, the vehicle behavior control unit 64 drives the autonomous vehicle 3 from its current position to the nearest point where it can stop, and stops the autonomous vehicle 3 at the point where it can stop.

<Output information control section>
The output information control unit 65 outputs information that prompts the user 5 to set a destination, which is the current disembarkation point, as a process of prompting the user 5 to set a destination.
In the first embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which the output information control unit 65 presents multiple candidate destination locations to the user 5 based on the driving history, and prompts the user 5 to select and set a destination from the multiple candidate locations.
Specifically, a plurality of icons indicating the names of candidate locations, such as "XX Hospital,""YYHotel," and "XX Store," are displayed on the touch panel screen of the HMI 35. When the user 5 selects one of the icons, the HMI 35 outputs destination information, which is information including the address of the selected candidate location, to the driving route calculation unit 63.

When outputting information prompting the user 5 to set a destination, a message "Please enter your destination" may be displayed on the screen of a touch panel provided in the HMI 35. In this case, the HMI 35 outputs the destination information to the driving route calculation unit 63 as information including the address of the destination input by the user 5 via the HMI 35. Furthermore, the screen on which the icons and messages are displayed is not limited to the screen of the touch panel provided in the HMI 35, and may be the screen of the touch panel provided in the HMI 42. In this case, the HMI 42 outputs the destination information to the driving route calculation unit 63.
The process of prompting the user 5 to set a destination is not limited to the process of displaying an icon or a message on the screen, but may prompt the user 5 to set a destination by voice, for example. Furthermore, voice recognition may be used for the user 5 to set a destination.

Furthermore, when the autonomously driven vehicle 3 passes through an intersection CR as shown in Fig. 3 after starting the autonomously driven vehicle 3 and before accepting the operation to set a destination, the output information control unit 65 prompts the user 5 to operate to set the direction of travel at the intersection CR. Note that in Fig. 3, the possible directions of travel at the intersection CR are indicated by outlined arrows.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , a plurality of icons IC1 to IC3 are displayed on the screen of the touch panel TP provided in the HMI 35, indicating a plurality of options that can be selected as the traveling direction at the intersection CR. Icon IC1 is an icon for selecting going straight as the traveling direction at the intersection CR. Icon IC2 is an icon for selecting turning left as the traveling direction at the intersection CR. Icon IC3 is an icon for leaving the traveling direction at the intersection CR to the computer 36. When the user 5 selects one of icons IC1 to IC3, the HMI 35 outputs intersection course information, which is information including the selected traveling direction, to the driving route calculation unit 63.

The screen on which the icons IC1 to IC3 are displayed is not limited to the touch panel screen of the HMI 35, but may be the touch panel screen of the HMI 42. In this case, the HMI 42 outputs the intersection course information to the driving route calculation unit 63.
Furthermore, the process of prompting the user 5 to set the direction of travel at the intersection CR is not limited to the process of displaying an icon on the screen, and the user 5 may be prompted to set the direction of travel by voice, for example. Furthermore, voice recognition may be used as the operation for the user 5 to set the direction of travel.

(operation)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, an example of an automatic driving control method performed using the automatic driving control system 1 and the automatic driving control device will be described using FIG. 5.
When a user 5 gets into a parked autonomous vehicle 3, the controller 36 authenticates the user 5 in step S1.
In step S2, the controller 36 determines whether or not the user 5 has completed boarding the autonomously driven vehicle 3. If it is determined that the user 5 has completed boarding (step S2: Yes), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user 5 has not completed boarding (step S2: No), the process of step S2 is repeated.
In step S3, the controller 36 causes the stopped autonomous vehicle 3 to start moving toward the destination area.

In step S4, the controller 36 prompts the user 5 to perform an operation to set a destination.
In step S5, controller 36 determines whether a preset threshold time has elapsed since the user 5 was prompted to set a destination. If it is determined that the threshold time has elapsed (step S5: Yes), controller 36 drives autonomous vehicle 3 from the current position of autonomous vehicle 3 to the nearest possible stopping point, and stops autonomous vehicle 3 at the possible stopping point. On the other hand, if it is determined that the threshold time has not elapsed (step S5: No), the processing proceeds to step S6.
In step S6, the controller 36 determines whether or not the operation to set a destination has been accepted. If it is determined that the operation to set a destination has been accepted (step S6: Yes), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation to set a destination has not been accepted (step S6: No), the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S7, the controller 36 changes the driving route of the autonomous vehicle 3 from the tentative driving route to the actual driving route. The autonomous vehicle 3 then drives toward the destination, and the process ends.

The above-described first embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment. Various modifications can be made to forms other than this embodiment, depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention.

(Effects of the first embodiment)
The automatic driving control device of the first embodiment can achieve the effects described below.
(1) A computer provided in the autonomous driving control device executes a process to authenticate a user 5 who boards an autonomous vehicle 3 and a process to acquire the driving history of the authenticated user 5 from the boarding location where the autonomous vehicle 3 was boarded to the disembarking location where the authenticated user 5 disembarked. The computer also executes a process to estimate a destination area that is an area that includes the disembarking location based on the acquired driving history, and a process to drive the autonomous vehicle 3 toward the destination area. In addition, when the autonomous vehicle 3 starts moving, the computer executes a process to prompt the user 5 to set a destination that is the current disembarking location, and a process to accept the user 5's operation to set the destination. The computer then starts the autonomous vehicle 3 toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination.

This makes it possible for the user 5 riding in the self-driving vehicle 3 to drive the self-driving vehicle 3 before setting a destination, and while the user 5 is setting a destination, the self-driving vehicle 3 will be driving without stopping on the road.
As a result, it is possible to provide an automatic driving control device that can shorten the time required from when a user 5 gets into an automatic driving vehicle 3 until the vehicle starts moving.

This makes it possible to shorten the time that the autonomous vehicle 3 is stopped on the road, thereby reducing the impact on traffic.
Furthermore, since the user 5 does not need to set the destination area, the automatically driven vehicle 3 can be started toward the destination area even if the user 5 does not know the direction of the destination area.

(2) When the computer accepts the operation by the user 5 to set a destination, it causes the automatically driven vehicle 3, which is traveling toward the estimated destination area, to continue traveling toward the destination.
As a result, it becomes possible for a user 5 traveling toward a destination area to be transported to the destination by automatic driving.

(3) From the time the computer starts the autonomous vehicle 3 until it accepts the operation to set the destination, the computer causes the autonomous vehicle 3 to travel in one of multiple travel lanes in which it can travel at a slower speed than the other travel lanes.
As a result, compared to when the autonomous vehicle 3 is driven in a lane with fast traffic flow, it is possible for the user 5 to have more time to perform the operation to set the destination.

(4) The computer acquires the driving history of other users whose attributes are similar to those of user 5, and estimates the destination area based on at least one of the acquired driving history of the other users and the driving history of authenticated user 5.
As a result, it is possible to improve the accuracy of estimating the destination area. Furthermore, even if it is impossible to obtain the driving history of the user 5, such as when the user 5 is using the autonomous vehicle 3 for the first time, it is possible to start the autonomous vehicle 3 toward the destination area.

(5) When the computer starts the autonomous vehicle 3, it presents the user 5 with multiple candidate destinations based on the driving history, and prompts the user 5 to select and set a destination from the multiple candidate destinations.
As a result, it is possible to reduce the time required to set a destination compared to when the destination is set by inputting the destination in characters, for example.

(6) If the autonomously driven vehicle 3 passes through an intersection CR after starting the autonomously driven vehicle 3 and before accepting the operation to set a destination, the computer prompts the user 5 to operate to set the direction of travel for the intersection CR. Then, when the user 5 sets the direction of travel for the intersection CR, the computer causes the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to travel through the intersection CR according to the direction of travel set by the user 5.
As a result, compared to when the travel direction at the intersection CR is set by a computer, it is possible to secure time for the user 5 to perform the operation to set the destination.

(7) From the time when the computer prompts the user 5 to set a destination until the user accepts the operation to set a destination, the computer causes the self-driving vehicle 3 to drive on roads that are drivable between the boarding location and the destination area and that have many locations where the driving direction can be changed.
As a result, even if the route from the current position of the self-driving vehicle 3 to the destination is a complex route with many direction changes, it becomes easy to guide the self-driving vehicle 3 traveling toward the destination area to the destination.

(8) If the user 5 does not accept the operation to set a destination even after a preset threshold time has elapsed since the computer prompted the user 5 to do so, the computer will stop the autonomous vehicle 3 at the nearest possible stopping point once the threshold time has elapsed.
As a result, for example, if the destination has not been set when the autonomous vehicle 3 is traveling close to the destination area, it is possible to prevent the autonomous vehicle 3 from being stopped on the road.
(9) The computer executes a process to determine whether or not a user 5 is in the autonomous vehicle 3, and if it determines that a user 5 is in the autonomous vehicle 3, executes a process to start the autonomous vehicle 3 toward the destination area.
As a result, it becomes possible to start the self-driving vehicle 3 as soon as it is determined that the user 5 has boarded the self-driving vehicle 3, thereby shortening the time required from when the user 5 boards the self-driving vehicle 3 until it starts to move.

Furthermore, the automatic driving control system 1 of the first embodiment can achieve the effects described below.
(10) The system includes an on-board device 30 mounted on an autonomously driven vehicle 3 and a server device 22 that transmits and receives data to and from the on-board device 30. The on-board device 30 executes processes to authenticate a user 5 riding in the autonomously driven vehicle 3, acquire the driving history of the authenticated user 5 from the server device 22, and estimate a destination area, which is an area including a disembarkation location, based on the acquired driving history. Furthermore, the system executes processes to determine whether the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3, start the autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area when it is determined that the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3, and drive the started autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area. In addition, when the autonomously driven vehicle 3 starts, the system executes processes to prompt the user 5 to set a destination, accept the destination setting operation by the user 5, and start the autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area before accepting the destination setting operation. The server device 22 also executes processes to detect the driving history of the user 5 authenticated by the on-board device 30.

This makes it possible for the user 5 riding in the self-driving vehicle 3 to drive the self-driving vehicle 3 before setting a destination, and while the user 5 is setting a destination, the self-driving vehicle 3 will be driving without stopping on the road.
As a result, it is possible to provide an automatic driving control system 1 that can shorten the time required from when a user 5 gets into an automatic driving vehicle 3 until the vehicle starts moving.
This makes it possible to reduce the time that the autonomous vehicle 3 is stopped on the road, thereby reducing the impact on traffic. Also, because the user 5 does not need to set a destination area, the autonomous vehicle 3 can start heading toward the destination area even if the user 5 does not know the direction of the destination area.

Furthermore, the automatic driving control method of the first embodiment can achieve the effects described below.
(11) A computer is caused to execute a process for authenticating a user 5 who is riding in an autonomously driven vehicle 3 that is capable of autonomous driving, and a process for acquiring a driving history of the authenticated user 5 from a boarding location where the user boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3 to a disembarking location where the user disembarked. The computer is also caused to execute a process for estimating a destination area that is an area including the disembarking location based on the acquired driving history, and a process for determining whether the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3. The computer is further caused to execute a process for starting the autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area and a process for driving the started autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area when it is determined that the user 5 has boarded the autonomously driven vehicle 3. In addition, the computer is caused to execute a process for prompting the user 5 to set a destination that is the current disembarkation location when the autonomously driven vehicle 3 has started, and a process for accepting the user 5's operation to set the destination. The computer is then caused to execute a process for starting the autonomously driven vehicle 3 toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination.

This makes it possible for the user 5 riding in the self-driving vehicle 3 to drive the self-driving vehicle 3 before setting a destination, and while the user 5 is setting a destination, the self-driving vehicle 3 will be driving without stopping on the road.
As a result, it is possible to provide an automatic driving control method that can shorten the time required from when the user 5 gets into the automatic driving vehicle 3 until the vehicle starts moving.
This makes it possible to reduce the time that the autonomous vehicle 3 is stopped on the road, thereby reducing the impact on traffic. Also, because the user 5 does not need to set a destination area, the autonomous vehicle 3 can start heading toward the destination area even if the user 5 does not know the direction of the destination area.

(Modification of the first embodiment)
(1) In the first embodiment, the user authentication unit 60 is configured to authenticate the user 5 after the user 5 gets into the automatically driven vehicle 3. However, this is not limited to this.
That is, for example, the user authentication unit 60 may be configured to authenticate the user 5 before boarding the autonomous vehicle 3 using a camera placed outside the vehicle that is capable of capturing an image of the user 5 before boarding the autonomous vehicle 3.
In this case, it is possible to reduce the time required for the process of acquiring the driving history.
(2) In the first embodiment, for example, if there is a drop-off location that has been traveled to more frequently from the boarding location than other drop-off locations according to the travel history of the user 5, the area including the drop-off location that has been traveled to more frequently is estimated as the destination area. However, this is not limited to this.
That is, a predetermined range that includes destinations traveled to during the same time period within the range included in the travel history may be estimated as the destination area.
In this case, it is possible to start the autonomous vehicle 3 at a destination area according to the time period during which the user 5 will be using the autonomous vehicle 3.
Furthermore, when a plurality of destinations are present as candidate destination areas after checking the travel history, an area including at least two or more destinations may be estimated as the destination area.
In this case, the self-driving vehicle 3 is started at a destination area that includes multiple destinations, so the started self-driving vehicle 3 can be driven to an area that includes multiple locations that are candidate destinations before the user 5 sets the destination.
In addition, when multiple destinations are identified as possible destination areas after checking the driving history, the destination area may be estimated to be an area that includes destinations that have been visited more frequently in the past than destinations that have been visited less frequently in the past.
In this case, the self-driving vehicle 3 is started in an area that includes a destination that has been frequently traveled to in the past, so the started self-driving vehicle 3 can be driven to an area that the user 5 is likely to set as a destination.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood to limit the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
In addition, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments not described here, such as configurations in which the configurations described in the above embodiments are arbitrarily applied, etc. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined only by the invention-specifying matters according to the scope of the claims that are appropriate from the above description.

1...Autonomous driving control system, 2...Center device, 3...Autonomous driving vehicle, 4...User terminal, 20, 34, 41...Communication device, 21, 33...Map database, 22...Server device, 23, 38, 44...Processor, 24, 39, 45...Storage device, 30...In-vehicle device, 31...Sensor, 32, 40...Positioning device, 35, 42...Human-machine interface (HMI), 36, 43...Controller, 37...Actuator, 60...User authentication unit, 61...Information acquisition unit, 62...Occupancy detection unit, 63...Driving path calculation unit, 64...Vehicle behavior control unit, 65...Output information control unit, CR...Intersection, TP...Touch panel, IC1, IC2, IC3...Icon

Claims (18)

A process for authenticating a user who rides in an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving;
A process of acquiring a driving history from a boarding location where the authenticated user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination,
The computer starts the autonomous vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination , and, from the time the autonomous vehicle starts moving until the time the computer accepts the operation to set the destination, causes the autonomous vehicle to travel in one of multiple driving lanes in which it can travel at a slower speed than other driving lanes . The autonomous driving control device described in claim 1, wherein the computer, upon accepting the user's operation to set the destination, causes the autonomous vehicle, which is traveling toward the estimated destination area, to travel toward the destination. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the computer acquires the driving history of other users whose attributes are similar to those of the user, and estimates the destination area based on at least one of the acquired driving history of the other users and the driving history of the authenticated user. 4. An automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the automatic driving vehicle starts, the computer presents to the user a plurality of candidate locations that can be used as the destination based on the driving history, and prompts the user to select and set the destination from the plurality of candidate locations . A process for authenticating a user who rides in an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving;
A process of acquiring a driving history from a boarding location where the authenticated user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination,
The computer starts the autonomous vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination, and if the autonomous vehicle passes through an intersection after starting the autonomous vehicle and before accepting the operation to set the destination, prompts the user to operate to set the direction of travel through the intersection, and when the user sets the direction of travel through the intersection, the computer causes the autonomous vehicle to travel through the intersection in accordance with the direction of travel set by the user. A process for authenticating a user who rides in an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving;
A process of acquiring a driving history from a boarding location where the authenticated user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination,
The computer starts the autonomous vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination, and from the time the computer prompts the user to operate to set the destination until the operation to set the destination is accepted, the autonomous vehicle is driven on roads that have many locations where the driving direction can be changed among the roads that are drivable between the boarding location and the destination area. An automatic driving control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein if the user does not accept the operation to set the destination even after a predetermined threshold time has elapsed since the computer prompted the user to operate to set the destination, the computer stops the automatic driving vehicle at the nearest possible stopping point at the time the threshold time has elapsed. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer authenticates the user before the user gets into the automatic driving vehicle. 9. An automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the computer determines whether the user is in the automatic driving vehicle, and when it determines that the user is in the automatic driving vehicle, causes the automatic driving vehicle to start moving toward the destination area . The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the computer estimates a predetermined range that includes destinations traveled to during the same time period within the range included in the driving history as the destination area. An automatic driving control device described in any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the computer checks the driving history and, if multiple destinations exist as candidates for the destination area, estimates an area including at least two or more destinations as the destination area. An automatic driving control device described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the computer checks the driving history and, when multiple destinations are present as candidates for the destination area, estimates as the destination area an area that includes a destination that has been traveled to more frequently in the past than a destination that has been traveled to less frequently. The system comprises an on-board device mounted on an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving, and a server device that transmits and receives data to and from the on-board device,
The in-vehicle device
A process of authenticating a user who rides in the autonomous driving vehicle;
A process of acquiring, from the server device, a driving history of the authenticated user from a boarding location where the user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination;
a process of starting the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination;
and executing a process of causing the autonomously driven vehicle to travel in a driving lane among a plurality of driving lanes in which the autonomously driven vehicle can travel at a slower speed than other driving lanes, from the time the autonomously driven vehicle starts until the time the operation to set the destination is accepted ;
The server device is an autonomous driving control system that executes a process to detect the driving history of a user authenticated by the in-vehicle device from the boarding location where the user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle to the disembarking location where the user disembarked. The system comprises an on-board device mounted on an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving, and a server device that transmits and receives data to and from the on-board device,
The in-vehicle device
A process of authenticating a user who rides in the autonomous driving vehicle;
A process of acquiring, from the server device, a driving history of the authenticated user from a boarding location where the user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination;
a process of starting the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination;
If the autonomous vehicle passes through an intersection after starting the autonomous vehicle and before accepting an operation to set the destination, the autonomous vehicle prompts the user to perform an operation to set a direction of travel through the intersection, and when the user sets the direction of travel through the intersection, the autonomous vehicle travels through the intersection in accordance with the direction of travel set by the user;
The server device is an autonomous driving control system that executes a process to detect the driving history of a user authenticated by the in-vehicle device from the boarding location where the autonomous vehicle was boarded to the disembarking location where the user disembarked. The system comprises an on-board device mounted on an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving, and a server device that transmits and receives data to and from the on-board device,
The in-vehicle device
A process of authenticating a user who rides in the autonomous driving vehicle;
A process of acquiring, from the server device, a driving history of the authenticated user from a boarding location where the user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination;
a process of starting the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination;
and during the period from the time when the user is prompted to operate to set the destination until the user accepts the operation to set the destination, execute a process of causing the autonomous vehicle to travel on roads that have many locations where it is possible to change the traveling direction among roads that are drivable between the boarding location and the destination area;
The server device is an autonomous driving control system that executes a process to detect the driving history of a user authenticated by the in-vehicle device from the boarding location where the autonomous vehicle was boarded to the disembarking location where the user disembarked. A process for authenticating a user who rides in an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving;
A process of acquiring a driving history from a boarding location where the authenticated user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination;
a process of starting the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination;
and a process of causing the autonomous vehicle to travel in one of a plurality of driving lanes in which the autonomous vehicle can travel at a slower speed than other driving lanes, from the time the autonomous vehicle starts until the operation to set the destination is accepted . A process for authenticating a user who rides in an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving;
A process of acquiring a driving history from a boarding location where the authenticated user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination;
a process of starting the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination;
a process of prompting the user to perform an operation to set a traveling direction for the intersection when the autonomous vehicle passes through an intersection after starting the autonomous vehicle and before accepting an operation to set the destination, and causing the autonomous vehicle to travel through the intersection in accordance with the traveling direction set by the user when the user sets the traveling direction for the intersection ;
An automatic driving control method that causes a computer to execute the above. A process for authenticating a user who rides in an autonomous vehicle capable of traveling by autonomous driving;
A process of acquiring a driving history from a boarding location where the authenticated user boarded the autonomous driving vehicle in the past to a disembarking location where the user disembarked;
A process of estimating a destination area that is an area including the drop-off point based on the acquired travel history;
A process of driving the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area;
When the autonomous driving vehicle starts, a process of prompting the user to set a destination that is the current disembarkation point;
a process of accepting an operation by the user to set the destination;
a process of starting the autonomously driven vehicle toward the destination area before accepting the operation to set the destination;
a process of causing the autonomous vehicle to travel on roads that have many locations where it is possible to change the traveling direction among roads that are drivable between the boarding location and the destination area, from the time when the user is prompted to perform an operation to set the destination until the user accepts the operation to set the destination;
An automatic driving control method that causes a computer to execute the above.