JP7805229B2 - Vehicle route planning device, vehicle route planning method, and vehicle route planning system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle route planning device, a vehicle route planning method, and a vehicle route planning system.

Patent document 1 describes technology that limits a vehicle's speed based on whether the vehicle's surrounding environment is accurately recognized.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-203017

With the technology described in Patent Document 1, depending on the vehicle's surrounding environment, the vehicle's speed may be limited to a speed lower than the legal speed limit, which may cause the vehicle to travel at a slower speed than other vehicles traveling at the legal speed, potentially slowing down traffic flow.
The present invention aims to reduce the possibility of slowing down traffic flow.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the surrounding environment of a leading vehicle, which is an autonomous vehicle, is acquired, the driving speed that the leading vehicle can output is calculated based on the acquired surrounding environment, and the current location of the leading vehicle is acquired. Furthermore, based on the calculated driving speed and the acquired current location, candidate driving routes are calculated as driving routes from the current location of the leading vehicle to the destination, and the traffic tolerance of the calculated candidate driving routes is calculated. Additionally, a candidate driving route selected from the calculated candidate driving routes based on the calculated tolerance is output as a proposed driving route.

This invention makes it possible to reduce the possibility of slowing down traffic flow.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle route planning system. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device. 3 is a flowchart illustrating operations performed by the vehicle route planning system. 10 is a flowchart showing a reroute process. 10 is a flowchart showing a vehicle allocation process.

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.

(composition)
1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle route planning system 1. The vehicle route planning system 1 is a system that sets a route (travel route) along which a vehicle 3 used for user travel will travel.
The vehicle route planning system 1 includes at least a control device 2 and a vehicle 3 (service vehicle).

When a user uses the vehicle 3, the user accesses the control device 2 using, for example, an electronic device to reserve the vehicle 3.
The electronic device is a terminal device used by a user who utilizes the vehicle dispatch service provided by the vehicle route planning system 1. The electronic device may be, for example, a portable information terminal that the user can carry, a small, easily portable computer, or a stationary computer installed in a home or the like. For example, dedicated application software for using the vehicle route planning system 1 is pre-installed on the electronic device. In the following description, "application software" may be referred to as "software." The user may also reserve a vehicle 3 over the Internet using the browser function of the electronic device.

When reserving the vehicle 3 , the electronic device generates usage request data and transmits the usage request data to the control device 2 .
The usage request data includes, for example, information on the number of people (including the user) traveling using the vehicle 3, information on the boarding location (desired boarding location) where the user wishes to board the vehicle 3, and information on the disembarking location (destination) where the user wishes to disembark from the vehicle 3. In addition, the usage request data includes, for example, information on the date and time when the user wishes to board the vehicle 3 (desired boarding date and time), and the date and time when the user wishes to disembark from the vehicle 3 (desired disembarking date and time).

<Control device>
The control device 2 (server device) performs processing according to the usage request data.
The control device 2 includes a processor 20 , a storage device 21 , a communication device 22 , a registrant database (registrant DB) 23 , a map database (map DB) 24 , and a reservation database (reservation DB) 25 .
The processor 20 may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 21 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 control device 2 described below are realized, for example, by the processor 20 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 21.

The communication device 22 provides a communication function between the control device 2 and an external device. The communication method used by the communication device 22 may be, for example, wired communication or wireless communication via a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle 3, or the like.
The control device 2 transmits and receives data to and from the vehicle 3 and electronic devices via the communication device 22 .

Registrant DB23 is a database for registering users of vehicle route planning system 1. In the following description, individuals registered in registrant DB23 will be referred to as "registrants." For example, users of a vehicle dispatch service are registered in registrant DB23 as users of vehicle route planning system 1.

The map DB 24 stores map information of an area where the vehicle route planning system 1 provides a vehicle dispatch service. The map information may be, for example, map data for navigation (hereinafter simply referred to as a "navigation map").
In response to the usage request data, the control device 2 calculates a travel route from the desired boarding location included in the usage request data to the destination based on map information stored in the map DB 24. The control device 2 also predicts the disembarking date and time when the vehicle 3 will depart at the desired boarding date and time included in the usage request data, travel along the travel route, and arrive at the destination.
The control device 2 stores the desired boarding location, desired boarding date and time, and destination included in the usage request data, as well as the travel route and disembarking date and time calculated by the control device 2, in the reservation DB 25 as an operation plan for the vehicle 3.
In addition, the control device 2 outputs to the vehicle 3 an operation plan including the desired boarding location, desired boarding date and time, destination, disembarking date and time, and travel route.

<Vehicles>
The vehicle 3 is a vehicle that operates in response to user requests (a so-called demand-based transportation vehicle), and may be, for example, a shared taxi or a robot taxi.
Furthermore, the vehicle 3 is an autonomous vehicle that is driven automatically by the controller 34 in accordance with an operation plan output from the control device 2 without the involvement of a driver (human).
When the vehicle 3 receives the operation plan from the control device 2, the vehicle 3 travels to the boarding location so as to arrive by the desired boarding date and time included in the operation plan. When the user boards the vehicle 3 at the boarding location, the vehicle 3 travels to the disembarking location along the travel route included in the operation plan.

The vehicle 3 includes an on-board sensor 30 , a positioning device 31 , a map database (map DB) 32 , a communication device 33 , a controller 34 , and an actuator 35 .
The on-board sensors 30 include object sensors that detect objects around the vehicle 3 and vehicle sensors that detect various information (vehicle state) obtained from the vehicle 3 .
The object sensor detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle 3, such as the relative position of the vehicle 3 and an object present around the vehicle 3, the distance between the vehicle 3 and the object, and the direction in which the object is present. The object sensor may include, for example, a camera that captures the surrounding environment of the vehicle 3. Furthermore, for example, the object sensor may include a distance measuring device such as a laser range finder (LRF), radar, or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser radar. The object sensor outputs surrounding environment information, which is information on the detected surrounding environment of the vehicle 3, to the controller 34.
The vehicle sensors may include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 3, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of each tire equipped on the vehicle 3, and a three-axis acceleration sensor (G sensor) that detects the acceleration (including deceleration) in three axial directions of the vehicle 3. 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 vehicle 3, and a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate. Furthermore, the vehicle sensors may include, for example, a seat belt sensor that detects whether a seat belt is fastened or unfastened, and a door sensor that detects whether a door is opened or closed. The vehicle sensors output vehicle state information to the controller 34.

The positioning device 31 measures the current location and attitude of the vehicle 3. The positioning device 31 may include, for example, a Global Navigation System (GNSS) receiver. The GNSS receiver may be, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The positioning device 31 may also include an inertial navigation system. The positioning device 31 outputs current location information of the measured current location to the controller 34.
The map DB 32 stores map information. The map information may include 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 33 provides a communication function between the vehicle 3 and an external device. The communication method used by the communication device 33 may be, for example, wireless communication using a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, road-to-vehicle communication, or the like.
The vehicle 3 transmits and receives data to and from the control device 2 via the communication device 33 .

The controller 34 is an electronic control unit that controls the vehicle 3. For example, the controller 34 controls automatic driving of the vehicle 3. The controller 34 includes a processor 36 and peripheral components such as a storage device 37. The processor 36 may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 37 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 34 are realized, for example, by the processor 36 executing a computer program stored in the storage device 37.
The controller 34 executes autonomous driving control to cause the vehicle 3 to travel in accordance with the operation plan based on the surrounding environment information and vehicle state information from the on-board sensors 30, the positioning results of the positioning device 31, and the map information in the map DB 32. For example, the controller 34 calculates a target travel trajectory for the vehicle 3 to travel based on the current location and attitude of the vehicle 3, the travel route included in the operation plan, the map information, and the surrounding environment of the vehicle 3. In addition, the controller 34 generates, for example, a route space map that represents the route around the vehicle 3 and the presence or absence of objects, and a risk map that quantifies the degree of risk during travel. Furthermore, the controller 34 generates the target travel trajectory based on the motion characteristics of the vehicle 3, the vehicle state information, the route space map, and the risk map. The controller 34 then drives the actuator 35 so that the vehicle 3 travels along the generated target travel trajectory.
The actuator 35 operates the steering device, drive device, and braking device of the vehicle 3 in response to control signals from the controller 34 to generate vehicle behavior of the vehicle 3, thereby automatically driving the vehicle 3. The actuator 35 includes a steering actuator, an accelerator opening actuator, and a brake control actuator.

<Vehicle functional configuration>
The following describes details of the vehicle route planning system 1. Fig. 2A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle 3.
The vehicle 3 includes a surrounding environment acquisition unit 40 , an environmental factor acquisition unit 41 , a recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 , and an outputtable speed calculation unit 43 .

The surrounding environment acquisition unit 40 uses the on-board sensors 30 to acquire information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 3 (presence of nearby vehicles and pedestrians, lane narrowing due to road construction, etc.).

The environmental factor acquisition unit 41 acquires environmental factors, for example, using road-to-vehicle communication or the on-board sensor 30. The environmental factors include at least one of sunlight conditions, weather, and time of day.

The recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 uses the surrounding environment acquired by the surrounding environment acquisition unit 40 to calculate the recognition accuracy, which is the accuracy with which the on-board sensor 30 recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle 3 .
In the embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which the recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 calculates the recognition accuracy of the environment ahead of the vehicle 3 using the on-board sensor 30 .

Furthermore, the recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 calculates the recognition accuracy in response to at least one of a failure and a decrease in output of the on-board sensor 30 .
In the process of calculating the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30, for example, when there are signs of stop signs, intersections, right and left turn roads, etc. in a position that can be imaged by the camera, and the signs cannot be recognized from the image captured by the camera, the recognition accuracy is calculated to be reduced. Note that the recognition accuracy is expressed in three levels: "high," which is the normal recognition accuracy; "medium," which is the recognition accuracy when the sensor's detection accuracy has decreased to about 50% of normal; and "low," which is the recognition accuracy when the sensor's detection accuracy has decreased to about 30% of normal.

Furthermore, the recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 calculates the recognition accuracy according to the environmental factors acquired by the environmental factor acquisition unit 41 .
In the process of calculating the recognition accuracy according to environmental factors, for example, if the sunlight conditions are strong enough to affect the imaging capability of the camera, it is determined that there is a possibility that the recognition accuracy will be reduced, and the recognition accuracy is calculated to be reduced. Also, if the weather conditions are heavy fog or heavy rain, which affect the imaging capability of the camera, it is determined that there is a possibility that the recognition accuracy will be reduced, and the recognition accuracy is calculated to be reduced. Furthermore, if the vehicle 3 is traveling during a time period when the ambient brightness affects the imaging capability of the camera, such as at night or early in the morning, it is determined that there is a possibility that the recognition accuracy will be reduced, and the recognition accuracy is calculated to be reduced.

The possible output speed calculation unit 43 calculates the possible output traveling speed of the vehicle 3 according to the surrounding environment acquired by the surrounding environment acquisition unit 40 .
In addition, the outputtable speed calculation unit 43 calculates the travel speed that the vehicle 3 can output, depending on the recognition accuracy calculated by the recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 .
Specifically, when the recognition accuracy is "high," the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle 3 is traveling is calculated as the traveling speed that the vehicle 3 can output.

Also, for example, when the recognition accuracy is "medium," the traveling speed that can be output by vehicle 3 is calculated as the speed obtained by multiplying the traveling speed that can be output when the recognition accuracy is "high" by a coefficient of "0.9."
Furthermore, for example, when the recognition accuracy is "low," the traveling speed that can be output by vehicle 3 is calculated by multiplying the traveling speed that can be output when the recognition accuracy is "high" by a coefficient of "0.75."
Furthermore, when no user is in the vehicle 3, the outputtable speed calculation unit 43 sets the outputtable traveling speed to a speed lower than when a user is in the vehicle 3. Note that, for example, a seat belt sensor is used to determine whether or not a user is in the vehicle 3.

<Functional configuration of the control device>
FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 2.
The control device 2 includes a vehicle current location acquisition unit 50, a request data acquisition unit 51, a driving plan creation unit 52, a driving route candidate calculation unit 53, an tolerance calculation unit 54, and a destination arrival allowable time acquisition unit 55. In addition, the control device 2 includes a proposed driving route output unit 56, a transfer determination unit 57, a transfer location setting unit 58, a vehicle dispatch processing unit 59, and a roadside stop processing unit 60.

The vehicle current location acquisition unit 50 acquires the current location of the vehicle 3 using the current location information output by the positioning device 31 .
When the request data acquisition unit 51 receives the usage request data from the electronic device, it registers the information included in the usage request data in the reservation DB 25 .

The driving plan creation unit 52 creates an operation plan in accordance with the information registered in the reservation DB 25 by the request data acquisition unit 51 .
When creating an operation plan, a travel route from the current location to the destination is set based on the information included in the usage request data and the map information stored in the map DB 24 .
Furthermore, the driving plan creation unit 52 stores the calculated driving route in the reservation DB 25. As a result, the driving route set by the driving plan creation unit 52 is stored in the reservation DB 25 as an operation plan for the vehicle dispatch service provided to the user.
Furthermore, the driving plan creation unit 52 outputs operation plan information related to the operation plan to the vehicle 3 provided to the user and to the electronic device.

The candidate driving route calculation unit 53 calculates candidate driving routes based on the driving speed calculated by the outputtable speed calculation unit 43 and the current location acquired by the current vehicle location acquisition unit 50 .
The candidate driving routes are candidates for driving routes from the current location of the vehicle 3 to the destination.

When calculating candidate driving routes, first, the section where the driving speed calculated by the output possible speed calculation unit 43, i.e., the maximum speed at which the vehicle 3 can perform automatic driving, is less than the legal speed limit is detected.
When detecting a section where the maximum speed is less than the legal speed, for example, the driving route set by the driving plan creation unit 52, the map information in the map DB 32, the current location acquired by the vehicle current location acquisition unit 50, and the destination included in the usage request data are referenced.

For example, if the driving route set by the driving plan creation unit 52 is composed of sections with a legal speed limit of 60 km/h and the driving speed calculated by the output speed calculation unit 43 is 40 km/h, the unit 52 detects sections between the current location and the destination with a legal speed limit of 40 km/h.
Next, as a candidate driving route, a driving route including a section where the legal speed limit is 40 km/h between the current location and the destination is calculated.

In the embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 calculates a plurality of candidate travel routes.
Furthermore, when the transfer point setting unit 58 sets a transfer point, which will be described later, the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 calculates a travel route candidate from the current location of the vehicle 3 to the transfer point as a travel route candidate.

The tolerance calculation unit 54 calculates the tolerance to traffic for the plurality of travel route candidates calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 .
The tolerance includes at least one of the following tolerances I to V.

Tolerance I: Tolerance for the section length of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53. The evaluation criterion for tolerance I is the time that the vehicle 3 is predicted to affect traffic flow when traveling on the travel route that is the travel route candidate.
The section lengths of the candidate travel routes are obtained, for example, using map information stored in the map DB 24 .

Tolerance II: Tolerance for traffic volume of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53. The evaluation criterion for tolerance II is the speed of the vehicle 3 that affects other vehicles when the vehicle 3 travels on the candidate travel route.
The traffic volume of the candidate travel route is acquired using, for example, road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Tolerance III: Tolerance for the number of lanes of the candidate driving route calculated by the candidate driving route calculation unit 53. The evaluation criterion for tolerance III is the number of other vehicles that will be affected by the presence of the vehicle 3 when the vehicle 3 travels on the candidate driving route.
The number of lanes of the candidate driving route is obtained, for example, using map information stored in the map DB 24 .

Tolerance IV: Tolerance for the cruising speed of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53. The evaluation criterion for tolerance IV is the degree of impact that the speed of the vehicle 3 has on traffic on the candidate travel route when the vehicle 3 travels on the candidate travel route.
The traffic volume of the candidate travel route is acquired using, for example, road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Tolerance V: Tolerance for the degree of blockage of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53. The evaluation criterion for tolerance V is the actual number of travel lanes of the travel route when the vehicle 3 travels on the candidate travel route.
The traffic volume of the candidate travel route is acquired using, for example, road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

The tolerance calculation unit 54 calculates a tolerance (tolerance I) for the section length to be larger as the section length of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 becomes shorter.
The tolerance calculation unit 54 calculates a larger tolerance for traffic volume (tolerance II) as the number of vehicles traveling per unit time on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is smaller.
The tolerance calculation unit 54 calculates the tolerance for the number of lanes (tolerance III) to be larger as the number of lanes of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 increases.
The tolerance calculation unit 54 calculates the tolerance (tolerance IV) for the cruising speed to be larger as the average traveling speed per unit time on the candidate traveling route calculated by the candidate traveling route calculation unit 53 is lower.
The tolerance calculation unit 54 calculates a tolerance (tolerance V) for the degree of blockage to be larger as the blockage state in the section of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 becomes smaller.
In addition, tolerance levels I to V may be calculated for sections of the candidate driving routes calculated by the candidate driving route calculation unit 53, for example, where the legal speed is higher than the driving speed calculated by the output allowable speed calculation unit 43.

The destination arrival allowable time acquisition unit 55 performs processing to acquire the destination arrival allowable time.
The destination arrival allowable time is the time allowed to pass until the user aboard vehicle 3 arrives at the destination.
When obtaining the allowable time to arrive at the destination, the current time and the desired date and time of disembarking included in the usage request data are used.

The proposed driving route output unit 56 selects a driving route candidate from all the driving route candidates calculated by the driving route candidate calculation unit 53 based on the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54, and outputs the selected driving route candidate to the vehicle 3 as a proposed driving route (operation plan).
Specifically, the proposed travel route output unit 56 determines whether the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is equal to or greater than a preset tolerance threshold for all travel route candidates calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53. Then, the proposed travel route output unit 56 outputs the travel route candidate for which the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold as a proposed travel route (operation plan) to the vehicle 3.
The tolerance threshold is a parameter (such as a numerical value) corresponding to the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 .

In addition, the proposed driving route output unit 56 outputs to the vehicle 3 as a proposed driving route (operation plan) a driving route candidate that will arrive at the destination within the destination arrival allowable time acquired by the destination arrival allowable time acquisition unit 55, from among the driving route candidates whose tolerance is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold.
In addition, when the driving route candidate calculation unit 53 calculates a connecting driving route candidate, which is a driving route candidate from the current location of the vehicle 3 to the transfer location, the proposed driving route output unit 56 outputs the connecting driving route candidate to the vehicle 3 as a proposed driving route (operation plan).
The vehicle 3 that has received the input of the proposed travel route travels along the proposed travel route.

The transfer determination unit 57 determines whether the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is less than the tolerance threshold. If the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is less than the tolerance threshold, the transfer determination unit 57 determines that the user needs to transfer from the vehicle 3 they are riding in to another automatically driven vehicle.
In the following description, the vehicle 3 in which the user is riding before transferring to another autonomously driven vehicle may be referred to as a "previously used vehicle." In the following description, the other autonomously driven vehicle to which the user transfers from the previously used vehicle may be referred to as a "transfer vehicle."

Below, we will explain a specific example of the process in which the transfer determination unit 57 determines whether the user needs to transfer from the preceding vehicle to a connecting vehicle.

(Specific Example I)
A specific state relating to the tolerance level I is a state in which the section length of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 is 500 [m] and 50 [seconds] is required to pass through.
A specific state relating to tolerance level II is a state in which the number of lanes on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is two.
A specific state relating to tolerance level III is a state in which the traffic volume on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is sparse.
A specific state relating to the tolerance level IV is a state in which the cruising speed of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is 60 km/h.
A specific state regarding the tolerance V is a state in which the blockage degree of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is low (low blockage degree).
In specific example I, even if the traveling speed calculated by the output possible speed calculation unit 43 is lower than the normal traveling speed that the vehicle 3 can output, it is determined that there is little possibility of slowing down the traffic flow. Then, it is determined that there is no need for the user to transfer from the preceding vehicle to a connecting vehicle (continue traveling).

(Specific Example II)
A specific state regarding tolerance I is a state in which the section length of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 is 3 [km] and it takes 5 [minutes] to pass through.
A specific state relating to tolerance level II is a state in which the number of lanes on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is two.
A specific state relating to tolerance level III is a state in which the traffic volume on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is heavy.
A specific state relating to the tolerance level IV is a state in which the cruising speed of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is 60 km/h.
A specific state regarding the tolerance V is a state in which the blockage degree of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is high (high blockage degree).
In specific example II, if the travel speed calculated by the output possible speed calculation unit 43 is lower than the normal travel speed that the vehicle 3 can travel, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the traffic flow will be slowed down. Then, it is determined that the user needs to transfer from the preceding vehicle to a connecting vehicle (transfer required).

(Specific Example III)
A specific state regarding tolerance I is a state in which the section length of the travel route candidate calculated by the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 is 3 [km] and it takes 5 [minutes] to pass through.
A specific state relating to tolerance level II is a state in which the number of lanes on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is two.
A specific state relating to tolerance level III is a state in which the traffic volume on the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is high due to the occurrence of congestion.
A specific state relating to the tolerance level IV is a state in which the cruising speed of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 drops to 40 km/h due to the occurrence of traffic congestion.
A specific state regarding the tolerance V is a state in which the blockage degree of the candidate travel route calculated by the candidate travel route calculation unit 53 is high (high blockage degree).
In Example III, even if the traveling speed calculated by the output possible speed calculation unit 43 is lower than the normal traveling speed that the vehicle 3 can output, it is determined that the cruising speed has been reduced due to congestion and that there is little possibility of slowing down traffic flow. It is then determined that there is no need for the user to transfer from the preceding vehicle to the connecting vehicle (continue traveling).

When the transfer determination unit 57 determines that a transfer is necessary, the transfer location setting unit 58 sets a transfer location within a range from the current location such that the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold.
The transfer point is the point where passengers transfer from a preceding vehicle to a connecting vehicle.

The vehicle allocation processing unit 59 allocates a connecting vehicle to the connecting point set by the connecting point setting unit 58.
In addition, the vehicle dispatch processing unit 59 selects and dispatches a connecting vehicle from among the autonomous vehicles that can arrive at the destination within the destination arrival allowable time acquired by the destination arrival allowable time acquisition unit 55, according to the connecting location set by the connecting location setting unit 58.

When the transfer point setting unit 58 cannot set a transfer point at the travel speed calculated by the outputtable speed calculation unit 43, the shoulder stopping processing unit 60 stops the preceding vehicle on a shoulder that is available for stopping and exists between the current location and the destination.
The shoulders on which the vehicle can stop between the current location and the destination are acquired using map information stored in the map DB 24, for example.
In addition, the process of stopping the preceding vehicle on the shoulder is a process of including in the operation plan and outputting to the preceding vehicle a driving route from the current location to near the shoulder and an actuator control signal for moving the preceding vehicle from near the shoulder to the shoulder and stopping it there.

(operation)
3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle route planning system 1. The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 starts from a state in which the trip plan creation unit 52 outputs operation plan information to the preceding use vehicle and the electronic device, and the preceding use vehicle with a user is traveling. In FIG. 3, the processes performed between the control device 2 and the vehicle 3 are indicated by dashed arrows.

In step S1, the recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 diagnoses the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30. That is, in step S1, the preceding use vehicle self-diagnoses the state of the on-board sensor 30.
In step S2, the recognition accuracy calculation unit 42 determines whether the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has decreased (for example, whether the recognition accuracy is "medium" or "low"). If it is determined that the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has decreased (step S2: Y), the process proceeds to step S3. If it is determined that the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has not decreased (step S2: N), the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S3, the outputtable speed calculation unit 43 calculates the travel speed that the preceding vehicle can output.
In step S4, the preceding vehicle continues to travel normally.
In step S5, the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 determines whether the travel speed calculated in step S3 is less than a speed threshold (for example, the legal speed of the road on which the preceding vehicle is traveling according to the operation plan). If it is determined that the calculated travel speed is less than the speed threshold (step S5: Y), the process proceeds to step S15. If it is determined that the calculated travel speed is equal to or greater than the speed threshold (step S5: N), the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, the preceding vehicle decelerates to the traveling speed calculated in step S3.
In step S7, the preceding vehicle continues traveling at the traveling speed calculated in step S3.
In step S8, the preceding vehicle requests the control device 2 to output candidate travel routes (reroute candidates) that are candidates for a new travel route (reroute).

In step S9, the control device 2 performs a process of calculating travel route candidates (rerouting process), which will be described later.
In step S10, the preceding vehicle sets the travel route candidate calculated in step S9 as a new operation plan.
In step S11, the preceding vehicle travels according to the operation plan set in step S10.
In step S12, the preceding vehicle transmits to the control device 2 the result of determining whether the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has decreased while the vehicle is traveling according to the operation plan set in step S10, and the driving speed that can be output.

In step S13, the control device 2 performs a process of allocating a connecting vehicle (vehicle allocation process), which will be described later.
In step S14, the connecting vehicle receives an input of an operation plan including a driving route to the connecting point set by the connecting point setting unit 58, and sets a driving route to the connecting point.

In step S15, the preceding vehicle stops at the shoulder set by the shoulder stopping processing unit 60.
In step S16, the preceding vehicle requests the control device 2 to transfer to a connecting vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the reroute process.
In step S<b>20 , the candidate driving route calculation unit 53 calculates a plurality of candidate driving routes based on the driving speed calculated in step S<b>3 and the current location acquired by the current vehicle location acquisition unit 50 .
In step S21, the candidate driving route calculation unit 53 calculates the predicted time at which the vehicle 3 will arrive at the destination if it travels at the driving speed calculated in step S3 and at or below the legal speed for the multiple candidate driving routes calculated in step S20.

In step S22, the proposed travel route output unit 56 extracts, from the plurality of travel route candidates calculated in step S20, a travel route candidate that will arrive at the destination within the destination arrival allowable time calculated in step S21.
In step S23, the proposed travel route output unit 56 determines whether it was possible to extract a candidate travel route that would allow the vehicle to arrive at the destination within the allowed destination arrival time. If it is determined that it is possible to extract a candidate travel route that would allow the vehicle to arrive at the destination within the allowed destination arrival time (step S23: Y), the process proceeds to step S24. If it is determined that it is not possible to extract a candidate travel route that would allow the vehicle to arrive at the destination within the allowed destination arrival time (step S23: N), the process proceeds to step S29.

In step S24, the proposed travel route output unit 56 determines whether or not any of the travel route candidates that could be extracted in step S23 includes a travel route candidate whose travel speed calculated in step S3 is equal to or greater than the legal speed. If it is determined that any of the travel route candidates whose travel speed calculated in step S3 is equal to or greater than the legal speed exists (step S24: Y), the process proceeds to step S25. If it is determined that any of the travel route candidates whose travel speed calculated in step S3 is equal to or greater than the legal speed exists (step S24: N), the process proceeds to step S26.
In step S25, the proposed travel route output unit 56 sets the travel route candidate whose travel speed calculated in step S3 is equal to or greater than the legal speed limit as the proposed travel route.

In step S26, the proposed driving route output unit 56 evaluates the degree of influence that the vehicle 3 in which the user is riding has on traffic flow in the section where the driving speed calculated in step S3 does not exceed the legal speed. Note that the degree of influence that the vehicle 3 in which the user is riding has on traffic flow is evaluated using the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 for the driving route candidate where the driving speed calculated in step S3 does not exceed the legal speed.
In step S27, the proposed travel route output unit 56 determines whether the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold for the travel route candidate whose travel speed calculated in step S3 does not exceed the legal speed. This determines whether the travel route candidate whose travel speed calculated in step S3 does not exceed the legal speed includes a travel route candidate that has a small degree of influence on traffic flow (a small-impact route). A small-impact route is a travel route candidate whose tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold. If it is determined that a small-impact route exists among the travel route candidate whose travel speed calculated in step S3 does not exceed the legal speed (step S27: Y), the process proceeds to step S28. If it is determined that a small-impact route does not exist among the travel route candidate whose travel speed calculated in step S3 does not exceed the legal speed (step S27: N), the process proceeds to step S29.
In step S28, the proposed travel route output unit 56 sets the small-impact route determined to exist in step S27 as a proposed travel route.

In step S29, the transfer determination unit 57 determines that the user needs to transfer from the preceding vehicle to a connecting vehicle. Further, in step S29, the transfer location setting unit 58 sets a transfer location within a range from the current location such that the tolerance calculated by the tolerance calculation unit 54 is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold.
In step S30, the travel route candidate calculation unit 53 sets the connecting travel route candidate as a proposed travel route.
In step S31, the proposed driving route output unit 56 outputs one of the proposed driving route set in step S25, the proposed driving route set in step S28, or the proposed driving route set in step S30 as the proposed driving route (operation plan).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the vehicle allocation process.
In step S40, the vehicle dispatch processing unit 59 determines whether a transfer point has been set. If it is determined that a transfer point has been set (step S40: Y), the process proceeds to step S41. If it is determined that a transfer point has not been set (step S40: N), the vehicle dispatch processing ends, and the operation performed by the vehicle route planning system 1 ends.

In step S41, the vehicle dispatch processing unit 59 selects a connecting vehicle from among the autonomous vehicles that can arrive at the destination within the destination arrival allowable time acquired by the destination arrival allowable time acquisition unit 55, based on the set connecting location.
In step S42, the vehicle allocation processing unit 59 allocates the connecting vehicle selected in step S41.

As explained above, in the present invention, if the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has not decreased, the preceding vehicle continues normal driving (driving by autonomous driving) and travels along the driving route included in the operation plan. On the other hand, if the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has decreased, the system performs processes such as outputting a proposed driving route, transferring from the preceding vehicle to a connecting vehicle, and dispatching the connecting vehicle, depending on the driving speed that the preceding vehicle can output, tolerance, and tolerance threshold. That is, for example, if the legal speed limit for the driving route included in the operation plan is 60 km/h and the recognition accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 has decreased and the outputtable driving speed has dropped to 40 km/h, processing is performed according to the degree of impact that the preceding vehicle has on traffic flow.

(Effects of the embodiment)
(1) A computer included in a vehicle route planning device constituting the vehicle route planning system 1 executes a process of acquiring the surrounding environment of the preceding vehicle and a process of calculating a driving speed that the preceding vehicle can output based on the acquired surrounding environment. In addition, a process of acquiring the current location of the preceding vehicle and a process of calculating candidate driving routes that are candidates for the driving route from the current location of the preceding vehicle to the destination based on the calculated driving speed and the acquired current location are executed. Furthermore, a process of calculating a traffic tolerance for the calculated candidate driving routes and a process of selecting a candidate driving route from the calculated candidate driving routes based on the calculated tolerance are executed.
This makes it possible to limit the driving speed of the vehicle in which the user is riding to a driving speed that can be output depending on the vehicle's surrounding environment, and to calculate candidate driving routes for traffic flow that are suitable for the driving speed that can be output.
Therefore, even when the vehicle is traveling at a speed that is limited to a speed lower than the legal speed limit due to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, it is possible to reduce the possibility of slowing down traffic flow.

(2) The tolerance includes at least one of tolerances for the section length of the calculated candidate driving route, traffic volume of the calculated candidate driving route, number of lanes of the calculated candidate driving route, cruising speed of the calculated candidate driving route, and degree of blockage of the calculated candidate driving route.
This makes it possible to set a proposed driving route depending on the structure and traffic conditions of the candidate driving route.

(3) The shorter the section length of the calculated travel route candidate is, the greater the tolerance for the section length is calculated to be.
This makes it possible to calculate tolerance by reflecting a structure in which the section length of the candidate travel route is short, i.e., a structure in which vehicles with a reduced outputtable travel speed have a greater impact on traffic flow.

(4) The computer calculates a larger tolerance for traffic volume as the number of vehicles traveling per unit time on the calculated travel route candidate decreases.
This makes it possible to calculate tolerance by reflecting situations where the number of vehicles traveling per unit time on a candidate travel route is low, i.e., situations where vehicles with reduced output travel speeds have a significant impact on traffic flow.

(5) The computer calculates a tolerance for the number of lanes to be larger the more lanes the calculated travel route candidate has.
This makes it possible to calculate tolerance by reflecting a structure in which the candidate driving route has a large number of lanes, i.e., a structure in which vehicles with a reduced outputtable driving speed have a large impact on traffic flow.

(6) The computer calculates the tolerance for cruising speed to be larger the lower the average traveling speed per unit time on the calculated traveling route candidate.
This makes it possible to calculate tolerance by reflecting situations where the average driving speed per unit time of the candidate driving route is low, i.e., situations where vehicles with a reduced outputtable driving speed have a significant impact on traffic flow.

(7) The computer calculates the tolerance for the degree of blockage to be higher as the blockage state in the section of the calculated travel route candidate becomes smaller.
This makes it possible to calculate tolerance by reflecting situations where the blockage in the section of the candidate driving route is small, i.e., situations where vehicles with reduced outputtable driving speeds have a large impact on traffic flow.

(8) The computer calculates the driving speed that can be output based on the accuracy of recognition of the environment ahead of the preceding vehicle by an on-board sensor that acquires the surrounding environment of the preceding vehicle.
This makes it possible to calculate the driving speed that the vehicle can output based on the ability to detect the distance to the vehicle ahead, which is an important parameter for the driving of an autonomous vehicle.

(9) The computer calculates the recognition accuracy in response to at least one of a failure and a decrease in output of the on-board sensor 30 .
This makes it possible to calculate the driving speed that the vehicle can output in accordance with changes (deterioration) in the performance of the on-board sensor 30, which is an important factor in the driving of an autonomous vehicle.

(10) The computer calculates the recognition accuracy according to environmental factors including at least one of sunlight conditions, weather, and time of day.
This makes it possible to calculate the driving speed that the vehicle can output in response to changes in the environment in which the on-board sensor 30 detects various parameters, which is an important factor in the driving of an autonomous vehicle.

(11) If the tolerance of the calculated driving route candidate is less than the tolerance threshold, the computer executes a process to set a transfer point, which is a point where the preceding vehicle will transfer to another autonomous vehicle, within a range from the current location where the tolerance is greater than or equal to the tolerance threshold.
This makes it possible to shorten the time required to reach the destination in situations where continuing to ride in the preceding vehicle would be expected to increase the likelihood of slowing down traffic flow.

(12) The computer dispatches connecting vehicles.
This makes it possible to shorten the time required to transfer from the preceding vehicle to the connecting vehicle, and also to reduce the effort required to transfer from the preceding vehicle to the connecting vehicle.

(13) The computer executes a process to acquire an allowable destination arrival time, which is the time allowed to elapse until the user of the preceding vehicle arrives at the destination. In addition, the computer selects a connecting vehicle from among automatically operated vehicles that can arrive at the destination within the allowable destination arrival time, depending on the connecting location.
This makes it possible to avoid an increase in the time required to arrive at the destination after transferring from the preceding vehicle to the connecting vehicle.

(14) If the computer is unable to set a transfer point at the driving speed that can be output, it stops the preceding vehicle on a shoulder of the road between the current location and the destination where the vehicle can stop.
This makes it possible to reduce the possibility of the preceding vehicle slowing down traffic flow in situations where continuing to ride in the preceding vehicle would increase the possibility of slowing down traffic flow.

(15) The computer executes a process to acquire an allowable destination arrival time, which is the time allowed to pass until the user of the preceding vehicle arrives at the destination. In addition, the computer outputs, as a proposed travel route, a travel route candidate that will arrive at the destination within the allowable destination arrival time.
This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which it is impossible to arrive at the destination within the allowable destination arrival time, even if the travel speed that can be output is reduced.

(16) When no user is in the preceding vehicle, the computer sets the outputtable traveling speed to a lower speed than when a user is in the preceding vehicle.
This makes it possible to reduce the load on the vehicle when there is no demand to reach the destination.

(17) The computer selects, from the calculated travel route candidates, a travel route candidate whose calculated tolerance is equal to or greater than a tolerance threshold, and outputs the selected travel route as a proposed travel route.
This makes it possible to output, as a proposed driving route, a candidate driving route with a traffic flow that is suitable for the driving speed that the vehicle in which the user is riding can output.

(18) In a vehicle route planning method, the surrounding environment of a leading use vehicle, which is an autonomous vehicle, is acquired, a driving speed that the leading use vehicle can output is calculated based on the acquired surrounding environment, and the acquired surrounding environment and the calculated driving speed are transmitted to a control device 2. The control device 2 then acquires a current location of the leading use vehicle and calculates candidate driving routes that are candidates for the driving route from the current location of the leading use vehicle to a destination based on the calculated driving speed and the acquired current location. In addition, the control device 2 calculates traffic tolerance for the calculated candidate driving routes, and outputs a candidate driving route selected from the calculated candidate driving routes based on the calculated tolerance as a proposed driving route.
This makes it possible to limit the driving speed of the vehicle in which the user is riding to a driving speed that can be output depending on the vehicle's surrounding environment, and to calculate candidate driving routes for traffic flow that are suitable for the driving speed that can be output.
Therefore, even when the vehicle is traveling at a speed that is limited to a speed lower than the legal speed limit due to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, it is possible to reduce the possibility of slowing down traffic flow.

(19) A vehicle route planning system 1 includes a control device 2 that receives information about the surrounding environment of the leading use vehicle, which is an autonomous vehicle, acquired by the leading use vehicle, and a travel speed that the leading use vehicle can output, calculated by the leading use vehicle based on the acquired surrounding environment. Furthermore, the control device 2 acquires a current location of the leading use vehicle, and calculates candidate travel routes that are candidates for travel routes from the current location of the leading use vehicle to a destination based on the calculated travel speed and the acquired current location. In addition, the control device 2 calculates a traffic tolerance for the calculated candidate travel routes, and outputs a candidate travel route selected from the calculated candidate travel routes based on the calculated tolerance as a proposed travel route.
This makes it possible to limit the driving speed of the vehicle in which the user is riding to a driving speed that can be output depending on the vehicle's surrounding environment, and to calculate candidate driving routes for traffic flow that are suitable for the driving speed that can be output.
Therefore, even when the vehicle is traveling at a speed that is limited to a speed lower than the legal speed limit due to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, it is possible to reduce the possibility of slowing down traffic flow.

(Modification of the embodiment)
(1) In the embodiment, the traveling speed that can be output by the vehicle 3 is calculated based on the accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 in recognizing the environment ahead of the vehicle 3, but this is not limited to this. That is, the traveling speed that can be output by the vehicle 3 may be calculated based on, for example, the accuracy of the on-board sensor 30 in recognizing the environment around the vehicle 3, or the accuracy of communication capabilities such as road-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

(2) In the embodiment, the driving route candidate whose calculated tolerance is equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold is selected from the calculated driving route candidates and output as the proposed driving route, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the driving route candidate whose calculated tolerance is the highest from the calculated driving route candidates may be selected and output as the proposed driving route. In this case, it is possible to simplify the process of selecting driving route candidates.

1... Vehicle route planning system, 2... Control device, 3... Vehicle, 20, 36... Processor, 21, 37... Storage device, 22, 33... Communication device, 23... Registered user database, 24, 32... Map database, 25... Reservation database, 30... On-board sensor, 31... Positioning device, 34... Controller, 35... Actuator, 40... Surrounding environment acquisition unit, 41... Environmental factor acquisition unit, 42... Recognition accuracy calculation unit, 43... Output allowable speed calculation unit, 50... Vehicle current location acquisition unit, 51... Request data acquisition unit, 52... Travel plan creation unit, 53... Travel route candidate calculation unit, 54... Tolerance calculation unit, 55... Destination arrival allowable time acquisition unit, 56... Proposed travel route output unit, 57... Transfer determination unit, 58... Transfer location setting unit, 59... Vehicle dispatch processing unit, 60... Roadside stop processing unit

Claims (17)

A process of acquiring the surrounding environment of the leading vehicle, which is an autonomous driving vehicle;
A process of calculating a travel speed that the preceding vehicle can output according to the acquired surrounding environment;
A process of acquiring a current location of the preceding vehicle;
A process of calculating candidate driving routes that are candidates for the driving route from the current location of the preceding use vehicle to the destination, based on the calculated driving speed and the acquired current location;
A process of calculating a traffic tolerance of the calculated travel route candidate;
a process of selecting a travel route candidate from the calculated travel route candidates in accordance with the calculated tolerance as a proposed travel route;
A vehicle path planning device comprising a computer that executes the above. A vehicle route planning device as described in claim 1, wherein the tolerances include at least one of a tolerance for the section length of the calculated driving route candidate, a tolerance for the traffic volume of the calculated driving route candidate, a tolerance for the number of lanes of the calculated driving route candidate, a tolerance for the cruising speed of the calculated driving route candidate, and a tolerance for the degree of blockage of the calculated driving route candidate. The computer
3. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the tolerance for the section length is calculated to be larger as the section length of the calculated travel route candidate becomes shorter. The computer
3. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the tolerance for traffic volume is calculated to be larger as the number of vehicles traveling per unit time on the calculated travel route candidate decreases. The computer
3. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the tolerance for the number of lanes is calculated to be larger as the number of lanes of the calculated travel route candidate increases. The computer
3. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the tolerance for the cruising speed is calculated to be larger as the average traveling speed per unit time of the calculated travel route candidate decreases. The computer
3. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the tolerance for the degree of blockage is calculated to be larger as the blockage state in the section of the calculated travel route candidate decreases. The computer
8. A vehicle route planning device according to claim 1, which executes a process of calculating the outputtable driving speed in accordance with the recognition accuracy of the environment ahead of the preceding vehicle by an on-board sensor that acquires the surrounding environment of the preceding vehicle. The computer
The vehicle route planning device according to claim 8 , wherein the recognition accuracy is calculated in response to at least one of a failure and a decrease in output of the on-board sensor. The computer
9. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 8, wherein the recognition accuracy is calculated depending on environmental factors including at least one of sunlight conditions, weather, and time of day. The computer
A vehicle route planning device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, which executes a process of setting a transfer point, which is a point where the preceding vehicle will transfer to another autonomous vehicle, within a range from the current location where the tolerance of the calculated driving route candidate is less than a predetermined tolerance threshold, so that the tolerance is greater than or equal to the tolerance threshold. The computer
The vehicle route planning device according to claim 11, which executes a process of dispatching the connecting vehicle. The computer
A process of acquiring an allowable destination arrival time, which is an amount of time allowed to pass until the user in the preceding vehicle arrives at the destination;
13. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 12, wherein the device executes a process of selecting the connecting vehicle from among automatically driven vehicles that can arrive at the destination within the allowable destination arrival time, depending on the connecting location. The computer
13. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 12, wherein, if it is not possible to set the transfer point at the outputtable driving speed, a process is executed to stop the preceding vehicle on a shoulder of the road between the current location and the destination where the vehicle can be stopped. The computer
A process of acquiring an allowable destination arrival time, which is an amount of time allowed to pass until the user in the preceding vehicle arrives at the destination;
8. The vehicle route planning device according to claim 1, further comprising a process of outputting, as the proposed travel route, a travel route candidate that allows the vehicle to arrive at the destination within the destination arrival allowable time. Acquire the surrounding environment of the leading autonomous vehicle,
Calculating a travel speed that the preceding vehicle can output according to the acquired surrounding environment;
Transmitting the acquired surrounding environment and the calculated traveling speed to a control device;
The control device
Acquire the current location of the preceding vehicle;
calculating a candidate driving route from the current location of the preceding vehicle to the destination based on the calculated driving speed and the acquired current location;
Calculating a traffic tolerance for the calculated travel route candidate;
a vehicle route planning method for selecting a travel route candidate from the calculated travel route candidates in accordance with the calculated tolerance, and outputting the selected travel route candidate as a proposed travel route; a control device that receives the surrounding environment of the preceding use vehicle, which is an autonomous driving vehicle, acquired by the preceding use vehicle, and the driving speed that the preceding use vehicle can output, calculated by the preceding use vehicle in accordance with the acquired surrounding environment;
The control device
Acquire the current location of the preceding vehicle;
calculating a candidate driving route from the current location of the preceding vehicle to the destination based on the calculated driving speed and the acquired current location;
Calculating a traffic tolerance for the calculated travel route candidate;
The vehicle route planning system outputs, as a proposed travel route, a travel route candidate selected from the calculated travel route candidates in accordance with the calculated tolerance.