JP7777952B2 - Platooning control system, on-board device, and platooning control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a platooning control system, an on-board device, and a platooning control method.

Technology has been developed to enable multiple vehicles to travel in a convoy by installing an onboard device in each vehicle and allowing each vehicle to move autonomously. Patent Document 1 below discloses a device aimed at improving fuel efficiency when traveling in a convoy.

JP 2016-149044 A

One method for platooning involves each vehicle using a camera or ranging sensor to sense the surrounding conditions, and then collecting the sensing information from each vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the onboard device of the lead vehicle. The onboard device of the lead vehicle then performs all the processing required for platooning, such as estimating the position of the platoon, setting the planned route (route planning), obstacle monitoring, and abnormality diagnosis, based on the sensing information from each vehicle.

However, with the above method, there are concerns that the concentration of processing on some onboard devices may have adverse effects (for example, rapid battery drain in some onboard devices, increased temperature rise in some onboard devices, shortened lifespan of some onboard devices, etc.).

The present invention aims to provide a platooning control system, an on-board device, and a platooning control method that contribute to reducing the adverse effects caused by processing being concentrated in some on-board devices.

The platooning control system of the present invention includes an on-board device mounted on each of the multiple vehicles forming the platoon, and causes the multiple vehicles to travel in a platoon. Each on-board device has a driving processing unit that executes driving processing to drive the vehicle in which it is mounted, and the platooning control system executes processing that is different from the driving processing, among the processing that should be executed when traveling in a platoon, by the multiple on-board devices sharing or cooperating with each other.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a platooning control system, an on-board device, and a platooning control method that contribute to reducing the adverse effects caused by the concentration of processing on some on-board devices.

1 is a schematic top view of a plurality of vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic top view of a plurality of vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a configuration diagram of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing types of platooning programs according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram relating to a battery of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a main control unit in an on-board device of a leading vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial functional diagram of an on-board device in a leading vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positions of each vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a main control unit in an in-vehicle device of a following vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall monitoring area of obstacles set in a formation according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how an entire obstacle monitoring area is divided into a plurality of areas according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a monitoring processing unit is provided in each in-vehicle device according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a block diagram relating to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention, and is related to estimation of the position of a formation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a convoy traveling from a departure point to a destination according to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a correction method related to position estimation of a formation according to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an abnormality diagnosis unit is provided in each on-vehicle device according to a third example of an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a system related to abnormality diagnosis according to a third example of an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each of the referenced drawings, identical parts are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations of identical parts will generally be omitted. For the sake of simplicity, this specification may use symbols or reference numerals that refer to information, signals, physical quantities, components, etc., and omit or abbreviate the names of the information, signals, physical quantities, components, etc. that correspond to the symbols or reference numerals. For example, the host vehicle information acquisition unit referenced by "111" below (see Figure 7) may be written as host vehicle information acquisition unit 111 or abbreviated as acquisition unit 111, but they all refer to the same thing.

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of multiple vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention. A platoon is formed or composed of multiple vehicles. Each vehicle forming or constituting the platoon is referred to by the symbol "CR." Each vehicle CR is any type of automobile, and electric carts and electric wheelchairs also belong to the category of vehicles CR. A vehicle CR may also be a vehicle for transporting cargo. Of the vehicles CR forming the platoon, the vehicle CR traveling at the front is referred to as the lead vehicle, and the other vehicles CR are referred to as trailing vehicles. Of one or more trailing vehicles included in the platoon, the trailing vehicle located at the rear is referred to as the rearmost vehicle. Note that when the platoon moves straight from a first point to a second point, the direction from the first point to the second point corresponds to forward facing.

An on-board device 1 is installed in each vehicle CR. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the on-board device 1 installed in each vehicle CR (the same applies to Figure 3 described below). Referring to Figure 2, the system SYS is made up of all on-board devices 1 installed in the multiple vehicles CR that make up the platoon. In the system SYS, the multiple vehicles CR travel in a platoon. Platooning refers to multiple vehicles CR traveling in a platoon. In the system SYS, the multiple vehicles CR move autonomously (autonomous driving), and the platooning of the multiple vehicles CR is controlled by the multiple on-board devices 1 to achieve this platooning. For this reason, the system SYS can be referred to as a platooning control system or a platooning system.

Each in-vehicle device 1 may be connected to a server device 2 for two-way communication via a predetermined communication network NET, which may include a mobile communication network, a local area network, the Internet, etc. The server device 2 is a computer device connected to the communication network NET. The server device 2 may be composed of two or more computer devices. The server device 2 may also be configured using cloud computing. The server device 2 can be a component of the system SYS. However, the presence of the server device 2 is not essential to the system SYS.

The number of vehicles CR forming the platoon can be any number, as long as it is two or more. However, in this embodiment, for the sake of concrete explanation, unless otherwise specified, the platoon will be assumed to be made up of three vehicles CR as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, as necessary, of the three vehicles CR that make up the platoon, the leading vehicle may be referred to specifically as "CR[1]", and the two following vehicles may be referred to specifically as "CR[2]" and "CR[3]". Of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3], the following vehicle CR[3] is the rearmost vehicle.

Each vehicle CR has a power source, which generates driving force to propel the vehicle CR. The power source generates driving force based on a specified fuel (e.g., fossil fuel, hydrogen), electrical energy, etc. In the following, in this embodiment, the power source will be assumed to include a motor that generates driving force based on electrical energy, as an example.

Figure 4 shows the configuration of the in-vehicle device 1. The configuration of each in-vehicle device 1 included in the system SYS is the same among the multiple in-vehicle devices 1. For the sake of concreteness of explanation, one vehicle CR that has been focused on among the multiple vehicles CR will be referred to as the focused vehicle CR or simply the focused vehicle, and the configuration of the in-vehicle device 1 installed in the focused vehicle CR will be described.

The in-vehicle device 1 comprises a main control unit 10, a vehicle state information detection unit 20, a surrounding information detection unit 30, a GPS processing unit 40, and a memory unit 50. However, all or any part of the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, GPS processing unit 40, and memory unit 50 may be understood as devices that are not included in the components of the in-vehicle device 1 but are connected to the in-vehicle device 1. The actuator unit 60 provided in the target vehicle CR is driven and controlled by the main control unit 10. Here, the actuator unit 60 is understood to be a device that is not included in the components of the in-vehicle device 1 but is connected to the in-vehicle device 1. However, it is also possible to understand the actuator unit 60 as being included in the components of the in-vehicle device 1.

The main control unit 10 includes, as hardware resources, an arithmetic processing unit 11 including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an internal memory 12 including a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a communication processing unit 13 for realizing two-way communication with a counterpart device. For the in-vehicle device 1 installed in the target vehicle CR, counterpart devices include the in-vehicle devices 1 (main control unit 10) installed in each vehicle CR other than the target vehicle CR, and may also include a server device 2.

Communication between an in-vehicle device 1 mounted on one vehicle CR and an in-vehicle device 1 mounted on another vehicle CR is specifically referred to as inter-vehicle communication. Inter-vehicle communication may be realized by an inter-vehicle communication system known as CVSS (Connected Vehicle Support Systems). Inter-vehicle communication may be realized via a communication network NET or via a server device 2. Any information acquired or handled by any in-vehicle device 1 may be transmitted to any other in-vehicle device 1 via inter-vehicle communication, and the any information may be commonly recognized by all in-vehicle devices 1.

In the main control unit 10, the calculation processing unit 11 may execute a program stored in the internal memory 12 or the memory unit 50 to realize each of the functional blocks described below. The main control unit 10 may also be configured as a combination of multiple ECUs (Electronic Control Units) installed in the vehicle CR.

The vehicle state information detection unit 20 consists of multiple measuring devices installed on the vehicle CR, and uses each measuring device to detect and acquire vehicle state information. The vehicle state information detection unit 20 of the target vehicle CR detects and acquires vehicle state information about the target vehicle CR.

Vehicle state information is information that represents the state of the vehicle CR, and primarily includes information that represents the driving state of the vehicle CR. Specifically, vehicle state information includes vehicle speed information that represents the speed (driving speed) of the vehicle CR, steering angle information that represents the steering angle (steering angle) of the vehicle CR, and acceleration/deceleration information that represents the acceleration and deceleration state of the vehicle CR. The vehicle speed information, steering angle information, and acceleration/deceleration information related to the target vehicle CR belong to the driving information that represents the driving state of the target vehicle CR. The acceleration/deceleration information may include brake information that represents the control amount (operation amount) of the brakes of the vehicle CR. Note that the vehicle state information may further include various information (such as acceleration information) in addition to the various types of information described above. Vehicle state information is acquired sequentially at a predetermined interval, and the acquired vehicle state information is output sequentially to the main control unit 10.

The surrounding information detection unit 30 uses sensors capable of observing the surroundings of the vehicle CR to detect and acquire surrounding information representing the state of the surroundings of the vehicle CR (in other words, surrounding environment information representing the surrounding environment of the vehicle CR). The surrounding information detection unit 30 of the target vehicle CR detects and acquires surrounding information representing the state of the surroundings of the target vehicle CR. The surrounding information detection unit 30 is equipped with a camera 31, which is an image sensor, and a distance measurement sensor 32 as sensors for observing and detecting the surrounding state (surrounding environment) of the vehicle CR. The surrounding information is acquired sequentially at a predetermined interval, and the acquired surrounding information is output sequentially to the main control unit 10. The surrounding information includes camera information, distance measurement information, etc.

In the target vehicle CR, camera 31 is installed at a predetermined position on the target vehicle CR and captures images of the area around the target vehicle CR. In the target vehicle CR, camera 31 has a capture area (field of view) based on the position of the target vehicle CR, and generates camera information indicating captured images within the capture area. The capture area of camera 31 on the target vehicle CR may include the area in front of, behind, to the right, and to the left of the target vehicle CR. For example, in the target vehicle CR, camera 31 may include a front camera that captures the area in front of the target vehicle CR, a rear camera that captures the area behind the target vehicle CR, a right camera that captures the area to the right of the target vehicle CR, and a left camera that captures the area to the left of the target vehicle CR.

In the target vehicle CR, the distance measurement sensor 32 is installed at a predetermined position on the target vehicle CR and generates distance measurement information by performing distance measurements. In the target vehicle CR, distance measurement detects the distance between the target vehicle CR and a three-dimensional object (a three-dimensional object) located around the target vehicle CR, and also detects the orientation of the three-dimensional object as viewed from the target vehicle CR. These detection results are included in the distance measurement information. In the target vehicle CR, the main control unit 10 can generate a two-dimensional map showing the presence of three-dimensional objects around the target vehicle CR based on the distance measurement information. Three-dimensional objects from the target vehicle CR's perspective include vehicles CR other than the target vehicle CR, as well as obstacles different from the vehicle CR.

The ranging sensor 32 may be configured as a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor that measures distance using light, or as a radar sensor that measures distance using radio waves. The ranging sensor 32 may also be configured as a combination of LIDAR and radar.

The GPS processing unit 40 receives signals from multiple GPS satellites that form the GPS (Global Positioning System) and generates GPS position information based on the reception results. For the target vehicle CR, the GPS position information generated by the GPS processing unit 40 represents the current position of the target vehicle CR using longitude and latitude. The GPS position information is generated sequentially at a predetermined interval, and the generated GPS position information is output sequentially to the main control unit 10. Note that the GPS processing unit 40 is not essential for the in-vehicle device 1, and the GPS processing unit 40 may be omitted.

The memory unit 50 is made of a non-volatile recording medium and records and stores various information. Map information 51 and a platooning program 52 are recorded and stored in the memory unit 50. The memory unit 50 may be provided with separate memory (map information storage unit) for recording and storing map information 51 and memory for recording and storing the platooning program 52.

Map information 51 represents a map of a specified target driving area. The map represented by map information 51 is a two-dimensional map, and information (two-dimensional information) of each position within the target driving area is included in map information 51. However, as a variation, map information 51 may represent a three-dimensional map of the target driving area. The target driving area represents an area (area on a map) in which a convoy consisting of multiple vehicles CR can travel.

If the vehicle CR is a motor vehicle (such as a truck) that travels on public roads and expressways, and assuming that the system SYS is operated in Japan, the target travel area may be the entire land area of Japan. If the vehicle CR is a vehicle (such as an electric cart) that travels within a specified facility (such as a factory, warehouse, or store), the target travel area may be the area within the facility.

The platooning program 52 is a program executed by each processing unit 11 when multiple vehicles CR are platooning, and therefore platooning is realized through the execution of the program 52. The platooning program 52 may also be downloaded from the server device 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, there are two types of platooning programs 52: a lead vehicle program 52M executed by the processing unit 11 of the lead vehicle CR, and a follower vehicle program 52S executed by the processing unit 11 of the follower vehicle CR. In other words, the lead vehicle program 52M is executed by the processing unit 11 of the lead vehicle CR, and the follower vehicle program 52S is executed by the processing unit 11 of the follower vehicle CR.

The memory unit 50 of each in-vehicle device 1 may store both programs 52M and 52S. In this case, when the target vehicle CR is used as the lead vehicle, the calculation processing unit 11 in the target vehicle CR may execute the lead vehicle program 52M in the memory unit 50. Similarly, when the target vehicle CR is used as the following vehicle, the calculation processing unit 11 in the target vehicle CR may execute the following vehicle program 52S in the memory unit 50.

Of programs 52M and 52S, only program 52M may be stored in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the lead vehicle. Of programs 52M and 52S, only program 52S may be stored in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the following vehicle. For example, when it is determined that the focus vehicle CR will be used as the lead vehicle, the server device 2 may download the focus vehicle program 52M as the platooning program 52 to the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the focus vehicle CR. Similarly, when it is determined that the focus vehicle CR will be used as the following vehicle, the server device 2 may download the following vehicle program 52S as the platooning program 52 to the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the focus vehicle CR.

The actuator unit 60 is equipped with various actuators for driving the vehicle CR in the desired direction and for accelerating, decelerating, or stopping the vehicle CR. Specifically, the actuator unit 60 is equipped with a motor that generates the driving force, as well as a steering actuator that drives the steering of the vehicle CR and a brake actuator that drives the brakes of the vehicle CR. Note that when the driving force is generated using fuel, an engine is provided in the actuator unit 60.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), each vehicle CR is equipped with a traction battery BAT1, a drive circuit DRV, and a motor MT. The drive circuit DRV and motor MT are components of the actuator unit 60. The drive circuit DRV drives the motor MT based on the output power of the traction battery BAT1. The tires of the vehicle CR rotate based on the mechanical energy generated by the motor MT when driven, thereby propelling the vehicle CR. Each vehicle CR is also equipped with an auxiliary battery BAT2 shown in FIG. 6(b). Various electrical equipment installed in the vehicle CR is driven based on the output power of the auxiliary battery BAT2. The electrical equipment includes a main control unit 10, a vehicle state information detection unit 20, a surrounding information detection unit 30, a GPS processing unit 40, and a memory unit 50, and may also include an optional ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a drive recorder, etc. Batteries BAT1 and BAT2 are secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries. It is also possible to configure the same battery to function as batteries BAT1 and BAT2.

The main control unit 10 of the in-vehicle device 1 installed in the lead vehicle is specifically referred to as the main control unit 10M. Figure 7 shows a functional block diagram of the main control unit 10M. Functional blocks 111-115 are configured by the execution of the lead vehicle program 52M in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10M. That is, the main control unit 10M includes, as functional blocks 111-115, a host vehicle information acquisition unit 111, a vehicle information acquisition unit 112, a position estimation unit 113, a route setting unit 114, and a driving processing unit 115.

Note that for a given in-vehicle device 1, the vehicle CR in which it is installed is referred to as the "own vehicle," and other vehicles CR are referred to as "other vehicles."

The subject vehicle information acquisition unit 111 acquires subject vehicle information, which is information relating to the subject vehicle. The subject vehicle for the acquisition unit 111 is the lead vehicle CR[1]. The subject vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 111 includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the subject vehicle (i.e., the lead vehicle CR[1]) (however, GPS position information may not be included).

The other vehicle information acquisition unit 112 acquires other vehicle information, which is information about other vehicles, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The other vehicles to the acquisition unit 112 are the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. The other vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 112 includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the other vehicles (although GPS position information may not be included). If there are multiple other vehicles, other vehicle information is acquired for each other vehicle.

The position estimation unit 113 performs position estimation processing based on the position estimation information. Referring to FIG. 8, the position estimation information includes at least map information 51 (more specifically, map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 equipped with the main control unit 10M) and surrounding information for the lead vehicle CR[1]. The surrounding information for the lead vehicle CR[1] is surrounding information detected and output by each sensor (31, 32) of the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. The position estimation information may further include GPS position information for the lead vehicle CR[1]. The position estimation information may further include surrounding information in the other vehicle information (i.e., surrounding information for the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]). The position estimation information may further include GPS position information in the other vehicle information (i.e., GPS position information for the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]).

In the position estimation process, the position of the platoon is estimated. The position of the platoon derived by the position estimation unit 113 based on this estimation result is referred to as "P _EST ". In other words, the position P _EST is estimated and derived by the position estimation unit 113. The position P _EST represents the position of the platoon within the target driving area using two-dimensional coordinate values defined in the target driving area. The position of any point in the two-dimensional coordinate system defined in the target driving area is represented by (x, y). Furthermore, the position of vehicle CR[i] is represented by (x[i], y[i]) (see Figure 9), where i is an integer. This two-dimensional coordinate system consists of an X-axis and a Y-axis that are orthogonal to each other. "x[i]" and "y[i]" in the position (x[i], y[i]) represent the X-axis and Y-axis coordinate values of the position of vehicle CR[i], respectively. The position (x[i], y[i]) represents the position of a predetermined part of the vehicle CR[i] (for example, the center of gravity or center position of the vehicle CR[i]).

The position _PEST estimated and derived in the position estimation process includes at least the position (x[1], y[1]) of the lead vehicle CR[1]. That is, for example, the position estimation unit 113 can estimate the position (x[1], y[1]) as the position _PEST of the platoon based on the map information 51 and position estimation information including information about the surroundings of the vehicle.

The position P _EST estimated and derived in the position estimation process may include positions (x[1], y[1]) and (x[2], y[2]) and (x[3], y[3]) in addition to the position (x[1], y[1]). For example, the position estimation unit 113 may estimate and derive the positions (x[1], y[1]), (x[2], y[2]) and (x[3], y[3]) based on the map information 51 and information about the surroundings of the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3] detected by a total of three in-vehicle devices 1 mounted on the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3].

It should be noted that a known method can be used to estimate the position P _EST of the convoy based on the map information 51, camera information, and distance measurement information. The position P _EST may also be estimated using odometry.

The route setting unit 114 performs a route setting process based on the route setting information. In the route setting process, a planned travel route for the platoon is set (see FIG. 8 ). The planned travel route for the platoon represents the planned route along which the platoon will travel when heading from position P _EST to a predetermined destination. The route setting information includes position P _EST , map information 51 (more specifically, map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 equipped with the main control unit 10M), and destination information indicating the destination. The destination is set in advance for the lead vehicle CR[1] or each vehicle CR. The destination may also be set based on a signal from the server device 2. Note that setting the planned travel route for the platoon corresponds to planning the travel route for the platoon; therefore, the route setting unit may also be referred to as a travel route planning unit.

The driving processing unit 115 executes driving processing to drive the host vehicle (i.e., the lead vehicle CR[1]). In the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 of the host vehicle is controlled so that the host vehicle (i.e., the lead vehicle CR[1]) drives along the planned driving route. In this case, in the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 may be controlled, for example, so that the host vehicle's driving speed is kept constant or within a predetermined speed range. If the platoon is driving on a general road or an expressway, in the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 may be controlled so that the host vehicle's driving speed is kept within a predetermined speed range below the legal speed limit for each road. In the driving processing by the driving processing unit 115, the actuator unit 60 is controlled based on information about the host vehicle's surroundings and vehicle body information (such as vehicle length and width) so that the host vehicle does not collide with an obstacle.

The main control unit 10 of the in-vehicle device 1 installed in the following vehicle is specifically referred to as the main control unit 10S. Figure 10 shows a functional block diagram of the main control unit 10S. Functional blocks 161, 162, and 165 are configured by the execution of the following vehicle program 52S in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. That is, the main control unit 10S includes a host vehicle information acquisition unit 161, an other vehicle information acquisition unit 162, and a driving processing unit 165 as functional blocks 161, 162, and 165.

The subject vehicle information acquisition unit 161 acquires subject vehicle information, which is information related to the subject vehicle. For the acquisition unit 161, the subject vehicle is the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3]. The subject vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 161 of the following vehicle CR[2] includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the subject vehicle (i.e., the following vehicle CR[2]) (however, GPS position information may not be included). The subject vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 161 of the following vehicle CR[3] includes vehicle state information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle state information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the subject vehicle (i.e., the following vehicle CR[3]) (however, GPS position information may not be included).

The other vehicle information acquisition unit 162 acquires other vehicle information, which is information about other vehicles, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. For the acquisition unit 162 of the following vehicle CR[2], the other vehicles are vehicles CR[1] and CR[3]. For the acquisition unit 162 of the following vehicle CR[3], the other vehicles are vehicles CR[1] and CR[2]. The other vehicle information acquired by the other vehicle information acquisition unit 162 includes all or part of the vehicle status information, surrounding information, and GPS position information output from the vehicle status information detection unit 20, surrounding information detection unit 30, and GPS processing unit 40 of the other vehicles. If there are multiple other vehicles, other vehicle information is acquired for each other vehicle. However, the other vehicle information acquired by each acquisition unit 162 of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] includes at least the driving information (vehicle speed information, steering angle information, and acceleration/deceleration information) of the leading vehicle CR[1].

In addition, all vehicle status information, surrounding information, and GPS location information for each of the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3] may be shared among all in-vehicle devices 1 via the acquisition units 111 and 112 of the lead vehicle CR[1] and the acquisition units 161 and 162 of the following vehicles CR[2] and [3].

The driving processing unit 165 executes driving processing to drive the vehicle. The distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2] (the inter-vehicle distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2]) is detected by the distance measurement sensor 32 of the following vehicle CR[2]. The driving processing by the driving processing unit 165 of the following vehicle CR[2] controls the actuator unit 60 of the following vehicle CR[2] based on the driving information of the leading vehicle CR[1] so that the following vehicle CR[2] drives following the leading vehicle CR[1] while maintaining the distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2] within a predetermined distance range.

The distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] (the inter-vehicle distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]) is detected by the distance measurement sensor 32 of the following vehicle CR[3]. The driving processing by the driving processing unit 165 of the following vehicle CR[3] controls the actuator unit 60 of the following vehicle CR[3] based on the driving information of the leading vehicle CR[1] so that the following vehicle CR[3] follows the leading vehicle CR[1] while maintaining the distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] within a predetermined distance range. Alternatively, the driving processing by the driving processing unit 165 of the following vehicle CR[3] may control the actuator unit 60 of the following vehicle CR[3] based on the driving information of the following vehicle CR[2] so that the following vehicle CR[3] follows the following vehicle CR[2] while maintaining the distance between vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] within a predetermined distance range.

The main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] recognizes that it is associated with the second vehicle in the platoon (i.e., vehicle CR[2]). Similarly, the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[3] recognizes that it is associated with the third vehicle in the platoon (i.e., vehicle CR[3]). Furthermore, if the leading vehicle CR[1] suddenly stops, there is a risk that the following vehicle CR[2] will rear-end the leading vehicle CR[1]. The same applies to the relationship between the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. To avoid such a rear-end collision, when driving control is performed on one vehicle CR (e.g., CR[1]), the content of that control may be transmitted to the on-board device 1 of another vehicle CR (e.g., CR[2] or CR[3]), and the on-board device 1 of the other vehicle CR may then perform driving control according to the content of that control.

Vehicles CR[1] to CR[3] travel in formation toward the destination through the driving processing of each vehicle CR. The driving processing unit 165 of the main control unit 10S may increase or decrease the inter-vehicle distance based on a signal from the main control unit 10M.

The processing that must be performed when platooning includes the driving processing described above as well as a variety of other processing. It is also possible to consolidate information acquired by each vehicle CR in the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] and have the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] handle all of the processing that must be performed when platooning. However, in this case, the processing load on the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] will be significantly greater than that of the others, which could result in adverse effects such as faster consumption of the auxiliary battery BAT2 of the lead vehicle CR[1] than that of the others.

Taking this into consideration, in the system SYS according to this embodiment, predetermined target processing is shared and executed by multiple on-board devices 1, or executed in cooperation. The target processing is processing that is different from the driving processing, among the processing that should be executed when driving in a convoy. It is appropriate for the driving processing related to the control of the actuator unit 60 of each vehicle CR to be performed by each vehicle CR, but other processing can be shared or executed in cooperation.

The above-described sharing or cooperation prevents processing from concentrating on a single onboard device 1 (the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle). As a result, it becomes possible to make the power consumption of the onboard battery (here, the auxiliary battery BAT2) comparable among multiple vehicles CR, thereby increasing the driving distance of the entire convoy (first effect). Furthermore, if processing were concentrated on a single onboard device 1 (the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle), the need for faster processing could result in higher costs for the onboard device 1. The above-described sharing or cooperation also prevents this increase in cost (second effect). Alternatively, if processing were concentrated on a single onboard device 1 (the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle), there would be concerns that the components of that onboard device 1 (CPU, GPU, camera, ranging sensor, etc.) would be used more frequently than the others, resulting in higher temperatures, deterioration, and failure rates. The above-described sharing or cooperation also eliminates or reduces these concerns (third effect).

The following describes specific operational examples, application techniques, modified techniques, etc. related to the above-mentioned system SYS in multiple examples. The matters described in this embodiment apply to each of the following examples unless otherwise stated and unless there is a contradiction. If there are any matters in each example that contradict the matters described above, the descriptions in each example may take precedence. Furthermore, unless there is a contradiction, the matters described in any of the multiple examples shown below can also be applied to any of the other examples (i.e., any two or more of the multiple examples can also be combined).

<<First Example>>
A first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the target processes related to sharing or cooperation include an obstacle monitoring process for monitoring obstacles around the platoon. Monitoring obstacles around the platoon is, in other words, monitoring obstacles around each vehicle in the platoon. The obstacles are three-dimensional objects different from the vehicle CR.

In the system SYS, a monitoring area is set to prevent the convoy from colliding with obstacles. In Figure 11, the shaded area represents the monitoring area for the entire convoy (hereinafter referred to as the overall monitoring area MR_W). The overall monitoring area MR_W is an area that encompasses the location of the entire convoy.

Referring to Figure 12, the overall monitoring area MR_W can be broken down into areas MR1 to MR7. The overall monitoring area MR_W corresponds to the combined area of areas MR1 to MR7.

The region MR1 is located in front of the leading vehicle CR[1] and includes a region located diagonally forward to the right and a region located diagonally forward to the left of the leading vehicle CR[1].
The region MR2 is located behind the leading vehicle CR[1] and in front of the following vehicle CR[2]. The region MR2 includes a region located diagonally rearward to the right and a region located diagonally rearward to the left of the leading vehicle CR[1].
The region MR3 is located behind the following vehicle CR[2] and in front of the following vehicle CR[3]. The region MR3 includes a region located diagonally rearward to the right and a region located diagonally rearward to the left of the following vehicle CR[2].
The region MR4 is located behind the following vehicle CR[3], which is the rearmost vehicle, and includes a region located diagonally to the right and diagonally to the left of the following vehicle CR[3].
The region MR5 is an area located on the sides (right and left sides) of the leading vehicle CR[1].
The region MR6 is located to the sides (right and left sides) of the following vehicle CR[2].
The region MR7 is located to the sides (right and left sides) of the following vehicle CR[3].

As shown in FIG. 13, in order to realize obstacle monitoring processing in the system SYS, a monitoring processing unit is provided in the main control unit 10 of each in-vehicle device 1. The monitoring processing unit provided in the main control unit 10 (10M) of the lead vehicle CR[1] is referenced by the symbol "121". The monitoring processing unit 121 may be configured by executing the lead vehicle program 52M in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10M. The monitoring processing unit provided in the main control unit 10 (10S) of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] is referenced by the symbol "171". The monitoring processing unit 171 may be configured by executing the following vehicle program 52S in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. When it is necessary to distinguish between the monitoring processing unit 171 provided in the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] and the monitoring processing unit 171 provided in the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[3], the former will be referred to as the monitoring processing unit 171a and the latter as the monitoring processing unit 171b.

The monitoring processing unit 121 monitors obstacles within the first allocation area using the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. That is, the monitoring processing unit 121 monitors obstacles within the first allocation area using the camera 31 and distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the lead vehicle CR[1]. The shooting area of the camera 31 and the detection area of the distance measurement sensor 32 installed in the lead vehicle CR[1] are set so that obstacles within the first allocation area can be monitored. Details of the first allocation area will be described later.

The monitoring processing unit 171a monitors obstacles within the second allocation area using the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the following vehicle CR[2]. That is, the monitoring processing unit 171a monitors obstacles within the second allocation area using the camera 31 and distance measurement sensor 32 installed on the following vehicle CR[2]. The shooting area of the camera 31 and the detection area of the distance measurement sensor 32 installed on the following vehicle CR[2] are set so that obstacles within the second allocation area can be monitored. Details of the second allocation area will be described later.

The monitoring processing unit 171b monitors obstacles within the third allocated area using the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the following vehicle CR[3]. That is, the monitoring processing unit 171b monitors obstacles within the third allocated area using the camera 31 and distance measurement sensor 32 installed on the following vehicle CR[3]. The shooting area of the camera 31 and the detection area of the distance measurement sensor 32 installed on the following vehicle CR[3] are set so that obstacles within the third allocated area can be monitored. Details of the third allocated area will be described later.

The overall monitoring area MR_W is formed by combining the first to third assigned areas. When monitoring an obstacle within an arbitrary attention area, the presence or absence of an obstacle within the attention area is detected, and when the presence of an obstacle within the attention area is detected, the positional relationship between the obstacle and the platoon (the positional relationship between the obstacle and each vehicle CR) is also detected.

The first allocated area includes area MR1. The second allocated area includes area MR2. Area MR5 is included in either the first allocated area or the second allocated area. Within area MR5, the front area may be included in the first allocated area, and the rear area may be included in the second allocated area. In either case, the monitoring processing unit 121 monitors obstacles in front of the lead vehicle CR[1] (obstacles within area MR1), and the monitoring processing unit 171a monitors obstacles behind the lead vehicle CR[1] (obstacles within area MR2).

The third assigned area includes area MR4. Therefore, the monitoring processing unit 171b monitors obstacles behind the rearmost vehicle CR[3] (obstacles within area MR4).

Regions MR3, MR6, and MR7 fall within the combined region of the second and third allocated regions. Typically, region M6 may be included in the second allocated region, and region M7 may be included in the third allocated region. Region MR3 may be included in either the second or third allocated region.

When the monitoring processing unit 121 detects the presence of an obstacle in the first allocation area, a first collision determination process is executed to determine the possibility of a collision between the obstacle and the platoon.
When the monitoring processing unit 171a detects the presence of an obstacle in the second allocation area, a second collision determination process is executed to determine the possibility of a collision between the obstacle and the platoon.
When the monitoring processing unit 171b detects the presence of an obstacle in the third allocation area, a third collision determination process is executed to determine the possibility of a collision between the obstacle and the convoy.
A collision between an obstacle and a platoon refers to a collision between the obstacle and one of the vehicles CR forming the platoon. In each collision determination process, a change in the positional relationship between the obstacle and the platoon is evaluated, and when the obstacle approaches one of the vehicles CR over time, it is determined that there is a possibility of the collision.

The first, second, and third collision detection processes may be executed by any of the in-vehicle devices 1 installed in the vehicles CR[1] to CR[3]. Typically, the first, second, and third collision detection processes may be executed by the main control unit 10 of the vehicles CR[1], CR[2], and CR[3], respectively. The results of monitoring by the monitoring processing units 121, 171a, and 171b may be transmitted to the server device 2, thereby causing the server device 2 to perform the first, second, and third collision detection processes.

When it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, the system SYS executes a collision avoidance process to avoid the collision. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between an obstacle and the lead vehicle CR[1], the main control unit 10 of the lead vehicle CR[1] may execute a collision avoidance process. In this collision avoidance process, the main control unit 10 of the lead vehicle CR[1] controls the actuator unit 60 to change the running state of the lead vehicle CR[1] (e.g., slow down or stop the lead vehicle CR[1]), thereby avoiding the collision. Furthermore, when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between an obstacle and the following vehicle CR[2], the main control unit 10 of the following vehicle CR[2] may execute a collision avoidance process. In this collision avoidance process, the main control unit 10 of the following vehicle CR[2] controls the actuator unit 60 to change the running state of the following vehicle CR[2] (e.g., slow down or stop the following vehicle CR[2]), thereby avoiding the collision. The same applies when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between an obstacle and the following vehicle CR[3]. The collision avoidance process may be executed under the control of the server device 2.

A reference method is also being considered in which the camera information and distance measurement information obtained by each vehicle CR is aggregated in the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle, and obstacle monitoring for the entire convoy is performed by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle. However, with this reference method, there are concerns about the adverse effects of concentrating the processing load on one on-board device 1. By dividing the obstacle monitoring among multiple on-board devices 1 as in the first embodiment (in other words, by having multiple on-board devices 1 work together to monitor obstacles for the entire convoy), the above-mentioned effects can be achieved.

It is also possible to modify the system so that multiple in-vehicle devices 1 each monitor an arbitrary area for obstacles. For example, safety may be prioritized, and monitoring of obstacles within area MR2 may be performed by each of monitoring processing units 121 and 171a. This multiplexes obstacle monitoring, and even if one of monitoring processing units 121 and 171a fails to detect an obstacle, the other will correctly detect the obstacle.

<<Second Example>>
A second embodiment will be described below. In the second embodiment, the target processes relating to sharing or cooperation include a formation position derivation process for deriving (detecting) the position of the formation.

As described with reference to FIG. 8 , the main control unit 10M of the lead vehicle CR[1] estimates the position of the platoon, and derives a position P _EST indicating the estimation result. However, in the second embodiment, the planned driving route set by the main control unit 10M of the lead vehicle CR[1] is transmitted to the on-board device 10 of the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3], and the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3] functions as an observer to derive position correction information (see FIG. 14 ). Then, a feedback loop is formed by feeding the position correction information back to the position estimation unit 113, and the position estimation unit 113 derives the position P _EST in accordance with the position correction information. This corresponds to the deriving (detecting) of the position of the platoon through cooperation between the on-board device 1 mounted on the lead vehicle CR and the on-board device 1 mounted on the following vehicle CR. The position P _EST represents the position of the platoon derived through this collaboration, and the system SYS controls the running of each vehicle based on the derived position of the platoon (P _EST ).

Figure 14 is a functional block diagram related to the platoon position derivation process. As described above, the main control unit 10M of the lead vehicle CR[1] is provided with a position estimation unit 113 and a route setting unit 114. In contrast, the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2] or CR[3] is provided with a position correction information generation unit 174. The position correction information generation unit 174 may be configured by executing the following vehicle program 52S in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. In the following, it is assumed that the position correction information generation unit 174 is provided in the main control unit 10S of the following vehicle CR[2].

As described above, the position estimation unit 113 derives the position _PEST of the platoon based on the position estimation information, and the route setting unit 114 sets the planned travel route of the platoon based on the position _PEST . However, position correction information is taken into account when deriving the position _PEST . The position _PEST may include the position of each vehicle CR, but here we will focus on the position (x[1], y[1]) of vehicle CR[1] as the position _PEST of the platoon.

The planned driving route set by the route setting unit 114 of the lead vehicle CR[1] is transmitted to the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2], the position correction information generation unit 174 generates position correction information based on map information 51 (more specifically, map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2]), surrounding information for the following vehicle CR[2], and the transmitted planned driving route. The surrounding information for the following vehicle CR[2] is surrounding information detected and output by each sensor (31, 32) of the surrounding information detection unit 30 of the following vehicle CR[2]. When generating the position correction information, the GPS position information of the following vehicle CR[2] may also be referenced.

Figure 15 shows an example of a platoon traveling. In Figure 15, the hatched areas represent non-drivable areas where the platoon cannot travel or position, and the white areas surrounded by the hatched areas represent drivable areas where the platoon can travel and position. Here, a vertical wall is assumed to exist at the boundary between the drivable area and the non-drivable area, and the platoon travels from the departure point 610 to the destination 650 without colliding with the wall. The map image 51 indicates whether each point belongs to a non-drivable area or a drivable area, and also indicates the existence of a wall at the boundary between the non-drivable area and the drivable area. The on-board device 1 of the host vehicle can recognize the positional relationship between the host vehicle and other objects (other vehicles and walls) based on camera images and ranging information, and can further recognize the host vehicle's position on the map based on the map information 51.

This section explains the movement of the convoy from the departure point 610 to the destination point 650. That is, this section explains the convoy's travel from the initial state where the position (x[1], y[1]) of the lead vehicle CR[1] coincides with the departure point 610, to the state where the position (x[1], y[1]) of the lead vehicle CR[1] coincides with the destination point 650.

First, a virtual configuration is assumed in which the generating unit 174 does not exist, and a case is considered in which there is no error in the estimation of the position P _EST in the virtual configuration.
In the initial state of this case, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P _EST based on the position estimation information. Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route 612 that specifies that the convoy will travel from a departure point 610 to a waypoint 620. The convoy travels along the planned driving route 612, and the lead vehicle CR[1] reaches the waypoint 620.
With the lead vehicle CR[1] located at the waypoint 620, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P _EST based on the position estimation information. Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route 622 that specifies that the platoon will travel from the waypoint 620 to the waypoint 630. The platoon travels along the planned driving route 622, and the lead vehicle CR[1] reaches the waypoint 630.
With the lead vehicle CR[1] located at the waypoint 630, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P _EST based on the position estimation information. Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned travel route 632 that specifies that the platoon will travel from the waypoint 630 to the waypoint 640. The platoon travels along the planned travel route 632, and the lead vehicle CR[1] reaches the waypoint 640.
With the lead vehicle CR[1] located at the waypoint 640, the position estimation unit 113 estimates the position P _EST based on the position estimation information. Based on the estimation result, the route setting unit 114 sets a planned travel route 642 that specifies that the convoy will travel from the waypoint 640 to the destination 650. The convoy travels along the planned travel route 642, and the lead vehicle CR[1] reaches the destination 650.

In practice, a general planned driving route from the departure point 610 to the destination 650 is set in the initial state, and then, after starting travel from the departure point 610, specific planned driving routes are set sequentially. Planned driving routes 612, 622, 632, and 642 in Figure 15 correspond to specific planned driving routes.

In a virtual configuration without the generation unit 174, errors may be included in the position P _EST due to various factors. In a virtual configuration, errors in the position P _EST may prevent the platoon from reaching the destination 650 correctly or may result in unnecessary travel. Using highly accurate three-dimensional map information as the map information 51 can improve the accuracy of position estimation. This is because, compared to using two-dimensional map information, using three-dimensional map information dramatically increases the number of objects (landmarks) that can be recognized using the sensors (31, 32) used to acquire surrounding information. However, using three-dimensional map information as the map information 51 increases the processing load, memory capacity requirements, and system costs. For this reason, it is preferable to use two-dimensional map information as the map information 51, and therefore, in this embodiment, two-dimensional map information is used as the map information 51.

To compensate for the degradation in estimation accuracy that can occur when using two-dimensional map information, in the second embodiment, the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] monitors the validity of the position estimation.

This method will be described with reference to Figure 16. During the process of causing the convoy to travel from a starting point 610 to a destination 650, the position estimation unit 113 successively derives the position _PEST of the convoy at a predetermined cycle. Now, assume that the position _PEST estimated and derived by the position estimation unit 113 at a certain specific time is position Q1. At the specific time, there is no error in the estimation by the position estimation unit 113, and no correction based on position correction information is performed by the position estimation unit 113. In other words, at the specific time, the position of the convoy estimated based only on the position estimation information is output directly from the position estimation unit 113 as position _PEST .

The route setting unit 114 sets a planned driving route R based on the position P _EST of the platoon at a specific time, map information 51 (more specifically, the map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1]), and destination information. The planned driving route R is transmitted from the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] to the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The planned driving route R indicates the position P _EST (i.e., position Q1) and position Q2 of the platoon at a specific time, and includes route information along which the platoon is planned to travel from the position P _EST (i.e., position Q1) of the platoon to position Q2 at the specific time. For example, positions Q1 and Q2 correspond to the departure point 610 and the waypoint 620 in FIG. 15, respectively. Alternatively, for example, positions Q1 and Q2 correspond to the waypoint 620 and waypoint 630 in FIG. 15, respectively.

For convenience, the position of the platoon estimated by the position estimation unit 113 based solely on the position estimation information and not on the position correction information will be referred to as the original estimated position. After setting the planned driving route R, the driving processing unit 115 of the lead vehicle CR[1] drives the lead vehicle CR[1] along the planned driving route R, and the driving processing units 165 of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] drive the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3] to follow the lead vehicle CR[1]. Here, the driving processing unit 115 drives and controls the actuator unit 60 of the lead vehicle CR[1] so that the original estimated position moves along the planned driving route R. The original estimated position derived during driving along the planned driving route R may contain errors. Therefore, even if the original estimated position indicates position Q2 after the platoon has completed driving based on the planned driving route R, the true position of the platoon may deviate from position Q2.

After the platoon has completed traveling based on the planned traveling route R, the position correction information generation unit 174 generates position correction information based on the planned traveling route R received from the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1], the map information 51, and the surrounding information of the following vehicle CR[2]. When the platoon has completed traveling based on the planned traveling route R, a signal indicating this may be transmitted from the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] to the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2]. In this case, the position correction information generation unit 174 may generate position correction information upon receiving this signal.

When generating the position correction information, the position correction information generation unit 174 first estimates the position of the platoon based on map information 51 (more specifically, map information 51 in the memory unit 50 of the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2]) and information about the surroundings of the following vehicle CR[2]. The position of the platoon estimated by the generation unit 174 is referred to as position S. Here, the generation unit 174 estimates the position of the lead vehicle CR[1] as position S of the platoon. For example, the generation unit 174 estimates the position of the following vehicle CR[2] based on map information 51 and information about the surroundings of the following vehicle CR[2], and then estimates the position of the lead vehicle CR[1] based on the estimated position of the following vehicle CR[2] and the distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2]. The distance between vehicles CR[1] and CR[2] can be detected using the ranging sensor 32 of the following vehicle CR[2]. Furthermore, when the generation unit 174 estimates the position S of the platoon, the GPS position information of the following vehicle CR[2] may be referenced.

The position correction information generation unit 174 generates position correction information representing a vector VD heading from position Q2 to position S. The position correction information representing the vector VD is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] via vehicle-to-vehicle communication and sent to the position estimation unit 113.

Upon receiving the position correction information representing the vector VD, the position estimation unit 113 corrects the estimation content of the next formation position based on the position correction information. That is, after receiving the position correction information representing the vector VD, the original estimated position based on the position estimation information is corrected to be shifted in accordance with the vector VD (i.e., shifted in the direction of the vector VD by the magnitude of the vector VD), and the corrected original estimated position is set as the formation position P _EST to be derived next.

Then, the same process as above is repeated, starting from the original estimated position after the correction.

As in the second embodiment, by having multiple in-vehicle devices 1 work together to estimate position, the above-mentioned effects can be achieved and the accuracy of position estimation is expected to improve.

Here, it is assumed that the position correction information generation unit 174 is provided only in the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[2] out of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. However, the position correction information generation unit 174 may also be provided in the in-vehicle device 1 of the following vehicle CR[3]. In this case, the position estimation unit 113 can derive the position P _EST based on the position correction information generated by each position correction information generation unit 174. This is expected to further improve the accuracy of the position estimation. The same applies when there are three or more following vehicles CR. Furthermore, the position P _EST may be corrected using another sensor for grasping the conditions within the target traveling area. The other sensor is a sensor separate from the sensors mounted on the in-vehicle device 1, and may include, for example, an IP camera (network camera) that captures the conditions within the target traveling area.

Based on the estimated position of the convoy, it is possible to determine the possibility of a collision between the convoy and an obstacle (such as the wall mentioned above). This determination itself may be made by the on-board device 1 of any of the vehicles CR, or by the server device 2.

<<Third Example>>
A third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the target processes related to sharing or cooperation include an abnormality diagnosis process for diagnosing whether or not there is an abnormality in the formation. The abnormality may be a malfunction. Furthermore, diagnosis may be read as detection.

There are two types of abnormalities: Type 1 abnormalities, which require diagnosis for each vehicle CR, and Type 2 abnormalities. Examples of Type 1 abnormalities include a temperature abnormality in which the temperature at a specific location within vehicle CR[i] (e.g., the temperature of battery BAT1 or 2) deviates from a specific temperature range, a sensor abnormality in which camera information is not output from camera 31 or distance measurement information is not output from distance measurement sensor 32, and a drive abnormality in which one of the components of actuator unit 60 is not operating. For Type 1 abnormalities, the on-board device 1 of vehicle CR[i] will diagnose the presence or absence of an abnormality by itself.

It is also possible for each vehicle CR to diagnose the presence or absence of a second type of abnormality. However, the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] sets the planned driving route (route planning) on behalf of the multiple on-board devices 1. Furthermore, if the method shown in the first embodiment is not adopted, obstacle monitoring for the entire convoy is performed solely by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. Furthermore, if the method shown in the second embodiment is not adopted, the position estimation of the convoy is performed solely by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1]. As such, the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] often has a heavier processing load than the on-board devices 1 of the following vehicles CR. Taking this into consideration, in the third embodiment, the presence or absence of a second type of abnormality that may occur in the lead vehicle CR[1] is diagnosed by the following vehicle CR[2]. Furthermore, the presence or absence of a second type of abnormality that may occur in the following vehicle CR[2] is diagnosed by the following vehicle CR[3].

As shown in FIG. 17, in order to realize abnormality diagnosis processing in the system SYS, an abnormality diagnosis unit is provided in each on-board device 1. An abnormality diagnosis unit 131 is provided in the main control unit 10M of the lead vehicle CR[1]. An abnormality diagnosis unit 181 and 182 are provided in each main control unit 10S of the following vehicles CR[2] and CR[3]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 131 may be configured by executing the lead vehicle program 52M in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10M. The abnormality diagnosis units 181 and 1821 may be configured by executing the following vehicle program 52S in the calculation processing unit 11 of the main control unit 10S. When it is necessary to distinguish between the abnormality diagnosis unit 181 of the following vehicle CR[2] and the abnormality diagnosis unit 181 of the following vehicle CR[3], the former will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 181a and the latter will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 181b. When it is necessary to distinguish between the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 of the following vehicle CR[2] and the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 of the following vehicle CR[3], the former will be referred to as the abnormality diagnosis unit 182a and the latter as the abnormality diagnosis unit 182b.

The abnormality diagnosis unit 131 diagnoses whether or not a first type of abnormality exists in the lead vehicle CR[1]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 181a diagnoses whether or not a first type of abnormality exists in the following vehicle CR[2]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 181b diagnoses whether or not a first type of abnormality exists in the following vehicle CR[3].

The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in the on-board device 1 of the following vehicle CR diagnoses whether or not there is a second type of abnormality in the vehicle CR traveling immediately before the vehicle CR on which it is mounted. Thus, the abnormality diagnosis unit 182a diagnoses whether or not there is a second type of abnormality in the leading vehicle CR [1], and the abnormality diagnosis unit 182b diagnoses whether or not there is a second type of abnormality in the following vehicle CR [2]. A diagnostic sensor is used to diagnose whether or not there is a second type of abnormality. The diagnostic sensor is primarily a camera 31, but may include other sensors.

Figure 18 shows a flowchart of the operation related to abnormality diagnosis. First, in step S31, the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i] notifies the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1] of its status via vehicle-to-vehicle communication (i is an integer). In the status notification in step S31, the open/closed state of the doors of vehicle CR[i] (whether the doors are open or not), the open/closed state of the windows of vehicle CR[i] (whether the windows are open or not), and the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] (whether the lights are on or not) are notified to the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1]. However, it is also possible to notify only one or two of the open/closed state of the doors, the open/closed state of the windows, and the state of the lights.

The status notification in step S31 may be performed periodically or when an event occurs. When the open/closed state of a door is included in the subject of notification, an event occurs when the state of a door of vehicle CR[i] changes between an open state and a closed state. When the open/closed state of a window is included in the subject of notification, an event occurs when the state of a window of vehicle CR[i] changes between an open state and a closed state. When the state of a light is included in the subject of notification, an event occurs when the state of a light of vehicle CR[i] changes between an on state and an off state.

The contents of the status notification in step S31 are received by the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1]. In step S32 following step S31, the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1] uses the diagnostic sensors of vehicle CR[i+1] to determine whether the contents of the status notification are correct. If the contents of the status notification are not determined to be correct (N in step S33), proceed to step S34. If the contents of the status notification are determined to be entirely correct (Y in step S33), the operation of FIG. 18 ends without proceeding to step S34.

The door of vehicle CR[i], at least in the open state, falls within the imaging area of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, when the state of the door of vehicle CR[i] changes between the open state and the closed state, the change causes a change in the camera image of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, in vehicle CR[i+1], the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 can determine whether the door of vehicle CR[i] is in the open state or the closed state based on the camera information from camera 31. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 compares the open/closed state of the door of vehicle CR[i] determined based on the camera information with the open/closed state of the door of vehicle CR[i] indicated in the received state notification. If they do not match (N in step S33), proceed to step S34.

The windows of vehicle CR[i] fall within the imaging area of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, when the state of the window of vehicle CR[i] changes between open and closed, the change results in a change in the camera image of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, in vehicle CR[i+1], the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 can determine whether the window of vehicle CR[i] is open or closed based on the camera information from camera 31. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 compares the open/closed state of the window of vehicle CR[i] determined based on the camera information with the open/closed state of the window of vehicle CR[i] indicated in the received state notification. If they do not match (N in step S33), proceed to step S34.

The lights of vehicle CR[i] fall within the imaging area of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, when the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] changes between the on state and the off state, the change results in a change in the camera image of camera 31 of vehicle CR[i+1]. Therefore, in vehicle CR[i+1], the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 can determine whether the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] is on or off based on the camera information from camera 31. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 compares the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] determined based on the camera information with the state of the lights of vehicle CR[i] indicated in the received state notification. If they do not match (N in step S33), proceed to step S34.

In step S34, the abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in the in-vehicle device 1 of vehicle CR[i+1] determines that an abnormality exists in vehicle CR[i] and outputs a predetermined abnormality notification signal. Then, in step S35, the device that received the abnormality notification signal executes an abnormality response operation. After the abnormality response operation is executed, the operation in Figure 18 ends.

The abnormality notification signal may be sent to the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1], in which case the abnormality response operation can be performed by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1].

The abnormality response operation by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] may include a fail-safe operation. If an abnormality is determined to exist in the lead vehicle CR[1], a fail-safe operation may be performed to change the lead vehicle. That is, if the first, second, and third vehicles are the lead vehicle CR[1], the following vehicle CR[2], and the last vehicle CR[3], respectively, and a lead vehicle is changed, after the change, for example, the second, third, and first vehicles become the lead vehicle CR[1], the following vehicle CR[2], and the last vehicle CR[3], respectively. The fail-safe operation may also be an operation to stop all vehicles CR[1] to CR[3].

The abnormality response operation by the on-board device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1] may include transmitting a predetermined signal (a signal indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the platoon) to the server device 2. Note that the abnormality response operation may also be performed by the on-board device 1 of vehicle CR[2] or CR[3].

Furthermore, the abnormality notification signal may be sent to the server device 2, in which case the fail-safe operation in the abnormality response operation may be performed under the control of the server device 2.

In the operation of Figure 18, examples of the second type of abnormality include abnormalities related to doors, windows, or lights. However, the second type of abnormality is not limited to abnormalities related to doors, windows, or lights.

For example, the second type of abnormality in vehicle CR[i] may include the detachment of any part that makes up vehicle CR[i], the detachment of cargo that was loaded on vehicle CR[i], or the collapse of cargo loaded on vehicle CR[i]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in vehicle CR[i+1] can determine whether or not the above-mentioned detachment of part, detachment of cargo, or collapse of cargo has occurred based on the camera image from the camera 31 installed on vehicle CR[i+1].

For example, the second type of abnormality in vehicle CR[i] may include a temperature abnormality in vehicle CR[i]. In this case, a thermograph (not shown) is provided as a diagnostic sensor in each vehicle CR. The thermograph provided in vehicle CR[i+1] can measure the body temperature of vehicle CR[i]. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in vehicle CR[i+1] can determine whether or not there is a temperature abnormality in vehicle CR[i] (an abnormality in which the body temperature of vehicle CR[i] deviates from a predetermined normal temperature range) based on the measurement results of the thermograph provided in vehicle CR[i+1].

For example, the second type of abnormality in vehicle CR[i] may include a state in which an abnormal sound is generated in vehicle CR[i]. In this case, a directional microphone (not shown) is provided as a diagnostic sensor in each vehicle CR. The microphone provided in vehicle CR[i+1] mainly picks up sounds coming from vehicle CR[i], converts the picked up sounds into audio signals, and outputs them. The abnormality diagnosis unit 182 in vehicle CR[i+1] can determine whether an abnormal sound is generated in vehicle CR[i] based on the output audio signal of the microphone provided in vehicle CR[i+1].

If it is determined that an abnormality of any second type exists in vehicle CR[i], an abnormality communication signal is output from the abnormality diagnosis unit 182. The output of the abnormality communication signal and the subsequent abnormality response processing are as described above.

As in the third embodiment, by having multiple on-board devices 1 share the task of diagnosing whether or not there are any abnormalities in the convoy (in other words, by having them work together), the above-mentioned effects can be achieved.

In addition, the fail-safe operation of switching the lead vehicle increases the likelihood of reaching the destination even if there is an abnormality in some of the vehicles CR or some of the on-board devices 1 in the platoon (improving the robustness of the system).

<<Fourth Example>>
A fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, some modified techniques and supplementary matters related to the system SYS will be described.

In the example given above, the planned driving route is set by the onboard device 1 of the lead vehicle CR[1], but the planned driving route may also be set by multiple onboard devices 1 working together.

When the target process is shared and executed by multiple in-vehicle devices 1, the content of the sharing may be switched depending on the processing load of the main control unit 10 of each in-vehicle device 1. For example, when the processing load of the main control unit 10 in a first in-vehicle device 1 is lighter than the processing load of the main control unit 10 in a second in-vehicle device 1, the first process constituting the target process may be carried out by the main control unit 10 in the first in-vehicle device 1, and the second process constituting the target process may be carried out by the main control unit 10 in the second in-vehicle device 1. Here, the first process imposes a greater load (e.g., amount of calculation) on the main control unit 10 than the second process.

Of the multiple vehicles CR forming the platoon, one vehicle CR functions as a reference vehicle (leader vehicle), and the other vehicles CR function as non-reference vehicles. The reference vehicle may be understood as a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 that estimates and derives the position P _EST of the platoon. Alternatively, the reference vehicle may be understood as a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 that sets the planned driving route. Furthermore, the reference vehicle may be understood as a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 that communicates with the server device 2 on behalf of the platoon. Typically, the leading vehicle CR functions as the reference vehicle. However, any following vehicle CR (e.g., CR[2] or CR[3]) may also function as the reference vehicle.

Therefore, for example, a modification is possible in which the position _{P_EST} of the platoon is estimated and derived at any of the following vehicles CR (for example, CR[2] or CR[3]) that form the platoon.

The server device 2 may transmit various signals, including signals specifying the destination, to the in-vehicle device 1 mounted on the reference vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the reference in-vehicle device 1). If there is an area within the target driving area where driving of the vehicle CR is restricted (hereinafter referred to as the driving restricted area), the server device 2 may transmit a signal indicating the driving restricted area to the reference in-vehicle device 1. For example, if the system SYS is operated in a large commercial facility and a driving restricted area occurs due to an event being held during a specific time period, the server device 2 can transmit a signal indicating the specific time period and the driving restricted area to the reference in-vehicle device 1. In this case, the main control unit 10 of the reference in-vehicle device 1 may set a planned driving route for the convoy to reach the destination, while imposing a constraint that prohibits the convoy from passing through the driving restricted area during the specific time period.

The present invention can be applied to transporting parts within a factory or transporting cargo within a store. That is, the vehicle CR may be a vehicle that transports parts within a factory or cargo within a store. However, the vehicle CR may also be a car (such as a truck) that travels on public roads and expressways.

The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. The above-described embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and the meanings of the terms used in the present invention and each constituent element are not limited to those described in the above-described embodiments. The specific numerical values shown in the above description are merely examples, and as a matter of course, they can be changed to various numerical values.

SYS System (platooning control system)
CR, CR[1] to CR[3] Vehicle NET Communication network 1 In-vehicle device 2 Server device 10 Main control unit 11 Arithmetic processing unit 12 Internal memory 13 Communication processing unit 20 Vehicle state information detection unit 30 Surrounding information detection unit 31 Camera (image sensor)
32 Distance measurement sensor 40 GPS processing unit 50 Memory unit 51 Map information 52 Platooning program 60 Actuator unit 111 Vehicle information acquisition unit 112 Other vehicle information acquisition unit 113 Position estimation unit 114 Route setting unit 115 Travel processing unit 161 Vehicle information acquisition unit 162 Other vehicle information acquisition unit 165 Travel processing units 121, 171 Monitoring processing unit 174 Position correction information generation unit 131, 181, 182 Abnormality diagnosis unit

Claims (9)

A platooning control system includes an on-board device mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles forming a platoon, and causes the plurality of vehicles to travel in a platoon,
Each on-board device has a processing unit that executes a driving process for driving the vehicle in which the on-board device is installed,
the platooning control system derives the position of the platoon through cooperation of the plurality of on-board devices, and causes each vehicle to travel based on the derived position;
The plurality of vehicles are composed of a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle,
the processing unit in the on-board device mounted on the lead vehicle detects peripheral information of the lead vehicle using a sensor installed on the lead vehicle, estimates the position of the convoy based on first map information and the peripheral information of the lead vehicle, sets a planned travel route for the convoy based on the first map information, the estimated position of the convoy, and a predetermined destination, and causes the lead vehicle to travel according to the planned travel route;
the processing unit in the on-board device mounted on the following vehicle detects surrounding information of the following vehicle using a sensor installed on the following vehicle, generates position correction information based on second map information, the surrounding information of the following vehicle, and the planned driving route, and drives the following vehicle so that the following vehicle follows the lead vehicle;
The processing unit in the on-board device mounted on the lead vehicle corrects the estimated content of the position of the platoon in accordance with the position correction information. The platooning control system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of on-board devices share the task of monitoring obstacles around the platoon. an on-board device mounted on the leading vehicle monitors obstacles ahead of the leading vehicle;
The platooning control system according to claim 2 , wherein an on-board device mounted in the following vehicle monitors an obstacle behind the leading vehicle. the following vehicle comprises one or more following vehicles;
The convoy driving control system according to claim 3 , wherein an on-board device mounted on the rearmost following vehicle among the one or more following vehicles monitors an obstacle behind the rearmost following vehicle. The convoy driving control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the diagnosis of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the convoy is shared and executed by the plurality of on-board devices. The platooning control system according to claim 5 , wherein an on-board device mounted in the following vehicle diagnoses whether or not a specific abnormality exists in the leading vehicle. the on-board device mounted on the leading vehicle notifies the on-board device mounted on the following vehicle of a status indicating whether the doors of the leading vehicle are open or closed, whether the windows of the leading vehicle are open or closed, or whether the lights of the leading vehicle are open or closed;
The platooning control system according to claim 6 , wherein an on-board device mounted on the following vehicle diagnoses the presence or absence of the specific abnormality based on the contents of the status notification and camera information from a camera that has the leading vehicle in its field of view. An on-board device used in the platooning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , the on-board device being mounted on any one of a plurality of vehicles forming the platoon. A platooning control method for causing a plurality of vehicles to travel in a platoon using an on-board device mounted on each of the vehicles forming the platoon, comprising:
Each in-vehicle device executes a driving process to drive the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed,
deriving the position of the platoon through cooperation of the plurality of on-board devices, and causing each vehicle to travel based on the derived position;
The plurality of vehicles are composed of a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle,
an on-board device mounted on the lead vehicle detects peripheral information of the lead vehicle using a sensor installed on the lead vehicle, estimates the position of the convoy based on first map information and the peripheral information of the lead vehicle, sets a planned travel route for the convoy based on the first map information, the estimated position of the convoy, and a predetermined destination, and causes the lead vehicle to travel according to the planned travel route;
an on-board device mounted on the following vehicle detects surrounding information of the following vehicle using a sensor installed on the following vehicle, generates position correction information based on second map information, the surrounding information of the following vehicle, and the planned driving route, and drives the following vehicle so as to follow the lead vehicle;
An on-board device mounted on the leading vehicle corrects the estimated content of the position of the convoy in accordance with the position correction information.
, Platooning control method.